greenmarket-final-paper (1)

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Table of ContentsC O N T E N T

Biographies

Executive Summary Page 6

B A C K G R O U N D

Client History, Values, & Mission Page 8

Industry Page 9

External Environment Page 10

Current Opinions, Attitudes, & Values Page 11

SWOT Page 12

T H E P L A N

Situation Analysis Page 13

Problem/Opportunity Page 14

Big Idea Page 15

Key Publics Page 16

K E Y P U B L I C S

Demographics Page 17

Georgia College Students Page 18

Georgia College Employees Page 24

SNAP Recipients Page 32

Lake Country Page 40

Additional Ideas Page 45

Calendar Page 47

Budget Page 49

Communication Confirmation Chart Page 51

Evaluation Tools & Criteria Page 53

References Page 55

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Ben Arduino

BenArduinoiscurrentlyajuniormasscommunicationmajorwithaminorin

digital media at Georgia College & State University. He is an Eagle Scout and is from

Lilburn,Georgiawherehestartedpursuinghisinterestincreativedesigninhigh

school.Heiscurrentlyseekinginterestinvideographywherehehopestocombine

hisskillstocreateartthatisvisuallypleasingtotheeyesofmany.Benenjoys

workingwithothersandhasbeeninvolvedwiththeYoungLifeOrganizationwhere

hevolunteersasaliferolemodelformiddleschoolstudents.Hehopestofindhis

passioninacareerwherehecanbecreativeandimpactanaudiencewithstunning

designandinnovation.

3

CameronSchulte,fromLawrenceville,Georgia,isajunioratGeorgia

College&StateUniversity.Cameronisstudyingmasscommunicationandpursuing

aminorinmarketing.In2018,upongraduation,Cameronhopestopursueacareer

inpublicrelations,particularlywithanon-profitorganization.InMilledgeville,

CameronstaysinvolvedbyvolunteeringwiththeYoungLifeOrganization,working

atalocalrestaurant,andmaintainingmembershipwiththeGeorgiaCollegechapter

ofthePRSSA.Cameron’shobbiesincludepainting,meetingnewpeople,andseeing

newplaces.

Cameron Schulte

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KaitlinGreenwayisasenioratGeorgiaCollege&StateUniversitythatis

majoringinmasscommunication.SheisfromAlpharetta,Georgiaandisexpected

tograduateinMay2017.Kaitlinispursuingthestrategiccommunicationsrouteof

masscommunicationwiththehopetoworkwithinthefieldsofadvertisingorpublic

relations.KaitlinisalsoworkingonherminorinSpanishandlivedwithafamilyin

Spainlastsummer.Kaitlin’shobbiesincludephotography,travelingandexploring

newrestaurants.

KaitlinGreenway

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WillSlateniscurrentlyaseniormasscommunicationsmajoratGeorgia

College&StateUniversityandisalsopursuingaminorininternationalstudies.

WillIsfromRoswell,Georgiaandwasraisedwiththreesistersandasaresultcan

identifyanyRogers&Hammersteinmusicalbyjustafewlyrics.Hishobbyisplaying

guitarandrecentlyfinishedbuildinghisfirstTelecaster.Aftercollege,Willisunsure

ofwhathisfuturelookslikebuthopesitwillinvolvesomekindofwritingora

focusinPR.Will’slifelongdreamistostartaFleetwoodMactributebandandtour

aroundthePacificNorthwest.

Will Slaten

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TheGreenMarketistheonlyproviderofnatural-homegrownproduceinMilledgevillebutalsooffers

asmatteringofotherproductssuchasmeatsandworksbylocalartists.Themarketoperatesunderareserved

paviliononHancockStreetonSaturdaysfrom9am-11am.

Despitethefriendlynatureoftheoutsideexchange,theGreenMarkethaslessthansatisfactorytraffic

wheninoperation.Thereareotherproblemspresent,however,heightenedrevenuefromincreasedtrafficcould

remedymanyofthem.Partofthereasonforthewaneinparticipantsisthefactmanypeopleareunawareofthe

market,theoperationalhoursarelimitedandtheoverallinconveniencewhencomparedtoothercompetitorsin

Milledgeville.

Thesolutionsfortheseailmentsareuniqueforeachkeypublicwehaveidentified.Thelargestdemographic

isGCstudentsandthereforewillbetargetedveryheavily.Reachingstudentswillbedoneprimarilyviasocialmedia

andoncampusadvertising.AlthoughmanystudentsareonlyinMilledgevilleforashortwhile,traditionswith

studentsbuildovertimeandoftenarehandeddown.

TheGCemployeeskeypublicismuchsmallerthanstudentshoweveritisjustascrucialifnotmore.GC

employeesspendmoremoneyongroceriesandtheywilltypicallybeinMilledgevilleforalongerperiodoftime.The

mostefficientwaytoreachGCemployeesisthroughFrontPage,socialmediaandradioads.

TheSNAPkeypublichasalottogainfromthemarketduetothe2for1discountoffered.DespitetheFresh

Foodbus,thispublichasprovendifficulttoreach.TogetthewordtotheSNAPconsumersthemarketmust

continuetostressthebenefitoffreshfoodaswellastheproximitytothelocationonHancockStreet.

Executive Summary

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Executive Summary ThelastkeypublicisLakeCountryresidentswhoprimarilyliveoutsideofMilledgeville.Togetthis

demographicinvolveditisnecessarytostressthattheGreenMarketispartofthestandardMilledgevilleweekend,

anexperience.LakeCountryfolkmaynotbethemostconsistentcustomersduetoexternalfactorsbutthereisstill

anopportunitytobringsomeoutsidemoneyintoMilledgeville.

