Our marketing campaign objectives were to create significant growth in traditional Scouting membership and to positively brand Scouting in our local communities. The council marketing committee, in collaboration with the Garrigan Lyman Group, created our multiyear council theme, "Words to Live By." This brand reiterates the Scout Law and ties all of our council materials together.
In the first year of our campaign, 2004, we focused on Scouting youth. For the second year, we decided that the introduction of adults who are Eagle Scouts and leaders in our community would help parents make a connection that Scouts learn to be successful in life. We decided that we would add wall hangings to brand our Council Service Center and modified our Web site to build consistency and reinforce our "Words to Live By" theme. Our annual report, 30-second public service announcements, event materials, FOS mugs, FOS brochures, and Business Journal ads also correspond to our theme.
Through the use of this campaign, the Chief Seattle Council attained the objective of balanced membership growth with a .6 percent gain in traditional membership. To brand our organization's identity as something broader than the membership standards issues, our strategy of focusing on what Scouting is truly about, teaching a diverse group of youth to live the words in the Scout Law, is proving to be successful.
Our council has learned that branding our organization's identity in the community is a slow process that takes multiple years. It takes time for our staff and volunteers to build consistency and reinforce the branding guidelines. It also takes multiple exposures of the theme in different formats before it is recognized by families and community members.
The objective of this campaign is to identify and reconnect Eagle Scouts who live in the Circle Ten Council territory with Scouting.
The advisory committee of the Circle Ten Council, with the leadership of H. Ross Perot and a past council president, led this project to its success. The committee worked with a top marketing firm in the area to develop a CD, Web site, and other promotional materials to help spread the word about the Gathering of Eagles. A kickoff for project was held at the National Scouting Museum. Ross Perot delivered an inspiring message, and the council received coverage on CBS, ABC, and NBC. More than 200 CEOs living in the council territory were mailed or given a CD and were asked to send an e-mail to all their company employees. Samples of the e-mail were included on the CD, along with information about Scouting in Circle Ten Council. The CEO asked his employees who were Eagle Scouts to register on aneaglegathering.org. In May, the council hosted an event at Camp Wisdom, which is near downtown Dallas. Ross Perot delivered the keynote remarks at the event, and those attending had the opportunity to participate in some fun Scouting activities and learn more about Circle Ten Council.
This campaign has resulted in more than 2,500 people registering on the Web site. The council has used this list to help fill key volunteer leadership areas at the unit, district, and council levels. The results have been overwhelmingly positive. This campaign will continue to develop over the next couple of years. A newsletter is being developed that will be sent quarterly to all of the Web site registrants. This marketing piece will let people know about the great things occurring in Scouting in the Circle Ten Council and will give them an opportunity to re-engage in the Scouting program.
Having Ross Perot as the honorary chairman for this project made a huge impact and really increased the amount of positive publicity received throughout the initial campaign. The Gathering of Eagles project was featured in The Dallas Morning News and a multitude of community newspapers, which helped direct Eagle Scouts to the Web site.
Now in its 15th year, the Marsh Cookout on the Circle serves as the sole fund-raiser for the Crossroads of America Council's camp scholarship program, but it serves an ever-larger purpose. As one of the most-anticipated events in the summer calendar in downtown Indianapolis (a city of over 1.2 million people in its metropolis), the Marsh Cookout on the Circle generates over $400,000 in free publicity and advertising for the council's many programs.
Through a unique partnership with Marsh Supermarkets, one of the Midwest's largest grocery store chains, and RTV6, the ABC-TV affiliate, Crossroads of America Council is able to leverage its relationship with local businesses and is able to access virtually all media outlets to not only raise funds for the camp scholarship program (called "workerships," as Scouts are required to do a small service project to receive funds), but to call attention to Scouting in Central Indiana.
Because the Cookout on the Circle has been taking place for 15 years, the volunteer committee has been able to build off of its many successes.
In December of the year before, the media sponsorship with the ABC affiliate is solidified. This is crucial for the assurance of public service announcement placement, as well as ensuring that a cadre of local television personalities is at the event. While this is helpful, it is interesting to note that the Marsh Cookout on the Circle attracts live remotes from all of the television stations, even though we have one primary television sponsor.
