Biking with a Cause. Bike Yellowstone. Digital Marketing Plan. Bike Yellowstone

Transcription

1 Biking with a Cause Digital Marketing Plan

2 Executive Summary, a bike rental and tour service in Yellowstone National Park. To differentiate ourselves from our competitors, we are offering shorter trips of three days. The trails will be at a beginner to intermediate level to accommodate leisure level cycling, families, and older couples. We are passionate about showing people the beauty of nature and the importance of preserving the Earth and its creatures. Through research and analysis, we have developed the best plan to reach our target markets. Beginning with our market research, we completed a situational analysis for the market as well as a SWOT analysis to develop the understanding of our own organization. We continued our research with a competitive analysis for Cycle Greater Yellowstone, and identified our segments. For this company, the website will be the primary source of information about the travel and adventure experience. It will have up to date security measures in place and provide visitors with all the info and tools they need to plan their trip. It will also provide a social networking feature with a blog and forum for consumers to discuss their experiences and ask questions. The analysis allowed us to play our digital marketing strategy which is comprised of a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for helping the bison population in the Yellowstone area. We will be sharing photos and posts on our social media platforms of companies participating in the Corporate Challenge which we will host for building healthy employee relationships. will also have television advertisements on the National Geographic Channel, as well as print ads in the National Geographic magazines. Finally, we will work online with travel agencies and visitor centers to arrange appointments with tourist consumers.

3 Market Research Situational Analysis Many companies in the Yellowstone area offer cycling experiences geared towards riders who are experienced and daring. However, there are few options for the average or family riders to have safe rides at an affordable cost where they still receive a proper Yellowstone experience. This is where we fit, we offer trips for riders who would like a safe experience for a short period of time where they are still able to get a good Yellowstone experience. According to Yellowstone, visitation rates have continued to increase, meaning the market size to have a business in Yellowstone is increasing as well (Yellowstone Statistics Report). What this means for us, is we will be able to attract more visitors year after year. On top of Yellowstone visitation increasing, in the US, there has been an increasing trend of cycling. In fact, according to Statista, cycling in the US has been continuously growing since The number of cyclists/ bike riders saw a big increase between 2012 and 2017, increasing from around 51 million riders to slightly more than 66 million riders in 2017 (Statista). Statista also shows how there is very little difference in the rate of cycling between fall and spring which will make up a bulk of our season. When it comes to market changes, a recent study from BikePortland.org, shows that cyclists actually spend more money on average than people using other forms of transportation. BikePortland says marketing to cyclists is likely to generate a positive expenditure return for businesses (BikePortland.org). This shows that by having cycling opportunities in Yellowstone, cyclists will be willing to spend. As for market growth, unfortunately the number of RV and tent campers in the park have decreased while the number of concession campers have increases (Yellowstone Statistics Report). This mean that there are less people who are camping traditionally meaning living off the elements more so, and more people are camping in more luxury ways like using campers with electricity. For us, this means there might be less people willing to spend as much time outdoors cycling for long periods and would prefer to do something else the park has to offer. SWOT Strengths Offer shorter trails for a quick turnover Attract tourist interested in daily activities Less intensity to appeal to wide range of cyclists Opportunities Attract intergenerational families Provide safer experiences from wildlife Capitalize on the movement towards experiences over materialism Competitive Analysis Weaknesses Shorter season Lower rates compared to competition so less profit per customer Less brand recognition Threats Less people camping out at Yellowstone Competition from well known companies Accidents or natural disasters Cycle Greater Yellowstone Their target market is hard-core cycling and outdoor enthusiasts and is a small local company in the Yellowstone area. They provide longer trips with the ability to see lots of wildlife but they fail to attract the average rider. They have a medium price point at about $1200. Trek Travel Their target market is also hard-core cyclists and is an international company found in many national parks. They provide longer trips with the ability to see lots of wildlife and see more of the park but again fail to attract the average rider. At a high price point of $3500 dollars this type of experience is made for serious cyclists and wealthy individuals/families but is Groupon eligible.

