Contiki Experience Crimson Communications Arpita Parikh J429 Professor Annette Wilnat Fall 2010

Transcription

1 Contiki Experience Crimson Communications Arpita Parikh J429 Professor Annette Wilnat Fall 2010

2 Contiki Holidays 801 E. Katella Ave Anaheim, CA Dear Sir or Madam Crimson Communications is pleased to present to you the 2010 Contiki Experience Proposal. Attached you will find the research conducted by our team, our analysis of your organization, and our proposed objectives and plan for the company. In addition to a proposal, we have provided a budget and timeline for the plan. Please review the details and feel free to contact me may you have any questions. Sincerely, Arpita Parikh 110 ½ W. 6 th St. Bloomington, IN 47404

3 Table of Contents: Situation Analysis: 5 SWOT Analysis: 5 Problem Statement: 6 Campaign Goal : 6 Strategic Publics: Objectives: Communication Strategies: 8 Tactics: 8 Tasks: 8 Budget: 8 Schedule: 9 Evaluation: 9

4 Executive Summary: Contiki Holidays offers excursions and tours around the world at reasonable prices. Those looking to immerse themselves in different languages and cultures for a few days or weeks will find that Contiki plans tours in such a way that least inconveniences their customers. They choose the most important attractions and exciting excursions for those seeking to go to new countries. The company has tours in many countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. Although, the company offers such variety and excitement, they are not well known and face tough competition. Many customers see the tours as mundane because of the stigma attached to motor coach expeditions. However, Contiki pairs culture with adrenaline pumping activities sure to excite anyone seeking thrills. By targeting Bloomington adults with families, Crimson Communications hopes to increase brand awareness for Contiki by stressing the importance of international immersion. Crimson plans to focus on Contiki s unique and convenient services that come at a great value. The campaign will cost Contiki $75,500 and will take five months or implement and execute. The evaluation will be based on ROI and online visits.

5 Works Cited "2002 Bateman Case Study Competition." Public Relations Student Society of America. Web. 11 Nov < 2013, By. "Travel Facts and Statistics U.S. Travel Association." U.S. Travel Association. Web. 11 Nov < Amrany, By Shira. "Single, Independent, and Eager to Travel the World. - Monday, 20th September 2010 at 4Hoteliers." 4Hoteliers Hotel News and More for the Hospitality and Travel Industry. Web. 11 Nov < "Bloomington City Data, Neighborhood Community Profiles, Bloomington Demographics." City Data, Neighborhood Community Profiles, Demographics. Web. 11 Nov < "Contiki Holidays Appoints New Consumer Marketing & Brand Manager - People On The Move - Etravelblackboard.com." E-Travel Blackboard: Travel News Your Way. Web. 11 Nov < "Contiki Reports Unprecedented Pick-up of Earlybirds WYSTC Blog." WYSTC Web. 11 Nov < "Monthly Departures to International Destinations." Welcome to Tourism Industries. Web. 11 Nov < "TI Outreach: Outbound Overview Outbound." Welcome to Tourism Industries. Web. 11 Nov <

6 Research: Situation Analysis: Contiki Holidays is an established travel and tour company that offers exciting adventures in several countries around the world. Thousands of thrill seeking travelers embark on one of Contiki s motor coach tours every year in order to immerse themselves in culture and adventure. Most of the tours include flights, accommodations and some meals. Contiki prides itself on offering a quality and memorable experience at an affordable price. While Contiki s defined market is currently year- olds, there is much room for growth in terms of expanding their target audience. Many individuals aged are married and have children. Parents are often looking for vacations to take with their children and according to the U.S. Travel Association international destinations are once again becoming popular since the economy is slowly improving. Contiki would be an ideal company to book tours with because they provide adventurous activities such as bungee jumping and whitewater rafting along with cultural expeditions that highlight each city s history and modern culture. The company offers a different kind of tour based on the traveler type. Those seeking to see as many countries in one trip can vie for Contiki s multi- country tours. Travelers who want to focus on a particular country or two can choose the regional tours Contiki offers. Finally, lifestyle tours are available for those who seek a higher quality of travel and are not as concerned with the destination. According to their website the company was started in 1961 by a New Zealand student looking to backpack Europe with his friends. He wanted an outlet for young adults looking to explore various cultures but did not have an extravagant budget. He decided to start his own travel company focused on this niche. Contiki employs knowledgeable young employees to create tours that are exciting and culturally stimulating experiences. Problem Statement: Even though Contiki has tried TV advertising the company still suffers from not being able to generate enough buzz about their services. According to the United States Office of Travel and Tourism Industries those looking to book international expeditions typically book vacation packages through companies such as CheapTickets, Kayak or Priceline. Most people would not go to Contiki s site because they are not aware that the company exists. According to the U.S. Travel Association, 90 million Americans used the web to plan their travel schedule in No longer are the days where travel agents are sought to book flights and hotels for those seeking to travel. While Contiki has a well developed website that features tours, itineraries and prices, most people are have not heard of the company and do not utilize its services.

