Tai Pei: Fortunately Different, National Student Advertising Competition 2017
MKTG420_SweetLife
1.
“Dessert is No Longer Exclusive”
Marketing IMC Plan for Sweet Life Patisserie
Spring 2015 MKTG 420B
Shelby Bank
Taryn Fahoury
Kylie Friedlander
Whitney Parkin
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Table of Contents
Part 1: Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………..3
Part 2: Analysis of the Marketing Environment……………………………………………….4
Internal Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………..4
External Analysis………………………………………………………………………………….5
Current IMC Analysis.………………………….…………………………………………………7
Communications Objectives………………………………………………………………………9
Part 3: IMC Plan…………………………………………………………………………………9
STP………………………………………………………………………………………………...9
IMC Toolbox……………………………………………………………………………………..12
Communications Campaign……………………………………………………………………...16
Part 4: Implementation & Measurement of the IMC Plan…………………………………..20
Actions/Tactics…………………………………………………………………………………...20
Financials………………………………………………………………………………………..22
Measurements & Contingency Plans……………………………………………………………23
Part 5: Appendices……………………………………………………………………………...25
Appendix 1: Communication Campaign Costs, Competitor S/W Chart, Positioning Chart…….25
Appendix 2: Facilities Involved………………………………………………………………….28
Appendix 3: Mockups & Examples………………………………………………………………30
Appendix 4: Action Plan…………………………………………………………………………31
Appendix 5: Work Cited………………………………………………………………………….41
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Executive Summary
Sweet Life is a successful bakery in Eugene, Oregon whose high demand keeps them creating
unique and delicious deserts around the clock. They put an emphasis on baking goods that are
both sustainable and created using organic and local ingredients. They offer a wide variety of
products and have tapped into meeting the needs of those with dietary restrictions.
A recent shift in consumer behavior towards healthier eating has created a new and growing
target market of those seeking alternative diet options. To spread awareness of Sweet Life’s
products that meet this specific need, we will implement the Dessert is No Longer Exclusive
campaign.
Current IMC Analysis
Sweet Life has previously targeted all food lovers of Eugene and effectively has benefited from
word-of-mouth marketing. The IMC tools they currently utilize are primarily social media, point-
of-purchase signage/packaging, and their website.
Communication Objectives
• Increase sales by 10% of all alternative diet desserts by the end of 2016.
• Fill all 80 spots of Sweet Life’s two-session sponsored event, Dessert is No Longer
Exclusive, on April 30th, 2016.
Campaign IMC Toolbox
In order to reach the new communication objectives we will hold a sponsored event supported by
the current and new additions to the IMC toolbox:
• New tools:
o Feature story
o Company newsletter
o Flyers
o Coupons
o Sampling
Communication Campaign
Sweet Life will hold a sponsored event featuring an exclusive cooking class meant to further
integrate the brand into the community by creating goodwill. The cooking class is also creating
additional awareness to Sweet Life’s product line catering the trending dietary needs. At the
event 80 consumers will participate in learning and baking vegan and gluten free cupcakes.
Cost of Campaign
The building will cost a total of $300 flat for the entire day, and $288 for event supplies. The
grand total for printing supplies would be $368. Approximate costs of cooking supplies for the
event $350. The costs for the training will be $165. Social media position bonus of $150. The
total costs for the sampling will total $570. Sampling location costs are $70.
Total: $2,261 Registration Fees: $1,330
Final Balance: $931
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Analysis of the Marketing Environment
Internal Environment
Catherine and Cheryl Reinhart started Sweet Life Patisserie in 1993. When they first opened,
they were creating wedding and birthday cakes out of their garage in Eugene, OR. Due to an
increased level of demand and success, Catherine and Cheryl were able to their permanent
storefront on Monroe Street in 1999. The original location’s kitchen capacity was quickly
outgrown, forcing the owners to expand their baking efforts into a custom kitchen in 2004. That
same year the operation continued with an extension and remodel of the cafe. The current
location of Sweet Life is about a five-minute drive from the University of Oregon campus off of
Highway 99 and Monroe Street. It is located around several local breweries and other
restaurants. The sign of the store is easily readable and recognizable when you pull up on
Monroe Street. Their varieties of desserts are made from scratch and each maintains their own
unique flavor that can’t be found anywhere else.
When you enter the store you are greeted by display cases filled with all the delectable
dessert options. Menu items include full cakes or slices, individual portion bars, soufflés, and
pies. Alternative diet options include gluten free, lactose intolerant, and vegan goods. Coffee,
teas, gelatos, and wedding cake products are also offered. On top of all of that, they offer savory
breakfast and lunch pastries. When ordering, you are approached by a barista over the counter.
They will take your order and ask if it is “to go” or “for here”. When the order is placed “for
here” the baristas will take your item and create a personalized product through plate decoration.
If the order is “to go” it is placed within a branded brown dessert box. Sweet Life is also very
reasonably priced and affordable. A single dessert will range from $2-$5 dollars per item, higher
quality cakes and bulk orders are priced anywhere $10-30.
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Sweet Life has several strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their operations. Some
of their strengths are that they have quick service along with appropriate portion sizes. The
restaurant’s ambiance reflects their products originality and creativity. The environment warrants
consumers to sit down, socialize, and indulge in the “Sweet Life”. A wide selection of inventory
allows room to satisfy a diverse and large group of consumers. Having the main kitchen
environment separate from the storefront helps to maintain a clean and efficient operation. Areas
of necessary improvement include overall capacity and logistical issues. Customers can
guarantee long wait times as well as limited seating. Line length blocks entrances and makes
maneuvering around the location extremely difficult. For such a high demand organization, the
lack of parking makes commuting challenging and uninviting. They function similarly to an
assembly line in order to service customers as quickly as possibly. However, this consistently
causes confusion, as the person checking orders out is unsure of which items belong to which
customers. This is emphasized through the lack of labeling orders.