TheoverallgoalofthiscampaignistoincreasetrafficandrevenuefortheGreenMarketinhopesthatit

remainsinbusinessforaslongasthereareproducers.Asecondarygoal,whichwilltaketime,isthatthemarket

wouldeventuallybecomeasmuchapartofMilledgevilleasthepaintedCokeaddowntown.Theendoverallgoal

forthisplanisthatallkeypublicswilleventuallymakeitahabittoconsistentlypurchasefresh,localproducenot

becauseofpricebutbecauseofthebenefitsthatwillbepresentinallaspectsofahealthylife.

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C L I E N T H I S TO RY, VA LU E S & M I S S I ON

The Green Market is a local sustainable farmers market in Milledgeville,

Georgia founded by Chelsea Losh-Jones. Chelsea and her husband Bobby are

owners of Babe + Sage farm in Gordon with a vision that revolves around the

idea of community. The couple’s spirit focuses on bringing people together and

making social changes where they can. In 2012, Chelsea founded the Green

Market, built upon the commitment to bring fresh, sustainably-grown food to

those

living in Central Georgia. Her efforts to bring all people of the community

together is supported by her work with establishing the acceptance of EBT and

SNAP at the Green Market, as well as piloting the Fresh Food Bus program. The

Fresh Food Bus allows community members transportation to the market at no

cost, funded by Wholesome Wave Georgia. Farmers at the market all live within

50 miles of the market, so customers can be sure that their products are local

and fresh. All of the vendors are are required to grow according to

organic standards. “Our intent was always to grow real food for real people”,

said Chelsea.

Bobby and Chelsea Losh’s journey with Babe + Sage and The Green

Market can be summed up by a line from a poem written by William Channing,

“To live content with small means, to listen to stars and birds and to babes and

sages with open heart; this to be my symphony.” This is how they live their lives

and pairs with their spirit for sustainability, social responsibility and community.

Background

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ThelocalfarmermarketindustryinMilledgevilleisrelativelyfreefromdirectcompetitionasidefromafew

independentvendors.TheseindependentvendorsdonotusuallysellproduceatthesametimeastheGreenMarket,

howevertheydosetupastandincloseproximitytothepavilion.

ThereareotherwellestablishedfarmersmarketsinMacon,MadisonandAthensthatoperate

primarilyonweekendsandaresituatedinareasoflargerpopulation.SimilartotheGreenMarket,theseother

farmersmarketsoffergoodsthatarenotlimitedtofoodbutalsoofferotherthingssuchascraftsandartisanworks.

LocalfarmersmarketshavealwaysbeenastapleacrosstheSouthduetotheproximityofproductionaswellas

culturalvalueoffreshproduce.In2012,theGeorgiaFarmBureaufoundthat1outofevery7Georgiansworkedin

Agricultureinsomefashion(GeorgiaFarmBureau,2012).

OthercompetitionthatexistsfromlocalstoresintermsoffreshproducewouldbeWalmartandKroger.

Whilebothofthesestoresofferfreshproduceatcheapprices,theGreenMarketdoesofferauniquerangeof

producethatisgrownbyfarmersalreadyinthecommunity.

Georgiaisoneofthehighestagriculturalproducingstatesinthenationandisthenumberoneproducerof

manydifferentitemssuchaspeanutsandpecans.Becauseofthenatureofthestate’seconomy,thereisan

emphasisontheimportanceofbuyinglocalandknowingwhereyourfoodcamefrom.Also,Georgia’sclimateis

warmenoughtooftenaffordtwogrowingseasonswouldallowsformoreproduction.

AccordingtoastudydonebytheU.S.DepartmentofAgricultureinJanuaryof2015,therearemore

farmerssellingdirectlytoconsumersthaneverbefore,therevenueatfarmersmarketshasdwindled.There

wasanationaltrendoffarmersmarketgrowthintheearly2,000’sbuthassincetaperedoffbeginning

in2014(USDA,2014).

Industry

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AlthoughMilledgevilleisrestrictedinmanywaysintermsofthediversityofbusinessesoffered,itis

hometomorethan6grocerystores.GrantedthemainstoresthatcompetewiththeGreenMarketforashareof

theproducemarketarelimitedprimarilytoWalmart,KrogerandthePigglyWiggly,thereareothernatural-food

basedstoreslocatedoutsideofMilledgeville.TheFarmviewMarketlocatedoutsideofMadisonisanexampleofa

competitorthatisoutsideoftheimmediateareaandalsoplacesanemphasisonhealthyeating.

TherearemanyfarmersmarketsinmiddleGeorgiaandsomeofthelargerpopulationcenterssuchas

MaconofAugustahavemultiplemarketsoftenondifferentdays.Manyfarmersmarketssharearchetypalqualities

suchasbeingopenairandproducer-onlybutaredifferentiatedfromtheGreenMarketduetotheamountoftraffic

garneredaswellasthenumberofproducerswhoareavailabletoparticipate.

AsimilarmarketthatishostedinMaconistheMulberryStreetMarketatTattnallSquare,which,likethe

GreenMarketisdrivenbyadesiretomakequalityfoodavailabletoeveryone.TheMulberryStreetMarkethashad

recentsuccessandisalsoproducer-only.Themarketisopenfrom3p.m.to6:30p.m.onWednesdays.

External Environment

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C U R R E N T O P I N I O N S , A T T I T U D E S A N D V A L U E S

AseriesoffocusgroupswereconductedinOctober2016,showingthatthecurrentopinions,attitudes,

andvaluesofthepublicaregenerallypositive.Overall,manyconcludedthattheyenjoyedfarmersmarketsandthe

opportunitytopurchaselocallygrownfruitsandvegetables.Intoday’ssociety,itisbecomingaculturaltrendtoeat

organicandliveahealthylifestyle.AsaresultofthismanypeopleareintriguedbytheGreenMarket.Participants

saidthatitwasagreatmarket,withalaidbackatmosphere.

