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Creative Marketing Project
Improving the Adopt-A-Trail Program
Holmen DECA Chapter
Holmen High School
1001 McHugh Road
Holmen, WI 54636
Kendra Nedegaard and Ashley Amundson
January 20, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................1
II. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................2
A. Statement of Problem...................................................................................2
B. Significance of the problem studied.............................................................3
C. Background information..............................................................................3
III. PROCEDURES AND RESEARCH METHODS USED..............................4
A. Description of secondary (library) research conducted: books, articles
and other sources on market research, local descriptive data, etc...............
B. Description of primary research conducted ................................................5
C. Description of involvement of chapter members and businesspeople in
the project.....................................................................................................
IV. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS................................................................6
A. Presentation of findings, data to support findings.......................................6
B. Presentation of conclusions, rationale to support conclusions...................16
V. RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................18
A. Recommendations resulting from the study..............................................18
B. Projected outcomes from implementing the recommendations.................21
C. Plan for implementing the recommendations............................................22
D. Evidence that the project has been presented to the appropriate business
and/or government officials who would benefit from the study................23
VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................24
VII. APPENDIX.....................................................................................................25
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Statement of the ProblemIt is necessary to provide a safe route for the children to travel from the north to south end of Holmen as well as to the Town of Holland. This is accomplished through the Halfway Creek Trail and Holland Bluff Trail. There is a current issue regarding the upkeep of the existing trails. Without community involvement these trails will continue to deteriorate and become hazardous for the community members who frequent it. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the quality of these trails, which is the goal of the Adopt-A-Trail program. Research Methods
Teacher and Student Surveys Focus Group Interview- Michael B. Brogan (Holmen Park and Recreation Director) Websites- Village of Holmen, La Crosse area description
Chapter InvolvementDECA students were involved in helping us with our research by completing and distributing our surveys to the students at Holmen High School. They provided additional assistance by completing some of the surveys themselves. Furthermore, they provided us with their opinions regarding the bike trail and the Adopt-A-Trail program. The DECA members were also able to be involved in the focus groups established. Some chapter members also attended the second meeting with Michael B. Brogan when the marketing plan for the Adopt-A-Trial program was discussed. Our interview with Michael B. Brogan helped us receive the information needed in order to come up with plans for solving the lack of advertising and general community awareness of the Adopt-A-Trail program. The subsequent meetings held provided us with further information and feedback regarding our approach to marketing the program. Findings and ConclusionsIn general, most people believe that the current maintenance of the trail needs to be addressed. We found that most of the community members would agree that the trails must be kept clean in order to continue using the trails for safety reasons. We found from our interview focus groups that there are multiple ways to solve this problem and concluded that a marketing approach that combined multiple forms of advertising would be the most efficient. Recommendations
Implementing a direct marketing campaign with flyers and brochures. Utilizing social media including Facebook and Twitter for indirect marketing. Having a sales promotion with a 5% discount towards the $300 cost of adopting a
section of the trail for “followers” of our Twitter page and “likers” of our Facebook page.
Establishing a public relations aspect by planning a 5K Run/Walk/Bike day in the community promoting healthy lifestyles.
We, Ashley Amundson and Kendra Nedegaard, as well as Michael Brogan will speak to community members about the Adopt-A-Trail program at the planned events and to local organizations/businesses.
1
II. INTRODUCTION
A. Statement of problem
Holmen, Wisconsin (located in the south eastern section of the state in La
Crosse County) is a constantly expanding community. Many of the residents are
middle aged families with young, school aged children. It is necessary to provide
a safe route for the children to travel from the north to south end of Holmen as
well as to the Town of Holland. This is accomplished through the Halfway Creek
Trail and Holland Bluff Trail. There is a current issue regarding the upkeep of the
existing trails. Without community involvement these trails will continue to
deteriorate and become hazardous for the community members who frequent it.
Therefore, it is essential to maintain the quality of these trails, which is the goal of
the Adopt-A-Trail program. The Adopt-A-Trail program allows community
organizations to adopt 1/2-mile portions of the Halfway Creek Trail or the
Holland Bluffs Trail. Adopting can be done by businesses, individuals, schools,
college organizations, church groups, service clubs, teams, corporations, etc.