External Environment
Sweet Life participates in the bakery industry. Bakeries across the country all are unique
based on its regional culture. Currently, the culture around food and baked good products is
shifting away from processed foods and refined sugars. In fact, 60% of American consumers
stated that they were trying to decrease their intake of chocolate and sugar. (See Appendix 5-1)
This healthier mindset is rooted in the idea of integrating organic products into your everyday
lifestyle. Recently, organic product sales increased by an astonishing 11%. (See Appendix 5-2)
Consumers are consistently requesting transparency, meaning the food industry is under pressure
to not only label, but also prove where their ingredients are coming from. This focus on
wholesome ingredients has led many consumers to increase their cooking and baking capabilities
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at home. Consumers decision mode in this industry are variety/habit seeking. There is low
involvement in making the decision, and consumers have had a lot of experience in choosing
what desserts they do and do not choose to spend money on.
Social media outlets have increased their sharing capabilities, specifically Facebook and
Pinterest. Consumers are able to access healthier recipes and imitate them at home at lesser cost
with greater control over the ingredients they are utilizing to satisfy their families sweet tooths.
(See Appendix 5-4) These trends are forcing bakeries to recreate the meaning of dessert, as
consumers still desire the bad for you taste, with a better for you ingredient base. (See Appendix
5-3)
The major competitors seen by the owners for Sweet Life are Market of Choice and
Metropol Bakery. Market of Choice has a competitive advantage over Sweet Life in overall
convenience. Since they act as an organic grocery store, consumers frequent it more often, which
gives them an opportunity to expose their products on a more regular basis. They also have an
extensive social media presence. They successfully maintain a Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and
YouTube account. All accounts can be accessed through their modern and well organized
website. The website contains a well-updated individualized bakery section which includes
specific recipes and blog posts. Major weaknesses are that Market of Choice doesn’t solely focus
on baked goods, which means the overall quality might not be as specialized and their variety of
baked goods are minimal. Their communication plan also has to be equally distributed to all their
different product lines, making it more difficult to find out more specific dietary details of their
dessert items.
Metropol Bakery is Sweet Life’s largest competitor. They have similar product lines that
attract the local consumers of Eugene. Their website is layout is decent but is well integrated
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with their social media outlet, Facebook, and recent feature stories they have been involved with.
The website does have a more up-to-date feel and provides more overall content than Sweet
Life’s. However, they promote a YouTube account that cannot be found when clicked on. Their
communication efforts aren’t successfully reaching their target market, which is apparent
through their inability to benefit from word-of-mouth marketing.
Within the Eugene market dessert category, it is also important to consider other
competitors such as Voodoo Doughnuts, Prince Pucklers, frozen yogurt offerings, Toadstool
Cupcakes, and Starbucks. (See Appendix 1)
Current IMC Analysis
History:
When looking at Sweet Life’s current IMC plan we recognized a few key tools. The
communication strategy that stands out the most is the company’s ability to benefit from word-
of-mouth marketing. The two most prominent tools they utilize are point-of-purchase signs and
packaging and the social media platform. However, they do also use online marketing with their
website.
On Facebook, the bakery has a significant following of 24,047 users who have liked their
page. Their content consists of promoting their dessert and drinks of the month, pictures of
specialty cakes, events they have catered, and publicity mentions. They use point-of-purchase
signage to help inform customers of dessert ingredients, dessert of the month, and new product
lines. For all to-go orders they also use stickers on packaging. Their website categorizes their
menu items by type, making product search easy and efficient. They offer tabs for their product
sustainability, as well as a few outdated blog posts. A gluten-free tab also details their dietary
restriction options.
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STP:
Sweet Life’s current market segment is demographically the City of Eugene. They really
embrace the local people and specialize their products to meet their consumer’s needs. Within
the segment, Sweet Life specifically targets family food lovers who enjoy indulging in locally
made products. Their current market position is high quality products with reasonable prices.
They have a competitive advantage because of their unique and specialized products offered.
Sweet Life has a functional benefit positioning based on their product leadership amongst their
competitors.
SWOC:
Strengths: Sweet Life has several IMC strengths. Their point-of-purchase signage
effectively communicates the ingredients within every dessert, allowing consumers with
alternative diet needs to easily select from what they have available. Their employees are
effective in direct selling because of their understanding of every product. This gives them the
ability to suggest particular desserts based on what the consumer is looking for. For being a
small, local bakery, Sweet Life has a solid Facebook following of 24,047 people. They have
created high quality products that customers want to talk about, therefore Sweet Life greatly
benefits from word of mouth marketing.
Weaknesses: Currently they have some strong weaknesses within their IMC plan. They
have no communications or connections with consumers outside of their bakery besides their
outdated website and their one social media platform, Facebook. With no defined marketing
plan, they are losing opportunities to increase their brand awareness and build relationships
within the community outside of in-store interactions.
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Opportunities: Sweet Life has opportunities within their IMC plan. They can begin to
utilize feature stories, increase website content, re-boot their Facebook, create an Instagram,
create a monthly newsletter, increase point-of-purchase signage, and have external direct
marketing efforts.
