RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS

M aggie Joest- Account Director

I an Davis- Research/Planning Director
L uci LaFuria- Media/Engagement Director
K atie Caler- Content/Production Director
K ara Tomlin- Creative/Content Creation Director

Table of Contents

The Agency................................................1
Executive Summary...................................3
Research & Implications.............................5
The Campaign..........................................10
Creative Strategy.......................................16

Executive Summary
Wedding planning. Its one of the most exciting times of your life. You didnt think it would be this stressful,
did you? Weddings are a celebration. A night for you and your guests to relax, dance, and enjoy one anothers
company. The last thing you need is to be worried on your big day.
Here at the Alamance Country Cub, we take care of your every need on your special day. We mean it. Your
every need. We give you that familiar, fuzzy feeling of being taken care of as if youre spending the weekend at
home. The Alamance Country Club allows you to host and plan your dream wedding, banquet, or party, leaving
you with minimum stress and maximum memories that will last a lifetime.
Country clubs arent just for the old-fashioned wedding anymore. The Alamance Country Club offers you a
comfortable and exclusive space to celebrate with excellent service and staff to match. We will give you that
unique feeling of coming home and returning to your roots.

Target narrative
Meet Jen. Jen recently got engaged to the love
of her life. Jen is determined, organized, and
lighthearted. She has a steady job and is a
college graduate. She values faith and enjoys
being social with her friends. She has been
dreaming of her wedding since she was young
and has always valued her family and their
opinions. Her parents, with whom she is very
close, would like her to come back to North
Carolinawhere she grew upto tie the
knot.
Jen appreciates excellent service and the
freedom to plan her dream wedding while
appeasing her parents. Jen lives a more
suburban lifestyle, so she wants to return back
to her hometown to get married. Though she
is a modern woman, Jen appreciates tradition
and the familiarity of where she grew up
and would like to get married at a venue that
reflects that.

Psychographics:
She loves to be social.
She values her faith.
She comes from a tightknit community. She
appreciates traditional
comforts.

Demographics:
Age: 23-33
Family: Recently engaged
Career: Full-time job
Address: Lives in or outside
a mid to large city
Emotional Rationale:
She doesnt want to settle for a mediocre wedding and
venue. She likes everything to be taken care of but still
have freedom. She wants to remember her wedding for
the rest of her life. She needs her guests to have a great
time.
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Research&Implications

Research

Our group set out to dig deeper into the mind of a consumer to see why someone would want or not want to host an event at a country
club versus another event venue option. By conducting content analyses of country club websites, wedding review sites, and review sites
like Yelp we were able to further examine the motivation behind someones desire to host an event at a country club. In our content
analysis we also assessed how the perception of country clubs can play a part in community members hosting an event at the private
club. Throughout our research, we sought to gain a deeper understanding of how other country clubs make an effort to book repeat
events from the same clients.
Upon completion of our secondary research, it was clear that ACC had a few opportunities to accomplish their goal of hosting more
events in their banquet hall facilities. Our findings are listed below:

Insights

Implications

ACC needs to reward members for hosting/sponsoring

multiple events through an incentive program
Create & communicate distinct wedding packages with
different price points that are clearly defined yet somewhat
customizable to each couple
ACC should consider placing paid advertisements showcasing
the beauty of the venue in the wedding announcement section
of the Triads local newspapers

ACC must be aware of current event/wedding trends

such as, what younger members might be interested in,
and incorporate some of that into their environment
Country clubs must identify with the community
surrounding them through their communications efforts

Research Focuses

Methods

Country club perceptions

Why do/dont people want to host an event at
a country club
Strategies to increase events
What drives the future of a country club

Content analysis of country and golf club

websites found through search engines like
Google, JSTOR and others.
Analysis of reviews/comments on Yelp &
wedding review sites

Research Findings
Consumer

Pinpointing a target age is integral when considering what events will be held and why. The age range is 23 - 33, which encompasses:
newly engaged searching for venues for a wedding, rehearsal dinner, or bridal shower; managers who might be interested in hosting
a company party; coaches who want to hold a banquet for their team; or young mothers planning baby shower. Overall, our target
audience consists of individuals who enjoy hosting and attending social, comfortable, and exclusive events. They are private, selective,
and interested in hosting an event where their every need is taken care of.

