Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Summary _________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Situation Analysis Client Overview___________________________________________________________________________________________2-3 Environmental Assessment ________________________________________________________________________4-5 Competitive Assessment ___________________________________________________________________________6-10 Target Market_______________________________________________________________________________________________11 Primary Research Information Needed _____________________________________________________________________________________12 Method _________________________________________________________________________________________________________13 Objectives and Budgeting Objectives_____________________________________________________________________________________________________14 Positioning ___________________________________________________________________________________________________15 Budget__________________________________________________________________________________________________________16 Evaluation Metrics_______________________________________________________________________________________________________17-19 E-Marketing Strategy Web site Content_______________________________________________________________________________________________________20-21 Web site Organization ____________________________________________________________________________________________22-24 Web site Appearance_____________________________________________________________________________________________________25 Traffic Strategy Online tools_________________________________________________________________________________26-27 Traffic Strategy Offline tools________________________________________________________________________________28-29 CRM Strategy_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________30-34 Appendix Sources___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________35 Survey Questions and Results_________________________________________________________________________________36-40
Table of Contents
Executive
Summary
The
Miracle
League
of
Springfield
is
a
great
organization
that
benefits
several
individuals,
however,
with
a
few
changes;
it
could
begin
to
help
even
more
people.
Through
out
this
plan
we
discuss
several
ways
that
The
Miracle
League
can
use
e-marketing
to
reach
the
objectives
of
increasing
participants,
increasing
volunteers,
and
increasing
donors.
All
of
these
ideas
are
backed
by
research
and
stay
within
the
budget
of
$1000.
Situation
Analysis
Client
Overview
Our players may not be able to run the bases or hit the ball as well as some of their peers, but they have an equal amount of love and determination to play baseball. We want to help them achieve that dream (Miracle Field, 2013). The Miracle League of Springfield is a not-for-profit organization that strives to give residents of the surrounding area a chance to play baseball despite whatever disability they may have. The following are the missions of The Miracle League: Provide opportunities for children with disabilities to play Miracle League Baseball, regardless of their abilities. Promote community support and sponsorship of Miracle Leagues. Promote the construction of special facilities that meet the unique needs of Miracle League players and their families (Miracle Field, 2013).
Situation Analysis
As far as facilities are concerned, The Miracle League of Springfield has the only field of its kind in Southwest Missouri. The field is custom designed with synthetic turf that allows participants in wheelchairs and walkers to move along the surface easily and minimizes the risk of potential injury. During games, every player is accompanied by a buddy that helps them with fielding and batting. Each player gets a chance to hit and score every inning and all games end in a tie so that everyone feels like a winner.
Situation Analysis
Environmental
Assessment
The
Miracle
League
of
the
Springfield-Greene
County
Park
Board
is
located
at
Dan
Kinney
Park
in
Springfield,
MO.
According
to
the
Nielsen
Company,
the
city
of
Springfield
is
currently
made
up
of
five
different
segments:
family
thrifts,
hometown
retired,
mobility
blues,
new
beginnings,
and
old
glories.
Each
segment
represents
various
demographical
qualities
that
Springfield
citizens
possess.
According
to
the
U.S.
Census
Bureau,
the
population
of
Springfield,
MO
is
160,660.
In
the
year
2000,
out
of
those
160,660
people,
29,025
listed
themselves
as
having
a
disability.
In
a
social
aspect,
what
is
considered
a
disability?
According
to
Disabilitysecrets.com,
to
be
considered
disabled,
individuals
must
have
an
impairment,
either
medical,
psychological,
or
psychiatric
in
nature,
that
keeps
them
from
being
able
to
do
substantial
gainful
activity.
This
definition
sparks
the
question
of
those
that
have
a
legitimate
disability
that
can
be
accepted
to
play
in
the
Miracle
League.
Situation Analysis
Economically,
the
recession
has
taken
a
toll
on
all
organizations,
especially
non- profit
such
as
the
Miracle
League.
