Agency Philosophy

At Marketing Solutions we represent our clients to the best of our abilities through structured
marketing campaigns tailored specifically to clients needs. Through our ability to use multiple
marketing strategies we can maximize potential in a marketplace. We utilize the resources
available to us in our local environment creating sustainable positive growth and future success.

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Executive Summary

Marketing solutions has a goal of providing the highest quality marketing campaign available.
This custom plan is tailored specifically to focus on The Sirens on the Mountains festival taking
place this June. We hope that this plan is implemented as soon as possible in order to increase
awareness levels. Our main objective is to provide an effective message strategy to create overall
awareness of the festival and promote the inclusiveness of the event. By implementing this plan,
the hopeful overall conclusion will raise ticket sales thus leading to a more profitable and
sustainable festival. With those goals in mind, Marketing Solutions developed multiple creative
advertising ideas all-differentiating from one another while having the main theme of A
Celebration for All in mind. This slogan is a snapshot of what our company has put together in
this campaign, and sums up our objectives and goals in a simple statement. The plan is humble,
but effective and reaches the target market we believe is required in order for the festival to be
successful. This target market includes women from the ages of 20-50 that live within a threehour radius of Boone NC. Though we are targeting women, we believe that the all-inclusive
theme of this festival will be portrayed through our advertising plan. The time period associated
with this campaign ranges from the dates of April 15th, 2014 until June 20th, 2014. Due the short
time constraint of three months, our campaign will depend on fast paced, continuous marketing
that will raise awareness while being efficient and cost effective. Based on last years efforts
associated with the festival, we have allocated $8,000 towards advertising in this years
campaign. With the implementation of our radio, print, and Internet advertising, the festival will
hopefully raise sufficient awareness with the use of the campaign theme provided. Our
evaluation techniques will be based primarily on giving attendees and incentive to fill out a short
form at the festival gates about how they found out about the event. Upon completing the form,
attendees will receive a small merchandise piece to thank them. This will help evaluate the
different forms of media that worked the best with this campaign as well as set up information
for future years of the festival. We find this to be a crucial part of our campaign because we
believe it will help direct money towards the most effective forms of media in the years to come.

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REVIEW OF MARKETING PLAN

Industry background
The music industry in Boone is mostly comprised of indoor venues with small capacity in
relativity to surrounding event centers. However, the Boone music industry has small
competition within city limits as it pertains to outdoor festivals but a wide and varied
competition in the surrounding areas. Outdoor festivals that are in comparable markets include
the Musicfest in sugar grove and Merlefest. As of right now, the lack of direct competition allows
this event to tap into the resources that are not currently being used. There are several indirect
competitors that will be discussed later that also may affect the attendance of our festival. Since
this is the only event that caters to an audience of this specific demographic in the high country,
our main focus of industry pertains mostly towards Charlotte and Asheville areas where our
target market resides.
Description of Product/Service
The festival is called Sirens on the Mountain and last year was the first time for this
event. The purpose of the event is to provide a high-quality festival celebrating womens music
and art in the high country of western North Carolina. There are several strengths, weaknesses,
threats, and opportunities that presented themselves during last years events.
Strengths:
There were strengths in both the setting and the overall idea of the event. The
environment that is Boone, NC and the surrounding areas provides a beautiful landscape unlike
anything you will see east of the mountains, which we consider a strength of the festival. This
draw of not only going to a new festival but also experiencing the beauty of the high country
could possibly bring more people to the event if it is emphasized. Diversity in the acts will allow
for a greater audience to find what they are looking for in attending the festival and also allow
for a greater line up to project if it is for them. The key benefit of the festival is bringing together
variety of womens art and music to celebrate and appreciate their success throughout the years.
Varieties of attractions allow a unique experience for all attendees, male and female.
Weaknesses:
There were several weaknesses that presented themselves at last years festival. To Begin
with, out of 1,000 attendees that were present, only half paid for tickets and a large group who
didnt pay were volunteers. This is one of the weaknesses that our company is striving to turn
around for this years festival. This could potentially help reach our goals of making this event
more profitable. Security was mentioned as a problem by the client, so even more people could
have potentially gotten into the concert for free. Tickets were on sale for $75 for this two-day
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festival and with this pricing customers could have been possibly turned off from traveling up the
mountain for the event.
Opportunities:
Overall awareness seemed to be an issue given the fact that the attendance was not
enough to make a profit off of the event. Inclusivity also seemed to be a problem and this brings
us to the overall message of the gathering, not just being for women, but anyone and everyone
who can attend. Both of these can be considered an opportunity to grow if they are addressed
properly in a marketing campaign. It seems the festival is still finding its center as to what the
image truly wants to be. The idea also allows for a larger amount of acts and entertainment
because of the open, equal mindset that the company wants to project to the audience this year.
The management of food options also seemed to cut into profits since the price of soliciting was
only two tickets. By raising prices there may be more opportunity for profit not only for Sonic
Yonic but also for the vendors. Gaining sponsors needs to be more of a priority if the company
wants to have a chance of achieving a profit this year, having sponsors will also allow them to
allocate more money towards basic needs that might have gone underfunded before. The strength
in the idea of a festival of only women artists breaks into a niche market of female fan bases that
may not have been tapped into in North Carolina before. This allows for attendance to grow even
further and could present the festival an opportunity in the existing market.
Threats:
The threats that present themselves are varied. One of the main threats is the competition
of the other festivals in surrounding areas. They may not be at the same time, but the longstanding reputations that almost all of them have overshadow The Sirens of the Mountains
newly developed festival. Another threat to consider is the weather. This is a threat that is
completely out of anyones control, but this may cause problems with potential attendees.
Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning:
The target market for Sirens on the Mountain will mainly consist of womens music and
art enthusiasts. Not only will we be targeting those enthusiasts but also their friends, families and
anybody who is a freethinking and enjoys all genres of music. The positioning strategy that we
will be implementing will be a use and application positioning strategy. With a use positioning
strategy, the main goal will be to promote the actual experience gained at the festival. Most of
our advertising will be directed towards women ages 20-50 that may or may not have families
and that are interested in a culturally diverse environment driven by art and music performed by
women. Our areas of marketing will include a region that is approximately three hours away
with the main area in Charlotte and Ashville. We chose Charlotte because of it large population
that our efforts may reach. Asheville on the other hand was consider because of the
psychographic elements that considered the values and lifestyles that we assume most people in
our target market will hold to. The toughest challenge with this event, however, will be to
incorporate family fun without diminishing the efforts directed toward women appraisal. We
want this festival to be relatable and a good time for everyone but also make sure that womens
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music is the main priority. The last obstacle we may encounter will be reaching out to markets
that are further away from Boone. Traveling costs and other expenses can become a factor from
some people thinking about attending from the festival.
Buyer Analysis:
We understand that for those traveling from out of town, the festival will be more of a
high involvement purchase. Our hope is to have a high attendance from the locals because for
them it is more of a low involvement purchase. Because The Sirens on the Mountain festival is a
relatively new event it would probably not be in the evoked set on most consumers. Hopefully,
with this marketing campaign we can put this festival in the minds of consumers. The majority
of attendees will most likely be influenced to buy tickets to the festival based on the culture of
western Carolina and sustainable living. With this in mind, within the decision process the
influencer and decision maker will most likely be the women within the household. This year the
festival aims for inclusivity allowing families to make a decision to come together. Given the
environmental surroundings, many potential attendees will benefit from not only the concert, but
from the atmosphere of Boone.
Marketing Goals:
As a newly established event only having one year of experience the festival has a broad
set of marketing goals. They want to present themselves as an all-inclusive family friendly
festival provided through an environment of celebration and enthusiasm for womens art and
music. They want the event to include more than the community of Boone by reaching out to
surrounding areas as far as three hours away. By reaching out to a more broad market segment
the hope is that there will be more attendees. The rise in attendees will allow for a greater return
on investment. The more people that come out to support the festival the greater the profit, with
that more can be invested back into marketing for the festival which will create a rise in
awareness and allow for even more growth in the years following. As growth occurs, the market
share the festival will be able to maintain will rise and continue to rise until it reaches a
sustainable level. One of the goals that are most important to us is that the festival yields a break
even return or profit of some sort. We believe that this break-even point can be reached with the
sale of around 2000 tickets, which would be double the amount from last year.

