USA Review - Make Ireland Jump Out

Make Ireland Jump Out
USA REVIEW
A strategy for growth 2013 - 2015
Introduction
I am delighted to present the US Strategic plan 2013 – 2015, Make Ireland
Jump Out. The United States continues to be one of our strongest performing
markets but we can’t take our relatively successful performance in recent years
for granted.
Therefore, working with key partners, we have carried out a fundamental review
of the market to identify the opportunities and challenges facing us for the next
3 years. This new strategy has been designed to bring the brand and our tourism
offering to the next stage of development in what is one of our key markets. It is both challenging and ambitious, pursuing share gain and a growth in visitor
number of in excess of 20 per cent over the period of the plan.
At its core, the strategy is focussed, targeting ‘best prospect’ segments and
delivering cut-through and persuasive messages which will convert their interest
into decisions to travel.
Ireland as a destination and brand has a strong affinity with a broad base of
consumers in the US. Our primary focus will be to reach and connect with US
consumers who are well disposed towards Ireland and move this disposition into
actual bookings and incremental visitors. In addition the strategy puts in place
actions that will facilitate the development and promotion of new and different
propositions for Ireland as a holiday destination. In doing this we will make the
brand relevant to consumers in new and different ways, thus broadening its
overall appeal.
The strategy has been developed so that it integrates consumer understanding
& insight, the competitive environment, the strengths of brand Ireland and the
capabilities of both Tourism Ireland and key industry stakeholders. We believe
that through good decision making, focussed actions, continued stakeholder
collaboration and outstanding marketing we can make Ireland Jump Out in the
US market and deliver on the targets we have set ourselves.
We look forward to working with the industry on the Island of Ireland and our trade partners in the United States on the challenge and the delivery.
Niall Gibbons
Chief Executive Officer
Tourism Ireland
Background
The United States is the island of Ireland’s second largest tourism
generating market delivering almost a million valuable visitors who stay
longer and spend more than average. The last decade has seen many
world events and crises impact on the US travel market, however the island
of Ireland has maintained strong visitor share during this period – due in
part to the very strong brand affinity and brand recognition that Ireland
enjoys in the United States.
Tourism Ireland carried out a review of the US market in 2012, under the
aegis of the US Marketing Partnership Group, in order to secure continued
growth for the period 2013- 2015.
This document sets out the ambition of the plan and
the strategy in place to achieve growth.
Make Ireland Jump Out
What are we setting out to achieve?
Building on a strong market performance, the US
Review and the strategy produced has a clear focus on
delivering accelerated growth. With market conditions
that may prove to be more challenging than ever it
is imperative that Ireland ‘jumps out’ relative to its
competitors. We will make Ireland stand out for key
target segments, creating a connection between them
and ‘brand Ireland’. We will encourage key targets to not
only consider but choose Ireland – ultimately planning
and booking their trip, increasing visitor numbers and
delivering market share growth.
>>
1.Conversion
getting consumers to book Ireland: executing
a brand and market strategy that converts a high
ratio of consumers who express an interest in
visiting Ireland into actual visitors
>>
2.Consideration
encouraging consumers to consider
Ireland: enhancing and developing the
relevance of Ireland as a holiday proposition
so that it becomes a real and credible choice
for consumers and stimulates them to actively
explore the idea of holidaying in Ireland
In the pursuit of this strategy the key outcomes
being sought are threefold:
>>
3.Interest
driving interest in Ireland as a destination:
ensuring Ireland is positioned to be of interest
to prospective future travellers and in doing so
enters their consideration set
Inbound visits
Ambition for growth
1000
10.0%
800
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
2005
2006
2007 2008
2009
Island of Ireland share of outbound market
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
US visitors to the Island of Ireland
SOURCE: Data based on outbound figures from Itta and forecast growth from TDM. Inbound share data based on TI facts and forecasts.
The brand objective All efforts should lead to
Ireland being perceived as an aspirational, iconic
and accessible holiday destination that targeted US
consumers are highly motivated to visit.
The business objective Increase the number of
US visitors to the island of Ireland by approximately
20 per cent and in doing so achieve a market share
in excess of 9 per cent.
Our targets in terms of visitor numbers and share growth are challenging, our
aspirations for the brand are ambitious but the opportunity that the US market
represents is significant.
