Samantha M. Conforti: Harry Potter Campaign Presentation

Samantha Conforti

Audrey Yeager

Tim Hester

Angie Sinicki

The Great Hall

A Harry Potter-Themed Restaurant

4510 W. Vine Street
Kissimmee, Florida 34746

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Sunday: 12pm-12am

1. Problem Analysis

a. Description of Problem: A new Harry Potter-themed restaurant is opening up on the outskirts of Orlando, Florida named The Great Hall. The restaurant will be used as a model for future The Great Hall restaurants opening up throughout the nation. We must create an effective public relations campaign to make the public aware of the new restaurant and to maintain a relationship with the restaurant’s future customers.

b. SWOT- Analysis:

Strengths:

· A Harry Potter-themed restaurant is an innovative concept that will attract customers for its novelty. We are selling an experience in addition to a meal.

· The Harry Potter book series has developed a huge fan base. This will increase the likelihood that people will be interested in eating at a Harry Potter-themed restaurant.

Weaknesses:

· Tourists and residents of Orlando are currently unaware of the restaurant.

· Opening up this restaurant will be a costly endeavor.

· Because it is a novelty restaurant, PR staff will have a harder time attracting local residents on a regular basis.

Opportunities:

· Orlando is a large tourist area that has the potential to broaden the restaurant’s customer base.

· The Great Hall staff has the opportunity to foster a relationship with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for marketing and promotional purposes.

· There are several avenues for advertising, such as: Orlando International Airport (terminals, shuttles, and trains), Train Stations, Timeshares, Resorts/ Hotels, and Ticket Sale Booths.

Threats:

· The Great Hall may be in competition with already existing themed restaurants within the Orlando area, such as: Arabian Nights Dinner Show, The Rainforest Café, T-Rex, etc.

· Orlando already has many restaurants and tourist attractions, which The Great Hall will have to compete with.

c. Goals:

i. To develop awareness of The Great Hall restaurant among residents of Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida as well as among tourists visiting the area.

ii. To attract potential customers from our target market to dine at The Great Hall.

iii. To brand The Great Hall as an exciting and novel place to spend time with friends and family.

2. Research

a. Secondary Research

i. Competition:

1. Arabian Nights Dinner Show

a. Overview: This is a dinner theater attraction located in Kissimmee featuring an indoor equestrian arena where customers enjoy a meal while watching a performance with several breeds of horses that are trained for the show.

b. Pricing: The average adult dinner is priced at $50.00. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased at an additional fee. There are group discounts and discounts for ordering tickets online.

c. Food: The restaurant offers a limited selection of food and desserts, and also has a full bar for customers over the age of 21. They also accommodate for people with special diets.

d. Reviews: On Yelp and TripAdvisor, many customers complained about substandard food, uncomfortable seating, and slow service. However, many people reported that the horses in the show were exceptional and enjoyed the theater portion of the evening.

e. Website: http://www.arabian-nights.com/

2. Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner Shows

a. Overview: Located in Orlando, this restaurant hosts mystery dinners where customers are served sit-down dinners as they work in teams to solve a mystery presented to them.

b. Pricing: An adult dinner experience is priced at $60.00 and a children’s dinner is priced at $24.00.

c. Food: Participants choose from a limited menu.

d. Reviews: According to reviews, the food is average; the experience is what the customers pay for.

e. Website: http://www.sleuths.com/

3. The Rainforest Café

a. Locations:

      Disney’s Animal Kingdom
      505 N Rainforest Rd
      Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Disney World Marketplace

1800 E Buena Vista Drive

Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

b. Overview: The restaurant describes itself as “A Wild Place to Shop and Eat”; it is a sit down restaurant with a children’s menu and a rainforest atmosphere, including a simulated tropical thunderstorm, simulated animal noises, and animatronics.

c. Food: Customers choose from a jungle themed menu.

d. Pricing: Dinner is priced around $15-$30

e. Reviews: The food is average; the experience is what customers pay for.

f. Website: http://www.rainforestcafe.com/

4. T-Rex Café

a. Location:

      Downtown Disney Marketplace
      1676 East Buena Vista Drive
      Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

b. Overview: The restaurant describes itself as “Food You Can Sink Your Teeth Into”; it is a sit down restaurant with a children’s menu and a prehistoric atmosphere, including a simulated meteor storm, simulated dinosaur noises, and animatronics.

c. Food: Customers choose from a prehistoric themed menu.

d. Pricing: Dinner is priced around $15-$30

e. Reviews: The food is average; the experience is what customers pay for.

f. Website: http://www.trexcafe.com/

ii. Demographics

1. TOURISM TO ORLANDO (Info from: http://corporate.visitorlando.com/research-and-statistics/orlando-visitor-statistics/visitor-volumes/)

a. Leisure 2011: 41,432,000

b. Business 2011: 9,933,000

c. International 2011: 3,803,000

2. ORLANDO, FL (From the U.S. Census Bureau--http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/1253000.html)

a. Population as of 2011: 243,195

b. Persons Under 18 (2010): 21.9%

c. Median Household income (2006-2010): $42,355

3. KISSIMMEE, FL (Info from: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/1236950.html)

a. Population as of 2011: 61,346

b. Persons Under 18 (2010): 25.7%

c. Median Household income (2006-2010): $37,995

b. Primary Research

i. Interest Survey

1. As the PR directors of The Great Hall, we have developed a survey assessing the amount of interest people would have in dining at a Harry Potter-themed restaurant. The surveys will be distributed at local hotels, online, and at ticket sale box offices in the area. Any person who fills out the survey will be in the running to win a free dinner at The Great Hall. (See addendum below for survey. See tactics for further promotional ideas.)

