2. TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Execu&ve
Summary
2
Situa&on
Analysis
5
Brand
Analysis
5
S.W.O.T.
Analysis
7
Geographic
Analysis
9
Compe::ve
Analysis
11
Target
Market
15
Media
Vision
21
Media
Objec&ves
22
Recommenda&ons
23
Road
Trip:
Texas
23
College
Suitcase
25
General
Media
29
3. Executive Summary
ShopAcrossTexas
is
built
on
the
belief
that
quality
content
drives
traffic.
Star:ng
from
this
founda:on,
CuNng
Edge
will
bring
ShopAcrossTexas
to
the
next
level
by
implemen:ng
a
fully
integrated
media
effort
emphasizing
user
interac:on.
Through
this,
CuNng
Edge
will
establish
Shop
Across
Texas
as
the
go-‐to
stop
for
shopping
for
travelers.
The
evolu:on
of
ShopAcrossTexas
comes
in
several
parts.
First
is
a
mobile
applica:on
known
as
RoadTrip:
Texas,
developed
to
provide
travelers
recommended
stops
and
shops
tailored
to
their
trip
based
on
des:na:on
inputs.
RoadTrip:
Texas
will
feature
reviews
from
SAT’s
site,
loca:on-‐based
searching,
content
sharing,
and
more.
Next
is
a
reassessment
of
ShopAcrossTexas’s
blog
strategy.
CuNng
edge
has
developed
two
alterna:ve
paths:
spread
resources
between
CollegeSuitcase
and
Hither
and
Yonder
in
aYempt
to
segment
audiences
or
consolidate
efforts
around
an
enhanced
Hither
and
Yonder
to
serve
as
a
strong,
singular
voice
for
the
SAT
brand.
However,
the
primary
path
on
ShopAcrossTexas’s
map
to
success
is
content
expansion
that
will
drive
traffic
to
RoadTrip:
Texas,
a
revamped
blog,
and
the
site
itself.
In
order
for
ShopAcrossTexas
to
become
a
useful
tool
for
travelers,
it
must
incorporate
a
greater
variety
of
local
businesses,
as
well
as
user-‐generated
content.
While
maintaining
a
focus
on
retail,
including
insights
on
local
restaurants
and
other
ac:vi:es
will
grow
SAT’s
audience
appeal.
In
addi:on,
user
reviews
should
become
a
key
component
to
the
site,
allowing
visitors
to
give
input
and
feel
a
part
of
the
SAT
community.
Finally,
in
order
to
spread
the
word
about
ShopAcrossTexas’s
brand
reforma:on,
CuNng
Edge
has
developed
strategic
media
recommenda:ons.
An
increased
digital
presence
as
embodied
by
smarter
SEO/SEM,
stronger
social
integra:on,
and
placements
on
compe:tor
sites
and
mobile
apps
will
grab
the
aYen:on
of
our
pre-‐planning
primary
target.
To
reach
the
more
spontaneous
secondary
target
on
the
road,
ShopAcrossTexas
will
employ
radio
and
OOH
adver:sing
to
drive
mobile
traffic
and
cross-‐promote
RoadTrip:
Texas.
2
5. Abilene Allen Amarillo Shopping Arlington Austin
Bandera College Beaumont Boerne Brownsville
State Fair Bryan Canton College Station Local
Corpus Christi Dallas Denton Shops El Paso Forn
Fort Worth Discounts Fredericksburg Frisco Gal
veston Bars Georgetown Granbury Grapevine Ha
ren Hillsboro Houston Restaurants Hurst Jeffers
Johnson Sweepstakes Kerrville Killeen Kingsville
Laredo Lewisville Longview Guides Lubbock Mc
Kinney Tours Mesquite Midland New Braunfels
Odessa Plano Round Rock Gifts Round Top Salad
San Angelo Road Trips San Antonio San Marcos
Southlake Temple Tyler Waco Planner Waxahach
Weatherford West Wichita Falls Wimberley The
6. ShopAcrossTexas.com
is
a
web
resource
for
people
who
travel
to
shop
in
Texas.
With
over
74
par:cipa:ng
Texas
ci:es,
SAT
offers
discounts
to
local
shops,
“best
of”
lists,
advice
on
sights
to
see
on
a
Texas
road
trip,
and
various
giveaways
and
sweepstakes.
Every
year,
ShopAcrossTexas
releases
a
survey
to
thousands
of
Texans
asking
them
to
submit
hundreds
of
their
favorite
Texas
stores.
From
those
responses,
ShopAcrossTexas
releases
their
"Best
Stores
in
Town"
list
detailing
the
top
stores
and
their
informa:on.
Sweepstakes,
held
monthly,
offer
people
the
chance
to
win
a
getaway
to
a
Texas
city.
The
bundled
prize
usually
includes
:ckets
to
aYrac:ons,
paid
hotel,
and
gi`
cards
to
shops
and
restaurants.
Launched
on
June
18th,
2008,
Hither
and
Yonder
is
a
traveling/
shopping
blog
recommending
what
to
do
this
weekend,
discussing
travel
topics
and
:ps,
and
featuring
local
stores.
Bobbie
Pen,
launched
July
12th,
2008,
is
a
blog
featuring
reviews,
ravings,
and
opinions
on
anything
and
everything
gi`s,
beauty,
shopping
and
décor.
