Marketing Management and Strategy Coursework Two: Marketing Plan Retro Festival Dr Chris Parsons MG604 21028547 21103675 21128899
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Table of Contents 2. Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3 Market Overview .................................................................................................................................... 4 Company Overview ................................................................................................................................. 4 4. SWOT and Key Issues .......................................................................................................................... 4 4.1 SWOT................................................................................................................................................. 5 4.2 key issues arising from your evaluation .......................................................................................... 11 5. Mission Statement and SMART Objectives ....................................................................................... 12 5.1 Mission statement .......................................................................................................................... 12 5.2 SMARRTT Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 12 6.0 Segmentation and Customer Profiling ............................................................................................ 13 6.1 Conclusions and key findings - Emotional vs Rational decision making ......................................... 15 7. Branding, Service Proposition and Positioning ................................................................................. 16 7.1 Product/service proposition: .......................................................................................................... 16 7.3 Positioning....................................................................................................................................... 17 8. Communications’ Ideas ..................................................................................................................... 17 8.1 SEO .................................................................................................................................................. 17 8.2 Digital Hub....................................................................................................................................... 18 8.3 CRM tool like Hootsuite .................................................................................................................. 19 8.4 Using Social Media for good ........................................................................................................... 20 8.5 Photo-booth and Social media........................................................................................................ 20 8.6 PR campaign .................................................................................................................................... 20 9. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 22 10. References ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Appendix 1 - Retro Festival purchase process ...................................................................................... 28 Appendix 2 – Portas Five Forces ........................................................................................................... 29 Appendix 3 – Competitor Cross comparison table ............................................................................... 30 Appendix 4- Substitute, Indirect and Direct competitors ..................................................................... 33 Appendix 4 - PESTEL analysis of festival industry ................................................................................. 34 Appendix 6 - Google Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Adword Keyword Planner ..................... 37 Appendix 7- Marketing Mix .................................................................................................................. 38 Appendix 8- Marketing Segmentation .................................................................................................. 39 Appendix 9 - Survey monkey Snapshot (28.01.2014) ........................................................................... 40 Appendix 10 - Project plan .................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix 11 – Project Budget .............................................................................................................. 44
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2. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to build on the success of the Retro Festival that is held at White Waltham airfield in Maidenhead annually and organised by Stately Solutions, an events organisation headed by David Read. An internal and external marketing audit was compiled, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the market as well as the opportunities that arise, a competitor analysis, current assets and competences and marketing of the business. From this, communication ideas and recommendations were generated to improve not only the festival but the communications between the organisers and potential consumers. The report undertakes an in depth SWOT analysis to address the key issues with the retro festival as it stands. The strengths of the festival are that there is a large following, and this seems to be growing year on year. The visitors that have come highly rate the festival. However the weakness is that this isn't well known within the wider communities and it is seen as a niche festival for the older. An opportunity that arises from this is that if communicated well with a clear message to the right audience, the festival can then become front of mind for a summer weekend out. This links to threats, there are a number of direct competitors that offer their own services, but the real threat is substitutes like Merlin Entertainment Group as they offer more exciting entertainment at the same price point with theme parks such as Thorpe Park. Once the key issues had been identified, a number of communication ideas could be put in place. To improve ticket sales whilst improving the digital presence of the festival, a fully integrated digital communications strategy has been created, which will include SEO to drive traffic to the website and the social media activity, as well as CRM, which will be used to engage with potential consumers on a number of social media platforms. This will be controlled using a CRM based tool, which will create greater cohesion and a fluid message for consumers. Whilst building relations with consumers, local organisations and institutions through digital channels will be key to the Retro Festival, as it will look to broaden its presence and incorporate local businesses to promote them and vice versa, whilst allowing students of universities and colleges to develop their skills by creating content for the festival and fulfilling some key roles at the festival, which will help build their knowledge. Finally a PR campaign will be used alongside existing communications to create buzz and awareness for the festival, so that there is a greater response from consumers.
If this plan is fully implemented, it will create a greater presence for the Retro Festival and will improve the operations of Stately Solutions across its portfolio and secure future success. 3
Market Overview According to Mintel research (2013) the UK music concert and festival market is worth around ÂŁ1.4 billion to UK economy as of 2012, which saw a decline of 12.3% on the previous year. 2012 was a unique year for the UK, with the Olympics disrupting the arrangement of festivals and concerts as sporting events were held in the regular venues, such as Wembley Stadium. However, 2013/14 is expected to see a steady rise in the value of the market of 3.1%, as the country continues to recover from the damage caused by the recession (Mintel, 2013). With regards to those who attend music festivals similar to that of the Retro Festival, TGI data (2012) identifies that around 5.9% of all adults aged 15 plus have attended an outdoor festival that is not considered to be a mainstream festival such as V festival and Glastonbury festival, who dominate the festival market. Furthermore, of the 5.9% of adults who have attended these alternate festivals, 53% are married with 28.4% having children still living in the household.
Company Overview Stately Solutions is a privately held events organisation run by David Read (Stately Solutions, 2013). With over forty years of experience, David has run a number of events with the Retro Festival being one of the more notable events. The company specialises in more niche, specific events that include the Yorkshire Game Fair and the Live Crafts Festival as well as the Retro Festival (Stately Solutions, 2014).
4. SWOT and Key Issues From the secondary and primary research that has been conducted, it is now possible to compile this information into a SWOT analysis. Originated by Albert S. Humphrey in the 1960s, SWOT Analysis is as useful now as it was then. You can use it in two ways; as a simple icebreaker helping people get together to "kick off" strategy formulation, or in a more refined way as a serious strategy tool (Washington Education, 2011).
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4.1 SWOT
Weaknesses
Importance
High
The festival is run each year next to an airfield limiting the number of visitors to 25,000. If the Airstrip would to close, the festival would be able to expand its max capacity; however a review of losing the aviation part of the festival will have to be carried out to see the effect it would have on attendance.
Medium
For the whole weekend, tickets are priced at a reasonable £42, which includes entry and the ability to camp out, with 12-16 year olds costing just £11.50 and under 11’s gain free entry (Dave Read, 2013). Therefore the family is not out priced and the whole family can attend the festival.
High
Low but stable profit and cash flow. The only comment David Read would make on this is ‘if there were more people visiting it would give us more stable profit margins’ (David Read, 2013)
High
As the festival is all about retro. It allows niche, smaller companies that work with the retro theme to come in and promote themselves and have the ability to sell their products/services at the Retro Festival. Dave Read and Stately Solutions could charge a fee for these companies to do business at the festival in the future.
Medium
The event can be affected by weather. In 2011 the festival was scaled to just a hanger for live music. This had its own set of problems as the hanger was smaller and didn’t cater the number of visitors or trade stalls that originally set out to be there. The hangar is being used by the airstrip so the timescale that the planes were to be moved out and the event kit to be placed inside left for logistic issues. Could the process of choosing a date be reviewed, look at other data sources and variables for example met office.
High
The Facebook page has a following of over 3,000 people, with regular posts from people who have liked the page and a lot of interaction. Furthermore, from the questionnaire results a number of respondents first heard about the festival through social media interaction, therefore, it is an effective form of communication for the festival organisers.
High
The capacity for camping is set at 200, if there is enough demand could this be expanded. Looking into local fields, caravan sites or local hotel partnerships.
Medium
Dave Read (2014) stated in a Q & A that his company, Stately Solutions uses a number of magazine titles to promote the festival. These include UK rock, Blue Suede and Vintage Rock. Although these are niche titles, they are all centred on the vintage/retro genre and therefore, the festival will be of greater importance to its visitors.
Medium
David Read mentioned a point that ‘visitors are not interested in the ‘stars’ that come to the shows, it is about the overall experience’ (David Read, 2013). The stars that visit will have cost factors so a review of this is needed, how best to use them.
The music ranges from the 1940’s to the 1970’s with rock and roll, motown, and rhythm and blues being the main genres (Dave Read, 2013). According to the survey results, music is the main attraction to the festival and therefore, the vast offering of genres is more likely going to meet a festival goer’s interest.
Medium
Strengths The festival offers a vast array of attractions, which is proven through its promotional work, which states the festival is about wings, wheels, speed, steam, music, dance and bands (Retro Festival, 2014). This is likely to encourage a broader number of people to attend the festival.
Importance
At the current time there is no social media strategy to generate leads to buy tickets to the show. The social media is run by Sadie Boons but is only used to add relevant content and a little communication with followers. Also no digital sponsorship or partnership deals.
