Marketing Your Trail

Marketing Your Trail CFPA Winter Trail Workshop February 1, 2014

Lyman Viaduct, Airline Trail South

Carolyn Hughes

© 2014

Overview of Today’s Presentation

�  Pre-planning assessment

�  Develop your marketing plan �  Implement plan

�  Measure progress �  Review and revise plan �  Examples: CT DEEP Trail Marketing Plan

Marketing Your Trail

Bridge out; Farmington Canal Rail Trail

© Intent Design Group 2014

Current Conditions?

�  On the trail itself �  How is trail perceived?

� Online research � Opinion survey

�  Big picture (statewide, regionally, nationally)

�  Within the local community

Colchester Spur, Airline Trail South

Pre-planning Assessment


Example: State Park Rail Trails Ø  Underutilized Ø  New users confused

Ø  where are trails? Ø  how to access them? Ø  Where does trail continue at road crossings? Ø  where am I on the trail right now? Ø  where to park?

Current Conditions: On the trail

Where the heck is the trail? Road Crossing, Larkin State Park Trail

Pre-Planning Assessment


Big Picture

�  Economic �  Demographic

�  Cultural �  Technology

�  Political

Wetland, Airline Trail North

Pre-Planning Assessment

Current Conditions


Example: State Park Rail Trails Economic

Ø  Economic engines Ø  Stay-cations Ø  Good gym alternative($$)

Demographics Ø  Active Boomers retiring

Cultural Ø  Eco-tourism Ø  Healthy living Ø  Alternate transportation networks

Technological Ø  GPS Ø  Mobile Devices Ø  There’s an APP for that! Sometimes the best things

in life really are free!


Current Conditions: Big Picture


How people Learn about Outdoor Recreation Opportunities

Pre-planning Assessment Current Conditions: Big Picture

Source: CT SCORP 2005-2010

Source: CT SCORP 2005-2010

Pre-planning Assessment Current Conditions: Big Picture

Reasons why people don’t use recreation facilities

Assessment: S.W.O.T. (brainstorming exercise)

� Strengths

� Weaknesses

� Opportunities � Threats

Lyman Viaduct, Airline Trail South


Current Conditions: Locally


Examples: State Rail Trail S.W.O.T.

Strengths �  Tremendous resource-all ages �  Attract people from all over the world

Weaknesses �  Lack of visibility �  Lack of info, signs

Opportunities �  Parking �  Amenities �  linkages

Threats

�  Illegal uses �  Insufficient funds for maintenance


Information kiosk/picnic area/trailhead Airline Trail North, Pomfret



What can people do on your trail?




What can people do on your trail?

Pre-planning Assessment Current Conditions: Locally


Developing a Plan �  What is your (geographic) market?

�  Who is your competition? �  What is your audience? �  What does your target audience need?

Shooting a promotional video, Airline Trail North

Develop Your Plan


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

Airline Trail South, Colchester

Develop Your Plan

Geographic Market*

*Will help determine how broadly you will need to advertise


Example: State Park Rail Trails State Residents Residents who live near trails—daily 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 general—as 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.

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.

Develop Your Plan

Audience


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

Develop Your Plan

Audience Needs


Develop Marketing Messages Targeted to specific audiences

Different audiences require different messages depending on: Ø  Age Ø  Physical fitness levels Ø  Family versus individuals Ø  Type of activity Ø  Length and type of trip they are interested in Ø  How much time they have to spend

Develop Your Plan

Message


Branding � Clear, consistent use of branding materials

� Brand statement � Marketing messages

A Brand is a Promise

Develop Your Plan

A CONNECTICUT STATE PARK

This new logo will establish the look and feel for all State Park Rail Trail marketing materials.


Sample Brand Statement A Brand is a Promise

Develop Your Plan

Connecticut's State Park Rail Trails are:

Ø  a network of multi-use trails for non-motorized recreational activities

Ø  that link together diverse communities,

Ø  providing endless opportunities for year-round use,

Ø  whether it is a half hour walk or an intense training run, a half-day bike ride, or a leisurely weekend- or week-long tour from end to end,

Ø  with plenty of stops along the way to savor all that the state has to offer.


Developing Effective Messages Marketing Messages

Develop Your Plan

Professional marketers conduct: �  Extensive original market research �  Focus Groups for each stage of process �  A/B testing

You can: �  Test with your own employees, volunteers, friends who

don't typically use trails �  Adjust based on feedback before launching marketing

efforts

DEEP: �  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.

�  The reactions of early viewers are telling us we are achieving what we set out to do: promote the trail, inspire people to visit.


Developing a plan � Goals � Objectives

� Strategies—be sure

to address the issues, challenges & opportunities identified in your pre-planning assessment

View from Airline Trail

Develop Your Plan

The Devil is in the Details


Example: State Park Rail Trails Goal Increase awareness and use of State Park Rail Trails; deliver high quality user experience. Objectives �  Inform citizens how to find and safely use State

Park Rail Trails. � Protect the environment in which state park rail

trails are located �  Inspire outdoor activity �  Increase support for and encourage

stewardship of state park rail trails

Develop Your Plan

Goals and Objectives


Example: State Park Rail Trails Objective 1: �  Inform citizens how to find and safely use State

Park Rail Trails. Strategies � Branding: � Mapping � Signage � Web Portal � Safety

Develop Your Plan

S.M.A.R.T. Specific~Measurable~Action-oriented~Realistic~Time-sensitive

Objectives and Strategies

ALL written and visual design elements; colors, fonts, materials, etc….


