3. 3
Spindletop Strategies is dedicated to helping Ludus Tours successfully drive traffic to
their website, Bucket List Travel. We will build awareness of the opportunity to travel to
Brazil for the World Cup and moreover the company’s services as a whole.
Bucket List Travel is not just about traveling across the world, it is about building
relationships, providing a flexible travel experience, and conveniently booking a
vacation through one company.
After conducting extensive research the company, its offerings, and the industry,
Spindletop Strategies found that the target audience is men aged 30-54 with an
individual annual income of over $75,000. People in this target are either sports fans
or travel enthusiasts who are looking for an adventure. By reaching this demographic,
Ludus Tours will generate online attention and drive traffic to the site.
Working to create a campaign that can be easily implemented in time for the World
Cup, Spindletop Strategies has decided to divide the allotted budget of $40,000 over
into two monthly flights, the first one launching in May. $20,000 will be allocated
between search engine marketing, display advertising, video advertising, and Facebook
advertising this month. The remaining $20,000 spent in June will be allocated based
on which media vehicles preformed best in the previous month. Altering placement
accordingly will optimize spending in areas geared toward bringing in promising leads
and maximizing sales.
Outside of paid advertising, Spindletop Strategies has outlined ways to improve the
Bucket List Travel brand through social media, website design recommendations, and
an interactive mobile app. The strategies we utilize will be aimed toward easily
transitioning between events to include the Olympic Games in Brazil.
In the recommendations that follow, Spindletop Strategies will demonstrate how
Ludus Tours can successfully drive qualified leads to Bucket List Travel World Cup
landing page. Additionally, the recommendations will demonstrate how Bucket List
Travel can build its brand, increase credibility, and generate future success.
Executive Summary
4. 4
The situational analysis of Bucket List Travel brought to you by Ludus Tours will travel
through the history of the company, explore the products and services, dive into
Spindletop’s research and findings, and conclude with a SWOT analysis.
Situational Analysis
Since 2003 Ludus Tours has specialized in providing hospitality and great experiences
with events around the world. With traveling groups built on fun, friendship, and
exploration, Ludus Tours’ passion for sports and entertainment sets them apart from
the rest. Ludus Tours is proud to give you the chance to cross off any travel experience
off of your bucket list.
Ludus Tours: Travel Through History
Bucket List Travel
Bucket List Travel brought to you by Ludus Tours strives to build more than travel
packages for their clients. Bucket List Travel is about building an experience of a
lifetime for their guests. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, athlete, or parent, you’ll be
touring a new city with eight or more people just like you. The experience is designed
with the customer in mind by providing convenience, lifelong relationships, and the
opportunity to explore new places around the world.
Bucket List Travel wants their customers to have the freedom to set their own
agenda and explore the new destination on their own terms. Bucket List Travel is not
just a traveling agency; they are a group of people who want to build a great traveling
experience with the chance to view sporting or entertainment events. With ticketing
services, Bucket List Travel grants customers the convenience of purchasing sporting
packages with room and board, as well as traveling within the destination location.
Over the next two months, Spindletop Strategies will work to drive a specifically
targeted client base to the Bucket List Travel by Ludus Tours website and build brand
exposure for this entity. We will work to strengthen credibility and focus on building
lasting relationships.
Exposing Bucket List Travel to multiple online platforms will gain the attention
necessary to increase traffic to the website. Advertising to relevant users will guarantee
our budget of $40,000 is parallel with our goal: driving qualified leads.
5. 5
Secondary research included Mintel Reports, Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Statistics,
and data from Simmons OneView.
Secondary Research Findings
1. Financial Security - More than one third of World Cup television viewers were
labeled as being of high socioeconomic status. Additionally, a Simmons run on the
target market identified them as very likely to “feel financially secure.”
2. Convenience - 70% of people will look to book their travel online. These people are
pressed for time and will choose the most convenient outlet when making purchases.
3. Male Dominant - In the FIFA 2010 World Cup, 64% of The United States live
audience viewers were male. 31% of these viewers were aged 31-49. Furthermore,
out of passport-owning, self-described soccer fans who make more than $75,000
annually, 83% were male.