Low
Medium
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As the festival is held in Maidenhead, it is predominantly rural, with a smaller population than surrounding areas; therefore an event such as the Retro Festival gives greater exposure to the surrounding area and local businesses.
Opportunities
High
Importance
No structure to data capture from all digital sources like social media, website, email or other offline data collection from sign up forms or ticket sales. This data does not link to any email marketing campaign or stakeholder segmentation. This also said that David is looking for effective data inputs that show key insights and a simple process of using this for better effective marketing.
High
The path to purchase for those who wish to attend the Retro Festival is very complicated and unclear. There are a number of different options for purchase of tickets, yet they are ambiguous as they do not specify what each package contains. Therefore, the path to purchase needs to be improved so that consumers fully understand what they are purchasing (Appendix 1).
High
Threats
Currently there are no partnerships; this might be a good opportunity to have strategic alliances with other companies. Depending on the company and their services, if they have a good social media or digital presence this expertise can be shared between companies.
Medium
Research suggests that Retro Festivals biggest threat is substitute day trips out. Some of these include high-end establishments such as Merlin entertainment groups. These establishments offer similar or the same attractions for the same target audience of Retro Festival. Pricing is also similar.
Opportunities for using current data sets internally, if Stately Solutions utilized their data for key insights they may wish to use this to better the Retro Festivals products and services but also sell this insight with local businesses or trade that come to the festival that have the same target audience.
Medium
Research suggests that there are already festivals that have similar or the same theme as the Retro Festival and the niche market is currently emerging from different competitors. However, these festivals establish further on the retro themed experience using popular brands in promotion with their festivals giving consumers further insight into what is available in regards to vintage or retro.
An integrated model, however still providing a customised experience. From primary research there is a wide range of people with unique sets of interests so why not let the visitor of the website have their own experience, while still providing all the information they need to make a purchase. How in which they use this content may help to understand the segments decision process.
High
Camping is limited at 200 could this be expanded if demand is present.
Medium
With further research could the festival offer a service within its wide portfolio to attract the current visitors but also another audience with larger disposable income? This could help to expand into new revenue streams.
Medium
Digital training will be a good option for the people involved in the working of the Retro
Medium
The last threat which could potentially affect Retro festival is that the establishment lacks digital presence. In comparison with its competitors, Retro festival doesn't have as many likes or follows on social media platforms thus not being able to reach mass audiences. This can also be seen across the Retro Festival website. The competitor’s sites are easily functional, easy to purchase tickets and info on the event however; Retro festivals' website doesn't provide easy functionality
Importance High
Medium
Medium
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Festival, as it may help develop or support current activity for example, crisis management (for example when the weather affected the event in 2011), security, know of any change of visitors to the event, find dissatisfied customers to seek by the offering or the range a rival offers and find out why and have a better idea what is happening within digital space. From the question and answer with David (David Read, 2013), he identified the possibility of increasing attendance to the festival. In 2013, around ten thousand people attended, however there is the opportunity for up to twenty to twenty five thousand people to attend. Therefore, there is the possibility to increase overall attendance and in turn, increase profits
High
Strengths As David Read (2013) stated in a question and answer session with students of Bucks New University, the festival is not so much about making money, as it is about putting on a festival for the people who have a passion for the retro theme. Therefore, the prices for the festival are very reasonable, with a ticket for the whole weekend costing just £42, with the option of buying individual day tickets for £12 (Retro Festival, 2014). Furthermore, for children eleven and under, entry is free and as a result the festival is ideal for families with younger children as the cost would be minimal. For what the festival offers, the tickets are great value for money and do not out price the consumer, which makes this festival most accessible when compared with festivals who promote the retro and vintage theme.
Furthermore, as the festival focuses on the retro and vintage theme, it offers companies and small businesses whose product or service that follows these themes to come to the festival and promote them and to sell their products or services. This could be vintage fashion, vintage hairstyles, vintage cars and so on. Those that attend the festival should have some interest when it comes to retro and vintage and therefore, small businesses that sell retro and vintage goods may be able to make a profit at the Retro Festival and promote themselves, which will lead to better coverage. The Retro Festival offers a unique experience to consumers as well as small businesses.
Weaknesses The festival is run each year next to an airfield limiting the number of visitors to 25,000. If the airstrip closed the festival would be able to expand its max capacity. The cash flow and profit margins for the festival are ‘low but stable’. David also commented that more visitors would help as there is no clear route to changing the financial bottom line (David Read, 2013). Another capacity is camping is set at 7
200, if there is demand this would be classed a key missed opportunity.
Another issue the festival is heavily dependent on is the weather. This was seen in 2011, when the festival was scaled to just a hanger for live music and this had its own set of logistic problems as many of the weekends attractions were missed by visitors.
David Read mentions that the festival is very dependent on the ‘Vintage audience’ and this audience is not so much interested in the bands and ‘stars’ of the Retro Festival. The catering for the 2013 festival ‘lacked a theme’ and David is looking for a core and strong theme for the food and drink supplied at 2014. (David Read, 2013)
Digital weaknesses Currently there is no digital media strategy to generate leads to buy tickets to the festival. This also links to a lack of organising and utilising key data sets from ticket purchases and any other form of communications.
Moreover, there shows a lack of joining of internal data with external data to drive key insights for better business propositions and effective marketing communications. The website, which could be an internal source of data, has a lack of function and information for visitors. Also the path to purchase is complicated and unclear for users, leading to confusion on which tickets are needed for different days of the event and for which age groups. A screenshot of this can be seen at (Appendix 1).
Opportunities Currently there are no partnerships; this might be a good opportunity to have strategic alliances with other companies. Depending on the company and their services, if they have a good social media or digital presence this expertise can be shared between companies. Opportunities for using current data sets internally, if Stately Solutions utilised their data for key insights they may wish to use this to better the Retro Festivals’ products and services but also sell this insight with local businesses or trade that come to the festival that have the same target audience.
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Linking to this, digital training for business practice will help develop and support current activity. For example, crisis management (for example weather in 2011), security, better understanding of the visitors, find dissatisfied customers to seek by the offering or the range a rival offers and find out why and have a better idea what is happening within digital space. An integrated model, however still providing a customised experience suggesting from primary research there is a wide range of people with unique sets of interests so why not let the visitor of the website have their own experience, while still providing all the information they need to make a purchase. How in which they use this content may help to understand the segments decision process. With further research could the festival offer a service within its wide portfolio to attract to the current visitors but also another audience with larger disposable income. This could help to expand into new revenue streams. Key insight may show that camping that is limited at 200 could have demand.
Threats
Whilst conducting research for emerging and already established competitors it was found that there are festivals which offer similar or the same products and services (See Appendix 2). Complying within the same themed experience using popular brands in promotion with their festivals giving consumers further insight into what is available in regards to vintage or retro. In comparison of price, this festival varies between some of the higher competition (See Appendix 3). Moreover, the competitors tend to use similar pricing strategies which create threats for Retro Festival. Overall, this threat ranks at medium due to there being competitors which are similar in the market. Another threat which Retro festival has to compete with is the alternatives/substitute day trips out. These include high end establishments such as Merlin entertainment groups (Thorpe Park, Legoland etc). These establishments offer attractions which can be seen as day trips and are segmented into similar target groups to Retro Festival (See appendix 4). In addition, for some of these substitute organisations pricing strategies are also similar to Retro festival. Furthermore, the last threat which could potentially affect Retro festival is that the organisation lacks digital presence, in comparison with its competitors. Retro festival doesn't have as many likes or follows on social media platforms thus not being able to reach mass audiences. This can also be seen across Retro Festival website. The competitor’s sites are easily functional, easy to purchase tickets, and access information on the event, however Retro festival’s website doesn't provide easy functionality. 9
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4.2 key issues arising from your evaluation
Key issues from analysis
How does this affect the marketing plan? (colour need adding)
Increase ticket sales to increase profit margins.
The airfield offers the opportunity to increase the overall attendance to the festival as it has only been attended by a maximum of ten thousand people. However Dave Read (2013) stated that the airfield could possibly facilitate for up to twenty five thousand people and if this number of consumers attends the festival, Stately Solutions could turn over a record profit for the festival. This would present a number of opportunities for Stately Solutions and David Read, possibly attracting better established acts that follow the theme of the festival and also stage more occasions during the festival and enhance the overall experience.
Engaging with the community
From the research the community is very active, commenting on social media posts, uploading their own photos and content this has the opportunity to be used within a rich marketing plan to further stimulate better communications. These engagements and insights will let the event organisers like David Read and creators to develop a better experience for all visitors.
