I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to so-called marketing experts carry on about where to put your marketing dollars: TV? Radio? Print?

While these traditional forms of advertising can be effective, this broad reach can be very costly, and not always effective for small businesses.

Break through the clutter with Special Event Marketing

Special event marketing encompasses many things. Here are some out-of-the-box ideas that will combine your brand with an enjoyable experience:

Are you marketing to families with children?

Why not sponsor your town little league team or ask the cheerleading squad to toss embroidered baseball hats to the high school football crowd. Minor league or college sports teams are often looking for ways to add excitement to games. Promote your business by giving out custom printed sports towels, balloons, pom-poms or even team-spirit face paint to the first 500 people to enter the game.

Are you marketing to businesses?

Book yourself a speaking gig or sponsor a meeting that’s attended by your target audience. Give out useful swag with your contact information on it –functional items that your prospects will carry in their pockets, use at their desks or take with them when they travel.

Are you looking to increase traffic at your retail establishment?

Try a grand opening, grand re-opening, anniversary celebration or ‘neighborhood’ block party! Offer a raffle gift, an ice cream social and an opportunity for personal and professional networking. Decorate with balloons and offer one-day-only specials. Send out press releases, make posters or promote the event through other marketing channels.

Special event marketing creates buzz, builds loyalty and generates goodwill among your target audience – and because it’s non-traditional, it can be designed to work with your budget!

Consumers probably equate environmental sustainability with the sale of green products. The Body Shop, Patagonia, Tom's of Maine, and Seventh Generation spring to mind. Of course, greenness depends on much more than what a product is made of and whether or not it can be recycled. Much of a product's environmental impact comes from the manufacturing process and distribution.

Indeed, many firms that aren't thought of as green -- Coca Cola and Anheuser-Busch, for example -- have reduced waste and energy use by focusing on production processes and packaging choices. Why doesn't Anheuser-Busch actively promote that it developed an aluminum can that is 33% lighter than previous cans? Many companies recognize that they are only moving toward sustainability and don't want to set themselves up for criticism of their less than sustainable practices. This is even true of relatively green firms like IKEA, which are careful not to oversell their greenness. In extreme cases, companies may worry that customers might be turned off by a 'green' image -- perhaps that's the case with Anhesuer's Bud drinkers.