Integrated Communication Plan for Warwick Castle - Essay Example

Table of contents Executive Summary...........................................................................2 Introduction.......................................................................................2 Objectives of campaign.....................................................................3 Description of target audience...........................................................3-4 Description of campaign preposition.................................................4 Communication techniques...............................................................4-6 Media technique................................................................................6-7 Time schedule...................................................................................7 Campaign implementation.................................................................8 Conclusion.........................................................................................8 2014 Campaign plan for Warwick Castle Executive summary Warwick castle is a major destination choice for many families in the United Kingdom especially during the summer holidays. For the coming summer holiday in 2014, the owners of Warwick castle have allocated £1,000,000 for the campaign of the summer. The campaign is to run for three months between the month of June and August. Warwick offers great experiences dating back to the history of the country. The main purpose of the campaign is to persuade more people to visit the castle and increase the number of visitors prior to the previous year. Several communication tools are used to communicate to the target audience. The campaign plan uses Fill’s marketing communications planning framework (MCPF). The planning strategy is effective because it offers a clear view and understanding of the campaign making it easy for the target audience to get the message being delivered. Media relations, public relations and online communications are among the techniques used in making the campaign successful as will be evaluated. The campaign communication plan will outline the objectives of the campaign, the distribution of the budget, the media schedule of the campaign, communication techniques used and the implementation of the campaign according to the MCPF model of planning. Introduction Warwick castle was built in 1068 on the orders of William famously known as the conqueror. Warwick castle is today owned by the Merlin group of entertainments. The group is the leading entertainer in Europe and the second largest in the world. It is a visitor attraction operator and is rated to be the second largest visitor operator in the world. Merlin group runs around 94 tourist attractions with Warwick castle being one of the attraction sites. Objectives of the campaign The campaign aims at increasing the number of visitors by 20% prior to the previous year as set by the Merlin group. Ensure that they communication strategies are appropriate for all ages to ensure that they increase the number of visitors to the castle. To develop the brand name of the castle and making it to stick in the minds of the target customers. To maintain the customers who are loyal to visiting the castle and winning many more to the castle. Sustenance of the footfall of the common customers is also important in the campaign strategy. Ensuring that they include entertainment activities and adventures which aim at entertaining teenage boys. This is because they are a majority of visitors to the castle. Ensuring that the needs of the target audience are met by putting into consideration their areas of interests. Enticing more than 20 press visits which will power the publishing of reviews of new attractions in the castle. To secure more than 100 guests for the VIP seats in the night of the launch (Kotler, 2006). Description of the target audience The target audience of the campaign are mainly families with children. This is because from the many years that people have been visiting the castle, a larger percentage of the population have been families with children who enjoy the adventure that the castle offers. Merlin group also target students from schools to make visits to the castle. This is because they have educational services which require a practical approach to be understood. An example is about the Black Death which is made real by its acting in the castle. Schools are able to take historic lessons from the castle by for example, learning about the Black Death which took place in 1345. Merlin group also targets the local people who would like to take time out of the normal routine of work. Visitors from other countries in Europe are also a target for them to make visits to the castle. Generally, all age groups are targeted with teenagers and middle age adults being a majority of the targeted audience (Edwin, 2006). Description of the proposition of the campaign The campaign should aim at targeting a large population of the target customers by using effective communication techniques at a less costly time. The campaign should also target the right audience by critically evaluating the content of the message about the castle and how it is delivered to the target audience. Communication strategies The communication channels and techniques used in communicating to the target audience should be effective. Since the Merlin group targets customers from all areas and age segments, the 3Ps strategy should be used. They include the pull, push and promotional strategies. The pull strategy aims at persuading the target audience to visit the castle while the promotional strategy aims at developing the brand of the group (Fill, 2005). It aims at building a name for the Warwick castle through several techniques such as using public relations. The push strategy aims at selecting proper channels for communicating the intended message to the target audience (Egan, 2007). Additionally, the promotional strategy develops the brand and name of the castle. Promotional tools As a way of campaigning for more people to visit the Warwick castle, various tools of communication should be used. Internet: The internet should be used in reaching the target audience especially the youths who spend most of their time in the internet. Posts of the activities that will take place in the castle should be posted on facebook, twitter, blogs and YouTube. The internet should also be used in interacting with the target audience by having dialogue with them and informing them on the various activities and services that will be offered to them in the castle. The internet is cheaper and more effective because a major of people in Europe spend a lot of time on the internet. Advertising: Advertising is an effective tool for reaching the target audience. For the campaign to be more effective, advertisements concerning the castle should be put on TVs, radio, the internet, on billboards in various areas in the country, in magazines and newspapers. Advertisements are less costly because they reach a large crowd of audience at the same time especially