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Page 1: Village Surf Shoppe Case Study

Village Surf Shoppe A  Case  Study   Written  by  Jodeci  Richards  

Created  for  Dr.  Brian  Parker’s  Media  Planning  class  at  The  Florida  State  University,  Spring  2013.  

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Village Surf Shoppe A  Case  Study   Written  by  Jodeci  Richards  

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Contents  Situation  Analysis                    3    Media  Objectives  and  Strategies              6     Target  Audience  and  Media  Mix            7     Reach  &  Frequency                8     Scheduling  &  Timing                9     Media  Budget                    10     Geography                    11     Sales  Promotion                  12    Appendix                      13  

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The Situation Analysis

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Situation  Analysis  

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Marketing  Objectives                    Village  Surf  Shoppe,  established  in  1969,  sells  surfing  accessories  including  surfboards,  beachwear,  and  related  products.  Also  offers  surfing  camps,  rentals,  and  lessons.  It’s  located  in  Garden  City,  South  Carolina  (within  the  Myrtle  Beach  retail  trade  area).  Because  it’s  been  around  for  44  years,  it  is  an  established  name,  however,  Village  Surf  Shoppe  is  looking  to  increase  sales  by  20%  using  a  budget  of  $200,000.  To  properly  allot  this  budget,  it’s  necessary  to  understand  that  the  shop’s  peak  selling  period  is  April  through  September  and  that  sales  decline  considerably  during  the  winter  months  (as  surfing  is  a  seasonal  sport).  Some  marketing  techniques  that  have  been  used  in  the  past  include:  

• Word-­‐of-­‐mouth  • Guerilla  marketing  • Personal  selling  • Village  Surf  Shoppe  stickers  and  t-­‐shits  used  for  product  awareness  

 

Competition                      There  are  competitors  on  both  the  local  and  national  level  for  Village  Surf  Shoppe,  which  are  all  located  in  the  South  and  North  Carolina  areas.  Because  the  Village  Surf  Shoppe  is  similar  to  their  competitors  (it’s  locally  owned  and  offers  lessons,  rentals,  clothing,  and  accessories),  which  is  why  they’re  looking  to  expand  into  the  inland  market.  They’re  also  using  similar  tactics,  such  as  Internet  and  social  media  outlets  (Facebook,  Twitter,  Google+,  and  Foursquare).  Its  competitor’s  are:  

• Waller  Bear’s  (local)  • Surf  City  and  Eternal  Wave  (local)  • Ron  Jon  Surf  Shop  (national)  

 

Creative  History                      Village  Surf  Shoppe  rarely  uses  traditional  adverting  methods  and  their  publicity  is  also  limited  to  local  news  outlets  and  national  surf  magazines  has  used  guerilla  marketing  as  their  primary  marketing  vehicle.  To  promote  product  awareness,  they  pass  out  stickers—which  are  often  placed  on  car  bumpers,  skateboards,  schoolbooks,  etc.—and  t-­‐shirts.  The  shop  also  hosts  events,  like  sponsoring  surf  competitions.    

Target  Audience                      Village  Surf  Shoppe’s  main  target  audience  is  men  and  women  ages  18-­‐24  who  lead  active,  adventurous  lifestyles.  These  men  and  women  are  also  avid  serious  surfers  and  hardcore  wave  riders.  They  are  heavy  consumers  of  recorded  music  and  they  spend  considerable  amounts  of  time  on  the  web.  They  have  an  income  of  less  than  $28,000.  Those  who  frequent  the  shop  like  to  hang  out  there,  catch  some  waves,  tell  stories,  and  check  out  new  surfboards.      Tourists  and  a  growing  inland  market  also  comprise  Village’s  target  audience.  The  inland  market  is  will  to  drive  1-­‐3  hours  to  the  ocean  on  a  regular  basis.  Popular  culture’s  coverage  of  surfing  has  likely  aided  the  growing  market  with  TV  programs  like  North  Shore  and  

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Situation  Analysis  

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Summerland  and  Surf  Girls.  These  programs  have  also  attracted  more  females  to  the  sport  and  more  awareness  in  general.    