5
7. Traffic Sources
Approximately
51k
visits
this
month
• Vast
majority
of
traffic
is
coming
from
the
DFW
area
• Views
Search
• Dallas
has
the
most
visitors
at
approximately
11k
• Average
of
1:37
spent
on
the
site
Engine
this
month
• 56.34%
bounce
rate
Direct
17%
• Next
most
comes
from
Aus:n
at
approximately
• 84%
of
visitors
are
new
Traffic
2.5k
this
month
• 85%
of
visitors
are
visi:ng
one
42%
• Mobile
:me
only
• About
3,000
visits
a
month
come
from
mobile
• 57%
of
visitors
only
visit
one
Referring
devices-‐-‐a
majority
of
those
devices
being
page,
followed
by
almost
19%
Sites
iPhones.
visi:ng
two
pages
41%
• Mobile
visitors
are
nearly
consistent
with
other
visitors
at
2.17
pages
per
visit
with
1:29
on
the
site
The
Search
Situa&on
Keywords:
“Shopping
Texas”
Keywords:
“Shopping
Dallas”
Keywords:
“Shopping
Houston”
Keywords:
“Shopping
San
Antonio”
1.
ShopAcrossTexas.com
1.
VisitDallas.com
1.
Virtual
Tourist.com
1.
VisitSanAntonio.com
2.
GoTexas.about.com
2.
GalleriaDallas.com
2.
VisitHoustonTexas.com
2.
SanAntonioTourist.com
3.
CitySearch.com
3.
Virtual
Tourist.com
3.
10best.com
3.
SanAntonio.com
4.
TexasShopping.net
4.
NorthParkCenter.com
4.
Simon.com
(Galleria)
4.
TheShopsAtLaCantera.com
5.
TouringTexas.com
31.
ShopAcrossTexas.com
(pg.
3)
69.
ShopAcrossTexas.com
(pg.
6)
70.
ShopAcrossTexas.com
(pg.
7)
Several
cri:cal
numbers
stand
out.
First,
85%
of
visitors
frequent
ShopAcrossTexas
once
and
never
return,
indica:ng
that
the
site’s
current
content
is
neither
useful
or
relevant
enough
to
keep
users
coming
back.
In
addi:on,
57%
of
visitors
are
viewing
only
one
page
before
leaving,
meaning
that
users
either
find
the
site
architecture
too
frustra:ng
or
the
content
not
relevant
enough
to
explore.
Together,
this
means
there
are
a
majority
of
visitors
coming
to
ShopAcrossTexas.com,
viewing
the
home
page
and
then
not
further
exploring
or
returning
to
the
site.
Users
are
coming
to
ShopAcrossTexas
through
a
healthy
mix
of
search,
referrals,
and
direct
traffic
clearly
in
search
of
something,
but
due
to
poor
content,
site
architecture,
or
other
factors,
they
are
not
finding
it.
Source:
Google
Analy?cs
6
8. Strengths Weaknesses
• Strong
in
Dallas
market
• Lack
of
Dining,
Ac:vi:es
• Hither
and
Yonder
=
popular
content
• Too
many
“Best
of”
lists
• Strong
shopping
content;
variety
in
• Weak
presence
outside
Dallas
shopping
• Poor
site
architecture
• Strong
par:cipa:on
in
sweepstakes,
• Sloppy
links,
technicali:es
contests,
discounts
• Style
features
could
be
sharper
• Many
one-‐:me
discount
seekers
S.W.O.T
Opportunities Threats
• Content
expansion
of
eats
and
• Cultural
intricacies
among
entertainment
various
markets
• Geographical
expansion
to
IH-‐20
• Struggling
retailers
in
economy
running
East-‐West
• Changing
technologies
• Increased
SEO/SEM
presence
• Use
niche
content
to
steal
share
from
generic
compe:tors
• Integrate
reviews
and
user
insights
7
9. Strengths Weaknesses
• Presence
in
Dallas
market
-‐
High
coverage
on
and
par:cipa:on
• Narrow
content
from
Dallas
area
• No
insight
on
Where
to
Eat
or
What
to
Do
narrows
• Content
-‐
Variety
of
stores
in
the
retail
market
(bou:ques
and
audience
appeal
and
lessens
site’s
u:lity
other
kinds
of
shops)
• “Best”
Lists
• Gi`
Guides
• Too
many,
can
become
confusing
• Best
of
Lists
• Need
more
content
variety
• Hither
and
Yonder
• Loca:on
• “What
to
Do”
• Content
and
features
are
centered
around
Dallas
and
• Sweepstakes
and
Discounts
its
suburbs
• Promote
different
ci:es
and
towns
and
their
local
• Alienates
users
from
or
traveling
to
other
ci:es
stores
(The
Grapevine
sweepstakes)
• Site
Architecture
• Best
of
Lists
-‐
visitors
can
vote
on
stores
to
include
on
• Sloppy/dead
links
the
lists
• Example:
The
blog
links
• State
Fair
Discounts
are
major
draw
• Not
easy
to
navigate
• Many
of
the
pages
are
buried
within
different
Opportunities pages
of
the
site
• Content
expansion
of
eats
and
entertainment
Threats
• Keep
shopping
focus,
extend
content
coverage
to
other
• Cultural
intricacies
among
various
markets
travel
ac:vi:es
• Many
smaller
towns
and
ci:es
have
a
culture
esoteric
• Expand
audience
appeal
and
site
u:lity
to
outside
visitors
• Geographical
expansion
to
IH-‐20
running
East-‐West
• Visitors
may
find
some
cultural
transla:on
difficult
• A`er
improving
content
on
IH-‐35
corridor,
grow
to
• Struggling
retailers
in
economy
include
travelers
headed
E-‐W
• Smaller
businesses
o`en
are
hurt
before
the
larger
• Increased
SEO/SEM
presence
na:onal
chains
• Use
niche
content
to
steal
share
from
generic
compe:tors
• Smaller
businesses
are
also
prone
to
buy-‐ups
by
larger
• Informa:on
about
smaller
towns
and
those
further
na:onal
chains
away
from
the
major
ci:es
• Changing
technologies
• Integrate
reviews
and
user
insights
• So`ware
and
hardware
is
constantly
changing
and
its
• Many
of
the
seasons
allow
for
travel
hard
to
keep
updated
• Summer
:me
travel
55-‐60%
• Mul:ple
plasorms
makes
it
hard
to
produce
one
• High
involvement
more
in
the
summer
at
67%
cohesive
product
• Fall
and
Autumun
22-‐25%
8
10. Texas Urban Triangle
17
Million
People
Just
under
70%
of
the
state
popula:on
I-‐45
I-‐35
The
stretch
of
I-‐35
alone
has
a
I-‐10
popula:on
11,062,385
in
its
major
metropolitan
areas.
