Flight school Dolphin Aviation, and Michele Raines, pilot and founder of Miss Aerial, an on-line community empowering women in aviation, recently sponsored Girls Take Flight, a week-long event of aviation learning for Girls, Inc. of Sarasota County, Florida at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

The girls learned about aviation careers, demoed a flight simulator, toured the flight school, went on a plane ride, and received free aviation accessories such as logbooks, stickers and pins. A variety of aviation companies partnered to contribute the necessary resources for this successful community outreach.

While the girls learned plenty, the participating aviation companies learned important marketing lessons as well. The simple-give back program to the community was picked up by several local TV stations and newspapers called for interviews and photographs. The coverage was so great that the program is being expanded to include regional high schools in the area for next year. And Dolphin Aviation has seen a tremendous amount of interest and inquires from the event.   This is a great example of how giving back to the community earns you much more in the long run.

This kind of public relations event can have an immediate and measurable impact on your business.

Think outside the marketing box, and see what you can give your community. The right event, planned properly can provide invaluable exposure for free. And change the lives of a group of girls.