Just an update - April 14th the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival had 1,244 Facebook Fans. Today, April 20th we have 2,019. We were adding 110 fans a week prior to our contest. It is a lot of work and I'm beat. Even with people monitoring the site, I watch it like a hawk for problems, complaints, discrepencies in points. It helps. We can answer questions, solve problems and help our Festival guests feel like guests and a part of the process.
This campaign could probably be done easier. I have utilized as much automated widgets and apps as possible - or that I know - or that doesn't cost money. What most folks don't get is the Festival is not a cash cow. Their mission is to promote the community, to spread the word of the valley's finest assets. Over the years of mini-ad budgets they have done a phenomenal job. In essence, they have branded the valley because you can go to conventions and say you are from Temecula. The reply is always the same "Oh you have that Balloon & Wine Festival."
For 27 years this event has promoted the valley. It's contributions to the growth of the wine region and community often go unheralded. I have friends who moved here because they attended a Balloon & Wine Festival. (I think it was the one where I had the grape stomping and waiter waitress contests in the dirt of home plate at the sports park.)
The message goes far-reaching. It is an internationl message. They have won marketing awards against 1400 other international events - and they have done it regularly at the IFEA convention. They compete against Kentucky Derby's, Miramar Air Shows, Rose Parades and major events with much bigger marketing budgets. And they still win. They still spread the word that the Temecula Valley is a great place to live, work, play and grow a business. And it takes 1,000 volunteers to pull this off. Kudos Festival! Someday you will get the Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. (Hint Hint)
Melody Brunsting first volunteered for the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival in 1986. She continued to provide her support and services until she was hired to promote the event in 1994. At that time their entire advertising and marketing budget was $10,000. Today, Melody is president of Melody's Ad Works, Inc., produces annual events in Old Town Temecula, promotes numerous events and non-profits, including the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, Temecula Bluegrass Festival, Western Days, Hot Summer Nights and the Great Temecula Grape Drop on New Year's Eve. To see her events visit www.temeculacalifornia.com. To see more about Melody see www.melodysadworks.com
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