Geography                        The  shop  is  regional—it’s  located  in  Garden  City,  which  is  within  the  Myrtle  Beach  retail  trade  area.  Village  Surf  Shoppe  is  a  leading  player  in  the  surfing  business  near  South  Carolina’s  Grand  Strand.  While  local  new  outlets  and  national  surf  magazines  have  occasionally  generated  publicity,  guerilla  marketing  holds  potential  in  spot  markets  around  the  South  Carolina  area.    The  inland  market  has  much  potential.  Places  included  in  this  market  are:  

• Columbia,  South  Carolina  • Charleston,  South  Carolina  • Charlotte,  North  Carolina  

 

Timing                        The  Village  Surf  Shoppe  is  open  from  10AM-­‐6PM.  This  aligns  with  the  fact  that  the  average  surfer  surfs  early  in  the  morning  for  2.5  hours.1  Its  peak  selling  period  is  April  through  September;  sales  decline  considerably  during  the  winter  months.  The  peak  time  for  surfing  occurs  in  mid-­‐summer  through  the  fall,  which  is  also  when  there’s  good  “surf  from  hurricanes  and  from  nor'easter  weather  systems.”2  Because  of  this,  the  campaign  should  launch  before  April  to  generate  awareness  for  Village  Surf  Shoppe.  Launching  before  April  will  potentially  drive  consumers  to  the  store  by  peak  selling  time.    Even  though  it’s  not  during  peak  selling  time,  a  holiday  like  Christmas  can  potentially  influence  product  consumption.    

Media  Mix                        Village  Surf  Shoppe  uses  guerilla  marketing  as  its  chief  vehicle,  but  also  it  also  uses  the  Internet  as  a  vehicle.  This  is  a  good  tactic  as  the  target  audience  “spend[s]  considerable  time  on  the  Web”  and  because  “many  surfers  get  information  about  surfing  product  and  weather  conditions  on  the  Internet  and  regularly  network  with  other  surfers  via  e-­‐mail,  blogs,  and  chat  rooms.”3  The  shop  also  has  a  Facebook  page,  which,  in  a  way,  serves  as  its  central  hub.  Based  on  the  existing  tactics  (and  because  the  surf  shop  is  local),  marketing  with  local  advantages  will  work  best  and  the  following  are  the  best  media  methods  to  implement:  

• Internet  • Guerilla  • Event  marketing    • Radio  

• Local  TV  spots  • Local  Magazines  • Billboards

 These  methods  will  work  for  a  high  involvement  product  like  surfboards  with  a  simple  message.  Implementing  more  Internet  strategies  will  help  to  increase  Internet  traffic  and,  in  turn,  increase  store  traffic  and  sales.

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Media Objectives and Strategies

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Target  Audience  &  Media  Mix  Objective            Village  Surf  Shoppe’s  growing  audience  consists  of  men  and  women  ages  18-­‐24,  who  are  serious,  active,  and  adventurous  people  and  surfers.  This  audience  also  “spend(s)  considerable  time  on  the  Web,”  which  aligns  with  the  fact  that    “many  surfers  get  information  about  surfing  product  and  weather  conditions  on  the  internet  and  regularly  network  with  other  surfers  via  e-­‐mail,  blogs,  and  chat  rooms.”3  Based  on  these  factors,  the  target  audience  and  media  mix  objectives  for  this  campaign  are  to:    Increase  sales  by  20%,  store  traffic  by  30%,  and  awareness  by  40%,  among  South  Carolinian18-­‐24-­‐year-­‐old  surfers  by  reaching  the  market  via  Internet  and  mobile  web  marketing  strategies  and  stronger  event  sponsorships.      

Target  Audience  &  Media  Mix  Strategy            With  94%  of  18-­‐29-­‐year-­‐olds  using  the  Internet4,  56%  of  all  adults  using  their  cell  phones  to  access  the  Internet5,  and  50%  using  their  cell  phones  to  send  or  receive  email5,  we  felt  that  we  needed  a  strong  Internet  presence.  We  will  re-­‐launch  our  website  March  10,  2013.  The  website  will  include:    

• Our  mission,  company  history,  and  location  • A  custom  surfboard  application  that  allows  users  to  create  and  order  their  custom  

surfboard  under  our  board  brand,  Perfection  Boards  • Options  for  browsing  and  ordering  non-­‐custom  boards  and  other  merchandise  • Registration  and  sign-­‐up  for  surf  lessons  and  events  

