Rationale and Group Selection
1. Introduction
Marketing is an essential aspect of a business organization. The activities of an organization itself can also market the services and products to the potential market. The aim of the marketing strategy that an organization selects need to communicate the services to the target audience inn an effective and informative manner. Integrating marketing communication enables a company to avoid overdependence on one form of strategy during a campaign (Yeshin, 2012). There are also challenges facing the marketing drive.
Two Feet and Heartbeat is a tour company which facilitates the visits of individuals in various parts of Australia with the main establishment and popularity in the cities of Perth and Fremantle. This report intends to assess and evaluate the application of integrated marketing communication by the Two Feet and a Heartbeat in enhancing its business operation. This paper describes the formulation of a campaign strategy for the company and the profiling of the target audience by the drive. The paper also assesses and evaluates the use of campaign tools such as the internet, the public relation and the advertisement in promoting the market share and creating awareness among the target audience. Moreover, the report suggests a campaign idea that can be appropriate for the drive technique.
2. Rationale and Group Selection
Two Feet and a Heartbeat company have been in operation since 2007 as a tour organization. The aim of establishing the tour firm was to promote an understanding of cities and other sites by the people who visit the places. The organization has made progress in ensuring conversational, informative, engaging and entertaining services to its clients. The organization concentrates on the different categories of clients and when the destinations are appropriate for fascinating view. The focus is also on how to enhance customer satisfaction through identifying why the clients chose to visit and what they intent to achieve during the tour.
Two Feet and Heart beat has several fascinating destinations and services. The firm covers Perth, an isolated island on the West Coast of Australia. A better understanding of the site is now possible with Two Feet and Heartbeat.
To facilitate effective coverage of stories and information during the tour, the Two Feet and Heartbeat has carried out comprehensive research on the sites. The firm has partnered with various departments to enhance success in delivery of services. Two Feet has relationship with prominent institutions such as the National Trust, The Heritage Council, Heritage Perth and government entities.
Critical Analysis of the Past Campaign
The tour firm has also links with the people who have experience in events that occurred on the sites to facilitate gathering of firsthand information. Such collection criteria of facts enhance trust and authenticity of the information about the tours.
Two feet and Heartbeat have made excellent progress and are now also in Sidney since 2009. Various organizations in Australia have trust in the firm and these include Tourism Australia, Tourism Western Australia, and Destination NSW.
Besides the excellence in the accuracy of information about the tours, Two Feet and Heartbeat have won various popular awards. Among the awards is Western Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame Inductee in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. The firm also made it to the finalist of the prestigious Australian Tourism Awards between 2011 and 2013.
Two Feet and Heartbeat has also established consultancy services to its audience. The firm offers tourism product development, interpretation, Guide training and Heritage and Tourism Consultancy.
To enhance originality and uniqueness, Two Feet and Heartbeat focuses on cultural sites and heritage of various regions. Perth has fascinating laneways and arcades which have their own history for example faux-Tudor and Art Deco. The tours and walks have re-established the streets of Perth into business hubs due to their attractive nature
There are interesting spots for coffee, bars and treats which also adds to the adventurous moments of the regions which were least known.
Fremantle also presents fascinating sites of visit under the guidance of Two Feet and Heartbeat Company. Fremantle is rich with architectural heritage sites such as the colonial convict structures called the Fremantle Prison. There is also the fishing boat harbour which offers an opportunity for historical knowledge to the visitors.
I therefore believe that the engagement in the tour of the sites that the Two Feet and Heartbeat would enhance and promote awareness of the sites in Perth and Fremantle. An Integrated Marketing Campaign will enhance and promote the number of people interested in making visits to the Perth and Fremantle sites with the guidance of the Two Feet and Heartbeat tour firm.
3. Critical Analysis of the Past Campaign
Two Feet and Heartbeat carried out an integrated marketing campaign to promote the services of the tour company. There are various marketing strategies that a business organization needs to adopt to promote the sales and enhance awareness of the products and services that they offer. The selection of the campaign tools depend on the various aspects that the company intends to achieve (Mortimer & Laurie, 2017). The various goals may include promoting traffic, building market share, emphasizing on the price, and maintaining the existing market share. The likely marketing strategies include the use of internet, public participation, advertising, personal selling, promotions and social media.