Promotional Program Situational Analysis:

Last year, Sirens on the Mountain brought in 1000 attendees which is a great first year
attendance rate. The internal analysis, which is one of two analyses in the promotional program
situational analysis, shows that our advertising and promotional department was very new and
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was not able to implement some ideas that could have strengthened the music festival as a whole.
This does not mean that Sirens on the Mountain are incapable of planning and managing the
ideas this year however. On advertising, they spent $8000, which mainly consisted of radio,
magazines, and free advertisements. The most helpful advertising technique was radio ads, which
were played all around the high country. The advertising efforts last year were strongly focused
towards women because it was a woman's art appreciation festival. This potentially could have
driven down ticket sales because possible ticket purchasers might have thought it was for women
only, but this was not the case, however this is a unique selling point compared to other festivals.
Another aspect of advertising that was used was Facebook. Sirens on the Mountain had their own
dedicated Facebook page which helped spread the word about the music festival and also let
them post pictures of last years festival to start the promoting very early for this upcoming year.
The external analysis focuses on factors including characteristics of the firms customers,
positioning strategies, and competitors. Looking at our target market we focus mainly on women
but hope to broaden the target more this year by welcoming men and families. The purpose of
the festival was to bring people of all genders and races to enjoy womens music and other
artistic forms. This could potentially help increase ticket sales, as many people will not be
wondering if it is an all-female event or not. With attention to our customers lifestyle and
attitudes we are focusing on a very sustainable community with open views about different
lifestyles. Some main direct competitors include MerleFest and the music festival in Sugar
Grove. Both having big name artists each year this affects our festival attendance. The main
indirect competitor would be the major bicycle rally called, Blood, Sweat and Gears. The rally
is also full of people who are in to the sustainable lifestyle and it falls close to the same time as
Sirens on the Mountain. This festival last year cost $50-75 for the whole weekend and single day
tickets were not offered. Within the festival grounds there were multiple food vendors where
attendees could get snacks and meals, which did not bring in revenue to the festival. A possibility
would be to bring in more food vendors of all different varieties, which could influence buyers
decisions and create more revenue for the festival. Last year, the client also offered free camping
with purchase of a ticket. This created an empty cost that the client could have charged people in
order to get closer to a break-even point.

