Communication Plan

Ashley Martin

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Target Audiences 3 - 4

Situation Analysis 5 - 7

Goals and Objectives 7 - 8

Strategy and Tactics 9

Timeline 10 – 11

Measurement and Evaluation 11 – 12

References and Research 13 – 14

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Executive Summary:

USA Competitions is a large-scale production company that produces gymnastics

meets in south and central Florida. The production company is associated with American

Twisters, a well recognized gymnastics facility located in Coconut Creek, FL. American

Twisters has been in business for over 30 years. USA Competitions was created to

enhance the competitive gymnastics experience for coaches, athletes and spectators. The

production company has over a decade of experience producing gymnastic competitions

around the state of Florida. In its inaugural year, USAC registered 1,900 athletes for

gymnastics competitions across the state. Today, USAC registers over 7,000 athletes at

its annual events.  The campaign’s goal is to increase awareness about USA Competitions

and its annual events around the country. Over time, an increase in awareness with lead

to an increase in positive perception about the production company, which will lead to an

increase in attendance rates at annual events. Each objective is specific, measurable,

attainable, realistic and timely. The objectives will be used to assess the overall success

of the campaign.

Target Audiences:

The communication plan is geared toward a primary, secondary and tertiary audience.

Primary Audience

The primary audience is gymnastics facilities, also referred to as clubs, around the

country. There are over 179 clubs in Florida alone. Gymnastics facilities are the primary

target audience because they provide the training and tools needed to enter, familiarize

one with and succeed in competitive gymnastics. Clubs are the first to receive

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information about competitions, workshops and gymnastic-based camps. Facilities with

competitive team programs disseminate information to athletes and their guardians.

Secondary Audience

The secondary audience of the campaign is parents and guardians of competitive

gymnasts. Parents and guardians of competitive athletes are the secondary audience

because they decide where and when their children compete. They sacrifice time and

money to provide their athletes the best competition experience. According to an article

published on Forbes’ website, “Families of child gymnasts seeking to develop [an

Olympic] contender can cough up $1,000 a month in coaching and travel costs”

(Forbes.com).

Tertiary Audience

The campaign’s tertiary audience is competitive gymnastics ages 4-18. USA

Gymnastics, the governing body for the sport in the US, sets the rules and policies that

govern competitive gymnastics. According to it policies, the earliest an athlete can

compete in a sanctioned USAG competitive event is 4 years old (usag.org).  Research

shows adolescents influence parents’ purchasing decisions. According to YouGov, a

website that analyzes information and publishes key findings, “today’s kids are active

decision makers in family economies” (today.yougov.com). Parents stated 50 percent of

children ages 6-17 research products and services before they purchase, according to

YouGov’s article (today.yougov.com). Events must appeal both to parents and their

children.

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Situation Analysis

USA Competitions has been successful since its creation in 2004. When the

company was in its earliest stages it produced less than five events a year. Over a decade

later, USA Competitions produces over seven events, some of which gross more than

$125,000. In its inaugural year, 1,900 athletes registered to compete at USAC events

across the state. Over the course of the 2016 competitive season, more than 7,000 athletes

registered for events hosted by USAC around central and south Florida.

Strengths

USA Competitions is the only production company that hosts gymnastics

competitions throughout south and central Florida.

The remaining events affiliated with USA

Gymnastics, the governing competitive body, are

hosted by individual gymnastic facilities.

USAC is a subsidiary of American Twisters.

American Twisters is a well-known and

respected gymnastic club that has been in

business over 30 years. American Twisters has a competitive team that includes over 200

gymnasts. Twisters’ competitive team is required to compete at every USAC

competition. The American Twisters’ brand has maximized its profits over the years

because there is a demand for successful competitive programs in the gymnastics world.

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Weaknesses

Large-scale gymnastics competitions are expensive. Some of USA Competitions’

events cost on the upward of $250,000. The company cannot afford to produce gymnastic

meets outside of Florida because of the costs related with moving equipment and, renting

facilities and staffing events.

Opportunities

According to an article published by

CNBC, youth sports have become a $7 billion

industry in travel alone. Over the past four years,

youth sports, which include competitive

gymnastics, are the fastest-growing segment in

travel (cnbc.com). USA Gymnastics, the sport’s

governing body, reported 102,295 competitive gymnastics in the United States

(usag.org). USAC serves only 6 percent of the competitive gymnastics population. There

is opportunity for growth and development.

