The Eden Project

Eden Project is one of the largest ecotourism sites in the world. The purpose of the Eden Project is to highlight man's dependence on and relationship with plants. The Eden Project informs visitors about the importance of plants to life on earth, delivering a high-impact message about the importance of preserving plant diversity (Eden Project ltd., 2007). The message at the Eden Project is not delivered in lecture style, but utilizes an engaging display the showcases the major current environmental issues.

The Eden project contains more than 5,000 species, representing many of the major climatic zones of the earth (Eden Project ltd., 2007). The Eden Project utilizes the natural environment of Cornwall and contains two of the largest conservatories in the world (Eden Project ltd., 2007). The visitor to the Eden Project does not simply view the exhibits. Exhibits are designed to be thought provoking and to leave the visitor with a lasting impression that they can carry home with them to their own communities.

The Eden Project was the brain child of Tim Smit, working in close collaboration with horticultural experts (Eden Project ltd., 2007). Peter Thoday and Philip McMillan designed the plant climates and exhibits. The primary architect and co-founder was Jonathon Ball (Eden Project ltd., 2007). The vision of these men was to design a garden that would inform visitors about the importance of the plant kingdom. They wanted to do so on a global basis, and hopefully, attract a global audience as well.

The major attractions at the Eden Project are two large biomes that house plants from the humid tropics and the temperate zone. The Humid Tropics Biome 15,590 square meters, and is the biggest greenhouse in the world (Eden Project ltd., 2007). The Warm Temperate Biome has an area of 6,540 square meters, still an impressive attraction (Eden Project ltd., 2007). These structures use state-of-the-art ethylene polymer hexagons that should remain maintenance free for at least 25 years (Eden Project ltd., 2007). Climates within the biomes are controlled by a sophisticated computer system that controls ventilation and heating (Eden Project ltd., 2007). The project used green technology to the extent possible, by way to heat natural heat sinks, but the entire project could not completed 100% green.

The focus of Eden Project is on plants, not animals. It does not intend to be a zoo, it's market is with other conservatories and visitor gardens. It does have insects, butterflies, birds and lizards, but these are primarily for the control of plant pests (Eden Project ltd., 2007). They do not comprise a major part of the exhibit. Plant material comes from cuttings and seeds from all over the world, raised in a nursery just down the road from the project (Eden Project ltd., 2007).

How Does Eden Project Benefit the Community?

The Eden Project utilizes local suppliers and services whenever possible. It provides employment and brings tax dollars into the Cornwall and South West. The first year that it opened, it attracted nearly two million visitors. The original business plan was based on 750,000 visitors per year. Since its opening, visitors have dropped to a steady 1,250,000 visitors per year (Eden Project ltd., 2007). These numbers overshot the mark of the original plan. However, this raises several concerns from a marketing perspective. Visitors need to see something new so that they keep coming back. Otherwise the product life cycle of the Eden Project may be short-lived.

In order to keep the brand fresh, Eden Project has a continuously changing its plant displays. The display takes different characteristics during the different seasons. The Eden Project has plans continually to add new displays and biomes. For instance, it has plans for new exhibits involving the outdoor landscape and a new addition called "The Core." The Core is an educational facility that highlights the key values and ideals encompassed in the Eden Project. After the Core, Eden has plans to construct a display called "The Edge," a fourth climate zone. There are also plans to recreate the Fertile Crescent, a meeting place for people to gather (Eden Project ltd., 2007).

In addition to a continually changing display, Eden hosts world scale events, such as Live 8 Africa Calling. It also hosts the Eden sessions, outdoor concerts with edgy groups such as Moby, Keane, Basement Jaxx, and Brian Wilson (Eden Project ltd., 2007). Eden also hosts seasonally themed events, such as bulb mania in the spring, a Time of Gifts in the Winter, and Jungle Nights in the summer (Eden Project ltd., 2007). These events and concerts help to build a continuous stream of new and exciting things to experience at Eden.

Leisure Opportunities in Cornwall

Eden's purpose was to attract global appeal. However, the local community is its mainstay. Repeat clientele is likely to come from the local audience than from travelers on holiday. In order to attract the global audience that it desires, visitors will have to have a number of attractions that will make them want to visit the area. The local area has to have the infrastructure, including accommodations and dining to support an expanding tourist trade. The following will examine the local infrastructure for travel and tourism in the Cornwall area.

