JK Marketing and Communications

This section aims to give those who are new to event marketing and communications a basic guide to help them through the planning process. It may also act as a stimulus for more experienced event marketers to review or rethink existing activity. The development of an effective marketing and communications plan is essential.

It contains a sample of IOF Bulletin 1 & 2 as well as an example JK Event Programme and information about the JK logo and other JK branding requirements.

 

Scroll through the page or use the links below to jump to a section
1. Summary 2. Where to start 3. Planning 4. Logos
5. British Orienteering Event Listing 6. JK Website 7. Social Media 8. Emails and Email Addresses
9. Communications to Entrants 10. Flyers and Leaflets 11. Marketing at the JK and Other Major Events 12. IOF Bulletin
13. Event Programme 14. Radio Advertising 15. Merchandise   
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Summary

The following includes preparation and planning as well as sub-sections about the different forms of marketing, such as internet, social media, flyers & leaflets and radio advertising. All sub-sections have the materials to help you better organise your work.

 

Where to start

It may not be necessary to appoint a separate Marketing and communications officer as this work might be part of that of the Website Manager/Event Programme editor role (s).

It is important that someone has the responsibility for communicating to others information about the JK

 

Planning

Your communications & marketing plan should form a significant and integrated part of the event – it is necessary to be active in communicating the event story to all stakeholders, it has several strands:

  • Pre-event internal marketing to existing members & previous event competitors - to get them to enter & take part in the weekend.
  • Pre, during & post-event external - to the local & national press to make them aware of the event - and attract newcomers to try the sport.
  • Pre-event invitational external - to attract newcomers, overseas competitors & those who have not yet tried orienteering at a major event level.
  • External operational – to local residents & landowners & members of the public in the areas to make them aware of the event & any inconveniences there might be.
  • Internal operational - both before & during the event to entered competitors & volunteers - final details, bulletins & updates & about last-minute changes and other matters of note
  • Post-event - for surveys, comments etc

Each of these strands requires its own particular brand of targeted information & messages

Planning Timetable

 

Logos

The JK Logo needs updating with the relevant colours for each particular year. Full details can be obtained from British Orienteering. There will also be some or all of the following logos to be included: in the event publicity, on the website, in the event programme and IOF Bulletin & on printed items such as maps.

JK Logo, British Orienteering logo, IOF logo, Uk Elite league logo, UK O League logo Association & club logos, sponsors logos.

JK 2020 Final

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British Orienteering Event Listing

The preliminary event registration for all the JK events will have been entered into the British Orienteering event registration system. This needs to be kept up to date with information as it becomes available. This one of the main ways that potential participants, especially those new to the sport, will be able to find details of an event in their area.

Preliminary information will have been entered by the National Fixtures Secretary and the Regional Fixtures Secretary will be able to update the information. As will the Major Event consultant.

Fixture listing

 

JK Website

The JK website is the essential communication tool for the JK. It is suggested that a Website Manager is appointed as early as possible. They will be given access to the JK website and will be responsible for writing and posting content over a 12 month period. This is also often the best person to coordinate and edit the Event Programme as most of the content will have already been posted on the website

British Orienteering host the site: THEJK.ORG.UK/20XX, administration rights can also be given to the Website manager to update the site.

Normally a holding page is prepared up to 18 months before the event and full site control is given to the host Association about one month after the previous JK has finished.

The British Orienteering website also will want to post reports on the JK at the end of each day. Try to find someone who will write up the event at the end of the day to be posted on both the JK and the British Orienteering websites.

JK website

International Fixtures listing
World of O is a fixture listing for events around the world. No login is required, just post up the details and they will be moderated and added to the listing.

IOF Eventor website also needs information as it becomes available along with the required Bulletins.

World of O
IOF Eventor

 

Social Media

There is a Facebook page for the JK. Access is arranged via British Orienteering. It can only be branded for one JK at a time and needs handing over about a month after the JK has taken place. Regular posting is recommended.

Many clubs also have their own Facebook page and they will often share posts from the JK Facebook page. British Orienteering has a Twitter account – this is best used during the JK weekend.

There are other linked orienteering websites that will promote JK information – ontheredline is one example.

Ontheredline

Social Media Policy (Pages 17 & 18 of the O Safe Policy)

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Emails and Email Addresses

Emails and email addresses will need to be used for JK communications.

British Orienteering has set up the following for a JK:

jkentries@britishorienteering.org.uk

jkenquiries@britishorienteering.org.uk

jkcoordinator@britishorienteering.org.uk

jkvolunteers@britishorienteering.org.uk

They can be directed to multiple email addresses – just advise the national office which email addresses they need to be directed to. They should be used on the website & in the event programme.

These emails will go back to info@ after the current JK is finished and will be directed for the current JK to whoever you want whenever you want about a month or so after the previous JK has finished with them.

 

Communications to entrants

The entries system will have a function to bulk email all lead entrants – this is the person who did the entry for a group of others. It will not necessarily send emails to all entrants. There is also a function to send out a bulk SMS text message to everyone who has registered their mobile phone number to the system.

This email function can be used to keep entrants updated with new items on the website as well as last-minute changes.

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Flyers and Leaflets

Flyers and leaflets are traditionally one of the most commonly used ways of advertising orienteering events. These should be prepared up to 18 months ahead of the event and distributed at the previous JK and also provided to those competing abroad to help publicize the event internationally.

JK2020 A5 Advert

JK2020 A6 Postcard 

JK Full Page Advert Final

JK Pre Event Press Release

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Marketing at the JK and other Major Events

You may wish to design and make a JK branded feather flag and use this at the current JK to promote the next event.  Flyers for the next JK should be ready for distribution at the current JK. Other ways of promoting the JK might be considered in the 18 months to a year before the event.

 

IOF Bulletin

There is a requirement from the IOF if the event has WRE status, to publish two Bulletins. These are used to provide information to Elite athletes, any changes to the programme and or rules.

WRE Bulletin

 

Event Programme

The Event programme should give full details of the whole JK weekend. It will need to be published on the JK website

Event Programme 

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Radio Advertising

Local radio advertising can be a useful and cost-efficient way to promote awareness of the JK to a local audience – to come and try orienteering at an event that will have quite a buzz.

 

Merchandise

The option to develop JK branded merchandise to be given to volunteers for free/small sum or for sale to entrants either in advance and/or at the JK weekend is available to Coordinators. This in the past has consisted of: O tops, Hoodies, T-shirts, neck warmers, waterproof jackets, wristbands for String course prizes, thermal mugs, china mugs, coasters, beer mats, race bib fasteners. As well as at other large events: towels, gilets, sweatbands & hats.

They can be used as prizes and thank you gifts to volunteers. But beware of devaluing the prizes – if the item can be easily purchased is it worth being a ‘prize’?

Consider the ease of ordering correct sizes, the cost of items and the market for them, the quantity to order and the time to design, advertise & collect orders via the entries systems. Orders from overseas often have a very long lead-in time and have not arrived until the day before the event is due to start.

This attached has been used to confirm a merchandise order with their suppliers.

JK 2016 Merchandise Catalogue

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