Nick

Anderson, Hayley Bogert, Canon Charanza, Kyra Fry

and Matthew Warwick


Table of Contents

Executive Summary1
Introduction.1
Current Market Situation............1
Target Market.3
Advertising, Public Relations and Promotion.3
SWOT Analysis.......4
Research Questions.6
Research Method..6
Research Sample...6
Results and Analysis...7
Creative Brief...9
Conclusion10

Executive Summary

The Cottonwood Art Festival takes place in Richardson, Texas for one weekend in the fall
and one weekend in the spring. This analysis will focus on the festivals fall weekend. The
Cottonwood Art Festival has taken place for more than 40 years and is a well-known event
in the Richardson community. The festivals primary target audience consists of families
and elder couples in the Richardson and greater Dallas-Fort Worth area who have an
appreciation for art or are simply looking for a family-friendly weekend activity. Various
advertising methods are used by the city of Richardson for the festival, which include the
use of social media, a festival website, and word-of-mouth advertising.

The Cottonwood Art Festival has many strengths including a loyal following, carnival-like
food, a family-friendly environment, and offerings for all ages and demographics. In
addition to its many strengths, the festival has a few considerable weaknesses as well.
Weaknesses include a lack of healthy food options, an unclear location of the information
center, and the inability to use credit cards. The city of Richardson has many opportunities
to improve these weaknesses and ensure that the festival runs more smoothly in the future.
The Cottonwood Art Festival is one of many events to attend on a given weekend;
therefore, sports, museums, and fairs may hinder the festivals attendance rate. The city of
Richardson uses a survey method to receive feedback on the festival. Each of these subjects
will be discussed in greater detail throughout the remainder of this analysis.

Introduction

We will be discussing the Cottonwood Art Festivals current market situation, target
market, advertising, public relations, and promotions. Furthermore, we included a SWOT
analysis, which details the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the
festival. Finally, we provided research recommendations for the future of the festival.

Current Market Situation

The Cottonwood Art Festivals top three competitors are Artoberfest, Deep Ellum Arts
Festival, and Bayou City Festival. Artoberfest takes place in Galveston, Texas on October
18th and 19th and has over 100 artists. Deep Ellum Arts Festival, with over 200 artists,
takes place in Dallas, Texas from April 2nd to April 5th. Finally, Bayou City Festival takes
place in Houston, Texas on October 11th and 12th and has over 300 participating artists.

Cottonwood Art Festival has been a part of the Richardson community for over forty years
and takes place in the beautiful Cottonwood Park. At Cottonwood, artists can compete in
more than 14 categories including mixed media (2D and 3D), ceramics, glass, and
photography.

Cottonwood Art festival provides both free parking and free admission. The festival also
has a free iPhone app, which includes information on artists, a festival map, a Favorites
section to save your personal favorite artists page, an artist lineup, and general
information. The app is helpful to attendees both prior to attending and while attending.

The app will ensure that attendees are able to visit all of the artists they intend to see. The
Cottonwood Art Festival also has a Twitter page, a Facebook profile, and a YouTube
account to keep fans and prospective festivalgoers updated on all festival information.

Cottonwood shares the most similarities with Artoberfest in Galveston. Artoberfest,
however, is much newer and smaller than Cottonwood Art Festival. Cottonwood has a
larger number of artists and has been growing by the year. Also, Artoberfest charges $5 for
admission, so Cottonwoods decision to keep admission free has set them apart from other
festivals.

Deep Ellum Arts Festival also has free admission, but it is much more adult oriented and
edgy. Deep Ellum is closest in geography, but it only takes place in the spring; therefore,
Cottonwood does not have to compete with Deep Ellum in the fall. If festivalgoers are only
interested in attending one festival per year, this could be an issue. Overall, Cottonwood Art
Festival is a free, family-friendly fine arts festival, while Deep Ellum is an adult-targeted,
edgy festival and places a large emphasis on the music portion of the festival.

Cottonwood Art Festival and Bayou City Festival are the most opposite on the art festival
spectrum. Cottonwood is in Richardson, while Bayou City is in the big city of Houston.
While they are both marketed as fine arts festivals, Cottonwood is more accessible across
many demographics compared to the luxuriously marketed Bayou City. Bayou City charges
$14 for adult tickets and $3 for children, which again sets Cottonwood apart. Bayou City
also has an adults only After Dark ticket option for $9. Bayou City has over 300 artists
and is on its 43rd year. In terms of parking, they partnered with Uber to provide free rides
to those attending. These differences come from city size.

