Communication & Promotion Plan

A key element for the success of any European Athletics event is to prepare a comprehensive communication & promotion plan. Promotion is fundamental to any event’s success. It is a central element of an overall communication strategy and must be coordinated with all other communication activities. Raising the awareness of the event demonstrates the importance of the event.

The main aims are to attract spectators, to promote the sport of athletics, to create expectations, and subsequently to fill the stadium and create a positive legacy for the city.

The steps that have to be taken in order to prepare the plan are as follows:

  • Establish clearly the goals to be achieved
  • Define the key target audiences and markets
  • Identify key messages
  • Create a plan and define the tools
  • Specify a detailed timeline and calendar
  • Create a responsible team
  • Set the budget
  • Implement the plan
  • Monitor progress and results

All the steps identified above need to be considered in order to create an effective strategy. The plan has to be prepared well in advanced and shared with all the stakeholders. Sharing the plan can help to broaden its reach and effect. A well-prepared strategy will attract paying spectators to the event.

The promotional campaign plan must include a detailed ticketing strategy. An efficient and modern ticketing system is important to secure satisfied customers.

The work that needs to be done in this important area of the LOC requires close cooperation with a variety of entities, such as the regional athletics federation, local institutions, sponsors, broadcasters and others who can promote the message of the event.

More details can be found in the European Athletics Promotion Roadbooks.

Event Brand Design

Each European Athletics event has to create its own brand design, following the EA Event Style Guide.  Event brand design is one of the key elements of any marketing and promotion strategy as it demonstrates the quality and professionalism of the event.

As specified in the Event Planning Section an event brand design must be developed straight from the beginning. For all events other than the ECH and EICH, a complete event brand design concept, together with the event logo, is provided to the LOC by European Athletics. This does not mean that they cannot create some individual design features but all elements must be as prescribed in the Event Style Guide.

For the ECH and EICH, the LOC has freedom to develop its own event brand design identity and logo (within the strict parameters of the ECH-EICH Event Style Guide) for agreement and approval by European Athletics.

The following must be taken into account when designing the event brand design:

  • Event logo
  • Internal and external digital and printed material layouts
  • Merchandising
  • Venue dressing
  • Mascot

All these elements must reflect the core message and image that the LOC wants to transmit to the participants and to the public and to create a clear and consistent identity that is readily recognizable and associated with the event. 

European Athletics has to approve the concept and each element before it can be used, digitally or in printed version. Please liaise with the European Athletics Brand Design Coordinator for more details.

Please refer also to the Printing Material Section.

The event brand design must be developed at the beginning, at the same time as the Master Plan. This will include the final design of the event logo, as well as how the event brand design will be used on all internal and external digital and printed material. The target should be that, both within the organisation and to the public, the European Athletics event is recognised as a brand and that, when applied by others, it is used correctly.

This will help to achieve good results from the communication strategies in the years to come and that the event staff identify themselves with the event.

Consistency is very important and the intended message must be clear from the beginning. A good corporate identity and communication strategy is vital to a successful event. It is crucial to work out clearly how the event brand design is to be used and to implement it in a strategic way.

Surveys

The promotional plan for the major events should include regular, targeted surveys to provide information to the LOC and other stakeholders on how the promotion of the event is going. Well thought out surveys can be vital in identifying the need to change the plan if its objectives are not being achieved.

There are many commercial companies that offer these kinds of service, but sometimes also universities or the city council itself may have the right experience and facilities to offer this service to the LOC. Such surveys are usually conducted through written (nowadays web-based) or telephone questionnaires.

The focus of surveys change as the event approaches. In the early phase, it should measure general awareness of the forthcoming event, in a second phase its specific recognition and, towards the end, the level of satisfaction.

Website analytic systems are also valuable tools to provide relevant data that can indicate if the efforts to promote the event are successful.

Communication & Promotional Tools

The target markets of a European Athletics event go from the local, through the national until the European or international and, therefore, the communication plan needs to cover all three markets. 

The next sub-sections describe some of the main instruments that should be part of all European Athletics events’ promotion planning. Additional communication tools are described in the Printed Material Section.

All digital and printed material must be approved by European Athletics before publication and sufficient time must be allowed in the plan for the approval procedures.

Website & Social Media

The website and social media are now the most important communication tools as they are likely to be the first places that potential spectators and other supporters visit for information concerning the event. The LOC must, therefore, give these tools the highest priority.

Website

The event website must be established by the LOC as soon as possible after its allocation of the event.

In order to maintain interest in the event, it is essential that the website is well managed and regularly updated.

