Carlos O'Kelly's Campaigns Plansbook

a CASSAA Creative production

2

the power of choice...Introduction

Index 4'

Executive Summary

6

Client, Industry and

Paid media

Consumer analysis

Owned media

Earned media

Client history

Industry

Consumer analysis

16 Situation

analysis

23

39

Secondary Research

Primary research

Expert interviews

One-on-one interiews

Current brand image

Focus groups

Direct competitors

Online survey

Indirect competitors

3

54

SWOT ANalysis

56

59

overarching strategy and execution

Strengths

Weaknesses

Brand recommendations

Opportunities

Paid promotions

Threats

Owned promotions

the power of choice

Earned promotions

Target audience

Message strategy

Challenges Objectives

76' 81 82 83 84

future projects timeline evaluation closing statements appendix

4

the power of choice...Introduction

Executive summary Carlos O’ Kelly’s is a Midwestern, full-service casual, Mexican restaurant chain that opened in 1981. The restaurant’s “Inspired Mex” brand has led to the opening of 39 restaurants across nine states. Carlos O’Kelly’s unique cuisine offers hand-crafted Mexican food with original flavor combinations.

Currently, the Carlos O’Kelly’s location in Lawrence, Kan., is facing the issue of a lack of awareness with the target market, Millennials. This is due in part to an absence of a strong relationship with both KU and the community. CASSAA Creative recognizes the opportunity to increase brand awareness by re-engaging the relationship between the restaurant and the community by utilizing a variety of strategic and creative tactics.

Carlos O’Kelly’s direct competitors add to the challenges of changing the restaurant’s positioning. There are a number of other Mexican and full-service casual restaurants in Lawrence that have more profitable locations and greater popularity among students. The challenge here will be changing the brand image and general perception of the restaurant.

Keeping these issues in mind, CASSAA Creative conducted extensive secondary and primary research to understand the current state of the restaurant industry and consumer needs. The initial research conducted on Millennials produced findings on spending habits as well as reactions to social media and other marketing platforms. The biggest takeaway from the client analysis was that Millennials agreed that word-of-mouth advertising remains to be the preferred channel to receive marketing messages.

Secondary research findings included study of paid media, current Carlos O’Kelly’s figures, sponsorship opportunities, competitive spending, social media, print advertising and budgeting among other topics.

CASSAA Creative looked at the different ways to promote Carlos O’Kelly’s brand image using paid, earned and owned media. The secondary research provided crucial insight as to how Carlos O’Kelly’s can better market its brand to potential customers.

The primary research for the Carlos O’Kelly’s marketing plan consisted of expert and industry professional interviews, one-on-one interviews with KU students, two separate focus groups and an online survey. This research segment provided further information regarding the current perception of Carlos O’Kelly’s.

CASSAA Creative also conducted a SWOT Analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Carlos O’Kelly’s. With the research and SWOT analysis completed, CASSAA Creative began creating execution strategies and tactics. These strategies and tactics will be the driving force behind the proposed campaign to improve Carlos O’Kelly’s brand image.

5

Claire Hagen

Spencer Aull

Arthur Hailand

Alexa Buffington

Sierra Paller

Allie Raymond

it’s our mission... to make you the better, more you-ier you that we know you are and can be. We represent the true no-holds-barred, ass-kicking, rule-breaking clients that we work with. We’re anti-mediocracy and pro-creative thinking and CASSAA is all about coffee and brainstorming sessions centered around you and your customers. Speaking of customers, we are customer-centered and know them better than anyone. Innovation, creativity and experiences are used in our daily, hourly, minute-ly vocabulary because CASSAA is more than an agency. We’re your partner-in-crime, best friend and cool aunt or creepy uncle all wrapped into one. At CASSAA, you’re always part of the family, because nuestro casa, es su casa.

CASSAA

The

6

the power of choice...situation analysis

situation

analysis

7

let us just lay it all out there At CASSAA Creative we like to examine the good, the bad and the ugly in order to get a comprehensive portrait of your brand. We’ve gone beneath the surface and beyond the standard to discover the best possible solution for Carlos O’Kelly’s.

8

The power of choice..analysis

client history For more than 32 years, Carlos O’Kelly’s has crafted cuisine that combines traditional Mexican flavors with exceptional and original ingredients. The combination is known as “Inspired Mex” and has led the brand to open 39 Carlos O’Kelly’s locations across nine states.

The first Carlos O’Kelly’s was opened in 1981 in Marion, Iowa, by Darrel and David Rolph. Both Darrel and David started in the restaurant business as franchise owners for Pizza Hut, Inc. The two formed a business partnership in 1973 that grew to include 26 Pizza Hut restaurants and the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand. In 1988, the two acquired 16 Applebee’s restaurants in Illinois and Iowa and continue to expand the franchise today. The continued ownership of the Applebee’s locations gives the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand direct access to consumer research and insights. Together, the establishments function under one parent company: Sasnak. Based in Wichita, the enterprise employs more than 4,500 people in nearly a dozen states. The Carlos O’Kelly’s location on 23rd Street in Lawrence, Kan., opened in June 1992. After co-founder Darrel Rolph died last year, David became the company chairman and his son Jon is the current company president.

The restaurant’s mission statement, “To be the most trusted restaurant in the communities we serve,” helps guide the organizational structure and constant evolution of Carlos O’Kelly’s to be successful. Operating with the objective to focus on great hospitality and quality food, the brand can be differentiated from others in the casual-dining category.

9

industry analysis With total revenue from restaurant food and drink sales in the United States estimated at more than $600 billion, the industry reacts to consumer demands with options in regards to price, food quality, eating experience, speed and menu choice (Statista). Making up two-thirds of that total market revenue are quick-service restaurants and full-service restaurants. The fullservice casual restaurant industry is comprised of restaurants that provide food service in a casual atmosphere to seated patrons who are served by a wait staff and pay after the meal.

According to Hoovers, the demand for casual dining is driven by personal income, consumer tastes, demographics and psychographics. The industry itself is highly fragmented as the 50 largest restaurant companies account for about 20 percent of the revenue, according to the Natioanl Restaurant Association. Based on U.S. system-wide sales, Applebee’s, Olive Garden, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Red Lobster and Outback Steakhouse are the top-five casualdining chains (NRN).

National Restaurant News (NRN) reported that the gap in sales between quick-service restaurants (QSR) and full-service restaurants is growing at a rate of 4.6 percent. The QSR industry is perceived as offering sufficient value for consumers while fullservice restaurants continue to lose customers to QSRs. The quickservice restaurant industry has been able to capitalize on collegeage students by providing a quick, easy and inexpensive solution for their dining needs (Pilon, 2009).

10

The power of choice..analysis

To contend with the competitive market of quick-service restaurants, restaurants in the casual-dining category must compete with low prices, fast service and reasonable quality.

Casual-dining restaurants have the advantage in food quality and branding over QSRs. “A restaurant’s brand is so much more than a logo or an ad campaign. A brand is the sum of all of the experiences and impressions of the company as held in the minds of consumers. Therefore, ‘brand’ includes business strategy, food variety and quality, modes and level of service, aesthetics, facilities, operations, and marketing. All of these areas influence the customer experience and impressions, thus the brand. It is critical to understand this as a concept grows” (Wd Partners).

Consumers have tremendous clout in the casual-dining trade.

Traditional casual-dining restaurants have the opportunity to drive business through the variety of options offered.

This presents the opportunity to explore the variety of the brand and ensure an exceptional dining experience for the consumer (Technomic, 2012). Creative tactics can attract, engage and retain customers. Tailoring consumer experience and continuing to develop brand identities is critical in the success of the casual-dining industry.

11

consumer analysis Millennials

The target market for this campaign is the Millennial age group. Whether they are called the next greatest generation or the generation of the future, the potential purchasing power and influence of Millennials is significant. The purchasing power and social influence of this generation are the reasons that they are the focus of this Carlos O’Kelly’s campaign.

A Millennial is defined by several different attributes. Members of this target market are defined by some research groups as 18- to 34-yearolds, and 18- to 29-year-olds by others. They tend to be members of the largest and most important group of Internet users, and they consider the Internet to be the most trustworthy form of all media. It has been said that they are “addicted” to social media, which can be attributed to the fact that Millennials are some of the earliest “digital natives.” Millennials are content users and creators. They are eager to share information through various media platforms with friends, family, coworkers and the world. They represent a group of high TV users and music listeners. Millennials strive for a healthy lifestyle and enjoy jogging/running, weightlifting and the most popular traditional American sports, such as basketball, football and baseball. Research shows that Millennials are adventurous individuals who enjoy culture and crave adventure. They place great value in transparency and real-life examples in regard to advertising and marketing. They prefer to receive personal messages in a personal delivery method.

Overall, Millennials have an annual direct spending power of more than $200 billion. Their annual indirect spending power exceeds $500

12

The power of choice..analysis

billion (Barkley, 2011). Understanding this group and the effect it has on the restaurant marketplace is critical in maintaining an effective and prosperous relationship between Millennials in Lawrence and Carlos O’Kelly’s.

Millennials and the Restaurant Business Millennials live tightly scheduled lives and are constantly searching for instant gratification. They value speed, ease and convenience in all aspects of their lives.“To meet the expectation of this generation, companies need to rethink their existing customerservice models. These consumers are always in a hurry, and it’s critical to determine how you can get them to spend time developing a relationship with your brand.” (BCG, 2013) Millennials trust their friends over any expert. It is no longer as important to produce only brand endorsements, but instead firsthand recommendations and reviews from friends. It is important to maintain a positive reputation among peers (The Boston Consulting Group, 2011). These recommendations have a direct impact on purchasing decisions and patterns when eating out, or “treating” themselves. By taking a break from cooking, they desire to socialize with various peer groups. This group searches for variation from the daily routine and an excuse to gather with friends and family. According to the Boston Consulting Group, Millennials crave social interactions on and offline. They are more likely to interact and connect with a large number of people, more often and more frequently than any other age group (The Boston Consulting Group, 2011).

“When it comes to making purchases, Millennials are far more likely than non-Millennials to favor brands that have Facebook

13 pages and mobile websites (33 percent versus 17 percent). They overwhelmingly agree that their lives feel richer when they’re connected to people through social media.� (The Boston Consulting Group).

The Millennial Generation believes it can make a difference in the world. It is extremely receptive to cause-marketing and is more likely to purchase items associated with a particular cause. Studies have found that Millennials are more likely to engage in a cause campaign and encourage others to support via social media than other age groups. When going out to eat, Millennials are looking for food quality above other factors. The next most important factor is good value.

key take-aways

Millennials have an intense desire to connect with others, and many view the experience of dining out as a social event. They prefer to eat at a wide variety of restaurants that provide many choices and lower price points (National Restaurant Association). The Generation tends to favor fast-food and quick-service restaurants over other dining industries. Its desire for experiencing new things also draws it to more ethnic dining experiences.

Encouraging word-of-mouth recommendations, maximizing social networking, highlighting social responsibility and showing digital integration are critical to understanding the Millennial market. U.S. Millennials are often drawn to creative and innovative graphics, design and ideas. Because of their desire to try new things, offering samples of the latest food and beverage items is a great way to connect with consumers. Ensuring that each message is communicated in a clear and direct tone with a warm and personal voice is essential in urging Millennials to share and engage with the brand.

So what’s the deal with

Millennials?

They

are

high internet users -and-

they watch

a lot

of

TV

They

Although they drink, millennials strive for a

is their most trusted source

healthy lifestyle

frequent

bars and nightclubs

&

internet

on average 2-3 times a month

Millennials not only prefer bars and night clubs, they seek peer affirmation... and those two go handin-hand.

When they do receive their messages on the internet, they don’t want just any messages. They want messages that are personalized t o t h e m .

Millennials lead social media.

- and-

real life examples are key to millennials. They want you to be up-front with them. That means addressing problems early on and personalize all marketing.

