Marketing Plan Sample

Project: Patagonia, Inc.
Destination Wedding Travel Integrated
Marketing Communications Plan
Matthew Seward
Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents a detailed integrated marketing communications plan for
Patagonia, Inc.’s expansion into the destination wedding gear and information markets.
Based upon background research on Patagonia, Inc. and current market conditions, it has
been determined that there is great potential for Patagonia to increase its annual growth
from 5% to between 8-9% by expanding into this market. Further, the expansion can be
undertaken while still adhering to Patagonia’s corporate mission of conducting business
while also supporting the environment.
The primary marketing objectives and strategies recommend a mix of online, catalog,
and in-store integrated marketing communications tactics to achieve the projected growth
through customer and prospect wedding gear online registry creation. The plan also
targets prospects by offering destination wedding travel information through co-brands
and the Patagonia.com website. Integrated marketing communications will be conducted
using continuous and pulsing scheduling to attain the recommended reach and frequency
to target audiences.
The plan calls for Patagonia to engage and capture 1% of the total U.S. wedding
market of approximately 22,726,624 to achieve goals for the first year of the campaign.
If registry gear packages average $1,000, this will generate approximately $22,726,000 in
additional revenue during the first year of the campaign.
To measure success, the campaign incorporates customer and prospect web tracking,
split testing, mailing evaluations, and loyalty program effectiveness.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section I: Patagonia, Inc. Brand Background……………………………………………4
Section II: Situation Analysis……………………………………………………………..6
SWOT…………………………………………………………………………….6
Marketing Influencing Conditions………………………………………………..8
Target Audience…………………………………………………………..8
Geography………………………………………………………………..12
Seasonality and Timing…………………………………………………..13
Competitors………………………………………………………………13
Budget Considerations…………………………………………………...15
Section III: Marketing Objectives and Strategies……………………………………….18
Section IV: The Message………………………………………………………………..20
Summary of Creative Strategy…………………………………………………...20
Creative Brief…………………………………………………………………….21
Section V: Media Objectives and Strategies…………………………………………….24
Internet…………………………………………………………………………...26
Direct Marketing…………………………………………………………………27
Sales Promotion………………………………………………………………….32
Public Relations………………………………………………………………….36
Section VI: Flow Chart of Brand Activity………………………………………………38
Section VII: Assessment and Evaluation………………………………………………..40
References………………………………………………………………………………..44

SECTION I: PATAGONIA, INC. BRAND BACKGROUND
According to Patagonia.com (2006), Patagonia, Inc. adheres to a core mission of
“Build the best product, do no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement
solutions to the environmental crisis” that is still as strong as it was when Patagonia was
founded by Yvon Chouinard over thirty years ago. As noted on OutdoorEd.com (2006),
Patagonia continues to have values that reflect those of a business started by a band of
climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promote. The approach taken by
Patagonia, Inc. toward product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility. The
company also donates time, services, and at least 1% of its sales to hundreds of grassroots
and environmental groups all over the world who are working to help reverse the tide that
is environmental damage.
Patagonia’s clothing is made for people who love the outdoors, as reflected by the
quote on Patagonia.com (2006) that states “We enjoy silent, human-powered sports done
in nature, where the reward involves no audience and no prize other than hard-won grace.
These entail risk, require soul, and invite reflection. They bring us closer to the natural
world and to ourselves.”
That same risk, soul, and reflection is shown in all of the products that are created
under the Patagonia brand. Examples can be seen in the clothing production methods
used by the company, as well as the vehicles chosen to market them. Patagonia’s award-
winning catalogs are printed on recycled materials and feature environmental articles and
images of materials that were recycled to produce featured clothing lines. Additionally,
marketing channels that are not environmentally sound, like billboard advertising, are
not used. Patagonia’s limited number of distribution partners, like REI, must also share
similar missions and values.
In 1996, Patagonia switched to organic cotton that is used in clothing production,
according to CIO.com (2006). Paints with low amounts of volatile organic compounds
are also utilized in combination with many other manufacturing processes that have been
installed to store and conserve energy. Manufacturing consumption has shifted away
from virgin crude oil that was previously used to make garments. Even left over fleece
scraps used in the production of adult clothing is reused to create patchwork clothing for
children, known as the “Seedlings” line.
While the cost of Patagonia clothing is higher than most competitors, the passion that
is evident in the company’s pursuit of “green” manufacturing practices and world-class
customer service justifies it and helps build out a loyal customer base. Clothing from the
company lasts significantly longer than that of competitors and can be returned for repair,
no questions asked, and often with little or no extra cost. An example of such exemplary
customer service was expressed in an article on CIO.com (1999) in which loyal customer
Leslie Barnes, an avid skier from MA, who bought her first Patagonia pullover in 1984,
said “There may be a difference in price, but there's also a huge difference in quality. My
husband has a jacket that's 10 years old. I just sent it back to have the zipper fixed, which
Patagonia repaired for free. After 10 years you'd expect to buy another coat, but once the
zipper was replaced, this parka was ready to go another decade."

SECTION II: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
A REVIEW OF STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS
The SWOT analysis for Patagonia is presented in the following section and is
followed by analyses of influential market conditions including the primary target
audience, geographic considerations, campaign seasonality and timing considerations, the
competition, and budget considerations.
STRENGTHS
 Customer service policies, including those for returns and repairs
 Employee knowledge/lifestyle fostering/policies (on-site day care, etc.)
 Environmental issues champion – mission statement carries through to products,
distribution channels, marketing, philanthropic causes
 Easy-to-navigate website
 Direct-to-consumer distribution methods – website, stores, catalog
 Expansion into surf shops that stay true to corporate mission, according to Hamm
(2006)
 Sense of ‘community’ built for customers through website, values, lifestyle
 Accolades as a best company to work for, according to Gangemi (2006)
WEAKNESSES
 Slow to expand product lines, expand into new outdoor sporting areas
 Price points higher than some competition, particularly in the minds of
uninformed consumers
 Limited distribution partners

 Website could state the return and repair guarantees more prominently than in the
footer of web pages, according to MultichannelMerchant.com (2005)
 Limited product/brand knowledge outside of primary target audience when
compared with other brands (while not everyone buys Columbia, everyone knows
it via ads, etc.)
 Potential for market saturation among target audience – too niche?
 High operating margins relative to the industry – high end of 12-15%, according
to Hamm (2006)
 Limits on market share and growth versus mainstream competition
 Ambassador negative publicity – Dean Potter climbed Delicate Arch at Delicate
Arch National Park in Utah – illegal – generated anti-Patagonia sentiments
according to thepiton.com (2006)
OPPORTUNITIES
Line extensions – similar to surf shop expansion stated in above Strengths analysis
 Expand travel tie-ins – like destination weddings – partner with travel destination
websites (weather.com, travel.discovery.com, etc.) and present clothing
suggestions/environmental tips via online co-brands with links back to
Patagonia.com
 Increase top-of-mind recognition through sponsorships, co-branding – partner
with hybrid automakers, sponsor college sports clubs, etc.

