Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

The Black Country Living Museum

ADVERTISING and DESIGN Evaluation of the target markets, promotional techniques and promotional communications Table of contents: Introduction 1. Target market profile 2. Product differential 3. Above the line Advertising Media (ATL) Sunday Magazine Television 4. Below the line Promotional Media (BTL) Flyer/leaflet Web site 5. Design Analysis (FLYER) Format Layout Visuals Colour Typography

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

This report identifies and assesses the target markets, promotional techniques and promotional communications utilised and developed by The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM), a tourism attraction based in Dudley, West Midlans, Great Britain. The evaluation has 5 big steps in order to highlight its ways of advertising and its design used to target and attract the market: a table which presents the target market in all aspects (demographics, socio-economic, geographics, psychographics, products and media consumption), product differential, above the line advertising media,below the line promotional media and design analysis. Areas of promotion used by BCLM are Press and Media coverage(Public relations), Sales Promotions, Direct marketing, Print and Promotional Literature, Exhibitions, Tradeshows & Displays and Advertising.

1. Target Market Profile

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

2. Product differential The brand name of the product is The Black Country Living Museum and the Strapline is More than you ever imagine. This strapline highlight the main problem with the concept of whats here (BCLM is not a traditional museum). For educational visits, the venue uses Live it! Learn it!. In 2004 BCLM attempted to re-brand the museum, but after a detailed consultation, it was observed the brand is strong positionated. As a product, BCLM is is a Living Museum(houses, shops and workshops) situated in the heart of industrial West Midlans (Dudley, Birmingham) being a 26 acre open-air attraction with costumed demonstrators who bring the building to life with practical skills and local knowledge.

3. Above the line Advertising Media Above the line communications use media that are broadcast and published to mass audiences and as Below the line promotional media, they can be used to either build brand awareness or drive sales through specific offers (promotions). ATL promotions are difficult to measure well. Public Relations are used to target special interest magazines, general consumer magazines, educational publications, group publications, local and regional press, radio and TV. BCLM uses a variety of media such as newspapers, magazines and radio to increase its profile. These are: local and regional press, educational publications, group publications, tourist publications, specialist publications, regional and local radio. The venue uses short-term promotions to encourage use at certain times and at certain events. The sales promotions are : vouchers (money off , 2 for 1 admission, etc.); non-vouchers-

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

discounts (e.g. for SAGA radio listeners); competitions linked to particular events or prize draws (VIP visits, family tickets). Two above the line media that could be proper to promote this venue to its audience are Sunday Magazine and Television. The main reason that brings these two advertising media in the top of the others is the fact marketing department are curently specifically working on increasing regional and national coverage because local press and media coverage of the museum is high. Sunday Magazine and Television are the most suitable media for this purpose because they can be seen by the whole country in order to target regional and national market. Sunday Magazine The audiences of Sunday Magazine are: Family: Family is the main target for BCLM (54%). Considering this fact, the opportunity given by Sunday Magazine might be major in order to attract more families from different regions of the country (national). High SE groups: BCLMs target market includes all SE groups (upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, skilled working class, working class, others). According to this, any SE group is targeted as the right market to visit the venue. Circulation secondary markets: Secondary markets are new opportunities in order to wide the BCLMs target market. Targeting segmentation is mature market, not young. This target includes four target markets of the BCLM : 45-64 (local visitors); 35-65 (academic users); 24-55 (business community); 18-65 (tourists). Considering the geographic factors, the magazine appears mostly national, with regional editions (Geographic factors main reason why the magazine is proper media in promoting BCLM REGIONAL, NATIONAL ADVERTISEMENT). The comsumption is by

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

high readership (especially sundays), in relaxed surroundings and is likely to be read by more than one person. Another benefit that magazine brings to the venues promotion is the fact that this media has more advantages than disadvantages as a market target, being more likely to highlight the product. The main disadvantages are not enough strong as it can be observed: mostly national (not wide country, but still good media to promote regional), static, non-intrusive, not last minute changing (not appropiate - the venues dont have news or changes periodically - every week or month), short keep only week, Frequency - once a week (not appropiate the venues dont have news or changes every week or month), no refunds, advertising costs: expensive (premium print production). The many advantages of the Sunday Magazine is likely to highlight the tourism attraction: premium quality print (paper and colour), long copy, good reach in short time, cheap production, full page is norm, creative, great for insertions, recall and repeat exposure. Directories The audiences for directories are consumer - local, regional, and business - local, REGIONAL, NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL (50% are industrial/commercial). The desadvantages for this advertising media are only 3: no pull, competition and information mostly on line. Besides the geographical advantage, there are other more: informational not conceptual, ideal support medium, clear purpose, purchaser/information, long shelf-life (year). This advertising media is appropriate for tourism attractions because the geographical factor is WORLD-WIDE, perfect for the venues.

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

4. Below the line Promotional Media Below the line communications use media that are more niche focused and give the marketer the ability to tailor their messaging in a more personal manner to the audience. BTL promotions are highly measurable, giving marketers valuable insights into their return-on-investment. In order to promote the attraction, The Black Country Living Museum uses two main below the line promotions: the flyer (leaflet) and the internet (web site). Each of these promotional media has advantages and disadvantages on the attractions industry (museum).