The main characteristics of the website are:

  • It must be an essential source of information
  • Excellent for breaking news and announcements
  • To create brand awareness
  • Accessible 24/7 to everyone
  • Can have restricted sections to provide information to specific  groups
  • Can carry out surveys, competitions, gather emails for press release/newsletter subscribers and can offer online transaction services (e.g. for ticketing purposes and merchandising)
  • Volunteers’ recruitment

Although the creation of a website can be expensive, a good design and easy navigation are essential. The LOC’s designated webmaster must have access to the site to enable him/her to edit and update it directly.

Although it can be very time-consuming, it is essential that the website is fed with interesting information and updated frequently and regularly. This needs a dedicated person within the LOC Communication/Promotion team.

The website of each European Athletics event needs to be created and to go live in accordance with the Organiser Agreement.

Once the website is approved and launched it is important that the address link is promoted by inclusion in all promotional material, digital & printed.

There are several systems, some free of charge, that monitor traffic to the website and analyse visitors’ behaviour and profiles. The LOC should consider subscribing to one of the more focused and comprehensive services.

More details about the website can be found in the Promotion Roadbook of the major European Athletics events, and in the Website Guidelines.

Social Media

Social media cannot be ignored and the most important social media currently used are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs and YouTube. The LOCs should exploit all possible communication means although, as these are all online instruments, it is essential that they are regularly updated with news and footage otherwise it makes no sense to use them. Social media are certainly the most immediate tools for spreading information and therefore need also to be used responsibly.

A dedicated person within the LOC team needs to be responsible for this area and to select the information to be published.

Press Releases & Newsletters

Digital press releases and newsletters are very effective means to generate awareness and, if the news is strong enough, they can gain excellent coverage across a variety of media outlets. They can also help the LOC to develop valuable working relationships with key sports journalists by providing valid and interesting background information. Equally, they are useful means of informing the journalists about the organisation of the event, in a more accurate and controlled way than verbally thus minimising the risk of inaccurate reports.

The LOC needs to ensure that press releases are well written and have news-related content not vague information issued for the sake of it and which risks being ‘twisted’ and lead to unnecessary controversy. Every press release should be followed up with a telephone call to the journalists to ensure they have received it and to enquire whether they have any questions.

These communication tools ensure that information reaches the journalists’ desktops quickly and efficiently and are much cheaper and more effective than printing. They can also be easily forwarded to others.

Whereas press releases are issued to inform about something news-related, the newsletter should comprise a gathering of news, key facts and figures, important developments within the organisation, background stories, etc.

The key to success is to have a comprehensive (accurate and up-to-date) list of email addresses of all important and interested journalists and media representatives, as well as other stakeholders with an interest in the event: athletics federations, clubs, fans, institutions, sponsors, etc.

Coordination with European Athletics Communications Department is important in order to avoid duplication.

Bulletins

A Bulletin is a more comprehensive publication that is normally produced both digitally and in printed form. It includes the most important stories and information and describes them in more detail, adding more pictures, facts and figures, previews, reports etc.

Bulletins have to be published in accordance with the Organiser Agreement.

Examples of Bulletins of past events can be obtained by European Athletics.

Event Activities

The LOC must plan promotional activities and, for example, activities organised at other sporting or cultural activities are ways to reach a wider audience of potential spectators.

The LOC needs to search for interesting occasions where the event could be promoted. Promotion of the European Athletics event can take various forms (e.g. with a stand, crowd competitions, street activities and competitions, use of mascots, advertising banners, public announcements, video board advertisements, etc.) and the LOC must carefully evaluate which means are likely to be most effective in order to focus its efforts.

All these activities need to be budgeted for and included in the promotional plan.

Press Conferences & Public Relations

The communication and promotion plan must include provision for press conferences; which need to be planned in close cooperation with European Athletics Communications Department and the Host Member Federation. Apart from the official Opening and the Closing press conferences at the event itself, others will be needed in order to inform the media of important stages or achievements reached by the LOC (e.g. announcement of the medal design, mascot, etc.). The timings and purposes of press conferences are very important and they need to be carefully considered within the promotion plan.

Further information on press conferences can be found within the Media Guidelines.

Apart from, and in addition to press conferences, the LOC must always be looking for public relation opportunities to promote and increase the awareness of the event. These could be presentations at universities, sport clubs or associations, conferences, etc.

Mascot

If well planned in advance, an official mascot of a European Athletics event (primarily for ECH and EICH) can play an important part in the promotional activities before as well as during it.

Before the event it can be used to enhance major promotional activities and is always attractive as a very good photo opportunity especially with children, ambassadors, celebrities, etc. If a story can be created around the mascot, its impact is even greater. The mascot can also be incorporated as an element in the design of printed materials, the website, social media, promotional videos, etc.

During the event the mascot can entertain the spectators during breaks in the competition, as part of the event presentation programme.