75%

50% 30%

silent (65+)

baby boomers

generation x

millennials

6%

88%

they want to be a part of the world. they want to help others. They like...

c a u se marketing

#SAVETHEWHALES

of millennials are optimistic with their future incomes. Did we also mention that millennials like adventure - actually they crave adventure - and they like sports. They like jogging, basketball, football and baseball. And milliennials are hooked on social media.

All sources for this infographic were collected from Barkley Advertising and Pew Research.

16

the power of choice...situation analysis

Current brand image Carlos O’Kelly’s current brand image is unclear to Millennials in Lawrence. The name of the restaurant conjures mixed messages about the type of food served and the overall atmosphere of the venue.

Because of Carlos O’Kelly’s ambiguous brand image, many potential patrons avoid the restaurant in favor of a more familiar dining experience and atmosphere. Carlos O’Kelly’s does not have great top-of-mind awareness because of its lack of a well-defined brand image, consistent voice and overarching restaurant theme. With limited advertising, potential customers have little to no knowledge of in-store promotions and the brand’s community involvement.

For the most part, Carlos O’Kelly’s seems to be an unknown restaurant option for Lawrence Millennials. Without clear message development and communication, Millennials will continue to pass over the restaurant option simply because of a lack of familiarity.

The results from a survey conducted for this campaign showed both positive and negative perceptions of Carlos O’Kelly’s current brand image. One of the largest take-aways from the survey was Lawrence Millennials’ lack of awareness. Multiple responses included reactions containing phrases like “What’s that?” or “Never heard of it.” On the other hand, research showed multiple positive responses containing phrases like “Good drink specials,” and “Fun, good, family-oriented and cheap.” The primary problem remains to be a lack of awareness. The primary strength is found in its inexpensive dining with an emphasis on drink specials.

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direct competitors

According to its marketing manager, Dave Phillips, Carlos O’Kelly’s direct competition is found in the larger, corporate chains with locations in Lawrence. The casual-dining chain restaurants in Lawrence include Chili’s, Applebee’s and On the Border. Currently, all three are attempting to keep their brand’s image contemporary by making advances in technology usage and modernizing the interior of their restaurants. Even though these are large national chain restaurants, each makes an effort to be represented as charitable, community-oriented and invested in local interests.

Chili’s, owned by Brinker International Inc., is a full-service national chain restaurant that offers a variety of menu items. The restaurant holds the brand position of a southwestern theme and bold flavor profile. Similar to Carlos O’Kelly’s, Chili’s serves more than Mexican food. Chili’s offers burgers, pastas and barbecue menu items, but its name and the spicy flavor of its food give Chili’s a Mexican style identity (Business Insights, 2013). There are 1,266 Chili’s restaurants in the United States. Most of Chili’s television commercials focus on meal deals and new menu items. Its “Baby Back Ribs” commercials, which included the famous “I Want My Baby Back” jingle, is still well known today. Chili’s is positioned as being laid back and inexpensive, while serving flavorful food. In 2008, Business Insight’s reported that Chili’s held the second spot in a ranking of the largest market share for casual dining. The No. 1 spot was taken by Applebee’s (Business Insights, 2013).

Chili’s is one of the leading restaurants integrating technology into the dining experience. In September 2013, the company announced that it plans to install tablet computers that will take orders, accept credit card payments and allow patrons to play games at its tables. The restaurant has been testing the Ziosk tablets since early 2013, and it found that patrons will generally spend more per check when they use the machine. Photos of dessert will pop up on the device halfway through the main meal, which produced a 20 percent increase in dessert sales. The research also found that about half of patrons used the tablet to pay their check, instead of waiting for their server to bring it. The tablets also offer games for a $0.99 fee. Chili’s splits the profits of this fee with Ziosk. From its tests, it reported about 10 percent of tables take advantage of the games and, as one could predict, the percentage increased when children were present.

Chili’s is also a significant supporter of nonprofits. For the past 10 years, the restaurant chain has designated one day a year to donate 100 percent of its net profits to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. To participate, customers can dine in or get a to-go order. More than 1,200 of the restaurants nationwide participated this year.

According to Business Insights, Applebee’s holds the highest market share in the casual- dining industry. The restaurant chain

18

the power of choice...situation analysis

is owned and operated by DineEquity Inc. and has been in operation for three decades (Business Insights, 2103). The restaurant has a famously family-friendly image of neighborhood values and often decorates its walls with local high school and college team memorabilia. In addition to its “2 for $20” deal, Applebee’s partnered up with Weight Watchers to make the “Eating Right Never Tasted So Good” campaign (Applebees).

Applebee’s has been on top of the technology trend. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company tested several tabletop screens in recent years, including the Ziosk and two similar devices, Presto and eTab. The restaurant is continuing to test tablets and technology but has not announced adapting its restaurants to host the systems.

Applebee’s is also testing a new prototype restaurant in Weslaco, Texas. According to a Sept. 10, 2013, article in Restaurant News, Weslaco is the second city in the United States to open the prototype restaurant, which features bold colors, a sleek stone face and a very modern overall aesthetic. The interior features more TVs and embraces a comfortably contemporary design. The walls are decorated with the traditional local memorabilia featuring landmarks, historical events of the area and nearby athletic teams.

On the Border was once owned by Brinker International Inc., the same owner of Chili’s, but has since gone under the operation of Golden Gate Capital. With 147 locations across the United States, On the Border is a smaller restaurant chain than Chili’s and Applebee’s; however, it still owns a strong market share. Because of its parent group, which also owns California Pizza Kitchen and Romano’s Macaroni Grill, the restaurant has a national presence and a solidified brand identity.

On the Border has a Build-Your-Own combo similar to its competitors’ “2 for $20” deal. On the Border has promoted having great value through featuring its specials and deals in its advertisements. On the Border claims a more authentic Mexican restaurant brand image

19 but offers less variety on the menu. On the Border currently uses a brand-specific customer loyalty program called “Club Cantina.”

This November, On the Border opened a new prototype restaurant in Schaumburg, Ill. There are four other successful locations in the greater Chicago area. The state-of-the-art prototype features an open kitchen with a wood-burning grill, a brighter color palette, unique pieces of art and a décor with rustic finishes. The patio has been expanded and there are two “El Presidente” booths for larger parties. The bar will include 12 draft beers and 32 types of tequilas for its famous margaritas. The restaurant opened on Nov. 18, 2013; however, on Nov. 14 there was a special VIP pre-opening event. This event allowed VIPs to purchase a beer bottle to sign, which would then be displayed in a large chandelier. The proceeds were donated to the Make a Wish Foundation of Illinois.

indirect competitors Carlos O’Kelly’s’ indirect competition in Lawrence includes El Mezcal, the Salty Iguana, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Cielito Lindo.

El Mezcal is a local Mexican restaurant located close to Carlos O’Kelly’s on 23rd Street. The restaurant is known among college students for its cheap food, alcoholic beverages and accommodation of large parties. The menu includes traditional Mexican food like fajitas, tacos, burritos and enchiladas.

El Mezcal has a Facebook account with links to its website, Yelp. com account, TripAdvisor and Foursquare. The Facebook ac-

20

the power of choice...situation analysis

count has four likes and 350 people are talking about the restaurant. El Mezcal does not have accounts on Instagram or Twitter.

The Salty Iguana is a Midwest Mexican food chain with Kansas locations in Independence, Lawrence, Olathe, Overland Park and Prairie Village. Its menu and atmosphere are similar to El Mezcal’s, but with different branding. Salty Iguana is known for its elaborate iguana murals, which cover the interior walls of the restaurant.

The restaurant offers breakfast along with its variety of lunch and dinner menu items. Along with in-store dining, Salty Iguana offers an online ordering tool and catering services for both parties of any size and banquets. Unique to The Salty Iguana is its online video game, Iggy’s Challenge, which targets children and young adults who play online video games.

The Lawrence location is specifically involved with the University of Kansas athletic department, sponsoring “Hawk Talk” with Men’s Basketball coach Bill Self.

“Hawk Talk” is a weekly press conference with Self and Bob Davis held at the restaurant. “Hawk Talk” is designed to discuss the team’s progress throughout the basketball season and holding the conference at Salty Iguana creates brand awareness and interaction with fans of the university.

Online, Salty Iguana engages with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On Facebook, the restaurant has more than 6,200 likes and it posts weekly using pictures and ads while engaging fans that comment on the posts.

Salty Iguana utilizes Facebook’s event function by creating weekly events to promote the “Hawk Talks.” Its

social media coverage is very consistent and reaches a wide variety of markets.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is another Mexican-inspired restaurant chain with a location on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence. The restaurant chain has been building its brand for 10 years and strategically target college towns. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop locations can be found in 11 states. Its largest presence is in Texas but stretches as far north as Wisconsin. Lawrence’s Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is open until 3 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to compete as a late-night dining option. The restaurant is known for its baja-style tacos and large Beer-o-Ritas.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop offers an extensive catering service with options that include a build-your-own taco bar, appetizer trays and fajita buffets available for any function needing catering.

Online, Fuzzy’s is somewhat active on Facebook, Twitter and FrontFlip, and it has its own App that provides deals and incentives to its customers. On Facebook, Fuzzy’s Lawrence page has 1,013 likes and 63 people talking about the brand. The restaurant does not post as often as the Salty Iguana but includes status updates with specials every couple of months.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has multiple Twitter accounts, with a corporate handle as well as several location-specific accounts. The corporate account has 3,830 followers, and the majority of the posts contain links to favorable articles about Fuzzy’s.

The Fuzzy’s Taco Shop App is a direct way to engage customers and give incentives for dining in. The App is

21 free and can be found on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. The App works at all locations and allows customers to submit Fuzzy’s receipts to gain rewards that are redeemable for in-store value. FrontFlip works in a similar way.

Lastly, Cielito Lindo is a local Mexican restaurant on New Hampshire Street in downtown Lawrence. Similar to El Mezcal, Cielito Lindo has a “mom and pop” atmosphere, which is a favorite among college students. Cielito Lindo targets Millennials by having a variety of cheap drinks and sufficient space for large parties. The restaurant occasionally hosts live entertainment to provide a fun atmosphere.

Cielito Lindo uses Facebook and Twitter to promote itself. On Facebook, the restaurant has 602 likes and 27 people talking about the brand. Cielito Lindo uses Facebook posts to advertise upcoming musical acts that will be performing at the restaurant. Also, the restaurant uses trivia questions to engage fans and highlight in-store promotions.

The

22

the power of choice...secondary research

secondary

research

23

What started it all...

Secondary research (research gathered by other research groups and publications) represents this campaign’s starting point for research. The secondary research contains information obtained through sources provided by industry and trade associations, media sources and educational institutions. Secondary research provided information about the most beneficial media outlets with the greatest opportunity of ROI. The research focused on media outlets including paid, earned and owned media.

Paid media is a channel that a brand pays to use, like radio ads, television ads and sponsorships. The research includes the effectiveness of fliers, newspaper ads in the UDK, sponsorships and competitive conquesting. Paid media are beneficial because they are in demand, immediate, controlled and can be broadcasted to a wide audience.

Owned media is run through channels that a brand controls. These channels include the brand’s website, blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts. Within this outlet, research was used to investigate food trucks, websites, the Front Flip mobile App, table tents and in-store promotions. The longevity, control, versatility and cost efficiency of this outlet make it financially appealing.

Earned media refer to media coverage generated by the customers. For example, word-of-mouth, branded social media posts and buzz created by guerrilla marketing are all examples of earned media. Earned media are often the result of well-executed and well-coordinated owned and paid media. Social media and guerrilla marketing serve as a focal point in this section. Earned media represent the most credible media outlet. Earned media functions are transparent and play a key role in brand identity and brand awareness, which are major factors in boosting sales.

The secondary research also helped fine tune CASSAA Creative’s understanding of the target market, Lawrence Millennials. From there, CASSAA Creative was able to conduct relevant one-on-one interviews and productive focus groups. The secondary research about Lawrence Millennials provided the groundwork for making decisions and later conducting primary research.

24

the power of choice...secondary research

Paid Often referred to as traditional advertising, paid media includes everything from sponsorships to display ads.

