marketing plan for yasso frozen greek yogurt
DESCRIPTION
A full integrated marketing campaign for Boston-based Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt.TRANSCRIPT
blair & erin & lauren & lydia & rachel
a plan by
Executive Summary……………………………….1
Research……………………………………………………..2
Competitive Analysis………………………….….17
SWOT……………………………………………………………18
Issues & Opportunities………………………….19
Target………………………………………………….……...26
Marketing…………………………………………………….30
Pubic Relations……………………………………....34
Media…………………………………………………………….44
Budget……………………………………………….………….52
Measurement…………………………………………….54
Executive Summary
Team Yogurls has created an extensive twelve-month marketing plan for Yasso Greek Yogurt to implement in 2014. Founded right outside of Boston, Massachusetts in July of 2009, the Yasso product was first delivered to stores in 2011 and is relatively new to the frozen novelty food category. Since the brand’s inception, Yasso has put a lot of effort into developing the product, landing influential distribution channels across the US and expanding as a fast growing novelty brand.
Our plans book maps out Yasso’s next steps as a new brand featured in the frozen aisle at supermarkets and superstores. An overbearing amount of well-known frozen desserts and snacks already live within the frozen novelty category including brands such as Ben and Jerry’s, TCBY, Adonia and Skinny Cow. Competition is tight. This plan must generate brand awareness and affinity for Yasso by utilizing interactive and relevant outlets for women between the ages of 18 and 50. Using extensive research, our plans book will uncover the target’s eating habits and brand values. These insights will drive a repositioning for the Yasso brand. Yogurls will also utilize a celebrity endorser to introduce the up and coming brand, become more closely involved in CSR, and develop local relationships to effectively cut through the saturated frozen novelty and Greek yogurt markets.!
Research Methods
Team Yogurls created a four-part primary market research plan including:!
An observational field study that took place at
local grocery stores
An Internet survey distributed via Facebook and Twitter focusing on CSR and “buying local”
habits
A series of in-depth
interviews
Our secondary research is comprised of findings from Mintel, Internet sources, and activity on current social media supplement our findings.!
An in-depth survey taken by 18
Emerson graduate students
Graduate Student Survey Yogurls first chose to survey a sample of Emerson Graduate school students. We chose to survey graduate students because they are closer to the core of Yasso’s target. Yogurls also wanted the opportunity to compose primary research using the Yasso brand name. In order to do this, Yogurls had to stay within to the Emerson community. Out of the 18 people who participated in this survey, 40% of the participants provided their demographic information. Participant ages ranged between 22 and 32 and the gender majority skewed slightly female. We wanted to gather information from this segment to better understand their relation to health and lifestyle; gauge frozen treat preferences; and understand key factors in their frozen treat buying process, such as where they buy their frozen treats and the amount they are willing to spend on a box. Finally, we asked if the participants had either heard of the Yasso brand or tried the bars.
!
The Questions We Asked: How healthy do you consider your lifestyle to be? What are some of the factors you have in mind when buying a frozen snack or dessert? What do you look for most in a frozen snack or dessert? Have you tried frozen Greek yogurt? Where do you typically buy frozen treats? At what time in the day would you typically eat a frozen yogurt or ice cream treat? Would you eat frozen Greek yogurt for breakfast? Have you heard of Yasso frozen Greek yogurt?!
Our participants considered themselves either ‘moderately healthy’ or ‘healthy’
Graduate Student Survey Results
Healthy 44%
Moderately Healthy
56%
How healthy do you consider yourself? No one from our sample felt they lead a ‘very healthy’ or (on the opposite end of the spectrum) a ‘not very healthy’ lifestyle.
Our target finds value in maintaining a healthy or moderately healthy lifestyle yet only 55% percent exercise on a weekly basis or everyday. This shows that while people value healthy living, their habits may fluctuate. Consumers who claim to lead healthy lifestyles do not necessarily visit the gym on a day-to-day basis.
Everyday 6%
Once or Twice a Week 50%
A Few Times a Month 33%
Never 11%
How often do you exercise?
Graduate Student Survey Results
In gauging the consumers’ values when purchasing their frozen treats, “taste” was the number one answer in the open-ended section with 10 mentions. Other words such as “price”, “calories” and “sugar” came in a close second with five to seven mentions each.
Graduate Student Survey Results
Only 22% of participants had previously tried frozen Greek yogurt, while 67% claimed to like regular Greek yogurt. This data shows that the frozen Greek yogurt category that has yet to hit its full potential. Brand recognition was also very low, with only 5% having heard of the Yasso brand.
67% like regular
Greek yogurt
5% Have heard of
the Yasso brand
22% like frozen
Greek
yogurt
Graduate Student Survey Results
We also conducted research to learn more about the time of day consumers would be willing to eat the product. A whopping 89% of participants claimed they would NOT eat a frozen yogurt treat for breakfast and all participants claimed they would eat frozen yogurt between afternoon and nighttime hours. We believe it will take major efforts to change people’s frozen treat eating habits and we will not focus on changing behaviors.!