COMPETITIVE REVIEW
Direct Competitors are competitors that offer the same good or service to all customers that are
willing to purchase a product or service. We believe that the following two events directly
compete with our marketing strategy for this event.
MusicFest in Sugar Grove:
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The Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest N Sugar Grove is a major competitor to our
event. Founded in 1997, it is described as a celebration of Appalachian music and cultural
heritage. Headlined by Doc Watson, a famous blind flat-picking guitarist, the festival has only
grown in size and with Watsons recent death will only keep growing. It is held on the grounds of
historic Cove Creek School in Sugar Grove and is held the weekend before our festival. Doc
Watson is seen as an idol not only in the bluegrass genre but in the high country, drawing
thousands to events like Merlefest and said event. The event also draws artist such as Jim Avett,
Father of the Avett Brothers, Quick silver, a well-known bluegrass band and many other highly
touted acts. The standard ticket price is $20 for the first day and $25 for the second, with an
optional $55 two-day pass with reserved seats. The main market for this festival seems to draw
people native to the state with a love for bluegrass and the surrounding culture. They seem to
mainly advertise the event through word of mouth and local radio spots but Merlefest seeming to
be a sister festival only adds to the publication. Coverage from North Carolina media outlets
such as Mountain Times, Winston Salem Journal, and High Country Press provide a broader
reached market and draws people from around the high-country to the event. The proceeds from
the event are listed as partially benefiting the Folk Art museum located on the grounds. The
main reason why this festival needs to be seen as competition is the fact that it draws visitors up
the mountain a week before sirens on the mountain, causing people to possibly not want to make
the trek back up for a second weekend. Their ticket prices also cut ours by 10 dollars, creating an
advantage to the customer to travel for this one event versus the other. With this festival already
being well established there seems to be a sense of standardization in not only their pricing but
their event structure. Their website also displays a better format for learning more about the
event and also links to all publications that have covered the festival. There are weaknesses
though, there is a complete ban on glass, coolers, tents and pets, all which our festival allows.
This could be an opportunity we could promote by allowing these things and providing a more
open festival style mindset.
MerleFest:
MerleFest is an annual music festival happening April 24th to April 27th this year. The
festival is on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC. MerleFest was
established in 1988 and continues to have a large audience year after year. The music genres
range from a traditional mix to a bluegrass feel from the Appalachian region. The festival host
over 130 artists on 13 different stages. The big headliners this year include; Old Crow Medicine
Show, Alan Jackson, and Merle Haggard. With MerleFest having a deep history, it continues to
grow each year and more activities develop. Some activities that are present this year include
nature walks, acoustic kids showcase, midnight jams, and different types of auctions. The
promotion tools MerleFest uses for the festival include all social media sites and countless
YouTube videos. Sales for MerleFest vary depending on duration of stay and if you want to
camp. A single day pass increasing as the week goes on starting from $40 on Thursday up to $60
on Saturday. A four-day general admission is $150 and additional charges will be added for
parking. MerleFest has many different sponsor levels the main presenter is Lowes hardware
store. Many other companies sponsor this festival including Pepsi, Rays Weather, and Burger
King. Food vendors will be at the festival as well as anybody who would like to set up their own
private booth. Most of the booths include heritage crafts and homemade items. One new and
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unique thing that MerleFest has done this year is they are releasing an app for iPhones and
Androids starting March 1st. This app will let audience members learn more about their favorite
artists, location of each performance and possibly even the vendors. The support MerleFest has is
very exciting and our firm hopes that The Sirens on the Mountain will reach the same type of
support. With MerleFest being in the same event category as ours created a direct competitor.
They are a much larger festival with a higher brand equity that may overshadow our overall plan.