3. Audience

a. Publics

i. Tourists and Florida resident’s ages 8-34 with disposable income permanently or temporarily residing within 15 miles of The Great Hall restaurant.

1. The first book was published in 1997. Anyone 15 years old when they read the book is now about 30 years old. Children and young adults still read the series today.

ii. Avid readers of the Harry Potter series.

1. Readers of the Harry Potter series may be interested in a Harry Potter-themed restaurant.

b. Stakeholders

i. Restaurant Owners/Employees

ii. Residents of Orlando/Kissimmee

iii. Tourists in Orlando and nearby towns

iv. Potential Customers

v. Nearby Restaurants (Competition)

vi. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal)

vii. Disney World

viii. J.K. Rowling

ix. Scholastic Publishing

4. Program Planning and Action

a. Objective #1: To increase public awareness of the restaurant, including Orlando and Kissimmee residents as well as tourists, by 100% within the first six months of The Great Hall’s operation. This will be an ongoing objective, because tourism is a continuous process.

i. Tactics to Achieve Objective #1:

1. Flyers posted around the Kissimmee and Orlando area.

a. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #1: Our flyers will convey that customers can enjoy a novel Hogwarts dining experience without the theme park price.

2. Billboards placed along Route 192 and International Drive

a. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #2: The billboards will state “Enter a World of Magic.” They will present The Great Hall as a mysterious, magical, and fun place to eat for the whole family.

3. Large print posters placed in Orlando International Airport terminals and shuttles

a. Key message to Achieve Tactic #3: The large print posters will state “Enter a World of Magic.” They will present The Great Hall as a mysterious, magical, and fun place to eat for the whole family.

4. Newspaper stories in local and regional newspapers, as well as in one national newspaper, such as USA Today.

a. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #4: The newspaper articles will announce the buyout of Medieval Times restaurant, announce the grand opening of the restaurant on Friday, December 28, 2013, and follow up with community members regarding the grand opening after the event.

5. Radio Spots being broadcast to local areas

a. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #5: The key message of the radio spots will be to announce the grand opening of the restaurant on Friday, December 27, 2013 as well as explain the restaurant’s concept.

6. Brochures in Local Hotels, transportation locations, resorts, timeshares, ticket Booths

a. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #6: The Great Hall is a conveniently located unique experience for the whole family.

7. Create a social media presence

a. The Great Hall’s Twitter and Facebook pages will announce special offers and events that The Great Hall will hold. It will engage consumers and reinforce their desire to return for another dining experience. It will also be utilized as a feedback system; consumers will be able to interact directly with The Great Hall’s PR staff.

b. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #7: (1) You can be a part of the creation of the restaurant; (2) The Great Hall is a popular restaurant, and its staff is listening to what the consumer has to say.

8. Create a website

a. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #8: Check out why you should “Enter a World of Magic.”

b. Objective #2: To attract 250,000 customers to The Great Hall restaurant within the first six months of operation.

i. Tactics to Achieve Objective #2:

1. The Great Hall partnership with Universal

a. The Great Hall will agree to promote The Wizarding World of Harry Potter within the restaurant through brochures and an advertisement on the menu, if The Wizarding World of Harry Potter agrees to hold similar promotions for The Great Hall.

b. For a limited time, if customers bring their Universal tickets, they will get 10% off their check.

c. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #1: This partnership establishes a credible relationship between similar enterprises and gives the restaurant an air of professionalism.

2. The Great Hall Kick-Off Event

a. The Great Hall will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, December 27, 2013 with a celebratory event. It will feature a costume contest, dancing, an official sorting ceremony, a buffet of various menu items, and prizes, which include a free dinner for four.

b. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #2: The Great Hall is an exciting environment where family and friends can get together to have a good time and enjoy top-quality food.

3. Promotional Discount Offers

a. On specified dates, such as Harry Potter’s birthday (July 31), the whole table will get 20% off of their entire check. These offers will be communicated via social media, flyers around the restaurant, and mailings to people who have joined the mailing list.

b. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #3: Come celebrate your favorite character’s birthday in his favorite place in the world, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

c. Objective #3: To host and cater three special events every month at The Great Hall beginning in March of 2013.

i. Tactics to Achieve Objective #3:

1. Social Media

a. Our website and social media pages will allow customers to have the option to book special events.

b. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #1: Booking your special events with us is easy.

