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MARKETING  PLAN  –  Paul  Herbert  

The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  

EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY    

The  Town  of  Cornelius,  through  its  department  of  Parks,  Arts,  Recreation  and  Culture  (PARC)  is  building  a  four  field  baseball/softball  facility  known  currently  as  the  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex.  When  complete  this  Fall  2011,  it  will  include  four  youth  baseball/softball  fields  amidst  a  larger  community  park  and  all  of  its  amenities.  Various  estimates  by  the  Town  supported  Visit  Lake  Norman  organization  show  millions  in  economic  impact  from  tournament  play  on  the  fields.  An  investment  of  5.7  million  in  Robbins  Park  and  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  within  the  past  two  years  is  an  unprecedented  commitment  to  quality  of  life  in  Cornelius  coupled  with  strategic  investment  in  economic  development.  Properly  marketing  it  does  help  to  establish  priorities  and  ensure  its  success  as  a  tournament  facility  and  realize  its  promise  for  economic  sustainability  and  development.  

Knowing  the  purpose  of  the  facility  and  an  analysis  of  the  PARC’s  strengths,  weaknesses,  opportunities  and  threats  provides  great  insight  in  marketing  the  facility.    Analysis  of  the  baseball  consumer  in  this  plan  provides  valuable  information  on  age,  location  and  type  of  offerings  possible.  The  plan  also  provides  insight  into  other  current  or  planned  facilities  which  compete  for  the  target  youth  market  of  7-­‐14  year  old  travelling  baseball  players  and  their  families.  The  goals  and  objectives  outlined  in  the  plan  are  informed  by  both  the  demographics  and  character  of  Cornelius  contained  in  the  outcomes  of  its  comprehensive  master  planning  process.  Together,  this  information  sets  the  stage  for  marketing  strategies  reaching  this  desired  market  to  create  awareness  of  the  new  facility  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  booking  tournaments  and  generating  sponsorship  opportunities.  It  also  uses  the  strategies  to  enhancing  the  play  experience  and  branding  of  the  Town  to  promote  its  amenities,  attractions  and  accommodations  while  differentiating  the  facility  from  among  its  competitors  and  is  now  rebranded  as  “The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman.”  Marketing  tactics  are  the  actors  upon  this  stage  relating  to  the  marketing  strategies  with  specific  tactical  roles  such  as  product,  branding,  pricing,  distribution,  personal  selling,  merchandising,  publicity,  and,  the  star  role  in  the  show  –  promotions.  The  role  of  promotions  is  integral  in  carrying  out  the  mission  as  a  paid  performer  with  a  budget  of  $41,000  in  advertising,  brochures,  discounts,  sponsorships,  web  site  presence,  signage,  direct  mail  and  other  marketing  collateral.  The  deployment  of  the  promotional  package  is  spread  out  across  a  timeline  for  delivery  spanning  2011  and  2012.  At  its  end,  a  mix  of  approaches  for  evaluating  this  cast  of  marketing  characters  include  tournament  counts,  economic  development  reports,  sponsorship  tallies  and,  ultimately,  whether  the  target  market  is  satisfied  and  wants  to  come  back  for  more.  

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I. INTRODUCTION    a. Mission  statement:    

The  Town  of  Cornelius  Parks,  Arts,  Recreation  and  Culture  (PARC)  Department  desires  to  be  a  primary  source  of  leisure  activities  and  the  promoter  of  healthy  living  in  Cornelius  and  the  immediate  region.  The  mission  of  the  Town  of  Cornelius  Department  of  Parks,  Arts,  Recreation  and  Culture  (PARC)  is  to  provide  great  parks,  natural  areas  and  recreation  experiences  for  its  citizens.    Those  citizens  see  PARC  as  offering  a  strategic  framework  that  balances  the  needs  of  its  customers  (both  internal  and  external)  through  four  balanced  perspectives  per  the  following  diagram.  

b. Background:    

Two  factors  drive  Cornelius  to  invest  in  the  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman.  One  is  the  need  for  more  youth  baseball  fields  and  the  other  is  the  need  to  grow  its  economic  base.  A  balance  between  the  means  to  build  new  recreation  facilities  and  the  ends  they  serve  for  recreation  and  economic  development  has  received  increasing  attention  for  municipalities.    The  Cornelius  PARC  comprehensive  parks  master  plan  identified  deficiencies  in  the  numbers  of  fields  for  youth.  Based  on  standards  established  specifically  for  Cornelius,  there  is  a  need  for  a  number  of  additional  recreational  facilities  by  2015  to  include:  two  adult/older  youth  baseball  fields,  four  youth  baseball  fields,  and  five  softball  fields.  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  addresses  the  needs  for  these  fields  with  scalable  baselines  and  the  addition  of  three  300  foot  centerline  fields  for  older  youth  and  adult  play  in  both  baseball  and  softball.    The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  also  serves  an  economic  development  purpose.  Cornelius’  need  to  grow  its  economic  base  has  never  been  more  critical  during  these  depressed  economic  conditions.    The  proposed  Complex  was  initially  conceived  by  a  private  investor  group  including  a  major  league  baseball  player  who  brokered  a  public-­‐private  arrangement  with  the  Town  PARC  Department  and  Mecklenburg  County  Park  and  Recreation  Department  to  purchase  the  land  and  reinvest  those  proceeds  into  the  building  of  a  four  field  baseball  complex  that  would  be  operated  by  the  investment  group.    The  Town  stepped  in  when  the  investment  group  dissolved  and  worked  with  the  County  as  partners  to  secure  funding  and  expand  complementary  fields  into  the  adjacent  Robbins  Park.  The  overriding  decision  to  fund  the  project  was  based  upon  its  economic  development  model  which  is  estimated  to  generate  over  $5  million  per  year  into  the  local  economy.    

c. PARC  history  and  current  target  markets  

PARC  has  been  in  the  youth  municipal  sports  recreation  business  for  over  eleven  years.  It  has  an  experienced  staff  and  collaborates  with  area  municipalities  and  the  Visit  Lake  Norman  

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organization.    In  2010  PARC  offered  400  activities  with  over  3400  registered  users.  An  additional  9,000  attended  special  events  and  other  non-­‐registered  activities.  These  were  largely  youth  sports  activities  (56%)  targeted  to  youth  between  the  ages  of  seven  and  fourteen.  Baseball  is  a  facilitated  activity  offered  by  a  separate  non-­‐profit,  the  Cornelius  Lake  Norman  Youth  Athletic  Association  (CLNYAA).  CLNYAA  working  with  and  through  PARC  had  536  participants  last  year.    381  played  baseball  and  155  played  softball.    PARC  partners  with  this  organization  as  the  principal  “first-­‐use”  baseball/softball  provider  to  maintain  fields  and  facilitate  administrative  aspects  of  the  baseball/softball  program.  Three  of  the  four  Cornelius  parks  with  baseball  fields  contain  two  baseball  fields  each  except  one  older  park  with  just  one  field.    Most  play  on  these  fields  is  from  local  teams  within  Cornelius  or  an  easy  commute.  The  target  market  has  been  local  youth  between  the  ages  of  5  and  14.  The  influence  upon  overall  direction  for  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  has  been  undeniable  with  many  elected  officials  having  coached  or  participated  in  local  sports.  This  direction  influences  marketing  strategies  for  moving  PARC  into  the  baseball  tournament  business.  

Philosophy  

The  Town  has  largely  built  its  ball  fields  sized  to  children  and  youth  between  the  ages  of  seven  and  fourteen.    Based  upon  park  sizes,  configuration  of  the  publically  held  park  properties  in  which  they  are  sited.  There  is  some  adult  softball  play  at  the  larger  fields  but  the  orientation  is  to  provide  first-­‐priority  to  youth.  The  fee  for  rental  of  the  fields  is  nominal  with  resident  and  non-­‐resident  rates.  The  Town,  like  many  municipalities  has  sought  to  explore  economic  development  through  sport  and  is  aligning  and  configuring  part  of  its  operations  to  seek  out  the  maximum  competitive  advantage  to  bringing  the  benefit  of  traveling  teams  and  larger  regional  or  nation  sport  to  Cornelius.  A  recent  expansion  of  the  disc  golf  course  has  secured  Cornelius  as  one  of  the  venues  for  the  2012  World  Disc  Golf  Championships,  for  example.  Because  of  the  long-­‐standing  commitment  to  baseball  and  enthusiasm  of  local  residents  and  elected  officials,  baseball  has  figured  prominently  in  Cornelius’  Lake  Norman  based  identity.  Economic  development  through  sport  is  a  relatively  new  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Town  through  its  PARC  Department  to  utilize  its  parks  assets  and  specialized  facilities  towards  these  ends.  The  Town  works  with  and  through  the  Visit  Lake  Norman  organization  that  employs  a  sports  tourism  professional.    This  professional  sits  on  the  PARC  department  advisory  commission.    Visit  Lake  Norman,  partially  funded  by  the  Town  to  enhance  a  “heads  in  beds”  philosophy  works  together  with  PARC  to  offer  opportunities  to  collaborate  on  economic  development  sports  tourism  opportunities.  This  relationship  figures  prominently  in  marketing  strategies  to  ensure  visiting  teams,  sports  promoters  and  their  entourage  are  welcomed  and  return  repeatedly  for  a  great  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  experience  in  Cornelius.  