(2009
census
es:mates)
A
majority
of
Shop
Across
Texas
ci:es
lie
along
the
I-‐35
corridor
or
nearby
it
Texas
has
a
large
popula:on
with
business
friendly
policies,
which
gives
Shop
Across
Texas
an
ideal
environment
to
flourish.
Specifically,
with
Shop
Across
Texas’
large
presence
on
I-‐35
places
it
in
a
strong
posi:on
to
u:lize
the
large
popula:on
along
that
corridor.
9 Source:
Federal
Reserve
Bank
of
Dallas
13. Competitive Analysis
With
so
much
informa:on
at
our
finger:ps,
shoppers
on
the
road
have
infinite
op:ons
when
searching
for
where
to
shop
in
a
strange
city.
Some
of
these
sites
pose
direct
compe::on
to
ShopAcrossTexas
and
can
be
broken
down
into
four
categories:
Texas
Travel
Guides,
City
Specialists,
Review
Reservoirs,
and
CVB
Sites.
12
14. Texas Travel Guides City Specialists
Uniques:
52K
Visits/User:
3.9
Avg.
Time:
5:30
Uniques:
100K
Visits/User:
4.5
Avg.
Time:
5:00
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
• Interac:ve
features
• A
lot
of
ads
• texastribune.com
• Expert
on
Dallas
• Covers
DFW
only
• guidelive.com
• Extensive
database
of
• Restricted
content
• aus:n360.com
• Extensive
info
on
dining,
• Can
be
abstruse
to
• dallascad.com
ac:vity
• Bland
design
• mysanantonio.com
shops,
bars,
events
travelers
• dallas.citysearch.com
• Restaurants
• houstonpress.com
• Variety
of
blogs
• Busy
design
• pegasusnews.com
• statesman.com
• Quality
copy/graphics
• dallas.bizjournals.com
• Strong
iPhone
app
Uniques:
63K
Visits/User:
2.9
Avg.
Time:
3:30
Uniques:
100K
Visits/User:
4.5
Avg.
Time:
5:00
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
Strengths
• layout
busy
at
• do512.com
• Trip
planner
• Bad
design
• texastribune.com
• high
local
authority
• Tons
of
info
• LiYle
local
authority
• aus:n360.com
:mes
• statesman.com
• extensive
coverage
of
• Easy-‐to-‐use
interface
• mysanantonio.com
• Some
content
• stubbsaus:n.com
events,
eats,
and
• Events
• houstonpress.com
esoteric
to
• aus:ntexas.org
entertainment
• statesman.com
travelers
• news8aus:n.com
• definite
local
personality
• Obnoxious
occasional
ad
takeovers
Uniques:
390K
Visits/User:
6.6
Avg.
Time:
13:20
Strengths
Weakness
• Detailed
ar:cle-‐based
• No
city-‐specific
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
content
op:ons
• high
local
authority
• Boring
and
busy
site
• citysearch.com
• Strong
events
database
• Crowded
with
ads
• deep
content
design
• sacurrent.com
• Extensive
menu
op:ons
• Limited
restaurant
inventory
• emphasis
on
news
• foxsanantonio.com
info
• strong
local
following
over
human
interest
• ksat.com
• No
hotel
info
• liYle
traveler-‐ • kens5.com
13 relevant
content
15. Review Sites CVB Sites
Uniques:
11M
Visits/User:
4.1
Avg.
Time:
5:40
Uniques:
22K
Visits/User:
3.1
Avg.
Time:
7:30
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
• Strong
local
voice
• Some
poor
user
• citysearch.com
• Organic
search
• Somewhat
generic
• guidelive.com
• Ground
level
content
• menupages.com
presence
• Lacks
local
business
• bigtex.com
consumers
=
• Controversial
• zagat.com
• Engaging
design
focus
• craigslist.org
credibility
adver:sing/revenue
• urbanspoon.com
• iPhone
app
• More
focused
on
• dallasnews.com
• Searchability
connec:ng
tourists
• hilton.com
• Easy
search
model
• menuism.com
• Deals
and
discounts
with
hotels
• Users
build
content
• Heavy
on
restaurants
• Deep
events
database
• Rentals
• Forums
• Weaker
in
shopping,
• AYrac:ons
• Hyper-‐local
events
ac:vi:es,
&
services
• Major
shopping
malls
• Yelp
Elite
incen:ve
• LiYle
travel-‐relevant
• Social
aspect
content
VisitHoutonTexas
Uniques:
33K
Visits/User:
3.1
Avg.
