Marketing and Sales Plan

POSITIONING

Position The Rusty Lantern as Michigan’s distinctive four-season ranch retreat: premium managed whitetail experiences, hosted camping close to deer, lodge-style dining, private events, and outdoor recreation on one large property. Marketing must never promise unrestricted contact with deer or imply that permits and safety requirements do not apply.

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS AND MESSAGES

Hunters: professional guides, managed animals, complete trip coordination, lodging, meals, and partner services.

Campers and families: a rare hosted nature stay with clear safety boundaries and comfortable amenities.

Weddings and events: privacy, scenery, lodging, food, and activities in one destination.

Corporate and nonprofit groups: easy planning, meeting space, meals, and memorable team experiences.

Regional diners: scheduled lodge suppers, themed weekends, and event dining from lawful food sources.

SALES FUNNEL

Use separate landing pages and inquiry forms for hunts, stays, weddings, retreats, dining, and water recreation. Respond within one business day. Qualify dates, group size, budget, accessibility, activity needs, and safety limitations. Sell bundled proposals, collect signed agreements and deposits, automate pre-arrival instructions, and ask for reviews and referrals after departure.

CHANNELS

• Search-optimized website pages for each primary service.
• Google Business Profile and reputable regional directories.
• Email list segmented by hunters, families, event buyers, and past guests.
• High-quality photo and video storytelling with explicit permissions.
• Partnerships with outfitters, processors, taxidermists, wedding vendors, tourism organizations, foresters, and corporate planners.
• Trade shows, sportsmen’s events, wedding expos, landowner workshops, and invitation-only preview weekends.
• Earned media around conservation, adaptive reuse, forestry, and regional tourism.

PRICING

Use contribution-margin pricing, not competitor imitation. Hunts require deposits and clear inclusions. Weddings use peak/off-peak minimums. Lodging and camping use weekday, weekend, and seasonal rates. Recreation uses timed admission and capacity limits. Bundles should increase total spend without hiding safety restrictions or cancellation terms.

90-DAY LAUNCH

Build brand standards and service photography; publish focused landing pages; set up CRM and call tracking; recruit five anchor partners; collect 100 qualified leads; run three pilot offers; and measure inquiry-to-tour, tour-to-contract, average booking value, acquisition cost, cancellation rate, occupancy, and contribution margin.

No paid campaign should begin until the advertised activity has confirmed zoning, licensing, insurance, capacity, refund terms, and a responsible operator.