PROJECT FOCUS: Battle at the Barn

For the past two years, I have enjoyed doing the lion’s share of the social media marketing for the Battle at the Barn Coke Syrup Races in Des Moines, Iowa. Coke syrup races are just what they sound like – fountain Coca-Cola syrup is sprayed onto a concrete surface, go-karts, 4-wheelers, and even lawnmowers take up the challenge to race on it. While 2020 was a bit of a crapshoot regarding whether or not events would be allowed to happen, Battle at the Barn XIII took place over this past weekend, January 22-23. In 2021, nearly 250 entries made the event a great success.

How I market motorsports events is very similar from event to event. It is a great deal of awareness-building, making posts to offer the information attendees will need before they arrive. This includes pricing, event timing, available merchandise, and other general “need-to-know” aspects of the event. While these seem relatively elementary, it builds anticipation and excitement. Getting people ramped up for an event is easy – but following through and keeping up on that excitement tends to be difficult.

With COVID-19 at the forefront of everyone’s mind, marketers have had to switch their focus (more on this in a future post). We not only have to let everyone in on what’s going on with the clients and companies we work with, but we have to create a picture of it in the minds of our ideal customers. What that includes is all of the above, plus putting out COVID guidelines and restrictions. You want customers to know EXACTLY what they’re walking into before they go, and do your best, as the person responsible for marketing that event, for getting that information to the people who need it the most.

Thankfully, Battle at the Barn XIII was relatively the same as in past years (masks required), marketing it was a bit different from in the past. With so much information to put out, it was difficult to figure out exactly what needed to go out when to serve the needs of as many people as possible. The work started in August, with an announcement that the event would, in fact, take place. We could capitalize on Cyber Monday (and its’ #CyberMonday hashtag) by putting grandstand tickets out for sale. In late November, a Facebook event was created to give potential attendees two months to plan for attending the event. We were able to capitalize on two major holidays, Christmas and New Year’s Day, to not only wish our followers well but keep the 2021 logo and event at the forefront of people’s minds. While the rumor mill was on overdrive, we were able to calm concerns in early January by making an announcement, accompanied by the Governor’s proclamation, that said the event would take place as scheduled. I utilized FAQ graphics, calling them #FastFAQs, putting them out individually, and then as a group. I created graphics when the pits and grandstands opened each day, offering timing and admission information for both. I am still getting used to putting out the same information multiple times, but overall, it serves a purpose. At the end of the day, I completed the event marketing for Battle at the Barn XIII with a simple thank you. While it seems like a relatively small thing, it makes a big impact.

 Marketing is one thing, but marketing as an aspect of customer service serves the biggest impact. You want your customers to care about your product, and utilizing your marketing as another arm of customer service is a great way to do just that.

LVP Creative: The Origin Story

To start things off, let me say this: since officially launching this website last week, I have received a TON of positive reinforcement - which is excellent! Thank you for reading! I want to start my blogging offerings with a bit of a dive into who I am - what types of work I have done in the past, why I chose to get into social media marketing, and what makes me tick when marketing for businesses all types. I plan to update this blog once and twice a week with information such as project highlights, current events, and how they relate to marketing, marketing principles, and general information. I hope that you’ll stick around and check it out!

The only thing that I have ever dreamt of has been working for myself in some capacity. I never knew what degree that would take - but as I learned more about myself, I found myself working in a variety of different jobs, gaining experience that would help me far into the future. Some of these jobs include retail customer service, forklift driver, animal care specialist, logistics specialist, office coordinator, fleet manager, inventory control specialist, bar trivia host, and more. What that has given me is on-the-job training in various disciplines and first-hand experience in several industries. As it relates to marketing, this gives me a great idea of how things work and how marketing varies from one industry to another. My varied experience gives me a different viewpoint than most, and even if I don’t have the first-hand experience, I am always willing to learn.

If someone asked me what my learning style was, I would say that “on the fly” describes it best. When I want to learn more about a particular topic, I read up on it, watch videos, find articles, and do my best to learn enough about it to sound authoritative about it. As a millennial (or “x-ennial,” which is the first generation of millennials), I grew up with social media. As I grew older, I broke it apart and figured out how it worked - which led me to marketing. I could take something I already knew, writing, and apply it to something completely new. I took on a TON of free learning opportunities, from HubSpot Academy to Google Analytics, and decided to go the more traditional route with my schooling in 2019. I received my Technical Diploma in Digital Marketing from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in May 2020. Following that, I opted-in for my Associate Degree in Marketing, which will be complete in 2021.

Outside of my education and past employment, I find great joy in hobbies like reading, puzzling, seeing live music, spending time with friends, and making handmade home decor and wearables (to name a few). Every summer, my dad and I put together a bicycle giveaway that averages over 100 bicycles per year in Christmas in July at 141 Speedway. I work seasonally in the haunted attraction industry at Terror on the Fox here in Green Bay. I am also the Models, Monsters & Motors Car Show coordinator, which takes place at Green Bay’s National Railroad Museum each September. I have always been a believer in animal rescue, and my two former shelter cats, Barnes and Lily, keep me on my toes and laughing all the way.

The name of my business, LVP Creative, comes from a couple of places - namely, my initials. Friends call me LVP, and it stuck. The Creative portion allows me to put all of the things I love and love to do under one umbrella. From social media marketing to freelance writing and publishing to my handmade business, it all falls under the same roof (and it works better for tax purposes).

If life has taught me anything, it’s expecting the unexpected. While I impart my flavor into my work, I also have a great time helping businesses and organizations tell their stories through social media marketing. If your marketing could use a pick-me-up, my door is always open, and I am always ready to start writing a new story.