bass pro media plan fall 2013

8/13/2019 Bass Pro Media Plan Fall 2013

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Jake MlnarikIntroduction to Media AdvertisingJacquie LamerNovember 15thvers.

Anglers as a Target Group for Bass Pro Shops

Target Bullet-list Summary

Targets Psychographic Summary

Enjoy fishing.

Enjoy the outdoors.

Fish occasionally.

Targets Demographic Summary

Predominately male.

Majority married with children.

Most popular between ages 45 and 64

Client Description

Company Overview:Bass Pro Shops is an enormously successful brand that specializes in everything

outdoors. Bass Pro Shops can be traced back to 1971, when a young Johnny Morris rented a U-Haul

trailer and travelled the country filling it with the newest and best fishing tackle he could find to open a

store where these supplies were difficult to come by. The store was originally in Morris fathers liquor

store, occupying only eight feet of space but soon became a popular stop for fishermen, local and

otherwise, on their way to Missouris Ozark lakes which were alreadyfamous for bass fishing. In 1974,

Morris printed and sold the first Bass Pro Shops catalog in response to incredible demand from out-of-

state outdoor enthusiasts (Bass Pro 1). Just seven years after its inception, the company began selling its

first professionally equipped boat, the Bass Tracker; but more on these kinds of innovations in a bit.

So what purpose does Bass Pro Shops serve? Probably more than our young Johnny Morris could

have ever imagined in the early `70s. Bass Pro Shops is much more than just a shop for aspiring pro bass

fishermen; it has transformed into a one-stop-shop for all things outdoors and its enthusiastic customer

base which has made the company the leading outdoor retailer just in its relatively short 42 year lifespan.

Although the companys roots were in appealing to the needs of fishermen, the store carries something for

all degrees of customers interested in outdoor sport and game. The company has also extended its brand


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to medium not necessarily for the direct sale of products and services. The company produces five

television shows for both Versus TV and the Outdoor Channel (Pardee).7As well as its television

presence Bass Pro Shops has also made its way onto the radio outlet. Bass Pro Shopsinternationally

syndicated Outdoor World Radio has been providing outdoorsmen with helpful tips and pertinent

programming since 1995 and is heard by more people than any other outdoor radio program in the world

(Mitchell and Kendall). More recently in August of 2013 Bass Pro Shops signed a deal with SiriusXMs

channel 80 Rural Radio station to broadcast an hour-long show airing every Saturday morning to discuss

outdoor stories and tips in the US and Canada from high-profile guests hosted by Rob Keck (Rural Media

Group).7

Bass Pro Shops has also kept current with the popularity of the internet, having large media

presences on Twitter (more than 105k followers), Facebook (2.74 million likes) and also a unique blog

area of their website. However, the internet was not always around as a household media. Bass Pro

Shops Outdoor World Tips are written by Larry Whiteley and featured in more than 3,000 newspapers

and several magazines throughout Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri.7Bass Pro Shops catalogue has been

around nearly as long as the store itself, and it gets around. Today, more than 238 million catalogues and

sale flyers are mailed each year and require a staff of over 350 employees just to process such a high

demand (Mitchell and Kendall).3As well as being able to shop via catalogue and online, it is important to

remember that Bass Pro Shops are just that, shops. And there are getting to be quite a few of them. As of

May 2012, 58 Bass Pro Shops are open for business in the United States and Canada (I will note that only

two of those 58 are actually in Canada) with more than twenty more stores already planned in the future.1

On top of owning all of those stores, Bass Pro Shops also lays claim to a couple of different

outdoor worlds in the state of Missouri. Big Cedar Lodge is Bass Pro Shops 850-acre resort located on

the banks of Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO. The resort is home to 240 rooms and cabins as well as a

corporate conference center open to reservation for any and all lovers of outdoor activities such as

boating, skiing, hiking, trail rides, fishing, fine dining, spa services and more.8Dogwood Canyon Nature


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Park located in the famous Missouri Ozarks is another one of Bass Pro Shops real outdoor worlds.

Visitors of Dogwood can experience an enormous 10,000 acres inhabited by herds of elk, buffalo and

white-tail deer alongside a stocked trout stream and the splash of Thunder Falls. Bass Pro Shops

Dogwood Canyon tribute to nature is available to the public for any and all outdoor activities; hiking,

biking, fishing, horseback riding, tram tours and more (Mitchell and Kendall).5

Understandably, Bass Pro Shops is also noted as an award-winning supporter of world

conservation efforts. Support for conservation is primarily directed to organizations that deal with fish

and wildlife conservation, especially those that are not-for-profit and also with an emphasis on promoting

a youth understanding of the conservation required for keeping outdoor sport alive for future generations.

