TABLE OF CONTENTS
MARKETING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND METRICS
EVALUATION OF MARKETING PERSONNEL
EVALUATION OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT SYSTEMS
APPENDIX B - TARGET SEGMENTATION
APPENDIX C - TACTICAL MARKETING ACTIVITIES TABLE
APPENDIX D - IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND SCHEDULE
This report is submitted in accordance with the formal requirements for the course MKTG 493 section 1 in the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. This report has been prepared as part of an academic exercise under the guidance of Instructor Marc Boivin and contains information only and not advice. Please note that this report was prepared by students and recommendations are implemented solely at the responsibility of the owner of the report. Neither the authors, the Instructor, nor the University of Calgary assume responsibility for the results obtained in its implementation.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The objective of the Fairy Tales Presentation Society (FTPS) is to bring awareness to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transexual, Queer, and Allies (LGBTTQA) issues through films as the core medium. FTPS strives to create a safe and respectable venue for all to openly and freely celebrate the LGBTTQA culture. Performance is greatly dependent on the ability to both mitigate expenses and acquire grants, meaning the availability of resources for FTPS is limited to the grants and sponsorships it receives.
Queer entertainment is a niche service that operates as part of the entertainment industry as a whole. The current customers of the organization are majority male individuals who are between the ages of 21-44 years old. These males are identified as part of the LGBTTQA community.
Strengths of FTPS include differentiation, uniqueness, and a strong leader and organic organizational structure. The biggest weakness of FTPS is that one person is managing the entire organization’s operations. However, diversity is becoming more recognizable and accepted in society, which presents various opportunities for FTPS. Many threats present themselves in the queer community from conservative groups, competition, and online streaming services and social stigma. The organization's main competitive advantage is differentiation: it offers a unique experience, as it is the only queer film festival in Alberta.
Given the internal weaknesses and various external opportunities, the best strategic direction for FTPS is turnaround. There are three alternatives that FTPS can pursue: target allies, host more mini-film festivals, or expand further into the entertainment scene with music. The best alternative to pursue, given the current situation and condition, is to target allies; specifically, the “Female Social Media Maven.”
FTPS’ first marketing goal is to expand reach and visibility to garner more awareness and support for the LGBTTQA community. The second marketing goal is to have higher attendance for the annual film festival. These goals can be achieved through the objectives of updating the website, hiring a full-time employee in charge of social media, and targeting the Female Social Media Maven.
For the LGBTTQA community, FTPS offers a social-movie experience. The overall strategy for FTPS focuses around the organization becoming an integrated part of both the LGBTTQA and Calgary communities as a whole. In order to attract The Female Social Media Maven, FTPS will have to extend the product line to better fit the segments’ interests. This can be done by hosting events which are more welcoming to this inexperienced segment. Promotion will also be focused on this segment, and pricing will be value-based. Place consists of maximizing ticket-selling outlets.
The overall approach to implementing the marketing strategy is by command, as James holds the decision making power of the organization, and can easily decide on the next steps for FTPS to take in moving forward. Successful implementation requires employees to know the specific activities for which they are responsible for, and a timetable for completing each activity. To determine the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, FTPS must evaluate and control the marketing activities on an ongoing basis. The marketing activities to be audited include: product, pricing, distribution, promotion, and customer service activities.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
The objective of Fairy Tales Presentation Society (FTPS) is to bring awareness to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transexual, Queer, and Allies (LGBTTQA) issues through films as the core medium. The festival focuses on featuring filmmakers and actors/actresses who are part of the queer community, highlighting both their talent and personal journeys. The organization's strategy focuses on using film as a tool to facilitate discussion and bring about social change regarding the stigma around the LGBTTQA community. FTPS strives to create a safe and respectable venue for all to openly and freely celebrate the LGBTTQA culture.
A tactic implemented this year to bolster marketing effectiveness is a mobile marketing campaign. In the past, print marketing had been used, but it is an out of date practice which limits the organization's ability to track company marketing performance. By partnering with a start-up technology company, FTPS is able to gain access to cutting edge marketing technology at a very limited cost, and potentially increasing festival attendance. Additionally, throughout the year, FTPS uses social media marketing to connect with followers, with the most active platform used being Facebook. During the winter months, its social media presence is less active but slowly increases prior to the festival. Since full-time employees are extremely busy during the festival, a student is hired to update and maintain the FTPS social media platforms. Performance is greatly dependent on the ability to both mitigate expenses and acquire grants, meaning the availability of resources for FTPS is limited to the grants and sponsorships they receive. However, FTPS does have support from many organizations within the Calgary community, including large entities such as Royal Bank.
