2. Table of Contents
Agency Introduction 3
Executive Summary 4
Situational Analysis 5
Research 6
SWOT Analysis 7
Competitor Analysis 8-9
Objectives 10
Strategies 11
Branding Positioning Strategy 12
Target Audiences 13-14
Media Outlets 15
Tactics 16-23
Measurement and Evaluation 24-25
Timetable 26
Budget 27
Staff Bios 28-23
Appendix 34-41
Page 2

3. Agency Introduction
South Hill Consulting is a public relations firm that specializes in the
local eateries and food services in the Finger Lakes area in New York
state. The Finger Lakes area, and the city of Ithaca in particular, is
known for its high-quality local based foods and restaurants and food
services. Our firm strives to promote these unique community assets
to incoming students and their families, local consumers, and visitors
to the area who are looking to ‘taste’ this experience.
From observational research and first-hand experience at Ithaca
College, our team is experienced in how local college students network
and communicate new products and services to each other. Combined
with our specialization in local eateries, we have extensive knowledge
of the strategies that local food suppliers have used to contact and
reach the college audience.
Our consulting members hold experience within the pastry and baking
industry including past experience with home-town bakeshops and
international encounters of Parisian pâtisseries. We are confident that
South Hill Consulting’s expertise in the food services market will serve
the needs of Sarah’s Pâtisserie quite well.
Page 3

4. Executive Summary
Sarah’s Pâtisserie is an exquisite local pastry shop that produces high
quality pastries, sweets, and chocolates, located in Cayuga Heights of
Ithaca, NY. Sarah’s Patisserie would like to extend their current customer
base, as well as build brand awareness and understanding to a larger
audience. Our plan will center around the same values that Sarah’s
Pâtisserie currently holds, mainly an ardent dedication to quality and
a pleasant community atmosphere. South Hill Consulting is excited to
present our plans and recommendations.
Our mission for this campaign is to extend the public’s awareness,
specifically college students and their families, of Sarah’s delicacies
and joyful experiences within the eatery. Through a larger audience
and market awareness, Sarah’s Pâtisserie can experience an increase in
revenue, ultimately leading to a higher profit.
We would like to thank Tammy Travis, owner and head chef of Sarah’s
Pâtisserie, and her fellow employees, for participating in this plan and
taking the time to assist us with any questions we had during the creation
of the plan. We would also like to thank her for attending our proposal
presentation.
Sincerely,
Kristal Hamou (khamou1@ithaca.edu)
Gwen Fernau (gfernau1@ithaca.edu)
Katie Shaw (kshaw2@ithaca.edu)
Matt Caggiano (mcaggia1@ithaca.edu)
Carly Moore (cmoore3@ithaca.edu)
Alana Soumas (asoumas1@ithaca.edu)
Page 4

5. Situational Analysis
Sarah’s Pâtisserie is a French styled bakery and café serving the Ithaca,
New York area. Tammy Travis, the owner and head chef at Sarah’s
Pâtisserie, works hard at delivering fine, French-inspired sweets
including cakes, truffles, macaroons, and cookies for any occasion.
Sarah’s Pâtisserie is a quaint shop located at Community Corners in
Cayuga Heights that caters towards audiences such as mothers, business
owners, and retired citizens. Owned and operated by Tammy Travis, a
native to the area with world-class training from chocolatier Jacques
Torres. Sarah’s Pâtisserie offers high quality desserts at a fair pricing.
These qualities make Sarah’s Pâtisserie capable of increasing popularity
in the community and grabbing younger demographics attention.
Sarah’s Pâtisserie has an advantage of being located in a town where
locals favor hometown specialty shops. In addition, Ithaca is known for
its variety of excellent food providers. Sarah’s Pâtisserie is also located
in one of the largest and most well-known college towns.
Currently, Sarah’s Pâtisserie feels that their customer base is limited
and would like to reach a more diverse audience. We questioned local
students and peers within the community and essentially all of the
responses were the same; we discovered that most had not heard of
Sarah’s Pâtisserie before. The goal of this PR campaign is to make
Sarah’s Pâtisserie more widely known and respected for their superior
quality in the community, which will subsequently increase customers
and profits for Sarah’s Pâtisserie.
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6. Research
The majority of our findings about Sarah’s Pâtisserie came from web
research. The results showed that Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s had limited web
presence. There were only a few listings that accurately portrayed the
character and personality of the shop, but the overall presence was
weak and most of the content was not all that informative. However
we did find two articles about Ms. Travis in particular that were very
informative and engaging, one from edible Finger Lakes and another
from the Light in Winter (a festival in Ithaca) webpage.
A site that included reviews on Sarah’s Pâtisserie was Yelp.com, a food
and restaurant review site. The reviews listed on this particular site
were all positive. Many of them commented that, although the pricing
was on the higher-end, the quality of the products was well worth the
price.
When conducting social media research, Sarah’s Pâtisserie was only
found on Facebook. The Facebook page seemed to be managed well
with pictures and status updates describing products. The comments
seemed to be coming from a concentrated audience, displaying a
customer-based loyalty.
Page 6

7. SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
• Taste, quality • Low awareness/visibility
• One of a kind, no other • Away from main traffic
French pâtisseries located • Outside of the Commons/
in Ithaca center Ithaca
• Family owned • Limited marketing efforts
• Quaint, atmosphere • Understaffed
• Good, quiet location, • Not much space for
neighboring businesses groups dining in
• Moderate prices • Not enough promotional
• Cultural experience packages, deals
Opportunities Threats
• Expansion • Competitors
• Discount/package deals • Economy
• Local food stands/ • Not enough disposable
community events income
• Increase marketing efforts • Seasonal/holiday oriented
• Reach out to local • Slow off-season
businesses/hotels/visitors
• Gain interest with Cornell/
Ithaca College
• Partnerships with local
groups/organizations
• Promote homemade/
local/grassroots
• Clever, snappy product
phrases/names
Page 7

8. Competitor Analysis
We recognize that Sarah’s Pâtisserie is the only French pastry
shop in the Ithaca region, but we looked at other types of pastry
businesses that we considered to be competitors for Sarah’s Pâtisserie.
Just Desserts and Sincredible Pastries are other local businesses in the
Ithaca area that specialize in experience, personalization, homemade
pastries, chocolates, and cake orders. Wegman’s is another source of
inexpensive dessert items that serves the Ithaca area.
Just Desserts
Just Desserts is an elegant and simple cake and bakery shop that is
centrally located on Danby Road in Ithaca. An advantage that Just
Desserts has is that its pastries and breads are sold at the Queen of
Tarts coffee shop located in the historic Coal Office building on Ithaca’s
East Hill. They are also sold at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, the Grassroots
Festival, and other events. Just Desserts charges $35.00 for setup and
delivery in Ithaca and neighboring areas, and like Sarah’s Pâtisserie,
cake prices vary on number of guests and cake flavor.
Wegmans
Wegman’s is one of the most popular grocery stores in the Ithaca
area. Wegman’s is conveniently located off of route 13 and supplies
shoppers who are looking for a one-stop-shop. Wegman’s convenience
and affordability is their biggest threat to Sarah’s Pâtisserie. Shoppers
in Ithaca might not want to drive out of the center of town to buy
pastries, cakes, and other assorted desserts. However, the quality of
their products does not compare to Sarah’s Pâtisserie.
Page 8

9. Competitor Analysis (cont.)
Sincredible Pastries
Sincredible Pastries is a boutique-style cake and pastry shop. We chose
this business as a main competitor because like Sarah’s Pâtisserie,
Sincredible Pastries specializes in high-end cakes and pastries.
Sincredible Pastries does not have a retail storefront, so orders are only
available upon appointment.
One major advantage that Sincredible Pastries has over Sarah’s Pâtisserie
is the amount of publicity they have received. They have been featured
in The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook!, Catering Magazine, Brides
Reception Magazine, and WellWed New York Magazine. Sincredible
Pastries also utilizes a wide range of social media sites. Their website is
very attractive, well organized, very detailed, and portrays the business
as fun and chic, making their brand more appealing to a younger
demographic.
At Sincredible Pastries a cake order has a minimum of $150.00 and
increases due to customization and how many people the cake is
serving. Sincredible Pastries also charges a $45.00 flat fee if your event
is within a 20 mile radius. Every additional hour of travel adds $45.00 to
the amount. At Sarah’s Pâtisserie, there is no flat rate, prices vary due to
the amount of people you will be having at your event and how many
tiers you’d like your cake to have.
Page 9

10. Objectives
• Build brand awareness and develop a stronger presence in
the community
• Educate target audiences and media about the superior
quality of the products, differentiating its products from the
competition
• Increase traffic to its website and Facebook by approximately
20%
• Increase clientele by 10%, thereby helping to increase
revenues
Page 10

