HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE Mixers & Elixirs Summer 2016 Campaign Team 3: Sponsored by Locke Bryan Productions
AGENCY 3X Jade Alesna Robyn Danyelle Archer Yash Bansal Paris Dahlstrom Valentina Gomez
Amanda Koontz Cruz Alejandro Chavria Perez Amelie Provosty Danny Slaughter Jalisa Williams
THE CHALLENGE The Houston Museum of Natural Science’s goal for Mixers & Elixirs is to increase event awareness and increase attendance among the Houston area target demographic, aged 25-44 incorporating digital video, digital display, print, radio and social executions. Agency 3X plans to achieve this goal during summer of 2016 using new and earned media strategies.
SITUATION ANALYSIS The Houston Museum of Natural Science, or HMNS, was founded in 1909 with the purpose of enhancing the knowledge in natural science. HMNS is ranged as the most heavily attended museums in the United States and one of the most attended in the Houston area. The museum itself receives over two million visitors per year, but the area itself plays host to 8.7 million visitors a year. HMNS extends their exhibit areas from astronomy, space science, native American culture, paleontology, energy, chemistry, gems and minerals, seashells, Texas wildlife, and more.
SITUATION ANALYSIS HMNS is currently expanding their portfolio in an effort to captivating new markets. This is supported by their summer event called Mixers & Elixirs, targeting millennial people by associating science with pop culture. According to tripadvisor.com, HMNS is considered to be the top destination to visit when in Houston.
SITUATION ANALYSIS We have concluded that HMNS is already a popular area with our target market, as 2/3 have said that “museums are either a ‘superior value’ or a ‘very good value’ for the time and money relative to other leisure activities. Millennials are also 27% more likely to consider themselves sophisticated. Millennials are also widely viewed as people who want work/life balance. Millennials do not want to spend 80 hours a week in the office, they want to be able to enjoy life. • In terms of beer consumption, 44% of Millennials prefer domestic lites and 36% prefer domestic beer. • • •
We offer a chance for a new experience in the form of a social activity in an exciting location and plan on using this information to promote local Houston brewery such as Saint Arnold’s brewery.
Strengths
• • •
National recognized museum. Visitor experiences through “Mixers and Elixirs” Exhibits diversity
Weaker name recognition of “Mixers and Elixirs” due to previous event being less promoted • Mixers and Elixirs declining popularity •
Weaknesses
Opportunities
• • •
Increased in artistic interest for HMNS Extra event space from renovations Rebranding “Mixers and Elixirs”
Threats
• •
HMNS online awareness is shrinking Competing local events
SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIT
MIXERS AND ELIXIRS Mixers and Elixirs is first and foremost a social event that takes place at one of the top museums in the nation. Due to its social aspect, the key competition for Mixers and Elixirs is other events that take place around the same time period.
LIVE MUSIC
FOOD TRUCKS
CASH BAR
Concerts happening in the greater Houston area could limit attendance of Mixers and Elixirs.
LIVE MUSIC
FOOD TRUCKS
CASH BAR
T
he beautiful crowd has never looked so smart! Pop on over to our place, mingle with some party people, clink a few cocktail glasses, then break out your best dance moves. Hitting this scene is a sure sign of intelligence.
June
13
o Groau-pche K 7-10 p.m.
{21 AND UP}
www.hmns.org
SMART ENERGIES
Mixers & Elixirs Target Market
SMART ENERGIES The Smart Energies target segment makes up singles and couples in the Houston area aged 25-44. They are educated and culturally intuitive, seeking social experiences. Smart Energies’ natural habitat outside of their busy work lives is in Houston areas that show appreciation for art, history and science. When with friends, they aren’t afraid to splurge on crafted beverages and soirées.
SMART ENERGIES Meet Ryan. He’s 30 year old University of Texas graduate who works in finance. He is single and lives in a one bedroom apartment in Midtown. Ryan is outgoing, lively and always the life of the party. He enjoys music festivals and traveling. After work he likes to grab a beer with his co-workers.
SMART ENERGIES This is Kate. She is a 26 year old art history teacher. She’s quirky personality and is quick-witted. She loves to read and to watch documentaries. Kate is just shy of 2,000 followers on Instagram. She's single and enjoys going out with her friends on the weekends.
CREATIVE BRIEF Why are we promoting? • We want to raise awareness of these events and want to increase the attendance of them. Whom are we talking to? • Young, intellectual professionals 25-44 years of age in the Houston area What would we like them to think? • Mixers & Elixirs is a forward social event that shows appreciation for the arts, history and sciences. What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey? • Mixers & Elixirs is a social environment for young smart professionals to meet new and like-minded people Why should they believe it? • Being social is a science Client creative guidelines: • Mixers & Elixirs name • Follow HMNS branding • Stay within $2,500 budget
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? “Social is a Science” What: Dating is chemistry. Mixology is built off experimentation. Individuals coming together is an interaction of personalities. Why it works: Social is a Science combines all the socialization reactants that come together in an event equation that is the product of Mixers & Elixirs. The summer 2016 promotional plan for Mixers & Elixirs will involve elements of science and culture that creates a fun, intelligent environment to draw in large audiences. Mixers & Elixirs Rebrand In addition, HMNS’s Mixers & Elixirs event will be visually rebranded to portray sophisticated and smart tones that appeals to this segment’s need.
