National Services Te Paerangi

Fact Sheet 8: Template and Sample - Marketing Plan

The marketing plan

Taking time to write a marketing plan will ensure that all the elements are thought through strategically and all opportunities are considered. Being disciplined will ensure that your marketing resources are used as effectively as they can be. Heres a template that will help structure your plan and ensure all essential elements are considered and included if appropriate. The left-hand column describes the plans various elements, the right-hand column shows you a worked example.

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Marketing plan elements Title Product Description Explain exactly what it is that you are marketing. Is it the organisation as a whole? Is it a specific product or ser ice that you currently offer or plan to offer ! your museum shop" a new exhi#ition" a #ehind$the$scenes tour? Include a description of the product or ser ice" how much it costs" where it is" and when it%s a aila#le.

Worked example Marketing plan for StoryPlace @ Te Papa Product Description tory!lace is a slice of Te !apa life specially designed for children five years and under. Themed around "ew #ealands natural environment it provides a safe, well-e$uipped area for children and their caregivers to learn and en%oy time together. tory!lace is open &'( days a year, with five programmed sessions during the week and six on weekends and public holidays. )ll sessions are *( minutes long. The programme theme changes every three weeks. )dmission to tory!lace costs +, per person. -t is free for children ./ months and under.

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Marketing plan elements Situational analysis &riefly summarise the current situation. Is it a new exhi#ition or product? If it is an esta#lished #usiness" how is it currently performing? 'hat are the key strengths and weaknesses? 'hat are the key opportunities and threats? 'hat external factors may impact on its performance (e.g." economic or political factors)?

Worked example Situational analysis 0hen tory!lace opened in .11/ admission was free. Three years ago a charge of +, per person was introduced and as a result visitor numbers dropped substantially. ) small marketing campaign was developed to raise awareness and visitation. 2ust over .3 of Te !apas visitors currently go to tory!lace. The space and facilities within tory!lace are of high $uality and specially designed for children. !arking and access for buggies is good. )s part of Te !apa, tory!lace has a large family audience and a wonderful variety of other facilities and experiences on its doorstep. However it is hard to find within Te !apa. The staff are experienced early-childhood educators. They are caring and friendly. They offer programmes in both 4nglish and te reo 56ori. Competitive analysis 7ompetitors within 0ellington include other exhibitions and facilities within Te !apa, other gallery and museum programmes for children, 7apital 4, libraries, the #oo, swimming pools, parks, playgrounds, movies, community playgroups, and even fast food restaurants like 5c8onalds and 9:7. 5ost of these have no limit on how long parents and children can spend in the facilities. !arks, playgrounds, and libraries are generally free and are often handier to home. 5c8onalds and 9:7 are international brands with multi-million dollar marketing campaigns.

Competitive analysis 'ho are your key competitors (e.g." organisations targeting the same isitors" operating a similar #usiness" competing for the same leisure time and*or dollar)? 'hat do you know a#out them ! what are their key strengths and weaknesses? +ow do you compare with these competitors on price" ,uality" image" etc?

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Marketing plan elements Target market/s (the customer) 'ho is mostly likely to #e interested in isiting your exhi#ition or purchasing your product? 'hat are their demographic characteristics (age" gender" household income" education" ethnicity" etc)? 'hat are their psychographic characteristics ! what types of things do they do and what moti ates them? This is your core target who your programmes are directed towards. It is more specific and usually a su#$set of your total user #ase Core visitor experience -escri#e the core things that you would like people to experience when they isit your exhi#ition or experience your product. Brand positioning 'hat is your #rand name and tag line" if you ha e one? 'hat are the alues of your #rand? +ow do these alues position your #rand relati e to your competitors?

Worked example Target market/s (the customer) The target market is predominantly female and aged between ,( and &1 years. are; < parents with family=children between six months and five years, visiting in a family group> < caregivers and early childhood organisations in the 0ellington region, including casual childcare, kindergartens, childcare centres, kohanga reo, !acific -sland language nests, and play centres> < staff working in community-based organisations such as libraries and recreational centres> < children six months to five years. pecifically they

Core visitor experience 0hen children visit tory!lace they will feel stimulated and safe. 7aregivers will feel good seeing their children having fun while being educated. Both children and caregivers will en%oy participating in activities together. Brand positioning tory!lace our big outdoors for ( years and under te ao nui ? m@ ng6 tamariki tory!laces brand values include being; < < < < < timulating and safe for children five years and under and their caregivers. 4ducational with activities based on "ew #ealands uni$ue natural world. 0arm, bright, and comfortable. Bicultural. 7aring, experienced, and friendly.

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Marketing plan elements Marketing o !ectives .ou need to specify what you want to achie e through the implementation of the marketing plan. To #e of use" these o#/ecti es should #e measura#le" so include a time frame and particular outcomes" and make them realistic (see also 0Measuring your marketing effecti eness% on page xx). Marketing strategies &ased on all the information you ha e gathered" what is the main strategic approach that you will take to achie e the marketing o#/ecti es?

