Celebrating 20 Years

What is it NOW and where does it go from here?

In February, 2010 the Pittsburgh Irish Festival

took a risk and looked at itself through the eyes of its biggest fans.

Its Two Founders and a roomful of its

Ambassadors …

Staff, attorneys, accountants, Board Members, vendors,

volunteers, festival goers and …

An Eat n’ Park waitress.

Who is the greatest influencer for PIF growth and success?

But we’ll address that later.That waitress.

We have four pages of drilled-down SWOT that is positive, negative, hopeful …and even a little scary.

1. Music/Leadership

2. Beer

3. Food

4. Dance

5. Value Perception

6. Location – WE ARE IN PITTSBURGH!

7. Longevity

Unique Strengths

1. Music – Need to broaden appeal and

change-up lead acts

2. Beer – Need to lower price, and/or teach bartending to volunteers, and increase stations

3. Price – Need to increase ‘perceived value’ of cost of entry

4. Location – Need to address festival access and layout obstacles and “phobia” of area

5. Lack of awareness

Weaknesses we can overcome

Bad economy (will work in our favor with value-perception). Pricing. Competition. Music.

Brand

1. Long term: extend life from one event to year-round revenue maker. Join Pittsburgh and Multi-County business communities

2. Short term: enhance image (O’Creations); broaden awareness through vertical targets and increased geography

Festival

3. Broaden Music Mix

4. Increase awareness and broaden appeal

5. Target advertising and promotion geographically, demographically and interactively – most eff iciently!

6. Get Major new sponsors and possibly a naming sponsor

Opportunities we are going to take advantage of

1. No long term or short term business plan

2. Bad economy perception/reality?

3. Competition

4. Decreasing attendance

5. Increased expenses

Threats we are not afraid of

After 20 years and an afternoon with an Eat n’ Park waitress, we got to …

• Applaud our accomplishments in growth and popularity.

• Learned what we need to do to advance the festival to the next level including things like:• Freshening up our logo and talking up our

20 Years• Making several operational improvements • Creating programs and value-added

offerings to broaden and increase overall appeal and awareness.

• Increasing advertising and promotional efforts by exploring vertical targets (Pitt.Catholics/Irish) added geography/interactive and social marketing.

So what(?) … SWOT

Most importantly, we found a marketable brand, a BIG one … within it.

Just like Bob DeNiro did.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/movies/03tribeca.html

Los Angeles – Entering its ninth year, The Tribeca Film Festival is set to become associated with a new venture to distribute films digitally and in theatres under the “Tribeca” name. It is also embarking on another initiative to make some offerings available online to the paying public at the same time they are screening at the festival.

And we have 11 more years of equity in our brand than he does.

Bob and partners founded the “TriBeca Film Festival” nine years ago. The festival mission was to promote, help rebuild NYC after 9/11.

Maura and Nan founded the “Pittsburgh Irish Festival” twenty years ago.

The festival’s mission is to contribute to the rich cultural awareness of Irish history and tradition that exists in Pittsburgh.

Today, Bob’s festival mission has not changed.

However, it is now a subsidiary of the newly-formed, corporate brand, “Tribeca” an all-encompassing multi-media firm with the ‘film festival’ as one of its many product and service offerings.

Today, Maura and Nan’s festival mission has not changed.

Can it now become a subsidiary of a newly-formed, corporate brand, an all-encompassing multi-product and services firm with the ‘Pittsburgh Irish Festival’ being just one of its many Irish product and educational and cultural service offerings?

Why not?

Its most positive attributes:• It’s Pittsburgh based but world renown• It promotes Irish culture, goods, educational

and outreach programs• Products and Service subsidiaries:

• Pittsburgh Irish Festival™: One of its products is the largest Irish Party (Music/Beer/Shopping/Dance) in the state; fourth largest in the country

• Irish Education Outreach Program™• Equity/Longevity/U.S. Status• Mass and Family(!) appeal

Company or Corporate Brand Attributes

Pittsburgh Irish®

Pittsburgh Irish Cultural Trust®

The Irish Council of Western PA

Pennsylvania Irish®

Irish Incorporated®

Others …

What do you call it?

Meantime, we have an anniversary to

Celebrate this year!

Discussion on establishing a new brand TBD.

Several new “Festival” logo designs are being

considered.

Its most positive attributes:• It’s Pittsburgh based• It promotes Irish Culture• It’s the biggest freakin’ Irish Party

(Music/Beer/Shopping/Dance) in town

• 20-Year Equity/Longevity/U.S. Status• Mass and Family(!) appeal

FestivalBrand Communication

Music

Cheer

Festival Communication via Attributes

Food

Marketplace

Festival Communication via Attributes

Dance

Other OfferingsGaelic Mass

Festival Communication via Attributes

1. Increase festival goers

2. Increase festival revenue

3. Broaden awareness/appeal

20th Anniversary Objectives

Increasing AttendanceAdd vertical market(s)

to media list:Catholics

Direct MailPittsburgh CatholicChurch Bulletins

New Value Pricing3-day weekend passCarload passCost of entry bonuses:

discount/free parkingMultiple ticket discountsTrip to Ireland raffle stub

TacticsIncreasing Revenue

• Beer – Date-stamped Anniversary

Mug– Expand sponsorship– Own bartender volunteers

• Irish HH– Direct Mail– Local and National groups

• Sponsors/Naming Rights • Costco• McGuinness

Sisters/Food• Flaherty Chevy/Car

Broaden Awareness and appeal

In addition to vertical market(s) increase geo to media criteria:

Interactive, Social, Cable TV, Local TV, Radio, Print

Tri-County Coverage

New Value Pricing3-day weekend passCarload passCost of entry bonuses:

discount/free parkingMultiple ticket discountsTrip to Ireland raffle stub

TacticsIncreasing Revenue

• Beer – Date-stamped Anniversary

Mug– Expand sponsorship– Own bartender volunteers• Sponsors/Naming Rights • Costco• McGuinness

Sisters/Food• Flaherty Chevy/Car

• Add higher income, other lifestyle targets/groups:

• Social• Arts• Singles

•Budgets: •Media criteria

•Media Criteria: •Primary Target: ADULTS 25-64 •Secondary: Catholics/Irish•Other: Eat n’ Park waitresses and others unaware of Festival and its benefits•Geography: Counties. Allegheny · Armstrong · Beaver · Butler · Fayette · Washington · Westmoreland

•Timing: Campaign Period•Creative Brief•Wish list of Sponsors:

Campaign Unknowns