Campaign Plansbook for Badger State Games by Dominic Mertens-Pellitteri

MEET THE CAMPAIGN CREW

Dominic Mertens-Pelliteri

Account Executive | Strategist

Corey Seay

Research Director

Matt Sweeney Media Director

Anthony Giacomino

Creative Director | Production Editor

Maureen Murray

PR Director | Editor

Special thanks to Josh Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Bright for the wonderful BSG photography.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Campaign Crew ................................................................................................. 4 Executive Summary ............................................................................................ 5 Organizational History & Industry Analysis ............................................................ 7 Market Analysis .................................................................................................. 8 Primary Research ............................................................................................... 9 Competitive Analysis .......................................................................................... 10-11 Media Scan ....................................................................................................... 13 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................... 15 Audience Analysis .............................................................................................. 16-17 Audience Profile ................................................................................................. 18-19 Objectives, Strategies & Tactics ........................................................................... 20-27 Creative Strategy ................................................................................................ 28 Campaign Execution ........................................................................................... 30-35 Timeline ............................................................................................................. 37 Budget ............................................................................................................... 38-39 Evaluation .......................................................................................................... 40-41 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 42 Sources ..............................................................................................................43 Appendix ............................................................................................................ 44-49

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

or years, the Badger State Games has provided an outlet for amateur athletes of all ages and skill levels to compete against others from around Wisconsin and beyond. While the BSG was held in Madison for the majority of its existence, the event was relocated to the Fox Cities beginning in 2009, mainly for financial reasons. However, since the move both attendance and participation rates are significantly down from the prior numbers. While these issues have not been highly damaging to the BSG thus far, they do pose a potential threat to the future existence of the event if they are ignored. We have created an integrated marketing communications plan for the 2011 Summer BSG, and specifically the swimming and martial arts competitions. The proposed campaign plan aims to accomplish the following objectives: • Increase awareness about the swimming and martial arts competitions at the BSG • Increase social media followers and

interaction with them • Increase overall participation in the swimming and martial arts competitions By conducting primary and secondary research, we gained significant insight that we used to shape our campaign. By looking at data for both swimming and martial arts as well as data about past participants in these competitions at the BSG, we were able to determine our target audiences. We concluded that youth age 11 to 18 who practice swimming or martial arts at least once per week are the ideal target audience for our campaign. Additionally, we decided to target the parent demographic, adults age 35 to 45, as a secondary target audience. In an effort to instill in our primary target audience that the BSG is fun , low-pressure but challenging competition, our campaign poses a question: “Are You Game?”. The “Are You Game?” campaign incorporates both advertising and public relations strategies. Some

traditional methods are used, but in an effort to stay within a realistic budget, the campaign is comprised of mainly non-traditional methods to hit the targets in the most direct ways possible. One way is by garnering the support of swim coaches and martial arts instructors, who have a substantial influence to the primary target, by making them aware of the benefits of participating in the BSG. We will activate them with promotional materials to encourage their swimmers or students to participate in the games. We plan to attend high-exposure events such as state high school swimming tournaments and various martial arts tournaments to promote participating in the BSG to both of our target audiences. The campaign also features tactics that play off of more current promotional trends, such as a viral video competition that asks audience members to submit a video about why they participate in the BSG. We also plan to place targeted ads on the social networking site Facebook, and employ other social media strategies that engage users. With these and other online tactics,

we are allowing the target audience to shape the campaign by providing their own unique content. They literally have many opportunities to answer the question “Are You Game?” and tell why in their own way. By employing tactics to reach our target audiences in the most direct forms possible, we are confident that we can accomplish the campaign objectives in the most cost-effective way possible. The expenses for our purposed campaign will total $4,923.63. Furthermore, all of the campaign components can be evaluated to gauge their individual effectiveness. If successfully executed, the “Are You Game?” campaign will increase awareness about the swimming and martial arts competitions at the BSG, increase social media followers and interaction with them and increase overall participation in the swimming and martial arts competitions.

SITUATION ANALYSIS 6

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY The Badger State Games is one of four events put on each year by the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation (WSDC). The WSDC is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that fosters participation, competition and memorable experiences through amateur athletic events and health education initiatives designed to promote active, healthy lifestyles and a sense of community. In the process they support sports tourism in Wisconsin by featuring host communities and their resources. In the course of a calendar year their entire event and programming schedule typically attracts over

180,000 athletes, volunteers, program participants, commissioners and spectators. Their active participation annually generates approximately $4 million of economic impact in the State of Wisconsin. The BSG began in the 1980’s when the Wisconsin Amateur Sports Corporation submitted a proposal to the U.S. Olympic Committee to make Madison the host city for the 1987 National Sports Festival. Although the bid was unsuccessful, the enthusiasm and commitment to amateur athletes was so strong that the momentum resulted in the creation of the Badger

State Games. The first BSG was held in the summer of 1985. The BSG include both a summer and winter games. The summer games are traditionally held the last two weeks of June and the winter games are held the last weekend of January and the first weekend of February. The games rely heavily on the dedication of thousands of volunteers, as well as the support of corporate partners and sponsors. On average, 6,000 to 8,000 athletes compete in the summer games and over 4000 athletes compete in the winter games. The BSG are open to all ages and skill levels.

This campaign will focus on the promotion of the of the swimming and martial arts competitions for the 2011 summer games. In 2008, the participation in the swimming competition was 1,129, when the BSG was held in Madison, but decreased to 456 by 2010, the second year the BSG were held in the Fox Cities Area. The 2008 participation in the martial arts competition was 273, and decreased to 129 in 2010.

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The industry of Olympic-style state games in the US is large and widespread. According to the National Congress of State Games website, 40 states currently host Olympicstyle competitions for approximately 400,000 participants nationwide. The summer events typically take place in either June or July and only select states hold winter events like Wisconsin does. Other state games include the Cornhusker State Games of Nebraska, the State Games of Michigan and the Empire State Games of New York.

The Cornhusker State Games feature 44 sports and hosted 10,471 participants in 2010. The State Games of Michigan feature 25 sports and hosted 3,500 participants in 2010, the first year for the event. The Empire State Games featured 28 sports in 2010, but has been discontinued due to New York State’s fiscal crisis, according to the website for the event. There is also the State Games of America, a subsidiary of the National Congress of State Games, which is held every other year for state games medal winners from across the nation.

While many states, including Wisconsin, began holding Olympic-style competitions in the 1980’s, other states are fairly new to this trend, such as Michigan. The fact that states are still creating Olympic-style competitions shows that there is still a general interest in competitions like this by amateur athletes nationwide. Poor economic conditions throughout the U.S. have undoubtedly become a major factor in the success of state games competitions. In the

case of New York, the games have been cancelled altogether due to lack of funding. This exemplifies how important it is for organizations that coordinate these competitions to make wise decisions as they move forward, especially when it comes to allocation of financial resources.

MARKET ANAYSIS Wisconsin

Illinois

Environment

There is a great deal of potential for the Badger State Games in the Wisconsin market. Currently, the largest age group of participants is 11 to 18-year-olds, participants age ten and under being the second largest and 25 to 35-year-olds account for the third largest, according to WSDC data. Significantly more males participate in the BSG on average than females at a ratio of 63 percent to 37 percent. The majority of participants come from households with an average total income of more than $100,000. The majority of BSG participants typically come from the most highly populated areas in Wisconsin such as Milwaukee, Dane, and Brown counties and the surrounding counties.