Indirect competitors are suppliers who have provide different products in the same market. We
believe that the following three events as well as the restaurants listed below indirectly compete
with the festival this summer.
Highland games:
The Highland games are a non-profit event that occurs over the summer on Grandfather
Mountain. They carry on and promote Scottish traditional dancing, music, athletic events, and
Gaelic culture while founding scholarships for Avery County High School students. We are
taking them into consideration as indirect competition due to the fact they are a 4 day festival
that includes music and art even though their main attraction is the athletic events. The games
provide eleven food vendors and over twenty-six merchant vendors. There were no mention of
true ticket sales but that amount of vendors hints towards a large crowd. Their geographic
segmentation is in the same general area as ours even though the psychographic and beneficial
segmentations are different. They have a similar target market as far as demographics are
considered with an environment that promotes inclusivity of all people. But the main difference
is their positioning towards the benefit they can provide to the niche market of those who
envelop themselves in Scottish lifestyle. Because they are the only festival that can provide this
benefit to the market they hold the majority if not all of the market for the surrounding area. The
Highland Games have great support from the surrounding community. They have seven
corporate sponsors including Coca-Cola as well as eleven surrounding hotels that are close to the
event and helped promote them while providing lodging for guests and participants. In the
MacRae Meadows of Grandfather Mountain there is a familiarity to that of Scotlands terrain and
forestry and was specifically chosen for that reason. With tickets anywhere from $15-$30 per
day or a $75 4-day advanced ticket they are reasonably priced and very affordable for the
experience they provide to all attendees. Overall, they have very strong support from the local
community and are very well known through the area. They do cater to a smaller market but
given the amount of accommodation they provide to that market they gain support every year.
The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival:
The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival is another form of indirect competition that
affects the Sirens on the Mountain Music Festival. They are a festival that was created by
Bascom Lunsford who wanted people to share and understand the beauty and dignity of the
Southern Appalachian music and dance traditions that have been handed down through
generations in western North Carolina. This is similar to the mission that is stated by The
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Sirens on the Mountain but it takes place in Asheville on July 31- August 2. They have a similar
geographic segmentation due to the fact that they are only 1 hour away and a similar
psychographic segmentation considering the mission of music appreciation. They are the oldest
festival that takes place around this area. Starting back in 1928, they wanted to celebrate the
importance of the southern Appalachian culture. Over the years they have gathered over 30
corporate sponsors and have 8 media sponsors including radio and magazines. This three-day
festival has a ticket price of $20 per day or a bundled 3- day ticket for $54. It takes place in
Ashville NC and hopes to continue to serve a crucial role in raising awareness and
understanding of the vitality and importance of Southern Appalachian culture throughout the
region, nation and world by providing a unique experience to all attendees. They have a long
story of success and are in an area that supports and enjoys the segment of dance and music they
are promoting.
Blood Sweat and Gears:
Last year, Blood Sweat and Gears had 1120 participants in the 100-mile and 50-mile race
combined. This means that even more spectators such as family and friends will be at the event
as well. This race has been held for 12 consecutive years, which brings in a lot of sales and
controls a lot of the local economy for that weekend. The race attracts riders from all up and
down the east coast looking for a rigorous, scenic bike race in the North Carolina High Country.
Because this event takes place just a week after the concert, it could potentially be a good way to
bring in awareness and knowledge of the Boone area therefore leading to the knowledge of local
events such as the concert. However, many out of town residents cant afford to stay in a hotel
over the course of both events so the bike race has the potential to take away customers that
value the race more than the concert. Even though our target market is not directly correlated
with the target market of the bike race, it would still take away from some of the potential local
sponsors that are getting prepared for the race. This event also already has much recognition
from the general public and with just a week before the race, many other smaller/not as wellknown events could possibly be overshadowed. This is why we have labeled Blood Sweat and
Gears as an indirect competitor because of the economic changes and anticipation that the event
generates year after year.
Tim McGraw:
Another Indirect Competitor that we must take into consideration is the Tim McGraw
concert, which will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 21. Tim McGraw is a very
popular country singer who brings crowds from all around. Because Charlotte is somewhat close
to Boone, a large part of our out of town attendees will most likely be from around that area.
Although the Tim McGraw concert is another concert at the same time as the festival, it is in a
different city, which makes it an indirect competitor. This concert has the potential of taking
away ticket sales from the festival. It will be hard to market a smaller festival at a smaller venue
in a smaller town in Charlotte when a mainstream artist is coming the same weekend.
Restaurants:
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One of the biggest indirect competitors is the restaurant and bars around Boone that also
provide live music. The specific bars that we will be looking at include: The Rock, Black Cat,
Murphys, Galileos, Boone Saloon, AMB, Cafe Portofinos and Canyons. Some of the
restaurants have a cover charge, and others let you enjoy the band for free. Unlike Sirens on the
Mountain, all these places sell alcohol, which allows them to have a larger budget and ultimately
lover cover charge, or none at all. Although these bands are playing in much smaller venue, their
target market and atmosphere is similar to Sirens on the Mountain.
Black Cat:
One of the events we found was every third Friday at Black Cat is live music and
dance parties. The third Friday in June happens to be the same weekend of Sirens
on the Mountain, Friday, June 20th. With bands such as Howlin Rain, which is
classically soulful and Naked Gods, a rock band.
Boone Saloon:
Boone Saloon also host bands Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Recently, the
band Snarky Puppy who won a Grammy played at Saloon. With a cover charge at
Saloon ranging from $5 to $15.
Canyons:
Canyons has also created a big buzz with their Sunday brunch jazz music. The
bands all many of the same genres as the ones that will be playing at the festival.
Like Sirens on the Mountain, these local bars are taking advantage of social media to
advertise. Most of them have a website with events listed as well as a Facebook page. On the
High Country 365 upcoming events page, you can find all of the bars and bands playing each
week. The advantage these restaurants have is being on sites such as Trip Advisor and Urban
Spoon. This allows long-term advertising as well as ratings. With the bars and Sirens on the
Mountain being geographically close, it is important to advertise the festival to those who would
normally spend Friday night at Black Cat or AMB. There is even potential to advertise the
festival at the local bars. Where Sirens on the Mountain has a competitive advantage from the
restaurants around town is the time of the festival. Most of the live shows at the bar begin around
10pm. Although the festival will continue until 11pm, Sirens on the Mountain has the advantage
of being an all-day event unlike the bar scene. Overall, both these local bars and Sirens on the
Mountain are looking for people who want have a good time listening to good music.
IMC Objectives and Strategies:
Our teams goal is to evolve this festival into a family friendly environment making it a
celebration of womens music for all ages and genders. Effectively pursuing new attendees
through a marketing strategy that better accesses the full potential of our target market is
essential. We plan to use the hierarchy of effects model. Explained in Advertising and
Promotion by Michael and George Belch this model is a paradigm for measuring and setting
advertising objectives. It shows the process by which advertising works. With the hierarchy of
effects model, a possible consumer has to go through sequential steps from initial awareness of
the product to purchase of the product. We believe this is the most practical model to use given
the nature of our festival. With awareness being key we will use this model to sway possible
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consumers from awareness stages to purchase decisions throughout the campaign. Taking this
into consideration, our marketing efforts will be fully allocated towards the profitability of this
years festival.
Awareness Objectives:
The awareness objective of our campaign is to educate potential attendees in major cities
and towns around the city of Boone about the concert in June. This will help attract members of
our target market from outside markets such as Charlotte and Asheville. We will do this mainly
through radio and visual advertisements in cities around the Boone area. Currently, we have 3
months to promote the festival. Because Charlotte is a major city close to where the concert will
be held, a large part of our marketing efforts will be allocated to radio stations around the
Charlotte area to try and create awareness within a city with a large population. We will
particularly advertise on 1110AM Greater Media Charlotte, because its a general radio station