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SITUATIONAL  ANALYSIS  

d. Internal  analysis  and  External  environmental  analysis  An  internal  and  external  analysis  of  PARC  has  been  compiled  to  reflect  its  strengths,  weaknesses,  opportunities  and  threats  for  analysis.  Highlighted  are  selected  internal  and  external  factors  relevant  to  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman.      

Selected  Internal  Factors  

Strengths   Weaknesses   Selected  External    Factors  

Opportunities   Threats  

Staff/  Management  

• Professional  staff  to  administer  programs  

• Volunteers  to  augment  programs  

• PARC  Comm.  Voice  of  advocacy  

• Recognition  of  staff  &  management  in  

• Competitive  salaries/staff  recognition  and  support  

• Growth  flat  lined  NO  promotions  EVER  

• Vendor  control  

Consumer  trends   • Tournaments  –stable/inclining  

• Synthetic  turf  fields  

• Staycations  • Rise  of  certain  sports  

• Walking  –  trails  

• Special  interest  influence  

• Staycations  –  prevent  travel  

• Print  media  dying  

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Selected  Internal  Factors  

Strengths   Weaknesses   Selected  External    Factors  

Opportunities   Threats  

performance/audit  • SEE  ATTACHED  ORGANIZATIONAL  CHART*  

• PARC  Commission  participation  

• Town  lacks  communication  staff  

• Biking  • Use  of  Internet  • Social  networks  • Use  of  local  media  news    

Planning   • HAVE  plans  • Healthy  initiatives  planning  

• Comprehensive  master  plan  (’05)  

• Greenway/bikeway  plans  (’05)  

• Use  of  part  time  to  augment  planning  construction/greenway  

• Navigate  Cornelius  (Town  Master  Plan)  coordination  

• Collaboration  with  County/Towns  

 

• Plans  are  outdated  (2005)  

• Professional  help  needed  to  augment  planning  

• Need  formal  strategic  plan  

• Town  lacks  communications/marketing  plan  

Leisure  Industry/Market  

• Lower  capital  costs  to  build  

• Lake  access  • School  partnerships  

• Partnerships  &  Sponsorships  &  grants  

• Senior  Center  • Research  of  healthy  living  

• Sailing  and  Rowing  center  

• Use  of  Vendors/Contractors/Partners  

• Augment  staff  with  contracted  services  

 

• Population  increases  • Nearby  tournament  facilities  

• Rise  in  product  costs  affect  sport  and  recreation  delivery  

• Loss  of  identity  between  other  Towns  

• Grant  funds  diminishing  (PARTF)  

• Replace  staff  with  privatized  services  

• Competition  with  other  government,  or  private  tournament  facilities    

 

Programs   • Diverse  program  mix  • Affordable  • Accessible  • Quality  • Special  Pops  • Creativity/Innovation  • Collaboration  with  County/Towns  

• Program  delivery  partnerships  

• New  Tournament  facility  (WAC)  

• Transportation  • Diversity  • Restrictive  policies  

• Special  interests  groups  impact  resources  

• Funding  • Affordability  and  program  diversity  for  some  programs  

• Facility  availability  

Communications   • Links  to  free  resources  

• Nearby  colleges  • Wayfinding  signage  

• New  opportunities  to  distribute  information  

• Improvements    to  Town  branding  

• Technology  improvements  

• Use  of  local  print  newspapers  

• Internet  to  convey  

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• Identity  of  Town  to  compete  

• Minimal  resources  for  promotions  

• Website  • Government  restrictions  (no  push/pull  on  social  media)  

• Technology  changing  

Service   • Online  registrations  • Reservations  • Customer  service  • Response  time  

• “Pay  to  play”  forces  out  low  income  

• Operating  cuts  

Economy   • Affluence  of  Cornelius  

• Staycations  • Economic  

• Influence  of  affluent  to  keep  taxes  low  

• Tourism  low  • Staff  salaries  and  

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Selected  Internal  Factors  

Strengths   Weaknesses   Selected  External    Factors  

Opportunities   Threats  

• Service  quality  rated  very  high    

affecting  service    

Development  Commission  

• Visit  Lake  Norman  

promotions  frozen  • Unemployment  • Growing  reliance  on  “pay  to  play”(reduces  diversity  and  free  programming)  

• Home  revaluations  increase  tax  values  

Marketing   • Website  • E-­‐news  • Social  Media  • PARC  a  leader  

• Need  Marketing  plan  

• Funding  • Website-­‐lacking  • Town  marketing  expertise.  

Health   • Growing  interest  • Awareness  of  physical  activity  

• Fitness  Zone  concept  

• Concessions  are  healthier  

• Increasing  health  provider  partnerships  

• Trends  to  “pay  to  play”  

• Environment  declines  (air,  water)  

• Investments  in  quality  of  life  affected  by  politics  

• Obesity/Diabetes  at  epidemic  proportions  

Facilities   • Parks  • Tournament  Baseball-­‐  WAC  

• Convenient  • Locations  • Fitness  Zones  

• Lack  of  indoor  • Capacity  • Lack  of  parking  • Greenway  development  

• Lack  of    equipment  

• Operating  funds  • Demand  –  increased  use  

• Construction  schedules  tight  

• Dependence  on  County  for  facilities  

Commerce   • County  greenways  

• Planned  Interstate  Exit  “27”    

• Business  sponsors    

• Navigate  Cornelius  guides  business  dev  

• Product  placement  at  events/activities  

• Corporate  investments  in  social  capital/associative  marketing  

• Taxes  on  business  hinder  sponsor  investment  

• Regulatory  restrictions  of  food  sales  in  parks  restricts  selection  

• Competition  from  business  affects  tournament  concession  sales  

Economic   • Tournament  Baseball-­‐  WAC  

• Sufficient  operating  support  

Mobility   • Rail  line  • Staycations  • Physical  location  of  facilities  

• Gasoline  costs  • Reliance  on  automobile  

• Traffic  congestion  • Lack  of  convenient  indoor  facilities  

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*There  is  no  communications  or  marketing  division  within  the  Town.    The  Special  Events  Coordinator  functions  as  a  Marketing  Coordinator  for  the  PARC  Department.  The  organizational  chart  is  as  follows:  

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   e. Competitive  analysis:    

There  are  several  municipal  and  county  facilities  within  driving  distance  of  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman.    All  are  similar  in  product  offerings  with  more  adult  use  dependent  upon  larger  field  sizes.    Facilities  focusing  on  youth  with  fields  of  similar  size  are  within  a  20  minute  drive.    A  new  proposed  21  million  dollar  complex  in  Mooresville  (20  minute  drive)  will  focus  on  skilled  players  and  large  regional  and  national  tournaments  because  of  its  capacity.    It  is  a  for-­‐profit  LLC  that  will  receive  significant  subsidization  from  the  Town  of  Mooresville.    Fees  have  not  yet  been  determined,  but  pricing  strategies  in  other  similar  venues  nationally  indicate  fees  will  be  much  higher  than  those  proposed  by  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  as  a  municipal  facility.  Other  area  tournament  ball  fields  have  been  analyzed  for  fee  structures  and  participating  tournament  promoters  and  fees.  Some  have  full-­‐time  staff  dedicated  to  tournament  operations  (supervisory  and  maintenance.    Most  organizations  do  little  to  no  marketing  relying  upon  negotiations  with  tournament  sports  promoters  to  fill  their  tournament  schedules.  Private  tournament  complex  in  Mooresville  will  likely  use  extensive  marketing  and  position  its  price  and  offerings  as  “premier.”    Customer  service  is  generally  consistent  across  municipal  borders  with  recognition  that  proper  field  maintenance  and  on-­‐site  customer  service  require  staffing  levels  and  operational  support  from  the  athletic  division  within  a  department.    Customer  convenience  for  travel  varies,  however,  some  facilities  are  not  as  attractive  from  an  off-­‐site  accommodations  and  shopping  perspective.  The  closest  competing  facility  at  Bradford  Park  has  a  full-­‐time  dedicated  sports  tournament  coordinator  which  has  contributed  to  repeat  tournament  business  with  area  sports  promoters.  

 f. Customer  Analysis  

The  history  of  local  baseball  and  softball  use  has  had  an  undeniable  influence  upon  the  provision  of  baseball  fields  in  Cornelius,  affecting  the  design  and  function  of  the  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  at  Robbins  Park.    Local  youth  sport  use  has  demonstrated  to  elected  officials  the  need  for  fields  and  organized  youth  programs.    This  local  use  has  stimulated  the  desire  to  couple  it  with  non-­‐local  use  for  economic  benefit  to  local  players  and  the  local  economy.  The  makeup  of  current  users  then  is  relevant  to  understanding  the  impact  on  non-­‐local  use  consumers.  

