Mock Advertising Campaign: Louisiana Tourism

Client: Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Page | 1Project : “It’s Time...”

Executive Summary

Tourism in Louisiana has decreased significantly since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of

Mexico. A Tourism Economics survey shows that 26% of visitors cancelled their plans to visit Louisiana after the oil spill, and the loss of visitor and leisure spending will total $153 million by 2013.

Louisiana is currently in the midst of a perception crisis. The negative media coverage that surrounded the oil spill has positioned the state as a very undesirable travel destination. Tourists are still under the impression that Louisiana seafood and marine environments are contaminated from the oil spill, despite extensive seafood safety testing and massive clean-up efforts.

This poses a major threat to the growth of the industry since the local cuisine is among the leading reasons tourists chose Louisiana as a travel destination, as well as the fact that tourists rank a clean environment among the most important factors when deciding upon a leisure destination.

The current advertising campaign for Louisiana, “Pick Your Passion”, does not address the issues of safety and cleanliness that concern travelers. Realm Element Group (R.E.G.) proposes a new campaign, “It’s Time…” to address these issues and overcome the misconceptions that are currently inhibiting travelers from visiting Louisiana.

R.E.G. will demonstrate with this campaign that Louisiana has recovered from the oil spill and will highlight the positive state of the coastal environment, as well as the many unique cultural experiences found in Louisiana. Louisiana seafood is the most rigorously tested in the world, and will support this proclamation with test evidence.

“It’s Time...” will provide the emotional and rational support travelers need to overcome the common conflicts that hinder traveling. The title of the campaign has two purposes. One is to provide the emotional-based support to overcome the constraints that discourage travel. The second is to ask the consumer “Don’t you think it’s time?” and let him or her make the decision for themselves. The opened ended nature of the message can be targeted toward any particular audience by utilizing a different emotional trigger.

The selected target audiences for this campaign are Baby Boomers and Generation Y in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. Baby Boomers will be targeted as the primary audience because they have more disposable time and income than any other generation. They are often retired, have no dependents tying them down, and actively travel as a source of entertainment.

Generation Y will be targeted as the secondary audience because they posses many of the same characteristics as Baby Boomers, just to a lesser extent. They also view traveling as a source of entertainment, and behind the Baby Boomers they are least likely to have dependents in the home and therefore have disposable time to travel outside of their career. They do not have as much disposable income as Baby Boomers, but are more easily influenced by sales promotions than any other generation.


Situation Analysis

Current Marketplace Reality What’s the current market situation? Louisiana’s tourism market is on a slow but

steady rise from the blow of the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill. The spill was the result of an oil

rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2011 approximately 50 miles from the coast of

Louisiana. The explosion killed 11 people, leaked 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf Coast,

and killed or injured over 8,000 coastal inhabitants (Walsh, 2011).

By the time the well was capped, worldwide media coverage of the oil spill exposed

viewers to gruesome images of its devastation to the coastal environment and marine life for

approximately six consecutive months. The magnitude of the spill and negative media coverage

resulted in a perception crisis that has been just as much, if not more damaging than the spill

itself.

A survey on the effects of the oil spill in regional markets reports that as of March 2011

43% of respondents viewed the oil spills’ devastation on Louisiana as either being worse than, or

the same as that of Katrina (MDRG, 2011).

Furthermore, misconceptions about fishing practices and regulations are rampant.

According to the survey, 69% of respondents believe that oyster beds are contaminated (down

from 89% in June 2010), 49% think that commercial fishing is allowed where oil is present, 30%

consider restaurants that serve seafood to be putting people at risk, and 28% believe that no

regulations have been put in place to ensure contaminated seafood is not sold (MDRG, 2011).

This is not a situation to be taken lightly. The same survey shows that over half of the

people who visit Louisiana do so because they want to try the local cuisine. It is an embodiment


of the Cajun and Creole culture that tourists view as a vital part of the Louisiana experience. All

in all, if travelers feel that Louisiana can no longer offer its number one attraction due to safety

issues, they will not travel there. In fact, the survey goes on to show that though concerns about

the safety of seafood in Louisiana have declined regionally, they continue to inhibit tourism

more than any other factor. Among respondents who reported they are not likely to visit, 35%

said they would if seafood were available like it was before the spill (MDRG, 2011).

In addition to the oil spill, Louisiana has other weaknesses, such as being perceived as

unsafe and having an unclean environment. The reason these issues are considered major

weaknesses is survey of regional travelers shows they rank feeling safe and secure as the most

important factor when selecting a leisure travel destination, and a clean, unspoiled environment

as the third most important. Out of seven other categories Louisiana ranked next to last and last

in it’s ability to provide in these areas (MGRD, 2011).

On top of these factors, travelers remember not only the oil spill when they think of

Louisiana, they remember Hurricane Katrina. The devastation of this natural disaster will not

soon be forgotten, and the threat of another hurricane or tropical storm is definitely a detouring

factor for those potentially planning a trip in the months commonly know as hurricane season

(Destination360, 2011).

Lastly, the economy, unemployment, and high gas prices have been hindering travelers

since the economic downturn began in late 2008, (Charters, Marcell, Ortiz & Ripoll, 2009) and

there are no signs of considerable growth in the coming year. In fact, The World Travel and

Tourism Council recently downgraded tourism and travel growth forecasts for 2012 from 5.1%

to 3.3%. The decision to do so was based largely on global financial deterioration and the

continuing threat of the return of a U.S. recession (WTTC, 2001).


These conditions lead to a trend called “stay-cationing”, otherwise known as substituting

a typical travel vacation for one at home (Manolis, 2010). Stay-cations proved to be much more

than a fad and gained coverage in national newspapers and news networks such as ABC, NBC,

FOX, CBS, and CNN. Articles and broadcasts offered tips on locations, trends, and new ideas for

stay-cationing from life-style experts. Though stay-cations arose as a thing of necessity, they

remain as a long-term threat to tourism as participants have found them to be a very rewarding.

Tourism research shows that 86% of staycationers found their staycation to be “excellent” or

“very good” and 80% described it as an “excellent” or “very good” value (Manolis, 2010).

Fortunately, Louisiana has a number of strengths in its arsenal against these threats and

weaknesses. The state offers a variety of culinary, cultural, historical, musical, outdoor, festival,

and gaming attractions. Among these, respectively, are the outstanding local cuisine, the New

Orleans French Quarter, the Cajun Country, Antebellum plantation homes, Jazz, deep sea and

freshwater fishing, hunting, swampland tours, hiking and camping, canoeing, Mississippi River

boat rides, the Mardi Gras and more than 400 other festivals, (Louisiana, n.d) as well 18 land-

based, riverboat, and racetrack gambling locations (American Gaming Association, 2011). Most

of the casinos are located near the Gulf, with the exception of those in Shreveport, located near

the North Texas/Dallas area and those in Lake Charles located near the South Texas/Houston

area.

Louisiana also has geographic and economic advantages. The state only covers

approximately 52,000 square miles (Netstate, 2011), which makes it large enough to offer

diverse areas and attractions while still being small enough to visit multiple destinations in the

same visit. In fact two of the most visited cities, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, are just 90 miles

apart and both are close to the coast (MDRG, 2011). This is an attribute that its closest


competitor, Texas, which covers 269,000 square miles, can definitely not boast. The cost of

living in Louisiana is relatively low at 20th in the nation, making its cost of travel more

affordable than its competitor Florida and higher counterparts in the North, and East and West

Coasts (MERIC, 2011).