TV and radio adverts (Belch et al, 2001). Direct marketing: This is also an effective way of doing a campaign as a marketing strategy. It allows the Merlin group to directly interact with the target audience and is therefore a more effective strategy of persuading the targeted customers. To achieve this, shows can be organized to showcase some of the activities that would take place in the castle during the summer holidays. This involves going to the places where the customers are. For example, road shows can be organized to inform the target audience about the live events that will be held in the castle, the royal parties that will host several celebrities from all over Europe and the adventures in the castle. Sales promotion: This is also a promotional tool for persuading the targeted audience to visit the castle. As a campaign strategy, Merlin group can offer discounts to the tickets bought by a family. One ticket bought by a single parent is a free ticket to one of their children or child. This will increase the sales of tickets to the castle thus increasing the number of visitors. Through this, the main objective of the campaign would be achieved (Young, 2007). Personal selling: this is a more appropriate strategy of reaching the target audience. A campaign of approaching individual customers would yield fruits by being persuasive than when using adverts. This is because one is in direct contact with the customers and you are able to inform them of the many things that are found in the castle (Fill, 2005). Media technique The media that is appropriate for the campaign is the TV, radio, billboards, internet, brochures, leaflets and face to face interaction. These are the appropriate channels for the communication of the intended message to the target audience. Through this, the number of visitors to the castle would be increased. Press releases can be made on newspapers and magazines about the events that will be held in the castle. Furthermore, the price of the tickets to the castle can be indicated with the prices varying with the ages between children and adults. The use of billboards in advertising aims at promoting the brand of the castle by making it well known by the target audience. It also aims at sending a specific message to the target audience and persuading them to visit the castle. The TV on the other hand is effective in reaching a large audience of families, children, tourists and teenagers all over Europe (Fill, 1999). Face to face interaction with the target audience is a technique which is more involving and the target audience get to have a feel some of the activities that will happen in the castle. This can be achieved by having actors go to several places in the country and showcase some of the plays that will be presented in the castle. Actors can also go to several schools in the country and market the Warwick castle by performing a few plays that are found in the castle and informing students about the adventures and fun in the castle. Celebrities can also used in the campaigns together with DJs in marketing the castle. Street campaigns can also be held all over Europe as a way of marketing the castle. These campaigns are lively and would give the targeted audience a curiosity and zeal to visit the castle. The internet should also be used in campaigning for people to visit Warwick castle. This can be achieved by having pops on various sites of the internet. Additionally, the group can create a website for the marketing of the coming summer in the castle. They can also post pictures of fascinating areas of the castle on the internet for the target audience to be able to have a view (Baines et al, 2008). Time schedule Advertisements should be on the TVs, radios and the internet throughout the campaign for the 3 months. For the first month of the campaign, adverts should be posted on billboards and posters as a way of informing the target audience about the upcoming summer offers that the castle has in store for them. The team should take 2 months to visit several schools in the country to ensure that teenagers visit the castle during summer (Fill, 2005). The campaigns should be at its climax in the last month. This is where the street campaigns and road shows take place. In the street campaigns, it is important to have music celebrities in Europe attend. This is because it will make many people especially teenagers to attend the campaign making it easy to persuade them to visit the castle for an adventurous experience (Smith, 2004). Campaign implementation plan For the campaign to be implemented, the costs that will be incurred during the campaign must be calculated. Since Merlin group has allocated £1,000,000 for the campaign, the money will be distributed to the several activities that are aimed to persuade more people to visit the castle. £ 500 can be used for the internet by posting and updating the target audience on the activities that will take place in the castle. £30,000 can be paid to the celebrities who will take part in the campaign. £100,000 to be used in sales promotion by giving a number of the target customers free tickets to the castle. For the adverts on TVs, radios, magazines, billboards, posters and newspapers, £400,000 would be used. This is because adverts are the most appropriate marketing tool for the group. For the actors who will take place in the campaign for the castle, £200,000 should be allocated. £100,000 should be allocated to the various promotional tools such as personal selling, direct marketing and public relations. £100,000 can be saved in case of additional activities during the campaign (Gregory, 2000). Conclusion If the campaign that is to take place in three months uses the communications strategies and the channels of media mentioned above, the objectives of Merlin group concerning the castle would be met. For the campaign to be effective, the strategies and channels of communications should be critically evaluated before they are implemented in the campaign. Works cited Baines Rodger, Fill Christ and Page Kotler. Marketing: case insight. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2008. Belch, George and Belch, Michael. Advertising And Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. New York, NY: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. 2001. Blythe, Edwin. Essentials Of Marketing Communications. New Jersey: Pearson Education Limited. 2006. Christ Fill. Marketing communications: contexts, contents and strategies. London: Prentice hall Europe. 1999. Egan, John. Marketing Communications. London: Thomson learning. 2007. Fill, Christ. Marketing communications engagement, strategies and practice. Edinburgh: Pearson Education Limited. 2005. Gregory, Anne. Planning and managing public relations campaigns. London: Kogan Page Limited. 2000. Kotler, Philip. Principles of marketing. New Jersey: Pearson education, inc. 2006. Smith, Taylor. Marketing communications: an integrated approach. London: Kogan page publishers. 2004. Young, Aitken. Profitable marketing communications: a guide to marketing. Cornwall: MPG books ltd. 2007. Read More