Ashlyn GhazzaouiLouise Lehmuller

Loren PhillipsGloria Patterson

Executive Summary

The following plan provides a detailed strategy for the path to digitally rebrand Salad Creations. It will outline a strategy for how to establish a pres-ence in Harrisonburg as a more than merely a restaurant, but rather an experi-ence than embodies the 540 community. The plan will complement the current product offering, expand on ways to differentiate from the competition, and establish a holistic approach to solving Salad Creation’s strategic business problems.

A brand represents a promise made to the customer. It’s everything the customer knows, thinks, feels, and believes about an organization and its prod-uct offering. One of the most important strategic changes made to Salad Cre-ations is its name change to (540) Bistro. While the brand name of (540) Bistro is a visually objective, the core brand will exists in the individual’s heart and mind.

In the minds of consumers, (540) Bistro will be rebranded to represent a healthy, locally sourced meal enjoyed in a socially inviting setting. The product offering will include already existing menu items with a line extension of sea-sonal items. The revised brand will place a dedicated focus on creating a pres-ence in the community both online and offline. Major themes involved in acti-vation of the plan include creating an online community through social media platforms, the Bistro 540 website, blog, email marketing, and mobile marketing.

Table of contents

1. Introduction 2. Mission Statement3. Rebrand4.Reference Market5. Internal & External Analysis6. Solution Life Cycle7. Diagnosis & Development8. Brand Identity9. Segmentation10. Positioning11. Positioning Proposal12. Brand Building13. Brand Portfolio Strategy14. Activation15. Appendix

1123

4-67

8-1011-1213-14

15161718

19-2829

introduction

mission statementOne of the most important aspects of creating a marketing plan for any company is creating a mission statement. A mission statement lays the foundation for the brand that we are developing.

The goal of a mission statement is to explain to the consumer, in ways they can understand and relate to, the solution a brand offers. A good mission statement will communicate the brand to both (540) Bistro’s customers and employees. It should create consistency throughout the brand with what solution (540) Bistro provides. Based on research and experience with the (540) Bistro brand, a revised mission statement has been created for (540) Bistro that embodies the solution it provides:

“(540) Bistro strives to connect the community through serving locally sourced food that aligns with the customer’s values and embodies the spirit of Harrisonburg through both what it being served and the dining experience.”

We recommend rebranding Salad Creations as (540) Bistro, because this encom-passes the area code of Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley. As you’ll see throughout the remainder of this strategic digital marketing plan.

The rebranding aligns with our overall objective of creating a healthy, locally sourced, dining experience that embraces the Harrisonburg community. Once we have the rebranding in place, we will offer recommendations to activate the brand in the digital environment, which will allow consumers to experience the brand no matter where they are.

1

rebrand

(540) Bistro is your brand and your brand is your promise to the customer.

(540) Bistro tells your customer what to expect from your service and differentiates you from your competitors. Rebranding involves creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. The first thing people will remember about your brand is the name and the logo asso-ciated with it. Below is a mockup of the suggested new logos.

Reasons for the logo:

1. Visually the 540 part of the logo plays on the use of the Harrisonburg area code and contrasts against the rest of the logo with the pop of color. Green is a calming col-or that is pleasing to the senses and conveys growth, health, and renewal. In design, circles convey freshness and harmony and because they are less common in design they work well to attract attention, provide emphasis, and set things apart.2. The fork below the logo was chosen to speak to (540) Bistro’s dedication to the use of locally source ingredients or the “farm to fork” idea. The fork includes (540) Bistro’s tagline “Taste the ‘Burg.” (540) Bistro’s logo reflect the brand and align with the mis-sion statement.

2

reference marketBy defining (540) Bistro’s reference market we are able to suggest the segments of the total market that would be most profitable to market to based on the solution (540) Bistro is offering.

The most important aspect of defining a reference market is thinking in terms of the solu-tions (540) Bistro provides to its customers. Defining a reference market includes under-standing what functions and needs the solution is satisfying, who is being satisfied, and how the need is satisfied through competing technologies. Please refer to the chart below for (540) Bistro Abel Axis Reference Market.

3

internal & External analysisA thorough internal and external analysis is used to strategically develop and build a brand. The purpose of this full analysis is needed to understand Salad Creation’s current situation in its environment, and it can help to foresee any obstacles it could potentially face in the future. This strategic brand analysis is helpful for understand-ing the consumer, the competition, and the brand itself. The internal and external analysis model is broken down into six parts:

1. Intra-Organizational Environment: How is Salad Creations currently structured?

2. Task Environment: How does Salad Creations carry out business?

Several products and people make up the intra-organizational environment of Salad Cre-ations. David Engel, founder and owner of Salad Creations in Harrisonburg, makes all executive decisions related to finance, marketing, operations, etc. He will more often than not personally serve customers as well. The market attractiveness and competitive position are used for further internal analysis to evaluate the product and service portfolio of Salad Creations. To describe the market attrac-tiveness in relation to the BCG matrix, Salad Creations’ offering sits as a cash cow, meaning it provides a steady income or profit. The growth rate of the reference market is relatively stable, and represents a large market share within a mature industry.