that reaches out to a large number of individuals. The information provided throughout the
advertisements will give our target markets information about the event as well as how to
purchase tickets.
Knowledge Objectives:
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Sirens on the Mountain is a two day festival celebrating womens music and art. The
festival offers music, performers, food and an atmosphere for all to enjoy. This event is open to
all ages and gender with a focus on inclusivity. The knowledge objectives will be directed
towards the different advertising techniques used. First, we plan to gain awareness of the event
and promote the all-inclusiveness of the concert. Secondly, we will focus on the selling of
tickets. We want this festival to be surrounded by the idea of appreciating womens music and art
for all. We will do this by creating advertisements that are directed towards all people instead of
one small niche of society. Until the day of the event, we will focus on ads in radio, newspapers,
and social media around the high country. We will make the advertisements easy to recognize
and understand in order to emphasize the point we are trying to get across in our campaign.
Liking Objectives:
The liking objective of our campaign is to promote the festival in many different ways so
that everyone will hear about the festival and all the details included. This will help spread the
word about Sirens on the Mountain and hopefully promote to all groups of people rather than just
women. When have chosen to promote the festival in multiple mediums to target families and all
who would enjoy the event. Liking objectives deals with people who know your company or
product but have a negative view on it. Our goal is for people to get to know about the festival so
that they dont have a negative view on it. To obtain these goals, we have made our
advertisements clear and simple. They show our campaign theme, which portrays the idea that
everyone is welcome to this event. In our advertising plan we have a two-step process, first make
people aware and understand the festival, and then remind them to buy their tickets through the
website in the advertisement.

Preference Objectives:
Preference objectives deal with a target audience that is aware of the product and service.
These people have done the research and have knowledge about the product. But in the light of
other brands they would prefer a different product. Our preference objectives are to show that
The Sirens on the Mountain Festival is an entertaining and fun experience for attendees.
Swaying them to believe that our festival has a higher entertainment value than competitors is
critical if we want to change perceptions and preferences towards this event. The objective for
our group is to pull in those possible attendees who see the promise in the event. Since they are
already interested in the event but feel there are better choices, we should highlight the
importance of the culture that we are promoting. The Sirens on the Mountain Festival should
create an environment that gives this festival a competitive advantage over competitors.
Conviction Objectives:
The conviction objective for our group is to pull in those possible attendees who see the
promise in the event. Since they are already interested in the event but feel there are better
choices, we should emphasize the culture and atmosphere that we are promoting. The Sirens on
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the Mountain Festival should create an environment that gives this festival a competitive
advantage over competitors.
Purchase Objectives:
With the awareness of the product, price will be a main factor. When people see a price is
too high, they automatically disregard the festival and the advertisement they just saw. We dont
want this to happen so we will advocate the all-inclusive pricing of the weekend festival. Pre
purchase tickets will be sold at a discounted price in hopes of avoiding this problem. There will
also need to be emphasis on all the events that will be taking place throughout the festival,
showing that it is not just a music festival but a cultural celebration. This year our goal is not
only to break-even but also to gain a profit for the client.
Campaign Theme:
Our campaign theme will be focused primarily on raising awareness of festival and the
environment that they hope to provide for attendees. The all-inclusiveness that the festival offers
is directed towards family and friends of those who enjoy womens music and art forms. Our
campaign will consist of predominantly print and radio advertising because we believe our target
market pays attention to these forms of media the most. Due to our three-month timeline we
believe that the current slogan A celebration for all encompasses the atmosphere that will be
displayed throughout the duration of the festival. With such a short timeline an attempt to
change the theme already promoted could potentially create confusion within our target market.
The slogan provided sums up the all-inclusive aspects that the festival will hopefully achieve
through the use of our marketing strategies.
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM:
Creative Recommendations:
Copy Platform:
Client: Beth Carroll for The Sirens on the Mountain Music Festival
Assignment
Design a marketing campaign that promotes the theme of inclusivity and creates
awareness of The Sirens on the Mountain Festival.
Objectives
Our main objective for our client is to create a marketing plan that yields positive profit
margins at this event. Given our advertising campaign, we hope to support long term
sustainability and growth of the festival.
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Target
We will predominately focus on women from the ages of 20 to 50 located in a three hour
radius with most of the efforts allocated to higher populated areas such as the Charlotte
and Asheville areas. Our targeted audience will consist mainly of those who are
interested in a culturally diverse environment of womens art and music.
Product positioning
Using a use positioning strategy and promoting the actual experience gained by going to
the festival would be the most successful way to position this event in consumers minds.
Environmental diversity and appreciation of womens arts usually brings to mind an
audience of predominantly women. However, we hope to show that it is truly a
celebration for all as our campaign theme states.
Key benefits
We believe one of the key benefits is the extensive cultural diversity offered to attendees
and the experience they have over the course of the weekend. Given the amount of
cultural experiences available to attendees the price of $75 is well worth the money.