As the event is planned with a core volunteer group and staff adviser, the media campaign includes creating all external marketing pieces, including posters, letterhead, and other promotional pieces.
A series of media releases to area newspapers, including The Indianapolis Star, is sent out approximately 1-2 months in advance, depending on what the release is discussing.
Radio public service announcements are also distributed about four weeks before the event. In addition, promotions directors at the stations are contacted to see if they are able to send station on-air employees to the event, as well as use the event tickets as prize packages for their listeners.
As the event draws closer, our team of media volunteers (assisted by the community relations department of Marsh Supermarket) contacts television stations for interviews on morning shows the day of the event. The committee feels that it is crucial to have a Scouting unit that participates in the Workership program and is working at the cookout in the interviews, so another volunteer manages our event volunteer database (we have over 200 volunteers working the event) to ensure that they are able to attend the interviews. Media coaching with these Scouts takes place to ensure that the correct facts about the cookout are being relayed.
A new social tradition for Crossroads of America Council professional staff members has evolved as a result of some of the media work for the Marsh Cookout on the Circle. Approximately 45 staff members of the council, including professional, support staff, and Camp Rangers, all assist with various roles at the event. In addition to their many duties at the event, the professional staff is also charged with dropping off precooked meals to the radio and television media the day of the event. The food in these take-out containers is the exact same menu as at the event, and it includes a media advisory, along with a cover letter from the event chairman, thanking the outlet for their support of the event and a request to promote the event the entire morning.
The evening before the cookout, the council's professional staff descends on the event staff adviser's house to help grill and prepare the food, and package more than 150 meals in take-out containers. This activity has turned into a social outlet for the staff as they gear up for the big day ahead.
On the morning of the event, after all of the interviews in the morning, the event begins after hours of setup, including shutting down the busiest intersection in downtown Indianapolis. No less than seven city/county agencies work closely with the council to ensure safety practices and that the event goes off without a hitch. These include the Department of Public Works, the Marion County Health Department, and, because the event takes place on a statewide monument, the Monument Circle Foundation.
As the Marsh Cookout on the Circle gets under way, there is a short program with the use of a live remote radio station and a microphone. The chair of the event and a representative of Marsh Supermarkets thank all who attend, and a proclamation from the City of Indianapolis is read, proclaiming that day the "Cookout on the Circle Day." Even more importantly, the chair is able to offer information about he Urban Scouting program and the Workership program, and how the event sustains it.
The impact of the Marsh Cookout on the Circle extends to many areas of the council. It is in fact the sole fund-raiser of the Workership Fund. The planning committee for the event is small for an event of this magnitude, but no detail is left to chance. Ticket sales, volunteers, site management, cooks, and more are all areas covered by the event committee.
This event allows any visitor to downtown Indianapolis an opportunity to support Scouting by purchasing a lunch ticket, especially since expenses with regards to the meals are donated by Marsh Supermarket. In addition, all of the printed material is completely underwritten by a printer.
As a result of the teamwork of volunteers, Crossroads of America Council is able to raise over $25,000 a year for the Workership Fund.
In addition, the guests attending the cookout learn more about Scouting in Central Indiana. Booths are in place for parents to learn about how to enroll their sons in Scouting, as well as Eagle Scout registration for adult leaders.
Finally, Crossroads of America Council is able to provide a forum in which they can visit with board members, community leaders, and potential donors through the VIP seating and the Celebrity Cook area.
Even though this event has been taking place for 14 years, the lessons learned every year by new situations that arise are invaluable.
With regard to media exposure, the council has always believed that having a radio sponsor would increase the amount of exposure for the event. In all of the 14 years, a string of local stations provided radio coverage in all forms (even though other stations assisted with interviews and other coverage), but through a relationship issue that the stations had with one of the event sponsors, they declined to participate. While at first we thought that this would mean less information about the event on the radio, it encouraged other stations to participate even more fully, and at one point during the day, the event had three live television remotes and several live radio remotes, all in the same space.
We also learned the importance of having several volunteers trained on media issues—the facts of the luncheon, how the event positively impacts the council, and facts about the summer camp program. Having these media volunteers prepared and ready to visit with media was most helpful in the planning process.
