Proposal for Laura Winter Falk Spring 2015
EXPAND THE EXPERIENCE!
Campaign
Contact Information
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Alexis Farabaugh afaraba1@ithaca.edu
Adam Rudd arudd1@ithaca.edu
Paul Cohen pcohen1@ithaca.edu
Angela Griggs agriggs1@ithaca.edu
Molly Lobell mlobell1@ithaca.edu
Nick Mecca nmecca1@ithaca.edu
Table of Contents 3 About the Agency 4 Executive Summary 5-13 Situation Analysis 5 Current Situation & Future Opportunities 6 Content Audit of Articles 7-8 Industry Trends 9-10 SWOT Analysis 11 Research 12 Competitor Analysis 13 Closing Comment 14 Objectives 15-16 Target Audiences 17 Strategies 18-22 Tactics 23 The Big Idea
24 Measurement & Evaluation 25-27 Timetable 28-29 Budget 30-31 Staff Bios 32 Thank You 33-37 Appendix 33 Stickers 34 Flyer Mockup 35 Twitter Analysis 36 Instagram Analysis 37 Survey Mockup
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About the Agency 607 Public Relations is a small firm based in Ithaca, NY. We are a team comprised of dedicated and passionate PR agents. Because our firm was founded in Ithaca--a closeknit and loving community--our primary goal is to make sure that we develop a great connection and a lasting relationship with our clients. From beginning to end, we are dedicated to our clients and treat them like family. With 607 Public Relations, you will embark on a journey that will enhance your business or organization reach its highest potential.
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Executive Summary
Experience! The Finger Lakes offers Ithaca tourists an opportunity like no other business. Owner Laura Winter Falk takes great pride in the quality of her tours and the personalized connections she and her guides make with the group customers. We are looking to enhance the experience that Laura offers by opening the target audience to a wider selection of residents and tourists. In doing so, we also look forward to spreading the brand awareness through different tactics all throughout the year, instead of just seasonally. We want to see improvements during the long Ithaca winter so that the business does not need to be so reliant on the warmer months. While we do understand the desire to be
specialized and unique, we also feel it would be beneficial to broaden the services so that local and tourist interest can increase. Together, we are very confident in our ability to make Experience! The Finger Lakes a more versatile business while still having its quality held in high regard. We thank you for this opportunity to make suggestions in hopes to improve your illustrious business. We look forward to working with you and listening to your feedback.
Thank you. 4
Situation analysis
CURRENT SITUATION & FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
CURRENT SITUATION • seasonal • high quality • unique experience • narrow audience
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
• expand audience • winter experience • increase brand awareness • increase advertising • increase social media usage • include more packages • add more promotional events
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Situation analysis
CONTENT AUDIT OF ARTICLES
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of news articles that showcase all that Experience! the Finger Lakes has to offer. Many of the articles that mention the company are simply promoting the book “Culinary History of the Finger Lakes: from Three Sisters to Reisling”, written by Laura Winter Falk, one of the owners of Experience! the Finger Lakes. When you search Experience! The Finger Lakes on Google news, you only get eight results, three of which are about the book, one is an advertisement for an event Cayuga Lake Wine Trail held during the winter with a bacon and wine pairing, another article for the Bluegrass festival, (which Experience! The Finger Lakes held wine tastings for), and another for the boat tours. The other two articles mention the company indirectly.
http://experience.usatoday.com/food-andwine/story/tours-and-trails/wine-tours-andtrails/2013/09/05/finger-lakes-new-york-winetours/2770635/ Above is a USA Today article entitled “Get a Feel for the Fingerlakes on Guided Tours” published on September 5, 2013. It lists Experience! The Finger Lakes as the first of several wine touring companies in the area, including Grapevine Country Tours, Crush on Canandaigua, and Finger Lakes Wine Tour Trolley. There needs to be more news coverage of this company. While there are many positive reviews by bloggers, bed and breakfast owners, and on Yelp and Tripadvisor, Experience! The Finger Lakes could benefit by creating flyers and stickers.