11. Strategies
Greater Community Involvement
• Participation in local festivals and events
• Partnerships with local businesses
~ Hotels
~ Restaurants
~ Wedding Professionals and Venues
Building Brand Awareness
• Offer some kind of package for college raffle events
• Rack cards promoting a specific incentive to visit Sarah’s
Pâtisserie
~ Convention and Visitors Bureau
~ Local businesses
~ Wineries
Enhance Media Outreach
• Create press kit for pitching to relevant media outlets
• Educate consumers and media about:
~ Superior quality of products
~ Head Chef Tammy’s training and talent
• Bolster Social Media
Build Brand Loyalty
• Launch reward program
• Create incentives for off-months
• Customized Merchandise
Launch Incentives and Promotional Deals
• Package deals for holidays/events
• Printed gift cards
• Customized Cornell University and Ithaca College products
~ ex: cookies
Page 11

12. Brand Positioning Strategy
South Hill Consulting wants to enhance Sarah’s Pâtisserie as a brand as
well as a business. We believe this is key to creating a stronger identity
within the community. Sarah’s Pâtisserie is a high quality pâtisserie that
has not been seen much in the public eye. Our strategy is to make Sarah’s
Pâtisserie more of a household name for locals as well as visitors.
One way of accomplishing this is through the addition of a logo. People
need to identify with Sarah’s as a brand, and a logo allows just that. The
logo of any company is a major part of creating brand loyalty. Adding
the tag line “Un gout de la France,” (“A Taste of France”) takes it a step
further. With the addition of these two key factors, Sarah’s Pâtisserie
becomes more memorable. People will start to identify quickly with your
pastries and image as a specialized French pâtisserie, and begin to
create a relationship with the brand.
Un Gout de la France
(A Taste of France)
Page 12

13. Target Audience
People with Discretionary income
The Pâtisserie is located in Cayuga Heights, which is already a very
affluent area. These people are likely to have a more substantial
amount of discretionary income. People who have this flexibility with
their finances are able to maintain a certain standard of living. This
type of money is commonly referred to as your “play” money. This
target includes many types customers. Women over the age of 30
in the surrounding areas are already a part of Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s
target audience, but since they have such importance as consumers,
we wanted to stress them as a target audience. Also, we would like
to branch out to Ithaca College and Cornell University faculty and
students. The media outlets that would reach these people include
newspaper or magazine advertisements, online advertisements, and
radio advertisements.
Businesses and Hotels in Ithaca
Another one of our primary target audiences are businesses and
hotels in Ithaca, mainly La Tourelle Resort and Spa and the Holiday
Inn, located in downtown Ithaca. We feel that making these hotels as
part of Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s target audience would be very beneficial
for their business and would lead to much success. If businesses were
to have conferences at one of these hotels, we think the pâtisserie
could make a lot of money by providing catering services for desserts
and refreshments.
Page 13

14. Target Audience (cont.)
Secondary Audiences
Visitors to Ithaca
This includes people who live 20 to 30 minutes outside of Ithaca,
people who travel to Ithaca on the weekends (mainly in the summer
and fall months to enjoy the shopping centers, wineries, and natural
parks), and “day trippers.” Tourism is the seventh largest industry in
Tompkins County according to www.visitithaca.com.
Gift Givers
Specifically men looking for treats and cakes for special occasions,
anniversaries, birthdays etc. Although this is a secondary audience,
this is still a huge market. Any day someone could be planning a
small celebration, and why not have them shopping at Sarah’s?
Wedding Planners
Sarah’s Pâtisserie is known for their beautiful and elegant wedding
cakes. Ithaca is already a great place to host weddings because of
its natural beauty, and we want wedding planners to recommend
Sarah’s Pâtisserie to their clients as the number one place to shop
for wedding cakes. The best way to reach this audience would be to
advertise in bridal and wedding magazines.
Page 14

15. Media Outlets
General
Life in the Finger Lakes Magazine
14850.com
VisitIthaca.com
Ithaca Journal
Ithaca Times
Tompkins County Weekly
Cuisine
Edible Finger Lakes magazine (and website)
Bridal
FingerLakesWeddingsandEvents.com
WeddingsNYstate.com
WellWed Magazine (New York issue)
WeddingWire.com
Page 15