Local  Market  

A  recent  market  analysis  commission  by  the  Town  as  part  of  its  “Navigate  Cornelius”  master  planning  process  describes  the  makeup  and  spending  habits  of  the  residents  living  in  the  local  market.  This  analysis  breaks  down  the  counts  and  percentages  of  social  group  clusters  and  is  

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designed  to  help  identify  customers  based  on  their  demographic  groupings  including  age,  gender,  income,  education,  occupation,  and  ethnic  group.    A  quick  summary  is  as  follows:  

• Population  estimate  for  Cornelius  in  2009  is  24,847    • 8,708  households    • Median  age  for  residents  of  the  Town  of  Cornelius  is  40,    • Average  age  of  Town  residents  is  38.    • 2020  the  population  of  Cornelius  will  range  between  30,651  and  36,867.    • Median  household  income  in  the  Town  of  Cornelius  is  nearly  $84,000,  NC    median  is  

$46,494,  and  Mecklenburg  County  median  is  $58,431.    • Over  50%  of  the  population  has  a  college  degree    • Less  than  10%  percent  have  not  graduated  from  High  School.    • Unemployment  is  under  8%    • 66  percent  of  the  workforce  in  Cornelius  is  in  a  white-­‐collar  profession.    • 24%  are  split  evenly  between  service  jobs  and  blue-­‐collar  employment.  • 28%  of  those  households  have  children  under  the  age  of  18  living  in  the  household.  • 3400  people  registered  for  PARC  activities  in  2010  and  87%  of  them  were  children  

and  youth.  • An  additional  9000  participated  in  special  events    • Over  55%  or  3463  were  youth  sports,  45%  recreation  • 63%  are  elementary  age,  13%  were  preschool,  11%  Teens,  9%  adults  and  4%  55  or  

older  • 55%  male,  45%  female  • 37%  are  from  Huntersville,  31%  are  from  Cornelius,  19%  are  from  4%  from  Charlotte  

and  the  remaining    9%  rest  from  other  Towns  in  the  surrounding  area  

Cornelius  has  experienced  very  robust  population  growth  over  the  past  two  decades.  It  is  a  very  affluent  community  with  income  levels  surpassing  that  of  nearby  communities.  It  is  also  a  slightly  older  demographic  with  high-­‐income  households  that  are  empty  nesters  or  “dink”  households  (double  income  no  kids).  Much  of  that  growth  is  attributable  to  annexation  of  rapidly  developing  properties.  Population  growth  models  predict  continued  aggressive  growth.  However,  the  pace  of  growth  is  expected  to  decline  by  2020  because  of  the  impacts  of  the  recession  and  more  importantly  the  lack  of  available  land  to  continue  to  grow  the  city  limits  of  Cornelius.  This  affluence  has  maintained  a  very  low  tax  rate  and  higher  than  recommended  fund  balance  accounts  with  incentives  to  invest  in  infrastructure  such  as  parks  or  tournament  facilities.  An  investment  of  5.7  million  in  Robbins  Park  and  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  is  an  unprecedented  commitment  to  quality  of  life  in  Cornelius  coupled  with  strategic  investment  in  economic  development.  The  psychographics  of  Cornelius  have  an  interesting  “split  personality.”  There  are  those  who  view  Cornelius  and  the  area  as  a  second  tier  city  that  is  closely  aligned  with  Charlotte  while  there  are  those  who  view  the  area  as  a  small  town  with  more  rural  characteristics.  These  

Town  Market  Analysis  

PARC  Market  Analysis  

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psychographics  have  the  potential  to  produce  conflicts  on  the  vision  of  what  Cornelius  should  be  in  the  future.  Interestingly,  the  consensus  recommendations  from  the  perspective  of  the  Navigate  Cornelius  focus  group  committees,  i.e.,  1.  Placemaking  and  Town  Services,  2.  Community  Services,  3.  Economic  Development,  4.  Leisure  and  Commerce,  and  5.  Mobility  heavily  emphasize  retaining  a  “small  town”  look  and  feel,  separate  from  its  larger  brother  in  Mecklenburg  County,  the  City  of  Charlotte.  They  recommend  aligning  the  Town  with  its  Lake  Norman  identity.  The  use  of  the  metaphor  “Navigate  Cornelius”  to  denote  its  association  with  the  Lake  and  use  of  a  sailing  vessel  in  its  official  seal  reference  this  desire  to  seek  identity  in  the  watery  shadow  of  beautiful  Lake  Norman  and  all  that  it  promises  for  incubating  a  tourism  culture  capable  of  sustaining  economic  development.  This  shadow  has  affected  the  development  of  the  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  at  Robbins  Park  from  its  purpose  of  attracting  visiting  baseball  and  softball  teams  for  economic  development  to  the  very  signage  design  at  the  facility  reflecting  a  nautical  theme.  

The  baseball  consumer  market  The  mix  of  participants  locally  in  the  Cornelius  Lake  Norman  Youth  Athletic  Association  represents  one  user  group  at  the  facility  along  with  other  local  users.    The  broader  baseball  consumer  market  reflects  a  changing  demographic,  according  to  market  studies  from  1993  through  2009  by  the  National  Sporting  Goods  Association  (2011)  through  the  Sports  Business  Research  Network  (SBRnet).    The  baseball  consumer  shows  an  overall  decline  in  participation  between  1993  and  2009  by  5.2  million  participants  from  16.7  million  in  1993  to  11.5  million  in  2009.  Not  surprisingly,  there  is  greater  numerical  participation  in  youth  and  young  adult  age  brackets  but  lower  percentage  growth  overall.  North  Carolina  was  ranked  eleventh  (3.1  percent)  in  2008  participation  out  of  a  base  of  15.1  million  with  some  470,000  participants.    The  Active  Network  (2007),  using  National  Sporting  Goods  Association  (NSGA)  data,  states  that  42  million  adults  traveled  50  or  more  miles  to  see  or  play  in  baseball  or  softball  games  between  2003  and  2007  and  that  frequency  of  baseball  participation  has  increased  by  50  percent  over  the  last  decade.  A  2009  study  of  team  sports  conducted  by  the  Sporting  Goods  Manufacturers  Association  (2009)  identifies  league  play  (as  opposed  to  casual/pickup  play)  as  a  stabilizing  factor  in  retarding  declines  in  participation.  The  economy  has  affected  decisions  to  participate  in  baseball  (and  other  team  sports)  considering  the  high  cost  of  travel,  uniforms,  equipment,  protective  gear  and  footwear  and  other  participatory  factors.    This  trend  towards  all-­‐things-­‐Internet  is  an  operational  and  marketing  juggernaut  mirrored  in  baseball  equipment  consumer  purchases.  These  have  increased  by  4.4  million  according  to  the  NSGA.    Online  unit  purchase  patterns  indicate  an  increase  (19  percent)  in  baseball  consumer  spending.    Knowing  what  consumers  spend  as  players,  parents,  spectators  in  their  communities  or  while  travelling  in  league  play  is  of  critical  importance  as  a  matter  of  practical  marketing  for  a  municipal  recreation  agency.    The  means  to  measure  and  track  this  spending  will  need  to  be  a  part  of  a  marketing  plan.  The  Sporting  Goods  Manufacturers  Association  (2010)  says  consumers  are  looking  for  value  when  it  comes  to  spending  (time  or  money),  and  in  more  recent  studies,  state  