100% eat frozen yogurt in the afternoon
and nighttime
89% would NOT eat a
frozen yogurt treat for breakfast
Observational Fieldwork
Yogurls visited two supermarkets that carry Yasso to observe consumer behavior in the frozen novelties aisle. We took note of consumers’ behavior as they passed the Yasso products on the shelves. We also viewed competing products’ shelf placement in relation to Yasso’s shelf placement.!!
Local Food Survey
After taking in the presentation made by the client, one of the major take-aways Yogurls wanted to emphasize was the fact that the brand is a small Boston-based startup and that they are involved in a variety of charities. We conducted a small online survey of 17 people, attempting to see if it’s common for people buy their dairy products such as yogurt or ice cream with locality in mind. We also wanted to see if people actively seek out brands with honorable CSR campaigns.!
The Questions We Asked: What are your ice cream brands? What are your favorite yogurt brands? Are these brands local to your hometown and/or current residence? Do you prefer to buy locally produced food products? Where do you prefer to buy your groceries? Do you buy products from businesses that you know give back to the community? What are some businesses that you think do a good job at giving back to the community? What are some local brands that you support?
Local Food Survey Results
Ben & Jerry’s and Chobani are the most well known, popular ice cream and yogurt brands included in our survey. Other brands such as Brighams, Haagen Dazs, Edy’s, Friendly’s, Fage, Yoplait, Stonyfield, Gogurt, Red Mango, and Berryline were mentioned as well. People who enjoyed the products were not necessarily from (or currently living in) the area where these products are produced, and did not associate their favorite ice cream brands with being local to them. All of these brands are major names and distributed on a mass production level. They are not similar to Yasso on these terms at this stage in Yasso’s business development. ! When people were asked, “Do you prefer to buy local food products and support local businesses?” an impressive 81% of participants answered sometimes to always. Additionally, 89% of participants sometimes to always support businesses that give back to their communities. People answering the surveys didn’t have any issue listing their favorite local brands and favorite brands that are involved with CSR, which prove these are great areas to focus on in our campaign.!
81% sometimes to
always support local brands
89% sometimes to
always support businesses that
give back
In-Depth Interviews
Yogurls completed seven in-depth interviews. The interview subjects were all females, ranging between the ages 21-50. Six of the seven subjects have young children. Regina, 21, and Rebecca, 42 are from New Jersey. Jen, 41, recently relocated from Los Angeles to Oregon. Marissa, 30, and Tanja, 32, live in Connecticut. Christine, 28, and Julia, 50, live in Massachusetts. We interviewed these women to learn about their yogurt eating-habits, frozen novelty-eating habits, their nutritional concerns when it comes to eating frozen items for themselves and their children, as well as their knowledge of Yasso frozen Greek yogurt.
The Questions We Asked: Tell me about your experiences grocery shopping in the frozen aisle. What frozen snacks and desserts are you most attracted to? What would make you inclined to buy frozen Greek yogurt? What factors come into play when choosing between your favorite brands? How important are nutrition facts such as calories, fat and sugar, when it comes to dessert items? Would you consider eating a frozen Greek yogurt bar for breakfast? Have you ever heard of Yasso frozen Greek yogurt?!
In-Depth Interview Highlights
Subjects ate yogurt as a snack regularly, however, one subject does not like Greek yogurt. The subjects with children also let their children eat yogurt as a snack. When it comes to frozen novelties, they ate them as frequently as every day to hardly ever.
Their nutritional concerns of frozen novelties also varied. Five of the subjects were concerned with mostly calories and fat, while the remaining two did not worry about nutritional factors because frozen novelties are considered an infrequent “treat.” Likewise if frozen novelties were an infrequent treat for the children, then the less concerned subjects were about nutritional information.
When it comes to Yasso brand recognition, only Tanja and Julia knew of the product but had not tried it. Both subjects said the packaging looked clean.!
Greek yogurt
is a regular
snack
Packaging
looks clean
Frozen novelties are an infrequent
treat
I’ll eat frozen yogurt almost
everyday
Overarching Findings
o Nutrition, living healthy and taste are extremely important factors in the buying process
o Even though brand recognition is low, there is hope for the growing frozen Greek yogurt category
o We will not focus on changing people's breakfast behaviors in our campaign
o We want to focus on brand recognition
o The Yasso target is likely to shop in grocery stores
o Need to work on consistent positioning in stores
o People value CSR
o People value business locality!
brand recognition
CSR
grocery store
positioning
local business nutrition
growing category
Industry Insights Ice cream and frozen novelties are a $10.7 billion industry, which increased 4.1% from this past year. Consumers generally choose value pricing, second to flavor in the frozen novelty and ice cream market.
