Leader of the Parade

Even though temperatures are still on the cool side, lots of planning has already started for the annual home-town parade. If you’re like most companies, summer brings lots of sponsorship opportunities for golf tournaments, parades, parties and festivals. If your company is planning on joining the parade this year, now’s the perfect time to gather these great promotional goodies that sport your logo and bring smiles to kids of all ages.


Winning the Parade Marketing Game:

Like anything else in life, doing parades well can:

• help separate you from your competition
• create a sense of legitimacy
• help you win the Parade Marketing Game.

Think about it…why would anyone enter a parade. They’re generally long, hot, cost money and require a lot of volunteer time. Plus your absence from a parade can be an insult to the community that sponsored the parade. So, if you are going to do it, you should be the best and provide favors that will be remembered long after the parade is over.

These simple strategies can help you get ready to win the parade:

1) Don’t just plan on being there, use the parade to get your message out.
Make sure you are strongly represented with staff carrying a sign, banner or wearing your company shirts. When a horde of staff come walking down the parade route wearing your shirts and handing out goodies to the kids, you will send a strong unified message.

2) Give the adults something that will last
Adults like to get goodies at parades as well, but don’t give them something that they will throw on the ground shortly after they get it. Think of an item that will stay with them building your name ID long after the parade is over. Some people like fans, recipe cards, pens, combs or nail files, or notepads.

3) Don’t forget the little kids sitting away from the street
Most of us have had small children who were afraid to go near the street to get treats. So they stay back and are mostly left out. Nothing warms a parent’s heart more than to have someone go out of their way to see that their children were included.

Lee Reedy
Media Strategist