2. Brochures

a. Our brochures will advertise our phone number and a link to our website.

b. Key Message to Achieve Tactic #2: Adding a little bit of magic to your special event.

d. Calendar

e. Budget

5. Evaluation

a. A short survey will be handed out with each billfold inquiring about each customer’s dining experience. It will also inquire as to how the customers heard about the restaurant. This will partially be used to see what public relations outlets were effective in reaching The Great Hall’s target market. (See feedback survey below.)

b. The PR staff will keep track of the number of customers that dine at the restaurant by using its computer system. Before any waiter can enter a food order, they must enter the number of customers at the table they are serving. This technique will be used to track whether the restaurant has met Objective #2.

c. If at least three events per month are held at The Great Hall, Objective #3 will have been met.

*This campaign will have been successful if all objectives are met within their projected time periods.

The Great Hall Interest Survey

A Harry Potter-Themed Restaurant

4510 W. Vine Street

Kissimmee, Florida 34746

1.) Would you have interest in dining at a Harry Potter-themed restaurant if pricing and location were appropriate?

____Yes ____No

2.) On a scale of 1-5, to what extent would you seek out a dining experience at a Harry Potter-themed restaurant over other area restaurants (i.e. Chili’s, Applebees, etc.)

1=I am not interested in dining at a Harry Potter-themed restaurant.

5=I would seek out a Harry Potter-themed restaurant in the Orlando area regardless of pricing/location.

1 2 3 4 5

3.) What is the maximum you would pay for a single upscale meal at a themed-restaurant (beverage, entrée, and dessert)?

____$15 and under ____$15-20 ____$20-25 ____$25-30

____$30-40 ____$40+

4.) Are you a visitor or permanent resident of Florida?

____I am a visitor. ____I am a permanent resident of the Orlando/Kissimmee

area.

5.) How far would you travel from your home to seek out a Harry Potter-themed restaurant?

____0-5 miles ____5-10 miles ____10-15miles

____15+miles ____I have no interest in a Harry-Potter themed restaurant.

6.) In what age range do you fall under?

___18 and under ____19-30 ____31-45 ____46-60

___60+

To be entered to win a free dinner for four, fill out the information below:

Name:_____________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________

Email Address:_________________________ Phone: _______________________

The Great Hall Feedback Survey

A Harry Potter-Themed Restaurant

4510 W. Vine Street

Kissimmee, Florida 34746

1.) How did you find out about The Great Hall?

___Newspaper ___Word of Mouth ___Brochure ___Radio Ad ___Billboard

___Social Media ___At The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ___Mailings

___Other--Please specify:______________________________________________

2.) On a scale of 1 to 5, how was your overall dining experience? (5 indicates an exceptional experience.)

1 2 3 4 5

3.) Would you return to dine at The Great Hall?

___Yes ___No

4.) Your opinion matters to us! Please provide any feedback about your experience with us.

To be entered to win a free dinner for four, fill out the information below:

Name:_____________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________

Email Address:_________________________ Phone: _______________________

The Great Hall Social Media Plan

Facebook: The main idea for this section of the social media plan will be “Create With Us.” When construction begins of the interior of The Great Hall, pictures will be posted of its progress a few times a week until the restaurants completion. For smaller design decisions, the option to vote for décor will be posted and the audience will have a chance to help “create” the restaurant. This will generate a sense of pride in the audience since they took part in the creation of The Great Hall and ideally will become promoters of “their” work. This will stimulate a word of mouth campaign. Customers should feel as if they have been a part of the company’s vision and actively participated in it.

Those who do not vote or participate in the surveys will still feel as though they witnessed the creation of The Great Hall. It will create a sense of, “wow, I remember when this place was just…” The Great Hall will have gained a new consumer base and strengthened the one that has already been established (Harry Potter fans) due to the success of this campaign.

To enhance the effect of the “Create With Us” idea, there must be constant feedback via Facebook posts and comments. The company will engage in conversation with individuals, creating a sense of intimacy between the two parties.

Twitter: A, “Get to Know Us” theme will take hold of twitter. There will not be one twitter page for the company. Instead, numerous accounts, unique to their users, will represent The Great Hall. In order to avoid deceiving anyone, all of the accounts will be attributed to The Great Hall; meanwhile, each user will portray a different personality with different interests.

Comments will be Harry Potter related, but the users will also make posts on different topics based on the sections they are given (I.E. sports, celebrities, entertainment, technology etc.) The goal with the section is to diversify whom the company is communicating with and to break into new markets.

For example: “Lebron, come play for our Quidditch team!” This post is simple, cute and humorous; there is nothing controversial about it. By posting it, there are now new demographics across the country reading our tweets.

There will be a strict no “advertising” policy in the tweets. The users need to seem like people and not like a company. The goal is to have people relate to the different positive personalities with the business, since this is a main outlet for informal communication with the audience. As with Facebook, conversing with individuals is highly encouraged. Gaining the praise of a few people is more important than spreading information to the masses. One person will speak highly of The Great Hall, whereas the mass message will be forgotten or ignored. The goal is that people will become word of mouth advertisers for The Great Hall without even realizing it.