4. Internet Relient - The target is a heavy user of the internet, using the web for
booking travel, banking, listening to podcasts, managing stock portfolios, following
sports, and watching television and movies. Furthermore, the target is also reliant on
mobile devices for web connectivity, as 70% of the target cited a need for having
internet access “on the go.”
5. Social Media Presence - 3.2 billion viewers from around the world are connected
through social media networks during the World Cup. Communication during popular
sporting events carries a high presence “trending” mark on platforms such as Twitter
and Facebook. Facebook and YouTube are visited in high rates to continue the
connection and share important messages well after the game has ended.
Secondary Research
Male
64%
Female
36%
Live Game USA Audience Profile
Gender FIFA 2010
Senior
(50+)
15%
Mid Life
(35-49)
35%
Young Adult
(16-34)
31%
Children
19%
Live
Game
USA
Audience
Profile
FIFA
2010
6. 6
Platform Performance
Our target audience is highly reliant on internet activity. On a daily basis
they use the internet for work, to listen to music, and watching television,
such as the World Cup. In addition to that, our market also uses the
internet to make purchasing decisions, self-conducted online research.
Lastly, Facebook, credibly podcasts forums, and blogs come into play when
developing a vacation or traveling experience.
Building Bonds
People are more likely to travel with people they know. They are intrigued
to follow through with friends who have mutual interests, so there is less
conflict when it comes down to planning the itinerary. They want to feel
connected to those around them because it guarantees the full, enjoyable
experience. The memories and encounters made during these trips are
priceless.
Experiencing The Culture
Traveling bucket list items are dreamt based on country culture, uniqueness
and thrill behind the experience. The sports enthusiast is striving to cross
all major sporting events off of his or her bucket list, whether it’s the World
Series or the World Cup. At times, the sport itself becomes irrelevant as to
whether or not it is the personal favorite; moreover, what matters is the
experience in being a part of something so spectacular. To these people,
the way sports blend cultures over a shared passion is the true ecstasy they
desire.
Tourism Stigma
Most travelers pride themselves on being adventurous and do not fear
traveling without a group or guide. They are turned off by the “tourism”
idea. They are willing to spend countless hours hunting around the Internet
for locations to visit, hotels to stay in, and places to eat while on their trip.
Although many would agree it is an inconvenience and very time
consuming, they vacation to indulge in the freedom of spontaneously
planning their own agenda. After all, they are on vacation to stray from
Primary Research
7. 7
GlobalEventForum.com is a sports travel company that offers packages for
NHL, football, soccer, basketball, tennis, and other sporting events. They have a
limited selection of game tickets, and in terms of the 2014 World Cup, they only
offer tickets as part of a package. Hotels and accommodations can be purchased
on their own. The message they portray is that they are experienced and can
accommodate all the customer’s needs with their ability to secure hotels, airfare,
and more through their unique partnerships and arrangements.
GreatAtlanticSports.com is another sports travel company that offers
tickets and packages for all major national sports and some international sports.
None of their ticket options are for the World Cup, but they have very unique
packages that vary in team or theme. Their message is that they are very
experienced and well structured to give a smooth experience through their wide
choices and professionalism.
StubHub.com offers tickets to sports games, concerts, and theater shows,
and TicketCity.com offers tickets, as well as packages, for these same categories.
Neither of them offer travel accommodations, but they have a very professional
tone when it comes to their ticket business. They both provide an easy way to
purchase a wide variety of tickets.
BaccTravel.com is a travel agency that specializes in Brazil, offering flights
and hotels. They emphasize their experience and price competitiveness.
SabrinaBrazilTravel.com offers personalized travel services specializing in South
America for all types of travel. This company provides personal attention for
maximum travel customization. Brol.com offers numerous tour packages and
travel accommodations, including flights, hotels, lodges, car rentals, and
cruises. They emphasize their wide variety of travel assistance. None of these
three companies offer sports accommodations.