Strategic Pillar 1:
Understanding our priority targets
and how to influence them
While the US represents a huge opportunity for
tourism on the island of Ireland it is also an extremely
competitive market. The level of competition has
intensified and the number of choices available to
the US traveller has grown. Now more than ever,
we must be focussed in terms of the consumer
segments we seek to target, influence and ultimately
convert into visitors to the island of Ireland. Key to
our success will be knowing our consumers better
than anyone else and acting on this knowledge. We
will apply our resources and collaborate with our
partners so that we connect and resonate with our
target consumers and influence them to not only
consider Ireland but book their trip to Ireland.
We have developed a refined and action oriented
approach to segmentation, identifying target
consumers, understanding their needs and interests
and how Ireland can respond to and deliver on
these needs through ‘experiential propositions’.
The ‘experiential propositions’ represent a series
of ‘authentic holiday experiences’ that are being
developed so that the consumer can imagine
themselves in Ireland – painting a picture of what
they will be doing, what they will experience and
what it will feel like.
Based on the US Review we will target three
priority segments. These segments represent the
‘sweet spot’ of the broader consumer group that
we have targeted in the past, these three segments
are defined as:
Young
Independents
Who are they? Typically in their late 20s, they
are relatively affluent and have the freedom to travel.
Most commonly they travel as couples or with a group
of friends. They are very web savvy and tend to book
holidays closer to their departure date. They are open to
travelling for shorter breaks and have higher potential to
travel in the shoulder season.
What do they need? Young independents are
motivated by the idea of new and unique experiences
that are memorable and immersive. They value
interaction with people, history, festivals, the landscape,
food, culture and local life. They tend to be very active –
doing and seeing many things in a short space of time,
with a particular interest in cities and city life.
What does Ireland have to offer them that is most
relevant to them?
•
Young
Independents
Cities that offer vibrant and distinctive cultural
experiences
•
Mature Must
Seers & Doers
Authentic experiences that are delivered and
enhanced through genuine interaction with the
people of Ireland
Middle Aged
Explorers
•
A fun and engaging connection with history
Actionable Segmentation
Middle Aged
Explorers
Mature Must Seers
& Doers
Who are they? Typically they are aged 40-55, well-educated
Who are they? Mature Must Seers & Doers tend to
couples, occasionally travelling within a group of friends, tend to
be aged 55+, affluent and travelling as a couple. They
be pre or post young children. They are active sightseers who
tend to have a clear idea of the types of things they want
are interested in history, culture and greatly enjoy the beautiful
to see and do, and have a deep interest in the history of a
landscape and nature of a destination.
destination.
What do they need? Middle Aged Explorers are seeking to
What do they need? They are very interested in
immerse themselves in and feel part of the place they are visiting.
history and culture as well as the natural environment.
They aspire to explore and discover local authentic experiences
With an appetite for learning they are seeking to enhance
that give them a sense of the unique character of a destination
their knowledge through experiences that will broaden the
and its people. They like to experience a destination at their own
mind. They like a destination to be easy and accessible
pace and have many cultural options to choose from.
and to be able to learn as much as possible and are open
What does Ireland have to offer them that is most relevant
to them?
•
The opportunity to immerse oneself more fully in nature,
through the environment itself, a diverse range of active
to organised trips and tours.
What does Ireland have to offer them that is most
relevant to them?
•
experiences and the people encountered along the way
•
A rich culture and history that educates, stimulates and
set of memorable and iconic experiences
•
inspires
•
Unique cultural city experiences
•
A variety of museums, art galleries, interpretive centres,
A variety of historical and cultural experiences with which
they can engage in, learn from and be inspired by
•
A distinctive and beautiful natural environment that
enriches their holiday experience and brings a sense
of renewal
historic houses and castles to choose from all set in vibrant
cities and beautiful countryside
A destination that offers them a broad and balanced
•
A well-developed tourism infrastructure that allows
them to experience everything they want to at their
own pace
Our focus will be on making Ireland “jump out” to best prospect segments. We will do this by
understanding them, their needs and how Ireland can meet these needs better than anyone else.
Strategic Pillar 1:
Niche segments
for special focus
Beyond the core consumer segments that have been
defined the review has concluded that we will maintain
a focus on key niche segments: business, golf and the
Diaspora (consumers with Irish ancestry).
Each of these segments represents a significant opportunity to deliver
incremental visitor numbers in meaningful volume.
Business Tourism
We will maintain our focus on the three key segments
we have historically targeted, Association Conferences,
Incentive Travel and Corporate Meetings.
In delivering growth from the MICE segment we will seek to deliver high
quality B2B platforms for the industry to develop business and generate
sales, aggressively identify and develop qualified leads in partnership with
relevant stakeholders and industry. We will seek to further develop the
general awareness of Ireland as a leading business tourism destination and
continue to communicate Ireland’s strengths in business basics – value for
money, access, venues, quality and professionalism.