Choosing strategic channels for paid media can enhance the overall performance of a campaign. The research below focuses on the specific platforms of paid media that research suggests to be viable options for this Carlos O’Kelly’s campaign.

Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsorships are great opportunities for brands because they are mutually beneficial to both parties involved. The sponsoring company is able to increase its exposure to the people at the event and, depending on what level of sponsorship is chosen, there is a variety of ways for the company to better reach its audience at these events. The company and event being sponsored benefits from the money or resources donated.

The Big Event The Big Event is an annual event hosted by the University of Kansas. Students, staff and faculty participate in service projects at hundreds of sites all across the city of Lawrence.

This year, the Big Event takes place in spring 2014. Since The Big Event was established in 2011, volunteers have completed more than 300 service projects at local homes, schools, churches, nonprofits and public spaces. More than 2,500 university volunteers have participated in The Big Event since 2011.

The Big Event is a great opportunity to increase awareness for local businesses among the KU community. This year,

organizers of the event anticipate a volunteer base of around 4,000 people. With a variety of sponsorship opportunities, the event offers a multitude of options for businesses to choose from, in order to maximize exposure and align with organizations that can be tailored to the desired brand image. Two ways in which donations can be made are for food for participants (possible catering opportunity) and cleaning, maintenance and event supplies.

See appendix for the Big Event sponsorship opportunities.

Competitive Spending ((Chili’s, Applebee’s and On the Border))

Gauging and understanding competitive spending on advertising represents an essential part of determining how much to spend on advertising and promotion for one’s own business. Being aware of how much competitors spend on certain media outlets can be very helpful in making spending decisions related to total budget, outlet selection, spending frequency and spending timetables.

-Chili’s Advertising Spending 2010: $125.3 Million -Applebee’s Advertising Spending 2010: $147.9 Million Mexican Restaurant - UDK spending To utilize the UDK to its fullest, it is beneficial to speak with the account managers at the UDK to determine the most effective package possible. This way, Carlos O’Kelly’s can gain a better understanding of how others are marketing in the UDK and make appropriate adjustments. A UDK rep for another Mexican restaurant in Lawrence said it is currently

25 doing a 2 column by 3-inch weekly ad bundle. It runs one ad per week to promote its happy-hour specials. It also runs one coupon, twice a week. This option costs the restaurant $300 per month. The rep noted that the restaurant had a good return on its newspaper coupons; however, it did not feel that there was a good return on happy-hour specials advertised in the paper.

See appendix for full Rate Card.

Social Media Social media are another important channel for increasing awareness about brands. Compared to other advertising channels, such as broadcast and print, social media are relatively cheap and are the best way to reach the target market of Millennials. The key to using social media is posting frequently and posting content relevant to one’s followers. Sponsoring certain posts gives brands the opportunity to have higher visibility. Social media costs vary depending on which platform a company is using and how it is using that platform; however, here are some general prices for social media posts.

-Blogging/Search Engine Optimization: $1,000-$2,000 a month if done by an outside firm -$50-$500 if done by yourself -Twitter: $1,000-$4,000 per month -Facebook: $2,000-$9,000 per month -Social Media Strategy: $3,000-$9,000 per month -Social Media Consulting: $75-$200 per hour

Print Advertising Although advertising seems to be headed in the direction of digital and social media, studies have shown that print advertising, such as inserts and coupons, is still an effective marketing option. According to a survey done by Google/Shopper Sciences Survey, Millennials are the most significant and active users of coupons. Many Millennials get these coupons from social media, but they still rely heavily on both print and email sources. Although men and women use the same channels for retrieving coupons (print, digital and in-store), men are more likely to use grocery-related and fast-food/casual-dining restaurant coupons (Vailissis, Print in the Mix, 2013) Another study, done by Valissis, found that while Millennials are used to receiving daily advertising messages from online sources, newspaper inserts and coupons still play a large role in their shopping routines and purchase decisions. A Valissis Consumer Print Usage survey found that 91 percent of Millennials who use newspaper inserts and coupons do so to save money, and 60 percent of those Millennials say they would shop less and make fewer purchase decisions in their absence. The study showed that newspaper inserts and coupons increase purchase rates among Millennials. This is accomplished by alerting Millennials to sales promotions, driving them to purchase, reminding them of a need, helping them decide where to buy and informing them of a product or service. As for restaurants, Millennials use inserts and coupons for dining out as well. The Valissis study showed that 87 percent of Millennials who use newspaper inserts utilize them regularly or at least occasionally when making one-time restaurant selections (Print in the Mix, 2012).

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the power of choice...secondary research

Restaurant Marketing According to Restaurant Resource Group, there are five keys to enhancing a restaurant’s marketing efforts. These five include branding, positioning, due diligence, menu mix and training. Branding is about making sure that the company’s promise is supported by the company’s execution. Branding is not achieved through only advertising and it’s not only about recognition; it’s making sure that all aspects of the marketing scheme are in alignment. The next key to restaurant marketing is positioning. Positioning is how potential customers view a company’s brand in comparison to competitive brands. In order to maximize a company’s position, the implementation of the unique selling proposition, or USP, is crucial. A USP is something that only a specific company can claim, and differentiates that company from others. The next key to restaurant marketing is due diligence. This may seem self-explanatory, but in order for due diligence to be effective the company must have a solid understanding of the industry as a whole. Factors that contribute to this understanding include competition, internal and external customers, financial and marketing history and the outside forces that could affect a company’s business decisions. Menu mix refers restaurants conducting an analysis of the menu every 6-12 months. Included in that analysis are profitability and comparisons with competitor menus.

A company wants to keep its menu fresh, relevant and profitable, and in order to do that, the company must keep track of how each individual item on the menu is performing compared to other menu items of its own and its competitors.

The final key to restaurant marketing is training. Training cannot consist of only employee orientation, but must also involve ongoing adaptive training that includes restaurant marketing education. These five aspects serve as important tools in accomplishing marketing goals.

(Allen, Restaurant Marketing, n.d.)

Four Ways to Increase Sales of Restaurant According Restaurant Resource Group, the four most important methods to improve sales in for a restaurant include increasing trial customers, frequency of visits for existing customers, the spending average for all customers and average party size. All of these strategies require different tactics in order to succeed, and it is essential for restaurant decision-makers to avoid making changes that displease current customers. This may require some trial and error manipulation. New trial refers to first-time customers and is the most expensive of the four sales builders. New trial can cost 7-10 times more than repeat customers; however, it is integral in the success of other sales builders. Frequency consists of existing customers returning for repeat purchases. Developing frequency programs, such as bounce backs and loyalty programs, builds relationships and loyalty with customers. The third sales builder is check average. Check average is the average amount each customer, or party, spends at a restaurant on a single visit. In order to build sales, a restaurant needs to increase its check average. This can be done through price increases, suggestive selling strategies, effective internal marketing and add-ons/ upgrades. Party size is the average number of people eating in groups at restaurants. A restaurant wants to develop programs such as refer-a-friend or birthday clubs in order to increase the average party size. With these four sales builders, restaurant owners can increase their revenue and strengthen their marketing schemes.

(Allen, Restaurant Marketing, n.d.)

Budget Typically, it is suggested that advertising budgets for restaurants fall between 3-6 percent of sales. Additionally, budgets should be adjusted during busier months in

27 order to maximize sales during times when customer traffic is highest. An increase in advertising during the busiest periods of the year can further increase revenue. Spending more on advertising during slower periods (like happy hour promotions) can be a waste, as marketing tactics won’t necessarily change consumer behavior. Marketing efforts with a heavy focus on new client acquisition can also be wasteful because marketing to potential leads can be much more expensive than marketing to existing customers. The 70/20/10 Model allocates 70 percent of the marketing budget to the continuance of previously successful efforts, 10 percent to new channels and opportunities and the remaining 20 percent to building on the development of the prior year’s most successful marketing in new channels (Yohn, 2013).

How to Measure Marketing Effectiveness There are a variety of ways in which a restaurant can measure its marketing effectiveness. The first way is to compare variances of sales and marketing spending over set time periods. Restaurants can also look for correlations of sales and marketing expenses between time periods.

Finally, restaurants could set a 52-week marketing timeline and create quantifiable checkpoints throughout the year to determine marketing effectiveness (Allen, Restaurant Marketing, n.d.).

Other Prosperous Regional Chains One example of a regional chain that Restaurant Resource Group says is doing well is Firehouse Subs. There are a few reasons that Firehouse Subs is considered to have a strong marketing model. The restaurant has both strong internal marketing and direct email programs. Firehouse Subs also sends out quarterly saturation mailers offering things such as free sandwiches or meals that have no strings attached. These quarterly saturation mailers draw doubledigit feedbacks, and research has shown that 70 percent of the customers who redeemed the cards became loyal or repeat customers. Firehouse Subs also has a strong focus on local store and neighborhood marketing as opposed to spending a lot on mass media. By doing this local store and neighborhood marketing, the restaurant is able to build stronger relationships in the surrounding community (Allen, Restaurant Marketing, n.d.).

Owned media is a channel that Carlos O’Kelly’s would have complete control over. Having an effective and successful owned-media plan affects the success of earned media. The research below focuses on specific owned-media channels that have been suggested by previous research to be critical to the success of Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence.

owned

Restaurant Interior Design Research According to primary and secondary research, one of the most important aspects to an excellent dining experience is the atmosphere. Well-branded restaurants that create a consistency between their brand image and their restaurant interior and exterior appearance generally experience higher brand recognition and brand loyalty with their customers (Frische).

The first, most essential aspect in designing a successful restaurant appearance is understanding the target market and translating the restaurant’s brand image into design

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that appeals to this market. The next most important steps are selection of a logo and color scheme. (This campaign does not aim to completely redesign Carlos O’Kelly’s choices of logo and color scheme, only the color used in the logo.)

Following logo and color scheme selection, Food Service Warehouse highlights the importance of coherence between the restaurant’s brand image and the restaurant’s decorations. Having decorations that do not match the brand image can confuse customers and even make them feel uncomfortable. The key to these individual aspects of interior design is that they all contribute to one single identity for the restaurant.

The final important aspect of successful restaurant design is consistency between the brand image and the exterior of the restaurant. The restaurant’s physical appearance is the first opportunity for a restaurant to make an impression on customers. The exterior of a restaurant can be a make or break when potential customers haven’t decided on a place to eat. Additionally, it is an opportunity to turn the heads of Millennials.

According to a Harvard Business School article, 95 percent of purchasing decisions are based on emotional reactions instead of rational decision-making. This highlights the importance of creating a brand image that makes customers of the target market feel that they belong and can strongly associate with their surroundings (Zaltman, 2003).

The takeaway from research on restaurant interior design is that restaurant branding needs to appeal directly to the target market, be cohesive across all fronts, and create an emotional reaction with its customers.

Food Truck Quickly becoming one of the hottest trends in the restaurant industry, food trucks are becoming a topic of conversation for restaurant managers and marketers.

A report published by Intuit estimates that the rolling restaurants are on their way to becoming a $2.7 billion industry.

Often referred to as a higher-quality alternative to traditional fast food, food trucks offer an affordable route to business ownership. Emergent Research expects food trucks to generate between 3-4 percent of total restaurant revenue by 2017, a fourfold increase from 2012. This statistic demonstrates that food trucks are not a surprise fad, but rather a viable market segment with significant competitive advantages over quick-serve, fast-food and take-out food vendors.

“Customers spend an average of $10 at lunch and $15 at dinner per person (at a food truck). Only 8% of lunch patrons spend less than $8, while 45% of dinner patrons spend less than $10 (at a food truck),” (Intuit).

The purchasing power of this consumer base is critical, especially when considering the average dinner check in the restaurant at Carlos O’Kelly’s is $12.

Food truck success reflects a powerful combination of consumer insights and trends. Millennial consumers have a hunger for quality, value and speed. While they usually seek these attributes in a quick-serve or fast-food restaurant, a food truck can often outperform traditional quick-serve and fast-food restaurants in convenience and food quality.