Challenges: Sweet Life is already a strong brand without the IMC opportunities
mentioned. The challenge is it will be difficult to maintain significant IMC changes because they
currently are successful without them. It will be hard to rationalize the need to add the necessary
the labor time that it takes to integrate IMC changes effectively. It is also challenging when the
competitors in the local market have established and utilized marketing communication efforts.
When this is the case it is important that Sweet Life does not fall behind into the future by
holding back the expansion of their communication efforts.
Communication Objectives
• Increase sales by 10% of all alternative diet desserts by the end of 2016.
• Fill all 80 spots of Sweet Life’s two-session sponsored event, Dessert is No Longer
Exclusive, on April 30th, 2016.
IMC Plan
S-T-P
Segmentation:
We will be segmenting our market by psychographics and lifestyle. The three segments
appropriate for our business are families within the community, college students, and those with
alternative diet restrictions.
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Families within the community: Eugene families are a segment that put an emphasis on
living a healthy lifestyle for them and their children. They value local and organic food and are
typically conscious consumers when choosing products for their families. T he have a deep
understanding of the Eugene community and its local offerings.
College Students: The Eugene community is greatly impacted through the increase in
overall population by the student body at the University of Oregon throughout the school year.
Making them a difficult psychographic to ignore. Their lifestyle is specific. As a segment they
are price sensitive, put an emphasis on convenience, and appreciate good quality products. They
are drawn to social environments that are unique and different.
Alternative Diet Restrictions: These consumers have to be specific in their purchasing
decisions. They are allergy vulnerable or live vegan/vegetarian lifestyles and are constantly faced
with searching for restaurants that cater to their needs. The limitation on the products they are
able to consume causes out-of-house dining to be incredibly difficult. This segment is growing,
with gluten intolerances and vegan lifestyles becoming more prominent in the overall
marketplace.
Target Market:
Our campaign will target those with alternative diet needs and restrictions. This target
market is feasible because Sweet Life’s company objectives are to make dessert consumption as
sustainable and health conscious as possible. Through utilizing a local ingredient base that
emphasizes non-GMO and hormone free products, the core values of the products Sweet Life
develops is inline with the desires of this specific target market. They currently have had an
intense focus on product development in order to expand the variety of their products that are
dairy free, egg free, and gluten free. These company practices, objectives, and internal resources
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to create these products, makes this target market feasible. Beyond feasibility, this target market
is also extremely attractive. Consumer behaviors and attitudes have continuously shifted to
consuming healthier and more local products. This segment is continuing to grow as lifestyle
changes such as becoming gluten free or restricting intake of animal products has proven benefits
for ones health.
These consumers have very specific behaviors. They require an understanding of the
products ingredients because they have had to greatly alter their lifestyles to accommodate their
dietary needs. These lifestyle changes have forced them to primarily cook at home rather than
eating out. This increases their overall loyalty to restaurants that meet their specific needs, as the
products they serve are perfectly suitable to their altered lifestyle. These consumers are unlike
the typical consumer in the baking industry. Instead of acting in variety/habit seeking mode, they
are more like brand loyalists. When theses individuals are able to find a business that meets their
particular needs, they often become repeat customers. Since a healthy lifestyle is a core value for
these consumers, they are often physically active and prefer a busier day-to-day
schedule.
Positioning:
Sweet Life’s current positioning is appropriate for our campaign as well. Sweet Life’s
products are considered high quality and fairly priced compared to competitors (See Appendix
1). On an individual item basis, Sweet Life’s pricing is affordable to consumers and similar if not
cheaper than competitors. Considering the large variety offered and the high quality of both taste
and ingredients used for every item, Sweet Life is on the higher end of product quality compared
to competitors who offer smaller product lines and focus more on bulk orders.
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How Sweet Life differentiates itself from competitors is through their products. Beyond
quality, Sweet Life’s variety of unique and different items gives them a major competitive
advantage over other bakeries in the market. They communicate this difference through product
leadership. Sweet Life’s products for dessert are often in Eugene consumer’s evoked set.
Meaning that when consumers brainstorm which products they are willing to spend money on in
the dessert category, Sweet Life’s product lines fulfill this need naturally.
IMC Toolbox
Sweet Life’s current communication via Facebook, their website (including blog posts),
in-store signage, and packaging is effective, so it is important we continue to maintain these tools
in the same way they have historically used them. However, their IMC plan is lacking in
communication diversity. Through implementing other tools, we have the ability to even further
increase their overall reach and integrate into their target market. We have decided to add content
to their website via blogging, integrate public relations, direct marketing techniques, sales
promotions, and direct sales.
Social Media and Online Marketing:
It is crucial we continue to utilize Sweet Life’s major following on Facebook. Facebook
is a beneficial platform to utilize when reaching our target audience. Since consumers of Sweet
Life aren’t within a restricted age category, Facebook as a platform allows us to reach a wide
variety of ages compared to other platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Facebook also allows
posts to be more descriptive and detailed. This is important when trying to inform consumers on
baking trends, ingredients, and related facts to the industry. It is also a convenient and effective
place to provide updates and information that has the ability to spread through consumers sharing
with their friends. Since consumers have increased their usage of Facebook when recipe sharing
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and talking about food related information it is the most appropriate medium for Sweet Life to
perfect. There website currently has a sufficient and effective layout and design, the thing that
will need to be added is more content in terms of blogging. Their current blog needs to be
updated by posting more frequently and staying up to date with any events, trends, and holidays.
