Reaching New Heights . . .
Enabling Marketing Action
Chapter IV
Integrating Marketing in the Leisure Industry
Effective Marketing
• Directed toward an agency objective
• Reflective of the agency’s mission and values
• Well planned and thought out (based on sound
decision making)
• Marketing actions are implemented properly
Rationale for Not Having a Formal
Marketing Plan
• Lack of knowledge on how to develop a plan
• Limited time
• No perceived need because “we do it in our head”
• “Everything changes so quickly”
Marketing Plan
• Is a formal, written document that outlines the
agency’s current and future direction
• It summarizes the agency’s current status, the
industry’s current environment, the agency’s
marketing objectives, and the marketing actions that
will be completed to achieve these objectives
• Guides the agency into a predetermined future
highlighting the decisions used to articulate the future
direction
What Agencies Think about
Marketing?
• “Why bother?”
• “We don’t have time to plan!”
• “We serve (market to) everyone.”
• “We have no competition.”
• “Marketing costs money.”
The Value of Marketing Plans
• Act as a road map.
• Assists in management control and implementation.
• Informs new members of their role and the agency’s
focus.
• Helps obtain resources for implementation.
• Stimulates “out of the box” thinking and the better use
of resources.
• Provides a reference to solicit when questions arise,
staff changes or resources are needed
Creating the Marketing Plan
• Identifying the team
• Choosing the team leader
• Establishing regular meetings
• The leader gathers information and presents the
findings to the team to begin discussions
• Team input and insights into marketing plan sections
• The entire team analyses the marketing plan draft
making suggestions and agrees on the plan
components
Various Types of Marketing Plans
• Annual agency
• New agency
• New “offering”
• Marketing and communication guidelines
Leisure Agency Marketing Plan
Outline
I. Table of Contents
II. Overall Plan Summary
III. Agency Assessment
IV. Global, Industry and Competitive Assessments
V. Market Assessments
VI. Brand Mapping
VII. Target Marketing Objectives
VIII.Marketing Mix Matrix
IX. Promotional Mix Matrix
X. Communication Mix Matrix
XI. Leisure Experience Assessment
XII. Communication Evaluation
XIII.Market Research Plan
XIV.Marketing Plan Impact and Financing Considerations
XV.Future Thoughts
II. Overall Plan Summary
• Overall agency objectives (e.g. increase revenue by
$100,000 this next year)
• Key research findings (e.g. 8% increase in county
population is projected)
• Agency strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threat assessment
• Specific target market objectives for the annual plan
• Action summary sheets highlighting tactical plans for
achieving agency objectives
• Cost/revenue projections
III. Agency Assessment
• History of the agency
• Agency philosophy (values, mission, beliefs)
• Operational structure (e.g. organizational chart) and
agency stakeholders
• Offerings. A description of all of the facilities,
programs, products and services available
• Financial status of the agency
• Agency image: quality issues, marketing materials
used and an evaluation of past marketing efforts
• Overall strategic objectives/goals of the agency
IV. Global, Industry and
Competitive Assessments
• Financial history and forecast
• Competitive environment
• Global concerns and issues (e.g. political,
technological and legal)
• Industry wide trends
V. Market Assessment
• Who the agency currently serves?
• Where potential markets are?
• Who the stakeholders are in their agency?
• Current customers’ participation patterns,
needs/wants/interests, behavior and satisfaction.
VI. Brand Mapping
• Takes data gathered from the agency, competitive
and market assessment and analyzes if the markets
of interest are effective choices.
• Identify the issues the agency will face to truly target
a market.
• The agency completes the final assessment, a
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
(SWOT) assessment.
VII. Target Marketing Objectives
• Identifying specific outcomes for each targeted
market.
• Focused direction for all operational marketing
decisions.
VIII. Marketing Mix Matrix
• Decisions relate to product, place and price issues.
IX. Promotional Mix Matrix
• Tools used to support the message being sent to
“publics”.
X. Communicational Mix Matrix
• Choosing the direct communication channels to
reach the targeted market.
XI. Leisure Experience Assessment
• Identifying specific ways in which the leisure
experience can be enhanced for the targeted
markets.
XII. Communication Evaluation
• The marketing plan will suggest ways in which an
agency can identify if the organizational and specific
marketing objectives were achieved, as well as if the
operational decisions were effective ways to reach
the targeted markets.
XIII. Marketing Plan Impact and
Financing Considerations
• Identifying the cost of the marketing plan and ways in
which leisure agencies can maximize limited
marketing funds.
XIV. Future Thoughts
• Comments, suggestions and/or concerns that were
not clearly outlined in any of the sections above.
Effective and Ineffective Leisure
Agency Marketing Objectives
Ineffective Marketing Effective Marketing Objectives
Type of Leisure Agency
Goals/Objectives*
Campus Recreation Center Continue to expand new categories for Increase the number of family
membership memberships from 0 to 50 by the end
of 2004
Golf Course Increase the number of groups Garner two new corporate outings per
quarter in 2004
Professional Sport Team Reduce the “no-show” factor for Decrease the average “no-show”
tickets/seat sold factor from 35% to 20% by the end of
the season 2004.