 When  we  re-­‐launch  the  site,  we’ll  announce  our  “Create-­‐A-­‐Board”  contest,  in  which  participants  will  go  onto  our  website,  use  our  custom  board  application,  and  submit  their  board  design  (that  must  include  our  name,  “Village  Surf  Shoppe”).  We  will  then  pick  our  favorite  and  produce  two  designed  boards—one  to  hang  over  our  entrance  and  another  to  give  the  winner.  The  contest  will  end  May  10th.  The  site  will  be  coupled  with  a  mobile  site  with  basic  tabs  for  board  customization,  shopping,  and  registration  and  sign-­‐up.    We’ll  be  hosting  two  events,  on  June  25th  and  27th,  respectively.    

• The  Amateur  Surf  Competition—June  25th  at  the  Village  Surf  Shoppe  o Competitors  will  sign-­‐up  and  ride  a  mechanical  surfboard—whoever  stays  on  

longest  will  win  surf  lessons.  The  competition  will  also  be  opened  to  avid  surfers  who  will  be  placed  in  a  different  category  and  receive  different  prizes.  

• The  Village  Surf  Competition—June  27th  o Winners  will  receive  $250  in  gift  cards  for  merchandise  from  Village  Surf  

Shoppe.  The  competition  will  be  open  to  all  skill  levels.    

Competitions  will  be  publicized  using  local  radio  ads,  our  Facebook  page,  and  our  website.

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Reach  &  Frequency  Objective                Our  goal  is  to  achieve  60%  reach  during  the  re-­‐launch  month  (March)  using  our  Internet  plans  with  an  average  site  frequency  of  3.  Reach  will  range  from  about  55%-­‐80%  during  the  course  of  the  entire  Web  campaign  (March  10th-­‐May  10th).  The  goal  for  the  surf  competitions  is  to  get  15%  of  the  area’s  18-­‐24-­‐year-­‐olds  involved  in  the  amateur  competition  (both  amateur  and  experienced)  and  25%  of  the  area’s  18-­‐24-­‐year-­‐old  experienced  surfers  to  participate  in  the  surf  competition.    

Reach  &  Frequency  Strategy                Over  the  course  of  the  entire  campaign—from  the  site  launch  to  the  last  competition—the  most  site  traffic  will  occur  from  March  to  May  and  in  June.  We’ll  use  our  existing  social  media  platforms—mainly  Facebook—to  drive  traffic  more  towards  the  site.  Come  mid-­‐May,  we’ll  publicize  our  surf  competitions  (and,  in  turn,  our  website)  using  local  radio  spots,  our  website,  and  Facebook.

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Scheduling  &  Timing  Objective                The  website  re-­‐launch  will  begin  March  10,  2013.  The  Create-­‐A-­‐Board  contest  will  run  from  March  10th  to  May  10th—the  winner  will  be  announced  on  May  15th.  Local  radio  spots  for  the  competitions  will  begin  on  April  20th.  The  amateur  competition  will  occur  on  June  25th  from  11AM  to  6PM.  The  experienced  competition  will  happen  on  June  27th  from  10AM  to  6PM.    

Scheduling  &  Timing  Strategy                The  Create-­‐A-­‐Board  contest  will  continue  to  run  until  May  to  maintain  website  awareness.  Local  radio  spots  will  sustain  this  continuance  by  driving  those  interested  in  the  surf  competitions  to  the  website.  Radio  ads  will  run  in  the  late  afternoon—4PM—to  11PM,  around  the  time  people  get  off  of  work  and  are  engaging  in  other  activities  for  which  they  might  use  radio  as  “background  noise”.  The  reach  will  dip  in  late  March  and  early  may,  but  by  sustaining  continued  interest,  we  should  still  have  an  adequate  reach.  

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Media  Budget  Objective                  Our  $200,000  budget  will  be  spent  in  the  inland  markets,  Columbia,  SC,  Charleston,  SC,  and  Charlotte,  NC.  It  will  also  be  spent  in  within  the  Myrtle  Beach  retail  trade  area.    

