E-strategy report for Saalfelden Leogang

-10693408255-1143000-1107440 3200400-1195070Imc imc Master’s ProgrammeTourism & Leisure Management DATE quot;
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5 May 2011 -1143000329057034290005775960Table of contents TOC quot;
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List of Figures PAGEREF _Toc292275807 3 1Executive Summary PAGEREF _Toc292275808 4 1.1E-Strategy Status Quo PAGEREF _Toc292275809 4 1.2E-Strategy Goals PAGEREF _Toc292275810 4 1.3E-strategy Components PAGEREF _Toc292275811 5 1.4E-Strategy Implementation & Performance Monitoring PAGEREF _Toc292275812 5 2Situation Analysis PAGEREF _Toc292275813 6 2.1Mission Statement PAGEREF _Toc292275814 6 2.2Products PAGEREF _Toc292275815 7 2.3Customer Segments PAGEREF _Toc292275816 8 2.4Target Market PAGEREF _Toc292275817 10 2.5Stakeholders PAGEREF _Toc292275818 11 2.4Competitors PAGEREF _Toc292275819 12 2.5SWOT Analysis PAGEREF _Toc292275820 16 2.5.1Strengths & Weaknesses PAGEREF _Toc292275821 16 2.5.2Opportunities & Threats PAGEREF _Toc292275822 17 2.6Tourism Operator Survey Outcomes PAGEREF _Toc292275823 17 2.6.1Tools and Focus Countries of E-Marketing Activities PAGEREF _Toc292275824 18 2.6.2Saalfelden Leogang Tourism Board’s Work & Role in E-Marketing PAGEREF _Toc292275825 20 3Strategic Considerations PAGEREF _Toc292275826 23 3.1Current E-Marketing Situation PAGEREF _Toc292275827 23 3.2Strategic E-Marketing Goals PAGEREF _Toc292275828 23 3.3Alternatives for an E-Marketing Strategy PAGEREF _Toc292275829 24 3.3.1Social Media Strategy PAGEREF _Toc292275830 24 3.3.2Website Redesign PAGEREF _Toc292275831 24 3.3.3Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Strategy PAGEREF _Toc292275832 24 3.3.4Mobile Applications PAGEREF _Toc292275833 24 3.4Implications of the E-Marketing Strategy for the Company PAGEREF _Toc292275834 25 3.5Decision PAGEREF _Toc292275835 25 3.6Strategic planning of E-Marketing PAGEREF _Toc292275836 25 4E-Strategy PAGEREF _Toc292275837 26 4.1Social Media PAGEREF _Toc292275838 26 4.1.1Facebook PAGEREF _Toc292275839 27 4.1.2Youtube PAGEREF _Toc292275840 33 4.1.3Twitter PAGEREF _Toc292275841 34 4.1.4Foursquare PAGEREF _Toc292275842 34 4.1.5Blogs PAGEREF _Toc292275843 35 4.1.6Other Necessary Considerations PAGEREF _Toc292275844 36 4.1.7Viral Marketing PAGEREF _Toc292275845 36 4.1.8Online-Offline Alignment PAGEREF _Toc292275846 37 4.2Website Redesign PAGEREF _Toc292275847 39 4.3Google AdWords PAGEREF _Toc292275848 46 4.4Mobile Application PAGEREF _Toc292275849 48 4.5Training PAGEREF _Toc292275850 48 5Revenue Model PAGEREF _Toc292275851 50 6Implementation PAGEREF _Toc292275852 52 6.1Timeline PAGEREF _Toc292275853 52 6.2Risk Plan PAGEREF _Toc292275854 53 6.3Change Management PAGEREF _Toc292275855 54 7Organisational Alignment PAGEREF _Toc292275856 56 8Monitoring & Controlling PAGEREF _Toc292275857 58 8.1Quantitative PAGEREF _Toc292275858 58 8.1.1Website Analysis PAGEREF _Toc292275859 58 8.1.2Search Engine Marketing PAGEREF _Toc292275860 58 8.1.3Social Media PAGEREF _Toc292275861 59 8.2Qualitative PAGEREF _Toc292275862 59 9Conclusions PAGEREF _Toc292275863 60 10List of references PAGEREF _Toc292275864 61 Appendix 1: Website evaluation of Saalfelden Leogang PAGEREF _Toc292275865 62 Appendix 2: Redesign of German Winter-Website PAGEREF _Toc292275866 64 Appendix 3: Redesign of English Summer-Website PAGEREF _Toc292275867 66 Appendix 4: Redesign of German Summer-Website PAGEREF _Toc292275868 68 List of Figures TOC quot;
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Figure 1 Mission of Saalfelden Leogang PAGEREF _Toc292259389 7 Figure 2 Winter season 2009/2010 visitor groups by nationality % PAGEREF _Toc292259390 8 Figure 3 Summer season 2010 visitor groups by nationality % PAGEREF _Toc292259391 9 Figure 4 Positioning strategy PAGEREF _Toc292259392 12 Figure 5 E-marketing tools used (n=73) PAGEREF _Toc292259393 18 Figure 6 Importance of e-marketing tools (n=62) PAGEREF _Toc292259394 19 Figure 7 Focus countries of e-marketing activities (n=64) PAGEREF _Toc292259395 20 Figure 8 Saalfelden Leogang’s support in regards with e-marketing (n=53) PAGEREF _Toc292259396 22 Figure 9 Areas of training needs PAGEREF _Toc292259397 22 Figure 12 Facebook good practices: interaction PAGEREF _Toc292259398 28 Figure 13 Facebook transparency examples PAGEREF _Toc292259399 29 Figure 15 Facebook contest examples PAGEREF _Toc292259400 31 Figure 16 Facebook links example PAGEREF _Toc292259401 31 Figure 17 Facebook advertisement example PAGEREF _Toc292259402 32 Figure 18 Online-offline alignment proposals PAGEREF _Toc292259403 38 Figure 24 AdWords ad example PAGEREF _Toc292259404 47 Figure 26 Main players of the revenue model PAGEREF _Toc292259405 50 Figure 28 Implementation timeline PAGEREF _Toc292259406 52 Figure 29 Change management principles PAGEREF _Toc292259407 55 Figure 30 Key performance indicators PAGEREF _Toc292259408 59 Executive Summary The tourism region of Saalfelden Leogang, situated in the province of Salzburg, is part of one of the largest ski regions in the country and it has one of the first bike parks in Europe. As described in its motto ‘the pleasant cultural holiday in the mountains’ it differentiates itself from other Alpine destinations through cultural offers. The extensive sports offer is complemented by cultural institutions and events such as the International Jazz Festival Saalfelden. Germany and Austria represent the main source markets, with around 75% of the guests coming from these countries, both in summer and winter season. During the past four years a positive trend in the number of overnight stays has been observed. In 2010, Saalfelden Leogang received over 190 000 guests and recorded more than 720 000 overnight stays. However, seasonality continues to constitute an issue, as the six busiest months (i.e. January, February, March, July, August and December) contribute to 75% of the total yearly overnight stays. E-Strategy Status Quo Currently Saalfelden Leogang has no clear e-strategy to guide their e-marketing and e-commerce activities. The website design in place is not optimal and there is inconsistency in the different language versions. E-Strategy Goals Saalfelden Leogang aims to become an e-marketing benchmark within the Austrian tourism industry during the next three to five years. This overall goal consists of five sub-goals: Establish an integrated, creative e-marketing strategy focused on social media Improve the Saalfelden Leogang online presence and therewith increasing customer satisfaction online, website visitors as well as online-bookings Strengthen the relationship with stakeholders and fostering co-operations Increase visitors in the “dead” months May and November Add value to the holiday experience and increasing visitor numbers through offering the “Löwen Alpin Card” (and promoting it online) E-strategy Components Based on a situation analysis and the tourism operator survey conducted, an integrated e-strategy was developed. The major components of the strategy are a social media strategy, website redesign, search engine marketing and optimisation as well as a mobile application. The priority is given to a social media strategy that focuses on Facebook and You Tube. Further on, training needs identified in the survey are addressed. E-Strategy Implementation & Performance Monitoring Planned implementation is suggested to take place in three stages according to the priority of the proposed activities. The implementation is accompanied by monitoring; the KPIs to be monitored are CPC, CTR, impressions, clicks, Google page rank and number of direct online bookings. Situation Analysis The tourism region of Saalfelden Leogang is situated in the province Salzburg, south of the province capital Salzburg. It comprises the city of Saalfelden and the municipality of Leogang, with a joint population of nearly 19 000 (Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011, p. 1). SaaIfelden Leogang is part of one of the biggest skiing regions in Austria (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). Taking into consideration all the accommodation categories, the region has a capacity of around 7 000 beds with approximately 4 500 of the beds in Leogang (Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011, p. 1). Mission Statement According to the annual report of 2010, Saalfelden Leogang wants to differentiate itself from competitors by “touristic effective negotiation of regional future-identity” that is based on cultural frankness, socio-cultural integration and innovation that is appreciative of art and excitingly staged rural urbanity (Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2010b). Therefore, the motto, ´the pleasant cultural holiday in the mountains´, communicates the region’s commitment to frankness, people and their ideas, a pleasant, unique holiday experience, sustainable relaxation in the mountains as well as the combination of rusticity and cosmopolitanism (Schmidt, Miglbauer, & Bratl, 2007, p. 7). Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 1 Mission of Saalfelden Leogang “Saalfelden Leogang - Der lustvoll kulturelle Urlaub in den Bergen” “Saalfelden Leogang – the pleasant cultural holiday in the mountains” Source: Schmidt, Miglbauer, & Bratl, 2007, p. 7 Products In line with the positioning of Saalfelden Leogang, the focal points of the winter and summer offer are sports and culture. As previously mentioned, Saalfelden Leogang is part of a major ski region: the Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Skicircus which consists of 200 kilometres of slopes. Alongside skiing and snowboarding the regions winter activity portfolio includes a variety of further winter sports as well as fitness, wellness and culture. The wide selection ranges from typical summer sport activities like golf, beach volleyball and bathing to more adventurous ones such as paragliding, rafting and a high rope course (Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011b, p. 2). In terms of summer activities, the emphasis is on biking and hiking (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). Saalfelden Leogang has one of the first bike parks in Europe and is hosting the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and World Championship trial events. Their hiking offer is categorised into five concepts: spiritual / decompression, fun and adventure, history, natural sights and glacier (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). The cultural offer is a combination of historical buildings, cultural institutions, such as the arts centre Nexus and a Mountain theatre, as well as various events. The annual International Jazz Festival Saalfelden is the central event of the region and also a flagship event of Austrian National Tourism Organisation (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). Customer Segments The customer data collected in Saalfelden Leogang include geographical segmentation, the average number of overnight stays and the bookings made from year 2000 until February of this year (2011). Figure 2 and figure 3 present the main tourist source countries for the year 2009/2010. In accordance with the data displayed in Figure 2 and figure 3, Germans represented the largest visitor group in Saalfelden Leogang, followed by Austrians. The result is the same for the winter and the summer months. Also when comparing data from the previous years, there are no significant changes in the visitor nationality. