Introduction

Background

The newly, reestablished, Saguache Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) has completed the first phase of its renewal. The three major milestones of this phase were as follows.

The Chamber:

1)      Created the organization and infrastructure required by law to operate

2)      Has acquired an initial base of members to help run the business of the Chamber

3)      Has raised the necessary funds, through membership fees and grants, to implement the stated purposes of the Chamber.

The Chamber’s Purpose

“The purposes for which the corporation is organized are to promote the business community, to organize civic functions, to provide community services and to encourage tourism and economic development within and for the Town of Saguache, Colorado and the surrounding community, and help promote Saguache County.”, By-Laws of the Saguache Chamber of Commerce A Non Profit 501(c) Corporation

In January 2011, the Chamber created the Saguache Chamber of Commerce Funds Development Plan in an effort to identify areas in which the Chamber could raise the revenue needed to pursue its purpose. The four areas identified were:

1)      Membership

2)      Grants

3)      Product/Sales and

4)      Events

Within each of these four areas were recommendations for activities that could help promote the business community and encourage tourism and economic development within our community.

The Purpose of this Marketing Plan

When reviewing the recommendations of the previously cited Development Plan, it is evident that one of the recommendations, Develop a Marketing Plan To Attract More Visitors To Saguache, is a leading activity that will drive most all of the other activities within the plan. The 2011-2012 Marketing Plan was created to help determine the methods, activities, priorities and expenditures by the Chamber to help the Chamber achieve its purpose.

This Marketing Plan defines what the marketing objectives for the next year will be, who is targeted within the plan, how targeted segments will be approached, the sequence of events within the plan, and the funds allocated to support each portion of the plan.

Targeted Customer Segments

There are three major customer segments targeted by the Plan. These are 1) Visitors, 2) Saguache Businesses, and 3) New Members. These are defined as follows:

·      Visitors – Visitors in context to this plan are primarily tourists. The tourist population is further broken down to include:

o   Travelers – Those people who are traveling through Saguache via highways 285 and 114 on their way to destinations other than the Town or County.

o   Event Goers – These are people who are coming to Saguache to attend one of the many events that occur in town primarily during the months from May through September. These events include such items as the Memorial Day Parade, the Fall Festival, and the 2011 Pow Wow.

o   Hunters – Saguache is located at the center of some of the finest deer and elk hunting in North America. Big Game hunting seasons begin with archery and muzzle loading in September and rifle hunting in October, November, and December. The pressure on town services in October and November is high. Food, lodging, gasoline, groceries, etc. are in very high demand during this time.

o   Outdoorsmen – This is a more general group of outdoor enthusiasts who frequent the town and county in the summer months to enjoy the solitude and expanse of the mountain wilderness that surrounds Saguache in all directions. These people include fishermen, backpackers, rock climbers, cyclist and off-road enthusiasts (4 Wheeler’s, ATV’s, off road motorcycling, etc.), to name a few.

·      Saguache Businesses – Businesses include all Chamber member businesses. The Chamber membership consists of persons and businesses primarily located in the Town of Saguache. However there are members who conduct business in other areas within Saguache County. One of the primary objectives of this plan is to provide advertising opportunities for all businesses within the Chamber business community and to particularly target those businesses that support the needs of the “visitors” as defined in the Plan.

·      New Members – The Plan is also designed to produce materials and develop incentives to convince other businesses and interested parties to join the Chamber and help in pursuing its mission and purpose. The Chamber membership is currently low in numbers and it is doubtful the Chamber can sustain itself over an extended period of time unless more members join and contribute their time, effort, and resources to pursue the Chamber purpose.

Marketing Methods and Suggested Activities

With the customer segments targeted, each segment was analyzed to determine what marketing methods would best apply to each segment. The following table and lists show the results.

Visitors

Saguache Chamber Businesses

Outdoor Advertising

·         Create a Chamber Business Sign – A roadside sign in town that is headed by the Chamber and contains a board (or rung) for each Chamber member.

·         Billboards – Research opportunities to advertise Saguache businesses on local and regional billboards. (Optionally create a Chamber-owned billboard)

Internet Promotion

·         Update the Chamber website to include all Chamber members and promotional information about each. Enhance web sites image and professional look and feel.

Publications   

·         Research publications and publications types that advertise the different member businesses. Have a tiered pricing to allow non members to be included in the publications.

·         Update the current Saguache Business Map

Promotion  

Pursue activities that promote Chamber members

·         Implement the Chamber Member Recognition Program – Celebrate the anniversaries of businesses, the opening of new businesses, or any change of ownership or other significant event (such as expanding the business), create a Business of the Year award.

·         Develop Promotional Products – Create products that promote Saguache businesses. Products such as t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, hats, pens, etc. that both promote the Saguache but also create additional sources of revenue for the Chamber.