16. Tactics
Strengthening Community Presence
One way Sarah’s Pâtisserie can strengthen their presence in the com-
munity is by participating in the multiple local festivals and events that
take place every year. This should be a natural expansion with Ms. Tra-
vis’ experience in A Light in Winter, the festival of the sciences and arts
in Ithaca.
The Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival
This festival is hugely popular, drawing crowds
from the surrounding areas for the three days
of entertainment, food, and many artisan dis-
plays. The event is held on the Commons, gen-
erally in the beginning of October. If Sarah’s
Pâtisserie were to set up a table at this event,
they could engage with multiple audiences in-
cluding: college students and faculty, visitors
to Ithaca, and local families.
Ithaca Festival
The Ithaca Festival is a music festival that takes
place at the end of May. This festival draws
crowds from the surrounding areas and fea-
tures many components of community in-
volvement. There is a designated “food court”
area where local food vendors will be located,
but we would suggest that Sarah’s Pâtisserie
look into setting up a booth at the Wine Gar-
den. This is an area specifically designated for
various wineries from the Finger Lakes area,
including Sheldrake Point Winery and Six Mile
Creek Vineyard.
Page 16

17. Tactics (cont.)
Cayuga Lake Wine and Herb Festival
This festival is one of the most popular events
on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Participants
taste wines and herb-prepared cuisine as
well as taking home various souvenirs. This
would require a specific partnership with the
wineries in order to feature Sarah’s pastries.
Also, if the actual pastries could not be
featured, they have prize drawings that would
be a perfect opportunity for prize baskets or
gift cards to Sarah’s Pâtisserie. Participating
in this event would target tourists and
Ithacans with disposable income. The Wine
Trail is also a popular activity for the parents
of college students, who would be more likely
than their children to spend money on high-
end desserts.
Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expos
The Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo is an
upscale, interactive event that allows brides
to shop for every aspect of their wedding
day. The event is hosted by the Special Event
Network (SEN)/Finger Lakes Weddings and
Events, and takes place every year in February
and November. One of the features of this
event is cake tastings, which would be perfect
for Sarah’s Pâtisserie.
Page 17

18. Tactics (cont.)
Educating the public through Facebook (Appendix A)
A large part of any business is its outreach to customers. A large
part of why Sarah’s Pâtisserie is so successful already is because
of its high quality products. We feel that there is not enough content
communicating this unique selling point to the public. Part of our
plan is to educate the public on the quality of Ms. Travis’ pastries.
One way we can do this is by spreading awareness of its pastries and
cakes through Facebook.
The current Facebook page already has a great following, but it
could be utilized more efficiently. We recommend updating it daily
on different items such as new specials, pastries, seasonal menus,
and other news regarding your products. For example, a “treat of the
day” picture, describing a different item each day with a photo and
short description of what it is. Keeping it updated daily will have fans
coming back to see what is new, as well as wanting to share it with
their friends.
Loyalty Program (Appendix B)
In order to increase brand loyalty, we suggest Sarah’s Pâtisserie create
a customer rewards card, “Pâtisserie Points.” With each purchase,
customers will have the opportunity to stamp their rewards card with
a unique stamper, and after ten stamps, the customer will receive a
free dessert item with a value of $6.00 or less. This rewards program
will heighten brand loyalty by providing an incentive for repeat
customers.
The cards (at the discretion of Ms. Travis) would either be handed
out to customers at the point of sale, or held on file at the store. The
incentive for holding the card at the store is that fraud is more easily
avoided, as well as convenience for customers who may not want to
keep track of and carry around yet another rewards card.
Page 18

19. Tactics (cont.)
Reaching key media outlets with a press kit (Appendix C)
In order to raise the awareness about Sarah’s Pâtisserie we will be
putting together a press kit that can be pitched to the various media
outlets we have identified. This press kit will include a fact sheet about
Sarah’s Pâtisserie, an extensive biography about Chef Tammy Travis,
and a few different descriptions of the Pâtisserie’s philosophies.
Examples of this would be descriptions of Sarah’s Pâtisserie for
specific occasions such as weddings, holidays, birthdays, etc.
We believe it would be especially effective to pitch this press kit at the
time of the Pâtisserie’s anniversary. This would not only give the media
outlets an extra incentive to pick up the articles, but it would also
emphasize the Pâtisserie’s commitment to and establishment within
the community.
Educating the public through the Website (Appendix D)
We believe the Sarah’s Pâtisserie website could also be used in a more
interactive way. The site already has a good layout and has a lot of
relevant content for customers. All we want to do is update the look of
the site, as well as reorganize some of the content.
Adding a little more color to the pallet would make the site more inviting
to visitors. In addition to color, introducing a logo could help build
brand loyalty by having something to identify with Sarah’s Pâtisserie.
In terms of content, we believe it would be helpful to feature more
overarching categories for the sidebar tabs, such as “Weddings” and
“Seasonal Menus.” These tabs could then feature drop-down menus
when clicked that would allow a customer to browse within that
category.
Lastly, we would have a Facebook widget which would direct the
customer to the Facebook page and allow them to “like” it. Thus
allowing both platforms to interact with each other and create a more
unified approach to utilizing technology to better the company.
Page 19