Human resources are extremely limited since James Demers is the only full-time employee. Due to this, the performance capabilities of FTPS are constrained, causing certain processes to be inefficient. An example is the process of acquiring movies and film festival movie selections. James acquires, watches, and selects all the movies on his own. This poses a potential for bias because he is the only person deciding which movies are selected for the festival. The acquisition process is also limited to James’ network, and as result, FTPS is missing the opportunity to collaborate with other LGBTTQA festivals in Canada and internationally. If FTPS had more employees, it would be able to establish more connections, making the selection process more efficient. Festival expansion would be effective, but given the limited staff, it would be difficult to do. For instance, James would have to drive all around Alberta to set up the festivals himself, which is unrealistic.
The current organizational structure of FTPS is simplistic because the organic culture is based around two employees, James and the administrator. Employees enjoy freedom and are able to make autonomous decisions. Throughout the year, contract employees and volunteers are hired for set periods of time, particularly during the film festival. The atmosphere of FTPS is relaxed and fun.
CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
The current customers are majority male individuals who are between the ages of 21-44 years old. These males are identified as part of the LGBTTQA community. They are repeat customers because they go to multiple movies during the duration of the festival. In addition, this segment attends many other LGBTTQA-related events throughout the year, whether it be in Calgary or other Canadian cities. As a result, they are heavily and consistently involved in the LGBTTQA community on a regular basis. This segment is loyal, returning to the festival year-after-year.
Potential customers are members of the LGBTTQA community who have not yet attended the festival, but are willing to. This segment is varied in terms of the age range, gender, and how they identify themselves within the LGBTTQA community. FTPS customers purchase a festival pass, the product, and watch multiple movies throughout the festival’s duration. The customers also attend events at the festival, such as themed parties in the evening. Each year, the parties have a different theme, such as a prom-themed gala for 2016, which provides the customers with a new experience. The party this year is gala-themed, and the festival goers will dress in prom-style clothing. The festival facilitates open discussion about thoughts on the movies, as well as the LGBTTQA community in general. Customers can purchase festival passes on the FTPS website, in participating stores, or at the festival itself. Most customers purchase passes at the festival. Locations that sell festival passes include Plaza Theater, Oak Tree Tavern, Kensington Wine Bar, The Naked Leaf, and Nite Owl. Passes can also be purchased in advance during late May, at the start of the festival, or single movie tickets can be purchased prior to the film starting. The FTPS festival offers the competitive advantage of being a unique event, which is a motivation to buy.
Customers choose to purchase festival passes because they want to be a part of the LGBTTQA community, or are already in the community and enjoy the social experience. Motivation to purchase can be to learn about the LGBTTQA community. Customers may also attend the festival to support individuals who are featured in the films, such as family members or close friends. The festival is the only one of its kind in the prairie provinces, therefore customers do not have other options, which benefits FTPS as it attracts customers outside of Calgary. Individuals may choose not purchase festival passes because they are not in the LGBTTQA community and/or the festival premise makes them uncomfortable. Given the conservative viewpoints in Alberta, unfortunately this mindset is common. Other reasons that customers may choose not to purchase include: conflicting times and movie schedules, lack of interest in the films, and the festival’s theme for the year.
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
Queer entertainment is a niche service that operates as part of the entertainment industry as a whole. This niche has created many forms of entertainment, such as music, movies, and large-scale festivals used to celebrate the queer community. Although these services tend to be unique to the organization who develop them, they still compete with both other queer services, such as Inside Out: the Toronto queer film festival, and regular forms of entertainment such as Netflix, movie theatres, and other festivals. Additionally, larger competitors have access to advanced technology that many consumers seek. For example, 3D and IMAX are becoming increasingly popular, and many consumers are willing to pay extra for this type of service. Also in recent years over-the-top viewing, online content streaming companies, have captured a large portion of the entertainment market share (Hryniak, 2015). These organizations have also expanded into offering LGBTTQA content, streaming both small and large indie films. In order to be successful within this industry, amongst the many types of competitors, organizations need to constantly attract new customers while continuing to provide for this fan base.