Athletic Facility Increase member satisfaction this next Increase member satisfaction scores,
year for local, single members aged 18-39,
from 80% to 90% by December 31,
2004
Parks and Recreation Maintain mutually beneficial Maintain area senior citizen
Department relationships and participation with key participation in center at 5,000 seniors
publics served annually in 2004
Special Event Company Expand customer base by 10% Increase local market social events
from 5 in 2003 to 15 in 2004
* actual examples from leisure agency plans
Effective and Ineffective Marketing
Communication Items
Ineffective Effective
Type of Leisure Agency Communication Communication
Action Items* Action Items
Campus Recreation Center Advertise Campus Recreation Coordinator will purchase
four weeks (1/quarter) of 30-second radio spots
on WCFX in 2004
Golf Course Solicit companies Golf Professional will contact 30 largest
employers in local market by April, 2004
Professional Sport Team Give ticket holders a reason to Develop a list of promotional incentives (e.g. free
come food; fill your seats for 10 games in a row and
win free team sweatshirt; etc.) securing
sponsorship for each to be used at for each
home game Monday - Thursday throughout the
2004 season
Athletic Facility Tell single members about “Single Social coordinator will develop a brochure to be
Services” program mailed to all existing single members highlighting
the “Single Services” program by May, 2004
Parks and Recreation Conduct research Communication Specialist will conduct quarterly
Department focus groups with senior participants regarding
satisfaction with programs and services
throughout 2004
Special Event Company Recruit event planners for Owner will host a wedding planning event in
familiarization tours and visits partnership with area wedding planners by
March, 2004
Effective Content in Marketing Plans
• Operational actions are target market specific
• Research based
• Objectives are specific, measurable, and moderately
risky and include a timeframe
• Clarified historic and current agency issues
• Examples of operational communication pieces
• Multiple ideas on how to accomplish the objectives
• Tie directly to agency focus
• Easily understood; clear to all types of readers
• Detailed
• Provide understanding of current and potential
consumer markets
• List competitive agency information
• Operational ideas are clear, detailed and supported
• Support for why these ideas are valid
Effective Formatting In Marketing
Plans
• Page numbers
• Table of contents
• Summary page of action items, timeline, budget and
key findings
• Well organized with a logical flow of material
• Thorough and concise
• Sections divide core content areas
• Visual relief - use of bullets, tables, summaries,
headings, etc.
• Structured
• Captions with sample communication pieces
explaining them
• Consolidated competitive analysis for easy critiquing
• Use of photographs or other visual aids to
convey/support messages intended for readers
Funding Marketing Plans
• Go-to-Market Strategies, Inc. (2001) suggested a
general guideline for establishing a marketing budget
at 8-10% of revenue.
• The process of establishing the marketing budget
most commonly occurs in one of two ways:
1. The agency establishes the amount and the plan
is built around that amount
2. The marketing plan is developed and costs are
identified; the agency discusses the plan and
proposed budget and negotiates the ultimate
marketing allowance
Enhancing Marketing Budgets
• TRADE
Creating an exchange between two parties.
• BARTERING FIRMS
An exchange occurs between two parties, but in this
instance, an intermediary facilitates the exchange.
• PARTNERSHIPS
Co-op advertising, community relations, donations,
in-kind services and other joint ventures.
Keys To Successful Trade/Barter
Arrangements
• Trade partner must be a good match for what you are
looking for.
• Objectives of each party should be clearly outlined.
• Investigate the agency you are trading with. Know
your trade partner’s reputation, ethics, trust and
likelihood of fulfilling their end of the arrangement.
• Establish a fair market value for the trade exchange.
• Finally, start small and build confidence with trade
experiences.
Evaluating Marketing Plans and
Efforts
3 areas to be measured:
• Did marketing contribute to the agency’s overall
objectives?
• Were the marketing objectives achieved?
• Operationally, did each specific communication
channel used and marketing decision made provide a
return for the investment?
Value In Measuring Marketing Efforts
• Insures money, time and resources are spent in the
most effective ways.
• Helps determine the most effective operational
decisions.
• Provides an understanding of deficiencies and
identifies ways to improve.
• Identifies if efforts impacted the agency overall.
Methods Used to Evaluate Marketing
• Counting the number of coupons returned.
• Tracking 1-800 numbers with advertising methods used.
• Number of people in attendance at a promotional event.
• Counting the number of media exposures gained through
pitched stories, press release development and media
relationships.
• Comparing satisfaction scores over a specific timeframe.
• Asking people how they heard about the agency/event,
etc.?
• Tracking the number of complaints and comparing data
from the past.
• Identifying the number of new consumers.
• Maintaining employee and consumer retention/loyalty
figures.
Evaluate the Impact of Marketing
• Quantitative Methods:
Historical (pre activity) and current data comparisons
Pre/post survey of consumers and employees
Script all encounters with “how did you hear about us
or this?”
Track/record and analyze data gathered
Compare pre/post data from tracking usage via
computer/registration systems
• Qualitative Methods:
Observation of attitudes of consumers and
employees before and after activity
Written comments on satisfaction surveys,
testimonial letters from employees, consumers or
volunteers.