Creative strategy
Maintaining the campaign theme of A celebration for all will express the concept of
inclusivity while still raising awareness for the festival. Our creative strategy will be to
present the importance of womens art and culture in a positive way that provides
inclusive environment for people of all walks of life. Our media ads will provide support
for our strategy by expressing these ideas clearly and concisely in both print and radio
vehicles. Social media aspects will also be utilized to create word of mouth and buzz
marketing.
IMC Mix:
Print Advertising:
Objectives- We chose two newspapers, Appalachian Voice and The Mountain times,
based off the fact that they reach the high country and our potential markets in those
areas. We also chose to use, All About Women, which is a magazine directed towards
women. It seemed very appropriate for our target audience given the general
demographics of the readers. By reaching those markets with the advertisement we plan
to raise awareness and introduce the festival to potential purchasers. We hope that the
advertisement will provide a positive image of the festival to the audience and will hope
to execute a program of action that will earn public understanding and acceptance.
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Strategies- The Appalachian voice is a bi-monthly newspaper so we will only utilize it for
one advertisement. The Mountain Times is a weekly paper that will be used on multiple
occasions. Circulated throughout Ashe, Avery and Watauga County the All About Women
magazine fits perfectly into the target market we are trying to reach. We plan on using the
monthly magazine to place our ads three times given the April, May and June editions.
Rationale- Newspaper ads are self-paced ads that the reader can control how long or short
they decide to look at the advertisement. This is the rationale for having the newspaper
advertisements longer and more detailed because the reader chooses the pace. Similarly
to newspapers, ads in magazines are self-paced and can allow the audience to control
how little or long they look at the ad. Given our print advertisement in appendix B we
went with a more gender neutral appearance. We believe this will help catch the eye of
our target market as well the other people we hope that will attend. The colors used will
help attract the attention of people rather than just women. The pastel colors used
previously were eye catching but could have driven away potential ticket sales.
Budget- Because of the use of two separate newspapers and a magazine we estimate it
will use about 25% for print advertising in accordance to the overall budget. This
percentage accounts to $1,630 spend on print advertising for our campaign.
Radio Advertising:
Objectives- Radio stations tend to have a very specific target market, and based on our
target market we were able to choose specific radio stations to fit our needs. With a
known target market, we are able to have sale promotions. We believe that it is important
to place radio advertisements because they have a potential to reach a wide variety of
people, which goes back to our objectives in making this festival an all-inclusive event.
Strategies- Because our target Market is women from the ages of 24-40, we are aiming to
catch our demographic during their commute time to work, (7-9am/4:30-6:30pm). This is
why we choose the stations and times that we did because many everyday commuters
travel and listen to the radio at these times.
Rationale- The radio stations we have chosen have target markets that generally listen to
rock and roll and all types of alternative music, which we believe are similar types of
those performing at Sirens on the Mountain. Local radio stations can have ticket
giveaways to promote the festival and have interactive advertising. We will follow a
continuous commercial schedule given our three-month time frame. We believe that the
use of radio advertising will help spread the word of the concert to the most people for
the least amount of money. The potential reach of radio is much more beneficial than
print advertising and social media in our opinion. The scripts we have written up in
appendix A reach out to all listeners of the stations instead of tuning them out
automatically. The two phase radio sequence will first create awareness of the festival
from April 15th to June 14th and be followed up by commercials reminding listeners that
the event is occurring in the coming weekend.
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Budget- Radio will also give us the largest reach; therefore, we will allocate most of our
budget, 65%, to radio. This percentage accounts to $5,168 of the total advertising budget.
Social Media Advertising:
Objectives- The main use of social media advertising will be on Facebook. Advertising
the festival on Facebook on Sirens on the Mountains official page will potentially raise
awareness. We believe Facebook can also be an aid to gaining information about our
target audience. Our main objective for social media advertising is to increase the buzz
and awareness of the festival using forms of media that people use often.
Strategies- By offering a redeemable coupon for a free t-shirt from the festival in
exchange for basic information about Facebook followers, we believe that will help
allocate advertising efforts in the future years of the festival. Facebook also allows for
potential customer interaction that other forms of advertisements cant offer. Customer
interaction
Rationale- We chose to advertise on social media because many people use social media
on a daily basis, which could potentially give the festival a lot of exposure. Advertising
outside of just the official page of the festival will be crucial in order to expose people
that were not previously aware. We chose Facebook in general because we believe the
potential exposure is greater than that of Twitter due to the average age group that has
recently involved itself with this social media form. We understand many people use
Twitter on a daily basis but we believe that Facebook will be a better expenditure of our
advertising efforts.
Budget- Facebook will account for 15% of our total advertising budget. This percentage
accounts to $840 of the total advertising budget.