A survey by the Cornwall Tourism Board revealed that the average visitor to Cornwall is a sightseer. They visit a number of sights and participate in a variety of outdoor activities. St. Ives and Newquay were the most popular tourist destinations. The most popular attractions were the Eden Project, Land's End, and properties on the National Heritage Trust. This survey indicated that Eden was attracting visitors to the area. Spending time on the beach and shopping were other popular activities while in the area.

One of the most important sections of the Cornwall Tourism Board survey was the number of visitor who were planning to visit a number of listed attractions. Of 50 subjects surveyed, 39 were planning to visit Eden. Eden ranked among one of their favorite destinations. Many of them were return visitors, which indicates a certain level of satisfaction with Eden and its changing exhibits.

Among other places that people intended to visit (in no particular order), were Minack Theater, Flambards, National Maritime Museum, Blue Reef Aquarium, Tate St. Ives, Lost Gardens of Heligan, St. Michael's Mount, and the many National Heritage Trust sites. There are many things to do in Cornwall. Eden quickly made its way to the top of the list. There is so much to see and do in Cornwall that it is not surprising that many of the visitors are repeat tourists, who make Cornwall their holiday spot of choice year after year.

Leisure Spending in Cornwall

Cornwall contains hundreds of accommodations from upper class suites to primitive camping sites (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). Accommodations in the area are numerous and support a yearly influx of visitors to the area. From 1993 through 2006, room occupancy rates in the non-serviced sector of accommodations averages 50-70% in the summer months and drops to around 30% in the winter months (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). For the serviced sector, occupancy was the same in the summer, but slightly higher in the winter months (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). Peak tourism months are May through October, with a severe drop off in October (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007).

Source: Cornwall Tourist Board. (2007). Tourism in Cornwall. Available at http://www.cornwalltouristboard.co.uk/documents/TourisminCornwallResearchUpdateSep06.pdf

Travel and tourism in the Cornwall area averages 4 million Pounds per year (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). Domestic visitors account for a majority of the spending in the area. Overseas visitors only account for approximately 2% of the total tourism revenue (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). This demonstrates the importance of developing the local market, yet demonstrates considerable room for expansion on a global scale.

Although visitors during the spring and summer were more numerous, those that visited during the winter had a higher average expenditure per person per day/night at (40). Accommodations and food took up most of the money spent, with shopping at a close third. They spent less on entertainment and travel than other items during their stay. There are many opportunities to expand marketing and shopping opportunities at Eden to take advantage of the typical spending habits of the visitor.

Cornish Holiday Pattern

Devon attracts the largest percentage of visitors in the area for the purposes of entertainment. Cornwall is second, with the other districts following in total tourism visits (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). A majority of the visitors to the Cornwall area come for the purposes of holiday, as opposed to business trips or other purposes. In a 2006 survey, it was found that 82% of visitors to the Cornwall area were adults that were not accompanied with children. The other eighteen percent represented families with children (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). Fifty-eight percent were couples, with groups of 3-5 representing an additional 25% (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007).

The average visitor to the Cornwall area is aged 55 and up (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). Groups with small children and teens make up the smallest percentage of visitors to the area (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). As one would expect, those with children and teens tended to increase visits in the summer. While the older demographic groups dominated during the winter months. Seasonal fluctuations in Cornwall follow typical patterns found in non-tropical regions. The tourism trade in Cornwall depends on the influx of seasonal visitors during the warm summer months.

According to statistics from the Cornwall Tourism Board (2007), the largest percentage of visitors were from Devon. This is more than likely due to proximity more than any other factor. Other visitors can be broken down into the following general locations.

Location

Percentage of Total Visitors to Cornwall

Devon

Hampshire

Bristol

Wales

West Midlands

Yorkshire

Essex

London

Overseas

Source: Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007

It might be noted that Cornish residents were excluded from the survey. Therefore, these percentages only represent non-local tourism. One might notice that overseas tourism has a greater impact in numbers of tourism than it did in the dollar amount contributed to the area. When one combines the close proximity locations such as Devon, Hampshire, Bristol, and Wales one will find that they comprise close to one-fourth of the total tourism trade. According to the Cornwall Tourism Board, the area attracts a considerable number of repeat visitors.

