Community Outreach- A Branding Tool
I am very prideful of the fact that since age 11 I have been involved in some aspect of community outreach from hosting a backyard carnival to The Muscular Dystrophy Association to traveling overseas as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer their remains one contstant that community outreach will asssit in building your brand. Think about what causes really resonate with you and how they fit into your core values and how they are synchronistic to your brand. Are you about helping animals? Then a great project for you might be to collect items for The local humane society and promote what you are doing through social media, electronic media, and print media with your logo included on all promotional items related tot he collection.
My charity of choice is The American Cancer Society and I have selected The Relay For Life as the project to support thus I have set up a web page at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg8265 to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. I will also be donating my time and services as an emcee and media specialist as part of my community outreach for this cause.
People like to support those that they perceive as giving back to the community. By doing community outreach you will gain the trust of the community so that when they desire your product or service they will come to you. There are many organizations to help with there mission.
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Community Outreach- Finding The Right Match
The above charities are ones that resonate with me and may resonate with you, however finding the right match is important as you want to feel good about what you are doing. Also finding the cause that will resonate with clients/ customers is important as well. When I was a slaes director of a local bowling center we ran The Shamrocks For Dystrophy Program and a Strike Out Muscular Dystrophy Campaign that raised nearly $5000 and earned the bowling center a spot on the local telethon. We also used the tag line of Helping Jerry’s Kids and The MDA Logo in our advertising campaigns and as a result booked several birthday parties and attracted some new leagues to the center. In all that you do you want it to create goodwill and to enhance your business.
Community Outreach- The Reward
What a feeling it is to complete an event that you were involved in and see the results and the lives touched. many times you are given recognition that can help you in promoting your business. For example a few year’s ago The Lighthiuse Point(FL) Jaycees had me emcee their Beautiful Baby Contest for St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital and at the wrap up party presented me with a plaque naming me the best emcee. That plaque hangs in my home today and I use it in my promotional material as it builds credibility. I have several certificates on display and also the front page story about my U.S. Peace Corps Service hangs in a frame in my home office.
This week look for ways to do community outreach so as to build your brand and increase your client/customer base.