Implementing a digital Strategy
Complimenting current activity, the marketing strategy will follow an integrated approach, the reasoning for this is that current activity is fragmented and a lack of clear messaging relating back to the core value of the festival. There needs to be a clear understanding of what the Retro Festival can offer for the different groups of visitors.
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5. Mission Statement and SMART Objectives 5.1 Mission statement
Mission Statement Our mission is to deliver a unique experience for fans of the retro/vintage genre and families alike, whilst making the experience affordable to all those that wish to attend. We strive as an organisation to interact and engage with the local community and continue to build relations with our associates as we seek to expand operations and improve the retro experience.
As stated by branding and corporate identity practitioner Wally Olins (1999, p.28) a mission statement has become fashionable to organisations as it creates a common culture, shared values and a clear sense of direction. Olins further states that a mission statement is about being fast, responsive to the macro environment, energetic and dedicated to a common cause (Olins, 1999, p.28). The above mission statement clearly sets out the direction in which the Retro Festival should move towards and looks to involve third parties and build a relationship with those that can further the reputation of the Retro Festival (See Appendix 5) .
5.2 SMARRTT Objectives In setting objectives, David Pickton and Amanda Broderick state that objectives should be SMARRTT: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, relevant, targeted and timed (Pickton and Broderick, 2005, p.3). SMARRTT objectives ensure that a planner has clear and precise goals to build a strategy and against which to evaluate the campaign. The following objectives have been set to improve the overall business practice of the Retro Festival, to improve the digital presence of the festival and to understand who actually is attending the festival.
â—?
Increase ticket sales for Friday attendance as well as weekend attendance by 10% for the next annual festival.
â—?
Increase community presence by interacting with local universities/colleges using work experience and internship programmes as well as integrating more local businesses into festival operations.
â—?
To achieve a 50% increase in digital presence and traffic to website by the 2015 Retro 12
Festival. â—?
To establish a segmentation approach for the type of visitors attending the Retro Festival.
6.0 Segmentation and Customer Profiling Blythe (2008) states that segmentation operates at four levels; Mass Marketing, Segmented Markets, Niche Marketing and Micro Marketing (Blythe, 2008). Retro festival will operate on a Niche marketing level enabling specialised but profitable segment of the market (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). Blythe also suggests that the niche marketer concentrates on being the very best within a single small segment (Blythe, 2008). However, even though Retro Festival is categorised into this marketing segment, the festival offers many different activities over the weekend which could potentially target many different audiences. In addition, audiences go to the festival due to their acknowledgement or love of the retro/vintage era. This festival would be perfect for those who are into the retro theme as well as families who are looking for a day out where their children can come along too. Blythe also suggests that choosing the right market and targeting the market correctly and accurately is possibly the most important aspect to be carried out for the marketing plan. If the wrong segment is targeted - or worse not attempting to segment at all - this will lead to opportunities lost (Blythe, 2008). Offering segmentation into the market makes it easier to offer the customers benefits and better products and services when they attend the festival. This should then fulfil their further needs. Therefore, two customer profiles have been identified which stand out as the best target audiences for the festival. The following table shows the two segmented groups:
Segmented Profiles
The Family Market
Retro/ vintage special Interest groups 45-54
Demographic segmentation
Total of how many families with children. From primary research this shows there is a middle age to higher age range of visitors with 40.38% of respondents being 45 to 54. Of all respondents that came to the event, 52% have no children and then 18% has one child and 18% have two. These results are reflective of the national average of dependent children in their family is 1.7 on average.
The average age of people in Windsor and Maidenhead is 40, while the median age is also 40. This age group if the biggest of this area with age groups 4044 at 11,645 people and 45-49 11,195 people (Rbwm.gov.uk, 2012)
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Socio-economic segmentation
The Family life is widespread with a wide range of people visiting the show, but in regards to the family segment it would be Full nest 1 (with pre-school children) and Full nest 2 (school-age children) as defined by (Lawson, 1988) this is based upon the primary research of the age compared to the number of children they had, but also the census data based on average.
Primary research suggests showed an increased number of consumers which were retro/ vintage themed enthusiasts aged between 45-54. (See appendix 9)
Occupation and income
Mid-lifers as defined from Euromointor people aged between 45 and 49 years have the highest average gross income in the UK – £33,705 in 2012. However, this represented a decrease of 6% in real terms since 2007. Those aged 50-54 and 55-59 suffered slightly lower decreases – 5.5% and 4.6% (to £32,900 and £31,166), respectively. For people in this age group who have become unemployed, finding a new job can be particularly difficult in the current economic environment.
As stated by Euromointor people aged between 45 and 49 years have the highest average gross income in the UK – £33,705 in 2012. However, this represented a decrease of 6% in real terms since 2007. Those aged 50-54 and 55-59 suffered slightly lower decreases – 5.5% and 4.6% (to £32,900 and £31,166. This shows that this specific age group has a higher disposable income in comparison to the other segments.
Household spending habits
Recreation and culture spend per week in 2012 was £61.50 for the average household, within this category also includes package holidays for example. This figure had dropped from 2011 £64.00. (Ons.gov.uk, 2012) However clothing and footwear category that the retro festival shows is known for increased from £21.90 to £23.40. This has had an impact on these segments as price has become an ever more important factor.
From the office of National statistics shows that age categories 45-54 spend more than any other age category on day trips out, eating out and holidays away at 67%. However, these consumers showed a decrease in spending habits shopping in contrast with over segments which suggests a low 69% in comparison with other ages. (ONS, 2012)
Use of digital
In the UK 77.4% of households had a broadband internet-enabled computer in 2012, up from 56.7% during 2007.
According to Ofcom (Adults media use and attitudes report, 2012, p. 65), close to two-thirds (64%) of all adult internet users in the UK had a social networking presence in 2012. Social networking among those aged between 55 years and 64 years increased and, to a lesser extent, those aged 65 years or older. Social networking is mainly used as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family. (Consumer Lifestyles in the United Kingdom, 2013)
Reasons for visiting Retro Festival (use use primary)
Primary research has shown that the main reasons they go is the music, the retro experience and car/automotive. (See appendix 9)
Primary research has shown that the main reasons to why consumers attend the event is music, fashion and automotive. Within the 45-54 enthusiast market attending the event this could be due to the feeling of reliving their youth.
Parking and accessibility needs
Many of these families will own a car and the festival offers free parking for the event. Families look for hassle free solutions to these types of events. Also camping has a choice of Family or General Camping (some electric hookups available)
In 2001 there were, on average, 11 cars per 10 households, while in 2011 there were 12 (Cacciottolo, 2011). This indicates that the segments between 4554 will have a car per house- hold which would be brought to the event. The older generation will look for hassle free parking facilities for the event.
Factors that pursued purchase
The main factors that affect purchase
The key factor into purchasing behaviour for this targeted segmented audiences is
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Other
behaviour for these groups is the price for the whole family to go and pay for food, drink and activities as budgets are already right. Another factor is ‘will the children enjoy the festival?’ this is an issue for the parents. (David Read, 2013)
the Retro themed experience and music which the festival offers. With higher disposable income (Gov, 2012) than younger audiences.
The modern family in many cases is split with their own customised experiences; this may be the effect of digital devices. There is a lack of family bonding.
With the 45-54 retro and vintage themed enthusiasts in most cases these segments of the market tend to want to enjoy day trips out with friends or small groups.
Parents with younger children also look for a way of escapism, so they can go and ‘have peace’ for periods of time so facilities are key when letting them get away.
45-54 enthusiasts are targeted by the festival due to the fact of reliving youth, and with the retro experience being high priority of the festival goers this category look to find escapism back to their youth.
Activities
In the last few years BBC reports have suggested that Retro fashion has become height of fashion for specific retro and vintage enthusiasts. These segmented consumers will also be looking to purchase items specific to the retro/ vintage theme. (BBC,2012)
6.1 Conclusions and key findings - Emotional vs Rational decision making Family market The modern family is price conscious as seen from the average spend dropping from 2011 to 2012, this may also be the case of later ticket purchase because of the price it is a long term commitment and many families may want to consider the purchase closer the date (Gov,2012). The UK average family has 1.7 children this could be used within family tickets and further targeting strategies. From secondary research the household is ever more connected having access to the information and other means of entertainment. Primary research has shown that the main reasons they go is the music, the retro experience and cars/automotive which are on display. The show also needs to have good access to facilities like children’s activities but also parking arrangements as many family units will arrive by car.