Golf
Through the strategy we will seek to make
Ireland’s golfing proposition jump out to
relevant US consumers for whom playing
golf is the primary motivation for a holiday.
In order to do this and give Ireland a competitive advantage
we will promote Ireland as one of the world’s leading
destinations for golf, communicating the quality and
uniqueness of courses, beauty of scenery, friendliness and
helpfulness of people and quality of service experience.
Specifically we will highlight in particular the strength of our
Links courses, the profile and success of Irish golfers and our
authentic ‘19th hole’ experience.
We are determined to make Ireland a relevant and compelling option for our chosen niche segments.
We are clear as to which segments we are pursuing and how we intend to impact upon them.
Diaspora / Irish Ancestry
Within the US it is estimated that there are
almost 40 million people with ancestral
links to the island of Ireland.
Many of these consumers are already included in the key
segments that have been defined. However they are highly
relevant to us as they not only have a natural connection
with Ireland but an existing affinity with brand Ireland and a
concrete reason to consider and travel to Ireland.
We will target these consumers by implementing dedicated
communications that will be driven through precise targeting
strategy reaching Diaspora groups, societies, clubs with a
specific Ireland proposition and call to action. We will also
maximise the opportunity The Gathering represents in 2013,
driving significant additional visitor numbers and maximising
The Gathering legacy in 2014/15.
Strategic Pillar 2:
Capacity for Conversion
Breaking the inertia
Ireland is viewed very positively by many US consumers, many of whom assert an ‘intention’ to travel to
Ireland. However, there is huge potential to move the ‘lookers’ to ‘bookers.’ With this in mind a core focus
of the strategy is to increase Ireland’s capacity for conversion and maximise the return on what is already
perceived to be a very strong brand in the US market. Building on our strengths and what we know works
we will strengthen our capacity to get more consumers ‘over the line’ with a focus on four key areas:
1. Brand led conversion ~
using our brand power
More singular in our messaging ~
communicating the most compelling and
persuasive reasons to choose Ireland based
on real insight into our target segments
Bring a buzz to the island of Ireland ~
presenting Ireland as a vibrant, fun and
distinctive destination
Deliver immediacy, action and engagement
in our communications ~ our objective is to
get US consumers to visit Ireland now, not
just sometime in the future
2. Iconic ‘must do’
experiences ~ compelling
experiences to captivate
the consumer
We will align the needs of our target
segments with the experiences Ireland has
to offer, putting forward compelling reasons
to travel to and experience Ireland
We will fully leverage our major events
and attractions to drive visitor numbers,
including St Patricks Festival, Titanic, Derry /
Londonderry UK City of Culture
We will focus on key cities as prime reasons
to choose and experience Ireland
We must translate goodwill towards Ireland and high levels of ‘intention to travel to Ireland’
into enquiries, booking and ultimately highly satisfied visitors. Our focus is on moving US
consumers from “looking to booking”.
3. Call to action ~ reasons
to visit Ireland now
We will include a direct call to action in our
messaging to encourage and facilitate the
consumer booking a trip to Ireland
Ensure there is a strong ‘call to action’
messaging in co-op activities, interested
consumer will be in no doubt as to what to
do next
We will further strengthen our presence and
impact on digital channels – which are key
platforms for planning and purchasing
4. Conversion
partnerships ~ team
Ireland winning the
consumer
We will focus on improving the conversion
ratio (from enquiry to booking) in key
sales channels, backing winners and high
potential operators with a special focus on
Northern Ireland
We will support and collaborate with
industry partners to communicate Ireland’s
convenience and value as these are two
known triggers for conversion
We will invest in ‘carrier’ led conversion
programmes
We will encourage trade and industry
partners to increase destination promotions
for Ireland
Strategic Pillar 3:
While our primary efforts in the period 2013-2015
will focus on building on existing brand strengths and
delivering increased visitor numbers in peak seasons,
we will also focus on extending Ireland’s relevance in
‘shoulder’ seasons (March, April, October, November).
New Brand
Relevance
We have identified untapped potential to extend
Irelands relevance beyond the long stay proposition
and we will work with core partners to deliver this.
While we need to continually enhance and develop
Ireland’s relevance we must also broaden the
brand relevance.
Ireland must be perceived as having the capacity to
offer a wide range of experiences at different times of
the year and for different lengths of trips, creating and
communicating a rich reservoir of reasons to choose
Ireland now – whatever time of the year it happens
to be.
