The answer to both questions: a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Boy Scouts of America faced a dilemma. It was their 100th anniversary – a time to celebrate a hundred years of building character and responsibility in citizens and leaders alike. It was a perfect time to kick off the next century of Scouting. But they had to be practical. The economy was down. Donations were down. Programs that kids depend on were threatened. Yet the right message could help alleviate that. It The Boy Scouts could show the promise of Scouting in just the right way, people might see the value of investing in it. More kids might join. The trick is to find a way to make the most impact on the maximum number of people in the least expensive way possible.
Participation in the Rose Parade was the perfect choice. Where else could you get three minutes of National Broadcast time on ALL the major networks for free? Sure it costs money to produce the float, upwards of a hundred thousand dollars, but that’s well less than half of the cost of most commercials on network television. And when you calculate placement costs of $250,000 per 30 second commercial, three minutes is equal to a million and a half dollars worth of airtime for free. Plus there are a multitude of other hidden benefits for contributors as well as Scouts themselves.
The float is decorated almost entirely by volunteers, and there’s a waiting list of people who want to volunteer. In many cases, the volunteers, or the companies who donate to Scouting, pay for the privilege. It is a meaningful way for companies to reward select employees, and corporate executives get an opportunity to participate in the many Rose Bowl activities, including prime seating for the parade and attendance at the Rose Bowl itself. Luckily, this year, that privilege extended to attendance at the BCS game Thursday, January 7th. It made "contributing" an even greater perceived value.
The boy scouts took this concept a step farther and used the opportunity to reward Eagle Scouts with the opportunity to march in the parade. The world wide audience not only got to see the symbolic representation of Scouting, they experience the pride of Scouts in their accomplishments. To make matters even better, the Boy Scouts' Centennial Celebration float won the Pasadena Tournament of Roses’ National Award.
The eagle scouts, even after 5 ¼ miles of marching, still stood tall as they carried the American Flags and flags of all 50 states in the precession. The proudly carried representations of all the merit badges that Scouts can earn. And the float itself symbolized the excitement that lies at the center of the tradition of Scouting. And the Scouts aboard the float, boys and girls alike, were excellent representatives, canoers smiled at waved at the cheering crowds. Riders pedaled their seed-encrusted bikes, and a scout still slid down a working zip line between two trees.
After almost a year after the Boy Scouts Board of Directors (including Marketing Committee head, Suzanne Marks, our CEO) had approved the initial designs, and almost 8 months of tireless fund raising, the Centennial Float had taken huge strides in accomplishing the Boy Scouts’ mission. New contributors had been brought into the Scouting organization, the centennial year celebration had gotten off to a memorable start, and Scouts all over Southern California had been given the memory of a lifetime.
For sheer advertising value, an award-winning symbol of Scouting excellence and adventure had been seen by over a million people along the parade route in Pasadena, and by over 40 million TV viewers in the US, and in more than 150 countries worldwide. The hundreds of volunteers and Scouts who worked on the project took home a special pride that they shared with family and friends. For Scouting it was a dream come true.
The next century of Scouting is off to a grand beginning.
No comments:
Post a Comment