Presentation on "Marketing Your Trail" given at the CT Forest and Park Association's (CFPA) Winter Trail Workshop, February 2, 2014 by Carolyn Hughes of Intent Design Group. Uses examples from a Marketing Plan developed for the State of Connecticut's four State Park Rail Trails.
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Marketing Your Trail
1. Lyman Viaduct, Airline Trail South
Marketing
Your Trail
CFPA Winter Trail Workshop
February 1, 2014
Carolyn Hughes
息 2014
2. Marketing Your Trail
Overview of Todays Presentation
削 Pre-planning
削 Develop
assessment
your marketing
plan
削 Implement
削 Measure
削 Review
plan
progress
and revise plan
削 Examples:
CT DEEP
Trail Marketing Plan
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Bridge out; Farmington Canal Rail Trail
3. Pre-planning Assessment
Current Conditions?
削
On the trail itself
削
How is trail perceived?
削 Online
research
削 Opinion survey
削
Big picture (statewide,
regionally, nationally)
削
Within the local
community
Colchester Spur, Airline Trail South
息 Intent Design Group 2014
4. Pre-Planning Assessment
Current Conditions: On the trail
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Underutilized
New users confused
where are trails?
how to access them?
Where does trail
continue at road
crossings?
where am I on the
trail right now?
where to park?
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Where the heck is the trail?
Road Crossing, Larkin State Park Trail
6. Pre-planning Assessment
Current Conditions: Big Picture
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Economic
Economic engines
Stay-cations
Good gym alternative($$)
Demographics
Active Boomers retiring
Cultural
Eco-tourism
Healthy living
Alternate transportation
networks
Technological
GPS
Mobile Devices
Theres an APP for that!
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Sometimes the best things
in life really are free!
7. Current Conditions: Big Picture
How people
Learn about
Outdoor
Recreation
Opportunities
Source: CT SCORP 2005-2010
Pre-planning Assessment
8. Current Conditions: Big Picture
Reasons why
people dont
use recreation
facilities
Source: CT SCORP 2005-2010
Pre-planning Assessment
9. Pre-planning Assessment
Current Conditions: Locally
Assessment: S.W.O.T. (brainstorming exercise)
削 Strengths
削 Weaknesses
削 Opportunities
削 Threats
Lyman Viaduct, Airline Trail South
息 Intent Design Group 2014
10. Pre-planning Assessment
Current Conditions: Locally
Examples: State Rail Trail S.W.O.T.
Strengths
削
削
Tremendous
resource-all ages
Attract people
from all over the
world
Weaknesses
削
削
Lack of visibility
Lack of info, signs
Opportunities
削
削
削
Parking
Amenities
linkages
Threats
削
削
Information kiosk/picnic area/trailhead
Airline Trail North, Pomfret
Illegal uses
Insufficient funds for maintenance
息 Intent Design Group 2014
13. Develop Your Plan
Developing a Plan
削 What
is your (geographic)
market?
削 Who
is your competition?
削 What
is your audience?
削 What
does your target
audience need?
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Shooting a promotional video,
Airline Trail North
14. Develop Your Plan
Geographic Market*
Examples: State Park Rail Trails
Airline Trail: Official Rail to Trail
designation means this has a national
and potentially global market
Larkin Trail: Primarily in-state; also
NY-CT-Mass for weekend getaways
Moosup: Multi-state and regional;
Part of National Heritage Corridor
Hop River: in-state; pending links with
Airline Trail will make it of broader
interest
*Will help determine how broadly you
will need to advertise
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Airline Trail South, Colchester
15. Develop Your Plan
Audience
Example: State Park Rail Trails
State Residents
Residents who live near trailsdaily or weekly use year round.
Can include teens and adults of varying fitness levels and
activity types including those interested in handicap
accessible outdoor recreation opportunities, and families with
children
State residents in generalas a destination for weekend or
vacation use; may use only a short section of a trail at a time
for day use.