Retro/ vintage special Interest groups 45-54 Retro and Vintage enthusiasts show not be price conscious when it comes to day trips out, as the Office of National Statistics suggest that 45-54 year old day trip habits are 67% which in contrast with the younger audiences at 65%. The Retro enthusiasts will be looking prior to the event to ensure that the group of enthusiasts can get tickets together to attend the event. From secondary research retro enthusiasts are willing to spend more for these events, which statistics taken from 15
GOV show that 45-54 year olds have a higher disposable income. Recent reports suggest that retro themed products and services are becoming more mainstream however; this is just in comparison with clothing and furniture. Furthermore, primary research suggests that retro enthusiasts want the overall experience; music, fashion and automotive.
Why then make finalise the purchase? - Emotional vs Rational decision making Emotional
Rational
The Family Market
What on offer for children, will it be good (first timers), Festivals being environmentally friendly.
Price, location, when, weather, Parking or Transport links, Convenient accommodation.
Retro/ vintage special Interest groups 45-54
Will the festival offer the retro experience for the enthusiasts and will it be reliving of their youth.
Location, weather, Parking, Camping, transport links and accommodation compatible for older audiences.
7. Branding, Service Proposition and Positioning 7.1 Product/service proposition: Having a clear brand and message is important to this niche festival as it will not appeal to the mass audience. For the Retro/vintage market there are a number of festivals that cater for this demand and these interest areas. Successful brands are valuable because they “guarantee future income streams” (De Chernatony and McDonald, 2003, p. 22). This is the case with Retro Festival as the event has branched out to cater for a wider range of interest areas. As primary research shows, ‘retro’ means various things to different visitors so having a range of attractions is also important to the USP of the event.
The festival is built on a long term deep unconscious nostalgia; this can be used as a competitive advantage “by intensifying a company’s individual customers and creating mutually beneficial relationships that go beyond simple transactions” (De Chernatony and McDonald, 2003, p. 31).
Segment
Product/service proposition
Family market
A three day event suitable for all ages with plenty to do for the children, share and make memories with the whole family. Let the young ones finding out what mum and dad dressed and dances like in their younger years. Retro Festival will be unforgettable and at a great price.
Retro/ vintage special Interest groups 45-54
Have a hobby or interest in yester year? Why not share this with other passionate people in a wide range of areas, it can be anything from the very best of vintage automotive, music, steam, aviation or finding the that style of unique clothing for sale from the many vendors that share their love for retro. All in a very friendly community.
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7.3 Positioning Brand positioning “is the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market” (Fuchs and Diamantopoulos, 2010, p. 1764).
The Retro Festival needs to become front of mind when a potential customer thinks about what they could do as a family during the summer period. This is also the same when an interest group for example is enthusiastic about ‘mod’ style; the Retro Festival needs to be thought of the place to go to find the ‘mod’ crowd, shops and style environment.
Segment Family market
The positioning will be different for the type of family that may be interested in visiting. But the facts and details need to the clear when they research further into the festival, as from research price is paramount. Retro Festival needs to position itself as being great value for money for the family, accessible to anyone in the local area to liven the weekend. Aiming for the mass family market will meet the objective of increasing visitors of the festival as more people, more paying members. Encouraging communications with this family market will stimulate further word of mouth that is most effective within this target group.
Retro/ vintage special Interest groups 45-54
The interest groups work within their areas, some have a breadth and depth of knowledge over their given topic. Retro Festival should further stimulate this as placing retro as the place to go for their given topic each year. The trade is key to the further success of retro festival as many small to medium business will use the event to showcase their work. These companies have presences in their local areas but also online encouraging their customers to come to the festivals.
8. Communications’ Ideas Communication ideas are the last step in the plan to explore how the marketing communications methods will achieve the overall business objectives. The main aim of these ideas is to encourage engagement with the wider range of segments/visitors of the festival, while creating ‘buzz’ to stimulate and create interest to the end purchase.
8.1 SEO From the primary research results, it is evident people are using social media and other forms of digital media to find out about the Retro Festival and to purchase tickets. As shown in (Appendix 6) there is no form of SEO being used for the Retro Festival webpage. Therefore as stated in the objectives, it is imperative to drive traffic to these social media sites and to the Retro Festival 17
website. This will be done to make this an affordable exercise, whilst also ensuring the most exposure to the Retro Festival. Google AdWords allow users to advertise on Google, by bidding for keywords that relate to the search of the consumer. These ads will then appear on the Google search page as sponsored links. As shown in the screen shots (see Appendix 6), Retro Festival is searched on average a thousand times each month. Furthermore, there is low competition from other bidders for the term retro festival and the suggested bid is only £1.74 (O’Donnell, 2014).Therefore, it would be ideal to bid for the term retro festival so that it appears when users search the term retro or festival. In addition, the ad will only cost Stately Solutions when it is clicked on, so if the ad was to be unsuccessful, it would not cost.
Furthermore, in the organic search for Google, when ‘Retro Festival’ is searched it appears at the top of the page. However, when ‘Retro events’ are searched, it appears at the bottom of the first page of the search. Therefore, to optimise the search for Retro Festival, improving the keywords of the social media page as well as the Retro Festival homepage will increase the likelihood of them being clicked on and appearing higher up the page.
As Moz states (2013) the Internet is becoming increasingly competitive, and those companies who perform SEO will have a decided advantage in visitors and customers (Moz, 2013). From the primary research results, respondents were asked to use keywords to describe their understanding of retro. Responses include ‘of the past’, ‘revival’ and ‘vintage’. According to marketer Bruce Clay (2014), the keywords should be placed in the meta keywords tag situated in the web pages html code. This means that the Retro Festival will appear with a broader range of searches (Clay, 2014).
8.2 Digital Hub As identified through primary research, Facebook is a main resource for fans of the Retro Festival and is used to find out about ticket prices as well as goings on and allows fans of the page to interact with the organisers to ask questions and to voice their opinion. With over three thousand fans of the page there is a high reach to fans of retro and also promotions of small businesses, bands and organisations that focus on the retro and vintage theme. However, the Twitter page does not receive many updates compared to the Facebook page, with the last post being in early December 2013 and apart from Facebook and Twitter the Retro Festival’s social media presence is limited.
Therefore, to improve digital presence as stated in the objectives, the idea is to use Facebook as a digital hub that can be thought of more as a brand community rather than just a generic Facebook page. Albert M. Muniz, Jr. and Thomas O’Guinn (2001, p.412) state that a brand community is a 18
specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relationships among admirers of a brand (Muniz & O’Guinn, 2001, p.412). It is specialized because at its centre is a branded goods or services. At the centre of this community is the retro theme and therefore the Facebook page should be used to bring that community together. This should include further promotion of retro organisations and daily updates surrounding the retro and vintage scene.
8.3 CRM tool like Hootsuite The scene is vibrant and many are creative, Retro Festival has the opportunity to push their message to more people, it is necessary to use a number of social media platforms so that content can be more accessible. This can be done using Hootsuite a customer relationship management (CRM) tool. It is understood that Sadie Boons will have a way of working and this is not to replace what is currently being used as the Facebook page has a very rich and tight community, these tools like Hootsuite should be tested like many management tools available. Hootsuite is one of the best, easy to use and friendly tools out there for work and play. Users can conserve precious tab space by connecting their Twitter, Facebook, Google+ (pages only), LinkedIn, Foursquare, WordPress and Mixi accounts under the Hootsuite umbrella, and take advantage of the convenient scheduling feature. Below is the pros and cons of Hootsuite. Pros
Manage multiple social networks simultaneously.
Cons
Hootsuite´s free version allows managing up to 5 accounts.
Schedule future posts.
Depends always on Internet signal.
Available for mobile devices: iPhone/iPod, iPad,
Don´t let you other URL shortened instead of
Blackberry, Android.
Create your personalized reports and get statistic to check results about your social media activity,
ow.ly.
Report templates are too limited on the free version.
track your campaigns or control your competitors.
Invite other team members to organize functions, segment queries and keep update your corporative profiles.
Is an online tool, you don´t have to download anything.
(Onbile Info, 2012)
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8.4 Using Social Media for good Being able to link up each social media platform will create a more cohesive and fluid message so that exposure is a high possibility. What the digital hub can also be used for is to promote the creativity of enthusiasts of the retro theme. To promote the creativity of enthusiasts, it will be feasible to link up with local colleges and universities so that students can showcase their talents on the Facebook page and website. This will allow students to showcase themselves as well as bring a new theme to the Retro Festival and this in turn will create more exposure for the festival and will attract a wider audience. Moreover, a partnership with local institutions will create longevity for a creative digital presence and will ensure that the digital work will be different each year.
