There are a number of critical analyses of the communication plan for Cyclefest that are necessary to be conducted before the official launch of the event in the U.K. Cyclefest is an open area event that aims at taking advantage of the growing positive reputation of cycling and outdoor activities. The forms of analyses are the situational, promotional and SWOT analyses.
The situation analysis involves a look at the market of the Cyclefest event identifying the market environment to be favouring as no company has ever arranged a cycling event in the entire U.K. Furthermore, situation analysis highlights the expected consumers of this event, who are mostly male cyclists, and indicates that there is little competition in this market. Promotion analysis emphasises the necessary marketing strategies that are important in ensuring that the target market of the event is informed. Some of the recommended promotional strategies are advertising, particularly in social media, creating public relations, and continued radio and TV adverts.
On the other hand, SWOT analysis gives the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are associated with carrying out the event at the selected location. Cyclefest has the strength of zero competitors at the selected location for the event, while its most inevitable weakness is the lack of safety and security plans for those who will be participating in the event. The growing number of cyclists in the U.K presents Cyclefest with a huge opportunity for growth with its main threat being the possibility of the cycling event, not gaining the same traction as other outdoor events.
The target market is composed of local and international cyclists who are interested in cycling either as a hobby or as a sport. This paper also expounds on the marketing communication plan that aims at creating awareness among cyclists globally. The event will attract more participants as well as increase the Cyclefest’s market share. The suggested advertising platforms for the event are the use of magazines and newspapers, outdoor advertising, such as university campuses, radio and TV adverts for the international audience, creating a website for Cyclefest, and the social media. Attracting a good number of people is vital in ensuring the success of Cyclefest in the programme.
The creative strategy section of this paper recognises the use of the four cycling magazines that are currently the most popular in the U.K. YouTube videos will also be used in creating awareness about the event. This work also touches on the evaluation strategy that is employed by the Cyclefest team to determine the effectiveness of the overall marketing communication. It is another crucial component of Cyclefest in determining the level to which the cyclists would respond to the awareness efforts of the company.
The evaluation strategy explains how the team will evaluate market share and changes in visitor awareness programmes. There are basically three approaches that will be used in collecting data and evaluating results. First, there will be market research and survey aiming at collecting data on the suggestions for improvements in subsequent marketing programmes. Second, a media monitor will be created to determine the effectiveness of the media objectives and the media coverage used.
Third, the team will consider the impact of the website that is created for the event. The level of the website traffic will be a reflection of the number of cyclists who would be aware of the programme and would be considering subscribing to it. The budget calendar for the Cyclefest marketing communication plan is also included in this work. The budget calendar gives the estimates of the number of funds needed to facilitate the advertising and evaluation functions of the event. The total amount of the budget is about 15600 GBP, with advertising requiring the highest amount of capital to run.
Conclusion
Cycling is gradually gaining popularity in the U.K, and no other company has ever thought of cycling as a sport that can earn a good fortune when organised as an outdoor event. Cyclefest event organisers are dedicated to venturing into this great opportunity and with the diversity of activities and events being promoted by Cyclefest, it is expected that the company will build its image within a very short period. The market environment has zero competition, with many consumers both locally and internationally.
This event is useful to cyclists because it presents them with an opportunity to enjoy the sport as well as a way to utilise their skills in earning some income. The only serious threat that Cyclefest should address is the safety of cyclists while in the event. The marketing communication plan is well established with the aim of reaching cyclists worldwide. With the use of radio and TV, the firm will be able to popularise the event to various categories of potential consumers. Since the company has also put in place appropriate promotional strategies, the target market of the event is expected to experience the activity fully and finally build a good image of the company.