IMC Campaign Planning
Executive Summary
This plan was created to help the Oxford Literary Festival overcome its challenges. ​​
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The festival is a special event that celebrates free speech and cultural diversity but faces financial problems and low attendance from younger people (aged 18-44). In 2017, only 8.19% of attendees were from this age group. ​The goal was to attract more young people, keep the current audience, and increase income from charitable activities by 30% at the 28th festival. The budget was set at £20,000, and the plan would run for six months. ​
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Key ideas included targeting a group called "Experience Seekers" and offering a new "Volumes Pass" to make the festival more exciting.
Background & Challenges
The Oxford Literary Festival is famous for its academic roots and focus on free speech, making it different from other literary events. It does not receive government money, which causes financial difficulties. Another issue is that it struggles to attract younger attendees. In 2017, only 8.19% of visitors were aged 18-44.
This plan aimed to solve these problems by making the festival more appealing to young people while keeping its existing fans happy.
Market Analysis
COMPETITOR
Other festivals, such as the Hay Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, draw bigger and more varied crowds. They get government funding and offer diverse programmes. The Oxford Literary Festival is strong in its academic reputation and independence, but it needs to update its image to interest younger people.
TREND
Younger audiences like events that feel exciting and interactive. Festivals that use digital tools, like live-streaming or social media, tend to attract more people from this age group.
STP Analysis
SEGMENTATION
The UK population was split into 10 groups based on their interest in culture, using the Audience Spectrum study. The top three groups in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and London—where most festival visitors come from—were Metroculturals, Commuterland Culturebuffs, and Experience Seekers.
TARGETING
The "Experience Seekers" group was picked as the main focus. This group makes up 16% of UK households (about 630,000) and includes people of different ages who love cultural events and use social media a lot. They were perfect for bringing in younger attendees while keeping the current audience.
POSITIONING
The festival was presented as "a champion of free speech in literature" to stand out from government-funded events. The slogan "Oxford's Verbal Volumes" was used to mix the ideas of spoken and written stories, appealing to Experience Seekers who want to lead in culture.
Marketing Strategy
BIG IDEA: "Volumes Pass"
A "Volumes Pass" was suggested, costing £60 (similar to Netflix’s cheapest yearly fee). It would give buyers access to festival events all year, including recordings, updates, and ticket discounts. This pass aimed to keep people interested and coming back.
PARTNERSHIPS
Working with Netflix was proposed to make the festival seem modern and attract younger people. A partnership with the National Literacy Trust was also suggested to connect the festival with a good cause and improve its image.
Expected Outcomes
SOCIAL MEDIA
Gain 100,000 new followers and reach 10,000 likes or comments in six months.
WEBSITE TRAFFIC
Increase organic visitors by five times by the campaign’s end.
REVENUE
Lift income from charitable activities by 30%, from £223,174 to about £290,126.
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