My partner and I created a strategic plan for the natural food company, Grainful.

1. A Strategic Public Relations Proposal
for

2. Ann-Marie Adams, CEO/Director
Lab17
Department of Strategic Communication
Roy H. Park School of Communications
Ithaca College
950 Danby Road
Ithaca, New York 14850
December 20, 2017
Katie Long
950 Danby Rd. #180
Ithaca, NY 14850
RE: LAB17 Strategic Public Relations Proposal
Dear Katie Long,
It is my pleasure to endorse the effort by the student-run public relations agency Lab17 in developing
this strategic proposal for your review and potential implementation to establish Grainful’s position in
the market among competitors and benchmarks.
The content of this document is intended to inform, educate and guide Grainful in making future
decisions that will directly benefit your business by increasing your customer base.
The strategic consulting experience of Lab17’s 18 staff members created a transformational learning
environment for the students enrolled in this senior capstone course. It also provided each student
with a rich learning opportunity to integrate theory with practice while making real-time strategic
communication decisions. Your agreement to bring Grainful forward as a client in simulation ensures
that these students have the requisite knowledge and skills to enter the workforce upon graduation.
Please feel free to contact me via email at aadams4@ithaca.edu or cellular telephone at
843.321.0430 should you need any additional information pertaining to this proposal or the work of
Lab17. I will be in touch in the next seven days via email to solicit your participation in a short survey
of your “client” experience.
Thank you for placing your confidence in the professional skill sets of these remarkable young people.
Sincerely,
Ann-Marie Adams, CEO/Director
Adjunct Professor, IC PRLAB “Lab17”

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Grainful was invited to participate as a client during the Fall 2017 semester by the Department of
Strategic Communications Public Relations Lab “Lab17”. Lab17 is a senior capstone course in the
Roy H. Park School of Communications designed to operate as a real world public relations agency
to enhance learning in an experiential setting.
Molly Long and Sage VanAmerongen, Account Managers at Lab17, were tasked with designing and
developing strategic initiatives that establish Grainful’s position in the market among its competitors
and benchmarks and enhance its social media presence. As such, the agency has designed a
campaign to differentiate Grainful from its competitors and increase its social media presence and
effectiveness.
We believe that Grainful currently lacks a clear brand awareness strategy and that a strategic
branding campaign is necessary for its short-term success and, ultimately, to increase their
client base and longevity. Grainful must utilize its social media channels and densely populated
surroundings to stand out among its competitors and create a unique name for itself.
The strategic initiatives suggested in this proposal will allow Grainful to increase its brand awareness
online and offline through the use of social media, planning, in-house events, community events and
other channels.
2
Situational
Analysis

4. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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9
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27
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31
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33
34
35
36
37
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
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45
46
Situational Analysis
Competitor Analysis
SWOT Analysis
Target Audience
Objectives & Key Messages
Objective 1 & Tactics
Measurement & Evaluation
Timetable
Estimated Fees
About the Agency
Appendices
-Appendix A
-Appendix B
-Appendix C
-Appendix D
-Appendix E
-Appendix F
-Appendix G
-Appendix H
-Appendix I
-Appendix J
-Appendix K
-Appendix L
-Appendix M
-Appendix N
-Appendix O
-Appendix P
- Appendix Q

