Limerick Gazette

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 102: GLN SURVEYOf the total population of GLN Diaspora Survey respondents (364) 56% were female and 44% were male (GLN, 2015). GLN further contend that the same figures hold true of the total population of 3.5m Limerick Diaspora. Therefore, we can estimate that there are 1,960,000 females with a Limerick connection living abroad and of that of 57% (1,117,200) are aged between 45 and 65+. Furthermore, by virtue of the fact (as shown above) that 65.15% of the existing membership of Limerick Gazette it is fair to conclude that a similar figure totaling 727,856 is a realistic volume of potential target members.Finally, to determine what percentage of these potential target members would be attracted to Limerick Gazette we simply take the existing membership who have signed up to the project and deem these as a percentage of the female population of global Limerick female 45+ population. The female population of Limerick is 95,994 (50.0%) with the total population at 191,809 (CSO, 2016). We can therefore conclude that Limerick Gazette would equally be as attractive to 50.0% (363,928) of the potential target members which would be Limerick Gazette’s volume of target members. Ch 19: Section 13 TARGET PENETRATION RATEPotential members have now been successfully identified as being Limerick’s Female 45+ of which there are in excess of 363,928 locally and internationally and of these only 3.16% are aware of the existence of the project. The market penetration strategies that will help Limerick Gazette’s efforts toward the expansion of the existing market share in the current service market are discussed in Section 9 and rely heavily on social media to influence member choices and to create brand awareness. It will be on this basis that Limerick Gazette will attract new members and increase its market share.Limerick Gazette needs to determine the normal market penetration for the service and to do this it has adopted Marlene Jensen’s suggestion that the normal market penetration for a consumer product or service is between 2% 149

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN and 6% (Jensen, 2001). Using this formula Limerick Gazette calculates that, at present figures, the current penetration rate is 5% or 18,600. This penetration rate suggests that the project has already proved successful, at the higher end of Jensen’s scale, in achieving market penetration. FIGURE 103: MARKET PENETRATIONHowever, what Limerick Gazette has accomplished in market penetration and what it needs to accomplish in order to survive are two entirely different matters.In order to succeed as a self-funded non-profit enterprise Limerick Gazette must secure a total income of €72,210.20 to break even by the end of year 5: FIGURE 104: REQUIRED FUNDINGAs discussed in Section 6 (Revenue Streams) the 11 sources of income can potentially generate sufficient funds to sustain the business in its first 5 years: 150

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 105: REVENUE OVERVIEWThe average monthly sales required to achieve the necessary targets is €1220.03 and the average cost across all revenue stream items is €57.89 calculated as follows: FIGURE 106: AVERAGE PRICINGFrom these figures it is obvious that it is necessary for Limerick Gazette, in order to financially succeed in the first 5 year period, must secure a total of 21 sales at the average price €57.89 per month. Therefore, if membership projections do not prove accurate and the rate of progression remains constant at an average of 10% per month (as outlined in Section 8.9c) it will be necessary to sell to a total of 0.01% of members to break even.As Limerick Gazette’s estimated market penetration rate as outlined above is currently at 5% but it only requires 0.01% the probability of a successful enterprise and this conclusion is based on the assumption that, “If the number of customers you require to earn a profit is greater than the estimated market penetration, the business will likely fail” (Nordmeyer, 2016). Clearly as the figures suggest, Limerick Gazette is firmly on the road to success. 151

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANCh 19: Section 14 POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE (VOLUME & VALUE) FIGURE 107: POTENTIAL MARKET Following these steps to estimate Limerick Gazette’s market size (value) is by no means an exact science. However, as demonstrated above, certain steps have been taken in all calculations so far, including minimum income, realistic targets and maximum outgoings to maximise the effectiveness of the exercise. Having defined the target customer/member as Limerick Females 45+ anxious to sustain contact with a Limerick based website offering historical and cultural interest content and further identified the number of target customers as 363,928 with a penetration rate of 5% it is possible to determine the volume and value of the potential market size for Limerick Gazette. To find the overall market potential or potential market volume the standard formula is to multiply target customers by the penetration rate (Mars, 2009). This formula results in 18,195. Finally to calculate the monetary value of the market the standard formula is the market volume (363928) multiplied by the average price, €57.89, (as calculated in section 8.10.) which results in a total monetary market value of €21,067,791.92. 152

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN20. Marketing Strategy FIGURE 108: TARGET MARKET FIGURE 109: PRIMARY GOAL Ch 20: Section 1 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLAN The Limerick Gazette Social Media Marketing Plan which follows is a summary of everything which is planned to promote the project using social networks. This plan comprises of an audit of where Limerick Gazette is at the outset of the plan, where it wants to be in the near future, and all the tools to be used to get there. Limerick History Gazette was launched on Facebook on September 1st 2015 and in its first year it achieved close to 1,000 new members every month. In the 153

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN sample month of July 2016 it had a total of 4,485 reactors and an average of 1,000 new members (Grytics, 2016). From these statistics the following formula is applicable: FIGURE 110: MEMBER TYPES FIGURE 111: REACTOR FORMULAApplying this metric, and assuming a not unreasonable 20% increase in reactions per annum in years 1 through 5, the target of 364,000 members can be achieved by the end of year 2021.However, it is necessary to implement the first phase of the Limerick Gazette Social Media Marketing Plan which is to set up 14 social media platforms (as listed in the below chart) and to encourage an average of 50+ reactions per platform per day in year 1 and rising to 104 per day or 20% per annum by end year 5. Therefore it makes perfect sense to aim for a target of 100 reactors per day from day 1. 154