29 Cost The average food truck business generally requires $55,000 to $75,000 in startup costs (Forbes). These costs include a reasonably priced food truck that may be a few years old and can be remodeled to fit a new food and marketing focus. Additional costs to the initial truck investment include fuel and maintenance, business permits, kitchen equipment costs, food supplies, insurance and staffing expenses.

Even the more liberal estimate of expenses is less than the $250,000 to $500,000 minimum spending required to launch a restaurant in a physical, immobile establishment.

Insights Competition in the food truck market is likely to increase as large brands and existing restaurants launch food truck efforts. According to the National Restaurant Association, about 26 percent of quick-service chains are interested in joining the phenomenon. Major brands, including Burger King, TCBY and Chick-fil-A, have already added food trucks to their lineup of product delivery methods. Over the next few years, food trucks are expected to expand location base geographically to encompass the entire United States.

“Build, Measure and Learn” Unlike traditional restaurants, food trucks can quickly and easily test new concepts, menus and recipes. Being tightly connected with its consumer base allows it to take a “Build, Measure and Learn” model of business. Because food truck owners are in front of their customers every day, they can quickly gauge their customers’ opinions on food quality, location preferences and pricing information. Using innovative business practices, such as collecting data digitally and reacting quickly to consumer trends, coupled with its low cost and mobile delivery platform, food trucks can quickly compete and thrive in the competitive restaurant industry.

Food Trucks in Lawrence Under Ordinance No. 8571, mobile food vendors must first obtain a License issued by the city of Lawrence. The application fee for a Mobile Food Vendors License is $300.

The application will only be denied if it’s incomplete, it lacks sufficient insurance ($500,000) or the vendor has had a previous Mobile Food Vendor License revoked in the preceding two years.

The success of a food truck is directly correlated to the success and growth of social presence on digital and traditional platforms. Food truck owners can use Facebook and Twitter to build relationships with their patrons, and alert them to location and menu changes. Wireless payment systems also enable food trucks to easily and affordably accept credit cards.

(a) Mobile Food Vendors shall obtain the permission of the property owner before engaging in any activities licensed by this Article. (b) Mobile Food Vendors may only engage in activities licensed by this Article on improved surfaces in commercial, industrial and nonresidential special purpose zoning districts as defined in Chapter 20, Article 2 of the Code of the City of Lawrence. (c) Mobile Food Vendors are prohibited from offering for sale any food and/or beverage from a public right of way,

Licenses cannot exceed a time period of one year and include the following restrictions (as stated in Ordinance 8571):

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except as part of a City-Approved Event. (d) Mobile Food Vendors are prohibited from offering for sale any food and/or beverage from any unoccupied or vacant lot, except as part of a City-Approved Event. (e) No more than two (2) Mobile Food Units may be operated at the same time on any single property, except as part of a City-Approved Event. (f) Mobile Food Vendors are prohibited from offering for sale any food and/or beverage from a single property for more than three (3) hours out of every day, except as part of a City-Approved Event.

See appendix for ordinance.

Website “Websites are among the most measurable marketing investments that a business or institution can make. They enable organizations to set quantifiable objectives that tie directly to overall marketing and communication goals. They also allow granular tracking of results to help ensure that marketing investments provide a timely, tangible return on investment (ROI),” (Fronde).

Consumers, specifically Millennials, spend their time searching the Internet for businesses, products, services and social sites.

We know that Millennials are high Internet users, so when searching for a Mexican restaurant, they are likely to consult the Internet for suggestions. When Millennials search for Carlos O’Kelly’s, the goal is not to just show up, but to have the website be easy to navigate, device-compatible and goodlooking.

The website is often the first impression that consumers get of a business (Prolific Marketing 2013). Before consumers

taste the food, talk to employees or refer the restaurant to friends, they will see the website. The first impression and experience should not only be satisfying but memorable.

We know that consumers form an opinion based on what they see and experience, so that experience should be enough to at least get them talking, and ultimately drive traffic into the restaurant.

A Telmetrics-x Ad study confirms that restaurants are consistently the top local and mobile search category. The study found that 95 percent of smartphone users conduct restaurant searches, and of those searches, 90 percent of users converted within a day. This means that consumers who are searching for restaurants on mobile phones are going out to eat within 24 hours. Even more striking is the figure that 64 percent either convert immediately after searching or within the hour. Keeping in mind that these leads are immediately converting to purchases, the value of making the mobile site aesthetically pleasing and efficiently functional is paramount.

A high-quality website can transform an organization’s online presence into a powerful tool that yields substantial and lasting results for brand image perceptions. The website can ultimately increase revenues and provide highly measurable results.

Front Flip Created by entrepreneurs, technologists and designers, the Front Flip mobile App aims to combine customerloyalty reward programs with marketing campaigns and social engagement. Overall, Front Flip strives to create a connection with existing customers on a local level, reward loyal customers, motivate visit frequency, increase

31 sales, influence buying decisions and to turn customers into valuable brand advocates through social media. The Kansas City Star reported in July 2013 that Front Flip’s clients interact with 650,000 consumers at more than 2,000 retail sites. Front Flip anticipates it will reach 1 million consumers by the end of the year.

The Kansas City-based company launched in November 2011. After beating 48 finalists, Front Flip’s innovative technology won Silicon Prairie’s Mobile App of the Year in 2012. The App aids businesses in getting to know their customers. It compiles vital customer data, including customers’ age, zip code, visit frequency and buying habits.

With traditional paper punch cards and customer-loyalty programs, this information is not easy to track. A case study in the local-business focused magazine, Street Fight, reported that Front Flip works well in an industry with high employee turnover rates, like restaurants, because it requires zero training for new employees.

Fifty-Fourth Street Grill and Bar successfully used the App to connect with the Millennial Generation. The restaurant began using Front Flip at its Kansas City location when the App was very new. With the App, it started a campaign that targeted customers 21 years and over, male and female, who had scanned with Front Flip at least three times within five miles of its establishment but who had not used Front Flip at its restaurant. To entice these potential customers the restaurant sent a very generous incentive of $20 off. The managers of Fifty-Fourth reported that they received positive feedback.

They said most of the customers had previously had one bad experience and had not planned to come back. However, they were impressed with the grand incentive the restaurant was willing to give away in order to get them back.

National restaurant chains have an advantage of spending millions on solidifying their brand identity through TV spots and other high reach channels, while smaller franchises with limited budgets struggle to find solutions for driving traffic to their individual locations. Front Flip offers incentives to customers while utilizing a platform that the tech-savvy Millennials are comfortable with.

In-Store Promotions In the often distracting environment of a restaurant, relying on consumer purchase through memory-based brand equity is not enough. To capture a consumer’s attention, brands must create “visual equity” for their products. Visual equity (for the purposes of this research) includes table tents and in-store signage, which can also be referred to as point-of-purchase displays, or POP diplays.

The idea behind POP promotion relies on instant relevant appeal and impulse. Products on POP displays are positioned to be easily accessible to customers. It is also a useful source of pre-purchase information, providing details that might not be otherwise visible. POP displays reach the potential buyer at the time and place of the purchase, offering precise target marketing.

According to research from the INSEAD Business School, in-store visual aids, on average, double the memorybased probability of consideration. In other words, visually stimulating one’s consumer through the use of POP displays increases the probability of that item. While it is virtually impossible to measure visual lift, surveys have been conducted to compare pre-store intentions and post-store choices. The results show that purchases of items featured on point-of-purchase displays are 70 percent higher than items not featured (INSEAD).

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As a marketing strategy, table tents serve as powerful complements to menus, the promotions of specials and influencing buying decisions that traditional menus can do alone (psprint). Engagement rates and interactions with table tents range from 3-31 percent, meaning that there is a potential 31 percent increase of awareness and sales for the items displayed on table tents. They emphasize the specific product and are a great way to feature seasonal campaigns.

POP displays are also another medium that can be used to develop branding engagement. Integrating the overall image and strategy of a campaign into table tents reinforces the central message a restaurant wants its customers to receive.

Guerrilla Marketing Guerrilla marketing is an unconventional style of marketing created specifically to generate buzz around a brand or product. This style of marketing consistently proves to be relevant and effective today. During a time when the media environment is over-crowded and consumers have short attention spans, guerrilla marketing tactics are highly memorable. Guerrilla marketing relies on personal interaction and is a great solution for small budgets. Instead of focusing on the sale, it focuses on the consumer. The overall goal is to generate buzz or word-of-mouth advocacy. Buzz, according to WOMMA, gives consumers a reason to talk about the brand and products and makes it more relevant, therefore easier, for that conversation to take place. Word-of-mouth is crucial in reaching consumers today. A recent report from WOMMA, an organization viewed by many as the authority on word of mouth and non-traditional marketing, stated 92 percent of consumers worldwide trust recommendations from friends and family more than advertisements.

During an age when marketing and advertising have generates an unprecedented amount of clutter and noise, consumers actively attempt to avoid marketing communications from many sources. Every day, consumers are exposed to thousands of different advertising and marketing messages. According to a 2008 article by Kelly D. Martin and N. Craig Smith, featured in the American Marketing Association, “a recent survey of CEOs and other top-level firm decision-makers report that companies now allocate nearly 15 percent of their overall marketing budget to nontraditional practices.”

Other sources approximate that the collective buzz marketing expenditure in the United States was somewhere between $100 million and $150 million. It is safe to assume, because of the increase in social media usage and other nontraditional outlets, that percentage and dollar amount has increased significantly in the last five years.

Steve Knox, CEO of Vocalpoint (a word-of-mouth marketing company, that works closely with P&G), stated, “We know that the most powerful form of marketing is an advocacy message from a trusted friend.” As effective as guerrilla marketing is, it is vital to be truthful to the customer.

A duped consumer may end up feeling angry and left with low-self esteem. The negative interaction could lead to negative coverage and the potential backlash could outweigh all of the positive interactions and lead to adverse consequences. Guerrilla marketing should aim to remain open and transparent. It should communicate clearly with all consumers and constituents who interact with the campaign. A clear and effective outline to follow can be found in WOMMA’s values. This includes “Honesty ROI,” which is broken down into Honesty of Relationship, clearly stating whose behalf one is speaking on, Honesty of Opinion, expressing one’s genuine belief, and, lastly,

33 Honesty of Identity, which is avoiding obscuring one’s identity.

Guerrilla marketing is not necessarily a new concept. In the 1920s, the department store, Macy’s, hired 25 well-dressed women to ride the subway in New York while wearing long white gloves. The women answered queries from curious riders about the gloves. Another successful campaign that used guerrilla marketing was a campaign created around “The Blair Witch Project,” which was released in 1999. To stir up conversation about the low-budget film, one of the directors and film students created a faux website devoted to the Blair Witch. The film blurred lines between reality and fiction. As the website grew in popularity, a kind of “I have to see this for myself” mood around the film took effect. The film grossed more than $250 million worldwide. The film was created by film students in Florida on a very low budget. The website utilized its funds sufficiently and effectively assisted in creating buzz around the film before its release.

Social Media It’s clear that all of marketing has experienced a dramatic change due to the enormous influx of social media usage in recent years. Now, more than ever, the importance of being well informed on the current state of social media cannot be stressed enough for businesses, regardless of however a business uses social media. The following research aims to shed light on the current state of social media usage, the psychology behind social media usage, social media user attitudes towards social media marketing and the individual social media sites. Each point of interest throughout the research will be reflected upon from the point of view of Carlos O’Kelly’s. Although social media are often referred to as earned media, they are included in the owned-media section because the content Carlos O’Kelly’s distributes is owned.

According to Pew Research, “As of May 2013, 72% of online adults use social media and 18 percent use Twitter.”

Among those who are 18 to 29 years old, 89 percent use social media (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2013).

These recent statistics show continued growth in social media usage and once again highlight the importance of social media as a mode of communication with the target market. With Millennials representing people aged 18 to 34, we can fairly project these statistics onto the target market.