LOGO
SECONDARY ELEMENTS
SLOGAN
THEMED MIXERS Social is a Science will be the unifying theme of the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s monthly summer series of three events. Each event will be themed by modern high-culture with a scientific twist that is light hearted and ties directly with our targeted audience. A crafted cocktail will correspond to each theme and be the featured drink used in creative executions.
ABSINTHE MINDED Absinthe is seen as the mysterious emerald drink of late 19th century Parisian artists and writers. This event is themed around romance, history and the enigma of the evening, drowned in green hues. Cocktail: Absinthe Minded Professor
VOODOO REACTION NOLA transcends into HTown in this evening, combining hexes of voodoo spiritualism with modernism. Creole and priestess costuming is encouraged. Cocktail: Zombified
CHEMICAL SUSPENSION The final summer equation of Mixers & Elixirs –this evening is influenced by elements, atoms, alchemy. Love is in the air and there is chemistry waiting to happen. Cocktail: Ethyl Emulsion
MEDIA STRATEGY Smart Energies are in tune with trending social media platforms and love sharing content from events. Our media strategy uses social sites our target audience is active on and is most likely to interact with HMNS on.
SNAPCHAT EVENT GEOTAG Snapchat gives brands and events the opportunity to create geofilters and upload them for users to place on images in a targeted area for a limited time frame. We suggest Mixers & Elixirs to create geofilters 5 miles in range of the event location for each event, one week in advance, for Snapchat users nearby to share snaps with filters. Filters will feature partnered brands and imagery related to each event’s theme.
PERISCOPE LIVE-STREAM INTERACTIONS HMNS has a large and strong following on Twitter. Periscope is a linked social platform that allows accounts to live stream events. Every Friday before the monthly Mixer & Elixir event, HMNS will live stream an event themed scene with Houston influencers giving away tickets and talking about the event for 5 minute sessions. Preview performances of Houston bands will appear along with mixologists demonstrating recipes on featured event drinks. Users who comment, interact and share on the live stream can win tickets and learn more about the event.
MIXERS & ELIXIRS TINDER PROFILE Sponsored Tinder ads are trending. Tinder is a dating app where users, high in ages 18-35, swipe profiles in hopes of being potential matched. Ads are expensive, so we suggest creating a private Tinder profile with copy and images promoting the event. One week prior to each Mixer & Elixir event, the profile will be active and set distance around the Houston area. Because Mixer & Elixir event is related to dating experience, it abides by Tinder’s rules on private brand profiles promoting.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT A social media content calendar will be developed with themed “Mixers and Elixirs: Social is a Science� posts. Buzzfeed quizzes will be organically created by HMNS contributors as interactive content. Once the quiz is complete, users will receive free craft cocktail vouchers based on their results. Content will be cross-populated across HMNS social channels including video, photos, and GIFs. #MixersAndElixirs will be the event hashtag and used with every related post.
FACEBOOK EVENTS Facebook Events will be created for each Mixers & Elixir event and feature, video and interactive social media content. Large audiences will be invited and the events will be promoted as well. Branded “Mixers & Elixir: Social is a Science� photos prior and after will be added in albums for attendees to download, tag and share.
SPONSORED SOCIAL VIDEO Gen X and Yer’s attention span is very limited and has been declining over the past 10 years –Thanks to social media. We propose to sponsor :15 content video pieces on Facebook and Twitter to demographics and psychographics of Smart Energies throughout the Houston area. Video spots will be created for the overall “Mixers & Elixir: Social is a Science” campaign and also feature content themed to each separate event.
SPONSORED SOCIAL VIDEO
THE HOUSTON PRESS PACKAGE The Houston Press is the go-to young Houstonian location to find local events and happenings. We suggest purchasing a advertising package placing a full page print ad promoting each Mixers & Elixir event the week of the event. In addition, an editorial piece will be created to cover the three events in advance, and three separate editorial pieces after each event that covers what happened in hopes of promoting the future one. Display banner advertising on the website will also be purchased linking to event ticket purchasing.
COLOR PRINT AD
BANNER AD
CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKET
PR & PROMOTIONS STRATEGY
LOCAL CRAFT BEER PARTNER Saint Arnold’s is a local brewery loved by Houstonians. Partnering with them through a media sponsorship will draw in craft beer drinkers share their social network with HMNS’s event. As a media sponsor, this brand will help finance costs of the media plan
LOCAL MUSICIAN PARTNERS Various local Houston musicians and bands will be selected to headline Mixers & Elixir events. The Suffers, one of Houston’s top local talent has been selected in creative examples. The band’s brand fits this audience segment, HMNS branding of the event, and offers the possibility of exposing their social network audiences through shared content.