·         Sponsor, Participate In, Put On, Events – By being involved in various in-town or in-county events the Chamber can promote member businesses and create a higher level of exposure. Some events may be opportunities to sell products  and/or collect funds to contribute to Chamber revenue stream. Sample events are listed:

o   Memorial Day Parade – participate and include a float

o   Rural Philanthropy Days – Sponsor and volunteer services

o   2011 Pow Wow – Sponsor and volunteer services

o   Fall Festival – man a booth and volunteer services

o   4^th of July 2012 – Sponsor and put on a fireworks show for the Town

Radio Advertising

Create radio spots with local radio stations advertising Chamber businesses and Chamber events.

Print Advertising

Create print ads with local and regional newspapers and magazines advertising Chamber businesses and Chamber events.

New Members

In order for the Chamber to remain vital new members must attracted to help run the Chamber. The Chamber currently has a small number of members and as is evident in this Marketing Plan there is a lot of work to be managed and performed in its implementation. As such a marketing campaign aimed at acquiring new members is an important component of the 2011-2012 Marketing Plan.

Promotion

·         Develop a comprehensive membership packet which includes: membership sign-up form, list of benefits, decals, website outline, and other important materials that describe the Chamber and its operations and purpose.

Hosted Event

·         Sponsor a membership drive as a social event with a program that includes what you get when you join the Chamber.

Member Recruitment

·         Task each member of the Chamber to recruit a new member. If new members are not recruited the annual membership fee may have to be increased.  As an incentive, current members who recruit a new member receive a $5.00 discount on the next annual membership drive.  Maximum discount not to exceed $10.00.

Targeted Mailing

·         Create an email invitation to all the businesses and persons that are on the Chamber email list – collect other email addresses from other organizations. Send out mailing to all targeted individuals.

Print  Advertising

·         Place ads in Saguache County newspapers seeking new members.

Radio Advertising

·         Create radio spots on local radio stations seeking new members.

Internet Promotion

·         Ensure there is a complete a thorough Membership and New Member recruiting section on the Chamber web site. Enable online sign-up and ordering.

Marketing Plan Implementation

The previous section identifies over 35 activities to market the three targeted segments; Visitors, Saguache Businesses, and New Members. Implementing these activities with limited time and resources requires a review of what are the highest priority items given the time and funds available. When implementing these activities it is also important to try expend funds within Saguache County as much as possible. Sources for services will always be sought with the county first. Another aspect of determining what activities to pursue first is to leverage activities where there is a common thread across the three target segments.

Five top priorities and related activities have been identified here in this plan. A brief explanation of each is provided.

Priorities

1.       Sponsorships of Events: There are two major events pending in Saguache that will be bringing hundreds of visitors and lodgers to town in the September 2011. These are the Rural Philanthropy Days event and the 2011 Pow Wow event. Acting as a sponsor for each of these events will allow the Chamber to promote itself as a community service organization and promote Chamber member-businesses as service providers to the many visitors to town.

2.       Internet Website Promotion:  Internet promotion was identified five times as a key activity across all three marketing segments. Development of a vital and effective Chamber portal that can promote and inform visitors to the community, promote and connect visitors to the Chamber member businesses, and promote, inform, and enable non member persons and businesses about the Chamber and how to enroll will fill a major need for the Chamber and provide a key forum for sharing information, ideas, and successes to the internal Chamber community and the external local, regional, and national population.

3.       New Member Packet Development:  Development of a professional looking and comprehensive ‘new member’ packet is long overdue. This promotional packet is needed as soon as possible to be available for the upcoming summer and fall events and for placement online to help promote the Chamber, extolling the values, benefits, and rewards of being a Chamber member.

4.       Product Development:  Developing a suite of Saguache Chamber products that can be sold at events or online will provide a simple and effective means for promoting the Chamber, its member businesses, the Town of Saguache and the surrounding Saguache communities. It will also provide a means for some additional revenue to support Chamber activities.

5.       Advertising – Radio & Print:  As sponsors for different events and host to hundreds of hunters and visitors in the summer and fall, the Chamber can target the event goers and outdoorsmen with local spots on SLV, Salida, and Taos radio stations. Timely production of these spots will enhance the Chamber image and serve to attract more visitors. Print media targeted at these same promotions in key periodicals and newspapers will also provide additional coverage for the events and the potential visitors.

Planned Expenditures and Delivery Dates

The following table outlines the target completion dates of the priority items and the funds budgeted for each.

Revenue generated from these activities and additional funds remaining within the Chamber budget can then be used to prioritize and implement the other activities identified in this plan.

Summary

The Saguache Chamber of Commerce Marketing Plan for 2011 – 2012 has been designed to address the needs of the community, the requirements contained with grant funds provided to the Chamber, and goals of the Chamber Funds Development Plan.

The Chamber is committed to attracting visitors to our community to promote economic development and bring additional revenue to area businesses and government. The Chamber is committed to its members who have a common goal and mission in supporting the overall purpose of the Chamber and the positive effect this will have on our community as a whole. And finally the Chamber continues to  pursue new members in recognition of the importance a comprehensive and large enough membership base to contribute expertise and effort in operating and maximizing the benefit to participating businesses and ultimately to the entire Saguache County community.