Reference no: EM133775832
Assignment: Marketing
Case Study - Running Free
Read the following case study and provide short answers to the following questions.
Dog owners constitute a large target market. Most members share something in common: the desire to let the pet run free and unfettered. If other friendly dogs are nearby and want to play-all the better. The Unleashed Dog Park was created to meet this need.
Out-of-home advertising can be the critical component of an IMC program and, in some cases, the primary medium. To help launch the new business venture, a local advertising agency created a feeling of expectancy and mystery with its "Running Free" campaign, which featured the three successive billboards shown in this section.
The first billboard displays a dog on a leash. The unfinished nature of the image helps capture interest. Next, the dog, now with an unfastened leash, moves to the center of the billboard, and "running" appears in the top-right corner. In the final billboard, the dog is on the right side of the billboard, the leash is gone, and the message "Running Free Dog Parks" appears. It also displays the services offered, the website of the park, and the location of the facility. In addition to billboards, street kiosks and bus wraps were used to get the message out.
The early results of the campaign were positive. Many dog owners became aware of the new indoor dog park. What follows represent common challenges in marketing communications: sustaining initial interest, moving consumers to action, and building repeat business.
In this next phase, dog owners needed to be encouraged to try the facility. They should be led to believe that the price of entry was a value. Then, over time, they can be enticed to make return visits and to offer word-of-mouth referrals to other pet owners. Only if these objectives can be attained will the initial success of the Unleashed campaign become validated.
A. Define the marketing goals for the second phase of the Running Free Dog Park promotional efforts.
B. How would the three-exposure hypothesis or recency theory apply to this advertising program in its initial stages? What about the second campaign after consumers are aware of the dog park?
C. Which traditional advertising media should the marketing team use for the second campaign? Discuss the pros and cons of each in terms of the Running Free Dog Park campaign and the desire to stimulate trial usage.
D. How could social media and nontraditional media be used to supplement a traditional media campaign in this circumstance?
E. Design a newspaper ad and an outdoor ad that will be placed at Little League baseball parks in the area.
F. Describe in your own words the characteristics of each of the executional frameworks presented in this chapter. Locate four ads on YouTube that illustrate different types of executions. Explain the execution that is being used in each ad. Provide a rationale for your choice. For each of the four ads you chose, identify the message strategy and appeal used. Explain your reasoning. Provide the URLs for the four ads.