8.5 Photo-booth and Social media For the festival, the aim is to continue to engage the festival goers even further with digital media. Therefore at the festival there will be a photo booth where consumers can dress up using props or their in their own vintage attire and have photos taken. These photos will then be made available to consumers on the website and the Facebook digital hub, which will in turn drive traffic and encourage users to interact with features on the page, such as promoted organisations and competitions. The photo booth will be set up at the festival with no cost as the props can be donated by Retro enthusiasts that actively engage with the Retro Festival Facebook page and the photos will be taken by an intern who has been selected via the college and university partnerships that will be forged.
8.6 PR campaign In relation to the proposed objectives and the targeted segment markets for Retro Festival, it has become apparent that one of the most important marketing tools is word-of-mouth. According to marketing professionals at PR Newswire word-of-mouth is 64% more effective than traditional marketing. In relation to reference from Baines, public relations campaigns leverage of persuasive power of reference group through word-of-mouth (Baines, 2004). This method suits the segmented audiences as word-of-mouth communication is so powerful precisely because we trust our friends, families and colleagues.
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The aim of the proposed campaign will be to: â—?
To use the Retro experience to interact with local publics close to the festival.
â—?
Increase traffic to the website
â—?
Increase ticket sales
This public relations campaign will implement the use of promotional staff or students to dress up in retro clothing, make-up and hairstyles specific to different eras. These members of staff will be situated in local towns near to the festival site. The Towns will include Maidenhead, Reading, Windsor and High Wycombe. However, to ensure full potential of this campaign it would beneficial to complete this on a busy weekend before the upcoming festival.
The promotional staff would be used to interact with the local towns and communities to give them an insight into what Retro Festival offers, with the staff in costumes this will ensure that the aim of the festival, which is too give an overall retro atmosphere, will be portrayed. Whilst the staff are walking around and encouraging positive attention, they will be distributing Retro Festivals flyers and information on how to buy tickets for the weekend.
Photographs will be taken whilst the campaign takes place, these will be posted onto the Retro festival website to increase traffic to the site and the increase of ticket sales. With the Hi Res photographs this also creates the opportunity to distribute press releases regarding the campaign and the festival. Press releases can be sent to local magazines and newspapers thus providing further reach to audiences.
In conclusion, the campaign will be measured by analytics to see whether or not traffic has been building to the website through the interaction of the publics. Moreover, an increase in sales figures will be portrayed which can be measured through ticket sales. Furthermore, in relation to press releases, media coverage reports and circulation can be found via public relations platforms once the story has been printed into the papers. The coverage reports and circulation will show an outline into how many consumers have potentially seen or read the articles.
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9. Conclusions The key issues that arose from the SWOT analysis were to increase ticket sales, engage with the community and implement a digital strategy. To increase ticket sales, a fully integrated digital communications strategy will be implemented to engage with consumers on a variety of social platforms and to build a rapport with potential consumers, who can engage with the Retro festival’s digital presence. With a diverse and enthusiastic community, the communications ideas in section will let the organisers of Retro Festival engage and understand the visitors better than before. This engagement in the short term will develop social buzz but also create a new social identity and personality that will be suitable for the target audience as they like to talk to a person instead of a company. By using a CRM tool like Hootsuite as mentioned earlier in the report, interactions can be tracked over time, so as the consumers learn about the festival the organisers can learn about their customers. This understanding will lead to better insight for better customised experience. This will help the festival organisers home-in on their targeting to push their consumers towards a purchase.
To bolster the community presence, the proposed partnerships with local institutions will encourage the community to get involved, better it through studies or to establish a business, the Retro Festival will become a platform that will grant these abilities. Implementing this plan with the digital strategy will create a greater conversation with the Retro festival and potential partner organisations, and will strengthen the presence of the festival both offline and online, creating a brand awareness.
Implementing these ideas will help the Retro festival develop into a brand that is front of mind when it comes to vintage and retro, whilst building a strong loyal consumer base that Stately Solutions can learn from and develop future strategy when attracting consumers and developing relations with the local community.
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Kotler, P. 1997. Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lawson, R. 1988. The family life cycle: a demographic analysis. Journal of Marketing Management, 4 (1). Legislation.Gov (2014) Environment Act 1995 [online]. Available from www.legislation.gov.uk [Accessed 05/01/14].
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Multimediamarketing.com. 1995. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). [online] Available at:http://www.multimediamarketing.com/mkc/marketingcommunications/ [Accessed: 26 Jan 2014]. Muniz, A.M. (2001) Brand Community. Journal of Consumer Research. 27 (1), pp. 412-432
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O'donnell, C. 2014. Birthplace of rock'n'roll: Discover the real Elvis on a tour of Mississippi. [online] Available at:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1224715/Birthplace-rocknroll-Discover-realElvis-Presley-tour-Mississippi-Memphis.html [Accessed: 31 Jan 2014]. Olins, W. (1999). Corporate identity. London: Thames and Hudson. Onbile Info. 2012. Hootsuite pros&cons. [online] Available at: http://www.onbile.com/info/hootsuite-proscons/ [Accessed: 26 Jan 2014]. Ons.gov.uk. 2012. Family size in 2012 - ONS. [online] Available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-demography/family-size/2012/family-sizerpt.html [Accessed: 25 Jan 2014]. Ons.gov.uk. 2012. Family spending in 2012 infographic - ONS. [online] Available at:http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/2013-edition/info-familyspending.html [Accessed: 26 Jan 2014]. Pickton, D. and Broderick, A. 2005. Integrated marketing communications. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall/Financial Times. Rbwm.gov.uk. 2012. Population of Windsor and Maidenhead | The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. [online] Available at: http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/pp_2011_census.htm [Accessed: 29 Jan 2014]. Read, D. (2013). Retro Festival Question and Answer Session. Questioned by third year Bucks New University Students [in person] High Wycombe, 11/12/13.
Read,D. (2013) Question and Answer with David Read. Interviewed by David Read [in person] Bucks New University, 11/12/13. Retro Festival (2014) Retro Festival Home Page [online]. available from www.retrofestival.co.uk [Accessed 03/01/14]. 26
retrofestival. 2014. retrofestival. [online] Available at: http://www.retrofestival.co.uk/ [Accessed: 23 Jan 2014]. Romany. 2013. The Retro Festival. [online] Available at: http://www.festivalkidz.com/factsheets/retro-festival/the-retro-festival/ [Accessed: 26 Jan 2014]. Skymet Weather (2013) Impact of Festivals on Environment [online]. Available from www.skymetweather.com [Accessed 04/01/14].
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Appendix 1 - Retro Festival purchase process
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Appendix 2 – Portas Five Forces
Threat of Substitutes (High)There is a vast array of substitutes to the Retro Festival, that include high end establishments such as the Merlin Entertainment Groups offerings of Thorpe PArk, Alton Towers and so on. At the other end of the spectrum there are more niche attractions such as outdoor adventure attraction Go Ape!, aswell as a variety of Zoos. All in all, the threat of substitutes is high as there are so many attractions throughout the UK that can offer entertainment for a similar target market as that of the Retro
Festival.
Threat of new Entrants (Low)- As the Retro Festival belongs to a niche theme for festivals, there is likely to be less new entrants into the market. However, as evident in the competitor analysis there are already well established festivals that promote the theme of retro and vintage such as Twinwood festival and Festival of Vintage. Therefore, the Retro festival has to concentrate on differentiating itself from these competitors and worry less about new entrants to the market as those new entrants are less likely to pose a threat to the well
Medium Competitive Rivalry
Power of Buyer (Low)Stately Solutions and Dave Read set the price at £42 for the whole weekend , with children under eleven gaining free entry. Therefore, there is a good raaport between the company and from the primary research there is a SCV that the festival does not outprice the consumer and that it is highly afforable. Therfore, there is no reason for the consumer to put the firm under pressure and results in the power of buyer being a low threat.
established Retro Festival.
Power of Suppliers (Medium)- From the question and
answer with Dave Read, he stated that the event costs £101,000 to put on each year and that means that the event just about breaks even, with last years festival making £103,000. Therefore, to make more money, Dave and Stately Solutions could look at alternate providers of festival essentials, however, due to the current economic climate, it may be difficult finding a chepaer price for the goods and services needed at a festival. This poses a medium threat to the Retro Festival as it is unlcear is prices will increase.
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Appendix 3 – Competitor Cross comparison table Retro Festival
What Products do they offer?