Whole-Trail Users: People interested in using the trail as the
main route for their itinerary to knit together a rich experience
taking advantage of historical and natural resources and
cultural opportunities along the route. Day, weekend or longer
excursions possible.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
16. Develop Your Plan
Audience
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Visitors from Out of State
Tourists: Destination for weekend or vacation
use, who may use only a short section of the trail
for day use;
Whole-Route Users: People interested in using the
trail as the main route for their itinerary to knit
together a rich experience taking advantage of
historical and natural resources and cultural
opportunities along the route.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
17. Develop Your Plan
Audience Needs
Example: State Park Rail Trails
All users
1. Safe, clean, well maintained trails
2. Adequate, identifiable parking with signage
3. Information Kiosks, including trail map, who to
call if there is a problem, information on
nearest aid stations for help and other
support services.
Desirable Amenities
1. Sanitary facilities, especially in areas that are
far from services
2. Benches at regular intervals to rest upon
息 Intent Design Group 2014
18. Develop Your Plan
Message
Develop Marketing Messages
Targeted to specific audiences
Different audiences require different messages
depending on:
Age
Physical fitness levels
Family versus individuals
Type of activity
Length and type of trip they are interested in
How much time they have to spend
息 Intent Design Group 2014
19. Develop Your Plan
A Brand is a Promise
Branding
consistent use
of branding materials
削 Marketing
NN
AR
statement
O
AC
削 Brand
K
削 Clear,
ECT
ICUT
E
S TAT
P
messages
This new logo will establish the look and feel
for all State Park Rail Trail marketing
materials.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
20. Develop Your Plan
A Brand is a Promise
Sample Brand Statement
Connecticut's State Park Rail Trails are:
a network of multi-use trails for non-motorized recreational
activities
that link together diverse communities,
providing endless opportunities for year-round use,
whether it is a half hour walk or an intense training run, a halfday bike ride, or a leisurely weekend- or week-long tour from
end to end,
with plenty of stops along the way to savor all that the state
has to offer.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
21. Develop Your Plan
Marketing Messages
Developing Effective Messages
Professional marketers conduct:
削 Extensive original market research
削 Focus Groups for each stage of process
削 A/B testing
You can:
削 Test with your own employees, volunteers, friends who
don't typically use trails
削 Adjust based on feedback before launching marketing
efforts
DEEP:
削 Showing rough cut of new promotional video as it evolves
to whoever comes into the studio. About 20 - 30 people
have seen it to date.
削 The reactions of early viewers are telling us we are
achieving what we set out to do: promote the trail,
inspire people to visit.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
22. Develop Your Plan
The Devil is in the Details
Developing a plan
削 Goals
削 Objectives
削 Strategiesbe sure
to address the issues,
challenges & opportunities
identified in your
pre-planning assessment
View from Airline Trail
息 Intent Design Group 2014
23. Develop Your Plan
Goals and Objectives
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Goal
Increase awareness and use of State Park Rail
Trails; deliver high quality user experience.
Objectives
削 Inform citizens how to find and safely use State
Park Rail Trails.
削 Protect the environment in which state park rail
trails are located
削 Inspire outdoor activity
削 Increase support for and encourage
stewardship of state park rail trails
息 Intent Design Group 2014
24. Develop Your Plan
Objectives and Strategies
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Objective 1:
削 Inform citizens how to find and safely use State
Park Rail Trails.
Strategies
ALL written and visual design elements; colors,
削 Branding: fonts, materials, etc.
削 Mapping
削 Signage
削 Web Portal
削 Safety
S.M.A.R.T. Specific~Measurable~Action-oriented~Realistic~Time-sensitive
息 Intent Design Group 2014
25. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Maps
Printed
Information kiosks
at trail-heads
Electronic/online
APPs for trip planning;
send to device
QR codes to access
info from trail
Interactive kiosks
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Map/Kiosk, Airline Trail South
27. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Signage
Signage
plan
Avoid
sign
pollution
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Highly visible sign; shows allowable uses
28. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Examples: State Park Rail Trails
Signage
Direct people from roads to
trail
Visible locational Signs
Parking/No parking
Map/information kiosk
Gateway
Trail etiquette
Allowable uses
Whats not allowed
Mile markers
Mileage from one access
point to the next
Pedestrian crossing
From trail to nearby
attractions
Names of roads trails cross
Interpretive educational
Exercise stations
息 Intent Design Group 2014
Interpretive sign, Airline Trail South
The Air Line Trail
The Lyman Viaduct
A Connecticut Greenway, State Linear Park and Multipurpose Trail for non-motorized users
In 1912, in order to support the increased
weight of more modern trains, the Lyman
and Rapallo trestle bridges were filled to
create the viaducts that still stand today.