The percentage of online adults who use social media is up dramatically from 37 percent in 2008, rising steadily until today (46 percent in 2009, 61 percent in 2010, 65 percent, in 2011 and 69 percent in 2012).

For Millennials, the number of social media users has also seen an increase, but a less dramatic increase than for all adult users. Usage among Millennials was 67 percent in 2008, 76 percent in 2009, 86 percent in 2010, 87 percent in 2011 and 83 percent in 2012.

Carlos O’Kelly’s has already begun to utilize these significant methods of consumer communication, and this has made a positive impact in driving brand awareness. To this point, Carlos O’Kelly’s has 878 Facebook fans specific to the Lawrence location and 581 Twitter followers. ·67 percent of online adults say they use Facebook ·18 percent of online adults say they use Twitter

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·15 percent of online adults say they use Pinterest ·13 percent of online adults say they use Instagram ·Six percent of online adults say they use Tumblr (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2013) The Pew Internet and American Life Project also provides statistics regarding Americans preferences of social media usage. Facebook still represents the largest, most influential social network by a margin of 49 percent of users. Twitter has made a significant jump in usage as only 8 percent of online adults used the social site in 2010, compared to today’s 18 percent. Millennials represent the largest age group of users on Twitter (30 percent of Millennials say they use Twitter compared to 18 percent of the total population).

Mobile “Fully 40% of cell phone owners use a social networking site on their phone, and 28% do so on a typical day. Young people, blacks, Hispanics, the highly educated and those with a higher annual household income are more likely to use SNS on their phones than other groups,” (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2013).

“25% of all Internet searches last year were made on mobile devices. And 25% of all U.S. Internet users are mobile only (includes tablets),” (imFORZA, 2013).

“More than three-quarters (77%) of mobile users use their smartphones and tablets for searching and social networking,” (imFORZA, 2013).

With the recent boom in smartphone availability and social interest, social networking occurs anywhere and everywhere that a smartphone will allow. With more than one- quarter of cell phone owners using social networking sites on the typical day, the path of communication between businesses and consumers is becoming almost constantly open, without the need of being in any specific location.

Marketers have used the abundance of mobile users for both better and worse, and it’s important that businesses pay close attention to consumer privacy boundaries.

Traits of social media users

-The average user of a social networking site has more close ties and is half as likely to be socially

isolated as the average American.

-·Facebook users are more trusting

than others. ·-Facebook users have more close

relationships.

Another point of interest that Pew Research brings to attention is some psychographic information regarding social media users—specifically, Facebook users. If the average social media user has more close relationships, then they have more opportunities to spread information via both electronic and organic word-of-mouth. Because of these close relationships, their opinions are referred to more often by peers when seeking information about brands and services. Additionally, if Facebook users are more trusting and have more close relationships, then they will be much more likely to trust their social media and in-

35 person friends and acquaintances when it comes to acting on a suggestion related to buying decisions.

“Half of all social media users under age 35 follow their online friends’ product and service recommendations,” (TECHi, 2013).

“33% of Millennial consumers are more likely to buy from a company if it has a Facebook page,” (War of Words: MythBusting Social Media, SEO & Content Marketing, 2013).

“80 percent of U.S. social network users prefer to connect to brands through Facebook,” (State of Inbound Marketing, 2012).

Facebook Facebook represents the standard for communication and interaction between businesses and consumers.

With more than 1 billion active monthly users, Facebook provides the largest online community and the widest channel for marketers and brands to reach the specific audiences they wish to reach. Facebook can filter and segment each target audience by discerning their tastes and interests, the institutions to which they belong, their professions, their geographical location—and even their most valuable marketing asset—their attitudes. This social media platform and user relationship represents the ideal for establishing communication and will most likely result in the highest number of new leads generated. Furthermore, the Pew Research team has articulated the emergence of a phenomenon that it calls “Networked Individualism.”

“Because individuals—rather than households—are separately connected, the Internet and the cell phone have transformed communication from house-to-house to person-

to-person. This creates a new basis for community that author Barry Wellman has called networked individualism: Rather than relying on a single community for social capital, individuals often must actively seek out a variety of appropriate people and resources for different situations.”

This notion continues to support the importance of the appropriate management of leads and customers on social media. Consumers are more likely to seek information from people within their digital and otherwise social groups first, before seeking information elsewhere.

Millennials represent the largest and strongest group of social media users. Social media users have been shown to have more close relationships and have the most influence on public perceptions of brands. Carlos O’Kelly’s should target Millennials not only because they have a significant purchasing power but also because they are the most active social media users and have the most social influence.

Importance of marketing on social media “83% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business,” and “42% of marketers say Facebook is critical or important to their business,” (Social Media Examiner, 2013) (State of Inbound Marketing, 2012).

It is clear that marketers for all types of business see the imperative nature of having and maintaining a social media presence, specifically on Facebook. The restaurant industry is increasingly recognizing this value and continues to focus their efforts on social media.

“In a survey, Hospitality Technology asked U.S. executives overseeing restaurants around the world about a variety of social and loyalty marketing tactics, and found that

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every single one of these tactics had seen an increase in use among restaurants between 2012 and 2013. Nearly nine out of 10 restaurants used social media outreach this year— the most common tactic by a wide margin—up from 77% in 2012,” (eMarketer.com, 2013).

Considering the unique nature of the restaurant industry (inability to sample food, atmosphere, service, experience— among other qualities of dining—over the Internet), social media usage for restaurants isn’t necessarily about closing the sale or generating new leads but is instead about improving brand awareness and rewarding current customers for loyalty.

The casual dining industry is not designed to rely heavily on closing sales on websites or social media.

“70% of brand marketers (and 60% of agency professionals) view social media advertising as more valuable for building brand awareness than for driving direct response,” (7 Actionable Social Media Tactics, 2013).

Types of sites that influence direct response include Internet retail sites, brand sites and blogs, this data however, is in reference to a study focusing on media, not specifically restaurants. According to Marketing Profs, “48% of consumers who follow brands on Facebook do so in order to take advantage of sweepstakes and promotions,” compared to the “32% [that] interact with brands to provide feedback,” (Digital Influence, 2013).

Email Marketing According to the Social Media Examiner’s “Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2013,” when marketers were asked about their use of non-social media for marketing, 87 percent reported using email marketing. This figure may seem obvious until compared with two other major non-social media

marketing channels: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Online Ads (like Google Ad Words).

Only 61 percent of marketers were engaged in their SEO development, and only 38 percent were engaged in Online Ads. These numbers suggest that despite the rapid changes in the online marketing atmosphere, email remains the most important.

Email marketing and customer relationship management expert Nate Goodman reinforced this notion in February of this year when he said, “Email marketing is going to remain the absolute rock star in terms of driving revenue.”

Goodman continued to suggest that marketers have been overlooking email as a tool as of late because of the attention that social media have been receiving.

According to the research done by ExactTarget, 26 percent of marketers say that email is the most effective tool for building loyalty. However, 33 percent of consumers say the same thing, showing a need for marketers to refocus on the importance of successful email campaigns (Thought Reach, 2013).

In addition to consumers reporting that email is most effective for building loyalty, it is also the most widely used online tool by an extraordinary amount. According to the Radicati Group, one in five people worldwide uses email. That ratio equates to slightly fewer than two billion people. Obviously, Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence is not targeting everyone who uses email worldwide, but it shows that email is far and away the most adopted online communication method, and this is because it has been around the longest, compared to social media.

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Earned When consumers and brand advocates distribute the brands content, it becomes earned media. Successful earned media is completely dependent on the successful execution of the paid and owned channels. Earned media are, at their core, the reaction that advertising creates.

Social Media Earned Overview Because the content that Carlos O’Kelly’s distributes over social media is owned, the reaction from that content is earned media.

Equally great as the capabilities and potential value of social media and email marketing is the power of these tools to damage relationships with loyal customers, leads and future potential customers. According to Relevanza, “75% of social media users object to major companies and platforms using their personal information for commercial purposes.” And just 12 percent admit to having their purchases influenced by Facebook “Likes” or Google “+1s,” (Relevanza, 2013).

Social media users, from 2011 to 2012, increased time spent on social media by 30 billion minutes, a 37 percent increase from 2010 to 2011, and despite social media users’ continued indulgence, three-quarters of them resent their information being used commercially (Relevanza, 2013). Social media users also disapprove how often brands post on social media.

This goes for brand posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram (Technorati Media. 2013).

Social media users clearly feel that too much brand posting is intrusive. When it comes to receiving emails from brands,

research shows that when consumers have not signed up to receive emails on their own volition, they find it intrusive as well. When BlueHornet.com published a report on consumer views of email marketing, consumers were asked, “Do you believe that it’s OK for a company to start sending you promotional emails if you have purchased something from them but you didn’t specifically sign up to receive emails from them?” 75.4 percent of consumers said, “No.” Another cause for mismanaged email marketing relationships with consumers is the frequency of promotional emails. In 2013, consumers reported that high frequency was the No. 1 cause of unsubscribing, at 35.4 percent. The next largest cause of unsubscribing was relevance, or lack thereof, at 24.5 percent, which represents more than a 10 percent gap between the two (Blue Hornet, 2013).

Social media and email marketing represent one of the greatest assets for a business, as well as one of the greatest threats when used inappropriately. Regardless of a company’s intentions, research shows that social media posts and email campaigns are rarely perceived as neutral and can quickly be perceived as intrusive ifa poorly managed.

The

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primary

research

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Primary research played a large part in helping to understand the inner workings of the restaurant business as well as the consumer’s wants and needs. Talking to experts in the local restaurant industry provided deeper insight effective and ineffective marketing strategies.

Obtaining feedback from KU students allowed CASSAA Creative to tailor the campaign specifically Millennials. The large amount of insight received from primary research inspired a cohesive strategy to revamp and rebrand Carlos O’Kelly’s.

Primary research continued with one-on-one interviews with Millennials. The one-on-one interviews were used to fill in gaps of information that were not found in secondary sources.

Additionally, two focus groups were held to understand Millennials attitudes in a group setting. Each focus group had the same general outline.

The information gained from the focus group aided in creating questions used to create an online survey. Consisting of 10 concise questions to supplement the one-on-one interviews and focus groups, the survey was distributed to 100 Millennial participants in the Lawrence area.

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Expert Interviews Jason Hoffman, ' General Manager of Johnny’s Tavern West

Tracy Mandel McHugh, President of 39th Street Bev Co.

Jason Hoffman, general manager at Johnny’s Tavern West in Lawrence, provided perspective on how to maintain customers in the age of consumer power. He says, “Service is the No. 1 thing. We have very competitive prices, have a nice enough facility, and we’ve got plenty of room, so to me it comes down to service.”

Tracy Mandel McHugh, president of 39th Street Bev Co, contributed to the comprehension of the Kansas City restaurant market and its similarities and differences to the Lawrence market. McHugh mentioned that variety and power of selection played a large role in the success of 119th Street Diner within 39th Street Bev Co. She says, “We offer everything from breakfast all day to steak, or barbeque or shrimp for dinner. Our restaurant is set apart from others because we are really the only ones that offer a wide variety of products.”

Hoffman says that consistency is one of the biggest contributing factors in the success of a restaurant. He elaborates, “Most restaurants struggle because they start off really strong and then they can’t keep the same product going. When customers walk into a place, they want to know exactly what they will be getting. People have a certain expectation in their head, and when restaurants don’t deliver to a certain extent, especially more than once, that’s when you lose customers.”

Hoffman strongly believes that restaurants cannot afford to lose customers because of how many competing options consumers in Lawrence have. In Hoffman’s eyes, Lawrence consumers control the industry.

McHugh notes the high-traffic days are Saturday and Sunday because many customers see the restaurant as a destination breakfast place. She elaborates, “We serve nine different types of eggs benedict. It really has become a place where people go to read the morning paper, have a cup of coffee and have a nice meal.” The fact that 119th Street Diner serves allows a wide range of choices correlates to consumers being able to choose what they want to eat and how they get to eat it. By giving consumers almost unlimited options, 119th St. Diner becomes a top-of-mind restaurant for breakfast because of the choices associated with the restaurant.