Sponsors will adopt a half-mile portion of the trail and participate in at least 3
clean up days per year. In order, to adopt you must fill out an application, pay a
fee of $300, and be approved by the Village of Holmen, Town of Holland, and
Town of Onalaska. This existing program has made a positive impact on the
trails; however, the ad campaign has not been updated in three years.
B. Significance of the problem studied
Because of the current insufficient marketing techniques, Holmen
community members are unaware of the Adopt-A-Trail program, so the additional
2
nine sections of the trail remain un-adopted. (Please refer to Figures 1 and 2
located in the Appendix for a further explanation of un-adopted trail sections.) As
the community continues to expand, the Holland Bluff Trails will be frequented
more often which will increase the demand of upkeep.
C. Background information: description of the business, community situation
or whatever is necessary to understand the value of the project.
Holmen is a village in La Crosse County of Wisconsin with a population
of approximately 9,100; this includes 2,700 households of which 50% have
children under the age of 18. These statistics make Holmen, Wisconsin one of the
largest villages in southwestern Wisconsin. The neighboring Town of Holland is
projected to continue to expand. Its current
population is approximately 3,800 with 46%
of households including children. The shared
Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff Trails
include 8.5 miles of crushed limestone and
blacktop trails extending from the Village of
Holmen into the Town of Holland. These
trails are free for public usage and are a
common mode of transportation.
The Adopt-A-Trail program, since its initiation, has worked to "improve
the condition and monitoring of the trails. Community support and adoption
enhances the beauty, upkeep, and sense of ownership of the trails beyond what
can be monitored by Village of Holmen, Town of Onalaska, and Town of Holland
3
maintenance staff" (Holmen, WI). The Adopt-A-Trail program is similar to the
Adopt-a-Highway program, where groups are able to adopt a portion of the
highway and then help keep the sides of the highway looking clean and neat. The
Adopt-A-Trail is a similar concept, where groups can adopt a half-mile portion of
the trails and then agree to keep their portion of the trail looking nice and free of
debris/garbage and the group will be recognized with signage on their portion of
the trail.
III. PROCEDURES AND RESEARCH METHODS USED
A. Description of secondary (library) research conducted: books, articles and
other sources on market research, local descriptive data, etc.
We conducted our research by utilizing internet sources. All of our
secondary research was found on the Village of Holmen's website. On this
website we were able to obtain the contact information in order to set up
interviews. We acquired additional secondary research through the brochures,
fliers, and maps available at the Holmen Village Hall. These resources informed
us of the history and layout of the current trail. We also received an overview of
the current Adopt-A-Tail program as well as the current members of this program
through these sources. Obtaining this information was essential in order to
establish a justifiable target market.
B. Description of primary research conducted
We used two primary research methods that consisted of an interview and
surveys. We interviewed the person we felt would be the most knowledgeable on
the combined trails: Michael B. Brogan. Mr. Brogan is the Park and Recreation
4
Director at the Village of Holmen. He oversaw the first ad campaign and
expressed his interest in updating and augmenting the Adopt-A-Trail program.
The second research method we used was surveying. We created two
different surveys; one for students, and the other for staff and other adults. We
distributed the adult surveys to every teacher's mailbox, placed a few in the
teacher's lounge, and handed out surveys to other adults in the community. The
adults provided us with a better understanding of what improvements this
demographic expects for the bike trails. They also provided information on how
often they use the bike trail and their previous experiences regarding the
maintenance and quality of the trails. Our student survey was distributed to
several marketing/business classes at Holmen High School including the
Entrepreneurship class, Marketing and Business Concepts, and Sports and
Entertainment Marketing. The surveys were also completed by students outside
of the marketing classes in a random sample survey. In addition, all the
remaining surveys were completed by our Holmen DECA Chapter, consisting of
over 300 students. The variety of students provided us with their input on any
suggestions as well as background knowledge of the bike trails. We felt it
necessary to survey both adults and students in order to assess the problem more
effectively. This research method will aid us in resolving the problem regarding
the Adopt-A-Trail Program for the Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff Trails.5
C. Description of involvement of chapter members and businesspeople in the
project
We involved our DECA chapter by surveying them. We passed our
surveys out during the marketing and business classes. The DECA members also
helped us in providing their opinions with our project. A few members helped in
the distribution of our surveys to the teachers and students of Holmen High
School. We also held a focus group for DECA members, in which they could
participate. Through this focus group we were able to openly discuss suggestions
for our upgraded marketing plan and the source of the issues regarding the bike
trails.