The fact that Illinois does not currently host a statewide Olympic-style competition means that there is an opportunity to gain participants and attendees from this market as well. Since the 2011 BSG will be held in the Fox Cities area, it will be most advantageous to promote it in Northern Illinois, because the greater the distance people have to travel to the BSG, the less likely they are to make the trip.

The relocation of the BSG from Madison to the Fox Cities area in 2009 is undoubtedly a major reason for the decreases in participation and attendance. Since the BSG had been held in the Madison area for the majority of its existence, there was already a high level of local awareness that translated into participants and attendees.

As the 11 to 18-year-old demographic is by far the largest for average participation, it will likely be best to target this market for potential participants for the swimming and martial arts competitions. In Wisconsin, there were 140 high schools with swimming and diving programs for girls with 3,772 total participants for the 2009-10 school year. Additionally, there were 111 schools with swimming and diving programs for boys with 3,129 total participants for the 2009-10 school year. There are also 175 martial arts schools in Wisconsin.

In Illinois, there were 291 high schools with swimming and diving programs for girls with 6,949 total participants for the 2009-10 school year. Additionally, there were 283 schools with swimming and diving programs for boys with 6,844 total participants for the 2009-10 school year. This is definitely a market full of opportunity as these participation numbers are nearly double those in Wisconsin.

Although still lower than when the games were held in Madison, the number of participants in the swimming competition nearly doubled from 249 participants in 2009 to 456 in 2010. Maintaining that participation number and adding to it in 2011 is important. Unlike the swimming competition, which saw a major increase in participation from 2009 to 2010, the martial arts competition did not see any increase. However, there was no decrease either, which indicates that there is likely room to draw new participants to the competition. The poor economic state of the country could also hinder attendance and participation rates. Families who do not live close to the Fox Cities area may not have the money to spend traveling to the BSG, especially those who were avid attendees of the BSG when they were held in Madison.

PRIMARY RESEARCH Two online surveys were distributed via Survey Monkey (see appendix) one for past swimming participants and one for past martial arts participants. The surveys were developed with the hopes of gaining insight into our target market’s perceptions about the BSG. The surveys were emailed to past participants of each sport. We had a total of 76 respondents for swimming and 13 respondents for martial arts. Ten questions were asked.

Swimming Survey

Martial Arts

•Forty-nine percent of respondents said they found out about the BSG through their coach/instructor while zero percent of respondents said they found out about the BSG through Facebook or Twitter

•Sixty-six percent of respondents said they found out about the BSG through their coach or instructor and zero percent said they found out through Facebook or Twitter

•Eighty-five percent of participants said they participate in the BSG because they enjoy competing, while only 15 percent said they were influenced by their family

•The main reason respondents said they participate in the BSG is they enjoy competing •Seventy-six percent of respondents follow the BSG on Facebook or Twitter

•Ninety-six percent of respondents said they do not follow the BSG on Facebook or Twitter •When asked what would make them watch the BSG on Facebook or Twitter, 60 percent of espondents said they would follow to get updates about the games • Forty-six percent of respondents said the reason they like swimming is to stay active and exercise •Ninety-five percent of respondents said they are part of a club swimming team and the remainder of respondents are on a school swimming team •When asked what is the furthest distance respondents would travel for a swim meet ninety percent said over 40 miles

•Seventy-one percent of respondents who said they do not follow the BSG on Facebook or Twitter said they would follow for updates about the games •The majority of respondents said they practice martial arts because it’s fun, they enjoy exercising and being active and they like learning self defense •All of the respondents (100 percent) said they participate in martial arts classes and an additional 36 percent said they participate in martial arts classes and martial arts clubs •When asked what is the furthest distance respondents would travel to compete in a tournament, 92 percent said over 40 miles •Fifty-three percent of respondents were male, 46 percent were female

•The gender ratio was 51.3 percent male and 48.7 percent female

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Many forms of competition for the Badger State Games exist that threaten to steal would-be participants. There are alternative sporting events in Wisconsin that provide similar benefits and are held on the same dates as the BSG. These sporting events are geared towards parents and young children, which is the target market for the BSG. There are also other community events, festivals, county fairs, and state-wide events that provide inexpensive entertainment to Wisconsin residents and travelers. These events tend to be annual and are communicated by word of mouth. They also tend to be either free of charge, or inexpensive. And finally, an additional competitor that needs to be addressed is the idea of other summer activities.

1. Gus Macker Basketball Tournament: Wausau, June 18-19, 2011

2. U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series Midwest Region: Fox Cities, June 24-29, 2011

This organization has toured the country for the past 38 years. A 3-on-3 basketball tournament, it is open to all ages and skill levels. The 2011 tournament will be held in Wausau June 18-19. Nationally, Gus Macker averages over 200,000 participants and 1.7 spectators in the 75 cities it travels to each year. It has 2,513 fans on Facebook. Players and spectators enjoy the competitions while each event raises money for local charities. The team fee for Wausau is $132

The U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious soccer tournament for youth and provides more than 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams nationwide. The Championships end a yearlong series of competitions for both boys and girls. The U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series allows college coaches and recruiters to scout coveted players, though there are tournaments for an under 14 and under 19 age bracket.

The Gus Macker Tournament has come to Wausau for the past 20 years. It also travels to other places throughout the Midwest such as Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio and reaches as far east as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This is an advantage in that the tournaments are thus able to generate a large amount of media attention. Since its start in 1987, $15 million have been donated to charities across the United States. Since Gus Macker comes to communities in a “road-show” format, they can also perform promotional programs in communities such as pep-rally’s, parades, school assemblies, media interviews, and mascot appearances. Some of Gus Macker’s weaknesses are that it only offers the chance to play one sport, whereas the Badger State games offer 20. It also has only 112 Twitter followers and is not utilizing social media to its fullest potential. Gus Macker has a YouTube page with very limited hits, and not many subscribers. Though it comes to Wausau every year, it is not a Wisconsin-only event. It is unable to bring the feeling of home-town pride to each community it visits.

The Midwest region tournament will bring in over 220 teams and 4,000 players to the Fox Cities the same weekend as the Badger State Games. The last time the tournament was held in the Fox Cities was 2006. The championship will take place at the U.S.A. youth Sports Complex in Appleton and Southwest Park in DePere. U.S. Youth Soccer has 5,478 fans on Facebook and 2,931 followers on Twitter. It is well known throughout the country and since it is for youth, parents and families will travel with their children to the Fox Cities. One of the major weaknesses or the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship is its website. Along with the U.S. Youth Soccer National Series Midwest Region, there is also an East Coast Southern Region and Western Region. They all fall under the umbrella of the U.S Youth Soccer Network. The website holds tournament specific information, but is disorganized and overwhelming. Unlike the Badger State Games, this championship targets only youth interested in playing soccer. There are no leagues or tournaments for adults or even seniors, where as the Badger State Games is open to all ages.

3. Community Events and Festivals

4. Summer Activities

The BSG not only compete against other sporting competitions, but also against other summer activities that take participants away from the games. The summer is a busy time for festivals, community events and family traveling.

For many invididuals in the campaign primiary target audience, the summer can be a time of relaxation. Activities such as going to the beach, playing sports outside with neighborhood friends, visiting parks and utilizing free recreational activities not available in the winter months, such as camping, provide the right amount of entertainment.