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 112: REACTOR RATIOSFor reasons outlined earlier in this report our Demographic is Limerick Females (45+) which represents 63% of current visitors to our site. In Ireland this age group total represents 10.1% of the population including 244,345 females (Index Mundi, 2014). Therefore, internationally the estimation is at 364,000 prospects with a market value in excess of €3.6m.International marketing strategists define this group as being predominantly Baby-Boomer Women and state, “These women represent a portion of the buying public no marketer can afford to ignore. With successful careers, investments made during the “boom” years, and inheritances from parents or husbands, they are more financially empowered than any previous generation of women” (Sheconomy, 2006).Every action taken by Limerick Gazette on social networks will be part of a larger social media marketing strategy to attract this target market segment. This means that every post, reply, like, and comment will all be guided by a plan that is driving toward Limerick Gazette’s primary goal. With this in mind it is necessary to create a comprehensive social media strategy.Limerick Gazette has already begun to implement the Social Media Marketing Plan and has already, based on results so far, identified a number of objectives and goals that it must achieve in order for it to be effective.These goals are aligned with a broader marketing strategy, so that social media efforts will drive the project towards the primary objective. In short, social 155

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN media marketing strategies to be implemented by Limerick Gazette will aim to accomplish the primary goal.Ch 20: Section 2 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLAN GOALS FIGURE 113: MARKETING ACTIVITIES Ch 20: Section 3 ENHANCE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE.To accumulate 364,000+ Limerick Members in 5 years Limerick Gazette must target an average (over 5 years) of 6,067 new members each month or an average of 1,517 new members each week (217 per day) from January 2017 to December 2021 and to achieve this it is necessary to set up and supply with relevant content the following social media sites: FIGURE 114: SOCIAL MEDIA ENHANCEMENTLimerick Gazette will share photos/content that communicate our projects culture. We will do this by posting, for example, one photo each day and share it across all social media sites. This is easily accomplished using off-the-shelf software such as Hootsuite which is the most widely used platform for 156

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN managing social media. The system’s user interface takes the form of a dashboard, and supports social network integrations for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, and many more. Additional integrations are available via Hootsuite’s App Directory, including Mail Chimp, Reddit, Storify, Nexgate, Tumblr, and Marketo. The target for each posting is at least 100 likes and/or 100 reactions.Ch 20: Section 4 SECURE LIMERICK CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT There are numerous Limerick celebrities available to Limerick Gazette and because the current CEO has worked in media including journalism and broadcasting and is also an established Limerick writer and publisher is well connected with many of these celebrities. These celebrities include the internationally renowned author Kevin Barry, the journalist and broadcaster Vincent Browne, the comedian and writer Jimmy Carter, Celia Holman Lee the model agent and TV presenter, John Kenny comedian, Dolores O’Riordan member of pop band The Cranberries and Darren Shan the internationally published children’s author. However, there have been positive reactions to officially launching Limerick Gazette by Bill Whelan, the Grammy award-winning composer of Riverdance and many other works, and more significantly from the hip hop duo The Rubber Bandits. Ch 20: Section 5 INTERNATIONAL NICHE BLOG PROMOTION Using the search criteria “Limerick Blog” Google returns a figure in excess of 2900 sites and a staggering 138,000 results is returned for the criteria “Ireland Blog”. As a small business just getting started in online marketing, it will be necessary to work with external bloggers and to persuade them to help promote the project. However, it is absolutely necessary to leverage bloggers in order to improve online presence and is arguably one of the best strategies to help promote the website. International Irish bloggers present perfect opportunities for Limerick Gazette to build a mutual audience and increase the visibility of the project. It is a distinct advantage that Limerick Gazette is not a commercial enterprise seeking free advertising but a non-profit project seeking mutually beneficial support. Link sharing is a very attractive proposition for any blogger especially when Limerick Gazette can offer a provable 12,000+ members as potential visitors by way of reciprocation for any publicity “donated” to the project. 157

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANSuch collaborations are most common amongst bloggers but it is also necessary to identify niche blogs that would be of interest to Limerick Gazette’s target market segment. Fortunately, there are many tools and techniques that can help Limerick Gazette track down and filter the perfect candidates for supporting the brand. These include blog directories, social media searches, and link share engines.However, the task of sourcing suitable and relevant blogs, establishing relationships with bloggers and negotiating contra deals can be very time- consuming. Establishing Limerick Gazette’s Blogger networks foundation will be long term but will result in relationships that will most likely provide significant value for Limerick Gazette that will result in membership growth.The most effective way for Limerick Gazette to move forward is with the implementation of what is commonly referred to amongst bloggers as “blogger outreach”. This consists of instead of sharing content on social media it is necessary to put the content directly in front of the targeted niche bloggers. The strategy results in more mentions and inbound links from other blogs in the niche, more social shares of every piece of content published by Limerick Gazette and more interested visitors and email subscribers to the website. FIGURE 115: BLOGGER OUTREACH STRATEGY Ch 20: Section 6 BLOGGER OUTREACH STRATEGYThe strategy consists of the following steps: Identifying influential bloggers and creating a hit list. Separating target bloggers into tiers in terms of popularity and targeting only the most popular blogs with relevant communications which advises them of the existence of Limerick Gazette and its relationship with the content of the target blog. Once the relationship is established it needs to be sustained with frequent communication and relevant content being exchanged. 158

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Limerick Gazette has already implemented the use of “Constant Contact” as a means of communicating and interacting on a continuous basis with target bloggers. It will, of course, take time to develop fruitful relationships.Ch 20: Section 7 PROMOTIONAL VIDEO/YOUTUBE AND VIMEO. Limerick Gazette has already launched a YouTube channel. To date it has posted many promotional videos. It was necessary to set up the YouTube channel because with Facebook’s closed group status, as is the case with Limerick Gazette, the share feature is permanently removed in order to protect content posted by individual members that they may not wish to have shared with other groups or individuals. However, Limerick Gazette has overcome this problem by setting up a YouTube channel to share its videos with the Facebook group and because these “shares” are from another source and not directly uploaded to Facebook itself, the share option becomes available. FIGURE 116: MEMBER VIDEO 1 FIGURE 117: MEMBER VIDEO 2 159

