“Marketing Plans for Attractions”
Beyond the Basics
Lisa Becket - Speaker
Traci Blanks - Speaker
Julie Dion – Speaker
Ted Watson – Panel Moderator
“Marketing Plans for Attractions”
Beyond the Basics
Purpose: Provide a roadmap for a successful marketing
plan
Process: informative panel discussion/dialogue walking
through the key elements of plan development and
implementation
Payoff: Improved ROI, margin, profitability, and guest
satisfaction
Plan-to-Win
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to
war, while defeated warriors go to war first and
then seek to win”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“Plan-to-Win” = A Winning Plan
“Marketing Plans for Attractions”
Beyond the Basics
Critical Elements of the successful marketing plan
1. Business Objectives and Marketing Objectives clearly defined
2. Target Audience(s)
3. Using Customer Insights
4. Key Benefit/Key Promise
5. Key Marketing Strategies/Tactics (what all plans should include)
6. Planning and Execution game plan
Lisa Becket
Vice President, Destination Marketing Strategy
Disney Parks & Resorts
Business Objectives Defined
• Typically defined as an overall profit goal (operating income)
• Other related metrics – total revenue, operating margin
• Defined for a given time period (e.g. season, month, year)
• Marketing Budget defined
• Measures of performance (in total and for key programs): ROI, operating
margin, profit, stock trends and price
Example: “Deliver $1M in incremental profit over the next 12 months”
Business Background & Analysis
• Historical business performance
• Historical marketing plan performance – key learnings and implications
• Competition – performance, trends, new news, implications
Marketing Objectives Defined
• Define how you will get to the business goals
• Who?...Identify the most viable target audience(s)
–
–
–
–
Demographics
Psychographics
Household type
Geography
Marketing Objectives Defined
• How to Prioritize?...all target audiences not created equal
• Financial
• Seasonality
• Household Type
• How Many?...set goals by target audience
•Develop Measurement Plan
Marketing Objectives
• Examples
“Motivate 10K preschool families from 4 core West coast markets to make first visit
(attendance, RNs) during shoulder seasons (Sept, May)”
“Increase penetration of local teenagers by 20% during shoulder seasons”
“Build awareness of new product among local residents”
“Motivate 150K families from metro Chicago area to commit to an overnight / multiday visit this summer (vs. typical day trip)”
Marketing Strategies
•
Developing Marketing Strategies
– Define Consumer Insights for each Target Audience
– Determine most motivating triggers based on target insights and needs
• Product
• Offers
• Time of year
• Emotional vs. rational
– Define marketing strategy for each marketing objective
•
Marketing Plan
– Develop “Go to Market” approach….based on marketing objective & strategy
Consumer Insights
Defining perceptions, motivations, barriers of target audience
…will be a combination of internal and external factors influencing consumer
perceptions and intentions
…and most importantly, the reason why (or why not) your product will appeal to them
Consumer Insights
• External / Internal Background – context for all marketing plans
– External Factors…what’s going on in world around us
• Business, economic, social, political impacts…implications for consumers
– Industry articles & trade studies
– Socio-economic measures (jobs reports, consumer confidence, credit)
– Transportation trends & infrastructure
– Social listening posts
Key question: How (if at all) does it impact the perception of your brand and/or
likelihood to purchase your product?
Consumer Insights
Basis of Marketing Plan Development
– Internal Factors…what’s going with consumers related to our business and brand
• Determine target audience “needs” related to your business category (e.g. travel)
• Examine perceptions and reactions to brand and/or marketing activities…what do they think about
us?
• Determine which needs territory your brand or product can best deliver on
– Is it aligned with your brand?
– Intuitive for consumers?
– Is it something you can uniquely “own” in consumers’ minds?
