Challenges in Implementing and Controlling the Marketing Plan

Question

Description

In our activities this week, we have been looking at the identification and management of risk that can impact upon the success of the marketing plan. Our discussion this week relates to a case study on a real organisation and thinking about risk in relation to the marketing plan. Please read the case study below and then follow the step by step instructions.

In June 1931, Chester Zoological Gardens

 (Links to an external site.)

 opened for the first time in the north west of England. George Mottershead, the founder, had been concerned about zoo conditions as a child and he was instrumental in changing the way animals are kept in captivity. The North of England Zoological Society was founded in 1934 to manage the zoo and gardens. Following a split with a business partner, he had to find a new, larger site (close to Chester City Centre). In the early days, it was a family run business. During World War II, it remained a popular attraction with locally based servicemen and families. Today covering 110 acres, with the Zoological Society owning a further 350 acres, it is the largest wildlife attraction in the UK.

The Society looks after more than 4,800 animals from 512 species. The costs of maintaining the collection which ate 795 tons of food reached £1.2m this year (25% of running costs and +13% y-o-y). Site facilities include: catering via a cafe, restaurant, snack bar and kiosks; shops and kiosks selling souvenirs; ‘zoo poo’ sellers for keen gardeners who want compost; free guided tours from the Friends of the Society plus mobile displays and activity centres for children; and the gardens which are competition winning with 80,000 summer flowers.

Staff are important to this service organisation. Training is essential. More than 50 keepers, 15 maintenance staff, 13 grounds staff; 8 education specialists, 12 marketing staff; 17 finance and administration staff, shop assistants, cashiers and catering staff. During the summer, retail, catering, gate cashier and grounds staff more than doubles.

Surveys of leisure trends indicate a general rise in attendance at free and paid-for attractions, but threats may arise from a lack of leisure time or spare cash due to the economic situation. Chester Zoo comes close to hitting the top 10 leisure attractions.

Management attempts to understand their customer base with focus groups at the zoo and in major target conurbations e.g. Greater Manchester. These aim to understand visitors’ views of the zoo, rival attractions and consumer choice criteria. The Marketing Staff regularly interview visitors regarding demographics, scope and impressions of their visit, and home location. Competitors are not just zoos but any venue for a ‘day out’. The drive time data also assists with media planning. £167,000 is spent on promotion (3.3% of expenditure). With a low spend, it’s important to maximise the investment. Membership of local tourist boards helps to spread awareness at minimum cost. Member attractions actively promote visits to neighbouring sites in for example, the Chester Zoo Guide – available to visitors once in the zoo. There are 5 main zoos in the surrounding regions.

In 1950, the Society became an educational and scientific trust with conservation as a key issue. Membership now stands at 4,200 with 1,300 of these being junior members. The Society works with other zoos globally to breed endangered and vulnerable species. The zoo’s advertising strapline is ‘Conservation Cannot Wait’. 90% of the animals at the zoo were bred there, testament to their breeding programme. The zoo is known for helping to save the Rodrigues Fruit Bat and the Polynesian Partula Snail. The education division is staffed by qualified teachers and works with schools in all age ranges. Booklets are produced to tie into National Curriculum requirements. There is a year on year increase in teachers seeking information about the zoo. The number of pupils attending the zoo was up to 68,013 last year, up 7.4%.

Marketing activities at the zoo are diverse from photographic competitions, animal adoption schemes, sponsorship, and the junior members’ club. Recent activity has included a zoo magazine called Zoo Life, advertising and publicity, newspaper and television coverage including a spot on a popular children’s animal programme. The annual photography competition is very popular with high ticket items as prizes. The annual adoption scheme brings in £80,000. 75% of all advertising is spent on TV in local regions. Newspaper ads focus on special promotions to coincide with school holidays and public holidays. Some radio slots are used. The zoo also promotes celebrity animals e.g. a black rhino called Emma. This rhino was keeper reared and kept company by a pot-bellied pig. She also had a birthday party with 25 other people called ‘Emma’ in the North West.

Focusing on customer needs and close attention to detail allows management to maintain high service standards. This is essential to encourage repeat visits. Resources to advertise and promote loyalty are limited. Economic forecasts in the area are gloomy so families may not have spare cash to visit or take out annual passes. Zoo management needs to consider initiatives to persuade the hard-pressed consumer of the benefits of a visit to their establishment.

A new zoo entrance, new parking facilities by the Chester Park and Ride Service, and the extension of paddocks for the rhinos and elephants will give extra stimulus to park visitors to revisit the zoo. With the junior Asian elephant in the zoo’s herd pregnant, the breeding programme is well on target and there will be opportunities for media exposure and publicity from this.

NB: Chester Zoo is a real zoo

 (Links to an external site.)

 in the United Kingdom, but all data is fictional for the purposes of this case study.

Instructions:

Following your reading of the preceding case, please take time to answer the following question referring to appropriate theory and using in-text Harvard referencing:

Question: What risks does the marketing team need to take account for in their marketing plan? What are the most pressing and what could cause the most harm?