Media  Budget  Strategy                  We’re  allocating  our  budget  based  on:  

• Inland  markets  • Local  markets  (the  Myrtle  Beach  retail  trade  area)  • Total  18-­‐24-­‐year-­‐olds  in  each  market  

 The  $200,000  will  be  allocated  as  follows:  

• $50,000  in  web  design  fees  and  domain  fees  • $50,000  in  costs  related  to  competitions  (food,  drinks,  promotional  materials,  

announcers,  prizes,  DJs,  and  first  responders)  • $100,000  in  radio  

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Geography  Objective                    The  main  inland  markets  target  Columbia,  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  for  the  competition  radio  spots  as  well  as  the  Myrtle  Beach  retail  trade  area.    

Geography  Strategy                    Based  on  Census  data  and  findings  provided  by  Media  Flight  Plan,  we  picked  the  following  markets  based  on  proximity,  emerging  inland  markets,  and  population:  

• Columbia,  South  Carolina  • Charleston,  South  Carolina  • Myrtle  Beach,  South  Carolina  and  surrounding  area  • Charlotte,  North  Carolina    

 

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Sales  Promotion  Objective                  Our  ultimate  goal  is  to  increase  store  traffic  and  awareness  among  South  Carolina’s  18-­‐24-­‐year-­‐olds  by  30%  and  40%  respectively  using  the  Internet  and  radio.  Our  Internet  promotion  goal:  reach  8,000  likes  on  Facebook  by  driving  our  audience  to  our  website  and  vice  versa.      

Sales  Promotion  Strategy                  The  main  vehicle  for  promotion  is  the  website  and  Create-­‐A-­‐Board  contest  that  should  generate  interest  in  Village  Surf  Shoppe.  To  achieve  this  goal,  we  must  reach  at  least  50%  of  our  current  Facebook  following  to  begin  to  produce  awareness.  To  do  this,  we’ll  promote  our  Create-­‐A-­‐Board  contest  and  invite  people  to  create  custom  boards  using  the  site.  We’ll  also  generally  let  them  know  of  the  new  site  through  status  updates.    To  increase  foot  traffic  in  the  store,  our  main  awareness  generators  will  be  the  surf  competitions.  The  amateur  competition  will  serve  as  a  vehicle  to  generate  web  traffic—as  entrants  must  sign  up  and  register  via  our  site—but  because  the  competition  is  held  at  the  shop,  it  will  drum  up  foot  traffic.  The  experienced  competition  will  be  held  on  the  nearest  beach,  however,  we’ll  be  selling  our  merchandise  during  the  competition  and  the  prizes  are  only  redeemable  at  Village  Surf  Shoppe.  We’ll  include  other  opportunities  for  audience  members  not  participating  in  the  competition  to  win  redeemable  prizes  as  well.

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Appendix  

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 1.  Wagner,  G.  S.,  Chad  Nelsen,  and  Matt  Walker.  A  Socioeconomic  and  Recreational  

Profile  of  Surfers  in  the  United  States.  Rep.  Surf-­‐First  and  the  Surfrider  Foundation,  2011.  Web.  Mar.  2013.  <http://www.surfrider.org/images/uploads/  publications/surfrider_report_v13(1).pdf>.  

 2.  "South  Carolina."  Surfline.com.  Surfline/Wavetrak,  Inc.,  2012.  Web.  Mar.  2013.  

<http://www.surfline.com/travel/index.cfm?id=2152>)    3.  Martin,  Dennis  G.,  and  Robert  D.  Coons.  Media  Flight  Plan  6:  A  Strategic  Approach    

to  Media  Planning  Theory  and  Practice.  Provo,  UT:  Deer  Creek  Pub.,  2011.  Print.    4.  Brenner,  Joanna.  "Pew  Research  Center's  Internet  &  American  Life  Project."  Pew    

Internet:  Mobile.  PEW  INTERNET  &  AMERICAN  LIFE  PROJECT,  31  Jan.  2013.  Web.  Mar.  2013.  <http://pewinternet.org/Commentary/2012/February/Pew-­‐Internet-­‐Mobile.aspx>.  

 5.  Duggan,  Maeve,  and  Lee  Rainie.  "Cell  Phone  Activities  2012."  Cell  Phone  Activities.    

PEW  INTERNET  &  AMERICAN  LIFE  PROJECT,  25  Nov.  2012.  Web.  Mar.  2013.  <http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Cell-­‐Activities/Main-­‐Findings.aspx>  


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