Threats

USAC is the only production company in south Florida; therefore it faces very

little opposition. Although, the company’s

subsidiary, American Twisters faces opposition

across county lines and throughout the state.

Twisters’ mission is “to help build happy, healthy,

responsible kids,” but it is not the only gymnastics

facility dedicated to nurturing young athletes’ talents (twistersgymnastics.com). There is

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a close concentration of gymnastics clubs, camps and afterschool programs in south

Florida.  According to Yelp’s list of ‘10 best 10

gymnastics in Broward County, Fl”, American Twisters

falls in fifth place (yelp.com). Dissatisfied customers

pose threats to growing businesses and can affect profit

margins. According to an article on the Huffington post,

“Losing even a single customer can be very expensive, so

it’s worth it to extend the effort to listen to complaints

from existing customers and turn them into positive

experiences” (huffingtonpost.com). Negative comments

that linger on the Internet add threats to USAC’s

subsidiary. Additionally, American Twisters is more

expensive than neighboring gymnastics facilities. Fort

Lauderdale Stars, a facility located 18 miles away, charges $118 for an hour and a half of

“advance” recreational classes (iclassprov2.com). American Twisters, varying on the

time of the day, charges $134 for 44-55 minute equivalent recreational classes

(twistersgymnastics.com).

Goal

The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness of USA Competitions and its

annual events.

Objectives

The main objective of the campaign is to raise awareness about the production

company. Over time, a second and third objective involving the audiences’ attitude and

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action will be addressed. Raising awareness about USA Competitions and its annual

events is an informational objective. According to Cameron, Reber and Wilcox,

informational objectives expose audiences to key messages and increase awareness of an

event or issue (158).

In time, the second objective, which involves the audiences’ attitude about events

hosted by USAC, will focus on increasing the positive perception that coaches, athletes

and spectators have regarding USAC and its annual events.

Influencing behavior in a public relations campaign in difficult, according to

Cameron, Reber and Wilcox, but important (159). Eventually, a third objective will

motivate the audiences to take action.

The Detailed Objectives

1. Objective (Awareness): To increase awareness of USA Competitions and its

annual events by 50 gym owners, coaches, athletes or spectators in Florida by the

beginning of the 2017 competition season.

2. Objective (Awareness): To increase awareness of USA Competitions and its

annual events by 500 gym owners, coaches, athletes or spectators around the U.S.

by the beginning of the 2017 competition season.

3. Objective (Attitude): To increase the positive perception of USAC and its annual

events by 5% by the end of the 2018 competition season.

4. Objective (Action): To increase attendance of Florida athletes by 1% by the end

of the 2019 competition season (April).

5. Objective (Action): To increase attendance of athletes around the U.S. by 5% by

the end of the 2019 competition season.

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Strategy

Online advertising and social media will be used to reach the campaign’s

audiences around the country.

Tactics

There are two specific activities USA Competitions will use to achieve its

informational objective of raising awareness about the company and its annual events.

The competitive gymnastics season is unified across the U.S. The season begins in

January and carries into spring. State, regional and national competitions end in May. The

company will purchase advertising space on websites, including gymnastics publications

and apparel sites, for the six-month off-season.

Using the #itsfuntoflipinflorida and #stickitwithusac, conversation will be created

on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In order to eventually reach the campaign’s attitude and action objectives research

will be conducted during the 2017 competition season. Surveys and comment cards will

be administered to parents/ guardians in competition registration welcome packets.

Similarly, surveys and comment cards will be administered to coaches during mandatory

coaches meetings, which take place before every competition. In the future of the

campaign, USA Competitions will hire a gymnastics celebrity to endorse and gain

publicity for annual competitions. According to Advertising Age, studies involving

hundreds of celebrity endorsement deals have indicated a 20 percent increase in brands

sales (adage.com).

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Timeline

June – August 2016: Sleep-away gymnastics camps are popular. Buy

advertisement space at Woodward or International Gymnastics Camp (both located in

Pennsylvania) advertising popular Florida destinations, such as Disney World, which

double USAC event destinations.

