MARKETING
2012 Operating Plan
Our marketing efforts will establish the Chicago Botanic Garden as a recognized and respected leader for its visitor experience, horticulture, plant conservation, and community education. The Garden’s marketing efforts will increase loyalty and enthusiasm, inspiring people to interact with the Garden on site, online, and at its satellite locations.
Goal / Objective / Deliverables1 The Garden's Marketing efforts will 1) build the Garden's reputation and awareness as one of the great gardens of the world; 2) increase membership and attendance; 3) increase enrollment in Garden programs, classes and volunteer opportunities; 4) cause more people to take action towards saving plants; and 5) financially support the garden. / · Update the “Keep Growing” strategic plan website in step with 2011 Annual Report.
· Launch new plant finder/Garden tour app for mobile and on site.
· Launch four “Keep Growing” magazines/ezines.
· Maintain media partnerships with WGN-TV, WLS- TV, WBBM-News Radio, Chicago Tribune, and Daily Herald.
· Generate placement in Chicago-area publications that position the Garden as the best place to visit and value for no admission. Participate in Crain’s lists, other tourism stories, Chicago Center for Tourism “Passport” program and others, as appropriate.
2 The Garden will be top-of-mind as one of Chicago's foremost cultural institutions. / 2.1 Continue to increase awareness for the Garden's horticulture, plant conservation science, and community education, which make the Garden a foremost cultural institution and important place to visit.
· 2.2 Reinforce the Garden as a resource for all things horticultural, plant conservation, and education for visitors and members of all ages. / · Integrate 40th anniversary in all relevant marketing material—membership events, donor letters, magazine, website and PR (info graphics).
· Relaunch Education as one comprehensive (for all ages and abilities) entity and position the Garden as the best learning garden in the world.
· Increase awareness of the new Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden and interest in overall education offerings.
· Execute an advertising plan to generate more visitors for key traffic-driving and revenue-producing programs: Evenings and Wonderland Express.
· Execute advertising against targeted, short term programs: A Bloomin’ Festival, Antiques & Garden Fair, World Environment Day, and Fall Bulb Festival.
· Increase investment of online and social media properties (Google search and Facebook) within advertising mix for events as well as for membership.
· Execute other new Visitor programs—Tuesday Morning Music, the Art Festival, and Taste of Mexico.
· Develop bonsai book for holiday 2012 selling season.
· Launch custom holiday card offering via e-commerce.
2.2 The website will continue to grow in supporting all facets of the Garden—from events and education to horticulture and science, and more—with the most up-to-date information. It will play an increasingly important role as a valuable source of information for research grants, potential donors, and members. Many areas of the web are prime for building friendships with visitors and increasing revenue: general visitors, plant information for gardeners, members, families, and foreign visitors. / · Execute 40th Anniversary Online Interactive Album to capture mementos, generate member engagement.
· Execute IMLS grant to expand public access—on site and off site—of plant data collection data base and other relevant content via web and mobile.
· Continue building the Garden’s e-communications.
· Grow general e-newsletter database to more than 50,000 to 60,000.
· Create seamless interface between Garden website and registration site (PEO) to ensure high quality e-commerce experience for class registration, membership renewals, and annual giving donations.
· Expand PEO to membership and Annual Fund.
· Become an online source of reliable information: gardening, science, conservation.
o Repurpose Plant Information data online with IMLS tool.
· Update the online Annual Report and Keep Growing strategic plan website.
· Continue photo contest to strengthen engagement of community of photographers.
· Define plan to redesign and consolidate/link all science websites to home site.
· Generate customer data collection plan to increase segmentation and analytic potential from RFID launch.
· Continue to optimize the site for the search engines.
2.3 Increase awareness efforts in new media—social networking sites, blogs, etc.—to ensure the Garden is participating in the growing interactive dialogue. / · Leverage NU Medill relationship to strengthen integrated marketing and digital strategy.
· Increase Facebook friends to exceed 40,000.
· Expand use of Facebook properties for marketing and development purposes.
· Engage “mommy” bloggers as important niche for Camp and other relevant Garden programs.
· Expand use of Garden blog to develop relationships with horticulture and science staff.
· Execute social media press release for select events.
3 The Garden will be recognized as a leader in plant conservation science. / 3.1 Generate greater awareness and recognition of our plant conservation science plan. / · Generate awareness and interest in new Shoreline Restoration project—chronicle the progress.
· Determine which of the following to pursue to better demonstrate our Science work:
o Ten years of BLM/CLM intern-training program.
o Genetic diversity in jack fruit, bread fruit, and yams.
o Carbon sequestration and the importance of plants as a carbon sink.
o Denitrification in wetlands to protect rivers.
o Chicago-area restoration impact.
· Create case statement for NU graduate program to market $5 million endowment.
· Generate updated program and increase attendance for World Environment Day—June 2, 2012.
o Dedicate Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden.
o Execute speaker plan with Tom Skilling and Bob Jordan.
· Have a scientist blog for a project.
· Announce Project BudBurst results from year two, and kick off year three of the program from the new GIS lab. Map out year two results. Determine other “visuals” for GIS system that would attract media.
· Define economic botany plan with board members Tim Dugan and Tony Farino.
· Communicate the evaluation of the Green Roof Garden.
4 The Garden will be broadly recognized as the finest teaching and learning botanic garden in the United States. / 4.1 Generate greater awareness and recognition of the Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden and set foundation for expanding the Learning Campus. / · Relaunch Education as one comprehensive (for all ages and abilities) entity and position Garden as best learning garden in the world.
o Generate awareness for new Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden.
o Generate stronger marketing plans for each of the core education offerings: adult education, Camp CBG, Youth and Family, and Teacher and Student.
· Publicize the Science Career Continuum.
4.3 Expand awareness of Green Youth Farm, Cook County Boot Camp, and Windy City Harvest. / · Continue to explore funding sources for Science Career Continuum.
4.4 Position Garden as a healthcare facility. / · Horticultural therapy.
· Wellness programs.
· Develop NSUHS partnership.
5 The Garden's marketing efforts will reflect the high standards of the Garden and will affect visitors before, during, and even after their visit. / 5.1 Revamp business processes to improve customer service across organization. / · Refine PE/PEO and improve processes.
· Help define and operationalize customer center requirements.
5.2 Refine crisis management plan. / · Define plan in collaboration with rest of organization.
6 The Garden will be instrumental in creating a new "cultural corridor" collaboratively with the Ravinia Festival, Writer's Theatre, Kohl Children's Museum and other institutions, visitor and tourist bureaus, and the Village of Glencoe, City of Highland Park, and other municipalities. / 6.1 Develop brand names that represent the marketing consortium. / · Expand “Do North” campaign in 2012
· Coordinate and support RFID program.
6.2 Leverage the assets of the four entities to cross-market each other. / · Launch cross-promotion to leverage the assets of the four entities to cross market each other.
· Launch new coupon book.
6.3 Establish trade strategy to generate awareness and partnership among area hotels, restaurants, and chambers of commerce.
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