Company

The mission of Alamance Country Club is to offer the highest quality service for all of their members, which includes creating a relaxing
atmosphere and taking care of their every need. They benefit from being the only country club in the Burlington area and the appeal is
their turn-key, white glove service. They are committed to providing gracious hospitality for you and your guests.

Category

Alamance Country Club is alone in the category of private clubs in Alamance, but not alone in the category of event spaces. There are
many to choose from and a wide variety of types of spaces. If the country club expanded their options to host a wide variety of events
in between the wedding season it could help their business. Perhaps creating a partnership with a nearby school to host prom or sports
banquets, or finding a way to encourage its members to host events at the club more frequently.

Competition

In the current market, Alamance Country Club faces different competitors that specialize in certain types of events whether it be
weddings, corporate outings, or weekly book clubs. Many members of the general community hold their events at restaurants like Grill
584 or weddings at venues like the Grandover or the Haw River Ballroom. The country club must distinguish itself with its all-inclusive
service in order to stand out among the other local event space options.

Culture

Country clubs are typically associated with a more buttoned up style of living and club consumers can be considered preppy, and likely
to enjoy participating in activities such as golf and tennis. Groups hosting events at country clubs usually do so for the more formal and
private environment. Because of this, country clubs have been viewed as exclusive. However, the Alamance Country Club is trying to
dispel those stereotypes by allowing non-members to host events.

Channel

The Alamance Country Club relies on word of mouth and person-to-person contact to spread information regarding their product and
services. Because of the exclusive nature of the club, the communitys access to exposure of these messages will require high action,
discussion, and emotion on the part of the Alamance Country Clubs executives and members. This will include community events and
social media to advertise them.

Media Convergence

The Alamance Country Club frequently updates their Facebook page, but has little engagement with their 498 followers. The country
club does not use any other forms of media to engage, as many of their clients and members hear about the club through word of mouth.
Increasing the number of mediums used will help the club reach more community members.

S.W.O.T analysis
Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

o appeal of turn-key service

o older members dont want

certain changes

o not many places like it in

Burlington

o new trend of rustic weddings

o everything provided for events

o members have paid dues so they
should want to take advantage of
the spaces provided

o not partnered with a hotel

o advertise to people in the area

o no variety in themes for a

wedding

o initiatives/discounts for
members

o destination weddings
o other venues/restaurants that
hold events

Primary Research
Our primary research focused on the target audience that our secondary research identified. We consulted a panel of
experts that consisted of three newly engaged and recently married women. These women are between the ages of 24
and 26 and have gotten engaged or married within the past six months. By asking them a series of questions pertaining
to their wedding planning experience, we were able to gain relevant information as to what is most important in a
wedding venue and overall experience. The following are some of the most useful insights:

The Panel:
My ideal venue has an outdoor element with greenery & flowers.

My family & hometown played a very important role in my planning.

Pinterest influenced my wedding planning.

The essentials of a wedding venue is a beautiful, unique space.

It is important that venues dont host more than one wedding at the same time.

The ability to house guests overnight and no surprise costs are important.

My ideal wedding venue is classic, elegant, unique.

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The Campaign

The Root of it All

The clients of Alamance Country Club have high standards when it comes to service. The club meets these
expectations with its beautiful venue and skilled staff. The campaign we propose is designed to showcase how
expertly the country club can host events.
Alamance County Club provides an experience that no other venue in the area offers so that potential clients are
drawn to it. By advertising in creative ways that connect to the emotion of the potential clients, the number of
events held at the club will increase immensely.