Time:
5:40
• High-‐u:lity
mobile
app
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
• Organic
search
• Unengaging
design
• citysearch.com
presence
• Lacks
personality
• houstontx.gov
• Database
of
largely
• houstonpress.com
Uniques:
5.1M
Visits/User:
3.2
Avg.
Time:
3:10
local
retailers
• chron.com
• har.com
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
• Official
contributor
• Lacks
local
• business.intuit.com
reviews
personality
• menuism.com
VisitSanAntonio
Uniques:
58K
Visits/User:
3.4
Avg.
Time:
6:40
• “Best
lists”
content
• Lacks
color
• yellowbot.com
Strengths
Weakness
High-‐Affinity
Sites
• BeYer
category
• Less
audience-‐ • yelp.com
• Organic
search
• Some
poor
user
• thesanantonioriver
balance
than
Yelp
generated
content
• insiderpages.com
presence
content
walk.com
• Strong
city
personality
• Adver:sing/revenue
• sanantonio.com
• Easy-‐to-‐navigate
conveyed
model
• citysearch.com
design/info
• Well-‐built
list
of
local
• Not
targeted
to
• seaworld.com
architecture
retailers
travelers
• mysanantonio.com
• Mobile
app
• Varied
lists
of
local
• Controversial
eats,
sites
prac:ces
• Site
usability
14
16. Four Categories of Travelers
As
the
involvement
level
of
the
travelers
increases,
age,
income,
professional
level
increases,
while
the
number
of
family
members
and
wage
earners
decreases.
High
Medium-‐Low
These
individuals
are
those
who
turn
to
films
and
books
These
travelers
do
not
use
any
books
or
films,
and
rarely
do
for
background
research.
They
are
me:culous
in
their
any
background
research
on
their
des:na:ons.
They
take
planning
and
tend
to
travel
more
than
250
miles
on
their
less
than
3
months
to
plan
their
vaca:ons.
vaca:ons.
HIGH HIGH MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM LOW
High-‐Medium
Low
Travelers
in
this
area
of
involvement
do
not
use
specific
These
travelers
o`en
do
not
do
any
background
research
on
films
and
books
for
research.
Instead,
they
use
more
their
trips.
They
take
less
than
3
months
to
plan
their
trips
generic
resources
to
look
up
informa:on
about
towns
and
and
travel
less
than
250
miles
away
from
their
homes.
ci:es.
They
plan
well
in
advance
of
their
travel
date
and
travel
more
than
250
miles
away
from
their
homes.
This
segment
includes
lower
income
families,
typically
have
2-‐3
children
in
the
family,
and
have
2
wage
earners.
Similarly,
this
group
also
includes
young
families
that
comprise
of
individuals
whose
careers
are
not
professionally
developed
or
at
senior
level
posi:ons.
15 Source:
Tourism
Management
17. SAT
should
aim
for
High
-‐
Medium
• Type
A
Travelers
consist
of
women
ages
30
to
45
with
a
college
• This
group
is
less
likely
to
take
a
plane
educa:on
who
are
employed
earning
a
mid-‐level
income
and
travel
everywhere
on
each
trip
and
instead
focuses
domes:cally
3
or
more
:mes
a
year
on
driving.
• Research
shows
that
women
are
21%
more
likely
to
go
shopping
on
any
• They
are
the
ones
going
on
trips
to
the
city
form
of
trip
and
tour
and
visit
spas
• Addi:onally,
women
are
more
likely
to
travel
specifically
to
aYend
a
• High
involvement
means
that
people
are
more
specific
event,
go
shopping,
and
visit
spas
for
relaxa:on
likely
to
rent
cars
out
to
use
as
well
• The
target
market
is
made
of
researchers.
They
look
for
deals
and
read
• They
plan
more
o`en
and
are
actually
reviews
and,
through
they
are
not
likely
to
interested
in
tourism
and
explora:on
contribute
a
community
type
blog,
• Smaller
than
some
segments
in
popula:on
Type
A
Travelers
will
seek
out
and
size,
but
greater
in
economic
poten:al
consume
the
content
if
relevant.
• They
are
also
ac:ve
par:cipants
on
Facebook
and
TwiYer.
TYPE A
TRAVELERS
ShopAcrossTexas should target…
For
its
flagship
site
and
all
suppor:ng
media
placements,
ShopAcrossTexas
should
target
women
of
all
ages
with
a
focus
on
working
women
ages
30
to
45
who
have
a
college
educa:on
and
moderate
income.
These
women
have
older
families
who
are
gearing
up
for
college,
but
s:ll
live
at
home.
Impromptu
weekend
trips
to
another
city
are
not
part
of
their
agenda.
Instead
they
plan,
plan,
plan.
They
do
extensive
research
to
gather
informa:on
on
where
they
are
going
and
where
to
stop
along
the
way.
Various
resources
are
used
during
this
process
such
as
checking
out
local
blogs
and
websites
to
look
for
reviews
and
recommenda:ons
from
the
locals.
These
travelers
are
willing
to
spend
more
money
during
their
trips
and
more
likely
to
try
new
things
in
these
ci:es.
Source:
MRI
16
Source:
Tourism
Management
18. Type A Traveler
Primary
Target
Profile
Karen
Atwood
is
a
43
year-‐old
married
mother
of
two
teenage
she
is
able
to
discover
every
city’s
local
charm
and
allure.
boys.
She
lives
in
the
Dallas
area
where
her
life
revolves
When
she
returns
from
these
trips,
she
immediately
wants
to
around
her
work
as
a
commercial
real
estate
agent,
but
she
find
ways
to
bring
her
family
back
to
these
ci:es
so
that
they
makes
it
a
point
to
find
:me
away
from
the
office
to
spend
can
appreciate
what
Texas
has
to
offer.