GlobalEventForum.com and GreatAtlanticSports.com are the two closest
competitors because they offer both sports and travel accommodations. As they
stand, Ludus Tours should have the competitor advantage because neither of
them emphasizes the fan-bonding experience of the events. They also have far
less social media fans. The two companies have significantly smaller social media
followings, generating 8,000 and 331 respective likes compared to Ludus Tours’
40,000
Competitors
8. 8
STRENGTHS
• Convenient online purchasing
• Flexibility
• Customization
• Package eliminates extra time
shopping around
• Opportunity to travel alone or
follow with a group spontaneously
• Range of offerings
WEAKNESSES
• Weakness in branding
• Sales reps don’t close
• Undeveloped BuckListTravel.com
page
• Low awareness
• Confusion on services provided
(tour group/agent)
• Weak follow-up strategy
OPPORTUNITIES
• World Cup is a global event, not
just for soccer fans
• Diversity within target allows for
growing opportunity
• Baby-boomers, largest
demographic, are coming into the
“got to kick my bucket list” age
• Everyone has a dream vacation
THREATS
• Affluent US travelers mostly book
through separate transactions
• Do-It-All travel agencies
• Actual tour groups
• Brazil’s lack of preparedness
• Safety issues in Brazil
• Future World Cups and Olympics
are in “undesirable” locations
SWOT
9. 9
Target Demographics
· Males aged 30-54
· Soccer Fans or Travel Enthusiasts
· Personal Income of $75,000+
These People Tend To…
· Live in the Northeast or Pacific regions of the United States,
especially California and New York
· Be highly educated, often having graduate degrees
· Agree that protecting the environment is important
· Rely on the internet for entertainment, work, and travel
arrangements
· Carry smartphones on them at most times
Who Are They?
Ben, the 30 year-old die hard soccer fan. He’s
recently married, works a mid-level management job
at a software company, and spends his free time
playing in rec soccer leagues, watching Netflix with
his wife, and going to the pub early weekend
mornings to watch the Liverpool match with his
fellow Reds supporters.
Reggie, the 52 year-old recent empty nester. His
youngest daughter finally moved out of the house,
so Reggie and his wife, Jeanette, are looking to
spend some of their new-found time traveling.
Reggie has built up thousands of airline miles
traveling for his job and is looking for a new travel
destination after having a blast with the family in
Europe the previous year.
Ted, the 35 year-old architect living in New York
City. Single, wealthy, and adventure seeking, Ted is
looking for a fun vacation idea for the
upcoming summer. He has always entertained the
prospect of traveling to South America, but has
never had the right group of buddies to travel with.
Target Profile
10. 10
The overall objective is to drive traffic to the World Cup Landing Page in
order to increase call volume and sale closure. This will be achieved by
increasing exposure of the Bucket List Travel brand through a series of
online advertising campaigns targeting primarily males aged 30-54 who are
soccer fans or travel enthusiasts and have personal incomes of over
$75,000. The campaigns will consist of search engine marketing, display
advertising, Facebook Ads, and pre-roll video. Additional tactics include an
app and adjustments to the current website and Facebook page to improve
the consumer’s experience with the brand for the future.
Marketing Objectives
11. 11
Creative Brief
What are we trying to accomplish?
Our main goal is to drive traffic to Bucket List Travel’s page and claim the
“making bucket list dreams come true” spot that has yet to been claimed.
We are trying to establish Bucket List Travel as a strong brand through a
highly emotion driven campaign. No one knows that there is a travel agency
dedicated to bucket list dreams, and we strive to change that.
What do we want the target to feel about bucket list travel?
We want the target to feel that Bucket List Travel is the one place to go for
bucket list events because of convenience, personability, and value.
Overall we want the target to look at Bucket List Travel as the helping hand
to make their dreams a possibility.
How are we going to accomplish our goals?
Through extensive research and very selective targeting we plan to digitally
target the prospective consumer with a simple message.
How does bucket list travel comapre to competitors?
Bucket List Travel is the easiest and, most importantly, the cheapest place
consumers can go for their travel needs. Bucket List is also unique in its
varied and customizable travel packages.
What is the single big idea?
Bucket list travel understands the importance of these bucket list dreams,
and with their assistance and affordability they can ensure the experience is
everything they expected, and more.
What is the tone of the campaign?
Emotional and inspiring, while also detailing Bucket List Travel’s
convenience.