Specific Media Objectives/Mix

NEWSPAPERS SEE APPENDIX B
Appalachian Voice:
Geographic Scope: The Appalachian Voice reaches all up and down the east coast in
states such as North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, and
Ohio.
Scheduling Pattern: We plan on scheduling advertisements from April to June. Because of
bi-monthly publication, only one issue will be sent out in enough time to raise awareness.
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Reach and Frequency: Assured reach of about 1000 individuals and a potential coverage
of 61,000
Cost-per-Thousand: 640 (Absolute Cost)/61,000 (Total Circulation)=.0105X1000=
$10.49
The Mountain Times
Geographic Scope: The Mountain Times usually circulates within the Watauga County
area but can potentially reach counties right outside of Watauga.
Scheduling Pattern: Newspaper comes out once a week, so we will advertise every other
week for the three month span before the event in the Classified/Announcement
section.
Reach and Frequency: Potential coverage of 14,000 people distributed from 1000
different locations.
Cost-Per-Thousand: 990 (absolute cost)/56,000 (total circulation)=.0707 X 1000= $17.67
RADIO ADVERTISING SEE APPENDIX A
90.5 WASU FM Boone
Geographic Scope: This radio station covers a wide span from Boone to Blowing Rock.
Scheduling Pattern: We plan to Start April 21st and run advertisement three times a week,
twice daily during popular commute times. 7-9am and 4:30-6:30pm because our target
market is assumed to be commuting to and from work at around those times. Run same
advertisement until June 15th, then implement new advertisement (given below) telling
radio listeners that event is THIS WEEKEND instead of a certain date so listeners can
think about festival in close up terms of their schedules
Reach and Frequency: Because radio is usually background clutter, we believe that out of
the total coverage, 65% of people will receive the message and of that 65%, 10% will be
within our target market which totals up to a frequency of 6 times per week
95.7 The Ride FM Charlotte/Hickory
Geographic Scope: This radio station covers a massive geographic area with dense
populations including Charlotte, Hickory, Lincoln, Gaston, Caldwell, Blowing Rock,
Boone, and Vilas.
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Scheduling Pattern: Because these radio stations have morning talk shows and would be
expensive to advertise in between, we suggest that for this station, we only advertise at
afternoon commutes (4:30-6:30) two times a week. Run same advertisement until June
15th, then implement new advertisement (given below) telling radio listeners that event is
THIS WEEKEND instead of a certain date so listener can think about festival in close up
terms of their schedules
Reach and Frequency: Because radio is usually background clutter, we believe that out of
the total coverage, 65% of people will receive the message and of that 65%, 10% will be
within our target market which totals up to a frequency of 2 times per week
101.5 WQUT FM Asheville
Geographic Scope: This radio station is relatively small but hits our target market
accurately in Asheville.
Scheduling Pattern: Advertise at afternoon commutes (4:30-6:30) three times a week.
Run same advertisement until June 15th, then implement new advertisement (given
below) telling radio listeners that event is THIS WEEKEND instead of a certain date so
listener can think about festival in close up terms of their schedules.
Reach and Frequency: Because radio is usually background clutter, we believe that out of
the total coverage, 65% of people will receive the message and of that 65%, 10% will be
within our target market which totals up to a frequency of 3 times per week

570 AM WWNC Asheville

Geographic Scope: This radio station plays in Asheville to a smaller audience
Scheduling Pattern: Advertise at afternoon commutes (4:30-6:30) two times a week. Run
same advertisement until June 15th, then implement new advertisement (given below)
telling radio listeners that event is THIS WEEKEND instead of a certain date so listener
can think about festival in close up terms of their schedules.
Reach and Frequency: Because radio is usually background clutter, we believe that out of
the total coverage, 65% of people will receive the message and of that 65%, 10% will be
within our target market which totals up to a frequency of 2 times per week.

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MAGAZINES SEE APPEDIX B

All About Women
Geographic Scope: This magazine is primarily issued in Ashe, Avery, and Watauga
Counties.
Scheduling Pattern: We plan on using advertisements in each monthly issue, one
advertisement per month from April to June until event takes place.
Reach and Frequency: The potential coverage of 10,000 people distributed from 200
different places among the three different counties. The maximum frequency potential of
3 times for each month of publication (April-June) assuming that the full 10,000 women
see the advertisement.

SOCIAL MEDIA SEE APPENDIX C

Facebook
Geographic Scope: Our target market contains any individuals within a three-hour drive
of Boone. However, the internet allows for an unlimited geographic range depending on
the intensity of our advertising efforts.
Scheduling Pattern: Continuous for the three month period of the Facebook page, not
taking into consideration push advertisements to those not aware of the event.
Reach and Frequency: Currently there are 1,201 likes on the Facebook page, which
means the reach of any announcements will equate to at least that amount. And frequency
of those announcements depends on the intensity of promotion and incentive for others to
promote such as discounted ticket prices and free cozies and shirts.

Measurement and Evaluation

The best way to measure success is to look at the amount of ticket sales. Starting March
7th, people can gain an early bird discount, and register online. We will be able to monitor the
number of people purchasing tickets online. We can also monitor the number of Facebook
interactions, by seeing how many people are visiting the Facebook page as well as liking the
page. Throughout the three months we will be holding a couple different sales and radio
promotions, and will be able to receive feedback from these promotions through changes made
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to the festivals website. The change would be simply implementing an additional information
section to the ticket buying process as to where the customer had heard of the event or how they
had found the website. This is a pretty standard practice when it comes to online interactions
with most companies and will allow a better measure of where the advertising is working and
where it isnt. Another evaluation is the amount of people that give us their information in
exchange for promotional coupon. That can help us gain information on potential attendees
demographics and what media vehicle reached them. This information will be vital in planning
and promoting future events.

Budget Summary

Budget breakdown by m edia

Social media

Radio

Print Newspaper
Print Magazine
Print Magazine; 5%
Social media; 11%

Print Newspaper; 20%

Radio; 65%

Going off of estimations from the previous year the amount we could allocate would be
approximately $8000. This estimate is subject to fluctuation due to lack of specific numerical
values and over or under estimation. Sponsors may also be a factor in the fluctuation; they had a
grant of $2000 dollars last year and may receive again this year. The Affordable Method seems
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most plausible to use for the sirens on the mountains festival. The firm will determine the
amount to be spent in various areas for production and operation, the rest of what they can afford
is allocated to advertising and promotions, hence the name. This is the most common budgeting
approach used among small firms. If it is known what they can afford and do not exceed it, there
will be less of a chance of financial problems.