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 2 Winter season 2009/2010 visitor groups by nationality % Source: Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011a Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 3 Summer season 2010 visitor groups by nationality % Source: Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011a According to the data presented in REF _Ref292235716 MERGEFORMAT Table 1, there has been a positive trend in the number of overnight stays during the past four years. There is fluctuation in the number of overnight stays according to the month and the events taking place in the year. Despite minor year on year changes in the proportion of overnight stays in each month, the peak seasons are consistently from December to March and from July to August. Table SEQ Table ARABIC 1 Overnight stays Saalfelden Leogang total 2002-2011 Source: Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011a Table SEQ Table ARABIC 2 Overnight stays by accommodation segment in February 2010 and 2011 Leogang Saalfelden 20102011Hotels2/1 – Stars1,8891,7073 – Stars15,24911,0754 – Stars27,66423,6004 – Stars superior19,38819,684ApartmentsApartment (commercial) 4,4052,878Apartment 2/1 – Star1,9871,805Apartment 3 – Stars4,8744,457Apartment (priv.) in a farm9,3327,511Apartment (priv.) not in a farm22,86521,239OtherPrivate Accommodation not in a farm8,5297,038Private Accommodation in a farm7,3795,877Children's and youth recreation centre1,2301,167Camping316127Other holidays459600TOTAL 125,566108,765 Source: Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, 2011a As REF _Ref292235799 MERGEFORMAT Table 2 highlights, the most important types of accommodation used in Saalfelden Leogang are 4-star hotels and apartments that are not located in farms. In addition to this, the overnight stays have decreased from 2010 to this year, in 4-star hotels and also in the private apartments. However, there is a slight increase in the 4-star superior hotels. Target Market Saalfelden Leogang targets primarily families and international audience, with the main focus lying on German speakers. Also, due to the large number of activities available, young people and sportsmen are targeted. Saalfelden Leogang is increasingly focusing on winter visitors who are interested in leisure, enjoy gastronomy, art, nature, health, and also the events and the entertainment programme. The marketing, from different campaigns to their own homepage, is being implemented in different languages, but the most important one is German, according to the main target markets Germany and Austria. Stakeholders Starting from the internal level, the stakeholders of the Saalfelden Leogang tourism board are its management and employees. The organisational structure consists of: CEO: Stefan Pühringer Manager/Incoming: Stefan Kaufmann PR/ Media: Daniela Neumayer. Guest information/Incoming: Sabrina Rieder and Tamara Prutti. Guest info events: Karin Rainer and Julia Riedlsperger Marketing Manager: Barbara Steinberger Corporate Business: Manuela Dürnberger IT and Internet Editorial: Rudolf Hartlieb Accounting: Brigitte Grangl This team carries out the operations of Saalfelden Leogang and is responsible for the product development. On the external level there are six stakeholder groups. First, customers and guests i.e. every person demanding the products that the Saalfelden Leogang tourism board offers. As described previously, the customers of Saalfelden Leogang range from families with kids to young people and elderly, from sportsmen to elite athletes as well as from domestic to foreign tourists. This group also indirectly finances the activities of the tourism board as its budget consists of tourism tax and overnight tax, on top of marketing co-operation. The second stakeholder group consists of suppliers and partners that include not only the tourism service providers such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies in the region but also the suppliers and service providers of supporting services. Third comes the local community, that consists of 3 040 inhabitants in Leogang and further 15 777 inhabitants in Saalfelden. The fourth stakeholder is the government that assists Saalfelden Leogang by providing tax incentives, financial aid and support for regional and tourism development. As fifth group the environment needs to be mentioned and all the efforts made to regulate environmental standards and its preservation. The sixth and therewith the last stakeholder group comprises the media and journalists, as they are enhancing the familiarity of the region. Competitors In terms of the tourism offer, the main competitors of Saalfelden Leogang are the neighbouring regions Zell am See and Saalbach Hinterglemm and other Alpine regions such as Tyrol, Bavaria, and South Tyrol. All these regions feature a very good tourism infrastructure including extensive networks of ski slopes, mountain railways, hiking routes, hotels, restaurants etc. However, the tourism destination Saalfelden Leogang aims to differentiate itself from the above stated competitors through its focus on culture. Hence, culture constitutes the USP of the region (Schmidt, Miglbauer, & Bratl, 2007, p. 23). Figure 4 shows how Saalfelden Leogang positions itself amongst the competition. The image of Austria is characterised by a combination of nature and culture which is closely associated with adjectives such as idyllic and calmness on the one hand and exciting, wild and dramatic on the other hand (Österreich Werbung, 2008, p. 31). Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 4 Positioning strategy Source: Österreich Werbung, 2008, p. 31 The image of Saalfelden Leogang, as part of the Austrian Alps, is mainly based on nature. However, throughout the last years, the destination has strongly focused on the provision of culture and has become the lead image for lived culture in the mountains in Austria with the Saalfelden Jazz festival being its flagship event (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). That is how Saalfelden Leogang aims to upgrade its image by culture and characteristics such as “exciting” and “inspiring” and thus is able to differentiate itself from other Alpine regions (Schmidt, Miglbauer, & Bratl, 2007, p. 23). Table 3 gives an overview of possible further European competitors of Saalfelden Leogang in terms of culture. Although all these destinations do offer some kind of winter sports activities, for some of them (Granada and Turku) winter sport is not as important as it is for Saalfelden Leogang. However, these destinations have been chosen because of their focus on culture. Grenoble, France and Zermatt, Switzerland seem to be direct competitors to Saalfelden Leogang. Although both destinations are known for winter sport activities, they are similar to Saalfelden Leogang also focusing on the provision of culture and do stage some festivals over the year. However, whereas Saalfelden Leogang is more perceived as idyllic and calm, Grenoble and Zermatt are a bit more associated with terms such as exciting, wild and dramatic. Especially Grenoble seems to position itself as a trendy and innovative destination, which is also reflected in the destination’s web presence. However, it is difficult to directly compare Granada, Spain and Turku, Finland to Saalfelden Leogang, as both destinations are real centres of culture and are unique in their cultural diversity. Currently, it seems as if Saalfelden Leogang could not compete with Granada and Turku in terms of culture. In terms of the web presence, Grenoble seems to be most innovative. Beside the possibility to book online and to download brochures etc., the destination also offers a section on its website called “my travelbook” where tourists can plan their individual trip and print it afterwards. Zermatt’s website offers the most in terms of inveracity. Among other features it offers as a guest book and the possibility to register and share experiences for Matterhorn climbers. Compared to Grenoble and Zermatt, the website of Saalfelden Leogang could still be improved with regard to interactivity, user generated content and experience design (integration of videos, panorama photos etc.). A more detailed analysis of the website of Saalfelden Leogang can be found in the appendix. Table SEQ Table ARABIC 3: Positioning strategy of Saalfelden Leogang compared to other destinations Saalfelden LeogangAustriaGranadaSpainZermattSwitzerlandGrenobleFranceTurkuFinlandWebsitehttp://www.leogang-saalfelden.athttp://www.granadatur.com/http://www.turgranada.es/http://www.zermatt.chhttp://www.grenoble-tourism.com/http://www.turku.fi http://www.turku2011.fi“Saalfelden Leogang – the pleasant cultural holiday in the mountains”Sierra Nevada, the Mountain range of the Sun.Zermatt – A world of its own.Grenoble – metropolis of the Alps.Turku on fire.USPCultureNatural and cultural varietyMatterhornLeisure and experience, between city and mountains.European capital of culture 2011CharacteristicsRelaxationSportsFunCalmnessCuisineSunnyPassionateContrastsTraditionsVibrantHigh-alpine Awe-inspiring OriginalThrilling sporting experiencesMountain environmentYouthInnovationVitalityInternational orientationBusinessCultureOfficial Christmas City of FinlandSeaport cityTouristic themesSports (winter & summer)CultureChildren & familiesCultureRural, active and nature tourismWinter sportsBeach tourismSports (winter & summer)CultureFamiliesSports (winter & summer)CultureRelaxation & well-beingNatural parksGastronomyGay & lesbianCultureSports (winter & summer)FamiliesFood & drinkCruises & Guest MarinasCultureArts Centre NexusMuseum Ritzen CastleInternational Jazzfestival SaalfeldenMuseumsParks & gardensHouses of architectural or historical interestUNESCO World Heritage sites (e.g. Alhambra)Matterhorn Museum – ZermatlantisGalleriesChapels & churchesFolklore FestivalZermatt Unplugged festivalMuseumsCastlesHistorical sitesArcheological