The task environment represents all of the channels involved in carrying out the business, such as the product and service suppliers, and the marketing channels. Salad Creations has a clear and easily understandable task environment. The task environment is an imperative part of an organization because it affects the ability for a company to reach its business goals. The restaurant obtains the fresh produce, such as avocados, jalapenos, tomatoes, etc. from local sources. The main chef creates the salad dressings, soups, and other dishes in preparation. The bread is supplied by a local bakery called The Baker’s Dozen two or three times a week. Salad Creations’ relies on low cost marketing, focusing on advertising in The Breeze and other promotions offering coupons at local events. Other marketing channels include its website, social media accounts, and food delivery sites such as GrubHub and Campus Special. The employees take the order in store or on the phone, and prepare and deliver the final product for the end con-sumer.

4

internal & External analysis3. Markets: What potential market is available?

4. Competition: Who is Salad Creations competing against?

The markets can be zoned in different ways: potential market, available market, target market, and penetrated market. The markets get narrower as it moves down the line.

The potential market is anyone who has some level of interest in the product or service offering. Salad Creations’ potential market is the total population of the United States. The available market are capable and willing buyers with access to the product or service, and it is the total population of Shenandoah Valley area. The target market is a particular group of consumers a company directs its efforts. In this case, it consists of local and temporary residents who have a commitment to the commu nity, and place a value on being perceived as healthy. The penetrated market represent people who have Salad Creations’ in their consideration set. This could be active customers and interested customers, who hold a positive per ception of the brand. Currently, Salad Creations is visited by students daily while local and more permanent residents consistently come through the restaurant.

Brand competition refers to other brands that can satisfy the same desire in a similar way and with the same type of product. Salad Creations’ main brand competitors are Panera Bread, Subway, Chipotle, Little Grill Collective, A Bowl of Good, and Greenberry’s.The main competitor is Subway, which is located directly adjacent to Salad Creations. Subway of-fers similar solutions of convenience and healthy quick service foods for locals and visitors. Salad Creations’ relative market share is much lower in relation to Subway. There are several reasons for this difference. The biggest reason being that Subway is universally known, reflecting their strong brand recognition and awareness by consumers.

Product form competition refers to other product/service forms that can satisfy the buyer’s particular desire. Examples of product form competitors are raw juices and wraps.Generic competition are other basic ways in which the buyer can satisfy a particular desire. Generic competitors would be salad bars and sandwich shops in the area.Desire competition are other immediate technologies the consumer might want to use to satis-fy his/her need. Desire competitors are tanning salons, health spas, saunas, exercises classes (Bikram yoga, UREC), and frozen yogurt shops.

internal & External analysis

5

internal & External analysis

5. Publics: Who Does Salad Creations Impact?

6. Macro-Environment: How is the Salad Creations Impacted by the Outside World?

Salad Creations is known throughout the community by both temporary students and permanent residents. The restaurant posts advertisements and coupons in JMU’s news publication, The Breeze. Also in the JMU realm, the restaurant partners with organizations to host proceeds nights. Salad Creations has established its presence in the community through food donations. The owner tries to work closely with local organizations, particularly the Chamber of Commerce and nearby public schools.

internal & External analysis

Defining the macro-environment is the external analysis of Salad Creations’ industry. According to IBIS World’s industry report, Salad Creations falls into the “bakery cafe” industry. This external analysis is further broken down into demographic, economic, natural, technological, political-legal, and socio-cultural, to get a better look at how outside factors can affect this industry. New systems have been designed to ensure quality service and customer wait times, which has been achieved by improvements in floor layout, ordering systems (in-store and eCommerce), etc. According to IBIS World, the healthy eating index is expected to decrease slowly due to poor consumer diets. However, consumers’ awareness on issues relating to obesity and food intake are increasing, reflecting their efforts to avoid fatty-foods. To match this trend, (540) Bistro can optimize on this opportunity through rebranding itself to be attractive to consumers who are aware of this issue.

