We have provided some guidance on marketing ideas for your event and the range of different media to help you reach your potential event audience.
We offer marketing support for your event and offer a range of marketing options.
If you are interested in our marketing support options, please contact us.
It is a good idea to develop an effective Marketing Plan so your can reach as much of your target audience as possible to ensure a successful event.
You can constantly refer back to it to see when something is being advertised, how much budget you have for a last minute promotion or to remind yourself of the objectives of the event.
Consider the following components when writing your marketing plan:
Background
Consider the background to the event, including:
- The date, time and venue
- How did the event come about?
- Is it an annual event or a one off?
- An overview of the event and / or what type of activity the event is.
Objectives
Consider the objectives of your event, including:
- What is the primary objective of your event?
- Is it to provide a safe and entertaining event for the community?
- Is it to raise money for a charity?
- Is it to promote a band?
- What are the secondary objectives of your event?
Outlining the objectives will help you to remain focused on what it is you are trying to achieve.
There can be so many great ideas that develop throughout the planning phase but with limited resources this will help you keep on track.
Venue
Consider the event venue, including:
- Where is your event being held?
- At a park?
- In a community hall?
- When is your event being held?
- Is anything else happening around that time that will have an effect on your event?
Target audience
You need to consider who your target audience is for the event.
- Is it for local residents and / or tourists?
- What age group(s) are you targeting?
Pricing
Always consider the pricing for your event, including:
- What is the admission cost?
- What is it based on?
- Is there an early booking price?
Promotion
A range of different advertising should be used to maximise awareness and ensure it is aimed at your target audience.
Budget
While the overall event budget would have a line for marketing, this is where you can drill down and confirm how much you will allocated to each type of advertising.
It is advised to include a contingency for extra opportunities you come across as you event takes shape or for last minute advertising you may require for that extra push.
Budget and funding
Marketing timeline
A marketing timeline provides a pictorial view of what you are advertising and when and can serve as a great quick reference leading up to the event.
Having a strong visual presence around town is a great idea if your budget allows for it.
You need to consider artwork that will catch people's eye and stick to the basics: what, where, when, price, and maybe a web address.
Get a couple of quotes for signage and installation.
Remember important bylaws such as event signs can be up from 21 days before and event till 2 days after the event.
We manage some billboard and banner spaces in town for community events.
Banners
We have two sites available in the Cameron Street Mall. Costs involve banner production and installation. Rental space is free.
To make arrangements directly, contact us to check availability and book.
Contact a signage company of your choice to get a banner production quote.
Billboards
We have four sites available on Tarewa Road, Hātea Drive, Maunu Road and Riverside Drive.
Single sites (1.2m x 1.2m) and double sites (1.2m x 2.4m) are available at a small cost.
To make arrangements directly, contact us to check availability and book.
Contact a signage company of your choice to get a signage production and installation quote.
Digital Billboards and screens are another option to advertise your event. There are many screens around the Whangārei area both indoor and outdoor locations.
The Business Finder offers digital and static billboards in both indoor and outdoor locations.
The Business Finder (thebusinessfinder.co.nz)
Giggle TV has 50 digital indoor screens in a variety of locations around Northland including cafes, restaurants and other public places.
Giggle TV (gogiggle.co.nz)
Make appointments to go and speak to community groups such as churches, school groups, neighbourhood networks, business groups and sports clubs.
Let them know about ways in which they may be able to help at your event.
Leave behind flyers with contact details for further information.
Contact local schools to ask if your event can be included in their newsletter or if they can put a poster up in their reception area.
If you can, send some complimentary tickets to the schools to give away as prizes.
Consider the appropriateness of the event first. A family friendly event might be fine but not a concert aimed at an older demographic.
Display posters for your event in local community spaces such as cafés, libraries and community halls.
Creative Northland
Creative Northland manages some notice boards in the Whangārei Central Business District.
If you would like your poster displayed, you can drop your posters to their office on Railway Road, Whangārei.
Contact Creative Northland (creativenorthland.com)
Whangārei Youth Space
Whangārei Youth Space has a notice board for information relevant to youth aged 12 – 24yrs old. They also have a Facebook page where they can share event information.
You can drop off your posters to 36 Water Street (Cafler Park) or email digital copies to them:
Email: contact@youthspace.co.nz
Whangārei Libraries
Whangārei Libraries are another good place to display your event posters. You can visit their locations, phone or email them.
Contact Whangārei Libraries
If you are holding an arts based event, Creative Northland can help support you with a range of free marketing services including printing, online / social media listings, e-newsletters and more by visiting their website.
Marketing - Creative Northland (creativenorthland.com)
The Creative Northland e-newsletter is sent out fortnightly via email. They have two different newsletters:
- 'What’s on' that lists some of the creative events, opportunities and funding that is happening during that month
- 'Creative Chat' that shares key news from Creative Northland and those that they wish to highlight in the community.
Contact Creative Northland (creativenorthland.com)
Advertise your event on the bottom of your email signatures with a link to further information on your website or to where people can buy tickets.
Encourage other people involved in the event to share the same email signature.
If you can, create a branded banner for more impact.
We run a variety of festivals in the Whangārei District and you might be able to have your event included in one of our festivals.
Endless Summer Festival
If your event is happening in the Whangārei District between January and March, you might be able to have it included in the Endless Summer Festival programme.
