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K.H. Jones Communications 4423 Tidewater Drive, Orlando FL, 32812

Strategic Communications Plan

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Table of Contents

Context………………………………………………………….……Page 3

Goals & Objectives……………………………………………..Page 7

Target Audience………………………………………………….Page 8

Message Platform……………………………………………..Page 10

Strategy & Tactics……………………………………………..Page 12

Implementation………………………………………………..Page 15

Evaluation…………………………………………………………Page 18

Bibliography……………………………………………………..Page 19

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Context

By being the only major professional sports franchise in a young city like

Orlando, there are tremendous opportunities available for the Orlando Magic. Over

the past 24 seasons that Magic have become a well-respected organization in the

Central Florida community, as a communications firm we are aiming to expand on

what is already a successful and prosperous franchise. Although the Magic have

deep roots in the Orlando-area, the team has yet to create a rabid and sustainable

fan base that will stick with the franchise through the peaks and valleys. This is

evident through decrease ticket sales and a sizeable reduction in TV viewership,

according to ESPN and Fox Sports. As a communications firm, our goal is to

uniquely target a largely untapped portion of the fan base in order build this

sustainable fan base that will grow with the young Magic roster for years to come.

In 2010, the Orlando Magic franchise and the city of Orlando completed the

construction of the $480 million Amway Center in downtown Orlando. This year,

the franchise was valued at $470 dollars by Forbes, meaning that there is a fairly

large amount of money that could potentially be available for this campaign. The

Magic are led by CEO Alex Martins, who acts not only in a management role but

also as the team’s primary spokesperson. Recently Rob Hennigan was hired to be

the next General Manager of the Magic, the youngest in league history according

to NBA.com, and Jacque Vaughn was hired to be the newest Magic coach.

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The Orlando Magic is entering its 25th year as a franchise in the National

Basketball Association. Over the past two and a half decades the Magic have had

great success on the court, winning two Eastern Conference titles and six division

championships, according to NBA.com. But this past season the team suffered,

after losing franchise centerpiece Dwight Howard, the Magic charted to the worst

record in the entire NBA. Not far removed from being a championship contender

for many years, the sudden downturn in on-court performance has certainly made

an impact in every aspect of the Orlando Magic organization. The team then traded

away the most liked player on the team in J.J. Redick, for a collection of players

that few recognized. The Magic played so poorly last year many members in the

national media and even in the local fan base accused the team of “tanking” -

deliberately losing in order to get the best possible draft selection. However, the

team has done everything in their power to stock up on young, talented players,

gearing up for a rebuilding period. New fan favorites are already emerging with the

likes of Tobias Harris, Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic.

Recently another sports team has been scheduled to enter the sports scene in

Orlando. The Orlando City Lions Soccer Club was just announced as a new team

that will join Major League Soccer, the fifth largest sports leave in the United

States, in late 2015, according the MLS.com. While the Magic and Lions have

fully supported one another thus far, the excitement and buzz the Lions have

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created has taken some buzz away from the Magic. Although, the presence of

another professional sports franchise will likely bring more attention to the Central

Florida area, helping the Magic.

The primary social media platforms that the Orlando Magic make use of

have a significant amount of followers - the team’s official Twitter account has

over 1.1 million followers, the team has over 1.9 million fans on Facebook, over

125,000 “+1’s” on Google+ and they have over 33,000 Instagram followers. These

numbers place the Magic near the top in the league, even with the worst record in

the Association last year. With all this being noted, it is safe to say the Orlando

Magic have already gained a solid foothold in social media.

The Magic’s audience is creating a mass amount of content on their own.

There are a large amount of Orlando Magic bloggers constantly putting out media.

Most of the discussion between the Magic’s audiences is good-natured and serves

as a way that the team can bring attention to themselves. The brand does actively

interact with fans in a positive way, often retweeting or commenting at fans that

make positive comments about upcoming events or boost the brand, but could

afford to do much more. Below is an example of their fan interaction.

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Some interesting information that will also likely have an effect on our

audience is that about 25 percent of the almost 100,000 households in the Orlando

area have children under the age of 18, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This

leaves our initiative with roughly 25,000 families to target in the area.

Furthermore, This past seasons ticket highlights were as follows: 2,500 seats

priced at $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced at $40 or less and 10,000 seats priced at

$50 or less, according to orlandomagic.com.

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Goal and Objectives

The overarching goal of our entire Strategic Communications Plan is to

create a sustainable and vibrant fan base for the Orlando Magic.

I. The initial objective of the campaign is to restore the Orlando Magic to a

listed average of 18,846 fans per game, 100% of the Amway Center filled per

home game, by the 2014-2015 season. By working towards accomplishing this

objective, we can constantly track a conclusive indicator of the progression or

regression of the fan base. Plus, we have access to attendance reports of each home

game immediately following the contests on NBA.com.

II. Another objective our communications plan is aiming to achieve is to

restore Central Florida TV ratings back to where they were during the 2010-2011

season by the end of the 2014-2015 season. An average of 15,500 people, who

have the channel in their cable lineup, in the Central Florida area were viewing

Magic games last season, we would like that number to return to over 33,000 by

the end of next season. Aside from actual game attendance, TV ratings are the

most direct way we can get a read on the size Magic’s current fan base. These

figures can be accessed throughout the year on sportsbusinessdaily.com, allowing

us to easily track progress.

