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Tourism
Matters
Serving the Tourism Industry of Michigan
 Spring
2000 |
Sally J.
Carpenter - editor |
Marketing is driven by customer needs. Product development and all marketing comes from your understanding of the customer and what they want.
Marketing is more than advertising. It is a wide range of communication that includes personal selling, promotions, public relations and advertising.
Marketing claims must be honest, accurate and consistent with your business's ability to deliver.
Marketing should promote an image.
Target marketing is needed to reach your desired customer within the limits of your budget.
Marketing evaluation in needed to monitor the effect of your marketing program to see if you are reaching the markets intended and if it is cost efficient.
Follow these six steps to successful marketing:
1. Analyze your
current situation
What attracts people to your business
What is your image What are your current markets Who is your competition Who are your partners in success (Example: Tourism
Council, Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Boards etc.) What are your partners goals that might concern your
business (Downtown improvement, business retention, promotion of the area as a destination
etc.) What
trends affect your business.
2. Identify the product you are marketing
Create
a positioning statement: a synopsis of your business’ main assets. (Example, XYZ
Bookstore offers a large selection of new and used books, children's books, gifts and toys
in a charming historic main street atmosphere).
3. Select your target market(s)
A target market is a group of individuals sharing common
characteristics that fit with your product. You want to direct your marketing efforts
toward them. Identify and be able to describe the segments that make
up your total market. Then evaluate the economic potential of each segment
such as size, proximity to your business, drawing power, buying power. Choose
one or more segments to focus your market efforts.
4. Set a marketing plan
Clearly
state what you want to accomplish such as what target market you are going after, your
specific plan for increased sales, increased awareness. How can you measure the outcome
and how much change will occur in what time frame.
5. Carry out the plan
A promotion plan is an attempt to stimulate sales by
directing information to current or potential customers in your target markets. (Hint, you can not tell your
customer everything about you in a single promotion, try to say a few things well in each
message and let your promotional methods in combination say it all.) Highlight why your business is unique Give facts not generalities (example: only $299, not, it
is low cost) Alleviate anxiety with maps and detailed directions Use photographs Set a promotion budget Select the promotion mix Such
as advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotions, internet.
6. Evaluate the result and make corrections
What is your marketing cost per customer: divide total
number of customer generated from a promotion by total cost of the promotion to get a cost
per customer. Divide the total revenue generated by the promotion by
the total promotion costs to get your return on investment. Determine
what you could have done differently to be more successful.
Congratulations, you have just read through a marketing strategic plan process.
For work sheets on target market planning, marketing goals, marketing checklist and marketing evaluation phone: 616/467-5522; fax: 616/467-5641; or E-Mail: carpents@msue.msu.edu
Best wishes for year 2000.
Chesaning, MI — Attracting a record number of festival and event planners and suppliers, the 7th annual Michigan Festivals and Events Association convention held November 4-7 in Kalamazoo at the Radisson Plaza Hotel offered something for everyone.
Educational workshops, always a highlight of the MFEA convention, covered a variety of topics of interest to those involved in the tourism industry. Workshop presenters from all over the U.S. and around Michigan provided festival and event planners with information on everything from sponsorships and board development issues to fundraising and technical information.
The Marketplace Trade Show featured around 70 festival and event suppliers of all descriptions, their booths filled with information handouts and other items to help event planners with their needs. Multiple entertainment showcases, scheduled throughout the weekend, were almost non-stop and provided lots of opportunity for performers to show planners what they had to offer.
Keynote speaker Bob Farrell, nationally-known entrepreneur and author, set the tone for the event with his energetic call for developing and maintaining top-notch customer service in any venue to "...keep ‘em coming back!"
New this year was the participation of young people representing various festivals and events in the Youth on Board program, sponsored by the Michigan Festivals and Events Foundation.
Appropriately, the theme of the convention was "Four Seasons of Celebrations" with attendees representing festivals and events from both upper and lower Michigan.
The newly-elected MFEA Board of Directors is headed by President Marilyn Clear of the Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Officers serving with her are vice-president John Greenslit of Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, secretary Larry Nielsen of the Berrien Springs 4th of July Pickle Festival, and treasurer Jim Zamberlan of Booth Newspapers. Rounding out the board are directors Mary Duistermars of Holland Tulip Time, Hugh Smith, of Michigan Antique & Collectibles Festivals, Mike Brown of the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee, Carol Nichols of the Muskegon Eastside Extravaganza, and L.C. Scramlin of the Oakland County 4-H Fair.
The 8th annual MFEA convention is set for November 2-5, 2000. MFEA will also offer continuing education for festival and event planners at the Spring Seminar in Charlevoix on April 9-10.
For information regarding membership, the Spring Seminar or the 2000 Convention, please contact the MFEA office by phone at 517/845-2080 or by fax at 517/845-5074.
Wildflowers – an informative and educational quarterly newsletter featuring articles on native Michigan wildflowers, legislative updates, book reviews, upcoming events and related feature stories.