THREATS
 Competition with more attractive pricing, mainstream presence – Columbia
Sportswear Company, The North Face, Inc., etc.
 Global expansion of competition – like Recreational Equipment, Inc. in 82 stores
in 25 states, according to REI.com (2006), vs. Patagonia retail in 39 stores, 7
countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, according to Hamm (2006)
 Expansion of mainstream competitors into emerging markets, like China
A REVIEW OF INFLUENTIAL DESTINATION WEDDING MARKET CONDITIONS
TARGET AUDIENCE
As outlined in the previous section covering brand background, Patagonia, Inc. has a
distinct corporate mission. As stated in the company history section of Patagonia.com,
“Patagonia exists to use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental
crisis.” The target consumer markets of Patagonia, Inc. are also unique when considering
destination wedding travel. Target consumers are demographically comprised of young,
eco-conscious outdoor enthusiasts within the age ranges of 18 to 30, according to
Consumer Specialty (2001). In this plan, the focus will be tighter, and comprised of
those in the 25-30 year old, soon-to-marry end of the target and prospect audience.
An article from CIO.com (1999) notes that, psychographically, Patagonia, Inc. target
consumers are committed to environmental, moral, ethical, and philosophical causes and
are highly opinionated and passionate people who seek out adventure and are curious to

explore new things. They do this while, at the same time, they do not ruin the
environment that they are exploring.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PATAGONIA TARGET CUSTOMER
To further analyze the psychographic characteristics of a typical representative of
Patagonia, Inc.’s target audience, it is useful to present a “day in the life” profile of a
sample customer. In doing this, we are better able to analyze what a typical customer
thinks, feels, and does over the course of a normal day. Additionally, it allows for
analysis of other potential touch points with Patagonia customers over the course of any
given day.
Below, in Table 1, two sample customers are presented, along with a typical “day in
the life,” broken down by time of day from the time they wake up, until they go to sleep.
Following the profiles of Bob and Mary are visuals, in slides one through three, of who
Patagonia customers are and who they are not. Again, this provides for a different way of
thinking about our target audiences and making sure that they are being served.
Table 1. Typical Day in the Life of a Patagonia Customer, 2006.

Bob – Financial Executive-Democrat Mary – Gym/aerobics instructor
6:30AM Wakes Up 6:45AM Wakes Up
7:00AM Goes Running 7:00AM Does light strength and cardio
workout at home
8:00AM Showers and dresses in corporate 8:00AM Showers and dresses in workout
casual attire gear
8:30AM Eats breakfast—cereal, banana, 8:30AM Eats breakfast—fresh fruit, cereal
coffee bar, skim milk
8:40AM Drives to work in Lexus luxury car 8:40AM Drives Prius to gym for work
that gets good mileage
9:15AM Arrives at office 9:20AM Arrives at gym
9:20AM Scans headlines of the Wall Street 9:25AM Looks through schedule of clients
Journal and online newspapers for the day
10:00AM Attends first meeting of day with 9:30AM Meets with first client and does
regional sales manager cardio workout
11:00AM Has conference call between NY 10:00AM Meets with second client and does
and LA offices light cardio/weight training
12:00PM Lunch—has a turkey sandwich on 11:00AM Meets with pilates class
multigrain bread, baked chips, an apple, and
a soda
1:15PM Meeting with investment clients 12:00PM Lunch—has veggie pita with
yogurt, trail mix, and water – watches news
headlines in gym kitchen
2:30PM Checks online headlines, the stock 1:30PM Hosts a yoga class
market, and sports scores
3:00PM Completes presentation for meeting 2:30PM Hosts water aerobics class
tomorrow in Chicago
4:30PM Has team catch up meeting 3:30PM Short break, reads section of “The
World is Flat” by Tom Freidman
5:30PM Leaves work, sits in traffic, listens 4:00PM Hosts aerobics class
to NPR and classic rock on XM satellite
radio
6:45 Arrives home to family, checks over 5:00PM Leaves gym, drives Prius to Whole
son’s math homework Foods, listens to pilates audio program
7:00PM Walks dog while listening to MP3 5:30PM Stops at Whole Foods to pick up
player dinner – hummus, pita bread, smoothie
8:00PM Eats dinner – grilled chicken, 6:00PM Arrives home and eats dinner while
veggies, rice, microbrew beer watching the news
8:30PM Watches “The Office” on NBC 7:00PM Drives to local animal shelter to
volunteer time
9:00PM Logs into Mac iBook and surfs for 9:00PM Returns home, continues to read
destination travel deals “The World is Flat,” snacks on an apple
9:30PM Orders travel guidebook on 10:00PM Watches Anthony Bourdain on the
Australia from Amazon.com Travel Channel
10:00PM Reads “The Cell” by Stephen King 10:00PM Watches “Gray’s Anatomy”
11:15PM Fall asleep while reading 11:00PM Falls asleep while watching the
news
Slide 1. Who Patagonia Customers Are, Bulleted, 2006.
Slide 2. Who Patagonia Customers Are, In Visual Format, 2006.

Slide 3. Who Patagonia Customers Are Not, In Visual Format, 2006.
GEOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS
When making geographic considerations when planning how to best reach Patagonia’s
target audience for destination wedding travel, focusing on the top three cities with the
highest number of weddings overall, and close proximity to a Patagonia retail outlet, as
well as the top five U.S. destination wedding locations, according to Callaway (2006), is
important. If successful, the plan can be rolled out more extensively to other regions.
For reference, the top cities for weddings in the U.S. include:
 New York, NY
 Los Angeles, CA
 Chicago, IL
The top destination wedding locations include:
 Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA
 Central Park, New York, NY
 Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hood River, OR
 Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA
 Chicago Botanic Gardens, Chicago, IL
SEASONALITY AND TIMING

The recommended media mix will incorporate a combination of pulsing and
continuous scheduling. Because the recommended Patagonia.com co-branding
partnerships, explained in the next section, are evergreen, this media will receive
continuous scheduling. The content and information will change by the season to
accommodate different wedding types and consumer interest changes by season, driven
by more or fewer weddings during certain months of the year.
The media that will fluctuate include direct mail, through quarterly list rentals. The
first quarter of the year will not have a mini-catalog mailing because of fewer weddings
during the quarter. Additionally, online ad buys will be more concentrated in the April,
May, June wedding season timeframe, with follow up placement in August and October.
COMPETITORS
There are two primary areas of competition for Patagonia, Inc. The first includes
companies that manufacture and/or sell similar outdoor clothing products and also
incorporate environmentally focused mission statements and promises to consumers. The
second includes companies which manufacture and/or sell similar outdoor clothing
products, with similar durability and similar price points, but that do not adhere to the
same environmental guiding principles as Patagonia. Additionally, the second group has
greater brand recognition and revenue.