As for competition in this market, Nestle is the leading competitor holding 23.6% of market share in the ice cream and frozen novelties. Private labels take a strong second place with 21.5%. The leading brand in frozen novelties are Skinny Cow, Dryers Eddy’s and Drumsticks.!
one of the most popular
first date spots
According to The New York Observer, frozen yogurt shops are the most popular first date destinations. Another industry note is that vanilla costs are soaring, while dairy prices are going down. Self-serve frozen yogurt where you can add your own toppings and price is based on weight is gaining popularity. The frozen yogurt trend took off about 3-4 years ago and has been rapidly expanding since. Some wonder if it’s becoming an overly saturated market. !
10.7 million dollar industry 4.1 percent
from last year
Container size and brand name are of equal importance to consumers in general, but container size is more important to consumers between the ages of 18-24, who are looking for single servings on the run. This demographic is typically the most fitness-oriented and trend savvy. Brand name is more important to consumers between the ages of 55-64. Health information is important to about half of the respondents in older demographics. Consumers choose value pricing, second to flavor in the frozen novelty and ice cream market. 18-34 year-olds make up 24.8% of the ice cream-consuming population.
“Health-conscientious consumers who buy into this segment also want to have an indulgent experience—creating room for super-premium suppliers to blend their brand image with a more nutritional product. Strategically, these markers must maintain characteristics that elevate the brand above the standard, such as unusual flavors and combinations.”
- Mintel!
“Expand the reach for frozen yogurt to include times of day that consumers might not likely reach for it—with added health and functional benefits and tangier taste, why not initiate consumption of frozen yogurt for breakfast? Using granola or cereal brands as a mix-in might perpetuate this notion.”
-Mintel Ice cream and Frozen novelties, US, May 2008!
Consumer Insights Women consume frozen novelties more than men (although frozen novelties are consumed far less than ice cream). This is thought to be because they are indulgences allowing for portion control which appeals to diet-minded/health-conscious consumers.
Consumer Insights
Income can be associated with one’s level of education attained. As such, higher income earners are more likely to be educated about the features and benefits of ice cream alternatives.
Millennials are the most educated generation in history about food, and view the world as “one wide open eating opportunity.”
– Iconoculture
0 100 200 300 400 500
Frozen Yogurt is healthier than Ice Cream
Frozen Yogurt has more natural ingredients than ice cream
I would eat more frozen yogurt if there was more variety
I prefer frozen yogurt to ice cream
All
<$25K
$25k-$49.9K
$50K-$74.9K
$75K-$99.9K
$100K
Percentages based on 671 Adults 18+ who ate frozen yogurt in the past year. March 2008
Competitive Analysis
COMPETITORS PRICECALORIES PER
SERVINGFLAVORS BOX DESIGN CATEGORYOTHER NUTRITION
100 - 200
200
80
75
80
100 - 180
$3.99 - $4.99
$5
$4.99
$3.99
$4.99
$3.50 - $4.50
CHOCOLATE
VARIETIES
BLUEBERRY VANILLA GRAHAM
BANANA PEANUT BUTTERSTRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
RASPBERRY FUDGE CHUNK
POMEGRANATE
BLUEBERRY
NATURALADO
PEACH
BLUEBERRY
RASPBERRYBLUEBERRYCOCONUT
STRAWBERRYMANGOVANILLA
LOW FAT
LOW CAL
(POINT SYSTEM)
N/A
All NATURAL
RBST FREE MILK
ANTI OXIDANTS
CHOLESTEROL FREE
FAT FREE
KOSHER
GLUTEN FREE
LOW CHOLESTEROL
GLUTEN FREE
FAT FREE
LIVE AND ACTIVE
CULTURES
ALL NATURAL
FAT FREE
PROTEIN PACKED
GLUTEN FREE
PROBIOTICS
ANTIOXIDANTS
RBST FREE MILK
NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
PROBIOTICS
LOW-FAT
LIVE & ACTIVE
CULTURES
FROZEN DESSERT
FROZEN GREEK YOGURT
FROZEN YOGURT GELATO
FROZEN GREEK YOGURT
FROZEN GREEK YOGURT BARS
FROZEN YOGURT
STRAWBERRY SWIRL BARORANGE YOGURT BAR
CHOCOLATE FUDGE YOGURT BAR
VANILLA YOGURT SANDWICH
*
* ONLY INCLUDE THE NOVELTY BAR FLAVORS
*
*
*
Friday, April 26, 13
Strengths o Healthy Product
o Largest Bar on the Market
o Available Nationwide
o Can be Eaten on the Go/Anywhere
o Social Media Activity is Strong on Facebook
o Local Up-and-Coming Company
o Positive Publicity in Media o Values CSR o Great Existing Brand Creative Briefs
Opportunities o Offer Product in a Wider Variety of
Locations (ie. Convenient Stores) o Join the ‘Protein Replacement’ Trend o Food truck culture
o Attending Local Boston Events o Attending National Events
o Recently Added Flavors
Weaknesses o Weak Brand Awareness
o Price versus Quantity of Bars Make this Commitment Purchase
o Greek Yogurt Taste (Deterring for Some)
o “Flavors are Boring” (Facebook Sentiment)
o Competition is Steep in Frozen Treat Market
Threats o Frozen Yogurt Shops with Physical Locations
o Long Winter Months
o Saturated Frozen Novelty Products Market
o Saturated Greek Yogurt Market
o Froyo or Greek Trend May Die Out
SWOT Analysis
Americans are still feeling the effects of the 2008 recession. Today, 50% of the world’s population under 27 is unemployed and 43% of recent college graduates are working jobs that don’t require a Bachelor’s degree. The median household income under 35 fell 37% between 2005 and 2010 from 68.5K to 50k. According to the American Psychological Association, because of this imminent pressure, Millennials have been declared to be the “most stressed generation”. Because of the economic downturn, future influential generations have become more simplistic, practical and find more enjoyment expressing individualism than past generations. It also means Millennials may not want to spurge on a fancy treat with less expendable income.
