2. presents
H I G H L A N D S P R I N G S
C O U N T R Y C L U B
P L A N S B O O K
Missouri State University
Created by
Michelle Anderson
Madeline Elliott
Kaitlin McGautha
Blakely Rockel
Allyson Sykora

3. 3
Highland Spring’s country club is a well-established golf course in Springfield
Missourithatoffersfamilyorientedprogramsandamenitiesforsociallyfocused
events. With Highland Springs being only 25 years old, they are the
youngestcountryclubinthearea.Thiscouldprovetobebothabenefit
and a drawback. Since they are so young, they have a competitive
barrier to break but also have the opportunity to make a lasting
impression by bringing a fresh innovative feel to the field.
With a strong strategic plan to support the
course’s objective, we can successfully impact their
new target market of young professionals seeking
membershipforsocialbenefits.Ourteamplans
on implementing this strategy by providing
these young professionals with the
casual events that they are seeking.
With these additions we would
like to organize a formal event
as well to keep the value of
the clubs name close at
heart to its current
members.
The club is also home to many families which enjoy the club for its
family friendly programs and amenities. While these are great qualities for a
clubtohave,thereisroomforthemtogainanevenstrongermemberbase.
Our research shows that it he club were to work towards adding on a
spa or fitness center that our target market of younger professionals
would be more willing to spend the money on a membership.
Highland’s biggest weakness is their member
retention, which we plan on expanding by using various
advertising mediums to spread a positive word of
mouth that will hopefully in turn, being them
new, trustworthy and ideal members. We
have created advertisements and chosen
mediums that we feel will better reach
out to this specify age group. If
these ideas are executed in a
confident manner, with time
the memberships will grow
as will the relationship
between members
and the club.
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

4. 03 // EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
05 // OBJECTIVES
06 // RESEARCH
10 // BRAND POSITION
13 // BRAND POSITION
16 // CREATIVE
24 // MEDIA PLAN
32 // OVERALL MEDIA SCHEDULE
33 // PLAN ANALYSIS
34 // SOURCES & REFERENCES
TABLEOFCONTENTS

5. 5
O B J E C T I V E S
Highland Springs Country Club’s primary objectives are to:
increase membership, events, and community outreach; reach
out to young professionals for memberships; and decrease
amount of suspended memberships (people leaving the
club, getting them to keep membership for a longer
period of time). We want to establish awareness for
Highland Springs Country Club by advertising
online through social media, as well as on the
radio. We also plan for the club to have more
local events be free for potential new
members. By determining a set target
audience and identifying the needs
of our ultimate consumer, we can
create advertising campaigns
that communicate Highland
Springs Country Club.
Our goal is to convert some of Springfield’s Elite to join Highland’s
Springs Country Club and to view the country club as their top
choice in clubs. Both traditional and nontraditional media
will be used to achieve this objective. Social media will be
used as a base for consumer and business interaction
in hopes to attract new potential members and
maintaining those relationships. We will produce
several unique campaigns to connect with our
ultimate target audience in the Springfield
country club Market.

6. R E S E A R C H

7. 7
I N T R O
Throughout the past 8 weeks, Ambiance has conducted wide-ranging yet concise
research in order to reveal the way our target market perceives and, distinguishes
“The ultimate Country Club experience”. The following research methods
establish our conceptions of our perceived demographic allowing
us to plan and execute our campaign solutions. Our research
started by trying to learn as much as we could about
Highland Springs Country Club. By speaking
with Mark and Jessica and also visiting
Highland Springs to assess the club
itself we were able to get a better
representation of where
to begin with our
research.