sitesVarious cultural centers & concert hallsMuseumsChurches and chapelsParks and gardensThe Old Town CenterEurocultured FestivalMusic festivals etc. EventsInternational Jazz festival Out of Bounds FestivalUCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2011White style contest (biking)International Music and Dance FestivalJazz FestivalMagic Festival Hocus PocusTango Festival ... Zermatt Unplugged festivalRaiffeisen Open Zermatt Zermatt marathonMatterhorn Eagle Cup (golf)Folklore FestivalNumerous concerts, exhibits, shows & festivals:e.g. Grenoble Jazz festival,Grenoble International Gay and Lesbian Film FestivalConcerts, festivals events ..:Eurocultured Festival 2011Turku Air Show 2011Paavo Nurmi Marathon Divers music festivals …E-marketingWebsiteSocial media (facebook, twitter, YouTube)eCommerceWebsiteWebsiteVirtual toursGuest bookSocial media (facebook, twitter)NewslettereCommerceWebsiteRSS feedeCommerce (online booking & shopping)Social media (facebook, twitter) NewslettersVideos“my travelbook”WebsiteeCommerce (hotel, tickets, turkucard etc.)Social media (facebook, twitter)Blogs SWOT Analysis The following Table 4 summarises the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Saalfelden Leogang tourism board: Table SEQ Table ARABIC 4 SWOT analysis StrengthsClear positioningWide tourism activity offerPositive trend in overnight staysHigh profile eventsYoung teamEnthusiastic managementE-tourism knowhowWeaknessesLimited financial resources Limited human resources Depedence on stakeholders ThreatsTechnological advancesNew distribution channelsIncreased competitionDecreasing customer loyaltyCost of technology investmentCost of training & know-howOpportunitiesChanging tourist behaviourIncrease in online bookingsTechnological advancesNew distribution channelsSocial media boomStrategic alliancesEnhancing culture tourismPositioning through e-marketingWebsite as source of income Strengths & Weaknesses Saalfelden Leogang has excellent resources for further tourism development and there is a clear positioning in place to support this development. The newly appointed management is motivated and open to change, especially in terms of e-marketing. However, the Saalfelden Leogang tourism board is very dependent on the stakeholders such as local hotels, restaurants and trade in its efforts to develop tourism in the region, in particular e-tourism. Opportunities & Threats The Saalfelden Leogang tourism board could turn the changed information search and booking behaviour of tourists to its advantage through a focus on e-marketing. Since social media (e.g. facebook, youTube, flickr) and user generated content is becoming more and more important for destination marketing, Saalfelden Leogang should proactively use these “new” tools for marketing purposes. In addition, the destination could benefit from strategic alliances and partnerships with online service providers (e.g. booking platforms) and could use its website as an additional source of income. Moreover, there is still potential to further foster culture tourism and thereby tackle seasonality. In general, technological advances can be considered as an opportunity. However, in case this opportunity is not seized, it can become to a threat if other destinations act on it. Then Saalfelden Leogang could lose in competitiveness. The same is true for new distribution channels available on the market. Further threats constitute the increased competition due to new online distribution channels and technological advances. At the same time, these new technologies often lead to a decrease in customer loyalty and are often connected with high costs. Tourism Operator Survey Outcomes An online survey was conducted among the tourism operators in Saalfelden Leogang. The purpose of the survey was to investigate the e-marketing tools currently used the markets targeted the satisfaction with the services of Saalfelden Leogang tourism board the support as well as the training needs. Altogether 73 respondents could be reached with the survey that was hosted on the Survey Monkey platform. Tools and Focus Countries of E-Marketing Activities The respondents were asked to indicate which of the listed e-marketing tools they use in their marketing activities. As presented in Figure 5 the majority of the respondents use e-mail (89%), their own website (84%) and online booking platform (56%). Only three percent of the respondents do not use any of the stated tools. Four percent indicate to use other tools mentioned Google Maps and mobile version of their own website. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 5 E-marketing tools used (n=73) Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 6 Importance of e-marketing tools (n=62) Looking at the importance of the previously presented e-marketing tools on a five-point-scale, where 1 represents very important and 5 not important, with an average of 1.27 own website is rated the most important. As the second most important rated is e-mail (1.38) and as the third online booking platform (1.79), as displayed in Figure 6. The importance clearly corresponds to the usage and more established tools (such as website, e-mail, advertisement and newsletter) gain higher importance than social media. Figure 7 presents the respondents’ focus countries of their e-marketing activities. With 97% nearly all of the respondents focus on Austria and Germany, followed by the Netherlands (73%) and Czech Republic. Countries mentioned the most frequently under the option other are Belgium, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. None of the respondents identified listed China, Japan, Russia or U.S.A as their focus countries. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 7 Focus countries of e-marketing activities (n=64) Saalfelden Leogang Tourism Board’s Work & Role in E-Marketing The respondents were asked how satisfied they are with the online presence of Saalfelden Leogang tourism on a four-point-scale where 1 representing very satisfied and 4 not satisfied. With an average of 1.98 there is a tendency for satisfied. Further, the respondents were asked to indicate how satisfied they are with the work of Saalfelden Leogang Tourism. On a 10-point-scale where 1 stands for very satisfied and 10 for not satisfied the average result of 3.02 indicates that respondents are mainly satisfied. The written commentary include following points: “Contact to lessors is weak, the tourism office should get to know the companies better and generate more (booking) requests.” “As a small lessor in Saalfelden I feel left out of many actions and offerings of the tourism office.” “I have never received a guest directly from the Saalfelden Leogang tourism office”. “How can contracts be made with low-cost providers during the carnival time?” “When help is needed they are there for you”. “With the new tourism director there is no doubt change in sight…the website should become more emotional, we have such a great region, and unfortunately it is not coming through.” “Stefan has great ideas and a new way of thinking which will certainly bring us forward…continue this way…it looks good for the future”. With regards to areas where Saalfelden Leogang Tourism could support the respondents in e-marketing activities, 55% of respondents selected option ‘inclusion in a joint booking platform (development and maintenance of it)’. Second most frequently chosen option is ‘joint online advertising campaigns’ (49%), as displayed in Figure 8. Furthermore, following comments are provided by the respondents: “the most important is a new Saalfelden Leogang website with atmosphere, photos that awake emotions but also information and starting search engine marketing on the destination level. One further idea would be a heading ‘packages’…”, “simplify structures and merge associations”, “hotel directory and web listing are too expensive for very small businesses” and “perhaps also advice people that do not speak German but want to rent out how that all works”. Looking at the training needs, majority of respondents (59%) indicate to require training in e-marketing in general. Nearly half of the respondents (49%) are in need of training in e-commerce in tourism 47% in social media. In their comments respondents stated that on the one hand for small properties it (e-marketing) is not worthwhile and on the other hand bigger properties need services of professional Internet and marketing agencies and some of training needs are covered by them. Further, it is highlighted that “important is that the tourism board develops the local supply further, bundles, presents emotionally and manages active search engine marketing on the destination level”. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 8 Saalfelden Leogang’s support in regards with e-marketing (n=53) Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 9 Areas of training needs Strategic Considerations Current E-Marketing Situation At the moment, the structure of the main website of Saalfelden Leogang seems to be slightly complicated and it is advisable to modernise the website design. Furthermore, the English lacks behind the German version and due to an unstructured domain, a satisfactory Google listing cannot be achieved. Another weakness of the Saalfelden Leogang online presence is that it allows hardly any e-commerce due to bad navigation and no booking leads. There is no clearly defined e-marketing strategy and social media is hardly used to promote this destination. In addition, it is important to make all enterprises of the region aware of the importance of e-tourism and the possibilities aligned with it. Therefore, the DMO should act as a benchmark, supporter and initiator (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). Strategic E-Marketing Goals In terms of e-marketing, the primary goal of Saalfelden Leogang is to become a benchmark for tourism in Austria within 3 to 5 years and communicate that Saalfelden Leogang is more than just a hiking and skiing destination (Pühringer, 2011, n.p.a.). This goal can be split into the following sub-goals: Establishing an integrated, creative e-marketing strategy focused on social media Improving the Saalfelden Leogang online presence and therewith increasing customer satisfaction online, website visitors as well as online-bookings Strengthen the relationship with stakeholders and fostering co-operations Increase visitors in the “dead” months May and November Adding value to the holiday experience and increasing visitor numbers through offering the “Löwen Alpin Card” (and promoting it online) Alternatives for an E-Marketing Strategy The goal of becoming the benchmark of online-marketing for tourism in Austria can be achieved by carrying out the following activities: Social Media Strategy As social media can be easily used to effectively promote the destination by having hardly any investment costs (except new staff is needed) this strategy has the highest priority. Social media which are perceived to be effective for promoting Saalfelden Leogang include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs as well as Foursquare. Website Redesign The website needs to be improved in a way that it becomes more modern, interactive, informative and clearly structured. In addition, the content needs to be tailored to the major target groups. Furthermore, the English version of the website has to meet the standard of the German version. To meet the goal of increased online-bookings, clearly visible booking possibilities have to be available on every Saalfelden Leogang website. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Strategy To promote the region more effectively online, a comprehensive e-marketing strategy is suggested, supported by an Google AdWords campaign (especially for the dead months May and November) as well as Search Engine Optimisation. Mobile Applications A further possible e-marketing activity is the development of a mobile-application that provides user-targeted information and adds value to the whole holiday experience in the region Saalfelden Leogang. All these strategies can be used to increase the demand in the dead months May and November by specifically targeted promotion campaigns. To attract more visitors to the region, a focus should lie on identifying destinations that have cheap flight connections to airports close to Saalfelden Leogang and carrying out online-marketing campaigns targeted at these offers. Furthermore, it is suggested to establish an intranet for the Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH as well as an extranet for its stakeholders and to foster e-marketing co-operations with local businesses. Implications of the E-Marketing Strategy for the Company In order to reach the goal of becoming an e-marketing benchmark for tourism in Austria, it is, first of all, important that the goal and the strategy are communicated to all employees of the company. Furthermore, all members of staff have to be convinced of the new strategy’s effectiveness and importance and encouraged to apply it and work towards the goal of becoming an e-marketing benchmark. In addition, training for all employees responsible for e-marketing is needed. Decision It is suggested to give top priority to the social media strategy as it is easy to implement and does not afford high investment. Secondly, the website needs improvement as this is the main online representation of the region. Thirdly, an e-marketing strategy, including Google AdWords campaigns as well as Search Engine Optimisation needs to be developed. Finally, it is suggested to develop a mobile-application for the region to add value to the holiday experience and therewith increase customer satisfaction. Strategic planning of E-Marketing To ensure that the goal is reached within three to five years, it is necessary to define steps that need to be carried out as well as milestones that have to be reached. Furthermore, existing job profiles in the marketing department have to be redefined and the tasks that evolved with the new strategy need to be distributed to qualified employees. If the company lacks in human resources for pursuing a comprehensive e-marketing strategy, it is suggested to employ an online-marketing manager who is responsible for strategy creation, task-sharing, implementation as well as monitoring. E-Strategy Social Media Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 10 Social media essentialsThe goal of integrating social media in the e-strategy is to improve the contact so far established with users, enhance the usage of these communication channels to benefit Saalfelden Leogang, as well as use the feedback and the content generated. The Saalfelden Leogang Tourism Board is already active in Facebook and Youtube, therefore, some adjustment will be suggested. Furthermore, some social media trends that can be beneficial will be advised. - Concentrate in channels where your visitors are- Talk equally to users- Incentivise interaction- Respond and consider feedback- Be authentic and transparent- Use user-generated content- Influence decision making301625440690 Must do: Facebook & Youtube Can do: Foursquare, Twitter & Blog 4269740-73025Facebook facebook.com/SaalfeldenLeogang Status: 2.581 Fans Good practices Pictures are a good way to show what the destination can offer, influence the decision making process and get positive feedback from page fans. Interaction and response to users’ comments and questions is essential to keep and improve the dialog with page fans Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 11 Facebook good practices: pictures Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 12 Facebook good practices: interaction Further recommendations Transparency Provide information of what users will get when they “Like” the page, languages available, news, among others. Personal contact: show the user who is behind the social media “scenes”. With the new Facebook Administrators function it is possible to associate a personal profile, and display it, to the fan page, showing the person in charge. It increases and enhances the personal contact between user and institution. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 13 Facebook transparency examples Interaction React to posts: every user who writes on a fan page's wall is expecting some sort of a reaction from the owner(s) and/or from other users. Response to user will not only motivate him/her to keep writing but give incentive to other to participate. Ask questions and suggestions: this is a good way to know what people would like to see in Saalfelden Leogang and what would bring them (again) to the destination. It is possible to make short surveys (Polls) in Facebook asking what they liked the most on their visit, which events should be carried out, etc. Examples: Poll application Facebook “Question” tool Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 14 Facebook interaction examples 16764092710 124460066675 Contests and raffles: are an extra incentive for the page fans to participate, tends to bring new page fans and increases traffic to the website. Creates also a domino effect in terms of posts, which benefits the brand awareness in social media channels. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 15 Facebook contest examples -38104445 10820409525 Adding links: Facebook gives the option of integrating links to other pages, channels and application Saalfelden Leogang has/will have such as mobile application, events page, discussion pages, Youtube channel, Twitter, among others. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 16 Facebook links example 457200163830 Advertising: Facebook has been popular among tourism destinations for advertising due to its simplicity, payment versatility (Cost per click or cost per mile) and especially because it is possible to target exactly your consumer profile (e.g male, between 20-30 years old, from a particular area of Austria, interested in bikes). Another advantage is that it is possible to create thousands of impressions in a very short period of time (normally in hours), once Facebook has recently overtaken Google in terms of traffic. Facebook ads should be visually appealing, short and with a valuable personal message, without expressing the pure advertisement goal. Tips, competitions, hobbies suggestions, questions, challenges and appealing pictures have worked well for tourism. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 17 Facebook advertisement example 4001135-247650Youtube Channel: youtube.com/user/saalfeldenleogang Subscribers: 8 This channel can be mainly used to promote the destination visually and influence the tourist by showing what great things they are able to see and do in Saalfelden Leogang. A visual tease for the potential tourist: Filming the main events such as cultural events, ski competitions, seasonal activities, visitors enjoying the region can actually show what the tourist can experience at the destination and how they can benefit from the Löwen Alpin Card, for instance. Furthermore, making interviews and collecting testimonials of tourists in the site are good ways to show authentic and reliable opinions from real tourists when sharing their opinions and personal experiences in Saalfelden Leogang. Also short documentaries, video blogs (Vlogs) and promotional videos can also be included in the Youtube channel. Interaction and dissemination: Share the videos produced in other social media channels to give them a real feel what can be experienced in Saalfelden Leogang. Videos “Likes”, comments, response videos and videos re-posts are the possible positive feedback given by user. Contests and giveaways are good opportunities to acquire user generated content, which bring authenticity to the destination. It is also a good way to spread the word about Saalfelden Leogang and attract new users (and potential tourists). Ideas that have worked with touristic destinations: Submit Your Video to win something (free tickets, overnight stays, discounts, products...) Share your favourite spots/activities/landscapes in the destination (this video can be compensated integrating it in the Saalfelden Leogang Youtube channel. Good practices Tirol Tourism Board: http://www.youtube.com/user/TIROLTHEK Canadian Tourism Board: http://www.youtube.com/user/canadiantourism 395795558420 Twitter This social media channel has the advantage of passing short and objective messages (micro blogging) to followers in a fast way. The quantity of messages sent should be limited in order not to overstrain the follower and give value to the message you pass on. Hashtags (for example #saalfeldenleogang, #skisaalfelden, #culturesaalfelden) and Tweet pictures are useful to establish the destinations' name in Twitter and provide a straight communication path (in the case of Hashtags) to tourists and users. It also makes the search process easier to identify who mentioned Saalfelden Leogang on Twitter. This channel been successfully used, lately, in the B2B communication. 