ISSUES Economic Recession
Seasonality Although Yasso is distributed all over the country, the majority of the areas that Yasso bars are sold within have a seasonal climate change. It is a well know fact that the popularity of frozen treats sky rockets in the warmer months and plummets during the cold winter. This is especially so in New England. Sales during the summer months for may not be enough to repair the damage that will be done if consumers lose interest in the frozen Greek yogurt bars.
43% of recent college
grads are underemployed
Median HHI
37% 2005-2010
ISSUES Veganism
Among the several modern day health food and dietary trends is veganism. There is an increase in the prevalence of vegan cookbooks; cafes and restaurants. Packaged goods are marked as vegan as a selling point. Veganism is becoming chic as it is practiced by singers, athletes, and even Bill Clinton. There were 7.5 million vegans in the US as of 2011. That number had doubled within the two most recent years.
. !
82% of
vegans are in our
target
59% of vegans are women and 82% of vegans fall within our target age range. The primary reason for people become vegan is for health reasons which is closely followed by environmental concern. Animal welfare and natural approaches to wellness follow. And finally, weight loss and maintenance is one of the least popular reasons people become vegan. Educated young people are apt to take on the vegan diet, which can be a deterrent from purchasing lactose Yasso bars.
there are
15 million Vegans in America
ISSUES Icelandic Yogurt: Skyr
Icelandic yogurt, known as skyr, is making its way to the US with popularity among the early adopter audience. Currently a variety of skyr is available at Whole Food locations along the East Coast and Southern California. Skyr boasts similar health benefits as Greek yogurt such as a healthy dose of calcium and protein, in addition to a low fat content. Popular brands of skyr are Siggi’s and Skyr.is.
Saturation of Greek Yogurt Market Within four years Chobani has become the leader in the Greek yogurt market, holding 47% of the market. The second market leader is Fage, holding 17% of the market. Chobani is easily the most recognizable name in Greek yogurt category and Fage is extremely popular with the early adopter set. These brands are synonymous with quality Greek yogurt. ! Kraft’s Athenos brand of Greek yogurt
only lasted a measly two years on grocery store shelves. Kraft wasn’t the only major food brand that is jumping on Greek yogurt bandwagon. Other major brands, according to the chart, are General Mills and Dannon are barely staying afloat in the Greek yogurt industry. Recently PepsiCo just entered the market with its product, Müller and inevitably started the “yogurt wars.” Overall, the market is full of recognizable brands and on the cusp of becoming cluttered. Yasso needs to separate itself from that clutter.
Chobani 47%
Fage 14%
Dannon 20%
General Mills 6%
Other 13%
May 12, 2012
Popularity of self serve
Working in opposition to the popularity of self serve, Yasso offers portion control and there is not the option to add fattening toppings. Some people may prefer the soft serve texture, going into the store and adding their own mix of toppings, but we could emphasize that by adding all these unhealthy toppings, you are losing the benefits of eating frozen yogurt, and might as well be eating ice cream. Yasso, being prepackaged and wrapped, offers portion control and a set amount of calories, fats etc.
Toppings OVER- LOAD
New England Loves Ice Cream
New Englanders are the leading consumer of ice cream, and the theory behind the statistic ironically has to do with the regions long and brutal winters. When summer is approaching New Englanders come out of “hibernation” and are looking to celebrate the beginning of the season with a cold and sweet treat. Yasso has the opportunity to flaunt its nutritional value while comparing itself to calorie and sugar packed ice cream. There is a golden opportunity to position the bars as a healthy yet sweet frozen alternative for the beginning of summer celebration.
ISSUES
Women's Health Awareness Trend
Yogurt, Greek yogurt, and Yasso Bars contain probiotics and antioxidants, which are both focal points in the women’s health awareness movement. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which can cause irreversible damage to your DNA.