RADIO MEDIA PARTNERSHIP Hot 95.7 FM is within the top 15 highest Nielsen Topline rating stations in the HoustonGalveston area. A partnership will be established between HMNS and the station in order to offset costs. The station’s Pop Contemporary Adult Hit radio format fits well with the Smart Energies psychographics and demographics. :30 advertising spots will be placed during morning and evening commute hours featuring “Social is a Science” the sponsors. In addition, the station will be at the event, broadcasting live and playing live music at the event for a portion. Mixers & Elixir tickets will be given away as onair contests along with on-air DJ promos.
RADIO AD
IN-BOUND EMAIL MARKETING During the client briefing, it was mentioned that HMNS has a large email newsletter audience. In-bound marketing promoting the event and ticket purchasing will be sent to targeted recipients based on available demographics and psychographics. Emails will include video content, animated GIF photos, light-hearted copy and incentives to purchase tickets
EARNED MEDIA KITS A media kit will be created for key Houston area influencers and publications that will include event information, two tickets for selected Mixers & Elixir events, and a voucher for a themed cocktail. Creative encouragement to write editorial pieces, share social media posts, take organic photos tagging and promote the event will be pushed.
NEW AGE DIGITAL URBAN MAGAZINES We selected key Houston publications that Smart Energies read digitally and receive in email inboxes to learn about local events and happenings. These publications develop editorial and feature content and have large social networks. • • • • •
Thrillist Houston CultureMap Houston Arts and Culture Texas Magazine Houstonia ArtsHound Houston-Houston Arts Alliance
HOUSTON INFLUENCERS Local bloggers, writers and Houstonians with large social media followings will be identified and sent media kits. Influencers will also be incorporated in video and Periscope content.
EVENT SCHEDULE June 17
Absinthe Minded Mixer
July 23
Voodoo Reaction Mixer
August 19
Chemical Suspension Mixer
PROMOTIONS SCHEDULE May 20
•
Prepare advertising outlets
May 27
• •
Kick off social media advertising. Media advertising will continue throughout the summer
June 3-17
•
Paid advertising for Absinthe Minded Mixer
July 8-23
•
Paid advertising for Voodoo Reaction Mixer
•
Paid advertising for Chemical Suspension Mixer
August 5-19
MEDIA CALENDAR
EVALUATION & ROI In order to evaluate the impacts of our advertising campaign, we primarily need to measure change in attendance from the 2015 Mixers & Elixirs to our 2016 edition. In order to do this we would need to: • • • • • • • •
Keep track of attendance at this coming year’s events and referencing those numbers to last years Use our Facebook Event to help keep track of expected attendance Track number of social media post clicks on social Track number of matches on Tinder Track interactions on periscope live streams Track earned media reach Track email newsletter clicks and opens Track clicks on banner ads
SUMMARY Everyone is looking for ways to spend their free time in enjoyable and new ways. People also seek to create and build new social relationships. At the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s “Mixer & Elixir” events, both of these needs can be satisfied. For the most part, there is a demand for places where you can meet and socialize with new people in a more sophisticated setting. Young professionals have few places, other than work and the bar scene, to meet people in their age group. “Social is a Science” is meant to appeal to the intellectual community while also promoting the event’s social aspects. This campaign will increase awareness of the Elixirs and Mixers event targeting outgoing and social young professionals. Social is a Science will: 1. Increase awareness through an already strong social media presence 2. Increase brand awareness of Elixirs and Mixers, by using the recognition of the museum itself to boost awareness for this event 3. Increase attendance of the event
WE FOUND OUR FACTS FROM THESE PLACES Sweeney, Richard. "Table 4: Demographics." (n.d.): n. pag. Millennial Behaviors and Demographics. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Web. 6 Nov. 2015. "Marketing Museums to Millennials | Millennial Marketing." Millennial Marketing. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. "Millennials and Alcohol: Who’s Drinking What?" MarketingCharts. N.p., 31 May 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. Sweeney, Richard. "Table 4: Demographics." (n.d.): n. pag. Millennial Behaviors and Demographics. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Web. 6 Nov. 2015. "About." About The Houston Museum of Natural Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. "The Top 10 Things to Do in Houston - TripAdvisor - Houston, TX Attractions - Find What to Do Today, This Weekend, or in November."The Top 10 Things to Do in Houston - TripAdvisor - Houston, TX Attractions - Find What to Do Today, This Weekend, or in November. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. "Google Trends - Web Search Interest - Worldwide, 2004 - Present."Google Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. "Houston, Texas People." Houston, Texas People. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.