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Situation analysis
INDUSTRY TRENDS
• We live in an “experiential economy”people want a wine experience, to become immersed in the culture of wine making, agriculture and to feel like a member of the winemaking • Farm-to-table movement community. • Social media has lev-
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eled the playing field, enabling new destinations, small wineries and boutique hotels to reach a larger audience. This brings back the value of uniqueness, personalization, and customization.
Situation analysis
INDUSTRY TRENDS
1. Develop Wine Roads- make maps that include the different wineries, provide hours of operation, websites, contact info, and directions. These wine road maps can also include local restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions, and should be made available on the website for free and in brochure format to make planning a wine tour easy and convenient. 2. Wine Community Partnerships- successful wine regions work in partnership with local hotels, restaurants, airports and transportation companies. They often hire an Executive Director of Wine Tourism and Marketing for the region that is responsible for developing these community partnerships. 3. Special Wine Events and Festivals- Many wine regions offer special events and festivals, but it is crucial to think outside the box. In Lodi, California, they have a “Wine and Crane Festival”, and at Melton Wine Estate in new Zealand, they host a “Cabaret and Wine Show” with comedians and singers. This could work very well in the Finger Lakes, as we have many different talented theatre venues and comedians in the area. 4. Experiential Wine Programs- In a similar vein to special events, experiential programs allow clients to experience unique hands-on events. For example, in Napa and Sonoma Valleys in California, it has become common for visitors to take part in wine blending, creating their own customized bottle (such as a cabernet sauvignon and a malbec) and designing their own label to take the bottle home with them. Personalized bottles make great gifts for anniversaries and weddings! Another experiential program example is that of “Dog Walks in the Vineyard”, offered by Martha Clare Winery in Riverhead, NY. 5. Unique Partnerships- Linking up with different partners, rather than the expected food, wine, music and art, is another practice of successful wine regions. For example, a winery in Canada has teamed up with a local golf course
to offer a “Chip and Sip” experience, which pairs up golf and wine-tasting. Similarly, the Sonoma Mission Inn Spa in California has teamed up with local wineries to offer afternoon wine-tastings for visitors who have spent the day at the spa. 6. Focus on Art and Architecture- some wineries attract visitors by adding art galleries, sculpture gardens, and other unique-art related items. 7. Food and Wine Matching- this is generally achieved by a wine region organizing special food or wine tour pairings and events. One example is the Wine and Paella Event in Baja, Mexico, where local wineries match their wines to different paella dishes. Another example is the Wine and Food Showcase celebrated every year in Sonoma County, California where local restaurants pair up with wineries to showcase wine and food pairings. 8. “Green” or Ecotourism Focus- Some wineries offer special tours and educational programs on the crafting of organic and biodynamic wines. 9. Unique Wine Tours- these unique wine tours are targeted at visitors who have more extreme passions. Some examples are the “wine and kayaking” experience offered by Chatham Winery in Virginia, or “river-rafting and wine tasting” offered by Southern Oregon Wineries. Other examples include 4-wheel Jeep drives through Steinbeck Vineyards in Paso Robles, in California, or wine and hiking tours. 10. Social Media for Wine Tourism- Wineries should ensure that their GPS directions are correct, that they are easily found on search engines, and that their website is mobile-friendly. Several wineries have gone as far to develop downloadable apps that provide the user with information, maps, and even tasting discounts and coupons. Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Trip Advisor should be updated regularly.
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Situation analysis
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
• great personalized service and interpersonal skills with customers • showcases different areas in Ithaca • expertise in wine and ithaca lakes • branded as classy and sophisticated
OPPORTUNITIES • • • • • •
winter season available for indoor events could branch out to a wider audience seek out advertising partnerships sponsorships local business networking
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WEAKNESSES • “dry” season is in the winter-- little to no events • appeals to small audience • minimal social media presence
• • • •
THREATS
climate other wineries cheaper, less-exclusive tours small population
Situation analysis
SWOT ANALYSIS
Experience! The Finger Lakes is a successful business for multiple reasons. The first aspect that customers rave about is the high-quality service. The “attention to detail and very unique touches” enchant the audience so much that there are many 5-star reviews. Because Experience! The Finger Lakes tours includes multiple lakes, namely, Cayuga, Kueka, and East Seneca, customers are not limited to just one location-- or one tour, for that matter. During these various tours, expertise is evident through extensive knowledge in different wines and their tastes. Overall, Experience! The Finger Lakes is branded as highclass and sophisticated, consequently, pulling in a wealthy audience and establishing an image that says the adventures are unforgettable.
