Developing a Marketing Plan for the Port Arthur Historic Sites

Andrew Ross, Marketing Manager

September 30, 2010

What is a Marketing Plan?

Essential elements

• What do you want to do?• How are you going to do it?

Optional extras (not really optional...)

• Situation or environment analysis• Brand definition and management• Budget• Stakeholder analysis/communications strategy• Measurable outcomes

To work out the first two, you need to understand the others.

Situation Analysis - know your market

Do Australians care about heritage?

• Australia’s heritage includes those aspects that have made us uniquely Australian and that continue to make Australia unique

• A strong belief was expressed that heritage is both important and valuable to Australians.

“It means our past, our background. What we collectively think about the history we have…”

This did not always mean a focus on positives:

“Our heritage is basically where we’ve come from and some of the things we’ve done in the past haven’t been particularly pleasant.”

• (There is a) desire to learn and develop as a nation – a concrete way heritage can influence the future. It was expressed as a need to understand who, what and where we have come from for better or worse. The key being to learn from our mistakes and move forward.

Understanding Public Involvement with Australian Heritage Final Research Report – Associate Professor Heath McDonald, Deakin Business School, Deakin University, November 2006

Will they care in future?

• Of all domestic travel activities, the largest average annual growth will be in cultural and heritage activities.

• While cultural and heritage activity participation increases with age, participation in these activities by younger generations has also increased.

• Generation Z (born after 1991) are forecast to increase their participation in cultural and heritage activities by a substantial 17.5% per year.

Through the looking glass: The future of domestic tourism in Australia, Tourism Australia March 2008

Why is it important to us?

Many of us, having enthusiastically leapt onto the materialist treadmill, are starting to rethink our priorities and to wonder whether we are setting the best possible example to our children.

One result is the surge of interest in ‘values’, as more Australians find themselves wondering how to restore some balance in their lives and find more time for family and friends.

Hugh Mackay, Advance Australia Where, Hachette, 2007

•We have enough to eat, a roof over our heads and enough possessions

•We are seeking more emotional, spiritual and experiential satisfaction

•Reconnecting with our families & friends

•Reconnecting with our communities

•Understanding where we’ve come from

•To understand ourselves and our place in the world

Why is it important to us?

Visitors respond to visiting Port Arthur as much more than just a ‘leisure opportunity’.

•Seeing//understanding// a known significant historical site•A lot of our history•How Australia got to where it is now•Our roots

PAHSMA Brand Review Phase 2 Report August 2007

As Australians again reassess their individual and cultural values, it would seem that engagement with nationally significant heritage sites such as Port Arthur can provide meaningful opportunities for connecting with and understanding our past and reflecting on the stories and values that unite our nation.

Situation Analysis - know your market

•Who is likely to visit your product?

•What is the visitor profile and behaviour in your region and State? National?

•What local/national/international factors are or might affect tourism in your area?

Who can help?

•Local, regional, state and national tourism organisations, sector associations, other operators (local area and in similar fields)

The Experience Seeker

•Are online: Nearly 9 in 10 Australian Experience Seekers have access to the internet as of the year ended June 2006, up from just over 7 in 10 in the year ended June 2001,

•Still spend money on experiences: Australia Experience Seekers are more likely to go to the cinema than the rest of the population,

•Want to taste differences: Australian Experience Seekers are more interested in enjoying food from all over the world,

•Will pay to make something easier: If an Experience Seeker can see value, they are prepared to pay to make life (or what they are doing) easier for themselves.

•The internet is clearly a valuable source for Experience Seekers when planning their trips, but Travel Agents also play a role.

•Brochures and Guide Books assist planning as well.

The Experience Seeker – who are they?

Young Affluent Couples: Aged 25-35 this younger childless group, travel to bring themselves a controlled challenge as well as the opportunity for personal development.

Affluent Families: The presence of children will change anyone’s life. This group prefer Australia a little more than our other 2 groups. They are looking for relaxation and time to re-charge. The reconnection could be with the children, or it could be with the partner while the children are away with the kids club.

Older Affluent Couples: The older group, now free of their responsibilities, are looking to reward themselves after their life of hard work. They are looking to learn new things and find some stories to tell.

The International Experience Seeker

Situation Analysis - know your product

Situation Analysis - know your product

• Why are we here? • What is the purpose or objective of our

organisation?• What is it, where is it, why is it special, what does it

mean to visitors, what do they value about visiting.• What other ‘assets’ are nearby that may affect

visitation or increase the appeal of the overall experience?