Additionally, BP and the state of Louisiana agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding

in which BP provided $78 million to restore the tourism industry. $30 million of these funds

were given to the Louisiana Office of Tourism, which divided the money among the 52 parishes

according to the extent each parish was affected by the spill. $18 million was allocated to the

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to fund seafood safety testing, and the remaining $30

million was dedicated the Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to market the local seafood

and promote it’s safety (British Petroleum Exploration and Production Inc., 2010).

The tests from this funding make Louisiana seafood the most rigorously tested in the

world, and the results confirm that the seafood is safe. This provides a major area of opportunity

to leverage this information to dispel myths about eating or buying seafood from Louisiana. State

officials released the results of testing to the public in October of this year through a website,

GulfSource.org (Deslatte, 2011). The upcoming two-year anniversary of the BP oil spill will

serve as an important time to focus on information like this, since two years have passed and

travelers will be more receptive to the message. Based on survey results, 70% of regional

respondents predicted the effects of the oil spill to last 2-5 years or less (MGRD, 2011). Also,

placing positive key messages in the hands of the media at a time like this is necessary to help

ensure that the coverage of the anniversary remains an opportunity instead of a threat. These

factors will serve as major catalysts to increase tourism in regional markets, as they are 24%

more likely to visit Louisiana than national tourists (MDRG, 2011).


Competitive Analysis

What is making the competition successful? Louisiana was hit harder by the oil spill

than any of its Gulf Coast competitors for two reasons (Kherkher, 2010). First, it bore the brunt

of the effects of the spill due to its proximity to the explosion site. It had to cope with much more

than tar balls washing up on the shore, which was the extent of the physical damage that most of

the other Gulf States experienced. Almost 8,000 coastal birds were killed or injured and the

marine environment and ecosystems were damaged in ways that will not be fully known for

years (Walsh, 2011). This gives competitors an aesthetic advantage. Second, also due to the

proximity, Louisiana was specifically named in many headlines and news reports. Therefore the

other Gulf States have an advantage of less negative media coverage in direct association with

the spill, while Louisiana is still highly associated with the spill. The two primary competitors,

Florida and Texas, also have secondary advantages.

Florida. With strong tourism cities like Miami, Tampa Bay, and Orlando, the state of

Florida stands as one of the biggest competitors in visitation to southern states. Florida the

leading nationwide destination for retirement (Brady, 2011), which positions the state as a more

attractive destination than Louisiana for those close to retirement, or those who have a friend or

family member retired there. It is also famous for its pristine beaches (FSTP, 2011) that are

aesthetically superior to Louisiana’s, and more appealing to a traveler looking for a leisure beach

experience or to participate in water sports . The state is located only 90 miles from Cuba, which

results in an abundance of Cuban culture and cuisine that appeals to culinary travelers, (Travel

Channel, 2010) and is a threat to the market share of this travel group which Louisiana relies on.

Miami is the number two national Spring Break destination (U.S. News Travel, 2011), which can


decrease visitation for Mardi Gras due to the closeness in time frame of the two events . Florida

is home to five professional sports teams; The Miami Dolphins, The Miami Heat, The Orlando

Magic, The Tampa Bay Rays, and The Mariners, and therefore draws more sports tourism than

Louisiana’s two professional sports teams, The Saints, and The Hornets. Its largest tourist

attractions are its 20 theme parks including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, (Levine,

2011) which are major family-friendly attractions Louisiana cannot provide on the same scale

with its two small theme parks, Carousel Gardens and Dixie Landin’.

Texas. Not only is Texas the second largest state in the country, but it is also the most

populated of the South (Department of State Health Services, 2011). In turn the state’s 25

metropolitan areas each provide a unique Texan experience to offer to travelers, such as a

Mexican-American experience in El Paso, the energetic city life of Dallas or Houston, or the

eclectic art and music culture found in Austin. Louisiana can offer diversity, but not in such large

amounts. Texans’ cost of living is considerably lower compared to some of its regional peers,

which allows for more affordable travel and lodging costs than Louisiana (MERIC, 2011). It is

home to five professional sports teams; the Dallas Cowboys, the Houston Texans, the Texas

Rangers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Houston Rockets, which draws more sports tourism than

Louisiana’s aforementioned two professional sports teams. Texas borders Mexico and is known

for exquisite Mexican and Tex-Mex food as well as Texan barbecue, (Texas Travel and Tourism

Guide, 2011) another threat to the culinary tourism on which Louisiana relies. South Padre is the

number three national Spring Break destination (U.S. News Travel, 2011), which can decrease

visitation for Mardi Gras due to the closeness in time frame. Lastly Texas has 11 amusement

parks including Six Flags Over Texas, Hurricane Harbor, Schlitterbahn, and Sea World, which as


mentioned before offers family-friendly activities on a level that Louisiana cannot (Levine,

2011).

What’s made us successful/unsuccessful to date? “Fall In Love With Louisiana All

Over Again” was the $7 million advertising campaign for Louisiana in 2006. This campaign was

developed to bring tourist back to Louisiana after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated parts of

New Orleans and surrounding areas of the state. Though many of the main areas of interest,

including the French Quarter and historical neighborhoods, were relatively undamaged, tourists

were under the impression all of Louisiana was demolished from the hurricanes (Plaisance,

2006).

The first wave of the campaign thanked citizens for their support in the relief effort, and

was used as a tool to keep Louisiana in a positive position in consumer’s minds. The second ran

once hotel rooms became available again, and featured numerous celebrities with Louisiana ties

inviting travelers to come “Fall In Love With Louisiana All Over Again” (Mayer, 2008).

Celebrities volunteered their time, which allowed more funding to be allocated to commercials

and print ads. Participants included chef Emeril Lagasse, actor John Goodman, actress Patricia

Clarkson, musicians Wynton Marsalis and Allen Toussaint, and artist George Rodrigue.

Tourism increased 31% from 2006 to 2007 while “Fall In Love With Louisiana All Over

Again” was running, and it won the 2007 Platinum Adrian Award, the highest honor awarded by

the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (Harvey, 2008).

Once tourism began to rebound, research showed that travelers wanted to know not only

what there is to do and see in Louisiana, but also what the locals do for entertainment. This gave

birth to the $6 million “My Louisiana” campaign, which also used Louisiana-native celebrity

endorsements to deliver an “insiders guide” to travelers.


This campaign featured chefs John Besh and John Folse, actress Faith Ford, musicians

Amanda Shaw and Terrance Simien, and National Basketball Association stars Karl Malone,

Willis Reed, and Chris Paul (Harvey, 2008).

Not only did the aforementioned NBA players donate their time and effort, the NBA

agreed to air free TV and Sirius radio ads on behalf of the campaign during the 2008 basketball

season (Harvey, 2008).

Louisiana’s current campaign, “Pick Your Passion,” highlights the culinary, cultural,

musical, outdoor, gaming, and festival activities available in Louisiana. Given the information

earlier presented in the market place reality, R.E.G. feels that though the current advertising

communicates the strengths of the state, it does not effectively address the threats that currently

outweigh those strengths, namely concerns that Louisiana’s seafood and marine environment are

still contaminated from the oil spill.

Product Analysis Louisiana was claimed for the French by Robert LaSalle in 1673. The

French-Canadian descendants that colonized the land thereafter became known as Creoles. They

were a very aristocratic people, and were unwelcoming of the Acadians that immigrated to the

area in 1784 from Canada. Because of this, the Acadians settled in Southwest Louisiana, away

from Creole cities where they became known as Cajuns (Meaux, 2006). These two groups have

had an immense effect on the culture and history of Louisiana that is reflected in its tourism

today, which earns $5.2 billion for the state each year on average and employs 87,000 workers

(Louisiana, n.d.).


