2014 Dr. Bob Run

HSES 486Marketing Plan

By: Abbey Lewis, Tyler Lafferty, &

Jacob Kaufman

Product Description

The Dr. Bob Run was started as a way to celebrate the life Dr. Bob Frederick and

celebrate the Centennial for the University of Kansas School of Education. The run serves as a

way to promote physical fitness and share Dr. Bob’s life-long love of outdoor activities. This

annual event is also a fundraiser for the Dr. Bob Scholarship through its attachment to the

University of Kansas.

The event has grown since it was founded in 2010 and has grown to provide

entertainment for runners of all ages. Its affiliation with the University has provided a lot of

marketing opportunities and event organizers have been able to brand the run by associating with

KU. Since Dr. Bob was the Athletic Director for the university and had ties to the School of

Education the event is more appealing to anyone who identifies with KU and the event is family

friendly, it is also appealing to all ages.

There are three races to appeal to participants of all ages including a one mile runs for

kindergarteners through sixth graders and then both the 5k and 8k runs are for intercollegiate and

open divisions. By offering a variety of runs the event appeals to a wider range of participants

and becomes more family friendly. By making the event more accessible to a younger audience

the Dr. Bob Run has become a more family friendly event and strengthened its brand.

After only a few years the Dr. Bob Run has become one of the more popular runs in the

Kansas City area with the support of the Kansas City Sports Commission and the KC Running

Company.

Defining the Market Place

The market segment that the Dr. Bob Run needs to reach is both the family market and

individuals who are physically active. By reaching these segments the event will be able to

expand all of the different races including the race for children and the 5k and 8k runs.

Attracting a wider variety of participants will allow the event to grow and gain popularity by

opening opportunities for sponsors. Aside from celebrating the life of Dr. Frederick the run must

also generate a profit to support scholarships and attract corporate partnerships.

As the run grows and becomes more popular, more opportunities will present themselves

for corporate sponsorships. The sponsorships that will be most beneficial to the race would be

partners who have access to individuals who take physical fitness very seriously. Attracting the

attention of local fitness centers would be great sponsors as the partnership would be mutually

beneficial. Advertising for the run at the gym would increase participation in the run and

advertising for the gym at the run could increase gym membership. Also, the University of

Kansas Athletics Department is a great partner for the event.

Since Dr. Bob was the athletic director for KU at for several years the athletics

department is a perfect fit for a partnership, the athletics department would allow the event a

great deal of exposure and cheaper advertising at KU sporting events. One of the greatest

benefits that would come from advertising at KU events would be exposure to families. The Dr.

Bob Run is not only an event geared towards people who are dedicated to physical fitness, it also

can be appealing to families since there are runs for all ages.

SWOT Analysis

The Dr. Bob Run has several strengths that separate this event from others. One of these

strengths is the location of the run. Every year the event is held at Rim Rock Farm, one of the

most premier cross-country courses in the state of Kansas. By hosting this event at Rim Rock

Farm, the Dr. Bob Run is able to distance itself from other charitable runs that are usually held

on courses that are not as highly regarded. Since the course is so well known, the location of this

event attracts individuals who are not necessarily from the area to participate. Another strength

of the event is its association with the University of Kansas.

Since the event is linked to the University of Kansas many people participate with the

intention of running in a KU sponsored event. Alumni will be more likely to run if their alma

matter has a connection to the event. Many former KU students participate in the event due to

the association with their school as well as Rim Rock Farm being near Lawrence and Kansas

City, where many KU alums are located. Also, the cause of the event is a great strength.

The event appeals to the emotions of many people who appreciate the work that was done

by Dr. Bob Frederick when he was the athletic director of the University of Kansas. Dr. Bob

inspired this event and many people are more than willing to run or volunteer to work the event

and celebrate the life of Dr. Frederick and his love of physical activity. Also, the event funds

scholarships for the school of education. Any time a run has any sort of charitable cause it will

be well received. The fact that the run funds the Dr. Bob Frederick Scholarship will inspire more

runners to participate and help with the event. While this event has several other strengths, it

also has some weaknesses.

Some of the weaknesses of the Dr. Bob Run are that a run does not necessarily appeal to

a wide audience. While the run can appeal to a family, many people do have children who are

too young to run in the race. Also, some individuals are no longer physically capable of

participating in a 5k run. Since some individuals can not compete because of their health or the

age of their children they may not be able to contribute to the event in any way. There are other

charitable events in which anyone can participate that require no physical activity. Another

weakness could possibly be the association with the university.