Blog posts are specifically important in showcasing Sweet Life’s product leadership. Through
giving consumers a way to access Sweet Life’s thoughts and ideas on the items they produce, it
increases their transparency as a bakery. In general, blogging has become increasingly popular in
the food industry and Sweet Life must maintain their blogging to remain credible and on trend.
Public Relation Tool (Featured Story, Company Newsletter, and Sponsored Event):
Previously, Sweet Life hasn’t used public relations. Sweet Life could benefit from using
many public relations tools. It is most crucial they begin utilizing featured stories, company
newsletters and sponsored events. As a staple business in the Eugene area, it is important that
their PR usages are centered on community outreach.
Featured Stories: Featured stories would allow them to co-promote with local newspapers and
magazines read by local Eugene residents and families. Specifically, they could utilize featured
stories to announce new product lines that are more in line with the consumers changing
behaviors and attitudes towards dessert consumption. It would also allow them to introduce
monumental changes, such as a possible capacity expansion.
Sponsored Events: Sponsored events are crucial in fostering their relationship with the
community and other local businesses. Whether it is for a local charity or elementary/middle
school events, this partnership between the Eugene community and Sweet Life will effectively
increase their goodwill.
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Company Newsletter: Finally, a customer’s experience in Sweet Life is heavily defined by the
knowledge and suggestions made by the organization’s staff. A regular newsletter will help
employees become aware of inventory changes, new product additions, and upcoming events.
This will help staff to communicate a consistent message to consumers about Sweet Life’s
products and services.
Although we did consider using a press release, Sweet Life has sufficient enough
awareness within Eugene, and instead needs to focus on solidifying their brands relationships
with the community. Getting media outlets involved in spreading the message about the
company in general isn’t as necessary, or beneficial, as the other tools listed. We plan on
integrating these public relations tools into their other marketing tools as well. On their website
there will be a separate tab that includes information on their sponsored events and links to their
featured stories. On the front page there will also be information about current events taking
place to draw them in to want to learn more. We will also boost public relation efforts on their
Facebook page.
Direct Marketing:
Currently, Sweet Life utilizes minimal direct marketing tools. The main form that will
begin to be utilized will be flyers. Flyers will help inform the public on news, products and
events going on with Sweet Life. These will be placed around the community and plastered
around in other local businesses. It is important that we emphasize how the usage of direct
marketing is crucial in reaching Sweet Life’s target market. A large portion of the Eugene
population has dietary restrictions, within all age groups. Specifically, busy families are not as
integrated into social media as younger consumers. Therefore, it is important we are able to
communicate with them in a way that is most effective with their lifestyle. However, we must
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integrate our direct marketing with our other forms of communication. We will include our
location address, phone number, website, and Facebook information on all direct marketing.
Sales Promotions:
Sweet Life has a dessert of the month featured throughout the year. However, the dessert
of the month does not have any added sales promotion. Therefore, there is no incentive for
consumers to try this specific product. We can implement discounts on these promoted products
to persuade consumers to try them. Sweet Life consumers often have specific flavors or products
that they purchase most often. Discounts would entice consumers to stray away from their
“regular” item and try something new. This is an effective way to promote new product lines, or
dietary options, to consumers both in store and within the community. Because Sweet Life’s
products are already priced fairly low, a $1 off coupon or BOGO offer should be extremely
persuasive to consumers on the dessert of the month. We also think it is crucial that Sweet Life
promotes dietary restriction items and new product lines to boost the sales of these specialty
products which can also be done with coupons. Sales promotions will be integrated through
sampling events and at point-of-purchase. Sampling is important to integrate into the IMC plan
provides the opportunity for consumers to try new products and increase their likelihood to
purchasing them. It is also important in eliminating risk for consumers when purchasing new
products.
Point-of-purchase:
Sweet Life historically uses point-of-purchase through packaging and in-store signage.
All of their boxes are packaged with branded stickers. When there is an event going on Sweet
Life we will also add additional stickers and packaging information. It is also important that we
increase in store and point-of-purchase posters. This will allow us to effectively communicate
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with consumers who are already interested in our products and frequent our location. Aside from
being informative it will help increase communication channels between the customer and the
organization. Point-of-purchase helps us to create value for the customer both towards the
product and the brand. Point-of-purchase will also allow Sweet Life to quickly inform consumers
of sales promotions or events they are planning in the future. Since their main form of
communication currently occurs at point-of-purchase it is important to expand its overall usage.
Communications Campaign
“Dessert is No Longer Exclusive”
Our communications campaign for Sweet Life will entail putting together and hosting an
exclusive baking class for members in Eugene who choose to sign up before the limited spots are
filled. During the two hour long session, we will be leading a hands-on and interactive class on
making one of our gluten free or vegan desserts. The event encourages all ages to attend. We will
have two separate classes that are both two hours long. The first class will be held from 10 am to
12 pm. During this session, Sweet Life’s owners will be teaching the participants how to bake
one of our gluten free items. The second session will be from 2 pm to 4 pm. In this session, they
will be teaching participants how to bake a vegan item from our delicious dessert menu. We
strategically planned the classes to be two hours long therefore no one feels rushed, there is extra
time to mingle and ask questions, as well as time for the desserts to bake and be enjoyed. The
two-hour gap between the classes provides time for the staff to clean up, take a break, and
prepare for the next class. Our goal for this sponsored event is to get families and the community
together and to interact with the storeowners and business overall. The two storeowners,
Catherine Reinhart and Cheryl Reinhart, will be present at the event and will participate by
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leading a demonstration at the front of the room. They will also be walking around in order to
assist, answer any questions, and interact with their consumers.