6

SOLUTION LIFE CYCLE

One of the most important aspects to consider when analyzing (540) Bistro is where the solution we offer lies in the solution life cycle as compared to it’s market. The SLC gives marketers a way to chart the progression of a solution within an industry from the introduction to the residuality, or the final stages of an solutions’s life. What the SLC does is allow a marketer to understand the economic and competitive climate facing their solution and business based on what stage of growth the market is in. Also, by understanding which stage of growth a solution is in can help a marketer create marketing strategies and objectives for their company. Based on the solution (540) Bistro is offering we researched trends in restaurants and more specifically the recent emphasis consumers are putting on “local” and “healthy” options when eating out. According to research done by the National Restaurant Association, 71% of adults are trying to eat healthier at restaurants than they did two years ago. Furthermore, a survey done by the NRA, involving 1,300 professional chefs, the top culinary trends for 2014 were determined. Four of the top five trends for 2014 were focused on healthy eating and match directly with the solution (540) Bistro offers. For example, the top two trends were: locally sourced meats and locally growth produce. Coming in fifth was “ gluten-free cuisine.” Furthermore, in a quote from Hudson Riehle, the Senior Vice President of the National Restaurant Association’s research group, he emphasized the public’s growing desire to be health conscious saying, “Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and where their food comes from.” Based on this research we have concluded that the solution (540) Bistro offers falls into the accelerated growth stage. The accelerated growth phase is characterized by an accelerated increase in sales and many new competitors. What this means for (540) Bistro as a new competitor, based on the rebranding, is that it should look to maximize their market presence and share by extending their marketing efforts to incorporate new customers. The Salad Creations brand had a strong presence in the Harrisonburg community, which we will look to maintain and capitalize on during the rebranding to (540) Bistro. However, the most important part of the rebranding process with be incorporating the rest of the Harrisonburg and ex-tended Harrisonburg community.

7

DIAGNOSIS & DEVELOPMENT

TRADITIONAL SWOT ANALYSIS

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

A traditional SWOT visually constructs the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in relation to internal and external environment in which the brand competes. By completing a thorough SWOT analysis (540) Bistro can better understand its competitive environment and hone in on its core competencies to capitalize on future endeavors.

An important aspect to consider when looking at the industry are (540) Bistro’s key success factors. Key success factors are the minimum elements the market demands in order to com-pete with others in the same market. (540) Bistro’s key success factors are the following:

Transparency: Transparency is one of the most basic things expected for a restaurant today. Customers appreciate being able to see their food be made in front of them, which reassures them of the quality of the food they are about to eat. Also, there is a growing trend among customers that they want to be sure that the food they are eating is healthy for them. Essen-tially, the customers want to know that, “what they see is what they get.” As mentioned above, having locally source meats and produce are two of the top trends in the restaurant industry for 2014. More importantly, customers today want to know exactly where and from what farm their food came from, to ensure the food they are eating is healthy. By offering customers access to not only how their food is prepare, but where their food came from will help comfort them that they chose a locally sourced, healthy option.

Adaptability: To compete in the bakery cafe industry it is important to be able to adapt to the changes within the industry and the changing of the seasons. In order to stay competitive, menus and product offerings must constantly change to keep up with the consumers always changing demands .

Consistency: In order to maintain customers, it’s important to provide consistency across all products and services. Consistency with our offerings and experience can prevent customers from switching to a competitor.

8

strategic swot analysisAfter completing a traditional SWOT, we have developed a strategic SWOT analysis by incorporating all the elements of a traditional analysis, but going deeper into capitalizing on opportunities by factoring in environmental data and action items, which will result in an action plan. For (540) Bistro the opportunities that deemed most advantageous and aligned closest with its core competencies were selected. Action plans have been created for (540) Bistro based on the environmental data and the resources (540) Bistro currently has at its disposal.

We have created an action plan for (540) Bistro. The following are the recommendations we have made for (540) Bistro:· Create Online Communities that work to not only facilitate conversations from locals and JMU students that look to capture exactly what Harrisonburg means to them. Also, once the community is established it can be used to segment the population (healthy eater, gluten-free, etc…) and spark other, more specific, health related conversations on the site. The ultimate goal is to generate brand awareness and recognition within the healthy eaters in the Harrisonburg community. · Increase community[E27] involvement by having a strong presence at local festivals and community events, that align with 540’s values, to hand out promotional information, samples, and other free items to inform the community of changes and create a strong segment of early adopters.

the action plan

9

strategic swot chart

10

brand identityBrand identity relates to how (540) Bistro would like the brand to be characterized and associated in the minds of the consumer. By creating a strong brand identity that is consistent with our segmentation and mission, (540) Bistro will be able to market to its full potential with an incredible story behind the brand. Brand identity is broken down into three parts

brand essence :

core identity :

Extended identity :

The brand essence gives an understanding behind why consumers would choose this brand. It is the single and most compelling thing (540) Bistro can say about their brand.Brand Essence - locally sourced, healthy meal, socially inviting setting

The core identity is the associations everybody shares about (540) Bistro. When consumers experience (540) Bistro they receive: a healthy alternative, service quality, community focused, variety of offerings, unique experience, and convenience.

The extended identity relates to the unique associations with the brand that are not shared among all consumers. This is when the brand becomes what it means to each individual customer. · 540 – The meaning of what 540 means to the consumer. Whether (540) Bistro makes consumers think about their hometown, going to James Madison University, or the Shenandoah Valley--each consumer has their own association with the area code.

brand personality : The brand personality is how people perceive (540) Bistro according to what a brand is or does.· The human characteristic we have associated with our brand is sincerity. In better words, (540) Bistro is the Toms of Harrisonburg dining. With a down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, and cheerful personality attributed with the brand, (540) Bistro uses a unique concept to unite passersby and residents of Harrisonburg. (540) Bistro fuses passion and purpose to serve the people in the best way that it can.

