Linda Yurche wants to be a marketing matchmaker.
Yurche heads marketing communications firm MGH?s new division, Partnership Marketing, aimed at hooking up companies with charitable organizations, social causes, sports teams and athletes, or civic institutions. The group, launched last week, will also do the reverse and match those clients with appropriate companies.
“The advertising campaign, that?s great, but let?s take it to another level where you?re reaching [customers] on a personal level,” Yurche said. “A movie star, a sports athlete, a charity, that?s where you reach them.”
The service is a new line of business for MGH, President Andy Malis said.
“A lot of companies get involved with charities or sports teams, but they don?t take full advantage of it and leverage it for all they could get out of it,” he said. “We?re very excited about it because we have a lot of clients who spend a lot of money to partner with other organizations.”
If the concept sounds a little crass, Yurche points out that organizations benefiting from company support have just as much to gain from the best possible pairing.
“People might say it sounds mercenary to get a business advantage from your charity, but it?s a smart thing to do,” she said. “And it?s a smart thing for a charity or sports team to make sure companies get the most they can out of it, because then you get them to do it again. The first time they might just do it out of the goodness of their heart.”
Malis said there?s already been interest from clients, but he isn?t sure how much business the new division may eventually see.
“We don?t really know where this is headed,” he said. “We?re just going to take it one week at a time, see what opportunities arise, and I think we?ll know pretty quickly where it?s going.”