While associating with the University of Kansas can be a great strength, it could also

alienate some individuals who do not have a positive attitude towards KU. Many participants of

the run are from Kansas City, which is obviously not an exclusive home to KU alums. If the

event were not associated with a university it may make the run more welcoming to a wider

range of people. In addition to internal strengths and weaknesses, there are also external factors

that affect the Dr. Bob Run.

There are opportunities for the Dr. Bob Run to expand in several different ways. The

event could expand and make the races more accessible for individuals who are not physically

capable to run a 5k or an 8k. If the event could include other activities aside from the run to

make the area more of a fair type atmosphere more people would participate. There is plenty of

space at Rim Rock Farm to set up a few minor revenue generators that are common at county

fairs that do not take up a great deal of space. Also, a formal picnic could be a possibility to

encourage families to come enjoy the nice weather. The picnic would not be a direct revenue

generator unless there were food vendors; the increase in traffic would make the sale of

sponsorships more valuable. There are also threats to the success of the Dr. Bob Run.

Threats that could hamper the success of the event include other events. Other runs could

attract people to their event and cause them to not want to participate in the Dr. Bob Run. There

are several other charity runs in the Kansas City area that could attract potential participants in

the Dr. Bob Run. Also, with this event being held outside, weather could play a big factor in the

success of the event.

If there was a storm on the day of the run then the entire event could have to be

postponed or cancelled. Cancellation insurance is always a possibility to help protect the

interests of the event, but it is costly and does not protect the run from cold weather. Cold

weather could potentially deter people from participating in the event as well. Storms could

cancel the event, but cold weather would not be a good enough reason to actually cancel the

event and the run could cause the event to lose money.

Product Extensions

The Dr. Bob run is held at Rock Rim Park here in Lawrence and is a great facility with

many opportunities for us to extend this event year after year. Some ideas we came up with for

product extensions are:

The Hy-Vee Kid Zone : With Hy-Vee being our sponsor for the 1 Mile Kids Run,

we wanted to come up with a way to keep them entertained for the time the kids

are at the park after completing their race. The Kid Zone will include inflatables,

post-race treats, and more fun and games. The Kids Run is for kids in

kindergarten through sixth grade; so having something attractive to those ages

will create additional excitement of being there and will also be a place where

they can go while their parents run in their race.

T-Shirts : Creating t-shirts for the race will help create awareness of the event. The

shirts, which will include the Dr. Bob’s Run logo, will be given to participants to

wear when running and sold to non-running supporters. Not only will these t-

shirts be seen in the pictures taken from the event, but also when worn around

Lawrence. These unique t-shirts will work as advertisements and as a symbol of

support amongst the community, which will hopefully inspire others to participate

in the future.

KU Mascots : Because Dr. Bob was so involved at the University of Kansas,

having Big Jay and Baby Jay present at the run will symbolize the school spirit he

had and things he accomplished while at KU while providing a fun, family-

friendly atmosphere.

Memorabilia Video : To give more information about Dr. Bob Frederick himself

and about the Dr. Bob Frederick Scholarship, a video will be shown at the

beginning of the race. This video will include family and friends who knew Dr.

Bob and the difference he made in lives of students in the Health, Sport and

Exercise Sciences Department.

Celebration and Cookout : After the completion of all the events, to wind down

and relax, a cookout will be held for all the participants. This will be a way for the

community to gather and really “celebrate” in honor of Dr. Bob. In our

sponsorship packages, we will ask some of our sponsors to help in donation of the

food.

Product Matrix

Friends and family of Dr. Bob, kids, and returning runners from

past years

Advanced runners who enter a lot of races but who do not know

about Dr. Bob or the scholarship

Casual runners who like to run races for fun or are interested in

support the cause

Unaware consumers

Pri

ce

High

Low

Hig

h

Level of Performance

Level of Excitement

Low

High Low

Hig

h

Pri

ce

Advanced runners in 5k and 8k races

People who do not run as much but are there for the charity

People who are avid runners and/or are new to races but do not

feel connected to the cause

Kids participating in fun run

Schedule of Events

6:00 am Volunteer Arrival for Set-up

7:00 am Packet Pick-up/Registration

7:50 am Announcements and Dr. Bob Video

8:15 am Hy-Vee 1 Mile Kids Run (K-6th Grade)

8:45 am 5k Intercollegiate and Open Divisions(Team/Individual)

9:45am 5k Awards

9:55 am 8k Intercollegiate and Open Divisions (Team/Individual)

10:55 am 8k Awards

11:00 am Celebration and Cookout

Note: Times are subject to time due to running times. Incase of any inclement weather, please check the website (http://hses.soe. ku.edu/drbob) for any updates.

