Diversify!

As mentioned to me by the general director, some people perceive the house as "intimidating" or "too posh". However, when meeting the staff or attending an event, they recognize how friendly the environment can be (Ives, 2009). This stayed in the back of my mind until I reached an interesting article published through the Arts Marketing Association. Their guest writer, Hardish Virk (2008), contributed a ten step guide to social marketing to enhance community engagement and integrate it in to a marketing strategy. This not only touches on diversity and reaching those that may have a predetermined perception of the House, but expands on the Integrated Marketing Communication I've been thinking about for Lauderdale House. So, without further ado, the ten tips, consisting of three levels, all of which are proposed by Hardish Virk:


Research
1) Who are the new audiences and why? This is done to understand who the organization's target audience really is. While Lauderdale House has done some qualitative research, it has not focused on those with the perception mentioned above.
2) Has there been or is there an existing relationship or dialogue with the community that is being marketed to? Lauderdale House needs to go back and see if they are doing anything or have done things in the past that have been effective or not.
3) Desk research: While this may be some of the more tedious or "boring" work, volunteers can gather and organize demographic data, create databases, and research methods which have been used to reach different groups.
4) Outreach: This may require doing some interviews, as this proposes a "tailored" approach to effectively reach the target group. Furthermore, this campaign may very well differ from the other implemented strategies the House is used to.


Tools and Methodologies
5) Print Design: While Lauderdale House is a champion at flyers, the standard format, images, or text may not appeal to their target group. The House then needs to consider if they can create something that fits with the preferences of the individuals targeted.
6) Distribution: Mailings by the hundreds has so far been the strategy for getting out information. However, what if that doesn't reach the target audience as well as they might think? Distribution methods can be established and also tailored to provide information more effectively.
7) Direct Mail: As part of the distribution strategy, this also needs to be re-evaluated and possibly tailored if needed to reach the target market.
8) E-Marketing: Since the new website has yet to be put up, other tactics may have to be determined. Should Facebook be used? Banners? E-mails? Are those appropriate for the target market?
9) Press and Media: Lauderdale House has been part of a wide variety of media coverage, from websites to PR. This, however, will be of no use to them if the new group being targeted is not reached by that media.

Sustaining Audience
10) Sustain the Community Engagement: By asking why a relationship has to be developed and how the organization will go about doing it, the House can develop a tailored strategy, one that may be different than its already implemented tactics but that fits better with the group they are trying to reach and understand.

These steps may seem simple, but do have to be considered if the House wants to overcome the perception developed by some individuals.


Ives, K., 2009. Discussion about Lauderdale House and its attendees. [Discussion] (Personal Communication 4 December 2009).

Virk, H., 2008. 10 Top Tips for Social Marketing: How to make sure that community engagement is part of your marketing strategy. JAM, 31, p.10.