With plans under way for the 15th annual Marsh Cookout on the Circle, Crossroads of America Council is poised to continue the tradition of bringing awareness of Scouting to the masses in Indianapolis through this medium.
The original objective of this plan was to develop a marketing concept that would appeal to new Scouts and their families in a completely new way by including fishing, a popular pastime and hobby, and attract them to join Scouting.
In 2001, the Greater Alabama Council marketing team developed and implemented the Hooked on Scouting recruitment plan. The then-chairman of the board was approached with the idea of providing every new Scout with a specially designed Greater Alabama Council Pradco brand fishing lure. We also scheduled councilwide fishing derbies at local council lakes and other public lakes throughout the council. This also gives the new Scouts an opportunity to participate in a major council activity soon after they join. Along with their exposure to Scouting and other Scouts in the council, the impact of this event builds on excitement because of the large number of families attending. We also expanded Hooked on Scouting to other areas, including Hooked on Safety, the Guide to Safe Scouting, and Hooked on Exploring. PSAs were also distributed to local media outlets, featuring professional outdoorsmen Bill Dance and Jimmy Houston, which ran on local cable and network stations during our Hooked on Scouting recruitment campaign during August and September.
Now in its fifth year, the plan has resulted in thousands of new Scouts and their families becoming involved throughout the 22 counties served by the Greater Alabama Council. The events not only provide a fun way families can participate, it also allows their younger brothers who attend to get excited about joining Scouting. 2005 was our best year ever for attendance at the fishing derbies. With thousands of participants at $10 per person, it also generated revenue. Since the first Hooked on Scouting lure was introduced in 2001, over 30 councils have implemented the Hooked on Scouting recruitment plan as well.
When something is working, don't let it go. While might seem to us that an idea is a few years old, this is targeted to new youth and parents annually, so it is fresh to them. We also know that when a council hits on something unique, it needs to be shared with other councils.
We continue to receive calls and e-mails from Scout collectors wanting to purchase the lures. We tell them that these lures are for new Scouts only.
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Develop a comprehensive marketing campaign to promote the Boypower 2005 Dinner event.
Clearly communicate that contributing (buying tickets) to the Boypower Dinner is vital to the success of the programs the council provides to the youth in the community.
The Boypower Dinner remains the community's largest fund-raising event (and one of the largest Boy Scout fund-raisers in the country) and is crucial to the year-round operations of the Hiawatha Seaway Council.
The 2005 event marked the 36th annual Boypower Dinner.
It's the youth of the community who benefit from the contributions and attendance at this event. Without this support, the camps, programs, and services the council provides to the community would suffer. Boypower Dinner ticket sales generate 26 percent of the council's annual funding.
Audience: Our target audience is past contributors/supporters, plus potential new contributors.
Reaction: Convince potential contributors that the Boypower Dinner will be a most exciting evening and worthy of their support.
Concept: Our creative goal was for all pieces in the campaign to:
The announcement brochure, ticket, and invitation were all printed to be presented/distributed at the table coordinators' kick-off event in late January 2005. Table coordinators then used these materials to meet with potential contributors to sell tickets.
Our goal for the event was $617,000. We raised $511,746. The changing of the speaker program numerous times throughout the event planning, combined with a tough economic climate, might have contributed to not meeting our goal for the event.
Although we did not meet our goal for the evening, Frankie Avalon did put on quite a performance, taking us back to some of his old songs and movies! It created quite a buzz for the dinner event in general, and we were pleased by the comments we heard from attendees.
As we prepare for future Boypower Dinner communications, we are already looking for new ways to promote the sale of tickets and raise funds for the Hiawatha Seaway Council. A "2005 Consumer's Survival BSA Coupon Handbook" was developed and handed out at the event, which featured Scouting information, recipes, money-saving coupons from local businesses, and a safety guide. A silent auction held at the dinner event is another strategy we are incorporating. We will continue to utilize our sponsorship programs to helping the fund-raising efforts.
Concept and Design: Eric Mower and Associates, Syracuse, New York
The Merits of Marketing (marketing.scouting.org) is a resource for local
councils, developed by the Marketing &
Communications Division of the National Council, Boy Scouts of
America.