Student Portfolio
Professional Experience: Over 20 years of Marketing and Promotions in Radio, TV and Print
Educational Background: Master of Science in Marketing & Communication Franklin University, 2012 Bachelor of Science In Communication Ohio University, 1990
Client: Metro Fitness Client and Product Since 1986, Metro Fitness has offered clean and convenient facilities stocked with state-of-the-art exercise equipment and has provided a supportive, positive environment for members and guests. Its mission is to present cutting-edge fitness expertise along with the highest level of customer service providing the most rewarding overall fitness experience possible. Locally owned and operated, our six area locations feature the largest variety of equipment for strength training, cardiovascular workouts and fitness classes and programs. Metro Fitness creates a complete fitness environment for members and visitors alike. Certified personal trainers are always available to answer any questions regarding your fitness goals or to suggest specific products from our Pro Shops. Year after year, Metro Fitness maintains its position as Central Ohio’s true leader in the fitness and nutrition industry. Advertising Goal To get target audience members to sign up for 7 day trial membership and also become members. Strategic Message No commitment membership with 7 day trial membership. Supporting Benefits/Features No commitment memberships 7 day trial membership Convenient locations Childwatch Services 24-7 Center
Benefit A name that is established and renowned for having the latest equipment and best-equipped fitness centers in the world.
Print Ad
TV AD Storyboard
Radio Ad
Client: City of Columbus Title of event: Capital City Circus Tagline – Downtown Columbus Theme: Family Circus Identify the problem being solved: The downtown area has seen a drop in traffic from residents and lower numbers in tourism. Columbus has invested in the downtown area with major projects for renovation and revitalization. Due to the lack of an overall plan and other factors, there has been no comprehensive approach to redevelopment. Housing development has increased, but it is spread across a large area of downtown, minimizing its impact. Likewise, arts and civic anchors are located far apart from one another. There are ample vacant lots, empty buildings and abandoned storefronts, especially along South High Street. In order to be truly successful, downtown needs to develop a critical mass of interconnected residential density, pedestrian activity, arts and civic attractions, and retail destinations. This section will examine these issues in greater detail and set the stage for ideas and strategies that help create a more cohesive and active urban core. http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan
Client: City of Columbus Description of the event (can be bullet points): This circus will give families, teens, young adults, downtown works, residents the chance to experience a circus in the heart of Downtown Columbus. A big top will be the unexpected surprise when the outdoor circus comes to town. The event will feature exotic animal acts, stunts, and traditional circus acts such as clowns, trapeze artists and more. Promotional activities: -Create a passport where people will have to visit various locations to win prizes such as gift cards to restaurants, spa services, salons, fitness, COSI -Nationwide night, City government, college student night -Meet & Greet with performers – restaurants -Preview night COSI – sponsors on site, Costume Characters meet and greet - team up with Costume Specialists -Kids Art Gallery of Circus Theme and Auction to benefit Children’s Hospital – restaurant/gallery -QR code discount – visit locations to scan QRS code to get discount or chance to win prizecodes will be placed on table tents, at register -Misc: Coloring Contests, Kids Eat Free Nights leading up the event, Register to win for family four packs of tickets, Juggling Lessons, Be a clown, clown nose giveaway, Big Top Bucks, ,Gift with Purchase, Big Top Hop, visit all locations and enter to win major prize, Gift with purchase, Make your own mask, Ringmaster
Client: City of Columbus Identify the target audience: Families, teens, young adults, downtown workers, residents - These audiences will be targeted for specific nights such as Nationwide night, government workers night, college student night, etc. How do target market members think and feel about the downtown area now? Downtown is known for city/state Government, theaters, and clubs. Past visitors may not be aware of new developments/parks downtown. State the desired outcomes of the event: Make downtown Columbus a destination for families. Increase tourism from neighboring counties/states. Increase residents visiting from suburbs. Columbus wants to be known for the best place to LIVE - WORK - PLAY. Location (e.g., specify address, indoor, outdoor, etc.): -Columbus Commons, Parking Lots (Arena district, Front Street, or Vets Memorial Lot) -Centennial Park, COSI, restaurants, art galleries Length: 1-2 Weeks Dates of the event (use current calendar): June, after public schools let out for summer vacation. Columbus Public Schools last day is Thursday May 31, 2012.
Logo Design
Direct Mail
Alternative Marketing
Client: Bemis Client and Product Established in 1858 in St. Louis, Missouri, as a manufacturer of machine sewn cotton bags for milled food and grain products, Bemis has played an influential role in the packaging industry ever since its founding. Now a global supplier of flexible packaging and pressure sensitive label materials headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, Bemis serves customers worldwide and produces packaging for products found in virtually every aisle of the grocery store. With 2011 net sales of $5.3 billion, Bemis operates 80 facilities in 12 countries. Over two-thirds of Bemis packaging is used in the food industry, with the balance used in markets including medical, pharmaceutical, chemical and agribusiness. Our pressure sensitive products are used in industries including graphic arts, digital imaging, assembly engineering, communications and medical. Goal To develop dashboards to help Bemis stay focused on marketability, profitability and sustainability.
Dashboard Design
Dashboard Design
Client: Furniture Bank Mission We provide free furniture to families and individuals struggling to furnish their homes due to severe life challenges. Who Do We Help? Clients facing severe life challenges, including:
Homelessness or eviction Low income Relocation Unemployment Mental disease/disability Physical disease/disability Rehabilitation Divorce Fire or robbery Domestic violence
2012 Goals Develop and implement a specific social media audience-
related strategy. Implement a "volunteer club" with incentives, rewards, etc. Increase overall Columbus market awareness from (estimated) 18% to 25%. Recommend strategies for donors.