Example: State Park Rail Trails Maps

Ø  Printed Ø  Information kiosks at trail-heads Ø  Electronic/online Ø  APPs for trip planning; send to device Ø  QR codes to access info from trail Ø  Interactive kiosks

Map/Kiosk, Airline Trail South

Develop Your Plan

Strategies


Example: State Park Rail Trails

Parking

What to avoid--if at all possible

Develop Your Plan

Strategies



Signage

Ø  Signage plan Ø  Avoid sign pollution

Highly visible sign; shows allowable uses

Develop Your Plan

Strategies


Examples: State Park Rail Trails Signage Ø  Direct people from roads to trail Ø  Visible locational Signs Ø  Parking/No parking Ø  Map/information kiosk Ø  Gateway Ø  Trail etiquette Ø  Allowable uses Ø  What’s not allowed Ø  Mile markers Ø  Mileage from one access point to the next Ø  Pedestrian crossing Ø  From trail to nearby attractions Ø  Names of roads trails cross Ø  Interpretive educational Ø  Exercise stations

Highly visible; shows allowable uses

Develop Your Plan

The Air Line Trail A Connecticut Greenway, State Linear Park and Multipurpose Trail for non-motorized users

The Lyman Viaduct

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.

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.

Interpretive sign, Airline Trail South

Strategies


Examples: State Park Rail Trails Website Ø  Maps

Ø  Trail description

Ø  Virtual tour

Ø  Trip planning information Ø  Interactive tools

Ø  Videos

Develop Your Plan

Strategies


Examples: State Park Rail Trails Web Portal Ø Mix of large to small-scale maps Ø  Interactive tools (trip planning, audio

tours, videos etc…) Ø Up to date info on trail status/surfaces Ø Trail news/events Ø How to get involved Ø Safety info

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Bridge out; Farmington Canal Rail Trail


Examples: State Park Rail Trails Media Outlets Ø  T.V./Radio Ø  Newspapers/magazines Ø  Books/guides Ø  Brochures Ø  Mail inserts Ø  Posters Ø  Social Media: Facebook, Pinterest, Blog, YouTube, local online news sites, etc… Ø  Community Centers Ø  Sporting goods stores Ø  Newsletters of affinity groups

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Farmington Canal Rail Trail


Social Media Ø  Research what outlets your target audiences use

Ø  Start with only one or two outlets that make sense for your target market (e.g. Facebook, YouTube)

Ø  Commit to your Social Media efforts; use it consistently.

Ø  Create an annual Social Media marketing calendar. Ø  when will you advertise events? Ø  what seasonal changes will you highlight and when? Ø  what messages are most appropriate/needed and when?

e.g. safety messages at the change of season, when various hunting seasons begin, etc…

Ø  will you post about wildlife sightings? peak leaf viewing? salamander migration?

Develop Your Plan

Strategies


Social Media

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Ø  Map out your strategy.

Ø  Stick to it. You won’t look professional if your page posts are 2 years old.

Ø  If not using it, take it down. Ø  Better to do a few things well than try to be all things to all

people.



Ø Contests/competitions Ø Adopt-a-spot Ø Geo-caching Ø Trail passport Ø Events Ø Collaboration

Develop Your Plan

Strategies


�  CFPA: Video series—Tales from the Trail and other promotional videos.

�  NET: Facebook page; virtual tour through Google Maps, artist in residence.

�  State Park Rail Trails: Beginning a series of marketing videos

�  ECG: Requires you to sign in to access cue sheets, then uses the email addresses to send an e-newsletter

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Examples: Various Trail Organizations


How will it all get done? � Who? � When? � Where? � Funding source(s)?

Be as specific as possible. Specific strategies are much more likely to get implemented than vague ones.

Develop Your Plan

Objectives and Strategies = the “What”


How will you know you are making progress? Develop a set of metrics to help measure the success of your marketing efforts:

Ø Website hits Ø # active volunteers Ø # people attending events Ø Media hits (traditional and “new” media) Ø Survey responses Ø # trail users Ø Other?

Measure Success

Include the measurement indicators in your written marketing plan.

Develop Your Plan


Implement Your Plan

Implementation


Review/Revise Marketing Plans

Every three to five years Ø Quick review of what’s changed

since the last plan Ø New opportunities? Ø New issues/challenges? Ø New communications/marketing tools

available Ø New partners

Marketing Your Trail


Happy Trails!

Hop River State Park Trail

Thank you!


Need help?

Thank You!

www.intentdesigngroup.com [email protected]

Strategy ~ Facilitation ~ Branding ~ Design ~ Content

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Contact us about developing your marketing plan or any of your other planning and communications needs