20. Tactics (cont.)
Rack Cards (Appendix E)
Another way to increase community awareness of Sarah’s Patisserie
is through a rack card. They would be put in key places throughout
Ithaca, such as: The Ithaca Visitors Bureau, businesses that are open
to displaying rack cards, the hotels we have paired up with, and Sarah’s
Pâtisserie. The rack cards will highlight the quality of the products and
the cultural experience the store provides.They will have information
about some of the pastries offered, location and hours, wedding cake
information, and a coupon promotion.
Incentive and package deals
At the moment Sarah’s Pâtisserie offers limited package deals, mainly
focusing on boxes of chocolates for the holidays. For consumers who
are unfamiliar with the products or would like to purchase a variety of
items at once, this could be a cost-effective and enticing option. Having
package deals will open consumers to taste a larger variety of pastries or
chocolates, which will provide an incentive for customers to experience
a larger selection of products.
This will ultimately increase audience awareness of the vast array of
delicacies available. Adding package deals during holidays and school
events, such as parent weekends for the colleges, will provide an easier
and cheaper way for consumers to purchase Ms. Travis’ luxury pastries
and chocolates. In addition, package deals and baskets will allow parents
to buy care-packages for their daughters and sons in college, which will
strengthen the parents and college students audiences.
These package deals should be promoted on the webpage and
Facebook. Offering certain daily or weekly deals and coupons will
increase traffic to the home website and Facebook on a regular basis.
This will also attract consumers to look out for upcoming promotions,
which will enable Sarah’s Pâtisserie to increase its advertising and ability
to stay in touch with their consumers.
Page 20

21. Tactics (cont.)
Incentives for Off-Months: July & January
To attract more business in the off-season, we have developed
seasonal promotions that cater specifically to these slower months.
January and July are considered the slow months for the Pâtisserie. In
order to stimulate sales during these times, we suggest that the Sarah’s
Pâtisserie “happy hour” is revived.
While this promotion may have caused unmanageable demand during
other times of the year, we believe it would be very beneficial during
the off-season and with limited offerings. Our suggestion would be to
hold a “happy hour” every Friday of the month from 5:00 p.m. until
close. The specific offer during the “happy hour” would be customized
depending on the season. For example, in January customers could
receive half-off of a hot chocolate with their purchase of an item, and
in July half-off a lemonade or iced tea.
Gift Cards (Appendix F)
Currently Sarah’s Pâtisserie accepts cash, credit, and debit card. Ms.
Travis also currently offers gift certificates for pastry lessons. However,
the addition of a gift card option for everyday purchases will oblige
consumers to come to the shop in order to spend the amount on the
card. They also make great gifts, and would be very beneficial for
allowing the Pâtisserie to participate in raffles or giveaways without
actually having to worry about its chocolates/pastries sitting around
for hours on display. In order to keep costs low, we suggest a paper
certificate gift card, which will be easy to use for both the consumers
and Sarah’s Pâtisserie.
Page 21

22. Tactics (cont.)
Customized College cookies and Products
In order to attract the local college students, we believe Sarah’s Pâtisserie
should add customized pastries or cookies that include Ithaca College
and Cornell University logos and symbols to their menus. Moreover,
this will appeal to parents and families who are looking to experience
the local foods during visiting time while still enjoying their children’s
college culture.
Merchandise (Appendix G)
At the request of Ms. Travis, we developed a t-shirt design for Sarah’s
Pâtisserie. We believe this is a great idea because merchandise is free
advertising and it will allow customers to identify with the Sarah’s
Pâtisserie as a brand. If the t-shirts are selling well, Sarah’s Pâtisserie may
want to consider customizing even more types of merchandise.
Hiring an intern
Since Ms. Travis is already so busy, we recommend that she hire an
intern to assist with the website, social media, and general promotions.
Ithaca College has an excellent intern program and students are always
looking for opportunities to manage online media and work with local
businesses. Additionally these interns often work for free.
The hiring of an intern to assist Ms. Travis would be highly beneficial
because one of the keys to successful social media is to update often. In
terms of the general promotions for the store, an intern would be useful
for providing promotional posters for various seasonal and holiday deals,
as well as special event promotions. An intern could also be responsible
for updating the press kit as needed.
Page 22