The products and services which the retro festival offers are... Shopping village Retro themed market Flying displays Vintage and classic car displays Caravans Hot rods Military vehicles Re-enactors Steam engines Auto jumble Kids zone Food & Bars Camp sites Music Dance Helicopter rides
Festival of Vintage
The products and services which these retro festivals offer are... Vintage music Vintage Dance Vintage Fashion Vintage Home Vintage Vehicles Collectors corner Vintage Hair and Beauty http://www.festivalofvintage.co.uk
http://www.retrofestival.co.uk/
What is their pricing policy and off trade description
Day ticket: £12 Evening Ticket:£17 Weekend Ticket : £42
Weekend pass: £16 Per adult Day ticket: £10 Children under 16: Free Open 10am- 5pm
Who are their customers?
Research for this festivals target market shows that there is not a specific market which they look to pinpoint. The festival offers an array of events and products for all ages covering from military vehicles to a children friendly
Research for this festival suggests that there is no age boundary when it comes to the festival however, this festival offers mainly events and stands which would interest those mainly who are interested in vintage items. With pricing for this event and
VINTAGE
TWINWOOD FESTIVAL
The products and services these Vintage festival offers are... Music Dance TV Film Art Design Food and drink stalls Workshops Then a night-time display off Warehouse Roller disco Soul casino The leisure lounge Let it rock lounge The torch club North south divide pub However, the vintage festival also has more areas which are retro themed in the event such as deals with Hemmingway wallpaper, crown vintage paint , Hallmark Vintage greeting cards and John Lewis deck chairs. http://www.vintagefestival.co.uk TBC
This Festival is located near Bedford The products and services this festival offers are... Air Displays 8 indoor venues 4 music bars Over 100 traders Classic Vehicles Sprung dance floors Comedy Burlesque Museums Hair & Beauty Food & Drink Camping The site also offers the opportunity to purchase gift tickets for other people.
Research for this festival suggests that they too do not have a specific target audience however, the products and services which they offer shows that they are trying to offer services to those of are over the age of 18. This can be shown by the nightclub aspect of the festival where they offer many different bars, roller discos and casinos. This can also be
http://www.twinwoodevents.com
Weekend Pass: £89.50 per adult and £14 per child Single day passes Saturday - £39 Adults £8 Child Sunday - £39 Adults £8 Child Monday- £28 Adult £8 Child Camp Site Pitching - £46 Research Suggests that this festival is more for your typical festival with over 60 bands and artists lined up to play at the event. Even though the target market information is not accessible it becomes apparent that the festival is there to provide to an older audience. Offering 8 stages and Burlesque it may not be an event which would
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zone. With the pricing of the event being at a lower budget end it become apparent that the festival is family friendly and affordable for anyone wishing to attend.
the products which this event offers is suggests that the weekend is family friendly offering children under 16 free entry this is also suggested by the 10-5 opening times and no camping facilities.
shown in the products which are accessible to purchase from the event, these for example are wallpaper, crown paint, vintage cards and John Lewis Chairs. Without the pricing it becomes hard to dissect and audience further, however to purchase these products an AB Audience would be their main target market. TBC London & other locations
be classed as family friendly. Research also suggests that the pricing is a lot higher than the other festivals which in turn does show that this festival is promoting to those with higher income this can be argued as children's pricing is a lot cheaper than the adults.
Dates of events?
7th - 10th August 2014 Maidenhead Berkshire
How strong are they within the market?
The retro festival has 25,000 capacity for the event has the capability of the strongest retro festival in the market however, the festival does not fill full capacity. With low social media subscribers the festival doesn't reach its key target audience. With the festival breaking even each year it doesn't make any profit to bring forward any advertising solutions.
Saturday 26th and Sunday the 27th April 2014 York The festival of vintage has the strongest consumer base on social media sites. Discover vintage own the rights to the company and these festivals and vintage theme events take part in different locations. the festival of vintage shows higher strength in the market over the other competitors.
VINTAGE- has different aspect which the festival offers, which overall makes it stronger in the market. This festival targets the older audiences (18+) giving it something different in the market. The festival is also supported by Hemmingway which gives it extra support against its competitors. The aspect of brands incorporated into the event shows strong position in the market.
Twinwood festival implements the music aspect of vintage. with well established brands promoting the name of the festival it becomes a strong competitor this is also due to large capacity available for not only the day events but also the camping facilities.
How do they promote themselves?
The retro festival promotes itself through its Facebook social media platform as well as posters and Billboards in the local area. (.....,2013) Using the Social Media platform for pictures of current events as well as keeping in touch with past festival goers word of mouth can be spread by those who have already attended. Event tickets have already gone up on the retro festival website for festival tickets for the same price as last year. Furthermore, a final promotional technique for the retro festival is the use of PR and the use of trade and magazines. For example good House Keeping
Even though the festival of Vintage like the other festivals implements their promotion through Social Media however, has a lower fan base in comparison to the other sites. The main aim for their promotion is using PR and Magazines and newspaper. This festival has seen coverage in high end magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Homes and Antiques, Queens of Vintage.com, Vintage Magazine, Grazier and York Press.
This Vintage Festival uses a lot of online platforms to get their consumers attention; the fan base is extremely high which overall will contribute highly to the word of mouth promotion. Research also suggests that this Vintage festival also uses the YouTube platform which shows.
Twinwood Festival has similar to the other festivals a high Social media consumer base with over 14,000 likes and followers. The site is also very promotional heavy with line-ups announced and also high interaction with these consumers. This festival also uses the early bird promotion to purchase tickets already for the event. The use of local newspapers and online newspapers also shows previous events Youtube videos along with the new events date and prices.
How strong are they within the
Retro festival offers a variety of different events over the course of the festival; such as the
The festival of vintage has been going for numerous years and has seen great coverage in local and
VINTAGE indicates maximum strength in the market due to the festival working with Hemmingway and leading brands such as John Lewis, Hallmark and
Twinwood is based on the vintage/retro music scene offering well established and known brands to perform at their festival. The festival also offers
23rd,24th & 25th August 2014 Bedford
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Market?
What are their strengths?
What are their weaknesses?
helicopter rides and airfield. Retro festival also offers a weekend or camping facilities for the event which also shows a different aspect of strength in this niche market. However, the social media fan base is restricted which makes this festival not so high within the competitor market. With a growing community of consumer followers on their Facebook page this shows the upcoming event and keeps in contact with their followers for the upcoming event. The uses of the air field and the helicopter rides as well as the children’s area are key strengths against the other competitors. The reasonable pricing also becomes a strength against the other competitors. No other social media platforms at this time are being used to interact with the festivals audiences. This makes it hard to get the festival seen by the target audience which they wish to entice. It also makes it difficult to gain new subscribers or new consumers from further distances with the limitations of one platform.
glossy magazines as well as a high social media fan base and implementation of many digital platforms. The festival also offers specific retro/vintage themed activities which overall giving the festival a higher competitive advantage.
Crown paint. This strength is also implemented by the use of having the festival in many locations around the country having one day events which makes the festival more specific. This overall makes VINTAGE a strong competitor in the vintage market.
many other visual displays such as burlesque and comedy which is a strength against its current competitors. The pricing however, is higher than the res but this could be due to the bands and other displays which it offers. Overall Twinwood is high in the current market specifically for retro music themed audiences.
Relatively strong online presence is found showing growing strengths within the festivals online fan base. One of their key strengths is their PR and the coverage which they have received in high end magazines. Reasonable low pricing helps the festival stand out and become more accessible.
Strong Online consumer fan bass with connections on all social media platforms which in turn covers all age category target audiences. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and more. With over 50,000 followers on these social media platforms it becomes apparent how not only this festival implements its promotion and Advertising but research suggests that communication all year round it happening on these sites. Events are also promoted for all year round events for example Retro/Vintage New Year’s party.
Fairly strong online consumer fan base, which is spread across two major social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. Over 13,000 people follow the festival which announces its line ups months in advance. The festival uses reasonable well known acts to entice its audience.
The weaknesses for this event consist of the fact the in comparison with other festivals are that there are not as many products of events going on in the day. The festival mainly seems to look at fashion, dance, music hair & beauty which does not offer something for everyone. Furthermore there online presence is quite spare with not many followers and not as much interaction as the competitors.
The main weakness for this festival is that they haven't announced a date for this year which means that no one is buying any tickets for it. Unlike the other sites, they also do not publish any press related articles which would help new consumers looking to attend gain further insight into the festival. Having a nightclub theme for the evening also could be considered a weakness for families with young children especially as tickets can be purchased for them but there is no minimum age for the event.
One of the key Weaknesses for this event is that compared to its competitors the pricing it's a lot higher. Secondly, there is no media presence found for this event, unlike its competitors which publishes the high end magazine and local newspaper coverage. The bars, burlesque and the offering of Childs tickets could also be considered a weakness as the festival does not have a minimum age limit nor does it say anything about being inappropriate after certain times, as the festival itself offers other events which a younger audience may wish to partake.