IV. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
A. Presentation of findings, data to support findings
We received the most valuable information through our interview with the
Park and Recreation Director of the Village of Holmen, Michael B. Brogan.
Throughout our interviews we discovered the main areas where the initial
advertising campaign had faults. To begin with, we had to establish a background
knowledge of the Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff Trails. In order to do so, we
analyzed the various maps indicating the location of the Halfway Creek Trails and
asked questions regarding the amount of traffic the trail receives annually. We
determined the trail was used by many citizens of all ages, especially families.
Consequently, as the Holmen and Onalaska communities expand in population,
the trails will become even more frequented. This is especially important because
from 2000 to 2010, the population of La Crosse County has increased
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significantly by more than forty-five percent. Therefore, statistically, the
population of Holmen in the year 2020 will be around 13,195. This is an increase
of 4,095 citizens who will potentially use the bike trail for recreational purposes.
Furthermore, we came to the conclusion that the location of the bike trail
created an easy and safe route between many of the most visited community
centers. This includes close proximity to the post office, aquatic center, library,
Holmen Middle School, Holmen High School, Evergreen Elementary School,
Viking Elementary School, and the Village Hall.
After gathering our background information. we asked questions to learn
if there are any plans for the future expansion of the marketing program currently
in place for the Adopt-A-Trail program and otherwise bike trails. The response
was that the bike trail itself will be expanding in the future including further
routes and access points to the main roads and neighborhoods of the surrounding
communities. However, there is no plan of action for doing any further expansion
with the Adopt-A-Trail program's advertising campaign, although Michael
Brogan felt an improved marketing plan would be necessary to continue the
Adopt-A-Trail program. Michael B. Brogan provided rational for this by stating
that the portions of the bike trail that will be added in the future, as well as the
existing sections with no adopters, will require a larger awareness in the
community in order to have citizens adopt these sections.
Supplementary information was provided by our peers and adults in the
community regarding the Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff Trails as well as their
knowledge on the Adopt-A-Trail program. We gathered their input and
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suggestions through focus groups and informal discussions. We were surprised
by the amount of people who use the trail frequently as a means of transportation.
Many of the adults prefer this method of transportation during the summer months
as an economical way for their families to exercise. The majority of our peers
also use this trail as less of an economical choice, and more of an outlet for
exercise and social gatherings.
In our discussions, we realized that there is not a sufficient method being
implemented to create awareness of the Adopt-A-Trail program. Our peers were
largely unaware of this program; the majority did not even know it existed. They
suggested possible marketing techniques through printing brochures describing
the program and the trail itself. This discussion led to ideas of distributing
brochures to Holmen faculty members, as well as asking permission to place them
in local businesses that are most often visited by local community members.
They also understood the need to utilize social network sites to increase the
awareness in the community and gain potential adoptees. Together, we also
discussed the current conditions of the bike trails.
Throughout our focus groups, it was most commonly believed that the
trail was decently maintained, but improvements could be made and were
definitely necessary for the growth of the trail in the future. We found that this
belief was most prevalent to the adults in the community. They commonly felt
that some areas of the trail had potential hazards such as broken glass, trash, pop
cans, uneven grounds, and natural debris. For our peers, the inadequate
maintenance was less of an issue, but was still commented on various times.
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These two primary sources were essential in establishing a foundation for our
improved marketing plan of the Adopt-A-Trail program.
(The following are the graphed results of our student surveys.)
The above graph represents the results from Question One in our survey.
We asked our peers whether or not they have ever used the current bike trails.
Our results show the overwhelming amount of people who use the Halfway Creek
or Holland Bluff Trails. As indicated, ninety-four percent of our peers have used
this trail while only six percent have not utilized the trails. This data is significant
because it demonstrates the need of maintenance since there is such a heavy flow
of traffic on the trails.
94 %Yes
6% No
Have you personally used the Halway Creek or Holland Bluff bike trails?