11

brand identity

Once the brand identity is understood, (540) Bistro must establish a relationship between the brand and the customer by creating a value proposition involving three segments.

Functional benefits – a fast casual dining experience unique to its location with a health value and quality of taste.Emotional benefits – There is pride in experiencing something greater than ourselves, which is being part the Harrisonburg community-no matter how long or shortSelf-expressive benefits – Where one’s passion for the Harrisonburg community and purpose of a healthier lifestyle come together.

value proposition :

brand relationship :The relationship identifies the link between (540) Bistro and its customers. We see it as: The Supporter: (540) Bistro is meant to serve as the supporter to our customers. From farm to patron, 540 supports the passion behind being a part of the Harrisonburg community and the purpose and values of aspiring to a healthier lifestyle. (540) Bistro supports Harrisonburg by sourcing local ingredients through teaming up with trusted community farmers, embracing the Harrisonburg culture, and forming meaningful relationships with every person who experiences (540) Bistro.

Brand identity relates to how (540) Bistro would like the brand to be characterized and associated in the minds of the consumer. By creating a strong brand identity that is consistent with our segmentation and mission, (540) Bistro will be able to market to its full potential with an incredible story behind the brand. Brand identity is broken down into three parts

12

segmentationIn order to capture the market with the most potential, it is important to group consumers based on why they seek the solutions the brand is providing. Consumers in (540) Bistro’s market are looking to enjoy a healthy, locally sourced meal in a socially inviting setting. The basis for macro segmentation is dependent on two key variables: The commitment one has to the community and the value one places on being perceived as healthy.

Based on asking, “why” and and identifying the chosen variables, the following segments have been identified:

13

segmentationMillion Mile Momentary - This is the truck driver that is traveling through many cities and is only looking for a quick stop restaurant to satisfy his hunger in the most convenient way possible. He doesn’t have the time or interest in healthy activities.

Beach Body Dieter - This is a sporadic, crash dieter who is often switching between following a healthy diet and failing his regimen. Every now and then he tries out different classes at the gym but can’t stay committed to a consistent schedule.

Family Road-tripper - This is the mother that is extremely concerned with health. She faithfully attends her 5am daily cycle class in order to stay fit. She translates the high health importance to her family by only cooking and buying nutrient dense foods.

Studious Stan - This is the accounting major who is so worried about studying to pass the CPA that he buries himself in the library as soon as he’s done with classes. He may have time to squeeze a run in a few times a week but he has no interest in socializing while working out.

Occasional Olivia - This is the college sophomore who can’t get enough of hitting the parties. When the weekend is sadly over, she sobers up and realizes she ate a few too many pizza slices the night before. Every Monday is like a January 1st.

UREC Guru - This is the Kinesiology major who teaches fitness classes at UREC on a daily basis. She finds enjoyment in helping other people achieve their goals in the gym through group fitness classes.

The Baby Boomer - This is the retired local that prioritizes his civic duties in the community. He reads the local paper every morning, participates in every election, but besides walking his dog on a daily basis, has no interest in leaving his house.

Frantic Field Trip Mom – This is the local mom that is involved in the PTA at her children’s school, has a subscription to Women’s Daily Health Magazine, but often doesn’t have the time to read it. Her favorite day of the week is Sunday is when she has her weekly brunch with her friends at various spots around town.

Farmer’s Market Families - These are local families that have grown up in Harrisonburg and place a high importance on staying active and supporting the community. They go to the farmers market on a weekly basis and are actively involved in sports teams. On the weekends they can be found hiking the trails of the Shenandoah Valley.

The segments it is recommended to target are the Farmer’s Market Families, Frantic Field Trip Mom, UREC Guru, and Occasional Olivia. These segments have the highest commitment to the community and place a high importance on the image of being perceived as healthy.

capturing the target market :

14

positioning Positioning is about identifying the optimal place for a brand and its competitors in the target market’s mind in order to maximize the firm’s potential benefit. Positioning guides the marketing strategy by clarifying what is the brand, how it’s different or similar to competitor brands and why consumers should buy and use the brand. The positioning of the brand is determined by consumer perceptions in terms of points of parity and points of difference in the minds of the target market. Points of parity (POP’s) are brand associations that are not necessarily unique to the brand and that can even be shared with other brands. Points of difference (POD’s) are strong, favorable and unique brand asso-ciations that can be based on any kind of attribute or benefit. Please reference the following table to view POP’s and POD’s for 540’s target market. After evaluating (540) Bistro’s POP’s and POD’s it has been determined to capitalize on the competitive point of parity of being thought of as a healthy solution to satisfying hunger. Being perceived as healthy is a critical aspect in the minds of our customers. The second positioning variable is the POD. This axis changes based upon whether the consumer is a part of the temporary or local resident segment. For local customers, we recommend that 540 position itself as the Harrisonburg experience. We recommend (540) Bistro pride itself in being known as the one and only quick service restaurant that provides an integration of the community of Harrisonburg through its product offering of using local ingredi-ents. The second positioning variable catered to fit the temporary residents is (540) Bistro’s modern, unique dining atmosphere. Temporary and long term residents place a substantial emphasis on going to restaurants that are trendy and use appealing atmospherics . Because there are a limited number of restaurants in the Harrisonburg area that possess these desired attributes, (540) Bistro will rank high in the consumer’s minds. Reference the positioning maps below to see how the segments of UREC Guru, Occasional Olivia, Frantic Field Trip Mom, and Farmer’s Market Families rank (540) Bistro in terms of their respective variables.