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that  they  are  willing  to  pay  for  it.  This  search  for  value  translates  to  those  baseball  consumers  who  participate  in  or  view  the  sport.    It  cascades  to  affect  the  team,  league,  tournament  provider  and  ultimately  the  host  agency  and  community.    As  municipalities  (like  Cornelius)  get  into  the  Tournament  business,  the  baseball  consumer  perspective  is  influenced  by  issues  related  to  the  quality  of  the  facility,  its  design  and  service.  It  is  also  affected  by  their  off-­‐site  experience  in  the  Town.  An  Amateur  Sporting  Event  Study  2009,  commissioned  by  the  National  Association  of  Sport  Commissions  (2009)  documented  participant  increases  in  both  overnight  and  day  trips  compared  to  the  previous  year.  Adults  in  travel  parties  rose  as  well  as  youth.  Household  spending  on  trips,  rose  from  $621  in  2008  to  $793  in  2009  with  spending  at  local  attractions  up  170  percent.    Shonk  &  Greenwell  (2009)  conducted  a  study  for  the  National  Association  of  Sports  Commissions  (NASC)  identifying  site  selection  factors  favored  by  sports  promoters,  sometimes  called  event  rights  holders.  They  emphasize  that  host  organizations  (like  Cornelius)  should  “focus  on  satisfying  their  customers  and  should  invest  due  diligence  in  investigating  the  facility  needs  of  these  event  rights  holders  to  ensure  that  they  exceed  their  standards.”    The  most  important  site  selection  factors  culminating  from  their  study  related  to  availability  of  the  facility,  suitable  competition  facilities  and  supportiveness  of  the  host  organization.    Their  recommendations  highlight  the  need  for  sales  and  marketing  collateral  to  complement  these  elements.    They  recommend  coordination  with  law  enforcement,  hotels,  transportation  and  other  agencies  to  ensure  safety  of  the  athletes,  spectators  and  equipment  both  on  and  off  site.    Issues  related  to  affordability,  proximity  to  accommodations,  restaurants,  attractiveness,  grooming  of  facility  fields,  welcoming  attitudes  of  the  host  agency  and  support  from  the  visitor’s  bureau  are  cited  as  contributing  factors  for  consumer  satisfaction  and  will  be  reflected  in  this  marketing  plan.  

There  remains  a  vast  market  of  participants  within  a  three  to  four  hour  travel  distance  to  Cornelius  who  may  be  booked  tournaments  in  many  leagues.  There  are  those  sports  promoters  who  are  decision-­‐makers  on  behalf  of  the  leagues,  teams,  families  and  individuals  who  are  critical  to  successful  marketing  of  the  facility  so  they  are  an  exceptionally  important  consumer  representative  to  be  cultivated.    When  considering  the  marketing  mix  of  product,  price,  place,  and  promotion,  several  marketing  strategies  emerge  from  the  research  that  may  be  strategized  in  terms  of  the  consumer.    The  consumer  is  the  entourage  of  players,  athletes,  family,  friends,  spectators,  coaches,  officials,  league  booking  personnel,  sports  promoters  and  even  ballpark  facility  neighbors  who  must  realize  the  promise  of  a  great  value  for  their  time  and  money.    So,  strategy  number  one  is  to  emphasize  customer  service  in  all  aspects  of  the  baseball  or  softball  experience,  from  the  consumer’s  perspective,  creating  value.  While  specific  information  on  the  teams  and  their  player  preferences  is  indicated  here,  a  look  at  the  primary  sports  promoters  and  their  schedules  indicates  strong  need  for  complimentary  facilities  to  suit  their  clients.    

   

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Market  Segmentation  

1. The  travelling  baseball  consumers  sought  through  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  today  are  segmented  as  follows:    

a. Youth  baseball  competitive  teams  between  the  ages  of  7  through  14  who  are  comprised  of  predominantly  male  team  members.    

b. They  have  enough  disposable  income  to  play  anywhere  from  12-­‐30  games  at  a  variety  of  locations  requiring  travel  accommodations  that  will  cost  approximately  $300  per  tournament.  

c. They  live  up  to  three  to  four  hours  away  and  are  more  likely  to  stay  overnight.      d. They  fit  a  participation  market  for  “getaway  activities”  with  primarily  a  social  motivation  –  

have  fun,  be  with  family  and  friends.    Some,  with  higher  skill  levels  fit  the  “fitness  driven”  psychographic  usually  participating  in  activities  that  require  strength  and  stamina.    

e. They  are  skill  driven  and  competitive  in  nature.    f. They  are  desirous  of  available  facilities  that  are  well-­‐maintained  facilities  with  amenities  

that  are  family  friendly.  g. Clean  bathrooms  and  amenities  for  visiting  families  such  as  on-­‐site  playgrounds,  walking  

trails,  are  important.  h. Selection  and  quality  of  concessions.  i. Comfortable  and  shaded  bleachers.  j. Other  nearby  amenities  for  shopping  and  accommodations  that  represent  a  value  are  of  

real  concern  because  of  the  high  costs  of  travel.      k. They  will  use  the  Complex  for  a  weekend  tournament  to  play  competitively  within  the  

sanctioning  league  requirements.  2. Identifying  this  market  and  reaching  them  will  occur  through  sports  promoters  who  are  

“events  right  holders”  for  their  sanctioning  leagues.  Their  needs  are  identified  with  their  teams  and  also  include  the  following:  

a. Availability  of  facilities  for  booking.  b. Ease  of  booking.  c. Value  of  the  facility  for  revenue  to  them  and  for  their  constituent  teams.    d. On-­‐site  accommodations  for  their  tournament  coordinators.  e. Off-­‐site  accommodations  for  staff  and  teams.  f. Facility  design  and  function.  g. Cleanliness  of  facility.  h. Shaded  dugouts  i. Cement  dugout  floors.  j. Revenue  potential  from  gate  and  concessions.  

   

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III.  MARKETING  GOALS  AND  OBJECTIVES    

Organization  goals  

The  goals  of  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  reflect  the  broad  strategic  framework  of  the  Town  of  Cornelius  as  reflected  in  its  Comprehensive  Master  Planning  process  called,  “Navigate  Cornelius.”  Those  broad  areas  of  focus  and  specific  goals  within  these  broad  focus  areas  provide  a  basis  for  the  goals  of  the  facility.    

Town  Focus  Area   Outcome  Descriptions  

Place  making  and  Town  services  

Be  prudent  stewards  of  citizen  tax  dollars  while  still  providing  a  high  level  of  service  to  all  citizens.  

Community  Services   Develop  a  proactive  communication  system  that  increases  awareness  and  allows  for  the  exchange  of  information  concerning  services,  resources,  and  opportunities  that  will  enhance  the  small  town  quality  of  life.  

Economic  Development  

Position  and  market  the  town  as  a  place  focused  on  the  future  by  creating  an  environment  that  encourages  us  to  attract,  retain,  and  expand  a  variety  of  businesses  to  benefit  from  and  improve  our  local  assets.  

Mobility   Land  Use  Decisions  should  be  made  in  a  manner  to  improve  mobility  to  enhance  the  business  environment,  support  tourism,  and  improve  residential  values  to  improve  and  maintain  the  quality  of  life.  

Leisure  and  Commerce  

1. Create  venue(s)  that  allows  the  community  to  gather  in  a  central  location  that  leverages  and  connects  waterfront  to  the  community  that  is  a  destination  for  the  area.  Aspects  should  including  social,  recreation,  health,  retail,  restaurants,  and  tourism.  

2. Define  and  promote  a  brand  for  Cornelius  that  includes  small  town  charm  with  the  Lake  Norman  lifestyle  to  promote  the  waterfront  and  commerce  and  differentiates  us  regionally.  

 A. Specific  project  goals  and  objectives  

The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  touches  each  of  these  Town  focus  areas  but  is  also  informed  by  the  internal  and  external  organizational  analysis  along  with  the  consumer  needs  and  market  positioning.  Product,  price,  place,  promotions  and  public  relations  issues  related  consumer  trends,  marketing,  leisure  industry/market,  health,  facilities,  mobility,  and  communications  were  examined,  along  with  

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economic,  commerce,  service  delivery,  facility,  personnel,  and  program  areas  analyzed.  An  organized  distillation  of  each  is  identified  here  in  the  following  goals  and  objectives:  

Goals   Objectives  

1. Position  and  market  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  as  a  place  that  attracts,  retains,  and  expands  a  variety  of  tournaments  and  sponsorships  to  benefit  the  local  economy.    

2. Differentiate  the  Town  and  the  athletic  complex  regionally  by  featuring  Town  social,  recreation,  health,  retail,  restaurants,  and  tourism  in  the  marketing  mix.  It  will  define  and  promote  the  brand  for  Cornelius  that  includes  small  town  charm  with  the  lake  lifestyle.  

1. Book  and  offer  20  two-­‐day  youth  tournaments  in  FY12  for  travelling  teams,  increasing  to  28  in  FY13  and  32  in  FY14.  