12. 12
Creative Strategy
Although, we have a very specific target profiled, we understand that
everyone, no matter gender, social standing, or age, has a bucket list. We
kept this in mind whilst creating this campaign, which will be directed at our
target but can be enjoyed and appreciated by everybody. Our main goal
when creating our striking banner advertisement and a 30-second banner
spot was to drive traffic to your site by raising awareness of your company
and creating a strong brand attitude. Making bucket list events accessible is
truly inspiring, so we tried to capture that attitude. By looking at your
company’s biggest strengths: convenience; we created a tagline, or brand
message if you will, that our campaign revolves around, and that is:
Making Dreams Easy, For Life’s Moments
With this simple message, we detail not only how accessible you make
these events but also the power of these events. Your life isn’t remembered
in the form of an encyclopedia, but rather a bunch of tweets of those life
highlights. This tag will separate you from the competition because no other
travel agency has claimed this unique message. Our spot harnesses this
attitude. With such a strong, inspiring brand, bucket list travel will be the
only company people think off when they want to scratch something off
their bucket list. This spot is short, emotional, inspiring, and will get the
message out there.
13. 13
Creative Executions
BANNER AD
This simple banner ad captures viewers without tricking them with games
and misinformation. We only want validated clicks from potential buyers,
The ad is visually pleasing, while also very simple and direct.
14. 14
Creative Executions
TV SPOT STORYBOARD
This 30 second spot was designed to inspire, motivate, and inform the
viewer. We decided to focus on the special relationship between two male
best friends, because we found through our research that sucsussfull males
are the most likely to be interested in a Bucket List Travel package.
Voiceover : “ He was my first friend
in a new environment.
(Action: Roommates meeting each
other for the first time)
He helped me pass Dr. Mittal’s
calculus course.
(Roommmates staying up late
studying)
He helped me walk me home, when
I couldn’t walk myself.
(Friend helping drunk friend stumble
home)
15. 15
Creative Executions
He never told anyone about that
embarassing thing that happened
that one night.
(Guy wearing a dress at a party.)
He opened me up to a new sport
and its culture.
(Friends cheering together at a
sports bar.)
He is my wingman.
(Friends talking to two girls at a bar.)
16. 16
Creative Executions
He is the best guy I know.
(Friends hugging)
His lifelong dream is to see his
country play. But he never thought
he would get the chance.
(Little boy watching a soccer game)
But Thanks to Bucket List Travel it is
more than possible. Now I get to say
thank you to my very best friend, for
always being there.
(shots of beatiful Brazil)
BucketListTravel.com.Making dreams
easy, for life’s moments.”
(Friends cheering at a game in
Brazil)
17. 17
Spindletop Strategies’ media objective, as outlined by Ludus Tours,
is to drive qualified traffic to the Bucket List Travel World Cup Ticket
Packages landing page. In order to ensure that web visitors driven
to the aforementioned landing page are indeed qualified, we have
outlined a set of requirements. They must:
• Have the financial means to purchase a ticket package; and
• Be interested in either sports or travel
The media tactics proposed by Spindletop Strategies are optimized
to eliminate waste spending on those who fall outside these
requirements. With the allotted media budget, Spindletop
Strategies plans to drive 30,000 highly qualified visitors to the
World Cup ticket packages page. This figure will serve as the Key
Performance Indicator (KPI) of the campaign’s overall success.
Media Objectives
18. 18
The media strategy by Spindletop Strategies encompasses the following three concepts:
Digital, Efficient, and Mesaurable.
Media Strategy
Digital
The entirety of Spindletop Strategies’ recommendations will involve digital media due to a number of
factors. Because the outlined objective of driving qualified traffic to the Bucket List Travel World Cup
Ticket Packages landing page, it makes most sense to operate on the digital landscape. If Spindletop
Strategies were to invest in offline media, it would lack the budget to operate a nationwide campaign
and would be greatly inefficient in driving traffic to a website.
Furthermore, secondary research shows that the target market is a heavy user of the internet. The
target market has a very high tendency to agree with the following statements:
• The internet helps me plan and book travel (80%)
• The internet has changed the way I get information about products and services (83%)
• I spend less time reading newspapers in print because of the internet (65%)
• It is safe to make purchases on the internet (Index: 157)
• I mostly download or stream my entertainment rather than buying a CD or DVD (Index: 172)
These findings solidify the rationale behind a media plan solely consisting of digital options.