Festivals such as the Cedarburg Cranberry Festival, held June 25-26, attract vacationers and community members. Milwaukee will be hosting the Lakefront Festival of the Arts, a free art and craft fair, June 17-19. This festival will keep those close to Milwaukee and Illinois from heading up to the BSG. Milwaukee will also host Polish Fest on Summerfest Grounds June 17-19. The Monroe Balloon Rally, held June 17-18, is close to the Illinois border bringing in travelers from out of state, and is free of charge.

The primary target audience for this campaign will be out of school in the summer. Some may be in summer camps or day camps due to parent work schedules and are unable to train for sports. Others may be vacationing with their family. However, the summer time poses many advantages. For those dedicated to particular sports, summer means more daylight hours to train and practice. With fewer venues to compete in the summer months, the BSG becomes an outlet for these dedicated individuals.

All of these community festivals are either free of charge, or cost a small fee less than $25. However, unlike the BSG, they lack the marketing and advertising budgets. They rely mainly on word of mouth, community newspapers and flyers.

MEDIA SCAN Upon conducting a media search on the Badger State Games, we found a significant amount of positive coverage in a variety of media outlets. Most news articles regarding the games can be found in local Wisconsin media properties such as the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, the Wausau Daily Herald, WAOW North Central Wisconsin and WSAW. However, media groups with larger audiences like the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WTMJ and WISN have devoted limited coverage of the games. There are three time intervals for news coverage of the BSG: before, during and after. Articles published before the games usually discuss the logistics of the games like dates, a schedule of events and how to sign up. Those published during the games focus on event results and profiles of participants. Post-games coverage is mostly comprised of summary stories that highlight event winners, the total number of participants and the amount of revenue generated by the games. The following media clips reflect very favorably upon the Badger State Games. National and local journalists have highlighted the games’ family friendly atmosphere, range of talent and skill levels, and opportunities to get involved. There is a wealth of human interest stories contained in these articles. In addition to the formal objectives, this campaign aims to increase positive media coverage.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

Frosted at the Badger State Games: Jan. 25, 2009 Money Available for BSG Entries: June 10, 2009 BSG Quadrathalon: The Family that Trains Together…: Jan. 26, 2009

Badger State Games Continue in Wausau: Jan. 30, 2011 Badger State Games Wrap-Up: Feb. 6, 2011

BSG Archers Keep Minds on Target: Jan. 30, 2011

The Journal-Sentinel profiles the BSG with a series of blog posts called, “Off the Couch.” The blog shows the games in a very positive light by highlighting its different levels of competition, inclusiveness and the family fun aspect. The first post gives an in-depth look at the cross-country skiing event with pictures of athletes, firsthand accounts of the competition and links to the results page. The second piece explains that there is financial aid available for athletes who cannot afford the entry fee. The third piece profiles a family that competes in the games together every year.

This article and video piece show how the Badger State Games are a great way to get active and compete in sports regardless of skill level or experience. WAOW also provides links the BSG official website.

This article profiles a specific sport featured in the BSG. It highlights the popularity of the games and the economic benefits they provide to the state of Wisconsin. “The games, the largest amateur competition in the state, each year draw tens of thousands of participants to north central Wisconsin. The 2010 games generated nearly $1 million for the local economy, according to the Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau.”

SWOT ANALYSIS

S W STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

O OPPORTUNITIES

T THREATS

• • • • • • • •

Well established event (since 1985) Appeals to wide variety of people (large market) Summer Games are historically larger than the Winter Games (sports offered/attendees) Easier to attract participants during the summer since high school/college sports aren’t in session Opportunity for community involvement Generally a positive attitude/morale surrounding the games (no negativity) Easy access for those who live in or around the Fox Cities When people register, they select a high school to receive grant money

• • • • • • •

Limited location, difficult to access for people who live far away Participation has decreased since moving from Madison to Fox Cities in 2009 Limited budget Population density of Southern vs. Northern Wisconsin Limited staff members devoted to marketing and promotion Registration fee required for many of the sports Potential participants might not take it seriously enough as a competitive event

• • • • • • • • •

Target Illinois residents Get out-of-state media to do a story on BSG (ex: Chicago Tribune) Better establish BSG brand presence/awareness Recruit more sponsors/bigger sponsorships Increase social media efforts since there is potential for increased involvement Build relationships with Martial Arts clubs/groups around the state to directly target participants of the sport Market to families as something to do while on vacation and increase tourism in host area o “Active vacation” o Different theme every year, ex: “Do something different this summer vacation” o What else is there to do in the area? Partner with Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism (ads on their website, sponsor, etc.) Partner with WIAA to promote BSG to high school students

• • • • •

Not reaching target audiences before they make other summer plans Other summer events taking place during same time as Summer BSG (sports-related or other) i.e. Brewers’ games Not a lot of compelling news related to the BSG Kids summer activities: little league, summer camp, etc. Summer vacations

AUDIENCE ANALYSIS Our campaign for the Badger State Games will be directed toward two main target audiences. The primary target audience will be youth between the ages of 11 and 18. We will focus on getting this target interested and excited about participating in the games. As many members of this demographic participate in organized swimming and martial arts programs, our campaign will also target their coaches to encourage their athletes to participate in the games. Thus, coaches and other adults related to the primary audience are our secondary target audience. To better understand our target audiences, we conducted secondary research using the Simmons National Consumer Survey database. We decided to search for people who either swim and/or practice Martial Arts at least once a week. Focusing on the more avid participants in these sports allowed us to narrow our research to a smaller population which, in turn, will allow us to better focus our campaign toward our target audiences.

PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCE Our primary target audience for this campaign is youth age 11-18 living in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. More specifically we will be focusing on those within this demographic who already actively participate in swimming and/or martial arts at least once per week. According to the Simmons NCS Teens Spring 2004 study, females age 12-17 are 17 percent more likely to have practice swimming at least once per week than males of the same age range. Females age 12-17 constitute 33 percent of those who swim at least once/week, whereas males make up 24 percent. Regarding participation in swimming varied by race, white/ Caucasian youth are 12 percent more

likely, and Asian youth are 30 percent more likely. Youth whose family is members of a country club are 59 percent more likely to participate in swimming once/week.

ent from their parents are 45 percent more likely to participate in martial arts. Youth who are below average sports enthusiasts are 85 percent more likely to participate in martial arts.

According to the Simmons NCS Teens Spring 2004 study, males age 12-17 are 16 percent more likely to have participated in martial arts in the last week than females. Males of this age group constitute 3.4 percent of those who practice martial arts at least once/week, whereas females make up 2.4 percent. Youth who are a member of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts are 49 percent more likely to participate in martial arts. Youth who say that they hate going on vacation with their family and that their ideas are very differ-

Some other psychographic that apply to this demographic include that males are 27 percent more likely than females to say their friends sometimes get them into trouble. Males are 30 percent more likely than females to be far above average sports enthusiasts. Males are also at least 30 percent more likely than females to frequently watch the regular seasons of major league and college sports. Thus an opinion leader for males of this age range would more likely be an athlete, like Aaron Rodgers, whereas an opinion leader for females

is probably a celebrity like Miley Cyrus or Katy Perry. Based on the research, the part of our campaign aimed at increasing swimming participation at the Badger State Summer 2011 Games will mainly be focused toward females who are white or Asian. We may consider promoting to members of country clubs around Wisconsin and Illinois. Additionally, the part of our campaign aimed at increasing martial arts participation at the BSG will mainly be focused toward males. We may consider partnering with Boy/ Girl Scout organizations in promoting martial arts, and the BSG in general.

