Mobile Media Marketing Plan

College of Mount St. Joseph Athletics

Alicia DelCupp SPMG 595

-Executive SummaryIn an attempt to increase engagement and maximize exposure for the College of Mount St. Joseph Athletics, the following plan outlines a project to create and maintain a catalog of mobile applications to be used in marketing efforts by each sports team. As an intern for the football department I created a mobile application that can be utilized in a variety of ways, mainly to reach a wider audience in recruiting efforts and make information regarding the football program easily accessible. I believe that each individual program would see value in having a mobile application to integrate into their marketing efforts. Currently, MSJ Athletics marketing efforts are focused heavily in the tri-state area. Mobile applications allow MSJ to increase exposure by offering a product that is simple to use and has the potential to reach a number of people that MSJ does not currently market to. The mobile industry is growing rapidly, and over 98 million people in the US have smartphones. Surprisingly, not many schools have attempted to utilize this industry in their marketing. While different sports programs may have social media pages and a presence on the internet, many are not mobile friendly. An application can integrate this information in a way that makes it easy to access from Android or Apple products, two mobile platforms that account for 75% of the smartphone industry. Applications would be produced and maintained through resources offered online by Conduit Mobile. Conduit is a technology solutions company with over 250 million users worldwide. Conduit offers over 18 different features and options that utilize a range of online media such as RSS feeds, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, YouTube, etc. Each team has the opportunity to choose which features they want, making each application unique. The best part about Conduit Mobile is that they do the application coding for you. Building the applications requires moderate to advanced technical skills, but potentially anyone can learn to do it. Conduit allows you to easily make changes and update your application directly from their website. The cost to produce and maintain these applications ranges, but a majority if not all would cost $29/ month, or about $360/ year per application. This cost would come out of each programs budget, but they always have the option to come up with alternative funding options, such as getting the application sponsored by a local business. The distribution of the application can easily be integrated into each programs current marketing efforts. QR codes can be produced for each, which allow smartphone users to scan the code and be taken directly to the mobile market place to download the application. These codes can be posted at campus events, or attached to email signatures. Although the presence of colleges in mobile markets is relatively new, I believe that the College of Mount. St. Joseph can increase their presence as a leader among Division III athletics with mobile applications. Through this marketing effort, the hope is that a wider range of potential students and student athletes can be reached, while increasing overall support for each sports team and the school in general.

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-Environmental FactorsInternal Environment Organization Background The College of Mount St. Joseph was originally established by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1920 as an all-womens catholic college. Due to the growth of student enrollment, the college was formally declared a private coeducational institution in 1986 MSJ is a NCAA Division III school, and part of the HCAC (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference), fielding 22 sports teams Most athletic facilities have been renovated or established in the last 15 years, and these additions played a role in the school transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA Division III in 1998 The MSJ football program was established in 1990 and, in the last eight years, the program has been HCAC champions four times (04, 05, 06, 09) The football Head Coach, Rod Huber, has been with the program since its inception and the program has an established coaching staff Products MSJ offers 39 undergraduate degree programs and nine graduate programs There are 22 NCAA Division III sports teams and nine intramural teams for students to get involved with While MSJ does not offer full scholarships, almost all athletes (and students in general) receive some scholarship money External Environment Markets Biggest target market for students and student athletes is the greater tri-state area (KY, OH, and IN) Recruiting efforts are focused heavily in the tri-state area, however football is working to include more states in their recruiting plans Competitive Environment Professional teams Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Reds (depending on post-season play) College teams University of Cincinnati Xavier University Thomas More College Northern Kentucky University High School teams Oak Hills Elder Colerain Page | 3