15

positioning proposalurec guru farmer’s market families

frantic field trip momoccasional olivia

We recommend that (540) Bistro be positioned as a Harrisonburg experience that provides a healthy option for eating out. From its local ingredients to its variety of options, (540) Bistro should be centered on the idea that is the only place in Harrisonburg to have a presence of the community. In the minds of the Farmer Market Families and Frantic Field Trip Mom, (540) Bistro will provide an experience true to its roots. The temporary residents, UREC Guru and Occasional Olivia, will view (540) Bistro as a modern spot to stop with friends to have a wholesome meal. By combining contemporary style with a strong sense of community, (540) Bistro will welcome all four segments of consumers and increase connectivity within the Harrisonburg community.

16

brand building

The Customer Based- Brand Equity Model supports the brand with six core building blocks. The model includes salience, performance, imagery, judgments, feelings and ultimately leading to resonance. In relation to the CBBE Model, the brand ladder corresponds to respective sections.

17

brand portfolio strategy

In order to maintain a successful brand past the introduction phase it is important to consider the Brand Portfolio Strategy being implemented. The Brand Portfolio Strategy is the way a company organizes and structures the different brands within their brand portfolio. There are many different ways to construct a Brand Portfolio from the Branded House Approach to the House of Brands Approach. Both offer different benefits to different companies; however, we suggest using the Same Identity approach within the Branded House Approach. An approach similar to this is used by BMW as all of their different cars are called the BMW M3 or the BMW i8. We recommend that (540) Bistro organizes their product offerings (Salads, Paninis, Wraps, Soups, Pastas) in a similar way. (540) Bistro would act as the Master Brand, while the different product offerings will be considered the Sub-Brands. Based on this recommendation, we also recommend that (540) Bistro slightly alter their menu. Since the different product offerings are still under the umbrella of the Master Brand the titles on the menu should match. For example, on the menu salads would be titled “(540) Bistro Salads” with similar titles for the other four product offerings. It is important to note that (540) Bistro should be singular and not possessive, which stays consistent with the brand. Finally, we suggest that (540) Bistro offer seasonal Line Extensions. Line Extensions are when a company introduces new items under the Master Brand, but offers different flavors, colors, or varieties. We suggest that (540) Bistro introduce new seasonal menu items with the coming of each new season as their Line Extensions. For example, during the summer (540) Bistro could offer a salad that uses locally sourced berries that grow during the summer or fall time follow the trend of the pumpkin phenomenon with soups of bread. (540) Bistro can use the many different channels described below to inform customers of the new seasonal offerings.

18

activation

In order to build, strengthen, and reinforce the brand that (540) Bistro has created through the activation strategies, it is important to leverage secondary sources, such as sponsoring events relevant to your brand or honing in on a location meaningful that is complementary to the brand, in attempt to create new meanings and associa-tions for customers with the brand. We recommend that (540) Bistro uses two different sources of leverage: the geographic area where (540) Bistro is located and the social fit/sustainability of the brand. The first source we suggest (540) Bistro to leverage is the geographic area where the restaurant is located, Harrisonburg, VA or the 540 area code. By leveraging the location, (540) Bistro will be able to appeal to all members of the 540, not just those who call it home. 540 is not just an area it is a way of life. As mentioned in our extended brand identity earlier in the plan, the extended identity of a brand is the unique associations that customer has with the brand. For some, the 540 area code may equate to James Madison University. For others, it might be their hometown. No matter what connection or association you have to 540 we want (540) Bistro to embody those connections. An idea to leverage this brand is posting the question, “What does 540 mean to you?” on the back of the napkins at (540) Bistro and then creating a Pinterest campaign that will allow consumers to create a board devoted specifically to what 540 means to them. The next secondary source we suggest (540) Bistro use in brand leveraging is the social fit/sustainability. In business today, there is a growing trend of companies associating themselves and the brand with social values. In the case of (540) Bistro, it is important to find a cause that relates back to the brand that is being created. We suggest that (540) Bistro creates their own cause charity that focuses on two of the core elements of the (540) Bistro brand: healthy and locally-sourced. We suggest creating the “Taste the ‘Burg Program” in local Harrisonburg/Rockingham county schools. Through the “Taste the ‘Burg Program” we will be able to educate the future generations on living a healthy lifestyle and choosing healthy and locally sourced food options. By creating the “Taste of the ‘Burg Program,” (540) Bistro is not only benefiting the community it serves, but also helps to reinforce and create any associations customers have with the (540) Bistro brand.

