Colorado's Only Retail Resort
Park Meadows
Littleton, Colo.
Park Meadows opened on August 30, 1996, 14 miles south of Denver and
nestled in the Rocky Mountains. With its copper rooftops, massive stone
fireplaces, wooden cathedral ceilings, overstuffed leather-upholstered
furniture and original artwork, Park Meadows resembles a mountain lodge
more than a traditional shopping center.
The marketing team designed a multimedia grand opening campaign and
celebration that would capture the Park Meadows' experience. However, a
limited budget ($559,711) and rising advertising rates in the third
quarter meant that TV ads would have to be eliminated from the campaign.
The team needed to devise a way to maximize a limited budget, capture the
maximum number of impressions and reach the greatest number of
consumers--all without TV.
OBJECTIVES
1. To develop and implement a strategic marketing plan that
would maximiaze the ad budget and reach over 75% of women in the region
an average of 11.2 times.
2. To negotiate media buys to achieve 5.8 million gross impressions in
print, 300 gross rating points per week with radio and #75 in
transit.
3. To drive retailers' sales to $2 a square foot ($1.5 million) on
opening day and $7 a square foot ($4.2 million) by the close of grand
opening weekend.
4. To drive traffic counts to 400,000 visitors during the four-day
opening celebration.
5. To generate $3 million in media coverage through public relations.
IMPLEMENTATION
To replace the impact of TV ads, Park Meadows marketing team devised a
strategic public relations plan that would complement a program of
newsprint, radio and transit ads and the Internet.
Four months before the opening (scheduled for Labor Day weekend), the PR
campaign went into swing, with the team giving more than 200 hard-hat
tours and supplying the media with details of every unique, newsworthy
element related to building the center. The media embraced every story
idea. Coverage on front pages and during prime time news shows lay the
foundation for Park Meadows' grand opening for months.
In August, advertising went into newsprint, radio, transit and on the
Internet. All grand-opening elements spotlighted the Park Meadows'
design, new-to-the-market retailers and large-format retail concepts,
along with Colorado-based themes.
The opening ceremony was based on "America the Beautiful," the poem
(later set to music) that was written in Colorado in the 1800s and whose
words are incorporated into the center court's rotunda. Events included
the presentation of the flags by the U.S. Air Force Academy Color Guard,
a performance of "America the Beautiful" by the Colorado Children's
Chorale and a local gospel singer and the release of 5,000 butterflies.
When Park Meadows' doors opened, the first 5,000 guests received gift
bags filled with merchandise, coupons and posters contributed by
retailers and valued at more than $410,000. All the bags were distributed
in less than 10 minutes. A gift-with-purchase incentive awarded those
spending $400 in one day of the opening celebrations with a Park Meadows
sweatshirt.
RESULTS
Together, newprint and radio ads reached 82% of women in the market 15.4
times. The strategic media buy achieved 13 million gross impressions in
newsprint, 950 gross rating points in radio and #75 in transit. The Web
site received 35,000 hits, 279 requests for credit-card applications, 100
employment applications and hundreds of e-mails that provided valuable
feedback.
More than 450,000 shoppers visited the center during grand-opening
weekend; they spent $2.55 a square foot ($1.5 million) on opening day and
$9.13 a square foot ($6.7 million) by the end of the wekend, exceeding
goals by 28% and 30%, respectively.
The public relations plan enhanced the marketing budget by 1,008%,
achieving $5.8 million in publicity. More than 300 million people heard
about Park Meadows through 7,898 inches of print coverage, 68 radio news
spots and 301 TV news stories.
The gift-with-purchase stimulated more than $462,000 in specialty-store
sales, and the average customer receipt was $462, 16% higher than
required.
CREDIT
Owned and managed by: TrizecHahn Centers
Professional recognition to: Janet Beaudry, CMD, marketing
director; Alberta Davidson, SCMD, vice president, corporate marketing;
Pam Schenck, SCSM, SCMD, general manager; Jill Lais, assistant marketing
director.
EXPENSES
| Donations to nonprofit groups | $10,792 |
| Entertainment | 6,380 |
| Gift bags | 2,816 |
| Advertising | 559,712 |
| Total | $579,700 |
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