The Local Cuisine. Over half of those that travel to Louisiana come for the food (MGRD,

2011). Understandably so, the local cuisine is one of the finest reflections of Louisiana’s diverse

historical background and a wonderful way to experience the culture first-hand.

Food is the central focus of life and celebration to Louisianans. Chef John Folse once said,

“From birth until death, every event in the life of a Cajun and Creole revolves around food.

Whether visiting friends and family, celebrating the birth of a new born child, or mourning the

passing of a loved one, every event involves eating” (Beggs, 1992).

Louisiana cuisine is divided into to two styles of cooking, either Cajun or Creole. Though

there is a distinct difference between the two, both are heavily influenced by the French, Spanish,

and African heritage of Louisiana and draw from the natural resources of the land including

seafood, rice, and native spices (McNulty, 2011).

Creole cooking originated in the kitchens of New Orleans, and was served in restaurants

to the upper class and city-dwellers. Cajun cooking, however, came from the those who lived off

of the land and often includes variations of original recipes based on what they could afford or

what could be trapped. Today the two are more commonly being merged together into a new

style that is simply called “Louisiana Cooking.” (McNulty, 2011)

Famous Chefs and Restaurants. Famous Louisiana chefs have played a major

role in the shining the spotlight on Louisiana’s cuisine and positioning it as an attractive

experience for tourists. Well known chefs include Emeril Lagasse, John Besh, Paul

Prudhomme, and John Folse, among others.

Lagasse is the owner of Emeril’s Restaurant, NOLA Restaurant, and Emeril’s

Delmonico all in New Orleans, as well as nine other restaurants, and host of three


cooking shows, including Emeril Live!, Emeril’s Table, and The Originals With Emeril

(Hinson, 2001).

John Besh is the owner of seven esteemed New Orleans restaurants: August, Besh

Steak, Lüke, La Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, and Domenica. He received the

James Beard award for Best Chef of The Southeast in 2006, and was named among Food

& Wine’s “Top Ten Best New Chefs In America” (Dougiello, 2011).

Paul Prudhomme is the owner of the renowned K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in the

French Quarter, and is author of nine best-selling cookbooks, and six chart-topping

cooking videos. He has received numerous awards including Restaurateur of the Year,

Culinarian of the Year, and Culinary Diplomat for his work with Cajun food in Europe

and the Orient. (McBride, 2008).

John Folse is the by far the most influential Louisiana Chef. He is the owner of

Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant and founder of the John Folse and Company, White Oak

Plantation, and A Taste of Louisiana television program. Folse brought the Cajun/Creole

cuisine into the international spotlight in the 1980’s and was named “Louisiana’s

Culinary Ambassador to the World” by Louisiana Legislature (Folse, 2009).

Mardi Gras and Other Festivals. Louisiana is also well known for its festivals, which

are another way to experience the state’s cuisine, and other aspects of its culture and history.

Excellent Louisiana food is “a given” at any of the 400 festivals held annually, (Louisiana Travel,

2011) which celebrate almost every crop harvest, indigenous dish, and the many genres of music

found in the state. The top ten most popular festivals, in order, are Mardi Gras, Festival

International de Louisiane, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,


Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Mudbug Madness, Contraband Days, Red River Revel,

Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, and Essence Music Festival (Top Events USA, 2011).

Mardi Gras is not only the most popular, but the most lucrative festival Louisiana hosts.

According to the most recent economic study by Tulaine University, it has a direct impact of

over $145 million, and an indirect impact of $322 million to the New Orleans economy annually

(Baus, 2010). Its roots stem back to 1522 when Pope Gregory XIII made it an official Christian

Holiday. He placed it on the last day of Carnival, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, in order to

ensure all revelry took place before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins (Retz, 2009).

Product Lifecycle. Most travel to Louisiana occurs between during Spring and early

Summer, particularly from February to May (Louisiana Office of Tourism, 2011). The weather

during this time is most favorable, and seven of the top ten festivals, including Mardi Gras and

Jazz Fest, occur during these months. The remainder of most tourism occurs during late Fall and

early Winter, when it is more affordable to travel and the weather is still reasonably mild. Most

importantly both of these time frames allow travelers to avoid hurricane season, the months of

June, July, August, and September (AOL Travel, 2011). This time period is also avoided due to

the extreme heat and humidity that accompany the late Summer months. Conversely, this is by

far the most affordable time to travel to Louisiana.

Industry Analysis The overall Gulf Coast Tourism industry has built itself around its ability

to offer coastal attractions. For Louisiana, that is seafood, for most other states, it is the promise

of access to beautiful beaches (Kart, 2010). Though most competitor’s beaches were relatively

undamaged aside from the isolated tar balls washing ashore, travelers have a much different

perception. As a result, the entire Gulf Coast tourism industry is suffering from the BP oil spill.

"Travel is a perception business and the impact of disasters like the BP oil spill on the industry is


actually predictable," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "We

know from this research that the oil spill will have long-term effects on businesses and jobs in

the Gulf Coast" (Kart, 2010).

An industry analysis by Oxford Economics projects the effects of the spill on tourism to

last for three years, and collectively cost the entire region almost $23 billion (Kart, 2010). Also,

as mentioned in the Current Market Place Reality section above, The World Travel and Tourism

Council has downgraded growth forecasts for 2012 from 5.1% to 3.3% (WTTC, 2011). This

combination of industry realities has lead to the unification of Gulf States to increase tourism

through the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition and the Voices of the Gulf advertising campaign.

The Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition aims to rebuild and enhance the image of Gulf seafood

(Louisiana Seafood News, 2011), and the Voices of the Gulf is a BP sponsored television and

radio ad campaign featuring spokespersons from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.

The goal of the campaign is to encourage tourist to vacation to the Gulf, and show them the

current condition of the attractions (Louisiana Gulf Response, 2011).

Consumer Analysis

Who is the target? R.E.G has identified Baby Boomers and Generation Y in Texas,

Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama as the primary and secondary target

audiences for this campaign. These states historically account for 75% of Louisiana’s visitors,

and 85% of the one billion overnight trips taken in the United States are from drive in markets

(Mercenaries, 2008).


R.E.G. has selected Baby Boomers as the primary target audience in this market because

they are the most populous age group in the South. Baby Boomers currently control over 80% of

personal financial assets and more than 50% of discretionary spending power in the United

States. By July 2011 they will be responsible for more than half of all consumer spending

including 80% of all leisure travel (Natsu, 2010). Baby boomers hold 26.1 percent of the

nation’s population and are most likely to be involved in annual tourism.

Who is the primary audience? Baby Boomers who are born 1947-1966 will be the

primary target audience in this Campaign (Mercenaries, 2008). This generation is going to be

retired or are soon to be retired from the work force. This audience has flexibility in their lives to

travel because most of this audience does not have dependents living in the home, and are

typically retired. This audience also currently still makes or did make middle to upper class

income, of at least $50,000 or more (DeNavas, 2011).

What do we know about them? Baby Boomers are in the middle to upper class income

level with at least a Bachelor’s Degree and are not tied down by a family which gives them

flexibility for leisure tourism (Mercenaries, 2008). Most of the tourism in Louisiana comes from

wanting to try the local cuisine (53%), wanting to visit a particular city (50%), visiting friends

and family (31%), going to see a particular attraction that only Louisiana has to offer (43%), and

wanting to visit one of the many unique festivals that this state has to provide (24%) (MDRG,

2011). All of these popular attractions in Louisiana are something that will appeal greatly to the

baby boomer population because they are very effective ways to experience the culture, and

require minimal physical activity to participate. Recent studies show that 65% of the Baby

Boomer population is still married, which will allow this campaign to appeal to both genders.