Efficient
Competing in the same space as Travelocity.com, Hotels.com, Priceline.com, Booking.com, and other
large travel package websites with large media budgets, Ludus Tours needs to make the most out of
its advertising expenditures. Without the ability to generate a large share of voice through impression
based pricing models, Spindletop Strategies recommends a media strategy focused on Cost-Per-Click
(CPC) advertising.
For the express purpose of driving qualified traffic to a landing page, CPC advertising is the best way
to go. CPC advertising works on a pricing scale that minimizes waste spending, as advertising dollars
are only spent on the most qualified of leads – those who choose to visit the website. This ensures
that money will not be thrown away on people who don’t notice the ads, people who aren’t interested
in the company’s product, or people who are not prone to clicking on internet advertisements. As an
added bonus, the nature of CPC advertising allows for free impressions. When a user is exposed to
an ad, but does not click on it, that user is still being shown the company name along with the
message. This exposure allows for increased website traffic without paying for views.
The media plan is also efficient in that it is able to narrowly target internet users who match the
target profile outlined by Spindletop Strategies. Three different types of digital targeting will be used:
Keyword targeting, contextual targeting, and interest targeting. All of these capabilities will efficiently
bring qualified traffic to the Word Cup Ticket Packages landing page.
Measurable
The beauty of internet advertising is that it is 100% measurable. With the recommended media plan,
Ludus Tours will be able to track where every single one of its advertising dollars are going. Offline
media guarantees no such promise. Furthermore, Ludus Tours will be able to see which
advertisements are working and which ones are not. This will allow Ludus Tours to optimize the
media budget towards the individual vehicles that are driving the most conversions.
19. 19
The following digital media tactics will efficiently drive qualified leads to the World Cup landing page
in a measurable fashion:
Search Engine Marketing
Spindletop Strategies recommends that Ludus Tours invest its media budget in paid search through
Google’s AdWords platform. By utilizing SEM, Ludus Tours can be sure that it is reaching those in the
market actively searching for World Cup Travel plans. Not only does it guarantee that the message
will be received by those interested in traveling to the world cup, but being on a cost per click basis,
it also assures that money will only be spent on those interested in Ludus Tours’ services.
A list of 111 keywords has been created that represent search terms internet users would rely on to
find World Cup ticket packages online. These keywords have been separated into different AdGroups
so that relevant ads can be served to different search queries. Even deeper, multiple text ads have
been created for each AdGroup so they can be A/B tested against each other for both click and
conversion optimization. Based on the suggested keyword list and a maximum bid of $5, Google
estimates the following data (daily):
• 81 Clicks
• 6,910 Impressions
• $213.24 Cost
• 1.2% Click Through Rate
• $2.62 Cost Per Click
With these estimates, Spindletop Strategies proposes a monthly SEM budget of $6,500, with the aim
of driving 2,500 highly qualified unique visitors to the landing page.
Media Tactics
20. 20
Facebook Ads
According to Simmons Oneview findings, people within the target audience are active
users of Facebook, 61% of them responding that they have been on the website within
the past week. Additionally, Facebook’s targeting capabilities and its recently updated
advertising plan make advertising on Facebook a very attractive option.
Facebook deep interest targeting will allow a select group of Facebook users to be
selected whose interests match those of Ludus Tours’ target market. The following
criteria will be chosen:
• Men
• Ages 25-50
• $75,000+ Annual Income
• College Graduate
• Interested in Soccer; or
• Travel
The pricing structure, also CPC, will allow Ludus Tours to prioritize their Facebook
spending budget on driving traffic to the website. Facebook’s estimates suggest a
$0.82 average cost per click. With a maximum bid of $1, Spindletop Strategies
recommends a $3,500 monthly budget with 4,250 estimated targeted unique visitors.
Media Tactics
21. 21
Display Advertising
In order to obtain a larger reach, drive more traffic to the website, and convey the
brand message, the remainder of Ludus Tours’ budget will be invested into internet
display advertising. Rather than selecting individual websites to place display ads on,
Spindletop Strategies recommends that Ludus Tours serve ads through the Google
Display Network (GDN). GDN allows for a more defined manner of targeting by
focusing on the user, rather than singling out websites which the user might be on.