OPPORTUNITES
Antioxidants are said to have many healthful benefits in addition to removing free radicals from your bloodstream such as reducing wrinkles and protecting skin from sun damage. Although they do not treat the aforementioned problems, they are used as preventative measures. Antioxidants are also said to help fight against cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and immune dysfunction.
Yogurt is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to intake probiotics that can boost your immune system and stave off colds, yeast infections, and even flatulence! Probiotic is Greek for ‘for life’.
Greek Yogurt Trend
As Americans become more health-conscious, trends are showing people are swapping from sugary treats and traditional yogurts to Greek yogurts. The tangy, creamier alternative is strained to remove much of the whey and sugar, while leaving behind muscle-replenishing protein.
OPPORTUNITES
Chobani Corporation spearheaded the Greek yogurt craze in 2005. Within 5 years of sales, Greek yogurt doubled market share from under 2% in 2006. Greek yogurt now accounts for 36 percent of the $6.5 billion industry in total U.S. yogurt sales, according to investment firm AllianceBernstein.
Greek yogurt accounts for 36% of $65
billion total U.S. yogurt sales
Childhood Obesity Epidemic Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Overweight and obesity are the result of a “caloric imbalance” which is when too few calories are expended in comparison to how many calories are consumed. According to the Center for Disease Control and Preventions, this imbalance also has to do with genetic, behavioral and other environmental factors.
Many medical websites do not suggest putting children on diets because they need nutrients and energy for development and growth. Yasso provides a controlled serving size and fixed caloric intake that will appeal to young mothers concerned with this epidemic. Eating while watching TV/ in front of the computer/ playing video games is discouraged. Yasso bars make eating on the go easier which thus encourages physical activity. It is also important that children eat food that is low in fat. Yasso bars are low in fat and sugar unlike many food products marketed to children these days.
We can't lie around on the couch eating French fries and candy bars and expect our kids to eat carrots and run around the block.
OPPORTUNITES
Redefining the Triple Threat
TARGET
warm hearted
women
They care about the health of their loved ones
They are educated about health issues
The health benefits of Yasso most greatly impact women
TARGET
Women Ages 18-50!1. Young Professionals
2. Young Mothers
3. College Students
! 1. New England 2. United States
!
HHII $50K - $100K
!
Seeking Bachelor’s degree or
higher!
o Fitness & Yoga Enthusiasts
o Healthy Eaters
o Trend Awareness
o Food Knowledge
Sherine 25 Brookline, MA Web Engineer $80,000
Christine 34
New London, CT Realtor $65,000
Christine’s daughter
Sophia 2 yrs.
!
MARKETING
OBJECTIVE #1:
Increase brand awareness by 10%
Tie-ins with multicultural influencers
Expand guerrilla
marketing
OBJECTIVE #2:
Develop a positive reputation to coincide with Objective #1
Relate Yasso to a fitness oriented lifestyle
Cultivate a culture of CSR
What are the creative executions expected to accomplish?
o Brand Awareness o Call to Action o Increase Sales o Become a Lifestyle Brand!!Who are we talking to?!Women ages 18-50 o Young Mothers, with children <12 years o Young urban professionals o Local push, Boston + New England
What are the Key Insights?
o Only 22% of participants had tried frozen Greek yogurt
o 67% claimed to like regular Greek yogurt o Brand recognition was also very low with
only 5% having heard of the Yasso brand
This data leads us to believe this is a category that has yet to hit its full potential and amount of people who enjoy the product.
In one sentence, what is the idea we need to communicate?!Yasso Greek frozen yogurt is the latest way to get your Greek yogurt fix.!!
What substantiation makes the message believable?!Yasso is the only brand solely dedicated to producing frozen Greek yogurt bars.!!
What will the tone be? Modern, Upbeat, Feminine, Playful!!Positioning Statement Boston-based Yasso offers the first Greek frozen yogurt bar providing female consumers between the ages of 18 and 50 a nutritious guilt free treat that is low calorie and protein packed. !!
Boston-based Yasso offers the first frozen Greek yogurt bar providing female consumers between the ages of 18 and 50 a nutritious guilt free treat that is low calorie and protein packed.
This positioning statement emphasizes the key aspects of Yasso’s frozen Greek yogurt bar and the overall brand that needs to be shared with the target audience. The first aspect highlights Yasso’s origin city with “Boston-based Yasso.” The location is imperative to the statement because the “local” characteristic relates to brand awareness. Results from our Local Food Survey show 81% of participants “sometimes” to “always” support these brands. The second element of the positioning statement declares Yasso as “the first frozen Greek yogurt”. Being first to market is crucial for the early adopter set, which encompasses the psychographics of the young adult, female primary target. The third aspect that is highlighted in the positioning statement describes the Yasso bars as a treat in the clause, “a nutritious guilt-free treat that is low calorie and protein packed.” After analyzing the in-depth interviews, Yogurls took note of one respondent's answer to the question, “Would you eat frozen Greek yogurt for breakfast?” The respondent’s answer mentioned that she would get a toothache if she were to eat something frozen along with her hot coffee. We decided coffee in the morning is too strong of an American breakfast staple for Yasso to fight. In addition, the idea of frozen yogurt for breakfast creates cognitive dissonance. While “treat” limits the product from including breakfast, it does however encompass desserts and snacks while alluding to a sense of novelty rather than commodity.
