Tailgating and Ad Reservations

For me fall is a busy time of year. During the college football season, if my team has a home game, chances are I’ll be there cheering them on (after driving 300 miles to get there). When I thought of all the things on my “To Do” list for football weekends, it reminded me quite a bit of my “To Do” list at Drake & Company to schedule ad reservations for 2010. Surprisingly, the tasks are very similar.

For Tailgate Weekends

1. Do the prep work – arrange for a house sitter to come. Write out care instructions for the pets.
2. Check out weather forecast to determine what I need to pack – you can never have enough clothing with the team logo on it, in school colors, of course.
3. Contact tailgating friends to see who’s bringing what to the gathering – salads, casseroles, appetizers, brownies (my specialty!), etc.
4. Enjoy catching up with tailgating friends, people you have been sitting next to at the games for years and making new friends!
   

For 2010 Ad Space Reservations

1. Do the prep work – update rate cards and ad contracts. Develop or rewrite brochures/PDFs for tips, webinars and sponsor packages.
2. Check with current advertisers to determine if their current ad schedule is serving their needs. Help them determine how their 2010 ad “forecast” can be packaged into your ad offerings.
3. Once advertisers/sponsors are on board for 2010, contact them to be sure that you have everything you need for a winning ad season – new ad materials, updated logos in the company’s colors, new URL links, etc.
4. And last but not least, enjoy reconnecting with longtime company contacts ad agency reps and making new relationships with new companies/contacts!
   

So get started on your “To Do” list for your 2010 ad placements. With effort and lots of enthusiasm, your client (team) can be an ad revenue (game) winner!