In order to drive new brand relevance
for Ireland we will be concentrating on
three specific areas over the course of
the plan.
1. Extending
seasonal relevance
The focus of this strategy will be to make
Ireland more relevant in ‘shoulder’ seasons
and develop ‘seasonal niche’ opportunities.
In order to do this we will:
•
Identify and promote key experiences /
events that take place in shoulder months,
including Dublin’s festival season amongst
others
•
Support trade partners to develop
and communicate shoulders season
propositions and packages
•
Measure impact and outcomes, to revise
and strengthen our approach
Making ‘brand Ireland’ relevant to consumers
and in new and different ways
2. City based
proposition
3. Six day visit
proposition
Primarily targeting Young Independents living
on the East coast of America, we will promote
a city based proposition for Dublin and Belfast.
This strategy will be deployed with a
focus on driving volume in the shoulder
seasons and be supported by:
There are a vast number of US consumers
that are ‘cash rich and time poor’ due to lower
annual leave entitlements. In response to
this we will develop and communicate a six
day visit proposition to Ireland. This has at its
core the development and implementation
of a balanced city / countryside visit,
enabling a potential visitor to experience
the best of Ireland in less than a week.
This strategy will be supported by:
•
Precise targeting, communications and
channel marketing
•
The definition and communication of
experiential city based packages
•
Collaboration with key industry including
tour operators and carriers to develop and
promote attractive city based packages at
accessible price points
•
The definition and communication of
balanced experiential city / countryside
breaks
•
Collaboration with key industry (operators
and carriers) in order to define, develop
and promote relevant packages at
appropriate price points
Through our strategy to drive new brand relevance we will make Ireland more accessible to
a broader range of consumers, getting new consumers to consider Ireland and those may
have considered Ireland in the past to re-appraise it as a real holiday destination.
Areas of Special Focus 1:
Digital
Being brilliant on a key
channel for consideration
and purchase
Digital, broadly encompassing the internet,
mobile / tablet and social media, is a key
platform through which consumers not
only research vacation options (driving
consideration) but for many it also
represents a key channel through which
consumers make decisions, plan and
purchase their holidays.
The relevance and importance of the digital
platform is only set to increase and with this
in mind it is vital that the brand excels in this
environment.
To build on our current success in the
digital environment Ireland will:
INSPIRE
Through the digital
platform we will inspire
consumers and motivate
them to visit Ireland
on their next trip
overseas.
PERSONALISE
We will enable individuals
to create a personal vision of
their trip – what they will do,
how they will interact with
icons, experiences.
INFORM
Potential visitors will be
provided with relevant
information that influences
them to choose Ireland and
enables them to plan
their trip.
CONNECT
Connect consumers
with relevant partners
(trade / industry) so
they can make bookings,
facilitating conversion.
Now more than ever being brilliant in the digital world is a key factor for brand success. We will strengthen
what is already a solid base, lead the way relative to our competitors, ultimately winning consumers and drive
performance through the digital platform.
In order to achieve this we will
focus on three key objectives:
1. Optimise brand
positioning and messaging
2. Position the brand
optimally for sale
3. Facilitate and engage in
brand dialogue
•
•
Focus on OTAs and all key online
sales platforms
•
Foster brand ambassadors online
•
•
Improve conversion ratio and
ranking online
Stimulate brand conversations in
digital environments
•
•
Make active intervention in
relevant environments, drive call
to action and target competitors
Drive relevant content sharing
and distribution
•
Leverage relevant databases and
information
•
•
Outstanding execution of
our brand strategy in digital
environments
Feature key experiential
propositions as key content
Stimulate and facilitate influencer
content including bloggers,
journalists
•
Enhance the connection
between TI digital environments
and trade to facilitate sales
Areas of Special Focus 2:
Airfares & Access
Focussing on
fundamentals that
make a big difference
Although the areas of airfares and access
to the island of Ireland sit outside our direct
influence they are key factors that have the
capacity to support or indeed inhibit Ireland’s
performance. So it is of high importance
that we do everything within our power to
optimise conditions with respect to airfares
and access.
Building on the success of securing new
access in 2013, we must continue to leverage
our relationships, assert our influence and
collaborate with key stakeholders and
partners, in order to bring about the best
conditions possible to facilitate consumers
booking their trip and visiting Ireland.