REI, Inc., is an example of a company that can be categorized into the first group
listed above. This retailer was also founded by climbers and sells outdoor products for
active consumers. According to REI.com (2006), the company gives back to the
communities in which its stores are located through grants and outreach programs that
often benefit the environment.
Prana also fits into the first group and is a competitor in manufacturing and retailing of
environmentally friendly clothing whose mission statement is similar to Patagonia’s.
According to Prana.com (2006), “With every new season, Prana looks for new ways to
fold sustainable materials and practices into the line, from the energy we use to the
fabrics we select, we hope to lighten the load on our natural resources with each small
step.” A key differentiator between Patagonia and Prana, however, is that Patagonia is
deeply rooted in durable outdoor gear, whereas Prana is more focused on casual clothing
and accessories like shorts, pants, golf shirts, handbags, and backpacks.
Competitive companies that fit into the second group include Columbia Sportswear
Company and VF Corporation, the parent company of the North Face, Inc. In addition to
much greater brand recognition, the revenue generated by these two companies is also
significantly higher when compared with Patagonia Inc.’s $260 million in revenue in
2005, according to Hamm (2006). See tables two and three, below, for key revenue
numbers for Columbia Sportswear Company and VF Corporation, according to
Hoovers.com (2006).
Table 2. Columbia Sportswear Company Sales Growth, 2005.
www.hoovers.com
Table 3. VF Corporation (subsidiary is North Face, Inc.) Sales Growth, 2005
www.hoovers.com
BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
The budget for this campaign, which incorporates employee training, online ad buys,
list rentals, and mini-catalogs, is estimated at $758,000. Of the estimated 2,272,624
weddings in the U.S., according to theweddingreport.com (2006), this campaign will
target 1% of the market, or, 22,726 wedding couples. If all couples in this target group
were to buy a package worth $1,000, revenue generated will be $22,726,000. To break
even, 758 couples, or .03% of the target market, would need to buy a package for $1,000.
Detailed budget estimates are included below in sections A through E.
A. Patagonia Employee Destination Wedding Gear Package/Registry/Travel

Information Expansion Training and Outfitting
• Uniform shirts with relevant information/Training Materials
o 20 stores x $7shirt x 15 employees per store = $2,100 for shirts
w/destination wedding messaging
o $15 per employee training kit x 3 managers/store x 20 stores = $900 for
kits
• Travel to train employees
o Flight: $350 per flight x 20 trips x 2 employees = $14,000
o Hotel: $150/night x 20 trips x 2 employees = $6,000
Total for Employee Training: $23,000
B. Banner and Online Ads:

• Banner Ads on travel.yahoo.com top U.S. destination wedding site search
landing pages
o Build up to wedding season ad buys: $1,500 per ad until click throughs
run out x 5 top site landing pages x 3 months (April, May, June) = $22,500
o Pulsing, reminder ad buys in August and October: $1,500 per ad until click
throughs run out x 5 top site landing pages x 2 months = $15,000
• Google AdWords tied to Destination Wedding Searches
run out x 3 months (April, May, June) = $4,500
throughs run out x 2 months = $3,000
• Banner Ads in travel/wedding sections of online versions of newspapers in
major target cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago:
run out x 3 top targeted newspaper sites landing pages x 3 months (April,
May, June) = $18,000
throughs run out x 3 top targeted newspaper sites landing pages x 2
months = $12,000
• Banner Ads on climbing.com and powder.com that correspond to month
before destination wedding mini-catalog drops (March, June, August,
October) to target audience from Climbing Magazine and Powder Magazine
list rentals:
o
o Build up to catalog drops: $1,500 per ad until click throughs run out at
cost of $16 CPM x 2 websites x 4 months (February, May, July,
September) = $12,000
Total for online ad presence: $87,000
C. List Rentals:
• Cost to rent select target audience lists from Climbing Magazine and Powder
Magazine for 4 mini-catalog mailings:
o Climbing Magazine: $125 CPM per select x 9 (approx. 9,000 subs in
target) x 3 rentals = $3,375
o Powder Magazine: $125 CPM per select x 11 (approx. 11,000 subs in
target) x 3 rentals = $4,125
Total for list rentals: $7,500
D. Patagonia.com Website Updates and Co-branding site (lonelyplanet.com,

travel.discovery.com, theknot.com) updates and buildouts:
• Creation and maintenance of wedding registry/e-commerce portal and destination
travel information landing pages: $75,000
• Creation and maintenance of co-branded destination wedding travel information
and link backs: $25,000 x 3 sites = $75,000
Total for Patagonia.com/co-brand website updates: $150,000
E. Creation of destination wedding gear package mini-catalogs for Patagonia retail

outlets in target cities, other cities with Patagonia stores, and list rental mailings:
• Catalog creation for target city Patagonia stores: 5,000 catalogs x $1.50
production x 3 cities x 3 quarterly drops = $67,500
• Catalog creation for other Patagonia stores: 2,000 catalogs x $1.50 x 17 stores x 3
quarterly drops = $153,000
• Catalog creation for list rental mailings: 20,000 catalogs x $1.50 x 3 quarterly
drops: $270,000
Total for creation of mini-catalogs: $490,500
Total Estimated Destination Wedding Campaign Costs: $758,000
The Break Even Point:

• If 1%, or 22,726, of the estimated 2,272,624 wedding couples in the U.S.,
according to theweddingreport.com (2006), purchase packages worth $1,000, the
revenue generated will be: $22,726,000
• Approximately 758 couples would need to register and have purchased a gear
package worth $1,000 for the campaign to break even.

SECTION III: DESTINATION WEDDING GEAR MARKETING OBJECTIVE
AND STRATEGIES
From the SWOT portion of the situational analysis presented in section II, an
actionable objective and strategies can be derived to help continue to meet the needs of
Patagonia, Inc.’s target audiences, increase profit margins, and define prospective
customers to grow the customer base. As defined by Duncan (2005), such objectives
need pass the SMAC test, that is, they must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and
Challenging to Patagonia. The following objective meets these criteria and can be
executed upon within the year.
GOAL: Increase Market Share/Profit utilizing 25-30 year old, soon-to-marry target
audience
OBJECTIVE: Through expansion into destination wedding/travel markets that target
college graduates in the 25 to 30 year old, soon-to-marry age range, accelerate the “slow
growth” pace established by Patagonia from 5% annually, around $260 million total in
2005 according to Hamm (2006), to 8-9%, or an additional $20.8 to $23.4 million, to
grow total sales for 2007 to approximately $281 million, gaining on the sales growth
percentages of 5.5% and 7.4%, respectively, for Columbia Sportswear Company and VF
Corporation, the parent company of The North Face, Inc., according to Hoovers.com
(2006). See tables two and three from the competitors portion of section II for additional
details.
STRATEGY: Capture 1% of the U.S. wedding market by expanding into the
increasingly popular “destination wedding” sector. Accomplish this through setting up
destination wedding package partnerships with destination travel suggestion portals