This will help the “It’s Time...” campaign because if one gender is not completely persuaded the

other gender will be the deciding factor in the decision to travel to Louisiana.

With seafood being the primary reason behind visitation to Louisiana, the campaign will

be very influential to a specific type of visitor, the culinary traveler. Culinary Travelers are those

who travel with cuisine or beverages acting as the most important factor in deciding their

destination for tourism. This may include going to food markets, tours of farms, wineries, food-

related factories, attending lectures or demonstrations conducted by a local chefs, or attending

cooking classes or schools. They usually partake in several other festivities that could boost the

economy of other areas of tourism (Wellner, 2011).

Most culinary travelers are going to be affluent Baby Boomers who do not have any

dependents. The Culinary Traveler makes for an ideal archetype with these Baby Boomers not

having dependents, as well as being retired, which enables them to have more disposable income

and time to travel at their leisure. Ultimately, Culinary Travelers see food as entertainment in

itself (Wellner, 2011). Louisiana’s distinct cajun and creole taste will be a blatant feature that the

campaign will heavily rely on to attract these people.

Where are they located? According to a 2011 survey conducted by the Lt. Governor of

Louisiana, the state’s target market lies in the Southern region of the country. When participants

were asked if they would visit Louisiana for leisure purpose, the origins of positive respondents,

in order from most likely to least likely, were ranked as the following: Florida, Louisiana, Texas,

Mississippi and Alabama. Florida had the most positive response with 50% of the audience from

the Southern market probable to visit Louisiana during the next 12 months. Next was Louisiana

with 42%, followed by Texas (33%), Mississippi (14%), and Alabama (12%) (Anderson, 2011).


The following statistical data regarding the audiences’ presence in the target markets was

provided by the University of Texas at Arlington’s SimplyMap database:

Mississippi

Jackson. 38,327 baby boomers 47, 562 young adults.

Florida.

Jacksonville. The city is the prime target of the state because of its state-

wide leading numbers of our target audience, and lower level of inner-city

attractions compared to peers like Miami or Orlando. The city of

Jacksonville leads all of its peers within Florida with over 196,000 total

population of the baby boomer age group. It is also the leader of Florida

cities with population rank of our secondary audience (18-34 age group)

containing 205,801 of these young adults.

Miami. Miami is easily the stiffest competition of the Florida cities due to

its prominence of beaches and festivities in tourism. Miami ranks second

in the baby boomer population with 100,372, and also with Young Adults

listing at 91,369.

Tampa Bay. Tampa comes in at third with a total of 79,199 baby boomers

and 84,925 young adults.

Texas.

Houston. Houston leads all southern cities in the United States in terms of

total population, and adherents of our target audiences. It is also a well-

known city for its musical performances and nightclubs. Houston leads


Texas cities in both target audiences’ population count with 498,713 baby

boomers and 648,129 young adults.

San Antonio. San Antonio comes in at second in regards to the baby

boomer population with 297,108, but third with young adults at 349,927.

Dallas-Fort Worth. The city of Dallas is a popular city amongst tourists to

the south. However, attracting visitors from the city will be challenged

with other Texas cities like Austin and Houston. Due to the state’s size, it

is less time-consuming to travel from Dallas to Shreveport, than it is to

commute from Dallas to the previously mentioned cities in Texas. The

DFW Metropolis boasts a strong population of both audiences when

calculated integrally, yet still behind Houston. Baby boomers are

accountable for 400,228 of the populations with young adults standing in

at 589,021.

Austin. Austin is the capitol of Texas which has a very unusual culture.

The city is a gateway for different types of artistic influences as exhibited

through their renowned music festivals like the SXSW. With Louisiana

having such a musically-influenced culture, R.E.G. will emphasize these

aspects through the advertising. Austin consists of 161,109 baby boomers

and 289,385 young adults. The population of the young adults derives

from one of the South’s largest and most notable colleges, the University

of Texas.

Louisiana.


New Orleans. The city is a local staple for entertainment and activities in

the state. New Orleans is home of 94,042 baby boomers and 107,761

young adults. It is still the most populated city of Louisiana and is a main

attraction of state.

Baton Rouge. Within the city reside 50, 695 baby boomers and 74,626

young adults. Baton Rouge is located only at a few counties away from

New Orleans. With both cities being located so closely, it can be assessed

that most of the residents here are most likely to have visited New Orleans

more than Shreveport. The city of Shreveport is located at the North of the

state which makes for less convenient travel, and more than likely fewer

visitations from Baton Rouge inhabitants.

Shreveport. Shreveport is host to 50,236 baby boomers and 47,079 young

adults. The citizens here are more prone to visit the casinos of Shreveport

rather than New Orleans.

Alabama.

Birmingham. Birmingham is Alabama’s most populous city having 58,646

baby boomers and 58,988 young adults.

Georgia.

Atlanta. The city is known as a destination for performing artists to record

music. Atlanta has a significant presence of our primary and secondary

audiences that could possibly offer better results in visitation than some of

the less populated states like Alabama and Louisiana. Atlanta is home to

112,558 baby boomers and 159,764 young adults.


What are the key insights? Baby Boomers look for more from their vacations than those

of other generations. They also have traveled enough to gain substantial experience on traveling,

and will be a significant part of demand due to their high population numbers. These people are

middle to upper class with at least a Bachelor’s degrees and are looking to visit and have a good

time while of vacation. They also come to experience a different kind of living because

Louisiana is distinct from other states that are in the Southern region. This same audience is very

adventurous and look to travel as a form of entertainment. For the Baby Boomer, travel is a

much sought after form of leisure. When visiting, they want to learn things on their trip. For

some, travel is something they have pursued but have been unable to do so with responsibilities

like raising a family or building a career (Werner, 2006).

What are the primary needs we will be meeting? Our target market is looking to come

to Louisiana to experience a different kind of culture than they are use to through cuisine,

attractions, and the overall different atmosphere that Louisiana has to offer. R.E.G. will provide

information on where to experience excitement, relaxation, and adventure for our tourist. The

target audience will be looking for specific things to do in the state like site seeing, gambling,

music festivals, and experiencing the different kinds of seafood that Louisiana has to offer

(MGRD, 2011).

Due to the B.P. Oil Spill and the negative opinions of the seafood influencing $153

million lost in visitor spending, R.E.G intends to fill any cuisine needs by providing information

and locations which will be available on the websites showing the top seafood chef’s and their

restaurants. (Economics, 2011) Some of these include: John Folse, owner of Lafitte’s Landing

Restaurant. (Folse, J. 2009) Paul Prudhomme, owner of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen ( McNulty,


2011) and John Besh, owner of seven New Orleans restaurants: August, Besh Steak, Lüke, La

Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, and Domenica (McNulty, 2011).

This campaign’s primary target audience being Baby Boomers are in their late 50’s to

early 60’s which means that in order to meet the needs of this audience the campaign will show

this generation the less physical activities and attractions that Louisiana has to offer. Baby

Boomers will enjoy the seafood that has been tested and cleaned though numerous government

and local organizations, gambling in hotels, site seeing, and the different kind of festivals that

occur in Louisiana.

Due to 59.5% of Baby Boomers living in an intuitional home, this campaign will offer

information leading these tourists to temporary living accommodations that provide around the

clock service in order to full fill any needs that may come up.