She
o`en
starts
her
:me
with
her
family.
Every
morning,
she
makes
breakfast
for
planning
for
these
mini-‐vaca:ons
by
looking
on
the
Internet
her
kids
and
husband
before
making
her
way
through
the
for
things
to
do
and
what
to
see
in
these
ci:es
with
the
help
Dallas
rush-‐hour
traffic
to
work.
of
her
husband
and
her
two
kids.
A`er
spending
:me
on
the
road,
they
immediately
find
local
places
to
eat,
but
their
Much
of
her
work
requires
her
to
travel
across
Texas
to
scope
favorite
thing
to
do
is
to
find
hidden
treasures
of
the
city
and
out
poten:al
new
loca:ons;
It
is
through
these
travels
that
enjoy
being
a
local.
17
19. Casual Trekker
Secondary
Target
Profile
Expanding
SAT’s
outreach
efforts
to
a
wider
audience,
CuNng
Edge
has
chosen
a
secondary
target
market
in
which
we
focus
on
younger
consumers
in
their
early
20s
to
early
30s.
These
Casual
Trekkers
consist
of
lower
income
($30,000
-‐
$40,000
a
year)
individuals
who
have
not
yet
established
a
professional
career
in
the
workplace.
These
families
have
a
low-‐medium
involvement
in
the
research
process
where
they
take
less
than
3
months
to
research
their
vaca:on
des:na:ons
and
usually
travel
closer
to
home.
If
they
are
not
staying
with
family
or
friends,
Casual
Trekkers
are
staying
at
low-‐cost
and
budget
friendly
motels
in
order
to
make
most
out
of
their
money
for
travel.
Julia
Hearn
is
a
college
graduate
in
her
late-‐20s
from
Ohio
working
in
an
entry
level
posi:on
at
a
small
Dallas
adver:sing
agency.
She
married
her
college
sweetheart
right
out
of
college
and
they
are
enjoying
living
the
life
of
young
newlyweds.
Her
job
keeps
her
busy,
but
she
finds
:me
away
• Low-‐medium
involvement
(<3
month
planning,
from
work
to
spend
with
her
husband.
Julia
and
her
husband
mass
media
sources,
less
than
250
mi
traveled)
o`en
love
to
wander
around
downtown
Dallas,
but
are
• Average
age=22-‐29
looking
to
explore
more
of
Texas
and
what
it
has
to
offer.
They
• One-‐income
family
o`en
take
liYle
:me
to
plan
these
trips
and
usually
find
• Lowest
income
of
segments
(40%
$30k+;
24%
friends
to
stay
with
while
they
are
visi:ng.
$40k)
• Stays
in
low-‐cost
motels,
with
family/friends
• Travels
by
car
• Common
trip
types:
close-‐to-‐home,
city,
outdoor
18
22. Media Vision: The Roadmap
While
maintaining
its
focus
on
local
retailers,
ShopAcrossTexas
must
expand
its
site
to
include
What
to
Do
and
Where
to
Eat
so
as
to
increase
both
u:lity
and
appeal
for
a
wider
audience,
while
also
integra:ng
User
Generated
Content
(UGC)
such
as
reviews
and
insights
to
foster
site
credibility,
par:cipa:on,
and
community.
During
content
expansion,
SAT
must
incorporate
intensified
search
and
social
efforts
as
well
as
increase
its
ad
weight
on
compe:tor
sites
and
mobile
apps
to
raise
brand
awareness
and
usage
among
our
pre-‐planning
core
target.
To
reach
the
more
spontaneous
secondary
target,
ShopAcrossTexas
will
establish
a
presence
on
the
road
through
strategic
placements
in
OOH
and
radio
during
the
spring
and
summer
months.
Shop
Across
Texas
will
also
engage
consumers
outside
of
its
main
site
through
two
brand-‐boos:ng
components:
the
revised
blog
strategy
will
incen:vize
Texas
travel
through
event
coverage
and
short
trip
:ps,
while
the
RoadTrip:
Texas
mobile
app
will
provide
users
all
the
essen:al
SAT
insights
on
the
go.
But,
in
whatever
media
endeavors
the
brand
pursues,
Shop
Across
Texas
must
never
shi`
focus
from
those
it
was
created
to
support:
homegrown
businesses.
In
staying
true
to
the
Lone
Star’s
local
shops,
eats,
and
adventures,
Shop
Across
Texas
reaches
beyond
clichéd
travel
guides
and
:red
tourist
des:na:ons
to
draw
a
map
by
which
travelers
will
find
the
true
Texas.
21
23. Media Objectives
Expect
fun
events
like
the
popular
GrapeStomp
(get
Content
1. Increase
average
:me
spent
on
the
site
from
1
min
37
sec
to
4
min.
ready
to
channel
I
Love
Lucy!),
winery
tas&ng
room
tours,
the
Central
Market
Culinary
2. Increase
visitor
return
rate
from
15.7%
to
40%.
Pavillion,
People’s
Choice
wine
tas&ng
and
KidZone.
But
that’s
not
all–there
will
also
be
loads
of
live
entertainment
on
6
stages,
ranging
from
rock
to
jazz
to
country,
including
Le
Freak
and
Mark
McKinney.
3. Increase
mode
page
views
from
1
to
5.
4. Decrease
bounce
rate
from
56%
to
30%
Digital
Presence
1. Appear
in
top
10
search
results
by
Fall
2011.