• Define how the target “need” can be “solved” by your product…becomes the key insight that your
campaign will be designed around…and informs the key benefit
Marketing Strategies…paired with Marketing Objective
Objective: “Motivate 10K preschool families from 4 core West coast markets to make
first visit (attendance, RNs) during shoulder seasons (Sept, May)”
–Strategy: Change perception of a theme park vacation and convince them NOW is
the right time
Objective: “Increase penetration of local teenagers by 20% during shoulder seasons”
–Strategy: Drive awareness and urgency for late night, hard ticket Halloween event
offered during weekends in October
Objective: “Drive incremental visitation from local residents, maximizing opportunity
in off-peak periods”
–Strategy: Build awareness of new product launch with residents in all core
markets (why), and leverage seasonal ticket (how) to drive urgency
Objective: “Motivate 150K families from metro Chicago area to commit to an
overnight / multi-day visit this summer (vs. typical day trip)”
–Strategy: Leverage product breadth and scope to convince consumers of value of a
multi-day visit
• Marketing Objectives are the “how” of your plan
• Target Audience(s) are the “who” of your plan
• Leverage Consumer Insights to identify “consumer needs” that align
with your product
• Define what you can own and what differentiates you
• Use as foundation for Marketing Strategy…defines key benefit for
marketing platform
Traci Blanks
Corporate Marketing Director
Premier Attractions Management
Marketing Objectives
Stated in Terms of Attendance, Revenue & Per Cap Goals
(where the business needs to be)
• Attendance, revenue, and per cap projections by ticket
type and compared to prior years. Give rationale for
attendance and revenue increases or decreases.
Example: Due to addition of new ride, we expect to increase
attendance 5% over prior year. Revenues will increase 7% due to
increase in attendance and ticket pricing.
See example template: Ticket Revenue Summary
Ticket Revenue Summary - 2014 PLAN
ATTENDANCE
2014
PLAN
MAIN GATE:
Adult
Child
Senior/Handicap
Nightime
General Ad/Walk thru
TOTAL
GROUP SALES:
Catered
Non-Catered
Special Events
Cash Groups
Consignment
Fun Card/VIP
Coupons
Tour & Travel
TOTAL
PROMOTIONS:
Food Store
Soft Drink
Fast Food
SP Promo
Online
Other
TOTAL
2013
FCST
-
#DIV/0!
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-
#DIV/0!
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#DIV/0!
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#DIV/0!
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#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
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2012
ACTUAL
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
2014 PLAN B/(W)
2013
2012
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.0%
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.0%
SEASON PASS:
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
MULTIVISIT:
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
FREE PROMOTIONS:
Read to Succeed
Season Pass free
Season Pass Othr Pks
Other
TOTAL
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
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#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
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-
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#DIV/0!
0.0%
0.0%
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.0%
#DIV/0!
-
0.0%
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
SPECIAL:
Camping/Accom.
Stadium/Concerts
TOTAL
COMPLIMENTARY:
TOTAL
#DIV/0!
-
#DIV/0!
-
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2014
PLAN
REVENUE (000's)
2012
ACTUAL
2013
FCST
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2014 PLAN B/(W)
2013
2012
2014
PLAN
2013
FCST
PER CAP
2012
ACTUAL
2014 PLAN B/(W)
2013
2012
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
-
-
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
-
-
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#DIV/0!
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#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.0%
#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
0.0%
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
#DIV/0! #DIV/0!
#DIV/0! #DIV/0!
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
-
-
-
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
-
0.0%
0.0%
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.0%
0.0%
-
0.0%
0.0%
-
#DIV/0!
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#DIV/0!
#DIV/0!
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Pricing:
• What is your pricing strategy by ticket category
and how will that impact ability to hit revenue
goals?
• Also consider pricing strategies by season (spring,
summer, fall) and by market (core vs. outer)
See example template: Marketing Plan Summary
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
How do we get there?
Advertising:
• How will your advertising help you to achieve your
attendance objectives?
Messaging:
• What is your creative direction? What should your
creative do? What is the positioning line?
• To determine this, think about product attributes or
strengths, meeting a need not being satisfied by
competitors or changing a perception about your park or
facility that consumers may have.
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Example: Splashtown in Houston is a very large waterpark but was perceived
by consumers to be small due to history and appearance from the highway.
Creative direction was to visually support our positioning as “Houston’s
Largest Waterpark” by filming the park from a helicopter and utilizing a tag
line that would reinforce this message “The Fun Doesn’t Get Any Bigger Than This!”
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Media:
• How will your media plan help you to achieve your attendance objectives?
• Consider paid media (radio, TV, outdoor, print),
shared media (Facebook, Twitter, or most social media), owned media (website),
and earned media (PR).
• Identify media targets and best mediums to reach those targets plus necessary
weight levels (reach and frequency) to motivate them to act. Also study length of
spot needed to convey message, share of voice of your competitors, and optimal
timing of your messages.
• Determine media budget based on marketing objectives using your industry’s
standard percent of revenue or percent of operating expenses as a guide.