2. Achieve  economic  impact  of  all  tournaments  for  FY12  at  $1.4  million  or  an  average  rate  of  $70,000  per  tournament.  

3. Solicit  at  least  20  sponsorships  to  augment  and  offset  operational  or  capital  costs  in  FY12,  increasing  to  25  in  Fy13,  and  30  in  FY14.  

4. Increase  awareness  of  Town  branding,  leisure  and  commerce  features  to  at  least  14,000  team  members  and  spectators  in  FY12,  20,580  in  FY13,  and  22,050  by  FY14.  

   

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Product  portfolio  and  positioning.      The  Facility  will  feature  a  unique  selling  position  congruent  with  Town  and  marketing  goals  and  objectives  so  that  it  resonates  in  the  minds  of  tournament  promoters  and  their  tournament  teams.    

Unique  Selling  Position:    It’s  the  best  place  to  play  and  stay  for  tournament  youth  baseball  and  softball  competition  in  the  Lake  Norman  area!  -­‐  Navigate  to  the  beautiful  small  town  Lake  Norman  community  of  Cornelius  North  Carolina  for  a  winning  tournament  baseball  or  softball  experience.  See  the  attractions  and  be  attracted  to  playing  ball  adjacent  to  the  green  forests  of  Robbins  Park  and  the  shimmering  waters  of  nearby  Lake  Norman.  Catch  a  fly  ball  now  or  a  catfish  later  -­‐  the  convenience,  ease  of  access,  accommodations,  and  value  will  surprise  you!  

 Product  Portfolio     Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  at  Robbins  Park  

product  positioning  A  baseball/softball  tournament  facility.  An  athletic  tournament  destination  for  travelling  baseball  and  softball  teams.  

As  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  will  be  positioned  to  be  the  best  place  to  play  and  stay  for  tournament  youth  baseball  and  softball  ball  competition  in  the  Lake  Norman  area!  –The  positioning  speaks  to  its  unique  brand,  service  quality  and  design.  

A  ball  field  complex  for  local  baseball  and  softball  teams.  

When  not  in  use  for  tournaments,  the  facility,  which  is  part  of  a  larger  park,  will  be  used  by  local  baseball  and  softball  teams  and  positioned  to  invoke  the  small  town  quality  of  life.  

A  facility  for  economic  development.  A  leisure  and  accommodations  destination  for  visiting  Cornelius  and  the  Lake  Norman  area.  

Consistent  with  Town  objectives,  the  facility  will  be  positioned  as  a  sports  tournament  venue  focused  on  attracting,  retaining,  and  expanding  a  variety  of  tournament  opportunities.  It  will  be  positioned  as  being  associated  with  a  larger  Lake  Norman  community  within  a  small  town  invoking  a  vacation  and  destination  feel.  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  will  define  and  promote  the  brand  for  Cornelius  that  includes  small  town  charm  with  lake  lifestyle  to  promote  the  waterfront  and  commerce  and  differentiates  the  Town  regionally.  

A  public  park  and  outdoor  recreation  opportunity  for  hiking,  walking,  

The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  will  feature  social,  recreation,  

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playing  and  healthy  living.   health,  retail,  restaurants,  and  tourism  in  its  marketing  mix.  

 Branding/Value  Proposition  

The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  unique  brand  offers  sport  promoters  and  youth  baseball  participants  what  they  want  for  their  play  and  their  stay  in  Cornelius.    Its  value  proposition  is  as  follows:  “The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  offers  sport  promoters  and  youth  baseball  participants  what  they  want  for  their  play  and  their  stay  in  Cornelius  -­‐  a  great  ballpark  within  a  great  park,  within  a  great  little  Town,  by  a  big  beautiful  lake.    Its  value  proposition  is  as  follows:  “Whether  you  live  nearby  or  are  visiting,  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman  offers  a  winning  combination  for  the  dedicated  tournament  level  baseball  player.    Enjoy  baseball  today  the  way  it  was  meant  to  be  played  with  your  team  and  whole  family  in  the  beautiful  Lake  Norman  area  of  Cornelius  NC.”  

 IV. MARKETING  STRATEGIES  

There  are  two  basic  directional  strategies  for  achieving  the  goals  and  objectives.    

1. Awareness  will  have  to  be  created  regarding  the  availability  of  the  facility  for  tournaments,  sponsorships  and  its  benefits  to  the  target  consumer.  This  is  fundamental  to  achieving  the  objectives  of  booking  tournaments  and  generating  sponsorship  opportunities.  This  will  be  measured  by  a  consumer  awareness  index  which  is  administered  as  part  of  a  consumer  satisfaction  survey.    

2. Enhancing  the  play  experience  both  at  the  facility  and  while  visiting  the  Town  will  increase  awareness  of  Town  branding,  leisure  and  commerce  features  achieving  the  goal  of  differentiating  this  facility  from  its  competitors.  This  will  be  measured  by  the  on-­‐site  consumer  satisfaction  survey  and  the  redeemable  coupons  documented  at  area  hotels.  

 Various  strategies  occur  within  these  fundamental  directional  strategies  that  comprise  a  comprehensive  marketing  approach  as  follows:    1. Market  share  strategy  will  involve  taking  a  portion  of  the  tournament  youth  baseball  

from  area  competitors.  The  market  for  tournaments  is  well  established  but  growing  in  this  market  segment  (ages  7-­‐14).  These  will  be  measured  by  documenting  the  actual  number  of  tournaments  compared  to  targets  and  also  compared  to  selected  competitor  public  facilities.  The  secondary  market  of  developing  sponsorships  will  lean  

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toward  building  market  share  by  adding  a  new  product  to  the  Cornelius  mix  of  sponsors  to  compete  against  an  array  of  demand  for  sponsor  support.  Sponsorships  will  be  measured  by  the  number  achieved  and  a  sponsor  satisfaction  index.    

2. Regional  and  local  market  strategy  will  involve  concentrating  and  developing  marketing  to  local  and  regional  sports  promoters  who  book  travelling  youth  teams.  There  is  also  the  potential  to  link  to  national  sanctioning  bodies.  The  measurement  of  tournaments  coordinated  by  local,  regional  or  national  youth  sports  promoters  will  be  documented  to  maximize  the  size  and  scope  of  offered  tournaments.    

3. Seasonal  strategy:  The  baseball  consumer  market  occurs  between  February  and  November  following  increasing  the  likelihood  of  booking  the  facility  heaviest  during  the  warm  months.  Larger  regional  tournaments  may  be  booked  a  year  or  more  ahead.  Sponsor  support  commitments  fall  along  fiscal  years  that  being  in  January  or  July.  The  greatest  efforts  to  market  the  booking  of  tournaments  peaks  in  December  and  January  while  sponsorships  may  be  solicited  all  year  long  but  peaking  in  May  and  June  and  November  and  January  respective  of  the  fiscal  year  of  the  company.  Completion  of  marketing  tactics  to  book  tournaments  and  when  they  occurred  will  serve  to  document  and  populate  a  Marketing  Information  Database.      

4. Spending  strategy:  The  resources  for  marketing  dollars  need  to  be  spent  at  times  during  the  year  but  also  in  amounts  that  may  be  expended  as  a  percent  of  the  total  revenue  of  the  facility.  Additionally  consideration  should  be  given  to  the  amount  spent  as  a  percentage  of  total  economic  impact.  Spending  parity  on  marketing  should  occur  but  does  not  occur  in  the  area.  The  ability  to  have  a  dedicated  recreation  professional  support  is  critical  to  executing  the  marketing  of  the  facility.  The  plan  here  should  at  least  match  other  municipal  resources  put  to  bear  in  soliciting  sponsorships  but  also  in  soliciting  sponsorships.  Additionally  those  amounts  expended  on  marketing  collateral  are  recommended  to  be  at  least  5%  of  the  total  revenue.  Actual  dollars  against  projected  spending  timelines  will  be  compared  and  gauged  against  a  percent  of  the  total  direct  expenditures  for  marketing.  

5. Customer  competitive  strategy:  To  distinguish  the  facility  among  the  competition,  featuring  the  Town  and  Lake  Norman  is  a  positioning  strategy  to  enable  competitive  market  share.  Attention  to  the  details  of  sports  promoter,  their  teams  and  the  needs  of  sponsors  for  recognition  will  increase  brand  equity  for  the  facility  and  the  Town.  This  occurs  both  on  and  off  the  field.    Sport  promoter  feedback  along  with  on-­‐site  feedback  will  help  measure  the  effectiveness  of  marketing  efforts  to  sell  the  consumer  on  the  Town  facility  rather  than  other  choices  in  the  area  and  indicate  a  desire  to  return.  