According
to
Compdatasurveys.com,
non-profit
organizations
are
facing
a
slow
recovery
due
to
these
issues:
pay
increase
budgets,
healthcare
premium
increase,
cost
containment,
trends
in
wellness
programs,
prescription
costs,
and
vacation
packages.
Although
not
all
of
these
issues
pertain
to
the
Miracle
League
as
an
organization,
most
of
them
impact
the
organization
in
some
way.
For
instance,
the
volunteers
and
donors
that
regularly
contribute
to
the
Miracle
League
through
money
donations
may
not
have
as
much
money
to
give
because
employment
or
salary
cuts.
An important question of Miracle League participants regarding privacy is how their information is protected. The Springfield Park Board has added their website policies and disclaimer to their Miracle League webpage in order to inform all those who visit the site about their privacy and security, however, no information is guaranteed free from viruses or other proxies.
Situation Analysis
Competitive
Assessment
The
Miracle
League
is
one
of
a
kind
in
Springfield;
there
are
no
other
facilities
or
fields
like
it
in
Southwest
Missouri.
There
are
over
250
Miracle
League
Associations
across
the
country;
however
the
Springfield
Miracle
League
is
the
only
one
located
in
Southwest
Missouri.
Prior
to
the
Springfield
locations
completion,
some
families
traveled
two
hours
to
a
field
in
Arkansas
to
play
in
the
league.
While The Miracle League is very unique to Springfield, there are a variety of other non-profit organizations that share a similar mission with The Miracle League. These organizations strive to provide opportunities for a normal life to individuals with disabilities. Competitors include Champion Athletes of the Ozarks, The Arc of the Ozarks, Camp Barnabas, and Camp Encourage.
Situation Analysis
Another
organization
that
offers
recreational
programs
for
adults
and
youth
with
disabilities
is
the
Arc
of
the
Ozarks.
The
Arc
of
the
Ozarks
offers
a
wide
variety
of
programming
in
addition
to
recreation
or
sports.
They
offer
residential
services,
including
both
group
homes
and
an
apartment
complex.
In
addition,
they
have
support
groups,
educational
programs,
and
employment
assistance
programs.
In regards to recreation, they offer programs during the school year as well as the summer months. While, again, baseball is not a sport offered, the Arc of the Ozarks does have an activity center, the Timothy Grant Newport Activity Center. The Activities Center hosts a gym and swimming pool, both equipped to aid individuals with disabilities. The Arc of the Ozarks hosts recreational programs including aquatics, arts, crafts, games, and various field trips or outings in the Springfield community.
Situation Analysis
Two other organizations that compete with The Miracle League in a different sense are Camp Barnabas and Camp Encourage. They compete with Miracle League because they target some of the same individuals for participation. However, they are both located outside Springfield city limits and have a somewhat more narrowed group of constituents.
Situation Analysis
Camp Encourage is an overnight camp similar to Camp Barnabas that is located in Kansas City, MO. In contrast, Camp Encourage serves youths aged 8 to 18 and young adults aged 19 to 26 with autism spectrum disorders. The cost of attending Camp Encourage is considerably high at roughly $800 per camper. Activities campers can participate in are the traditional camp activities like arts and crafts, horseback riding, swimming, archery, and fishing. In addition, they have a high ropes course and a zip line.
Situation Analysis
All of the direct competitors of The Miracle League have a common goal: to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. In order to increase volunteer participation for The Miracle League, our marketing strategies must amplify our strengths and competitive advantages. The Miracle League is non-competitive and offers a buddy program. In addition, it is open to a much wider age range for participants than its competitors.
10
Situation Analysis
Target
Market
The
Miracle
League
of
Springfield
would
like
to
achieve
the
objective
of
attaining
more
participants,
volunteers,
and
donors.
With
this
in
mind,
we
have
chosen
three
different
target
markets.
The
first
segment
we
will
be
targeting
are
guardians
of
disabled
children
and
adults
with
disabilities
in
Springfield,
Greene
County,
and
surrounding
areas.