only one of them is advertised a family-friendly-- and still requires an attendant that is 21 or over. Also, there is minimal social media presence. Though social media sites like Twitter and Instagram are still being updated, they are not frequent and conversational. Experience! The Finger Lakes can take part in many opportunities. Simply by creating indoor events for the winter season can improve the annual budget projections and help the brand awareness year long. The audience can also expand by including a secondary audience (ex. alumni, parents). Finally, crucial advertising opportunities are available. This could also include partnerships and sponsorships with other wineries and tours.
With opportunities comes threats: Ithaca’s Though Experience! The Finger Lakes stands climate, population, and wine competitors. Because the weather is often unbearable, most as the number one wine tour in Ithaca, there are some weaknesses. Ithaca’s climate stands of the relatively small population likes to stay inside during the brutal months. The lack of in the way of numerous tours taking place, desire for outdoor experiences during that as it is extremely cold for about five months. Fewer tours means fewer dollars to help make time threatens Experience! The Finger Lakes for a good portion of the year. Experience! The Finger Lakes as successful as it could be. Of the tours that are available,
S W O T
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Situation analysis
RESEARCH
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Primary
We conducted a soft interview with six different couples in our target audience to receive primary research. Through those six interviews, we found out that all of them have been to the Finger Lakes at least once, but none of them have been on a wine tour in the area, nor have they have heard of Experience! The Finger Lakes. We also found out that most of the couples would spend an average of 50 dollars for a wine tour. The lowest amount that was said was 25 dollars, while the highest was 100 dollars. Most of the prices that were said, were out of range for most of the tours offered through Experience! The Finger Lakes. Also, most of the couples said they would prefer to do a wine tour with the whole family, and not just as a couple, even if there were family members that were underaged.
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Secondary
To help determine our tactics, strategies, and objectives, we engaged with secondary research. In this case, our secondary research consisted of feedback and reviews of tours given by Experience! The Finger Lakes. After going through the feedback and reviews of different tours and events put on by Experience, over 90% of the feedback was positive. The one negative comment found was extremely surprising. The owners even responded to the negative comment trying to make light of the situation. What sets Experience! The Finger Lakes apart from others is that it responds to comments and adjust its tours accordingly. Besides the one negative comment, almost everyone who had left a review had nothing but good things to say about what tour they went on.
Situation analysis
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Experience! The Finger Lakes is a one of a kind business. They are the only providers of high quality, personalized wine tours in the area. There are no major competitors that offer services that are up to par with Experience! The Finger Lakes. However, there are a couple other companies that target and attract many of the same customers as Experience! The Finger Lakes.
Seneca Lake Wine Trail:
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail works closely with a variety of wine and tourism related organizations. They offer to put customers in touch with various wineries, transportation services, and lodging services throughout the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Although they attract many of the same customers, they do not provide customers with the personalized and exclusive tours that Experience! The Finger Lakes does.
Cayuga Lake Wine Trail:
Cayuga Lake Wine Trail has a similar business model to The Seneca Lake Wine Trail. They also refer customers to wineries and events and provide them with maps and information about the wine trail. Once again, they do not compare to the services of Experience! The Finger Lakes.
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Situation Analysis
CLOSING COMMENT
The primary concern we have is the exclusivity of this business. The provided services appeal to a very small market and produces most of its revenue in a small portion of the year. We feel the best way to improve the business would be to make it more versatile so it is not as reliant on a small amount of people and small time frame. Expanding the business so more people know about the brand is something that can also be improved.