SECONDARY TARGET AUDIENCE Our secondary target audience is adults ages 35-44 with children, living in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. We will be focusing primarily on this age group of people who have moderate to frequent swimming and martial arts participation. In the most ideal circumstances these people will have children of similar habits. According to Simmons National Consumers Survey 24.3 percent of people who swim every chance they get are between the ages 35-44 and this age group is 24 percent more likely to swim every chance it gets when it has at least child in its household. Caucasian people make up for 73.67

percent of all people who swim every chance they get. Meanwhile, Caucasian adults between the ages of 35-44 with at least once child make up 12.32 percent of all people who swim every chance they get. The age group of 35-44 is 27 percent more likely to swim every chance they get when its annual household income falls between $75,000 and $150,000. These adults are 25 percent more likely to swim every chance they get when they are a member of a YMCA or public fitness center. This group is also 24.66 percent of all people who swim every chance they get. Along with that, 23.86 percent of people who engage in martial arts every chance they get are between

the ages 35-44 and this age group is 21 percent more likely to participate when it has at least one child in its household. Among the age group 35-44, 68.45 percent of people who engage in martial arts and have at least once child, are Caucasian and are 49 percent more likely to engage with an income between $100,000-$150,000. Based on this information, the part of our campaign aimed at increasing swimming would be focused towards Caucasian adults with children that fall in the annual household income bracket between $75,000 and $150,000. We may want to put special emphasis on those who are members of a YMCA or any other public fitness center. Additionally, the part of our campaign aimed at increasing martial arts

participation at the BSG will mainly be focused toward Caucasian adults with children in their households whose household income falls between $100,000 and $150,000. In general both of these sports mostly attract Caucasian adults with kids with a high annual income. We feel participation for the 2011 Summer BSG can reach its maximum potential by targeting families. This is an effort to get parent participation with an extra effort to encourage their children. We may consider reaching out to local YMCAs and fitness centers across the sate.

AUDIENCE PROFILE Steve Hill is a 45-year-old Taekwondo instructor in De Pere, Wis. Born in Green Bay, Wis., Steve has lived in the area his entire life and opened up his own studio 15 years ago, though he has been practicing the art for the past 25 years. Steve is married to Mary, who is an elementary school teacher in De Pere. They have a seven-year-old son named Sam, who has just started practicing Taekwondo. Steve is committed to his students; he is in the studio every day, and teaches a number of sessions from beginners to black belts. His studio has 70 students total that range in age from five to 55. In his free time, Steve is a member of the PTA at his sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school. He also is very active in the community and each year helps plan a Fourth of July parade that features his students. Steve has recently created a Facebook to better communicate with students and family members, as well as solicit perspective Taekwondo students. Steve holds annual tournaments between his students, and partners with other martial arts studios in the Fox Cities area. Martial arts is a lesser known sport, thus Steve is always looking for ways to encourage his students to practice and stay active. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why he suggests competing in the Badger State Games. Not only has he competed the past four years, but he usually gets a few students to compete with him.

Sarah Schmitt is a 16-year-old high schooler who lives in Appleton, Wis.

Jeff Gates is 13-years old and lives in Oshkosh, Wis.

Ever since she was six, Sarah’s family has rented a cottage on Otter Lake in Green Bay where she learned how to swim. Sarah’s been on a swim team every year since.

Jeff was turned onto martial arts when he was eight-years-old. His elementary school held a martial arts assembly with demonstrators from a nearby studio and Jeff was hooked. Since then, Jeff has been practicing karate. He is a purple belt. Because there is no martial arts or karate team at his school, Jeff practices after school at a nearby studio three days a week. He spends his free time hanging out with his friends, playing video games and watching funny videos on YouTube. He recently made a Facebook but has never used any other social media outlets.

Sarah lives with her two younger brothers and her mother and father, who are in their mid-40s. Her family is very active in sports; her younger brothers are on the track and field team in middle school. Her parents play golf and her mom is also a swimmer. In her free time, which is very limited during swim season, Sarah likes to work out, go running and go to the nearby community pool. She doesn’t have too much time to watch TV , but if she does, it’s usually MTV. She spends more of her free time on social networking sites like Facebook. She recently just got a Twitter and has 45 followers from school. For the past two years, Sarah and her family have participated in the Badger State Games in Appleton. Sarah learned about the Badger State Games from her swimming coach at school. A few of her friends on the team decided to try the summer games to keep in shape during the off-season, and Sarah joined along. She enjoyed it so much that the second year, she got her mother to compete with her and her brothers to compete in the track and field games.

Jeff has never participated in the Badger State Games, but is well aware of what they are. Some of his friends from karate class have competed in the summer games, but Jeff is self-conscious and feels as though he is not ready to compete. However is starting to consider it, as more of his friends are signing up.

Sarah competes because she can stay in shape and spend time with her whole family and her friends. Sarah isn’t too concerned about winning, she competes for the fun of it.

OBJECTIVE 1 Increase awareness of swimming and martial arts at the Badger State Games (BSG) by 10 percent statewide from 21,780 to 23,958 for 2011 Summer Games (awareness estimate based on total summer 2010 participation).

Strategy 1:

Launch the “Are You Game?” campaign that will feature print, online and social media efforts. See creative strategy for explanation of the “Are You Game?” campaign. Tactic 1: Create a campaign webpage off of the BSG website specifically for the summer 2011 BSG, and focused on the swimming and martial arts competitions. Although still part of the BSG website, the domain name www.areyougame.com will be used to redirect people to the page. The webpage will serve as the central hub for our campaign; everything we do, whether in print, online, social media or elsewhere will direct all traffic to the webpage. We will also create a QR code for the webpage which will be featured on all printed materials, including posters and fliers, which people can easily scan with their smart phones and immediately be taken to the page. The page will feature flash animation to open up different sections while still remaining within the page (see www.onemilwaukee.org). The webpage will include all unique content such as user-generated videos (see tactic 2), videos of martial arts demonstrations, photos, advertisements, and something fun such as a “sports photo of the day”. The webpage will feature buttons that, when clicked, will take visitors directly to either the swimming or martial arts pages respectively within the sportsinwisconsin.com website. The webpage will also feature sponsors of the two sports, as well as major BSG sponsors. Tactic 2: Launch a viral video competition in which we will ask social media followers, both current and new, to make a video explaining why they compete in the BSG. Each month during the campaign, we will select the top five videos and then let viewers select the best video out of the five. The creator of the winning video will win an iPod and have their video featured on the “Are You Game?” campaign webpage. All who submit a video will also have the opportunity to win prizes such as a BSG t-shirt. Tactic 3: Create two :30 second videos (one focused on the swimming competition and one focused on the martial arts competition) to be featured across all online outlets including the “press room”, and aired on TV through media partnerships. The videos will be low-budget, and produced with the assistance of Innova One Productions (http://www.mariettavideoproductions.com/). They will effectively target both our primary and secondary audiences as one or both of the videos showcase the BSG as a place for youth and adults to compete together (see story boards).