POSITIONING
TONE
The tone for this campaign coincides with the current Yasso brand. The characteristics representing visual tone such as “Modern” and “Upbeat” appeal to the early adopter-like psychographics of our target. “Feminine” corresponds with our target’s demographics. “Playful” is how the voice of Yasso will be portrayed.
Overview
Our public relations plan will be built upon: 1. A celebrity endorsement. 2. An in-depth media outreach campaign 3. A variety of promotional events and partnerships
A celebrity endorsement will demand a large portion of the campaign’s budget, but will be extremely effective in helping Yasso obtain our goal of increasing brand awareness by 10%. The team’s media outreach plan will target local and national publications including mommy blogs, health and fitness magazines, and village weeklies. We tailored Yasso sponsored events and partnerships to appeal to health-conscious women between the ages of 18 to 50.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
celebrity endorsement
local events
charity media outreach
Celebrity Endorsement!
Yasso will use images of Maria Menounos in creative assets. She will take on the role of celebrity spokeswoman and sponsor. Her mild celebrity status makes a partnership an attainable goal. The women of Yasso will most likely identify with her upbeat and healthy lifestyle. !
Considering Menounos is a Medford, MA native and of Greek descent we feel she would be the perfect individual to represent Yasso. !
About Menounos!
Maria Menounos is an actress, journalist, and television presenter with a knack for adventure and a heart for social change. Born and raised in Massachusetts to Greek immigrant parents, Costas and Litsa, Menounos attended the Greek Orthodox Church and is fluent in the Greek language. !
After graduating in 2000, Menounos became a reporter for Channel One News before moving on to the entertainment industry. She appeared on Access Hollywood, One Tree Hill, Dancing With The Stars, and hosted The Challenge and reunion specials of The Real World. She has been named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" and is the founder of charity organization, "Take Action Hollywood!" that works to fight AIDS.!
She stepped into the spotlight early, when she won Miss Massachusetts Teen USA. She then went on to pursue her passion for entertainment at Emerson College, where she took part in the now award-winning organization, Emerson Independent Video. !
Media List
Press releases and pitches will be drafted for the release of the new Yasso flavors and sent out to all appropriate contacts on the media list. Every Yasso event will also be pitched to all ‘New England’ outlets that are featured on our list, appealing to the editors with a local community angle.
o Mommy bloggers
o Health and Wellness bloggers
o College bloggers
o Lifestyle magazines
o Fashion magazines
o Food magazines
o Fitness/Health magazines
o Local (New England) weeklies
o Local (New England) news publications – food editors
o Local (New England) news stations – radio & television
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yogurls Marketing Agency 617-555-1234
YASSO FROZEN GREEK YOGURT SPONSORS FREE PUBLIC YOGA SESSIONS AROUND BOSTON THIS SUMMER
(BOSTON, MA) JUNE 1, 2013 – Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt is announcing the dates today for their pop-up Yasso yoga sessions which will be taking place bi-weekly in some of Boston’s popular public parks including, the Boston Common, the Esplanade, Back Bay Fens, Cambridge Common, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Yasso Yoga summer sessions will be the first series of its kind sponsored by the Boston based start-up. Each Yasso Yoga Sessions will be free and open to the public, lasting one hour and hosted by a professional and certified yoga instructor. Yasso Yoga Sessions are appropriate for beginners and welcome participants of all ages to attend. At the end of each session the Yasso Truck will be on site to provide attendees with a sample of the protein packed Yasso bars. Yasso will provide free yoga mats in the shape of their product for participants to use. The series will kick off on the first Saturday of the much anticipated summer season and the schedule for the following six sessions are as follows:
o Saturday June 22nd @ 1pm, Boston Common across from the Frog Pond o Saturday July 6th @ 1pm, Rose Kennedy Greenway across from Hanover St o Saturday July20th @ 1pm, Cambridge Common under the willow trees o Saturday August 3rd @ 1pm, Back Bay Fens adjacent to the MFA o Saturday August 16th @ 1pm, the Esplanade in front of the Hatch Shell o Saturday August 31 @ 1pm, Jamaica Pond across from the boat house About Yasso: Founders of Yasso Greek Yogurt, Amanda and Drew are long time childhood friends who teamed up in 2009 to create the first ever frozen Greek yogurt bar. Consumers quickly became loyal fans, and Yasso grew rapidly. Now staffed with a team of fun and energetic people, Yasso has become one of the fastest-growing novelty brands in the country. As they look to the future, Yasso will continue to create products that are delicious, nutritious, and authentic, loyal to the same values Yasso has had since its inception.