Annual Michigan Wildflower Conference — and annual meeting of members. Two days of workshops and seminars with knowledgeable speakers held in conjunction with Michigan State University during ANR Week, March 7-9. Our goal is to offer education of proper principles, ethics and methods of landscaping with native wildflowers and associated habitats.
Grants for Education for development and maintenance of native habitats.
Speakers Network and more.
Visit the web site at http://www.iserv.net/~wam
E-mail: wam@iserv.net
Sally,
Thank you for a neat newsletter. As Chamber of Commerce Executive Director in a village that is on the brink of being what we hope will be a very important destination in Michigan, I appreciate all your comments and pass them on to our members, citing of course your newsletter. Your piece in the Winter issue on rural retail and charter busses were exceptionally appropriate for us!
I’ve been receiving the Tourism Matters as a hand-me-down from various sources but would like to be placed directly on your mailing list. Thanks…
"One can not discover new worlds without first losing sight of the shore."
Sincerely,
Doug Case
Blissfield Chamber of Commerce
Dear Doug,
Thank you for your comments, and yes! We will add you to our mailing list so that you may
have your very own personal copy of "Tourism Matters". Enjoy!
Sally
Joe Breidenstein of Northwest Lower Promotions wants to
promote the theme "Springtime
Magic", he says "every community or region in Michigan could
develop some activities or events to draw attention to themselves in the spring, when we
all need more business.
Contact him at Boyne City, (231) 535-2227 if you can lend support. His Mushroom Outings at
Walloon Lake is a good example.
The travel industry is the fastest growing industry in the
world…
Travel Industry Association of America
"Recreation is big,
big business here in America. And for the right reason, we as a society value the great
outdoors."
USDA Secretary Glickman
Studies
conducted by Travel Industry of America indicate that 48 million Americans would consider
using online service to make travel plans and arrangements…
Travel Industry Association of America
"The family vacation
market accounts for 73% of all leisure travel in the United States."
Peter Mason, 1997 Outlook for Family Travel
It is
estimated that in 1996, 3.7 million people took trips of one mile or more from their homes
to observe, feed, or photograph wildlife…
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
"The U.S. has 75
million Americans —African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, plus millions of
others — who are just waiting for you to say we welcome you to our destination."
Outlook for Minority Travel
"Outdoor
recreation takes place across the country. While we may think of wildlands as the home of
outdoor pursuits, urban areas experience some of the greatest demand. Places close to
where the most people live serve recreationists more often than our National Parks."
American Recreation Coalition
"Mass marketing is dead. Niche marketing is alive and
thriving. No longer do we want to impress a lot of people to like us a little. Today want
lots of groups of people to like us a lot."
Bob Gilbert, Outlook for Accommodations Marketing
Upcoming Consumer Travel Shows:
February 18 – 27: Indianapolis Boat, Sport and
Fishing Show.
March 11 – 19: Cleveland American/Canadian Sport, Travel and Outdoor Show
Contact: Ken Yarsevich, Travel Michigan, (517) 335-4383 for more information on both
events
February 29 – May 16, 2000: FastTrac II, every Tuesday from 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm, in St. Joseph County, MI. A class for business’ on the grow. Phone 616/467-5522 for more information, or to find out if there are classes scheduled in your area.
March 7-8 & 9: ANR Week 2000: Tourism Programs (see information below)
April 9-10, 2000: Spring Seminar in Charlevoix,
continuing education for festival and event planners.
Phone 517/845-2090 for more information or fax at 517/845-5074.
November 2-5, 2000: 8th Annual Michigan Festivals and
Events Association convention.
Contact MFEA office by phone at 517/845-2080 or fax at 517/845-5074 for more information.
Agriculture & Natural Resources Week 2000: Tourism
Programs
First announcement and early registration
Tuesday, March 7, 2000
Community Tourism Workshop, Ball Room, University Club, Lansing
Wednesday, March 8, 2000
Michigan Tourism Outlook Conference, Ball Room, University Club, Lansing
Thursday, March 9, 2000
Conference on Indian Gaming in Michigan, Auditorium, Kellogg Center, East Lansing
(University Club is located at 3435 Forest Rd. in Lansing, Michigan. Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center is located at the corner of Harrison Rd. and Michigan Ave. in East Lansing, Michigan.
See registration form by clicking here, or you may receive more information on individual programs by calling: Gail Vander Stoep at (517) 353-5190 x 117 or Terry Shaffer at (517) 353-3882 for Community Tourism Workshop; Teresa Herbowicz at (517) 353-0793 for Michigan Tourism Outlook Conference or Conference on Indian Gaming in Michigan.
Or log on to the web site at www.tourism.msu.edu/tourism.html
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| Tourism Area of Expertise Team Michigan State University 172 Natural Resources Bldg. East Lansing, MI 48824-1222 Phone: 517-353-0793 Fax: 517-432-2296 |