Many organizations who provide queer services operate as not-for-profit. Due to this, these organizations tend to receive majority of their funding via government grants and sponsorships. This makes operations extremely volatile to the current economic conditions. During major economic downturns when companies and governments re-evaluate their budgets, with the intention to make cuts, some of the first things to get dissembled are charitable programs. Additionally, many grants operate on an annual or term bases (Alberta, 2015), meaning that after a certain period of time, the funding is open to review and may be cancelled. This only adds to the uncertainty of funding for many LGBTTQA organizations.
In the past, LGBTTQA services were seen as taboo, and could even create hostile environments for audience members. But in recent years, queer issues have been considered a hot topic that more and more individuals are interested in learning about. As mainstream media continues to discuss LGBTTQA issues in popular television shows, such as Orange is the New Black, widespread acceptance continues to grow throughout all levels of society (Chu, 2016). Despite this, there is still a stigma surrounding the usage of queer products, especially within the straight male segment. The fear of being considered gay is a major issue amongst young men, but this fear is slowly diminishing (The Associated Press, 2016). Additionally, there are many private organizations, such as the Westboro Baptist Church, who openly discriminate against queer services (Wells, 2016). Many LGBTTQA festivals throughout Canada experience protests from these organizations, and sometimes the demonstration can violently escalate with bomb threats (Lavers, 2016). This means that the safety of guests is a top priority for any organization, and remains a major legal issue. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the content shown at queer events is appropriately rated, in order to avoid offending guests.
Politically, Alberta has been considered a conservative province with a lower level of acceptance and tolerance towards individuals and groups who differ from the status quo. But with the recent change in political parties, on both the provincial and federal levels, the climate is changing. Rachel Notley and the NDP’s have placed a major focus on creating safe and inclusive areas for young Albertans to openly discuss queer issues and education within schools. Recently, her cabinet unanimously passed Bill 10, which makes it mandatory for all Albertan schools to have a gay-straight alliance, along with many other policies, in order to educate and create a welcoming environment for all students (Bellefontaine, 2015). This shows a major shift in the provincial political environment, but the views of Albertans are changing as well. In 2016, the first openly gay politician was elected to the Albertan legislator (Watson, 2015). On the federal level, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have also shown clear support for the LGBTTQA community. Justin Trudeau will also be the first Canadian Prime Minister to march in the 2016 pride event (Teitel, 2016). All of these changes are a major step forward for the queer community and will hopefully lead to increased acceptance and funding for these types of organizations.
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Strengths of FTPS include differentiation, uniqueness, and a strong leader and organic organizational structure. FTPS caters to and supports the LGBTTQA community, and also encourages the conversations based around the topic of LGBTTQA. The organization is unique in that it is the only queer film festival in Alberta, thus it has a loyal audience and a strong legacy; this year the organization will be hosting its 18th annual film festival. The last and most important strength is its strong leader and organic organizational structure. FTPS is directed by James, who relies on a network of volunteers to operate throughout the year. Information and commands are passed freely along all levels of power, with James having the final say in all actions. James has a strong view of the mission and goal to be accomplished by FTPS and can motivate staff to follow his beliefs. Additionally, he actively engages the community with programs such as OUTReels Diversity Education Program and Youth Queer Media Program (YQMP).
WEAKNESSES
The biggest weakness of FTPS is that one person is managing the entire organization’s operations. James is the sole employee for majority of the year when the film festival is not occurring. On top of finding sponsors and grants, he is the only person that runs the OUTReels Diversity Education Program and YQMP initiatives. The only time during the year where there are other volunteers and employees is during the week of the film festival. All social media promotions are done by a seasonal part-time employee, and are not consistently updated as a result. This also includes the FTPS website, which looks dated, and the high scroll setting makes it hard to properly navigate the website. As James is the only full-time employee, it has been difficult for the organization to expand and effectively reach a larger number of people.
OPPORTUNITIES
Diversity is becoming more recognizable and accepted in society, especially through the widespread representation in the media (Media Smarts, 2016). Television shows, such as Orange is the New Black, have consistently included queer-themes in its content (Lang, 2014). This results in consumers being able to identify themselves and relate to the stories represented in the media. Many companies and businesses have also chosen to openly support the LGBTTQA community; this is a great opportunity for like-minded businesses to enter into partnerships (The Huffington Post, 2013). The new Liberal government is also in support of LGBTTQA rights, which will usher in a period of new social changes within the next couple of years (Liberal, 2016).