9
The graph above represents how many times our peers have used the trail
in the past two years for recreational purposes. Our results indicate that six
percent have never used the trail, twenty-three percent have used the trail one to
two times, seventeen percent have used the trial two to five times, thirty-five
percent have used the trail five to ten times, and nineteen percent of our peers
have used the trail more than ten times. This proves many of our peers frequent
the trail, making it a necessity in the community.
Never 1-2 times 2-5 times 5-10 times 10+ times0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
How many times have you used the trail in the past 2 years?
Percentage of people
Yes29%
No71%
Have you heard of the Adopt-A-Trail program or seen any advertisements for
it?
10
The graph on the bottom of the previous page represents the awareness of
the Adopt-A-Trail program in our peers. The opinions of our peers regarding this
issue are valuable because increasing the awareness of the Adopt-A-Trail program
is the main objective of our Creative Marketing Project. As depicted on page 10,
seventy-one percent of our peers are entirely unaware of this program and
furthermore have seen no advertising explaining the cause. Only fifteen out of the
fifty surveyed actually know what this program is or have seen any sort of
advertisement.
The chart above indicates our results in our peer survey when we asked for
their opinions on the upkeep and maintenance of the current bike trails. It is
apparent that our peers view the current maintenance of the bike trail to be
mediocre. The majority of the students ranked the maintenance between three
and eight, with an obvious peek at six. This data indicates our peers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1005
1015202530354045
How would you rank the maintenance of the Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff Trails?
(1 being poor, 10 being excellent)
Percentage of people
11
acknowledgement towards a possible improvement of the safety and cleanliness
of the trails.
The graph shown above demonstrates the mediums our peers use to
receive information regarding upcoming events and benefits in the community.
As shown above, the most prevalent are Facebook, in which twenty-three percent
stated was their primary way to attain news, and Twitter which boasts thirty-seven
percent of students stating this medium is their way to hear about events. This
data is the most essential because it is necessary to document the most effective
ways of advertising in our age group, so our advertising campaign can focus in on
Facebook and Twitter as the primary advertising method for the young people of
our community.
Faceb
ook
T.V. A
dvertism
etns
Radio Adver
tismen
ts
Flyers
/ Bro
chures
Classifi
ed Adve
rtisemen
ts0
10
20
30
40
Most commonly used types of media
Percentage of people
12
The graph shown above demonstrates our survey results that were directed
towards the adults in the community. The above question prompts if they
themselves or their family have ever used the current trails. Seventy-six percent
of the surveyed adults stated they had previously used the Halfway Creek and
Holland Bluff bike trails. This shows that not only are our peers frequenting the
trails, it is also many families' and adults' source of recreation.
Lack o
f public
restro
oms
Location
Unclean
liness
Access
points
Rest st
opsOther
02468
What is your biggest concern regarding the trails?
Series 1
The graph at the bottom of the previous page represents the concerns of
the adults in the community with the current state of the bike trail. As shown,
Yes76%
No24%
Have you/your family used the current bike trails?
13
community members are concerned with the cleanliness of the trails since thirty-
two percent marked this as their biggest concern. The categories of other, rest
stops, and lack of public restrooms were the next highest concerns. These
concerns account for a cumulative fifty-six percent of the surveyed adults. This is
essential data because it shows the need for the expansion of the Adopt-A-Trail
program.
The previous chart demonstrates the awareness of the Adopt-A-Trail
program in the adult demographic of the area. As indicated, these results align
closely with the results of the students surveyed. Sixty-eight percent of adults in
the area are unaware of the current Adopt-A-Trail program. These adults, along
with the students who are also unaware, allow us the opportunity to expand the
cause of this program to a new cliental base with an improved marketing plan.
Yes32%
No68%
Are you aware of the Adopt-A-Trail program?
14
As depicted above, when those who were aware of the Adopt-A-Trail
program were asked if they were interested in receiving further information, three
out of eight adults responded positively. This tells us that perspective clients are
willing to look further into this program with a possibility of purchasing when
they are aware of the cause.
Yes38%
No63%
Would you be interested in receiving additional information about adopting a section of the trail?