This
will
include
those
who
have
not
participated
in
Miracle
League
to
date,
as
well
as
past
participants
to
ensure
their
return.
Our
second
segment
will
be
potential
and
past
volunteers
in
the
same
geographic
area.
Demographically
speaking,
they
will
be
from
high
school
age
and
up.
While
those
under
eighteen
will
need
parental
permission
to
volunteer,
we
recognize
that
there
is
a
strong,
untapped
market
in
high
school
students
that
are
in
need
of
volunteer
hours
and
are
permanent
residents
of
the
area,
unlike
most
college
students,
so
they
will
be
available
for
the
entire
season.
College
students
will
be
another
important
area
to
target
when
searching
for
volunteers,
as
many
of
them
need
volunteer
hours
for
student
organizations
and
scholarship
renewals.
All
other
age
groups
can
be
targeted
as
well
and
narrowed
down
based
on
their
psychographic
characteristics
and
desire
to
help
others.
Our final segment to target will be past and potential donors. We want to ensure that the past donors remain loyal to Miracle League. In addition, we want to show potential donors that Miracle League is important to their community and is a good place for them to make a donation, no matter how big or small it may be.
11
Primary Research
Information
Needed
The
Miracle
League
is
primarily
concerned
with
reaching
as
many
new
participants
as
possible.
Cyrus
Taylor,
Director
of
Miracle
League,
emphasized
that
the
greatest
weakness
of
the
Miracle
League
is
the
amount
of
potential
people
they
are
missing
through
their
advertising
efforts.
This
untapped
market
of
participants
includes
both
players
and
volunteers.
Therefore,
it
is
obvious
that
Taylor
wants
this
advertising
campaign
to
reach
more
of
this
potential
group
in
the
local
area
and
raise
awareness
of
the
organization.
Through
primary
research
we
gathered
information
on
each
of
these
elements.
In order to determine our e-marketing plan, our primary research needed to answer the following initial questions: Who volunteers? Why do people volunteer? What makes a business want to sponsor the Miracle League? Who would know someone wanting to participate in the Miracle League? How have current participants learned of the Miracle League? What are the best ways to reach our target audience? What were the main selling points to participating/volunteering for the Miracle League? What kind of online access do our participants have? And finally, what motivates sponsorship of the Miracle League?
12
Primary Research
Method
To
find
this
information
we
used
a
survey
method
of
data
collection
to
obtain
primary
data.
The
survey
asked
a
series
of
questions
from
current
awareness
of
the
Miracle
League
to
social
media
usage
(see
appendix).
We chose a survey because we felt it would help us gain valuable knowledge from a much larger number of respondents than any other method. It was sent to Missouri State students, local community citizens, and local businesses.
13
Objectives
For
Participants:
Recruit
40-50
more
clients
between
July
1,
2013
and
June
30,
2014.
This
will
be
accomplished
by
appealing
to
guardians
of
disabled
children
and
adults
in
the
Springfield
area,
as
well
as
by
contacting
past
participants
For
Volunteers:
Recruit
40-50
more
buddies
between
July
1,
2013
and
June
30,
2014.
This
will
be
accomplished
by
contacting
potential
and
past
volunteers
in
the
Springfield
area,
ages
14+.
For Donors: Recruit 3-5 new business sponsors between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. This will be accomplished by contacting past and potential donors in the Springfield area.
14
Positioning
For
Participants:
Miracle
League
of
Springfield
is
a
place
that
removes
the
barriers
that
keep
children
and
adults
with
mental
and
physical
disabilities
off
the
baseball
field
and
lets
them
experience
the
joy
of
Americas
favorite
pastime.
In
addition
to
this,
it
allows
participants
to
make
new
friends
and
build
self-esteem
while
knowing
they
are
in
a
safe
environment.
For
Volunteers:
Miracle
League
of
Springfield
is
a
very
organized
non-profit
where
people
of
all
ages
can
go
to
earn
services
hours
while
having
a
good
time
and
meeting
new
people.