Bass Pro Shops currently supports 16 different organizations dedicated to the conservation of fish and

wildlife (Bass Pro 2).4

Bass Pro Shops has been honored with a showcase of conservation awards, its first dating back to

1995 with the International Conservation Achievement Award given to the companys owner, Johnny

Morris. Additional awards for the companys involvement in conservation and wildlife include the John

James Audubon Environmental Steward Award, (1999) The Conservation Funds Conservation

Leadership Award, (2003) the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundations Outdoor Heritage Award (2006) and

numerous others. Aside from its award-winning conservation efforts, the company has also achieved

recognition for its brands excellence and renown. In 2010 Bass Pro was named the Top 10 Brand in the

U.S." by Advertising Age Magazine. In 2012 the company was also ranked #3 in the "Top 10 Retailers

that Shook the World" by Retail Info Systems' Magazine.J.D. Power and Associates voted Bass ProShops best in delivering service excellence based on customer satisfaction in 2011 and 2012 as well

(Mitchell and Kendall).9

Client Offerings: First and foremost, Bass Pro Shops is a company that offers goods and services to

customers through several different entities such as catalog, online and in-store. These products are made


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by many different brands; the online fish shopping section alone lists 18 different brands including its

own Bass Pro Shops brand. The Shopsection of their website lists many sections including fishing,

hunting, shooting, boating, camping, outdoor recreation and also mens, ladies and childrens apparel,

whether hunting specific or not. The items on the online shop can be seen as an alternative to the

enormous inventory of items already compiled in the Bass Pro catalog.3A customer specifically attracted

to the stores lineof fishing products can expect to find everything from brand specific rods and reels

used to catch the fish right down to the sunglasses that add style points to their catch. The thoroughness of

this companys product utility is amazing. Hunters of rifles and bows alike can find everything they need

too; duck calls, multi tools, tree stands, compound bows, camouflage everythingand a special bag or

duffle for just about everything too. Campers will also be able to navigate through much more than just

tents. Sleeping bags, cots, camp stoves, outdoor showers and every accessory I could think of is available

and able to be refined by brand, price and customer rating just like the rest of the online store categories.3

It is entirely too easy to get lost in the offerings of online-shopping, but Bass Pro Shopswebsite is only

one of many goods and services this client offers.

The services of any one of these given stores is quite expansive. It is possible that a customer who

is just looking may not catch actually the full array of services their store can offer. These are things

like rod and reel repair, fish reproductions, taxidermy services, boat repairs, in-store archery and firearm

ranges and an expert employee opinion in just about every section of the store. I also found many of these

stores that offered local workshops and seminars on everything from first-time camping with children to

$1 knife sharpening every Wednesday. Many of these stores also listed their hosting of events for youth

organizations like local Boy Scout troops from the various locations listed in the Storesportal of the Bass

Pro website.6

My target Audience Choice: Anglers

Introduction:I would like to start by plainly mentioning that anglers shop at Bass Pro Shops because

they like fishing, and the company at hand serves to supply the each and every little tool of this interest. I


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chose this target audience primarily because I found that it had the oldest and strongest connection with

Bass Pro Shops. Another reason I felt this audience was appropriate is the fact that the company was

founded simply because there was no widely available bait and tackle resources in the 1970s and because

a man sought to change that on his own accord. I feel as though that is purely supply and demand in

action.

Psychographic Elements of Anglers

Like most hobbies, members of the fishing community will vary in their degree of commitment to

the sport. Those who fish in the United States, about 48.2 million in 2008, range from all walks of life, yet

still find time participating in the outdoor activity. The average income of fishers in 2007 was $50,847

and the most prevalent income of the 45-64 year old age group I have targeted is $75,000 and more

(Fishing Frequently). This leads me to believe that a majority of the fishers I will target can afford Bass

Pro Shops products. It is my speculation that the general older nature of this audience is more inclined to

make use of the companys repair services to avoid hasty and perhaps stubborn repair job a younger

angler may attempt.10

It is important to remember that there is more to the outdoor experience for a potential consumer

than fishing alone. 77.9% of those surveyed in a 2008 study titledA Special Report on Fishing and

Boating reported participating in various otheroutdoor activities as well as fishing itself (Special Report).