Key Consumer Insight

The Alamance Country Clubs services allow clients to host and plan their dream wedding, banquet,
or party without doing it all themselves. The clients wont have any worries and will feel like they and
their guests are the priority at the event.

Single Most Important Idea

The club is the one and only venue in Alamance County that provides its clients with the unique
ability to return to their roots and plan their ideal event without having to lift a finger.
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The Root of it All

Brand Positioning Statment
With unparalleled service, the Alamance Country Club provides its clients with the ability to host their
dream event. It is an exclusive and comfortable atmosphere, where clients have the opportunity to feel
like they are planning their event at their home away from home.

Communications Objectives
Increase brand awareness, especially among non-members
Create a comprehensive owned media overhaul
Promote exceptional service

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Creative Brief
Target Audience:
Objective:
Strategy:

Young, prospective brides aged 23 - 33.

For the Alamance Country Club to host 30 weddings per year to help them reach their bottom
line.
To gain exposure, expand event possibilities, and show our target member/audience that the
Alamance Country Club is the perfect place to host a wedding.

Insights:

The target audience cares a great deal about hosting their dream wedding. They want excellent
service and the freedom to plan their dream wedding while appeasing their parents.

Support:

The Alamance Country Club is the ideal place to hold a wedding. It offers unrivaled service, has
outdoor spaces, and is open to offering packages and special services that will allow our target
audience to genuinely host the wedding of their dreams as opposed to just hosting it because
thats what their parents want.

Considerations:

Tone:

The Alamance Country Club has been apart of the Alamance community for over 60 years
they are experts in service and know how to organize a successful wedding. The staff and
management are local, friendly, and know their members and audience well. The Alamance
Country Club is exclusive, but still accomodating.
Reassuring, friendly, accommodating, helpful, and simple.

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Media Flowchart
Prospective brides are everywhere, but due to the young and social nature of newly engaged individuals, a series of
delivery channels will generate the ideal outcome.

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Personal Media Network

Our target loves keeping in touch with their college and high school friends. As a part of the millennial generation, they love
using social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and G-Chat to keep up with one anothers lives.
They also enjoy listening to music on their way to work, and at work through Spotify or Pandora Radio. Frequently, theyll
look at sites like BuzzFeed or Thought Catalog to entertain herself during moments of boredom. Additionally, they are very
enthusiastic about planning their wedding, so they are constantly browsing wedding blogs and magazines.

Jens

Media
Network

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Creative Strategy

Objective 1

Increase brand awareness among a wider range of

people, especially non-members, in order to boost the
potential of the Alamance Country Club brand.

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Tactics
1

Create your own cocktail contest where the prize is a free party at Alamance
Country Club. Advertisements for entering the contest would be placed
on tables or in menus at local resturant such as Olive Garden, Longhorn
Steakhouse, or Red Lobster.

Reaching out to patrons of local resataurants would generate interest in

Why? hosting events at ACC beyond just the members. And who doesnt like a free
event? The contest would get the name of ACC out to community members
and potential clients.

ROI

Monitor how many people entered the contest, and examine the demographics of people who
entered the contest.

Create Your Own Cocktail

Your new favorite drink could win you a FREE event at

the Alamance Country Club
Calling all promising mixologists! From March to May create your own cocktail at a
participating restaurant. Win and you get to host an event of your choice at the Alamance
Country Club.
Participating restaurants: Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Pandoras Pies and Mellow Mushroom.

Share your recipe

on our page!

Use #ACCcocktail

Find all of the recipes on our

page: Alamance Country Club

Return to your roots.

Set up a tent at a local game and hold a mock event with caterers serving food and drinks. Invite memebers of the
club to speak with potential new clients who might be might be interested in holding events at Alamance Country
Club. The club could sponsor part of the game to promote the brand further.

This would get people to think about hosting their next event at the club, even if they are not members. The tent
Why? would act as a small preview of the service and experience that the club has to offer in an informal and social
setting. It would allow guests to try the clubs food and make connections with current members.