5. Situational
Analysis
Situational
Analysis
Situational
Analysis

6. 5
Grainful began in 2013 and launched around a line of savory oat-based frozen entrees including
Tuscan Bean & Kale, Unstuffed Pepper, Vegetarian Chili, and Porcini Mushroom Chicken, among
others. In 2016, Grainful added a shelf-stable meal kit product line for the speed-scratch market
(30 minutes or less) that was asking for efficiency yet providing room for cooking creativity. All of
Grainful’s products are lovingly crafted and prepared in small kettles to lock in the freshness of global
flavors and better-for-you ingredients to deliver high quality, great tasting, nutritious convenient
offerings. Because Grainful believes all people should be able to eat well, they’ve developed offerings
leveraging the nutritional benefits of grains as a great platform to achieve this goal.
FROZEN ENTREE
Grainful now offers eight varieties of their frozen entrees that include, Porcini Mushroom Chicken,
Tuscan Bean and Kale, Unstuffed Pepper, Vegetarian Chili, Chana Masala, Jambalaya, Ranchero
Chicken and Thai Curry. The frozen entrees are available at select retailers including Wegmans,
ShopRite, Safeway, HEB and Whole Foods. They are also available via Grainful’s online store and
Amazon. All of the frozen entrees are certified gluten-free, non-GMO, vegetarian and contain no
preservatives or artificial colors or flavors.
MEAL KITS
In 2016, Grainful introduced their “shelf-stable” meal kit product line for the speed-scratch market.”
Flavors in this product line include Tomato Risotto, Homestyle Cheddar, Madras Curry and
Jambalaya. Consumers are able to add meat, seafood or extra vegetables to the steel-cut oats, and
in 30 minutes or less, will have a delicious, hearty meal. All of the meal kits are certified gluten-free,
non-GMO, vegetarian and contain no preservatives or artificial colors or flavors.
MISSION
Grainful believes all people should eat well and is on a mission to “bring globally-inspired, bold tasting
foods to all consumers at an affordable price and in an honest way, with grains as the foundation.”
Grainful saw potential in the inexpensive, healthy base of steel cut oats and the capability to add
“bold flavors of cultures and people from around the world” and vows to its 7 days a week - 365 days
per year “obsession” of combining this pairing.
OWNER
Founded in 2013 by Chef Jeannine Sacco and President Jan Pajerski, the pair saw the potential in
steel-cut oats and began experimenting with various flavors, inspired by the rich-offering of Ithaca’s
cuisine and local farms. After receiving positive feedback from the Ithaca community, Grainful
expanded its distribution nationally.
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STAFFING
In addition to Chef Sacco and President Jan Pajerski, Grainful carries a team of three other staff
members that oversee marketing, public relations, social media and sales.
AWARDS
Forbes, Time, Men’s Journal, Food Navigator-USA and Business Wire are a few of the numerous
publications Grainful has been featured in as of 2017. Grainful was featured in the May 2017 issue
of Dr. Oz, The Good Life, earning the honor of one of their favorite healthy frozen dinners amongst
three others. In June of 2017, Grainful received a $3.3 million strategic financing round with lead
investments from Advantage Capital, Rand Capital and the investment platform CircleUp. Most
recently, Grainful was selected into Cohort Two of the Chobani Food Incubator, headquartered in
New York City, in September of 2017. The Chobani Incubator supports “food entrepreneurs aiming to
challenge the food industry, improve broken systems and bring better food to more people.” Grainful
receives on-site consulting from Chobani team members, has access to Chobani programming that
includes guest speakers, workshops, mentor rotations, field trips, social events, as well as a $25,000
grant to help grow the business.
WEBSITE
Utilizing a sleek and smooth website layout makes it user friendly which is truly valuable to maintain
their customer base. You are able to learn about the company and where they come from, view
nutrition information about their products, read a blog focusing on their corporate social responsibility
and the basic essentials of finding locations to purchase various products, and contact information.
Additionally, customers can purchase products through the shop feature, making the accessibility of
their website crucial as it directly impacts their sales.
FINANCE & PRICING
Grainful’s product lines of frozen entrees are available on Grainful’s online store, Amazon and
retailers located throughout the United States. The frozen entrees have a suggested retail price of
$4.99 - $5.99. All of the eight varieties of the frozen entrees are available in packs of five for $41.63.
MEDIA
Currently, Grainful has placed its efforts throughout paid, owned, and earned media (Appendix A).
Paid: Natural food expositions including Natural Products Expo East and West, FNCE, GFAF,
and Gluten Free Expo serve as useful platforms to distribute product, company brochures and
informative booklets highlighting the healthy attributes of the frozen entrees.
Owned: Grainful utilizes its company website to relay much of their information to the public
regarding product attributes, press spots, the company blog and their online store.

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Earned: Grainful is active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and regularly post on
all four social media platforms. While Grainful has a widespread presence on social media, the
company is not receiving as much attention as it should on these platforms, with an average of
30 likes on Instagram and 5 likes on Facebook.
Facebook followers: 3,594
Instagram followers: 1,157
Twitter followers: 566
Pinterest followers: 52
SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE
Grainful is currently active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and provides their followers
with photos and posts that are fundamentally organic, just like their product. Currently, an agency
called TGW Studio out of Rochester, NY creates their content and manages all of the accounts. Come
2018, with a decrease in the social budget an employee will be taking over all aspects of Grainful’s
social. The plan will be to post on Instagram and Facebook 2-3 times per week with no specific set
times. Twitter will be used as a conversation channel and be active at various points of the week.
Although a further conversation would be helpful, our current recommendation moving forward would
be to utilize a posting and analytics feature such as Hootsuite.