When asked about location, McHugh mentioned a common problem many restaurants have. 119th St. Diner is tucked away in a small strip center so many consumers do not notice the restaurant while driving by.

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She says, “Because of our location we try to get involved with advertising and coupons so that we’re under control. We stay away from restaurant.com, Groupon and Livingsocial; they tend to bring in one-time business that is very expensive for small operations.” Instead, 119th St. Diner does coupon mailings,which are sent by zip code. The restaurant can track the success by comparing the results of the mailings.

Another important way of maintaining interaction with current or future customers is donating to schools and/or local charities. 119th St. Diner frequently donates to charitable organizations supporting good causes.

John Records, Manager of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop John Records, manager of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, provided useful information on catering to Millennials. He says that the majority of Fuzzy’s deals are tailored to Millennials.

“Rock music is played in the store and our late night availability is important in retaining Millennials.”

In terms of social media, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has its own App that generates buzz. “The App for Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Lawrence has 1,600 downloads and with more people signing up each day. The App has only been in use for about six months. It is very successful and is an excellent method of obtaining feedback from customers,” says Records.

According to Records, Fuzzy’s tends to stay away from TV and only uses light print advertising. Besides being listed in

the YellowPages, Fuzzy’s uses the FrontFlip App and sees much success combined with the use of its own App. Fuzzy’s also tends to get involved with philanthropic deals and partners with KU and non-KU organizations to host percentage nights. The restaurant donates 10 percent of earnings during those nights to the philanthropy being promoted.

Dustin Smith, Restaurant Manager of Chili’s Dustin Smith, Chili’s manager, describes how the Lawrence location works to the restaurant’s advantage.

He says, “For football and basketball games, we are in a great location because a lot of people have to travel by this area, or if they don’t, we are not very far for customers to get to.” He mentions that the restaurant sees a lot of traffic before and after sporting events when customers are entering or leaving town. On game days, Chili’s usually sees older clientele, which makes up a large part of business.

To engage with the Lawrence community, Chili’s actively hosts philanthropy groups of various organizations. Smith says, “We did a percentage night for Rock Chalk Revue, and we had dozens and dozens of online orders come through, and it ended up being our best turnout ever for college students.” By becoming directly involved with causes that resonate with college students, Chili’s sees a boom in business.

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the power of choice...primary research

Bailey Chandler, Director of Social Media for Salty Iguana

Penny Hardmin, Associate Director of Social Media at barkley

For the past four years, Chandler has managed the social media and website for all Salty Iguana locations.

As a brand, Salty Iguana utilizes Instagram, Twitter, FourSquare and Facebook. Facebook is the brand’s largest account more than 5,000 likes. With the exception of FourSquare, there are no location-specific social media accounts. Chandler mentions how Salty Iguana strives for consistency across all platforms and all restaurant locations. The restaurant runs a variety of promotions on Facebook and Twitter.These promotions and contests do not always garner a lot of entries, but Chandler explains the restaurant tries to, ‘stimulate activity’ with its followers.

The social media posts get users talking to one another and engaging in dialogue about the brand. Salty Iguana boasts a large email club consisting of more than 12,000 people. The email club sends a variety of coupons to customers while simultaneously promoting weekly specials. Chandler believes that the email club is the most successful social medium.

Penny Hardmin, associate director of social media at Barkley in Kansas City, explained the importance social media has on reconnecting consumers to brands and building relationships. Barkley is a well-established, integrated advertising agency with clients including On the Border and Dairy Queen, and nonprofit organizations like Susan G. Komen and March of Dimes. She explains, “Social media is there as a way to reconnect with fans, reward and ensure future purchases. Social is there to support broadcast and the other forms of media in your campaign.” According to Hardmin’s insight, it is difficult for social media to be an effective platform for brands without support from other channels.

As a form of traditional media, Salty hosts ‘Hawk Talk’ with football coach Charlie Weis and basketball coach Bill Self. Chandler says, “This is a huge drive for business and has helped 100 percent. We are now known as the “KU” restaurant because the ads run through Jayhawk Sports Network and the radio show on JSN networks.”

Salty Iguana also has concession stands at the men’s and women’s basketball games and football games. She says that the connection Salty Iguana has with the University of Kansas has dramatically increased business.

In terms of measuring return on investment (ROI), Hardmin argues that one can’t directly measure the correlation between dollars spent and brand image on social media.

Hardmin explained that social is a space where you absolutely have to be because your audience is there, but it is very difficult to quantify a relationship you create with a fan. She argues that you can’t directly measure the return because there is no exact correlation. Social media, Hardmin communicates, is all about the non-quantifiable relationships that lead to brand loyalty and advocacy.

When asked about creating a brand image, Hardmin urges a company to develop its own brand image. She says, “You can’t let your consumers define you. You have to develop a brand identity and share that with your consumers. Then it’s all about getting them to agree with the message and advocate for you.”

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one-on-one interviews To gain a more personalized and unique perspective, one-on-one interviews were conducted with a random selection of 21 to 23-year-old University of Kansas students.

Interview

Questions:

1. What is your favorite restaurant to eat at in Lawrence and why?

2. What gets you into restaurants? (food, drinks, specials?)

3. What is your preferred Mexican restaurant in Lawrence and why?

4. Why do you go to the Mexican restaurant you go to?

5. What restaurant promotions get your attention?

6. What is your preferred medium for finding out about restaurants?

7. Do you support or interact with brands on any of your social media outlets? If so, which? And why?

8. How do you feel when things are promoted to you via social media?

9. Can you think of any brands utilizing social media well?

10. Do you go to any restaurants on 23rd Street?

11. Have you heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s?

12. What is your first impression of Carlos O’Kelly’s?

13. What would entice you to go to Carlos O’Kelly’s?

14. Are you more motivated to go to Mexican restaurants based on drink specials, food specials or atmosphere?

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the power of choice...primary research

Ty Fiegel My favorite restaurant in Lawrence is The Bird Dog because of the general atmosphere. I love all of the TVs and the way the restaurant is laid out makes it a fun place for large groups of people. In Lawrence, I would say that the main thing that gets me into restaurants would be location and drink specials. When I am going to eat with large groups, drink specials are definitely the most important thing.

My preferred Mexican restaurant in Lawrence is Cielito Lindo’s. That’s always where we’ve gone in large groups for parents’ weekends and birthdays and the atmosphere there is always a blast. The food isn’t anything special, but they have great drinks there. As far as finding out about restaurants goes, I mainly hear about them through friends or others that have been to them before. For social media, the only brands that I really follow are athletic brands such as Nike and Adidas. The main reason I follow companies like these is to find out about new products that are coming out. I don’t like the ads that pop up on Facebook or YouTube. I think they are annoying and take away from what I like doing on social media. The main restaurants I go to on 23rd are fast food ones such as Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Freddy’s. I have heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s only because I drive by there all the time; I have never actually been inside. My first impression from driving by the restaurant is a mediocre, chain looking, Mexican restaurant. I think if they did a better job of promoting their drink specials, I would be more interested in checking the place out.

Michael amentrout My favorite place to eat in Lawrence is Jefferson’s. I like that it’s located on Mass St., and I like the KU vibe that I feel when I walk in there. The main thing that gets me into restaurants in Lawrence is location. Particularly on weekends I like restaurants or bars that are close to a lot of other restaurants or bars. It makes it easier to check out multiple places in one night. My preferred Mexican restaurant in Lawrence is Cielito Lindo’s. This is the restaurant that we always go to for friend’s’ birthdays and the large open rooms make it a fun place for large groups. They also have great margaritas there. The main way I hear about restaurants in Lawrence is from friends that either currently go here or used to go here. For social media, I don’t really interact with any brands at all. I mainly use social media for looking at pictures of friends or ones that I am tagged in. The main restaurants that I go to on 23rd are Mr. Goodcents and Freddy’s. I have heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s, but only from driving by it. I have never been there. I don’t really have a first impression about the restaurant; it doesn’t necessarily look like a place I would check out at the time being. I think if they made the restaurant look a little more inviting and possibly do a better job of promoting drink and food specials, I would be interested in checking it out. Outside of drink and food specials and atmosphere, I would say the most importing thing is atmosphere. A restaurant can have great food and drinks, but if it looks like a dump, none of that really matters.

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Bryce cornejo

Lilly maggiorotto

I’d say my favorite restaurant in Lawrence is 23rd Street Brewery because they have the “Bill Self,” good beer selection and a cool atmosphere. The main thing that gets me into restaurants are certain food items and the number of TVs/game atmosphere. My favorite Mexican restaurant in Lawrence is Cielito Lindo’s. It’s fun to go with a bunch of people, and has a loud atmosphere and cheap drinks. I will say they do not have the best food there though. The main restaurant promotions that get my attention are the ones in the Campus Special coupon books. I’m usually pretty low on cash, and they have good group deals in the coupon books. My preferred medium for finding out about restaurants is word-of-mouth. If a friend tells me a restaurant is really good, then I am going to want to check it out. For social media, I follow Nike because they are always posting cool pictures and videos of athletes and teams that I like. I hate the advertisements that I see on YouTube; however, I don’t really even notice the ones that I see on Facebook. TV ads are really the main ones that I enjoy. I think that McDonald’s does a good job with its Twitter promotions; other than that, I can’t really think of any. The main restaurants that I go to on 23rd are fast food, such as Mr. Goodcents, McDonalds and Freddy’s.

Yes, I have heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s, and I would say my first impression would be American style, non-authentic, Mexican food. The main thing that would get me to go into Carlos O’Kelly’s would be drink specials and other deals in the coupon books. I have been to Carlos O’Kelly’s a few times, and I would say that the food is better than Cielito Lindo’s; however, Cielito’s atmosphere is more fun, which is why we choose to go there more often.

I’d say that my favorite restaurant is probably Bird Dog, or Dempsey’s or Basil Leaf Cafe. Actually, come to think about it, there are fewer restaurants that I don’t like than ones that I do. I like them all, but I think I’m going to go with Basil Leaf. The food is unbelievable. The main thing that gets me into a restaurant is if it’s where my friends are going, that and the deals. If I can get a great deal on food that I love, that’s a big bonus. I’m not a huge fan of Mexican food, but I remember freshman year, we used to go to El Mez all the time because they had such great drink specials. Most of the time in Lawrence, it’s not really about the food. The restaurant promotions that get my attention are when the food looks really good.

The Pizza Hut commercials are great at that, every time I see one, I immediately want it. I don’t think I follow any brands on Twitter, but I guess I should probably start. If a restaurant gave me a coupon over Twitter or Facebook, I’d be pumped! The main restaurants I go to on 23rd Street are fast food. Wendy’s, Taco Bell and McDonald’s are all right there, so it’s pretty convenient when not everyone wants the same thing. I haven’t really ever heard much about Carlos O’Kelly’s. I don’t think I even know where it is, but to get me in the door, they would have to give me something. Free queso or a drink special would probably do the trick! I am absolutely motivated to go to Mexican restaurants based off the drink specials. That’s usually the reason we’re going out anyway! Last year, we would go to Tapas all the time until they closed; they stole all of our money!

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the power of choice...primary research

anna cofer

kyle rhodes

My favorite restaurant in Lawrence is absolutely Noodles & Co. If a restaurant has good queso, I’ll always go, but because I have Celiac disease, that’s a big factor in where I decide to eat. My favorite Mexican restaurant in Lawrence is Salty Iguana. I like the atmosphere, and I know exactly what I like there. I can always count on it to be good. If a restaurant has really great drink specials, it definitely gets my attention, I also pay attention to what my friends say about places they’ve been. Promotions that get my attention are when restaurants give away free queso or a free appetizer. It also doesn’t hurt to have things like dollar margeritas. I follow a lot of brands on social media, but I unfollow when they start trying too hard or aren’t relevant. I don’t mind getting promoted through via social media, but there is a very fine line between what works and doesn’t. For example, the other day I bought this thing called a “Bark Box.” Basically, it’s Birchbox for dogs, I don’t need that AT ALL, but they promoted it on Vine and gave followers $5 off the total, so I bought it. I don’t think Carlos O’Kelly’s is bad at all, but it’s definitely not top-of-mind for me. I know Carlos has great drink specials on Wednesdays, and I’ve gone before, so I’d go again. Those are what get me in the door at Carlos, not necessarily the food, although the food isn’t bad. I know a lot about Carlos so I don’t know if my first impression is unbiased, but I think the view many people have of it is that it’s gross. If I had to attribute that to something, I’d say it was the actual building and longstanding reputation.

