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It is no secret that having a cause that supports the community attached to your company’s mission or special event drastically affects your turnout and support rates. Companies that give back to the community often find that they are more embraced by the community than any other business that does not. If your company is dedicated to humanitarian efforts, you will see your brand succeed at a much higher rate due to this support through viral efforts and Word of Mouth instances.
We have been seeing for years that companies will hold special marketing campaigns that implement local charities and organizations into their execution plan. We have been seeing these campaigns soar, because these companies return a percentage of sales and donations to these specific charities. Non-profit organizations (NPOs) will then continue to distribute free marketing resources to the brand in exchange for the campaign cause. Additionally, the brands often donate tickets, products and services to the NPOs in creating furthered awareness for the brand.
Some causes are genuine and “from the heart.” Very unfortunately, however, there are other brands that only implement these causes for personal and corporate gain. For those brands that are truly interested in supporting local causes, charities and NPOs, there is a new and easy resource available in collecting funds for these causes.
TicketForce, a company dedicated to the live event, unveiled this weekend a new option in supporting causes associated with event marketing and ticket sales. This company has released a new platform option in helping aid fundraising potential for both brand and NPO. Online platforms, as well as box office sales and available kiosks, now include (according to a recent press release):
- “Make a Donation” landing pages with multiple images, descriptions and campaigns to select from;
- Patrons may choose to give a gift now or add to a shopping cart;
- “Add a Donation” appears in all shopping carts, allowing ticket buyers to easily add a gift of any size;
- Call-outs are easily customized to prompt buyers to give to specific campaigns, based upon the purchase in their cart;
- Box office agents are prompted to ask patrons to add a gift to their ticket purchase.
“Additionally, the ticketing site may be used to collect donations across multiple organizations or funds. This allows community arts groups, agencies or venues with multiple resident groups – such as theatre, ballet, or symphony – to collect donations and easily track across several organizations.”
As the individual landing pages include information on specific charities and NPOs associated with events, these pages include both short and long descriptions, imagery and easily customizable donation amounts. In addition, all donations, memberships and ticketing purchases are viewed easily on “the patron record and cross-reporting allows the venue to easily pull the consolidated value of a patron over any time period – as well as view a snapshot during checkout in the box office.” A statement was also released from TicketForce in the recent press distribution:
“Because TicketForce services venues across many commercial markets, some non-profit organizations are surprised by our robust fund management, membership and patron management functionality,” says CEO, Lynne King Smith. “This company was born out of a non-profit organization, and I spent over fifteen years in the direct market field – so I understand the need for a truly integrated and simple solution to manage giving alongside ticketing.”
Of course, events may be able to collect funds from direct ticket sales, but TicketForce has basically made the process easier and business more diplomatic, as a third-party advocator for the connected.
Think of this: If greed were to become a factor, a venue couldn’t claim that they weren’t paid properly or that they didn’t make as many sales as they did, and neither could the NPO. Furthermore, those supporting a cause may feel more comfortable knowing that their contributions will go directly to the charity of their choice and may even donate more to the cause.
Specific reporting is made available and separate amounts can be distributed automatically, ensuring future opportunities between venue and NPO. If payment delays were to occur, TicketForce would be responsible, as well, eliminating possible conflict between the two participating parties. TicketForce may just find itself becoming the leader in its niche once these concepts and practices are adopted by promoters, Worldwide!