Newquay, St. Ives, Bude, and Falmouth were the most popular bases from which to launch a holiday stay in Cornwall. The most frequent length of stay in the area was 7 days. The second most popular was 3-4 nights. This indicates that visitors to Cornwall find enough to occupy their time to stay for a considerable amount of time. Most visitors were on their main holiday, rather than a break or day visit (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007).

One of the most important statistics found by the visitor's bureau was that in 2006, among the visitors surveyed, 90% said that this was not their first time to visit the area. Only 10% were on their first visit. This is important for Eden, as it indicates that they can capture repeat visitors by way of their seasonal events and concerts. If Eden gives them a reason to come back, they will return. Continued expansion and new exhibits will help to keep their brand fresh and new. Seventy-five percent of the visitors to Cornwall used cars as their major form of transportation when visiting the area.

Although visitors found the local food and drink adequate and satisfactory, it was not a reason to travel to the area (Cornwall Tourism Board, 2007). Visitors indicated that they received much of their information about places to visit and things to do in the area while in the area on previous visits. The Internet was the second most popular form of information transfer. Below that ranked brochures, guides and leaflets.

The Cornwall Tourism Board's survey revealed that what the customer wants and expects during their visit to Cornwall. In general, visitors felt satisfied with the accommodations, food, parking, ease of finding their way around and other attributes that contribute to a comfortable stay in the area. One of the key complaints was congestion along the A30, but there is not much that can be done about this as far as the Eden Project is concerned. The Cornwall area offers some of the prettiest scenery in the world and that alone makes it an excellent location for the Eden project.

Development of Eden

The Eden Project was a bigger success than was imagined when it was first conceptualized. It brings one million visitors to the Cornwall area and pumps

100 million into the local economy. It generates

13 million in goods and services, as majority of which are locally produced. The County of Cornwall has given approval for funds needed for the expansion of Eden and its continued growth and development (Cornwall County Council, 2006). The endorsement means that it is now time to take a look at the development of Eden, new marketing resources that are available and develop a plan of action for taking advantage of these resources.

Stakeholders

Several key stakeholders can be identified in this project. Eden is an educational charity, which means that the community represents a stakeholder in the project. The County of Cornwall is a stakeholder due to the addition to the economy and influx of tourists to the area that Eden generates. The founders are stakeholders, several of whom were willing to work for free for 18 months until the project got off the ground. The founders and community are all stakeholders in the project and have an interest in its success. The Eden project received major financial support from many large corporations, who saw the project as beneficial to humankind on many levels.

The Eden Project is a charitable organization, with and educational purpose. This translates into more general risk for stakeholders. No person derives profit from the project, the project belongs to the community. The Eden Project contributes significantly to the local economy. The local community benefits from the success of the project. The Eden Project supports the community that, in turn, supports it as well. It is difficult to reduce the stakeholders in the project to a small group of entities. The Eden Project is an important one for the community that supports it.

Advertising Efforts of the Past

Early advertising efforts for the Eden Project were underway before construction was finished. Local newspapers helped to get the word out, reporting on construction. These early project emphasized the positive charitable aspects of the project. They did not want it to seem like just another theme park, designed to line someone's projects. This sense of greater good has been the key to the advertising campaign throughout the project. The project was promoted as ecofriendly and for the benefit of the globe.

The crux of the early advertising campaign was to use the most credible sources available. For instance, the National Geographic hailed the Eden Project as the Eighth Wonder of the World (Stables, 2003). This article did wonders to build credibility and bring awareness of the project to the world. High profile publications were the key to success of the early campaign. The Eden Project presents a positive outlook for the future, which is something that the public craves, in a world that can be so negative (Stables, 2003). The Eden project gives people hope that we can live sustainably and not have to sacrifice profit to do it. Theme and presentation was a key element of early advertising efforts. Emphasizing the relationship between people and plant was the primary focus of the advertising campaign. Green issues were at the forefront, a hot topic, which generated buzz among the public.

One of the key difficulties early advertising had was that national newspapers did not pay as much attention to the project as local newspapers. National coverage did not go into as much detail as local advertising. This may have been a major contribution to vast support locally, while areas of England that are further away have a lower number of visitors than the local area. It may not be an issue of simple proximity, but rather one of a lack of advertising in those areas that accounts for differences in attendance by region.