Highly visible; shows allowable uses
Culverts were constructed beneath the
bridges to carry the river's waters, and
then hopper car after hopper car full of
fine sand were pulled on to the structures
and their contents dumped. Over 20
months, two massive ridges of sand were
built up from the floor of the valleys until
the iron bridges disappeared under the
fill.
When the iron work was covered,
another foot of cinders was laid
and compacted on to the surface
of the fill to hold it in place. New
tracks were then placed over the
final layer.
The iron work was covered on
both viaducts until the early
1980s when a sewer line was laid
along the route, exposing it for
the first time in 70 years.
29. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Examples: State Park Rail Trails
Website
Maps
Trail description
Virtual tour
Trip planning
information
Interactive tools
Videos
息 Intent Design Group 2014
30. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Examples: State Park Rail Trails
Web Portal
Mix of large to small-scale maps
Interactive tools (trip planning, audio
tours, videos etc)
Up to date info on trail status/surfaces
Trail news/events
How to get involved
Safety info
Bridge out; Farmington Canal Rail Trail
息 Intent Design Group 2014
31. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Examples: State Park Rail Trails
Media Outlets
T.V./Radio
Newspapers/magazines
Books/guides
Brochures
Mail inserts
Posters
Social Media: Facebook,
Pinterest, Blog, YouTube,
local online news sites,
etc
Community Centers
Sporting goods stores
Newsletters of affinity groups
Farmington Canal Rail Trail
息 Intent Design Group 2014
32. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Social Media
Research what outlets your target audiences use
Start with only one or two outlets that make sense for
your target market (e.g. Facebook, YouTube)
Commit to your Social Media efforts; use it consistently.
Create an annual Social Media marketing calendar.
when will you advertise events?
what seasonal changes will you highlight and when?
what messages are most appropriate/needed and when?
e.g. safety messages at the change of season, when
various hunting seasons begin, etc
will you post about wildlife sightings? peak leaf viewing?
salamander migration?
息 Intent Design Group 2014
33. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Social Media
Map out your strategy.
Stick to it. You wont look professional if your page posts
are 2 years old.
If not using it, take it down.
Better to do a few things well than try to be all things to all
people.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
34. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Example: State Park Rail Trails
Contests/competitions
Adopt-a-spot
Geo-caching
Trail
passport
Events
Collaboration
息 Intent Design Group 2014
35. Develop Your Plan
Strategies
Examples: Various Trail Organizations
削
CFPA: Video seriesTales from the Trail and other
promotional videos.
削
NET: Facebook page; virtual tour through Google
Maps, artist in residence.
削
State Park Rail Trails: Beginning a series of marketing
videos
削
ECG: Requires you to sign in to access cue sheets,
then uses the email addresses to send an e-newsletter
息 Intent Design Group 2014
36. Develop Your Plan
Objectives and Strategies = the What
How will it all get done?
削Who?
削When?
削Where?
削Funding
source(s)?
Be as specific as possible.
Specific strategies are much more likely to
get implemented than vague ones.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
37. Measure Success
Develop Your Plan
How will you know you are
making progress?
Develop a set of metrics to help measure
the success of your marketing efforts:
Website
hits
# active volunteers
# people attending events
Media hits (traditional and new media)
Survey responses
# trail users
Other?
Include the measurement indicators in your written marketing plan.
息 Intent Design Group 2014
39. Marketing Your Trail
Review/Revise Marketing Plans
Every three to five years
Quick review of whats changed
since the last plan
New
opportunities?
New issues/challenges?
New communications/marketing tools
available
New partners
息 Intent Design Group 2014
41. Thank You!
Need help?
Contact us about developing your marketing plan or any of
your other planning and communications needs
Strategy ~ Facilitation ~ Branding ~ Design ~ Content
Website: www.intentdesigngroup.com
Email: carolyn@intentdesigngroup.com
Look for us on Facebook!
息 Intent Design Group 2014