With traveling to see friends and family being one of the top five reasons for visiting

Louisiana this campaign will also lead tourist in the right direction to any family friendly

attractions that will have these tourists along with any children entertained for however long their

stay maybe (MGRD, 2011). Some Major tourist attractions that will appeal to this target

audience and meet their needs while on vacation to Louisiana include the New Orleans French

Quarter, the Cajun Country, antebellum plantation homes, Jazz, distinctive food, deep sea and

freshwater fishing, hunting, the Mardi Gras and more than 400 other festivals, swampland tours,

hiking and camping, canoeing and Mississippi River boat rides (Louisiana, n.d.). R.E.G. intends

to meet every need of every target audience tourist that decides to travel to Louisiana.

How should we talk to them/not talk to them? (TONE) Louisiana has been hit by an

extreme disaster that has left a negative opinion toward this state because of the B.P. Oil Spill

therefore, R.E.G will have an up-beat, positive tone when talking to the target audience. Showing


the target audience that the seafood is safe to eat and has been through extensive testing from

government and local agencies in order to make sure that it is safe since the oil spill (BP

Exploration and Production Inc.,2010). As a company R.E.G. will hit head on to the awareness

of the seafood in Louisiana because if people feel like they cannot eat the food they will not

travel there, which is why an estimated $691 million will be lost by 2013 from leisure travelers

to this state (Economic, 2011).

When discussing the seafood a serious tone will be put into use in order to persuade the

target audience that the seafood is safe and healthy to eat. Ultimately people want to travel to

have a fun and safe time on their vacation which means the advertisements will include fun

entertaining music, pictures, and be very colorful in order to influence the audience’s opinion of

negativity to turn to a more positive outlook at Louisiana.

Are there any secondary audiences (including dealers and trade)? R.E.G has chosen

a second target audience to be the Generation Y’s who are 18-34 years of age. Generation Y

ranked as the second most populous age group in the U.S. with an estimated Population of 80

million and likely to grow to 100 million with immigration (IED, 2011). Generation Y spends an

estimated $200 billion a year with a great influence on how their parents spend their income as

well (IEG, 2011).

These young adults have very young children in their homes or are without children, both

circumstances make it easier for travel than those between the 35-44 age ranges, who usually

have older children who are involved with different activities in their social groups.

Generation Y are usually right out of college with a bachelors degree who are

just entering the work force. This target has a lot of flexibility in their time due to not having a

family yet which means that there is not a dependant to worry about. Generation Y best suits this


campaign because they are still young and want to travel right out of college before they settle

down with families.

What is important to the secondary audience? Louisiana is relatively inexpensive as

far as most vacationing states go which appeals to the Generation Y target audience because their

income is not quite at middle due to just entering the work force they are starting with $22,500 a

year (Elderly Journal, 2011). Targeting the southern states leads to a drive in market, which is

least expensive and it appeals to Generation Y.

An important attribute that this campaign will focus on for our secondary target markets

is all the clean up and restorations that have been made to Louisiana after the B.P. Oil Spill that

occurred recently costing them an estimated $5 billion (Nastu, 2011).

Generally the younger audiences want things that lead to adventure and excitement which

is what Louisiana’s beaches and coast lines have to offer. Providing information about what has

been done to clean up the coast line for the Generation Y will help this campaign succeed in the

persuasion to visit Louisiana.

Generation Y sees the importance of the good time they will have in Louisiana. Providing

them with the best places to gamble, eat seafood, swim, and lay on the beach will greatly

improve this campaign which will be included in all advertisements and websites.

What does our audience think/feel about us? The B.P. Oil Spill really damaged the

image of Louisiana for the entire country. Crime rates went up and the beaches became dirty

along with contaminated sea food that could not be eaten because of the contaminated fish. Both

of these disasters left not only our primary audience but our secondary audience with negative

thoughts and feelings toward Louisiana. Even after the re-building of Louisiana’s coastal line

both target audiences still have a negative opinion of the environment and safety of the state.


These targets feel like traveling to Louisiana would be more of a risk, therefore they do

not travel to this state and book their travels to other leading competitors.

Are there any barriers/obstacles to overcome? The biggest barrier that needs to be

dealt with is the negative opinion that our target audiences have toward Louisiana. Building up a

positive outlook of our state after the B.P. oil spill is key to this campaign. Showing the target

audiences that the beaches are safe, the seafood is good, all steps in cleaning up the oil have been

taken, and the water is clean is intuitive in changing their minds.

The negative outlook toward our state is so great that people do not want to travel to

Louisiana which caused a decrease of 0.08% of base line forecast by 2013 (Economics, 2011).

Showing that the beaches, the fish, and the re-building from the oil spill has made the state better

than before and getting our target to believe it is the biggest obstacle to overcome.

What do they think/feel about the competition/category? Louisiana provides things

that

are one of a kind but other states do have imitations of them for example; seafood, one of a kind

Jazz music, along with casinos, and beaches. However, because of the overall negative look at

the state the competition is one up. Louisiana has casinos but so does Vegas, this state has

seafood but so do many other states, and Louisiana has jazz music but everyone else has them

too. Louisiana is the last place people think of because the oil spill has damage the perception

and when tourists plan their vacations the negative opinions make them skip over Louisiana.

Consumers think that the seafood is not safe and the beaches are not clean which means the

competition is more likely to get the tourists at this point. Overall the competition at this point in

time, is more likely to get the tourist that this campaign is targeting because there is not a


negative opinion held about them. You might want to rephrase this because all the other Gulf

States are dealing with the same problem, just not to the same extent.

What will they think/feel about us after the communication? After the

communication of our campaign which will include; advertisements on T.V., Radio, Direct mail,

and magazines our target market will see the fun positive things that Louisiana can provide. The

most important thing that the target audience will see is the enormous change in our state after

the clean up from the oil spill. This should be talking about the change of the view on the safety

of seafood, not the clean up. They will feel more inclined to visit Louisiana because of the view

R.E.G. will show them in the communication. Ultimately, our target audiences will have a

different perception about Louisiana and the oil spill after contact is made. This will then lead to

more tourists coming into Louisiana which will increase the baseline travel from the decrease of

0.08% (Economics, 2011).

What do we want them to do after the communication? After the communication

from this campaign, R.E.G. wants the target audiences to ultimately travel to Louisiana.

However, getting the targets to research the information provided on all of the websites for the

campaign about the oil spill is the number one goal for R.E.G. Researching the state and the

cleanup will hopefully change the current perception the consumers have about the seafood,

beaches and coastline. Changing the negative outlook of Louisiana to a positive is the biggest

goal this agency wants the target audience to do. If this campaign effects the target audiences

like R.E.G. wants it to, it will make the targets actually take a trip to Louisiana for a vacation.

Why will they change their mind? R.E.G. will show the target audiences ways to

research all the testing of the seafood, water, and beaches which will change the way they think

of Louisiana at this current time. Along with influencing the target audiences with the positive


advertisements and websites put in place to help change their minds will persuade them into a

more positive mind set about Louisiana. This campaign will also show the target audience how

fun, entertaining, and positive Louisiana has become since the oil spill.