brand leveraging :

19

activation

An often overlooked aspect of branding is how a company communicates their brand to their own employees. First, we suggest (540) Bistro determine what the characteristics and values are that make a great employee and a great ambassador for the (540) Bistro brand. We recommend that (540) Bistro hire only those employees who are personable, outgoing, selfless, and community focused. Hiring employees that can embody the essence of the brand is important to a company’s success, but even the best employees need to be reminded from time to time about how to correctly embody the brand. Many companies use signs and sayings around the workplace to remind the employ-ees how to embody the brand. Instead, we suggest (540) Bistro communicate the values and characteristics of the brand through actions. We suggest that (540) Bistro sponsor activities that encourage employees to create a closer bond between one another and the Harrisonburg community. By creating a bond between your employees and the community, it will be much easier for them to embody the values that make the (540) Bistro brand what it is and help them to gain a better understanding of the community as a whole, not just the parts that they are involved in.

internal branding :

brand communitY :

A brand community is a specialized community, without geographic boundaries, based on a structured set of relationships between admirers of a brand. In order for a brand community to exist, a group conscience, shared rituals and a sense of moral responsibility must be es-tablished among members. We recommend (540) Bistro focuses on establishing an online brand community using email, mobile, and social media marketing campaigns. A key factor that (540) Bistro’s target market has in common is the value they place on eating healthy and locally sourced food which develops a group conscience. In order to create a brand community (540) Bistro must create a common place to share ideas, start discussions, and interact with the brand. We recommend (540) Bistro use their website, their blog, email mar-keting, mobile marketing to give customers an avenue to connect and share ideas.

20

activation strategies

An important aspect of activation is whether we will deploy Attack or Defense strategies in our ads and our marketing campaigns. Whether an Attack or Defense strategy is best depends on whether or not (540) Bistro is the industry leader. For our recommendations, we are using established brands such as Subway and Panera as the leaders in our industry. Therefore, because (540) Bistro is not an industry leader, Attack strategies are the only strategies we are able to use. For (540) Bistro we have recommended two different Attack strategies: Frontal and Flank. In the execution of both of these strategies, we recommend that (540) Bistro stay consistent with being a healthy, locally sourced, and socially inviting.

The first attack strategy we are recommending is the frontal attack. By definition, a frontal attack is one that we, as marketers, know will affect the industry leader. In order to affect the industry leader, we suggest using facets of (540) Bistro’s business that differentiates it from the industry leaders. To differentiate (540) Bistro from the industry leaders, we recommend highlighting the fact that (540) Bistro is the only one in the industry to locally source all or most of their ingredients.

The next attack strategy we suggest is a flank attack. A flank attack is one that looks to attack an aspect of the industry leader’s business that isn’t core to how (540) Bistro competes. To do this, we suggest emphasizing the fact that (540) Bistro is the only healthy restaurant that serves beer and wine, especially local beer and wine. By doing this, we are staying consistent with what the (540) Bistro brand is, a locally sourced and socially inviting setting, and again immediately differentiating (540) Bistro from all other competitors, without mentioning a competitor by name.

21

activation / website

When rebranding, it is crucial that (540) Bistro give customers a place to go to find information about the new brand. Therefore we suggest that (540) Bistro creates a website, with the URL: 540Bistro.com, that looks to drive both sales and promote awareness of the brand itself. To accomplish this, we suggest that the (540) Bistro website includes a homep-age, a Menu page, a “Meet the Farmers” page, and a (540) Bistro in the community page.

First, the homepage will act as a welcome page that allows customers to see bright, enticing photos of (540) Bistro menu items and navigate through the rest of the page. Next, the menu page will work to both show customers the full menu that breaks down by food allergies and food habits and encourage consumers to order online or to download the (540) Bistro rewards app then order using that. The rest of the website and social media platforms will act to promote the brand and the content it posts. Also, in order to maintain transparen-cy with our customers about where their food came from and help customers connect to the community, we suggest creating a “Meet the Farmers” page. We suggest that the “Meet the Farmers” page include pictures, videos, and short blurbs that explore the history of where the food customers are eating came from. By creating the “Meet the Farmers” page and the (540) Bistro in the community page we are attempting to reinforce to customers (540) Bistro’s commitment to the Harrisonburg area community. Finally, the (540) Bistro in the communi-ty page will act as a way for the brand to highlight all the charitable work that they do in the community with local school, teams, and businesses.