Themaindrawbackforthegeneralpublicisthelackofadvertisingandpublicity.Manysaidthattheywould

liketoattendtheGreenMarket,butoftentimestheyforgetaboutit.Itwasalsostated,thatcustomersdidnothave

agoodwayofknowingwhatwouldbeavailableforpurchaseeachweek.Peoplegenerallyrespondedwithinterest,

butwerehighlyuninformedastowhatwouldbeatthefarmer’smarket,whenthemarkettookplace,anddidnot

seeagreatneedtoattend.

Alongwithlackofpublicity,manyviewtheGreenMarketasanexpensivesourceoffood.Whengrocery

shopping,avastmajorityofMilledgevillelocalsandcollegestudentsvoicedthattheywerelookingforcheap

options.SincetheGreenMarketisallfreshandlocallygrown,thepricesaresubstantiallyhigherthanonewould

findatagrocerystorewithlowerqualityproducts.TheGreenMarketdoesselltheirproductsatagoodpricefor

thevalue,butcollegestudentsarelesslikelytobeconcernedwithqualityversusprice.Alongwiththat,college

studentshaveanegativeopiniontowardsthemarketduetothetimethatitisat.

General Public

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SWOT Analysis

Strengths WeaknessesGoodcontactwithschool/GCSUalumna,legitimacywith

city(hasestablishedrelationship,usescity’spavilion),

qualityofproduce(organic&natural),willingnessto

adapt,cleancanvas(notmuchawareness),localfarmers

Operatingtime,geographically/physicaldistance

fromwealthierdemographics,awarenessproblems

(notknowingwhat’satmarket),cost(canalwaysget

somethingcheaperatwalmart;college/mocalnot

necessarilylookingforhealthyfood),nottraditional

grocerystore,lackofphysicallocationvisibility,parking,

flexibilityoftime,productsupply

Opportunities ThreatsExpandoutreachofsocialmedia,opportunityformore

awareness,flexibilityofschedule(laterstarttime),

sustainabilityofGreenMarket(brand--event),keeping

upwithschool(becomeinvolved),lackofactivitiesin

Milledgeville,SoundsofSouth,location(closertoDT;

DeepRootsLot),SatelliteFarmer’sMarket(research

springeventsingreensboroandeatonton),iconicfood

(thebesthotboiledpeanutsintown).

Warrenaka‘MaterMan’,Greensboro/Eatontonfarmer’s

market,Farmview,potentiallossofparticipationby

vendors(notenoughbusiness),weather(coldspring

mornings),alternateactivities(secfootball,spring

sportingevents),lackofrelationshipwithcivics,Atlanta

&Athensfarmersmarketsdrawingawayvendors

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TheGreenMarketisalocal,sustainable,producer-onlyFarmer’sMarketinMilledgeville,Georgia.TheMarket

offersmeat,vegetables,eggs,breads,jams,jelliesandmore.Ithasbeeninexistenceforfouryears,buthasfailedtoattract

consistentcustomersaftermovinglocations.Accordingtoourresearch,thetrafficproblemissimplyduetoageneral

lackofawareness.ThereisdynamicpotentialforincreasingtheawarenessoftheGreenMarket,andthereby,increasing

traffic,whichwillleadtomorecustomers.TheGreenMarketisacooperativeoffarmersfromwithinMiddleGeorgia

thatiscommittedtoprovide“land-to-hand”servicetotheresidentsoftheLakeCountry.TheMarketisheldeverytwo

weeksonSaturdaysfrom9a.m.-NoonatthePavilion(222E.HancockSt.).TheMarketofferspaymentthroughcashor

electronicmeans(credit,debit,EFTorSNAP).SNAPusersreceive$2worthofgoodsforevery$1theyspendwithSNAP

currency.TheMarketalsooffers“TheFreshFoodBus,”aminibusthattakescustomerstoandfromthemarket.Ithas

fiveotherstops(WrayHomes,theBoysandGirlsClub,ArtsandSciences,HarrisburgCenter,andWestCampus)andhas

servicefrom9a.m.untilthelastdropat1:10p.m.Itcurrentlyhasbeenfeaturedinlocalmagazines,ithasawebsite(http://

greenmarketmilledgeville.weebly.com/)andthreesocialmediaaccountsitmaintains(Facebook,Twitter,Instagram).

TheGreenMarketmustpaya$50feeeverytimethespaceisusedtotheCityofMilledgeville.Thismustbe

collectedfromtheattendingfarmers.TheCityofMilledgevilledictatesthetimesanddaysofthesite’savailabilitywhich

doeshavethepotentialtorestrictthemarketinthefuture.Theselectionofproductsandfarmersparticipatingcanvary

fromweektoweek,therebylimitingthereliabilityofcustomertrafficandreciprocalservice.Despitetime,location

andfinancialconstraints,theprimarychallengeisawarenessbutalsomakingsurepeoplebegintoassociatethe

GreenMarketwiththepre-existingculturalfabricofMilledgeville.Milledgevilleitselfisveryspacedout

andmostofthegroceryoutletsareafewmilesawayandrequiredriving,whilemostGeorgiaCollege

students(primarilyunderclassmen)havemealplansredeemableattheschool.Whilemany

GeorgiaCollegestudentsdogohomeontheweekend,thereisstillasubstantialamountof

studentswhospendmostoftheirschoolyearweekendsinMilledgeville.TheMarkethas

anadvertisingbudgetof$2,000forthiscomingSpringandwillbeusedstrategically

toachievetime-boundobjectivesintermsofspreadingawarenessand

continuingtheGreenMarketsmessageofhealthyliving.

