MARK5065 Re-assessment Brief 2015

Brief for students

•    Your assignment is an individual report of maximum 3,000 words excluding appendices.
•    Harvard style referencing should be used throughout.
•    You should submit a hard copy to the SAC and a digital copy through Turnitin using the drop box under the assessment tab on Blackboard.

Read the following case study: Visit Wales

Put yourself in the position of the Visit Wales Direct Marketing manager, and generate a report (more guidance in PART 3) detailing your proposals to your the Director of Marketing.

Assessment criteria

The quality of your work will be judged on the following dimensions.  Please refer to the faculty postgraduate grade descriptors for further information on the requirements at each grade band.

•    Interpretation of brief, appreciation for role for DM within an integrated communications strategy, campaign objectives  (20 marks)
•    Recommended budget allocation – rationalisation & justification, development of the business case for the project / return on investment (20 marks)
•    Campaign details, media, messages, appropriate use of incentives (20 marks)
•    Proposals for testing, measurement and enhancement of the current databases (20 marks)
•    Presentation,  integrity of plan, references, immediate workability/practicability (20 marks)

All referred coursework is due for submission by Monday 10 August 2015

Case Study: Visit Wales

PART 1.  BACKGROUND

Tourism is a hugely competitive, dynamic and constantly-changing industry and it is big business in Wales.
Visit Wales is the Welsh Assembly Government’s tourism team, within the Department for Heritage. Visit Wales is responsible for the promotion and development of tourism in Wales.
The marketing division works closely with partners within Wales, Britain and overseas and uses the complete range of marketing and communications disciplines and techniques to achieve key marketing objectives.  The division is also responsible for evolving and developing the brand development and communication strategy, which underpins all of the Welsh Assembly Governments’ campaigns.
Visit Wales marketing objectives:
•    Raise positive awareness of Wales as a tourism destination
•    Provide a means for customers to purchase a visit
•    We actively seek partners for this work from the private and public sector to stimulate visits that will benefit individual businesses and the economy of Wales.
Visit Wales website  http://www.visitwales.co.uk
The Visit Wales website is the heart of the marketing communications activity providing a wealth of information and ideas for making the most of your family holiday.  Visitors can search for accommodation with links to partner sites where bookings can be made and also sign up for an e-newsletter.

Database

The database is the powerful engine that drives Visit Wales direct marketing communications and return on investment. The team recognised that using the database strategically could give Visit Wales a competitive advantage over rival destinations. The database’s information, analysis and testing capabilities were instrumental in informing Visit Wales overall marketing and product development decisions.

The Visit Wales database holds a wealth of personal information about enquirers, including their main reason for taking a short break in Wales and data on previous transactions however Visit Wales remains interested in developing the scope and application of the database.

Wales – the brand
Tourism is one part of the Wales ‘brand family’. For more information visit: http://www.walesthebrand.com
You may find the following excerpts particularly helpful.
Wales – the real alternative
Tourism is important to Wales and we’re proud to welcome visitors to our country. We want them to experience and love our country as much as we do.

Wales is the real alternative to the conventional tourist destination. We offer the unexpected and the surprising. Not the superficial, artificial and obvious. We encourage our visitors to go out and explore. No itineraries, no checklists, no must do’s. Just spontaneous discoveries and freedom.

They’ll find their own experiences. Rather than pre-packaged ones laid on by us.
The target audience – ‘Independent explorers’
We think Wales appeals to a particular type of visitor. People a bit like us. We call them Independent Explorers. They are free minded and don’t follow the herd. They enjoy planning their own trips so they can discover new places and have authentic personal experiences. They like to learn about the local culture and the way of life of the places they visit and immerse themselves in it. Traditional package holidays and well trodden tourist trails are not for them. They like to explore places that are still undiscovered. They’re looking for the Real Alternative destination. And it’s in Wales that they’ll find it.

Campaign focus:  Proper Holidays 2016
This year we’ve re-focused our marketing activities to ensure that Wales really does stand out from all our competitor destinations in the UK and internationally. We’ve gone beyond the conventional approach of telling people what’s good about Wales, instead we found a real family (the Darkes Family) who had a disappointing holiday in Gran Canaria last year so  and filmed them having a ‘proper holiday’ in Wales.
Our new campaign and TV ad give a flavour of what ‘proper holidays’ in Wales are all about. Wales is authentic, memorable and different. We want visitors to understand what makes Wales different. We want visitors to explore our country and experience our genuine Welsh welcome that we are so proud of. We also wanted to show through this campaign what Wales is most definitely not – manufactured, dull, passionless and forgettable.

