Event Marketing

Do you have an event coming up? Have you thought about how you are going to promote it? University Marketing is here to help make your event successful. Below are some key strategies to help you get started. If you have additional questions or just need somebody to help make sense of this information, please email us or call 541-737-3871

start early

What they say about the early bird catching the worm holds true for event planning. Be sure to allow yourself enough time by starting the planning process early. Once you've finalized all of the logistics (your speaker, date and location) then it's time to begin thinking about promotion. As a general rule of thumb, your promotional materials should be out two weeks prior to the event date.

identify your budget

Before you can decide on your promotional options, you need to have your budget identified. Think creatively about how you can get the most out of your advertising dollars. Are there partnering opportunities with another department or group on campus? Could you share a room rental or other event costs for a combined event? Working with News & Communications to send out a press release is a good, and free, way to get the word out. Also, don't forget about the various community calendars where you can post your event information for free.

define your target audience

Who will be interested in attending your event? By putting a face to those you are trying to reach, you will be able to determine what types of promotional activities will work best and which communication outlets to explore. Narrow down your target group of people even further for targeted event marketing. For example:

• Students
• Faculty/staff
• Academic conference attendees
• Local community members
• Community members who are interested in the environment
• Community members who are interested in politics

what to say

• Title. People are more likely to want to find out more about your event if the title is compelling. For example, "The World Trade Center" vs. the more compelling "The Twin Towers: Spires of Innovation"
• Text. Think carefully about the amount of text you use. Every word counts and should hold value. Two or three sentences are usually sufficient to grab someone's interest.
• What about all the other things we want to say? Use Web sites to give all the details such as full listings of events, where to find more information.

an eye-catching design

• Clean and uncluttered
• Gives the eye one compelling element to focus on
• Uses limited text

important details to include

• Disabilities accommodations statement: Accommodations for disabilities may be made by calling … (list phone number of campus department)
• Campus phone number
• Web site
• OSU logo (bottom right-hand corner)

spread the word

Observe your daily surroundings for ideas on unique ways to deliver a compelling message. You'll need to tell your audience many times, in different ways, to make an impression. Some tools to utilize:

• Posters
• Table tents
• Sandwich board signs
• Newspaper ads
• Press releases
• Email
• Word of mouth
• OSU Calendar
• OSU Today
• OSU This Week
• Channel 27, 737-0786
• MyOSU News

additional resources

Printing & Mailing, 541-737-4941
News & Communications, 541-737-4611
University Web Communications, 541-737-3871
MUPC Design Studio (for student groups), 541-737-8511