MCR 2026 Marketing Strategy

Updated Recommendations Based on Agent Network Analysis

Executive Summary

Total Marketing Budget
$478,200
Target Capacity
36,300
Cost Per Ticket Target
$13.17
Industry Benchmark
$12-18
Budget is adequate. Allocation needs adjustment to capture underserved segments.

Current Budget Analysis

Approved Budget Breakdown

Category Allocated % of Total
Digital Advertising$90,00018.8%
Radio/Streaming Audio$90,00018.8%
Out-of-Home (OOH)$71,20014.9%
Content/Creative$60,00012.5%
NFR$50,00010.5%
Partnerships (TBD)$35,0007.3%
TV$25,0005.2%
Print$18,0003.8%
Email/SMS$12,0002.5%
Kick-off Party$12,0002.5%
Contingency$10,0002.1%
Gifting/VIP$5,0001.0%
TOTAL$478,200100%

Sponsor/Noise Budget Available

Focus Group Scoring by Segment

Based on analysis of 10 audience personas and 5 strategic agents:

Segment Current Score Gap
Primary Ticket Buyers (Artist Fans)8.1/10Minor
Nashville Tourists7.8/10Minor
VIP/Premium Seekers7.5/10Moderate
Corporate Entertainment7.2/10Moderate
Nashville Locals6.0/10Significant
Rodeo Purists5.5/10Critical
Family Segment5.0/10Critical
Current strategy effectively targets ~60% of potential audience but misses 40%.

Critical Gaps Identified

GAP 1: Rodeo-Specific Marketing - $0 Currently Allocated

Problem: The marketing plan barely mentions the actual rodeo. Rodeo purists (significant travel-willing audience) scored lowest at 5.5/10.

What They Want:

Missing Channels:

Impact if Unaddressed: Lose 3,000-5,000 rodeo-purist tickets
GAP 2: Nashville Local Strategy - Generic, Not Community

Problem: Nashville locals scored 6.0/10. Plan treats Nashville as an ad market, not a community to engage.

What's Missing:

"You can't buy Nashville - you have to earn it."
Impact if Unaddressed: No organic buzz, no earned media, industry skepticism
GAP 3: Corporate/B2B Sales Track - No Dedicated Approach

Problem: Corporate buyers are interested but have no clear path to purchase. Scored 7.2/10 due to missing suite info, group booking process, and dedicated contact.

Missing Channels:

Opportunity: Corporate buyers spend $300-500/person. Target 15% of tickets (5,400) through this channel.

GAP 4: Family Segment - Completely Ignored

Problem: Family persona scored lowest at 5.0/10. Zero family-focused messaging exists.

What Families Need:

Impact if Unaddressed: Miss 2,000-3,000 family group tickets
GAP 5: VIP Value Proposition - Unclear

Problem: VIP seekers willing to spend $500-1,000 but scored only 7.8/10 because they can't see exactly what they're getting.

Questions Unanswered:

Current "Gifting/VIP" budget ($5K) is comps, not marketing.

Recommended Budget Reallocation

No New Money Required - Reallocate from Overweight Categories

Category Current Recommended Change
OOH$71,200$55,000-$16,200
Radio/Streaming$90,000$82,000-$8,000
TV$25,000$20,000-$5,000
Contingency$10,000$5,000-$5,000
Freed Up$34,200

New Allocation Categories

New Category Budget Source
Rodeo Marketing$12,000OOH reduction
Nashville Local Activation$10,000Partnerships (from TBD)
Corporate/B2B Track$7,200Radio/TV reduction
Family Segment$5,000Contingency
Total Reallocated$34,200

Detailed Recommendations

1. Rodeo Marketing - New $12,000 Allocation

TacticBudgetTiming
PRCA website banner ads$3,000Dec-Apr
Pro Rodeo Sports News ads (2 issues)$2,500Jan, Mar
Flyers/presence at Fort Worth Stock Show$1,500Jan
Flyers/presence at San Antonio Stock Show$1,500Feb
Cowboy/stock contractor video content series$2,000Dec-Apr
Rodeo influencer partnerships (5 accounts)$1,500Jan-Apr
Budget: $12,000

2. Nashville Local Activation - $10,000 from Partnerships TBD

TacticBudgetTiming
Nashville Scene advertorial + event listing$4,000Feb-Apr
Broadway venue cross-promo (5 venues)$2,000Mar-Apr
Local influencer program (10 Nashville creators)$2,500Feb-Apr
Music industry outreach event$1,500Feb

Additional Tactics (No Cost):

Budget: $10,000

3. Corporate/B2B Track - New $7,200 Allocation

TacticBudgetTiming
LinkedIn advertising (Nashville decision-makers)$3,000Jan-Mar
Nashville Business Journal sponsored content$2,500Feb
Chamber of Commerce email blast$700Feb
Corporate sales collateral design$1,000Jan

Process Requirements:

Target: 400 corporate group tickets ($120,000+ revenue)

Budget: $7,200

4. Family Segment - New $5,000 Allocation

TacticBudgetTiming
Nashville Parent magazine ad$2,000Mar
Mommy blogger partnerships (5 accounts)$1,500Mar-Apr
Family-focused creative development$1,000Feb
School newsletter ads (Davidson County)$500Mar

Product Requirements:

Budget: $5,000

Implementation Timeline

December 2025
  • Finalize rodeo marketing creative
  • Secure PRCA advertising placements
  • Launch corporate sales landing page
  • Begin Nashville Scene partnership discussions
January 2026
  • Rodeo marketing campaign launches
  • Fort Worth Stock Show presence
  • Corporate outreach begins
  • Nashville Business Journal placement
  • VIP landing page live
February 2026
  • San Antonio Stock Show presence
  • Music industry outreach event
  • Nashville Scene advertorial runs
  • Family segment creative development
  • LinkedIn B2B campaign launches
March 2026
  • Nashville Parent magazine ad
  • Family 4-Pack pricing announced
  • Broadway venue cross-promos active
  • Local influencer content peaks
  • Mommy blogger partnerships active
April 2026
  • Final push all channels
  • Last-minute corporate group sales
  • Day-of social coverage
  • Post-event analysis begins

Expected Outcome Improvement

Metric Current Plan With Changes
Overall Focus Group Score7.2/107.8/10
Rodeo Purist Score5.5/107.0/10
Family Score5.0/106.5/10
Nashville Local Score6.0/107.5/10
Revenue RiskHigh (concentrated)Moderate (diversified)

Recommended Actions

  1. Approve budget reallocation as outlined above
  2. Assign rodeo marketing lead - someone who understands the rodeo community
  3. Hire/designate corporate sales contact - dedicated group sales person
  4. Brief creative team on VIP landing page requirements
  5. Schedule Nashville Scene meeting within 2 weeks
  6. Confirm PRCA ad placements before December 15

Analysis Based On: Agent Network Focus Group (10 personas, 5 strategic agents)
Actual Budget Source: 2026 RODEO Marketing Budget spreadsheet