9. Situational
Analysis
Competitor
Analysis
Situational
Analysis

10. 9
Grainful is competing against large companies that are “appearing to be small,” incorporating
personal messages in their brand marketing in order to relate to the customer on a more personal
level. Many companies are riding the all-natural, clean, and farm fresh wave with an emphasis on
wellness. While there are no other companies that solely focus on steel-cut oats as the base of
the frozen meal, others offer various frozen entrees that carry a credible name that the consumer
associates with health and wellness, ultimately prompting the consumer to purchase that brand over
Grainful. The consumer needs to be encouraged to try something new and purchase a Grainful frozen
entree. The lack of knowledge and awareness surrounding the Grainful brand is the gap that needs
bridging. Below we have provided various natural frozen entree competitors of Grainful.
KASHI
Kashi takes on a more modern look within the wholesome frozen entree market with simple and
visual packaging. They carry 8 “quick meal entrees” and 7 of the entrees have a base of quinoa,
beans or noodles. The Kashi brand emphasizes a heavy focus on “plant-powered goodness” in their
foods, preaching that they “seek out ingredients that give nutritional benefits.” Kashi campaigns
the idea of “honoring their roots” and combining whole grains with other ingredients to provide
“progressive nutrition, while minimizing the impact on the planet.” In 2016, all of Kashi’s frozen
entrees became Non-GMO Project Verified and the company teamed up with QAI to create Certified
Transitional (CT) which vows to “help farmers to transition from conventional farming practices to
organic.” There are no current social media campaigns focusing on their frozen meals. A large focus
on their social platforms is their certified transitional badge and featuring farmers who produce CT
products. Kashi frozen entrees are available in large retail stores including Wegmans, Foodtown,
Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Ralphs and Vons. Kashi frozen entrees run for an average of $4.00 per
entree. Kashi is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and posts consistent brand messaging
throughout all platforms (Appendix B).
Facebook: 717,221 | Instagram: 6,350 | Twitter: 12,500
AMY’S
Amy’s is a powerhouse in the frozen entree market with over 87 offerings that range from a tofu
scramble to vegetarian enchiladas. Amy’s embodies a very homey and natural look with every meal
presented in a different serving dish, appearing to come right from their kitchen to yours. There is a
focus on where the food comes from and voicing the stories of their farmers and emphasizing their
“recipe for sustainability.” Amy’s is similar to Grainful in that the company cooks in small batches
and from scratch to ensure quality. Amy’s website is very informative and consistent in natural color
scheme and visuals. The website also includes a blog and “love letters” from consumers raving
about their products. Because of the variety Amy’s offers, not all of their products are certified gluten-
free or Non-GMO. On average, Amy’s frozen entrees go for $3.94. Amy’s products are available in
large grocery stores including Walmart, Price Chopper, Wegmans, Target, Vons, Whole Foods and
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Analysis
Winco and are also available in local grocery stores unique to the area. Amy’s is active on Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter. Amy’s current online campaign promotes the tagline, “We Love to Cook for
You,” emulating their dedication to caring for their customers through mindful, healthy manufacturing
of their product. Aspects of this campaign are included in the appendix. Amy’s Facebook features
many videos promoting their entrees in a humorous, creative ways (Appendix C).
Facebook: 318,706, Instagram: 33,100, Twitter: 24,700
SAFFRON ROAD
Saffron Road offers 20 varieties of frozen entrees with an emphasis on authentic, global cuisine. The
company dedicates itself to “restoring the sacredness of food and ethical consumerism,” referring to
themselves as “pioneers of the natural food movement” and a frontrunner in halal. They are currently
undergoing a rebranding process, promoting this “new look” on their various social media platforms.
Saffron Road brands itself on a more political standpoint, preaching its creation was an outcome
from the owner, Adnan Durrani’s quest to find a social enterprise that “could bring harmony to soothe
political, religious, cultural and social dissonance,” post 9/11 tragedy. Saffron Road is available in
Whole Foods, Wegmans, Vons and BJs Wholesale. Saffron Road frozen entrees are also available
in Whole Foods and Choices Markets located in Canada. Saffron Road frozen entrees sell for an
average of $5.69 per unit. The company is active on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and participates
in many social media giveaways with other companies selling products in various categories.
Facebook: 158, 814, Instagram: 4,031, Twitter: 10,400, Pinterest: 7,045
EVOL
Evol offers a variety of frozen products including single-serve meals, burritos, and multi-serve meals.
Evol’s mission is to “bring down the broken food system” by making frozen food that contains fresh,
simple ingredients. Evol’s goal is to make frozen food cool again, allowing people to eat better and
healthier in a convenient way. While Evol isn’t entirely GMO, certain products they use are certified
Non-GMO including the grains, vegetables and oils. Evol’s marketing is very humorous and in your
face, with bright colors and quirky images. Evol’s products can be found in Target, CVS Pharmacy,
Foodtown, Stop & Shop, Ralphs and Vons. Evol frozen entrees sell for an average of $3.99 per unit.
Evol is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and Pinterest (Appendix D).
Facebook: 123,232, Instagram: 8,975, Twitter: 12,000, Pinterest: 2,166