Links to campaign site

Strategy 2:

Attend other sporting events in Wisconsin leading up to the BSG to promote participating in BSG to avid participants of swimming and martial arts in both target audiences. Tactic 1: Attend state high school swimming tournaments in Wisconsin and Illinois to promote participating in the BSG swimming competition by handing out informational fliers, networking with potential participants, and giving away fun items like BSG “silly band” bracelets or stickers. •WIAA Girls Swimming & Diving Tournament November 12-13, 2010 in Madison, Wis. http://www.wiaawi.org/index.php?id=26

•WIAA Boys Swimming & Diving Tournament February 18-19, 2011 in Madison, Wis. http://www.wiaawi.org/index.php?id=169

•IHSA Girls Swimming & Diving Tournament November 19-20, 2010 in Evanston, Ill. http://www.ihsa.org/activity/swg/index.htm

•IHSA Boys Swimming & Diving Tournament February 25-26, 2011 in Winnetka, Ill. http://www.ihsa.org/activity/swb/index.htm

Tactic 2: Attend select martial arts competitions around Wisconsin and Northern Illinois to promote participating in the BSG martial arts competition by handing out informational fliers, networking with potential participants, and giving away fun items like BSG “silly band” bracelets or stickers. •Southern Wisconsin Open Karate Tournament April 2 & 3, 2011 in Verona, Wis. http://www.southernwisconsinopen.com/

•Kick Wisconsin 2011 Kickoff Event May 21, 2011 in Mayville, Wis. http://www.kickwi.com/

•2011 North American Grand Nationals May 1, 2011 in South Beloit, Ill. http://www.starstudiokarate.com/2011_Grand_Nationals.html

Strategy 3:

Alert the media, including TV, print, and radio, of the new “Are You Game?” campaign in an effort to garner media attention to assist in promoting the BSG.

“Silly Band”

Tactic 1: Send a press release via email to all TV, print, and radio outlets in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. The press release will feature an announcement of the “Are You Game?” campaign and some of the various tactics which will be used such as the viral video competition. The press release will also feature information specifically about the swimming and martial arts competitions at the summer 2011 games as well as a link to the “Are You Game?” campaign webpage. Finally, the press release, as well as the email by which the release is sent, will direct media personnel to the BSG “press room” (see Tactic 2). Tactic 2: Reorganize the existing BSG media page into a “press room” which will feature organizational history, media alerts about the different competitions, images, video clips, and story ideas, such as a participant (in the 11-18 target demographic) who is overcoming a physical disability to participate in either the swimming or martial arts competition (see execution). Tactic 3: Utilize existing in-kind media partnerships to air a low-budget BSG campaign videos for the BSG. (See Strategy 1, Tactic 3 and story boards.)

OBJECTIVE 2 Increase number of social media followers 25 percent across each platform for 2011 Summer Games

Strategy 1:

Increase social media followers (“Likes”) on Facebook to 1,500.

Tactic 1: Purchase strategically placed Facebook advertisements targeting the demographics in the Fox Cities, Madison, and Milwaukee areas for three months leading up to the games. The ads will be focused on either swimming or martial arts and, when clicked on, will bring visitors to the BSG Facebook page. Visitors can then go to the individual sports tabs for swimming and martial arts (see objectives 3 and 4). Tactic 2: Create a Facebook promotion that invites current followers to spread the word about BGS and help to reach a goal of getting 1,500 fans. The first 1,500 fans will be entered in a drawing to win an iPod or other prize (this will be similar to previous effort to reach 1,000 fans). Tactic 3: Feature videos from the “Are You Game?” campaign including those from the viral video competition and martial arts demonstrations to create buzz and excitement around the BSG, which will in turn get people to talk and share the video.

Strategy 2:

Increase social media followers on Twitter to 350.

Tactic 1: Tweet trivia questions during the campaign that invite followers to tweet their answer. Those who respond with the correct answer will be entered into a bi-monthly drawing for an iPod or other prize. •In what year did the Badger State Games begin? •How many sports are currently represented in the summer BSG? Tactic 2: Invite Twitter followers to suggest friends and family members for the BSG to follow. Those who re-tweet with twitter names will be entered to win a BSG t-shirt or other small prizes. Tactic 3: Tweet links to videos from the “Are You Game?” campaign to create buzz and excitement around the BSG, which will in turn get people to talk and share the video. and excitement around the BSG, which will in turn get people to talk and share the video. Tactic 4: Create hash tags to be used in tweets about the swimming and martial arts competitions such as #BSGswimming and #BSGmartialarts so visitors can easily access conversations and related material about the individual sports.

Strategy 3:

Increase the amount of channel views, upload views and subscribers to the YouTube page.

Tactic 1: Post videos from the “Are You Game?” campaign including those from the monthly winners of the viral video competition and the videos of the martial arts demonstrations Tactic 2: Post links to videos from the “Are You Game?” campaign to Facebook and Twitter, directing viewers to the YouTube account. Tactic 3: Post other content to the YouTube page such as participant and volunteer interviews, humorous videos, and short clips on different swimming or martial arts terms. The videos will be cheaply produced by BSG staff using a flip cam or other hand-held camera, but will include BSG branding (ending slide of BSG logo/dates/website).

OBJECTIVE 3 Increase participation in swimming 50 percent from 456 to 684 participants for 2011 Summer Games.

Strategy 1:

Recruit more swimming participants within the primary target audience (11-18 year-olds), mainly middle and high-schoolers, who are avid swimmers (at least once/week). Tactic 1: Reach out to swimming coaches and program leaders and ask them to promote participating in the BSG to their team members. This can be through mass email in which multiple benefits of participating are expressed. To gain access to the coaches contact information, an inquiry should be made to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (http://www.wisca.net/). Tactic 2: Send a low cost promotional package to Wisconsin schools with swim teams that will include a letter to coaches explaining why they should encourage their swimmers to participate in the BSG, posters, and informational fliers about the swimming competition listing the benefits of participating in the BSG which each swimmer can take home. A BSG intern should then follow up with coaches approximately two weeks after the packages are sent to check if they received them and are promoting the BSG. Tactic 3: Create a tab off of the BSG Facebook page just for the swimming competitions. This will be linked off of the BSG Facebook and will include sport specific information to those who â&#x20AC;&#x153;Likeâ&#x20AC;? it.

Strategy 2:

Generate sponsorship from local swimming shops or clubs that will promote the swimming portion of the BSG. Tactic 1: Solicit sponsorship of the swimming competition to locally owned swim shops in Wisconsin such as Walters’ Swim ‘N Sport in Brookfield. Additionally, present the opportunity for swim shops to provide branded towels or other “swag” items at the competition in turn for promotional support including hanging up a BSG poster, and promoting the swimming competition to their customer base. •All American Aquatics 300 Chaffee Road, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 262-569-7845 http://www.all-americanaquatics.com/ •Simply Swimming 6108 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI 53705 608-661-0808 •Walters’ Swim ’N Sport 14155 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI 53005 262-790-9199 http://www.walterswim.com/ •Walters’ Swim ’N Sun 1639 Monroe Street, Madison, WI 53711 608-256-7946 http://www.walterswim.com/

Strategy 3:

•Kiefer Swim Shops 9250 N Green Bay Rd, Brown Deer, WI •Dockside Sail, Swim & Surf 235 Broad St, Lake Geneva, WI •Swimmers’ Choice 797 Sauganash Dr, Fontana, WI •Elsmore Aquatic Swim Shop 9240 N Green Bay Rd, Brown Deer, WI •Baker Pool & Fitness 7131 s. 27th Street, Franklin, WI

Create a referral program as incentive to register for the swimming competition.

Tactic 1: Notify participants through promotional packages (posters, fliers) as well as at the end of the registration process that those who participate in the swimming competition can earn a free BSG t-shirt if they get two other people to register.