23. Tactics (cont.)
Partner with local businesses
In order to become more familiar within the community and potentially
increase our customer base, South Hill Consulting recommends that
Sarah’s Pâtisserie partner with local businesses such as restaurants
and hotels. Both Sarah’s Pâtisserie and the other local businesses
would benefit from the partnership. Sarah’s Pâtisserie would gain
by getting its brand out to the public more effectively and efficiently,
and the other businesses would benefit by having delicious desserts
in-house to offer to customers.
One business we had in mind to partner with would be the Holiday Inn
Hotel. The Holiday Inn is currently in the process of trying to increase
revenues with renovations. What better way to increase revenues
then to partner with a local business like Sarah’s Pâtisserie, which
could offer Holiday Inn’s guests exquisite desserts?
Sarah’s Pâtisserie would also benefit from a partnership with
the Cayuga Wineries. The Finger Lakes Wineries bring in a heavy
amount of tourism to Ithaca. Tourists are an audience that Sarah’s
Pâtisserie would like to earn. By partnering with places such as the
Finger Lakes Wine Center, Sarah’s Pâtisserie would be broadcasting
their brand towards tourists visiting Ithaca.
Page 23

24. Measurement and Evaluation
In order to track the success of the public relations campaign,
South Hill Consulting will be monitoring the results of the desired
objectives and implemented tactics over the course of the year. We will
continue to chart the accomplishments following the conclusion of the
campaign.
Media Coverage
South Hill Consulting will collect all press clippings from any newspapers
and magazines in which Sarah’s Pâtisserie was mentioned. We will
observe the amount of media coverage from before the beginning of
the campaign to the end.
Website and Social Media
In order to monitor the amount of traffic that Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s
website and Facebook page receive, South Hill Consulting will be
using the free, online program, Google Analytics. Google Analytics
will conduct a visual report of the effectiveness of our websites. This
program allows us to monitor site activity, view the number of new and
returning visitors, where the visitors are coming from, average time
spent on a site, and much more. We would measure site activity prior
to making changes to get a sense of the current flow, and compare the
data to after changes have been made. This way we can measure the
increase. For our Facebook page, we will take note of the number of
fans prior to and after the campaign. We would also take note of the
average amount of posts from fans. This is an area that an intern could
assist with, should Ms. Travis choose to hire one.
Page 24

25. Measurement and Evaluation
Customers and Clients (Appendix H)
In addition to evaluating the success of this campaign by tracking
the media coverage and website and social media, we will also be
observing the increase in customer and client activity. This activity
will be measured by noting an increase in actual customers, clients,
and sales. We are hoping to bring a broader awareness to the public.
We would like to measure public’s awareness of Sarah’s Pâtisserie
by offering surveys to our target audiences before and after the
campaign. Three main areas that we would like to receive feedback
on would be the quality of the food, the service of Sarah’s Pâtisserie,
and the atmosphere of the shop.
Page 25

26. Timetable
May-July 2013
• Begin updating online media (website, Facebook)
• Prepare for Ithaca Festival (late May)
• Begin promotions for off-season (July)
• Launch Customer-Rewards Card
• Order customized merchandise
• Print rack cards and distribute
• Print gift certificates
August-October 2013
• Create customized college cookies
• Hire intern to assist with online media/general promotions
• Send first wave of press release
• Apple Festival (October)
November-January 2014
• Implement Holiday packages/deal
• Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo event (November)
February-April 2014
• Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo (Feb)
• Cayuga Lake Wine Trail- Wine & Herb Festival (April)
• 10th Year Anniversary (April 4th)
• Send out special press releases before anniversary
Page 26

27. Budget
There are some out-of-pocket expenses that come along with
our new campaign. However, South Hill Consulting is trying to keep
our expenses as low as possible. We are going to purchase 250 rack
cards for $79.99 from Staples. One thousand (1000) business cards
from Staples would cost $33.99. This is based on a deal on the Staples
website, but it may vary. We are also going to come in contact with
local hotels like La Tourelle Resort and Spa. This resort was rated #6
in “Top 10 New York Romantic Inns and Hotels” according to www.
resortsandlodges.com. We think a fun idea for La Tourelle would be to
give their guests a piece of chocolate as they check-in or on to put it on
their pillows in the rooms. What better place to get that chocolate than
from the local pâtisserie? Along with that, the Holiday Inn in downtown
Ithaca is currently undergoing renovation. We feel incorporating Sarah’s
Pâtisserie’s chocolates into their new plan would be a wise business
decision, and benefit both of them. They are going to use their existing
boxes when they deliver the chocolates to these hotels, but they may
need to produce more. Also, we think it would be a great idea if Sarah’s
Pâtisserie started selling their own custom t-shirts. According to www.
customink.com, 35 t-shirts (5 youth medium, 5 youth large, 5 youth
extra large, 5 adult small, 5 adult medium, 5 adult large, and 5 adult
extra-large) would cost $443.45. If there is a high demand for them, we
can always order more. We are also going to be making a press kit. We
estimated about fifty press kits to cost $425.00. We knew that Sarah’s
Pâtisserie wanted to keep expenses as low as possible, so we designed
our tactics with that in mind. We spent a total of $982.43.
Page 27