What are some of the real reasons? The state now has test evidence that proves the

allegations made against seafood and the environmental state of Louisiana beaches are false.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths ● Superb Local Cuisine ● Variety of Cultural, Historical, and

Outdoor Attractions ● Interesting Fairs and Festivals ● Gaming ● Memorandum of Understanding

Weaknesses ● BP Oil Spill ● Travelers Do Not Feel Louisiana

Offer A Safe Or Clean Envioronment

Opportunities ● Increase Regional Tourism ● Utilize Seafood Safety Testing

Results ● Two Year Anniversary of Oil Spill

Threats ● Concerns About Seafood Safety ● The Economy and Staycations ● Ongoing Threat of Another

Hurricane or Tropical Storm


Strengths. Louisiana’s main attribute is its culture. Therefore the strengths of the state

revolve around the what allows travelers to experience the culture. The best example of this is

the local cuisne. It incorporates the French, Spanish, and African heritage influences of

Louisiana’s history, and is the central focus of life and celebration to a true Cajun or Creole

(Beggs, 1992). Travelers recognize this, and over half of those that visit Louisiana come for the

food (MDRG, 2011). This genre of cooking is unique to Louisiana, therefore travelers must

actually visit the state for an authentic Cajun or Creole dining experience.

The Memorandum of Understanding between BP has greatly strengthened Louisiana’s

ability to market itself as an attractive tourist destination. The memorandum stated that BP would

provide $78 million to Louisiana to help rebuild its tourism industry. $30 million was allocated

to individual parishes according to the extent each was affected by the spill, another $30 million

was dedicated to the Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to promote the local seafood, and

$18 million was used for seafood safety testing (British Petroleum Exploration and Production,

2010). This is another testament to the importance of seafood in Louisiana, and the results of this

testing can be used as a major factor in the fight against misconceptions about the state’s seafood.

Weaknesses. The damage the oil spill ensued on the wildlife, environment, and

reputation of Louisiana is a major weakness. It physically damage the most valuable commodity

of the state, and gave competitors an advantage over the state in two ways. First, due to

Louisiana’s proximity to the spill, it bore the brunt of the effects of the spill giving competitors

aesthetic advantage. Second, also due to Louisiana’s proximity to the spill, the media associated

it with the spill more than any other coastal state competitors in headlines and news broadcasts.

As a result, travelers feel that Louisiana cannot offer a safe or clean environment. This is

an area of great concern because a safe and secure environment is the most important factor


travelers seek when planning a leisure trip, and a clean environment ranks third. Louisiana

currently ranks last and second to last respectively in these areas, among seven other categories

(MDRG, 2011).

Opportunities. An opportunity exists to increase tourism in regional markets, namely

Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. These regional travelers are 26%

more likely to visit Louisiana than national markets, (MDRG, 2011) and historically this market,

otherwise known as the drive-in market, accounts for 75% of the state’s visitors (Anderson,

2011).

This can most easily be accomplished by utilizing the results of the seafood safety testing

funded by BP. Not only are the test results favorable, Louisiana’s seafood is the most tested

seafood in the world due to the generous funding (Lallo, 2010). This information should make

travelers feel safer eating Louisiana seafood than seafood from any other source, and therefore

increase tourism among those that were previously hindered by concerns about seafood.

Threats. Despite extensive testing, concerns about seafood continue to inhibit tourism to

Louisiana (MDRG, 2011). Many believe rumors that commercial fishing is allowed where oil is

present, and that no regulations have been put in place to ensure contaminated seafood is not sold.

In addition to this, the economy, unemployment, and high gas prices have been hindering

travelers since the economic downturn began in 2008 (Charters, Marcell, Ortiz & Ripoll, 2009).

These conditions lead to a trend called “stay-cationing”, otherwise known as substituting a

typical travel vacation for one at home. Though stay-cations arose as a thing of necessity, they

remain as a long-term threat to tourism as participants have found rediscovering their own

surroundings to be a very rewarding process (Manolis, 2010). The World Travel and Tourism


Council has recently downgraded Tourism and Travel growth forecasts for 2012 due to global

financial deterioration and the threat of the return of a U.S. recession (WTTC, 2011).

Problem Statement/Objective Statement/Strategy Statement

Problem Statement

What Is The Problem? Tourists are not choosing Louisiana as a travel destination

because they are under the impression the local seafood is still contaminated from the BP oil spill,

therefore they will not be able to experience the lifeblood of the culture as exemplified through

the superb local cuisine.

Objective Statement

What do we want to accomplish? Increase a favorable view of Louisiana’s seafood among

Baby Boomers and Gen Ys by 35% and return visitor spending to the baseline forecast by

December 2012.

What would indicate success? The return to the previously forecasted baseline spending

of $8 billion by December 2012. Post-survey results indicating positive perceptions of

Louisiana’s seafood and shorelines. A rise in welcome center visitors, hotel rooms sold, auto

rentals by persons from out of state, air enplanements, state park visitors, gaming, revenue, and

fishing license revenue (Tourism, 2011).

How might we measure that success? Revenues reported by casinos, hotels, fishing

licenses, car rental services, state parks, and state airports. Surveys, website hits, and information

requests from websites, magazines, and brouches.

How might we measure the contribution of different communication elements?


Commercials, radio ads, and billboards can be measured by calls to specific 1-800 numbers

designated to each form of advertisement and documenting the caller location among other

standard question. Neilson and Arbitron ratings be used as a counter measure for TV and radio 1-

800 numbers. Website traffic can be measured by unique visitor hits and information requests

made online, and online ads can be measured through click through response and gross

impressions.

Strategy Statement

How Will We Accomplish These Results? Travelers must feel they can safely

experience the culture of Louisiana. R.E.G. will correct the misconceptions that cause Baby

Boomers and Generation Y in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia, to

think otherwise by demonstrating seafood being safely consumed, and instill a positive view of

seafood with the favorable results of extensive seafood safety testing. Advertising will convey a

confident, positive, and reassuring tone.

Strategy Model.

Attributes. Louisiana borders the Gulf of Mexico, one of only five U.S. states to

do so.

Features. Because of its location, Louisiana is home to five major ports, two of

which are the largest in the U.S., in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Other port

cities include Lake Charles, La Place/Luling, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard

(Entergy, 2011). These ports account for 25% of all U.S. waterborne exports

(Louisiana, n.d.).


Product Benefits. Commercial fishing is abundant. Louisiana supplies 25% of all

seafood in the U.S. and is the largest producer of shrimp and oysters nationwide.

The freshness and abundance of seafood is a major draw for tourism, which

brings about $5.2 billion in revenue to the state each year (Louisiana, n.d.).

Consumer Benefits. Seafood restaurants are plentiful and supplied with fresh,

quality food that is hard to find affordably in bordering states. The Cajun culture

is represented through styles of cooking that are unique to the state, therefore

differentiating from other coastal states and appealing to tourists.

Values. The ability to partake in a unique and exquisite dining experience appeals

to the value of experiencing the culture of others, that lies within most travel

enthusiasts.

Creative Brief

1. What is the Opportunity and/or Problem which the advertising must address?

Tourists are not choosing Louisiana as a travel destination because they are under the impression

the local seafood is still contaminated from the BP oil spill, therefore they will not be able to

experience the lifeblood of the culture as exemplified through the superb local cuisine.

2. What do we want people to do as a result of the advertising?

Overcome the uncertainty that Louisiana’s seafood is unsafe, and ultimately travel to the state to

experience it first-hand.

3. Who are we talking to?


Baby Boomers and Generation-Ys in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and

Alabama. Both of these audiences see tourism as a source of entertainment, and usually do not

have dependents, which allows for more disposable time and income to travel. The target within

these groups is the culinary traveler - those who travel for unique and memorable eating or

drinking experiences. They view cuisine as a means of experiencing the culture of others.

4. What is the Key Response we want from the advertising??

“Wow, Louisiana’s seafood has come a long way since the oil spill. It’s time to visit again…”

5. What information/attributes might help produce this response?

Louisiana’s seafood is the most rigorously tested seafood in the world. The state is transparent

with the results of this testing, and they are readily available for people to view online. Louisiana

supplies 25% of the nation’s seafood, which means it is possible critics are already consuming

seafood from Louisiana.