7 SWOT Analysis: Strengths Variety of tours in various countries Reasonably priced All- inclusive type tours Website easy to navigate Tours good mix of culture and adventure Has a niche Opportunities Create brand awareness Add more countries customers can visit to their list Improve quality of tours Create more campaigns to generate publicity Expand their target audience Most people are accustomed to online bookings Europe bookings with Contiki significantly rose for Weaknesses Motor coach tours have a stigma with young adults Company name not as well known as competitors Quality of tours is not average Has a defined but broad target market Threats Safety always a concern when traveling abroad American dollar has not been doing so well Some Americans still vary of spending on luxury because of economic conditions Different modes of travel such as bus, train and cruises Companies such as STA Travel, Priceline, Orbitz, Hotwire etc Planning The campaign goal is to increase brand awareness with the age demographic in order to create a family oriented segment for Contiki. The campaign will focus locally in the Bloomington, Indiana area. Additionally, since individuals in the year- old demographic are likely to have families and children, the campaign goal will also appeal to them : Family Oriented Individuals 12-18: Middle School & High School Students (children of the Family Oriented Individuals) Primary Target: Parents with children in middle school or high school in the Bloomington area are the primary target of this campaign. According to research, 60 percent of Bloomington families are married- couple families. Additionally, in the United States family travelers make up 30 percent of overall leisure trips with an average household taking 4.5 trips per year. With such a large portion of Bloomington married- couple families and a significant amount of family traveling that occurs in the nation, Contiki would benefit immensely by targeting this audience. The tours Contiki has to offer would fit well with this market because they are cultural and cover the most important sites in a city. The tours are planned out, leaving the adults to sit back and enjoy sightseeing. These parents are most concerned with safety, memorable experiences, and a great value. While they have more money to spend on vacations than students, in today s economy people are

8 spending less on luxuries such as holidays. Therefore Contiki s reasonably priced tours that still cover the main attractions of the destinations are ideal for parents. With the overwhelming popularity and convenience of online travel this market will find Contiki very simple to use. Most people today are accustomed to logging onto travel websites and looking up flights and accommodations on their own. Travel agents are not necessary since adults can do all the necessary research on their own. Therefore Contiki would be perfect because their website has all the necessary information about their tours and is easy to book. With this in mind, this campaign wants to stress that a Contiki tour will be a lifelong memory for every family. Parents have the opportunity to explore new cultures and lifestyles with their children while partaking in adventurous activities. They can meet other families on their tour and share the wonderful experience of a new land. While many parents are afraid of planning vacations because they would have to custom make itineraries for each day for several days, that hassle is non- existent with a Contiki tour. This campaign will effectively target this market by focusing on their interests and tastes while realizing that there are many outside factors that influence parent s decisions. Secondary Target: Children of Bloomington Parents Children of the primary target of this campaign are important influencers. When planning family vacations parents must account for the interest and desires of the children. The holiday would be no good if the parents did everything they enjoyed while the children were complaining of boredom. Often, when families visit countries that have lots of sightseeing spots there is a struggle to complete them all while having time to complete adventurous activities for the children to enjoy. Since Contiki tours couple adventure with culture, middle school and high school children are old enough to participate in activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping while learning the significance of culture and history of a different nation. Researchers believe that immersing today s youth in different cultures is key in helping them become understanding and accepting individuals (Amrany). Therefore, it is beneficial for parents that can afford it to teach their children about other countries. Objectives & Tactics: Increase recognition of Contiki Holidays with the primary and secondary targets. Create a long lasting impression of the company in the mind of the target audience. Relay the benefits of being an international traveler. The campaign objectives will be achieved with the following strategies: RELAY the convenience, reliability and variety that Contiki has to offer. The company has various tours all over the world, each equipped with expert guides well trained to accompany customers during sightseeing and expeditions.