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANThe challenge for Limerick Gazette is to encourage its members to share promotional videos. However, in the recent past, Limerick Gazette has noticed that blatantly promotional material for the Facebook group in video form does not receive as many shares as content relevant to the subject matter of the page, for example, a teamed video of 1960s photographs of Limerick with accompanying Limerick music received over 300 shares and resulted in many new members. A similar video promoting the Facebook group had less than 10% (27) shares. FIGURE 118: MEMBER VIDEO 3Making teamed video seems to be the way forward for Limerick Gazette and ensuring that the images in the video are accompanied by music sound beds that are related to Limerick, a song by Limerick singer or a piece of music associated with the city, and the video will automatically receive more shares. The making of such videos is not complicated and it is very much automated using professional film editing software that simplifies the task and delivers a most professional end product. FIGURE 119: MEMBER VIDEO 4In the recent past members are starting to share their own home-made videos within the Facebook group and these videos are created using new technologies such as 360° cameras, virtual reality cameras and most recently 160

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN a noticeable increase in Heli drones. These videos are then reusable to create promotional videos, with the creator’s consent which is frequently given, before being used. The end result is that Limerick Gazette is currently building a collection of impressive video to use in its marketing strategy. FIGURE 120: MEMBER VIDEO 5 Ch 20: Section 8 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO MEMBERSFrom its official launch date on January 1, 2017 Limerick Gazette will implement a signup feature before allowing access to the website. As part of this procedure members will be asked if they would like to “opt in” for a monthly newsletter. FIGURE 121: MEMBER LOGINIf members choose to “opt in” then the details are filed and indexed in A-to-Z form for use as a distribution list for all future contacts with the member (s). It is possible to proceed with logging in without signing up for the newsletter and Limerick Gazette experimented with the feature over a 48-hour period in mid-August 2016 and in that time managed to recruit 37 members who all willingly signed up for future correspondence including a monthly newsletter. 161

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 122: CONTACT MANAGEMENTHaving signed up for the membership of the website each member automatically receives a confirmation e-mail welcoming them to the site: FIGURE 123: MEMBERS WELCOME E-MAIL 162

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANThis was later followed by a sample newsletter: FIGURE 124: SAMPLE NEWSLETTERThe experiment proved very successful with 81% of the welcome email recipients opening it with 38.5% of these doing so on their desktop/laptop computers and 61.5% of these doing so on a mobile device. Furthermore, 10% of the welcome email recipients clicked on the redirect link which returned them to the website www.LimerickGazette.com.In relation to the Limerick Gazette newsletter 56% of the recipients opened it and of these 40% clicked on the redirect link which returned them to the website www.LimerickGazette.com. FIGURE 125: MEMBER ENGAGEMENTFrom this short experiment Limerick Gazette can be optimistic that by insisting that all new visitors to the website must login and are given the option to sign up for the newsletter that the vast majority of signups will want the newsletter.An emailed newsletter can be a huge asset to Limerick Gazette as a non-profit enterprise as it will assist in the ability to fundraise as well as rally new members and supporters. It will be necessary to segment the newsletter subscribers into smaller subgroups based on certain criteria. For example, 163

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN creating subgroups for Limerick city and County residents, Limerick Diaspora located in Europe or America.It is illegal to send unsolicited emails to anyone and this is why it is necessary to ensure, as part of the signup process, that members are given the option to opt in or out of email correspondence. However, once signed up, email campaigns can be very effective in maintaining relationships with members which is a priority for Limerick Gazette.Furthermore, it allows Limerick Gazette to distribute informative content. The Limerick Gazette newsletter will present itself as the mini journal with news content not only about Limerick Gazette itself but also it will contain relevant news from Limerick for the subscriber.It can also help to promote events taking place in Limerick that would be of interest to members and as such may, in time, provide an additional revenue stream in the form of advertising for local, national and international businesses.The following chapter consists of a brief discussion on management of the Limerick Gazette project. 164

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN21. Management Strategy Members are stakeholders, not customers, and are encouraged to participate in order to ensure the success of the project. If members are encouraged and rewarded by acknowledgement the floodgates for innovation are opened wide (Hortz, 2015). Members who use the site enthusiastically help spread the message to nonsubscribers, “In the process, the free complementary service gracefully becomes a more powerful service when the member starts paying” (Shapiro, 2011). It is therefore necessary to “impress” members because at its foundation convenience in e-commerce is about user-friendly Web site design making it easier for members to engage and feel involved (Shapiro, 2011). Limerick Gazette is currently in the seed stage prior to the beginning of the first 5 year lifecycle which commences on January 1st 2017 (See Section 7 for full elaboration). It aims to provide permanent free access to basic members to the website content but to achieve this it is necessary to run the archive as a professional commercial service in order to raise necessary funds to sustain the service into the future. Along with its core product of premium membership the website will also offer a virtual store of digital products and services originating from the archived images and such products have to be unique and exclusive to Limerick Gazette. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that Limerick Gazette be organised and managed to be perceived by members as an online community or club. In short, members are stakeholders, not customers, and are encouraged to participate in order to ensure the success of the project. To achieve this it is also necessary to “impress” members because at its foundation convenience in e-commerce is about user-friendly Web site design making it easier for members to engage and feel involved. Limerick Gazette encourages this type of involvement by its members and throughout the construction stage of the website members were canvassed on the Facebook portal to express their opinions and views on all elements of the construction process including colours, fonts, styles, shapes and graphics (See Section 15). Not by words but by actions has Limerick Gazette demonstrated to its members they are of significant consequence. The most important asset of the Limerick Gazette project is its members. The project could not operate without the members. Nor can it achieve its potential unless each member has the ability and the right, to achieve their individual potential. Each member must feel as though they are a part of the total group. Each member must feel as though they matter. It’s just that simple and this is why Limerick Gazette believes that this is the most important contributor to its management philosophy. 165