8. 88
“Family Man”
Richard Clarke is a 45 year old man who is a successful pediatrician.
Richard is married and has 2 children both of which are currently
attending high school at Summit Preparatory school. In the little
free time Rich has, he enjoys being active by going to cross
fit with friends, hiking with the family, and swimming at
their family pool on the weekends. He enjoys going to
the country club in order to network and gain new
possible clients. He lives in a household where
his annual income is $150,000 which gives
him the financial leeway he needs to have
a membership where he can be social
as well as network at the same time
with other families. Rich also
enjoys spending time with
his children and wife, and
planning vacations.
“Single and Successful”
Susan Katz is a 53 year old successful art director. Due to the fact
that Susan is not married with no kids, she has a lot of free
time outside of her job. Susan likes to attending painting
classes to further her creativity and is into trying unique
eateries in Springfield, MO. Susan lives a comfortable
lifestyle with annual salary of $80,000. Susan is very
cultured and enjoys traveling to other countries
in the summer. With Susans discretionary
income she likes to donate to local animal
shelters and medical research.
S I T U A T I O N A L A N A L Y S I S
C U R R E N T T A R G E T M A R K E T

9. 9
“Young Executive”
27 year old Liam Fitz is a loan consultant and makes around
$80,000 annually. Liam is not married and is happy living
his young active lifestyle, which includes going out and
socializing at local bars and going to indie concerts.
Liam is an adrenaline junkie and enjoys traveling
and trying new things. Liam is extremely
successful at his work and enjoys networking
when he can. Liam has a girlfriend and
is looking to settle down in the future
and get married. Liam’s family were
country club members and he has
several memories growing up
there in the summer.
“Soccer Mom”
Daisy Hall is a 31 year old, married woman with a two
year old daughter and a son on the way! She is currently
a registered nurse, with an annual income of around
$50,000 a year. Her husband also has a well paying
job, working as a lawyer. Together, they are
financially stable and can pay for the activities
that they enjoy. Daisy takes pride in staying
physically active by taking her daughter
on walks and spending afternoons at
the park. Everything Daisy does
revolves around her growing
family and her concern to
provide for them.
S I T U A T I O N A L A N A L Y S I S
N E W T A R G E T M A R K E T

10. 10
B R A N D P O S I T I O N
Highland Springs is a respectable country club in the 417 area, proudly recognized as the country
club John Q Hammons established and known as one of the highest qualified golf courses in
the area. Our Brand Position is to target primarily the 64804 and 65809 regions, more
specifically influencing a younger generation of young professionals and beginning
families to have awareness and ultimately a membership to the club. Instead of
continuing the traditional position on golf networking, our position is to
bring in those young professionals and families by focusing on the
social and family oriented opportunities Highland Springs
can provide. Highland Springs should be viewed as
the elite club for our redirected target market,
that are looking to enhance social and
recreational activities.
Statement: Provide affordable indulgence and exceptional service to the Springfield elite;
enhance the reality of social opportunities, through family oriented recreational facilities.

11. 11
S W O T
• Amenities and
services; large aquatic
area, highly ranked golf
course, tennis, newly renovated bar,
banquet facility, fine and casual dining
• Exceptional customer service
• Cheaper food minimum for our members
• Offer wider range of memberships
• Pool Stays open the latest in the
season of all country clubs
•Offerguestclubexperience
through current members to gain
potential memberships
• Market outside of club walls and expand
amenities (i.e. Spa, Fitness Center)
• Social network for young professionals
• More affordable for families and
new members
• Cost of memberships for
our new, untapped target market
• Restrictive operating hours
•Youngprofessionalsdon’tviewHighlandSprings
as a perspective as a benefit, financially, socially, or
professionally
• Families don’t think they have the
time to spend at the club
• Lacking in new membership
• Weak member retention
• Lack of community awareness
• Unorganized & inconsistent E-marketing
S
W
O
T

12. 12
C O M P E T I T I V E A N A L Y S I S
After researching and understanding, Highland Springs’ current target market as well as their
competitors, we have gained a better understanding on where our advantages and disadvantages
lie. Our primary competitor is Hickory Hills, which thrives on its traditional methods and
longstanding members. They are also known for posting regional and statewide
tournaments each year. Twin Oaks stands as Highland’s secondary competitor
due to its appealing renovations and the club’s famous member(s).
The club is also remembered for their crab salads and the staff’s
abilities to recall members’ names and preferences.
After understanding the advantages and appealing qualities of Highland Springs’
competitors, we can form a strategic plan to gain a stronger advantage. Hickory
Hills may be a strong competitor, but they lack an innovative sense of business
that could help Highland gain younger, potentially longstanding
members. Now that we know of Hickory Hills’ older members,
Highland needs to offer something in their program that
would influence their older members to keep their
memberships active for a longer period of
time. This could also prove as an benefit
for gaining a market of young
professional members.