ROI

Calculate how many people were exposed to the tent and chatted with the ACC representatives inside the tent.

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Tactics
3

Have a contest among Alamance Country Club members that encourages event hosting by providing an
incentive. Whoever sponsors the most events over a certain monetary amount (i.e. $2,000) over a six month
period, gets a prize. Prizes can range from a free month of dues to a free month of golf. This will allow members
to see how well Alamance Country Club can hold events as well as allow members to invite non-members to
these events.

Much like the cocktail contest would generate interest in the community, incentive would generate interest in
Why? hosting an event among members of the club. A free month of dues or a free month of golf would not only serve
as a reward but also as an incentive to host or sponsor a number of events valued at over $2,000 for example.

ROI

Compile the results of the events being sponsored in a prominent location to show the progress as well as spreading awareness that the contest
is occurring.

BE THE

HOST WITH
THE MOST

The member who sponsors the most events over $2000 over the next 6
months wins prizes such as a FREE month of dues or a FREE month of golf.

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Tactics
4

At Holly Hill Mall, Alamance Crossing, or even a bridal expo in the area, create an interactive showcase
with a model room that exemplifies what the space at the club would loook like during an event. This
would include a server dressed in a suit, tables with nice tablescloths, silverware and flowers. There would
be refreshments and snacks to bring people in. There could also be a place cards generator to personalize
the experience and an area for kids where they are taught how to fold napkins or set the table.

Rather than enticing prospective clients to come to ACC, bring ACC to them. Providing the community
Why? with an interactive experience and showing them exactly what an event would be like at ACC would take
the mystery out of hosting an event there and would make people want to have the same experience for
themselves.
ROI

Inquire with each new event being book to see if the interactive showcase played a part in booking the event at ACC.

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Objective 2

Create a comprehensive media overhaul that shows the

potential that the Alamance Country Club has to host
successful weddings.

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Tactics
1

Create virtual tours that allow prospective clients to see the different rooms that are avaiable to host events.
This will allow customers to view the facilities without ever having to step foot on the property. The virtual
tour, similar to Google Maps road view feature, would allow potential clients to get a 360 view of the
rooms to walk through the hallways to see other rooms in the same area or on the same floor.

For those prospective clients who dont live in the Burlington area who wish to have an event at ACC, or
Why? who return to their roots in Burlington, a virtual tour of the facilities would allow them to see where they
would be hosting an event without having to make the trip there. The convenience of a virtual tour will
make it easier for more out of state brides to return home to ACC.
ROI

Monitor the number of users who visit this part of the website and how much time they are spending utilizing the virtual tour feature.

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Tactics
2

Put at the top of the event section of the website that being
a member of the club is not a requirment to host an event
there.

By making this more clear on the website and by providing

Why? a way to find a member to sponsor the event, potential
non-member event holders will actually consider having an
event at ACC.
ROI

Monitor the number of users who visit this part of the website and how much
time they are spending utilizing the virtual tour feature.

Create a tab on the homepage called Occasions or events that has a dropdown menu that has a section for
weddings, corporate events photo gallery etc. This will put events on the forefront, and let everyone who visits
the website know that the country club has the ability to host events. It will also make it easier for clients to find
the right pages for them.

The current events section of the website does not reflect the potential for events at the club. A revitalization of
Why? this section to make it more user friendly and more reflective of what ACC has to offer would make people more
intersted in hosting events there.
ROI

Pop-up survey on the website asking if the new tab improved their experience and ease of navigating ACCs site.

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Tactics
4

Create a video series following a couple going through

the process of planning and hosting a wedding at
Alamance Country Club from start to finish.

For potential clients who are unsure of the whole

Why? wedding planning process, especially at ACC, this
would not only answer all of their questions but
would allow them to see what the whole process
will be like and will make it easier for them.
ROI

Monitor the views on the online video series.