6. Target  market  strategy:  There  are  ranges  of  tournaments  that  may  be  played  at  the  facility.  This  is  apportioned  further  by  the  physical  size  of  the  fields  and  the  capacity  of  the  park  to  accommodate  the  size  of  the  tournament  which  may  be  augmented  by  a  regional  approach.  The  greatest  concentration  of  marketing  efforts  should  be  

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expended  on  the  youth  travelling  team  baseball  market  between  the  ages  of  7  and  14.  From  a  sponsor  standpoint,  there  is  a  range  of  interest  in  sponsorship  but  brand  recognition  among  those  sponsors  with  the  most  to  gain  from  thousands  of  visitors  traveling  from  3-­‐4  hours  to  get  to  the  Tournaments  and  visit  the  area  orient  marketing  approaches  to  broaden  the  base  of  support  from  what  typically  is  more  locally  oriented  sponsorship.  A  final  tally  indicating  the  type  of  tournament  and  age  bracket  will  measure  the  accuracy  of  efforts  to  target  this  specific  age  group.  

7. Product  strategy:  The  core  product  offering  is  the  facility  as  baseball  tournament  venue  but  there  are  many  product  extensions  ranging  from  food,  the  surrounding  park  and  surrounding  leisure  and  commerce  selections  to  the  naming  opportunity  inventory  for  sponsorship.  Cross  promotion  of  the  core  facility  with  these  extensions  should  be  emphasized  to  package  these  product  offerings  to  the  target  markets.  The  actual  bookings,  redemption  of  discount  to  area  attractions,  accommodations  and  number  of  sponsor  naming  opportunities  will  indicate  the  success  of  the  product  strategy.  

8. Branding  strategy:  The  facility  is  branded  with  the  park  and  town  as  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman.  The  branding  strategy  is  to  use  this  name  to  appeal  to  visiting  teams,  identification  with  the  Town  and  its  brand  featuring  the  Lake  Norman  lifestyle.  The  consumer  satisfaction  survey  and  consumer  awareness  index  will  include  feedback  to  gauge  the  effectiveness  of  the  branding  along  with  anecdotal  information  gleaned  from  meetings  with  Visit  Lake  Norman,  partner  organizations,  contracted  vendors,  staff  and  sports  promoters.  

9. Pricing  strategy:  Maintaining  a  parity  approach  on  prices  for  booking  the  facility,  charges  for  gate  fees,  concessions  and  rates  for  sponsorship  on  site  will  be  imperative  to  the  perceived  value  of  the  venue  in  Cornelius.    Off-­‐site  prices  for  hotels,  shopping  and  attractions  will  be  affected  by  strategies  to  offer  discounts  at  slightly  less  than  the  competitive  rates  at  this  introductory  stage  of  the  facility’s  development.  Prices  for  rental,  gate  fees,  concession  percentages  retained  and  estimated  receipts  from  area  hoteliers  will  be  monitored  against  those  of  area  facilities  for  parity.    Further  tests  within  the  market  research  and  test  strategy  will  help  understand  the  opportunities  for  increases  in  prices  against  demand  and  price  elasticity.    

10. Distribution  strategy:  Primarily,  the  booking  of  tournaments  will  be  accomplished  through  sports  promoters  in  the  local  market.  Sponsorships  will  also  be  achieved  through  local  contacts.  Some  emphasis  however,  may  be  placed  at  regional  or  national  levels  when  soliciting  larger  regional  tournaments  through  sanctioning  bodies  that  are  not  represented  locally  or  sponsor  companies  with  local  distribution  channels  that  are  located  in  other  cities.  Identification  of  national  and  regional  opportunities  along  with  corollary  sponsor  opportunities  will  be  identified  at  local  and  national  levels  at  incremental  levels  and  documented  to  form  a  database  for  future  decision  making.  

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11. Personal  selling  strategy:  Specific  targets  for  years  one  through  three  are  established  to  ensure  bookings  and  sponsorships.  Incentives  for  achieving  these  targets  are  limited  to  the  municipal  “toolbox”  of  rewards  for  a  job  well-­‐done,  however,  broader  incentives  exist  for  “off-­‐site”  coordination  of  the  marketing  exist  within  other  organized  channels  of  distribution  and  coordination.  The  number  of  booking  and  sponsorships  solicited  will  be  measured.    

12. Promotion  strategy:  The  specific  needs  of  promotion  should  be  aligned  with  the  goals  and  objectives  of  the  plan  to  book,  sponsor  and  consume  local  leisure  and  commerce  offerings.  Promotional  incentives  to  encourage  more  bookings,  more  sponsorships  and  more  use  of  area  amenities  will  be  in  place  for  sports  promoters,  sponsors,  staff  and  partners.  As  in  other  measured  strategies,  documentation  of  the  success  of  a  given  promotional  tactic  will  be  compiled  against  actual  bookings,  sponsorships  or  participation  in  area  amenities,  accommodations  and  attractions.  Both  on-­‐site,  off-­‐site  and  after-­‐action  evaluation  will  occur  to  gauge  effectiveness    

13. Merchandising  strategy:  On-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  non-­‐media  will  be  developed  to  reinforce  the  positioning  of  the  core  product  and  its  extensions.  Collateral  booking,  sponsor  naming  rights  sales,  materials,  signage,  and  educational/informational  oriented  merchandising  will  occur  to  book,  name  or  encourage  local  consumption  of  amenities  for  the  visiting  teams.  The  number  and  effectiveness  of  these  merchandising  strategies  will  be  documented  through  a  cataloging  of  their  deployment  and  a  question  within  the  customer  satisfaction  survey.  

14. Publicity  strategy:  Advertising  media  strategies  are  not  envisioned  for  the  purposes  of  this  marketing  plan  except  in  very  limited  fashion,  however,  unpaid  publicity  will  be  oriented  similarly.  The  local  market  is  more  likely  to  benefit  from  learning  about  the  venue  and  its  benefits  and  publicity  regarding  the  visiting  teams  or  publicizing  tournament  availability  or  sponsorship  opportunity  so  advertising  locally  is  not  cost  effective  as  the  lure  is  the  travelling  team  market.  Use  of  consistent  media  releases,  testimonials  and  acknowledgements  for  sponsors  will  build  awareness,  credibility  and  support  for  the  facility  mainly  from  local  funding  sources.  The  number  of  these  publicity  efforts  will  be  catalogued.  

15. Market  research  and  testing  strategy:  Strategy  here  will  include  the  continued  examination  of  price,  product,  promotional  effectiveness  toward  the  goals  and  objectives.  This  final  strategy  will  be  informed  by  the  results  of  the  others,  but  the  number  of  specific  research  efforts  to  examine  each  will  be  documented.      

20    

V. MARKETING  TACTICS    The  marketing  mix  related  to  product,  price,  place,  promotions  and  public  relations  is  certainly  affected  by  the  strategies  to  determine  market  share,  regional  and  local  marketing,  seasonal  and  spending  strategies,  customer  competitive  and  target  market  strategies.  In  creating  that  awareness  of  the  booking  availability,  sponsorship  naming  opportunities  and  visits  to  Town  amenities  and  accommodations,  they  consider  taking  market  share  from  the  competition,  identifying  regional  as  well  as  local  youth  baseball  sports  promoters,  when  best  to  deploy  marketing  tactics,  how  much  to  spend  on  them,  what  will  distinguish  the  facility  from  the  pack  and  who  is  the  specific  target  market  most  likely  to  achieve  success.  These  provide  a  stage  upon  which  the  marketing  plan  five  “P”  actors  perform  to  the  betterment  of  the  goals  and  objectives  of  the  marketing  plan.  

Strategy  Type   Tactics  1. Product  strategy:  Cross  

promotion  of  the  core  facility  product  and  its  extensions  should  be  emphasized  to  package  these  product  offerings  to  the  target  markets.  

2. Branding  strategy:  The  facility  is  branded  with  the  park  and  town  as  The  Westmoreland  Athletic  Complex  –  Cornelius  NC  on  beautiful  Lake  Norman.  The  branding  strategy  is  to  use  this  name  to  appeal  to  visiting  teams,  identification  with  the  Town  and  its  brand  featuring  the  Lake  Norman  lifestyle.  

 

• Identify  the  key  attributes  of  the  facility  and  its  opportunities  both  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  for  the  sports  promoters,  their  teams,  sponsors  and  local  use.  (see  product  attributes  and  features  inventory)  

• Identify  all  sponsor  naming  opportunities  at  the  facility,  e.g.,  naming  rights,  electronic,  signage,  print,  facility  amenities,  communication  forms,  associated  programs,  merchandising.  