The Target Campaign Audience
It is essential to consider the target audience before deploying a certain marketing strategy. Two Feet and Heartbeat in its campaign fails to identify the various services with the appropriate target audiences they intend to win. For instance, the campaign needs to have linked various services such as the historical sites to the students and school groups. The operation could also have identified the significance of the colonial prison to the anthropologists (Gislason, 2014). Identifying the target group and linkages to certain services would have developed specific interest from various categories of individuals.
The campaign would have classified the target audiences into categories to ease the search by the interested groups. The classification criteria during marketing operation include age, gender, income, religion race, education and the national origin. The campaign fails to categorize the target audiences and the services and sites that would probably suit each class. The VIP accommodation, for instance would be under the group of the corporate visitors. The conference facilities and the meeting halls would be relevant campaign elements for the business class. The education group would also be a category with a different list of possible sites and services of interest that would be appropriate during the visit. Student groups for instance would have no interest in viewing the details of foods and drinks as the services available in Perth. If the classification was made with such consideration, the campaign under the school groups would have included the historical sites of Fremantle and the cultural practices of the Perth region.
Two Feet and Heartbeat however, has various elements that have made the campaign a success. The operation has indicated all the services that are available during the visit of the sites. For instance, the ad about the events and festivals has a list of the services such as the exhibitions, performing arts and youth events. The social media have also effectively been formulated to enhance marketing of the tour firm. Facebook for instance, has video ads revealing the various activities that visitors enjoy by choosing Two Feet and Heartbeat. The video and posts promote interest of many potential customers. Twitter has a following of about 6900 and over 9000 likes. The drive also successfully used twitter and Instagram to enhance the marketing strategy since the audience develops interest with what they watch before seeking for more details about the sites.
When an individual visits the website of an organization, interest develops depending on the information they read as an overview about the company. The operation lacks a description about Two Feet and Heartbeat, who the firm is and the activities they promote in summary. The absence of the identifying message may be unappealing and discourage the individual who visit the website from accessing for more details.
4. The Target Campaign Audience
During the campaign, it is essential to recognize the needs of different categories of audiences that seek tour activities and services that meet their values, beliefs, and interests. Australia has a population with differences in income, religion and race which may determine the number of potential customers (Mihart, 2012). The appropriate potential customers that attempt to acquire a blend of cultural heritage history and leisure during their tour. The historical sites such as the Fremantle convicts and colonial architectural structures and the artistic historical Perth Island form fascinating areas for visits. There are also other related facilities in the sites such as the dinner centres, food courts, cocktail and walking tour facilities which are majorly supportive for enjoyment of the visitors.
The primary audience of private groups and corporate members with interest in team building need to be the point of focus during the marketing process. Two Feet and Heartbeat enables the groups to enjoy group games of scavenger hunt in Perth. The organization has instructions during the game to ensure efficiency and avoid any negative effects. The groups can have relaxing walks through the culturally rich avenues of Perth. Perth is also rich in dinner and restaurant facilities provide opportunities for the team members to enjoy after the conferences. The visitors also visit Perth as an appropriate destination for team building where they would watch and enjoy various festival activities such as the Perth International Arts Festival and the Fringe World Festival.
Team building also require conference facilities which are available under the guide of the firm in Perth. The corporate members are also assured of excellent meeting and conference facilities. The executive members of a corporate organization can also enjoy private hosting for the VIPs in the executive facilities.
The secondary target audience would be school groups. Two Feet and Heartbeat provide school and educational tours who visit to enrich their knowledge about history of Perth and Fremantle. The audience would be of different age group from the millennial to the tertiary groups. The students visit to discover how the Dutch, French and the English history resulted in the modern Australia (Jones, & Newsome, 2015). The school groups have interest in the stories about the strategic settlement of the European in Australia and the influence of their culture to the ancient people of Australia. The interest of the students is also to learn the culture of Perth and the forces of the Noongar in retaining the roots of the culture. The intention of the tours is also to identify the native wildlife in Perth such as the dolphins, the Kangaroos, and the whales in the neighbouring ocean. The rich flora and fauna also attracts the learners who wish to enrich their knowledge on biodiversity.