Sources: http://www.retrofestival.co.uk/, http://www.festivalofvintage.co.uk/, http://www.vintagefestival.co.uk/products, http://www.twinwoodevents.com/, http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/, http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/.
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Appendix 4- Substitute, Indirect and Direct competitors
Substitute
Indirect
Direct
Substitute (Day trips out)
Indirect
Direct
Substitute- has been identified as alternative day trips out. Which offer a variety of activities to do for families and similar target markets to Retro festival- An example of these would be Merlin groups Legoland or Thorpe Park. Indirect- These are festivals of day activities which offer similar products to the retro festival. However, these tend to be more specific in certain activities. For example these may include a steam rail or vintage car displays. Direct- These are festivals which offer the same products/ services as Retro festival. All or the majority of the activities offered are provided by competitors. There social media and websites are also similar offering similar displays and33 interaction.
Appendix 4 - PESTEL analysis of festival industry
PESTEL FACTOR Political
POINT 1.
2.
3.
Economical
1.
IMPLICATION ON RETRO FESTIVAL Health and Safety at work act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. The Health and Safety Executive, with local authorities (and other enforcing authorities) is responsible for enforcing the Act and a number of other Acts and Statutory Instruments relevant to the working environment. (HSE, 2013). Noise Control Code of practice on environmental noise at concerts act 1995 provides guidance on how festivals that will be using high powered amplification can avoid this disturbance to the surrounding area and minimise complaints (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, 2013). Environmental Act 1995 covers a wide range of topics including Pollution Control and codes of practice when hosting recreational events. In general, about respect to the surrounding area and the rules for the area (Legislation.gov, 2014). The Association of Independent festivals claims that independent festivals pump millions into local economies and that with 60% of festival goers staying for 3–4 days in the area surrounding the festival, spending on average £48 each, an additional £16.3 million was directly inputted into local economies (AIF, 2014).
2.
The recession has had a big impact on smaller, less established businesses and has resulted in reduced cash flow for the organisation, consumer demand has fallen as there is less of a disposable income and there are restraints when it comes to marketing the product or service the organisation has to offer (Chron, 2014).
3.
Overall, licensed capacity of music festivals has grown by 60% since 2004 – representing a massive increase in the number of festival tickets available. However, in 2009 licensed capacity fell for the first time in the last five years (on a like for like basis). Growth of this magnitude is unsustainable, and it now appears the market has reached saturation point. A number of the ‘newer’ festivals have ceased to operate and the market appears to have matured. Whilst total licensed capacity has fallen marginally, evidence suggests that
1.
Dave Read will have to comply with the regulations of the health and safety at work act so that his staff are treated fairly and making sure that his staff are competent and are provided with clear information as to how they should be treated and how they should treat visitors.
2.
The control of the live music will prevent complaints to that the Retro festival does cause a disruption to the local area and so that residents do not complain and therefore, the festival does not attract attention for the wrong reasons and there will be no fines, sanctions, etc.
3.
As the Retro Festival’s attendance does not exceed 25,000, the festival does not cause as much disruption as some of the bigger festivals, however as the festival is held in Maidenhead, there is a high amount of rural area that is well maintained and therefore, the local council would expect guidelines to be followed and adhered to.
1.
The Association of Independent festivals is something to consider for Dave Read, as the organisation offers incentives for independent festival owners such as discounted insurance and exclusive offers with sub-contractors for better priced services.
2.
As the Retro Festival is a smaller, more intimate festival, there is not a high level of consumer demand that a larger, better established festival can produce. However, Dave Read has not out priced the consumer and has set the price at a steady £42 for the past few years and the same for the 2014 festival. Furthermore, with the UK expected to surpass expectations with 2014 being a strong financial year (BBC, 2013), consumer demand may pick up and festival goers may increase in numbers.
3.
Whilst some of the newer festivals have ceased to operate, the Retro Festival has continued to attract a relatively large audience base and has seen an increase in attendance over the past few years. Furthermore, average spend and attendance has remained strong for UK festivals and therefore, the Retro Festival should, according to statistics, continue to remain operational.
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actual attendance at UK festivals and average spend by attendees have both remained strong in 2009 (Tumblr, 2013).
Social
Technological
1.
Music concerts and festivals are dominated by rock and pop, with 47% of adults in the UK having attended a live performance of one of these genres in 2012 (Mintel, 2013).
1.
Rock and Pop music seem to be the most popular genres amongst festival goers and with the Retro Festival celebrating the rock genre, it is sure to entice a number of people to the festival. Furthermore, as there a number of tribute bands who celebrate classic rock, it may work in Dave’s favour to get some of these acts to come along to the festival.
2.
Sanitation, ease of access, parking and convenient accommodation for families with younger children are the main factors that influence the decision process when people select a music event/festival/family event (Mintel, 2013).
2.
Dave Read has stated that ease of access and parking are not factors that cause much of a problem with the Retro Festival, yet more could be done to increase the accommodation facilities so that families with smaller children have a place to stay and this could be done by partnering with local hotels and bed and breakfasts to include a package that allows entry to the festival and a place to stay.
3.
Social media has stimulated ticket purchase over the past year and allows consumers to react positively or negatively to a festival, which can ultimately promote the festival for the wrong or right reasons (Mintel, 2013).
3.
Social media is becoming a major player in the festival market, with festival goers being able to have their input into the festival as well as follow the progress of the festival year on year. For the Retro Festival, it allows the 3,300 likers of the page to stay up to date with the latest additions and to say what they would like to see to improve the overall quality of the festival.
1.
According to leisure and media analyst Michael Oliver, booking tickets has now become less of a chore with mobile apps selling tickets becoming highly accessible and paperless ticketing, so entry to festival becomes easier and there is no angst waiting for tickets to come in the post (Mintel, 2013).
1.
With festivals being heavily influenced by technological innovation, paperless ticketing is now the norm and makes the festival experience for festival goers even less stressful as they can get their tickets on their mobile devices. The Retro Festival would benefit from e-tickets as it would make the whole experience run more fluid and would save Stately Solutions having to post tickets and would in turn save money.
2.
Match & Fuse is a touring exchange network and annual festival with a primary aim of connecting creative scenes across Europe. Over the past two years they have run a crowd funded festival in Oslo, Norway, where festival goers have pledged money to make the festival happen. The money raised will be used to bring in bigger acts and those who pledge receive a personalised video after the festival (match and fuse, 2014).
2.
Crowd funding and crowd sourcing has had massive implications on a number of industries over the past year, with music festivals and general festivals being no exception. What crowd funding could do for the Retro Festival is to attract bigger acts, increase the size of the festival and even increase the number of events that happen at the festival. This is a win win scenario for Dave Reed, because even if the festival does not acquire any crowd funding then the festival is run like normal, yet if the festival receives funding, then it can be improved.
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Environmental
1.
2. Legal
1.
2.
After months of drought 2012 produced the wettest summer in a century, with 370.7 mm of rainfall compared to the typical 226.9mm – that’s 60% higher than average. This has a direct impact on festivals in 2012, as more than half of the event organisers questioned (57%) said weather conditions were worse this year compared to last and fourfifths (80%) said the weather had an adverse effect on the event citing, which resulted in slower ticket and bar sales, difficult audience experiences, extended build and break-down times, cancellation; and restrictive movement across the site (Julie’s Bicycle, 2013). As well as noise pollution, festivals are responsible for water pollution, air pollution and dry waste (Skymet weather, 2013). Festivals are full of fun-loving people who want to have a good time. But they can also be targets for thieves and opportunists. The most common crime is theft, drug and alcohol abuse and assault, with sexual assault not being uncommon (NHS, 2014). E-Tickets are being reprinted and sold on through ticket touts, which may mean that people who have paid for a ticket cannot attend the festival (Mintel, 2013).
1.
Out of anyone’s control, the weather can have huge implications on the experience of attendees at the festival and can ultimately ruin the experience for those that do attend. The weather has been highly unpredictable over the past two years, no matter what time of year it is. It might be a safe bet for Dave Reed to think about having certain parts of the festival in tents or under canopies to deter from cancelling the festival, which happened in 2012 because of bad weather.
2.
With a number of ways that festivals can cause pollution, Stately Solutions needs to have a clear and concise plan as to how they are going to tackle these factors. This may include what is allowed during the festival and a team that it willing to tidy up after. Furthermore, as the festival includes a number of retro automobiles and planes, Stately Solutions could look at using cleaner fuel for the festival to comply with regulatory standards and the Environmental act.