• Develop  a  brand  name  for  the  new  facility  and  coordinate  its  use  for  branding  across  marketing  platforms.    

• Create  awareness  of  the  facility  (core  product)  and  its  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  amenities  (product  extensions)  for  use  by  the  travelling  baseball  teams,  promoters,  sponsors  by  the  end  of  2011.  

• Feature  (and  ensure)  100%  clean,  well-­‐maintained,  family-­‐friendly,  convenient  and  exemplary  on-­‐site  customer  service.  

• Develop  trade  allowances  for  media  sponsors  to  cross  promote  the  tournaments  and  the  sponsors  adding  value  to  the  brand  and  the  experience.    

• Achieve  a  consumer  awareness  index  and  overall  value  rating  of  at  least  90%  by  at  least  5  sport  promoters  and  50%  of  all  visiting  teams  in  FY12  increasing  to  6  sport  promoters  and  60%  of  all  teams  in  FY13  and  7  sport  promoters  and  70%  of  all  teams  in  FY14.  

• Expand  capacity  by  coordinating  use  of  local  and  adjacent  fields  

• Increase  consumer  awareness  of  health  by  partnering  with  health  provider  to  differentiate  the  product.  

• Conduct  on-­‐site  satisfaction  surveys.  3. Pricing  strategy:  

Maintaining  a  parity  • Develop  fees  and  charges  for  use  of  the  facility  based  upon  parity  with  other  area  facilities.  

21    

Strategy  Type   Tactics  approach  on  prices  for  booking  the  facility,  charges  for  gate  fees,  concessions  and  rates  for  sponsorship  on  site.  Off-­‐site  prices  for  hotels,  shopping  and  attractions  will  be  affected  by  strategies  to  offer  discounts  at  slightly  less  than  the  competitive  rates  at  this  introductory  stage  of  the  facility’s  development.  

• Develop  a  facility  partner  agreement  with  area  hotels  and  motels  to  provide  discounts  and  incentives  for  sports  promoters  to  pass  along  to  their  teams  when  booking  the  facility.  

• Develop  sponsorship  rates  for  various  naming  opportunities.    

4. Distribution  strategy:  Booking  tournaments  and  secure  sponsors  for  naming  rights  in  the  local,  regional  and  national  markets.  

• Identify  youth  sports  promoters  and  their  sanctioning  bodies  for  primary  markets  both  locally  and  regionally.  

• Identify  sponsors  for  fit  with  naming  opportunities  at  local  and  national  levels.  

• Develop  all  on-­‐site  signage  to  reflect  the  brand  identity  along  with  off-­‐site,  Town  way  finding  signage  to  the  facility.  

5. Personal  selling  strategy:  Specific  targets  for  years  one  through  three  are  established  to  ensure  bookings  and  sponsorships.    

• Develop  incentives  package  for  achievement  of  bookings  and  sponsor  targets.  

• Develop  collateral  sales  materials  such  as  correspondence  and  a  brochure  for  use  in  direct  mail  and  personal  solicitation  of  promoters  and  sponsors.  

• Engage  Visit  Lake  Norman  and  the  Chamber  as  partners  to  solicit  promoters  and  sponsors.  

• Train  staff  in  marketing  using  inexpensive  approach  • Develop  detailed  target  volume  objectives  with  operations  staff  to  establish  a    forecast  and  performance  criteria  

6. Promotion  strategy:  Promote  the  booking,  sponsorship  and  consumption  of  local  leisure  and  commerce  offerings.  

• Develop  print  and  electronic  collateral  promotional  material  to  create  awareness  of  the  product  for  early  booking  and  sponsorship  naming  rights.    

• Create  discount  and  premium  coupons  with  Visit  Lake  Norman  and  area  businesses  for  use  by  tournament  promoters  and  teams.  

• Offer  sponsored  awards  and  gift  take-­‐aways  like  bobbleheads  for  random  selection  on  an  “email  sign  up  list”  to  develop  e-­‐contact  lists  and  mail-­‐in  promotional  opportunities.    

• Offer  an  on-­‐site  “Catch  a  fly  ball  or  a  catfish”  promotion/event  at  the  tournaments  that  ties  in  discounts  and  premiums  for  off-­‐site  attractions,  accommodations,  amenities  for  the  teams  with  activities  in  the  park  and  activities  for  the  family.    

• Direct  mail  and  follow  up  personal  solicitation  to  sport  promoters  and  to  sponsors  featuring  facility  and  value  pointing  

22    

Strategy  Type   Tactics  them  to  web  site  for  information  and  interactive  reservations  or  booking  of  naming  opportunities.  

• Develop  a  special  “tournament  edition”  overrun  page  as  part  of  normal  newspaper  insert  catalog  and  encourage  advertisers  to  purchase  ad  space  adding  sponsor  acknowledgements.    

• Implement  social  media  postings  of  each  participating  team  before  and  after  each  tournament  with  cross  promotional  links  to  area  attractions/accommodations    

• Develop  a  web  site  for  the  facility  containing  both  sales  features,  attributes  but  also  interactive  links  for  facility  reservation,  social  media  links  for  photos,  videos  and  sponsors  promotions.  

• Advertise  availability  of  facility  in  websites  and  newsletters  of  promoters  and  sanctioning  bodies.  

• Promote  sponsor  opportunities  for  naming,  electronic,  signage,  print,  hospitality,  promotions  and  community  event  inventory.  

• Brochure  available  for  take  away  and  kiosk  merchandising  sales.  

7. Merchandising  strategy:  On-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  non-­‐media  will  be  developed  to  reinforce  the  positioning  of  the  core  product  and  its  extensions.    

• Feature  use  of  partners,  contractors  (food)  or  other  vendors  who  add  value  to  the  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  experience.  

• Display  of  sponsor  acknowledgements  • Packaging  and  display  of  merchandise  and  concessions  for  sale  and  for  information  or  educational  purposes.    

• Appearance  of  the  park  and  site  design  amenities  • Appearance  of  staff  and  delivery  of  both  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  experiences  

• Banners  and  signs  welcoming  visiting  teams  on  digital  display  at  park  and  in  Town.  

• Combine  product  offerings  to  package  the  benefits  of  healthy  on-­‐site  activities,  food,  etc.  

8. Publicity  strategy:  Publicity  will  be  oriented  similarly  to  advertising  but  the  local  market  is  more  likely  to  benefit  from  learning  about  the  venue  and  its  benefits.    

• Development  of  a  standardized  and  facility  branded  news  release  to  promote  tournament  standings  and  sponsor  acknowledgements  

• Development  of  featured  stories  on  the  people,  place  or  programs  connected  with  the  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  service  delivery  

• Breaking  news  on  the  booking  of  certain  tournaments  and  certain  sponsors.  

• Concept  articles  featuring  the  benefits  of  municipal  funded  tournament  facilities  or  sponsor  benefits  or  other  aspects  of  the  facility  and  Town.  

• Publish  photos  on  the  web  and  on  all  social  media  sites.  • Public  Service  Announcements  for  certain  aspects  of  the  

23    

Strategy  Type   Tactics  facility,  such  as  grand  openings,  on-­‐site  park  fitness  walks  or  other  public  events.    

• Publicize  to  web  and  social  media  sites  of  consumers  and  sponsors.  

9. Market  research  and  testing  strategy:  Strategy  here  will  include  the  continued  examination  of  price,  product,  promotional  effectiveness  toward  the  goals  and  objectives    

• Develop  and  ongoing  research  tracking  study  among  the  target  market  to  monitor  consumer  awareness,  attitudes  and  behavior.  

• Test  price  elasticity  for  fees  to  sports  promoters’  %  of  gate,  %  of  concessions  and  higher  fees.  

• Test  promotional  effectiveness  of  rebates  and  coupons  by  assessing  redemption  success.  

• Research  benefits  of  advertising  in  sports  and  baseball  consumer  publications  to  reach  travelling  teams.  

 

   

24    

VI. IMPLEMENTATION  AND  CONTROL    

A.   Action  Plan:  

 

 

These  are  key  deliverables  for  promotions  that  span  2011  and  2012

July "Catch  a  Catfish  or  a  Fly  ball“  promotion  complete.

