Calendar and campaign planning; content marketing; email marketing; social media channels; public relations; brand management; SEO keywords; attainable goals; defined target market; beat or outperform competitors
Throughout my career, planning communications and marketing campaigns with the aid of a calendar was a high priority because this time / project management tool enabled me and my team to deliver!
The number of special sections I managed fluctuated from about 24 each year when I started my work as editor to 92 sections per year at the height of newspaper publishing. The new sections came about through sales and marketing meetings as a way to produce more revenue.
When big box stores came to town, we noticed that the small mom-and-pop stores selling hunting supplies were going out of business. Even though our Hunting section was one of our most popular sections with our readers, its support from advertisers dropped off almost completely. We (marketing/advertising/sales teams) decided we would drop the Hunting section, but our boss challenged us to find a new revenue-producing section to replace it. (Which we did: Woman’s Journal.)
Each section needed to be marketed: a sales sheet was created for sales reps to use when visiting their accounts. That meant that prior to the sales sheet being created, a cover for the section and a list of potential story content had to be determined to be able to include that information on the sales sheet (along with publication date, ad listing date, etc.). These sales sheets enabled clients to think about where they wanted their brand to be noticed as an expert or provider of products/services. Some of the themes of our special sections included hunting, fishing, boating, summer in Maine, family activities, graduation, local sports, and more.
Each section had a campaign plan, as noted. As a volunteer for several non-profit organizations, I created events and marketing plans. For example, I created a Bunco (dice game) event that could potentially seat 40 players at each event. We charged a $5 donation from members and $10 from the general public at the door. During the event, players could browse and purchase from our donated books and gift items. A well-attended event could bring in at least $200 for this small non profit. I created a marketing and set-up guide so other members could host a Bunco event, too. New members joined at each event so there was a good return on investment.
Turner Publishing marketed its product sell sheets in its own papers such as this advertising offer (page 8) to be part of a community directory page. CLICK HERE
I also created a prom gown giveaway event that was a huge success in terms of branding and public relations. I called this event the Fairy Godmother Project. All prom gowns were donated and I was told that some donors actually went shopping in order to contribute to helping the young women seeking a prom gown. There were several drop-off locations for the gowns which further amplified top of mind awareness and collaboration. The first event was well attended, but the second event’s attendance was astronomical: 500 people (250 girls looking for a gown, 250 adult chaperones) were in attendance. I used surveys at the event that showed 20 girls were interested in volunteering for that non profit. Only nine had ever heard of the non profit. Even though the event was free, people donated money due to the feel-good factor. The non profit also gained a lot of media attention because of the event and gained new members.
As part of a project / campaign for the University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn College, I was hired as a communications specialist in the marketing department. The goal of the campaign was to show the faculty as people with interests outside of the classroom and to also feature a student who either overcame hardships or who furthered their career by getting a master’s degree. These profiles were published in print, online and faculty photos and quotes from the profiles were installed in the college’s lobby.
Another project / campaign I worked on for USM LAC was their 25th anniversary keepsake booklet and timeline installed in a hallway at the school.
As a volunteer for the non-profit L/A Arts, I spearheaded and managed the combined awards dinner/dance and annual meeting. This was a big undertaking with a marketing plan, budget, advertisements, sponsorship packages, posters, social media posts, and more.
I contributed as a volunteer to the marketing of L/A Arts’ annual ice festival and art walks.
I was able to get a lot of free advertising for the non profits that I volunteered at, simply by asking the marketing coordinator where I worked at the Sun Journal. The only requirement was usually that in return for free or reduced advertising costs, the non profit donated to the Sun Journal free tickets to its event. I continued this trade practice at Turner Publishing.