12. SWOT
Analysis
Situational
Analysis
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13. STRENGTHS
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Analysis
WEAKNESSES
• Lack of social media engagement and
reach
• Emphasizing oats requires educating
consumers on meal variations beyond
breakfast
OPPORTUNITIES
• Frozen and dry categories are
becoming accepted as meal options
• Independent, local brands are
becoming increasingly popular
• The notion of home-cooked meals is
evolving to ready-to-eat
• Join the “wellness” wave, making
everyday activities into healthy ones
THREATS
• Competing against powerhouse
brands that are creating “indie” product
categories
• Competing against many other
independent, clean brands
• Corporate Budgets
• Established brand architecture
• Healthy, clean ingredient-oriented
products
• Affordable and high quality products
• Quick to capitalize on the health and
wellness retail opportunities (Appendix E)

14. Target
Audience
Analysis
Situational
Analysis
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PRIMARY AUDIENCE
NORTHEAST REGION
Grainful’s primary audience should be centered around designated market areas, specifically in the
Northeast as we believe focusing on this region will penetrate the largest reach for Grainful (Appendix
F). Below are areas of focus in our DMA:
New York, NY
Rochester, NY
Buffalo, NY
Albany, NY
Syracuse, NY
Using media planning software, Media Flight Plan, we conducted a search to determine how many
women ages (20-40) were in these five markets listed above. We determined that 8.28% of US
households with this certain market are in these five markets and serve as vital areas for Grainful to
target (Appendix G)
Grainfuls products are made based off of high tech research and the company continues to foster
it’s dedication to learning by attending informative conferences which create connections and allow
for continuous development. By attending the Chobani Food Incubator, Grainful has the opportunity
to work with other food startups to impact their industry. Furthermore, Cornell sponsors Chobani
immensely and is an impactful supporter of innovation in food and dairy science and is conveniently
located in central New York. In collaboration with the Chobani Incubator, Grainful can leverage
marketing efforts in certain designated market areas and the incubator can serve as a resource to
network and promote the Grainful brand.
SECONDARY AUDIENCE
NUTRITIOUS EXPLORERS
The target demographic for Grainful frozen entrees is women ages 30-44 who live an active
lifestyle, are employed and married with none or a few children. Work-life balance is very
important to this individual and she values outside adventure but doesn’t discredit downtime now
and again. She loves to explore new cuisines and values the ingredients used in the food she
eats. An increase in price doesn’t make or break a purchase if she finds a meal she loves and
finds value in. This individual is concerned with clean product labeling and purchases at least one
clean label product at every other shopping trip she makes (Appendix H).

16. Objectives
& Strategies
Situational
Analysis
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CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES
The following strategic initiatives are recommended by Lab17 to increase brand awareness for
Grainful:
Increase brand preference for Grainful through use of media opportunities including social
media influencers, publicity and culinary endeavors.
Furthermore, the agency believes the objectives listed above directly support the following
organizational priorities:
Fruitful Influencers and Publicity
Northeast Based Campus Outreach
Food Focused Initiatives
KEY MESSAGES
In order for Grainful to grow within the industry as a trustworthy brand that provides delicious and
nutritious affordable food for all, this campaign will communicate the following key messages in
conjunction with this campaign:
Grainful offers unique product lines with grains as the core ingredient.
Grainful prides itself on being transparent by clearly labeling its product’s ingredient.
Grainful is dedicated to delivering high quality, nutritious products.

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OBJECTIVE 1:
Increase brand preference for Grainful through use of media opportunities including
social media influencers, publicity and culinary endeavors in our suggested DMA.
Strategy 1: Compile a list of influential media opportunities that fall into Grainful’s brand
positioning “sweet spot,” focusing on health/wellness, convenience and adventure.
Tactic 1: Social Media Influencer/Blogger
When Grainful aligns with an influencer, this individual brings their audience and their audience’s
network to promote the brand. The influencer has the ability to drive sales to your site, increase your
social media exposure and help sell products through their loyal audience and an unlimited reach
across the Internet (Appendix I). Through our research, we found that 86% of adults 18-29 use at
least one social media site and 80% of adults 30-49 use at least one social media site (Appendix J).
Additionally, influencers are the main source of brand information for millennials as 98% of millennials
engage with a peer’s post than a brand’s post to find information regarding new, trendy products.
We have provided Grainful with four social media influencers separated by tiers (top, middle and
bottom) that fall into the health/wellness category. Further efforts to communicate certain aspects of
the brand that need promotion can be done eventually, as we are aware that the promotion of frozen
entree line is currently a top priority. Each influencer will provide Grainful with a certain voice that
falls in line with Grainful’s brand image and will help expand the brand’s social media audience. As
Grainful begins to expand on influencer searches, it’s vital that there is an individual delegated to
extensively researching certan influencers that will help prosper the Grainful brand and social media
awareness. Using influencer rating sites such as Klout, Buzzsumo and Nichify will help the research
process as well. In the appendix, we included additional that fall under these tiers and would serve as
an asset to Grainful (Appendix K-O).
Top Tier - Sprouted Kitchen (@sproutedkitchen)
Top tier influencers have a large following and may have a higher price and more competition
for social media brand collaborations. Below is one influencer that falls in to the top tier
category and would serve as an asset to the Grainful brand.
Sara Forte is the voice behind popular food blog and health social media powerhouse,
Sprouted Kitchen. Sara and her photographer husband, Hugh join together to create a
beautiful, whole food focused blog. Sprouted Kitchen is present on Instagram, Facebook,
Twitter and Pinterest with an overall following of 324,000 followers. Sara is a mother of two
and enjoys living an adventurous life while balancing all that comes with supporting a family.