Situation Analysis

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Problem/Opportunity

P ROB L EM

T H E M A I N C O N F L I C T D I R E C T LY T H R E A T E N I N G T H E C O N T I N U E D

E X I S T E N C E O F T H E G R E E N M A R K E T I S T H E C U R R E N T L A C K

O F E X P O S U R E I N T H E C O M M U N I T Y A S W E L L A S A L E S S - T H A N

S A T I S F A C T O R Y A M O U N T O F F O O T T R A F F I C O N D A Y S O F

O P E R A T I O N

O P P O R T U N I T Y

M I L L E DG E V I L L E ’ S L AC K O F COMP E T I T I ON W I T H I N T H E A R E A

P ROV I D E S A N O P PO RTUN I T Y F O R T H E G R E EN MA R K E T TO

R A I S E AWAR EN E S S A ND R E ACH I T S K E Y P U B L I C S B Y I M P L E -

M EN T I NG N EW TAC T I C S .

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The Green Market is here to give the people of Milledgeville,

a local shopping experience, that provides the freshest and

most unique products.

“From Farm to Family.”

Big Idea

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Key Publics

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4

3

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G E O R G I A C O L L E G E S T U D E N T S

G E O R G I A C O L L E G E E M P L O Y E E S

S N A P R E C I P I E N T S

L A K E C O U N T R Y R E S I D N E T S

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Demographics

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DEMOGRA PH I C S

Outofthe430respondentsthatidentifiedthemselvesasstudents,theaverageagewas20yearsold,thegender

wasprimarilyfemaleandtheraceisnearly95%white.Mostofthestudents(62%)livewithintheMilledgeville

31061zipcode.

Theaveragedistancefromdowntownforthisdemographicisaround3.5miles,butarewillingtodrivenearly9miles

forgroceries.Theaveragedollaramountspentongroceriesperweekis$50.GCstudentsaretheheaviestsocial

mediausersaswellasoneofthelargestkeypublicsfortheGreenMarket.Becausesomanystudentsliveinclose

proximitytodowntownitisimperativethatsocialmediabecapitalizedonandhaveaconsistentpresenceonlineas

wellasinthelocalbusinesses.Themosteffectmeansofreachingstudentswillbepostsafter5p.m.inconjunction

withpremeditatedpoststhatadvertisewhattheMarketwillbedoinginthefuture.

Thekeyselfinterestsofthisdemographicareconvenienceandthepricepointoftheproduce.ManyGeorgia

Collegeupperclassmenstudentsstayintownontheweekendsespeciallyinthespringwhenfootballisnotin

season.Onefacetofthedataanalyzedisthefact9a.m.inrelativelyearlyforstudentstobeconductingbusiness

aroundtown.Also,9a.m.isbeforemanyofthebusinessesdowntownopen,thuslessfoottrafficinthedowntown

area.

Georgia College Students

1

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GOA L S & O B J E C T I V E S

OurgoalistocreateacultureforaneedandwanttoattendtheGreenMarket.

OurobjectivesaretoincreasestudenttrafficattheMarketby15%bytheendofthe2017springsemester

IncreaseInstagramfollowerbaseby25GCstudentsbytheendofJanuary2017andtoincreasepremeditated

promotionaleffortspriortothemarketopeningbyaminimumof24hours.

M E S S AG E S

P R IMA RY

JumpstartyourweekendwiththeGreenMarketwhereweofferavarietyofhealthyfoodsatyourconvenience.

Experiencethefamily-farmcultureeveryweekendwithus.

S E C O N D A R Y

TheGreenMarkethasadiverserangeoflocalproduceandartisanalgoodslocatedintheconvenientlocationof

downtownMilledgeville.WearetheonlymarketincentralGeorgiathatrequiresourfarmerstogrowtheirfood

according to organic standards.


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S T R A T E G I E S

ShowGeorgiaCollegestudentsthroughsocialmediaandoncampusadvertisingthattheGreenMarketisworth

attendingonSaturdaymorningsduetotheexperienceitwillprovideandthefreshnessanduniquenessofproducts.

Promotethefarmer’smarketasatraditional,localevent,wheretheycanseefreindswhileenjoyingMilledgdeville.


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Georgia College StudentsT A C T I C S

- Follow active opinion leaders

Opinionleadersonacollegecampusarerelativelyeasytofindandoftenhaveapresenceonsocialmedia.Thiswill

helpindisseminatingmessages.

- Increase online user engagement (giveaways, followback deals, coupons)

Itwillnotbeenoughtosimplyreachstudentsonsocialmedia,theremustbesomesortofinteraction.Thiswould

bestbedonethroughgiveawaysandfollowbackdealsofsomesort.

- Use Hootsuite to help plan cross platform social media posts during high traffic and at least 24 hours before big

events/markets

Itisveryimportantthatthesocialmediabeconsistentandthatitallowspeopletimetomakethechoicetoattend

themarketaheadoftimePostsonsocialmediaafteraneventhasalreadystartedisgreatbutdoesnotincrease

trafficinthatmoment.

-Change market time to afternoon (cold spring mornings and late wake up time for students)

Dataindicatedthatstudentsliketheideaofafarmer’smarketaswellfreshfood.However,studentsalsoexpressed

misgivingsabouttheearlymorninghoursofoperationforthemarket.

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- Keep a running calendar of Downtown events and post flyers in businesses to increase reach.