For Donors: Miracle League of Springfield is an organization that allows children and adults with mental and physical disabilities to enjoy Americas favorite pastime. It is a well-run organization that, without financial help of those in the area, would not be able to continue improving the lives of so many people.
15
Budget
16
Evaluation
Metrics
The
main
objective
of
this
campaign
is
to
raise
awareness
for
the
Miracle
League.
In
order
to
achieve
our
objective,
our
evaluations
need
to
measure
how
many
new
people
hear
about
the
organization.
The
Miracle
League
can
use
both
online
and
offline
indicators
to
evaluate
the
effectiveness
of
the
campaign.
Server
Logs
The
first
thing
that
can
be
used
as
an
evaluation
metric
is
the
server
logs.
These
keep
track
of
the
IP
address
the
visitor
is
using.
They
also
track
things
like
where
the
user
was
before
visiting
the
website,
the
time
of
day
they
access
the
website,
and
every
user
click-through
on
the
site.
Our
evaluation
metrics
are
concerned
with
the
IP
addresses
and
the
click-through
rates.
The
varying
IP
addresses
account
for
different
people
visiting
the
site.
Click-through
rates
account
for
people
interacting
with
the
website
through
what
they
click
on.
Therefore,
we
can
look
at
the
number
of
click-throughs
on
the
site
to
see
what
people
are
visiting
the
site
for
or
how
long
they
are
visiting.
Higher
click-through
rates
indicate
that
people
are
interested
in
a
particular
site.
Monitoring IP addresses and click-through rates allow an organization to keep a log of visitor behavior over time. If the number of unique IP addresses and click- through rates increase, the awareness of the site has also increased. However, if these measures decrease, the site should be evaluated for effectiveness.
17
18
Registrations/Attendance The secondary goal of this campaign is to get more volunteers, donors, and players. The most efficient indication of the effectiveness of the e-marketing campaign is the registration numbers. An increase in the number of donors, volunteers, and players will show whether the campaign was successful. Online registration and online systems will make it much easier for Miracle League to keep track of this number. Game day attendance will also indicate effectiveness of the campaign.
19
E-Marketing Strategy
First,
we
will
look
at
relocation.
When
visiting
the
current
Miracle
League
website,
much
of
the
content
is
not
directly
on
the
page
that
has
been
designated
to
it.
There
are
links
to
PDF
files
instead.
We
recommend
removing
those
links
and
placing
the
important
information
directly
on
the
page.
If
Miracle
League
would
still
like
to
make
the
information
available
in
a
printable
format
they
can
place
the
link
at
the
bottom
of
the
page,
but
to
ensure
content
is
easily
accessible,
they
need
to
remove
the
extra
step.
Next, Miracle League should eliminate content that is repeated on so many of its pages. A description of the specially equipped field is not only found on the home page, but also twice on the support page. This takes up space where valuable information could go or where nothing could go to give the site a much less cluttered look.
20
E-Marketing Strategy
21
E-Marketing Strategy
First, looking at the tabs, we believe they could be labeled and organized much more appropriately. The new tabs will read (top to bottom) Home, About Us, Participants, Volunteers, Sponsors, Schedule, and DONATE NOW. The About Us tab will be where Miracle League can explain the characteristics and advantages of the field and organization, place photo albums, post press releases, provide directions, introduce the staff, and answer questions. Under Participants, Volunteers, and Sponsors each type of visitor can learn about their role and access the proper forms. The Schedule tab will have the dropdown option to go to the list of games for the league of your choice. Last, as discussed earlier, Donate Now will link to a page where anyone can make any size of a donation.
22
E-Marketing Strategy
Finally, there are some pages that have way too many pictures in places they do not belong. Outside of the few photos that appear on the header of every page and the photo albums, a lot of pictures are not necessary, especially one that breaks up text mid-sentence (volunteer page).
23
E-Marketing Strategy
24
E-Marketing Strategy
25
E-Marketing Strategy
Twitter
As
a
form
of
microblogging,
Twitter
helps
organizations
like
the
Miracle
League
post
updates
that
are
140
characters
or
less.
