Integrated Marketing Campaign: Conservative Volunteer Australia - Case Study Example

Integrated Marketing Campaign: Conservative Volunteer Australia Name Course Name and Code Instructor’s Name Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Targeted Market Segments 3 Creative Strategies 4 Media Plan 9 Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction Alternative tourism has seen a considerable growth has indicated in from the statistics available from numerous organisations that operate in this field (Grimm and Needham, 2012). An example of alternative tourism is volunteer tourism. Wearing (2001) definition of volunteer tourism brings into consideration those tourists who come together based on an underlying aim to volunteer in an organised manner to undertake holidays that might involve restoration of ecosystem, alleviating a societal problem and/or researching into specific aspects of the environment on society (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Volunteer tourism is usually managed by organisations located at the places where the solution is aimed to be provided. An example of such organisation is the Conversation Volunteer Australia (CVA). CVA is an organisation that was established in Victoria in 1982. The mission and vision of this organisation based on their website is, “We believe in a healthy and sustainable environment, and for everyone to be involved in managing and protecting that environment” (Conservation Volunteers, 2013). Some activities offered by this CVA include wild futures, environmental recovery and action for climate change. Therefore, the aim of this IMC plan is to promote the organisation through utilisation of an effective and technology based approach towards achieving the organisational requirements. Targeted Market Segments Target market can be defined as a group of customers that an organisation has decided to market its products and services to with the aim of influencing their decision towards purchasing the service or product (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). A clearly defined targeted market is the important step and element for an effective marketing strategy (Coghlan, 2008). Some components within the marketing mix include promotion, product, price and place that contribute towards the success of a product or service within a marketplace (Grimm and Needham, 2012). The targeted segment markets for this marketing are those individuals who appreciate environmental sustainability and animal conservancy. Communication Objectives The communication objectives of the Conservation Volunteers are identified as follows: Development of brand awareness Influencing consumer interest and attitudes Development of services and products offering Marketing Australia as a Conservancy Environment Creative Strategies Development of Brand Awareness The aim of any organisation is to increase income and sales. This can be achieved through attracting new consumers towards the products and services of an organisation to purchase and also to do repeated purchases. In the case of CVA, the aim is to increase the number of tourists who can participate in conservancy requirements. CVA understands the targeted market and it is easier to develop strategies that can attract and maintain this group of tourists (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Some of the strategies to be employed by CVA to create awareness include marketing the company name, the company slogans and the company logo. In addition, CVA could aggressively advertise their aims and goals and how tourists and other stakeholders can participate into achieving the intended goal (Grimm and Needham, 2012). To fulfil the requirement of developing brand awareness, numerous media platforms and advertising strategies would be utilised (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). The company has already developed a website and the next important step is increasing the content on conservancy and sustainability (McGehee, 2005). It may include images and videos of tourists who have already participated and with their consents such images and videos can stamp accomplishments of CVA. In addition, CVA would participate with tourist attraction regions, hotels and offerings. CVA could develop creative brochures and deposited in these facilities and the facilities encouraged to distribute to consumers of the organisation (Grimm and Needham, 2012). The facilities participating in creating the awareness would be involved in participating through marketing their facilities. Moreover, CVA can participate and incorporate government organisations and other organisations that deal with tourists into ensuring the contribution of CVA to the society and environment is long lasting and beneficial (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). The tourists would also be informed on diversity of their contributions towards ensuring achievement of conservancy and sustainability. Some tourists might be attracted to animal conservation while others might be attracted to environmental sustainability (Grimm and Needham, 2012). Therefore, it is important for CVA to market these diverse portfolios into ensuring the tourists understand the capability of the organisation (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Influencing Consumer Interests and Attitudes Consumer attitude can be referred to as the enduring evaluation of an issue of consumption and brings into consideration numerous factors. Attitudes usually influence and guide consumer thoughts towards fulfilling certain obligation (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Consumer behaviour changes in the recent past can be attributed to numerous factors that might include consumer acculturation. Consumers usually utilise attitudes to judge new information and outcome of such information. In the same way, consumer interests determine what should be purchased and based on which factors (Grimm and Needham, 2012). CVA understands that tourists are attracted to participate in conservancy because of attitudes and interests. It is important to create a positive organisation since it can easily change the attitudes and interests of the tourists (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). To influence consumers is easy provide what the consumers likes and appreciates are understood. It is important to understand different requirements of tourists to allow for formulation