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANLimerick Gazette is a non-profit community project. The objective of any business is to stay in business and this can only be done by generating necessary finances to sustain the project. While some might dispute this statement as not being applicable for non-profit entities, I would counter that all organizations must generate profits, for it is only through profits that any business can sustain itself. We should not be afraid of being profitable. We should strive to be as profitable as possible without violating any other aspect of our management philosophy. That’s a key concept.The following chapter is a summary of financials for the Limerick Gazette project. The purpose of this section is twofold. Firstly to assist in attracting investment of €75,000 in the project and secondly to compile a financial forecast it will assist in understanding the future of the project. 166

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN22. Financial Summary Ch 22: Section 1 REVENUE FIGURE 126: REVENUE Ch 22: Section 2 DIRECT COSTS FIGURE 127: DIRECT COSTS 167

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 22: Section 3 PERSONNEL FIGURE 128: PERSONNEL Ch 22: Section 4 ASSETS FIGURE 129: ASSETS 168

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 22: Section 5 TAXES FIGURE 130: TAXES Ch 22: Section 6 CASH FLOW ASSUMPTIONS FIGURE 131: CASH FLOW ASSUMPTIONS 169

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 22: Section 7 FINANCING FIGURE 132: FINANCING Ch 22: Section 8 PROJECTED PROFIT & LOSS FIGURE 133: PROJECTED PROFIT & LOSS FIGURE 134: PROJECTED PROFIT & LOSS 170

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN23. Conclusion The task of creating a digital historical archive on a shoestring seems like a daunting one but not for one who is interested in local history. It is a three stage process as follows: 1. Source & Gather Material. 2. Customize & Index Material 3. Upload & Archive Material From the outset the challenge is to determine how do you create a digital archive of local history materials with no funding or staff? The answer is quite simple you do it with willful determination and scraped together time. The process of building a digital archive is made easier for historians through social media. Crowdsourcing suitable materials for archiving is simple enough but the process of assessing the materials can be intriguing but time-consuming. It is not impossible to create a digital archive on a shoestring but in terms of time it can be a daunting task. The first question is why create a digital archive? There are two primary reasons for doing so and the first of these is dissemination. To share historical photographs, ephemera, oral histories and other materials with a larger audience. The second is preservation. To preserve primary source materials for posterity by limiting the handling of the rare and fragile originals. Gathering the images for Limerick Gazette using Facebook was a simple enough task to set up but it did rapidly produce a lot of material to be surveyed for the final archiving process. Not only was it necessary to determine which items would be of interest but also to ascertain whether quality, available information and intellectual property issues were easily resolvable. From the outset it became clear that members of Limerick History Gazette on Facebook wanted to see images of their native city in the 20th century showing the people, culture institutions and areas within the community but they were also interested in oral histories, historically relevant information and ephemera such as pamphlets, playbills, and even newspaper clippings. Some of the material supplied to Limerick History Gazette® on Facebook was unusable for numerous reasons but most importantly because of copyright issues. Members took photographs with handheld devices of copyrighted material and shared it. Some members sourced images from other websites and also shared these images. Such materials are instantly recognisable and were quickly removed from the Facebook page. Occasionally the administrators of the page were notified by copyright holders of the existence of copyrighted material on the page and subsequently that material was removed. Diligent supervision and monitoring of postings resulted in the 171

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN accumulation of over 10,000 images that were potentially acceptable for archiving. However, because some images had great historical value but were of poor quality it was necessary to enhance such images using Photoshop which in turn resulted in the slowing down of the process of archiving the images.The long and arduous process of building the archive is one which is severely slowed down by the absence of funding. Ultimately the archive does have a saleable value to Irish and international libraries but to accomplish this it is necessary to build the archive to such a level that it becomes an attractive and worthy proposition for potential clients. Some informal consultations have already taken place with management of such institutions and interest has been expressed. However, the immediate task of building the archive has fallen upon myself to complete. I have leveraged the skills of some members of Limerick History Gazette®, amateur Photoshop enthusiasts, graphic designers and local history enthusiasts (to assist in captioning) and also have had the assistance of some volunteers to monitor and administer the Facebook page. Also, to help bring the project Limerick Gazette to successful completion it was necessary to purchase economical hardware and software.The task of selling the vision of the digital archive is accomplished by preserving rare materials and creating digital surrogates. Sharing historical resources with members, patrons and the community and disseminating materials to a broad audience via the Internet allowing 24/7 access to archival materials along with promotion of the library in the community helps the archive to perpetuate itself to quickly become a fundraising tool. The bigger the archive becomes the greater the opportunities it creates. Social media has helped Limerick Gazette to create a small team of volunteers with knowledge of local history and other specialised subject areas. Some members with IT experience have assisted in creating digital images and audio files and helped to create the website itself. Members of the Facebook page have encouraged their own friends to join and engage with the project and thus promote the archive within the community.A detailed survey consisting of 100 questions, was carried out on the Facebook page in order to ascertain the likes and dislikes of members in relation to colours, images, fonts, layout and design of the website itself. The survey also invited members to express ideas as to how Limerick History Online® could raise funds and, as a result of this, new elements such as an art gallery, a new writer’s Journal, audio and video streams were added to the website. Without the help and support, advice and ideas, of the members the archive would not appear as it does or have expanded to embrace other forms of artistic media. The survey had a further unanticipated advantage in that members openly expressed their gratitude for being allowed to influence the final outcome of the project. Many stated that it made them feel actively involved rather than witnesses to the development of the project. This brought to light a key philosophy of ensuring that participants of Limerick Gazette should never be made to feel like they are customers or clients but active members. 172