13. 13
F O C U S G R O U P P A R T I C I P A N T S
Young & Engaged:
As a young engaged couple, they enjoy being social in their free
time. They are foodies and regularly are trying new eateries
in Springfield, MO. Staying active in their community and
with friends is important to them.
Young Married Couples:
The young married couples spend their time
with their family and staying involved with
theirlocalfriendsandcommunity.Having
a club that can provide a place for their
children to relax and be safe is of
high importance to them. They
also would take advantage of
opportunities to network
at the country club.
Young & Single:
The younger singles do not yet have children and are currently
trying to establish themselves financially.They are interested in
social events and activities, including eating at restaurants,
bar hopping, and attending house parties.
Older & Married:
As a older-aged married couple, they enjoy
traveling, socializing, and being highly
involved in their community.

14. 14
F O C U S G R O U P F I N D I N G S
What are the perceptions of country clubs in general?
• When we asked our focus group participants to use one word to
explain what they first thought of when they heard ‘country club’ a
lot of people said cost, social, tennis and wine. Some participants
were able to explain past memories of being at country clubs
which were all very positive and helped show that being a
part of a country club is a special thing.
If you are a part of a country club, what is
most appealing to you?
• One of our participants said that she
enjoyed being a part of the Highland
Springs country club because the
club provided a safe and fun
environment for her family..
Another participant chimed
in and mentioned that
he felt country clubs
were kind of a
‘family’ thing and that every family had their own spot where they tend
to sit. Country clubs seem like something special, and have an ‘I have
made it’ feeling attached, mentioned one participant who was not
part of a country club.
If you could create your own country club, what
amenities would you have?
• Some of the female participants mentioned that a
spa or a place where you could get your nails done
would make a great amenity. Having activities
for children is also important for prospective
members. A couple of the participants
felt as though the food that is served
at the country club seems like
your typical catered food, to
them it does not feel like an
upscale meal, while other
participants felt as
though the Sunday
brunch is quite

15. 15
F O C U S G R O U P F I N D I N G S ( c o n t d . )
nice and you do not feel rushed. Another participant mentioned that when
she thinks about going out to a nice dinner, or having a date night with her
husband she does not think of going to the country club. Participants
also felt like having scotch/ wine tastings would be a great addition
to a country club, as well as possible cooking classes.
What are some drawbacks of country clubs?
• Oneoftheparticipantswhoisamemberofacountryclub
mentionedthatshedoesnotnecessarilyliketoinviteout
other members of the country club because there is
always an awkward pause when it comes down
to who will pay for the food and drinks. She
does not necessarily want to pay for who
she invites, but she still feels obligated
if she does. The same participant
also mentioned that during the
winter you cannot justify
having a membership
because there are
not any outdoor
activities taking place. On the other hand, another participant who also belongs to
a country club believes that the most fun times he has had were when his other
friendsbelongedaswell,butdidmentionadrawbackbeingthatthecountry
club only sees events as a way to make a profit. Another participant felt
thatthefeeswerenotworththeprice.Hewouldhaverathergoneout
toabardowntownortoarestaurantheenjoys.Thesocialareaisn’t
there,itiselsewherementioned anotherparticipant.

16. 16
We conducted a survey of 86 participants in which 75.61% were in our
perspective target market. Our survey confirmed that over 57% of
our participants do not have a country club membership due to
financial reasoning but would consider joining.
S U R V E Y
Based on amenity offerings. We also found that when ranking the
importance of amenities “ The Pool “ actually ranked highest followed
by “Dining/Bar” and the potential fitness center.

17. 17
S U R V E Y ( c o n t d . )
50% of our survey participants would be willing to spend $20-35 on event tickets in
which 49.40% would prefer casual events.
What we learned:
Throughour10-questionsurveywewereabletogainabetterunderstanding
of our target market, and what is important to them. By combing
theresultsofoursurvey,notesfromthefocusgroup,andour
secondary research, we were able to plan a formal
kickoff event. The formal event will balance
the more casual events preferred by
oursurveytakerswithoutlosing
anyvalueofHighland’s
currentposition.

