Case Study: Oakland Chamber of Commerce

Problem

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber sponsored the local December holiday parade which had reached a plateau on how big it could get.  It needed larger sponsors and more entries to fuel future growth.

Brand Solution

To expand the scope of the parade it was decided to reposition it as "America's Children's Holiday Parade."  This new positioning would allow the Chamber to invite bands, floats, participants, etc., from all over the United States, which opened up more opportunities for regional and national sponsorships and media coverage.

Measure of Success

The first year after the repositioning, larger sponsorships were secured and the transition to a national event was started.  Parade items and entries came from Nevada, Oregon, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee.  Attendance increased more than 25% to 70,000.