2. Achieve
3%
CTR
(Click-‐Through
Rate)
in
all
SEM
campaigns.
3. Achieve
an
ac:ve
user
rate
of
20%..
Mobile
Presence
1. See
a
monthly
10%
increase
in
mobile
app
downloads.
2. From
this,
have
a
30%
of
conversion
with
mobile
coupon
use
to
develop
a
base
to
build
up
from.
3. Achieve
a
50%
repeat
user
rate
in
comparison
to
total
downloads
22
25. RoadTrip: Texas
The
primary
func:on
of
RoadTrip:
Texas
is
to
provide
real
u:lity
and
convenience
for
users
to
boost
the
ShopAcrossTexas
brand
and
drive
traffic
to
its
main
site.
Since
the
app
will
be
released
as
a
free
feature,
RoadTrip:
Texas
should
serve
as
a
catalyst
driving
ac:ve,
engaged
users
to
SAT’s
site
and
vice
versa.
Recommend
Social
• Gives
customized
recommenda:ons
for
ci:es,
• Enable
user
content
crea:on
shopping,
and
ea:ng
based
on
input
of
• Support
review
and
sugges:on
pos:ngs
from
the
road
des:na:on,
preferred
number
of
stops,
city
• Allow
and
encourage
users
to
post
trip
progress
to
preferences,
what
kind
of
stop
they
are
looking
to
Facebook,
TwiYer,
SAT
homepage
make,
and
how
much
:me
they
have
to
spend
• Facilitate
media
sharing:
user-‐uploaded
photos,
videos,
traveling
and
feedback
• Local
stores
and
smaller
ci:es
are
given
priority
so
that
users
can
feel
they
are
geNng
a
truly
different
experience
than
their
average
IH-‐35
road
trip
Expand
• Suggested
loca:on
pages
will
include
SAT
user
• A`er
establishing
a
strong
app
founda:on
along
reviews
the
IH-‐35
corridor,
expand
to
include
the
rest
of
• Provide
GPS-‐based
direc:ons
to
chosen
stores,
Texas.
restaurants,
sites
• Start
with
IH-‐20
and
IH-‐45,
as
these
two
routes
• Integrate
Facebook
Connect
so
that
user
history
pick
up
a
large
number
of
other
SAT
ci:es.
This
and
preferences
may
be
stored
to
improve
future
will
cover
East
to
West
Texas
and
Dallas
to
recommenda:ons.
Houston.
• By
eventually
including
the
en:rety
of
Texas,
the
RoadTrip:Texas
increases
its
audience
and
usability.
24
27. College Suitcase
The
concept
of
CollegeSuitcase.com
needs
to
be
reworked.
While
an
interes:ng
endeavor,
the
blog
is
completely
incompa:ble
with
the
goals
and
the
target
market
of
SAT.
SAT’s
target
market
is
middle-‐aged
women
with
moderate
incomes
who
travel
o`en
and
have
a
disposable
income
to
shop.
CollegeSuitcase
targets
college
students
who
neither
have
the
:me
nor
the
money
to
travel.
Spending
:me
and
resources
on
CollegeSuitcase
will
ul:mately
result
in
spliNng
up
SAT’s
focus.
Currently,
SAT
boasts
to
blogs:
Hither
and
Yonder
Bobbie
Pen
+ Incorporates
trip
and
+ Personal
Reviews
event
sugges:ons
+ Focuses
on
products
+ Focuses
on
products
+ Incorporates
discounts
− Unorganized
and
savings
− Infrequently
updated
+ Heavily
updated
− Not
a
lot
of
content
− Core
market
perspec:ve
− Poorly
detailed
event
sugges:ons
− Expensive,
high-‐end
retail
sugges:ons
In
an
effort
to
accommodate
both
preferred
objec:ves
and
changing
consumer
trends,
CuNng
Edge
has
established
two
alterna:ve
approaches
to
the
CollegeSuitcase
blog.
The
first
outlines
suggested
improvements
to
content
and
coverage
in
order
to
increase
readership
of
and
par:cipa:on
in
the
current
CollegeSuitcase,
while
the
second
recommends
an
increased
focus
on
Hither
and
Yonder
to
build
from
its
current
success
and
capitalize
on
its
even
greater
poten:al.
26
28. Option A: College Suitcase Overhaul
SAT’s
ini:al
op:on
is
to
completely
revamp
the
CollegeSuitcase
blog.
CS’s
current
situa:on
consists
of
some
pros,
but
heavy
cons:
+ Tips
and
tricks
to
saving
money
− Poorly
wriYen
+ Sugges:ons
for
surviving
college
− Infrequently
updates
+ WriYen
from
a
young,
college
perspec:ve
− Narrowly
targeted
to
shopaholic
college
females
Small
A rmy
o f
I nterns
Focus
on
Trips
and
Events
To
widen
its
audience
appeal
and
increase
readership,
The
blog
should
focus
on
trip
and
event
informa:on
CollegeSuitcase
should
deploy
a
small
army
of
interns
with
aYen:on
to
retail
op:ons
while
traveling.
Content
to
write
from
a
younger
viewpoint
and
provide
insight
can
include
product
selec:ons
and
reviews,
but
should
for
the
secondary
target
market.
Content
should
come
center
around
local
events
and
ac:vi:es.
Using
fes:vals
from
a
mix
of
the
State’s
largest
universi:es
such
as
the
and
concerts
such
as
Aus:n
City
Limits
Music
Fes:val
University
of
Texas
at
Aus:n,
Texas
A&M,
and
Texas
and
the
State
Fair
can
drive
traffic
to
the
blog
by
Tech
as
well
as
its
largest
metropolitan
areas
such
as
offering
sugges:ons
as
to
where
to
shop,
eat,
and
go
Dallas-‐Fort
Worth,
San
Antonio,
and
Houston.
while
students
are
on
the
road.