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANCreating a digital archive involves tremendous commitment of time and resources. Maintaining the digital archive is more labor-intensive than creating it. Policies and structure need to be in place to ensure the archive is maintained and backed up and a system needs to be put in place to ensure that Limerick Gazette continues to thrive into the future and to achieve these aims it is necessary to secure funding and support which is the primary purpose of this strategic commercialisation plan. 173

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN LIMERICK GAZETTE Part Three: Research 174

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN24. Research Ch 24: Section 1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research for this Strategic Commercialisation Plan was conducted between June 1st 2016 and June 30th 2016 using the Limerick History Gazette Facebook portal which, at that time, had over 10,000 members with in excess of 4,000 of these actively engaging during that period (Grytics, 2016). FIGURE 135: FACEBOOK STATISTICS (GRYTICS, 2016) In keeping with Limerick Gazette’s philosophy of maximising member engagement in the project the primary objective of the Main Survey was to determine solutions to three major questions: In view of the fact that members willingly donated images for archiving it was important that they have some control as to how these images would be presented within the archive. How would members like these images to be presented? Members had contributed images and other materials for the Archive but had publicly expressed, as a condition of supply, that these images would not be exploited for profitable gain. As a non-profit project that generated certain costs it was necessary to secure the future of the archive by creating revenue streams and members were surveyed as to how such revenue streams could be implemented in an acceptable manner by the majority of members. What types of revenue streams were acceptable and would not be perceived as exploitation? Were members sufficiently enthused by the project to support such financial endeavors? 175

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 24: Section 2 TEST SURVEYBefore commencing the Main Survey it was necessary to ascertain whether the chosen Research Tool Survey Monkey was suitable for the purpose. The Test Survey was primarily to experiment with Survey Monkey and test it as an Academic research tool to establish if it would be successful in creating, planning, and deploying Limerick Gazette’s Main Survey and furthermore for assessing the integrity, reliability and effectiveness of delivery and analysis of the data that would emerge from the survey.Depending on the success of this Test Survey this tool would be implemented as the primary research tool for the Main Survey. Amongst the primary reasons for the Test Survey further included not only developing and testing adequacy of Survey Monkey for the Main Survey, but also designing a research protocol, identifying logistical problems, collecting preliminary data, assessing proposed data analysis techniques to identify problems, and finally for development of research questions and plans for the Main Survey. The Test Survey further aimed to identify potential practical problems in following the research procedure and to uncover any problems, political, local, inappropriateness or otherwise, response rates and potential for future precautionary measures in relation to the Data Protection Act (1988 & 2003) (Oireachtas , 2003).Furthermore it was necessary to decide on the design process for the Main Survey questionnaire and to identify procedures of administration and to review feedback to identify ambiguities and difficult questions. Further aims included to record completion times and decide whether such times were reasonable or in need of readjustment and to discard all unnecessary, difficult or ambiguous questions and to assess whether questions have an adequate range of responses. It was also necessary to establish how replies could be interpreted in terms of required information and whether rewording or rescaling was necessary or if shortening, revision was required for the Main Survey.Finally, Limerick Gazette Test Survey also aimed to identify research problems and establishing style in terms of legality, aesthetics and user friendliness, of the questionnaire necessary to increase likelihood of success in our Main Survey. The Test Survey aims and objectives were designed with reference and adherence primarily to University of Surrey Social Research Department report which clarifies that the test (pilot) study fulfils, “A range of important functions and provides valuable insights for future research” (Van Teijlingen & Hundley, 2001). 176

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 24: Section 3 MAIN SURVEYLimerick Gazette Main Survey was designed on Survey Monkey by Gerard J. Hannan and consisted of 100 multiple choice questions and was conducted for 7 days from 10.00pm Wednesday June 8th 2016 to 10.00pm Wednesday June 14th 2016. The survey drew respondents exclusively from the existing 10,000+ members of the Facebook Community Group, Limerick History Gazette. FIGURE 136: ACTIVE MEMBERS (GRYTICS, 2016) Ch 24: Section 4 FACEBOOK POLL. FIGURE 137: FACEBOOK CURRENT MASTHEAD 177

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANThe Facebook Poll is best understood as a data safety check or mini-survey and is a unique element of the research strategy. It avails of the high membership accessible for this research from the 10,000+ members of Limerick Gazette Facebook portal.The Facebook Poll is in place to check the validity of uncertain data or provide clarification on any final points or questions that may arise as a result of the Main Survey data. In the event where such data is incomplete the Facebook Poll will be implemented to clarify any such doubts, misinformation resulting from corrupt or inconsistent data.The Facebook Poll will consist of a normal Facebook posting and inviting members to Like or Dislike (thereby voting Yes or No or Accept or Reject) on the point under consideration.The research will aim for a total of 100 respondents and add such data to clarify the responses of the Main Survey. For example, in some questions proposed for the Main Survey respondents are asked to select either Yes or No answers. In the event of 50% Yes and 50% No then the Facebook Poll will be implemented to seek further clarification. In the event of failure to successfully draw a firm Conclusions the Facebook Poll will continue for another 100 votes until either Yes or No succeeds to secure the majority. FIGURE 138: TRIADIC VARIATIONS POLL 178