4 Market Segmentation This is Mrs. Papayaman, she is a caring mother of three active teenage children. She is very concerned with the safety of her kids and greatly considers this when deciding what family activities they should do. Mrs.Papayaman is also very passionate about the environment and likes to support businesses who are eco-friendly and support the environment in many ways. Meet Mr. and Mrs. Braun, a recently retired couple who are looking for fun and adventurous things to do on vacation while they are still able to be active. The Brauns enjoy the outdoors but are not looking for anything that will push their limits too much. They would prefer to do something that is very safe but also very rewarding. Aiden and Billy two young college students who enjoy the outdoors and are looking to take a few trips before they begin their journey into the real world. Aiden and Billy enjoy biking however they are far from experts and would like to find something available to them that will be within their limits and still give them a good outdoor experience. Website would have an easy to use yet informative website. The site would be hosted with its own domain name that would paid for and trademarked. It also would include secure servers and firewall protections for customers to feel comfortable entering in their personal and financial information. We want our website to be a one-stop-shop for those interested in biking across Yellowstone. When visiting the website a consumer would be brought to the home page (See appendix X). They would be greeted with a picturesque photo of Yellowstone and a navigation bar for all their needs. The page would then scroll down and feature photos of Yellowstone and basic information about our services and things happening with the company and the park. The navigation bar features six different tabs that visitors can choose from. The first tab brings you to the homepage if you were to navigate away from it. The About section would give users subtabs with options to register and sign up, history of the company and the team, and information about the logistics of the program and the experience. Next is a Trails tab that would feature each of the trail participants can choose from, details about each trail such as their difficulty, tips, and precautions. The Your Trip tab allows participants to customize their trip whether it be add specific amenities, give them details about their upcoming trip, and an interactive packing list. Of course we have a FAQ tab that lists typical questions we get from visitors and gives peoples an opportunity to submit their own question which should be answered within 48 hours. Lastly, there is a tab to the blog. This blog is a mix of written testimonials, company/park information, and puff pieces about topics that users of would be interested in. There would be about 2-4 posts a week that incorporates all of these different areas. We believe all of these aspects combined will lead to sales as users can have all the information they need, in detail to make a sound decision that this is the right vacation for them. If they still need more information or have questions our contact info would be displayed on all pages, we have ways for them to submit questions via the website or they can call/ as well. The blog and forum also allow others to talk and answer individuals questions and for them to engage with past visitors and future ones.

5 Digital Marketing Strategy Bison once roamed across North America in a population of over 20 million. Today, only 500,000 bison live after the loss of habitat and unregulated hunting. Many of these animals are domesticated, and Yellowstone is home to around 5,000 wild bison. In order to maintain a healthy and safe environment for the bison population in Yellowstone, we are going to start a GoFundMe campaign. GoFundMe is a crowdfunding site that allows businesses or individuals to raise money for life events, celebrations, or challenging circumstances. Our campaign will be shared as sponsored posts on all of our social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Corporate Challenges are team building exercises for company leaders and employees. Biking through the national park will build motivational skills and endurance. While going through difficult terrain or setting up the campsite, leadership, teamwork, and communication skills will be gained. Bringing businessmen and women into nature will allow us to spread awareness of human development on nature and animals. During the events, we will take photos to share as sponsored posts on all of our social media platforms. National Geographic is an organization that is committed to sharing the beauty of nature through exploration and protection. They have television channels, magazines for children and adults, as well as books, maps, and consumer products. We believe that advertising our business on the National Geographic channel as well as through print ads, we will be able to strengthen our reach to our target market. We will be partnering with booking and travel agencies. Doing so will increase the number of visitors we will have to our website while they are looking for activities during their planning process. The partnering process will include having pamphlets in visitor information centers in the Yellowstone area. Marketing Implementation Conclusion GoFundMe - $10,000 Corporate Challenges - $10,000 Print Ads - $200,000 Television - $350,000 Booking Agencies - $50,000 is passionate about bringing beginner and intermediate bicyclists to view beautiful landscapes and wild animals. By giving consumers the time to bond with each other and with nature, we hope to encourage them to help us save the environment. Through our digital marketing strategy, we know we can reach our target audience and show them the wonder that can only be experienced in the lands of Yellowstone National Park.

6 Appendix Appendix 1 - Website Mockup Citations Rivelo, --, et al. Study shows biking customers spend more. BikePortland.org, 10 July 2012, bikeportland.org/2012/07/06/study-shows-biking-customers-spend-more Number of cyclists in the USA 2017 Statistic. Statista, Stats Report Viewer. National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, About National Geographic. National Geographic, 13 Jan. 2018, Basic Facts About Bison. Defenders of Wildlife, 19 Sept. 2016, defenders.org/bison/basic-facts. GoFundMe, gofundme.com.