In order to get people to the website we recommend that (540) Bistro use Google Ad-words. According to Google, Adwords “is an online advertising service that places advertising copy at the top, bottom, or beside, the list of search results Google displays for a particular search query.” While the recommendation of using Google AdWords seems complicated, Google has made the service extremely user friendly by walking users through how to use the service. To make transition to Google AdWords easier, we have suggested some long-tail keywords that should be used. Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases that customers are likely to use when they are close to making a purchase. Some examples of suggested long-tail keywords we recommend using are: “local Harrisonburg restaurant,” “healthy Harrisonburg restaurant,” and “healthy and local Harrisonburg restau-rant.” Using these specific long-tail keywords will help (540) Bistro to be on top of SERPs if users were to search any phrases similar to these. Also, by using Google Adwords (540) Bis-tro will be able to measure things such as click through rate (CTR), clicks, and conversions using the online ordering feature. Despite the importance placed on a company’s website, there are other platforms that can be used to engage customers.

22

activation / website

23

activation / email

Another key aspect of our recommended activation plan is the use of email marketing. According to Ken Countess of Constant Contact, 77% of consumers prefer email marketing to any other form of marketing and the return on investment (ROI) for email marketing versus social media marketing is 43:1. Using these statistics, we recommend that (540) Bistro establish an email marketing campaign using the email addresses they collect at the register. Having customers provide their email address to (540) Bistro is known as permission based marketing. Because customers choose to give their email address to (540) Bistro they are granting “permission” to (540) Bis-tro to send them emails. Customers also should be given the the option to opt out on every email they receive. We also recommend that (540) Bistro hires an Email Service Provider (ESP) such as Constant Contact or MailChimp. By using an ESP, (540) Bistro will be able to get feedback on how successful an email campaign was through metrics such as click through rate (CTR), opens, and number of clicks.

Despite the low cost nature of email, it is a common mistake of email marketers to send as many emails as they can creatively create. However, we suggest that (540) Bistro maintain consistency in their email marketing. First, we suggest that (540) Bistro send emails on the same day and at the same time every week or month. Customers do not want their inboxes flooded with unnecessary emails, but by maintaining a consistent schedule of emails, customers will begin to look forward to receiving (540) Bistro’s emails. Next, in order to ensure customers will open the email it is important to create a unique and relevant subject line. A unique and relevant subject line is one that is within 44-65 characters long, avoids spam filters, and is going to catch the reader’s attention. A good subject line will entice a reader to open the email, but if the content is poor or unrelated to the subject line then a customer will quickly delete the email. In order to avoid (540) Bistro’s emails getting deleted, we suggest that the content of the email be related to the subject line, match the website or landing page we are sending them to, and contain a call to action.

24

activation / mobile Mobile applications are often used to establish preference, loyalty, and brand duality in consumers. We recommend that (540) Bistro create a mobile application that mirrors the web-site and offer customers another way to connect with the brand. According to Dr. Van Steen-burg, 55% of adult phone owners now go online using their phones. 90% of mobile searches lead to action. These statistics, in addition to the trend of mobile advertising increasing, prove the importance of using mobile to reach consumers. The app should allow customers to browse the menu, order, pay, and receive rewards and points.The success of the app can be monitored by the number of downloads, number of orders made, and average order value. App Rewards System Users who pay with the app will receive bonus points for every purchase. Once the user receives five points they will receive a randomized offer. An example of an offer could be, “50% off a featured menu item,” to encourage product trial. Another example could be a, “free drink/coffee,” that encourages customers to return to the store to receive their reward. As consistent with the brand essence, (540) Bistro is dedicated to the Harrisonburg community. By capitalizing on (540) Bistro’s dedication to the community we can create Brand Duality or when a brand appeals to the head and the heart of their customers. We recommend that (540) Bistro create a “Taste the ‘Burg” program that is focused on educating the youth of Harrisonburg on the benefits of eating local and healthy through wellness workshops in local schools. Each time customers use the (540) Bistro rewards App to order and pay for their food, 2% of their purchase is donated toward the (540) Bistro “Taste the ‘Burg” program. The emo-tional appeal to the customers is that by shopping at (540) Bistro they are creating a better community by helping shape the minds of Harrisonburg county students to make healthier food choices. The rational appeal to customers is that customers are able to help their commu-nity by simply ordering through (540) Bistro’s App. Please see below for mockups of the rec-ommended mobile App.

25

activation / social media

The first social media platform that should be utilized is Facebook. According to a popular social media marketing blog, Rocket Post, Facebook accounts for 15.8% of total time spent on the internet. We suggest that (540) Bistro use Facebook to post original content and share others’ content to create a conversation among Facebook followers and help them associate (540) Bistro with being a socially inviting brand and setting. Facebook, unlike other social media platforms, allows users to post comments, videos, pictures, comment/like other users posts, and allows users to “follow” a brand’s page. Because of the freedom that Face-book offers, it is the perfect platform to use to begin to create a brand community and we recommend that (540) Bistro use it to its full advantage. By varying the type and subject of each post it allows (540) Bistro to spark conversa-tions on topics ranging from healthy and wellness issues to new seasonal recipes. A Face-book campaign’s success can be measured by the total number of “likes,” number of new followers, comments on a particular piece of content, and re-posts or shares of content. If the content provides a link, you can also measure the click-through-rate to track how many fol-lowers clicked on it. Facebook is not the only social media platform that allows users to start a conversation with a brand.

