Reaching for bottom

What is Grassroots marketing?

The name can be taken quite literally, meaning from the bottom, at the root of something.

Corporations are taking a far less broad approach to their marketing initiatives and have started focusing inward on local communities. By becoming part of the everyday community, through enhancing family experiences, and listening to the issues that people are talking about through local news streams and social media, brands attempt to insert themselves into the conversation in a positive way.

There have been some great examples of Canadian brands supporting local kids sports teams and enhancing their game experience by either providing added value in the way of free merchandise or helping to recognize and celebrate achievements. What's important is that the brand not become the event but only cater to or enhance it. In these cases, it's always more about the game on the field.

One that comes to mind is the case of a University not being able to support its women's hockey team due to lack of funds. This created a lot of conversation in the community and it started to pick up in social networks. A large corporate brand took notice of this and quickly jumped in to save the team with a donation to help cover all the costs needed to have the team remain healthily intact. A news conference was arranged and only then was it announced that this brand had saved the team. This story was picked up by many other networks and had big impressions on Facebook and Twitter. That brand was Canadian Tire. A brand that constantly seeks to positively associate and engrain itself into the fabric of our nation.

These Grassroots initiatives have a positive, resonating effect. It isn't every day that a brand becomes part of the conversation in such an intimate way. Take a bottom up approach and create strong, healthy roots that will see your brand grow. An experience at the grassroots level can have more of an impact than the billboard standing behind it.