By
providing
this
content,
consumers
will
automa:cally
think
of
the
blog
in
the
future
and
revisit
for
further
informa:on.
However,
there
are
several
reasons
why
we
should
not
invest
too
heavily
in
this
idea.
College
students
simply
do
not
fit
in
with
ShopAcrossTexas’s
target,
and
finding
content
that
is
both
relevant
to
the
readers
and
congruent
with
the
SAT
brand
would
be
Sisyphean.
Although
a
college
blog
seems
promising,
researchers
show
that
teenagers
and
young
adults
steadily
see
less
appeal
in
blogs.
Conversely,
adults
aged
30
and
older
are
increasingly
blogging
about
different
aspects
of
their
lives.
27
29. Option B: Revamp Hither and Yonder
While
siphoning
:me
and
resources
into
CollegeSuitcase
will
water
down
ShopAcrossTexas’s
efforts
in
both
outlets,
focusing
full-‐force
on
Hither
and
Yonder
will
give
the
blog
a
stronger,
more
direct
voice
with
which
to
support
the
SAT
brand.
We
recommend
that
ShopAcrossTexas
choose
Op:on
B
due
to
the
benefits
of
revamping
the
Hither
and
Yonder,
which
greatly
outweigh
that
of
overhauling
of
the
CollegeSuitcase.
Blogging
Over
Time
Benefits
to
Honing
in
on
Hither
and
Yonder
30%
28%
Teens
and
Young
Adults
• Hither
and
Yonder
has
an
established
readership
and
(12-‐29)
successful
content,
and
ShopAcrossTexas
can
leverage
20%
Adults
(30+)
H+Y’s
current
successes
into
future
growth
14%
• Rather
than
split
its
focus
between
two
separate
11%
readerships
and
content
themes,
SAT
can
concentrate
10%
7%
efforts
on
a
single
blog
and
market
it
more
effec:vely.
• Readership
of
long-‐form
blogs
is
decreasing
among
younger,
college-‐aged
consumers.
However,
older
0%
audiences-‐-‐including
Type
A
Travelers-‐-‐are
regular
readers.
2006
2009
Suggested
Improvements
to
Hither
and
Yonder
1. Expand
content
coverage
to
include
both
Type
A
Traveler
and
Casual
Trekker
targets
• Bringing
both
targets
together
around
the
common
theme
of
traveling
local
across
Texas
will
boost
readership
and
foster
community
• Increase
media
variety
by
including
more
video
and
interac:ve
content
to
keep
readers
engaged
2. Use
events
and
other
travel
incen:ves
as
main
topics
and
build
content
around
homegrown
retailers,
eateries,
and
ac:vi:es
• Give
readers
a
reason
to
travel
(shopping
alone
won’t
do
it)
like
a
major
city
event,
family
holiday,
or
weekend
getaway
• Then
fill
them
in
on
the
local
shops
and
spots
they
cannot
miss
3. Dish
out
insider
deals,
but
smartly
and
sparingly
• Pos:ng
discounts
in
rapid
fire
only
draws
one-‐:me
bargain
visitors
and
cheapens
the
SAT
brand
• Incorporate
exclusive
discounts
intermiYently
on
H+Y
to
aYract
ini:al
visitors,
but
keep
them
coming
back
with
compelling
content
Source:
Tourism
Management
Source:
Pew
Internet
and
American
Life
Project,
“Social
Media
and
Young
Adults”,
February
03,
2010
28
31. Content Expansion
To
increase
audience
appeal
and
brand
u:lity,
ShopAcrossTexas
will
maintain
a
focus
on
retail
but
must
expand
its
local
content
offerings.
1. Build
“Where
to
Eat”
and
“What
to
Do”
categories
• Shopping
is
only
part
of
a
traveler’s
story-‐-‐we
must
eat
and
explore,
too
• Expanding
into
new
categories
draws
new
readers
to
shopping
content
• SAT
is
now
suppor:ng
more
local
business
outside
of
retail
alone
2. Implement
user-‐generated
reviews
on
the
site.
• Begin
with
content
from
official
ShopAcrossTexas
contributors,
followed
by
user
reviews.
• User
Reviews
will
start
off
with
designated
“elite
users”
from
towns
that
can
give
the
inside
scoop
on
places
that
outsiders
may
not
know
about
and
build
the
founda:on
for
user-‐generated
content.
These
reviews
will
help
to
give
visitors
a
beYer
idea
of
the
businesses
Shop
Across
Texas
recommends.
3. Carve
out
market
in
smaller
travel
hubs
before
taking
on
big
ci&es
• Yelp,
CitySearch,
and
local
publica:ons
have
a
strong
hold
on
UGC
sites
in
big
ci:es
• Smaller
towns
like
Waco,
Abilene,
and
Fredericksburg
have
liYle
informa:on
on
local
treasures,
and
Yelp-‐dependent
travelers
from
metro
areas
have
no
source
to
turn
to
when
passing
through
• SAT
will
be
the
go-‐to-‐guide
for
review-‐reliant
Type
A
Travelers
and
the
younger,
local-‐loving
Casual
Trekkers
30
32. Strengthen Presence Online
Search,
Social,
and
Compe::ve
Search
1. Content,
content,
content
• As
discussed,
give
searchers
a
reason
to
find
you
by
providing
(and
encouraging
users
to
provide)
unique,
relevant
content-‐-‐and
lots
of
it.
