It started out as a family event, created to help build a sense of community for a fledgling master-planned neighborhood in Gilbert, Arizona. It’s now turned into one of the preeminent Halloween events in Phoenix’s southeast valley – an event so large and so popular that one year, the candy supplied had to be replenished before the event had officially kicked off.
As the public relations and social media agency behind Treat Street, our preparation for Halloween starts months before the actual event. We start pitching the fall classic while the mercury is breaking the 100-degree mark in August. After all, creating a must-attend holiday event means working for months to reach the right influencers and stakeholders.
While everyone is escaping the Arizona heat in their swimming pools, we’re turning to the Valley’s most influential bloggers and magazine editors to secure coverage of Treat Street in the fall.
But we don’t stop with bloggers. Staying focused on our goal to build awareness for Adora Trails, the master-planned community where Treat Street is held each year, we turn to social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Foursquare to help spread the word and to offer us the opportunity to drill deeper with geo-located pins for the community, home designs and Halloween fun from previous years.
Once the event draws closer, we turn our attention to broadcast and print journalists, helping Treat Street receive a final attendance boost through features focusing on the event and Halloween trends.
The hard work paid off. Each year, the event drew more Valley parents and excited children in costumes than the previous year. And while the candy didn’t run out any longer (Adora Trails started stocking up early), the fun and the memories of the east Valley’s favorite community lasts much longer.