The main idea for this campaign correlates with our new slogan, “Dessert is No Longer
Exclusive”. This event helps to specifically target our new market of those with dietary
restrictions. By implementing this campaign we plan to increase awareness about Sweet Life’s
gluten free, egg free, and dairy free dessert items that we offer. In return, we are focusing on our
consumers needs and demands by providing them with high quality alternative diet options.
The sponsored event will be held at the Stellaria Building in Eugene, Oregon. This
building has a fully equipped kitchen, a small community room and a large community room.
We will have six tables set up with all of the required supplies placed on the tables and ready to
go. These supplies include measuring cups and spoons, bowls, all necessary ingredients and a
mixer. Staff members will be floating around from table to table in order to assist with any
questions and participate in the fun event. After everyone has finished mixing their ingredients,
the staff members will go around collecting the cooking trays and put them in the oven to bake
the final product. The remaining time will be left for members to mingle amongst one another,
ask questions regarding alternative diet ingredients with staff members and the owners, and get
to know Sweet Life in a different environment. At the end, we will be handing out mason jars
that will be filled with the dry ingredients for one single dessert that they just made. In addition,
it will include the baking instructions, a coupon, and a thank you note.
The primary form of communication we as the marketing team for Sweet Life will use
leading up to the event is direct marketing. We have created new flyers and posters for Sweet
Life to use both in-store and also to post inside local businesses in Eugene (See Appendix 3).
The rest of our tools will work to support the sponsored event by bringing attention to our
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involvement on Facebook and website. The featured stories will work in correlation with rest of
the marketing tools to bring awareness, raise interest, and direct consumer’s attention to gluten
free and vegan desserts as well as the sponsored event that Sweet Life is putting together. The
last marketing tool, sales promotion that includes the new BOGO coupon we created for Sweet
Life, will act as an incentive for consumers and also motivate them to try out our dietary specific
desserts.
Social Media and Online Marketing:
The poster created will be digitized and posted in updates on Facebook leading up to the
event. The posts on Facebook will include a link to Sweet Life’s website, and a link directly to
the place to sign up. In the month of February and March we will post information about the
campaign four times a week. In April leading up to the day of the event there will be consistent
posts on Facebook twice a day. This is important in integrating the message and campaign to the
consumers.
On Sweet Life’s website there will be a separate tab dedicated to the campaign providing
all the details and information. The tab will also be included the link where people can go to sign
up. On the front page of the website it will also be important that there is the poster for the
campaign to draw attention and intrigue consumers on the big event coming up. On that front
page, the poster included will have a clear button stating “More Information,” providing another
clear way for consumers to navigate to the campaign tab.
We will also increase the content on the blog by posting alternative diet themed posts
leading up to the event to help connect to those consumers by showing ways to bake and eat to
their dietary needs. On these posts will also be information about the campaign creating
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additional buzz. For the month of February and March there will be one blog post each month.
The month of April there will be two blog posts.
Public Relations:
For public relations we will be using both featured stories and company newsletters to
help with the campaign. The featured story will include the owner’s views on the alternative diet
trend and how they are responding to it. Also, there will be the different dietary options that
Sweet Life offers. Finally there will be information about the campaign event. This will be
released in the Register Guard in February, providing enough time to build up excitement and
establish a strong backbone for the campaign.
The company newsletter is a important tool to use in order to make sure the employees
are well informed on the campaign and can effectively discuss it with consumers at point-of-
purchase.
Sales Promotions:
For sales promotions we will be utilizing coupons related to the campaign. Starting in the
beginning of March we will hand out BOGO 50% coupons for Alternative Diet Desserts in the
store. When a customer purchases one of those related products, they will be handed with their
dessert a coupon and a flyer to the campaign event. At the two sampling events at the Saturday
market, consumers will be given a sample along with a coupon. These coupons will not expire
until the end of the year in order to help increase the sales of alternative diet desserts.
Direct Marketing:
We will create a flyer and poster for Sweet Life. The flyer will advertise the sponsored
event directly and include the new slogan, and when, where and date of the event. The flyers will
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be distributed to local elementary schools a month before the event. This will bring awareness
towards families within the community. The poster is simplistic and to the point; with a giant
pink and white cupcake in the middle followed by the new slogan, “Dessert is No Longer
Exclusive”. On the poster are the date of the event, and two links at the bottom that will assist
consumers in receiving more information and how to register (See Appendix 3). It is important to
note that ethical issues surround marketing to children. It will be important to get school
permission about the flyer and poster content prior to the flyer distribution. However, the take
home folders that local elementary students bring home, are put together for the purpose of
informing parents about community events. The actual marketing effort is therefore not made
towards the children but just distributed through them. Our message also doesn’t promote
unethical behavior that could have misleading messages for youth.
Point-of-Purchase:
We will be utilizing point-to-purchase to further inform consumers who come to the store
about the campaign. When you enter the store consumers will be greeted with the campaign
poster. On all of the boxes and packaging there will also be a sticker informing people about the
campaign. The employees will recognize when an alternative diet dessert is purchased so they
are able to correctly label the boxes and distribute coupons appropriately. If consumers order in
they will receive a flyer along with their dessert if they order the related products.
