Marketing Your Trail

Lyman Viaduct, Airline Trail South

Marketing
Your Trail
CFPA Winter Trail Workshop
February 1, 2014

Carolyn Hughes
© 2014

Marketing Your Trail

Overview of Today’s Presentation
›  Pre-planning
›  Develop

assessment

your marketing

plan
›  Implement
›  Measure
›  Review

plan

progress

and revise plan

›  Examples:

CT DEEP
Trail Marketing Plan

© Intent Design Group 2014

Bridge out; Farmington Canal Rail Trail

Pre-planning Assessment

Current Conditions?
› 

On the trail itself

› 

How is trail perceived?
›  Online

research
›  Opinion survey

› 

Big picture (statewide,
regionally, nationally)

› 

Within the local
community
Colchester Spur, Airline Trail South


Pre-Planning Assessment

Current Conditions: On the trail

Example: State Park Rail Trails
Ø 

Underutilized

Ø 

New users confused
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 

Ø 

Ø 

where are trails?
how to access them?
Where does trail
continue at road
crossings?
where am I on the
trail right now?
where to park?


Where the heck is the trail?
Road Crossing, Larkin State Park Trail

Pre-Planning Assessment
Current Conditions

Big Picture
›  Economic
›  Demographic
›  Cultural
›  Technology
›  Political

Wetland, Airline Trail North

Current Conditions: Big Picture

Economic
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 

Economic engines
Stay-cations
Good gym alternative($$)

Demographics
Ø 

Active Boomers retiring

Cultural
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 

Eco-tourism
Healthy living
Alternate transportation
networks

Technological
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 

GPS
Mobile Devices
There’s an APP for that!


Sometimes the best things
in life really are free!


How people
Learn about
Outdoor
Recreation
Opportunities

Source: CT SCORP 2005-2010



Reasons why
people don’t
use recreation
facilities

Source: CT SCORP 2005-2010


Current Conditions: Locally

Assessment: S.W.O.T. (brainstorming exercise)
›  Strengths
›  Weaknesses
›  Opportunities
›  Threats

Lyman Viaduct, Airline Trail South


Examples: State Rail Trail S.W.O.T.

Strengths
› 
› 

Tremendous
resource-all ages
Attract people
from all over the
world

Weaknesses
› 
› 

Lack of visibility
Lack of info, signs

Opportunities
› 
› 
› 

Parking
Amenities
linkages

Threats
› 
› 

Information kiosk/picnic area/trailhead
Airline Trail North, Pomfret

Illegal uses
Insufficient funds for maintenance



What can people
do on your trail?


Develop Your Plan

Developing a Plan
›  What

is your (geographic)
market?

›  Who

is your competition?

›  What

is your audience?

›  What

does your target
audience need?


Shooting a promotional video,
Airline Trail North

Develop Your Plan

Geographic Market*

Examples: State Park Rail Trails
Airline Trail: Official Rail to Trail
designation means this has a national
and potentially global market
Larkin Trail: Primarily in-state; also
NY-CT-Mass for weekend getaways
Moosup: Multi-state and regional;
Part of National Heritage Corridor
Hop River: in-state; pending links with
Airline Trail will make it of broader
interest

*Will help determine how broadly you
will need to advertise

Airline Trail South, Colchester

Develop Your Plan

Audience

State Residents
Residents who live near trails—daily or weekly use year round.
Can include teens and adults of varying fitness levels and
activity types including those interested in handicap
accessible outdoor recreation opportunities, and families with
children
State residents in general—as a destination for weekend or
vacation use; may use only a short section of a trail at a time
for day use.
Whole-Trail Users: People interested in using the trail as the
main route for their itinerary to knit together a rich experience
taking advantage of historical and natural resources and
cultural opportunities along the route. Day, weekend or longer
excursions possible.


Develop Your Plan

Audience

Visitors from Out of State
Tourists: Destination for weekend or vacation
use, who may use only a short section of the trail
for day use;
Whole-Route Users: People interested in using the
trail as the main route for their itinerary to knit
together a rich experience taking advantage of
historical and natural resources and cultural
opportunities along the route.