Event registrations are normally open from November until February. Keep an eye out on our Endless Summer Festival page.
Endless Summer Festival
Puanga Matariki Festival
Puanga Matariki Festival is a special celebration within Whangārei with a series of cultural events organised by the community from early June until the end of July.
Puanga and Matariki is a time to encourage whanaungatanga, share stories and kai.
It also marks the beginning of the Māori New Year, which traditionally was time to plant trees, prepare the lands for planting crops and, more importantly, renew links with whānau and friends.
If you have an event between June and July, you might be able to have it included in the Puanga Matariki Festival.
Puanga Matariki Festival
Silver Festival
The Silver Festival is a five day series of events to celebrate older adults and acknowledge their important role and contribution to Whangārei.
Each event offers an opportunity for seniors to explore what’s available, try something new, connect and make new friends, be active, get creative and most importantly have fun!
If your event is happening in the Whangārei District in November, you might be able to have it included in the Silver Festival.
Event registrations normally open August or September each year. Keep an eye out on our Silver Festival page.
Silver Festival
Always add your event to Eventfinda. It is a free listing and one of the most popular event search websites in the country.
Eventfinda allows the general public to both search for and list events of all types taking place across New Zealand.
You can sign-up and list your events free of charge, and it will only take you a few minutes.
Eventfinda - List Your Events (eventfinda.co.nz)
You can create a range of posters, flyers, newsletters and do letter drops to help market your event.
Posters
Create an event poster and get it distributed in as many places as you possibly can. Be sure to include time, date, place, a bit about the event and major sponsors.
Brand the poster to your event, make the look and feel of it the same as the style of your event.
There are certain places around town you cannot put posters such as electrical boxes, council street poles, privately owned advertising hoardings and public property.
Use proper poster etiquette by being considerate to posters that are already up never covering any that haven't happened yet.
Consider including a QR code (Quick Response code) on your posters and other advertising linking smartphone users straight to your website or Facebook page.
Flyers
Flyers are small leaflets which can be developed and distributed cheaply.
You can mass photocopy an event poster and hand them out at the mall or market or after speaking to groups.
Newsletters
Send out newsletters to your target audience with planning updates and event developments.
If a new sponsor comes on board at any time you can use the newsletters to profile them and say what their role is in the event.
Letter drops
Write a letter with the general points about your event to residents surrounding the venue to let them know what's going on.
Ensure to include the time, date, what's happening, who to contact if they have any issues around sound or rubbish and to encourage them to come to the event.
It is always beneficial to have the neighbours on side and positive word of mouth is something they can provide following a friendly letter from the event organiser.
Letterhead
Create an event branded letterhead for mail outs and correspondence.
You could add your event sponsors logos for further exposure.
Consider running some pre-event activities such as raffles, street theatre and pre-event promotion activities.
This can help raise money and build hype leading up to the main event.
Write media releases to let people know about your event, when it's happening, when tickets go on sale and points of interest.
Send to radio stations and all print media and local papers.
Below are the media contacts including for print, radio, digital and more.
The Whangārei Leader
The Whangārei Leader is distributed across Whangārei every week. Visit their website to enquire about advertising.
Whangārei Leader - Stuff (stuff.co.nz)
The Northern Advocate and Northland Age
The Northern Advocate is distributed Northland wide Monday to Saturday which also features a "What’s On" section in Friday’s issue.
To enquire about advertising in The Northern Advocate or Northland Age please email them.
Advertising email: Northland@nzme.co.nz
NZME
Combining radio, digital and print they reach over 3.3 million Kiwis every week. Whether you’re looking to target a mass audience or tap a niche or local market – NZME will put you in front of the right people.
NZME stations include The Hits, Coast, ZM, Gold FM, Newstalk ZB, Flava, Radio Hauraki and Gold AM.
To have your event included in the community notices on Newstalk ZB, please fill out their online form.
Submit a community notice (newstalkzb.co.nz)
To enquire about advertising, please email them.
Advertising email: Northland@nzme.co.nz
Create a Facebook page and list your event so that people can easily find and share information about your event.
Ensure you include as much detail as you can such as ticketing details and maps to the event. Encourage user interaction by posting content regularly.
If there are any media releases or exciting news about your event, try and put it on Facebook first to reward fans and gain more users.
You can add also follow other pages and keep an eye on what's happening with other similar events.
Instagram is another good platform where you can share visual content and it has a predominantly younger user demographic.
Create a Twitter account especially if this suits your target market and post regular comments.
Social media is great for getting urgent information out such as postponements or cancellations or sudden changes to your event and is a good way to interact with the people coming to your event.
Remember that social media is meant to be entertaining so be sure to keep your content interesting and fun with lots of photos and regular content.
All public events that take place at Forum North are listed in our free What's On brochure, which is printed bi-monthly. All public events are also listed on our What's On page.
What's on
You can also buy the front, middle or back page for extra advertising.
Advertising your event online is crucial in today's world. If we want to find out what's happening, we search online.
If you don't have your own website or cannot make an event web page where you can house all your event information, make sure you use other event search websites such as Eventfinda.
Eventfinda (eventfinda.co.nz)
Add your website to all marketing information.
Social media accounts will also be displayed in a web search, so this is a great option if you don’t have a website.