18. 18
S E C O N D A R Y R E S E A R C H
When researching other country clubs in the Springfield areas, we found that there are a large variety
of membership opportunities across different country clubs. These memberships generally offer
a wide range of amenities and pricing for different levels of membership. For example,
Twin Oaks regular membership is a $10,000 initial fee with monthly dues of $370.
They also provide options for social, junior, and company memberships. Aside
from memberships the clubs also all have a ballroom and a restaurant.
Highlands’ ballroom ranks above other clubs and hold up to 300
guests whereas the ballroom or their primary competitor
only has a maximum capacity of 250 guests. The
restaurants from each club differ slightly.
However, Twin Oaks requires a $45 minimum on food, as opposed to Highlands’ $40
minimum. In each of these categories Highland Springs ranks higher than their
local competitor’s except member retention. With that in mind, we can
assume that there is also room for the club to make improvements
to ensure that they continue on their way to becoming the best
country club in Springfield.

19. C R E A T I V E
B R I E F

20. 20
E V E N T : G A L A & G O L F
The kick-off event will take place at the beginning of the season, on the last weekend of March. The event will be used
to celebrate the clubhouse’s 25 Anniversary and to welcome potential new club members to indulge in a weekend
at the clubhouse with one of their friends. Each member will be welcome to invite either an individual
friend or a friend and their spouse. Friday night a formal cocktail party will take place. A local health
related non for profit will be focused on that night with a percent of the ticket sales going towards
the company. This will also help to bring in locals that either work in healthcare or are
passionate about giving back to an organization. As the couples are welcomed into
theclubtheywillreceiveacomplementaryglassofchampagne.Throughout
thenighttherewillbeanopenbar,accompaniedbyh’orderves.There
will be a live band throughout the night and members and
non members will be welcome to tour and socialize in
different rooms of the club.
The following day, a golf tournament/Spa Day will take place. It will be
sponsored by the local Empire Bank. For their sponsorship the club
will provide them with free publicity and advertisement. Men
will be welcomed to create a team. Mother’s beer will be
set up at hole 4 and 16 where the men will be able
to have complimentary beer tasting.
(contd. on next page)

21. 21
E V E N T : G A L A & G O L F ( c o n t d . )
For the women a spa day will be provided where they can come get a massage, facial, pedicure,
or manicure. Pricing sheets will be provided and they will be able to pick which service
they would like to have. Later that afternoon there will be a twisted painting where
anartistwillprovidepaintingsuppliesandbeteachinghowtopaintacouple
different style paintings. Select alcohol will be provided throughout
the day. The restaurant will be open for women to either order
asnackorgoinandeataformalmeal.Childrenwillbe
welcomeforafunafternoonplannedofactivities.
There will be build your own pizza, a
sundae bar, crafts, and movies.
Girlsarealsowelcometothe
spa and painting with
theirmother.

22. 22
In addition to the Kick-off and various casual events that we have previously
mentioned, we propose that the club host a family friendly Christmas party and
a themed New Years party in order to heighten activity and participation
in the slower winter months.
E V E N T : C H R I S T M A S / N E W S Y E A R S P A R T I E S
P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S S T A N D P O I N T
From a public relations standpoint, these events would be beneficial in
that they would provide the club with opportunities to present recent
accomplishments, inform members and guests of upcoming events,
and propose ideas for future endeavors.

23. 23
P R I N T : E V E N T I N V I T A T I O N
A printed invitation for the “Gala & Golf” event will be mailed to every Highland
Springs member around mid-February to ensure that they have a sufficient
amount of time to prepare and arrange their plans around the event.
This invitation is important because it encourages members to
be excited about the upcoming season and gives them a
reminder piece of something to look forward to. As
mentioned before, each member will be welcome
to invite either one individual friend or a
friend and their spouse. These guests
must arrive with their member
contact, at which point
the invitation will
be presented.

24. 24
P R I N T : B R O C H U R E
These brochures will be on display at our local Empire Bank to market the club’s
opportunities, while increasing the probability of gaining sponsorship for
future Highland Springs events. Pairing with Empire Bank will help
to creative a positive image of Highland Springs to the bank’s
employees and associates. Building this relationship, will
ensure the chance for future memberships and
business transactions with the club.