Example: Need to motive moms (target women: 25-49) to purchase season passes
mid-May through June. Best mediums to reach moms, TV and radio, at weight levels of
100 GRPs per week of radio and TV for a six week period. Messaging requires use of
:30’s in TV and :60’s in radio.
See example template: Media Flow Chart
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Public Relations:
• What are you going to do to generate exposure, enhance
image, address issues, and increase visitation to your
attraction?
• Bullet point your goals and objectives and identify key
initiatives to reach these.
See example template: Public Relations
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Season Pass:
• What is your season pass plan to achieve season pass sales,
attendance, and revenue goals?
• Consider new ways to increase season pass sales revenues such as
offering a premium or gold pass or introducing a food season pass.
• Make sure you have a plan to target renewals as well as new
purchasers. Use pricing or perks such as “free parking” as an
incentive to purchase by a deadline.
• Introduce payment plan to make your season pass more affordable
to more people, thus expanding market potential.
See example template: Season Pass
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Promotions: Price and Event
• What is the promotional/discount admission plan to achieve
attendance/revenue goals?
• Define promotional partners and offers as well as online discounts.
• Define event promotions that can increase attendance against a
certain target segment or time period.
For example: Dive-In Movies could help motivate incremental teen or
family business based on movie selection as well as drive people to visit in
evenings or extend daytime visit into evening.
See example template: Promotions Plan
Promotions Plan
Distribution Period
Partner/Description
(new or renewal)
Markets
Offers
(curret/prior year)
Attendance
(current/prior year)
Status
(confirmed/tentative)
May 1-31, 2014
Homeland/Food Store (new)
Dallas/Ft. Worth metro
$10 off/$8 off
2,000/1,500
confirmed
Total
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Group Sales:
• What is the plan by GS ticket type to achieve attendance/revenue
goals?
• What are the strategies and tactics for each of your GS ticket
categories such as Outings, Consignment, Cash Group, Tour &
Travel, Special Event, Coupon, etc.
For example: Want to increase outing business in shoulder seasons?
Put together reduced price package justified by offering a more limited
product offering in less desired time to visit.
See example template: Group Sales Program Recap
(Attendance, revenue, and per caps by GS ticket type
and programs within those ticket types)
Marketing
Strategies & Tactics
Sponsorship:
• Plan to increase “other revenue” opportunities through
sponsorship sales plan.
• How do you get sponsorship revenue? A good place to start is
with your vendors: soft drink, food suppliers, etc. Hotels near
your property are another opportunity.
See example template: Other Revenue
OTHER REVENUE ANALYSIS
FULL YEAR
2013 Plan
Curreny in US$ (000's)
Revenue
Sponsorship Revenue
Co-Op Revenue
Ticket Slippage
Ticket Discounts
Misc Revenue
ATM Surcharge
All Other
Total Other Revenue
$
270
7
$
2012 FCST
Per Cap
60
336
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Plan B/(W) Than
0.15
0.67
0.02
0.83
COMMENTS:
Sponsorships:
Coca Cola
Comfort Inn North
Sleep Inn North
Days Inn North
Knights Inn
Howard Johnson Airport
Ramada Airport
Monster Energy
Revenue
$
Per Cap
50
270
7
$
2011 ACTUAL
326
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
0.12
0.65
0.02
0.78
Revenue
$
Per Cap
33
232
1
6
$
2012 FCST
272
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
0.10
0.68
0.02
0.79
Revenue
$
%B/(W)
10
0
-
$
2011 ACTUAL
10
20%
n/a
0%
n/a
n/a
-3%
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
3%
Revenue
$
27
38
-1
0
-
$
64
%B/(W)
80%
n/a
16%
n/a
-100%
2%
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
23%
•
•
•
•
•
Marketing Strategies = “how” you are going to get there
Know what your “message” will be
Creative executions must tier up to Marketing strategies
Determine “Pricing” game plan
Address Marketing mix
Julie Dion
Principle
DiON Marketing Company
Media Planning and
Execution Tips
•
•
•
•
Calendar Development
Media Buying
Creative and Production Execution
Follow up and Measurement
Calendar Development
NOW!
Calendar Development
Literally Chart it out
• School Calendars
• Holidays
• Annual Events
(community, National,
your own)
• Promotions
• Editorial Calendars
• Funky Holidays
Embrace the 3-day weekend!