For those more interested in a family-friendly activity than buying art, there is a different
market situation. Dallas is a sprawling metropolitan city with plenty of family-friendly
weekend activities. For shoppers, there are two of Dallass largest malls: Galleria and
Northpark Center. Galleria is more family driven. It has an ice rink, an American Girl store,
shopping apparel for all ages, and a variety of restaurants. Galleria; however, is available
throughout the year; whereas, Cottonwood is only an option over one weekend.

Going on at the same time as Cottonwood Art Festival is the Texas State Fair from
September 26th to October 19th. The fair is a popular family event and has all of the typical
attributes of a fair, but it is Texas sized. There is food, music, rides, games, and more for the
entire family to enjoy. Cottonwood Art Festival, with its free admission, is the more
economical and low-key event.

Other than competitors, Cottonwood may have some other factors to be aware of.
Because it is an outdoor festival, weather could be a huge environmental factor that affects
the marketing strategy. Cottonwood will need to market appropriately so that even in the
event of rain, prospective event goers will be inclined to attend.

As previously stated, Cottonwood Art Festival provides free admission and free parking, so
for people looking for an economical weekend event, Cottonwood is the best choice.
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Consumers pay art and food, but there is no gate fee or parking fee. Cottonwood Art
Festival sets itself apart as a family-friendly and budget-conscious arts festival.

Target Market

The Cottonwood Art Festivals target market is fairly broad. From all ages, races, and
gender orientations, the festival looks to reach a diverse audience. In the past, the festivals
primary target has been families and older couples. Specifically, the festival attracts
families who are looking for something to do on the weekend as well as older couples who
have a fond appreciation for art.

In terms of a geographic target market, the festival looks to focus on marketing to citizens
of Richardson and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Psychographically, the festival aims to reach
consumers who value art for personal pleasure or monetary reasons. The festival
publicizes itself to people through multiple media facets including television, web, and even
social media. As for the differentiation of the targets and publics, families attending the
event are typically looking to spend a pleasant, economical afternoon with their kids
and/or dogs. On the other hand, many older couples are there to appreciate the art and
make purchases.

Lastly, there are many attendees who are serious art buyers looking for the next piece to
add to their collection. What makes the Cottonwood Art Festival different from others is
the fact is its welcoming atmosphere for all families and individuals looking to have the
most pleasant art festival experience possible. Scheduling the festival in early October
allows folks to come out to Cottonwood Park during a generally mild-tempered time of
year to witness some of the best artists in the United States.

Advertising, Public Relations, and Promotion

The advertising communications vary in many ways. Because the Cottonwood Art Festival
has been around for 44 years, it has become one of the most prestigious art festivals in the
country. In terms of advertising, people can find festival information on their website
http://www.cottonwoodartfestival.com or on the festivals Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/CottonwoodArtFestival. The festival has a very positive
reputation among residents of Richardson; therefore, the festival relies heavily on word-of-
mouth advertising. The festival also places advertising efforts in local papers, internet
newsletters, and magazines.

As mentioned earlier, the festivals target audience is very broad. Yet, the main
demographics include families and older people with an appreciation for art. To reach
these two primary demographics, the festival is promoted in many family and art
magazines including D Magazine, Suburban Parent Magazine, Premier Art Show
Magazine, and several others. The festivals promotion strategy does not vary much from
that of competing art festivals. Other festivals including Houstons Bayou City Arts Festival
and Dallass Deep Ellum Arts Festival promote via word-of-mouth as well as print and web
advertising.

SWOT

Strengths:
The Cottonwood Art Festival has a recognizably loyal following. Many respondents
have been attending for years and utilize word of mouth to draw their friends and
family into joining them. That being said, there is something offered for all ages.
Furthermore, the festival welcomes dogs. The family-friendly atmosphere allows
parents to enjoy the festival experience without the obligation of hiring dog sitters
or babysitters. One must not be an art enthusiast to enjoy the Cottonwood Art
Festival. For the enthusiasts, however, the directional pamphlets were essential for
easily locating their favorite artists. Food was a common topic of conversation
among respondents, and the carnival-like offerings alongside the alcoholic options
satisfied both children and parents. Equally significant, fragrant foods were offered
throughout the festival giving consumers a sensory motivation to purchase foods
that they would not have purchased based on hunger alone. Considering the
importance of the family-friendly environment, the ability to meet the artists
accentuated the intimate feel of the festival and provided a more personal element
for art purchasers. October tends to be the most mildly tempered time of year. By
offering an incentive, the survey booth was never desperate for respondents. With
the booth being consistently crowded, a snowball effect occurred as respondents
encouraged their friends to participate in the survey alongside them. The
Cottonwood Art Festival adapted well to todays culture through the use of their
app. The demographics of the festival were diverse in terms of age, race, and
income. This allowed for a wider population to draw insight from. The on-site ATM
provided a convenient opportunity for buyers to attain the proper payment method.
Lastly, buses traveling from the festival to nearby parking lots eased transition to
and from the festival. This was particularly helpful for older age group.
Weaknesses:
There was a clear lack in healthful food options. The directional signposts in the
walkways of the festival were often overlooked due to the small lettering.
Consumers frequently struggled to find the food court and the bathrooms. The sign
for the information desk was small and did not stand out; furthermore, the desk was
located behind other booths making it particularly hard to find for those seeking
direction. Respondents were consistently failing to notice the back page of the
survey. Rather than providing their own opinions, couples typically filled the survey
out together. In comparison to the size of the population, our sample size was quite
small and did not include one of the largest segments of the population: children.
Therefore, a slight non-response error resulted from our study. Despite the on-site
ATM, many consumers were frustrated upon hearing that they must pay with cash.