St. Xavier Harrison Economic Environment According to the US Census Bureau, the average household income in the tri-state area was $50,395 from 2006- 2010 Per NCAA Division III rules, a students participation in athletics cannot be considered in the assessment or awarding of financial assistance 93% of undergraduate students receive some type of financial aid from MSJ, and the average full time freshman receives $16,851 in aid Average tuition for the 2012- 2013 academic year is approximately $32,000 Demographic Environment 65% women, 35% men enrolled 80% White, 9% Black or African American, 2% Hispanic/Latino, 1% two or more races and 7% race/ethnicity unknown Social and Cultural Environment MSJ is a Catholic institution Campus Ministry plays a major role in the culture at MSJ MSJ offers a diverse selection of campus activities and organizations for students to get involved with The city of Cincinnati offers a multitude of activities for students, and is a centralized location for all of the surrounding colleges Political and Legal Environment Any recruiting efforts and attempts to reach a wider audience must be compliant with MSJ rules and the NCAA Division III Rulebook The mobile applications will consolidate information that is already posted on the internet, therefore the apps will be in compliance with both MSJ and NCAA Division III rules Technological Environment MSJ currently utilizes a variety of online resources to market the school such as: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn YouTube School produced webpages The campus is Wi-Fi enabled, ensuring that students have the ability to be connected to the internet on their laptops, mobile devices and tablets at all times MSJ offers majors in Interactive Media Design and Computing and Web and Mobile Informatics, both of which could be utilized in producing and/or maintaining the mobile apps

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-S.W.O.T. Analysis-

Strengths Leader among D3 schools by name, strong local following MSJ is a Nike school, football warm-ups are Jordan branded Very little competition from other programs in mobile media market places, offer a product different than other college sports apps (most are just score updates and schedules, not comprehensive for the program) Offering a free product that anyone with a smartphone or tablet has access to Ability to reach a wide audience and variety of people Already have a strong social media presence Weaknesses Dont have the presence that bigger schools have Marketing resources are limited compared to larger organizations Not all programs have the same budget or ability to increase marketing efforts Other major programs with sports apps ( O State, Syracuse) Opportunities Ability to reach a wider audience and increase awareness Greater interaction on social media by current players Opportunity to be a leader among DIII schools Increase exposure may aid in future transition to NCAA DII Increase school and sports programs knowledge outside of the tri-state area Threats No way to ensure people keep app installed Cost to smaller programs Programs who may not want to participate Inconsistencies in app maintenance due to lack of man power in certain programs Information updated in app may violate NCAA Division III recruiting rules Bad seasons may reduce interest in program

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-Marketing ObjectiveCreate and maintain a catalog of mobile applications for the College of Mount St. Joseph Athletic Department to maximize exposure and increase engagement among current and potential recruits, players, their families and fans of MSJ sports in general.

Why Mobile Media? In 2011, there were 835 million smartphone users worldwide In the US alone, there are 98 million smartphone subscribers, representing nearly 42% of all US mobile users Global internet usage will more than double by 2015, and a majority of these users will be mobile 64% of mobile phone time is spent on apps Adults spend more media time on mobile than newspapers and magazines combined Android and Apple represent more than 75% of the smartphone market Mobile internet usage is projected to overtake desktop internet usage by 2014

The graph below (from a study done by Noel- Levitz on The Mobile Browsing Behaviors and Expectations of College- Bound High School students) shows the social media usage among high school students and how they access this media:

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-Marketing Strategies-

Target Market Recruits and their families Currently, MSJ football reaches out to recruits primarily through email and SMS, directing them to various online pages and social media associated with the program. Frequently, the email address or phone number on file for the recruit is that of a parent or guardian, and the information contained in the email may never reach the recruit. By offering a solution that ties all the online outlets into one app, the information can more easily be conveyed to not only the parents but the recruit as well The app will give recruits something tangible from the school recruiting them, which may make the program stand out from others that are interested in the player. It also gives the recruit a convenient way to stay up to date and involved with the program on a daily basis Current Students/ Student Athletes MSJ students can follow sports teams and be better informed about the program and upcoming events Current players can promote the app to their friends and family as a way to stay connected to the program Alumni/ Program Donors/ Supporters Gives alumni an easy way to stay connected to their alma mater Allows program donors to follow the team their giving their money to Supporters of the programs will be able to stay up to date with everything involving the team Provides maps and other important information that is easily accessible for visitors to MSJ

Product A sport specific mobile application that can be utilized in that programs marketing efforts Hosted by Conduit mobile, a technology solutions company with over 250 million users worldwide Easy to use interface that requires no coding knowledge, however, moderate to advanced technical skills and great attention to detail are required for a professional looking application to be produced Ability to send out push notifications to everyone who has the application installed- immediately send information to users in real time

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Application feature options:

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Example App: MSJ Football

Splash Page

Home screen

Schedule

Facebook

Twitter

Game Day photos

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YouTube Channel

2012 Football Guide

Map and Directions

Recent News

About Us

Contact Us

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Price Cost to consumer Promote as a free product Have the option to charge per download, however, will probably be more effective offered as a free app Developers fees Required in order to be able to submit application to mobile markets Android: $25 one-time fee Apple: $99 annual fee Conduit hosting cost Gold membership: $29/ month to host app: up to 5k downloads Most flexible option $29 x 12 mos.= approx. $360/ year cost to each specific sports program Unlimited push notifications- convey information to app users instantly Membership cost is per application Additional Conduit pricing options:

App sponsorship Offer app sponsorship opportunities to current and potential business partners Cost: $360 for one year of sponsorship (covers app hosting fee for program) Company name and logo on splash screen (main app loading screen that appears every time the app is initially opened) One push notification per home game, one per month in the off season Name recognition during home game announcements Page | 11

Promotion App can be promoted in a variety of ways using resources MSJ already has, such as: Facebook Twitter YouTube Webpages Each program can promote the app in emails that are sent out to recruits Current players can promote app to their friends and family Promotion efforts can easily be integrated into what MSJ currently does The icons below can aid in promotion and distribution of apps:

Android QR Code

Apple QR Code

Place (Distribution) App will be distributed in mobile app markets and will be compatible with the following platforms: Android Mobile Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Distribution will be free unless a specific program decides to charge for their app Apps will be accessible, from app markets, mobile web and from scanning QR codes Apps can be shared with others by the user by sending a text from the app with a download link in a text QR codes can be used at events to give people a direct way to download the app

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-Producing and Maintaining the Applications All applications will be maintained from a general MSJ account on www.mobile.conduit.com Option 1 Applications developed and maintained as part of a class by students whose major is either in Interactive Media Design and Computing or Web and Mobile Informatics Real life experience in their field No additional cost to MSJ Applications will be maintained by a small group of students ensuring that, while all the apps are specific to the sport program, they still look professional and are unified in promoting the MSJ brand overall Option 2 Create an hourly position (or student position/assistantship with tuition reimbursement) to develop and maintain applications Cost effective for MSJ One easy point of contact for each program Creates a sense of ownership in the project Option 3 Contract out the production of applications and have each program maintain their own app Requires MSJ to pay a 3rd party for production, but no additional maintenance costs Position could be filled by an intern, creating additional opportunities for MSJ students Potential for inconsistencies in app maintenance quality if each program manages their own

Given the nature of the project, I believe option 1 or option 2 would be the most effective choices. While no coding knowledge is required to build the apps, a moderate to advanced knowledge of technology and computers is necessary to build a professional looking app. Also, by having only one person or a small group of people maintain the apps it will be easier to make sure apps are compliant and somewhat uniform. If option 3 is utilized, there is potential risk that not every app is maintained the same, or maintained at all.

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-Timeline of Events-

Goal is for all applications to be fully functional by beginning of the 2013-2014 seasons (Beginning in August, 2013) 10- 9 months out Athletic department will determine whether participation is required or optional Propose idea to each program, collect list of participating programs Determine which option will be used to produce and maintain applications 8 months out Provide list of application options to each program to determine what each program wants their app to do If using option 1, class will produce applications in the spring and begin maintaining applications in the fall If any program wants to try to get their application sponsored, distribute sponsorship material to potential business partners 7-4 months out Produce applications in order of when the programs season takes place Test compatibility on both Android and Apple mobile platforms (Conduit provides ability to test application as it is built) Use in production test applications to show to potential sponsors Collect money from any application sponsors 3-2 months out Applications reviewed by head coach to ensure Division III rules and MSJ rules are followed Submit applications to market place (through Conduit website) Submission to Android takes up to 48 hours by Conduit, approval by Google can take up to a week Submission to Apple takes up to 48 hours by Conduit, approval by Apple can take up to two weeks Make any changes required by Android or Apple for application to be approved Create marketing material for each application (QR codes, download icons, etc.) 1 month out Notify programs of submission approval, provide them with information necessary to access application on www.mobile.conduit.com, or information to contact the person/people maintaining application Provide marketing materials to each program Begin promotion of applications

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-Sourceshttps://snaphop.com/2012-mobile-marketing-statistics/ www.msj.edu www.msjsports.com www.mobile.conduit.com http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39061.html http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21000.html http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.html http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D313.pdf http://omniupdate.com/assets/whitepapers/pdfs/MobileExpectations.pdf

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