Thusly, it can be said that a majority of anglers also enjoy the outdoors in general. Some of the most

prominent outdoor activities this study found that anglers also enjoyed were fitness walking, camping,

hiking, wildlife viewing and hunting.12When these same participants were asked what kept them from

spending more time doing these kinds of outdoor activities, nearly half answered that they simply did not

have the time. It would seem that anglers have more to do than spend all day casting, reeling and stalking

prey or camping in the woods; implying that these practices remains primarily as a hobby to engage in

during their free-time.


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A majority of those surveyed (35%) reported making only about 4-11 fishing outings each year.

24% made even fewer outings, and only 3% reported partaking in 104+ fishing outings annually.11It

would seem that a majority of these anglers are not exactlyfish crazy, but instead engage in the activity

for leisure, and only several times each year.

It may be worthwhile to distinguish the difference in the data included later for the very different

activity experiences that Bass Pro Shops fishermen and career fishermen live. Whereas the fair-weathered

fisherman may enjoy going on only several fishing outings a year for leisure, fishing for a living can be

extremely dangerous. Fishermen face the highest rate of work-related death of any other industry in the

United States (Bureau of Labor).

Demographic elements of Anglers

Although it is true that many people fish, we can pin point a more precise audience by utilizing

demographic research. The majority of anglers in 2009 were male; about 67.5%, more than doubling the

female 32.5%. Fishing is the most popular among Caucasians in the US, spanning 82.4% of those who

fish. The next notable participation from a distinct ethnicity comes from African Americans, claiming

6.6% of the demographic. Anglers also come from a couple of groups of education. A slight majority of

anglers (26%) have received one to three years of college education. A close second to this degree of

education is represented by the 25.6% of anglers who have received only one to three years of high school

education. These same subjects seem to be represented mostly by a few different income brackets. 24.5%

earn an income of over $100,000 each year, and 26.1% earn $25,000 to $49,999 each year. Nearly 45%

belong in-between those two income groups. The majority of those fishermen (and women) who do not

exclusively fish for a living are over 40 years of age, 36.8% being over the age of 45. Another age group

coming in close second is 25-44 year olds, making up 30.7% of those anglers surveyed in 2008 and 2009

(Special Report). A similar compilation of data shows that the largest claim to those who fish in the US as

being between the ages of 45 and 64, claiming a collective 42.6%. The average adult age of anglers is

about 50 years old (Fishing Frequently). In the US, 25% of males fish and 8% of females fish


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(Sportfishing Demographics). A substantial majority of those who fish in the US are married, (65%)

home-owners, (73%) and have at least one child (32%) (Fishing Frequently).

How Target Aligns with Bass Pro Shops Offerings

Anglers as a target align with the offerings of Bass Pro Shops for several reasons. Bass Pro Shops

offers an incredibleamount of goods for the practice of all kinds of fishing available for purchase through

several different medium. Additional services of rod and reel repair in-store offers an extended utility all

in the same trip for customers. On top of this alignment, Bass Pro Shops also offer seminars and

workshops specifically for its audience of anglers of many ages and several stores which sponsor youth

activity groups such as the Boy Scouts of America. It seems obvious enough, but it cannot hurt to

mention that even the companys logo features a fierce leaping bass, implying a basic affiliation with the

animal and its sport. The stores are designed like the fishing and game cabins and the interiors of the

stores often feature unique displays like aquariums and various other exhibits of nature, the biggest store

being 310,000 square feet standing in Springfield, Missouri and displaying indoor forest dcor and even a

running waterfall (Bass Pro 3).2The outdoor appearance and atmosphere of these stores may aid in

attracting customers with more than one hobby-specific fascination within the store. Of those who fish,

33% also claimed interest in camping, and 22% were also interested in hiking (Special Report). These two

categories are equally met divisions of products and services that can be found in-store, catalog and

online.

The appearance of the stores may seem qualitative in accurately determining whatdraws who

inside the stores, but there was another interesting geographic trend that I noticed in my research.

Between 1980 and 1995, southern residents of the United States provided a 21% increase in participation,

the biggest increase yet of its time (Sportfishing Demographics). Residents of these southern states see the

highest concentration of Bass Pro Shops. The states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia

and Florida share 24 stores currently open and 8 more stores confirmed for the future (Bass Pro 4). These

trends may also show the prevalence that fishing in this area contains. Florida is home to the most Bass


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Pro Shops and also belongs to the South Atlantic area, which reports the highest levels of fishing

participation (19.5%) (Special Report).