They
can
share
updates,
photos,
and
videos
with
all
of
their
followers.
The
Twitter
should
link
to
their
website
as
well
so
that
those
who
enjoy
the
tweets
can
go
there
and
learn
more.
Vine
The
Vine
is
a
newer
form
of
social
media
created
by
Twitter
that
allows
users
to
post
videos
on
their
feed
and
share
them
with
others.
This
will
help
The
Miracle
League
post
videos
of
their
games
in
order
to
show
their
followers
what
they
are
about,
thus
driving
them
to
the
website
to
find
out
more
information.
YouTube YouTube is another form of social media that can be used by The Miracle League in order to show videos about them and their mission. This will show people interested in participating what they are all about and drive them to the website.
26
E-Marketing Strategy
Press
Releases
Press
releases
are
a
free
way
for
organizations
like
The
Miracle
League
to
get
their
name
out
there.
They
can
announce
special
information
about
them
that
would
draw
a
crowd.
Press
releases
can
be
submitted
via
email
and
include
website
information
which
would
increase
traffic.
Search
Engine
Marketing
Search
Engine
Optimization
(SEO)
is
a
great
way
to
gain
awareness.
Organizations
such
as
The
Miracle
League
would
benefit
from
practicing
the
techniques
used
to
appear
higher
on
the
web
page
when
searched
in
a
search
engine
such
as
Google.
This
technique
will
allow
everyone
that
searches
the
web
to
find
The
Miracle
League
quicker
and
more
conveniently.
QR codes The Miracle League would also benefit greatly from using a QR code on many of their promotional items. This is a very convenient and affordable option that can be used by anyone with a smartphone. The QR code, once scanned, will take the users to their website page.
27
E-Marketing
Strategy
Billboard
Displaying
The
Miracle
League
on
a
billboard
would
get
many,
many
views
from
people
all
over
the
community.
This
would
give
the
organization
a
chance
to
put
the
website
address
on
the
billboard
so
that
people
will
be
drawn
to
check
it
out
online.
Flyers Flyers would be a great way to put the website address on it next to very interesting information. This will draw the readers attention and make them want to learn more about The Miracle League by visiting their website.
28
E-Marketing Strategy
Promotional Pieces Using promotional pieces such as t-shirts, hats, key chains, etc. would be a great way to spread the word about The Miracle League. Including their QR code would give everyone a chance to conveniently and efficiently scan it and visit The Miracle Leagues website for more information.
29
E-Marketing Strategy
CRM
Strategy
Managing
relationships
with
all
customers
involved
in
the
Miracle
League
is
vital
to
the
continued
success
of
the
program.
Key
relationships
that
need
to
be
built
and
maintained
are
between
the
Miracle
League
and
volunteers,
sponsors,
and
participants.
Another
key
relationship
is
that
of
the
participants
and
their
respective
coaches.
Volunteers
and
the
Miracle
League
Volunteers
are
essential
to
the
program,
so
ensuring
their
loyalty
and
satisfaction
is
very
important
to
the
future
success
of
Miracle
League.
Multiple
channels
may
be
utilized
to
better
communicate
with
volunteers.
E-mail
and
social
media
are
two
direct
communication
methods
that
can
be
heavily
utilized
to
build
and
maintain
these
relationships.
Miracle League can appoint a volunteer coordinator to manage the communication between the organization and its volunteers. During the season, this coordinator will send weekly e-mails to the volunteers with pertinent information. Information can include game times for the upcoming week and updates on what their buddy has been up to the past week. Another use for e- mails could be a survey sent out once the season has been completed. The survey can gauge the volunteers favorite and least favorite aspects of being a Miracle League volunteer, as well as provide the opportunity for feedback on how to improve the program from a volunteer viewpoint.
30
E-Marketing Strategy
An
additional
way
to
show
how
much
the
volunteers
are
valued
by
Miracle
League
is
to
hold
a
banquet
or
celebration
of
some
sort
at
the
end
of
each
season.