Send media kits to well established bloggers, wedding

planners, and local news stations advertising that the
ACC is open to hosting a wide variety of events. Invite
them to take a tour of the facilities and give them a
perk such as a free round of golf.

Many newly engaged couples turn to wedding bloggers to get the real feel for different venues. By not
Why? only sending media kits to local wedding bloggers but also inviting them to tour the facilities would get the
cyber-wedding community talking about all that ACC has to offer.
ROI

Media monitoring to see where and how ACCs events capabilities have made it into the news/blogs.

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Tactics
Send media kits to prospective brides or recently engaged brides. Inside the
would be a small note congratulating the bride, a mock save the date, and
6 kit
a wedding checklist. We would also mail out a brochure filled with pictures of
previous weddings hosted at the Alamance Country Club and the amenities that
are offered.
Not all brides have their wedding venue picked out by age 10. Or even by age
Why? 20. This is for them. The media will be targeted specifically towards them and
will put ACC on their radar when they are deciding where to host their special
day.
ROI

During the wedding planning process at ACC, track how many couples received the media kit and how it
influenced their choice in selecting a venue.

Congratulations,

____!

Tie the knot at Alamance Country Club.

Its time to plan your big day!

Congratulations,

____!

Return to your roots at Alamance Country Club.

Its time to plan your big day!

Stressed?

Stressed?

At the Alamance Country Club we

can give you the wedding of your
dreams and you wont have to lift a
finger.

At the Alamance Country Club we

can give you the wedding of your
dreams and you wont have to lift a
finger.

What now?

What now?

We invite you home to tour our

facilities. Find more information at
www.alamancecountryclub.com

We invite you home to tour our

facilities. Find more information at
www.alamancecountryclub.com

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Tactics
7

Buy ad space on google to enhance search engine optimization and, in turn, increase brand awareness. This
can be done by putting certain keywords in the coding of the website to ensure that the Alamance Country
Club comes up when people are looking to host events.

Why?

ACC does not even show up when event facilities in Burlington is searched. Purchasing ad space would put
ACC on the same level as other event facilities, especially for those who dont know about the club.

ROI

Measure how many people click on the paid advertisements. Monitor where ACC is featured on a Google search of terms like Alamance County wedding venue and other similar searches.

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Tactics
8

On social media, feature examples and testimonials from brides who returned to their roots. This shows clients that
having a wedding at the country club is just the beginning of the rest of their lives and that there are other great
milestones that can be shared and have Alamance Country Club be a part of. #ReturnToYourRoots

The hashtag will create one common online platform where brides, non-members, members, and potential
Why? clients can share and view one anothers story about returning to their roots. This will create more brand
advocates and give those who use and view the hashtag an emotional connection to the club.
ROI Monitor engagement from other users with the social media campaign.

#ReturntoyourRoots
9

Create Pinterest Page that uses the Alamance Countys facilities as

inspiration boards for the different type of weddings or coroporate
events that the country club can offer.

The inspiration board will help clients envision their wedding at

Why? the club before it even happens. Pinterest is already a tool used by
brides, which makes it convenient for them.
ROI

Monitor the amount of clicks, pins and followers that that the pinterest has.

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Objective 3

Promote the ACCs strongest point of differentiation:

exceptional service.

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Tactics
1

Purchase a shuttle bus that will transport guests from the venue to a hotel. The bus, branded with the ACC
logo, would serve as a mobile billboard.

Our panel of experts noted that an important aspect of choosing a venue is its ability to either provide
Why? lodging or transport guests to a hotel. Additionally, the bus would be a moving advertisement.
ROI

Track how many clients show interest or utilize the shuttle service.

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Thank you
Maggie Joest- Account Director
Ian Davis- Research/Planning Director
Luci LaFuria- Media/Engagement Director
Katie Caler- Content/Production Director
Kara Tomlin- Creative/Content Creation Director

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