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 24: Section 5 FACEBOOK POLL SAMPLEIt may not be necessary to implement the Facebook Poll for any of the questions/answers provided in/from the Main Survey. But the “safety net” it offers will enhance the validity and integrity of the Main Survey data.From the outset it was intended that elements of the Test Survey resulting data will not be included in Main Survey. If problems with the research tool are identified and modifications necessary Main Survey data could be flawed or inaccurate and thus is rendered void or necessary to reevaluate on the Facebook Poll. However, “The current research climate demands accountability from researchers and there is a need to ensure the best possible use of research results” (Crosswaite & Curtice, 1994).In order to make the best use of this research for Limerick Gazette: Strategic Commercialisation Plan it was necessary to report from all parts of the study, including the Test, Main and Facebook Poll surveys. A well designed and conducted Survey can inform about the best research process and about likely outcomes, “Therefore investigators should be encouraged to report their pilot studies, and in particular to report in more detail the actual improvements made to the study design and the research process.” (Van Teijlingen & Hundley, 2001).During the Main Survey process over a 7 Day period Limerick Gazette recorded a total of 2364 Visitors (Active Members) and 254 (10.74%) of active members responded to the survey. Therefore it is justified to conclude that as membership, at the time of the survey was at 10,000+, and with active membership in this particular week at 2364 then 21.49% of members were represented by respondents.In Section * the strategy, results and conclusions of the Test Survey are evaluated. Ch 24: Section 6 TEST SURVEYIn the Test Survey Limerick Gazette used the Research tool Survey Monkey to canvass 100 members of its Facebook portal Limerick History Gazette on April 13th 2016 and posed 5 Questions accompanied with images:  Do you like pictures that have a vintage effect?  Do you prefer to see pictures in Black & White?  Do you think we should put the caption on the picture itself?  Do you think we should add a frame to our pictures? 179

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN  Should Limerick Gazette use the frame but keep the caption on the frame itself?Each question had three possible answers; Yes, No and Don’t Mind. To simply results the following values were applied:  Yes = Accept  No = Reject  Don’t Mind = AcceptResults are calculated as Yes + Don’t Mind = Accept (If members have no objections then the result is deemed positive).Results are calculated as No = RejectThis data analysis strategy is proposed to also apply in the Main Survey (Section 17).Ch 24: Section 7 TEST SURVEY QUESTIONS & CONCLUSIONSThe following is a list of questions, results and conclusions to the five question in the Test Survey which illustrates how the question was seen by the respondent, a graphical representation of the summary of all respondents’ replies and the primary conclusion that can be drawn from these results. 180

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LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 139: TEST SURVEY QUESTIONS Ch 24: Section 8 TEST SURVEY CONCLUSIONSThe vintage and black and white effects should be applied to all images which should also be framed and captions should appear on the frame itself and not applied to images in the final archive. FIGURE 140: TEST SURVEY RESULTS ANALYSISThese Conclusions are only applicable to the Pilot Survey and will not be implemented to the Main Survey or the final Archive. Ch 24: Section 9 RESEARCH METHOD CONCLUSIONWhile no sensitive data was intentionally gathered during the Test survey as a result of the survey it was noticed that IP address tracking was enabled. Because potentially sensitive data must be protected as it moves along 182

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN communication pathways between the respondent’s computer and Survey Monkey it was necessary to disable this feature for the Main Survey.It was felt that the Main Survey should allow for “No Opinion or Don’t Know or Don’t Mind” as an option for every survey question. A survey where a respondent cannot proceed without answering the question is in violation of the respondent’s right to withhold information. In the interest of accurate data gathering all questions in the Main Survey will carry a “Required Answer” demand and thus the “Opt Out” or “Neutral” options are deemed absolutely necessary.In point of fact 282 participants responded to the Test survey but restrictions on the non-premium version of Survey Monkey disallowed access to data exceeding 100 participants. Therefore it is necessary to implement the Premium version of Survey Monkey for the Main survey.As an Academic research tool Survey Monkey was successful in creating, planning, and deploying Limerick Gazette’s Test Survey and furthermore for delivering and analysing the data it proved invaluable. As a result of the success of this Test Survey this tool will be implemented as the primary research tool for the Main Survey. Ch 24: Section 10 MAIN SURVEYCh 24: Section 11 RESEARCH AIMS: PRIMARY OBJECTIVESAs outlines in Section 15.1 and in keeping with Limerick Gazette’s philosophy of maximising member engagement in the project the primary objective of the Main Survey was to determine solutions to three major questions:  In view of the fact that members willingly donated images for archiving it was important that they have some control as to how these images would be presented within the archive. How would members like these images to be presented?  Members had contributed images and other materials for the Archive but had publicly expressed, as a condition of supply, that these images would not be exploited for profitable gain. As a non-profit project that generated certain costs it was necessary to secure the future of the archive by creating revenue streams and members were surveyed as to how such revenue streams could be implemented in an acceptable manner by the majority of members. What types of revenue streams were acceptable and would not be perceived as exploitation?  Were members sufficiently enthused by the project to support such financial endeavors? 183

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANCh 24: Section 1 RESEARCH AIMS: SECONDARY OBJECTIVESThe secondary objectives of the Main Survey is to establish the following 20 points:  Majority of Members Preferred Colour Scheme of Limerick Gazette to Be Implemented On the Website.  Majority Of Members Preferred Acceptability Of Implementation Of Limerick Gazette Branding Styles, Location On Image And Density On Donated Images.  Majority of Members Preferred Styles of Design for Image Presentation on Limerick Gazette Website.  Majority of Members Preferred Styles of Font/Typeface to Be Used On Limerick Gazette Website.  Majority Of Members Preferred Captioning Options For Images Including:  Location Of Caption  Style Of Caption  Preference for Caption on Image or Frame.  Majority of Members Preferred Logo Design from a Choice of 10.  Majority Of Members Preferred “Sign Up” Options.  Majority of Members Preferred “Acceptability” Of Monetization Options.  Majority of Members Preferred Merchandising Options.  Majority of Client’s Likelihood of Purchasing Potential Limerick Gazette Products/Services.  Majority of Client’s Willingness/Likelihood of Donating to Limerick Gazette.  Potential Market for a Purchasable App for Limerick Gazette.  Potential for Sales of Donated Images to Limerick Gazette.  Potential For Annual Book For Sale Containing Selected Images From The Archive.  Potential For Cheaper Forms Of Marketing Such As Keyrings, Lighters Etc.  Potential for Fundraising Events.  Icon Selection. 184