3867785142240 Foursquare www.foursquare.com Foursquare is a trend now in the social media channels and has basically a “check-in” function for users, so they let their friends know where they are at the moment. It is possible to share the check-ins in other channels such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. This tool is especially valuable because it provides “real time” information, sharing what is actually happening in the moment of the check-in (also possible to make comments and take pictures of the place the user is). In the tourism industry it has been especially used by hotels and bars/restaurants, which give their guests some advantages (discounts, drinks for free, free entrance in events, among others) if they check-in in these places. When a tourist checks-in it makes the destination more visible to his/her friends and other Foursquare users. If the destination becomes popular (has many check-ins) it also appears in the users' suggestions. Blogs Blogs can be used to create context, tell stories and inform interested people about different themes related to the region, events, personal experiences of different professionals and aggregate topics and feedback generated in other social media platforms. Blog posts should be medium size (about half a page of word format document), contain pictures, have links to other social networks used by the institution, have easy navigation, offer interaction space (comments, possibility to retweet, post on Facebook wall) and most importantly, have an interesting and unique content. The affirmation “content is king” is especially true for blogs, which can benefit the mother website (Saalfelden Leogang Tourism Board web page) by driving traffic and optimise search engine results. It is normally practiced in tourism to have more than one blog writer (or even have many writers) producing posts to have more diverse content and address all target groups. Freelance work is an alternative paying the professionals per blog post (PPP = Pay Per Post). The price can vary from EUR 15 up to 60 per blog post depending on the topic, length, effort needed to produce the content, among other factors. Good practices Austrian Tourism Board: http://blog.austriatourism.com/ tripwolf blog: HYPERLINK quot;
http://www.tripwolf.com/de/blog/quot;
http://www.tripwolf.com/de/blog/ Other Necessary Considerations 369633519050 16643357239029146585725 543560132715 179451048260 394843049530 Viral Marketing Viral marketing is an efficient way to spread the “e-word of mouth”. There are many tools that can be used when creating a viral marketing campaign, such as quizzes, e-books, video, images, among others. The content of viral marketing not necessarily has to clearly show the company behind it, rather pass a message that can be interesting, shocking, daring, controversial, fun or with social aggregate value and this way be easily spread among the community. Saalfelden Leogang could implement as their viral marketing message the sentence “Change the way you …” to complement the message the following ideas for videos are suggested: Colored snow: professional skiers going downhill making the snow colored (with some sort of paint in their skis) or drawing something at the snow. (Message: “Change the way you ski”); Lederhosen ski competition (Message: “Change the way you ski”); Wedding on traditional clothes on top of a snowy mountain (Message: “Change the way you celebrate”); Air-saxophone competition versus air guitar competition (“Change the way you compete”); Family downhill sledge competition (“Change the way you play”) Interesting practices of viral marketing: T-Mobile dance: http://tinyurl.com/8t82j6 Graubünden (Bündner Steinböcke): http://bit.ly/9ZXJq Online-Offline Alignment It is important to remind visitors of how they can share their experiences before, during and after their stay; therefore an offline alignment with the e- strategy is crucial. The following offline strategies are suggested to Saalfelden Leogang: In ski slopes and hiking trails: Place big and attractive signs giving a visual remind for the visitors they can share their experiences on social media. In hotels and restaurants: Luggage tags can be provided in hotel rooms and/or distributed in restaurants. On public phones and ski gondolas: Like in the slopes, display signs with short messages related to the environment context and any visual symbolism of social media. Include the link to the Facebook page in the bottom of bills and folders available for visitors. Spread QR Codes in the region. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 18 Online-offline alignment proposals “Like skiing? facebook.com/SaalfeldenLeogang ” “Follow me! @saalf_leo“3063240-1905 91440114300 2348865196854539615635 Gefällt dir? For more information Where are you @? Website Redesign The goal of the website is to inform and attract tourists to the region as well as encouraging them to book directly online. However, to convince people to visit a destination, the website has to provide all content that is relevant for decision-making in a clearly structured way. Furthermore, appealing pictures need to create emotions and the desire for travelling there. Therefore, the website of Saalfelden Leogang needs to be improved to meet the needs and desires of their target groups. First of all, the English version of the website has to be on the same level as the German version. At the moment, there is less content available in English, some content, especially headings, is displayed in German and the event calendar as well is only available in German. To attract customers from all over the world and provide them with adequate service and information, it is important that the same amount of information is available in both languages and that it is structured the same, clear way. On the summer version of the website, the Russian version is not working. However, it is suggested to delete some language versions and focus on the most important target countries shown by the research results. Therefore, the website should be only available in German, English, Dutch and Czech. The reason for this decision is, that it is more valuable and professional if there are less language versions, but they are complete than there are many versions with just little, unstructured content. As online-bookings are constantly increasing in relevance, it is important to provide booking possibilities on every Saalfelden Leogang website, which includes their main homepage as well as the new bike-park website. Currently, visitors of the main website can only send requests and it is not possible to book directly online and immediately print the booking confirmation. A currency converter embedded in the website would provide additional value for online-bookers. Each page should furthermore provide a general search function and to support an immediate decision-making of potential guests, brochures should be provided as pdf to allow downloads and reading online. The lists of restaurants, fitness centres, bars etc. should link to the homepages of the respective offers and it is suggested to embed Google Maps into the rubric “Getting here”. Suggestions for museum visits should not only provide the address, contact details and links to the homepage, but also a short text to introduce the sight’s topic and activities. To increase the interactivity with tourists, the website should offer space for customer feedback and reviews. Furthermore, tag clouds and a Facebook share button should be provided. As far as the website design is concerned, it is suggested to use more intense colours to achieve a modern and attractive appearance. Furthermore, as displayed in REF _Ref292039793 MERGEFORMAT Figure 20, the navigation should be placed above the picture so that the drop-down fields are going down, not up, and are better visible. The picture should be replaced by a larger one that creates emotions and the desire to visit the destination. Hence, the information tags below the pictures should be reduced to current news and events. Further beneficial elements would be a “Facebook Share Button” as well as a “Tag Cloud” listing most often used search terms. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 19 Website tag cloud example Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 20 Website redesign Larger, more emotional, attracting pictureTag CloudFacebook Share Button Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 21 Visual proposal for the new website A reorganisation of the website can further improve the online presence of Saalfelden Leogang. The suggested changes are demonstrated by the example of the English version of the Winter-Website which is currently structured as presented in Table 5. Table SEQ Table ARABIC 5 Current structure of winter website AccommodationResortEventsActivitiesOnline BookingLeogangEvent calender (only German)Ski & SnowboardAccommodation RequestSaalfelden4th Nostalgie Ski WCSki PassesAccommodation ListGetting Here6th Ski MarathonNITRO SnowparkLast MinuteSki Areas ( to „Activities“)Mountain Bike WC 2012Ski & Snowboard SchoolsPackage DealsLate NightNitro WeekendsCross-Country SkiingGroup TravelEating OutSAAC Basic CampFitness & WellnessFigure SEQ Figure ARABIC 22 Website redesignMeeting & CongressShoppingSki & Bike WC 2011Fun on IceWeatherWhite Style ContestHorse RidingWebcamsDid you know Cultural Life ( „Culture“)FamilyInfo & ServiceNexus ( „Nexus Art Gallery“)Kids ProgrammeContactMining & GothicmuseumKids Bonus CardLeogang Council( to „Resort“ instead of „Leogang“)Minerals & CarvingsTobagganing Jamboree ( „Sledging Jamboree“) (not working)Saalfelden Council ( to „Resort“ instead of „Saalfelden“)Folks MuseumParental InformationPress CenterExhibition MineNewsletterLöwen Alpin CardBrochuresSeasons To ensure easier and clearer navigation, some minor changes in the structure as well as terms are suggested: Accommodation: As “Accommodation request” and “Accommodation list” refers to the same as “Online Booking”, the two links can be deleted. Furthermore, “Online Booking” is currently only sending a request and should be changed to direct booking possibility. Resort: “Leogang Council” and “Saalfelden Council” should be moved from the category “Info & Service” to “Resort” and combined with the content of current existing links “Leogang” and “Saalfelden”. Move the category “Ski Aras” to the sub-category “Ski & Snowboards” of “Activities”. Add a page for “Customer Feedback/Reviews” Events As the event calendar is currently only available in German, it is necessary to translate it and offer it in English as well. Culture The whole category should be renamed from “Cultural life” to “Culture”. To ensure a better understanding, “Nexus” needs to be presented as “Art Gallery Nexus”. Activities It is suggested, that the category “Activities” is divided into three sub-sections, namely “Ski & Snowboard”, “Winter Sports”, and “Further Activities”. “Indoors” should be changed to “Indoor Activities” and “Tobogganing” to “Sledging” for a better understanding. The category “Ski & Snowboard” should