6. What aspect of the Brand Personality should the advertising express?

The unique Cajun and Creole culture expressed as a safe, fun, entertaining, and one-of-a-kind

experience in the South.

7. Are there any media or budget considerations?

BP has dedicated $30 million to the Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to market the local

seafood and promote its safety.

8. This could be helpful…

We want to capitalize on the favorable test results provided by the government about the safety

of Louisiana’s seafood.

9. What is the key insight?


Over half of those that travel to Louisiana come for the food. The local cuisine is one of the

finest reflections of Louisiana’s diverse historical background, and what travelers consider to be

the best way to experience the culture. If they do not feel they can safely partake in this

experience, they will not come.

Tactics

How Can We Best Reach The Audience? The campaign that R.E.G will execute to

deliver the intended messages to the audience will be carried out over several means of

communication: advertising, sales promotions, public relations, and direct mail. British

Petroleum has provided $30 million for the state of Louisiana to devote to promoting seafood

throughout the media, which will serve as the budget for the communication tools that have been

chosen to utilize (Memorandum, 2010).

Public Relations. To contribute in conveying the envisioned messages to the target

audiences, R.E.G. will write a series of press releases that coincide with the advertising. The

beginning of the campaign will include a news release for each of the following actions: the

announcement of the “It’s Time...” campaign, the sponsoring of seafood for two prominent

cooking shows, and the release of information pertaining to the safety of Louisiana. Each news

release will be accompanied by resource links or information on how consumers can research the

purpose of the campaign. Releasing these messages during the first month will serve as a

momentum-builder for attaining the sought response from consumers.


During the middle phase of the campaign, a news release covering the third sponsorship

of a cooking show, and a cover stories of Louisiana restaurants will be sent to various news

outlets. This third and final sponsorship will help slightly boost energy and awareness of the

messages while the cover stories will provide an in-depth look at Louisiana’s current state. The

stories will be relevant to those who have already been reached through other means of the

Marcom Mix, and attempt to persuade any undecided consumers. This phase of news releases are

significant because they will be released a month before summer begins; April 2, 2011.

Sponsorships. Several types of events and activities can be sponsored, that is, financially

supported from a third party, either to subliminally or obviously promote some key benefit of a

product or service. In 2010, expenses for sponsorships in North America slightly surpassed $17

billion (IEG, 2011). R.E.G. will look to capitalize on this element of the Marcom Mix by fully

sponsoring three episodes on cooking shows with a “seafood” theme. Doing so will show the

public on various noteworthy programs that Louisiana’s food is utilized by some of the top chefs

in the world. Programs like Hell’s Kitchen (Fox), 30 Minute Meals (Food Network), and

America’s Test Kitchen will be sought for their prominence and famous hosts like Gordon

Ramsay or Rachael Ray.

Advertisements. Advertising is a paid form of communication that can be used as a tool

to deliver messages to the mass audience, with the wanted result from a consumer usually being

some action taken towards a product or service. The 2010 total expenditures for advertising in

the U.S. rose by 6.5% from the previous year, which was an increase of about $9 billion, to a

total of $131 billion (Hoffman, 2011). It is still one of the most important functions of a

company or organization with 32% of all Marcom Mix spending being allocated to advertising


alone (Thumbnail Media Planner, 2010). The following is an analysis of how each media, and its

mediums, will be used to advertise the campaign’s message to the target audiences:

Television. 116 million U.S. households have a television in their home, which is

the equivalent of a 99% of the nation’s population (TMP, 2010). This medium is one of

the most frequently exposed options for audiences, and the combination of sound and

sight brings vividness to the ad that is irreplaceable.

Spot Television. To better target audiences with television, the media plan

will include buying spot advertisements within the listed cities of the target

market.

Cable. Ninety percent of U.S. HHs with a TV has cable television.

Expenditures for this medium led all other television options with $21.5 billion in

2010 (TMP, 2010). On a weekly basis, cable usually reaches 84% of all TV

households. Gen Y’s account for 58% of cable TV community. Several programs

like MTV, BET, and Comedy Central rank the highest among cable viewing from

the Gen Y’s, while Headline News, A&E, and HGTV lead among shows watched

by Baby Boomers (TMP, 2010).

Radio. Radio advertising is an effective way to reach specific demographics, and

to do so frequently. The cost of radio spots is relatively lower than other media choices.

61% of all adults listen to radio at some point during the day (TMP, 2010). Using radio

as an advertising medium will present the client with opportunities to provide information

on promotions and events related to the product or service. The most common topics on

radio stations are those integrated with adult contemporary, classic rock, and urban


culture (TMP, 2010). An ideal goal would be to advertise on at least two radio stations in

each of our targeted cities.

Magazines. The utilization of magazine ads provides the creatives with artistic

ways to not only attract consumers, but to deliver messages as well. The magazine is so

varied in topics that it allows the media planner to target specific consumers on a

psychographic depth. With only a few vehicles it is possible to reach key consumers.

Using a two page spread would result in the highest chance of the ad being recalled.

Magazines will be a key element for the campaign seeing as when it is combined with

television, the result if the most effective combination of media for seeking favorable

attitudes from the consumer (TMP, 2010).Vehicles like National Geographic, Reader’s

Digest, and Time should be considered due to their high numbers of an adult audience

(TMP, 2010). The magazine ads should also target vehicles that the audience of the

region can relate to like: AAA Southern Traveler, Southern Living, and Louisiana

Cookin’.

New Media. The Internet had become a key tool for companies and organizations to

interact with consumers for more vivid feedback. This consumer input allows them to

personalize their messages more to the audience. Though spending on traditional media still

ranks higher, new media is become the fastest growing media choice in advertising (TMP, 2010).

The web also allows for a vast amount of creative options to grab the attention of users. There

are 239 million Internet users and 77% of them have the potential to be reached (TMP, 2010).

Banner Ads. The history of the medium suggest that if used, half banners, rich

media, and vides should be sought for the highest response from users (TMP, 2010).

Costs for banner ads, even on major sites like Yahoo and Youtube, are among the


cheapest of any media in the industry (TMP, 2010). Websites like Vacationfun.com and

Fordors.com should be sought due to their relevance to the target audiences.

Direct Mail. Direct mail is considered the best medium for targeting on all types of

consumer characteristics, whether it be demographics, psychographics, or others (TMP, 2010).

Through this medium mail-in responses will be sent throughout the targeted region to citizens of

the cities that are in pursuit.

Sales Promotion. Sales promotion is a technique used to draw consumers or members of

a distribution channel to a purchase, with a specific incentive to offer. They are ideal for

generating a short and immediate increase in sales revenue, therefore they will be offered during

the months leading up to and during Louisiana’s busiest time of the year, March-August

(Louisiana State University, 2010). R.E.G. will utilize consumer sales promotion to increase

visitation to the state of Louisiana by... This method is supported by the fact that Gen Y’s do not

have as much disposable income as the baby boomers, as mentioned in the consumer analysis.

Where will we advertise? The media campaign that will be implemented will target the

southern region of the U.S. Referring back to the data in the “Target” sections of the Audience

Background, these states produced the highest response amongst citizens likely to visit gulf coast

states since the BP Oil Spill, including Louisiana. The target markets for advertising efforts will

consist of six states (Texas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama) and thirteen

cities (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas-Fort. Worth,

New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Birmingham, Jackson and Atlanta) that will provide us

with the opportunity to maximize on the expected response - more travel to the state of Louisiana.

