Submission Overview

The McAllen Holiday Parade entry for Best Sponsor Follow– Up report is the Fulfillment Report presented to H-E-B. The reason we selected this follow up report was because the sponsorship level, supporting elements created specifically for sponsorship, and the level of support provided by the sponsor raised the sponsorship to a true partnership. In this entry you will find:

1a. Introduction and description of main event 1b. Name of Sponsor 1c. Introduction and effectiveness of sponsor follow up report 2. Supporting Materials A printed copy of the Sponsorship Follow up report delivered to sponsor Please note: The actual follow up report was presented in person and the follow up report was used as supporting materials and shown via a power point presentation. The power point presenta- tion elements were thoroughly discussed with sponsor through every slide of the presentation. The follow up report also included take-aways from the sponsor on how the event reached the spon- sorship objectives. There are three videos each depicting different elements of the sponsorship and event within the report.

The McAllen Holiday Parade 2016, the largest illuminat- ed and helium balloon holiday parade in , is envi- sioned to become one of the top 10 parades in America. Held on December 3, 2016 with a “Entertainment on Pa- rade” theme, the event attracted over 250,000 people from Texas and Mexico, and spanned 1.5 miles of McAllen streets. According to the University of Texas , the event has had an average economic impact of $13.7 million over the past 3 years of im- mediate and identifiable benefits to the region. Addition- ally, the event fostered an awareness of McAllen as a premier travel destination and boosted civic pride.

Guided by a mission of enhancing the quality of life of residents and visitors through a large-scale parade of lighted floats and Macy’s style balloons, the parade offered 50 illuminated floats, 34 giant helium filled balloons, 17 marching bands and fea- tured appearances by major athletes, television stars, and the world renowned Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Created in 2014, the parade was a collective effort between City of McAllen de- partments, sponsors, and community volunteers to bring this uniquely memorable, holiday-themed celebration to Texas.

Due to the amount of floats, over 800 community volunteers contrib- uted to the 2016 Holiday Parade. Despite the magnitude of the event, this involvement resulted in a uniquely hometown feel to individual floats as students and residents developed their own ideas and par- ticipated in building the floats themselves. The event attracted local residents from across the Rio Grande Val- ley, Texas, and Mexico. Event elements appealed to the entire family from children and teens to parents and grandparents, starting a new regional holiday tradition for generations to come. In addition to the audience of over 250,000 from Texas and Mexico, an addition- al 1,000,000 people viewed the McAllen Holiday Parade from the comfort of their homes on television. The event was aired on 3Ameri- can markets and 4 Mexican markets, including local and regional net- work affiliates, with an estimated reach of 4.4 million viewers 1b. Name of Sponsor

1c. Introduction and effectiveness of Sponsor follow up report

The complete sponsorship fulfillment report was delivered to H.E.B. one month after the con- clusion of the event at the H.E.B. corporate headquarters in San Antonio, TX. In addition to this, the immediate information available was sent to H.E.B. was audience insights, brand re- call, fulfillment pictures and measurable impressions. The fulfillment report presented and delivered to H.E.B. had the following information: I. Event quantitative accomplishments II. Event qualitative accomplishments III. Sponsorship objectives IV. Sponsorship accomplishments V. Sponsorship fulfillment videos VI. On site activation photographs VII. Attendee demographics VIII. Economic Impact report IX. Media fulfillment report X. Samples of print, radio and TV spots XI. Impressions on social media XII. Value of media impressions XIII. Brand recall The fulfillment report described all of the sponsorship opportunities and add- ed value that were available to the sponsor but most importantly touched on every single brand objective and how the sponsorship measured the return on objective. The sponsorship was tailored to meet these six very important brand objectives: Major Retail Category Exclusivity, Parade Presence, Brand recognition/Brand recall, Brand Loyalty, Fan Engagement, and Partner Hospi- tality. Live testimonials, event videos designed to recreate sponsor objec- tives, and complete summaries of event marketing efforts made this fulfill- ment report stand out from the rest. The event marketing team hired a pro- duction crew designed to capture sponsor engagement with attendees to show how the brand came to life and memorialize the fan engagement with the brand. The success of the event was a direct reflection on how a brand and event can work together to provide an immeasurable experience for a fan or attendee. The event provided a great op- portunity for H-E-B, however the activation level provided by H-E-B made their sponsorship stand out over any other sponsor.

2. Supporting Materials 2016 McAllen Holiday Parade Presented to Post-Event Sponsorship Fulfillment Report City of McAllen Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities The McAllen Holiday Parade 2016

13 255 17 34 50 thousand thousand

Marching Giant Illuminated Stadium Parade Bands Balloons Floats Attendees Attendees

Parade Demographics

The McAllen Holiday Parade is 17a family event. thousand 23% of the attendees went with 8 or more persons.

The average group size was 5 persons.

Source: Data and Information Systems Center, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Parade Demographics

More than 20% of the Parade 17 thousand attendees have an annual average income of USD $75,000 to $100,000.

And almost 30% have an income of $35,000 to $75,000.

