Excerpt
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Internal and External Analysis
4. Marketing Objectives
5. Marketing Plan
6. Implementation Schedule
7. Promotional Budget
8. Evaluation and Control
9. Summary
10. References
11. Bibliography
12. Appendix
1. Executive Summary
Jamie Cullum - LIVE at GMD is the live debut of Jamie Cullum in Graz, Austria. The event is envisioned as the exclusive highlight of the city’s annual jazz festival, Jazz Sommer Graz. Simultaneously Jamie’s new album, which will be released in early 2009, will be promoted. Through the cooperation with Jazz Sommer Graz, the show is supported by local government departments and media organizations enjoying a good and solid reputation. Upon success the ultimate goal is to maintain this collaboration, turning the one-off event into a regular feature of the festival’s program with comparable artists performing in the future.
The event demonstrates strengths regarding artist and fans, location and venue as well as funding and sponsoring. Weaknesses are formed by the capacity of suppliers and volunteers at the time of the event. Whilst threats include the current economic decline, consumer confidence levels, improved home entertainment systems and potential bad behaviour, opportunities are seen in low cost marketing and the promising cooperation with Jazz Sommer Graz.
Due to the event’s collaboration with Jazz Sommer Graz promotion will primarily take place on the same platforms, coordinated to match the festival’s overall marketing approach. This encompasses clever and timely marketing utilizing internet, radio and the print media to convey the marketing message. The plan is developed to target maximum exposure at an inexpensive rate to help achieve the specified marketing objectives. These include booking out the venue by attracting 550 attendees, making €16.500 in ticket sales, getting six reviews in four regional newspapers and two magazines as well as obtaining the annual tie-in with Jazz Sommer Graz.
2. Introduction
This report represents a marketing plan for Jamie Cullum - LIVE at GMD, a live music event held on July 15, 2009 at Generalmusikdirektion1 (GMD) in Graz, Austria. The event will be staged in the course of the city’s annual jazz festival, Jazz Sommer Graz2 (JSG). Simultaneously the event will help promote Jamie’s new album, which will be released by Universal Classics & Jazz in early 2009 (HB online, 2008). The live act will feature some of Jamie’s most beloved songs as well as new tracks from the upcoming album. The gig will begin at 9 p.m. after prior performances from carefully selected, local jazz acts.
GMD is a multifunctional event location, which regularly hosts concerts, club nights, various parties as well as several jazz concerts throughout the year. The modern venue holds a maximum of 550 people and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, additionally providing three bars as well as a hireable rehearsal room (GMD online, undated).
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Figure 1: Venue
Generalmusikdirektion in Graz, Austria Source: www.generalmusikdirektion.at
The live show is envisioned to be the exclusive highlight of JSG as well as a contemporary alternative to the more traditional jazz acts featured throughout the remaining of the festival. Staging the event at GMD reinforces the attempt of all stakeholders to make jazz more accessible to a younger audience. The show will be supported by the same local government departments and media organizations collaborating with JSG, as well as by GMD’s partners and friends.
Subsequently the event’s stakeholders have been determined as follows:
Primary stakeholders
- Artist and label: Jamie Cullum (JC) & band, The Verve Music Group
- Local government departments: Stadt Graz Kultur3, Kultur Steiermark4
- Commercial organizations: Radio Graz 94.25
Secondary stakeholders
- Media organizations: Kleine Zeitung6 (KLZ)
- Participants: 550 attendees
- Co-workers: All event team members7
3. Internal and External Analysis
Strengths
Artist and fans
Jamie Cullum is a successful English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and pianist, who has been nominated for various BRIT awards as well as for a prestigious Grammy award. Up until today, Jamie has been to Austria twice, appearing at the Jazz Fest Wien and singing live in one of the Vienna’s most popular event locations, Gasometer8 (Verve Music Group online, 1999-2008). Whilst Jamie is extremely well-known in the Austrian capital, not as many people are familiar with him in the southern part of the country. Consequently the event not only attracts fans from Vienna to Graz (only 1.5 hrs drive time) but also raises his level of familiarity in southern Austria. By staging the event during the weeks of JSG, a major part of the event’s target audience is already at hand and on location.
Funding and sponsoring
Due to the close collaboration with JSG, access to public funds is given. Jazz Sommer Graz began in 1998 and has, since then, evolved to an important high profile event. Famous artists who have performed in the past include Dionne Warwick, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Randy Crawford and Joe Zawinul. The show will be funded mainly by the Styrian culture department and by Graz Tourism. Another significant sponsor is represented by KLZ, the biggest regional daily newspaper in southern Austria (JSG online, 2008). All stakeholders have a good and solid reputation, adding to the event’s credibility.
Location and venue
Austria is a small but prosperous country in the centre of Europe, which has a well developed market economy and a high standard of living. The country has a rich cultural heritage, with Graz becoming Europe’s cultural capital in 2003. Graz has continuously experienced an increase of tourist visits, recording 779.618 (+5.6% compared to 2006) overnights in 2007 (Graz Tourism, 2008). Furthermore the music industry in Austria is comparatively stable and strong as Austrian music consumers spent over €200m in 2007. Over the last few years, more and more artists have performed live in Graz with famous acts including Depeche Mode, Simply Red, Pink and Linkin Park9. Austria also has a thriving live music scene made up of over 30 music festivals per year encompassing four popular jazz festivals (IFPI Austria, 2008).
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Figure 2: Location
Graz, situated in south-eastern Austria
Source: http://www.mapsofworld.com/austria
GMD is a well-liked event location in the middle of Graz, easily accessible by foot, car and/or public transport. Since its opening in 2001 the venue has been able to enjoy immense success with guests and artists alike, mainly attracting young professionals with disposable incomes. A further strength is formed by the venue’s management and staff, who have repeatedly been praised for their organization, promotion and PR skills (GMD online, 2008).
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1 http://www.generalmusikdirektion.at/
2 http://www.jazzsommergraz.at/
3 http://www.graz.at/
4 http://www.kultur.steiermark.at
5 http://www.radiograz.at/
6 http://www.kleinezeitung.at/
7 Source: Adapted from Kotler (2003)
8 http://www.gasometer.at
9 http://www.mcg.at/de/stadthalle