5. Designing Brand Position Strategies
There are various techniques that a firm can adopt in shaping its brand. The approaches have been changing over time. The significance of the branding is to promote the growth of the market share and the company (Wheeler, 2017) Two Feet and a Heartbeat company need to develop a logo and theme that can influence the target audiences to develop interest in the services. The firm has to understand the current status in the market in relation to the mission, motto and value. In designing the brand, there is need to consider the competitors statements and formulate a unique benefit of Two Feet and a Heartbeat services to the customers who choose the company as a guide during the visits. The firm can then design own positioning statement and ensure implementation.
Positional Statement
“For an exceptional experience of sites rich history, culture, heritage, games, meals it is more than just a visit with Two Feet and a Heartbeat”.
6. Audience Perception and Challenges of IMC
The target audiences for the Integrated Marketing Campaign differ in two major ways. There is a disparity between the age of the corporate members and the school groups. The students’ audience have a different perception of the sites for tour and the interest may be specifically for learning purposes. There is a difference in the ability to meet the costs of the tour services by the corporate organizations and the student groups (McDaniel, & Gates, 2013). The corporate groups may be focused majorly on the conferencing facilities and the fun sector which includes the bar and restaurant departments. The message that the campaign broadcasts need to be clear and elaborative about the services for the target groups. To ensure the clarity of the campaign content, there is need to execute an interpersonal engagement with the target audiences especially the corporate group.
The primary targets have a desire to engage in tours that also offer VIP services that are private. The corporate community also want to identify themselves with the fascinating sites such as the Perth and Fremantle to promote their businesses and class. The campaign should focus on clearly stating and describing the prestigious state of the facilities available for conferencing and the offers that accompany the booking by the organizations (Fanaru, 2016). The engagement can also give examples of prominent bodies that have enjoyed the business benefits that can accompany the bookings of the corporate institutions.
The school groups ultimately have interest in the historical and cultural values of the sites. The students have an intention to also learn the story of the historical sites of Fremantle and their current development (Gislason, 2014). . The scholars as such wish to get an inspiration through the campaign to enable them develop interest in making visits. The campaign should therefore offer compelling story about the achievements that scholars who have made previous visits attain in terms of knowledge about history and culture of Australia.
The diversity of the target audience which is large can have clear access of the campaign message by use of digital technologies during marketing. Displays of videos and other visual elements of the sites and facilities would promote effective interaction with the target audiences who have different interests and needs (Vernuccio & Ceccotti, 2015). The digital platform should also offer an opportunity for the student group members to identify the connection between the sites for visit and the educational curriculum to eliminate the perception that visiting Perth and Fremantle is exceptionally about enjoying and leisure. The variation in the mission and objectives of the potential customer categories necessitates the use of marketing strategies that promote effective interactions essential for both the primary and the secondary target audiences.
7. Marketing and Communication Objectives
a. Marketing Objectives
There are various goals that we aim to achieve at the end of our marketing campaign. The use of the internet intents to improve the number of visitors using the Two Feet and Heart beat as their tour company during their visits of Perth and Fremantle. The internet through the use of social media platforms of Facebook and twitter will increase the traffic on the firm’s website.
The company currently enjoys a large number of customers who choose this company for tour guide. Marketing would ensure that the firm retains and maintains the current share of clients and market (Naeem, Bilal, & Naz, 2013). The videos and posters that the team would post on the internet would also enhance the interest and attention of the target audience towards the services and the sites of visit under the facilitation of Two Feet and Heartbeat.
Marketing would also build new market share through sensitization of the importance of visiting the sites of Perth and Fremantle. The posts and videos revealing the importance of heritage and cultural knowledge among the audience would develop interest from new potential customers.
Displaying the prices and costs of services from Two Feet and Heartbeat would trigger a comparison with other companies and as such, attract the clients who would perceive our firm as affordable.
b. Communication Objectives
Communication during the campaign would enhance information delivery to the target audience. Informing the potential clients would promote awareness of the company especially to the section of people who are unfamiliar with Two Feet and Heartbeat Company. The audience would also be aware of the various features of Perth and Fremantle as the tour sites and the facilities in the vicinity.