Expenditures on these ads will differ primarily between larger and smaller states and cities for

populous reasons. Several of these regions are more or less attractive for promotions due to the


presence of the target audiences. Although several of these regions present notable competition

to the campaign, the presented arguments are based on factual data that insists that with a crafty

promotion, some of the areas are suspect to reduction of visitation because of what Louisiana has

to offer.

The following is an analysis of each city and state of the media plan, and why

campaigning there would put the client in the best possible position to succeed. This with factors

like audience, DMAs (Designated Market Area), and several other imperative aspects that favor

attributes of Louisiana. Information regarding the markets stems from The 2011 Thumbnail

Media Planner:

Birmingham, AL. For such a small population Birmingham is ranks about half of the

DMAs at number 40.

Jacksonville, FL. Media-Jacksonville ranks number fifty-two in the top DMAs of the

U.S. 89% of their households have cable TV.

Miami, FL. Miami is the 17th largest DMA of the US. The city accounts for 1.4% of US

HHs with television at 1.6 million.

Tampa Bay, FL. Media-Tampa is 13th in the top DMAs of the US. The market is

responsible for 1.5% of U.S. TV HHs with 1.7 million.

Atlanta, GA. Media-Atlanta boasts one of the largest media markets in the country,

breaking the top 10 at 9. The city possesses a little over 2 million TV HHs which is 1.8% of the

nation’s total.

Baton Rouge, LA. Media-With such small population numbers, Baton Rouge managed

to break the top 100 DMAs coming in at 96th.

New Orleans, LA. Media-New Orleans is 43rd in DMAs of the US.


Shreveport, LA. Media-Shreveport’s media market is 81st in the US.

Jackson, MS. Media-Despite having a population of 173,514, the city of Jackson,

Mississippi ranks in 90 of the top media markets of the U.S.

Austin, TX. Media-Austin has the 53rd largest DMA of the US.

DFW, TX. Media-Dallas-Ft. Worth is one of the nation’s top media markets ranking at

7th in the DMAs of the US. The market is host to over 2.4 million TV households.

Houston, TX. Media-Houston positions at 11th in the top DMAs of the country,

accounting for 1.7% of TV households with 2 million.

San Antonio, TX. Media-San Antonio is 37th in the top DMAs of the America.

When Is The Window of Opportunity? The campaign will be targeting the months in

which Louisiana receives its highest amount of tourism traffic, May-August (LSU, 2010).

However, it will take time to build momentum for the campaign so the communication strategies

will begin January 2012 and end on August 12, 2012. Some things to consider during this time

are events like Mardi Gras, Spring Break, and holidays that most employees have off like

Memorial Day (May 28) and Independence Day (July 4). These dates usually result in more

travel, and some larger than others. The distribution of media action will surely and significantly

increase for Mardi Gras, Spring Break, and Independence Day, which lie in the months of

February, March, and July respectively.

Expenses on advertising are predicted to be at its lowest during April and the latter half of

July due to absence of significant holidays and nearing the end of the campaign. Advertising will

need to come to an end during the first half of the last month of summer, specifically at August

12, 2012.


Day Parts: This method will only be applicable to medias that capable of being aired at

certain times of the day, e.g. television and radio.

Prime Time (7-11pm). In 2010, prime time television reached its viewing peak

with young adults during the first two months (January and February) of our campaign.

The prime time viewing for the older half of baby boomers (age 55-64) also peaked

during this same time frame (TMP, 2010). Although the cost for the segment is the most

expensive of all, shows ran during the time consistently have the highest ratings. Prime

Time will not be targeted on radio.

Late Evening (11pm-1am). During that same year, late night viewing by adults

18-34 peaked in the month of February (TMP, 2010). Some of the targeted vehicles will

include late night talk shows (which usually rank high among young adults) like Jimmy

Falon or Conan O’Brien.

Early News (6am-9am). This time segment is tied with “Late Night/Evening” in

second for average household rating in television (TMP, 2010). Judging from the fact that

most of the content is news-oriented, adults will make up the majority of this audience.

Radio will play a significant role in reaching the audiences seeing as most of the morning

broadcasts include news or talk shows.

Quantity (materials).

TV Spots. With television being viewed at it highest during the first two months

of the campaign, advertising should be heavy during this moment to build momentum

and recall. Advertising heavily in January would also give consumers time to plan for

making a trip to Louisiana. TV advertising should also be heavy leading up to the

aforementioned important holidays. Product recall is expected to be established after


Independence Day and should not rollover into August, thus ending television ad

expenses by July 5, 2012. Due to the expense of this medium, the media plan will aim to

have about 10 spots a week, for an approximate total of 240 during the campaign.

REG will implement ads within three magazine subscriptions a month. These

months will include January, February, March, and June. A total of twelve subscriptions

to a monthly magazine will be targeted over the time frame.

Banner Ads. Banner ads are the cheapest form of vehicles in new media. They

will be used to generate attention towards the social media of the campaign and should

implemented a full two weeks before each major holiday or event. This makes for at least

42 daily banner ads during the span of the promotion..

Mandatories. The budget for the campaign is relatively high with $30,000,000 so

spending should not be overbearing. The plans for advertising before big holidays and events

must be met by all means. January and February must have the highest frequency rate of all

months in order to create awareness and lure traffic into the summer.

Integrated Communications This project will work with other elements of this program by

implementing public relations and sponsorship programs such as the current sponsorship

Louisiana has with BP and it’s efforts with restoring the economy by focusing on tourism and

seafood.This project is focused on tourism specifically attracting Baby Boomers and Generation

Y. As a result, the campaign will let the primary and secondary focus group to experience the

culture and change the current perception of the state (citation

http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle800.do?categoryId=9036578&contentId=7067597)


Example Ads

Television 60 second spot:

Fun For All: It’s Time.


Radio: The radio spot would target both Baby Boomers and Generation Y listeners by telling them that the seafood is safe and that the cuisine is like nowhere else.

It’s Time…

“Don’t you think it’s time? 30-second spot

Cast: Announcer Person #1 Person #2 Person #3

Script: Music: Jazz/Blues mix in the background Person #1: Louisiana, there’s no place like it. Person #2: The food is like nowhere else. It’s fresh, local, and clean. Person #3: Shrimp, crab, crawfish; come for it all! Person #1: It’s time. Person #2: It’s time. Person #3: It’s time. Announcer: Don’t you think it’s time? Visit Louisiana. For more information visit

www.itstimevisit.com and www.gulfsource.org


Magazine Ad: This advertising shows the variety of culinary experiences available in Louisiana, which appeals to the Culinary Travelers.


New Media: The use of new media such as the use of Facebook, Twitter, Web Banners, and Mobile Apps, are target to the Generation Y audience, the “Need to know now” generation. The up to the minute information, such as safety seafood testing will be made available to the Generation Y audience at their fingertips.

Facebook

Twitter

Web Banners


Mobile App:


Direct Mail: The magazine created by REG would be distributed to the 6 target states and cities mentioned. The purpose of the magazine would to shed light to the extensive seafood testing as well as how the seafood is being used by local chefs.

Magazine Front Cover Back Cover

Inside the Magazine


Direct Mail Post Card: Like the Magazine, the post card would be distributed to the same states and cities. The post card is a simple advertising that entices the reader by merely asking, “Don’t you think it’s time?”, with pictures of the local cuisine. The question is to make readers want to learn more about Louisiana all that it has to offer as well as take interest on the cuisine.


Sales Promotion: Through the use of LivingSocial.com, a daily deals and discount website, REG will advertise vacationing deals and experiences in Louisiana targeting the frugal consumer, such as Generation Y.


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Mock Advertising Campaign: Louisiana Tourism

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