25. 25
P R I N T : V O U C H E R
An incentives program will be used at Highland Springs to generate new customers. Each member
will be granted one golf foursome voucher per season to give away to a friend, which can
be used at their discretion (but it must be used for that current season, otherwise it
expires). This will not count against the amount they are allowed throughout
the season, if they decide to use it. As noted previously, Highland Springs
has done very little advertising. Establishing a customer incentives
program will keep marketing and advertising costs low and
leave an open budget for other areas of marketing.
This is a quick way to generate more potential
new members. The voucher will be
available at the club for members
to pick up.

26. 26
R A D I O : C O M M E R C I A L
Radio ads will become an important technique in Highland Springs advertising
campaign. 80% of adults listen to the radio in their car and 25% of adults listen
to the radio at work. For a local business like Highland Springs, it will be
moreeffectiveandaffordableforthemtouseradioads.98.7thejockand
105.9 KGBX will be playing our radio ads. 98.7 the Jock is already
used as a medium for advertisement when Jessica, Highland
Springs representative, is featured on the show. By utilizing
the Jock as marketing for Highland Springs will receive
high frequency advertising. The Jock will play 7 AM
till 10 PM Monday through Friday for the month
of March. 105.9 KGBX is featured as a top ten
station of the Ozarks and may have slightly
different listeners due to the content,
allowing Highland Springs to reach a
largerportionoftheirtargetmarket.
The KGBX advertisement will
runMondaythroughFriday
7 AM till 10 PM for the
monthofMarch.
• Length: 30 seconds
• Target demographic: Young Professionals ranging from ages 25-35
• Character / Narrator: Announcer
• Gender: Male
• Vocal direction: Smooth, energized
• Suggested music: Upbeat, rhythmic, modern
Script:
“Live your dream with Highland Springs
Country Club, Celebrating 25 years of
premier service, affordable indulgence,
and the ultimate country club
experience. Here’sto25more!!!!”

27. 27
O N L I N E : S O C I A L M E D I A
As a local business, social media will be implemented to reach out to current and potential
new members of Highland Spring’s Country Club. With this it will be easy to
spread news about current events and specials the club might have going on.
It will also be an easy way for the club to remind members and non
members to view the news letter by sharing it monthly. The goal
is to increase member response and aid in information
for potential new members. Social media will be
updated twice a week where content will
be interchanged between events, club
pricing, and any other incentives
Highland Springs might
want to highlight on.

28. 28
Highland springs is already using Facebook as a medium to keep their existing
members informed of current events. We plan to spotlight new members, create
short posts, or attach short articles as updates; it will be best to avoid long
statuses/posts to increase the possibility that viewers will actually
absorb the content and process it. Aside from Highland
Springs Facebook page, part of the media budget will
go towards a Facebook ad that will advertise
for one week each month. By adding this
media to Facebook Highland will be
able to create more business
awareness along with
brand frequency.
O N L I N E : S O C I A L M E D I A
F A C E B O O K

29. 29
LinkedIn was chosen as a beneficial medium to reach out to our target market,
prospective young professionals. Young professionals use this network to expand
their knowledge on companies and organizations within their aspired
field. It would be beneficial to post updates and articles directly
related to Highland Springs, which will be feed through to
these young professionals with parallel connections
and interests. All of these advertisements will be
designed in house to reduce the costs.
O N L I N E : S O C I A L M E D I A
L I N K E D I N

30. 30
Cumulative newsletters will be sent out the first Monday of every month, after being
approved by a manager. Each department will provide updates or information
that they wish to be included in the monthly newsletter. This will cut down
on the amount of e-blasts sent out that are bogging down members
mailboxes. With the smaller amount of emails being received
the members are more like to thoroughly read and
retain the information presented.
O N L I N E : E - M A R K E T I N G
N E W S L E T T E R

31. C R E A T I V E
M E D I U M

32. 32
P R I N T : E V E N T I N V I T A T I O N
high
landsprings
country
club
27 & 28
black and white gala
event friday 7pm.
youhavebeencordiallyinvitedto'
highlandspringsgolf galaweekend.
golf tournament
saturday tee time 9am.
$150 entry fee.
portion of proceeds dontated to
ronald mcdonald house.
one guest welcome, please rsvp.
jessica gilmore- 417.886.0408

33. 33
P R I N T : B R O C H U R E

34. 34
P R I N T : V O U C H E R
I N C E N T I V E S P R O G R A M
Can only be used in the current season
Highland Springs
Golf Voucher
live your dream.