Develop Your Plan

Audience Needs

All users
1.  Safe, clean, well maintained trails
2.  Adequate, identifiable parking with signage
3.  Information Kiosks, including trail map, who to
call if there is a problem, information on
nearest aid stations for help and other
support services.
Desirable Amenities
1.  Sanitary facilities, especially in areas that are
far from services
2.  Benches at regular intervals to rest upon

Develop Your Plan

Message

Develop Marketing Messages
Targeted to specific audiences
Different audiences require different messages
depending on:

Age
Ø  Physical fitness levels
Ø  Family versus individuals
Ø  Type of activity
Ø  Length and type of trip they are interested in
Ø  How much time they have to spend
Ø 


Develop Your Plan

A Brand is a Promise

Branding
consistent use
of branding materials

›  Marketing

NN

AR

statement

O
AC

›  Brand

K

›  Clear,

ECT

ICUT

E
S TAT

P

messages
This new logo will establish the look and feel
for all State Park Rail Trail marketing
materials.


Develop Your Plan
A Brand is a Promise

Sample Brand Statement
Connecticut's State Park Rail Trails are:
Ø 

a network of multi-use trails for non-motorized recreational
activities

Ø 

that link together diverse communities,

Ø 

providing endless opportunities for year-round use,

Ø 

whether it is a half hour walk or an intense training run, a halfday bike ride, or a leisurely weekend- or week-long tour from
end to end,

Ø 

with plenty of stops along the way to savor all that the state
has to offer.


Develop Your Plan
Marketing Messages

Developing Effective Messages
Professional marketers conduct:
›  Extensive original market research
›  Focus Groups for each stage of process
›  A/B testing
You can:
›  Test with your own employees, volunteers, friends who
don't typically use trails
›  Adjust based on feedback before launching marketing
efforts
DEEP:
›  Showing rough cut of new promotional video as it evolves
to whoever comes into the studio. About 20 - 30 people
have seen it to date.
›  The reactions of early viewers are telling us we are
achieving what we set out to do: promote the trail,
inspire people to visit.

Develop Your Plan

The Devil is in the Details

Developing a plan
›  Goals
›  Objectives
›  Strategies—be sure

to address the issues,
challenges & opportunities
identified in your
pre-planning assessment
View from Airline Trail

Develop Your Plan
Goals and Objectives

Goal
Increase awareness and use of State Park Rail
Trails; deliver high quality user experience.
Objectives
›  Inform citizens how to find and safely use State
Park Rail Trails.
›  Protect the environment in which state park rail
trails are located
›  Inspire outdoor activity
›  Increase support for and encourage
stewardship of state park rail trails

Develop Your Plan
Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1:
›  Inform citizens how to find and safely use State
Park Rail Trails.
Strategies
ALL written and visual design elements; colors,
›  Branding: fonts, materials, etc….
›  Mapping
›  Signage
›  Web Portal
›  Safety
S.M.A.R.T. Specific~Measurable~Action-oriented~Realistic~Time-sensitive

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Maps
Ø 

Printed

Ø 

Information kiosks
at trail-heads

Ø 

Electronic/online

Ø 

APPs for trip planning;
send to device

Ø 

QR codes to access
info from trail

Ø 

Interactive kiosks


Map/Kiosk, Airline Trail South

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Parking

What to avoid--if at
all possible

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Signage
Ø  Signage

plan

Ø  Avoid

sign
pollution


Highly visible sign; shows allowable uses

Develop Your Plan
Strategies

Signage
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 

Direct people from roads to
trail
Visible locational Signs
Parking/No parking
Map/information kiosk
Gateway
Trail etiquette
Allowable uses
What’s not allowed
Mile markers
Mileage from one access
point to the next
Pedestrian crossing
From trail to nearby
attractions
Names of roads trails cross
Interpretive educational
Exercise stations


Interpretive sign, Airline Trail South

The Air Line Trail

The Lyman Viaduct

A Connecticut Greenway, State Linear Park and Multipurpose Trail for non-motorized users

In 1912, in order to support the increased
weight of more modern trains, the Lyman
and Rapallo trestle bridges were filled to
create the viaducts that still stand today.

