The Edenbridge Street Party

We’ve been living in our house for almost 3 years now. The boss (a.k.a Karen) and I are Mr. and Mrs. Joe average. Million Dollar Family. Jason’s 15 and Amanda' 12. We have 2 cats, Miss Kitty and Orie. Without question, we have a lot and we have a lot of good things going on too.

So a few weeks ago, when I mentioned to Karen and my kids that we’re going to organize a street party, I got (well how do you say it) a less than warm reception. Since then, they’ve come around and are now enthusiastically (well sort of) helping to put this thing together. And that is a good thing. It’s called Teamwork. Very important.

We have about 40 families on our street. Numerous pets. Many teenagers. We’re a diverse bunch of people that live harmoniously together. Edenbridge Drive is a quiet street and nothing exciting seems to happen. Oh yeah – turnover is low too and property prices have kept their value. But I digress.

I’m big on two things: Marketing and learning. And in planning this party, here’s what I’ve learned about marketing and learning:

1. Engage – I can’t stress this enough! What I mean is that work with your fellow residents, stakeholders and clients at their level, not yours. Be one of them. Show you understand their thoughts and where they’re at. As it related to the party, I designed simple invitations, printed them out and walked them door to door. I’ve also spent considerable time on the street many evenings, chatting and talking and … you guessed it --- engaging. It’s easy and very effective. Marketers, listen up!

2. People like leaders (as long as the leader is likeable) – Anyone can arrange a street party – you don’t need much skill or experience. In fact it is pretty easy. But I took the initiative (like I have the time??) and am putting this together – the wife and kids are onboard too. And if responses are anything to judge by, I have some 20 families already committed, they’re all very grateful. This is a good thing! We hope to get 20 more families to come.

3. Keep it simple – I’m finding that simple is always better than complex. Ever seen those complex PR plans that seem to say the same thing three times over? That list co-dependencies and contain scary-looking Gantt charts, each color coded? Well, I saw such a plan a few weeks ago. Not only was it not pretty, but it’s not practical, it’s also way too expensive to implement and would marshal too much of the company’s already scarce resources. As it relates to the party, we’re keeping it simple. Burgers and dogs with all the fixings. Sodas, beer and wine to drink. And that’s it. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate everyone offering to bring something, but with it comes complexity. If there’s salads, there have to be plates and cutlery – and pails for all the garbage – and serving spoons, and lots of napkins … you get the picture.

4. Keep your purpose in mind – The aim of the party is for all the families to meet one another in a congenial atmosphere. That’s pretty much end of story. And that’s what I’m doing with this one. No gourmet food. No give-a-ways. No fancy stuff. Burgers, dogs, beer, wine, soda, munchies. And that’s the purpose.

It’s Sunday 9 September at 3:30pm. If you live on Edenbridge, we’re looking forward to hanging! (Rain or Shine)