35. 35
O N L I N E : F A C E B O O K & L I N K E D I N A D S
have you finished your winter shopping?
=-Highland Springs
no matter the weather, friends golf together.
-Highland Springs
have you finished your winter shopping?
=-Highland Springs
no matter the weather, friends golf together.
-Highland Springs
Liveyourdream.
-Highland Springs
hang in there, we will see you next summer.
-Highland Springs
live your dream.
-Highland Springs

36. 36
O N L I N E : E - M A R K E T I N G

37. M E D I A
P L A N

38. 38
E V E N T : G O L F & G A L A B U D G E T
Item Total Money Spent
Food $2,000
Champagne (34 Bottles) $500
Awards and Events $1,000
Spa Set Up Fees $400
Kids Activities/Food $200
Band (Members Only) $800
Total $4,900

39. 39
RAD IO AND ONLINE ADVERTISING BUDGET
Medium Total Money Spent
Radio: KGBX $700
Radio: 98.7 The Jock $700
Facebook (1 week/month) $480
LinkedIn (1 week/month $2,520
Total $4,400

40. 40
P R I N T A D V E R T I S I N G B U D G E T
Item Total Money Spent
Brochure (x2000) $200
Invitation Invites (x200) $130
Stamps (x200) $98
Total $428

41. 41
T O T A L B U D G E T
Advertising Methods Total Money Spent
Event $4,900
Radio & Online $4,400
Print $428
Total $9,728

42. 42
O V E R A L L M E D I A S C H E D U L E

43. 43
P L A N A N A L Y S I S
Throughout our campaign, we intend to engage in regular evaluations of our
advertising methods in order to ensure that our results are parallel with our
intended objectives. We will measure our success by staying disciplined
as to track the results of our media plan and the feedback we will
receive at the club. This includes:
1) Checking traffic volume (a metric for search engine optimization success) and comparing
pages of similar content together; this means paying attention to the number of viewers
that visit each of our media sites and how much time they spend on each page.
2) Record keeping of tours given, new memberships signed, and membership
retention rates in comparison to previous years’ statistics.
3) Recording feedback the club receives from incentive programs
and relator partnerships
4) Measuring social media feedback through likes,
comments, and the response
After the evaluation of the campaign, Ambience is
confident that Highland Springs will have found
success through a growth in membership at
their business.

44. 44
C O N C L U S I O N
In order to retain loyalty and establish a connection with the new consumer, Highland
Springs Country Club must create more casual and family oriented events and
advertisements that appeal to the perspective target market
Our campaign will enable the club to offer “the ultimate club
experience “ to its members by proposing more beneficially
focused events.
We will reach our target market through e-marketing, a series of Facebook and
LinkedIn Ads as well as a Radio ad. We believe our plan employs the right tools
and approach to appeal to potential new members and help build lasting
relationships by emphasizing all that Highland Springs has to offer.

45. 45
S O U R C E S & R E F E R E N C E S
(2010). (S. Sellmeyer., Producer) Retrieved Feb 2105, from Twin Oaks Country Club: http://www.twinoakscountryclub.com/
(2012). (J. C. Management, Producer) Retrieved Frb 2015, from Hickory Hills Country Club: https://www.
hickoryhillscountryclub.com/
(2014). (Hospitify, Producer) Retrieved Feb 2015, from Millwood : http://millwoodgolf.com/
(2015, Feb). (J. C. Management, Producer) Retrieved Feb 2015, from
Highland Springs Country Club: http://www.highlandsprings.com/
Highland Survey . (2015, Feb 15). (K. McGautha, Producer)
Retrieved Feb 25, 2015, from Survey Monkey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/

46. T H A N K
Y O U