DowntownhasthemostfoottrafficinMilledgevilleandisveryaccessible.Asimplecalendarofeventsdowntown

willmakeiteasiertoknowwhentoplaceflyersaroundformaximumexposure.

- Hand out free samples at bus stops

ManystudentsusetheGCshuttlesystemfortransportationwhichmeansitiseasytopredictwherestudentswillbe

congregatedforamomentoftime.Handingoutsomeformofsamplecouldbeaneffectivewaytoadvertiseaswell

asgainapersonalconnection.

Fromourresearch,wecanseethatthebestwaytopromoteGreenMarketcontentisoversocialmedia.Itmaybein

theGreenMarket’sbestinteresttoadjustthehoursofopperationtoaccommodatetothestudent’smostpopular

timetoshopasyoucanseeinthegraphs.

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- Host fun event in The Nest of Blackbird for students to engage with brand

Blackbirdisverypopularwithstudentsandisrelativelyopenwiththeuseoftheirdownstairsspace.Aneventof

somesortinthespacewouldbeagoodavenueforstudentsandotherlocalstoconnectwiththemarketinamore

social environment.

- Place signs at bus stops where the Fresh Food Bus Stops

Partofthebudgetwillgotocolorpostersthatwillbeplacedatbusstopswherethefreshfoodbusmakesits

rounds.ThestopsonGCcampusshouldhaveaposterwithanadaswellastimesthebusarrivesanddeparts.

- Utilize the Story function on Instagram during the times of the market to broadcast live happenings and

reminders

Instagramisverypopularwithstudentsandthestoryfeatureallowstheusertogivealookintoapersonal

window.Studentswillrespondtoconsistentpostsoninstagramaswellasbuyintothemarketsmission.Thestory

featureallowstheGreenMarkettoshowasidemostpeopledonotgettoseesuchasproductionorthegeneral

responsibilityofrunningafarm.

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Georgia College EmployeesDEMOGRA PH I C S

Outofthe86respondentsthatidentifiedthemselvesasGeorgiaCollegeemployees,theaveragewas24yearsold,

thegenderwasprimarilyfemale(65%)andtheracewasamajority87%white.Themajorityoftheemployees(72%)

livewithintheMilledgeville31061zipcode.

Theaveragedistancefromdowntownforthisdemographicisaround6miles,butarewillingtodriveabout9miles

forgroceries.Theaveragedollaramountspentongroceriesperweekis$64.TheGeorgiaCollegeemployeesare

avidusersofsocialmediaintheevenings.SincetheylivejustasclosetodowntownMilledgevilleasstudents,they

havethepotentialtobecomeanimportantkeypublictohelpgrowthebusinessoftheGreenMarket.Themost

effectivewaytoreachthispublicisbypushingonlineadsthroughtheGreenMarket’ssocialmediaontheplatforms

thatareheavilyusedbytheemployeesduringthetimestheyusethemmost.

Thekeyselfinterestsofthisdemographicarethepricesoftheavailableselectionofgoodsthatareforsaleandthe

daysoftheweekthattheGreenMarketisopenforbusinessbecausethetimeittakesthemtoshopanddriveto

buygroceriesisveryimportanttothem.ThemajorityofthesurveyedGeorgiaCollegeemployeesusuallyspendtheir

timeshoppingontheweekendsbetween3and5p.m.or5p.m.andlater.

2

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ThegoalforourGeorgiaCollegeemployeesistoincreasesalesfromGCemployeesandcreateaconsistent,active

customer base.

OurobjectivestohelpachievethegoalistoenticemoreGCemployeestoattendthemarketgaining5-10loyalcus-

tomersbyMay2017.WealsowouldliketoexpandadvertisingreachtoemployeesbypromotingtheGreenMarket

throughatleastonenewchannelbythebeginningofthesemester.

M E S S AG E S

P R IMA RY

TheGreenMarketisanuntappedandunderappreciatedlocalresourcethatprovidesahigherqualityofproduceas

wellasawelcomingenvironment.

S E C O N D A R Y

TheGreenMarkethasbeencontinuallysupplyingtheMilledgevillecommunitywithfreshproducesince2012and

offersexcellentcustomerservicewithfriendlyvendors.

Georgia College Employees

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Georgia College EmployeesS T R A T E G I E S

-ConvinceGeorgiaCollegeemployeesthroughsocialmediaandcampuscommunicationthattheGreenMarket

shouldbetheirsourceoffreshgroceries.Thiswillsatisfytheemployees’desiretobuylocalandsupportsocieties’

healthinitiatives.

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Georgia College EmployeesT A C T I C S

- Use monetary incentive such as percentage off for GC Employees

Priceisoneofthemostimportantvaluesforthiskeypublic.Targetingtheselocalmemberswithreasonablepriced

foodthatorganicandfreshwillsparkinteresttoattendtheGreenMarketmoreoften.

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- Implement advertising in Georgia College’s Employee Newsletter “Front Page”

38.6%oftheemployeessurveyedusesocialmedia.ThisisthemostusedmediasectionforthisgroupandFront

PageisasystemalreadyinplacetocontacteveryfacultymemberofGeorgiaCollege.Usingthissystemwillallow

freeandeasyaccesstosendoutadstotheentirefaculty.

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T A C T I C S

- Promote the Green Market through social media platforms that GC Employees regularly use such as: Facebook,

Instagram and Snapchat starting 2-3 days before the market in the evening from 5 p.m. and later.