9 Contiki would be ideal for parents going on family holidays because of the small amount of work and planning they would have to do. A Contiki vacation is less stressful than vacations that require people to plan everything from hotels, transportation and sightseeing. It will prove to people that the company has the best value for the services offered. Families will be able to take several holidays around the world without worrying about the budget. Tactic: Use previous testimonials of families that have traveled with Contiki and had remarkable and memorable experiences. Give interested publics sample itineraries for various trips with information on flights, hotels and excursions. Create brochures and flyers that the target audiences can take home with them. These will serve as reminders of the company and its services. o Tasks: Hire a communications agency to create marketing and promotional materials. Also, partner with Bloomington restaurants and retail shops to display the flyers and brochures. ENGAGE people with the Contiki value and the benefits the company has to offer by encouraging them to visit the website. Through a cultural event Contiki would like to create a spot for all ages to show off their heritage. By sponsoring an event Contiki will receive much publicity for supporting a good cause. Families that attend the event will also be able to learn about the company while enjoying a night of dance, music and food. Tactic: Host Bloomington s first International Dance & Music Festival. This event will invite Bloomington residents to showcase their cultures at the Buskirk Chumley Theatre on Kirkwood Avenue. Performers can put on a musical performance that relates to their culture. The event will be sponsored and hosted by Contiki and will have booths set up in the lobby for different tours the company wants to promote. There will be food donated by international restaurants around the Bloomington area. o Tasks: Book the Buskirk Theatre and encourage international restaurants to donate their food for the event. Contact dance studios, music studios and schools seeking participants for the event. Also, send press releases and media pitches to Bloomington newspapers and radio stations announcing the event. EDUCATE the primary and secondary targets about the importance of traveling and learning about new cultures. Unique experiences such as touring another nation and learning about various lifestyles for a few days is an invaluable gift. Individuals who are well traveled tend to be more accepting of others and are able to get along with most people. Contiki would like to stress the importance of diversity and acceptance, and that their tours are the way to go to accomplish the two tasks. Tactic: Create a DVD movie chronicling a family during their Contiki tour. The point of the movie will be to show how convenient and enjoyable the tour is for the parents and the children.

10 Budget: $75,500 Schedule: o Tasks: Hire a production company to film a family on tour. - Hire communications and production agency to create promotional materials: $ 20,000 - Book Buskirk Chumley Theatre for International Dance & Music Festival: $5,000 - Send out press material to media: $500 - Prizes at event: $10,000 - Staff to work event: $40,000 January 2011: Contact Buskirk Theatre book theatre for event to be held on May 12, February 2011: Research and hire communications and production agencies for marketing materials. Send press materials informing media about International Dance & Music Festival. March 2011: Approach restaurants about donating food for event. Also place promotional materials with partnering local businesses. May 2011: International Dance & Music Festival to be held on May 12, 2011 at 8 PM. Evaluation: This campaign will be evaluated by the generated sales after the campaign ends. If more people book Contiki tours in the Indiana area, this campaign will be deemed successful. Also, the amount of people that attend the International Festival will be an assessment factor for the success of the tactic. Contiki publicity in Bloomington media outlets will also be tracked. Finally, The amount of people visiting the company s website will be tracked and the percent increase or decrease will be an indicator of success. A final evaluation will be done to see whether such a campaign can be carried out in various cities across the nation.