• Improving
content
inventory
and
site
architecture
will
naturally
result
in
some
SEO
boost.
• Increasing
adver:sing
with
linked
banners
on
the
SAT
website
to
publicize
the
blog
will
help
produce
more
traffic
throughout
the
website.
2. Con&nue
to
form
strategic
digital
partnerships
• Make
more
friends
with
brands
such
as
VisitDallas.com
• Turn
compe:tors
like
City
Specialists
and
CVB
sites
into
partners
with
whom
SAT
can
mutually
link
3. SEM
in
the
Spring&me
• Type
A
Travelers
are
planning
summer
and
fall
trips
approximately
3
months
ahead,
so
save
your
SEM
budget
while
developing
content
to
launch
a
heavy
campaign
in
the
early
spring
through
summer
months
• Think
narrow
search
queries
such
as
“an:que
store
waco”
or
“Mexican
restaurant
Brownwood”
as
opposed
to
broad
keywords
like
“shopping
Texas”
• Focusing
keyword
bids
around
search
queries
and
search
queries
around
text
ad
copy
means
your
ads
are
highly
relevant
to
all
who
see
them
and
your
PPC
budget
is
not
wasted
31
33. Be
Social
Compe&tors’
Sites
and
Mobile
Apps
1. Set
Up
A
System
1. Steal
Type
A
Travelers
from
Enemy
Turf
• Type
A
Travelers
are
the
among
the
fastest
• Establish
an
ad
presence
on
sites
where
Type
A
growing
segments
in
social
media
growing
by
Traveler
is
researching
to
steal
aYen:on
and
20%
in
2009
click-‐throughs
• Integrate
SAT’s
new
UGC
features
with
• Possible
vehicles
include:
Facebook
Connect
and
TwiYer
by
offering
• Dmagazine.com
automa:c
logins,
tweets
and
wall
posts
to
• Yelp.com
users’
profiles
any:me
they
post
a
review
on
• Aus:n360.com
SAT
• TexasMonthly.com
• Incorporate
RoadTrip:
Texas
by
encouraging
• Expedia.com
users
to
check-‐in
at
SAT
favorites
and
post
trip
• Travelocity.com
progress
• Employ
retarge:ng
ads
based
on
user
ac:vity
• Stream
all
social
ac:vity
on
a
homepage
within
SAT’s
site
once
she
has
moved
to
a
widget
compe:tor
or
other
site
in
order
to
prolong
2. Leverage
Social
for
SEO
engagement
• SAT
posts
repeat-‐worthy
content-‐-‐that
is,
2. Meet
Casual
Trekkers
on
Mobile
content
that
makes
the
re-‐poster
look
good-‐-‐to
• CTRs
are
2x
higher
for
mobile
banner
ads
than
Facebook,
TwiYer
with
direct
site
links
for
standard
banner
ads,
especially
among
aYached
young
adults
such
as
Casual
Trekkers
• Followers
and
fans
re-‐post
your
content
and
• Find
users
on
the
road
through
banner
ads
and
link
to
permanent
plasorms
like
blogs,
forums,
inters::al
in
compe:tor
and
high
affinity
etc.
mobile
apps
• Social
efforts
and
subsequent
second
order
• Some
ideal
mobile
app
vehicles
include:
links
have
now
become
permanent
SEO
• Foursquare
boosters
• Kayak
• Any
content
posted
on
the
blog
will
be
posted
• The
Weather
Channel
and/or
linked
on
other
social
media
websites.
Source:
eMarkter
32
34. Radio and OOH
While
online
recommenda:ons
will
focus
heavily
on
the
primary
target,
Radio
and
OOH
efforts
will
be
directed
at
the
secondary
Casual
Trekkers
during
the
summer
and
fall
months.
On-‐the-‐road
placements
will
be
a
natural
fit
to
cross-‐promote
RoadTrip:Texas.
These
ads
are
meant
to
reach
the
target
in
the
car.
These
consumers
are
less
likely
to
have
established
planning
sites,
and
plan
trips
with
short
no:ce.
Radio
OOH
• Will
broadcast
from
the
major
ci:es,
• Billboards
will
be
placed
along
major
travel
routes
(i.e.:
which
will
also
cover
most
of
the
IH-‐35)
and
the
perimeters
of
major
ci:es
major
travel
routes
through
Texas.
• Heavy
coverage
in
smaller
towns
with
liYle
local
insights
available
online
and
own
those
markets
• RoadTrip:
Texas
will
be
featured
for
for
travelers
it’s
ability
to
locate
the
best
shopping
• Billboards
will
feature
on-‐the-‐spot
sugges:ons
in
these
ci:es
and
in
smaller
towns
for
retailers
in
the
town
that
they
are
featured
throughout
Texas.
• In
addi:on
to
promo:ng
specific
loca:ons,
the
ads
will
highlight
the
RoadTrip:
Texas’s
ability
to
• Purchase
Midday
and
A`ernoon
Drive
deliver
customized
recommenda:ons.
dayparts,
during
which
shopping
• These
spots
will
appeals
to
both
travelers
and
locals
ac:vity
is
greatest
• Low-‐Medium
involvement
travelers
could
use
them
as
an
opportunity
to
find
something
to
do
• Locals
who
are
also
low-‐medium
involvement
could
plan
short
trips
to
nearby
ci:es
easily
with
informa:on
provided
33
35.
36. CUTTING
EDGE
John
Chapman
Kate
Click
Manuel
Hernandez
Thao
Le
Kathryn
Poh