(lonelyplanet.com, travel.discovery.com, theknot.com) to reach the 25 to 30 year old,
soon-to-marry end of the target customer and prospect spectrum. Create packages for
specific destinations and active sporting activities and make recommendations that keep
the environment as it was before the couple gets there to enjoy it.
Incorporate links back to Patagonia.com into co-branding opportunities. Set up gift
registry functionality that also captures wedding couple prospect information as well as
that of the guests who buy registry items. This can also be matched back to current
customer information to track increased purchasing through this strategy.
Suggest appropriate Patagonia destination gear clothing packages through co-branded
sites. Keep the strategy scalable by starting with ski and climbing gear packages and co-
branding opportunities. If they are successful, expand to sites that fit the Patagonia
mission and sporting goods lines.
If Patagonia captures 1%, or 22,726 weddings of the estimated 2,272,624 weddings in
the U.S. annually, according to weddingreport.com (2006), and has target couples register
for suggested groups of sporting gear worth an average of $1,000 total per couple, an
annual gain of $22.7 million would be achieved. This would occur in tandem with
capturing leads and growing top-of-mind awareness among prospects. If this strategy
proves to be successful in the U.S., it can be expanded to Patagonia’s markets in Europe
and Asia.
SECTION IV: THE DESTINATION WEDDING CREATIVE MESSAGE
SUMMARY OF DESTINATION WEDDING CREATIVE STRATEGY
In this destination wedding package and information campaign, the central tagline that
remains consistent throughout is “It’s a Nice Day for a ‘Green’ Wedding” which will be
supported by text that is appropriately tied to each mediums call-to-action. For banner
ads, wording such as “Click Here to See How You Can Save the Planet and Have the
Perfect Destination Wedding with Patagonia” will be incorporated. For those ads running
in key cities or on the climbing.com or powder.com websites, the text can also mention
that prospects should stay tuned for “special catalogs coming to a mailbox near you”.
In mini-catalogs, the header will be “It’s a Nice Day for a ‘Green’ Wedding” with text
indicating that the catalog is the premiere issue, introductory, etc. and call out information
on the URL to visit and set up a destination wedding gear package today.
Imagery in the online banner ads and catalogs will convey wedding-themed imagery,
like a couple in tux and wedding dress scaling a mountain, or skiing, or jumping from a
cliff, etc. Alternatives could include imagery like a plastic wedding couple on top of a
“cake” that’s shaped like a mountain or cliff, a garter belt or bride’s bouquet seen midair
with a cliff in the background as if thrown by a climber, etc.
Additionally, a wedding couple could be sprouting out of the ground like grass blades
or plants to keep with the “It’s a Nice Day for a ‘Green’ Wedding” tagline. See the next
section for a complete creative brief .

DESTINATION WEDDING CREATIVE BRIEF
Introduction
Couples in the planning stages of destination weddings, according to Callaway (2006),
are busy, nervous, and want everything to be “just right” on the big day—regardless of
how large or small the ceremony. Items on couples’ gift registries are extensions of who
they are. How can Patagonia consistently be top-of-mind for destination wedding
outfitting while keeping true to our mission and be an easy, relaxing solution for couples
who are registering?
Why are we advertising?
We want to be a top-of-mind destination wedding gift registry sporting goods provider
while upholding the mission of Patagonia (2005) that states “Patagonia exists to use
business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Who are we talking to?

Soon-to-be married adults, 25-30 years old, who specifically plan to have unique
destination weddings that fit their active lifestyles.
What do they currently think?

This is our big day; everything needs to be perfect. We want to receive wedding gifts
that show good taste, quality, and reflect who we are as a couple. This is our chance to
have “nice things” and get what we need to start a household. Additionally, couples have
apprehensive thoughts about wedding registry gifts that, according to Adams (2006),
include:

All material goods fall into one of these categories:
1. Already have it
2. Don’t need it
3. Too expensive for a gift
4. What the hell is it?
What would we like them to think?

Patagonia is the single most reliable, durable, worry-free line of clothing we can take
with us. After all of the hectic planning for the big day, our destination honeymoon will
allow us to relax in comfort, by doing the active sports we love in comfy Patagonia gear.
This is awesome—Patagonia already has pre-created packages and gear combinations
that we can customize online and our guests can buy them as practical wedding gifts
through our Patagonia registry. How convenient! This is the easiest part of the planning
we’ve done!
What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?

You both deserve rugged clothing and gear packages that are as durable, long lasting,
well planned, and strong as the ceremony, reception, honeymoon and lifetime journey
that you’ve both embarked upon.
Why should they believe it?

Patagonia (2006) is true to its corporate mission, product quality, and customer
service. As a company, Patagonia walks the environmental walk while talking the talk.
Because of this, the gear suggestions Patagonia makes are trustworthy and worth the cost
—just like a wedding dress, tuxedo, etc.—because our truthfulness is reflected in other
areas of our business. Patagonia is respectable, but laid-back.

Creative guidelines
 Central tagline is “It’s a Nice Day for a ‘Green’ Wedding”
 Patagonia.com website landing pages from co-branded partner websites to
skiing/climbing destination wedding gear packages
 Patagonia.com landing pages from co-branded partner websites to environmental
information for specific destinations
 Patagonia.com destination wedding package tab on homepage and prominent call
out of the new service on the homepage during intro quarter
 Patagonia.com comprehensive skiing/climbing destination wedding gear package
website pages, offering suggested packages as well as customizable packages via
drop-down menus for size, colors, types of clothing, etc.
 The “forward to a friend” link option on the destination wedding pages on
Patagonia.com
 Recyclable, two-sided perforated mini-catalog inserts that call out the new
destination wedding gear package registry service and can also be mailed to a
friend
 Green Patagonia Shirts with tagline included and wedding-themed image on the
back for employees
 Design 5 1/2” x 7” mini-catalogs with skiing/climbing themes

SECTION V: DESTINATION WEDDING MEDIA OBJECTIVES AND
STRATEGIES
As identified in previous SWOT situational analysis data from section II, Patagonia,
Inc. will expand into destination travel, and specifically, destination wedding markets to
target soon-to-be married 25-30 year old prospects and customers. This will accelerate
Patagonia’s slow growth pace from 5% annually to between 8-9% annually if objectives
are met. At minimum, an additional $20 to $23 million in revenue is expected if
Patagonia, Inc. captures 1%, or 22,726 weddings, of the estimated 2,272,624 weddings in
the U.S. annually, according to theweddingreport.com (2006) and has couples register for
suggested groups of sporting gear worth an average of $1,000 total per couple.
Secondarily, expansion into this market will grow leads and top-of-mind awareness
among prospects.
Through proper media selections, Patagonia, Inc. intends to make sure that customers
and prospects feel that the company’s products are the most reliable, durable, worry-free
lines of clothing couples can take with them on destination honeymoon adventures. As
outlined in the creative brief, target consumers will feel that after all of the hectic
planning for the “big day,” they can relax in comfort by doing the sports they love in
comfy Patagonia gear. Further, media selections will focus on delivering the central idea
that couples deserve rugged clothing and gear packages that are durable, long lasting,
well planned, and are as strong as the ceremony, reception, honeymoon, and lifetime
journey they they’ve embarked upon.

