Marketing And Promotion 101; With A Little Sand, Sun And Fun On The Side

Five Indian Hill seniors, a.k.a. the “Grassroots Girls,” are playing a vital role with the Nissan Series Cincinnati Open

Who says seniors always get a dose of “senioritis” this time of year?  Well, maybe some do but not five local high school students from Indian Hill High School who are working together on a senior class project to help promote the Nissan Series Cincinnati Open that is coming to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, July 30-July 3.

The Nissan Series Cincinnati Open is part of the Association Volleyball Professionals (AVP) beach volleyball tour.  The five seniors ─ Amretha Apana, Chelsea Bachman, Amy Calhoun, Sam Daniels and Logan Schmidt ─ are working together in conjunction with Reach Event Marketing (REM), the promoter of the local event, and the girls will help promote and organize grassroots marketing efforts.

That’s why they’ve been coined the “Grassroots Girls.”  In a combined effort, the five have designed T-shirts, organized high school marketing campaigns and planned entertainment in between matches at the event.

In addition to assisting REM with marketing this first-year event, the Grassroots Girls have also designed full-color sand sculptured logos that will be on-court for the local AVP event.  They have proposed this concept to NBC Sports ─ who is providing live coverage on July 2-3 ─ the AVP and General Electric.

When the tournament begins the Grassroots Girls plan to morph into the “Sandboni Maidens” ─ a word play on the Zamboni ice resurfacer machines ─ because they will also be charged with resurfacing and maintaining the sand logos when necessary.

“We’ll use the extra colored sand we have to quickly touch things up between games or breaks in the action,” explains Schmidt.  “That way we’ll keep things spruced up and looking good.”

Another one of their concepts is the “Championship Corporate Package” which features the sand logo concept, tickets for the event, customized T-shirts with company specific logo, and a full-page ad in the AVP program.  The girls plan to present their proposal to corporations headquartered in Cincinnati throughout the month of May. Mr. A.G. Lafley (P&G's chairman, president & CEO), expect a call from the "Grassroots Girls."

“We tried to figure out a unique way to integrate local businesses with such a vibrant event,” Calhoun explains.  “What better way than to focus on where all the action is…the sand.”

Scott Usitalo, Regional Tourism Network Interim Director for Cincinnati USA, was very excited about the idea.  “These are exactly the kind of applications needed to start fueling the regional look and feel of this event.  Thanks to the Grassroots Girls for being such great ambassadors to Cincinnati!”

Each year, seniors at Indian Hill High School construct a senior project in lieu of final exams.  This allows the students to explore a field of specific interest.  Students work with a faculty advisor and project coordinator, while gaining on-site experience through April and May.  The project culminates in early June when the graduating seniors present their findings and experiences to members of the community.

“These girls have a real passion for sports marketing,” says faculty advisor Susan Schonauer, who teaches marketing at Indian Hill.  “The folks at Reach Event Marketing have given the girls creative license to build and market this event as a true Cincinnati original.”

Back in April the girls took a trip to Austin, Texas, to observe the AVP Tour and received an in-depth look at operational procedures.  Courtney Leddy, Director of Public Relations for the AVP, met with the Grassroots Girls while they were in Texas and gave them a behind the scenes look at life on the AVP tour.

“Reach Event Marketing is one of the most creative promoters we have ever partnered with,” Leddy says.  “After working with the Grassroots Girls, I can safely say they have constructed a high-impact, non-traditional marketing campaign that clearly sets Cincinnati apart from other stops on the AVP Tour.”

The Grassroots Girls are also continuing the senior project tradition of promoting charitable events, in this case, the Barrett Cancer Center.  The Barrett Center advances breast care awareness, and REM plans to raise at least $50,000 through the Nissan Series Cincinnati Open.  With the help of the Grassroots Girls, the event is well on its way to reaching its goal.

- story contributed to Reach Event Marketing

About the AVP

Organized in 1983, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour is the most popular and respected beach volleyball organization in the world. Featuring more than 150 of the top American men and women competitors in the sport, the AVP will stage 14 events throughout the United States in 2005. All tournaments will be televised live (or same day) on either Fox Sports Net or NBC Sports. Pro beach volleyball is one of the most exciting and fastest growing sports on the planet. In 2004, AVP athletes successfully represented the USA during the Olympics in Athens, Greece by bringing back a gold and bronze medal - the first-ever won by U.S. women.

For media inquiries: Courtney Leddy (646) 283-2121 cleddy@avp.com

For ticket inquiries, sponsorships and additional event information: Mario Cicchinelli (513)794.4174 mcicchinelli@reachusa.com