Draft Educational Marketing Plan for The Greatest Places

Program Title: Draft Educational Marketing Plan for The Greatest Places

Museum Educator:
Jane Houghton
Ontario Science Centre
770 Don Mills
North York, ON
Canada, M3C 1T3

tel: 416-696-3198
fax: 416-696-3234
E-mail: [email protected]

Program Overview: The Ontario Science Centre has not yet included The Greatest Places in its schedule of OMNIMAX films. However, it is possible that this film will be booked to open in November 1998. If so, since the Education Section markets its own programs, a film booking must be confirmed by the previous May at the latest in order to include OMNIMAX events in the main advertising instrument, the School Visits Brochure, and to assign Education staff to plan school program during the summer, our development time. Throughout the following plan, close contact will be maintained with Gale May, our initial contact with Ontario's Geography teachers, an entirely new market.

Program Goals: An Educational program will be developed to support the OMNIMAX film, The Greatest Places, while matching provincial curriculum outcomes. Recent experience has proven that offering an educational program to support each OMNIMAX film invites teachers to bring their classes into the Ontario Science Centre. Otherwise, they might limit their visit to the OMNI film experience.

Program Dates: This program will be available to teachers as long as The Greatest Places runs.

Program Audience: The educational program will be a theatre presentation, provided to grades 4 through 13, for groups of up to 250 students.

Internal Contacts:
Director of Programs
Associate Directors of Educational and Public Programs
OMNI section
Marketing Section
Host Manager
Design section
Printshop

External Contacts:
Geography Consultants for Metropolitan Toronto and adjoining Boards of Education
OAGEE - Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Educators
CCGE - Canadian Council for Geographic Education
MTSC - Metro Toronto and Region Science Coordinators
SCCAO - Science Consultants and Coordinators Association of Ontario
University of Toronto
York University
Science North

Venue Dates: tba

Draft Implementation Procedure:

July /97 - Immediate

• consult with Associate Director of Education to discuss:
  the educational possibilities of the film and its accompanying resources to support program development;
  its appeal to an new marketing segment;
  the ideal opportunites offered to connect with geography teachers by booking this film and connecting it with Geography Awareness Week in November
  
• consult with OMNI section to recommend strongly the ideal booking date - the beginning weekend of Geography Awareness Week
  
• consult with Public Programs section to discuss their longterm event planning and the possible inclusion of The Greatest Places opening events and special programming for Geography Awareness Week
  
• report on The Greatest Places Leadership Institute at the next Education section meeting with respect to the scope of the institute, the educational opportunities inherent in the film and the accompanying educational resources
  

• make initial contact with Geography Consultants of Metropolitan Toronto Boards of Education to connect with OAGEE, their professional organization
  
• arrange to host a meeting of OAGEE at the OSC during the 97/8 school year to introduce them to OMNIMAX and The Greatest Places
  

• obtain film descriptor from the OMNI section to include in 1997/8 School Visits Brochure
  
• brochure goes to Design section (time reserved in April)
  
• design The Greatest Places full ads for early fall issues of professional magazines like Crucible (STAO), Monograph (OAGEE) etc., and send
  
• set up an early July meeting with Education staff assigned to develop a Greatest Places educational program scheduled to begin when film opens (possible theme - Diversity)
  
• send out first advertising flyer to schools in Metro Boards to promote Teacher Discovery Days in October (attn: heads of Science, Geography ...)
  
• reserve first film time on each Teacher Discovery Day with OMNI Manager
  
• meet with OMNI preview team to determine date and preliminary details of Teacher Preview night in late October - ensure that evening film times are reserved for this
  
• submit Event Form for: Teacher Preview night to master Events Calendar
  Teacher Discovery Days to master Events Calendar
  Geography Awareness Week to master Events Calendar
  
• consult with Marketing section about availability date and shape of promotional materials and about earliest availability of Teacher Preview rack card invitations
  
• School Brochure goes to film and returns for checking
  
• apply to Educational organizations for booth space at conferences during the coming school year
  
• have film posters mounted for display and ensure all OMNI material will be available
  
• host regular meeting of SCCAO: include showing of The Greatest Places promo video provide copies of the teachers'; guide
  discuss programming links to schools
  
• host regular meeting of OAGEE: include showing of The Greatest Places promo video provide copies of the teachers'; guide
  discuss programming links to schools
  discuss links to Geography Awareness Week in November

July/98

• School Brochure goes to print - 22 000 copies
  
• meet with Museum Educators chosen to develop Educational program to provide all available support materials and put them in touch with Leadership network
  
• add The Greatest Places to Educational fax cover for August to June
  
• meet with Public Programs staff to brainstorm possible film opening events and special programs for Geography Awareness Week in November
  
• assess the possibility of advertising in special Educational supplements of Metro area newspapers

• design and print 5 000 copies of double-sided promo flyer with The Greatest Places on one side and a booking application on the other
  
• send off full page film ads for winter issues of professional magazines
  
• add The Greatest Places to Educational Web page
  
• add The Greatest Places to fax-on-demand and information lines
  
• consult with Programs Section about progress in planning film opening events and about special programs for Geography Awareness Week - include the expertise of Gale May, Geography Leader, in planning and presenting
  
• School Brochure mailout to 3 000 south/central Ontario schools

September/98

• add The Greatest Places to Biotech fax cover for September to March
  
• faxout application flyer for Teacher Discovery Days to Metro Science Consultants to forward to their schools
  
• host MTSC regular meeting to review the booking procedure for these October events
  
• send detailed departmental memos for Teacher Discover Days in October including Metro teachers and University of Toronto pre-service teachers

October/98

• do Teacher Preview faxout to 1 500 schools in south/central Ontario
  
• host Teacher Discovery Days and include The Greatest Places promo video and all available educational materials, Teacher Preview invitations and possibly an OMNI show
  
• distribute School Visits Brochure, film application flyer and rack card invitations for Teacher Preview night
  
• send detailed departmental memos for Teacher Preview event in October/November
  
• preview new educational program for The Greatest Places and discuss possible demonstrations for the Teacher Preview Event
  
• book and confirm Teacher Preview reservations by fax
  
• staff display booth at IRA's (International Reading Association) Regional Conference to promote all Educational opportunities
  
• staff display booth at Geography: the Next Odyssey, OAGEE's provincial conference to promote all Educational opportunities

• oversee Teacher Preview and evaluate its success as an event
  
• assess The Greatest Places opening weekend events arranged and provided by Public Programs section
  
• staff display booth at STAO conference to promote all Educational opportunities
  
• host Discovery Day for University of Toronto pre-service teachers to promote educational opportunities including The Greatest Places
  
• send off full page film ads for spring issues of professional magazines

• if necessary, a major "reminder" faxout will be sent to south/central Ontario schools
  
• arrange to host a meeting of Science and Geography consultants in the spring term to assess the impact of the film and its teacher guide in their schools
  
• host Discovery Day for 450 York University pre-service teachers to promote educational opportunities including The Greatest Places
  
• distribute School Visits Brochure and film application flyer

It is likely that The Greatest Places will run at least until the end of June with the arrival of a new film in March or April. As soon as the new film is announced, its marketing will commence.
Ongoing collection of Educational programs attendance statistics will provide an immediate picture of the success of this draft marketing plan.