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Objectives
607 Public Relations is excited to introduce the following plan for Experience! The Finger Lakes:
1 Increase diversity of customers 2 Increase brand awareness
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Increase revenue significantly during the winter months
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Target Audiences
PRIMARY
There are three main audiences that we are trying to target with this campaign. First, there is the young bachelorette age. Females in general are more likely to go on wine tours than men-- and something about a girls weekend getaway to a wine tour sounds really appealing to people. It’s a social event, and for the most “classy” ladies that don’t want to go to a club and get crazy, this is a more lowkey but enjoyable event. Second, there’s older couples. During the summer and fall, older couples tend to have the most amount of down time. Going to a wine tour is the perfect thing to do for those couples that love wine. It’s something different, but also very exciting.
Lastly, there’s wealthy wine drinkers. Wine tours are expensive, especially Experience! The Finger Lakes. Customers have to really like wine to go on one of these tours. So if they have a lot of money and love wine, Experience! The Finger Lakes is the perfect afternoon getaway.
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MEET JENNA. She is a 29-year-old bachelorette looking to have some fun at her bachelorette party this spring. She and her friends aren’t into the “party scene” and just prefer to hang out with a glass of wine and talk. Wine and beautiful gorges are two of her favorite things. Experience! The Finger Lakes is the perfect bachelorette party for her. MEET RICHARD AND MARY. Mary is 54-years-old and Richard is 56-years-old. Yacht season is over for the summer, so they are looking to spice things up this fall-- and Experience! The Finger Lakes is the perfect weekend activity. Cozying up to different expensive wines is a fall activity that Richard and Mary would be excited to partake in. MEET JOSIE AND MARK. They are up for the summer visiting their son at Cornell. Their son is in class most days and Josie and Mark are looking for something fun to do. Since Mark is lawyer and Josie is a doctor, they have tons of money to spend on this vacation. They are experts at wine so Experience! The Finger Lakes is a great opportunity to put those taste buds to the test.
Target Audiences
SECONDARY
These are people who we think would also be interested in wine tours. It is not our primary audience, but we would like to broaden the audience even more. Older College Students
Most college students are on a tight budget and are not able to afford an expensive wine tour. But for those that are 21 and do, Experience! The Finger Lakes could be the perfect weekend afternoon activity.
Families
Families like to partake in activities and adventures together, especially on vacation. Including this demographic helps those families in particular.
Alumni
People who have just graduated college and come back to visit, going on a wine tour is the perfect fall activity. It’s a social event that all alumni could participate in.
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Strategies
• to appeal to a lower economic class o By including this demographic, Experience! the Finger Lakes will really open up its audience to be able to accommodate everyone. • to increase presence on Ithaca College and Cornell University campuses o By taking advantage of the campus community, Experience! The Finger Lakes can accumulate more customers. • to partner with more local wineries o This will open up opportunities to raise awareness and develop lasting relationships that can help with word-of-mouth advertising. • to connect with other local organizations o This will give Experience! the Finger Lakes the chance to partner and engage with mutual support with other local organizations. This could lead to free advertising (through word-of-mouth and in-kind promotions) and great communicative relationships. • to give people more opportunities to experience events o Opening up winter time slots for customers gives them more opportunities to purchase plans and experience Ithaca even in the winter. • to engage social media users o This will allow for interactions and conversations. This kind of engagement creates personal relationships with returning customers and prospective customers. • to define brand Experience! The Finger Lake’s image as completely unique o Because Experience! is unlike anything in Ithaca, it is crucial to use that identification to brand itself as an experience that is completely personalized and unique to the tourists.
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Tactics
#1 - OFFER CHEAPER TOURS
Strategy: Appeal to a lower economic class
Instead of only offering extensive tours featuring many different things for larger sums of money, it may be possible to break the tours down into shorter ones for less money in order to appeal to people who cannot afford the longer tours.
#2 - OFFER SPECIAL DEALS DURING COLLEGE EVENTS Strategy: Increase presence on Ithaca College and Cornell University campuses
Since there are opportunities to reach large, diverse audiences during alumni week, it might be a good idea to offer discounts in order to attract an even greater audience.
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Tactics
#3 - SET UP BOOTHS AT LOCAL FESTIVALS Strategy: to connect with local organizations
The Commons in Ithaca are a great place to attract new customers and maintain a good, consistent relationship with loyal customers. This will also give Experience! The Finger Lakes the opportunity to partner with other local organizations and consequently, raise brand awareness. Events like Apple Harvest Festival, Cayuga Lake SUP Cup, and Chili Festival are great events to begin with.