of appropriate influencing strategy (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Most environmental concerned tourists aim either to support environmental sustainability or animal conservation. Therefore, the themes and posters developed for marketing should contain this information (Grimm and Needham, 2012). The brochures developed would contain information that can easily change the attitude of the tourists towards appreciating and contributing towards sustaining the operations of CVA (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Different types of brochures and posters could be developed that are addressing specific organisation aims and also what entails the aim. For example, CVA could develop a brochure that highlights animals that should be conserved and the threats in which these animals are in. When tourists get such important, they become motivated and understand how important their contribution would have into conserving these animals (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). In the same perspective, other posters might be created that highlights the relationship between sustaining the environment and global warming (Grimm and Needham, 2012). Providing such information and other information through the Internet and other technologies improves information available and can be utilise in changing the attitudes and interests of the tourists towards participating in conservation projects (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Development of Product and Service Offering Product and services that have been development and consumers have enough information about the product are better placed in purchasing and contributing to repeat purchase (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). The same way, tourists that have enough information about an organisation that aims at sustaining and conserving the environment and ecosystem are better to volunteer in these organisations (Grimm and Needham, 2012). Therefore, CVA understands this requirement and should utilise specific strategies to promote the services and products that it offers. CVA would develop a group of products and services in which the volunteer tourists can participate in. For example, CVA offers services and products that specifically deal with conservation of animals (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). CVA can achieve promotion of service by indicating numerous animals that requires conservation and the contribution of tourists towards ensuring the animals are conserved (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). This can be achieved through promoting these products based on the problem such as injuries that the animals face (Grimm and Needham, 2012). For example, there are some animals that are orphaned when they are still young, CVA can associate these problems with human life and making the volunteer tourists to feel sympathy to the animals. Therefore, grouping sustainability and conservancy requirements provides a better platform in which the products and services can be understood to the tourists and contribute towards ensuring the expected outcome is achieved. Moreover, CVA should associate specific criterion with specific region and activity. For example, wine and festivities are common in Melbourne and Victoria regions and CVA can utilise waste management perspective to illustrate the benefits of attending the festival and at the same time allow the tourists to conserve the environment through disposing or collecting garbage after the festivities (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Therefore, while marketing Melbourne Wine and Festival event, CVA can associate the event with conservation of Melbourne region. Therefore, one of the products would relate the Melbourne event with environment sustainability (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Marketing Australia as a Conservancy Environment A destination is important for tourists and objective of an integrated marketing plan ensuring the tourists are engaged to visit a location is a starting point for encouraging volunteer tourism. Australia is diverse based on culture diversity, animal diversity and environmental diversity (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). This is platform in which the marketing strategy could be based on and determines the appropriate strategy. Tourist attraction marketing is not preserve to specific organisations but also the government is involved (Grimm and Needham, 2012). Therefore, the appropriate strategy is to bring together different stakeholders including the government to determine the appropriate method in which the tourists would be attracted. The stakeholders includes other tourist based organisations such tour operators, tourists marketers and government legislation bodies (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). CVA would convenience other stakeholders to form a policy and plan that champion tourists visiting Australia and then the tourist can access enough information regarding regions that should be visited and during these visit they access the appropriate information (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Any strategy cannot succeed without involvement of numerous stakeholders and hence it is important to inform numerous bodies to market Australia as a tourist attraction region (Grimm and Needham, 2012). Media Plan In development of a marketing campaign, it is important to determine in advance what media channels can be utilised in ensuring information is achieved by most of the targeted markets (Guttentag, 2009). This means that those marketing campaigns that factors into consideration consumers’ media consumptions patterns and multi-tasking of campaigns are better placed and are able to engage the targeted consumers (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Since the target market are those consumers who are interested in conserving and sustaining the environment, it is important to balance print, online and digital means in ensuring most of the targeted market are engaged (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Internet/Social Media (Online) – Internet has played an important role in communication because it has created an environment that is free from geographical obstructions/limitations. Therefore, CVA should improve on their website and also utilise the benefits associated with social media (Grimm and