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Many of the recipes featured on her blog and Instagram are created with an emphasis on
making “food taste good through using natural ingredients.” While she is based in Dana
Point, California, her national reach expands far from this region as she is leveraging a large
influence online and through the sale of two cookbooks, The Sprouted Kitchen and Bowl +
Spoon. Sprouted Kitchen has accumulated its popularity since its introduction in May of 2009
and has been recognized as one of the top food sites by the gourmet food, wine and travel
magazine, Saveur. Sara falls into Grainful’s bullseye prime prospect age of 30-39. Sprouted
Kitchen blog and Instagram are updated regularly (Appendix K).
Middle Tier - The Travel Bite (@travelbite)
While middle tier influencers don’t carry as large as a following as top tier, they have the
capability to infiltrate the 86% of adults ages 18-29 using social media.
Rachelle Lucas is the Blogger-In-Chief at the popular food blog and social media brand, The
Travel Bite (Appendix L). She has a large influence in the East Coast and was named one
of the 13 Twitter Personalities to follow by Elliot.org and one of the top 10 Food and Travel
Bloggers by USA Today. The Travel Bite brand has a total following of 156,000 individuals
amongst various social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Rachelle
is an experienced on-air personality and has appeared on The Travel Channel, USA Today
and has appeared in various popular publications including People and The New York Times.
The Travel Bite’s brand message falls in line with Grainful’s brand “sweet spot” as it focuses on
adventure, living life to the fullest and incorporates globally-inspired recipes into travel.
Grainful can utilize Rachelle’s influencer reach in the form of sponsorships and social
campaigns on Instagram, Twitter and sponsored blog posts (Appendix M). The Travel Bite
reaches an audience with an average age of 25-44, with 60,000 unique visitors to the website
monthly. The Travel Bite publishes unique sponsored article, with links guiding the user to the
site of the company being discussed. Additionally, Rachel can serve as a voice for Grainful and
its brand through sponsored videos.
Middle Tier - Dad Beets (@dad_beets)
Nick Neves, the voice behind Dad Beets is a top foodie influencer and receiver of the Best
Food Instagram from Saveur’s 2016 Blog Awards. Nick lives in Los Angeles with his wife and
two sons. He focuses his efforts on Instagram with a following of 72,000. A lot of Nick’s content
focuses on expressing himself through home-cooked meals and food adventures. He loves
to think differently about food and encourage people to step out of their food zones. A lot of
his inspiration comes from his travels from across the globe and he incorporates a bunch of
these flavors into his own recipe. Nick will offer Grainful a male-perspective’s social voice while
maintaining aspects of Grainful’s user and brand values (Appendix N).

