A M E S S A G E F R OM T H E P U B L I S H E R
BIG DOG SHOWS CREATE BIG BUZZ
BUILD TRUST This is an often-overlooked benefit. However, host- ing events—especially for newly-formed organizations— shows that you’re the real-deal. Not only do you exist, but you have the means to host a local event that attracts exhibitors from throughout the country! It doesn’t matter how big or small the event is. All that matters is that folks are able to connect with your show and your mission. FUNDRAISING Local businesses can join in and organize an event to raise funds for charity. Giving back to the community is a great way to raise awareness about an important cause while gaining some recognition for your organization too. ESTABLISH THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Holding a seminar or hosting a meet-and-greet for dog lovers in your area will provide value to your community and help to establish your club as an important resource. HAVE FUN What could be better than seeing people in your com- munity coming together to have a great time? People will be sure to enjoy themselves at your event. After all, every- one who shows up loves dogs, right? They’ll thank your club for its hospitality by taking hundreds of pictures to post on their social media accounts. On behalf of the SHOWSIGHT team, I’d like to thank you all for your support of our efforts to spread the good news about purebred dogs and dog shows. SHOWSIGHT is the only All-Breed Publication to launch an educational breed publication for All AKC- Registered Breeds: All 197 of them. Our message within our company has been “We must educate!” Each Breed Magazine has just launched, and not a week or month will go by that more articles and interviews won’t be pub- lished—at no charge. Every day, we have judges, breeders and exhibitors tell us how they love our Breed Magazines. It is important to note that these Breed Magazines have not just been created to help judges in the show ring, but also to help preservation breeders protect and grow our community. With our aggressive, but well calculated, marketing approach, we are soon to reach one million views. Please visit www.showsightmagazine.com/breed- magazine to see all 197 Breed Magazines. Please help us to continue improving our publication by sharing your ideas and comments with us. We’ll look forward to hearing from you soon at a (big) dog show near you.
Friends, I hope that you were able to spend a part of the July 4th holiday celebrating our nation’s birthday with family and friends. Across the country, we can find hundreds—make that thousands— of ways to celebrate Independence Day. I know that many of you spent the weekend at large entry dog shows. (That sure sounds good to say, after all we went through in 2020!) This month, I’d like to discuss the importance of large entry dog shows. There’s been a growing understanding of the importance of large entry dog shows. Big shows receive the kind of media coverage that turns viewers into spectators, many of whom become purebred dog owners after just one visit to a show like Westminster, the National Dog Show or the AKC National Championship. These high vis- ibility events are crucial to the well-being of the fancy. They foster competition and create the kind of buzz that the sport of dogs so desperately needs. Not every big show, however, has a big advertising budget. Some clubs create a buzz by joining forces. The clusters that are being held this month create a lot of excitement within their commu- nities. They draw big entries and often attract local spectators, many of whom may have been unaware of our sport. So, how do we bring spectators to our shows in hopes that some will become purebred dog owners and, hopefully, show people? Well, I spend at least 30 to 40 hours on the phone each week with fanciers, and this question gets asked quite a bit. The bottom line is that our shows need entries to go up and we need more people to join the fancy. So, let’s get back to basics and consider ways to help every club become more successful. The following action items have been cre- ated for your consideration by the staff of our marketing department who have a combined 100+ years of experience. BUILD BRAND RECOGNITION Showcase Your Venue. Reach out to local radio stations, podcasts, newspapers, and TV stations. Introduce them to the sport of dogs, your show site and, most importantly, wow them with the numbers. For example: 1.3 million dogs are shown each year at AKC events; each weekend there are approximately 10 dog shows held nationwide; Westminster is the second-oldest sporting event held in the US. PHOTO BOMBING Send pictures and videos to your local media outlets and post them on social media pages. If your budget permits, contact Face- book to push your posts to everyone in your area. Costs will range from $25 to $500, depending on how strongly you want to push your message. MAKE FACE-TO-FACE CONNECTIONS Connecting with your audience on a personal level has a big impact on their engagement. Spend time talking about your dog show with neighbors and discuss how your event generates revenue within the community. Print flyers with a short, friendly message that encourages families and friends to attend. These should be dis- tributed throughout your community and plastered on the windows of small businesses. These important face-to-face connections have become rare in the virtual world and are much appreciated. STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY In addition to developing a connection with your organization, the people who attend your events can build relationships with each other and strengthen the community. There’s power in attend- ing an event when visitors discover other people who support the same cause, follow the same blog, or cheer for a local team. Meeting like-minded individuals in person will also encourage more active engagement online.
Yours Sincerely,
AJ ARAPOVIC, OWNER & PUBLISHER
Est 1992
40 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2021
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