• How is your product packaged, bundled or otherwise sold? “How do I get a ticket?”

• Non-tourism product/s?

Situation Analysis – clues in your mission

Our Vision

‘To conserve, manage and promote the Port Arthur Historic Site and Coal Mines Historic Site as cultural tourism places of international significance’

Our Statement of Purpose

To manage the Port Arthur Historic Sites by:•Conserving the heritage values of the sites •Creating a unique and interactive visitor experience •Ensuring its financial viability •Valuing its staff •Considering the community.

What is special about Port Arthur?

A must-see – nationally

What do people value about coming to Port Arthur?

Entertainment Seekers

The Entertainment Seekers (27% of total)

•Better and more interactive interpretation

•More interactive activity

• More entertainment (plays, performance, etc)

Emotional Responders

Segment 2: The emotional responders (20% of the total)

•More emphasis on site beauty & emotion

•More emotional input (they focus on sadness, injustice & cruelty of the past)

Information Seekers

Segment 3: The information seekers (25% of the total)

• Want more information

• Want to do more

•Want to stay longer or come back again

The Tourists

Segment 4: The tourists (28% of the total)

•Come because Port Arthur is well-known

•Enjoy the scenery, stories and ruins – a great photo opportunity

•Generally happy with a shorter visit

So – what do we want to do?

So – what do we want to do? Objectives

•Increase numbers?•Improve yield?•Spread visitation throughout the year?•Attract more locals?•Encourage people to stay longer?•Increase international visitation?•Increase the number of places where people can get a ticket?

(PAHSMA’s plan includes all these objectives and more)

•Where does your organisation want to go/be in three or five years? Discussion/issues

PAHSMA Marketing Plan - objectives

Awareness

Increase awareness of PAHS in target markets

Familiarity

Increase pre-visit awareness of the many experiences available at PAHS

Distribution

Make information about PAHS Experiences and purchase of tickets for PAHS widely

PAHSMA Marketing Plan - objectives

Visitation

Sustainably maximise visitation of the Sites.

Yield

Increase financial yield from each visitor by maximising their engagement with the site and levels of satisfaction.

 Heritage Values

Increase awareness and understanding of PAHS’ heritage values.

How are we going to do it? Strategies and tactics

Example

Objective: Increase return visits, especially by Tasmanians (VFR market)

Strategy: Offer a ‘Ticket of Leave’ pass that allows free return visits for two years from date of first visit for a few extra dollars

Tactic: Offer free Ticket of Leave upgrade to visitors during September.

Exercise

in coming weeks, look out for promotional tactics and work out the objective and strategy behind them.

PAHSMA ‘Familiarity’ Strategies

•Increase pre-visit familiarity with the Sites and their products and experiences.

•Package PAHS experiences to facilitate consumer decision-making

•Increase availability of pre-visit information such as itineraries, tour and experience packages and podcasts.

•Maintain a high level of editorial coverage in trusted media outlets available to target markets.

•Manage visitor expectations, including allowing sufficient time and reluctance to pay.

•Part Seven of the PAHSMA Marketing Plan identifies the key marketing objectives and offers strategies and tactics for their achievement. It should be noted that detailed strategies are reviewed and developed each year by PAHSMA’s management staff for inclusion in the following year’s Corporate Plan and Budget; as such, specific details on budgets and detailed schedules or objectives are not contained in this plan.

Branding, market communications and presentation

What is a brand?

• The sum of the perceptions of your place/product/organisation held in the minds of your target market.

Defining your brand.

• Hopefully if you have been able to answer the points above, especially knowing your product, you will have some fairly clear idea of what values your brand represents.

• It is advisable to obtain some experienced assistance and advice on defining your brand, unless you are very experienced.

Branding and presentation

Branding and presentation

Branding and presentation

What does ‘Port Arthur’ mean to people?

Brand attributes

•History

•Educational

•Nationally significant

•Our heritage

•Picturesque

•Thought provoking

•Well preserved

•Authentic

Port Arthur’s key points of difference

•Authenticity

•Scale

•Scenic beauty

•Heritage value

•State of conservation

•Interpretation

Typical Brand Pyramid

The creative process

• This information is not intended to be seen by the public.