The creation of a mascot and its naming can themselves be a promotional activity. The actual design and manufacture of the mascot should take into account its shape and material so that it is suitable to be worn by a person.

Ambassadors

The appointment of event ambassadors can be an effective promotional tool with which to promote the event and should be well known, preferably former athletes or from another sport, or from other areas of public life. Ambassadors need to be willing to support the promotion of the event in practical ways; which should be coordinated with the LOC to have maximum impact.

Merchandising

In selecting merchandising products, a distinction should be made between articles of practical use and those that are essentially marketing and promotional tools. Environmentally friendly products should be preferred.

Merchandising can be divided between promotional items that are given away free of charge and those available for sale prior to the event (usually through the website) and during the event itself.

Merchandising is part of the planning of promotional activities and needs to be controlled carefully. There are many companies that offer professional merchandising services and the selection of such a company needs care, taking into account relevant experience, product ranges, prices and production and delivery lead times.

Ticketing & Spectators Services

As already stated, the ticketing plan is closely linked to the promotional activities with the objective of creating a strategy that will maximise the numbers of spectators and revenue. A full stadium creates the best possible atmosphere for the athletes, spectators and TV viewers. The event partners (sponsors) can often assist with ticket sales.

For the ticketing plan you must:

  • Establish a strategy and objectives (local, national & international)
  • Define ticketing categories and pricing policy (incl. special conditions such as discounts)
  • Check with the relevant departments which seats can be sold and which need to be reserved for other purposes and removed from the sales system (e.g. VIP & sponsor seats, TV camera platforms and media stands, coaching areas, first aid positions, etc.)
  • Establish with the competition venue management company which are the safety regulations to be applied in terms of access ways, access hours, items allowed to be taken into the stadium, emergency exits, etc.
  • Draw a stadium map showing ticketing categories
  • Set a sales strategy for the order in which tickets should be released for sale. Define the contractual responsibilities of the ticketing sales company
  • Plan statistical surveys and progress reports to be compiled for the LOC and European Athletics
  • Define the LOC ticket sales team

To create a successful ticketing operation it is crucial to establish a pricing policy that is appropriate to the local market and which is clear and simple for the purchasers to use. Modern professional ticketing sales companies (e.g. TicketMaster, Ticket Corner) offer various options and the LOC should insist on an efficient and user-friendly ticketing sale system.

It is important to the success of the event and to the reputation of the sport to have happy customers and the LOC ticketing department should ensure that there is an effective system to service their needs.  Spectators will often have questions, needs and possibly problems and it is vital to try to anticipate these and offer solutions.

Official Printed Material

General Principles

It is important to carefully consider the full range and quantities of print material that are required as these can vary considerably. Analyse what has worked well for previous organisers before deciding what will work for this event. Material should not be produced simply because it was produced before as communication tools are constantly evolving and many alternatives to printed material now exist. Also, in the interest of the environment, the European Athletics’ Green Inspiration project should be considered.

Planning official printed materials should take into account the following and the final decisions must be agreed with European Athletics:

By using a combination of both print and technology based materials, the quantities needed to be printed can be reduced; but not the promotional impact and brand exposure.

All printed materials produced by the LOC need to follow the corporate event image and be in accordance with the European Athletics Event Style Guide.

The European Athletics Publication & Print Material Timeline chart provides an overview of the most important printed materials that, in principle, must be published for the different categories of European Athletics events.

a) Approval Process

The LOC must prepare layouts of printed materials that follow the corporate identity and the event graphic principles (see European Athletics Event Style Guide). All printed material needs to be reviewed by European Athletics responsible department and no material may be printed until the LOC has received the final approval of European Athletics.

b) Logos

Practically all printed materials need to include sponsor logos in conformity with the European Athletics Event Style Guide. The hierarchy of the sponsor logos (according to the categories of sponsorship) MUST be respected. Company logos usually come with very strict rules concerning their uses in particular circumstances.

c) Printing Costs

Costs of printing can vary widely from supplier to supplier. Quotations should be based on the use of recycled paper but it is advisable to ask for samples of the paper as inferior quality (even if cheaper) can have a negative impact on the promotional and marketing effort; whilst very high quality paper may be unnecessary. When asking for the quotations discuss with the companies how to save costs, perhaps by adjusting the timescale and/or print sizes.

Printed Materials’ Characteristics

The following graphic shows the most important printed materials that are usually needed.

The following are some of the printed materials that will need to be produced by the LOC, together with some design suggestions.

As already stated, it is important that all printed material is approved by European Athletics before printing or publishing and that environmental sustainability is taken into account.

 a) Stationery

Among the first things that an LOC will need are its own letterheads and possibly also envelopes and folders. These should be prepared following the European Athletics Event Style Guide and the LOC’s corporate identity.