Geographic Choice Explanation

Metro Area Priority 1: Chicago, IL

Chicago is my first choice for a designated market area (DMA) for a host of reasons. Despite only

22% of households in the city belonging to anglers, these households total 773,085 (Fishing Frequently).

The city of Chicago is in a convenient location for anglers who may be inclined to visit a Bass Pro Shops

store, considering there are two within the Chicago metropolitan area at both Gurnee and Bolingbrook,

IL. The Gurnee store is located about an hour north from the Bolingbrook store, servicing both north and

south Chicago respectively and providing residents with multiple locations to visit in proximity to the

city. With nearly three-quarter million fishing households in the area, it is my priority location to reach as

many consumers as possible and in a location where stores are available nearby. With so many

participants, it is also important to examine where this fishing is being done.

As well as being home to several inland lakes and rivers, I should mention foremost that Chicago

is located alongside the Great Lakes; one of Chicagos largest bodies of water used for fishing is Lake

Michigan. In 2000, Chicago was the most populous site of the Bass Masters Classic fishing contest held

on Lake Michigan and organized by one of the world's largest fishing organizations; the Alabama based

B.A.S.S. organization. The event attracted an expected audience of over 200,000 (Fitzgerald).

The Chicago area provides multitudes of medium for potential advertisers to utilize. The Chicago

metropolitan area broadcasts 62 rated radio stations, led by CBS Radio's WSCR sports station and the city

being third in the radio metro rank. Chicago distributes 24 daily and 109 weekly newspapers. The city is

home to 3,501,010 TV households and is rank three in the TV DMA rank. A 53% majority of all area

households belong to married couples. I would also like to support that a majority 35% of Chicago

households fit within my target age range of 45-64. Illinois law requires that all anglers above the age of


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sixteen are able to present a valid fishing license while participating in the sport. The license cost for

Illinois residents is $15.00 (Division of Fisheries). However, advertising to the tune of family fishing may

be less effective here as a 56% majority of households have no children at home aged 17 or under

(Bachman 1).

Metro Area Priority 2: Nashville, TN

Nashville Tennessee is my second highest priority DMA to advertise for Bass Pro Shops. This

area has the second highest percentage of anglers out of my three choices, but fewer participating

households than observed in Chicago. Fishing households in the Nashville area total 308,918 which

accounts for about 33% of all area households (Fishing Frequently). Households fitting within my target

age range of 45-64 total 34% (Bachman). Another reason for this choice is the presence of a Bass Pro

Shops within the city of Nashville. Within the city limits of Nashville alone are tenstate and recreational

outdoor parks (Google Maps). Tennessee law requires that all anglers above the age of 13 can present a

valid state fishing permit while fishing. The cost of the permit for residents is $9 (Tennessee Wildlife).

The Nashville area provides likely avenues for media advertisements to appear in. The DMA

includes 22 rated radio stations, its top rated station being the Clear Channel Radio's Urban WUBTFM.

The majority of listeners (77%) tune in during the PM drive (3p.m.-7p.m.) followed very closely by

morning drive listeners (76%) who listen from 6a.m. to 10a.m. Nashville also distributes nine daily and

20 weekly newspapers. A majority 42% of residents read these newspapers on any Sunday. The most

popular media platform for the DMA however is television, being home to 1,016,290 TV households and

ranking 29 in the DMA TV rank. A 34% majority of households did nothave a web connection in 2008

(Bachman 2). It would seem television ads may be the most effective method of advertising in the

Nashville area.


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Metro Area Priority 3: Springfield, MO

I chose Springfield Missouri as my third priority DMA. The area accounts for the highest percent

of anglers among my three choices, but also the lowest population. Fishing households in this area total

176,648 and show that about 44% of the areas residents fish (Fishing Frequently). Residents of the

Springfield area will be in close proximity to several Bass Pro Shops. As well as a Bass Pro Shops being

open for business within Springfield, a Branson store location is also located about 45 miles south.

Further south from the Branson location is one of our companys premier outdoor destinations, Dogwood

Canyon Nature Park. In addition to this parks appeal to the utility of Bass Pro Shops goods and services

are many other nearby outdoor attractions such as Table Rock State Park, Springfield Conservation

Nature Center and Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area. Missouri residents over the age of 15 are

required to purchase and carry a valid Missouri fishers permit whilefishing within the state. The permit

price for Missouri residents is $12 (Missouri Department).