One of the points that was brought out in national advertising emphasized several contractions to the green movement theme, such as the presence of a huge carpark and utility consumption needed to run the place. These contradictions undermined the green theme of the project, but did not seem to hurt local traffic.

The global press began to pick up on the Eden project shortly before its opening. Journalists from the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Germany covered the opening and helped to spread the world among other countries. The media blitz was a well-planned effort. However, despite their attempts to use the media to their advantage, several negative comments, such as fears of spreading mad cow disease, materialized despite their best efforts. These comments were generally countered by the overwhelming number of rave reviews of the Eden project. Using the press in such as manner allowed the Eden Project the ability to take advantage of free advertising to the general public. As newspapers began to pick up the story, it snowballed. As a result, the Eden Project did not have to pay for advertising in major newspapers. This strategy was frugal and effective.

The Experience at Eden

The product that Eden sells is an experience. They do make money selling products at their gift shop and other minor income streams. However, their primary source of income derives from the experience that the customer has while visiting. The most important aspect of designing any marketing scheme is to understand the customer product thoroughly. In order to understand the product, one must take a tour of Eden to appreciate the experience. The experience will dictate the appropriate marketing mix that will be used.

After the visitor arrives at the visitor center, they enter a queuing system surrounded by sculptures by local artists. Once inside, they experience a puppet show that highlights our link to nature and plant life. Eden offers several different pricing schemes for admission, They offer a lifetime membership for

1000. They have a special friend's scheme for

60 a family ticket. This plan allows free access for the year, including special events. One can purchase a yearly Passport. Regular admission for the day is

3. Eden offers a number of pricing schemes to fit every budget. Pricing schemes that allow subsequent entry or memberships assures that visitors will come back.

After the visitor exits the entrance turn styles they witness an astounding display of bio-domes. They then must walk further down into the center of the ex-clay pit to experience the inner gardens. There are tractors with trains of trailers to transport visitors to this area. Some of the spaces along the way look unfinished, with areas of the old clay pit still visible. Once inside the biodomes, the visitor experiences plants and species from across the globe. Visitors can dine at a lower-priced cafeteria style abode. They also have the choice of a dining style facility with a bar, obviously made to target a more upscale market.

Marketing Plan

With the press behind it from the beginning, Eden had very little trouble attracting visitors. The popularity of the project overshot the mark of anyone's expectations. From at marketing perspective, Eden has several positive things going for it. First, the managers realized that they would have to find a way to keep customers coming back, beyond the initial experience. They did this by continually revolving exhibits, continued new projects, and the concert series.

The marketing of seasonal or lifetime passes also helps to build repeat business. However, one must realize that the initial sale of package deals means that the number of visitors does not necessarily reflect actual revenue. Those with year passes may use them once a month. In this case, the revenue is realized once, but the same person will click the turn-style 12 times. This is a problem with projecting revenue using this type of pricing scheme. However, although, Eden will not realize future revenue by means of admission price, they may realize revenue from the gift shop or eating establishments.

Target Marketing

Eden appeals to a wide variety of demographic groups. The survey conducted by the Cornwall Tourism Board (2007) painted a precise picture of the average visitor to Cornwall and its attractions. This profile can be used to define the target market that will be used in the marketing campaign.

The survey revealed that the average visitor to Cornwall consists of older couples who are in the area on a one-week holiday. The typically travel during the summer, and visit Eden as a part of a local tour of the area. Many of the visitors to Eden are couples that do not have children. However, some allowances must be made for younger couples with children, as they do comprise about 12% of the visitors. The average visitor is middle income and financially stable.

Current marketing is directed at pleasing everybody. There is a lower priced eating facility that caters to those who are concerned about lower prices. There is also an upper end eatery that caters to a higher income crowd. Early marketing efforts were not directed towards two separate demographic groups. For this type of facility, this strategy is wise, and reflects the diversity found in the Cornwall Tourism Board survey. Pricing schemes also existed that cater to a wide variety of tastes and price ranges.