ThetopthreemostusedsocialmediasitesusedbytheGeorgiaCollegeEmployeesareFacebook,Instagramand

Snapchat.Ourdatashowsthatthesethreesocialmediaplatformsareusedthemostduringtheeveningfrom5p.m.

andlater.54%ofthepeoplesurveyeduseFacebookat5p.m.andlater.57.8%ofthepeoplesurveyeduseInstagram

from5p.m.orlater.50.6%ofthepeoplesurveyeduseSnapchatfrom5p.m.andlater.


30


- Use mass media ads to air on the Friday morning and evening drive times before the weekend of the market.

AnotherLargeportionofmediathatisconsumedbyGeorgiaCollegeEmployees,istheradio.Creatingashort30

secondaudioadvertisementtoplayonthepopularlocalradiostation,97.7,duringFridaymorningandevening

commutetimeswillallowtheGreenMarkettopromoteitsbusinessadayinadvancetohelpbuildmoreawareness

especiallywhenSaturdayandSundayarethetwomostpopulardaystoshopforgroceriesinthiskeypublic.

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T A C T I C S

- Partner with Blackbird Coffee Co. and use part of the budget to make coffee sleeve stickers with the Green

Market logo. The morning of the market place the stickers on the first 100 coffee sleeves.

OurgroupproposedthisideaasacheapwaytobrandandhelpspreadtheimageoftheGreenMarketwastomake

coffeecups,sleeves,orstickersforthecoffeeatblackbird.Eachcustomerwillbehandedanadvertisementafter

orderinghisorherdrink.


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DEMOGRA PH I C S

Outofthe63respondentsthatidentifiedthemselvesasSnaprecipientstheaverageagewas38yearsold,the

genderwasprimarilyfemale(63%)andtheracewasamajority64%black.ThemajorityofSnaprecipients(81%)live

withintheMilledgeville31061zipcode.

Theaveragedistancefromdowntownforthisdemographicisaround10miles,butarewillingtodriveabout14

milesforgroceries.Theaveragedollaramountspentongroceriesperweekis$108.TheSnaprecipientsarenotvery

activeusersofsocialmedia.HoweverwhentheydousesocialmediaitismostlikelytobeTwitterinthemornings.

WiththeEBTdoublingsysteminplaceattheGreenMarket,themarketcanbecomeanexcellentalternativeto

customersusingSNAP.Iftheawarenessisincreasedamongthiskeypublic,theycanbecomeavaluableloyal

customerbasefortheGreenMarket.Themosteffectivewaytoreachthispublicisthroughtheradio,andwordof

mouth.CreatingvisualsandhandoutswillaidinthespreadofbuzzabouttheMarketandincreasetheamountof

visitorswhoattend.

Thekeyself-interestsofthisdemographicincludethepricesoftheavailableselectionofgoods,thetypeofgoods

thatareandthedistancethattheGreenMarketisinrespecttowheretheylive.Snapuserswanttobeabletogetas

muchfoodthattheycanforthelowestpriceinonetripsothattheydonnothavetomakefrequentvisitstothe

grocerystore.ThemajorityofthesurveyedSNAPrecipientsusuallyspendtheirtimeshoppingonSundays

andMondaysbetweenthehoursof3p.m.to5p.m.

SNAP Recipients

3

33


OurgoalforSNAPRecipientsistoincreasetheamountofloyalcustomerstogainwordofmouthpromotionandlet

themknowthattheGreenMarketisahealthyandaffordableoption.

Ourobjectivesaretogain5to10consistentloyalSNAPcustomersoverthespringseasoninhopesofaidingwith

wordofmouthreachandtopursuerelationshipswithlocalorganizationsinthecommunitythathaveabroadbase

ofsupportandparticipation.

M E S S AG E SP R IMA RY

TheGreenMarketoffersauniquerangeoflocalfarm-grownproduceataffordablepricespairedwiththe

convenienceofitsdowntownMilledgevillelocation.

S E C O N D A R Y

Accessibilitytoabalancedandhealthydietiskeytoahealthierlifestyle,thisiswhytheGreenMarketdoublesSNAP

benefitsusedatthemarket.

SNAP Recipients

34

S T R A T E G I E S

-ConvinceSNAPrecipientsthattheGreenMarketisagoodsourceforqualityfoodfortheirfamilythroughtradi-

tionaladvertisementsandrewardsprograms.SNAPrecipientsaremotivatedbyprice,thereforepromotingrewards

andbenefitswillbemostuseful.

SNAP Recipients

35

T A C T I C S

- Create reward/promotion system for referring people to the Green Market. SNAP users will be given an

additional discount (at Chelsea’s discretion) for referring a friend, Fresh Rewards.

SnapuserswillbeencouragedtobringafriendwiththemtotheGreenMarketthattheyhavereferredinorderto

receivethediscount.ThiswillbringmorecustomerstotheGreenMarketandincreasetheawarenesswith“buzz”or

“wordofmouth”.

SNAP Recipients

36

T A C T I C S

- Place Fresh Food Bus graphic poster at the locations where the Fresh Food Bus stops (Wray Homes, Boys & Girls

Club, Arts & Sciences, The Green Market, Harrisburg Center, and West Campus).

ByplacingpostersattheselocationspeoplewillbecomemoreawarethatitisastopfortheFreshFoodBus.The

posterprovidesinformationontheSnapdoublingbenefitsandprovidestheotherlocationsforpeopletoseeif

thereisastopclosertowheretheylive.Thiswillsparkinterestforthosewhoseeitwhilepassingthelocation.

SNAP Recipients

37

T A C T I C S

- Use the social media outlet Twitter to make posts about the Green market and inform customers that the Green

Market accepts and doubles SNAP dollars.