Unfortunately,Adweekdid not appear to have conducted the intense research into this DMA as

represented in my other two markets, but I still feel that the hometown of Bass Pro Shops headquarters is

an acceptable market for the promotion of the company. The city is in close proximity to two different

Bass Pro Shops stores, various wildlife attractions between Springfield and Branson Missouri and also

exhibits a high percentage of residents who already fish in the area. Like most cities, Springfield is also a

portal for various media outlets and potential for advertisers. Springfield TV revenues were $45.5 million

in 2000, its top ad categories being auto, fast food, telecommunications and tourism. Seven unique

stations are broadcast to Springfield residents, its most popular being NBCs KYTV news station with an

average 22 Nielsen Media Research rating. Springfields cable penetration is 46%(Wang). The

Springfield area is within broadcast range of 34 radio stations and also publishes four newspapers: the

Springfield News-Leader, the Springfield Business Journal, the Community Free Press and the Daily

Events. (City & Local Media).


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Bass Pro Shops Media Plan

Introduction:

Creating Bass Pro Shops media plan for Meerswas incredibly more in-depth than I had

anticipated in the first weeks of the project. It was very easy for me to become sidetracked with additional

information and incongruities in the process while trying to stay somewhat simple in assignment-mode.

Looking at the campaign schedule may look like a sea ofs, but managing my budget to be able to

include insertions consistently across all four months of the campaign seemed like a method to the

madness of it all. This campaign spans across the months of October, November, December and January.

Targeting fishermen in the Chicago, Nashville and Springfield markets, this plan will utilize nearly the

entire $2 million budget allotted to the media planning team at Meers.

Media Type Priorities:

My priority media type for my clients campaign is television. I chose to devote a handsome sum

of my budget on television programming based on a few things. Firstly, I found that after completing

newspaper and radio portions of my plan that they did not offer targeted enough choices. There was

maybe one or two newspaper options in any of my cities and my only luck of reaching my target may

have been from an outdoors section in one day of the paper. I knew I had found that fishermen are also

interested in outdoors as a whole, but I felt that newspapers maybe werent even splitting enoughhairs to

reach anglers. Radio was kind of similar in that where I could semi-reasonably assume that outdoorsmen

and more specifically fishermen listened to a country format, I still was not finding specific programming

thatscreamedFISH. When it came to television however, I found numerous amounts of shows that were

by fishermen, for fishermen. Although the ratings were not exactly that of Nielsens top ten, I felt that

these were the most targeted medium to insert for. After some unyielding research, I also found dated

studies from the seventies that stated, the elderly market views TV more than [any] other age

segment (Rahtz). I mean no offense to anyone in the 45-64 age group by using a piece of evidence that


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states they are elderly, but I was very keen to the idea that there had to be some kind of concrete statistic

on who was consuming what kind of media more than others.

My second priority media type for my clients campaign was Google Adwords. Although this

priority may not be represented by the portion of my budget, I feel as though this part of the plan is still

quite important. I soon found out how amazingly streamlined advertising with Google could be.

Expecting to pay much more than I did, I found myself adding more and more keywords to my

spreadsheet as my planning went on. I also found that many of the keywords were relatively cheap and

low-click, so I tried to keep a general level of specificity of two or three words with a high volume of

keywords that would land a searcher right to basspro.com. Another reason for this prioritization I

pondered was how my target searches. It is no secret that the internet was not around when my targets

age group was born. I speculated that many of my potential targets may very well conduct searches on

Google that are in fact as simple as, fishing shop, or fishing gear. After developing strategies for my

highest priority medium, I realized that age does not by any means definethe consumer I am targeting,

but for the purposes of this assignment it was often the most helpful determinant for me in coordinating

choices like these for my media plan.

Specific Media Choices

Magazine Choices:

My first choice for advertising in magazines was in North American Fishermanmagazine. This

magazine had the highest circulation of any other fishing-specific mag in the SRDS book (452,000). To

no surprise, advertising in this magazine would also come at the most expensive rate. This magazine

described itself as a magazine for fishermen of many different levels of proficiency. Although my target

is specifically male fishermen aged 45-64, I felt that this magazine would best reach the most fishermen

without alienating sport fishermen from leisure fishermen and vice versa. By the numbers, this magazine

seems most likely to reach the most of my target audience. I chose to advertise with a full page ad on the

fourth cover since it is also the most likely to be seen by readers. I chose to run in this vehicle three


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consecutive times, running during the months of October, November and December and also receiving

the first tier of the vehicles volume discount.

