Coke and Arabs. (Research and sponsorship)

I heard a joke once. It went something along these lines:


A disappointed Coca Cola salesman returns from his Middle East assignment.
A friend asked, "Why weren't you successful with the Arabs?"
The salesman explained
"When I got posted in the Middle East , I was very confident that I would make a good sales pitch as Cola is virtually unknown there. But, I had a problem I didn't know to speak Arabic. So, I planned to convey the message through three posters...



And I pasted them everywhere"

"Then that should have worked!" said the friend.
"The hell it should have!" said the salesman. Except I didn't realize that Arabs read from right to left"


Cue drumroll.


Now you may be wondering what this is all about. This is an obvious result when PR practitioners do not do adequate research. Without research, there would be more opportunities for things to go wrong. In addition, the objectives of the plan would probably not be met and alot of money would be wasted.

All in all, research is very important and should not be neglected in any case.

Another thing that is interesting about this weeks readings is sponsorship. Sponsorship is probably one of the best ways to gain awareness.

Just listing some benefits people get from being involved in sponsorship:

1. Corporate sponsorships are attractive to companies seeking financial support to make their events successful

2. It encourages a larger attendance and more enthusiasm for an organization’s event

3. A win-win situation for both organizations.

4. Corporate sponsorships is a potential for increased visibility, credibility, and quality for the event

5. Draw on the sponsors name, media exposure, banners and marketing literature, retail opportunities, etc.

6. Identifying common goals and objectives which can lead to organizations working toward a collective objective (not for profit but for a common cause)

7. In the area of charity events/ beneficial community causes, having sponsors helps with the success and expansion of these programs. (make up most of the funding)

8. Opens doorways for future sponsorship/permanent relations.

As a future PR practitioner, I will remember these 2 situations to ensure that the events I plan will run smoothly and achieve all my objectives and goals. Also, like I mentioned in my previous post, methods of marketing will constantly evolve with the creativity of the PR people. While sponsorship is well used now, in the future, there will be many other methods of gaining awareness and publicity and I must always keep an open mind.