What can come from wanting to help?
Jo Blowfield - The Marketing Company
My husband Ambrose said to me not very long ago “If it’s in your head it’s an idea if you write it down it’s a plan”
4 weeks ago I started on a long journey after watching the TV updates about the devastation in Christchurch caused by the earthquake. The feeling of helplessness consumed me as I watched a city I once lived in and loved turned to rubble. The city I remembered was no more and from that feeling of helplessness came an overwhelming feeling of wanting to help.
I rang The Marketing Company office on Wednesday afternoon the day after the earthquake and spoke with Anand Rose a member of our team who had only just joined The Marketing Company in February. I said to Anand I feel so helpless what did he think we could do to help? Anand replied that he had experience in event planning and has put on a charity concert before and raised $35K for Samoa. Anand suggested why don’t we do the same thing in Taranaki and try and raise some money for Christchurch. My only reaction was “Yes let’s go for it.”
From the moment those words were said a roller coaster ride started that took on a mind of its own, created momentum, and was bound for the finishing line no matter how many roadblocks came along the way.
Anand recruited Cameron Betts and Ben Bull to help with the event because they had both been in Christchurch at the time of the earthquake down in broadcasting school. They had both taken the $50 Air New Zealand flights and retreated home to New Plymouth and were desperate to help. Ricky Malcolm, Shane Reed, Nic Bohiemer, Peter Bennett and Nicky Smith were also recruited to join the team with Ambrose, Anand and myself.
On the Wednesday after the earthquake it was an idea. On Sunday Anand had it down on paper as a plan and the first meeting to discuss the project was being held with our local national MP Jonathan Young followed by a meeting on Monday with the mayor (Hon) Harry Dynhoven and the New Plymouth District Council. As I said it gained momentum and all our passion was firing Taranaki 4 Canterbury had been born.
Over the next 2 weeks we concentrated on getting bands on board. It was a long journey! Anyone that we thought might sing at the event we contacted within the music business both nationally and internationally. The very first person to say yes was Anika Moa then followed closely behind by Oli Brown from the UK (Oli played GTaranaki last year and was loved by all who saw him). We then got the Eastern from down in Lyttleton on board followed by The Dukes. We were 20 mins from hitting print on all our markting material when OPshop called and said they would love to be involved. The scream in the office and the energy levels was doubled from that moment. This line up was more that worthy of making money for Canterbury. To top it off the NPDC were amazing they supported us with logistical and planning help as well as the use of a venue we could only dream of using The Bowl of Brooklands.
From the moment all artists were on board we then moved to a logistics phase (we now had a 1 ½ week time frame until concert night). In all my business life I have never markerted anything so hard and fast. We used a mixture of indirect marketing (Newspaper, Social Media, Radio and 1 week of TV advertising. We also used a direct marketing approch as well such as 7500 letters with a flyer attached to primary school families, we distributed 18,000 flyers in 1 week followed by another 4000 the week leading up to the concert (most of those flyers were hand delivered). We also printed around 1000 advertising opportunities and hand delivered them to all the CBD businesses in the area and outer suberbs. We also put in extra locations to sell tickets.
Through those 3 and 1/2 weeks in The Marketing Company so we could put on an amazing event and keep costs to a minimum we put everything on hold for Taranaki 4 Canterbury. The team hot desked, hot chaired, hot computered, hot phoned and spent 24/7 together as a team leaning on each other for support and encouragement when times got tough. The vibe in the office on the days when our office filled with 15 people looking for a chair to purch on, to the 70 or so volunteers who showed up at different times to help was a buzz and full of energy. This really was a community event put on by a communtiy of people with one goal in mind to show our support for Canterbury.
On concert day the one thing we couldn’t determine was the weather! The rain started at 4pm and didn’t let up all night. Even though it rained heavily at some points, we still had support out in the crowd and have the upmost respect for those who braved it in the rain to support the people of Canterbury. The 2 minutes silence for those lost in Christchurch and Japan was a goosebump moment especially as the fly over took place and the sun coming out for a brief moment at the end of the silence set the scene.
The night exceeded our expectations and that of our partners NPDC. We still had around 3000 people attend the event and have made between $40-50K for Christchurch in just under a 4 week time frame. If we get the refund from Air New Zealand and the GST back from the government then we are closer to a $50K donation to the Red Cross.
Even though it was hard work I would do it all again in a heart beat.
5 things I learnt oganising the Taranaki 4 Canterbury concert.
1. If your event is outside the one thing you can’t count on is the weather being fine. We think we lost between 5000 and 7000 people who were sitting on the fence waiting to find out what the weather was doing. Keep your costs low and plan to break even before the event begins.
2. Anything is possible when you have the right intentions in mind. Put your goal on a wall and keep it at the forefront of your mind this can help you through negative times when others don’t share your vision or attitude.
3. In an event like this indirect marketing is easier but it’s the direct marketing that gets the bums on seats. Look at your target market where they work, eat, shop keep going and don’t give up.
4. Pick your team carfully! (We had an amazing team who gave 150% to this project and it paid off. Make sure people with the big jobs in the event are the ones you can count on to get the job done and to a high standard.)
5. Relationships, we have amazing relationships with some great people that certainly helped us pull this event off in such a short time. Nuture your relationships because you never know when you may need to call on them for a favour.
5 things I loved about being part of Taranaki 4 Canterbury.
1. Being part of the The Taranaki 4 Canterbury team we have made some great relationships that will continue long after the concert. An amzing bunch of people who went above and beyond. Im so proud of everyone involved.
2. Singing Hey Jude on stage with The Eastern, The Dukes, Oli Brown and Op Shop at the end of the concert. A moment in life that I will never forget (and doubt will ever be repeated).
3. Hearing from Sophie at Sushi Ninja that someone saw her on stage when she gave a prayer for Japan before the 2 mins silence and were so blowen away with her prayer for Japan they donated a futher $100 to the Japanese relief fund she is supporting.
4. Taranaki 4 Canterbury was just a stepping stone in our journey of contributing positively to Christchurch, Lyttleton and the surrounding areas. Watching and hearing what people are planning next in the journey of Taranaki 4 Canterbury has been very inspiring. Watch this space.
Once again to all those involved in the Taranaki 4 Canterbury event big all small we thank you from the bottom of our heart.
Kia Kaha Canterbury x