July 1-15, 2016: During the six-month off-season place advertisements on Inside

Gymnastics and TEN.0’s on websites, which is when clubs and coaches decided on their

team’s competitive schedule.

July 15-31, 2016: Send fact sheets to gymnastics clubs throughout Florida and

the U.S.

August 2016: Send gymnastics clubs around the U.S. media kits.

August- December 2016: Create conversation about competing in Florida at

USAC events using #itsfuntoflipinflorida and #stickitwithusac.

September 2016: Publish a feature story on a top-level gymnast who has

qualified at an USAC event for a nationally recognized competition, such as the Nastia

Liukin Cup, in the widely read publication Inside Gymnastics.

September 2016: Stream “feel good,” success stories from coaches, athletes or

spectators who have participated in any USAC event on the company’s website and

social media accounts.

January 2017: Competition season begins.

Budget

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Customized Folder 100 1.46 $146

Backgrounder 100 .50 $50

Fact Sheet 100 .50 $50

Business cards 100 .15 $15

Photos 200 .75 $150

Media Clippings 100 .50 $50

Surveys 10,000 .10 $1,000

Online Advertising 3 $800 $2,400

Feature Story Publication 1 $2,250

$2,250

Summer Camp Advertising 2 $5,000

$10,000

Celebrity endorsement 1 $7,000

$7,000

$23,111

With a 10 percent contingency fund the budget will total $25, 422

Measurement and Evaluation

“The evaluation element of a plan relates back to the stated objectives of the program”

(Cameron Reber Wilcox 166).

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1. Objective (Awareness): To increase awareness of USA Competitions and its

annual events by 50 gym owners, coaches, athletes or spectators in Florida by the

beginning of the 2017 competition season.

Measurement: The objective is measured by survey participation

1. Objective (Awareness): To increase awareness of USA Competitions and its

annual events by 500 gym owners, coaches, athletes or spectators around the U.S.

by the beginning of the 2017 competition season.

Measurement: The objective is measured by survey participation

1. Objective (Attitude): To increase the positive perception of USAC and its annual

events by 5% by the end of the 2018 competition season.

Measurement: The objective is measured by pre- and post- survey participation

“The only way to determine if communications are making an impact is by pre- and

posttest research. The first survey measures the status quo. The second one will

demonstrate any change and the direction of that change,” Frank Stansberry, former

manager of guest affairs for Coca-Cola said (Cameron Reber Wilcox 210).

1. Objective (Action): To increase attendance of Florida athletes by 1% by the end

of the 2019 competition season (April).

Measurement: Review registration data at the end of the competition season

1. Objective (Action): To increase attendance of athletes around the U.S. by 5% by

the end of the 2019 competition season.

Measurement: Review registration data at the end of the competition season

Further evaluations measuring the reach and effectiveness of the messages disseminated

to the audiences will be measured by web analytics.

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References and Research

1. There is a limited amount of information about USA Competitions online. Its

website offers a general overview of company information including events, staff

and testimonials. To learn more about USAC’s growth and financials, I contacted

the CEO, Randy Sikora. Mr. Sikora agreed to a short phone interview.

2. Wilcox, Dennis L., Glen T. Cameron, and Bryan H. Reber. Public Relations

Strategies and Tactics. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2015. Print.

3. “Celebrity Endorsements Still Push Product.” Advertising Age CMO Strategy

RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2016.

4. Van Riper, Tom. "The Cost of Raising a Summer Olympian." Forbes. Forbes

Magazine, n.d. Web. 27 July 2016.

5. "USA Gymnastics | Junior Olympic Program Overview." USA Gymnastics |

Junior Olympic Program Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2016.

6. "Children Have Refined Pester Power and Make Savvy Shoppers." YouGov: What

the World Thinks. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2016.

7. "Spending Big on Kids' Sports? You're Not Alone." CNBC. N.p., 2014. Web. 28

July 2016.

8. "Our Mission & Philosophy." » Twisters (Coconut Creek). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July

2016.

9. "Yelp." Yelp. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.

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10. Aksu, Hulya. "Customer Service: The New Proactive Marketing." The Huffington

Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.

11. "Welcome to Fort Lauderdale Stars." Fort Lauderdale Stars Portal. N.p., n.d.

Web. 28 July 2016.

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