Another magazine choice I included in my plan was in In-Fishermanmagazine. This magazine

has nearly half the circulation as my first choice, (254,000) but was still quite expensive. In-Fisherman

prides itself on offering its readers what it claims is the most in-depth freshwater fishing tips and tactics;

since all of my geographic targets are located near only freshwater fishing sources, it made sense to me to

choose the bestfreshwater fishing magazine. In-Fisherman is published eight times each year including

an individual issue for every month I have chosen to launch my campaign during. I chose to buy the most

insertions in this magazine (4) but with a full page color ad inside of the magazine as opposed to the much

more expensive cover choices. Inserting my ads on any cover within this magazine would cost $3k more

per ad, and this vehicle offered nopotential for volume discount on its covers. After four insertions inside

however, I was eligible for a discount of nearly $200 per insertion.

My third magazine choice was in Shallow Water Anglermagazine. This magazine is published

semi-monthly, so I was only able to purchase 2 insertions during my campaign. This magazine has a

much smaller circulation than my other two choices, so it was cheaper for me to go-for-the-gold in this

magazine and insert my ads on the 4thcover of the November/December and January/February issues of

Shallow Water Angler as to be seen by the majority of its readers. Like the name would imply, this

magazine offers its readers insight as to where they may find great fishing spots in shallow waters that

could be more local than they think.

Newspaper Choices:

One of my choices for advertising in newspapers was the Springfield News Leader. This was the

cheapest newspaper vehicle for price per column inch, and so I chose to include the most insertions in this

paper during my plan, running each Thursday of the week for all 16 consecutive weeks. Thursdays are the

Springfield News Leadersoutdoors section days, and so I felt that it was most appropriate to run ads in


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that section since my data previously found that fishermen also enjoy multiple outdoor activities. My

insertions in the Springfield News Leader measure 2x13 and are in black and white. Being the smallest

market of my newspaper vehicles, I estimated the Springfield News Leaders pass-along rate as 3.

Another choice was in The TennesseansSunday section. The sections in the Sunday issue that

led me to choose this day include travel and all sports. My thought process for this choice is that Bass Pro

Shops ads in this section may draw readers that are looking to travel to nearby outdoor locations or sport

fishermen. I chose to include 13 insertions in this plan; I originally intended to use less, but I was able to

get a discount of $47.13 per column inch after purchasing 13 insertions. My insertions in the Tennessean

measure 2x10 and are in black and white. The circulation of the Tennessean (222,755) is relatively

comparable to that of the Chicago Sun Times and at a rate that is considerably less expensive per column

inch ($361.92). Since the Tennessean still has one of the larger circulations but is in a smaller market than

Chicago, I estimated this vehicles pass-along rate to be about 4.

Possibly my most powerful newspaper vehicle was in the Chicago Sun Times. This newspaper

had the highest cost per column inch, but also only yielded my second highest CPM since it reaches so

many people in the Chicago DMA. I ran my ads in the Sunday edition of the Sun Times because it

includes an outdoors section on that day which I feel is the best way to reach readers that are interested in

fishing. The Sun Times offers a $47 discount per column inch after 300 are purchased, which is why I

chose to run a 2x10black and white ad 15 times in this vehicle throughout my four month plan. The

SRDS included a publishers statement which boasted the Times daily readership as being 1.2 million.

Knowing this with a Sunday paper circulation of 254 thousand, I estimated the pass-along rate to be about

5.

Radio Choices:

My first choice in radio was Chicagos WUSN-FMCountry format radio station. Not only is

country the number one radio format in the United States, but its listeners tend to skew a bit older which I


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thought paired nicely with my older demographic. Country music listeners aged 45-64 make up for 32%

of the market (Witt). In addition to country formats being more popular in the country itself, a likely trend

can be said of the Chicago DMA. WUSN-FM is the fourth highest rated station in the Chicago

metropolitan area according to Nielsen Audio (4.5 as of September, 2013). This station draws about 354

thousand listeners but its market is also home to the highest outlier cost in my plan with its SQAD cost

per points (CPP) costing an incredible $530 per point during the AM day part. I chose to purchase all of

my radio ads to air during the AM day part for a couple of reasons. Sure it is the most popular among all

radio listeners, but I realize it is important to remember that not all radio listeners are fishermen and not

all fishermen are radio listeners. My thought process is this: if a fisherman hears an ad for Bass Pro Shops

during his/her morning drive, then the message has the most time to settle upon the consumer whose

decision to purchase or peruse may be made throughout the day. In a market as large as Chicago, daily

commuters who listen to WUSN-FM are likely to hear their ads at the same times each day. I believe that

the persistence of scheduled radio ad space coupled with the sheer volume of the Chicago DMA and the

popularity of country radio formats makes this station a deserved choice. I kept this persistence in mind

when buying the most insertions on this particular radio station (150).