• It forms part of your brief for creative people (graphic designers, copy writers, media producers etc) with whom you will work from time to time to develop elements that form your communications to your target market.

• Part Six of the PAHSMA Marketing Plan examines the Port Arthur Brand and details brand management strategy recommendations.

Branding and presentation

• The Church is a visually prominent feature of the Port Arthur Historic Site, and importantly, its easily recognised Gothic style architecture emphasises the significant heritage values of the Site.

• The symbol of the Church is not only a direct tribute to its convict builders, it also reflects the importance made of religion within Western culture of the day and in the stated goals of the penal settlement’s administration – to reform through religion.

Branding and presentation

• The logotype refers to the ‘Port Arthur Historic Sites’. This has been done for several reasons:

• It acknowledges PAHSMA’s care of multiple sites while maintaining the primary recognition associated with Port Arthur

• It will inspire intending visitors, and others, to find out more detail about our organisation

Marketing Communications

Promotional focus on buildings and activities

Shift to focus on what people will get from a visit

Amazing stories, epic history

8 characters and their stories

•Selected for association with key areas of the site

•Sense of intrigue, a desire to know more

•Imagery – could be people or place

•Biographies – the stories of these characters – can be used as editorial in publications where ads run

•Link to current visitor experience

•Also available on website

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

Amazing stories, epic history

New website

New website

Extending to other marketing materials

Display stand and brochures

Digital marketing

Results - measureable outcomes

What are or will be your key performance indicators?

Discuss

Marketing Plan objectives – how are we doing?

Awareness

Increase awareness of PAHS in target markets.

•Tourism Tasmania brand campaign in key interstate markets (as well as our own promotions)

•40% of all leisure visitors to Tasmania visit PAHS

Visitation

Sustainably maximise visitation of the Sites.

•Record visitation

•PAHS is not yet at visitor capacity

Marketing Plan objectives – how are we doing?

Distribution

Make information about PAHS Experiences and purchase of tickets for PAHS widely

•Improved e-commerce, online ticketing

•Distribution strategy

•New travel trade partnerships (tour operators, online, wholesale, retail, inbound) – making up for loss of Tasmania’s Temptations Holidays

Marketing Plan objectives – how are we doing?

Yield

Increase financial yield from each visitor by maximising their engagement with the site and levels of satisfaction.

•We need to develop new visitor experiences for those who wish to pay for them – eg ‘privileged access’ tours.

•For guests at new Federal hotel and other higher-end accommodation and tour operators

•MONA a big opportunity, along with WH listing

Marketing Plan objectives – how are we doing?

Familiarity

Increase pre-visit awareness of the many experiences available at PAHS

•New website

•Highlight experiences

•Scale of site

•Time required message

•Packages

•Pre-visit information – encourage research

•Suggested itineraries

Marketing Plan objectives – how are we doing?Heritage Values

Increase awareness and understanding of PAHS’ heritage values.

•Discuss the range of heritage values (not just convict heritage)

•Focus on characters and stories

•Heritage values on website and incorporated into communications

•Interaction with conservation activities

•Closer alignment between promotional communications and interpretive messages

Stakeholder communications matrix

Who’s who in the Zoo?

•Essential to know, and helpful for the whole organisation.

•If possible, develop a communications strategy and system that facilitates communications with all stakeholders in appropriate ways.

Appendix One identifies PAHSMA’s key stakeholder groups and suggests communication channels, communications activities and key messages for each.

•Communication channels – demonstrate with matrix

•Christmas card list???

Other bits

Budget – PAHSMA works in annual budget cycles, so this element of the plan is dealt with under the organisations annual Corporate Plan.

Timeframe

Part Eight offers strategies to assist PAHSMA develop philanthropic giving and other forms of fundraising as a source of ongoing income.

Appendix Two details the Sites’ Heritage Values.

Appendix Three summarises data presented in this plan in a shortened form for use in briefing suppliers of creative promotional collateral.

Key issues

Good tourism and good conservation are not incompatible – in fact they enhance each other.

Conflicts between conservation and marketing?

•Timeframes?

•Expectations?

•Control?

•Organisational capacity?

Discuss

Exercise: Devise tactics to achieve the following:

Capitalise on other World Heritage-nominated convict sites in Tasmania (Female Factory, Woolmers/Brickenden, Darlington) and also national WHL Convict Sites in NSW, WA and Norfolk Island, and position PAHS as a leader among these.

Thank you