PART 2.  THE TASK
Put yourself in the role of Visit Wales Direct & Digital Marketing manager.  Produce an OUTLINE proposal to be presented to the Visit Wales Director of Marketing for a new campaign aimed at couples and families seeking an alternative to the package holiday.
Recognising the importance of developing ongoing relationships with holidaymakers you have been tasked with developing a two year communications programme with the aim of attracting 100,000 holiday bookings in 2016 with a retention target of at least 40% returning to Wales within the following 12 month period.
It is expected that approximately 40% of this years’ holiday bookings will be achieved from existing customers (information already held on database) leaving 60% of bookings to be made by people whose details are not currently held on the database.
You have been allocated a total campaign budget of £900,000 for the two year campaign.
Figures show that Wales attracted 9.93 million visitors in 2013 (2014 figures not yet released) an increase of 3.4% on the previous year.
But the Great Britain Tourism Survey showed trips across the UK were down 2.5% compared with the previous year.
Tourists to Wales spent £1.7billion, up 7% on 2012, while expenditure in the UK as a whole fell by almost 3%.
The average spend per adult on a week’s holiday in Wales for accommodation and pre-booked attractions was approximately £750 (this data is realistic but fictitious – but you may need to use it for the purposes of this assignment)
As visitors do not book cottages or pay Visit Wales directly (payment is made to owners of properties on the site) you will need to carefully consider how the success of the campaign will be measured and controlled.
PART 3.  YOUR REPORT
You will be presenting to internal audiences and therefore a detailed situation analysis is not required.  There is an expectation that the proposed campaign will build on and should not divert from the existing Wales brand framework and so no development of actual creative materials or copy is required though you should consider key campaign messages and the format of communications materials as well as the use of incentives as appropriate.
You should present your report in 3 sections. Word count is given as a guide only. PLEASE REFER BACK TO THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ON PAGE 1 AND FACULTY GRADE DESCRIPTORS for how grades are awarded.
1. Aims and objectives (word guide 500)
Interpretation of the brief (in the context of Visit Wales broader marketing activity) and clear articulation and justification for the role of Direct Marketing culminating in clearly articulated campaign objectives.

2. Data strategy  (word guide 500)
How would you recommend that the database is structured & what specific information should it hold and why? How will data be captured for it?
3. Segmentation, target audience selection and profiles (word guide 500)
Profile the key segments relevant to this case stating the theoretical basis of your approach & using appropriate references.  Select target audiences for the campaign and provide a rationale for your decision.
4. Outline Direct Communication plan (1,500)
Produce an outline direct communication plan which will achieve the stated booking and retention targets within 2 years.

Fully explain & justify your recommendations including examples where appropriate.

Make sure you consider and demonstrate valid media & messages for each audience group identified.  Be specific about offers and the responses you aim to generate from key activities plus provide details of any incentives you plan to use.  It is expected that you consider how you will measure the success of your proposed activities and show what plans you have for testing.

You should also provide an outline budget allocation and consider campaign ROI.

MARK5065 Re-assessment Brief 2015

Brief for students

•    Your assignment is an individual report of maximum 3,000 words excluding appendices.
•    Harvard style referencing should be used throughout.
•    You should submit a hard copy to the SAC and a digital copy through Turnitin using the drop box under the assessment tab on Blackboard.

Read the following case study: Visit Wales

Put yourself in the position of the Visit Wales Direct Marketing manager, and generate a report (more guidance in PART 3) detailing your proposals to your the Director of Marketing.

Assessment criteria

The quality of your work will be judged on the following dimensions.  Please refer to the faculty postgraduate grade descriptors for further information on the requirements at each grade band.

•    Interpretation of brief, appreciation for role for DM within an integrated communications strategy, campaign objectives  (20 marks)
•    Recommended budget allocation – rationalisation & justification, development of the business case for the project / return on investment (20 marks)
•    Campaign details, media, messages, appropriate use of incentives (20 marks)
•    Proposals for testing, measurement and enhancement of the current databases (20 marks)
•    Presentation,  integrity of plan, references, immediate workability/practicability (20 marks)

All referred coursework is due for submission by Monday 10 August 2015

Case Study: Visit Wales

PART 1.  BACKGROUND

Tourism is a hugely competitive, dynamic and constantly-changing industry and it is big business in Wales.
Visit Wales is the Welsh Assembly Government’s tourism team, within the Department for Heritage. Visit Wales is responsible for the promotion and development of tourism in Wales.
The marketing division works closely with partners within Wales, Britain and overseas and uses the complete range of marketing and communications disciplines and techniques to achieve key marketing objectives.  The division is also responsible for evolving and developing the brand development and communication strategy, which underpins all of the Welsh Assembly Governments’ campaigns.
Visit Wales marketing objectives:
•    Raise positive awareness of Wales as a tourism destination
•    Provide a means for customers to purchase a visit
•    We actively seek partners for this work from the private and public sector to stimulate visits that will benefit individual businesses and the economy of Wales.
Visit Wales website  http://www.visitwales.co.uk
The Visit Wales website is the heart of the marketing communications activity providing a wealth of information and ideas for making the most of your family holiday.  Visitors can search for accommodation with links to partner sites where bookings can be made and also sign up for an e-newsletter.

Database

The database is the powerful engine that drives Visit Wales direct marketing communications and return on investment. The team recognised that using the database strategically could give Visit Wales a competitive advantage over rival destinations. The database’s information, analysis and testing capabilities were instrumental in informing Visit Wales overall marketing and product development decisions.