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLANAlso to identify problems, issues, strengths and weaknesses for further research if necessary in the Facebook Poll. Finally, in order to fine tune the Facebook Poll it will be necessary to eliminate all questions answered “No” or unfavorably in Survey. Ch 24: Section 2 SURVEY TERMS & CONDITIONSThe terms and conditions of participation in the Main Survey were established with each participant in the first of 10 sections in the survey. Respondents had to click on Yes or No answers to indicate that they fully understood these terms and conditions, and if the answer was No the respondents would be redirected to the final ‘Thank you’ page of the survey. All the respondents in the survey were over the age of 18 and were members of the Facebook Group Limerick Gazette.It was made clear to the respondents from the outset that they could opt out at any time during the survey and that no personal information would be gathered and any information supplied would be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of designing a website based on the majority of the respondents choices. It was also made clear to the respondents that the organisers of the survey were acting as agents of Limerick Gazette and that the project was the basis for a Masters Dissertation at Kemmy Project School, University of Limerick as part of the International Entrepreneurship Management course. FIGURE 141: SURVEY INVITATIONOn the Facebook Page Limerick Gazette a posting was made at 10.00pm on Wednesday June 8th 2016 inviting members to take part in Limerick Gazette Survey. The posting was permanently fixed to the top of the page for 7 days to assure that all visiting members within the survey week would be notified and invited to participate. Attached to the link for the survey was a letter of introduction to all members.Having read the Introductory Letter on the Facebook portal and pressed the Link to the Survey the member was taken to the Main Survey Homepage: 185

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 142: SURVEY LANDING PAGEOn Page 1 entitled “About This Survey”, members were again introduced to the main points of the survey and invited to answer 5 questions to indicate their understanding of the terms and conditions of the survey.The questions were designed to ascertain the following facts:  Is respondent Over 18?  Does respondent understand that they are free to Exit the survey at any time?  Does the respondent understand that no personal information will be gathered for the duration of the survey and that all information would be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of Limerick Gazette website design and services, products offered purposes?  Does the participant understand that the survey is carried out by a University of Limerick student at Kemmy Project School as part of a Masters Dissertation?  Given these facts is the participant happy to proceed with the survey?Therefore, in Section 1 each participant had to indicate, having read all the terms and conditions as outlined in the first four questions, whether the participant wished to proceed. All respondents (100%) agreed to proceed with the survey. Section 1 established that it was entirely optional for all respondents and those who decided to proceed were invited to click on a “Next” link to take them to the survey itself which was hosted on a separate webpage (LHG Survey, 2016). Ch 24: Section 3 RESPONSE SUMMARYIn total there were 254 respondents to the survey over the 7 day period June 9th 2016 to June 15th 2016. Some data was gathered on Wednesday 8th 2016 186

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN between 10.00pm and 12.00 Midnight but this data has been added to June 9th 2016. FIGURE 143: SURVEY RESPONSE SUMMARYThe followings sections (1 to 10) gives a detailed examination of all 100 survey questions in the form of both statistical and graphical analysis and further provides key Conclusions for each of the questions in the survey. Ch 24: Section 4 RESPONDENT AGE/CONSENT QUESTIONS FIGURE 144: AGE Conclusions: All respondents (99.60%) were over 18. 1 participant (0.4%) disqualified under this rule. 254 members participated in the survey. 187

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 145: OPT OUT Conclusions: 253 Members (99.60%) understood the Opt out Option. 1 Member (0.4%) did not understand the Opt out Option FIGURE 146: CONFIDENTIALITY Conclusions: 254 respondents (99.6%) understood the survey would not pose personal questions and that all information gathered would be confidential and used only for the purpose of website design. Only 1 participant (0.4%) failed to understand both the personal questions and the confidentiality elements of this question. 188

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 147: UL/KBS Conclusions: 254 (100%) respondents understood that the survey was being conducted by Gerard J. Hannan as part of a Master’s Thesis for Kemmy Project School/University of Limerick (2016). FIGURE 148: PROCEED Conclusions: 254 respondents, given the terms and conditions explained in introduction, about the survey and in Questions 1 to 4 agreed to proceed with the survey. Ch 24: Section 5 CONCLUSIONSIn keeping with the conditions proposed for final approval to the Ethics Committee of the research strategy it was necessary to assure all respondents were over the age of 18, all respondents were offered an “Exit Survey” option and assured of confidentiality and that the survey formed the basis of a Masters Dissertation and information would only be used for this purpose. These questions ensured that all these obligations were fulfilled as all respondents 189

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN 254 (99.60%) were over 18 while only 1 participant (0.4%) was disqualified under the 18+ Age Rule.Furthermore, the opt out which offered respondents the opportunity to “Exit” clause 253 Members (99.60%) was fully understood, only 1 Member (0.4%) did not understand this option and all other respondents comprehended that participation in the survey was entirely voluntary for the duration of the survey. 254 respondents (99.6%) further understood the survey would not pose personal questions and that all information gathered would be confidential and used only for the purpose of website design while only 1 participant (0.4%) failed to understand this element. It was also necessary to inform all respondents that the survey was being conducted by Gerard J. Hannan as part of a Master’s Thesis for Kemmy Project School/University of Limerick (2016).Section 1 of the Survey ensured that all its obligations to the Ethics Committee were clearly fulfilled and 254 respondents (100%) opted to proceed with the survey. Ch 24: Section 6 SURVEY SECTION 2: COLOURSThe purpose of this section of the Main Survey is to establish what colours respondents will select as the overall colour scheme for the website. The following was a basic proposed design, using Limerick colours (Green & White) as the website was under development: FIGURE 149: ORIGINAL DESIGNThe purpose of Section 2 is to ascertain, from a choice of 16 primary colours, a triadic of colours, primary, secondary and accent, selected by respondents. The respondents were given an image of the colour and further asked, in the form of a multiple choice question, to select from five possible answers per colour:  I Love This Colour. (Love)  I Like This Colour. (Like) 190