THREATS
The threat from conservative groups, such as Christian groups, remains constant despite the greater acceptance of diversity. Unfortunately, not much can be done as these groups are close-minded and are unwilling to change their views (Wes, 2015). With the current low economy, not-for-profit organizations may have a harder time getting sponsorships, funds, and grants. This poses a threat, as less money will result in slower operations. Despite the slow economy, Calgary is still steadily growing. Calgary currently has the highest increase in the population growth rate out of other Canadian cities (Statistics Canada, 2011). The growing city can attract potential competition within the queer film industry. The rising popularity of online streaming services such as Netflix, have also impacted the entertainment industry (Petts, 2015). Consumers can now enjoy entertainment, including queer entertainment, from the comfort of their own home and at their leisure. Perhaps the biggest threat is the fear and embarrassment that potential segments may feel due to the social stigma surrounding the LGBTTQA community. The fear of judgement from peers prevents many individuals from participating and/or associating with any queer-related events and activities (Refer to Appendix A for the complete SWOT Matrix).
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
The organization's main competitive advantage is differentiation: it offers a unique experience, as it is the only queer film festival in Alberta. It also has a strong legacy and brand recognition, with the first film festival starting in 1999. The film festival offers an open and secure environment for attendees to view queer films and participate in discussions. Due to the legacy and culture of FTPS, it has brand-loyal customers that are repeat attendees every year. These strengths align perfectly with the current opportunities available: greater recognition and acceptance of diversity, growing awareness of LGBTTQA businesses, and support from the Liberal government.
Together, the strengths and opportunities align to form a favourable capability to increase reach, interest, and festival attendance. This is also an opportunity to improve and minimize the weaknesses of FTPS: small team, poor website, and media promotions. FTPS can mitigate threats from potential new competitors and gain a larger audience by showing a strong and supportive organization for the queer community.
STRATEGIC FOCUS
Given the internal weaknesses and various external opportunities, the best strategic direction for FTPS is turnaround. Although the organization is doing well and has loyal consumers, in order to effectively carry out a turnaround strategy, several major changes should be considered. By specifically focusing on the turnaround effort, the organization can take a step back and analyze what it can improve upon. This will ultimately help FTPS achieve the goals of greater reach and higher attendance. The first change is to update the home website. The second strategic step would be to update and regularly maintain all social media accounts throughout the year. The last initiative is to hire at least one other full-time employee to help lessen the workload, which is currently done by James. All of the above actions should be done with the new target segment in mind: The Female Social Media Maven (Refer to Appendix B). These individuals will help spread the word and effectively gain reach into other new segments. The current situation allows the weaknesses of FTPS to develop into strategic initiatives by taking on the opportunities present.
ALTERNATIVES
The first alternative is to target allies. Allies are defined as any individual who supports and advocates for the LGBTTQA community. The term was formerly hetero-exclusive, but has since been expanded to include all individuals, regardless of orientation. Women allies are the best allies to target, as women are more likely to voice and share their opinions with others (Vermeren, 2015). Although FTPS is for anyone who is interested, the current target market are males who also make up the majority of festival attendees. By targeting female allies, FTPS is able to capture a crucial part of the market that has the potential to further FTPS’ reach. The downside of this alternative would be that marketing efforts will focus on this new segment and may not effectively fit with the current segment.
The second alternative is to hold mini festivals throughout the year. Instead of having one main film festival, FTPS can host smaller festivals and events approximately once every two months. This allows for the potential of greater reach since the events happen more frequently; more people will know about the events. The downside to holding more events is the cost. Operating costs will increase because there will be a greater need for more volunteers and employees.
The last alternative is to branch out further into the entertainment scene - specifically by adding music to the festival. Music is easier to showcase than films because it requires a shorter amount of time. Iconic artists such as Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, and Sia, all openly support and are part of the LGBTTQA community (LaCount, 2014). Loyal fans and followers feel validated when they see themselves represented in the media and the music industry. FTPS can use music as a channel of entertainment to appeal to a larger mass of people, who are proud to support openly queer artists and music. The music can be used as a celebration of success for the queer community. The downside is that FTPS may experience copyright and other restrictions when using the music.