Faceb
ook
T.V. A
dvertism
ents
Radio Adver
tismen
ts
Flyers
/Brochures
Classifi
ed Adve
rtisemen
ts05
101520253035
Percentage that receive information regarding upcoming events and causes in the community most commonly
through this medium
The preceding graph demonstrates the percentage of adults in the
community that use each medium most often to receive information about events
in the community and local causes. This information is vital to our advertising
campaign because it is now apparent that flyers and brochures will be the most
effective way to advertise the Adopt-a-Trail program in the LaCrosse area. A
common trend can be noted regarding Facebook. In both young members of the
community and adults, this social media is often used to acquire information
about the events in the community.
After gathering information through surveying community members and
students, we determined the percentage of people who have used the bike trail in
the past and their experiences. We also discovered the concerns regarding the
bike trail as well as the adoption program. Furthermore, we concluded that an
increase in awareness is essential and necessary in order for the community's
concerns to be addressed through the Adopt-A-Trail program.
B. Presentation of conclusions, rationale to support conclusions
There are multiple ways of increasing the lack of awareness in LaCrosse
County regarding the Adopt-a-Trail program. Through our focus groups and
conversations with members of the community, we came across a few common
responses regarding the most effective forms of advertising in our community.
We concluded that radio, television, and classified advertisements would provide
for three potential marketing outlets.
15
One possible marketing strategy would be to implement television
advertisements. The benefits of this technique would be that there would be wide
exposure to many different demographics. We would request to have these ads
aired during the local news around 6:00PM, when most families are home and
watching television. The drawbacks of television advertising are the cost and the
inattention of viewers. It would be much more expensive to run a television ad
than any other form of advertisement.
An additional form of advertising that we have considered is radio
advertisements. We would air our radio ads on the popular local stations in order
to increase our awareness most effectively. The possible benefits of this form of
advertising include creating a memorable impression for those who may not
watch television. The drawbacks of this specific form of advertising is that it is
not cost effective and promotes to the elderly generation, since the majority of the
younger families prefer to listen to iPods or CDs.
Furthermore, another form of advertising that could be utilized would be
to purchase advertisement space in the local La Crosse Tribune as well as the
Holmen/Onalaska Courier. The benefit of this form of advertising is that it is
more cost effective than advertising on television or radio. Utilizing the classified
advertisements would also target the elderly generation because this form of
advertising is more prevalent to this age group. However, this form of advertising
has numerous weaknesses. For instance, as indicated in our student surveys, only
two percent of our peers come into contact with the messages portrayed through
newspapers. Moreover, even the adults surveyed demonstrated the lack of
16
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exposure to classified advertisements. Therefore, we feel that this form of
advertising would not provide the greatest return on our investment.
Although these three forms of advertising have potential benefits, the
drawbacks outweigh them. The largest drawback that we came across through
our surveys was that our target market commonly disregards these forms of
advertising in regards to community events. Because of this, TV, radio, and
classified advertisements were eliminated when considering our possible
marketing campaign options.
V. RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Recommendations resulting from the study
After analyzing the various options for increasing the awareness in the
community regarding the Adopt-a-Trail program, we have established the main
forms of advertising that will create the most significant return on investment and
will also encompass all five aspects of the promotional mix: direct marketing,
advertising, sales promotions, public relations, and personal selling. We plan to
create and distribute brochures and fliers, implement social media, offer
discounts, host various community events, and personally promote the program.
Initially, we, Ashley Amundson and Kendra Nedegaard, established a
method in which we will employ direct marketing. In order to utilize direct
marketing, we plan to create and distribute brochures and fliers throughout the La
Crosse/Holmen community. These fliers and brochures will include a description
of the location of the bike trails (including access points), as well as further
description on the trails. Pictures will be displayed through these fliers and
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brochures to demonstrate the beautiful scenery. Background information on the
initiation of the Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff bike trails and the mission of
the Adopt-A-Trail program will also be presented. We will include information on
the possible ways to sign up for the Adopt-A-Trail program and the cost of the
program. At the bottom of our advertisements, we will include a statement
regarding our use of social media. These forms of advertising will be used to
increase the awareness of the young population and the adults of the surrounding
community. These advertisements will be placed in local schools including the
Holmen Middle School, Holmen High School, and the four elementary schools.
To gain awareness in the adults in the community, fliers and brochures will be
placed in local business including the local café, library, gym, and restaurants.
