1. Reaching New Heights... Processing Operational Decisions Chapter IX Integrating Marketing in the Leisure Industry

2. Strategic Approach Revisit the agency offerings each year. Understand the needs of the markets targeted. Evaluate past year’s data and current trends to develop offerings for specific target markets.

3. Determine a specific target market objective. Step 1: Addresses permanent agency decisions related to offerings, distribution and price (Marketing Mix). Step 2: Establish the brand identity, collateral, and promotional events for the agency to achieve its target market objective (Promotional Mix). Step 3: Select the tools to directly reach the target market (Communication Mix). Marketing, Promotional, and Communication Mix Model

4. Marketing Mix Decisions Marketing mix brainstorm. Place ideas in a matrix for evaluating and deciding which will be selected for the final plan. The operational decisions made must reflect the unique elements for each target market. The final list of decisions will be used in all collateral materials developed.

5. Factors to Finalize the Operational Decisions Resources (staff, expertise, financial, tools, etc.) Time frame established in objective Agency culture – mission and politics Most effective method(s) for reaching the targeted market Return on investment (ROI) (return of value/ benefit less cost) Evaluation of past marketing efforts

6. Promotional Mix Brand identity (logo, general positioning statement, etc.) Promotional collateral and events

7. Communication Mix Includes ways in which the target market will be directly reached. Consider the behaviors of the market: What do they read? Where do they shop? What do they do in their leisure time? Where do they work? Where do they live?

8. Public and community relations Advertising Direct sales Sponsorships Internal market Stewardship/quality service Communication Tools

9. Marketing Budgets and Scheduling Activities Determine the set of mix decisions. Establish a budget to estimate all the costs associated with the planned activities. Establish a timeline for completing the activities. Assign who is responsible for the actions.

10. Evaluating Operational Decisions Evaluation methods examples: -Keep record of passes -Survey employees and costumers -Track number of returned coupons -Upon arrival, ask consumers how they heard about the agency -Mystery shopping of staff performance -Costumers satisfaction surveys

11. Market Research Existing consumer socio-demographic characteristics. Consumer behaviors of targeted markets. The number and type of consumers currently served. Market demand. Consumer satisfaction. Employee satisfaction. Impacts of past marketing efforts. Financial records by market segments served

12. Estimating the Impact A simplified revenue/cost summary has to be prepared for each objective. A revenue/cost summary can also be prepared by comparing the incremental difference in consumers by marketing costs to determine the marketing cost per new consumer.