Another radio station I chose to insert my ads in was Nashvilles WSIX-FMcountry format.

Much like Chicagos country format station, WSIX-FM in Nashville also ranks prominently in its ratings.

The station is ranked #3 in the Nashville market with a rating of 6.3 according to Nielsen Audio and

draws roughly 80 thousand listeners as of September 2013. As well as for the reasons I mentioned the

country formats dominance in the above paragraph, Nashville in particular has a close relationship with

the genre. The oldest country station in the US, WSM-AM has been broadcasted from Nashville since

1925 (Witt). The ads for Bass Pro Shops will run during this stations AM drive, costing $77 per rating

point and airing with 100 insertions.

My third radio station I chose to advertise on was Springfields KTTS-FMcountry format. This

station is #1 in the Springfield market with an impressive 14.5 rating according to Nielsen Audio and


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drawing a little more than 47 thousand listeners. Luckily for me, the SQAD cost for this market was much

lower. Bass Pro Shops ads will run during this stations AM drive day part, costing $27 per rating point

with 125 insertions.

TV Choices:

Television was my main priority media for this plan. Television insertions made up nearly half of

the $2 million budget that was allotted to me. This was partly because I chose to insert during four shows

with what I feel like is a high number of insertions. Basically anyone who watches these fishing shows

between October and January should have a Bass Pro Shops commercial stuck in their head, and for Bass

Pro Shops sake, I hope they do.

My first choice for TV was probably the easiest one I made. Timmy Horton Outdoorsis

presented by Bass Pro Shops itself, hosted by Bassmaster Elite Pro Timmy Horton and is recorded on

public waters around the country to provide all ages of fishermen with a family friendly and deep

understanding of what it takes to become a better angler. This show is one of the more popular amongst

reviewers on the World Fishing Network, and since it is presented by Bass Pro Shops I feel like it targets

my audience most efficiently. I chose to advertise on this program during the late news daypart on the

basis that many people in my demographic would watch television before heading to bed. I tried

desperately to find evidence proving when my age target watches television, but what I found instead

were studies from the seventies that stated, the elderly market views TV more than [any] other age

segment(Rahtz). Since I found a little insight into this programs popularity, I estimated this program to

have a rating of 1.2. My media plan includes 250 insertions during this program in Chicago and 200

insertions in both Nashville and Springfield.

Another program I chose was a program called Hookin' Up With Mariko Izumi.The show

follows Mariko Izumi and her fishing crew as they travel around the country. I felt this was a valuable

program to advertise between because of its involvement with the lesser associated gender of fishermen.


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Whats more interesting than an old man passing down bass facts? A gorgeous young woman catching

them herself. Like the majority of my fishing television shows, I could not find any concrete rating data

for this program, but realistically I estimated it to be quite low (1.1). My media plan includes 225

insertions during this program in Chicago, 150 in Nashville and 100 in Springfield.

Kayak Bassin' TVwas my third choice for television advertisement. The show is hosted by

Chad Hoover, a professional bass fisherman that fishes from a kayak. The show seems pretty interesting

and the host pretty personable, so it seemed like a less boring alternative than some of the other fishing

shows I combed through for this assignment. I also estimated this shows rating to be about as low as my

other choices, (1.1). My media plan includes 225 insertions during this program in Chicago, 150 in

Nashville and 100 in Springfield.

The final program I chose to advertise during was Big Bass Battle.This show is a competition

between four anglers to catch the biggest bass. Given this competitive prospect, I felt that this show

would better attract sport fishermen whereas my other shows may be more popular for leisurely

fishermen. My media plan includes 225 insertions during this program in Chicago, 150 in Nashville and

100 in Springfield.

Web Site Choices:

When choosing my websites, I knew I would need to advertise in quite a few in order to achieve

the 25 media vehicle requirement for this assignment and rather than flooding impressions on any one

kind of website, I chose several different types of websites to buy impressions on. It just seemed

impossible to find any one website all fishermen frequent. I realize this may not be the most pinpoint

method of targeting, but I felt it was necessary to have an ad presence on several of the many different

types of platforms on the enormous entity that is the World Wide Web. When evaluating these websites

given the information in our assignment packet, I followed the $5.48


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One type of website I chose was the more informational format, offering fishermen helpful tips

and tricks. Sites like, Takemefishing.org, Bassmaster.com, Ultimatebass.comand Tackletour.comare

ones I hope will draw anglers that thoroughly enjoy their hobby and want to get better. These are websites

that offer insight into what kind of gear to use, where to fish and how to improve at the sport. I figure if

fishermen are reading up on gear or lures, a well-placed ad selling the gear here may have them soon

looking to buy.