1.
To control the possibility of crime taking place at the Retro Festival, Stately Solutions could hire a number of security guards to patrol the camp site and to make sure everything is running smoothly. Furthermore, they could look at introducing lockers at the entrance of the festival that could be rented out to festival goers at a fee, so they know that their belongings are safe. Also, as the Retro Festival has a social media presence, Stately Solutions could post a list of guidelines for festival goers.
2.
To prevent the possibility of tickets being sold on through ticket touts, make sure the attendees provide some sort of identification as they enter the festival, such as the card they paid for the tickets with, which shows the ticket is authentic.
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Appendix 6 - Google Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Adword Keyword Planner
Lack of optimisation when it comes to Twitter, as tweets are too sparse and there is no real engagement with consumers. #Retrofestival was only used around 20 times in 2013, with it not being used before for Dave Read’s Retro Festival. Therefore, Stately Solutions should encourage future conversation with consumers to encourage them to attend.
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Appendix 7- Marketing Mix
Produ ct
Retro Festival celebrates the heart and soul of UK vintage over a three day weekender in the Berkshire countryside, just a hop skip and a jump from the bright lights of London. Focusing on the most popular vintage eras 40s, 50s and 60s. With a monster line up over three live music stages offering some of the biggest and most exciting vintage, retro and rock n roll acts in the UK, hundreds of classic and vintage vehicles and air planes, fashion from the biggest vintage brands and independent sellers and more vintage and retro fun than you can shake a tail feather at! The Retro Festival offers a complete festival experience for ‘vintagistas’, life styles who live and breathe vintage, dabble on the weekends and the "Retro Curious”. (retrofestival, 2014) Value proposition: Unique vintage with steam, flight, cars, music, dance festival. Trade have opportunity to sell boutique items to a unique market Camping is 200 capacity During the evening: 5 bands and store that are still open. Catering is organised by a external firm - however Food lacked strong theme last year (2013) Need look.
Price
Weekender Tickets - Adult £42.00, 12-16 yrs £27.00 Friday August 9th Evening Tickets - Adult £17.00, 12-16 yrs £11.50, up to 11 yrs Free Saturday August 10th All Day & Evening Tickets - Adult £21.00, 12-16 yrs £14.50, up to 11 yrs Free Day Tickets (up to 17.00) - Adult £12.00, 12-16 yrs £8.00, up to 11 yrs Free Evening Tickets - Adult £17.00, 12-16 yrs £11.50, up to 11 yrs Free Sunday August 11th Day Tickets - Adult £12.00, 12-16 yrs £8.00, up to 11 yrs Free
Prom otion
TV ITV broadcasting retro fest Tried: Regional TV channels, Themes Valley, Just west, ordination. Online Web: http://www.retrofestival.co.uk/ Banner ads Social media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Retro-Festival/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RetroFestivalUK Print Leaflets Outdoor Posters Road side Magazine (small publications: Vintage life (Read, 2013)
Peopl e
Visitors Facebook page likes: 25-44 (Facebook.com, 2013) Customers are: families with pedants of 50+ Equal gender Demographics: Local area Workforce 7500 staff (Large percentage volunteers with free membership to show) 10000 on the ground / max capacity is only 25,000 people Each interest area has a ‘Creator’ Vintage, Rock’n roll, mod, vintage, biker groups (Read, 2013)
Place
Berkshire, UK http://goo.gl/maps/94QhP White Waltham Air Field Waltham Rd Maidenhead Windsor SL6 3NJ
Proce
The current process of buying tickets is all through the website with online booking. (Read,
38
ss
2013) ‘There is no way of having a phone booking service because we do not have the staff'
Physi cal evide nce
Colour and illustration is an intangible assess to the brand. Facilitating goods and trade within the physical Environment.
Appendix 8- Marketing Segmentation Critical success factors of festivals
Implications on Retro festival
Important point to take into the plan
Line-up - ‘A big draw in the form of a headline act or headline acts is needed in order to encourage people that it will be worth travelling a long distance. This aspect is particularly important to under25s’ (Mintel 2013)
Retro Festival visitors are of an older demographic that will not go to the festival solely on music along (Read 2013) The survey results indicates that music would entice people to go to the festival with 96%, however ‘The retro experience’ and ‘Cars/Locomotives’ where a close second with 88%.
This result shows the marketing team that the festival can’t focus on one area; it needs to incorporate the different interests of areas. This may be a result of the range of interpretations of ‘retro’ impacting people want different elements to their experience.
Keeping things under cover - Areas that are under cover and are protected from the elements are of more appeal to female attendees at festivals. Women who are provided with a few ‘creature comforts’ can be targeted using this factor and are therefore, more likely to enjoy the festival (Mintel, 2013).
As a result of adverse weather conditions in 2012, the festival had to be cancelled. However, as of last year, Stately Solutions and Dave Read have kept music undercover (Read, 2013). However, as this is an expensive thing to do at a smaller festival compared to the large festivals that attract a greater number of people, There is only a limited amount of festival events that can be kept under cover at the Retro Festival.
Weather is an uncontrollable aspect of a festival, yet the weather can impact on attendance as well as slower ticket and bar sales, difficult audience experiences, extended build and break-down times, cancellation; and restrictive movement across the site (Julie’s Bicycle, 2013). Therefore, it is important to take as many precautionary measures to prevent any of these mishaps.
Convenient accommodation for families- For those who don’t want to ‘slum it’ camping in a tent or to have to put up a tent themselves, festival organisers are increasingly providing more comfortable, convenient (and more expensive) options on-site when it comes to accommodation. The idea of renting pods/cabins with en-suite bathrooms or having the option to rent a tent that is already set up appeals most to parents with children aged 5-9, reflecting the fact that children require a bit more attention at festivals than adults and so any corners that can be cut in the set-up process are welcome (Mintel, 2013).
According to Dave Read (2013) the airfield where the festival is held only accommodates for 200 camping spots. The festival is of a smaller proportion than its counterparts and therefore, there are not as much room for camping facilities. Furthermore, as the survey results show, around 33% of respondents attend the whole weekend, which is not that many people, compared to 47% people that attend just the Saturday.
If the number of camping spots was increased then Dave Read and Stately Solutions could see an increase in whole weekend attendance. Also, they could look at accommodation in the surrounding area including bed and breakfasts that could lead to improved attendance numbers and a better overall experience for the attendees.
Transport links - Younger visitors may not own their own car, so being able to get to an event using public transport is often key. Providing enough car parking for older visitors becomes a more important priority. (Mintel 2013)
There is no primary search on transport options; however these are a number of Bus routes outside the venue. From the survey results the people that attend are between 25 plus with 40.38% 45 to 54 This would indicate that the proportion of visitors will own a car or mode of transport.
From the main objectives to increase the number of visitors there needs to an evaluation of local transport, can it handle the increase of demand.
Festivals being environmentally friendly- From Mintel research (2013)
Dave Read (2013) stated in a question and answer session that a random noise
If the rules and regulations are followed regarding the
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14% of survey respondents claimed that festivals that were environmentally friendly and follow rules and regulations regarding the environment would be a factor influencing their decision to attend festivals.
pollution check was undertaken by the local council and they passed the test.
Local economy, community jobs charity campaigns
(add more later?)
environmental act (1995), Then no fines or sanctions can be given to Stately Solutions and Dave Read and furthermore, the festival will become favourable with the local community and can build a good rapport with residents around the Maidenhead area.
Appendix 9 - Survey monkey Snapshot (28.01.2014) People that have been to the Retro Festival Q1 – What is your age?
Q2 – How many children age 17 or younger live in your house hold?
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Q3- What is your understanding of retro?
Q4 – Have you ever attended the retro festival?
Q5 – If yes, what days did you attend (Please choose those that apply)
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Q6 – How did you find out about retro festival?
Q7 – what aspects of the retro theme would entice you to go?
Q8 – Will you be attending the 2014 festival?
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Q9- Would you recommend the festival to friends and family?
Appendix 10 - Project plan
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Appendix 11 – Project Budget
Sources: http://www.iamimp.com/promo-staff/flyer-staff, http://www.vivienofholloway.com/women-c70/dresses-c10/bombshell-dressc96?gclid=CP_ojaqRsLwCFYcSwwodPVcAMw, http://www.lisagillphotography.com/studio-photography/, http://signup.hootsuite.com/promobile/?mkwid=sO6sl5gNp_dc&pcrid=36513269614&pkw=%2Bhootsuite&pmt=b&gclid=CIz45ISYsLwCFQ QGwwodan4ApQ
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