contain information about the ski areas, ski passes, the snowpark as well as ski and snowboard schools. Activities like cross-country skiing, fun on ice, Nordic sports, snow shoe walking as well as sledging belong under the general heading “Winter Sports”. Further activities are fitness & wellness, horse riding, indoor activities as well as outdoor adventures. Families The only thing that should be changed in this category is to again replace the term “Tobbagganing” by “Sledging”. Info & Service The links to the Saalfelden and Leogang Council should be excluded from the last category “Info & Service” and only occur in the category “Resort”. After these suggested improvements, the new website structure looks like presented in REF _Ref292040123 MERGEFORMAT Table 6. Table SEQ Table ARABIC 6 New structure of winter website AccommodationResortEventsCultureOnline BookingLeogang CouncilEvent CalenderNexus Art GalleryLast MinuteSaalfelden Council4th Nostalgie Ski WCMining & GothicmuseumPackage DealsGetting here6th Ski MarathonMinerals & CarvingsGroup TravelLate nightMountain Bike WC 2012Folks MuseumMeeting & CongressEating OutNITRO WeekendsExhibition MineShoppingSAAC Basic CampWeatherSki & Bike WC 2011WebcamsWhite Style ContestDid you know?Customer Reviews ActivitiesFamiliesInfo & ServiceSki & SnowboardWinter SportsFurther ActivitiesKids ProgrammeContactSki AreasCross-Country SkiingFitness & WellnessKids Bonus CardPress CentreSki PassesFun on IceHorse RidingSledging JamboreeNewsletterNITRO SnowparkNordic SportsIndoor ActivitiesParental InformationLöwen Alpin CardSki & Snowboard SchoolsSnow Shoe WalkingOutdoor AdventureBrochuresSledgingSeasonsTerms The costs for the suggested restructuring can be kept within a limit if the person currently responsible for the homepage is able to do these adoptions. Otherwise, an external expert needs to be consulted. However, a complete redesign of the website will be costly, but important for a new, better and more attractive positioning of the whole destination. Suggestions for improvement of the German winter and summer as well as the English summer website can be found in the Appendix. Google AdWords Google AdWords is a great way of advertising online and generating more traffic on a website. Saalfelden Leogang could target specifically to their target markets (geotargeting) and detail the time period. Depending on how much money the organisation wants to spend on this tool, there are different ways of implementing this strategy. We recommend spending between EUR 300 to 500 per month on Google ads; however the budget can be distributed manually and according to need. Furthermore the campaign should be implemented in German, since Germany and Austria are the main markets. However there could be one AdGroup in English language. The following paragraph describes a scenario of how to implement a Google AdWords campaign for Saalfelden Leogang. As shown in Table7 there will be 3 different AdGroups 1. Kultur in Saalfelden Leogang 2. Skifahren in Saalfelden Leogang 3. Sommerurlaub in Saalfelden Leogang Table SEQ Table ARABIC 7 AdWord campaigns Ad GroupTime periodKeywordsAdsKultur in Saalfelden LeogangMarch-May/JuneFestivals in Salzburg, Kulturevents Österreich, Jazzevents Österreich, Leos Gang, Kultururlaub in den Bergen, Schlösser in Salzburg, Burgen in Salzburg, Kunsthaus Nexus… 2 ads per AdGroupSkifahren in Saalfelden LeogangEnd of October- DecemberWinterurlaub Österreich, Skifahren in Salzburg, Snowboarden in Österreich, Berge Salzburg… Sommerurlaub in Saalfelden LeogangFebruary-June Wandern im Salzburger Land, Ausflüge in Salzburg, Reiten im Salzburger Land, Natur erleben in Salzburg, Baden in Salzburg, relaxen im Salzburger Land Google AdWords ads have to follow a certain structure as explained on the example, displayed in Figure 23. The headline (Winter im Salzburger Land) is limited to 25 characters. The description of the ad can have 2 lines of text, each line with a maximum of 35 characters. On the bottom of the ad the URL is displayed that the ad leads to if clicked on. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 23 AdWords ad example Depending on the popularity of the keywords the price may vary from EUR 0.20 to more than EUR 2. Therefore it is crucial to pick the most relevant keywords for this campaign. Success can be measured by the click- through- rate (CTR), by impressions, costs per clicks, Google page rank and many others. Google Analytics is a great tool for measuring the success and change of their website. In order to have successful Search Engine Marketing it is necessary to regularly optimise the strategy. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can include reaching a high Google page rank with most important keywords. These need to be defined beforehand and need to be monitored constantly and might have to be adapted to market changes. Furthermore, keyword matching options should be used as well as some new keywords should be added. It is recommended to have 2-3 word keyword phrases in order to be more precise, pay a lower price and be more effective. The ad could include a call to action such as: Kommen Sie zu uns! (Come to visit us!) to target the customers more effectively. It is also important to send the visitors to the best possible page of your website and to include this specific URL in the ad and not just the starting page. To conclude, it is crucial that the keywords relate to the services and products and are specific rather than generic. All these recommendation are to optimise the campaign. Mobile Application One part of the new E-Marketing strategy is a mobile application for Saalfelden Leogang. Set up for iPhones, but as well for other smart phones with Android system, the mobile app has many great benefits for its users. The app can be downloaded from the website of Saalfelden Leogang (HYPERLINK quot;
http://www.leogang-saalfelden.at/winter/quot;
http://www.leogang-saalfelden.at/winter/) and can be found on the German site as well as on the English version; both on winter and summer pages. The app is available in two languages: German and English. It will be available for free with its basic functions. Optional functions can be purchased. The user needs to be online while downloading the app, but after the app is installed it works offline. REF _Ref292040504 MERGEFORMAT Figure 24 displays the contents of the mobile application. Training Based on the survey results, the training needs identified by the tourism operators in Saalfelden Leogang lie in general e-marketing with focus on e-commerce and social media marketing. Currently, the tourism operators use social marketing relatively little, organizing trainings on this topic could increase the usage and support the implementation of the proposed e-strategy. Link to the eventShort paragraph of information Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 24 Contents of the mobile applicationPoints of interest shown with distance to itUpdates when user movesInteractiveCan click on it+ zoom in, to receive more information Bus schedulesList of hotels 628650522224028390852470154028440975360880745-438152413001775460 Revenue Model The online revenue model should include two main players and three pillars as described in REF _Ref292043739 MERGEFORMAT Figure 25. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 25 Main players of the revenue model Regional stakeholders are from the lodging, F&B and tourism attractions sectors. Also sponsors, government partners and other tourism boards could be considered as players. General businesses should be related to tourism and/or to seasonal topics and events carried out in the region. Such businesses would be shops (ski clothing, ski rental…), transportation companies (car rental, ÖBB, airlines), travel agencies, among others. A booking platform will be integrated in the close future, which will be interesting and beneficial for stakeholders as the survey, carried out in this project, has shown. It is recommended that traffic and booking development are closely monitored in the initial phase in order to define if it should also be part of the tourism office’s revenue model (for example charging commission per booking). Online ads should be included in the tourism board webpage in order to generate revenue. The advertisements can consist of online static or dynamic banners, short ads (similar format to Facebook ads), packages advertisement, as well as placement/standalone on online brochures and newsletter. The ad campaigns should run in a period between 4 and 30 weeks in order to keep the offer interesting. The pricing should be defined on CPM (cost per mile- 1000 Impressions) and defined according to the client and his/her wishes and goals. The industry fee nowadays for online ads varies from EUR 15 to 70 on a CPM-base according to the ad size. In order to increase the user value, it is advisable that the ads’ content is related to the page users are (or will land), either by activity, 1847852014220Packages ad on the Austrian Tourism Board websiteSmall ads on the Salzburg Tourism Board website (Facebook format)28365452310130region searched, theme, season, etc. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 26 Advertisement examples Implementation Timeline The planned implementation is suggested to take place in three stages according to the priority of the proposed activities. Figure 27 presents the activities of each of the stages. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 27 Implementation timeline A first step should be to develop and carry out a social media strategy. Furthermore, it is suggested to begin with designing and developing the mobile application. For the new online-activities, potential advertisers need to be contacted and a profound offline campaign needs to be carried out to promote the new offers online. To reach a higher search engine listing, a Google AdWords campaign is advisable. In two months it is time for starting a viral marketing as well as an e-marketing campaign. Furthermore, training for all stakeholders is required aligned with integrating them in a new joint booking platform. As the online-activities increase it is advisable to hire an expert for search engine optimisation as well as social media. Additionally, the redesign of the website has to take place in two months time. In six months, a focus should lie on booking by analysing the current development of the new booking platform and finding ways for further improvement. In addition, it is suggested to carry out an online-campaign targeted at an increase in bookings. At this time, also the launch of the new website as well as the mobile application should take place. Risk Plan The following table lists possible risks identified. The first column shows the likelihood of occurrence of this risk; it can either be very high, high, medium, low or very low: Very high- highly likely to occur as the circumstances, that create this risk, are also highly likely to occur. High- very likely to occur based on the circumstances of the project Medium- likely to occur; it is clear that the risk will probably occur Low- unlikely to occur based on the current information, as the circumstances causing that risk are also unlikely to happen Very low- highly unlikely to occur; however it still needs to be monitored since certain circumstance can increase the likelihood of this risk The second column of the table names the risk. The third column shows preventative actions. These are actions that reduce the likelihood of the risk’s occurrence. The last column lists contingent actions: actions that reduce the impact in case the risk happens. Table SEQ Table ARABIC 8 Identified risks Likelihood of occurrenceRiskPreventative ActionsContingent ActionsVery lowNo bookings generated through website-High visibility -Easy accessibility on the websiteImprove website and promote stronger in target marketsLow No increase in incoming visitors to Saalfelden Leogang-Strong promotion, especially through online channelsStronger promotion and emphasis of social mediaMedium Low/ no acceptance of Facebook fanpage-Constant monitoring of Facebook fanpage-Direct communication with fans-Acknowledging feedback and responding to fans Asking users for feedback of how to improve the Facebook pageMedium Low/ no acceptance of mobile app-free to use-added value for customers -promotion of new app on website and through word of mouth-explanation of how to use the app on websiteMedium Inefficient Google AdWords Campaign-Selection of efficient keywords, AdGroups via Keywords Tool and research -daily monitoring of development of all ads-distributing budget manually on daily basis- exchanging unsuccessful keywords Low Low/ no acceptance of extranet -Training of stakeholders -Communicate benefits of extranet-more training -show measured success Change Management Change management includes considerable planning and thoughtful implementation of new processes, plans and strategies. Change must be achievable and realistic as well as measurable. This is important in order to reach the goals and to gain common acceptance among the team. Therefore, it is necessary to communicate the new ideas to all employees that have to deal with the new processes. It is recommended to communicate this face-to-face in a meeting; this gives the employees the opportunity to ask questions and it also increases the level of understanding and acceptance. Furthermore, it needs to be ensured that they understand the new processes and how to work new tools. Training may be needed for introducing people to the new processes and for guaranteeing appropriate use. Workshops are good ways of involving people and making them familiar with new processes. Additionally it is recommended to communicate the progress and success of the changes to all employees. This shows what can be reached with new processes and how the company can successfully increase e.g. their online bookings and attract more visitors. REF _Ref292210990 MERGEFORMAT Figure 28 outlines some major principles of how to successfully manage change. Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 28 Change management principles Organisational Alignment In order to reach a high acceptance of the new strategy among the team it is essential for the strategy to align with the culture of the organisation. As seen in the chapter “Strategic E-Marketing Goals” Saalfelden Leogang wants to be viewed as innovative and culturally frank. Their motto “the pleasant cultural holiday in the mountain” represents the unique holiday experience in the mountains combined with their commitment to frankness. This shows that the organisation is open to new developments and aligns with their desire to be the top DMO in Austria in terms of e-marketing. Regarding the organisational structure in more detail, the team is rather small with 12 employees. So far, the company follows a centralised, autocratic leadership model where only the CEO has complete freedom of decision making. However, the organisation is going through a change of taking a more laissez faire leadership style and giving more authority to employees including monitoring by management. Important decisions need to be discussed with the CEO Mr. Pühringer. It has become a significant goal to foster team spirit and engage employees more in team work. In terms of e-marketing, there is one employee responsible for IT and e-marketing. However, there are still major gaps in this field, especially among the majority of the team. They need to understand where the e-strategy will take them and learn that it will bring numerous benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to communicate the new measure carefully and in an understandable way to all team members. Chapter REF _Ref292039342 6 Implementation includes a subchapter about how to handle change successfully. It is recommended to follow the mentioned steps. Regarding the new e-strategy there is a big need of training employees, especially concerning the new website features, social media tools and Google AdWords. It is very likely that the company will either have to restructure someone’s job profile or hire an additional employee that is just responsible for social media activities and the Google AdWords campaign. In order to optimise the outcome, constant monitoring is indispensable. The market is dynamic and especially an online marketing campaign needs much attention. Regarding social media, it is crucial to interact with users and respond to their feedback. Users need to be taken seriously and engaged in improving e.g. Facebook. Regarding the budget, Saalfelden Leogang has EUR 50 000 for e-marketing activities, as well as EUR 300 000 to 500 000 from the ski pool (that has EUR 2.4 million in total). This amount ensures the realistic implementation of the strategy’s components. Developing a mobile application as well as redesigning the website is a costly issue. Additionally, Google AdWords will cost EUR 300 to 500 per month in order to be strong and successful. However, these measures can reach a much wider range of people and will give added value to the customers of Saalfelden Leogang. It is also expected to generate many direct bookings through their own website. Therefore, the investment is definitely worth it and will bring many benefits. Moreover, the mobile application and interactive website support the company’s goal of being an innovative destination management organisation. Additionally, social media helps to become a benchmark for e-marketing in Austria. Monitoring & Controlling When controlling and monitoring the strategy's development, the analysis can have 2 different approaches: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative Quantitative is a straightforward approach that will mainly measure numerically the performance. Website Analysis Google Analytics: a free and easy tool to keep track on the website's statistics such as: traffic data, clicks, impressions, geographical mapping of users, referring sites, temporal usage, among others. More information on: www.google.com/intl/de/analytics/ Search Engine Marketing Google AdWords: allows creation of keywords campaigns to advertise in the Google search engine. Selection, administration and performance monitoring of campaigns and keywords are the main assets of this tool. This is a paid tool and the price will vary according to the services chosen (pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, cost-per-thousand (CPM) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for text, banner, and rich-media ads). Key performance indicators include the click through rate (CTR), where a percentage above 1 would be really good, and cost per click (CPM), depending on the popularity of this keyword. Figure 23 displays the most important key performance indicators in terms of Search Engine Marketing for Saalfelden Leogang. More information on: www.adwords.google.de/ -3556367538Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 29 Key performance indicators Social Media Facebook and Youtube Insights are equivalent to Google Analytics, but to these social media channels. There it is also possible to find metrics and demographics of your fan page and analyse what works best for your followers. Number of “Likes”, impressions, ReTweets (RT), response percentage and re-posts of your content in user's pages and other linkage are also important aspects to keep track on. More information on: www.youtube.com/my_videos_insight, http://developers.facebook.com/docs/ Qualitative Social Media tools are important channels to establish communication with people that are interested in the destination and are also suitable for checking qualitative responses from users. Taking users' feedback into consideration and interacting with them will keep them commenting, recommending, booking and coming back. Comments on posts and videos, as well as check-ins and user's tips in Foursquare, iPhone, Tupalo, among others can be included in the qualitative analysis. Conclusions By aiming to become an e-marketing benchmark, Saalfelden Leogang is seizing an interesting challenge. As the results of the survey pointed out, the majority of the operators in the region have an online presence but do not really seem to take an advantage of the possibilities of e-marketing. Saalfelden Leogang tourism board’s role as an e-marketing example, a strong promoter of the region and co-operation in the region as well as a facilitator of trainings is vital. This role will also help the tourism board to get closer to the local tourism operators, as the respondents of the survey requested. Looking at improving the co-operation with the tourism operators, the Saalfelden Leogang tourism board has already identified that the use of ICT is very limited in internal and stakeholder communication and it has recognised Kitzbühel as a benchmark in this regard. The topic of internal communication is not elaborated in this report; nevertheless, it is recommended that the tourism board continues the work it has started and pursue the development of an intranet and an extranet. The proposed e-strategy focuses on social media and presents recognised best practises to be applied. As outlined in the report, social media is a low investment e-marketing tool, thus also in reach of smaller tourism operators. As a result, social media represents one of the best opportunities for the tourism board to act as an example and inspire the tourism operators. Alongside the social media strategy, the suggested redesign of the website enhances emotional presentation of the region and in turn its attractiveness as a tourism destination. List of references Fernandez Fernandez, Jose Luis (1996) Etica para empresarios y directivos. Ed. ESIC. Österreich Werbung (2008). Die Marke „Urlaub in Österreich“. Markenhandbuch 2008. Wien: Österreich Werbung. Pühringer, S. (2011). Presentation and briefing with Stefan Pühringer. CEO of Saalfelden Leogang Tourismus. Krems: IMC Fachhochschule Krems, 16 March 2011. Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH (2010). Geschäftsbericht 2010. Saalfelden: Wedl & Dick. Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH (2011a). Statistik Jänner and Februar 2011. Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH (2011b). Zahlen und Fakten in Sommer 2011. Schmidt, F., Miglbauer, E., Bratl, H. (2007). Markenentwicklung Kernergebnisse. Wien: Invent, Innovationsagentur für Wirtschaft, Tourismus und Kultur. Appendix 1: Website evaluation of Saalfelden Leogang (Scale: 1 (weak) – 5 (very good) Design & Content Rating CommentsRatingCommentsLayout, look & feel of the website4Very nice pictures, easy to identify topic and social media tool, as well as languages. Ads are somewhat disturbing moving constantly. Design could be modernized. Navigation a little bit complicated.Layout supports both experienced and inexperienced Internet users5Possibility for all users to navigate, clear display of functions.Pictures and videos are good quality4Didn’t see videosPictures and videos support content5Pictures are contextualizedText is comprehensive and legible5Clear texts, short and direct.Correct spelling and grammar5No errors were foundWebsite content is available in several languages58 languages are availableLoading time of pages is acceptable5Fast loadingMenu texts are meaningful and easy to understand5Pages are scanable for information (paragraphs, text structure, emphasis of key words etc.)5 Mean: 4.8 NavigationRatingCommentsSearch is included3I couldn’t find a general search function, however there is search with tags and for accommodation Site map is included and easy to find3It’s available in the upper left corner of the website, but it took me a while to find itHome button (Logo) available on all pages3 Same as site map button, not so obvious to find. It’s also possible to go back to home page clicking on the main image in the page.Each page contains clear and effective navigation elements4Hyperlinks are easy to identify4Could be more obvious Mean: 3.4 Customer Relationship / Trust Rating CommentsRatingCommentsPages contain updated information5Contact details of the website provider are provided3Yes, but only in German Copyright information is available and displayed on each page5Company logo is displayed on each page3Not reallyData privacy information is available and easy to find2I couldn’t really find…Web site contains an ‘impressum’ / ‘about us’ / ‘terms of conditions’ section5 Mean: 3.8 Added Value for CostumersRatingCommentsActivities and events are listed on site4Events and activities have own category; events programm are available in pdf format. “What is going on today? „ doesn‘t work in English.Links to destination attractions listed on site4Local weather information is provided5Route planner is provided4Getting there is available in the right low cornerCurrency converter is provided1No converter to foreign moneyReviews / comments can be posted1No reviews are in the website itself however there are links for their social media channels.Website supports personalisation of content (My … section)1No Mean: 2.9 Booking Process *RatingCommentsAvailability can be checked in real time4Offers of hotel rooms can be checked and Room rates are available4Not only room rates, but also extra information of offered hotels (location, star rating, description). The display of the accommodation offers is a bit overstraining.Online booking in real time (payment transaction) is supported3Reservation is possible, but I could not go until the payment stepOnline booking process is intuitive and transparent3Not really, I was in doubt if I could book or just reserveTerms of cancellations are given and easy to find2Did not seeSecure data transmission is guaranteed (https, SLL or SET)- Mean: 2.7 Total average score: 3.5 Appendix 2: Redesign of German Winter-Website Status quo: UnterkunftRegionVeranstaltungenAktivitätenKulturFamilienurlaubInfo & ServiceSuchen & BuchenLeogangVeranstaltungs-kalenderWintersportBergbau- und GotikmuseumKinderangebotGemeinde Leogang( zu „Region“ statt „Leogang“)Unterkunft anfragenSaalfeldenWöchentliche EventsSki & SnowboardHeimatmuseumElterninformationStadt Saalfelden( zu „Region“ statt „Saalfelden“)GastgeberSkigebiete ( zu „Aktivitäten“)6. SkimarathonSkipässeKunsthaus NexusVilla KunterbuntAGBLast MinuteAnreiseLawinensicherheits-TourNITRO SnowparkMineralien & SchnitzereienImpressumPauschalenReisetippsMountain Bike WM 2012Abenteuer im FreienSDS KünstlerhausKontaktGruppenreisenGastronomieNitro WeekendsAm Rücken der Pferde ( „Reiten & Pferdeschlitten“)Leander KaiserLöwen Alpin CardMeeting & KongressNachtlebenNostalgie Ski WM 2012Fitness & WellnessNewsletterShoppingJubiläumLanglaufenPresseStars & PromisWhite StyleNordic WalkingGästeehrungenWetterRodelnProspekteWebcamsSchneeschuhwandernSaisonzeitenWussten Sie schonSchwimmen & BadenSkispringenSpaß am EisWinter Alternativ ( „Schlechtwetterprogramm“) New Structure: UnterkunftRegionVeranstaltungenKulturFamilienSuchen & BuchenGemeinde Leogang VeranstaltungskalenderBergbau- und GotikmuseumKinderangebotLast MinuteStadt SaalfeldenWöchentliche EventsHeimatmuseumElterninformationPauschalenAnreise6. SkimarathonKunsthaus Nexus Villa KunterbuntGruppenreisenReisetippsLawinensicherheits-TourMineralien & SchnitzereienMeeting & KongressGastronomieMountain Bike WM 2012SDS KünstlerhausNachtlebenNitro WeekendsLeander KaiserShoppingNostalgie Ski WM 2012Stars & PromisJubiläumWetterWhite StyleWebcamsWussten Sie schon… AktivitätenFamilienInfo & ServiceSki & SnowboardWintersportWeitere AktivitätenKinderangebotAGBSki & SnowboardLanglaufenAbenteuer im FreienElterninformationImpressumSkigebieteRodelnReiten & PferdeschlittenVilla KunterbuntKontaktSkipässeSchneeschuhwandernFitness & WellnessLöwen Alpin CardNITRO SnowparkSkispringenNordic WalkingNewsletterSpaß am EisSchwimmen & BadenPresseSchlechtwetterprogrammGästeehrungenProspekteSaisonzeiten Appendix 3: Redesign of English Summer-Website Status quo: AccommodationResortEventsActivitiesCultural Life ( „Culture“)FamilyInfo & ServiceOnline BookingLeogangHighlights 2010 UPDATEBathingAnnouncement 2009 ( UPDATE)A day at a mountain hutContactAccommodation RequestSaalfeldenWeekly ProgrammeCycling & BikingExhibition MineFor the kidsLeogang Council( to „Resort“ instead of „Leogang“)Accommodation ListGetting Here32. Int. Jazz Festival 2011ExcursionsFarmer’s HarvestLeo Alpin Card ( To “Info & Service”)Saalfelden Council ( to „Resort“ instead of „Saalfelden“)Last MinuteLeogang Cableways ( to „Activities“)Beard EC 2011Fitness & WellnessFolks Museum Lake RitzenParental InformationBrochuresPackage DealsSightsHonky Tonk FestivalFishingMinerals & CarvingsPressGroup TravelLate NightSoccer Training CampsGames & FunMining & GothicmuseumSeasonsMeeting & CongressEating OutSummer EveningsGolfNexus – House of ArtsShoppingMountain Bike WC 2012Horse RidingWeatherHikingWebcamsNature Experience ( „Walks“)Outdoor AdventureSports & Leisure ( „Other Activities“)Summer Tobogganing ( „Sledging“) New Structure: AccommodationResortEventsCultureOnline BookingLeogang CouncilHighlights 2011Announcement 2011Last MinuteSaalfelden CouncilWeekly ProgrammeExhibition MinePackage DealsGetting here32. Int. Jazz Festival 2011Farmer’s HarvestGroup TravelLate nightBeard EC 2011Folks Museum Lake RitzenMeeting & CongressEating OutHonky Tonk FestivalMinerals & CarvingsShoppingSoccer Training CampsMining & GothicmuseumWeatherSummer EveningsNexus – House of ArtsWebcamsMountain Bike WC 2012 ActivitiesFamilyInfo & ServiceSportsLeisure ActivitiesA day at a mouontain hutContactCycling & BikingBathingFor the kidsBrochuresSwimming & BathingExcursionsParental InformationPressFitness & WellnessFishingLöwen Alpin CardGolfGames and FunSeasonsHorse RidingHikingNewsletterOutdoor AdventureSummer SledgingOther ActivitiesWalking TracksLeogang Cableways Appendix 4: Redesign of German Summer-Website Status quo: UnterkunftRegionVeranstaltungenAktivitätenKulturFamilienurlaubInfo & ServiceSuchen & BuchenLeogangAllstar Biathlon 2011AngelnBauernherbstEin Tag auf der AlmGemeinde Leogang( zu „Region“ statt „Leogang“)Unterkunft anfragenSaalfelden32. Int. Jazzfestival 2011Abenteuer im FreienBergbau- und GotikmuseumElterninformationStadt Saalfelden( zu „Region“ statt „Saalfelden“)GastgeberSeheswertes 3. Asitzgipfellauf 2011AusflügeEin Stück im WaldFamilienwandertagGästeehrungenLast MinuteAnreiseBart EM 2010BadenHeimatmuseumKinderangebotKontaktPauschalenReisetippsBiBergSommer 2011Fitness & WellnessJakob GasteigerLöwen Alpin Card ( zu „Info & Service“)NewsletterGruppenreisenGastronomieBikepark Closing WEGolfKirchen & KapellenWochenprogrammProspekteMeeting & KongressNachtlebenFreeride JugendcampNatur erleben ( „Gehwege“)Leos GangPresseShoppingHonky Tonk FestivalNordischKunsthaus NexusSaisonzeiten Bergbahnen ( zu „Aktivitäten“)Out of Bounds FestivalRad & BikeSchaubergwerkStars & PromisMountain Bike WM 2912ReitenSDS KünstlerhausWetterWochenprogramSkateplazaSchlösser & BurgerWebcamsSpiel & SpaßAlmsommerhütte 2010 ( UPDATE)Sport & Freizeit ( „Weitere Aktivitäten“)Wandern New Structure: UnterkunftResortVeranstaltungenKulturSuchen & BuchenGemeinde Leogang Allstar Biathlon 2011BauernherbstLast MinuteStadt Saalfelden 32. Int. Jazzfestival 2011Bergbau- und GotikmuseumPauschalenAnreise3. Asitzgipfellauf 2011Ein Stück im WaldGruppenreisenReisetippsBart EM 2010HeimatmuseumMeeting & KongressGastronomieBiBergSommer 2011Jakob GasteigerNachtlebenBikepark Closing WEKirchen & KapellenShoppingFreeride JugendcampLeos GangStars & PromisHonky Tonk FestivalKunsthaus NexusWetterOut of Bounds FestivalSchaubergwerkWebcamsMountain Bike WM 2912SDS KünstlerhausAlmsommerhütte 2011WochenprogramSchlösser & Burger AktivitätenFamilienInfo & ServiceSportFreizeitaktivitätenEin Tag auf der AlmGästeehrungenRad & BikeAngelnElterninformationKontaktSwimming & BathingAusflügeFamilienwandertagNewsletterFitness & WellnessBadenKinderangebotLöwen Alpin CardGolfSpiel & SpaßWochenprogrammProspekteReitenWandernPresseAbenteuer im FreienGehwegeSaisonzeitenNordischBergbahnenSkateplazaWeitere Aktivitäten

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