Needham, 2012). CVA should create accounts on Facebook and Twitter and utilise them to communicate and exchange information with tourists (Ooi and Laing, 2010). Creating the groups associated with Facebook and developing a following through utilisation of Twitter would ensure that a team of volunteer tourists is created and might be utilised for future campaigns (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Utilising this strategy also ensures that the tourists can exchange views among themselves and they can utilise the platform to identify in which regions should be visited next (Bailey and Russell, 2010). These tourists can also utilise the benefit associated with social media, which is from many to many ensuring more tourists are engaged. Tourist Publications, Tourists Hotels, and Tourists Websites – brochures and posters are printed and posted at strategic hotels and regions (Grimm and Needham, 2012). For example, brochures highlighting the importance and contribution of volunteer tourists are strategically placed at the receptions of hotels (Conran, 2011). In addition, advertisements are posted on publications that deal with tourists since most tourists usually read publications before they visit the regions (Lyons and Hanley, 2012). Moreover, more posters would be printed and distribute during festivals and events, which are held annually within specific regions (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). Utilising such strategy could make the tourist to be aware of VCA and the opportunities that are available to sustain the environment (McGehee and Andereck, 2009). Websites that offer tourists destinations and services are utilised in ensuring more tourist can be made aware of tourist based volunteer activities (Blackman and Benson, 2010). This strategy is usually effective because tourists search information from the websites and sometimes book accommodation with the help of websites (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Television (CNN, BBC) - Television is another important channel that can be utilised to reach many tourists. CVA could market individual sectors and regions such as Melbourne festivals and illustrates avenues in which volunteer tourists can participate (Grimm and Needham, 2012). International channels such as BBC and CNN allows provides an opportunity in which international tourists can be engaged (Grimm and Needham, 2012). Moreover, local volunteer tourism can be achieved through engaging local population towards improving specific regions whereby they are situated (McIntosh and Zahra, 2007). An important factor that should be considered is that volunteering organisations are non-profit making organisations and therefore any project and proposal carried out is not aimed at specific region but ensuring the environment is conserved and sustained (Wearing and McGehee, 2013). Conclusion Volunteering tourism is a new phenomenon that has been introduced into alternative tourism industry. Volunteering tourism is when tourist visits a region because of tourist requirements and also participates in ensuring a specific goal that is important for the community or society is achieved. Few people understand the importance of volunteer tourism and it is important to market the idea of volunteer tourism and also organisations that offer such services. Some of the objectives highlighted for this integrated marketing campaign includes development of brand awareness, influencing consumers interests and attitudes, and development of product and services been offered. Some of the strategies that can be utilised in achieving these objectives include creation of brochures, engaging the consumers and informing the consumers on options, which are available to be participated. To engage the volunteer tourists, media plan is important and should be integrated into the marketing strategy. Some of the media channels that are applicable to these situations include Internet/social media, publications and television. These media channels would provide a platform in which different tourists can be engaged and informed on tourists’ participation. References Bailey, A., and Russell, K. 2010. Predictors of Interpersonal Growth in Volunteer Tourism: A Latent Curve Approach. Leisure Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Journal, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 352-368 Blackman, D., and Benson, A. 2010. The Role of the Psychological Contract in Managing Research Volunteer Tourism. Journal of Travel & Tourism Management, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 221 - 235 Coghlan, A. 2008. Exploring the role of expedition staff in volunteer tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 10, no, 2, pp. 183-191 Conran, M. 2011. They really love me! Intimacy in volunteer tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 1454 – 1473 Conservative Volunteering Australia. 2013. About us. Available at http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/about-us [Accessed on 27 April 2013] Grimm, K., and Needham, M. 2012. Internet promotional material and conservation volunteer tourist motivations: A case study of selecting organizations and projects. Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 1, pp. 17 – 27 Guttentag, D. 2009. The possible negative impacts of volunteer tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 537-551 Lyons, K., and Hanley, J. 2012. Gap year volunteer tourism: Myths of Global Citizenship? Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 361-378 McGehee, N. 2005. Social change, discourse and volunteer tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 760 – 779 McGehee, N., and Andereck, K. 2009. Volunteer tourism and the “voluntoured”: the case of Tijuana, Mexico. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 39-51 McIntosh, A., and Zahra, A. 2007. A Cultural Encounter through Volunteer Tourism: Towards the Ideals of Sustainable Tourism? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 463–482 Ooi, N., and Laing, J. 2010. Backpacker tourism: sustainable and purposeful? Investigating the overlap between backpacker tourism and volunteer tourism motivations. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 191–206 Wearing, S. (2001). Volunteer tourism: Experiences that make a difference [online book] Oxon: CABI Publishing. Wearing, S., and McGehee, N. 2013. Volunteer tourism: A review. Tourism Management, vol. 38, pp. 120-130 Read More