RECOMMENDATION
Our recommendation for FTPS is to target allies, specifically female allies, because according to Alex Hillsberg, women use social media more often than men, and use it in more ways. It was found that 76% of women use Facebook, compared to men at 66%. Also, 30% of women use social media several times a day versus 26% of men, and more women use the top visual social media sites, such as Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram. Women are also more likely to interact with brands in social media by showing support, accessing offers, staying current, and commenting. 58% of women consume news in social media, while only 42% of men do (Hillsberg, 2013). Based on the research findings, FTPS should target women allies, as they will be more likely to follow FTPS, and share it with their peers, allowing FTPS to achieve a greater reach. An increase of women sharing what they know about FTPS will greatly benefit the organization, as it will generate more awareness and support for the LGBTTQA community.
MARKETING PROGRAM
MARKETING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
FTPS’ first marketing goal is to expand reach and visibility to garner more awareness and support for the LGBTTQA community. This can be achieved with the first objective of updating the home website to be more appealing and informative. Currently, its website looks dated, which makes it unappealing for individuals, and discourages them from wanting to find out more about FTPS. The high scroll settings make it difficult for users to navigate on the website, which can deter the interests of users from staying on the webpage. First, FTPS will have to evaluate its current website and identify areas of changes to be made, and then it should hire a skilled contractor that will be in charge of making the changes to its website to ensure an updated and unique image.
The second objective of the first goal is to create and maintain an online presence for FTPS on social media platforms all year, as well as continually marketing to attract individuals to its film festivals. Currently, FTPS’ social media accounts include Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Facebook is the most updated social media platform, with James regularly updating it himself. Twitter and Instagram are more actively updated during the film festival, when a part-time employee is delegated the sole job of social media promotions. By hiring a full-time employee that is in charge of social media management year round, FTPS can utilize it as a tool to communicate with the new target market, as well as keeping current customers engaged with FTPS and the LGBTTQA community. We recommend that FTPS hire the skilled contractor and full-time social media associate by August of 2016, as digital platforms are an important tool for maximizing online presence and increasing reach.
The second marketing goal is to have higher attendance for the annual film festival. In 2015, Fairy Tales attracted over 2,000 audience members to its annual film festival (Fairy Tales Presentation Society, 2016), which is a relatively small number when compared to Calgary’s population of over 1.2 million people (CBC News, 2015). The first objective in achieving a higher festival attendance is to manage the operational tasks assigned. This can be accomplished by hiring another full-time employee to lessen the workload for James. As James is the only full-time employee, the film festival, day-to-day operations, and queer education programs are all his responsibility. By hiring another person to help with the workload, FTPS will be able to efficiently manage its business operations and effectively organize the film festival to ensure increased attendance.
The second objective is reaching a new and larger segment, and as stated previously, we recommend FTPS target The Female Social Media Maven for its new marketing strategy. Female allies are more likely to share news about FTPS’ events, which will allow greater reach and the potential for more interested consumers and higher festival attendance. Related to the first goal, the new employee will help research and develop marketing material to specifically target this segment. This should be done by August 2016, therefore, FTPS will have ample time in looking for a new employee and developing marketing material catered towards the target market.
POSITIONING STATEMENT
For the LGBTTQA community, FTPS offers a social-movie experience. The overall strategy focuses around the organization becoming an integrated part of both the LGBTTQA and Calgary communities as a whole. By acting as the premier queer film festival in Alberta, FTPS will become a vehicle for real social change throughout the Albertan environment. This work allows FTPS to continuously attract and retain new audience members, from all walks of life, with a focus on the Female Social Media Maven segment. In order to do this, FTPS will use a cohesive and detailed marketing strategy that addresses each level of the marketing mix.
PRIMARY TARGET MARKET
The primary target market of the organization, The Female Social Media Maven, includes women, ages 21-30 in Generation Y from Calgary. They are single with no children, educated, middle class, and have a low income. The Female Social Media Maven are open-minded and have non-traditional beliefs and views, as they are accepting of the LGBTTQA community. The Female Social Media Maven belongs in the Allies category of the LGBTTQA acronym. They are active on visual social media, outgoing, adventurous, and enjoy going to public events. They are motivated by excitement for a new experience, and for a chance to socialize and engage in a community. They are especially willing to share their experiences online, as it elevates their status to support a good cause. They are first-time users, attending for the purpose of entertainment. The Female Social Media Maven are value-conscious and take advantage of festivals and annual summer activities to gain experience and community involvement (Refer to Appendix B for the full segmentation).