The following media objectives, strategies, and scheduling recommendations will
allow for the selection of media that most effectively reach the intended target audience
while conveying what Patagonia should mean to them, as stated in the creative brief in
section IV.
MEDIA OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES, AND TACTICS

INCORPORATING REACH, FREQUENCY, GEOGRAPHIC, AND MEDIA
SELECTIONS
As explained by Duncan (2005) media objectives explain what needs accomplished to
allow customers and prospects to be exposed to marketing communications messages.
The two variables that determine this are reach and frequency, which measure breadth
and depth of messages. The primary mix of media will incorporate the Internet via co-
brands and Patagonia.com information and registry landing pages and direct marketing
via the Patagonia, Inc. catalog that will be segmented into destination wedding mini-
catalogs. Media selections are supported by statistics on infoplease.com (2006) showing
that of those in the 18-34 demographic categories, which include our 25-30 targets,
36.6% have accessed the Internet in the past 30 days. Use of these media vehicles are
further supported by Surmanek (1995) in his analysis of relative attributes of major
media, as shown in Table 4:
Table 4. Relative Attributes of Major Media (1995).

Media:
Attributes: Internet Direct Mail
Target selectivity Good/best** Best
**when e-mail is
incorporated
Control Time of Best Good
Exposure
Vehicle Used Most Home/office Home/office
Often
Reach Low Low
Message Impact Low High
MEDIA OBJECTIVE 1: Drive click-throughs and traffic to Patagonia.com wedding
registry and destination travel information through co-branding Internet relationships
with travel.discovery.com, lonelyplanet.com, and theknot.com. Capture 1% of daily co-
branded site traffic per month.
REACH: According to Alexa.com (2006), the average daily traffic per 1 million net
users is shown below in Table 5. A 1% breakout is also included along with most
frequently visited portions of each site and number of pages visited per user if available,
for further targeting co-branding placements.
FREQUENCY: Information and click through messaging will be monitored and
modified on a monthly basis, with bi-monthly updates beginning in early March, just
before peak wedding season.
Table 5. Website stats from Alexa.com, 2006.

Site Name: Average Daily 1% of average Most frequently visited
Traffic per 1 daily traffic sections of site/Avg. Page
million Internet Views per User:
users:
www.lonelyplanet.com 305,000 3,050 67% go to
lonelyplanet.com and 5%
to shop.lonelyplanet.com/
avg. 7.8 page views
travel.discovery.com 695,000 6,950 5% of users go from
discovery.com to
travel.discovery.com/ avg.
4 page views
www.theknot.com 195,000 1,950 44% go to theknot.com,
36% to
weddings.theknot.com,
and 6% to
weddingshop.theknot.com
MEDIA STRATEGY 1: Complete co-branding relationships with above-listed websites
by the end of Q4 2006 (December 31, 2006). Build out informative, environmental
content on Patagonia.com as related to destination wedding travel. Build out
Patagonia.com wedding registry functionality that allows customization by registering
couples.
MEDIA TACTIC 1: New content and links will be tested and will go live by March 15,
2007. Site co-brands will be live by April for the lead in to prime wedding season, which
runs from May through November according to Hunt (2006). Make keyword purchase
selects to drive users to co-branded sites, especially as wedding season begins in the
May/June timeframe.
MEDIA OBJECTIVE 2: Grow awareness of Patagonia Inc.’s destination wedding gear
mini-catalogs and customizable online registry through list rentals for quarterly catalog
mailings (excluding Q1, which is outside of normal wedding season) and corresponding
online activities.
REACH: Lists will be rented for selects of Climbing Magazine (9,371 total) and Powder
Magazine (11,610 total) that fit the profiles of our target audiences, see Table 6. Dollar
amounts spent online by selects are in line with the costs of $1,000 destination wedding
gear packages, according to Climbing.com stats.
FREQUENCY: There will be quarterly mini-catalog drops. If the response rate is
successful, list rentals will increase and expansions into other sporting categories beyond
climbing and skiing will occur.
Table 6. Climbing and Powder Target Audience Stats, 2005.

Climbing Climbing Powder Powder Website
Magazine Website Magazine Demographics
Demographics Demographics Demographics
Total Paid 39,047 N/A 43,000 N/A
Print
Subscribers
Total Reach 128,855 (avg. of N/A 280,000 (avg. of 4 N/A
3.3 readers per readers per copy)
copy)
% in 25-34 age 24% (9,371 of 31% (37,820 of 27% (11,610 of 31% (17,050 of
range total paid unique monthly total paid unique monthly
subscriber base) users) subscriber base users)
Total monthly N/A 510,000/122,000 N/A 520,000/55,000
page
views/unique
users
Average $ N/A $1,245 N/A N/A
Spent Online
Page Views N/A 171,336 N/A N/A
Per Ad:
Click thrus: N/A 805 N/A N/A
MEDIA STRATEGY 2: Quarterly Online skyscraper ad placement on climbing.com
and powdermag.com will provide a lead in before delivery of mini-catalog to mailing
lists of selects. Click through rates for online ads are above the industry average of .10%
at approximately .47% for users of climbing.com, according to the publication’s online
media kit. Data were unavailable for click-throughs on powdermag.com.
MEDIA TACTIC 2: In addition to quarterly ad placement, a follow up e-mail will be
sent to selects (9,371 of total paid subscriber base to Climbing and 11,610 of total paid
subscriber base to Powder) through direct mail house to verify interest and further target
mailing lists for future mini-catalogs if targets reply to e-mails and indicate that they are
not interested in destination weddings.
• Online Skyscraper Ad Specs/Costs for Climbing.com and PowderMag.com:
160x600 pixels, right column of page - $16/CPM

MEDIA OBJECTIVE 3: Drive additional click-throughs and general awareness of
Patagonia Inc.’s/Patagonia.com’s expansion into destination weddings through
advertising on travel.yahoo.com.
REACH: Reach will correspond to travel.yahoo.com ads placed on search landing pages
for top five U.S. destination wedding locations according to Callaway (2006). These ads
will drive general awareness and are not specific to skiing or climbing, but rather,
destination weddings in general and Patagonia’s new presence in the category.
Additionally, an increase in keyword purchases through ads.google.com will be made to
make searches for these destinations more relevant and targeted to Patagonia.com.
FREQUENCY: Ad placements will occur quarterly.
MEDIA STRATEGY 3: The top five destination wedding sites in the U.S. include:
1. Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-

2733825-california_palace_of_the_legion_of_honor_san_francisco-i)
2. Central Park, New York, NY

(http://travel.yahoo.com/bin/search/travel;_ylt=AvBvoorHBp9LzGkZN.WLrf9BF
moL?p=central+park+NY&sugid=0)
3. Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hood River, OR (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-

375825-columbia_gorge_hotel-i;_ylt=AoQ1a2m5rRSDGPX3bUThbOH8xmoA)
4. Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-

369596-longfellow_s_wayside_inn-i;_ylt=ApDbH3Eni9QQc0Kqlhmt14f8xmoA)
5. Chicago Botanic Gardens, Chicago, IL (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-

2825013-chicago_botanic_garden_chicago-
i;_ylt=AtRQVRZCHjot8jXZmTdgn9z8xmoA)
Buy skyscraper ads to run quarterly on travel.yahoo.com, beginning in April ’07, just
before the kick off of the wedding season in May.