Budget beakdown by m edia vehicle

appalachian voice; 8%
all about women; 11%

the mountain times; 13%

ashville 10.5 fm; 27%

the ride 95.7; 23%

wwnc asheville 570 am; 18%

Budget Breakdown
Print
Newspaper
Appalachian Voice
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$640- page ad- run in one issue

The Mountain Times
$990- 4ads page place every other week
Magazine
All About Women
Pending response
Radio
90.5 WASU FM
Free advertising pending mentioned sponsorships
95.7 FM The Ride
$108 per 30 second commercial- 2 times a week for 8 weeks- $1728
570 AM WWNC Asheville
$86 per 30 second commercial- 2 times a week for 8 weeks- $1376
101.5 FM Asheville
$86 per 30 second commercial- 3 times a week for 8 weeks- 2064
Social Media
Facebook
Cost per day advertising
$15 per day 7 days a week for 8 week period- $840
Allots for all 10% of Facebook advertising

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Conclusion
The plan we have laid out for The Sirens on the Mountain Music Festival is centered on
raising awareness and portraying the message of an all-inclusive event. This means the
welcoming of all people that are interested in or want to learn about womens art and music.
This does not stop at just the individuals that receive the message but also invites them to bring
their family and friends. By reaching out to this previously untapped market there is a potential
for an increase in ticket sales therefore exposing more people to the celebration of womens art
and music. Using this theme, we have strategically placed advertisements and promotions in
media vehicles that ensure the maximum coverage of our target while trying to eliminate waste
coverage.
With our marketing plan and schedules of advertisement, we believe this years event will
result in a more profitable festival compared to the past. Our schedules and advertisement
placement are in geographic regions where we believe a large portion of our target market is
present. Taking this into consideration we also believe that our multi-tiered advertising campaign
given the slogan A Celebration For All will be interpreted as an event that welcomes all walks
of life. We decided to maintain the current theme for our promotional strategy because of the
timeline given from April 20th to June 20th. Sending conflicting messages only months before
the event would likely confuse potential ticket purchasers and hinder their purchasing decision
process and knowledge objectives mentioned above. The information presented in this
marketing plan directly correlates with the increased need for awareness of the event and the
welcoming of all people. Marketing Solutions can be the team to achieve Sirens on the Mountain
Music Festivals goals in advertising

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References
"95.7FM - THE RIDE." 95.7FM The Ride. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
"101.5 WQUT." Http://www.wqut.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Advertising in the Voice Appalachian Voices." Appalachian Voices RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
Mar. 2014
Belch, George, and Michael Belch. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing
Communications Perspective . New York, NY : McGraw- Hill Irwin, 2012. Print.
"Boone, NC News - Mountain Times." Boone, NC News - Mountain Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
"Boone Saloon." Boone Saloon. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.boonesaloon.com/>.
Carroll, Beth. "Sirens on the Mountain." 23 01 2014. N.p.
"GMHG Home Page." GMHG Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.gmhg.org/>.
"Grandfather Mountain Highland Games & Gathering of Scottish Clans." Grandfather Mountain

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Highland Games & Gathering of Scottish Clans. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.romanticasheville.com/grandfather_highland_games.htm>.
"Joining Us Again For 2014: Musicfest N' Sugar Grove." Doc & Rosa Watson Musicfest N'
Sugar Grove. N.p., 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
"Live Music & Events." Canyons Historic Restaurant Bar InBlowing Rock. N.p., n.d. Web. 20
Feb. 2014. <http://canyonsbr.com/live-music/>.
Mar. 2014."Radio-Locator." Http://www.radio-locator.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
MerleFest. Wilkes Community Colleges MerleFest. N.p., N.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014
<http://www.merlefest.org/default.aspx>
"Naked Gods." ITunes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/naked-gods/id493818505>.
"Naked Gods." Naked Gods. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nakedgods.com/>.N.p.,
n.d. Web. <https://myspace.com/blackcatburrito/mixes/classic-howlin-rain-naked-gods-67-08-364362>.
"Old-time and Bluegrass | Mountain Music and Dance | Asheville NC." Old-time and Bluegrass |
Mountain Music and Dance | Asheville NC. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.folkheritage.org/75thannua.htm>.
"Shazeeye's Blog Thoughts on Technology, Marketing and HealthCare." Two Consumer
Behavior Models: Hierarchy of Effects and Elaboration Likelihood. N.p., n.d. Web. 08
Apr. 2014.
"Sirens on the Mountain." Sirens on the Mountain RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
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"Sirens on the Mountain | Facebook." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
http://www.wataugademocrat.com/HCM/display_rates.pdf
"Snarky Puppy on BandFrame." Snarky Puppy RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014
"The Feed." News Radio 570 WWNC. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
"Tim McGraw Tickets." Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster, 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
"Tim McGraw." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
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Appendix A
Radio
Script

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RADIO SCRIPT SHEET

Advertiser
:

95.7 FM The Ride, 570 AM

WWNC, 101.5 FM WQUT

Title:

Sirens on the Mountain

Agency:

Marketing Solutions (Sirens on

the Mountain)

Format
:

Two Waves. 1st ending June 14th,

2nd starting June 15th.

Product:

Sirens on the Mountain Music

Festival

Length: 30 Seconds

(First wave) Come out to Sirens on the mountain music festival this June 20-22nd for the
appreciation of Women music. Men and women of all ages are encouraged to come and enjoy the
wonderful outdoor atmosphere that the NC High country offers. The event will be held at Boone
fairgrounds located right off Highway 421 in Boone NC. Visit sirensonthemountain.com or their
Facebook page for tickets and more information
(Second Wave, Starting June 15th) Come out to Sirens on the Mountain music festival this
Friday through Sunday to enjoy performances by womens musicians from across the country.
Many performers including Ricky Lee jones will be playing at Boone fairgrounds located right
off highway 421 in Boone NC. Men and women of all ages are welcome. Tickets for the
weekend are 50 dollars in advance and 75 at the door. Visit sirensonthemountain.com or their
Facebook page for tickets and more information.

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Appendix B
Magazine and
Newspaper

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Appendix C
Social Media
(Facebook)

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