PRODUCT STRATEGY
In order to attract The Female Social Media Maven, FTPS will have to extend the product line to better fit the segments’ interests. This can be done by hosting events, which are more welcoming to this inexperienced segment. For example, FTPS’ annual parties, such as the Kink Party, may be too extreme for first-time users. Instead, hosting less extreme events, such as a relaxed pub night, could be beneficial and better aligned with the target segment. Also, FTPS should showcase films that are more educational, and less intense and sexual as to not drive away the new segment.
PROMOTION STRATEGY
The Female Social Media Maven is characterized by their heavy social media presence and their attendance at events throughout Calgary. By capitalizing on these characteristics, FTPS can easily and quickly promote its festival through its social media platforms. The first activity would be to partner with other Calgary festivals that the new segment would go to. Some possibilities are the Calgary Folk Fest, the Big Taste, or the Lilac Festival. Through these partnerships, FTPS can gain access to the new market in a less intimidating environment where the possible consumers feel comfortable. The second activity is to rejuvenate the FTPS website and social media pages with a large focus on their Twitter, Instagram, and personal home page. By creating websites that are younger, trendier, and more informative about the festival’s films and partnerships, the new segment will see that FTPS is an exciting and integrated part of the Calgary community.
PRICING STRATEGY
The FTPS film festival is considered a consumer service. Due to the intangibility of the provided goods, it is difficult for buyers to evaluate and assess the quality of the festival, especially before consumption. This means that FTPS needs to be certain that its festival delivers what is promised and provides value for consumers. Using a value-based pricing strategy is the best strategy in order to attract the new target segment, because it encourages them to purchase especially if they are uncertain. Some step FTPS can take to decrease cost to customers is to offer discount opportunities for new purchases. For example, if a customer signs up for emails, they can receive a coupon for 15% off their festival tickets. Additionally, at partner events, FTPS can promote the film festival and other events by having volunteers hand out brochures and answer questions.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
In order to capture the new target market, FTPS needs to distribute tickets in the correct locations. Using a selective strategy where a few stores in Calgary have the ability to sell tickets to the festival, FTPS can easily control, monitor, and promote the sale of tickets. For this strategy to be a success, FTPS needs to be critical of where they sell in order to ensure that the target market has access to the stores and frequently visit them. Some options for stores would be local gay-friendly pubs, university campuses, and specialty boutique clothing stores. Additionally, selling tickets online on the FTPS website and at the doors of the festival would be beneficial. For this, FTPS needs to enhance the website to allow customers to easily navigate to the purchasing page, and have the page available year round, to let the market purchase based on their needs.
MARKETING IMPLEMENTATION
STRUCTURAL ISSUES
The overall approach to implementing the marketing strategy is by command, as James holds the decision making power of the organization, and can easily decide on the next steps for FTPS to take in moving forward. However, FTPS has a very small team as James is tasked with majority of the workload in operating the organization. FTPS lacks the amount of people necessary to effectively accomplish the strategy suggested. Increasing the size of the human resources is needed to contribute in making the organization better known, and achieving a bigger event.
TACTICAL ACTIVITIES
Successful implementation requires employees to know the specific activities for which they are responsible for, and a timetable for completing each activity. The steps involved in creating a schedule and timeline for implementation include: identifying the specific activities to be performed, the time required to complete each activity, which activities must precede others, arranging the proper sequence and timing of all activities, and assigning responsibility. The tactical activities are composed of product, promotion, distribution, and pricing activities (Refer to Appendix C for the Tactical Marketing Activities Table and Appendix D for the Implementation Plan and Schedule).
For product strategy, the first activity to complete is introducing new movies. Standards should be developed for which movies are acceptable for the chosen target market. FTPS will receive movies from regular sources, watch the movies and critique them, then decide which movies to use. There is no required budget for this activity. Expected completion date is May 2016. The second activity is introducing new events. Responsibilities include developing ideas/themes for the events, deciding upon an idea/theme, finding a venue, marketing the event, selling tickets, setting up, and finally hosting the event. The budget for the event will be a maximum of $5,000. The completion date will be May 2017, approximately one year after the first activity.