Worked example Marketing o !ectives < < < )chieve revenue of +,A,AAA excl B T this financial year. )chieve total visitation of .,,AAA visitors this financial year. )chieve an average customer satisfaction rating of / out .A

Marketing strategies The research indicates that there is currently a high level of customer satisfaction so no product development is considered necessary this financial year. Biven the defined target audience and small marketing budget, marketing activities will be highly targeted and will include direct marketing, targeted press and magaCine features, internal promotion, and participation in local events targeting the same audience. )ctivities will be implemented that give tory!lace long-term visibility among the target audience, increase awareness for tory!lace among visitors to Te !apa, and encourage repeat visitation among existing customers.

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Marketing plan elements Pricing 'hat price will you charge for your exhi#ition or product. Include the full range of prices" e.g." adult" child" concession" mem#ers" groups" families" schools. (See also the section 0Practical pricing hints% on page xx.) Strategic alignments Think a#out other products or organisations" #oth internal and external" that you could work with to help achie e your o#/ecti es. The most successful strategic alignments will #e those that are of mutual #enefit.

Worked example Pricing tory!lace costs +, per person Dboth adults and childrenE. -t is free for children ./ months and under. To encourage first time users, ,-for-. vouchers will be used at targeted family events in 0ellington.

Strategic alignments -nternal; :oodtrain family cafF, Te !apas Treasure tore, 8iscovery 7entres, short-term family exhibitions, Te !apa hosts, and the education team. 4xternal; early childhood centres and k@hanga reo, community-based organisations, libraries, !lunket, childrens stores, family event organisers.

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Marketing plan elements Promotional activities -etail the specific things you will do to implement the plan. Include paid acti ities" free acti ities" and gi e$aways. 1lways keep in mind who your target audience is and how cost effecti e each media type is in reaching that audience. 2nder each heading identify whether the acti ity will #e used and why. &e as specific as possi#le ! where" when" how often" how #ig" how much you will spend" etc. Promotional media may include3 4 4 4 T53 local" national" international 6inema3 mainstream" #outi,ue Maga7ines3 from #road general audience to highly targeted 4 8ewspapers3 local" community" regional" national" weekend 4 9adio3 local" commercial" national" talk#ack" iwi" youth" rock" etc. 4 4 :utdoor3 posters" #anners" #ill#oards" #uses -irect mail3 mailing lists (yours and others%)" mail #ox drops" #rochure distri#ution

Worked example Promotional activities Promotional mail$out < 8evelop a colourful, high $uality promotional brochure and )& poster, and distribute them to early childhood organisations, kohanga reo, childrens entertainment facilities and communitybased organisations such as toy libraries, community centres, doctors G dentists waiting rooms, !lunket, 0ellington #oo, etc. < mart:ax and e-mail updates direct to creches, pre-schools, kohanga reo, and community newsletters. -irect marketing < 8evelop a presentation kit and visit at least two early childhood facilities each month. External e ents < )ttend the 0ellington !arent G 7hild how, 7uba treet 7arnival kids Cone, and 7hristmas !arade with Te !apa costume characters handing out ,-for-. vouchers to encourage first time visits to tory!lace. 'e#site < 8evelop a tory!lace page for Te !apas website and identify other websites, targeting a similar audience, to link to. Internal < Train Te !apa hosts regularly on the programme content and general facilities within tory!lace to act as walking, talking brochures. < < -nclude information on tory!lace in generic Te !apa promotional material. 8isplay the brochure and poster internally in the 8iscovery 7entres, Te !apas Treasure tore, foodtrain, the baby change

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Marketing plan elements Budget 'hat is the total #udget for implementing the plan? ;i e details of how you plan to spend it. It will need to co er design" copy writing" production of materials" printing" mailing and distri#ution" installation" casual staff" etc.

Worked example Budget Total budget for the financial year is +(,AAA and includes; < < < < < Heplenish resources (,AAA copies, four colour, 8I4 promotional brochure J +,,AAA &AA four colour )& promotional posters J +K(A Two mail-outs and four mart:ax J +(AA !resentation kit J +,(A

Per"ormance measures +ow will you measure your o#/ecti es and who will do the measuring? Examples of things to measure may include isitor num#ers" isitor awareness of the exhi#ition" product sales" spend per person" media co erage" customer satisfaction. 'ays to measure these may include customer sur eys" door counts" till receipts" scanning newspapers for free co erage. (See 0Measuring your marketing effecti eness% #elow.)

< !articipation in local events J +.,(AA. Per"ormance measures < Lisitor numbers ? do a manual count of tickets sold by tory!lace staff and of group bookings. < Hevenue ? produce a weekly report from the !osware system at the -nformation 8esk. < uccess of specific marketing activities ? tracking numbers by month against activities undertaken. < < uccess of !H activities - monitoring press coverage. urvey usage, attitudes, and satisfaction of visitors as part of Te !apas monthly exit interviews.

ource; +e 9auemi 9esource ;uide "o. .1; 8eveloping a 5arketing !lan, pg ( 7opyright M 5useum of "ew #ealand Te !apa Tongarewa Nctober ,AAK The contents of this fact-sheet maybe photocopied for museum services for purposes of their own staff and volunteer training, but no portion of it may be reprinted for any other purpose without the written permission of the 7hief 4xecutive, 5useum of "ew #ealand Te !apa Tongarewa.

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