School sponsorship for advertising

[oceanlovin'ea]

I got a call from a high school booster organization asking me if I would like to advertise for the basketball season for one of the local high schools.

It is $200 and I would get my business card or whatever ad I wanted on 100 of the drink cups. Then at each of the home games, the announcer tells all that have helped and sponsored the games.

It is during tax season from November to March so a good time to have name mentioned. THey only have one business from each type.

Anyone done anything like this before? What kind of results?

Since I am still a small business $200 is a lot for me but if it would yield results, I'd be willing to do it.

Thanks.

Linda F

[Mike Mac]

Money better spent

I would think that you'd get better bang for your buck spending the $200 elsewhere. Odds are that many of those 100 cups that have your ad on them would go to high school students who have little decision making power of who does there taxes (and most would not even be required to file). Just having your company name mentioned as a contributor during the game or half-time likely wouldn't yeild too many results as well.

[jainen]

Do you remember

>>bang for your buck<<

Do you remember when H&R Block hired Vanna White as a spokeswoman? Of course we all love Vanna, but we don't think of our tax returns in connection with a game show. Who goes to the high school gym to find an accountant?

Jump to the left, jump to the right,
rebound, rebound, fight, fight, fight!

[oceanlovin'ea]

Husband

had basically the same idea. But I figured that if anyone had had success from this type of advertising, I could find out here on the board.

Thanks.

Linda F

[George Boutwell]

From a coach's father

Ask them who does the coach's tax returns.

[JohnH]

I think I know

Probably the tax preparer who advertised with them last year and decided paying a $200 advertising fee to get one $150 client didn't make any sense.

[Corduroy Frog]

Movies

Linda F, once I had a guy tell me I badly needed advertising. For $300 a month, he would put a video of me working at my desk on the theatre screen - between popcorn commercials. Right.

I rarely go to movies anymore because most of them are screen-written, directed, and produced for the 16-year old mind. This is because they are appealing to most movie-goers. And when I do go to a movie -- if they show commercials I feel like I've been cheated. I can watch commercials at home.

After telling this guy to buzz off, I actually went to a movie shortly thereafter. Sure enough, 90% of the audience was under 18 years, and I seriously doubt if more than five of them even filled out a tax return.

[Chief]

Advertising

Linda, I think you would get more results by advertising in church directories or bulletin of some of the larger churches in Lakeland.

[oceanlovin'ea]

I'll pass on

this one. My gut and my husband both said it wasn't a good idea. I just kind of wanted reassurance, I guess.

I think I'll continue with word of mouth. Although I am thinking about sending out cards to new homeowners. Another preparer in Lakeland did that last year and got about 75 new clients.

Thanks for your imput.

Linda F