Fundraising Campaign
Fundraising Campaign
SMS Short Code
TV Ad Story Board
Volunteer Recruitment Campaign
Client: Car Rental Industry PROBLEM The travel industry was not immune to the economic troubles that paralyzed the nation. In addition to man-made and natural disasters, all travel companies have experienced a severe decline in revenue including the rental car industry. The US rental car industry enjoyed over $21.88 billion dollars in total revenue in 2008 (Table 1-1). But after the collapse of the economy, it suffered a loss in 2009 and 2010 of over $2.72 billion dollars. The rental car industry has gained momentum in 2011 with positive growth to $22.4 billion dollars. It appears that the travel industry has rebounded. Travelers have discovered that driving is more economical compared to the price of flying (Auto Rental News, 2010). More families and professionals are hitting the road for vacations and business trips. It is estimated that in 2012 rental car revenues will exceed $24 billion dollars. In order to compete during this recovery period and increase market share, it is important to determine what consumers want from a rental car company and what constitutes a great customer experience.
METHODOLOGY We were charged with creating a 10-question survey designed to obtain customer feedback on how this car rental company is perceived compared to its competitors. Survey questionnaires are an excellent market research tool to understand perception, opinion, customer loyalty, behavior and ultimately purchase decisions. The survey was designed to uncover answers to specific questions that were determined as important to the research objectives. For the purpose of this market research, the computer-assisted survey was the selected method of data collection. Online tools such as Survey Monkey allow for efficient and economical collection of data (Kanuk & Schiffman, 2010, p. 260). The online questionnaire provided the flexibility and realtime analysis needed for this research project. Question development for this survey focused on attitudes, behavior, and beliefs (Kanuk & Schiffman, 2010, p. 306). In addition, the survey was focused, simple, brief, and crystal clear (Kanuk & Schiffman, 2010, p. 308). To ensure the best results, the survey was pre-tested, reviewed and revised to avoid functional problems. The goal of this survey was to obtain responses from a minimum of 30 respondents. The data collected was evaluated and reviewed by the marketing research team to provide this analysis and recommendations.
ANALYSIS The survey was sent to 66 individuals. There were 36 that participated in the survey with three stating that they had never rented a car. The final sample size was 33 respondents, giving us a 50% response rate. The profile of the sample included 4 business travelers, 26 leisure travelers and 3 respondents that rent cars for both business and leisure. All traveled 1-5 times per year. Online reservations (63.3%) were the preferred reservation tool followed by phone reservations (24.2%) and then in-person reservations (12.1%). Weekend rentals were the most popular length of rentals at 62.5%, next was one week rentals at 34.3% and last, one day rentals at 3.1%. The top vehicles rented included midsize and full-size cars. The primary rental car companies used were Enterprise, Hertz, Budget, and Dollar. Price and location influenced the decision to use a particular rental car company. Online coupon codes and AAA were the most popular discount programs. The most important amenities were smoke free vehicles, unlimited miles, and pick up and drop off services. A majority of the respondents were not members of a loyalty program. Further analysis revealed that business respondents had a varied response. The primary reservation method was online. The preferred type of rental cars included compact, midsize, and full size. The most important amenities for business travelers were smoke free vehicles, unlimited miles, pick up and drop off services, and GPS. Four out of the seven respondents used loyalty programs with Enterprise being the top loyalty program.
RECOMMENDATIONS/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS Based on these findings, the research team offers three recommendations. First, to maintain customer loyalty, it will be necessary to build relationships with consumers. Many of the respondents indicated that price was the deciding factor. Therefore, if consumers are shopping for the best price, there is no guarantee that they will be repeat customers. Using social media, QRS codes, and reintroducing loyalty programs can assist with building loyalty. The second recommendation relates to marketing messages. It is necessary to focus on the two primary target audiences of business traveler and leisure traveler. For the leisure traveler, marketing messages will need to highlight the amenities that are desired by these consumers in addition to the appropriate promotion such as coupon codes and specials. Business travelers will need to have a different marketing approach focusing on the loyalty program, convenience and service. The last recommendation is directed to the individual store fronts of the rental company. On-site managers will need to be aware of the amenities that the customers enjoy and to strive to maintain a high standard to ensure that these amenities are in excellent condition. For example, managers and line workers will need to stress to renters about the smoke-free policy so that this amenity will be fulfilled for future renters. Improving the customer experience is one of the most important goals in 2012. As travelers continue to show growing frustration with airlines and airport security, more will turn to renting a vehicle to avoid the hassles and high prices. These customers demand a positive, convenient, and affordable rental experience and it is our job to ensure that this is exactly what they will receive from our company.
CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the use of an online survey questionnaire has been a beneficial marketing research tool for this car rental company. The survey offered competitive analysis data and was in line with the company’s assumptions. The data also indicated the need for further research to have a more in depth understanding of the customer rental car experience. Upon additional research, it was found that these survey results mirrored national statistics. According to US Travel Association, “auto is the primary means of transportation used by leisure visitors (76%) who traveled for leisure purposes� (US Travel Association, n.d.) and 78% of our respondents were leisure travelers. It was also noted that one-infive US adults plan business trips at least once a year where 4.7 respondents were business travelers that stated they travel 1-5 times per year. It was determined that the survey had limitations to gauging a full customer experience. The qualifying questions were structured well and the general car rental information questions were help. However, the survey lacked specific customer experience questions that could discuss customer satisfaction and loyalty. Demographics and other pertinent information were also not included due to the restriction on the number of questions permitted. Of the 36 survey responses, 2 of the 3 that never used a rental car company proceeded to respond to the survey questions. This was a concern that the survey data would not be valid. Upon further review, the online survey tool allows for respondents to be removed from the sample if not meet the criteria in the qualifying questions.
Survey Questionnaire
Survey Results