Implementation of the Campaign & Measurement
Actions/Tactics
The planning process leading up to Sweet Life’s grand event will begin four months
prior. The first month will be focused on meetings regarding all details surrounding the
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campaign. The second month will include writing and distributing a staff newsletter. In this
newsletter they will inform their employees about the campaign and provide them with the
event’s objectives and timeline. Most importantly, we will highlight the reasons why we believe
this campaign is beneficial in order to get their support and get them motivated to make this
event as successful as possible. At the beginning of month three they will release a featured story
to the community in local newspapers such as the Register Guard. Releasing these three months
in advance will help in creating the initial buzz and interest about the event within the
community. Also, the story may get members talking about the event and work in their favor to
spread the word quickly around town. In addition they will post the initial event information on
Facebook, this way when people hear about the event they can look it up online and see all the
information instantly and digitally.
During the third month Sweet Life will focus primarily on distributing their new posters.
The posters will be hung in the actual store at the point-of-purchase. This is a great way to grab
the attention of their loyal customers and get them excited about all the changes and events that
are to come. Next, they will also begin to distribute the BOGO coupons within the store. These
coupons will only be given to customers who are already purchasing one of the dietary specific
dessert items. Next, they will begin to use the new stickers for their product packaging. This acts
as a great form for marketing the brand because customers take the packages all around town
with the brand name, colors, and symbol clear for others to see.
The last and final month is crucial and is the last time Sweet Life can really showcase
their event while grabbing the attention to the consumers. The flyers for the event will be
distributed to elementary schools in the area. Lastly, they put together two sampling dates at the
Saturday market in order to catch a high level of foot traffic. The sampling events are two
22. 22
weekends before the event in order to keep it fresh in everyone’s mind and reintroduce the
message and idea behind the baking event. And finally the event will be hosted at the end of the
fourth month (See Appendix 4).
Financials
Expense Forecast:
The overall costs for this campaign can be broken down into seven broad categories (See
Appendix 1). One of the first costs is renting the space for the building to host the sponsored
event. The building will cost a total of $300 flat for the entire day. Secondly Sweet Life will be
paying to print all the flyers, posters, and coupons. We, the marketing team, contacted a
company in Eugene known as Instaprint, which is relatively inexpensive and very convenient.
This company will be printing the flyers and posters on the glossy and professional paper. For
500 sheets of the flyers there will be two printed on each page. Therefore a total of 1,000 flyers
will cost a total of $175. The coupons will be printed on 200 papers with 5 coupons per sheet
with a total of 1,000 coupons will cost $105. Lastly for 100 posters that are 11x7 dimensions will
cost $88. The grand total for printing supplies would be $368. The marketing team used Target’s
KitchenAid line as a baseline to approximate the costs of cooking supplies for the event,
therefore estimated that $350 will cover these costs. The dry ingredients for the actual event will
cost a total of almost $300, which we will be supplying for all the participants. Since Sweet Life
will be charging a registration fee, this will help to balance out the costs. Sweet Life prices their
items at 40% of the retail price, therefore could calculate that per cupcake will costs them
approximately $1.13. For sampling they will bake 500 cupcakes, 1,000 fourths of a cupcake per
sampling event with a grand total of 2,000 piece of cupcake. The total costs for the sampling will
total $570.
23. 23
For the sampling events a space needs to rent at the Saturday Market in downtown
Eugene. There is a $50 membership to be involved. For each day there is a charge of $10 for an
8X8 booth. Total cost for being at the Saturday Market for two sampling events will be $70.
The last costs are dealing with training the staff as well as providing a bonus for the
social media position. Sweet Life decided on hosting one meeting at the beginning of the year for
the employees to obtain knowledge about the campaign and the dietary specific items on the
menu. This will ensure that all employees will be prepared to answer any questions that may
arise from customers. The costs for the training will be $165 for approximately 15 staff members
to attend the information meeting/training. Lastly, the social media position will be filled
internally therefore we can save costs, but the position will be given an additional $150 bonus as
an incentive. The overall costs for the campaign will be approximately $2,191.
Breakeven Analysis:
By charging a registration fee for the event, prices of $20 for adults and $15 for children,
the total profit they will be making just from registration will total $1,330. Sweet Life is not too
concerned that they won’t break even immediately after the event because after raising
awareness towards their alternative diet dessert items, this will increase their sales during the
months following the event. Also, the coupons that they are distributing don’t expire until the
end of the year therefore consumer’s will be coming in and purchasing these specific dessert
items throughout the rest of the year.
Measurement & Contingency Plans
When creating goals and objectives prior to the campaign, Sweet Life and the marketing
team together made sure that they were realistic, attainable, and easily measurable to ensure that
they can identify whether or not it was successful. For example, by stating that they wanted to
24. 24
fill all 80 spots for the baking class, this helps to see whether or not it gained popularity within
the community. If we failed to fill all of the spots designated for the event, we would collect
feedback from the participants who did attend the sponsored event. They would pass out a survey
that would tell Sweet Life how they heard about the event, whether or not they thought the prices
were too high, and their overall thoughts both positive and negative about the final event.
The second objective was to increase sales for their alternative dietary items by 10% by
the end of year 2016. By monitoring and observing the sales of their gluten free, vegan, and egg
free desserts they can see firsthand whether or not awareness and willingness to purchase these
items has increased. If the sales do not increase as hoped, they would put in more effort to train
staff on selling these items. A goal is have the staff be more interactive with the customers by
asking whether or not they have any dietary restrictions, and if so assist them in making a
decision on a dessert item that suits their needs.