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Lauren DiZazzo, Communications Manager Apollo Food Group 617-555-1234 Dawn Roode, editorial director MA Metro Parents (617) 315-0800 droode(at)davlermedia.com Dear Ms. Roode, Stereotypical subcultures such as ecofriendly hippies are no longer the only segment of the population who are concerned with the ingredients of the food they consume every day. The media as well as the United States government have made strides to inform our nation of the growing obesity epidemic, mainly focusing on the 17 percent of America’s children (between the ages of 2 and 19) who are considered to be obese. The production and promotion of nutritional foods that appeal to young children is a necessary step to take towards bettering the health of our nation, and organizations such as Apollo Food Group are striving to do just that with the release of three new Yasso Frozen Greek yogurt flavors. Yasso Greek frozen yogurt bars were born in Boston, MA and are the pride product of Apollo Food Group. Apollo Food Group produces a line of Greek frozen yogurt treats including smoothies and frozen bars, and strives to provide mothers who are seeking healthier snacks for their children with a sweet protein packed snack. The organization has recently decided to broaden their horizons by developing three new delicious flavors including Mango, Coconut, and Vanilla Bean. All of the bars are fat free, contain 6 grams of protein essential to children’s nutrition, and omit all artificial sweeteners. The new flavors have been released just in time for the upcoming summer season! Yasso will be encouraging youngsters and their mothers to sample the tropical flavors by offering free samples via the Yasso truck which will make surprise “guest appearances” at local Boston playgrounds. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that your publications will assist our team in introducing caring mothers and their children to the nutritional and tasty products Yasso has to offer. We will be releasing the Yasso Truck schedule to local publications, and please contact me to request a schedule and regarding any questions you may have concerning the products, I can be contacted any time via email at [email protected] or by phone at 617-555-6391. Sincerely, Lauren DiZazzo
Yasso Guest Appearances
Yogurls carefully selected New England-based events to sponsor. At these events we will have a presence that we are calling Yasso Guest Appearances.
The Yasso truck will be parked at events such as the Boston Marathon, Tufts 10K, the Boston Music Festival, and the Newport Folk Festival making “Guest Appearances.” In addition to making Yasso’s presence known at these highly publicized events, we also plan on attending smaller community events, such as the SoWa Open Market and the Boston Greek Pride Parade. We will aim to seek out events taking place in some of Boston’s unique neighborhoods where we will have the opportunity to spread the word and Yasso goodness.!!
Yasso Yoga Sessions Yasso Yoga Sessions provide an opportunity to reinforce Yasso’s value of community. The portable yoga classes will take place bi-weekly during the spring and summer. Sessions will be conducted by a professional yoga instructor on heavily traveled outdoor spaces all over Boston, including:
o Boston Common o Rose Kennedy Greenway o Cambridge Common o Back Bay Fens o The Esplanade o Jamaica Pond
Not only will Yasso provide the yoga instructor, but it will also hand out free Yasso bar shaped yoga mats and ice cold Yasso bars at the end of every class. Passersby will see the class taking place and hopefully be intrigued by the brand that is sponsoring the event. But we will also promote the event so people are aware of the classes. !
Complementary Yoga Mat
Partnership with Athleta
The partnership with Athleta will be active during the summer and fall months. This partnership will be centered around yoga events and the yoga products Athleta offers as well as their culture. Their yoga pants and tops are in the medium-high price range and fall within a price range that attracts our target demographic. (~$50-$150) An Athleta representative will be at the Yasso Yoga Sessions and will have product catalogs, information and items for sale. Athleta will have signage and exposure at the yoga sessions as an incentive on their end of the partnership. This is a chance for them to bring in potential sales and new customers. This partnership would give Yasso added brand exposure and awareness because this is such a popular brand and fits the lifestyle of our target. Athleta has a popular blog “Athleta Chi” which can feature stories about Yasso and the larger partnership. More importantly Athleta has a store on Newbury Street which hosts athletic and social events as well as yoga classes a few times a month. If we partnered with them we could provide bars and coupons at the store/events that will get more people to try the bars, building brand awareness. Our product is healthy and fits into the Atheta enthusiasts lifestyle and fitness routine. Some of their fitness classes include light refreshments and even brunches so this could be a way to integrate our Yasso bars into the Athleta brand. !!
For the Yasso media buys, Yogurls is focusing on online outlets. Our goals remain the same, to create more brand awareness and generate a buzz with those in the early adopter group. We are allocating approximately $60,000 to our media plan. Media will take up a small portion of the total budget because we are directing most of our efforts toward events and public relations tactics. We believe our Public Relations plan is where we can be more creative and cost effective
MEDIA
Going off of the community connection we are going to place a banner and side bar advertisement on the Improper Bostonian homepage, which will cost $3,500 for a two week run. We will place this ad in the late spring, just before the summer. !