A good quality digital template should be sufficient to avoid pre-printing letterheads and e-mail based correspondence will also minimise the use of paper.

b) Posters

Posters serve the function of creating awareness and anticipation for the event. They can often be produced reasonably well in advance because they are concerned with communicating key messages which normally are: slogan, title of the event, dates, place and website.

Design recommendations:

  • The design must be eye catching, simple and bold – never overload the poster with text
  • Make sure that the text, especially the event title, dates, venue and web address are clear and can be read from an appropriate distance.
  • Ensure that the website address is included; for further information and tickets
  • Think about the formats needed (A4, A3, A2 or 60”x40” versions and bigger) – or a mix of various sizes
  • Decide on appropriate print quantities and remember to keep some posters back for dressing the venue, archive and debrief packs
  • Consider whether there is an opportunity to sell or give away posters at the event – perhaps signed by a special guest
  • Print on recycled paper

c) Flyers or Leaflets

Flyers and leaflets provide a different function from posters as they are intended to be given away. They should not be ‘mini posters’ but provide more information, expanding the key messages in order to convert interest into attendance.

Design recommendations:

  • Make sure that flyers are eye-catching and interesting – something that people will keep on their pin boards rather than in the bin
  • Keep the front image simple and bold. Don’t overload it with text
  • Describe in more detail the Who, What, Why, When and Where of the event in the inside and/or on the back of the leaflet
  • Give clear information about ticketing (include any group discounts, available concessions, etc. and a map of the venue)
  • Make sure clear travel information (or appropriate contacts) for foreign visitors is included
  • Include any essential health and safety advice such as: no glass, no alcohol, dress warmly, etc.
  • Think about the appropriate size of print for distribution/mailing/racks– i.e. A6, A5, 1/3 A4, folded, special cuts and shapes – the options are numerous
  • If some of the leaflets or flyers are posted, use envelopes which they fit without needing to be folded
  • Never print only on one side of a flyer – this looks unprofessional and is usually a wasted opportunity
  • Print in recycled paper

d) Tickets

Event tickets themselves are also a useful communication tool and, even though a ticket holder could be considered as an already captured customer, a ticket can still work for the event in other ways.

Design recommendations:

  • Make sure the tickets reflect the professional quality of the event, especially tickets that are sold in advance
  • Make sure that the ticket cannot be easily forged (if appropriate, think about using serial numbers or holograms for example; specialist ticket companies can suggest appropriate options)
  • Make sure that each type of ticket is easily distinguishable. For example, consider colour-coding to differentiate between full price and concession tickets. This will make ticket checking quicker and smoother at entry points
  • Think about using the reverse of the ticket to draw attention to key programme elements, health and safety reminders; and keep space for the sponsor logos
  • Think about other ways that the ticket might work (e.g. incorporate a tear-off ‘special offer voucher’ or a ‘prize draw’ opportunity; be inventive with promotional tools)
  • If possible let the ticket company print in recycled paper
  • Print-at-home facility to be available

More details on ticketing can be found in the European Athletics Promotion Roadbooks of the major events and Ticketing Section.

e) Official & Daily Programmes

The official programme of the European Athletics event must include all relevant information and follow the European Athletics Event Style Guide. It should be available both digitally and in printed version (recycled paper).

As it is among the most important of the printed publications European Athletics has detailed Specification.

Daily programmes have to be provided at ECH, EICH, EU23CH and EU20CH and details concerning quantities and formats can be found here (European Athletics Publication & Printed Material Timeline).

f) Diplomas

LOCs are required to produce Diplomas for:

  • Athletes (the top 8 in each event, incl. complete with name, event and performance)
  • Volunteers & others (as desired by the LOC)

Here also the design should reflect the event image and must be approved by European Athletics.

g) Manuals & Other Publications

The event manuals provide specific information according to the needs of the different users.

The following manuals are required for all major European Athletics events:

  • Team Manual
  • Media Guide
  • VIP Guide

A sample content template for each manual can be provided upon request.

For the assistance of journalists especially but also for the use of all interested stakeholders, the following need to be published for all European Athletics events:

  • Statistics Handbook
  • Daily programme (ECH, EICH, EU23CH and EU20CH)
  • Final Results Book (post-event)

Further information concerning quantities and formats can be found in the European Athletics Publication & Print Material Timeline document.

For the ECH the LOC must also publish the following:

  • Commemorative Book
  • Host Broadcaster Handbook (published by HB)

The following manuals are useful for major European Athletics events but it is the LOC’s option whether to produce them:

  • Volunteers’ Manual
  • Officials’ Guide