Pricing of Tickets, Concessions, and Sponsorships

Tickets/Registration: Since the purpose of the Dr. Bob Run is to remember the life of

Dr. Bob Frederick and help increase the donations for the Dr. Bob Frederick Scholarship, we

want the price of registration to be reasonable so as not to deter supporters. We will research

Lo w

other local runs and compare their entry fees and consider that t-shirts will be provided to our

runners, so we will make sure our price is set around our competitors. In consideration of the low

entry fee, participants would be encouraged to make additional donations directly to the

scholarship fund and support what was dear to Dr. Bob’s heart – the Health, Sport and Exercise

Science Department and the students in the department.

Concessions: With the race being in the morning and having a cookout after, concessions

will not need to be provided. Water will be free for runners, and Gatorade will available to

purchase at a hospitality tent that is provided by one of our sponsors. Admission to the

celebration and cookout will be free but food and beverage tickets will be available for purchase

prior to the event and during packet pick-up. The food for the cookout will be burgers, hotdogs,

and will have accommodations for those who need them. Pricing for this will be at a point to be

reasonable but one that will cover costs and still make a small profit to contribute to the fund.

Sponsorships: Our pricing strategy for sponsorships will be different for each sponsor.

Depending on which inventory they would like to purchase, the price will vary. For example, if a

sponsor wanted to be associated with a naming rights situation, they would pay more than a

sponsor who would just like to be mentioned on flyers and t-shirts. In keeping the community

involvement our prices for sponsorship we will price our bigger sponsorship packages at a price

that will be enough for us to help cover the cost of the run. For our smaller, local business

sponsors, we will kindly ask them if they would like to make any size of a donation for the

scholarship fund. We will try and target larger/national companies for naming rights, (Hy-Vee,

Dicks Sporting Goods, Target, etc.) and food donations or receive reduced costs for those. For

the local companies, we could approach them for the smaller items such as, water cups, first aid

kits, etc.

Sponsorship Packages

Platinum Package ($5,000)There will be two branding sponsors, and the purchase of the platinum sponsorship package will give these companies the opportunity to show their support for the Dr. Bob run in the following ways:

Signage Opportunity. Our signage opportunities include recognition on the start and finish line, mile markers, naming rights for the Kids 1-mile Fun Run, and front of race bibs.

Donation of food and water table. Sponsors will help donate food for the cookout and waters for their water stations.

Advertising recognition. Sponsors will be recognized in all advertisements that are sent out to help increase brand awareness in the community.

Gold Package ($1,000)The purchase of the gold sponsorship package will give these companies the opportunity to show their support for the Dr. Bob run in the following ways:

Signage Opportunity. Our signage opportunities include recognition on mile markers, and front of race bids.

Donation of water table. Sponsors will help donate water for their water stations.

Advertising recognition. Sponsors will be recognized in all advertisements that are sent out to help increase brand awareness in the community.

Silver Package (any desired donation)With any desired donation, the silver package will include:

Signage Opportunity. Our signage opportunity will include recognition on the front of the race bibs.

Advertising recognition. Donators will be recognizes in all advertisements that are sent out to help increase brand awareness in the community.

Promotions

In order for our promotional ideas to take place, we need to really make sure that they

appeal to the customer and so that it creates awareness and increases their value of experience.

For our first promotional idea we decided that the more people we can get to come the better

their overall experience will be, as they can meet other members of the community and help raise

scholarship money for students in the Sports Management program, in remembrance of Dr.

Frederick. In addition, we will attract more people to the Dr. Bob run by giving large groups of

15 or more a 15% discount of their overall purchase as a whole group. This will be another

incentive to bring more people together for the run and in addition will bring other members of

the community together as well. Next, for our second promotional idea, we decided that

everyone would get a free t-shirt for doing the run, not just the first 500 runners. However, if

you signed up for the race with in a month in advance, your name would get put on the back of a

shirt and you could get to select from a selection of colors, so that you could pick out the color

that you desired. This is something little but everyone loves getting a free t-shirt and it is just

another way of showing that we appreciate you for participating in the Dr. Bob run and also is a

way of getting a little souvenir, so that you can always remember the time you participated in the

Dr. Bob Run. Also, we think teachers in Sports Management should give extra credit to students

that either participate in the actual run or volunteer to help work the Dr. Bob Run. This will be a

good way to get the word out for the Dr. Bob run and will help generate even for money for

Sports Management scholarships. Lastly, we decided that our third promotional idea is making a

deal with a local sporting goods store. For example, if the runner participated in the Dr. Bob

Run, then they could bring them there racing number, and they would get it stamped by Dicks

Sporting Goods, for a 25% discount in any running apparel. This will be great for Dicks

Sporting Goods Store in showing support for running for a good cause and also, will create a

customer relationship, in that customers will keep coming back to Dick’s Sporting Goods for

other purchases in the future.

