Marketing is very important for any organization as the marketing team provides information on why anybody would want to purchase product or sponsor the organization. Marketing is how companies sell their product and provide information in appropriate places for potential customers to see. An engineer can create amazing products but without effective marketing nobody would know about them.
Team overall Image: Tshirts, Logo Application, Recognizable Colors, Flag, Banners, Buttons, Pit,
Need to develop methods and contacts for generating professional quality materials.
Money can be spent as appropriate, Standard approach is to state the need provide a link to what's needed then the leadership will discuss and order when approved.
All of these are Tournament related and a very important part of the teams overall performance. Showing potential and current sponsors pictures of a unified, sharp looking team makes donating money easier to justify. Sponsors are often at the tournament and looking out for teams that fulfill the goals they have for STEM programs. Current sponsors expect prominently displayed logos commiserate with their donation.
Reasons behind tasks:
TShirts and/or uniform-costume with Recognizable Colors and Logo: Everyone on the Team including mentors and parents should be dressed in the prescribed team outfits because this is one of the most visible displays of who's on our team the tournament. Our team has done a really good job with this and should make sure that everyone attending the tournament including willing parents get a tshirt. There is importance to being known year to year at the tournament because recognition is important for making alliances and connections. If a team remembers us from year to year they can offer or ask . Solid Examples: Team Yeti, Team 900 NASA Knight, etc.
Flag: The team needs a flag with only the logo and team number on it. The flag is waved at the announcement of the team name and number before the start of the match. The flag should be large enough that the logo can be seen from across a football field but not so large that it's too heavy for the announcers to wave. The flag needs to be on a proper mount to be waived. Re-usable year to year once created
Sponsor Logos and placement: An important task for marketing is to collect a vector image from each sponsor. A vector image scales without loosing any image quality (Pixelation). This allows the sponsors logo to be printed on different things in different sizes without loss of quality. Companies want to be able to show a picture of the impressive student built robot that they sponsored and be able to point to their logo on the robot.
The sponsor logo's that go onto the robot should be clearly visible and discernible in a full frame portrait shot of the robot.
Banners: The team needs a banner each year with the team logo and number and that years Sponsors prominently displayed. This banner is displayed in the Tournament Arena and should be sized to be seen from 50+ feet away.
Team Number Cards: The team numbers on individual 36x24 posters to associate the members in the audience with the team in the match. Re-usable year to year once created
Buttons: Team buttons are like trading cards at the tournament and students on all teams enjoy collecting as many as they can. The team should always have a button simple Team Prion Logo and number on. Additional buttons would definitely be considered as they are one of the major ways of ingratiating the team with other teams. Favorite button: Technical Assassins
Pit Area: The Pit area needs to prominently display the Team Logo and Number. This is so that people walking around the pit area can easily find our team. The pit is a functional space and can be designed at any time. The shelving can form functional walls that can support banners and other appropriate decorations. The pit design is re-usable year to year
Post tournament Press Release: After the tournament is wrapped up the team should contact the local media to demonstrate the robot. This raises community awareness of the program for potential students, sponsors and mentors. The robot that we build is an impressive machine built by students and volunteers and is a very positive piece of news going on in the community.
Mascot: The mascot is up to marketing to source and give guidance.
Field Team Uniforms: Should have school colors and be unique, identifiable and generally 1 size fits all.
Website: Possibly a task entirely of it's own outside of marketing. The website should have tutorial information to help younger teams with technical topics the team has learned over the years. There is a definition of what the website should minimally contain on the first website. The website should be updated as the build season progresses or events occur.
Social Media: Updated with professional style organizational announcements. Professionalism is very important because sponsors and potential sponsors from the professional world will be checking the material.
Thank You cards and Sponsor communications: The team fundamentally can not exist without our sponsors. Sponsors are more likely to provide continued contributions when they know their contribution is appreciated.
Outreach: One of the requirements is to promote STEM to younger students by demonstrating robots at elementary and middle schools. Area summer camps are also an excellent opportunity to spread the word about FIRST.
Other Idea's
Stickers
Logo Stickers
I'd rather be driving my robot with a sketch of junior bot.
Promotional Videos, 30 second commercial for YouTube
Videos for functions of the robot and how tasks were accomplished
Video demonstrating this years robot
Video inviting people to join.
Video for defining the vision and goal of the organization.
Foam Logo Hats
The Whirley Gear with Prion lends itself to a 3d foam hat like the statue of liberty foam hats.
Evangelize Team Prion! In a professional manner spread the word to the community both at school and to all of Greensboro.