MEDIA TACTIC 3: Ads will be staggered and more heavily weighted at the beginning
of the traditional wedding season, running in April, May, June, August, and October.
• Online Skyscraper Ad Specs/Costs for travel.yahoo.com:
160x600 pixels, right column of page, cost TBD
Utilize Google AdWords to set CPC ads that are charged for only if prospects click
through from them to Patagonia.com. Ads will run during destination wedding searches,
searches for climbing/skiing destination weddings, and other relevant terms TBD.
Keyword purchases should also be made to rank Patagonia.com’s destination wedding
registry and portal higher in search results for destination wedding information.
MEDIA OBJECTIVE 4: Capture .05% of the wedding markets in top U.S. cities that
are also located in near a Patagonia retail outlet.
REACH: Target three U.S. cities ranked in the top ten for most weddings, according to
theweddingmarketreport.com (2006), and that also have a Patagonia retail store nearby.
FREQUENCY: Increase gear package sales and viral awareness of
Patagonia’s/Patagonia.com’s expansion into destination weddings in top markets and
reinforce with quarterly in-store displays of mini-catalogs. If objective is successful,
expand into other top wedding cities.
MEDIA STRATEGY 4: The top three U.S. cities that have been selected include Los
Angeles, CA, Chicago, IL, and New York, NY. All are major metropolitan areas with
large numbers of weddings that also have Patagonia retail outlets in the vicinity. In
California, the nearest Patagonia outlet is in Santa Monica, which is served by the Los
Angeles DMA, and there are stores in downtown Chicago and New York, respectively.
MEDIA TACTIC 4: To grow sales and awareness, ads will be purchased in online
editions (travel, leisure and/or style sections) of the major newspapers that serve each
area. The standard skyscraper ad will be used for these online publications as well.
 Online Skyscraper Ad Specs/Costs for targeted online newspapers:
160x600 pixels, right column of page, costs TBD
Geographically, these cities also represent the West, Midwest, and East coasts. Refer
to Table 7 for targeted reader demographics that fit the 25-30 year old destination
wedding profile as outlined in each newspaper’s media kit. These numbers justify
spending on online ads to reach the target and drive to Patagonia.com and retail outlets.
Table 7. Demographic information for major newspaper online ad placement, 2006.

Total Readership Demographics that Total in age range
fit profile
Online Newspaper
Chicago Tribune 1,877,000 19% 18-34 356,630
LA Times 3,000,000 22% 25-34 660,000
New York Times 13,372,000 59.9% in 25-54 7,889,480
range
Refer to Table 8 for information on number of weddings and total value in each city
and the .05% target information, for reference.
Table 8. Number of weddings and value in selected cities, 2006.

Number of Total Value .05% of the .05% of the
weddings total number of total value of
weddings weddings
Chicago 54,571 $1,740,269,190 2,729 $87,328,000
Los Angeles 75,332 $2,422,677,120 3,766 $121,133,866
New York 123,190 $4,503,826,400 6,159 $225,191,320
To supplement online ads, Patagonia retailers in targeted geographic regions will have
additional copies of quarterly mini-catalogs and customer service representatives with
specific knowledge of the destination travel industry and environmental precautions.
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SALES PROMOTION OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
Specific public relations and sales promotions objectives and strategies can be
incorporated to further support the overall campaign objective of growing Patagonia
Inc.’s “slow growth” rate of expansion from 5% to between 8-9% annually. This is
supported through the expansion of Patagonia Inc. and Patagonia.com into the destination
travel, and, more specifically, destination wedding market. The company will act as a
preferred source of information on the topic through co-branding and awareness as well
as launch mini-catalogs and a wedding registry portal through Patagonia.com to
accommodate the registration for, and purchase of, destination wedding gear packages for
active couples. Those public relations and sales promotions objectives and strategies that
will best support the overall campaign objectives are presented in the following sections.
SALES PROMOTIONS
OBJECTIVE 1: Convert 1% of total weekly traffic to co-branded destination
travel/wedding sites (lonelyplanet.com, theknot.com, travel.discovery.com) to
Patagonia.com for destination travel information and registry sign up.

STRATEGIES:
 “Nice Day for a Green Wedding” sweepstakes: Current Patagonia customers
and prospects who become aware of destination travel gear packages through
online, in-store, and catalog promotion can nominate soon-to-be married friends
who are environmental champions in their area for the sweepstakes. The top-
three most compelling stories will win an all-expense paid wedding, gear
packages, and charitable contributions to local environmental causes made on
their behalf by Patagonia, Inc. Prospects/customers nominate the couples through
online registration at Patagonia.com or tear out cards in Patagonia catalogs.
 Online order confirmation referrals: When current customers complete order
transactions via Patagonia.com, they will receive, via their e-mailed order
confirmation notification, information about Patagonia’s co-branded online
partners that offer online destination travel/wedding information. As added
incentive to check out the sites, a special alphanumeric code will be included that
can be entered on any partner site (travel.discovery.com, lonelyplanet.com, or
theknot.com) in the special Patagonia destination travel information section.
Once entered, customers click ‘go’ and will then get 3% of their total purchase
donated to an environmental charity.
OBJECTIVE 2: Grow awareness of Patagonia, Inc. destination wedding mini-catalogs
among 30% of the targeted 22,726 (1% of total weddings in U.S. according to

theweddingreport.com (2006)) wedding couples in the U.S. within first quarter of
program launch.
STRATEGIES:
 In-store training program for associates: Provide sales promotion training to
all in-store associates and management to grow awareness and usage of
destination wedding gear package mini-catalogs. Sales associates will be trained
to inquire during the checkout process into whether customers are planning to
marry or have friends who are in the near future. If so, the mini-catalog will be
included in the customer’s bag at check out.
 POP customer referral: Additionally, the customer can have their name or the
name of their friends added to Patagonia’s system to receive destination wedding
travel updates via e-mail in addition to the mini-catalog. As an incentive for
providing the information, 3% of the customer’s purchase total at checkout will
be donated to a local environmental cause (clean the bay, land remediation, park
clean up, recycle program funding, etc.).
OBJECTIVE 3: Increase value of Patagonia.com destination wedding gear registry use
to $6.8 million (30% of projected $22.7 million in revenue for first year of program)
during the first and second quarters after program launch.
STRATEGIES:
 “Go Green” Loyalty Card Program with “Refer a Friend” incentive:
Increase revenue through frequency of purchase and registry referrals among

