Event Marketer

All over the country, independent Farmer’s Insurance agents have been hosting and taking part in events where the brand offers a free software package to help parents protect their children in case they’re ever lost or stolen. In exchange, the agents are collecting data and potential leads. So far, the response rate from parents who purchased a Farmer’s product after interacting with an agent at one of the events has been about eight percent, according to early data. The program has been live since summer 2009 and is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.

For the first week in December New York City pedestrians were stopped in their tracks and traffic came to a halt as three bike messengers hired by J&R Music and Computer World sporting refrigerator-sized boxes strapped to their backs pedaled throughout the city as if making deliveries. The stunt was part of J&R’s promotion for its same-day delivery service, which also included the creation of Chinese-style take out menus (as ubiquitous in the Big Apple as the harried bike messengers) handed out by a second street team and delivered to apartments, business lobbies and public areas.

To kick off its latest volunteerism initiative called Pledge 24 in 2010, WE tv took pledging to the people on Dec. 17 with a mobile Resolution Center where passersby could step out of the frigid temperatures and pledge to warm the lives of others with volunteer service in the new year.

2010 Olympic Torch Relay sponsor RBC has launched the Create A Better Canada Experience, a mobile tour traveling to community celebrations and places of interest along the nearly 28,000-mile torch relay route. A centerpiece of the experience is an interactive mobile Eco Home housed in a hybrid truck that runs on solar and wind energy and is heated by solar radiant heating. Tents outside the truck feature an Olympic medal display area, a snowboard simulator, a hockey rink and a green-screen opportunity where visitors can have their picture taken with the Olympic flame.

The California Lottery in December held a private concert starring Michelle Branch for 200 guests. The concert was part of a promotion with Warner Bros. Records that included a new series of lottery scratcher tickets featuring Branch and WB artists Goo Goo Dolls, Seal and Taking Back Sunday.