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Bottom Tier - Millennial Blogger - Amanda Fit Life (@amandafitlife)
Utilizing a millennial blogger will enable the influencer to form a long-lasting relationship
with Grainful as both the influencer’s personal brand and Grainful’s brand develop and grow
together. Millennial influencers work with brands to discover new products that match their
audience’s cravings. According to forbes.com, millennials have surpassed the baby boomer
generation as the nation’s biggest buying group.
Amanda has been recognized as “10 Millennial Food Influencers to Watch” by digital influencer
marketing agency, LMS. Amanda focuses on Instagram with a following of 65,000. Amanda
works with many emerging natural food brands such as Zing bars, 1915 Organic juice, Justin’s
nut butters and Handsome Brook pasture-raised organic eggs. Amanda is a health and fitness
advocate and takes pride in finding innovative snacks to get her through her busy, everyday
routine. With an average of 2,500 likes per post and a similar images to those of Grainful,
Amanda serves as an impactful influencer for the Grainful (Appendix O).
Media Opportunities
There are various media opportunities for collaborations with influencers and bloggers. Some
collaborative options include sponsored social media and blog posts, unique branded articles,
giveaways, recipe development using Grainful products, sponsored travel itineraries, hosting Twitter
chats and live-sharing events. The possibilities are endless! In the timetable portion of this paper,
we included ideas for social media campaign collaborations with these influencers in relation to our
estimation of their prices.
Tactic 2: Utilize Sourcing Service: Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
Grainful has a strong brand image that carries a unique storyline that many would find compelling.
By seeking out journalists and bloggers through HARO, Grainful can spread its brand story through
various media outlets and form relationships with credible sources. Grainful can also release their
pitches to the site where sources will scan and contact Grainful if they’re interested.
HARO connects journalists and bloggers to relevant expert sources to enable brands to tell their
stories. HARO reaches more than 800,000 sources and 55,000 journalists and bloggers. Using this
site, you can offer Grainful as a source for journalists in an applicable article. Once you register
with HARO, you will receive three emails per day containing various source requests. About 50-80
opportunities are available for sources like Grainful. You will want to keep a look out for any source
requests that are relevant to Grainful and the culinary industry. A pitch reply email will put Grainful on
their radar as a source. We suggest that Grainful create three to four different pitches and vhoose the

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one that best fits the content being sought out in the email (Appendix P).
Strategy 2: Promote Grainful’s brand by increasing awareness and visibility of various
products and their nutritious features.
Tactic 1: Video Campaign for College Students
A study conducted by Nielsen found that college students are more likely to seek out and purchase
products that are labeled organic, free of GMO’s and don’t include added hormones. Grainful can
tap into this market by conducting a video campaign on a college campus similar to General Mill’s
successful video college campus campaign (Appendix Q). Grainful will target schools located in the
DMA and that offer music and film areas of study.
While further development of the idea behind the campaign is suggested, we came up with one idea,
encouraging students to create a promotional video displaying how they turn an ordinary activity such
as brushing your teeth or shoveling snow into a more exhilarating activity. This idea of transforming
an average activity to a great one is reflective of Grainful entrees because they are transforming steel
cut oats into extraordinary meal with globally-inspired flavors. Grainful can leverage a lot of press
during the campaign through social media, press releases and word of mouth. This opportunity will
create fresh, creative content for Grainful.
Below is a list of colleges with areas of study in film, video and photographic arts within the
DMA:
Ithaca College - Ithaca, NY
New York University - New York, NY
Pratt Institute - New York, NY
Vassar College - Poughkeepsie, NY
Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY
Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester, NY
University at Buffalo - Buffalo, NY
The focus of the northeast gives Grainful an abundance of options in terms of where to deploy this
tactic. Implementing a trial run would be beneficial to work out any areas of uncertainty and to ensure
that everything runs smoothly upon implementation at other college and universities. Due to Grainfuls
origination in Ithaca, NY the home of Ithaca College, we see IC as a perfect place to do a pilot of the
video competition campaign. The Ithaca College campus prides itself of inclusion and innovation.
On campus, there are a variety of organizations focused on sustainability, culinary skills, and the
environment. In the Spring of 2018, the film and cinema photography department is offering courses
such as Photo Workshop and Cinema Production. Granful should utilize these courses and contact
faculty members to inquire about working with film and cinema majors to create content for Grainful.

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Here are two contacts Grainful can reach out to:
- Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Chrissy Guest : cguest@ithaca.edu
- Assitant Professor, Media Arts, Rhonda Vanover : rvanover@ithaca.edu (photography)
Tactic 2: Attending Premiere Food Focused Conference
Although Grainful already attends particular food focused conferences, we suggest that Grainful
attend more and expand to conferences that may not focus on food, but are in the wellness and
health spectrum. The current ones Grainful attends include; Natural Products Expo East and West,
FNCE, and GFAF all serving as great promotional opportunities and marketing outlets. We believe
that attending paid media opportunities in New York would be more beneficial as it is a premiere
selling culinary market.
The Speciality Food Association presents The Fancy Food Show which is North America’s Largest
Specialty Food and Beverage Event. At the Javits Center from Saturday, June 30th - Monday, July
2nd you can discover 180,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic,
natural, organic and more. With over 2,350 exhibits from 50 countries and regions the Summer Fancy
Food Show would be very beneficial to Grainful. There are many opportunities to discover the newest
ideas and best products, make key business connections, network with industry peers and look future
forward at specialty food. Registration will open in Spring 2018, and we have provided the link below
where you can register to be notified when registration is open.
Registration Link: http://bit.ly/1Fdh3PW
Tactic 3: Example of White House Press for Natural Food CompanyEmmy’s Organics
Samantha Abrams, the co-owner of Emmy’s Organics was invited to stand beside President Obama
as he signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startup Acts (JOBS) at the White House in April of 2012.
Abrams was invited because of the company’s success in raising $15,000 through crowd sourcing
to redeisgn packaging to be more attractive and eco-friendly. The main part of the bill phases in
Securities and Exchange Commission regulations over a five-year period to let smaller companies go
public sooner. Emmy’s received a lot of great feedback for their involvement in the signing.
While this is a specific example involving the White House, we are providing this information because
we believe Grainful has the brand attributes to stand out and be recognized by the government and
other large media outlets.