There exist three different ways to do this, all three of which Spindletop Strategies
suggests for use:
• Keyword Targeting – The same keyword list used in the SEM campaign will be
applied for use in the display campaign. Keyword targeting allows for display ads to be
served on other websites after a user has searched for one of the keywords on Google.
• Contextual Targeting – Display ads are displayed on web pages with content related
to world cup travel packages.
• Interest Targeting – GDN delivers ads to users who match a predetermined set of
criteria aligned with the demographics and psychographics of the Ludus Tours target
consumer.
Display advertising through GDN will also be budgeted on a cost per click basis. The
budget will be separated equally between campaigns using the different targeting
capabilities. Spindletop Strategies recommends a budget of $5,000 and estimates
2,500 monthly unique visitors with an added bonus of free impressions.
Media Tactics
22. 22
Media Tactics
Pre-Roll Advertising
In order to generate awareness, build a brand image, and add value to the
recommended CPC tactics, digital video advertising will be ordered through
Google AdWords. These videos will be delivered as pre-roll advertisements
on YouTube and other video sites.
The ads will be targeted to males aged 25-54 who have interests in travel or
finance. They will only be served as pre-roll on videos with content
involving soccer. The overlapping of the demographics with interests and
content allow for narrower targeting.
With an estimated average cost per view of $0.13, Spindletop Strategies
recommends a monthly budget of $5,000 generating an estimate of 40,000
views.
23. 23
A Social Media Push
Our goal is to increase engagement and drive people to the website through bonds
created among various platforms.
LINKEDIN:
Promoting Bucket List Travel by Ludus Tours through LinkedIn is an excellent way
to build engagement with the target audience of males ages 30-54. LinkedIn is the
world’s largest professional network with 250 million users. The users of LinkedIn
coincide more than perfectly with who we want to reach, and this gives Bucket List
travels endless possibilities. By uploading posts, Ludus Tours can build credibility with
the target they want to reach: Successful men who are making enough money to
splurge on a trip they deserve. The target market indexed at 374 in regard to
visiting LinkedIn, presenting a perfect opportunity for those whom Ludus Tours needs
to reach. The opportunity to build credibility with your target audience is asking for
more views to your website, through a professional profile.
TWITTER:
Giving a personality and character to Ludus Tours is exactly what the target audience
wants, and what Twitter has to offer. By using the resources of Twitter, Ludus Tours
can directly promote to its target audience, and build credibility through personality
and experience. By posting pictures of trips that other users of Ludus Tours have had,
we can show consumers all that Ludus Tours has to offer. From building relationships
to experiencing a new country, Ludus Tours can show off these features through
images or catchy tweets.
BLOG:
Our research proves that many prospective travelers rely heavily on blogs and reviews
for advice when traveling, especially to a particular location. Adding a blog to the
website would be another way for Bucket List Travels to be turnkey for prospective
travelers. Brand building on bonds made through the company’s services will intrigue
the customer and help them visualize the excitement and limitless possibilities when
booking through this company. The blog will open up the realization that traveling
alone is not ever lonely with Bucket List Travel. Idea posts would include:
- Spanish & English posts
- Interview couples, best friends, etc. who have met through Bucket List Travels
- People’s experiences with Bucket List Travels
- Employee experience
PR Promotion
24. 24
The entire campaign will be monitored using tools provided by Google
AdWords, Google Analytics, and Facebook Advertising. These tools will be
able to track the amount of visits to the website from the advertisements,
as well as how many visitors the advertisements lead to convert.
Spindletop Strategies recommends that Ludus Tours make adjustments to
the advertising expenditures in the second month of the campaign to reflect
the success of each advertising vehicle. The campaign should be optimized
for conversions, so that money is shifted away from vehicles driving low
quality traffic to those driving traffic with a higher propensity for converting.
Measuring and Monitoring
SEM
32%
Facebook Ads
18%
Banners & Pre-Roll
45%
B-Roll
5%
BUDGET SUMMARY: MAY 2014
25. 25
Spindletop Strategies has built a campaign that will promote growth for awareness of the brand
specific to the World Cup Brazil 2014. Understanding the time sensitive release of this service, we
have catered to this market through the most promising outlets for closing sales. In the future,
Spindletop Strategies believes this system will be easy to transition among a variety of events, but
would also like to take it to the next level. We recommend revamping the website and Facebook page
and bringing in an exclusive app for tracking, connecting, and integrating the world of Bucket List
Travels with its clients and prospective repetitive buyers.