28. Staff Bios
Carly Moore
Carly Moore is a junior studying Integrated
Marketing Communications in the Roy H. Park School
of Communications at Ithaca College. Carly will be
graduating in the Spring of 2013. After graduation,
Carly plans on moving to New York City to build her
career in public relations and advertising.
The Park School’s Communication program has been
helping her hone in on her leadership, teamwork,
communication and presentation skills. She has
served as the project manager of a mock event
planning campaign, which involved overseeing and providing insight to
other groups in order to compile a strategic plan to pitch to mock-client,
at Knowledge College.
Carly participates in the Ithaca College’s chapter of Women In
Communications, and Public Relations Student Society of America
organizations. This past year, Carly interned at Cornell Cooperative
Extension Tompkins County as an outreach assistant for the Way2Go
transportation program. She assisted in the promotion of alternative
transportation methods in Tompkins County by attending workshops and
tabling events throughout the community. Ithaca’s annual 5K Fun Run and
Duck Race has been one of the major projects that Carly has been working
on over the course of her internship. She has written press releases and
created brochures to help bring publicity to the annual event.
This summer, Carly plans to intern at a car dealership in her hometown,
Athens, Pennsylvania while maintaining her job at Cornell Cooperative
Extension in Ithaca.
Page 28

29. Staff Bios
Matt Caggiano
Mr. Caggiano is currently a sophomore at Ithaca
College studying Communications Management
and Design. Currently declaring his concentration
in Corporate Communications, Matt plans on
participating in Ithaca’s LA program during the
Fall of his senior year. If all goes as planned, he willl
be graduating a semester early.
Matthew has been involved in a number of real
world business scenarios. While in high school,
Matt helped start and run a number of business
ventures. A design firm, A-Line Apparel, as well as two independent
clothing lines, 5Fourty1 and EasyLivin. For A-Line, he participated in
apparel design, layout design for web and print based banners and
ads, and helped put together a group of sponsored athletes. 5Fourty1
was an independent company that his partner acquired to be a part of
A-Line Apparel. Easy Livin is a separate company that Matthew started
from the ground up. Everything regarding Easy Livin was done by Matt:
starting from the website, to writing, and even apparel design.
In his personal life, Matt enjoys a number of activities separate from
design. A love of music has led him to pursue learning instruments
such as the guitar, bass guitar and piano; all self taught. Matt is an avid
fan of both participating in and spectating sports like snowboarding,
skateboarding and surfing. He also has an ongoing passion for studio
art, and plans on having his work shown in a gallery.
Currently he has expanded his design skills into web design. He has
created a number of websites from scratch, in addition to improving
current company’s sites. This summer he will continue this through an
internship at Sanborn Media Factory in New York City, one of the best
companies building websites and mobile applications. Page 29

30. Staff Bios
Alana Soumas
Alana Soumas is a sophomore at Ithaca College with
a major in Integrated Marketing Communications
in the Roy H. Park school of communications. She
plans on studying abroad in Sydney, Australia in
the Spring of 2013. Alana is expected to graduate
in May of 2014. She is a member of the women’s
club basketball team. She is an employee at Ithaca
College’s office of judicial affairs, as well as a member
of the sustainable business enterprise club.
This past winter, Alana had the opportunity to do
fieldwork experience at Entertainment Tonight and the Insider in the
heart of New York City. She will also be interning there this coming summer.
She had the opportunity to attend events such as the premiere for the
movie Red Tails, the 60th Anniversary party for the Today Show, and many
other various events. While working at ET, she learned what it takes to run
a live television show, how to work with co-workers and a management
team, and the skills necessary for a successful show. Last summer Alana
worked at the Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts where
she learned the basics and skills needed to run a family-owned business.
Alana loves sports and hopes to one day have a career in sports or
entertainment marketing. She lives in Bergen County, New Jersey, about
thirty minutes outside of New York City. She lives with her two brothers
named Michael and Jordan, and her mother Michelle. Alana attended
Northern Valley Regional High School where she played varsity basketball
and tennis all four years. She was the captain of her basketball team her
senior year. Alana was also a member of the international business club.
Page 30