Highly visible; shows allowable uses
Culverts were constructed beneath the
bridges to carry the river's waters, and
then hopper car after hopper car full of
fine sand were pulled on to the structures
and their contents dumped. Over 20
months, two massive ridges of sand were
built up from the floor of the valleys until
the iron bridges disappeared under the
fill.

When the iron work was covered,
another foot of cinders was laid
and compacted on to the surface
of the fill to hold it in place. New
tracks were then placed over the
final layer.
The iron work was covered on
both viaducts until the early
1980s when a sewer line was laid
along the route, exposing it for
the first time in 70 years.

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Website
Ø 

Maps

Ø 

Trail description

Ø 

Virtual tour

Ø 

Trip planning
information

Ø 

Interactive tools

Ø 

Videos


Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Web Portal
Ø  Mix of large to small-scale maps
Ø  Interactive tools (trip planning, audio
tours, videos etc…)
Ø  Up to date info on trail status/surfaces
Ø  Trail news/events
Ø  How to get involved
Ø  Safety info
Bridge out; Farmington Canal Rail Trail

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Media Outlets
Ø  T.V./Radio
Ø  Newspapers/magazines
Ø  Books/guides
Ø  Brochures
Ø  Mail inserts
Ø  Posters
Ø  Social Media: Facebook,
Pinterest, Blog, YouTube,
local online news sites,
etc…
Ø  Community Centers
Ø  Sporting goods stores
Ø  Newsletters of affinity groups
Farmington Canal Rail Trail

Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Social Media
Ø 

Research what outlets your target audiences use

Ø 

Start with only one or two outlets that make sense for
your target market (e.g. Facebook, YouTube)

Ø 

Commit to your Social Media efforts; use it consistently.

Ø 

Create an annual Social Media marketing calendar.
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 

Ø 

when will you advertise events?
what seasonal changes will you highlight and when?
what messages are most appropriate/needed and when?
e.g. safety messages at the change of season, when
various hunting seasons begin, etc…
will you post about wildlife sightings? peak leaf viewing?
salamander migration?


Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Social Media
Ø  Map out your strategy.
Ø  Stick to it. You won’t look professional if your page posts
are 2 years old.
Ø  If not using it, take it down.
Ø  Better to do a few things well than try to be all things to all
people.


Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Ø  Contests/competitions
Ø  Adopt-a-spot
Ø  Geo-caching
Ø  Trail

passport
Ø  Events
Ø  Collaboration


Develop Your Plan

Strategies

Examples: Various Trail Organizations
› 

CFPA: Video series—Tales from the Trail and other
promotional videos.

› 

NET: Facebook page; virtual tour through Google
Maps, artist in residence.

› 

State Park Rail Trails: Beginning a series of marketing
videos

› 

ECG: Requires you to sign in to access cue sheets,
then uses the email addresses to send an e-newsletter


Develop Your Plan

Objectives and Strategies = the “What”

How will it all get done?
› Who?
› When?
› Where?
› Funding

source(s)?

Be as specific as possible.
Specific strategies are much more likely to
get implemented than vague ones.

Measure Success
Develop Your Plan

How will you know you are
making progress?
Develop a set of metrics to help measure
the success of your marketing efforts:
Ø  Website

hits
Ø  # active volunteers
Ø  # people attending events
Ø  Media hits (traditional and “new” media)
Ø  Survey responses
Ø  # trail users
Ø  Other?
Include the measurement indicators in your written marketing plan.

Implementation

Implement Your Plan


Marketing Your Trail

Review/Revise Marketing Plans
Every three to five years
Ø  Quick review of what’s changed
since the last plan
Ø  New

opportunities?
Ø  New issues/challenges?
Ø  New communications/marketing tools
available
Ø  New partners

Thank you!

Happy Trails!

Hop River State Park Trail

Thank You!

Need help?
Contact us about developing your marketing plan or any of
your other planning and communications needs

Strategy ~ Facilitation ~ Branding ~ Design ~ Content
Website: www.intentdesigngroup.com
Email: carolyn@intentdesigngroup.com
Look for us on Facebook!

Marketing Your Trail

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