My favorite restaurant in Lawrence is the Burger Stand because of the quantity and quality of the food compared to the price. It’s the best value. They can serve you any beer you can think of, and the restaurant is always clean. What gets me into a restaurant is: firstly, food quality, then pricing, drinks (specials and selection), cleanliness and atmosphere, and finally parking. Also, I rely on asking friends before I go to eat somewhere I have never been. My favorite Mexican restaurant in Lawrence is El Mezcal because they have delicious tacos and because my girlfriend likes eating there. The restaurant promotions that get my attention in terms of Mexican restaurants is $1 tacos, some sort of special, anything to give me incentive to come in. Television is my favorite medium to learn about new restaurants. No, I do not interact with brands on social media, and I don’t think I would, either. I don’t pay any attention to promotions on social media. The only brand I can think of that uses social media well is Victoria’s Secret (laughing). Restaurants that I go to on 23rd Street include Little Saigon, Yellow Sub, Freddy’s, Wendy’s, Subway, Panera and Goodcents. I have heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s.

My first impression is that it’s usually empty. What would get me into Carlos O’Kelly’s is excellent food and drink deals and maybe a Mariachi band (more laughing).

I am motivated by drink specials, food specials AND atmosphere. It depends on the dining situation.

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jay rhodes My favorite restaurant in Lawrence is either 23rd Street Brewery or Paisano’s. It’s perfect for any occasion. A date, hanging with guys, it’s nice enough to bring visiting family members; it’s got everything. The food is made in-house, they have excellent craft beers, a nice outdoor patio and usually pretty girls. I go to restaurants looking for food quality, pricing, drinks and usually either location or situation, whichever is more important for that meal. My favorite Mexican restaurant in Lawrence is La Parilla. I love half-price deals and freebies from restaurants. Incentives and specials go a long way. My favorite way to learn about restaurants is on TV and through social media. I don’t really like to interact with brands on social media.

The things I notice on social media, in terms of brand posts, are hot deals and socially or culturally relevant deals like ones relating to sports and other events. I don’t really think any brand is doing an overwhelmingly good job on social media. On 23rd Street, I go to Arby’s and Yellow Sub. I’ve heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s, but my first impression is that it’s never busy. Word-of-mouth is the best way to get me to go anywhere, so whether that’s through trial offers, coupons or food samples, I need to hear it from people that aren’t just promoting. Drink specials and food quality motivate me to go to Mexican restaurants.

grace anne hagen I really like that Italian restaurant, Genovese. It’s got a cool atmosphere and really good food. I’m not 21 yet, so I mostly go for the food. I look for something different and unique. I’d rather go to a locally owned place than something Applebee’s or Texas Roadhouse, you know?

I look for something with a more unique experience. The only Mexican restaurant I ever go to in Lawrence is Celito Lindo’s. I’m not going to say it’s my preferred restaurant, it’s just where my friends like to go. Word-of-mouth promotions and recommendations get me into restaurants.

I can hear a commercial or whatever, but if a friend tells me to go there, I’m more likely to frequent a restaurant after that. I prefer to use Urbanspoon to find out about restaurants. I don’t usually support or interact with brands on social media. Sometimes, I tweet at my sorority, but in that instance it’s more of a mutual promotion kind of thing, because I’m a part of it as well so I want to tweet at them when something good happens. I usually scroll past promoted posts on social media and don’t really read them. If I see that little orange square that says promoted by “blank,” I don’t pay attention to it. I don’t really go to very many restaurants on 23rd Street. Sometimes, Panera and Dunkin Donuts, but that’s about it. I have heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s but I don’t really have an impression of it. I’ve heard the name but not much about it. If a friend told me it was a fun place, I would go there. Once I’m 21, drink specials will definitely draw me into a restaurant, but I guess, for now, I go to Mexican restaurants for cheap queso.

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the power of choice...primary research

Shannon O'’neill My favorite restaurant in Lawrence is Encore because I love the food and atmosphere. In particular, drink and food specials get me in to try new restaurants that I’m not so familiar with. Cielito Lindo’s is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Lawrence because it is close to the bars.

There are a lot of young people that go there, and they have margarita specials. It’s also pretty inexpensive. I never really focus on promotions or ads when I’m deciding where to eat. I heard of Encore through word-of-mouth and my friends recommending the restaurant to me. I don’t enjoy being promoted to via social media because it usually clogs up my news feed. On 23rd Street, I go to Panera, Wendy’s, Jimmy John’s and Freddy’s, so I’m not opposed to eating on 23rd Street. I don’t really know much about Carlos O’Kelly’s, and I don’t remember it being anything special. I think if I heard people saying good things about the restaurant, I would be more open to trying it.

Megan McGillicuddy My favorite restaurant is probably Cielito Lindo’s because I like the food and the margaritas. Drink specials are a main reason that I dine at the places I choose to. I like Cielito’s atmosphere; it’s a fun place to eat with a large group of friends. The patio is one of my favorite parts of the restaurant. I’ve been using that coupon book that we got on campus at the beginning of the year. The book has a lot of good deals for restaurants that I like going to.

I trust my friends’ opinions over everything and would say that word-of-mouth is the strongest way to get me to try

a new restaurant. I don’t like sponsored posts popping up on my news feed; it feels like an invasion of privacy.

I am pretty receptive to bars when they promote drink specials because it is pretty relevant to me. I don’t really dine on 23rd Street because it’s far from my house and the bars I usually go to. I have heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s, but I don’t know anything about the restaurant. If my friends were telling me about a good experience at Carlos O’Kelly’s I would definitely be up for trying it. I had never heard of Carlos O’Kelly’s drink specials before you told me.

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Focus Groups To gain insight about Carlos O’Kelly’s and general perceptions about the restaurant industry and advertising from Millennials’ point of view, two focus groups were held on Oct. 2. As incentive to attend these hour sessions, CASSAA Creative provided Carlos O’Kelly’s appetizers for participants. Each member of CASSAA Creative recruited two to three participants. In total, sixteen people attended the focus group and were divided into two groups of eight. This created smaller, more intimate groups for discussion.

Each group partook in informal discussions about how to make the restaurant a hit in Lawrence.

Group One The focus group started as an informal, relaxed discussion.

Participants talked about what kind of restaurants they went out to with friends. Chinese, American and Mexican were among the top answers. Participants specifically mentioned Zen Zero, Noodles and Company and Jefferson’s. They reported that one of the No.1 reasons for being patrons at these restaurants in particular was the atmosphere and quality of service. They also placed a specific importance on drink specials when dining out with friends. They mentioned that later in the week drink specials are more important than food specials.

Participants noted that the most influential way to change a negative image is word-of- mouth from friends. As the conversation flowed from restaurants to specific campaigns, participants mentioned that they particularly enjoyed humorous commercials and remember specific brands more often because of humorous commercials. The conversation then became directed towards social media. Overall, the preferred outlets of social media were Twitter and Instagram.

They felt that when a brand responds to a tweet or a mention, it further develops loyalty to that brand. Participants reported that they are more likely to follow a brand after receiving it as a recommendation from a friend, and they are more likely to follow that brand on Twitter as opposed to any other outlet of social media.

The conversation was then directed specifically towards Carlos O’Kelly’s. The group spoke about the lack of brand awareness and identity. Participants don’t go to the restaurant because they don’t know enough about it or haven’t heard about it. It’s not in their top-of-mind. The students were completely

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the power of choice...primary research unaware that Carlos O’Kelly’s had drink specials like $1 margaritas on Wednesday and $1 Boulevard Wheat on Thursdays or that Carlos O’Kelly’s is close to a Safe Bus stop.

They mentioned that the Wednesday and Thursday drink specials would certainly lure them in, so it is important to make KU students aware of the drink specials. It was also mentioned that there is a lack of involvement with KU. This is off-putting for KU students who have a lot of school pride and take notice of sponsors at athletic and fundraising events on campus.

After the focus group ended, students decided they were going to go for dinner at Carlos O’Kelly’s. Inviting their friends, a group of 10 went to the restaurant to take advantage of the $1 margaritas on Wednesday nights.

Group two The second focus group used the same questions as a general guideline in which to initiate the conversation.

Participants began by providing some of their favorite places to dine out in Lawrence and agreed that Mexican restaurants were popular because of the big dining areas and general drink specials like pitchers of margaritas that friends can share. As research indicates, Millennials are driven to certain restaurants because of drink specials, quality of food, price of food and speed of service. When asked about advertising campaigns, participants said that they enjoyed commercials that used humor or creative elements to differentiate themselves from other brands.

When conversation moved to Carlos O’Kelly’s, students

had various ideas on how to improve the current brand image and increase business. Participants noted the importance of reaching out to college students with coupons, widely advertised drink specials and group deals to encourage and promote a group atmosphere.

Many felt that Carlos O’Kelly’s was lacking authenticity, and it seemed to be clumped in the casual-dining category of restaurants. They noted that currently there is nothing special differentiating the brand. One idea that many participants seemed to agree upon was the opportunity for Carlos O’Kelly’s to engage with KU Athletics. Students recognized that partnering with a KU sport and using the platform to offer promotions would increase brand awareness of the restaurant while reaching one of Lawrence’s largest demographics.

Overall, the focus group provided key takeaways that will be implemented into the CASSAA Creative campaign. Many of the participants were completely unaware of the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand and weekly specials targeted to them. Students expressed the interest in KU Athletics and agreed that having the restaurant partner with some aspect of the university would pique interest.

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online survey In order to tap into the students’ opinions and suggestions via an anonymous platform, a 10-question online survey regarding Carlos O’Kelly’s was developed and distributed to 100 Lawrence Millennial respondents.

To achieve comprehensive results, some questions were open ended while others were based on a numerical scale.

34% 64% 71%

of survey respondents don’t eat out on a weekly basis.

of the time that Millennials dine out, it is at a Mexican food restaurant

of survey respondents had a negative or neutral opinion of Carlos O’Kelly’s

49% 86% 52%

of responders suggested they do interact with brands on social media

of responders said they liked having the Power of Choice

of Millennials were unaware of Carlos O’Kelly’s drink specials on Monday and Wednesday, but it is enough to entice them into the restaurant

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S 0

The power of choice...SWOT Analysis

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w

t

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The power of choice...SWOT Analysis

Drink specials and use of real tequila in its margaritas Carlos O’Kelly’s offers some of the best drink specials in Lawrence beating most other Mexican restaurants on price and availability. The use of real tequilla and quality liquors in the drinks helps to separate the brand from others in this category and gives the consumer the impression of quality.

Extensive menu The large variety on the Carlos O’Kelly’s menu allows customers to choose anything from traditional Mexican food to inspired Mexican dishes. Along with an assortment of sides, the combinations of entrees seem endless. Appetizers allow customers to try small plates at the beginning of their meal or to supplement casual drinks. The menu provides small icons, which make it easy for customers to locate “Lite,” “New” or “Spicy” options. Carlos O’Kelly’s also offers a health-conscious gluten-free menu.

Huge space The Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence occupies a huge space that has the capacity for up to 261 guests. The restaurant is a perfect setting for entertaining and accommodating large groups of friends, families and co-workers. This large space also ensures that the wait to be seated should never be too long, as seating is ample.

Strengths

Brand identity The lack of a brand identity creates opportunity to build the brand from the ground up. The current lack of identity and personality allows the brand to adopt any campaign message without restriction, essentially giving it a fresh start.