facebook :

twitter : Twitter can be tricky to use with the restriction of 140 characters or less. However, this platform can be effectively used with customers via simple text and visually appealing pho-tos. According to Rocket Post, a popular social media marketing blog, users spend an aver-age of 170 minute a month on Twitter. Furthermore, of the total number of registered users (550 million) only about half actually tweet, the rest are just looking at the tweets of others. Due to our large and geographically spread out target market (anyone in Harrisonburg or will drive through Harrisonburg) it is important to use a social media platform that reaches a large audience. We recommend that you create your own Twitter account and “tweet” their own con-tent and re-use others’ that is relevant to the brand. Unlike other forms of social media, the amount of “tweets” is not something that needs to be monitored. We recommend that (540) Bistro tweet any time they have creative content to share. Creative content can be anything from deals, new menu items, seasonal offerings, or even just information that relates to the Harrisonburg area. Customers can engage by following the account, “re-tweeting” and/or “fa-voriting” tweets, responding to specific tweets, or sending us a tweet of their thoughts or pho-tos. The success of a Twitter campaign can be measured by the total number of followers, number of new followers, number of re-tweets and favorites, responses to specific tweets, and direct tweets to the account. Once again, by giving users a chance to start a conversa-tion with the (540) Brand it reinforces the feeling that (540) Bistro is a socially inviting brand.

26

activation / social media

There are several effective ways for (540) Bistro to use this platform to create brand awareness. Ac-cording to Dr. Van Steenburg, Instagram has surpassed Facebook and Twitter, among teens, as the most “pres-tigious” social media platform. So, Instagram can be used to connect with teen users. One of the easiest ways we suggest is to post “Food of the Day” pictures and using the #540Bistro-FOTD hashtag. These photos can be posted by staff and can be used to highlight new menu items or new seasonal offerings. Furthermore, our followers can post their own pictures they find relevant to the brand and tag (540) Bistro. Similar to email marketing, the costs related to posting to Instagram are extremely low, but posting a photo every day can cause followers to be-come annoyed with the brand and unfollow. We recommend that (540) Bistro regularly post one to three photos per week, but more if there is a new seasonal offering on the menu. The success of Insta-gram posts can be measure by how many new follow-ers (540) Bistro amasses, how many “likes” each photo gets, and how many comments each picture receives. Instagram is an important social media platform to use in the rebranding of (540) Bistro because it helps to create a socially inviting brand. By connecting with users through Instagram, giving them the opportunity to comment and post pictures of their own creates a conversation between customers and the brand, which helps to frame the brand as socially inviting. Below is an example of a suggested Instagram post.

instagram :

27

activation / social media

Pinterest is a great platform for companies like (540) Bistro with inherent visual appeal. There are two ways for (540) Bistro to use Pinterest. The first is to create a Pinterest profile and organize its boards with valuable content or “pins.” If the users find the content to be valuable they will follow the company’s profile and pin its content, which can lead to further pins and web traffic. All pins include a source of URL, and can give customers an easy way to access the website. The click-through-rate, and number of “re-pins” and “likes” of pins measure engagement, whereas you can look at the total number of followers, number of new followers, and impressions to measure awareness. The other option with Pinterest for (540) Bistro to have a “Pin it” button on the company website next to visually attractive content. For effective results, the restaurant should be active in both ways.

Farm to Fork YouTube series“Meet the Farmer” 60 second videos that introduce the local farmers that source the food created by Bistro 540. Connects the consumer to the food and community. A ways for the community to learn about where their food is coming from and creating videos that not only inform, but deeply touch the viewer. According to ReelSeo, ways to measure success within YouTube is by looking at comments to views, which should be around .5%. So if Bistro 540’s Farm to Fork videos generat-ed 1000 views, a good measure of success would be 5 comments. Views are a measure of aware-ness while comments are a measure of engagement. Another measure of success is to view the likes to view ratio, which is around 4%, which is 4 likes for every 100 views. Likes, like comments, are a measure of engagement, while views are a measure of awareness. If your subscribers are engaged they will like your content if they find it more valuable. Another approach to measuring success is views to subscribers ratio is about 14%, so if you have 1,000 subscribers than you should expect around 140 views per video. Keeping a close eye on the total number of subscrib-ers, both new and lost, is a key success driver in measuring awareness.

youtube :

pinterest :

28

appendix(540) Bistro Blog - Will be connected to the website, but offers content not available on other platforms. - Can be used to create and strengthen bonds between customers and the brand - Highlight local events - Offer “This Day in Harrisonburg History” - Discuss wellness trends and healthy eating - Allow customers to share (540) Bistro content on other social media platformsIn Store Color Scheme - Different shades of greens - Orange Music - Should be consistent with brand - Local artists - Alternative Rock Lighting - Dimmed lights or natural light Scent - Seasonal Decorations and Furniture - Walls should be decorated with items that relate to the 540 area - Furniture should be consistent - Modern, but still have a homey feel

29