May Ongoing  Social  media  postings,  Website  updates  Ongoing  on-­‐site  promotions,      Discounts

March Awards  and  gift  takeaways  purchased  Ongoing  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  implementation  

January Coupons  for  use  by  tournament  promoters  and  teams    

Satisfaction  surveys    Partner    contracts  

ACTION  PLAN  TIMELINES  FOR  KEY  PROMOTIONAL  ITEMS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

September Print  and  electronic  promotional  materials  for  early  booking  and  sponsorship  of  certain  naming  rights. Website  complete

November Complete  direct  mail  promotion  to  sport  promoters  and  sanctioning  bodies

December Premiums  -­‐concessions  discounts  arranged. Trade  allowances  for  media  sponsors  promoted Direct  mail,  personal  solicitation  of  naming  rights  complete

12

October Special  tournament  edition  published  Brochure  complete  for  take-­‐away,  kiosks  merchandising  sales.  

August Signage  and  banners    design  finalized  2011  Ongoing  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  implementation

February Awards  and  gift  takeaways  purchased  for  distribution.

June Ongoing  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  implementation

April Ongoing  on-­‐site  and  off-­‐site  implementation

25    

VI. IMPLEMENTATION  AND  CONTROL    

B.   Budget:  

Item   Total  Brochure  available  for  take  away  and  kiosk  merchandising  sales.   $600  Develop  print  and  electronic  collateral  promotional  material  to  create  awareness  of  the  product  for  early  booking  and  sponsorship  naming  rights  (brochures,  fliers).    

$3,760  

Create  discount  and  premium  coupons  with  Visit  Lake  Norman  and  area  businesses  for  use  by  tournament  promoters  and  teams.  

$11,750  

Offer  sponsored  awards  and  gift  take-­‐aways  for  random  selection  on  an  “email  sign  up  list”  to  develop  e-­‐contact  lists  and  mail-­‐in  promotional  opportunities.    

$2,000  

Offer  an  on-­‐site  “Catch  a  fly  ball  or  a  catfish”  promotion  at  the  tournaments  that  ties  in  discounts  and  premiums  for  off-­‐site  attractions,  accommodations,  amenities  for  the  teams  with  activities  in  the  park  and  activities  for  the  family.  

$4,900  

Direct  mail  and  follow  up  personal  solicitation  to  sport  promoters  and  to  sponsors  featuring  facility  and  value  pointing  them  to  web  site  for  information  and  interactive  reservations  or  booking  of  naming  opportunities.  

$370  

Develop  a  special  “tournament  edition”  overrun  page  as  part  of  normal  newspaper  insert  catalog  and  encourage  advertisers  to  purchase  ad  space  adding  sponsor  acknowledgements.    

$3,370  

Implement  social  media  postings  of  each  participating  team  before  and  after  each  tournament  with  cross  promotional  links  to  area  attractions/accommodations    

$370  

Develop  a  web  site  for  the  facility  containing  both  sales  features,  attributes  but  also  interactive  links  for  facility  reservation,  social  media  links  for  photos,  videos  and  sponsors  promotions.  

$1,100  

Advertise  availability  of  facility  in  websites  and  newsletters  of  promoters  and  sanctioning  bodies.  

$2,500  

Promote  sponsor  opportunities  for  naming,  electronic,  signage,  print,  hospitality,  promotions  and  community  event  inventory.  

$10,000  

Grand  Total   $40,720  

26    

VI. IMPLEMENTATION  AND  CONTROL    C. Evaluation  Objectives  will  be  evaluated  against  their  actual  measures.  • Book  and  offer  20  two-­‐day  youth  tournaments  in  FY12  for  travelling  teams,  increasing  to  28  

in  FY13  and  32  in  FY14.  o Measure:  The  actual  booking  numbers  for  those  years  (along  with  other  

characteristics  within  the  marketing  plan,  such  as  where  they  are  from,  when  they  were  booked,  feedback  and  many  other  data.  

• Achieve  economic  impact  of  all  tournaments  for  FY12  at  $1.4  million  or  an  average  rate  of  $70,000  per  tournament.  

o Measure:  An  economic  impact  calculation  sheet  used  in  conjunction  with  Visit  Lake  Norman  will  be  used  for  each  tournament.  

• Solicit  at  least  20  sponsorships  to  augment  and  offset  operational  or  capital  costs  in  FY12,  increasing  to  25  in  FY13,  and  30  in  FY14.  

o Measure:  The  actual  sponsorship  numbers  for  those  years  (along  with  other  characteristics  within  the  marketing  plan,  such  as  local,  regional,  national,  year  of  commitment,  type  of  sponsorship,  

• Increase  awareness  of  Town  branding,  leisure  and  commerce  features  to  at  least  14,000  team  members  and  spectators  in  FY12,  20,580  in  FY13,  and  22,050  by  FY14.  

o Measure:  A  consumer  awareness  index  will  be  used  as  part  of  a  customer  satisfaction  survey  to  gauge  awareness  of  Town  importance  in  choosing  tournament  location  for  the  sports  promoter  and  for  the  team  players  and  families.  

 Specific  marketing  strategies  and  their  related  tactics  will  be  measured  against  the  following:  1. Awareness  of  the  availability  of  the  facility  for  tournaments,  sponsorships  and  its  

benefits  to  the  target  consumer.    a. Measurement:  Consumer  awareness  index  (part  of  satisfaction  survey)  b. Measurement:  Consumer  satisfaction  survey.    

2. Enhancing  the  play  experience    a. Measurement:    Consumer  satisfaction  survey    b. Measurement:    Coupons  redeemed  against  those  issued.  

3. Market  share    a. Measurement:  Actual  number  of  tournaments  compared  to  targets    b. Measurement:  Actual  number  of  tournaments  compared  to  selected  competitor  

public  facilities.    c. Measurement:  Actual  number  of  sponsorships  to  targets  d. Measurement:  Sponsor  satisfaction  index.    

4. Regional  and  local  market  strategy    

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a. Measurement:  Actual  number  of  tournaments  typed  by  local,  regional  or  national  youth  sports  promoters    

5. Seasonal  strategy:    a. Measurement:  Actual  bookings  by  date  booked.      

6. Spending  strategy:    a. Measurement:  Actual  dollars  against  projected  spending  timelines  will  be  compared  

and  gauged  against  a  percent  of  the  total  direct  expenditures  for  marketing.  7. Customer  competitive  strategy:    

a. Measurement:  Sport  promoter  feedback  along  with  on-­‐site  feedback  will  help  measure  the  effectiveness  of  marketing  efforts  to  sell  the  consumer  on  the  Town  facility  rather  than  other  choices  in  the  area  and  indicate  a  desire  to  return.  

8. Target  market  strategy:    a. Measurement:  A  final  tally  indicating  the  type  of  tournament  and  age  bracket  will  

measure  the  accuracy  of  efforts  to  target  this  specific  age  group.  9. Product  strategy:    

a. Measurement:  The  actual  bookings,  redemption  of  discount  to  area  attractions,  accommodations  and  number  of  sponsor  naming  opportunities  will  indicate  the  success  of  the  product  strategy.  

10. Branding  strategy:    a. Measurement:  Consumer  satisfaction  survey  and  Consumer  awareness  index  will  

include  feedback  to  gauge  the  effectiveness  of  the  branding  along  with  anecdotal  information  gleaned  from  meetings  with  Visit  Lake  Norman,  partner  organizations,  contracted  vendors,  staff  and  sports  promoters.  

11. Pricing  strategy:    a. Measurement:  Prices  for  rental,  gate  fees,  concession  percentages  retained  and  

estimated  receipts  from  area  hoteliers  will  be  monitored  against  those  of  area  facilities  for  parity.    Further  tests  within  the  market  research  and  test  strategy  will  help  understand  the  opportunities  for  increases  in  prices  against  demand  and  price  elasticity.    

12. Distribution  strategy:    a. Measurement:  Identification  of  national  and  regional  opportunities  along  with  

corollary  sponsor  opportunities  will  be  identified  at  local  and  national  levels  at  incremental  levels  and  documented  to  form  a  database  for  future  decision  making.  

13. Personal  selling  strategy:    a. Measurement:  The  number  of  booking  and  sponsorships  solicited  will  be  measured.    

14. Promotion  strategy:    a. Measurement:  As  in  other  strategies,  documentation  of  the  success  of  a  given  

promotional  tactic  will  be  compiled  against  actual  bookings,  sponsorships  or  participation  in  area  amenities,  accommodations  and  attractions.    

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b. Measurement:  Both  on-­‐site,  off-­‐site  and  after-­‐action  evaluation  will  occur  to  gauge  effectiveness.    

15. Merchandising  strategy:    a. Measurement:  Customer  satisfaction  survey.    

16. Publicity  strategy:    a. Measurement:  The  number  of  these  publicity  efforts  will  be  catalogued.  

17. Market  research  and  testing  strategy  a. Measurement:  The  number  of  specific  research  efforts  to  examine  each  will  be  

documented.