OBJECTIVE 4 Increase participation in martial arts 10 percent from 129 to 143 for 2011 Summer Games. (As the martial arts competition has seen no change in the level of participation over the past two years, it may be more difficult to create an increase then for the swimming competition).

Strategy 1:

Promote to all martial arts clubs and associations around Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Tactic 1: Send the previously mentioned promotional package to Wisconsin martial arts clubs and schools with a letter to instructors explaining why they should encourage their students to participate in the BSG, posters, and informational fliers about the martial arts competition listing the benefits of participating in the BSG which each student can take home. Tactic 2: Personally contact owners of local martial arts schools around Wisconsin and Northern Illinois by phone to make them aware of the BSG and ask them to promote the games within their communities. Tactic 3: Create a tab off of the BSG Facebook page just for the martial arts competitions. This will be linked off of the BSG Facebook and will include sport specific information to those who â&#x20AC;&#x153;Likeâ&#x20AC;? it.

Strategy 2:

Generate more sponsorship from local martial arts schools around Wisconsin that will specifically promote the martial arts competitions of the BSG. Tactic 1: Solicit sponsorship of the martial arts competition, or an individual part of it, to martial arts schools in Wisconsin such as Karate America of Wisconsin. Additionally present the opportunity for schools to give away coupons, t-shirts, or other branded items at the competition in turn for financial/ promotional support including hanging up a BSG poster in their school.

Strategy 3:

Arrange for past participants and/or dedicated athletes in martial arts to promote the game competitions. Tactic 1: Get volunteers, ideally within the target demographic of 11-18, to travel to three select local martial arts schools around the Fox Cities area and put on a demonstration about martial arts and plug the BSG. Offer incentives to participants such as cash, BSG apparel, iPods, etc. Tactic 2: Shoot videos of the demonstrations by previous participants and post them to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are You Game?â&#x20AC;? campaign webpage as well as the BSG YouTube account. The videos will be cheaply produced by BSG staff using a flip cam or other hand-held camera.

ADD ADD ADD

Strategy 3:

Create a referral program as incentive to register for the martial arts competition.

Tactic 1: Notify participants through promotion packets (posters, fliers) as well as at the end of the registration process that those who participate in the martial arts competition can earn a free BSG t-shirt if they get two other people to register.

CREATIVE STRATEGY Communication Objectives:

The main objective of our campaign will be to promote participation in the sports of swimming and Martial Arts at the Badger State Games to the target audience.

What’s the problem?

Participation and attendance levels have decreased since the move from Madison to the Fox Cities.

Target audience:

We are speaking to youth that are avid participants of either swimming or Martial Arts, but may be unaware of the opportunity to compete at the Badger State Games. Specifically, we are targeting youth ages 11-18, who are heavily dependent upon their parents and coaches to support them at the Games. We are also speaking to this parent demographic because of the fact that they may be the original source of information for the primary target as well as the influencer for the primary target to compete in the games.

What motivates the target?

Socializing with friends, staying active and healthy, and competing in their sports are incentives to register for the BSG. Also, the fact that it’s competitive but not cut-throat will motivate athletes of all skill levels.

What are the major truths about the target’s potential relationship to the product?

Majority of the target either isn’t aware of the BSG, or has heard of it, but doesn’t know much about the games. They have a genuine interest in their respective sports and they enjoy participating with their family.

What are the important features and competitive advantage?

Open to all levels/ages, all-inclusive, don’t have to try out. “The Olympics for everyone.” The BSG is the only Olympic-style sports competition in Wisconsin. Illinois does not offer an Olympic-style state game.

What’s the position?

There is a combination of fun and competition but is still a low pressure environment. It is a great family activity and a good way for athletes to stay in shape during the off-season.

What’s the brand essence, brand personality, or image?

The BSG brand is a family-friendly advocate for staying in good health, but in a way that appeal to different ages.

What do we want customers to do in response to our messages?

We want customers to take action by registering for the games and telling friends about the BSG.

Attitude:

Provide motivation to get in shape and stay in shape through training for and participating in the BSG.

The proposition or selling idea:

BSG is a low-pressure, fun way to compete in a sport you are passionate about. Reaching your goal, feeling accomplished and good about yourself is the desired outcome.

What is the reason to believe the proposition?

Past participant testimonials, media articles, photos, video and user generated content is proof that the BSG is great way to spend time with family, participate and stay fit.

How can you best stimulate the desired response?

Create more of a brand presence for BSG throughout Wisconsin, as well as within people’s minds. Put it on the same level with other popular sporting events and competitions.

How can you best say it? “Are you game?”

Where and when should we say it?

The message should be delivered through online social media platforms and BSG web properties. Also, the message should be delivered within the eight months preceding the games.

CAMPAIGN EXECUTION

Swimming Flyer

Swimming Poster

Martial Arts Flyer Martial Arts Poster

CAMPAIGN EXECUTION

Letter to swim coach

Letter to martial arts coach

EXECUTION CONT. Website Press Page With a revamped press page, the BSG website will become the place for reporters to get information about the games, photos, see previous news stories and more. A well-designed and content full press page will give reporters the information they need without having to dig for it. It will provide them with feature story ideas, get them excited about the games, build up the organization and will overall display the BSG in an organized matter. The press page will be laid out into four different areas, with different pages linked to each area.

About the Games: This tab will hold information about the history of the BSG, fact sheets and details about each sport. It will be a place for getting background information about the organization. Recent coverage: This tab will hold all Youtube videos, news clips and all recent stories about the BSG that have been covered. It will also hold all audio and video clips such as PSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and all of the campaign videos that will be created (see storyboards)

Feature story ideas: This page will provide the reporter with some topic ideas to cover. It will not be a place where reporters will get the same ideas and write the same stories. Instead it will give reporters some inspiration for different topics to write about. Included will be previous human interest stories like the winners of the Spirit of the Games Award and Volunteers of the Year winners. Reporters can contact the BSG for further information about an area of interest, whether it be sport specific, family related as in information about families that compete together, and more.

Photo Gallery: This tab will hold a variety of BSG photos for download. They will be free with the disclaimer that they are all property of BSG and must be credited. This will be a great way for reporters and media to run photos without having to go through the long process of requesting them.

Exclusive Human Interest Stories Stories such as these will be pitched exclusively to reporters and will not be featured on the press page. Quadruple paraplegic to swim in Badger State Games The Story: Jonathon Heider is an elite 16 year-old swimmer from Green Bay, Wis. Despite being born without his arms or legs, Jonathon thrives in swimming competitions. He currently holds 10 records on the junior national level. Jonathon gained national attention when CBS News shared his story in October of 2009. He will be competing in this summer’s Badger State Games swimming competition on June 24-26, 2011 in the 15-18 year division. The Idea: This is the type of story the BSG should pitch to media outlets. It is both heartwarming and hopeful and would increase positive associations with the BSG. The story, or stories of a similar nature, can be pitched to outlets such as WSN Illustrated, which promotes student athletes throughout Wisconsin. Additional outlets to pitch would include local newspapers such as the Green Bay Press Gazette and the Appleton Post Crescent.