23. Situational
Analysis
Measurement
& Evaluation
Situational
Analysis

24. 23
al
s
Situational
Analysis
OBJECTIVE 1:
Compile a list of influential paid media opportunities that fall into Grainful’s brand
positioning “sweet spot,” focusing on health/wellness, convenience and adventure in
order to promote the Grainful brand.
SOCIAL MEDIA BLOGGERS
Display Analytics: By monitoring and engaging with the analytics provided by our media you will be
able to determine its reach and grapple with its effectiveness. All platforms will be monitored and
evaluated by tracking various metrics. Specific post or displays can be measured in different ways
including by quantitative metrics for interaction or by qualitative through the comments that were
provided or the conversation that was ultimately built in direct relationship to the media. A report can
be developed showing the monthly statistics and allow for changes to be made periodically.
Social Media Intern: As social media management transfer form the hands of TGW to a Grainful
employee, we suggest hiring a social media intern to manage and oversee every-day social media
efforts. With such a strong communications area of study at Ithaca College, we suggest that
Grainful hires an intern from the school at the beginning of the new school year. This ensures that
the individual will be in town and able to work for at least four months and possibly throughout the
following Spring semester. The intern will create a strategic social media post plan that includes what
time to post on what specific platforms according to research. The intern will also be representing
Grainful as the direct point of contact with influencers and will develop strategic social media
campaigns with influencers that align with their social image and message.
HARO
Due to the active nature of HARO, a current employee will have to take on the additional work of
receiving three emails per day at 5:30AM, 12:35PM and 5:35PM ET, and analyzing the emails for
relevant sources which will take about 30 minutes. If this workload is too heavy, Grainful should
consider delegating this work to the social media intern.
VIDEO COMPETITION CAMPAIGN
The video competition will require employee maintenance on a more frequent basis in the beginning
to ensure that the students understand the goal. By utilizing one of the clubs mentioned above on
IC’s campus, Grainful can communicate with a representative from one of the groups as a direct point
of contact on campus. Once the winner is chosen, the video will leverage a social media campaign
for Grainful and view the success of the campaign by the amount of views on the video. Grainful will
create a survey to distribute to the competitors and get feedback about the overall experience of
working with the brand.

25. Situational
Analysis
Timetable of
Campaign
Situational
Analysis

26. 25
al
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Situational
Analysis
To begin immediately and continue through
January 2018 - December 2018:
Maintain Social Media Presence
Hire Social Media Intern
January:
@amandafitlife Promote Campus Video
Campaign
February:
Campus Video Campaign
March:
Campus Video Campaign
Natural Products Expo West - March 8-10, 2018
April:
Campus Video Campaign
May:
@dad_beets & @travelbite Promote Kids Home
From School
June:
The Fancy Food Show - June 30 - July 2, 2018
August:
@amandafitlife Promote Campus Video
Campaign
September:
Campus Video Campaign
Natural Products Expo East - September 12-15,
2018
October:
Campus Video Campaign
Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo -
October 21-23, 2018
November:
Campus Video Campaign
Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo -
November 17-18, 2018
December:
@sproutedkitchen Promote New Year Resolution
@dad_beets & @travelbite Promote Kids Home
From School

27. 26
Situational
Analysis
TIMETABLE

28. 27
al
s
Situational
Analysis
ESTIMATED FEES
Total: $0-$17,805
Publicity Fees:
Help a Reporter Out (HARO): $0-$19 per month subscription ($0-$228 per year)
Tactic Fees:
Hire Social Media Intern: $10 per hour (5-8 hours per week)
Video Campaign Intern: $10 per hour (5-8 hours per week)
Social Media Management: Hootsuite: $19 per month ($228 per year)
Social Media Post Promotion: $1,200
Top Tier Influencer Post: $200
Middle Tier Influencer Post: $600
Micro Influencer: $1,600
Video Campaign Materials: $1,200
Agency Fees:
Consultant Fees: $165 per hour (40 hours) $6,600
Consulting with CEO Fees: $250 per hour (4 hours) $1,000
Professional Development (Research, Proposal Development) $165 per hour (27 hours) $4,455
Total cost of development, design and delivery of proposal = $12,055