Included in the business distribution of our advertisements, we will create a
partnership with the local pizza parlor in order for our fliers to be placed in
consumer's pizza boxes. To benefit the pizza parlor we will include their logo at
the bottom of all of our advertising. Since the majority of the people frequenting
the trail are families, fliers and brochures will also be placed in the La Crosse
County YMCAs. Additional brochures will be handed out at community events
with a family focus. Considering no print advertising has been implemented
previously, we expect that this technique will be very beneficial to the program.
Our ad campaign will also implement the use of advertising through social
media with Facebook and Twitter. We will begin by creating a Facebook page.
Here, we will receive "likers" from those who search the local bike trail as well as
people who referenced our page from our print advertising campaign. For those
19
who "like" our page, we will provide updates on the expansion of the Adopt-A-
Trail program and post pictures to generate interest in adopting a section of the
trail. Furthermore, we plan to post the event times when we will be distributing
brochures and providing further information about the bike trails and
corresponding programs. In addition to Facebook, we will also create a Twitter
page in which we will "tweet" about activities on the trail relating to the current
season. This will generate interest and awareness for our Adopt-A-Trail program.
We are certain that the use of social media will be an effective form of advertising
especially among the teenage demographic of the La Crosse community.
In order to incorporate sales promotion, we plan to offer a five percent
discount to all of our Twitter "followers" and Facebook "likers" as an incentive to
adopt a portion of the trail. We chose to offer this discount with the social media
pages because they are commonly used with both younger and older
demographics as opposed to fliers and brochures which are much more common
among our elder target market.
Incorporating the public relations aspect of the promotional mix will
require us to host various community events. For instance, we will plan a
Community Trail Day in which the community will be invited to participate in
activities such as a 5K Run/Walk/Bike event. These non-competitive activities
will create a positive association between the Halfway Creek and Holland Bluff
Trails and our potential community clients. Furthermore, these days will create a
free form of advertising: publicity. We expect that news reporters will attend
such events and create a greater awareness of the local trails.
19
In order to capitalize on the community events and increase awareness of
the Adopt-A-Trail program, it is essential to implement a form of personal selling
at these events. For example, a display will be created at the finish line of the 5K
event, so every participant will be informed of the program. At these displays we,
Ashley Amundson and Kendra Nedegaard, as well as Michael B. Brogan, the
Park and Recreation Director, will be available to answer any questions members
of the community have regarding the program. Moreover, we will provide
additional information describing the adoption process to interested individuals.
In addition, there is an opportunity in expanding the Adopt- a- Trail program’s
potential cliental base through advertising directly to surrounding schools,
organizations, churches, and youth groups. To target these potential adoptees, we
will personally hand out fliers specifically related to this demographic by meeting
with these local organizations. This personal selling technique will increase the
awareness of local families and organizations that may be possible clients.
Through our focus groups, informal conversations with community
members, and survey results, we are confident that the marketing plan previously
described will create the largest return on investment and increase the awareness
of the community most effectively.
B. Projected outcomes from implementing the recommendations
The projected outcomes from implementing the recommendations are that
the awareness of the Adopt-a-Trail program will increase in the La Crosse county
from approximately 30% to realistically 40-50%. This would be an increase of as
much as 60% in the awareness in the surrounding communities. Furthermore, as
20
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the awareness increases, we project the adoption rates to also increase. As
predicted in our survey results 37% of those who know about the program are
interested in finding out more information. With a projected 60% increase in
awareness, it can be assumed that the adoption rates will increase and provide
further profit to the program. It is estimated that from this campaign, 4 more
adoptees will purchase a section of the trail.
C. Plan for implementing the recommendations
The anticipated cost of this advertising campaign is estimated to be around
$273.79. This breaks down into $172.47 for 500 8.5” x 11” brochures and
$101.32 for 500 8.5” x 11” flyers (estimated from www.Uprinting.com). This
money will be generated from the Holmen Village’s Park and Recreation’s
finances. This is a reasonable amount to invest in the campaign, because one
adoption for a section of a trail is more than our total advertising budget. As we
expect that the awareness created in the projected campaign will generate
increased interest in the program, thus escalating the amount of adoptions and
revenue generated from the Adopt-a-Trail program. All in all, the return on
investment is projected to be substantial.
The campaign will be carried out by us, Ashley Amundson and Kendra
Nedegaard, so there will be no labor cost to include. We will implement and
update the social media pages to keep the community updated, as well as
personally place the brochures and flyers in the previously stated locations.