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Opportunities:
Attention-getting directional signs would ease confusion for consumers. The
handheld pamphlets would be well suited for reception upon entering the festival.
The overall population tended to resemble that of young families and older couples,
which leaves an opportunity to market more strongly to middle-aged consumers.
This would fill a slight gap in the audience. Considering the number of children who
tried to fill out the survey, a kid-friendly survey could be administered in order to be
more inclusive. Their attempts generally ended in frustration. Placing an over or
continues on next page to the bottom of the first page of the survey would aid
those administering the survey and prevent incomplete data. More clarity could be
offered about the mailing list (i.e. where it is coming from and what respondents
will be receiving). There is a need to provide healthier option in regards to the food
choices in order to meet the needs of health-conscious consumers.

Threats:
The weather is always a considerable threat to outdoor events. Furthermore,
entertainment in October largely revolves around football. On Saturdays, many
potential attendees are attending college football games. On Sundays, professional
football is a large factor; therefore, both days of the festival are in jeopardy of losing
the attendance of sports fans. October is also a popular time for youth sports, which
may affect young families. Not only that, but sports teams were practicing at the
fields nearby, which limited parking spots for some festival attendees. The
Dallas/Fort Worth areas well-known art museums including the Modern Art
Museum of Fort Worth, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum of
American Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center all provide
threats to the Cottonwood Art Festival. This is particularly appealing to those who
do not intend to purchase art. The State Fair of Texas is also going on at this time
and is consistently an attraction for both Texas and out-of-state residents.
Artoberfest, Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and the Bayou City Arts Festival are all in-
state arts festivals to consider in terms of market competition.
















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Research Questions

1. What is the geographic reach of the Cottonwood Art Festival?

2. With what motive do people attend the Cottonwood Art Festival?
3. How can the Cottonwood Art Festival be improved to enhance the experience for
attendees?

Research Method
We created an online survey through Qualtrics with questions geared toward answering
our three research questions. The responses that we received were more in-depth than the
responses from the initial survey passed out at the Cottonwood Art Festival. We believed
that method was the most efficient and accurate choice due to cost and desired results. The
first step of the survey was sending out an email blast to those who left their information
and were willing to help with further research. A week after we sent out the survey, we
sent friendly reminders via email to those who had not filled out the survey to encourage
them to complete it. After the reminder was sent, we waited four days before calling the
festival attendees who left their phone numbers. We administered the survey to these
participants over the phone.

Research Sample

The research sample consisted of people who attended the Cottonwood Art Festival, took
the initial survey, and agreed to be contacted after the festival took place. These
participants were recruited via email with a link to a survey. We made sure to send out
more emails than our required number of surveys. The intended sample size was 50
participants. We soon realized that 50 respondents was an unrealistic number, so we set a
more attainable goal of 35 participants. We ended up exceeding our goal of 35 with a total
of 43 respondents!

Data

The data was collected via an online survey and was sent to participants from the first
survey who agreed to be contacted. The survey was made using Qualtrics. Data analysis
was conducted after the desired 30 participants completed the survey.

Survey Questionnaire

http://tcucommunication.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6g6WActoSc5lkON

Additional Details

As mentioned previously, our research came from online surveys from people who agreed
to participate in future studies. The survey was conducted via the link above. Afterwards,
we collected our data to answer our three research question.






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Results and Analysis

After sending out the survey via e-mail, an e-mail reminder, and phone calls, our team
received 43 responses to the survey. As we mentioned beforehand, our team wanted to find
out the geographic reach of the Cottonwood Art Festival, the motive of people attending the
Cottonwood Art Festival, and how the Cottonwood Art Festival could be improved to
enhance the experience of attendees.