Eden has a theme park feel to it, yet without being a theme park (Martin, 2007). With this type of tourism product, one must expect a variety of different people from a variety of backgrounds. The displays have a general appeal to the mass market. One could expect that with the educational emphasis, one will get at least some children and families. However, the garden theme appeals to an older target audience. Eden is more like a conservatory than a theme park, in the traditional sense. The older demographic more closely matches the typical visitor to the Cornwall area.

The older visitor is typically more financially stable than younger couples with children. One cannot exclude the younger demographic group altogether. However, it appears that not enough has been done to hone in on the more affluent older crowd. Older adults still desire and educational experience, but they are more likely to enjoy a quite stroll, taking in the sights and sounds of the biodomes.

The concert series obviously targets the younger sector of the market. It has hosted artists such as Peter Gabriel, and elecro-pop star Rufus Wainwright. This will undoubtedly help to increase the number of younger visitors, but the main attractions still hold more appeal for the older demographic segment of the market. A majority of the accommodations in the area are upscale bed and breakfasts, which tend to favor the older demographic. Local eateries outside of Eden offer a local faire from casual to upscale. As we discussed earlier, the younger crowd is not as financially stable as the older crowd. Eden may do well to attempt to drive interest in this demographic group.

There are two basic philosophies in a park such as Eden as to which demographic group to choose for the target audience. The first approach, which is the one taken by Eden, is to attempt to cater to all of the potential demographic groups that may visit the facility. This was the approach taken by Eden and has driven its development to this point. The older group can stroll the garden, while the younger group enjoys a concert. This approach is difficult, as one must make certain that what attracts one demographic group does not annoy another. For instance, it is necessary to make certain that concert noise does not impede the ability of the older group to enjoy the gardens. For the most part, Eden has done a good job of avoiding this type of distraction.

The other philosophy in the development of a project such as Eden is to pick one demographic group and cater almost exclusively to this group. There are advantages and disadvantages to this type of approach. The advantage of this approach is that one can fully take advantage of the group that is selected to target. However, the disadvantage is that ignoring the other demographic groups completely could cause one to lose them.

Eden Project recognized that they would have a wide variety of people visiting. A survey of the typically vacationer in Cornwall is older. Younger people with children made up only a small percentage of the potential market, compared to the older demographic group. Marketing and activities at Eden almost exclusively appeal to the younger crowd. There is little beyond the gardens to appeal to the older demographic group, yet this group represents a majority of the visitors to the area. This represents a mismatch between the target audience that is being marketed to and the majority of visitors to the area.

Eden can still continue to cater to the younger crowd with their concert series. This has been a success with capacity crowds on a regular basis. This is obviously a draw for the younger crowd. Many of the young concert goers represent youths from the local community in Cornwall. However, the mainstay of revenue for Eden comes from visitors that are in the area on holiday. There needs to be an obvious effort to attract and retain this demographic group.

Eden depends on visitors to the area. One of the key points that stood out in this study is that there is a mismatch between Eden's marketing efforts and the local demographic mix (Martin, 2007). They can still continue to offer and advertise to the younger crowd, but they need to pay more attention to the majority target market in the area.

Activities and concerts directed toward she the older demographic group would help to increase sales and the number of visitors. Eden should not stop catering to the younger crowd. They may attempt to launch more targeted marketing to the younger demographic to assure that their younger activities are maintained. Eden can remain an attraction that appeals to a wide demographic mix. However, they have not fully taken advantage of the major demographic group in the area.

Marketing Mix

Eden project promotes to two different target markets. Future marketing can still maintain connections with the younger demographic group that are already addressed by the current market mix, while continuing to build the older demographic group. In the beginning, the project took advantage of the press, and traditional method of reaching the older target audience through brochures and leaflets. However, they eventually began to take advantage of the opportunities that the Internet has to offer. The following will discuss each of the elements of the marketing mix that will be used to grow the older demographic segment of the target audience, while still continuing to promote concerts and other events to the younger demographic group.

Brochures and Pamphlets. Brochures and pamphlets will continue to be a part of the marketing mix. These methods of marketing appeal to the older demographic group, as they are used to searching for other places to visit in the area. Placement of brochures and pamphlets has been at other places of interest to the local tourist. This will continue to be the primary method for placing brochures and pamphlets. This method of advertising depends on the number of visitors to other sites and the person being at the right place to receive the materials. This is an inactive approach and will comprise only a small portion of the marketing program.