Parades are much more than entertainment. They establish relationships between
customers and businesses on a different level. This is the businesses or sponsors
opportunity to interact and interface with new and existing customers in a
completely different atmosphere than in a retail environment and to present a unique personal image that will change the way spectators see or interpret the culture and business.
While organizing a parade and gathering participants and sponsors, it is imperative you sell the event to them. The easiest way to establish yourself as valuable when approaching a business to take part in your event is to show them the opportunities that are available. Each business will look at the parade differently so know who you are approaching and how your parade can help them. For example, a small business will look at the parade as a chance to show community support and to have their name be present for the entirety of the event. This is also a chance for them to market their products or image to very attentive eyes. On the other hand, a major corporation who is looking to sponsor the event or perhaps drive a float is more likely to be looking to engage their customers in a more personal level, as they are probably used to social media-driven contact specifically.

One of the best ways to market your parade to potential businesses is to let them know they that have the freedom and ability to create whatever image they want to portray to the spectators, within the guidelines of expectations you have put in place, of course. Another great way to market your parade is by having other opportunities available for them to get their brand recognized. Let them know that you will be putting up flyers to promote your event or that you will include them on social media posts promote the festivities. By creating expectations and name brand recognition on multiple platforms other than the parades themselves, you are opening their minds to the expansive possibilities of being in a parade. Businesses want to know the impact their dollars have and any extra marketing you can do for them will go a long way in obtaining their participation and building a relationship with them for future events.

The most significant tool to your success while organizing your parade is Parade Cloud. With the ability to register participants, organize units, track volunteers, assign tasks, track sponsors, track budgets, communicate with everyone involved, and document everything going on, you can be sure that no detail will go unnoticed or unfulfilled.
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