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Tactics
#4 - OFFER TOURS OF DIFFERENT WINERIES AND LOCATIONS Strategy: to connect with other local organizations
By adding new locations, the brand is given a fresher image to help past customers becoming returning customers. Because there is already a partnership with Coltivare, expanding to other restaurants could be great for brand awareness and developing relationships.
#5 - POST MORE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM Strategy: to engage social media users Right now, Experience! The Finger Lakes has a minimal social media presence due to lack of activity. We suggest they post more pictures to help illustrate the tour experience, which we feel will attract more customers. This is also a great way to reach out to younger audiences.
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Tactics
#6 - CREATE & PRINT STICKERS
Strategy: to define brand Experience!’s image as completely unique
Creating stickers would be a great way to spread brand awareness. Some stickers could include a statement such as “I Experienced! The Finger Lakes.” Others could include a modern design of the logo that would still be brand recognizable.
#7 - HOST A HOLIDAY PARTY
Strategy: to give people more opportunities to experience events
Since winter is such a difficult time, we suggest offering a party during the holidays to taste the best wines and relax with people who share common interests.
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Tactics
#8 - EMPHASIZE FAMILY-FRIENDLY TOURS Strategy: to increase presence at IC, Cornell
Many of the current tours require customers to either be 21-years-old or be in the presence of a 21-year-old, restricting who can partake. We feel a lot of people don’t recognize this could be a family-oriented business. Being in a college town, there is a lot of potential to profit off students and their younger family members, but too many of them can’t partake.
#9 - EXPAND DEALS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES TO ADVERTISE Strategy: to connect with local organizations
We want Experience! The Finger Lakes to get in contact with more local businesses in the Commons and Collegetown to create a partnership. Some benefits could include getting them to help advertise by putting flyers in their windows or offering gift certificates to their customers.
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Tactics
607 Public Relations wants to expand, expand, expand Experience! The Finger Lakes. So we’re calling this campaign of broadening the audience, locations, and brand awareness...
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EXPAND THE EXPERIENCE!
Measurement & Evaluation
The success of our campaign will be tracked continuously using various methods. We will be tracking and monitoring:
Online Presence • Website traffic and profiles of users who visit the website • Number of followers on various social media outlets Sales • Revenue-- especially during the winter season • Number of tours • Differences in age and gender diversity on tours • Attendance at special events Surveys • Survey results from locals/college students/alumni about their awareness of Experience! The Finger Lakes • Survey results from customers to see where they heard about Experience! The Finger Lakes • Survey results from returning customers to see if they enjoyed the new features on the tour
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Timetable
SUMMER 2015
This season is the most popular time for Ithaca. While most college students move away for the summer, the tourism season is bustling.This time slot begins in June and goes until the end of August. We would like to accomplish during this time: • Table and distribute flyers and coupons at the Ithaca Festival • Vendor at Cayuga Lake SUP Cup (Myers Park, Lansing. July 31st-August 2nd) • Continually update social media (Try having a social media takeover by an intern or a client who is on the wine tour, live tweeting and instagramming the experience)
FALL 2015 Fall is when Ithaca is truly at its most radiant. The beautiful foliage and cool crisp weather is the perfect time for families, friends and colleagues to go on a wine tour of the Finger Lakes. Autumn is the end of festival season, and the beginning of the holiday season. During this time, we would like to accomplish: • Table at Apple Harvest Festival, offering coupons or incentives • Push holiday tour packages and gift certificates • Table and distribute flyers at Family Weekend, homecoming events and alumni weekend for both IC and Cornell • Update social media sites weekly
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WINTER 2015 Our winter season begins in November. After the Thanksgiving holiday, most Ithaca residents are looking for indoor activities. During this time, we would like to accomplish the following: • • • • •
Highlight the beauty of wineries in the winter through social media Begin holiday tours for those who celebrate any religion Post flyers at indoor concerts Give out coupons and table at Chili Festival Continue to update social media sites weekly