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III. The final objective for our Communications Plan is to increase the

proportion of Magic merchandise sold that are children sizes, both online and at

the game. By tracking this objective we can get a better idea of the demographic

that is attending the games and how many children’s items are being sold on the

OrlandoMagic.com store. By the end of the 2014-2015 we expect a 15% increase

in kid’s items sold both at the game and online. We can track this statistic by

taking inventory after every home game and constantly recording data from the

team’s website.

Target Audience

The primary audience that our communications plan will be targeting is

young families in the Central Florida area. Primarily, local families who have kids

that are currently in grade school. This audience is consists of a very young unit of

potential fans as well as parents. By appealing a brand new generation we can

create a young fan base that is designed to last and grow over the ebbs and flows of

the team. Especially with younger fans that are less aware to the quality of play on

the court and are more likely to attend and participate in sports based on other

factors. When Michigan State University asked boys and girls ages 10 to 13 why

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they played sports none of the top five reasons given had to do with winning,

according to activeforlife.com. This is very advantageous for the Magic as the

study shows winning in sports is of little importance to younger fans.

We want the children to push their parents to attend Magic games, watch the

games on TV and to buy Magic merchandise. Kids crave having fun, thus we want

to demonstrate how much fun a Magic game can be. Because over 18% of the

population in Orlando is made up of kids under the age of 14, according to

AreaConnect, there is a significant portion of the community that will be receptive.

In addition, parents are more likely to act if we provide them cost-saving ways to

enjoy Magic games. We also are providing parents an opportunity for the family to

spend time together.

In order to best impact our target audience we want to take ideas from

another brand that already engages our target crowd - Disney. Walt Disney World

has been marketing effectively towards families since its inception in 1971. Based

on Disney’s communications strategies, we must focus on convincing families that

Magic games are a memorable family event that can entice the whole family. By

making this known to our target audience we can sway them to participate in a

Magic game.

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Adults are the target audience that we are aiming to effect, and over three-

fourths of them are actively using social media. In social media, stratification of

age has remained relatively the same for the past 8 years; there has been

significantly higher usage by adults from the age of 18-29. But for the first

recorded time in December 2012, this demographics’ overall social media usage

rate decreased from 92% to 83%. This has become a trend as every demographic

dropped its social media usage at the end of last year except for one, 30-49 year

olds, who increased from 73% to 77%, according to Pew Research Center. With a

fine-tuned strategy we can seamlessly communicate with a majority of our target

audience.

Message Platform

Attending an Orlando Magic game is the most invaluable activity a family

can partake in around the Central Florida area.

Few events bring people together like sports, the Orlando Magic are

offering Central Florida families a chance to pursue a common goal and share a

sense of belief in a team. When I was younger, my father and I would attend about

30 Magic games a year. Our experiences strengthened our relationship like no

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other activity could, as we continuously got to partake in a changing narrative.

Sports serve as a way that families can collectively create life-long memories.

Orlando Magic basketball also appeals to all members of the family in a

variety of ways. Many activities that families commonly partake in satisfy either

the kids or the adults, but rarely both. With professional basketball, both the

parents and the children can gain something unique and satisfying from the

experience. For adults, they get to experience the many amenities of coming to the

hyper-advanced Amway Center. Children get to marvel at superhero-like men as

they participate in the activity they are exceptional at. Magic games are different

from most Orlando attractions as they provide total family satisfaction.

A report by the American College of Sports Medicine showed that students

who exercised “vigorously” tended to be more successful in school. Additionally,

the report stated that the majority of “vigorous” activity takes place outside of

school, by playing team sports such as basketball. These sports also “improve

motor skills, increase self-esteem and foster cooperation and teamwork.” With the

litany of obvious benefits seen by this study, parents, concerned with the health of

their children, need to encourage their kids to generate a love of basketball and

exercise by believing in their hometown team.

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Young families in the Central Florida area should develop and amass a sense

of pride in their one and only professional sports franchise, through attending and

viewing Magic games.

Strategy and Tactics

In order to build a sustainable and loyal fan base in the Central Florida area,

the project will be geared to directly impacting young families in the community,

by creating lasting bonds with the children and providing cost-efficient offers to

adults.

I. In order to directly impact younger students, the Orlando Magic will

partner with a local construction company to build basketball courts for selected

public schools across the area. With the help of volunteers, a few Magic staff and

the experience of the construction company, these courts will be built efficiently.

While the Magic already is in the community building playgrounds in less

fortunate areas, we want to target the middle class schools. With the thinking that

these students have parents that are more likely to attend games. The courts would

be decorated with Magic logos and colors, so to serve as both an advertisement and

functional play area for kids. With the building of these courts we would be able to

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have the Magic logo seen by kids of that particular school for years. Additionally,

we would advertise this project as yet another way that the Orlando Magic give

back to the Central Florida community.