Key strategies and actions
Airfares
We will highlight
proximity and ease
of access of Ireland
relative to other Western
European destinations
We will develop a season
extension strategy so that
consumers are attracted to
Ireland in off peak periods
when airfares are more
affordable
Focus co-operative
investment on campaigns
that will drive incremental
visitors during the shoulder
season
We will continue to develop and manage
relationships which will influence access and
route development. We will work with all
stakeholders to advocate the development
of access onto the island of Ireland
Access
We will support all stakeholders who are
working to support route development and
the retention of critically important routes
We will assist carriers in route development and target carriers
and gateways that service behind point access markets
We will help promote strategically important
routes through co-operative campaigns with
carriers to exploit the development of new and
existing routes that are strategically important
for the island of Ireland
We will share marketing and promotional
plans with carriers to motivate route
development / promotion and drive future
intention for greater capacity and new
routes
The Fundamentals
Focussing on the building
blocks of our brand and
organisation.
The ‘Make Ireland Jump Out’ strategy is
underpinned by the management and
development of key fundamentals that support
the brand, key stakeholders and the Tourism
organisation and team in the US. While we
must push on with ambition and energy and
deliver our strategic intent we must also have
a focus on continuing to get the basics right
and strengthening the key foundations of brand
Ireland in the US.
These ‘basics’ are defined as follows:
Product
Messaging
Trade
Value
Organisation
Product
Messaging
Trade
• Ireland as a destination is ‘America
friendly’. We will continue to
promote fundamentals that are of
appeal to US consumers: English
speaking, safe, compact, accessible,
infrastructure, immigration, hospitality,
accommodation (diverse properties)
• We will focus on ‘motivation based’
messaging – providing reasons
to choose Ireland in all relevant
communications
• We will maintain and develop priority
trade relationships
• We will amplify differentiated and
motivating product attributes based on
an insight into our target consumers
• We will identify and manage product
failures, weakness and gaps
• We will be more singular in our
messaging. We will over extend the
brand
• We will amplify and focus on
consumer key drivers (access,
affordability, urgency)
Value
Organisation
• We will continue to reinforce value
for money and affordability through
relevant messaging
• We will have a ruthless focus on
prioritisation
• We will support the trade to create
and communicate experiential value
packages and bundles at relevant
price points (underpinned by co-operative investment)
• We will drive our value for money
perception through word of mouth
strategy
• Impact metrics to be applied where
possible and useful, with a primary
focus on return on investment metrics
• We will deploy our resources (time,
money and people) based on where
we believe we will get the greatest
return and have the greatest impact on
brand performance
• We will gather information relating to
conversion ratio and ranking and seek
improvement through collaboration
• We will assess and strengthen the OTA
network and relationships
Conclusion
We have a clear strategy
with challenging goals.
Ultimately the strategy is about building on the
strengths and stature of brand Ireland in the US
and enhancing the brand appeal by:
We are confident that if we can execute the strategy
that has been defined the period 2013-15 can be a
very successful one for brand Ireland in the US.
•
bringing a sharper focus to the consumers we are trying
to influence and win (connecting with them in a more
compelling way than we ever have)
Acknowledgements
•
motivating people to choose, plan and book in the here
and now
•
broadening the relevance of Ireland as a holiday
proposition so that we make it more relevant and
accessible to more people
•
collaborating with all key stakeholders to bring a joined
up approach to delivering brand Ireland
We would like to thank the US Marketing
Partnership Group for their valuable input into the
US market review. We are also very grateful for the
contributions made by experts within the US and
Irish travel trade during the US Market Review.
The contribution of Genesis is also acknowledged.
Marketing Partnership Group Members
Nico Zenner, President, Brendan Vacations
Janice Gault, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland
Hotels Federation
Brian Stack, President, CIE Tours International
Jack Foley, Executive Vice President, North
America, Aer Lingus
Bert Accomando, President, GCS/Sceptre Tours
Marc Kazlauskas, President, Insight Vacations
*Jim Brody, Vice President Marketing, Oyster.com
*Audrey Hendley, Vice President, American
Express
*Eamonn McKeon, Chief Executive, ITIC
*Alison Metcalfe, Vice President, Marketing USA, Tourism Ireland
*Joe Byrne, Executive Vice President USA, Tourism Ireland
* Members of the US review working group
chaired by Alison Metcalfe.
It is a strategy we believe in and one we
are determined to deliver on, so let’s work
together to Make Ireland Jump Out.
Contacts
Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland
5th Floor, Bishop’s Square
345 Park Avenue,
Redmond’s Hill,
New York, NY 10154
Dublin 2, Ireland
T: +1 212 418 0800
T: +353 1 476 3400
F: +1 212 371 9052
F: +353 1 476 3666
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]