The Visit Wales database holds a wealth of personal information about enquirers, including their main reason for taking a short break in Wales and data on previous transactions however Visit Wales remains interested in developing the scope and application of the database.

Wales – the brand
Tourism is one part of the Wales ‘brand family’. For more information visit: http://www.walesthebrand.com
You may find the following excerpts particularly helpful.
Wales – the real alternative
Tourism is important to Wales and we’re proud to welcome visitors to our country. We want them to experience and love our country as much as we do.

Wales is the real alternative to the conventional tourist destination. We offer the unexpected and the surprising. Not the superficial, artificial and obvious. We encourage our visitors to go out and explore. No itineraries, no checklists, no must do’s. Just spontaneous discoveries and freedom.

They’ll find their own experiences. Rather than pre-packaged ones laid on by us.
The target audience – ‘Independent explorers’
We think Wales appeals to a particular type of visitor. People a bit like us. We call them Independent Explorers. They are free minded and don’t follow the herd. They enjoy planning their own trips so they can discover new places and have authentic personal experiences. They like to learn about the local culture and the way of life of the places they visit and immerse themselves in it. Traditional package holidays and well trodden tourist trails are not for them. They like to explore places that are still undiscovered. They’re looking for the Real Alternative destination. And it’s in Wales that they’ll find it.

Campaign focus:  Proper Holidays 2016
This year we’ve re-focused our marketing activities to ensure that Wales really does stand out from all our competitor destinations in the UK and internationally. We’ve gone beyond the conventional approach of telling people what’s good about Wales, instead we found a real family (the Darkes Family) who had a disappointing holiday in Gran Canaria last year so  and filmed them having a ‘proper holiday’ in Wales.
Our new campaign and TV ad give a flavour of what ‘proper holidays’ in Wales are all about. Wales is authentic, memorable and different. We want visitors to understand what makes Wales different. We want visitors to explore our country and experience our genuine Welsh welcome that we are so proud of. We also wanted to show through this campaign what Wales is most definitely not – manufactured, dull, passionless and forgettable.

PART 2.  THE TASK
Put yourself in the role of Visit Wales Direct & Digital Marketing manager.  Produce an OUTLINE proposal to be presented to the Visit Wales Director of Marketing for a new campaign aimed at couples and families seeking an alternative to the package holiday.
Recognising the importance of developing ongoing relationships with holidaymakers you have been tasked with developing a two year communications programme with the aim of attracting 100,000 holiday bookings in 2016 with a retention target of at least 40% returning to Wales within the following 12 month period.
It is expected that approximately 40% of this years’ holiday bookings will be achieved from existing customers (information already held on database) leaving 60% of bookings to be made by people whose details are not currently held on the database.
You have been allocated a total campaign budget of £900,000 for the two year campaign.
Figures show that Wales attracted 9.93 million visitors in 2013 (2014 figures not yet released) an increase of 3.4% on the previous year.
But the Great Britain Tourism Survey showed trips across the UK were down 2.5% compared with the previous year.
Tourists to Wales spent £1.7billion, up 7% on 2012, while expenditure in the UK as a whole fell by almost 3%.
The average spend per adult on a week’s holiday in Wales for accommodation and pre-booked attractions was approximately £750 (this data is realistic but fictitious – but you may need to use it for the purposes of this assignment)
As visitors do not book cottages or pay Visit Wales directly (payment is made to owners of properties on the site) you will need to carefully consider how the success of the campaign will be measured and controlled.
PART 3.  YOUR REPORT
You will be presenting to internal audiences and therefore a detailed situation analysis is not required.  There is an expectation that the proposed campaign will build on and should not divert from the existing Wales brand framework and so no development of actual creative materials or copy is required though you should consider key campaign messages and the format of communications materials as well as the use of incentives as appropriate.
You should present your report in 3 sections. Word count is given as a guide only. PLEASE REFER BACK TO THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ON PAGE 1 AND FACULTY GRADE DESCRIPTORS for how grades are awarded.
1. Aims and objectives (word guide 500)
Interpretation of the brief (in the context of Visit Wales broader marketing activity) and clear articulation and justification for the role of Direct Marketing culminating in clearly articulated campaign objectives.

2. Data strategy  (word guide 500)
How would you recommend that the database is structured & what specific information should it hold and why? How will data be captured for it?
3. Segmentation, target audience selection and profiles (word guide 500)
Profile the key segments relevant to this case stating the theoretical basis of your approach & using appropriate references.  Select target audiences for the campaign and provide a rationale for your decision.
4. Outline Direct Communication plan (1,500)
Produce an outline direct communication plan which will achieve the stated booking and retention targets within 2 years.

Fully explain & justify your recommendations including examples where appropriate.

Make sure you consider and demonstrate valid media & messages for each audience group identified.  Be specific about offers and the responses you aim to generate from key activities plus provide details of any incentives you plan to use.  It is expected that you consider how you will measure the success of your proposed activities and show what plans you have for testing.

You should also provide an outline budget allocation and consider campaign ROI.