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Appendix 1
Communications Campaign Costs
Categories Costs
Rental space $300
Printing flyers, posters, & coupons $368
Cooking supplies $350
Labor cost: staff training $165
Social media staff member: internal & given a bonus $150
Sampling $570
Saturday Market $70
Ingredients for baking event $288
Total =($2,261)
Registration fees $1,330
Final balance: ($931)
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Competitor Strength/Weakness Chart
Strengths Weaknesses
Yogurt Extreme
• User-friendly company website. Tabs include: how they give back to the
community, menu, hours, etc.
• Active and consistent Facebook profile. Posts include: local events within the
community and upcoming fundraisers. Also new flavors for the week or
specific season.
• Fully utilize direct marketing by posting flyers around campus, and have an
A-frame sidewalk sign that posts their weekly flavors to catch customer’s
attention as they walk by.
• Participate in brand loyalty systems including their punch card program.
• Employees are relatively
unknowledgeable and
very little training is
required.
Starbucks
• They have fully integrated their IMC plan for example they have a free App
that can be downloaded on smartphones. And more recently have announced
“Google pay” where you card information is saved on the App and therefore
allows customers to not have to rely on having their wallets on them. This
makes the customer experience convenient and on the go.
• Consumer loyalty program: My Starbucks Rewards. Includes exclusive offers
and has certain levels for consumers to move up such as working towards
becoming a “Gold Card Member”.
• Their menu and food items are clearly labeled and allow customers to
personalize any drink.
• Their website is filled with lots of useful and helpful information and also
includes links to customer service, nutritional information, and online
community: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
• Employees are knowledgeable and have exceptional customer service skills.
• Community outreach is
lacking due to their
persona of being a large
corporation
Toadstool Cupcakes
• Colorful and inviting company website which has clearly labeled categories.
Also have gluten free specific product line, which appeals to consumers with
dietary restrictions.
• Market that they cater large events such as weddings and birthday parties.
This gives them a competitive advantage and allows them to interact with the
community directly.
• Facebook profile is
inconsistent and lacking
content, which could
bring additional value to
their company.
• As a company overall
they are hard to work
with, have an individual
mindset.
27. 27
Quality
High
Low
Price
Low
High
Positioning
Chart
28. 28
Appendix 2
Facilities Involved
Stellaria Building: Facility being rented out for the sponsored event. Located
Large Community Room: Tables will be set up as the workstations
Small Community Room: Area to interact with people who are attending and hang out after the
baking session is over and waiting for the desserts to bake.
29. 29
Kitchen: Final room where staff will bring the baking mixes to put them in the oven. The
distance between Sweet Life and the Stellaria Building is approximately 0.8 miles away, which
is a convenient 4-minute drive. This makes the sponsored event even more appealing because
there is no commute involved and it does not require a great deal of time commitment besides
the two hours for the actual cooking class.
Sweet Life Patisserie:
Locate on the corner of Monroe Street,
Sweet Life’s logo is simplistic and eye
catching with a giant cake centered below
their name. Their outdoor seating is
perfect for the beautiful spring and
summer months.
30. 30
Their in-store displays of
delicious pastries make it easy
for customer to see the product
directly. Also each item is
labeled clearly and includes
any specific dietary
information. The mood inside
the restaurant is welcoming,
cute, and unique.
Appendix 3
Mockups & Examples
Flyer
Poster
Coupon
31. 31
Appendix 4
Action Plan
Facebook Posts
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Assign a staff member who is knowledgeable about Facebook
3. Work with all employees to set a timeline for scheduled posts and a general
outline of what each post should be
4. Staff member posting on Facebook will draft all Facebook posts for the campaign
and get them approved by head of campaign
5. Staff member will schedule all Facebook posts ahead of time
• Starting in February through end of March, post 4 a week about campaign
• Beginning of April through end of Campaign, post 2 times a day about
campaign
6. Follow up with each Facebook post and interact with followers if need be
• Resources Needed
1. Meeting Room
2. Team member with Facebook Skills
3. Team members with Editing Skills
4. Computer, Tablet or Mobile Device
5. Facebook login information and password
• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 4 months +
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2. 4 months prior at meeting
3. 3.5 months prior write scheduled posts and submit
4. 3.25 months prior all scheduled posts approved
5. 3 months prior starting posting on Facebook (4 times per week)
6. 2 months prior continuing posting on Facebook (4 times per week)
7. 1 month prior continuing posting on Facebook (4 times per week)
8. 4 weeks prior continuing posting on Facebook (2 times per day, every day)
9. 3 weeks prior continuing posting on Facebook (2 times per day, every day)
10. 2 weeks prior continuing posting on Facebook (2 times per day, every day)
11. 1 week prior continuing posting on Facebook (2 times per day, every day)
12. Day 7 to Day 1, continuing posting on Facebook (2 times per day, every day)
13. MILESTONE: Post engagement of 3,000 followers for each post, average of 20
likes
• Financials
1. Team member billable hours
2. Internet costs
Blogs
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Assign a staff member who is knowledge about successful blog posting
3. Work with all employees to set a timeline for scheduled posts and a general
outline of what each post should be related to
33. 33
4. Staff member posting on Blog will draft all Blog posts relating to the campaign
and get them approved by head of campaign
5. Staff member posting on Blog will sign onto website and release blog post during
the morning of the scheduled posting day (Monday)
6. Staff member will check periodically on blog post and interact if need be
• Resources Needed
1. Meeting Room
2. Team member with Blog Skills
3. Team members with Editing Skills
4. Computer, Tablet or Mobile Device
5. Blog login information and password
• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 4 months +
2. 4 months prior at meeting
3. 3.75 months prior write scheduled posts and submit
4. 3.25 months prior all scheduled posts approved
5. 3 months prior starting posting on Blog (1 time per month)
6. 2 months prior post on Blog (1 time per month)
7. 1 month prior post on Blog (1 time per month)
8. 4 weeks prior post on Blog (1 time per that week)
9. 2 weeks prior post on Blog (1 time per that week)
10. 1 day prior post on Blog (1 time that day)
11. MILESTONE: Reach 300 views per blog post
34. 34
• Financials
1. Team member billable hours
2. Internet costs
Flyers
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Assign a creative team member to design flyers, in store signage, and coupon
3. Work with all employees to gather ideas and information that should be on flyer
4. Team member designs flyer, in store signage and coupon
5. Submit design of flyer, in store signage and coupon for approval by head of
campaign
6. Approval of design
7. Send flyer to schools for approval
8. Approval from schools
9. Send flyer, in store signage and coupon to printer
10. Receive fulfilled order
11. Put up in store signage
12. Pass out coupons when alternative diet desserts are ordered
13. Distribute flyers to schools
14. Pass out coupons at Saturday Market
15. Pass out coupons day of event to the people who attended
• Resources Needed
1. Meeting Room
35. 35
2. Computer with creative features such as Adobe Photoshop
3. Printing company
4. Designer
5. Editor
6. Distributor
7. Employees
• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 3 months +
2. 3 months prior at meeting
3. 2.9 months prior gather ideas
4. 2.75 months prior create designs
5. 2.7 months prior approve design
6. 2.6 months prior send design to school for approval
7. 2.5 months prior if approved, send to printer
8. 2.2 months prior receive order
9. 2 months put up in store signage, begin passing out coupons,
10. 1 month continuing passing out coupons, distribute flyers to school
11. 3 weeks prior to event, pass out coupons at sampling event
12. 1 week prior to event, pass out coupons at sampling event
13. Day of event, pass out coupons at event
• Financials
1. Internet Costs
2. Adobe Photoshop
36. 36
3. Team member billable hours
4. Printing services
Sampling of Alternative Diet Desserts
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Determine employees who will be serving at the sampling events
3. Determine the dessert(s) that will be sampled
4. Create a list of products needed for the sampling events
5. Buy products needed to make sampling desserts along with the accessories that
are involved in the sampling process
6. Make the sampled products
7. Cut the sampled products into mini servings
8. Designated employees set up the sampled event
9. Designated employees serve the sampled products at the various events
10. Designated employees take down the sampled event
• Resources Needed
1. Meeting room
2. Baker
3. Kitchen
4. Baking Supplies
5. Employee
6. Table
7. Serving Supplies
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• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 2 months +
2. 2 months prior at meeting
3. 1.5 months prior buy all materials needed for sampling
4. 3 weeks prior hold sampling event at Saturday Market
5. 1 week prior hold sampling event at Saturday Market
• Financials
1. Team member billable hours
2. Sampling supplies
3. Baking supplies
4. Space at Saturday Market
5. Renting of table
Event
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Make and write down objectives for the campaign
3. Rent out the space for the event
4. Write down the costs that are due in a contract
5. Rent tables, chairs, and other cooking supplies necessary for the event
6. Collect and store the baking supplies such as bowls and mixers to have them
ready for the day of the event
7. Schedule staff and owners that will be working the event
8. Keep staff informed of the goals for the event
38. 38
9. Have transportation ready to bring the supplies over to Stellaria building the
morning of the event
10. Make sure everyone is on time and prepared on the day of the event
11. Have a cleaning crew that will assist in picking up the entire event at the end of
the day
• Resources Needed
1. Computer/laptop
2. Company phone
3. Transportation
• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 4 months +
2. 4 months prior at meeting
3. 3 months prior ensuring availability of space
4. 2 months prior renting of equipment, storage and scheduling
5. 1 month prior informing employees
6. 2-3 days prior remind employees
7. Day of the event employee involvement and clean up
• Financials
1. Payments due from contracts for rental space, tables, and chairs
2. Baking supplies: bowls, measuring cups, and mixers
3. Dry ingredients for the desserts
4. Hourly pay for staff working the event
39. 39
Newsletter
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Assign an employee to write the newsletter
3. Submit newsletter to head of campaign for approval
4. Edit the newsletter before publishing internally within the company
5. Make desired corrections if needed
6. Distribute the newsletter via hard copy and email
7. Follow up to clarify any questions
• Resources Needed
1. Meeting room for the team constructing the newsletter
2. Laptops to write the newsletter
• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 1 month before the launch of the campaign
2. 1 month before distributing the newsletter
3. 2 weeks before publishing final version
4. Specific date for releasing newsletter 4 months before event
• Financials
1. Hourly pay for team constructing newsletter
Feature Story
• Step-by-Step Tasks
1. Mandatory employee meeting regarding the campaign
2. Decide on a main idea
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3. Design a team to construct the story
4. Reach out to local newspaper businesses to publish the story
5. Construct a rough draft
6. Edit and finalize the featured story
7. Submit the final version to the newspaper outlets in Eugene
• Resources Needed
1. Meeting room
2. Technology to contact the newspaper companies
3. Laptops to construct the written featured story
• Time Frame/Milestones
1. 1 month prior to publishing
2. 1 month before beginning writing process
3. 2 months before story is introduced
4. 1 month before finalized version
5. 1 month during brainstorming and outlining
6. 2 weeks before the final date to present to newspaper businesses
7. Day that is due to publish in local newspapers
• Financials
1. Hourly pay for staff writing the featured story
2. Specified amount in contract to newspapers for publishing feature story