31. Staff Bios
Gwen Fernau
Gwen Fernau is a Communication Management
and Design major with a Spanish minor currently
in her sophomore year at Ithaca College’s Roy H.
Park School of Communications. Gwen has earned
a spot on the Dean’s list for three consecutive
semesters. Next semester she plans study abroad
in Spain. This summer, she will be interning for The
Castle Group, a small communications agency
based in Boston, Massachusetts.
During her freshman year, Gwen received the
Strategic Communications Department Academic Achievement Award.
As Director of Communications for Ithaca College’s chapter of the
Public Relations Student Society of America, Gwen recently organized a
charity basketball tournament to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
She also served as the student representative on a faculty search
committee. In a recent class project, Gwen planned, budgeted, and
presented a hypothetical event for 200+ people.
Gwen currently has a job working as an office assistant for her department
of major at Ithaca College. Along with sorting mail and filing, Gwen
works with teachers to develop content for the department webpage.
Gwen grew up in Clinton, Massachusetts with her older sister and
brother. She attended the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School,
where she participated in multiple sports including soccer, track and
field, and softball. During her senior year of high school, Gwen traveled
to Nicaragua and participated in a homestay program at a Spanish
speaking rural village outside of Matagalpa.
Page 31

32. Staff Bios
Katie Shaw
Katie Shaw, a junior in the Roy H. Park School of
Communications, is an Integrated Marketing
Communications major. After graduation, Katie
plans on traveling for a year and searching for a
non-profit organization to work for abroad. She
would like to find a job position that can utilize her
skills of graphic design and communication.
For the last three years, Katie has been working for
The Uptown Music Collective, a non-profit school
of music. Here, she is the head graphic designer
and creates all of the promotional materials for performances and
informational publications. Before she was an employee of The Uptown
Music Collective, she attended as a guitar student during her high school
years. Katie performed with her guitar in the school’s major productions
and various community performances.
This past summer, Katie interned at Junto Creative, a graphic design
Company, in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. While she was there, she designed
the company’s product catalog and assembled mock-ups. Here, she
became proficient in using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.
Katie is a girl of many hobbies outside of her jobs and school. These include
riding horses, playing guitar, taking pictures, skiing and snowboarding,
hiking, running, and creating art. In her very minimal free time, she enjoys
traveling and is excited to graduate so she can travel more.
This summer, Katie plans to travel to Italy for a month and explore the art
and culture of the country. When she is not traveling, she will be home in
Williamsport, Pennsylvania working at The Uptown Music Collective.
Page 32

33. Staff Bios
Kristal Hamou
Kristal Hamou is a junior at Ithaca College School
of Business, majoring in business administration
with concentrations in international business and
marketing, with a minor in integrated marketing
and communications. Kristal has earned a place
on the Dean’s List for four consecutive semesters,
with a cumulative GPA of 3.827. In addition,
Kristal is an inductee of Beta Gamma Sigma,
an internationally recognized AACSB business
student achievement organization, a member
of Phi Kappa Phi Honor’s Society, and a member
of the Oracle Honor Society, for the top ten percent of the 2009-2010
freshman class of Ithaca College. This summer, she will be interning in
the Advertising Club of New York. Post graduation, she plans on working
within the women’s health and all-natural beauty industry, specializing
in advertising, public relations, and marketing.
Kristal is an active member across campus, who is involved in a variety
of organizations. As vice president of social media of Ithaca College
Women in Business, Kristal manages and updates the club’s social media
sites, while also creating LCD slides and web-based advertisements. Ms.
Hamou is also a recipient of the Carl Segrecci scholarship for outstanding
academic performance, Borg Warner scholarship for outstanding female
student.
Kristal is also was a resident assistant, where she created innovative
programs throughout last year, and developed creative advertising via
print and social media. She was recruited as a research assistant for an
electronic democracy project, by two faculty members of the business
school. During this research, Ms. Hamou had the opportunity to encode
information for the the New York county government’s internet pages.
Page 33

34. Appendix A
Educating the Public Through Facebook
Page 34

35. Appendix B
Customer Rewards Program
Page 35

36. Appendix C
Press Kit
Page 36

37. Appendix D
Website
Page
Page 37

38. Appendix E
Rack Cards
(Front) (Back)
Page 38

39. Appendix F
Gift Cards
Page 39

40. Appendix G
T-shirts
Page 40

41. Appendix H
Customer Survey
When did you visit Sarah’s Pâtisserie? What was the occasion?
What do you like most about Sarah’s Pâtisserie?
How was the atmosphere of the shop?
Did you receive satisfactory service? Why or why not?
Would you recommend Sarah’s Pâtisserie to others?
Page 41