customers through a “Go Green” loyalty card program. Customers receive
discounted travel to “Patagonia approved” environmentally sound travel
destinations as well as free admission to specified Patagonia-sponsored events
worldwide. Discounts and passes are based on “Go” points that are earned over
time. For signing up, two trees would be planted on behalf of the member, and
for every 100 points earned, which would equate to $100, for example, 4% of the
customers purchase would be donated to an environmental cause to which
Patagonia is affiliated. The “refer a friend” component would allow current
customers to refer friends to try Patagonia and receive special one-time pricing
incentives for doing so. The more “Go” points a customer has, the more friends
they can refer. For example, they can spend $500 and can invite one friend for
special pricing, $1000 and they can invite two friends, etc.
 Exclusive in-store gear preview invites: These would include an incentive for
current customers and select wedding prospects to bring a friend to preview
destination travel gear packages with exclusive colors, regional artist designs, etc.
in select retail outlets before the general public gets to see them. The event would
also feature regional environmental speakers, and the distribution of destination
wedding mini-cats. Tie-ins to the “Nice Day for a Green Wedding” promotion
mentioned above could also drive interest. Additionally, on-site incentives for
setting up a wedding registry at Patagonia.com kiosks while at the event will drive
trials and use.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
OBJECTIVE 1: Grow brand awareness of new Patagonia/Patagonia.com destination
travel package expansion among 1%, (22,276 according to theweddingreport.com (2006))
of entire U.S. wedding market within first year of program launch.
STRATEGIES:
 Destination Wedding Gear Product Reviews: Increase placement of product
reviews that highlight ruggedness and durability of destination wedding gear
packages from Patagonia, Inc. Utilize publications like Consumer Reports online
to increase brand awareness and positive attributes that make Patagonia “best in
class.” Ensure that positive destination wedding gear package reviews are also
incorporated into other online consumer opinion sites like epinions.com – tie in
with links to co-branded site articles on theknot.com, travel.discovery.com, and
lonelyplanet.com. This also provides consumers with information to incorporate
into blogs and other online forums for additional product buzz.
 Press releases to highlight uniqueness of the “Go Green” loyalty program:
Promote the program as one of few programs that truly give back, through tree
planting, recommending “Patagonia approved” destinations that support the
environment, etc., all while providing free admissions to sponsored events and
travel discounts.
 Testimonials: Highlight testimonials of couples/wedding invitees who’ve
successfully used the destination wedding registry and information services of

Patagonia, and how they’ve used the gear on destination honeymoon trips.
Generate positive peer-to-peer buzz.
OBJECTIVE 2: Increase click-thrus from co-branding destination travel/wedding
partner sites (lonelyplanet.com, theknot.com, and travel.discovery.com,) to
Patagonia.com gear registry pages by 20% within the first year of program.
STRATEGIES:
 Send founder Yvon Chouinard on a speaking tour: Have Mr. Chouinard speak
at environmental events/Patagonia sponsorships about the launch of new
destination wedding expansions. Generate additional buzz by providing randomly
selected customers with exclusive invitations to these events.
 Distribute quarterly press releases: Highlight increases in registry/destination
wedding and travel information use, estimates of how utilization of these services
is helping the environment through conversion to environ-friendly clothing
purchases, tree plantings, etc.
OBJECTIVE 3: Create awareness among 40% of 22,276 wedding couples (1% of total
weddings in U.S. according to theweddingreport.com (2006)) of Patagonia,
Inc./Patagonia.com as “the most credible resource” for environmentally friendly
destination wedding travel information.

STRATEGIES:
 Influence environmental opinion leaders/experts to submit Op-Ed pieces to
media: Pieces will be distributed to newspapers and online outlets, especially
those in major metro areas with the highest numbers of weddings annually,
recommending Patagonia, Inc. as “the” source for “green” wedding planning and
destination gear. When possible, endorsements will also be included in the
pieces, as well as other topical environmental information.
 Endorsements: Get the endorsement of WWF, GreenPeace, etc. to substantiate
Patagonia Inc.’s claims of being “the” environmentally friendly destination
wedding source for gear and planning. Send press releases accordingly and work
in interviews with Patagonia Inc.’s founder and other credible sources to increase
exposure.
SECTION VI: PATAGONIA DESTINATION WEDDING BRAND ACTIVITY

FLOW
Given the above stated media, public relations, and sales promotion objectives and
strategies, the recommended media mix will incorporate a combination of pulsing
scheduling, which was also outlined in the situational analysis in section II. Because the
Patagonia.com co-branding partnerships with travel.discovery.com, lonelyplanet.com,
and theknot.com are evergreen, this media will receive continuous scheduling. The
content and information will change by the season to accommodate different wedding
types and consumer interest changes by season. Additionally, continuous scheduling will
be used for the gathering of testimonials, endorsements, the rollout and maintenance

of the customer “Go Green” loyalty program, online order confirmation referrals and
POP customer referrals.
The media that will fluctuate include direct mail, op-ed and press releases,
sweepstakes, special “members only” events, and speaking engagements. The first
quarter of the year will not have a mini-catalog mailing because of fewer weddings
during the quarter. Additionally, online ad buys, including those that are in three major
online newspapers that were identified in the last section, those on travel.yahoo.com, and
those tied to Google AdWords will be more concentrated in the April, May, June wedding
season timeframe, with follow up placement in August and October. See Figure 1 for
additional details.
Figure 1. Scheduling Strategy, 2006.

Media: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
DM catalogs
Online Ads
(travel.yahoo.com,
climbing.com,
powdermag.com,
AdWords
Co-branding with
travel.discovery.com,
lonelyplanet.com,
theknot.com
“Nice Day for a Green
Wedding” Sweepstakes
In-Store Employee
Training
Customer Testimonials
Endorsements
“Go Green” Loyalty
Program
Speaking Engagements
Press Releases
Op-Ed Pieces
POP Customer Referrals
Online order
confirmatio
n Referrals
Exclusive In-Store Events
SECTION VII: PATAGONIA, INC. DESTINATION TRAVEL INTEGRATED

MARKETING CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
INTRODUCTION
There are several methods that can be incorporated to evaluate and assess the overall
success of the Patagonia, Inc. Destination Wedding Package integrated marketing
campaign. As stated by Duncan (2005), using these methods will help to reduce risks so
that strategies are effective in the future, enrich planning and managing of similar
campaigns, provide controls to ensure proper campaign execution, and provide
documented results related to campaign marketing communications. Variables that will
need to be evaluated further, also outlined by Duncan (2005) include cost, time, and
validity of test methods. This will help to ensure that recommended assessment and
evaluation methods, outlined below, are on track and achieve the desired outcomes.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION METHODS
EVALUATION 1: Monitor click throughs, web page visits, time spent on Patagonia.com
destination wedding/travel info. pages, and conversions (i.e., registration on
Patagonia.com’s destination wedding gear package registry) from co-branded websites
lonelyplanet.com, travel.discovery.com, and theknot.com. Web tracking can be achieved
by implementing a program like Technorati or Web Trends to monitor what unique users
are doing and where they are going.