SPRING 2016 This season is when Ithaca residents emerge from their winter hibernation, and are excited to explore the area once again. This time slot begins at the end of March and carries through to May. We would like to accomplish the following during this time: • Set up booths at Ithaca and Cornell • Offer senior week discounts and promotions • Collaborate with local restaurants such as Coltivare for tastings and events
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Timetable 2015- 2016 MONTHLY SCHEDULE
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Budget
Our project includes estimated costs to implement the suggested programs. This does not include the cost to hire public relations agents, which would likely be necessary. • Applefest booth Friday through Sunday: $175 • Vendor space for Cayuga Lake SUP Cup for two days: $50. (This includes a 10x10 space. Vendors are responsible for providing their own tents/materials) • Table at the Ithaca Festival: $30 (This includes the optional rental of a 10x10 canopy, a six foot table and chairs. Vendors may also supply their own materials) • 1000 Flyers: $650 (1,000 flyers) • Barn for Holiday Party: $3,000 • Stickers (to be handed out at the end of the tours): $100
TOTAL BUDGET: $4,005
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Budget
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Staff Bios
Alexis Farabaugh
Alexis Farabaugh, a sophomore at Ithaca College, is a Writing major with a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications. She is a web editor for her campus’s alternative publication, Buzzsaw Magazine, and has made Dean’s List several times. Coming from a small town outside of Philadelphia, she enjoys exploring and experiencing the rest of the world through creative outlets-- whether that’s through poetry, graphic design, web design, or working as a makeup artist.
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen, a sophomore at Ithaca College from New Jersey, is a Sport Media major. He is a weekly sportscaster on 92 WICB Ithaca. Paul has experience with event management after he planned a charity Badminton tournament to benefit the Salvation Army. In his free time, he enjoys watching as well as playing sports.
Molly Lobell
Molly Lobell, a sophomore at Ithaca College, is a Cinema and Photography major with an Integrated Marketing Communication minor from Dallas, Texas. She is involved with three ICTV shows, a Dean’s Host for the Park school, and a member of Sophomore Class Council. Molly also is an RA for first-year students. In her downtime, she loves watching Netflix, reading, or hanging out with her friends.
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Staff Bios
Angela Griggs
Angela Griggs, a junior at Ithaca College, is a BA Theatre Studies major with a concentration in stage management and a minor in Integrated Marketing and Communications. Angela is a member of Oracle Honor Society, and has recently returned from a semester abroad in London
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Adam Rudd
Adam Rudd, a sophomore at Ithaca College, has a major in Business Administration and minor in Integrated Marketing Communications. Adam has earned a spot on the dean’s list every semester and is active in Ithaca College’s student chapter of the American Marketing Association, where he conducts campus-wide surveys. As an intern at Puzzle Social, a technology-based startup company in New York City, Adam created and managed advertising plans. In his downtime, Adam enjoys playing soccer and basketball, as well as traveling and hiking.
Nick Mecca
Nick Mecca, a sophomore at Ithaca College from Rome, NY, is a Sport Media major with a concentration in sports broadcasting. Nick has experience in budgeting, organizing activities and schedules, as well as promoting on-campus athletic events. Outside of the classroom, Nick is a sports broadcaster on the Bomber Radio Network carried on 92 WICB Ithaca. Nick is also the secretary and a captain of the men’s club ice hockey team at Ithaca College.
Thank you again, and we hope you will...
EXPAND THE EXPERIENCE! 32
Appendix
STICKERS
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Appendix
FLYER MOCKUP
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Appendix
TWITTER ANALYSIS
Experience! the Finger Lakes could change the name to better represent the brand by changing the name from “ExperienceFingerLake” to “Experience! The Finger Lakes” As displayed by the dates, it is clear the twitter presence is low. Simply by posting every few days, Experience! The Finger Lakes will create a stronger relationship with its followers.
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Appendix
INSTAGRAM ANALYSIS
Instagram can also be useful when it comes to developing relationships with followers and prospective customers. Adding “What is your favorite springtime wine to enjoy?� increases opportunities for interaction and developing loyalty.
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Appendix
SURVEY MOCKUP
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