Point of Purchase
Why are the candy bars and gum on display at the grocery store right next to the checkout counter? Because when you get stuck waiting in line you stare and your thoughts drift, and they sell themselves to your urge. It’s obvious as you walk down aisle three that you shouldn’t buy the giant bag of candy. That’s weeks of junk food! But as you wait in line, annoyed and with nowhere to go, staring at just one candy bar, you can rationalize that it will not kill you, but it sure will make you feel a little happier about your wait.
These same urges and instincts are true with voter registration, charitable giving and even making decisions on down-ballot issues. When people get the urge and decide to engage or discuss your issue… where you there to meet them? And if it’s not you who’s making them pay attention, who is it? What are they seeing from your opponents that they’re not seeing from you?
Street Teams
Developed out of the early hip-hop and punk rock communities, street teams became the brand ambassadors for breaking new artists. The concept is simple. Put information and tools in the hands of committed fans, giving them the tools to carry the band’s message. Everyone from the Beatles fan club to the KISS ARMY have engaged their fans in growing their movement. How is your organization engaging your most loyal fans and involving them in growing your cause?
Street teams have evolved into a large business that many corporations spend millions of dollars on each month to develop buzz for their new products. Consider an example. A record company signs a new band and identifies a group of its most devoted fans. It distribute promotional CDs and posters to them and asks them to distribute those materials to get the band played at the local coffee shop. At the shop, people ask the baristas about the music. Then the team puts up posters to announce where the band’s record is available and when they’ll be playing a show. People buy some CDs & mp3s, tell their friends, and decide to check them out at an upcoming acoustic set at a local club. At the show, people buy the band’s t-shirts, more CDs, and other merchandise; they start talking about this new act all over town, and local radio stations begin to get requests about this new sensation. The stations start playing the song, and record sales jump.
At every point along the line, sales were a little higher than before. And at every point along the line, the people getting requests saw only the grassroots enthusiasm of a growing number of fans, not the concerted effort that went into building the enthusiasm. But make no mistake: grassroots movements only grow when supporters have the tools and information needed to build them. Revolution Messaging will work with you to develop the appropriate tools for your base supporters and help make sure they’re deployed effectively.
Integration
How do you make sure all of this offline activity is adding up and becoming part of your overall campaign? What tools are you using to measure its effectiveness?