Advertising:

For our first advertising idea, our group decided that we would set up a little booth at

local fitness clubs around the Lawrence area. For example, we would set up a booth at Snap

Fitness, and the recreation center, handing out flyers on the Dr. Bob run. We would do this 2

times a week, from 4:00-7:00PM, two months in advance. The weekdays would be the best at

these times because the gyms are most busy at these times and this way we could get the

attention of most of the fitness men and women. In addition, we would advertise the Dr. Bob run

on the big screen at home football games and on the back of football games tickets. This will get

the attention of a majority of friends and family members that are dedicated to the University of

Kansas and possibly have various donors get involved as well. Lastly, our group decided that we

would add a little blog onto KU’s website and post a link to the Dr. Bob Run’s Facebook page.

Everyone at KU is familiar with KU’s home page from using it for “blackboard” or “enrolling

and pay” and so on… which will be a great spot for advertising this event.

Personal Selling Strategies:

One of our strategies for personal selling is to use the data based marketing approach.

We will use this approach by logging information about the members that ran in the race. We

will have them fill out a survey before the race so that we can recognize who they are and how

many people will be joining them for the event and some other information so that we can better

find out our target market. The survey will have the following information:

1. Your Name

2. Your Groups Name or Affiliation

3. Age, Gender?

4. How Many Members In Your Group?

5. Address

6. City, State, Zip

7. Home Phone, Cell Phone.

8. Email Address

9. Todays Date

10. How many Games Did You Go To For KU Basketball and Football?

11. Have You Ever Ran In The Dr. Bob Run?

12. Do You Currently Have Kids That Go To School At KU? If So How Many?

13. Do You Have Kids That Will Go to School At KU In The Near Future? When?

14. What Are Your Kids Majors At KU?

15. How Did You Hear About The DR. Bob Run And Why Did You Choose To Run In It

This Year?

The information from above will help us figure out why certain members chose to run in the

race and who our target market should be for the following years. We will also have the Dr.

Bob run on the back of the KU football tickets, with a website link that takes you to find

more information about the run. From a relationship-marketing standpoint, we will have

trained volunteer employees from the Sports Management Program that greet participants as

they show up for the event and are educated on some of the history of the Dr. Bob Run. In

addition, they will know the steps to take in case of an accident and be aware of their role

effectively directing the run. This will build a satisfying relationship with the runners as they

are respectfully treated. Lastly, we will use benefit selling as the members are given a 25%

discount off of any running item at Dicks Sporting Goods, and a free 3-day for Snap Fitness

and the recreation center, for running in the Dr. Bob run. We will get this set up by meeting

with the Managers of the various stores as we work out a deal with them, asking for their

approval of our ideas. Not only would this help us out but also it would help the workout

facilities attract more members and gain future customers to Dicks Sporting Goods for the

future. This will increase their stores popularity, as this will be done for a good cause in the

Lawrence community.

Diagram of Rim Rock Farm Course

Public Relations Strategies

Media Relations:

KEYRed Circle = Parking

Yellow Circle = RestroomsPurple Circle = Water Stations

Blue Cirlce = Seating AreasBlack Circle = Concessions

Grey Rectangle = Kids Fun Zone

We will make sure that a local news station in Lawrence, Kansas, monitors the run. Also,

we will monitor how many people actually visit the website for the Dr. Bob run. In

addition, we will make sure that the football game advertises the game at least once a

game and that they make an announcement along with it so that everyone pays attention.

Community Relations:

We will keep track of the number of community groups contacted for the run and who

did or didn’t participate and why. We will see what the general public had to say

negatively about the event and what positives they had to say about the event. Also, we

will see what the age range was on the number of people that participated.

Ticket Manager:

We will make sure that all of the finances add up correctly, so that there isn’t a drop in

scholarship money unaccounted for.

Sponsorships:

We will make sure that the sponsors get all of the correct signage up that they were

promised that that they have everything set up that we agreed to.

Promotions:

We will generate, as many promotions as we can and make sure that the participants

know about the promotions (such as the 3 mentioned above under promotions). We will

also take in the sales account to the promotions to see if it was a success or if we need to

try something new.