Source: Data and Information Systems Center, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Consumer Passion Points

Traditional mediums are still good 17 thousand media to advertise the Parade. 52 % of Parade attendees said Facebook was the best TV Print Radio Friends type of advertising to Influencers reach them. 38% 15 % 16% 23%

Source: Data and Information Systems Center, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Consumer Passion Points

What they liked most!

17 thousand % %

% %

% %

Illuminated Marching Helium Celebrities Police Food Floats Bands Balloons Security Vendors

Source: Data and Information Systems Center, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Parade Sponsor Recall

Bert Ogden Dealership Simon La Plaza Mall HEBHEB Kraft Peña Eye Institute Dairy Queen 17 Lacks Furniture thousand IDEA% Public Schools % L&F Distributors IBC Bank McAllen Airport % McAllen Chamber of Commerce McAllen International Bridge Systems % Palenque Grill % Pepsi Sprint Navy ArmyIlluminated Comm. Credit Marching Union Helium Celebrities Police Food Floats Bands Balloons Security Vendors Stripes BBVA Compass Linbarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Source: Data and Information Systems Center, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. TV Coverage

• United States markets included Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, and Corpus Christi while Mexico markets included Monterrey, Nuevo Leon; Saltillo, Coahuila.

• Local and regional network affiliates included ABC, CBS, FOX, Univision, Unimas, Televisa, Telemundo. H-E-B Logo Placement

• H-E-B banners and feather flags were placed at various locations inside the stadium, at Christmas in The Park, and on Bicentennial Blvd.

• H-E-B also received parade banners that were carried in front of the H-E-B Buddy Balloon and H-E-B Float.

• H-E-B also received logo placement on the Hi-Def screen inside the stadium.

International Bridges

• Flyers were distributed at the Hidalgo and Anzalduas International Bridges beginning October 27th - December 3rd featuring Santa's Grand Arrival at La Plaza Mall and at the Parade. • The McAllen Holiday Parade logo was displayed at the Hidalgo Bridge from October 25th - December 3rd with a total traffic count of:

• 326,922 vehicles • 2,990 buses • 246,659 pedestrians International Bridges’ Promotion

Billboards

• The H-E-B logo was included in billboard advertising throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The digital and static billboard impressions were more than 7,908,424. Bus Wraps

The H-E-B logo was included in the artwork for McAllen Holiday Parade wraps on the McAllen Metro buses. The buses were in transit over 7 intracity bus routes and a paratransit bus service. 14,694,120 impressions

Parade Programs

• 120,000 total parade programs were printed.

• 29,000 parade programs were distributed in elementary schools throughout McAllen. • 9,000 were distributed at various city buildings and at the parade. • The 82,000 remaining programs were distributed Friday, November 25th in , The Mid-Valley Town Crier, The , El Extra and . Parade Program Page Samples Christmas in the Park 2016

Spadea Folds • Spadea folds (printed broadsheet folded around the newspaper) were utilized for front page advertising in The Monitor (daily circulation of approximately 39,000 and 43,000 on Sundays). H-E-B Displays

• Posters, flyers and digital posters were posted at 42 H-E-B's from Laredo to South Padre Island.

City of McAllen Displays

• Posters and flyers were displayed throughout various City of McAllen facilities including City Hall’s reception desk, the McAllen Main Library, Lark Community Center, Palmview Community Center, and the McAllen Development Center. Press Conferences

The City of McAllen hosted 7 press conferences in total for the parade: • Theme unveiling – Texas A&M Aggie Band announcement Sep 15 • IFEA awards Oct 3 • Parade tickets available, route, volunteers needed Oct 20 • Grand Marshal/H-E-B Kraft Announcement Nov 1 • Dale Gas with the Cowboys Nov 15 • Parking Garage grand opening Nov 21 • Holiday Parade float winner, mall expansion preview Nov 29 Sponsorship Objectives

The sponsorship was tailored to meet the following brand objectives as discussed with H-E-B: 1. Category Exclusivity (Grocery) 2. Parade Presence 3. Brand recognition/Brand recall 4. Brand Loyalty 5. Fan Engagement 6. Hospitality

Radio & Television Advertising

To promote the McAllen Holiday Parade presented by La Plaza Mall, the City of McAllen, aired the following to promote the event: • 2,000 radio spots over 9 radio stations in the RGV and Reynosa. • Approximately 500 TV spots across 6 television stations in the RGV and Reynosa. • Approximately 150 spots in Monterrey, NL, MEX to promote Televisa’s parade broadcast on Thursday, December 8, 2016. Social Media Results

related social media posts had a total of

over 530,807 in impressions & reach.

Social Media Results

- Facebook (includes City of McAllen Facebook, McAllen Holiday Parade Facebook, Parks & Recreation Facebook, Metro McAllen Facebook and Downtown McAllen Facebook) - Impressions: 530,807 - Reach: 380,400 - Twitter: 5,748 Impressions (City of McAllen) - KGBT-TV CBS4: 342,618 Mobile/Desktop Banner Impressions - MasMusic: 20,235 Reach Social Media Posts The McAllen Holiday Parade presented by La Plaza Mall has, in just three years become one of the most highly anticipated events for the residents of deep South Texas and Northern Mexico. Without corporate partners such as H-E-B, the vast majority of the people in this region would never be able to experience the awe and wonder of such a world class event. Because of you, we are creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you!