Using metrics that are available from such programs, the effectiveness, both in cost
and web traffic generation to Patagonia.com, can be generated.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS: As stated in media objective 1, part of the media
objectives set forth for the Patagonia, Inc. destination wedding travel expansion IMC
campaign, success will be measurable by tracking whether or not Patagonia is on target to
receive 1% of the total monthly web traffic from co-branded partner sites to the
destination wedding information and registry pages on Patagonia.com. This will be
measure monthly, with quarterly reports generated to compare success during different
times of the year. It will be particularly important to measure click throughs and
conversions during peak wedding season versus off-peak.
EVALUATION 2: Monitor the success of press releases, op-ed pieces, and Yvon
Chouinard media tours using PR clipping services from PR Newswire. According to
PRNewswire.com (2006), easily implemented monitoring services include eWatch and
ReleaseWatch. Patagonia.com can utilize this service to receive daily updates of press
coverage.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS: The PRNewswire service will be effective in evaluating
average press hits that are generated from press releases, op-ed pieces, and media buzz
that surrounds press tours by CEO Yvon Chouinard. If specific copy or topics are
identified as generating greater wire pick up over others, more messages will be created
that cover Patagonia, Inc.’s expansion into destination wedding markets using similar.
EVALUATION 3: Monitor mini-catalog mailings via customer database to determine
who is clicking through and creating registries on Patagonia.com and requesting more
information on destination wedding travel. This will assess whether those who are
specifically targeted have higher response rates than general catalog traffic.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS: Make quarterly comparisons of the original database of
targeted customers to whom the catalog was mailed, specifically, the nearly 20,000
subscribers whose names were rented from Climbing and Powder magazine lists, versus
those who respond in targeted metro areas of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago,
versus those who respond in any other markets, including those in areas with Patagonia
retail stores. This will help to determine whether the response rate of prospects who are
part of rented mailing lists is greater than others. If not, list rentals can be discontinued,
or, other lists can be tested.
EVALUATION 4: Conduct a split test using different mini-catalog covers for the same
catalog. For example, incorporate two covers into the production of the skiing
destination wedding mini-catalog. This will test whether customers are affected by the
messaging or creative elements. The catalogs will have two separate, unique codes that
will be requested via phone and online inquiries to determine which, if either, is more
successful in generating response. This evaluation can be conducted during the first
quarter of mailings and then used to guide production of future quarterly catalogs. This
test will be conducted with the Climbing and Powder magazine subscribers that are part
of mailing list rentals.

Of the approximately 9,000 subs of Climbing, 4,500 will receive one cover of the
climbing destination wedding gear mini-catalog, and 4,500 will receive the other. Of the
approximately 11,000 subs to Powder, 5,500 will receive one version of the cover, and
5,500 the other.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS: This test will help to determine if creative elements
influence customers’ decision-making and response rates. If not, a single version of the
skiing and climbing destination wedding travel catalogs will be produced. If it is
determined that creative design does impact response, options for creating online and
phone surveys to get additional information on what elements of the catalog were most
appealing can be evaluated.
EVALUATION 5: Monitor the effectiveness of the customer “Go Green” loyalty
program by assigning unique, customer-specific codes to each loyalty card. This will
allow Patagonia to track not only recency and frequency of purchases by current
customers, and their use of loyalty points, but also those of prospects who are referred to
Patagonia by current customers. The code used by a customer and their referral will be
the same.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS: Monthly reports will be generated to track whether the
“Go Green” loyalty program is cost effective in facilitating more, and more frequent,
purchases by current customers. Additionally, it will be used to determine if, of those
prospects who are referred by current customers, there are purchases made beyond the
initial introductory offer colleague referral discount purchase. Assessments of the use of
loyalty points and where and how they are used most will also be determined to modify
the rewards offerings to be most beneficial to both Patagonia, Inc. and customers.
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Project: Patagonia, Inc.

Destination Wedding Travel Integrated

Marketing Communications Plan

Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 2

This report presents a detailed integrated marketing communications plan for

undertaken while still adhering to Patagonia’s corporate mission of conducting business

while also supporting the environment.

targets prospects by offering destination wedding travel information through co-brands

and the Patagonia.com website. Integrated marketing communications will be conducted

additional revenue during the first year of the campaign.

split testing, mailing evaluations, and loyalty program effectiveness.

Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 3

Section I: Patagonia, Inc. Brand Background……………………………………………4

Section II: Situation Analysis……………………………………………………………..6

Marketing Influencing Conditions………………………………………………..8

Seasonality and Timing…………………………………………………..13

Section III: Marketing Objectives and Strategies……………………………………….18

Section IV: The Message………………………………………………………………..20

Summary of Creative Strategy…………………………………………………...20

Section V: Media Objectives and Strategies…………………………………………….24

Section VI: Flow Chart of Brand Activity………………………………………………38

Section VII: Assessment and Evaluation………………………………………………..40

Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 4

According to Patagonia.com (2006), Patagonia, Inc. adheres to a core mission of

world and to ourselves.”

similar missions and values.

In 1996, Patagonia switched to organic cotton that is used in clothing production,

children, known as the “Seedlings” line.

is evident in the company’s pursuit of “green” manufacturing practices and world-class

zipper was replaced, this parka was ready to go another decade."

Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 6

A REVIEW OF STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS

followed by analyses of influential market conditions including the primary target

audience, geographic considerations, campaign seasonality and timing considerations, the

competition, and budget considerations.

 Customer service policies, including those for returns and repairs

 Employee knowledge/lifestyle fostering/policies (on-site day care, etc.)

 Environmental issues champion – mission statement carries through to products,

distribution channels, marketing, philanthropic causes

 Direct-to-consumer distribution methods – website, stores, catalog

 Sense of ‘community’ built for customers through website, values, lifestyle

 Accolades as a best company to work for, according to Gangemi (2006)

 Price points higher than some competition, particularly in the minds of

 Limited distribution partners

Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 7

footer of web pages, according to MultichannelMerchant.com (2005)

 Limited product/brand knowledge outside of primary target audience when

it via ads, etc.)

 Potential for market saturation among target audience – too niche?

 Limits on market share and growth versus mainstream competition

 Ambassador negative publicity – Dean Potter climbed Delicate Arch at Delicate

Arch National Park in Utah – illegal – generated anti-Patagonia sentiments

according to thepiton.com (2006)

websites (weather.com, travel.discovery.com, etc.) and present clothing

suggestions/environmental tips via online co-brands with links back to

 Increase top-of-mind recognition through sponsorships, co-branding – partner

with hybrid automakers, sponsor college sports clubs, etc.

Patagonia, Inc. IMC Plan 8

Sportswear Company, The North Face, Inc., etc.

 Global expansion of competition – like Recreational Equipment, Inc. in 82 stores

in 25 states, according to REI.com (2006), vs. Patagonia retail in 39 stores, 7

countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, according to Hamm (2006)

 Expansion of mainstream competitors into emerging markets, like China