On a different level, I chose to buy impressions on several websites that review fishing gear and

offer consumers insight into products on the market. These were sites like

Worldfishingnetwork.com/gear,Bassresource.com/tackle-reviewsand

Consumersearch.com/fishing-rods. I felt that it was important to buy impressions on these sites to reach

my informed consumers, the anglers who research and seek input on the gear they may wish to buy.

These sites reported much more traffic than the informational sites I listed above and so I also chose to

include many more insertions on these formats.

Another type of website I found valuable to advertise on were more social implementations of the

web. These are sites where users can create posts and relay information from one another in the

convenience of social forums. The most prominent instances of forums like these I could find (without

state-to-state specificity; my DMAsfishing forums had very low traffic) were sites like

Reddit.com/r/fishingand Bigfishtackle.com/forums. Onthewater.com/fishing-forecast was an

additional site I felt was a worthy instance of targeting consumers as it serves as a tool for fishermen who

are actively seeking to fish locally.

Google Keywords:

As mentioned above in my priority media choices, I felt like Google keywords were an important

part of my clients media plan. I started by choosing keywords that Google suggested for me; these were

broad keywords likefishing gear, bass fishing gear, or cheap fishing gear. Already having a fair number


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of specific websites where my ads were running, I figured most people would not automatically know

which websites to visit without a Google search in between. After I felt like I had plenty of keywords for

the gear my client sold in general, I began to target a little closer.

I skimmed Bass Pro Shops website for some of its top selling fishing brands and also included

these in my list of keywords. These were words like Shimano reels orAbu Garcia reels. I soon found that

the specific brands of gear my client offered were yielding a much higher volume of searchers than the

general search forfishing gear itself. At this point I felt like Google Adwords was doing a pretty snazzy

job of targeting effectively and easily for me. Not only this, but the instances for advertising were

incredibly cheap and allowed for me to include some of the more expensive medium in my plan while

still focusing on one I was more interested in pursuing.

Media Plan Schedule:

For my media plan I have chosen to insert my ads during the months of October, November,

DecemberandJanuary. After trying to research whenanglers fish more frequently and coming to no

solid conclusion, I decided on these months for a few other reasons tied instead to logic. Keeping time,

place and circumstance in mind I chose these months to promote holiday sales for my client in

preparation for the common spike in Christmas fueled consumerism. Consumers seeing or hearing these

insertions in the months prior to the holiday season may be more inclined to buy the gear that they,

themselves, or their angling loved ones want. Many companies offer coupons or special deals during and

prior to the holiday season and I felt these months were especially important to saturate with insertions for

my client. I noticed a definite change in the Bass Pro Shops website over the course of this assignment

and post-Halloween, it is all about Christmas sales and savings.

Since my strategy is to saturate my markets with steady advertisements in anticipation of holiday

shoppers, it did not make much sense for me to include insertions after the new year in most vehicles.

Since television is my primary media source, I continued my advertisements on all shows throughout the


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four months. A couple of my magazines and all of my newspaper choices extend into my last month as

well; this way I had bought enough insertions/column inches to get volume discounts and still kept a

steady stream of ad presence. I also chose to keep my banner ads constant for the websites that reviewed

fishing gear throughout January since I had bought so many more insertions for these types of sites.

Justification of Money Spent:

As my plan stands I have spent $1,996,169 out of the $2 million being allotted for the media plan.

After seeing how expensive it is to advertise anything in my priority market of Chicago, I felt pretty

accomplished when I completed my plan under budget, if only by a small amount. Since my strategy here

is to saturate these markets with ads for Bass Pro Shops as much as possible during the holiday shopping

season, I felt as though using as much of the budget I had been given was an opportunity I would not pass

on. I spent nearly half of the budget on my priority media choice, television. Some of the other media also

came at high costs simply because of the large Chicago market, which still seemed most efficient due to

its lower CPM driven by the dense number of households in the city. This was partly because I chose to

insert during four shows as opposed to the minimum of two with what I feel like is a high number of

insertions. Basically anyone who watches these fishing shows between October and January should have

a Bass Pro Shops commercial stuck in their head.


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Bibliography

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"Sportfishing Demographics."RezKill Fishing Adventures. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. .

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