II. In order to attract kids currently in school we will send two Magic

players, Stuff the mascot and the relevant liaison staff, to qualified schools across

the area, schools qualify based on FCAT scores and application. Kids in that

school that have an exceptionally high GPA or perfect attendance will be given a

chance to have lunch and enjoy recess with the Magic players. The event would be

about an hour long and would consist of the Magic players hosting a basketball

clinic on the new basketball court. By doing this we would aim to instill a very

young group of kids with a sense of pride for the team or specific players, as they

would now know at least two players at the game or on TV. Even if the team isn’t

playing well the kids would still recognize and feel a sense of possession over one

or two players.

III. The third tactic is to target the adults in each of these families by

offering expanded Orlando Magic Family Nights. While there is already is a

Family Night offered by the Magic, we would look to revamp them. For 10

weeknight games, against some of the lower tier NBA teams, we will offer one

child ticket (obtained with a grade school ID) free with the purchase of a full-price

adult ticket. This is would offer an affordable way for families to take their kids to

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the game, and also allow the Magic organization to press for a sell out in games

that often have low attendance. While the families would not get the greatest seats

in the Amway Center, they would give their children a chance to experience all the

amenities that come with attending a live game at the arena. This is a radical idea

that the Magic have never attempted, it would breathe new life in the concept of a

family night and would be a more effective approach than just offering two

discounted tickets.

IV. Another tactic to directly impact adults with children will be to increase

advertising in specific areas that adults with kids regularly pass through. This

would require billboards put up in areas around grocery stores and school zones.

All of these billboards will solicit the upcoming Magic Family Nights in order to

quickly educate our target audience on the new program we are installing. Also,

use 30 original commercials to be aired during Magic games promoting Magic

Family Night.

V. A final tactic will be to partner with Walt Disney World and offer special

ticket packages. Disney has long made an effort to attract local residents to

purchase tickets for their parks in Central Florida, as seen by their discounted

Florida resident prices. Disney also provides a reputable that the Magic can pair up

with to boost its reputation with young families. This pairing makes Orlando

Magic games seem like a more of a viable option for young families seeking

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entertainment. The Magic can provide Disney with an easy way to increase local

attendance by constructing a package that consists of two Disney tickets and two

Magic tickets for a discounted rate to Orlando-area customers.

Implementation

This project is a two-season, 18-month plan that would start on November 1,

2013 and conclude on May 1, 2015.

November 2013:

Select the first six schools that will receive basketball courts and host a

clinic.

Build the first basketball court at local area school and host player meet

and greet

Family Nights: Milwaukee Bucks, Nov. 13; Phoenix Suns, Nov. 24;

Philadelphia 76ers, Nov. 27

Design and rent 4 “Magic Family Night” billboards throughout town.

Start Disney ticket package campaign

December 2013

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Build basketball court and host player meet and greet

Family Nights: Utah Jazz, Dec. 18; Atlanta Hawks, Dec. 29

January 2014

Build basketball court and host player meet and greet

Family Night: Charlotte Bobcats, Jan. 17

February 2014

Build basketball court and host player meet and greet

Family Night: Detroit Pistons, Feb. 5

March 2014

Build basketball court and host player meet and greet

Family Night: Portland Trailblazers, March 25

April 2014

Select next six schools that will receive a basketball court

Build basketball court and host player meet and greet

Family Night: Cleveland Cavaliers, April 2; Washington Wizards, April

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May 2014 – April 2015

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Build new basketball court monthly, select six final schools to receive

courts

Host 10 more family nights during the 2014-2015 season

Conclude Disney ticket plan

Take down Magic billboards

18 basketball courts………………………………………………….…….$180,000

$3,000 for two hoops $5,000 for concrete $2,000 for labor

4 Magic Family Night billboards up for 18 months…………….……….….$72,000

Cost of reduced ticket price during “Family Night”……………………….$100,000

Loss of $5/ ticket estimate 20,000 tickets sold over 20 games

20 Magic Family Night commercials…………………………………..….$150,000

TOTAL……………………………………………………………….…$502,000

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Evaluation

After the Orlando Magic complete the 2014-2015 we will conduct the final

evaluation of our entire Strategic Communications Plan. First off we will take a

look what the average attendance was for the 2014-2015 season, if the team

reached an average of 100% attendance for the last half of the season then we can

deem that portion of our objectives to be satisfied.

Secondly, we will take a look at where the local TV viewership stands for

Magic games and how it ranks with the rest of the NBA’s teams. If the average

number of viewers exceed 33,000 for at least the second half of the 2014-2015

season then this objective will have been accomplished.

Lastly, by using inventory records and the history of transactions on the

Orlando Magic website, we can track the change in kid’s Magic merchandise that

has been sold over the 2014-2015 season. If merchandise sales go up by at least

15% then this objective will also have been met.

In the scenario that these objectives are met but our larger goal is not

significantly accomplished, but are closed to being satisfied then we will ramp up

our efforts over the course of the next season to meet the objectives – meaning

more courts built, additional advertisements and cheaper ticket discounts. If the

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objectives are not close to being satisfied then we will target a different portion of

the Orlando Magic fan base, such as young adult males.

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