Autistic martial arts class members to kick autism in Badger State Games The Story: A study shows that martial arts has significantly helped children with autism. John Greany, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, and two of his graduate students found interesting results from their 11-week study on children with autism. Greany’s team studied a martial arts class consisting of five to seven-year-old children with autism. They found that the students have improved their social skills, standardized test scores, and noticeably developed more positive behaviors. They also improved in certain motor skills such as balance, hand-eye coordination, endurance and have become significantly more in shape. The classmates who trained at Nicklaus Martial Arts America Studio in La Crosse will put their skills to the test this summer, as they will participate in this year’s Summer Badger State Games on Sunday, June 26, 2011. The Idea: This type of human interest story would be a great way to promote the BSG. Not only is it newsworthy and factual, but it also has carries a positive message. This story can be pitched to a number of media channels with the focus on the BSG as an outlet for children to overcome disabilities. This story should be pitched locally to the Appleton Post-Crescent, the Green Bay Press Gazette as well as to martial arts trade magazine such as Black Belt Magazine. Feel good stories can be a great way to increase awareness and sway people to attend or participate in the events.

CAMPAIGN TIMELINE

MEDIA BUDGET We decided that investing the Badger State Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (BSG) media budget in direct marketing tactics and social media would be the most effective and efficient way to reach the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target audience. Rather than spend tens of thousands of dollars on advertising in traditional media, our team felt that marketing directly to prospects through e-mail newsletters, print packages, live events and branded merchandise would have a deeper impact on the audiences we are trying to reach. In addition to direct marketing, we are also employing a myriad of social media advertising strategies.

Our first media tactic involves sending in-house created e-newsletters to former BSG participants. These 714 e-mails will be obtained from the BSG marketing department. To increase participation in swimming and martial arts, we decided to create informational print packages and distribute them to local youth swimming and martial arts programs throughout Wisconsin. These packages will include a letter to the coaches explaining why they should encourage their athletes to compete at the BSG as well as posters and flyers. These print materials as well as BSG branded merchandise like rubber bracelets, t-shirts and stickers will be distributed

by BSG volunteers to Wisconsin youth swimmers and martial arts participants at local competitions such as the WIAA Swimming Competition and the Kick Wisconsin Open Karate Competition. The majority of our budget will be used to fund the aforementioned tactics. Our social media strategies will be less expensive, but just as effective at raising awareness, interest and participation in the BSG. We will be hiring a video production company to produce two 30-second videos that we will disseminate through YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. We will stage a 30-day Facebook display ad campaign in the month

before the games to bolster new participant registrations. We will be paying 25 cents per click and we will budget to spend a maximum of $25 per day on clicks. We will also be posting trivia questions on Twitter, asking fans to upload their BSG pictures and stories to our Facebook page and sharing all of our content and user-generated content on our Tumblr page. Overall, we are confident that this media plan represents the best ways to spend the BSG advertising budget so as to attract new participants to swimming and martial arts as well as further engage past athletes.

BSG Budget

Task Print Live Events Viral Video Merchandise Social Media Total

Cost Percentage of Total $ 1,690.63 34.2% $ 203.00 4.5% $ 1,000.00 20.2% $1,280.00 25.9% $ 750.00 15.2% $ 4,923.63

100.0%

Social Media 15.2% Print 34.2% Merchandise 25.9%

Print Live Events Viral Video

Viral Video 20.2%

Merchandise

Live Events; 4.5%

Social Media

BSG Campaign Budget Task

Itemized

Total

Source

E-Mail Past Participant Newsletter

Reminder E-Mail

ColorPrintingWholeSale.com

Posters (500)

220.50

Flyers (15,000)

390.83

25.10

Letters to Coaches (251) Production

Distribution (Priority Mail Flate Rate Boxes @ $4.20 each) $ 1,054.20

USPS.com $1,690.63

Demonstrations

RoadTripAmerica.Com

Preble High School

20.00

Bayport High School

20.00

Appleton North High School

16.00 $

36.00

Viral Video

InnovaOneProductions.com

Production $1,000 per finished minute for 2 30-second videos Distribution

$ 1,000.00 $

$ 1,000.00

Merchandise T-Shirts (200)

800.00

VistaPrint.com

Stickers (1,000)

315.00

StickerGiant.com

Rubber Bracelets (500)

165.00

Sillybands.com $ 1,280.00

Promotional Booths WIAA Girls' Swimming Competition Gas

20.00

37.00

17.00

20.00

16.00

WIAA Boys' Swimming Competition Gas IHSA Girls' Swimming Competition Gas IHSA Boys' Swimming Competition Gas Kick Wisconsin Martial Arts Competition Gas Southern Wisconsin Open Karate Tournament Gas North American Grand Nationals Gas

167.00

750.00

Social Media Facebook Display Ads

750.00

Twitter Strategies

CAMPAIGN TOTAL

$ 4,923.63

CAMPAIGN EVALUATION Objective 1:

Increase awareness of swimming and martial arts at the Badger State Games by 10 percent statewide from 21,780 to 23,958 for 2011 Summer Games (awareness estimate based on total summer 2010 participation). Evaluation: The Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation should monitor “Are You Game?” campaign webpage hits (both unique and total), clicks on web ads, number of video submissions, media impressions, viewership of demonstrations, and number of flyers distributed at events. The WSDC should also conduct research during registration as well as after the BSG to understand which promotion tactics were successful. Webpage: The WSDC should monitor and calculate the number of hits the “Are You Game?” campaign webpage receives, as well as overall hits to www.sportsinwisconsin.com. They should track the number of unique hits as well as the total number of hits, to distinguish how many of the visitors were return visitors. The numbers should then be compared to the previous weeks or previous months during the duration of the campaign to when the spikes in website visitation occurred and if it can be correlated to another aspect of the campaign. In order to have a basis for comparison of traffic to www.sportsinwisconsin.

com, the WSDC should record the total monthly/weekly hits prior to starting the campaign. Web ads: The WSDC should monitor and calculate the number of clicks on any and all web ads that are placed, to keep track of which ad placements were most successful. If there are ads that receive extremely low numbers of clicks, or none at all, then they should be discontinued. Video Submissions: The WSDC should track the number of user generated video submissions to the viral video portion of the campaign. Media Impressions: The WSDC should keep track of the number of media impressions they receive both in Wisconsin, as well as Illinois. This will include articles/TV reports about the BSG, human interest stories featuring the BSG, blog posts mentioning BSG, etc. Demonstrations: The WSDC should keep record of the number of people who attend and witness the martial arts demonstrations, as well as the number of online views of the videos of the demonstrations. Number of fliers distributed at events: The WSDC should keep record of the number of fliers that are distributed at the various events they will attend, i.e.

the WIAA boys swimming tournament. Awareness poll at events: During in-person promotion of the BSG at events like the WIAA state swimming tournaments, WSDC staff members should ask everyone they come in contact with whether or not they have heard of the BSG before. They should keep a tally of how many have and how many haven’t. The percentages can then be projected onto the Wisconsin/Northern Illinois populations of 11-18 year olds to estimate current awareness levels. Registration: A poll during registration asking registrants how they heard about the BSG will help the WSDC to better understand which promotion tactics were effective, and those that weren’t. Exit poll/survey: In the survey that the WSDC already sends out post-BSG, they should ask participants about the different methods of promotion used in the campaign to again gauge which tactics were effective and which were not. This could also give them information about unused promotional methods they could employ in the future. Examples of questions that could be used for in the evaluative surveys are as follows:

1) How did you find out about the Badger State Games? • Coach/Instructor • Friend • Family Member • Online Advertisement • Facebook • Twitter • Newspaper article • TV report • Other: ___________ 2) If you had not heard of the Badger State Games prior to this year’s (summer 2011 games), in what month did you first become aware of them? • October 2010 or earlier • November 2010 • December 2010 • January 2011 • February 2011 • March 2011 • April 2011 • May 2011 • June 2011 • I was aware of the Badger State Games prior to this year’s 3) Please rate your attitude toward the “Are You Game?” promotional campaign • Very favorable • Somewhat favorable • Neutral • Somewhat unfavorable • Very unfavorable • What is the “Are You Game?” campaign?