29. 28
Situational
Analysis
ABOUT THE AGENCY
This strategic consulting experience creates a transformational learning environment for the
students enrolled in this senior capstone course (PRLAB ~ Lab17) in the Department of Strategic
Communication at Ithaca College.
The agency simulation of Lab17 allows for situated cognition – or learning in context – a concept
at the forefront of contemporary educational reform. As higher education moves away from strictly
content-laden curricula to curricula that emphasizes experiential learning, it is critical that strategic
communication majors have the requisite knowledge and skills to use simulation as an apprenticeship
that leads directly to securing employment.
Lab17 operations consist of a set of activities that naturally overlay a business setting with a focus on
three elements: business coaching, executive brie ngs and longitudinal assessment. The instructor
assumes the role of a strategic consulting coach while mentoring students through a series of
executive briefings. These briefings enable the instructor to evaluate students according to a rubric
designed after Bloom’s revised hierarchy of learning. As well, an element of learner self-reflection is
core to the success of this simulation.
Lab17 provides a rich learning opportunity for students to integrate theory with practice while making
real-time strategic communication decisions in an environment that embraces failure as much as it
applauds success.

30. 29
al
s
Situational
Analysis
Sage VanAmerongen
Account Manager
Sage VanAmerongen is a Senior Integrated Marketing
Communications Major, Politics Minor from Albany,
New York. From studying in Los Angeles California
to New York, New York, Sage finds herself within the
Media Planning agency as she thrives in a fast-paced
environment. Next semester she will be working with
NBC at the Winter Olympic Games, and is excited
to see what the entertainment industry has to offer.
When Sage isn’t buy on campus with her various
Senior Class based positions, you can find her playing
basketball, skiing or reading a mystery. She would
describe herself as Determined, Honest, Dependable.
#ICmyfuture working for the NFL in the Operations
Department.
ABOUT THE AGENCY
Molly Long
Account Manager
Molly is a senior Integrated Marketing Communications
major at Ithaca College. Throughout the years she has
gained experience in a variety of industries including
activewear, talent booking and athletic administration.
When she is not on the field playing lacrosse, you
can find her enjoying a delicious meal at one of the
amazing restaurants Ithaca, NY has to offer. With no
definite plan post-graduation in the making, Molly plans
on spending a few months as the CEO at Funemployed
and exploring the world.

31. Situational
Analysis
Situational
AnalysisAppendices

32. 31
APPENDIX A
Paid, Owned, Earned Media
al
s
Situational
Analysis

33. Situational
Analysis
32
APPENDIX B
Kashi Online Campaign

34. 33
al
s
Situational
Analysis
APPENDIX C
Amy’s Online Campaign

35. 34
Situational
Analysis
APPENDIX D
Evol Online Campaign

36. 35
APPENDIX E
Clean Eating Demographics
al
s
Situational
Analysis

37. Situational
Analysis
36
APPENDIX F
Map of the Northeast

38. 37
APPENDIX G
DMA Market Share
al
s
Situational
Analysis
APPENDIX H
DMA Primary Audience

39. Situational
Analysis
38
APPENDIX I
Influencer Outreach

40. 39
APPENDIX J
Social Media Use
al
s
Situational
Analysis

41. Situational
Analysis
40
APPENDIX K
The Sprouted Kitchen
Additional Top Tier Influencers: Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver), Kevin (@fitmencook), Natlie Mor-
timer and Holly Erickson (@themodernproper), Sarah Philips (@food), Brad Lau (@ladyironchef),
Ella Woodward (@delicouslyella), Izy Hossack (@izyhossack), Sarah Britton (@mynewroots),
Alex Aldeborgh (@daisybeet)

42. 41
APPENDIX L
The Travel Bite
al
s
Situational
Analysis

43. Situational
Analysis
42
APPENDIX M
The Travel Bite Media Kit

44. 43
APPENDIX N
Dad Beets
al
s
Situational
Analysis
Additional Middle Tier Influencers: Lucia Lee (@foodminimalist), Molly Tavoletti (@mollytavoletti),
Alex Kristofcak (@akristofcak), Lindsay Radcliffe (@lindsaysfeast), Kylie Mitchell (@immaeatthat)

45. Situational
Analysis
44
APPENDIX O
Amanda Fit Life
Additional Bottom Tier Influencers: Loni Jane (@lonijane), Gina (@giifittie), Hana
(@hungrygirl325), Carly Heitlinger (@carly), Monica Church (@monicachurch), Rachel Ritlop (@
rachelritlop)

46. 45
APPENDIX P
Help a Reporter Out
al
s
Situational
Analysis

47. Situational
Analysis
46
APPENDIX Q
General Mill’s Hamburger Helper Campaign

48. A Strategic Public Relations Proposal
for