For promotional strategy, the first activity to complete is forming a partnership. A process needs to be developed to assist in determining a suitable partner. FTPS will find Calgary companies who would be interested in a partnership. Once the partnership details are created and the partnership is formed, the two organizations need to determine which events they plan on attending. The partnership does not require a budget. Estimated completion date is December 2016. The second activity is rejuvenating the website. FTPS will initially evaluate the current website and note where changes are to be made. A skilled contractor will then be hired to update the proposed changes. Once the update process is complete, a full-time social media employee will be hired to constantly monitor the social media accounts and marketing throughout the year. The required budget for this activity is $33,000, which is the approximate salary for a social media employee (PayScale, 2016). Estimated completion date is August 2016.
For place strategy, as discussed, FTPS will implement a selective distribution strategy. A list of possible stores to distribute to will be created. An evaluation of the stores will take place to determine which stores are most accessible by the target market. The stores will then be contacted to see if they would be willing to sell festival passes. Passes will be made and delivered to these stores where they will be sold to customers. If 1,000 passes are created, the printing cost would be approximately $300. Estimated completion of this activity is May 2017. The second activity is to sell passes on the FTPS website. The website will have to be designed to allow for customers to purchase passes online. A contractor will be hired to add the feature of online sales. The website will then be tested to ensure clear navigation, usability, and payment security of the page. Given that the testing is successful, the page will be launched and become available year round. The cost to hire a contractor will be around $500. Estimated completion is December 2016.
For pricing strategy, the first activity is to email festival discount coupons to customers who have signed up to be on the email newsletter list. A standardized email coupon will be created. On the website, the option to sign-up for the newsletter will be placed at the top. Once the sign-up list has been compiled, coupons will be sent out to individuals who have signed up. The budget for this activity is small, it is approximately $100, to account for the labour needed to develop the email. Estimated completion date is August 2016. The next activity is coupon handouts. FTPS will develop coupons to be dispersed, then decide which partner’s events to attend. A representative from FTPS will attend these events and hand out coupons to interested event attendees. The labour needed to print coupons then hand them out will cost $700. Estimated completion date is December 2016.
EVALUATION AND CONTROL
To determine the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, FTPS must evaluate and control the marketing activities on an ongoing basis. Given the potential for implementation failure, a system of marketing controls must be put in place to ensure that FTPS can spot potential problems before they occur. There are two types of controls that FTPS can incorporate: formal and informal, and the focus will be on the formal controls.
Formal controls are activities, mechanisms, or processes designed by the firm to help ensure the successful implementation of the marketing strategies (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014). Prior to implementation, input controls are developed. As previously discussed, FTPS has a limited number of employees, thus limited labour capabilities. FTPS needs to recruit a full-time social media employee to work alongside James year round. During the selection process, James needs to emphasize the cores values, goals, and objectives of FTPS in order to ensure that the successful candidate is the proper fit for the organization. FTPS needs to develop more partnerships with other festivals and organizations around Calgary to enhance its network.
Once the implementation has commenced, process controls are done to influence the behavior of employees, and they can support the strategy and its objectives. By monitoring social media platforms, FTPS can gauge how many individuals are interacting with posts, which will help determine if the strategy of branching out to attract more allies is successful. James can empower the social media employee by giving them full autonomy over the posts, whether it be what the posts say or what media to include in the post. Internal communication is paramount, therefore bi-weekly meetings between James and the employee should be used to discuss progress, and if there are any issues that need to be addressed. Finally, constant efforts towards building the FTPS network in Calgary are mandatory to ensure successful implementation.
Once the implementation is complete, output controls ensure that the marketing outcomes are in line with anticipated results. The main output control activity is to set performance standards against which actual performance can be compared. Performance standards are based on the marketing objectives, which are expanding reach and visibility by social media and to have higher attendance at the film festival. FTPS can analyze the increased percentage of net sales of festival passes purchased after the implementation has been completed, in order to see if there has been a change due to the new marketing plan and strategy. FTPS can monitor the number of likes, post shares, followers, and comments on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
MARKETING AUDIT
SPECIFIC MARKETING ACTIVITIES
The marketing activities to be audited include: product, pricing, distribution, promotion, and customer service activities. Currently, all marketing activities are done in-house by James. Product activities will consist of pub nights and educational films. Pricing will be value-based and thus various discounts and coupons will be implemented. Distribution or place activities will be audited after the initial sales from partner businesses, events, at the door, and online sales. Purchasing preferences can then be analyzed to determine where consumers prefer to get their tickets. Promotional activities will almost be exclusively through social media, specifically concentrating on appealing to The Female Social Media Maven segment. Customer service activities are minimal, since FTPS offers a service and not a physical tangible good. Customers can either phone or email inquiries, complaints, and feedback. All of the above will then be compared with what goals, dates, and numbers from this report to ensure progress and completion of what was planned. Given that FTPS is a very small and not-for-profit company, the majority of the marketing audit should be conducted externally.