The online media strategy will encompass online social media platforms in addition to online ad buys. The social media platforms we will utilize will be the the ones that are most popular with our targets, especially the early adopters. The social media elements will encourage consumer to business interaction within the community.!! We are inserting the salary for a Community Manager and Intern into the budget of about $35,000 a year.
These individuals will be in charge of managing the Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest and Twitter, as well as the Check-ins for Yelp and Foursquare. They will also conduct research and compose articles for BostInno Channel posts.
We will also run a homepage banner and square ad on Thought Catalog for a few weeks in the beginning of the year. This strictly online publication is popular amongst “20-somethings.” The contents of this blog are short essays by both the staff and people who submit.
To coincide with Yasso’s mission to promote a healthy lifestyle, we will also put a banner and square ad in the online version of Flow Yoga Magazine. Flow is a publication dedicated to yoga, and is not the most popular yoga magazine but its audience is growing and is targets the older segment of our target. The price is affordable. We will buy the 600 x 200 banner on the website for one year. At $200 a month that will cost $2,400. !!
Another college blog where Yogurls will buy a homepage and square spot ion the HerCampus main site. An ad placed there has a rate of $10 per CPM. HerCampus reaches approximately one million unique monthly visitors and is popular among college women.
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Yogurls will purchase a BostInno Channel for Yasso as a form of content marketing, The estimated cost is $500 per year. The Community Manager will create posts for the channel that will focus on healthy diet habits, local food events, and the childhood obesity epidemic.
Yogurls is also going to concept scan-able coupons to be distributed around college campuses, public transit, and in local health clubs/gyms. One such gym we want me to push the coupons in is Healthworks because it is a fitness center for women. Healthworks has locations around Boston in the Back Bay and Coolidge Corner neighborhoods.
These coupons can be scanned with any smartphone QR code reader. Immediately after they are scanned, a digital coupon pops up for a free box of Yasso bars. This coupon can be redeemed at participating grocery stores or at the Yasso food truck. This promotion will run in May 2014.!
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Community Management
58%
BostInno Channel
1%
Ad Buys Online 33%
Scan-able Coupons
7%
Leeway 1%
Total Media Budget: $60,000
$4,200 $600
$34,800
$600
$19,800
Total Budget Media………………………………………………………………….$60,000 Maria Menounos Image…………………………….$500,000 Maria Menounos Photoshoot costs………$40,000
o Photographer o Studio rental o Photo editing o Digital ad creation
Yasso Truck Appearances...................$35,000 o @ $5,000 per event X 7 events
Yasso Yoga Sessions…………………………………$130,000 o $50,000 for Yasso popsicle yoga mat production o Staff handing out yoga equipment o Yoga instructors!o Photographer
Community Manager and Intern…………….$35,000 Athleta Parntership……………………………………….$20,000 Donations to Charity…………………………………….$30,000
o $10,000 to One Fund o $10,000 to Boston Children’s o $10,000 to Tufts 10K
Scan-able Coupons…………………………………….$50,000 Total = $900,000
We have set aside $1,000,000 in miscellaneous costs, such as travel and unanticipated bills. There is also the possibility that using Maria Menounos in our digital ads will cost more than expected, as will managing all the publicity.
With a million-dollar budget, we are able to allocate substantial amounts of money to all of the tactics. The Maria Menounos campaign is allocated the largest sum of money because we believe that this tactic will greatly contribute to our goal of increasing brand awareness.
We are allocating $35,000 to bring the Yasso truck to events. This includes insurance, gas, and compensating the operators for their work.
The Yasso Yoga Sessions require money for several factors including popsicle yoga mat production, compensating the instructors, an purchasing city permits.
We will also donate $10,000 to the Boston’s One Fund, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Tufts 10K for Women to support our CSR goals.
Measurement At the end of this year long campaign Yogurls will report the effectiveness of the strategies and tactics. The campaign plan includes heavy social media efforts, so evaluation of these efforts will be based on the number of Facebook likes, Twitter followers, Pinterest pins, and Yelp reviews in January 2014 which will be closely compared to the numbers resulting in January 2013. The social media buzz surrounding Yasso sponsored events such as Yasso Yoga Sessions and Yasso Guest Appearances will also be monitored. The number of mentions, retweets, and posts will be reported. By utilizing a well developed media list and implementing a strategic media outreach campaign, Yogurls plans to receive a solid amount of media placements in local weeklies, mommy blogs, and lifestyle magazines. The media hits our team receives will be tracked through a clipping system and quarterly publicity reports will be be delivered to the client During the digital coupon campaign Yogurls will also track how many scans the coupons receive, how much traffic they drive to the website, and how many boxes of Yasso are redeemed.