As state budgets tighten and Intermediate School Districts trim budgetary fat, more and more emphasis will be placed on school fundraisers. But as the need to raise funds increases, school groups such as cheerleaders, athletic/band boosters and PTO's will find that the standard fundraising practices of the past, will no longer adequately fund the future.
Bake sales and car washes will no longer cut it. And as for the food and cheap gifts offered through "fundraising companies", the general public is starting to resent paying top dollar for junk gift items and food items that aren't worth the price.
Before a major fundraising crisis occurs at your school, seriously consider offering quality, branded merchandise that is useful, and supportive of the interests of your target audience. By incorporating sound advertising, promotional marketing and public relations strategies and tactics into your fundraising, you can develop a program that will have people contacting you about buying what you have to offer.
Branding Your Brand is your school logo, mascot and/or words that set you apart from your rivals. Whether you're Bulldogs, Trojans, Rams, Dreadnaughts, Spartans or Dutchmen, fans want your logo or brand on their stuff … and they'll pay for it. But unlike the cheap junk you've sold in the past, you'll want to brand quality items that are useful and relevant to the interests of your target audience.
Target Audience Who's your target audience? Students? Parents of students? Alumni? At the next game or event take a good look at the audience or those in stands or bleachers. There sits your target audience. They're there for a reason, whether it be to see their child in the recital, play or concert or because they know a member of the team or are simply a fan. Point is, they have an interest in the event or they wouldn't be there. A good number of them will spend money to show support for that interest. They want to show their support. It's up to you to help them do it.
Product Selection The types of branded products you offer for sale can range from inexpensive waterless tattoos and writing instruments to more expensive caps, scarves and gloves. A specific category of products is cheering products that range from megaphones and pom-poms to horns, pennants, banners, bandanas and rally towels.
Another category to consider is products that fans will find useful away from the sports arena. A fan's allegiance to the team doesn't end when the game is over. There are lots of useful, quality, brand-name items you can brand that fans and community supporters can use around the home or at work. Mugs, coasters … even flashlights. How many games get over after dark? Other items include auto sun shades, imprinted plastic leaf/garbage bags, cloth shopping bags and other good-quality items such as umbrellas, ice scrapers and flags.
In cases where a team makes it to the finals or wins a championship, limited edition event or accomplishment-specific products such as coasters, t-shirts, hats, pennants, buttons, pins and some of the previously mentioned items can quickly be manufactured for sale to die-hard fans … who want to show their support or have an appropriate memento of the accomplishment.
Summary: Take a serious look at the way you've been fundraising. You've probably been relying on a push strategy where you attempt (or have the students attempt) to push low-quality, banal products onto people who buy begrudgingly. Or, you've been relying on high effort/low return fundraising events such as bake sales and car washes.
But with a slight change in approach, you can develop a pull system where people actually want and seek out what you have to offer. And when fans, alumni and supporters come to you, seeking out what you have to offer, that makes for easier, more profitable sales.
Future articles will discuss marketing channels, highlight how to add value to the products you choose and effective techniques to partner with local businesses that will have them clamoring to help you with your fundraising efforts.
Michael Merrick Crooks, is founder of Crooks Advertising Alliance a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem-solving as it relates to advertising and promotional marketing. A Battle Creek, MI native, Crooks is a Cub Scout leader and Little League Baseball coach. For more unique marketing articles, visit www.CrooksAdvertising.com and sign up for his free newsletter, CrooksView Creative Digest. Or visit the most authoritative website in the world on the subject of waterless tattoos: www.WaterlessTattoos.com
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