STANDARD PROCEDURES
Currently there are no written procedures or manuals for the stated marketing activities. Most activities are oral procedures that are managed by James, because he is the creative director and sole employee for majority of the year. He generally analyzes and compares company performance from year to year, adjusting and changing as needed. James is also in charge of hiring and training employees and volunteers. This ensures consistency and finding a good fit for the organization, as all employees start by being selected and trained by James.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND METRICS
As mentioned previously, it is in the best interest of FTPS to outsource the audit to an external source. Most performance standards discussed in this project will be general, with the external auditing source providing more specific numbers and results.
Performance standards for product activities will be: research on the target segment and film selection will be done in-house, and should be reviewed by collecting data and feedback from both the pub nights and film festival. Data will be compiled and analyzed to see whether the new initiatives have positively impacted the target segment, and if it had any kind of impact on film festival sales. Pricing standards is primarily the rate of effectiveness, which will be based on the number of coupon usage and redemptions. FTPS can then decide which method of discounts the segments and attendees prefer to utilize by looking at rates. Distribution will change according to where tickets sell the best, and from there, FTPS can decide where to concentrate ticket sale efforts and where to end them in order to be more cost effective. Promotional effectiveness will be measured by the number of tweets, likes, and shares on social media accounts done by The Female Social Media Maven.
EVALUATION OF MARKETING PERSONNEL
James and the new full-time employee will be in charge of ensuring that all marketing efforts are completed throughout the year. James will still be the main recruiting and hiring coordinator to ensure all new employees are a good fit for what needs to be done for the organization. Training activities will focus on getting the new employees and volunteers ready for the new initiatives from 2016 to 2017. Customer-contact will be done primarily by the social media associate, who will be given full autonomy for decision-making. Since FTPS is a small company, good employee relations and culture is the most important aspect in having effective employees. Reward policies can be based on the entire team being able to achieve marketing goals.
EVALUATION OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Customer satisfaction will be maximized if FTPS is careful in analyzing data and strategically adjusting to what the customers want. Current customer service materials include a website, blog, social media accounts, and film festival programs. Almost all materials are consistent in the content and image of FTPS. It will be more unified after the marketing tactics and implementation plans occur. James ensures that everything is consistent and to his liking, therefore most customer support systems are the same as well. Record keeping is accurate and suitable to current business needs. However, auditing programs can be acquired for computers once the organization expands and grows. For now, all records are kept in the main office and on James’ computer.
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APPENDIX A - SWOT MATRIX
Strengths
| Weaknesses
|
Opportunities
| Threats
|
APPENDIX B - TARGET SEGMENTATION
The Female Social Media Maven
Behavioural
Benefits Sought: value, entertainment
Product Usage: first-time users
Occasions or Situations: festival, annual summer activity
Price Sensitivity: value conscious
Demographic
Age: 21-30
Gender: female
Income: low, under $15,000
Occupation: students, part-time jobs
Education: University degree
Family Life Cycle: single, no children
Generation: Generation Y
Ethnicity: any
Religion: non-traditional and accepting of LGBTTQA community
Nationality: Canadian
Social Class: middle class
Psychographic
Personality: outgoing, venturesome
Lifestyle: active on social media, supports diversity
Motives: excitement for a new experience, socializing opportunity
Geographic
Regional: North America
City Size: over 1,000,000
Population Density: urban
APPENDIX C - TACTICAL MARKETING ACTIVITIES TABLE
Specific Activity | Person Responsibilities | Required Budget | Completion Date |
Product Activities
|
|
|
|
Promotion Activities
|
|
(Salary for Social Media employee and contractor) |
|
Distribution Activities
|
|
|
|
Pricing Activities
|
|
(Labour needed to hand out coupons and printing cost) |
|