This
is
a
way
for
volunteers,
participants,
and
sponsors
to
celebrate
the
season
and
enjoy
each
others
company.
Finally, offering a registration for volunteers to complete online can build customer satisfaction. Allowing volunteers to e-mail the applications to the volunteer coordinator will provide an alternate, less effort-intensive way for volunteers to complete forms.
31
E-Marketing Strategy
First,
the
Miracle
League
can
place
a
section
on
their
website
for
online
donations.
This
can
encourage
sponsors
to
make
donations
throughout
the
season.
In
addition,
individuals
in
the
community
can
use
the
online
donation
feature
to
contribute
financially
to
the
Miracle
League.
All
donors,
corporate
or
individual,
should
be
featured
on
a
donor-recognition
page
on
the
website.
An
online
donation
function
is
convenient
for
donors,
and
recognizing
them
shows
that
they
are
appreciated.
E-mail can also be utilized to keep open lines of communication with sponsors. The Miracle League can create a monthly newsletter or even one newsletter per season to highlight all the accomplishments of the participants and volunteers of the Miracle League. This type of newsletter can help sponsors feel connected to the participants, which will increase their investment in the program. In addition, the Miracle League should utilize e-mail to send out a survey at the end of each season to gain feedback on how to improve the sponsorship process.
32
E-Marketing Strategy
Participants
and
the
Miracle
League
Naturally,
the
participants
are
the
entire
livelihood
of
the
Miracle
League.
Everything
produced
by
the
Miracle
League
is
done
with
the
intention
of
satisfying
the
participants
and
their
families.
A
variety
of
methods
of
communication
can
be
used
to
help
maintain
relationships
with
returning
participants,
as
well
as
build
relationships
with
new
participants.
One feature that could increase customer satisfaction is the ability to pay the registration fee online. This offers another option for participants to choose; they can choose whatever method they are most comfortable with that is convenient for them. In addition to an online payment option, the Miracle League could offer a loyalty discount on registration to previous participants. This discount can encourage repeat registration and make the participants feel valued for being loyal to the program.
33
E-Marketing Strategy
Most importantly, the Miracle League should send out a survey at the conclusion of each survey to participants or their families, either via e-mail or available online, to gain feedback on the program. A survey will show that the Miracle League is invested in the opinion of the participants and values their satisfaction.
34
Appendices
Appendix
A
-
Sources
"About
Us."
About
Us.
Camp
Barnabas,
n.d.
Web.
21
Feb.
2013.
<http://campbarnabas.org/aboutus>.
"About
Us."
CAO
-
About
Us.
Champion
Athletes
of
the
Ozarks,
2011.
Web.
21
Feb.
2013.
<http://championathletes.org/about.htm>.
"Disability."
Secrets.com.
N.p.,
n.d.
Web.
01
Mar.
2013.
"Greeting
from
Camp
Encourage."
Welcome
to
Camp
Encourage.
Camp
Encourage,
n.d.
Web.
21
Feb.
2013.
<https://campencourage.org/home.html>.
"History."
The
Miracle
League.
National
Miracle
League
Association,
2008.
Web.
21
Feb.
2013.
<http://www.miracleleague.com/history.html>.
Miracle
Field.
Miracle
Field,
Springfield-Greene
County
Parks
and
Recreation,
2013.
Web.
28
Feb.
2013.
<http://www.parkboard.org/miracle_field/index.htm>
"Our
History."
History
and
Details
about
The
Arc
of
the
Ozarks.
The
Arc
of
the
Ozarks,
2013.
Web.
21
Feb.
2013.
<http://thearcoftheozarks.org/pages/about_us>.
United States. Census Bureau. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. "What People Watch | What People Buy | Nielsen." PRIZM. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.
35
Appendices
36
Appendices
37
Appendices
38
Appendices
39
Appendices
40
MKT 510 Section 301 Sarah Smith Michelle Essmyer l James Garland l Jennifer Hemmer l Lindsay Lammert Jayme Martin l Stephanie Muschall l Tom Platten l Cassie Shrewsbury