Furthermore, we will conduct planned meetings with the presidents of local
organizations and youth groups on behalf of the Adopt-a-Trail program.
D. Evidence that the project has been presented to the appropriate business
and/or government officials who would benefit from the study
We had a follow-up meeting with Michael Brogan in which we discussed
our plan of action regarding the Adopt-a-Trial program. The meeting took place
on Friday, January 18th, 2013 at the Holmen Village Hall. In addition to this
meeting our budget and objectives of our advertising campaign were presented to
Michael Brogan and his coworkers, who are also associated with the Holmen Park
and Recreation. These local leaders are the most closely related to the Half-way
Creek and Holland Bluffs bike trails, and have the most authority regarding this
aspect of the community. Our marketing plan received a positive response and
further analysis of our strategies will take place in regards to implementing this
plan for the future of the Adopt-A-Trail program. Overall, these village hall
officials believed that our marketing plan would expand the knowledge of the
Adopt-A-Trail program most cost effectively; they were very pleased and
impressed with our plan of action. The responses stated that our marketing plan is
an effective option that will be considered.
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VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Holmen, WI." Holmen, WI. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.
"La Crosse, Wisconsin." (WI) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages,
Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools,
Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders. N.p., n.d. Web. 20
Dec. 2012.
"Online Printing Services from a Trusted Print Company." Online Printing Services.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.
"Projected Options For Bike Trail Marketing Plan With Michael B. Brogan."
Personal interview. 24 Oct. 2012.
24
VII. APPENDIX
Interview with Michael B. Brogan
1. Do you think extending the bike trail is necessary for the future community of
Holmen?
2. Are there any plans for extending the Adopt-A-Trail program in the future?
3. What do you think is a greater need - extending the bike trails or having people
adopt sections of the current trail?
4. How is the Adopt-A-Trail program currently advertised?
5. How effective are these current advertising techniques?
6. Is there a plan to make any progressions in the current advertising campaign?
7. Do you have any suggestions or ideas for the future of the Adopt-A-Trail
program?
8. Who do you believe is the target market for the advertising campaign?
9. Do you believe this target market is limited because of the current marketing
strategies?
10. Do you believe the target market is limited because of the $300 registration fee?
11. Are you willing to offer a slight discount on the $300 registration fee?
12. Would you be interested in generating top of mind awareness through community
events or personal selling?
13. Would you be willing to attend these possible events as an Adopt-A-Trail
representative?
25
Adult Survey Sample
Hello, our names are Kendra Nedegaard and Ashley Amundson and we're
writing a Creative Marketing Chapter Project for DECA competition. We
would greatly appreciate your help by answering the following questions.
Thanks!
1. Have you and your family used the current Halfway Creek or Holland Bluff bike
trails?
Yes No
2. If so, what is your biggest concern regarding the current bike trails?
Lack of public restrooms Location Uncleanliness
Access points Rest stops Other
3. Are you aware of the Adopt-A-Trail program?
Yes No
4. Would you be interested in receiving additional information about adopting a
section of the trail?
Yes No
5. Which medium do you use most often to receive information about events in the
community and local causes?
Facebook Twitter Flyers/brochures
Radio advertisements T.V. Advertisements
Classified advertisements
26
Student Survey Sample
Hi, our names are Kendra Nedegaard and Ashley Amundson and we're
writing a Creative Marketing Chapter Project for DECA competition.
We would greatly appreciate your help by answering the following questions.
Thanks!
1. Have you personally used the Halfway Creek or Holland Bluff bike trails?
Yes No
2. How many times have you used the trail in the past 2 years?
Never 1 - 2 2 - 5 5 - 10 10 +
3. Have you heard of the Adopt-A-Trail program or seen any advertisements for it?
Yes No
4. How would you rank the upkeep/maintenance of the Halfway Creek and Holland
Bluff Trails? (1 being poor, 10 being excellent)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5. What improvements would you like to see regarding the bike trail?(Example:
Public Restrooms, Rest areas, etc.)
6. Which medium do you use most often to receive information about events in the
community and local causes?
Facebook Twitter Flyers/brochures
Radio advertisements T.V. Advertisements
Classified advertisements
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