Sports and Entertainment Operations Research
Eisenhower Park
Michael Lu
Strengths and Weaknesses
An overhead view of Eisenhower Park and the surrounding community
Facilities and Accommodations
Recreational Facilities and Spaces
- Nassau County Aquatic Center
- Northwell Health Ice Center
- Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater
- 17 Baseball Fields
- 4 Soccer Fields
- 3 Playgrounds
- 2-Mile Fitness Trail
- Three-18 Hole Golf Courses
- 18-Hole Miniature Golf Course
- 1 Basketball Court
Advantages of Nassau County
Geographic and Socioeconomic Benefits:
- High disposable income
- Major emphasis placed on health and well-being
- Central location within Nassau County
- Proximity to institutions focused on athletics
Current Shortcomings
- Weak online brand presence
- Facebook
- Website
- Minimal Advertising
- Newsday (newspaper)
- Facebook
- Signs
- Lack of community outreach programs exemplifying social responsibility
3 Primary Research Methods
Research Methods and Results
Survey
Objectives:
- Obtain quantitative data on Nassau County Residents' social media use and receptivity to ads for a social media expansion
- Determine public opinion on the park
- Find out how the community believes the park can improve its reputation
1. Survey
Interview
Conducted with the heads of Nassau County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums - Kyle Watson and Michael D'Ambrosio
2. Interview
Provide insight into:
- target demographic
- current advertising techniques
- social media use
- community outreach programs
Interview Findings
- Park mostly visited by the elderly and families
- Utilizes minimal advertising (Facebook, Newsday, signs) and has no target advertising demographic
- Briefly considered using Twitter and Instagram but decided they were limited in scope
- The park sponsors many environmental initiatives: greenhouse initiative, flower planting program, and an agricultural/environmental education partnership
- Eisenhower Park built the Field of YES to give the public a free sports field to use at all times during the day
Secondary Research Methods
Amazon's Alexa Traffic Rank system
- Data on website traffic and engagement for Eisenhower Park's website
Sproutsocial demographics
- Insight into the individual demographics of each social media platform
3. Secondary Research
Results from Alexa Traffic Rank
- Low share of voice for the keywords "eisenhower park" (25.7%)
- Moderately low daily page views per visitor that is declining (2.3)
- Moderately low daily average time spent on site that is declining (2:44)
- Rising bounce rate (38.9%)
Alexa Traffic Results
Results from Sproutsocial
- 41% of people 65 years or older use Facebook (highest amongst all social media platforms)
- 42% of adults who have graduated college use Instagram
- 42% of adults who have an annual income > $75,000 use Instagram
- 72% of teenagers age 13-17 use Instagram
Sproutsocial
Results
Promotional Plans
Information gathered through the research was utilized in forming specific strategies to improve Eisenhower Park's online brand presence and brand reputation
1. Expanding Eisenhower Park's social media
2. Establishing a Free Sports Clinic
3. Employment of Paid Advertising
4. Renovation of Eisenhower Park's mobile website and calendar
5. Advertising Environmental Initiatives
Promotional Plans
Creating an Instagram page for the Park
Rationale
- Frequent social media use in Nassau County
- Demographic compatibility
- Low-cost additional online outlet that will contribute to online traffic
1. Instagram Creation
Establishing a Free Sports Clinic on the Field of YES
2. Free Sports Clinic
Rationale:
- Public support for such a program
- Exemplifies social responsibility by giving back and contributing to the community
- Eisenhower Park created the Field of YES with the purpose of giving back to the community
Plan:
- Weekly sports clinic on the Field of YES
- Volunteer run and planned
- Participants and volunteers attracted by ads via current mediums
Keyword and Pay per Click Advertising
Rationale
- Low share of voice for "eisenhower park"
- Resident's relatively high attentiveness to ads
- Overall low website traffic
3. Paid Advertising
Plan
- Employ keyword advertising for search terms directly associated with the park
- Employ general pay per click advertising for the park's website
Mobile Site and Calendar Renovation
Rationale:
- Poor engagement performance
- Content-heavy and wordy format of mobile site hurts engagement by making information hard to find
- Difficult to use calendar also hurts engagement
4. Mobile Renovation
Plan
- Consolidate information into links that can be more easily navigated
- Modify calendar to fit on one page
Advertising Environmental Initiative
Rationale
- Public opinion regarding environmental programs
- Multitude of environmental initiatives (greenhouse, flower, environmental education)
- Exemplifying sustainable practices
5. Initiative Advertisement
Plan
- Emphasize environmental initiatives through current advertising mediums to garner public support
Promotional Timeline
June:
- Launch of the weekly free sports clinic (continued for 6 months)
February:
- Start keyword advertising
- Clinic volunteer evaluation
April:
- Start pay per click advertising
- Environmental advertisement
December:
- End of free sports clinic
March:
- End of keyword advertising
May:
- End of pay per click advertising
January:
- Sports Clinic Advertisement for volunteers and participants
Budget and Return on Investment