Objective 2:

Increase number of social media followers 25percent across each platform for 2011 Summer Games Evaluation: After the campaign has ended, the WSDC should calculate the total increase in Facebook likes, Twitter followers and YouTube channel subscribers and see how the increases compare to the objective of 25percent increase across each platform. They should monitor the number of clicks on their Facebook ads while the ads are being run and then tabulate the total number of clicks after the campaign has ended. The WSDC should also monitor the number of views of their video uploads and tabulate the total when the campaign has ended. In order to have a basis for comparison of social media followers, the WSDC should record the total number of Facebook likes, Twitter followers, and YouTube channel subscribers prior to starting the campaign.

Objective 3:

Increase participation in swimming 50percent from 456 to 684 participants for 2011 Summer Games.

Objective 4:

Increase participation in martial arts 10percent from 129 to 143 for 2011 Summer Games. (As the martial arts competition has seen no change in the level of participation over the past two years, it may be more difficult to create an increase than for the swimming competition.) Evaluation: The WSDC should monitor registration rates during the campaign and leading up to the BSG. If registration for the swimming and martial arts competitions is lagging towards the end of the campaign, they may need to make a last minute push to encourage people to register. The WSDC should also tabulate total registration numbers for each sport, as well as those who actually showed up to participate after the BSG are over and calculate the increases from the previous year for comparison. Additional Evaluation: As a final method of campaign evaluation, the WSDC should calculate the total amount of revenue generated by the BSG including revenue from sponsors, registrants, attendees, and donors. They should then compare any increases (or decreases) to numbers from previous years.

CONCLUSION

ne of the “Are You Game?” campaign’s greatest strengths is the direct targeting of audiences to keep costs down. With a limited budget, we focused most of our spending on printing materials for promotional packages to send to coaches and instructors, purchasing Facebook advertisements and traveling to events to promote the BSG in-person. We also utilized social media tools to generate buzz for little to no cost. The campaign takes into consideration the needs and wants of its primary target audience. We realize that the 11 to 18-year-olds are using social media and want to be part of the conversation. With video contests, Twitter trivia and other social media tactics, we give them the ability to contribute to the campaign and make their voice heard. Through our integrated public relations and advertising efforts, we are also making an effort to reach our secondary target audience of 35 to 45-year-olds, the parent demographic. They are featured in one of the campaign videos, and we will connect with them when attending events like swimming and martial arts tournaments. We believe that the “Are You Game?” campaign will effectively increase awareness about the swimming and martial arts competitions at the BSG, increase social media followers and interaction with them and increase overall participation in the swimming and martial arts competitions. So, only one question remains… ARE YOU GAME?

BIBLIOGRAPHY Cornhusker State Games. (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.cornhuskerstategames.com/ Empire State Games. (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.empirestategames.org/ Gus Macker Basketball. (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.macker.com/ Held, T. (2009, January 25). Frosted at the badger state games. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved from: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/38295349.html Held, T. (2009, June 10). Money available for badger state games entries. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved from: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/47526312.html Held, T. (2009, January 26). Badger state games quadrathlon: the family that trains togetherâ&#x20AC;Ś Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved from: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/ lifestyle/38395719.html Martial Arts Schools in Wisconsin. (2011). Wisconsin counties with martial arts schools. Retrieved from: http://www.mmaplayground.com/martial-arts-school/in/wisconsin.html Meijer State Games of Michigan. (2009). Retrieved from: http://www.stategamesofmichigan.com/ National Congress of State Games. (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.stategames.org/ Rindfleisch, T. (2010, December 15). UW-L study: Martial arts benefit autistic kids. Lacrosse Tribune. Retrieved from: http://lacrossetribune.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/article_d72b152007c0-11e0-b670-001cc4c03286.html Schlesinger, R. (2009, October 2). The American Spirit: Strong Swimmer. CBS News. Retrieved from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/02/eveningnews/main5360054.shtml Shelton, B. (2011, January 30). Badger state games continue in Wausau. WAOW. Retrieved from: http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13935796 Shelton, B. (2011, February 6). Badger state games wrap-up. WAOW. Retrieved from: http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13979982 Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2004). Simmons NCS Teens Spring 2004. Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2008). Simmons NCS Adults Spring 2008. The National Federation of State High School Associations. (2010). 2009-10 high school athletics participation survey. Retrieved from: http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=3282 Unknown. (2011, January 30). BSG Archers Keep Minds on Target. Wisconsin Rapids Tribune. Retrieved from; http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20110130/WOF07/101300530/ Badger-State-Winter-Games-archers-keep-minds-on-target US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. (2007). Retrieved from: http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/ Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation. (2010). Badger state games. Retrieved from: http://www.sportsinwisconsin.com/node/202

APPENDIX A - SURVEY QUESTIONS

Swimming Survey Results

Martial Arts Survey Results

APPENDIX B - Press Materials

Press Release

APPENDIX C - Press Materials cont.

Contact Information: Maureen Murray Public Relations Director maureen@badgerstategames.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BADGER STATE GAMES SWIMMING EVENTS What: The 2011 Badger State Games will hold swimming competitions. Who: All swimmers interested in participating in the 2011 Summer Badger State Games are welcome. For age group information please visit: www.areyougame.com. Where: Erb Park Pool, 1800 Morrison St. Appleton, WI.

When: Swimming events for age groups 18 and over will be held June 24, 2011. Events for age groups 18 and under will be held June 24-26, 2011. How: This year’s registration fee is $55 for children’s age groups and $40 for adult age groups. For registration please contact Silvia Bryson by email at sbryson@ymcafoxcities.org or by phone at 920-954-7627. Registration deadline is June 1st. ### ABOUT THE BADGER STATE GAMES: Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation (WSDC) is a nonprofit sports management organization whose mission is to foster participation, competition and memorable experiences through events and programs that promote health, active lifestyles and a sense of community. WSDC owns the Badger State Games, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Paddle & Portage, Shape Up Badger State Kids and Lighten Up Wisconsin.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BADGER STATE GAMES MARTIAL ARTS EVENTS What: The 2011 Badger State Games will hold martial arts competitions with multiple weight and belt divisions Who: All age and belt color martial artists interested in participating in the 2011 Summer Badger State Games are welcome. For age group information please visit www.areyougame.com. Where: Radisson Paper Valley 333 W. College Ave., Appleton, WI 54911. When: Sunday June 26 2011. How: This year’s registration fee is $33. For registration information please contact Deb Harris (920) 469-7773. ### ABOUT THE BADGER STATE GAMES: Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation (WSDC) is a nonprofit sports management organization whose mission is to foster participation, competition and memorable experiences through events and programs that promote health, active lifestyles and a sense of community. WSDC owns the Badger State Games, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Paddle & Portage, Shape Up Badger State Kids and Lighten Up Wisconsin.

APPENDIX D - Video Story boards

Martial Arts Viral Video Storyboard

Swimming Viral Video Storyboard