Communicating to the secondary target audience of the school groups would develop a connection and relationship between the students and the site visits (Diaconu, Oancea, & Brinzea, 2016). The students can relate their studies and the culture and heritage and the history of Perth and Fremantle.
Effective communication would also enhance the promotional effort of the company which would result in a large market share (Naeem, Bilal, & Naz, 2013). The target audience would have knowledge of the different services such as the conferencing facilities appropriate for the corporate organizations. The audience would moreover, know the significance of the historical sites of Fremantle and how it shaped the current state of Australia.
8. Campaign Idea and the Creative Executions
Campaign Idea
The operation idea will be about the resurgence of the once forgotten, isolated, and dormant Perth and Fremantle, which are now one of the leading sites for tour and walks with executive facilities to enjoy.
The target audience have knowledge about Australia and few geographical orientation of the country. However, despite being aware of the cities of Perth and Fremantle, they are unaware of the history of Perth. The potential visitors might not have an idea how the two cities transformed into the current state.
The campaign will focus on the desire of the customers to learn and acquire knowledge on how the European and the Irish interacted with the indigenous people transformed Perth into the current state. There is also an interest in discovering the existence of the colonial prison in Fremantle and the changes of the cultural practices of the people in Australia.
The drive will use the strategies which can reach a large number of target audiences. The use of the internet on the website with the aid of social media platforms will broadcast the benefits of visiting Perth and Fremantle using Two Feet and Heartbeat to different categories of visitors with interest.
The facilities and various activities in the cities of Perth and Fremantle offer a wide range of choices to make. An individual can visit to enjoy the special cuisine, the cocktails, the walks or picnic events apart from the visit to the historical structures. This enables the services to be available throughout the year as one has a variety to select.
Creative Execution
Positional Statement:
“For an exceptional experience of sites rich history, culture, heritage, games, meals it is more than just a visit with Two Feet and a Heartbeat”.
Fremantle colonial prison provides an exhibition of rich cultural interaction on the convict lifestyle. The structure provides memories that reveal the impact of the colonials to the Australian culture and the linkages to the attractive sites of Perth.
1. Marketing Communication Strategy and Tools
The significance of the marketing tools is to enable the two feet and heartbeat to promote the marketing campaign which is likely to enhance the visitation by their target audience. The internet needs to be the basic method with specifically utilizing the social media (BPP Learning Media, 2013). The supportive elements of marketing will be advertising, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling, sales promotion, and support media.
a. The internet
The internet is an effective method due to its ability to accumulate a larger traffic and as such, reach a larger potential market base. The initial step of this process will be the establishment of a video on the internet as a majority of internet users make views of video contents frequently. Survey indicates that over 80% of people who watch clips can recall the content while over 46% of them on the information they acquire from the video (Yazdanifard, Venpin, Yusoff, & Islam, 2011).. The audience after watching the video about the tour firm can search for more information on the website and as such increase the interest to make visits to one of our destinations. The most effective internet section to utilize will be Facebook as it is statistically the social media platform with a large traffic of followers (Gregory, 2015). The website of the Two feet and Perth Tour Company need to be updated with the fresh and appealing presentations of the sites of visits. A linkage between the firm’s website and Facebook will also promote the marketing process.
b. Advertising
Advertising will enable the tour firm to deliver their message to the potential customers and as such, promote awareness about the sites. This tool will be effective as it has the ability to reach an immense number of audiences the media for advertisement such as the radio and television are accessible by the national audiences (Eshuis, Klijn, & Braun, 2014).
The high cost of radio advertising can be made efficient by using the most-popular radio show. The radio presenters especially during news broadcast can start by stating the significance of using the Two-feet and Perth tour guide and the relevance of the tour sites that the firm covers.
c. Public Relations
The non-personal communication strategy will enable the tour guide organization to market their sites and promote to the target audiences the reasons to associate with the company. The firm can associate with various conservation agencies that can broadcast and mention some of the efforts that the company engages in relation to natural conservation.
Two-feet and Perth management can also seek the services of prominent sports personnel and associate with them. The big following that the popular sports individual enjoys can translate into potential customers for the firm.