ThemajorityofSNAPusersreportednotusingsocialmedia.However,ofthesocialmediaplatformsTwitterwas

listedastheirmostusedformofSocialmedia.Tweetsdirectedatthiskeypubliccanincludeagraphicthatexplains

inaverysimplewayhowEBTdoublingworks.Thegraphiccanbetweetedasareminderafewdaysbeforetheday

ofthemarketbetween6a.m.-11a.m.,whenSNAPusersaremostfrequentlyonTwitter.

SNAP Recipients

38

SNAP RecipientsT A C T I C S

- Create an ad to play on on local radio station 97.7 to air on the Friday morning and evening drive times before the

weekend of the market.

AportionofmediathatisconsumedbythosereceivingSnapbenefits,istheradio.Creatingashort30-secondaudio

advertisementtoplayonthepopularlocalradiostation,97.7,duringFridaymorningandeveningcommutetimes

willallowtheGreenMarkettopromoteitsbusinessadayinadvancetohelpbuildmoreawarenessespeciallywhen

SaturdayandSundayarethetwomostpopulardaystoshopforgroceriesinthiskeypublic.

- Print handouts of the EBT doubling system and distribute at locations around Milledgeville communities near

Wray Homes, Boys & Girls Club, and the Harrisburg Center.

ByengaginginpersonalencounterswithSNAPrecipientswecanbridgethegapofdisconnect.Handingoutflyers

allowsthecustomerstospeakdirectlywithsomeoneaboutanyquestionstheymighthaveandoffersthechance

toreceiveaclearexplanationofthebenefitsofattendingthemarket.Theflyerwilllaterserveasareminderto

potentialcustomerstovisittheGreenMarketwhentheyreviewitandcanbeeasilyhungonsomeone’sfridge

wheretheycanseethedatesandtimesofthemarketintheirhomes.

39

S T R A T E G I E S & T A C T I C S

- Distribute handouts at local churches located in the south side of Milledgeville to include in their Sunday bulletins

both paper and online. (Baptist Church of Hardwick, Grace Baptist Church, Freedom Church, Flagg Chapel Baptist,

First Baptist Milledgeville)

LocalchurcheslocatedinareaswhereSNAPuserstendtoresidewouldbeagreatwaytogetawarenessouttothe

public.ThoseattendingthechurchcanhaveafriendlyremindertovisittheGreenMarketintheirSundaybulletin

providinginformationonthequality,priceandfreshnessoftheproductsatthemarket.SNAPusersreporton

buyingpredominantlymilk,eggs,breadandvegetables.Thehandoutcaninformthereadersthattheseproductsare

offeredattheGreenMarketatanaffordablepriceandarethehealthiestversionsoftheseproductsthattheycan

get.

SNAP Recipients

40

DEMOGRA PH I C S

Outofalloftherespondents,210madeupthe“LakeCountry”public.Ofthese210,theaverageagewas44.The

majorityoftherespondentswerewhite(68%),females(75%).TheLakeCountryencompassedmanydifferentzip

codes,rangingfromMilledgevilletosurroundingcities.

Incompletingresearch,thisdemographicwasdefinedasresidentswholivedatleast10milesorfurtherfrom

downtownMilledgeville,mostlikelyincommunitiesonLakeSinclairorLakeOconnee.Theaveragerespondentlived

30milesfromdowntownMilledgeville,andwouldbewillingtodriveanaverageof12milesforgroceries,making

themadifficultpublictoreach.Althoughdistanceisachallenge,respondentsclaimedthatsocialmediawastheir

mostreliablesourceofmedia(33%).Therefore,targetingthemthroughFacebookandInstagramcouldbridgethe

communicationgap.

Onaverage,theserespondentsspend$78pertriptothegrocerystore.ThiswouldmaketheLakeCountryresidents

avaluablepublictohavebecausetheycouldpotentiallybringalotofrevenue.Alongwiththat,theserespondents

areself-interestedinhavingthebest,highestqualityproductsfortheirfamily.Webelievethatbymarketingthe

freshnessanduniquenessoftheproducts,thefamilieswithmoredisposableincomewillbemoreexcitedtoinvest.

Theopinionleadersinthispublicarethe“stay-at-home”mothers.Byappealingtotheirwanttoprovidethebest

fortheirfamilies,webelievetheycouldbeavaluableassettotheGreenMarketcustomerbase.

Lake Country

4

41


Ourgoalsforthiskeypublicistocreateamoreappealingenvironmentandselectiontocatertothewantsand

needsofthosewithhigherdisposableincomeaswellasmarketingtheproductsandproduceasuniqueitemsthat

cannotbefoundattypicalgrocerylocationsasfreshastheGreenMarket

OurobjectivesaretocraftstrategicmessagesdirectedtoLakeCountryresidentsinordertoincreasesocialmedia

engagementbyendofthespringseasonandtogain10newsubscriberstojointhenewslettermailinglist.

M E S S AG E SP R IMA RY

ShopwiththeGreenMarkettoensurethesafestandhealthiestfoodsforyourfamily.

S E C O N D A R Y

TheGreenMarketistheonlymarketinCentralGeorgiathatrequiresitsvendorstotogrowaccordingtoOrganic

standards.

Lake Country

42

S T R A T E G I E S

-PersuadeLakeCountryresidentstocometotheGreenMarketthroughpromotionviasocialmediaandonline

newsletter.Milledgevilleresidentswithahigherdisposableincomearehighlymotivatedbyhavingthebestbrands

andhighestqualityproducts.Byhighlightingthefreshnessanduniquenessoftheproductsatthemarketand

appealingtomothers,theLakeCountryresidentswillbemorelikelytobuytheseproductsfortheirfamily.

Lake Country

43

T A C T I C S

-Post on social media prior to the day of the market.

