by becoming one-of-a-kind in your market – with the right partners and partnering methods, as I’ve noted in past posts. Give prospective clients, members or cause supporters another reason to check out your organization – by involving a complementary partner. For example, this week, one new online social network, Real Girls Media’s DivineCaroline.com will share content with DDHG Partners’ DontDateHimGirl.com. Together they offer their mutual market of young women more reasons to check them out and possibly join.
Similarly, businesses that market to dentists with complementary products (cabinets and chairs) “may get twice the visibility at half the cost,” as Nancy points out.
As San Francisco discovered, creating a captivating theme can help you forge profitable partnerships to reach the same market better together. In 2004, to attract more tourists and spending, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Diane DeRose forged creative SmartPartnerships to launch the campaign, "Only in San Francisco." Local radio and TV stations, billboard firms and the newspaper all donated advertising space and time to the campaign.
To promote your town or other public place consider adapting variations of other parts of this campaign:
SFO, the airport, displayed banners throughout the International Terminal.
Max’s Restaurants sold an "Only in San Francisco" sandwich.
One evening was dubbed "Only in San Francisco" Night at our in-town ball park and several lucky people received uniquely San Franciscan prizes.
The advertising agency created merchants’ kit that included "Only in San Francisco" posters, post cards and other materials so that most any business in San Francisco could participate.
The SFCVB promoted "Only in San Francisco, Only with Visa" offers.
See’s Candies, headquartered in the Greater Bay Area, created a special candy collection.
The SFCVB created a "Wish You Were Here" Web site, with a sweepstakes. Locals could send e-postcards to their friends and both parties were thus entered into drawings for San Francisco vacation packages and prizes of local interest.
To encourage visitors to explore more neighborhoods outside the usual tourist haunts, SFCVB organized a corps of “Neighborhood Ambassadors.” They shared their knowledge of the things that make their districts unique and inviting.
They established as a San Francisco photo gallery where many of the best Bay Area photographers’ photos of the region were showcased.
They created "Only in San Francisco" tour packages that motivated more kinds of merchants to participate - because they were a part of the packages.
Of course, it helps to have a pro-partnering advertising/promotion/branding agency to take the lead in crafting the partnerships and the tools that are used. In this case, I was impressed with the adept work of Eleven.