Web Site The World Wide Web part of the internet has grown to become the largest market place in human istory. Every business large or small needs to have some sort of presence on the World Wide Web (geagraphics). The most effective online advertising serves the right message to the right customer at the right time in the right place. Because hundred of millions of people are browsing the internet every second, it is a good place to promote a product, in this case the attraction. The audience is global (pc owners, broadband ) and the consumption is convenient and at home. The great advantages are: the good market coverage, anytime (24/7/365), lot of information, appeals to senses, interactive, up to date information, direct online booking, transaction, two-way communications channel. Disadvantages are sumarized in quality (information with less value): not targeted specifically, website needs promoting, perception of credibility, lack of regulation and security, perception of insecure information, technical support. Flyer Geographic factors for flyers are house, street, local, regional, etc. The main disadvantage is that consumption is often ignored or discarded.BCLM distributes leaflets and posters in 3 ways :

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

distribution companies, in-house distribution and direct mail houses. Venues include :Tourist information centres, accommodation venues, attractions, community venues, coach operators, group visit organisers, educational off-site coordinators. The strengths of this media are: measured results, two-way dialogue, fast, creative, personalised, consumers expect to be kept informed. As weaknesses, the main disadvantages are: high waste (3-4 responses/year), must be designed, accurate and Data Protection Act. The researches show that 60% of non-visitors would still not visit the BCLM after showing the leaflet. 5. Design Analysis (Flyer/Leaflet)

Good Design means Good Communication because the design communicate and support the right message to the right target market. 1.Format and Print The format and size of the flyer is the right one for both parties (the company and consumer). The shape is made properly, the rectangle flyer being easy to carry and fitting in any bag. The company has also advantages: can share it very fast and spend less money because of its medium size. The design orientation is very strong, highlighting whats the most important at the venue in order to attract market. The print quality is very good, qualitative. 2.Layout

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

The overall layout creates harmony from all the aspects being clear and legible. Have been used elements like specific images and right contrast of the colours to create this living museum image. There are few words adressed to the target market, therefore it cannot be found any repetition to create a visual appearance. Typeface is Traditional, proper for the product and its content. The alignment creats a clear visual line of information. The pictures have been separated correctly, but all of them have have the same boring shape (square or rectangle). On the top is highlighted a picture larger than the others which reprezent the museums orientation. The layout should contain more written details of the product than this flyer and the images should be more attracting and should look more alive with a proper shape. 3.Visuals The basic visual styles used are 4 pictures. The first picture is on the top, bigger and highlights an old woman within the museum. The other three photos are situated on the bottom side by side. The three images from the bottom are not chosen very well and dont reflect the product on offer, therefore the tourism attraction is represented only by the picture from the top. The BCLM has pictures more realiable in order to target market and to create emotional response from the customers. The logo is proper, but the colour used for them is not very well-chosen; white over orange is a relaxing combination, but not a combination that could evidentiate the logo of the museum which is very important on the leaflet. Also the logo should be bigger. In the bottom of the flyer its a creative square containing details about the product like the number and the web site. 6.Typography The basic type of typography are ie serif and sans serif script, but it can be found also the decorative typography. The typefaces are correct and they communicate the right emotions:

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

when the typography is associate with the main picture, its obvious that the product is a museum. The typefaces makes the customers know the product is somethins serious and qualitative. The contrast between white and orange is very relaxing. White colour means purity, something clean and accurate, orange means sun, happiness, health and together means something peaceful. It can be also observed the contrast of the images (more dark) with the background (more light). This contrast is great, but anyway the logo from the top should be more highlighted, by a more strong colour. The type of typography from the body text is good, but it has very small font size and this cannot be read it. The line lenght is written in that manner that can be read it and the leading is used correctly. The alignment used for the text is left, appropiate for this kind of leaflet because can be read it very easy. Inside text there are varied images specific in order to illustrate the inside of the museum and also a detailed 3D map of the museum. Another map can be found on the fron of the leaflet together with the ways of transport dissponible to get to the BCLM.

Daiana Sandra Vochin BA TBM Practical Marketing Application (097)

References: 1. Jan, A., James R., C., (2011) A content analysis of registration processes on websites: How advertisers gather information to customize marketing communications; The journal of interactive advertising; vol 1, issue 2. (WARC) 08 March 2012 02PM 2. Promotion and Advertising , (2003) Chapter 18, ACEnet Inc. 3. Promoting the brand - A Portakabin case study; www.businesscasestudies.co.uk 4. Mazur G., (1998), Traditional Research Reassesssed for Below-the-line Communications; Advertising Research Foundation Workshops: Annual Conference & Research Infoplex 5. Rachel H., Tammy G., (2007) The Black Country Living Museum Factfile (Methodology); Students of BA Tourism Business Management; Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies. 6. Malcolm, H., (2009), Design Awarness Practical Design Process (lecture); Practical Marketing Application (097) 7. Malcolm, H., (1998), Promotional Skills Visual Style (lecture); Practical Marketing Application (097), 8. Malcolm, H., (2007), Brand Essence Interrogating & Investigating the Product (lecture); Practical Marketing Application (097)

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