WEBSITE
Cleaning up the website to make it interactive and easy to navigate will indulge the consumer. It is
important to provide Adam’s passion and the story behind the goals of Bucket List Travels, so that the
consumer can not only relate, but trust the brand as well. Some quick tips we recommend for brand
building within the website include:
• Frequently Asked Questions/What should I bring/What to Expect sections
• Cleaning up as much information and as many pictures as possible. Pictures should mostly
be those making the most impact and are taken and submitted by actual clients
• Executive Ludus Tours employees’ bucket list section. This will allow the clients to
feel connected to the brand and trust the passion behind their goals.
• Include easy to find/click social media button links to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
• Make the site bilingual by adding sub-lines translations in Spanish on items that are
determining factors for purchase.
FACEBOOK
There are 5 critical elements to a business Facebook page: cover/profile photo, about section, apps/
tabs, posts, and engagement. The profile photo should be branded and the cover photo should go
along with the profile photo. It should also be branded and should be accompanied by a caption with
information and some sort of company-relevant link. The about section should include the website,
phone number, hours of operation, service type, and a description, history, or any other unique in-
formation. The app tabs should have custom images consistent with the brand, and the fan count
should always be hidden. Posts should be consistent and interesting and have some sort of call to
action/engagement. Lastly, the company should respond to all posts and comments in a reasonable
time to keep up fan engagement.
Ludus Tours’ current Facebook page set up needs some improvement. The profile picture is branded
or at all representative of the brand. The cover photo is very vague, not branded, and lacks a
caption. Of the three app tabs, only one is custom but is also vague and inconsistent with the
current design. The like count also needs to be hidden. The posts lack calls to action, but they are
very consistent and interesting. There is some level of engagement but more responses need to be
made to fan posts. The ‘about’ section is the only thing that does not need immediate improvement.
Recommendations
26. 26
MOBILE APPLICATION
With over 56% of American adults being smartphone owners, the increase in demand/usage of
mobile applications has also tripled since 2009. We’ve built the concept for a convenient app that can
successfully be a slimmed down version of the website. Interaction among the consumers to build on
bonding and relationships through Bucket List Travels is essential and we want to make emphasis on
interaction. For the website and application, we plan to include the following
• Countdown to your trip
- View upcoming trips offered thru Bucket List/Ludus
• Personal Profile
- View others’ bucket list for “matches” (ability to connect with them to plan trips)
- Your profile is built from your country checklist (pics/reviews of where you have been) and
your bucket list (where you want to go; connect with people to go with)
• Interactive Country Checklist
A world map will be the focal point. Pins mark countries and cities that Bucket List Travels has
tackled with red, and those open for booking with green pins. Consumers will be able to select a city
and become as selective as viewing from three options – entertainment, food, and sites. Each section
highlights pictures and posts of the places other Bucket List travelers have been. This is built from
personal posts and pictures submitted by existing travelers onto their profiles that have specific tags.
This advancement also enables these searchers to connect with the travelers.
Bucket List Travels will basically eliminate the third party “trip advisor” for clients. Consumers will be
able to review past experiences and plan for future ones straight from the credibility of existing
clients.
Recommendations
27. 27
Spindletop Strategies Contract
Ludus Tours,
Spindletop Strategies has drafted a web-based marketing campaign that we
would like you to agree to. By agreeing to our services, Ludus Tours will be
provided with the advertisement strategies listed in the book.
We _________________ (company name) agree to the following agency
services provided by Spindletop Strategies.
____ Update Social Media
____ Build Engagement
____ Update Blog
____ Online Advertising
____ Manage and update Google AdWords
Spindletop Strategies agrees to fulfill our arrangements under the budget of
$40,000.00 for the time period of May 1, 2014 through June 30th, 2014.
As an agency, we understand that Ludus Tours is our first priority, and we
will not engage in work with competing business models.
__ Ludus Tours Agrees to this arrangement
__ Ludus Tours Does Not Agree to this arrangement
________________ (sign and date)
Contract