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN  No Opinion. (Neutral)  I Dislike This Colour. (Dislike)  I Hate This Colour. (Hate)  No Opinion Option ValuationFor the purpose of Data Analysis the surveyors will interpret this data in two categories as follows:  Yes, Love, Like & No Opinion = Accept  No, Dislike & Hate = RejectOne of the main advantages of adding a “No Opinion/Don’t Mind” option is that it reduces noise in the data. In other words, if we were to omit the “No Opinion” option, respondents that do not know the answer to the question or respondents without a strong opinion would nonetheless be forced to choose an opinion (aka non-attitude reporting). This creates noise in the results. Adding a “No Opinion” option reduces this noise (Feick, 1989). This valuation provides a more accurate interpretation which accounts for all respondents and renders all votes more purposeful including those who had no objections to the colours.Based on current thinking a three colour combination is necessary because this is sufficient to create variation and visual interest, “A triadic colour scheme is a good choice because it is easy to get good results” (Tigercolor, 2016). Furthermore the application of the triadic colour scheme will adhere to the designer rule of 60/10/30 as follows: FIGURE 150: TRIADIC DESIGN (TIGERCOLOR, 2016)The colours selected for this section of the survey were chosen from numerous sources (TopTens, 2016) and Shutterstock, “Shutterstock crunched numbers on the top colour trends of 2015 worldwide, by matching pixel data with image downloads on their website. The fastest growing colours of the year included two different shades of cyan, violet, blue” (Dunne, 2015). The results of our survey were almost perfectly in keeping with Shutterstock’s findings as White, Cyan, Blue (2 variations) and Violet were all ranked from 1 to 5. 191

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN Ch 24: Section 7 COLOUR QUESTIONS FIGURE 151: BLUE Key Conclusions: 194 (87.39%) of 222 respondents “Accepted” the colour Blue to be incorporated on the final website. 28 (12.61%) of 222 respondents Rejected the colour Blue. Blue ranked No. 4 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will be featured on the final website. Result: Blue is selected as No. 4 in the Top 5 colour choices “Accepted” by members and will be featured on the final website. FIGURE 152: BROWN Key Conclusions: 88 (39.46%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Brown to be incorporated on the final website. 135 (60.54%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Brown. Brown ranked No. 16 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Brown is nominated as No. 16 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. 192

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 153: CYAN Key Conclusions: 199 (89.24%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Cyan to be incorporated on the final website. 24 (10.76%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Cyan. Cyan ranked No. 2 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will be featured on the final website. Result: Cyan is selected as No. 2 in the Top 5 colour choices “Accepted” by members and will be featured on the final website. FIGURE 154: DARK GREEN Key Conclusions: 157 (70.4%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Dark Green to be incorporated on the final website. 66 (29.6%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Dark Green. Dark Green ranked No. 12 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Dark Green is nominated as No. 12 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. 193

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 155: GREY Key Conclusions: 163 (73.09%) of respondents “Accepted” the colour Grey to be incorporated on the final website. 60 (26.91%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Grey. Result: Grey ranked No. 9 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. FIGURE 156: MAGENTA Key Conclusions: 162 (72.65%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Magenta to be incorporated on the final website. 61 (27.35%) of respondents Rejected the colour Magenta. Magenta ranked No. 10 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Magenta is nominated as No. 10 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. 194

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 157: ORANGE Key Conclusions: 157 (70.4%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Orange to be incorporated on the final website. 66 (29.6%) of respondents Rejected the colour Orange. Orange ranked No. 13 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Orange is nominated as No. 13 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. FIGURE 158: PINK Key Conclusions: 147 (65.92%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Pink to be incorporated on the final website. 76 (34.08%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Pink. Pink ranked No. 15 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Pink is nominated as No. 15 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. 195

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 159: RED Key Conclusions: 184 (82.51%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Red to be incorporated on the final website. 39 (17.49%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Red. Red ranked No. 8 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Red is nominated as No. 8 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. FIGURE 160: VIOLET Key Conclusions: 193 (86.55%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Violet to be incorporated on the final website. 30 (13.45%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Violet. Violet ranked No. 5 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will be featured on the final website. Result: Violet is selected as No. 5 in the Top 5 colour choices “Accepted” by members and will be featured on the final website. 196

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 161: WHITE Key Conclusions: 209 (93.72%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour White to be incorporated on the final website. 14 (6.28%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour White. White ranked No. 1 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will be featured on the final website. Result: White is selected as No. 1 in the Top 5 colour choices “Accepted” by members and will be featured on the final website. FIGURE 162: YELLOW Key Conclusions: 185 (82.96%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Yellow to be incorporated on the final website. 38 (17.04%) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Yellow. Yellow ranked No. 7 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Yellow is nominated as No. 7 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. 197

LIMERICK GAZETTE: STRATEGIC COMMERCIALISATION PLAN FIGURE 163: LIGHT GREEN Key Conclusions: 193 (86.55%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Light Green to be incorporated on the final website. 30 (13.45 %) of 223 respondents Rejected the colour Light Green. Light Green ranked No. 6 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Light Green is nominated as No. 6 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. FIGURE 164: NAVY BLUE Key Conclusions: 156 (69.96%) of 223 respondents “Accepted” the colour Navy Blue to be incorporated on the final website. 67 (30.04%) of respondents Rejected the colour Navy Blue. Navy Blue ranked No. 14 as respondents “Accepted” colour choice and consequently will not be featured on the final website. Result: Navy Blue Grey is nominated as No. 14 of 16 choices selected by members and is eliminated as a colour option and thus will not be featured on the final website. 198