The graph below explains the motives of why people attended the Cottonwood Art Festival:


















From the graph above, our team found out that the vast majority of people who took our
survey primarily went to the festival to enjoy the atmosphere. The second most popular
reason people attended the festival was to purchase art. The other three reasons (the kids
craft center, the music, and the food) were far less important to festivalgoers.

The two graphs below explain what festivalgoers believe could help enhance the
Cottonwood Art Festival experience:






























The first graph represents what the participants thought the Cottonwood Art Festival did
well. Within the graph, people who took the survey believed the festival did a good job of
having a variety of art pieces and artists. These same people believed the festival did a good
job of having activities for all ages. The last graph asked participants how the festival could
be improved. Most people said the festival could have a wider variety of food as well as a
more eclectic variety of art.

Our survey also had an open-ended response question that asked festivalgoers specifically
what they believed would enhance their experience when attending the Cottonwood Art
Festival. While our team received a wide variety of responses, the most common
complaints dealt with logistics. Complaints include: food vendors needing the ability to
accept credit cards, more parking, extended hours, the layout of the festival at the park, and
the scheduling of the event.

Creative Brief
Demographics
The primary demographic of Cottonwood Art Festival attendees was a crowd of female (79%)
Caucasians who were 50 years and older (50%), and reside in the local area including Richardson and
northern Dallas suburbs. It was evident when studying the demographics of the festival that there is an
age group clearly missing: the young adult crowd. The majority of attendees graduated college (72%). In
regard to annual household income, the majority of attendees this year earned $60,000 to $100,000 per
year (40%).

Psychographics
The Cottonwood Art Festival attendees were primarily eccentric, art-minded individuals who went to
the festival to enjoy the atmosphere. The majority were eclectic introverts who expressed themselves
through visuals as opposed to words. The Cottonwood Art Festival attendees were heterogeneous from
the overall Dallas-Fort Worth population, but within their subgroup, they were homogenous.

Target Audience
The Cottonwood Art Festivals target market is fairly broad. From all ages, races, and gender
orientations, the festival looks to reach a diverse audience. In the past, the festivals primary target is
families and older couples. Specifically, the festival attracts families who are looking for something to do
on the weekend as well as older couples who have a fond appreciation for art. In terms of a geographic
target market, the festival looks to focus on marketing to citizens of Richardson and the Dallas-Fort
Worth area. Psychographically, the festival aims to reach consumers who value art for personal pleasure
or monetary reasons. As for the differentiation of the targets and publics, families attending the event
are typically looking to spend a pleasant, economical afternoon with their kids and/or dogs. On the other
hand, many older couples are there to appreciate the art and make purchases. Lastly, there are many
attendees who are serious art buyers looking for the next piece to add to their collection. What makes
the Cottonwood Art Festival different from other festivals is the welcoming atmosphere for all families
and individuals looking to have the most pleasant art festival experience possible.

Consumer Insight
After receiving data on the consumers through surveys, it came to our attention that the main reason
people attended the festival was to enjoy the atmosphere. That means that the majority of attendees
went to the festival not to purchase the art, but to enjoy looking at all of the different art vendors, listen
to the live music, and walk their dogs. After talking to some of the attendees, the biggest complaint was
the scheduling of the festival. The people that came are very interested in other festivals, and the
common comment we received was that the Cottonwood Art festival was scheduled at the same time as
other festivals in the area. This was causing attendees to make a choice as to which festival to attend
rather than being able to attend both.

Plan of action
The festival has one group blatantly missing: the young adults (high school and college). To attain the
ideal target audience, the festival must speak the language of this tech savvy age group. After some
research, we found that the festival does not have an account on Instagram: the most artistic form of
social media. People use Instagram to search for art, and utilizing an active hashtag would unite all of
Cottonwoods forms of social media. We created #CWAFest for potential use. Social media allows
information to be spread quickly among diverse, widespread groups. This would allow the festival to
reach not only the younger demographic, but it would also reach residents outside the Richardson area.
Furthermore, working with a chain restaurant to implement Cottonwood advertisements at all of their
locations would expand the geographic reach of the festival.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Cottonwood Art Festival is one of the largest and most successful art
festivals in the nation. They have created a reputation and experience that brings people
back year after year and welcomes new attendees as well. After doing research via an
online and phone survey, 43 attendees presented the strengths and weaknesses of the
festival and revealed room for improvement for this already successful event. The most
vital improvements deal with the logistics of the event, which our team stated previously.
These improvements include: better scheduling, more parking, the ability to use credit
cards, extended hours, and a better floor plan of the festival. While our plan calls for better
logistics, we would also encourage the Cottonwood Art Festival to create an Instagram page
and an active, unique hashtag (#CWAFest). Also, advertising locally through coffee shops or
chain restaurants via print advertisements would be beneficial in creating awareness.

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