Excel is your friend
Calendar Development
January 2 National Buffet Day
January 2 National Cream Puff Day
January 3 Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
January 4 National Spaghetti Day
January 5 National Whipped Cream Day
January 6 National Shortbread Day
January 7 National Tempura Day
January 8 National English Toffee Day
January 9 National Apricot Day
January 10 National Bittersweet Choc Day
January 12 National Marzipan Day
January 13 National Peach Melba Day
January 14 National Hot Pastrami Sand Day
January 15 Nat Strawberry Ice Cream Day
January 16 National Fig Newton Day
January 20 National Buttercrunch Day
January 20 National Cheese Lover's Day
January 21 National Granola Bar Day
January 22 National Blonde Brownie Day
January 23 National Pie Day
January 23 National Rhubarb Pie Day
January 24 National Peanut Butter Day
January 25 National Irish Coffee Day
January 26 National Peanut Brittle Day
January 26 National Pistachio Day
January 28 Blueberry Pancake Day
January 29 National Cornchip Day
January 30 National Croissant Day
January 31 National Popcorn Day
Funky Holidays are Fun!
Media Buying Tips
Establish Necessary Components:
• Purpose
Purpose comes from overall marketing strategy
• Timing
• Audience
• Content
Will help determine advertising mediums
Information Gathering
• Primary Demo(s)
• Rankers, Coverage Maps, Circulation,
Qualitative Data, Audience Profiles
• Flight Schedule(s) /Time Periods
Publication Dates/Deadlines
Levering Your Assets
Assign Value!
Assets
18 mini golf holes
Marquis
Arcade Wall Space
Wave pool
Waterslides
Rides – naming rights
Events
Brochures, coupons, all printed
materials
Advertising
Website, Email Blasts
Benches
Table tents
(Get tips on media packages from minor pro sports teams and citywide special events)
Media Buying Tips
Leverage Your Media Buys
•
•
•
•
•
•
Discounted media packages in exchange for signage
Become venue for summer soft drink promotion
Venue for Go-kart or mini golf challenges
Sampler location
Become the grand prize for another business promotion
Solidify $5000 shopping sprees, pools, motor scooters…
One of your Biggest Assets
Your Attraction Tickets!
Using Your Park Assets
Ticket Giveaway
4 tickets: $120
In return:
• Facebook posting on station
with 30,000+ likes
• On Air Exposure
• Website Exposure
• 941 Comments
• 206 Likes
Using Park Assets
Special Event
Using Park Assets
Radio Station Promotion
Venue
Using Your Park Assets
Media Sponsored
Days
Go to 93.3.com’s website and
print out a coupon for $.93
admission to our Corn Maze
on Sunday, Oct 3!
Using Your Park Assets
3rd Party
Tie-ins
Park/Product
Sponsorships
Using Your Park Assets
Advertising
Other Considerations
 Radio Audience vs. TV Audience
(Format vs. Programming)
 Signal Coverage
 Company Rep. Cooperation
 Station Promotions



Efforts to Increase Listenership &Viewership
Community Involvement
Free Promotions to Extend the Life of Schedule
Media Buying Tips
Now you are prepared to buy your media.
Media Rates are
Negotiable!
Media Buying Tips
In order to make your media buys
effective, your ads needs to:
•
•
•
•
Get your consumers attention
Create an impact and lasting impression
Set apart from the rest
Drive traffic and create revenue
Production Execution Guidelines
•
•
•
•
•
•
Media Production Calendar
Concepts
Content
Ad build
Internal approval process
3 -7 day “safety zone”
What Do We do Now?
What Do We do Now?
Measure!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SKU numbers
Promo Codes
Google Analytics
POS reports
Revenue reports
Color-coded coupons
YOY comparisons
Strategy
Measure
Plan
Assets
Message
Negotiation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plan ahead & prioritize
Focus on purpose & objectives
Negotiate deals & rate packages
Utilize your own inventory & park assets
Track achievements & successes
Enjoy what you do!
Top 10 Takeaways
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Your Marketing plan must be developed well in advance
Stick to your plan
Know the what, who, and how
Strategies need to tier up to objectives
Keep tactics in line with strategy
Find what is uniquely yours / what you can own
Know all you can about your customer(s)
Be ROI minded
Measure and learn
Plans are cyclical not linear
“Marketing Plans for Attractions”
Beyond the Basics
Presentation and templates download:
www.iaapa.org/handouts
Don’t forget to complete the online evaluation form
that you received via email!