Respondentssaidthattheymostregularlycheckedsocialmediaoutlets,suchasFacebookandInstagraminthe

evenings,5p.m.orlater.Byadvertisingthemarketonweeknightsleadingupthemarket,wearemorelikelytoreach

thispublic.

Lake Country

44

T A C T I C S

- Open at least one hour later during the Spring season.

Theweatheronaspring,morningissomewhatcoldandcouldprovetobeaturn-offbymany.Familiesaremore

likelytomakeatripiftheconditionsarepleasant.

- Share Newsletter sign-up through Facebook.

Bysharingthenewslettersign-upviasocialmedia,theGreenMarketcouldgainmoresubscribers.Themailinglist

offersamenuofitemsthatwillbeprovidedatthemarket,whichissomethingthatkeypublicmentionedasbeingof

importancetothem.Inthenewsletter,itwouldalsobeimportanttoexplainthebenefitsoffreshfruitsand

vegetables.Alongwiththat,onecouldincludehealthyrecipesthatcanbemadefromtheproductsforthefamily.

- Search residents who live in Greensboro area and invite them to like the Green Market Facebook page.

Ofthe210respondents,176claimedtouseFacebook.Inordertocapitalizeonthiscommunicationchannel,we

plantosearchLakeOconeeandLakeSinclairresidents.ByfollowingpeopleonFacebook,wehopetogainfollows

back,whichwouldinturnleadtoengagement.Bypostingannouncementsofthemarketandselectionofupcoming

goods,followerswouldbewellinformed.Inconductingfocusgroups,theirmaincommentswerethattheywere

uninformedaboutthemarket.ByboostingFacebookengagementwiththispublic,theycouldbecomemore

activeparticipants.

Lake Country

45

Additional Ideas

46

AdditionalideastopotentiallyboosttrafficandexposureoftheGreenMarketarecomingupwithastapleproduct

tooffer,changingthelocationortopossiblychangethetimes.Thefirsttacticofcomingupwithastapleproductis

twofold.ThefirstreasonwouldbetopullinpeopletravellingthroughMilledgevillethatotherwisewouldnotstop

attheGreenMarket.Thesamepasserbythatmaylikethestapleproduct,let’ssayitisboiledpeanuts,maynotbe

thesamepersonthatwouldnormallystopatafarmersmarketonaSaturdaymorning.Thesecondgoalofastaple

productisthatanestablishedconsistentproductthatisuniquetotheGreenMarketwouldgeneratereturning

customersfrompre-existingclientelebase.

Whilewerealizetheimportanceofthecurrentlocationwherethemarketisheld,keepinganopenmindabout

potentiallymovingtheGreenMarketclosertodowntowncouldbeprofitable.TheparkinglotwheretheDeepRoots

festivalisheldisclosertofunctioningbusinessesandisalargerspace.Onefinalideawesuggeststrictlyduetothe

dataofallkeypublicsisthatmanypeopledonotactivelyshopat9a.m.inthemorning.Obviouslythisisthebest

timeatpresentfortheGreenMarkettooperateasitisalreadyfunctioning.However,changingtimesorextendingit

couldallowtheGreenMarkettopotentiallyreachmorepeople.

Additional Ideas

47

Calendar

Calendar

49

Budget

Budget

51

CommunicationConfirmationChart

53

Evaluation Tools& Criteria

54

Evaluation ToolsInordertoevaluatetheeffectivenessofthiscampaignfortheSpring2017,wewouldusethefollowmeasurements

ofreach.TheplanwouldbeevaluatedatthebeginningofJune,whichwouldconcludetheSpringseason.

F I R S T M E A S U R E R E A C H :

-Werealltheadvertisementsplacedasplanned?

-Waseverypublicreachedthroughatleastonemediachannel?

S E C O N D M E A S U R E T R A F F I C :

-Didwebsitetrafficincreaseatalloverthespanof5months?

-HowmanynewfollowersonInstagramandFacebookweregainedperpublic?Weretheobjectivesforthesesocial

mediamet?

-Didwereachtheobjectiveofnewnewslettersubscribers?

T H I R D M E A S U R E C O N V E R S I O N O F T R A F F I C T O L E A D S :

-Didsocialmediaengagementincrease(likes/comments/shares)?

-DidoverallattendancetotheGreenMarketincrease?

F O U R T H M E A S U R E C O N V E R S I O N O F L E A D S T O C U S T O M E R S :

-TracksalesfromthebeginningofSpringseasontotheend.

-TrackamountofSNAPandEBTusedatGreenMarket

F I F T H C O M P A R E C O N V E R S I O N R A T E S O F D I F F E R E N T T A C T I C S :

-Identifywhichkeypublicshadthelargestamountofnewcustomersinordertodetermine

whichtacticsworkedbest.

55

References

ReferencesG.(n.d.).Agriculture-$74BillionIndustry.Retrievedfromhttp://www.gfb.org/aboutus/georgia_agriculture.html

Losh-Jones,C.(n.d.).TheGreenMarket.RetrievedDecember1,2016,from

http://greenmarketmilledgeville.weebly.com

NewDataReflectstheContinuedDemandforFarmersMarkets.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2014/08/0167.xml

Inc.,H.M.(n.d.).Home.RetrievedDecember05,2016,fromhttps://hootsuite.com/

StateExportsfromGeorgia.(2015).RetrievedDecember1,2016,from

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/ga.html

VistaPrint(n.d.).RetrievedDecember05,2016,fromhttp://www.vistaprint.com/

Zazzle|PersonalizedGifts,CustomProducts&Décor.(n.d.).RetrievedDecember05,2016,from

http://www.zazzle.com/

greenmarket-final-paper (1)

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