The company can also promote the awareness about their sites for visits through publications. The firm can produce periodic magazines and newsletters portraying the various destinations available (Popesku, 2014). The tour firm can moreover, promote the relationships with the target audience through participating in community events such as charity activities and club projects. This will create a platform for interpersonal interactions with the potential customers.
d. Support Media
The use of on-ground campaign will enable the company to promote a direct interaction with the potential target customers. This scheme will establish a two-way engagement with the audience and as such, promote the objectives of enhancing awareness about the sites to visit (McDaniel & Gates, 2013). The activity can also promote sales through acquiring contacts of the potential clients or even bookings from some individuals. The sites that the firm has in its tour guides can be placed outside malls or on streets billboards to attract attention and promote awareness of the fascinating sites and views from the regions.
e. Cinema
This is a platform that can offer marketing stages to promote awareness of the target audience about the sceneries found in the sites for visit (Yiting, & Mela, 2015). The use of cinemas also reaches to a huge number of people who prefer attending movie show for entertainment.
f. Sales Promotion
This is a non-personal communication technique which is relevant mostly in targeting smaller audience. The method requires potential consumers who are readily known. Tour firms lack specific identifiable clients and as such, this method may be ineffective as a marketing tool. Sales promotion is also appropriate for short term financial gains and may not be relevant for a tour business as tourism requires strategies that have long-term benefits.
g. Personal Selling
The method involves communication in order to promote awareness and sales with by carrying out a face-to-face engagement. The method may have lower credibility to make the target audience develop interest to use the tour company during the site visits. Moreover, the process may also be costly to the organization’s budget and as such, it would be inappropriate to adopt the personal selling strategy.
h. Direct Marketing
This marketing tool involves interactive communication through media of communications such as direct mail, and telemarketing. Two-feet and Perth can employ this method to promote the market base. The firm can build relationship with companies and corporate organizations with the intention of team building to share with them the facilities at the sites.
2. Measuring Campaign Success
a. Internet Tool
Clicks-and –hits approach which would involve assessment of how the target audience interacts with the website (Berisha-Namani, 2013). The company would monitor the behaviour of the customers and identifying the number of customers that visit the website. The excellence would also be measurable by evaluating the time on the company’s website and the main search words that the potential customers use for search.
The campaign also adopted the use of videos during the campaign process. Evaluating the rate of completion of views of the videos by the target clients would reveal the efficiency of the marketing program. The campaign established and launched an ad on the website. The frequency of the ad would reveal the success of the campaign
Social media platforms such as Facebook were among the main tool for use on the internet. Monitoring the insights and likes would be a measure of the impression made by the campaign. After the individual of the target campaign audience makes a view of the ads on the internet, the number of shares to access the content of the ad by other potential customers would be an implication of success.
b. Advertising
The main advertising tool of our choice was the radio and the television. Evaluating the popularity of the media and the potential number of consumers that receive the message would reveal the success of the advertisement.
c. Public Relation
Press releases depend on the public event in context. Tracking the number of target audience at the events during which a press statement is made would help monitor the success. The popular personnel and celebrities attend various forums with varying number of potential clients. Monitoring the number of events and the attendances per the celebrity forums would show the possible exposure of the program.
d. Support Media
Analyzing the percentage of views through monitoring the attendance of cinema shows in which the ad is played would reveal the success of the program. Evaluating and analyzing the strategic location of the ads at public bus stops and shopping malls would determine the exposure of the ads and as such, the views. The on-ground campaign is dependent on the number of the participants that engaged in the campaign for success. Therefore, monitoring the number of the participating individuals would reveal the efficiency.
e. Direct Marketing
Evaluating the number of customers at the individual level and the groups that the campaign managed to interact with and the percentage of the target groups with bookings for visit would indicate the relevance of the drive.
Conclusion:
Integrated marketing communication has various factors to consider enabling the achievement of the objectives. This campaign strategy has put into consideration the categories of the target audience before the launch of the drive. The classification of the potential customers depending on the income, education, age and lifestyle would facilitate effective message delivery in a manner that can attract the interest of the individuals. The emphasis on the use of the internet as a campaign tool would foster the expansion of the market share and enhance the maintenance of the current market. The internet with the support of the social media platforms especially Facebook and twitter would attract large traffic and hence interest for the services of Two Feet and a Heartbeat.
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