Environment The environment of Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence is a determining factor for whether a customer becomes a lifelong advocate or remains a one-time customer. There is opportunity to capitalize on the ample space to make it a desirable atmosphere for both Millennials and families

opportunities

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weaknesses

Lack of presence in Lawrence and beyond A weak presence in the Lawrence community puts Carlos O’Kelly’s at a disadvantage when trying to reach consumers who may not otherwise visit the restaurant. This weak presence prevents Carlos O’Kelly’s from expanding on its existing customer base and exposing the community to the brand through non-traditional marketing techniques.

Lack of consistent branding There is not a cohesive look to any of Carlos O’Kelly’s paid, owned or earned media. This includes the in-store displays and digital media as well as the restaurant atmosphere and physical location. Overall, this inconsistent branding hurts the awareness of Carlos O’Kelly’s because there is no integrated marketing to connect and reinforce the brand to the consumer.

Location The Lawrence location of Carlos O’Kelly’s is surrounded by nearly 10 other restaurants on the same block alone. Even though 23rd Street is a main road connecting east and west Lawrence, the Millennial population in the area is highly concentrated around the University of Kansas campus. These residents typically go to Massachusetts Street to eat and drink.

Local Lawrence restaurants The culture of Lawrence allows local, small businesses to thrive. With more than 30 local restaurants in a 10-block radius, Carlos O’Kelly’s is competing for customers who have a wide range of local dining options and numerous chain restaurants to choose from.

Reputation Consumers who have a bad impression of Carlos O’Kelly’s share their negative story with others more often than those who had a positive dining experience. When this information spreads, it causes an overall negative reputation for the brand.

Because the brand currently doesn’t have strong advocates who can change this mentality, the bad reputation can be detrimental to new and returning diners.

Available seating sign Results from the survey and focus group show that the available seating sign is a threat to the attraction of new consumers.

In a focus group, one respondent commented, “That available seating sign has got to go. If that thing is always lit up, does that mean no one is in there? If no one is there, why would I want to go?”

threats

The

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the power of choice...campaign plan

power of

choice

the campaign plan

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Meet Sam

Target Audience Profile Sam is a 21-year-old student attending the University of Kansas. Extremely motivated and graduating in the spring, Sam is right in the middle of the Millennial age group. Her busy schedule and tight budget sometimes limits her free time, so when Sam does choose to eat out, the decision on where to eat is heavily weighed.

As a college student, Sam’s peer group is extremely important to her. She’s the life of the party, and when she talks, everyone is sure to listen. Sam enjoys eating out and for her peer group drink specials are the No. 1 priority.

Eating at Carlos O’Kelly’s offers Sam the power to choose exactly what she wants and when she wants it. She can get the great drink prices that she seeks AND have the ability to get a great meal. Knowing this, Sam constantly recommends Carlos O’Kelly’s as a Mexican restaurant alternative to her peer group.

Carlos O’Kelly’s gives Sam the upper hand in food and drink specials in Lawrence, and her peer group is certain to increase future awareness because of their influential status as Millennials.

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the power of choice...campaign plan

Message Strategy Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence gives Millennials the Power of Choice. From menu items to drink specials, the combination of choices is virtually unrestricted.

The focus on showing Lawrence Millennials that they have the Power of Choice at Carlos O’Kelly’s stems from a combination of research on what Millennials value, as well as the benefits that Carlos O’Kelly’s can offer to consumers. These benefits include a menu that exhibits great variety and value, daily drink specials and a culture that caters to a younger demographic.

Insight- The campaign strategy of the Power of Choice is comprehensively supported by secondary and primary research. Research establishes that Millennials have significant purchasing power, they prefer restaurants that offer a variety of options, and they value food quality and efficient service above other factors (See Consumer Analysis). This message relates to the highest level of achievement on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, self-actualization (Huitt, 2007).

Self-actualization is only reached after all basic human needs are met. The Power of Choice is a platform for Millennials to reach self-actualization because it motivates a choice beyond basic human need and evokes an emotional response.This motivation is rarely reached with advertising messages but is most effective in creating consumer reaction and engagement.

objectives Increase awareness by 15 percent *current awareness is 51 percent from survey results Building awareness of the restaurant and the benefits it offers is the first step to ultimately increasing sales and obtaining loyal brand advocates. Brand awareness helps to make Carlos O’Kelly’s top-of-mind for the consumer, which is the foundation to an engaged customer base.

It is critical to reach consumers on channels that they currently use and will be using in the future.

Guerrilla marketing, print media and sponsorship packages will help to bring awareness to the brand and engage the target audience. A clear and concise brand identity is critical to the successful execution of tactics.

Challenge- The current lack of awareness allows the brand to start fresh; however, the future is ambiguous.

The target market is diverse and finicky; without proper execution and support, awareness and advocacy of the brand could stay minimal.

Redefine negative and neutral consumer attitudes and increase positive perceptions by 10 percent * negative and neutral perceptions make up 71 percent of the sample Positive consumer attitude about a brand form a positive emotional connection to it. This connection will foster the relationship between Carlos O’Kelly’s and the greater Lawrence community. By creating this positive association and strengthening community ties, Carlos

59 O’Kelly’s will have clout with the market it wishes to reach (Millennials). Ultimately, this will allow the brand to influence consumer engagement and advocacy.

Social media management, integrated brand design with a restaurant redesign and community involvement are critical to constantly building on and improving consumer attitudes.

Challenge- Fostering this positive attitude requires consistency and the highest level of service at every interaction. Brand messages have to be seamlessly integrated across all platforms to provide the best experience for the consumer.

paid, owned and earned media, because of this, an increase of five percent is reasonable. Earned media are a direct result of the successful execution of the paid and owned channels. Earned media are the hardest to maintain and easiest to forget. However, reaching the Millennial Generation is most effective through earned media because of the high value they place on word-ofmouth suggestions.

overarching strategy

Increase trial rates and monthly traffic count by five percent *currently 34 percent of survey respondents don’t eat out weekly

Carlos O’Kelly’s has the unique selling proposition of choice. By capitalizing on this rationale, the brand has the opportunity to be the most desirable and relatable to the consumer. Using paid, owned and earned media, the execution of the message strategy, the Power of Choice, promotes the benefits of Carlos O’Kelly’s to the consumer.

Increasing trial and retrial of the product ensures a direct increase in sales. To maintain steady growth and longevity in sales, it is vital to use message platforms with the most impressions. From the customer’s initial decision to retrial of the product and eventually advocacy, Carlos O’Kelly’s must use a range of media platforms to constantly engage the target market.

Strategy The execution of the campaign for Carlos O’Kelly’s differentiates the brand from others in the casualdining restaurant category by offering consumers the most customizable dining experience. This position will successfully carry the campaign from concept to implementation.

The purchase and deployment of a food truck, print media, continuous promotions through Front Flip and guerrilla marketing are the channels most likely to reach new customers, promote retrial and increase engagement.

Execution Brand Recommendation To ensure the successful integration of the following tactics, Carlos O’Kelly’s must create an integrated brand image. This brand image should represent the brand as a whole and work cohesively with the overall message strategy. By integrating all visual representations of the brand, Carlos O’Kelly’s ensures that all paid, owned and

Challenge- Increased trial rates are a direct result of all

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the power of choice...campaign plan earned media relates back to the umbrella brand image.

Restaurant Renovation The restaurant atmosphere of Carlos O’Kelly’s should reinforce all brand messaging. It is a critical step in ensuring that a customer is not a one time visitor, but rather a repeat customer. Currently, the atmosphere of the restaurant does not reflect the overall contemporary brand image that Millennials desire.

One asset that Carlos O’Kelly’s does possess is a large floor plan, which will be useful in the redesign process.

Overall, renovation at the restaurant will make Carlos O’Kelly’s more appealing to Millennials. The renovation of the restaurant will include two phases. The first phase addresses immediate changes and the second phase addresses future renovations.

Phase 1 - Take down “Immediate Seating Available” sign - Powerwash exterior and repaint to align with other Carlos O’Kelly’s remodeled restaurants - Remove current wall decor and either expose brick or repaint walls - Install additional TV’s in bar area (to total six TV’s) and expand existing bar seating area. Clearly distinguish separation between the bar and dining room Phase 2 - Replace carpet with dark wood or tile flooring - Replace all center booths with tables to open up space in main dining area - Partition bar to reduce noise in the dining area - Remove all tables and booths in the bar area and

replace with high-top tables - Coordinate all light fixtures cohesively - Install speakers along walls that allow patrons at designated high-tops to choose which TV programs they want to hear - Implement reservation software so patrons in the bar area have the power to choose their table based on personal TV viewing preferences.

Server Uniform Change To align with Carlos O’Kelly’s desired brand image, server uniforms must have a more brand-specific appearance. Carlos O’Kelly’s will introduce t-shirts that feature designs that mirror the brand identity. During guerrilla marketing promotions, t-shirts will align with the guerrilla marketing concepts and give employees the opportunity to choose between two designs. T-shirts can also feature social media promotions to give life to the online campaign. New server uniforms that reflect social media promotions will successfully integrate online efforts into the dining experience.

See appendix for T-Shirt designs.

61 brand identity logos

white logo

pepper logo

colors C: 94 M: 0

Y:100 K: 0

C: 100 Y: 0 M: 10 K: 10

C: 0 M: 16

Y:100 K: 0

C: 59 M: 0

Y: 6 K: 11

C: 0 M: 48

Y: 95 K: 11

C: 0 M: 95

Y: 86 K: 11

textures

Fonts:

Libby Regular Libby bold

Libby heavy

the quick brown fox.

the quick brown fox.

the quick brown fox.

Pacifico

Century Gothic

Century Gothic Italic

Century Gothic Bold The quick brown fox.

The quick brown fox.

The quick brown fox.

The quick brown fox.

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the power of choice...campaign plan

Paid Promotions Paid media are a channel that a brand pays to use, such as radio ads, television ads and sponsorships. Often referred to as traditional advertising, paid media include everything from sponsorships to online display ads. Strategically choosing channels for paid media will enhance the overall performance of the campaign. The execution of paid media in CASSAA Creative’s campaign focuses on fliers, UDK ads, sponsorships of The Big Event and KU volleyball team, and sponsored posts on social media. Paid media are necessary because they are immediate, controlled and can be broadcast on a wide scale.

UDK Ads As a form of traditional broadcast media, CASSAA Creative recommends that Carlos O’Kelly’s purchase an ad bundle in the UDK. The 2-column by 3-inch weekly ad bundle is printed once a week and includes a coupon advertisement. Carlos O’Kelly’s will also be listed on the LarryvilleKU website and UDK mobile App. With a 12-week commitment, pricing for this bundle costs $300 a month.

aims for a two percent increase of monthly restaurant traffic by targeting UDK readers.

Sponsorship/Catering of The Big Event The Big Event reaches a large, diverse crowd of more than 4,000 Lawrence locals and college students. Carlos O’Kelly’s presence at The Big Event, will parallel the brand with Millennials’ fulfillment of self-actualization.

CASSAA Creative recommends that Carlos O’Kelly’s sponsors The Big Event by catering lunch at specific volunteer sites and through a one-time $500 donation.

A $500 donation places Carlos O’Kelly’s in the “Gold Sponsorship” category and increases visibility of the brand (see appendix for details). This is an effective tactic to make an impression on first-time consumers.

Catering ensures a one-time trial of the product by serving food to various worksites from the food truck. By associating the brand with a valuable cause, the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand acknowledges Millennials’ desire to give back. This partnership aims to improve community ties, customer perception and convert 10 percent of one-time The purchase and implementation of this bundle will increase trials to repeat in-store customers.

Carlos O’Kelly’s awareness among university students. Eightyone percent of undergraduate students read the UDK at Sponsorship of KU Volleyball Team least once a week. This media increases brand visibility and The KU volleyball team consistently attracts sizeable strengthens the relationship between Carlos O’Kelly’s and crowds to home matches. With a long-standing tradition the university. Strengthening this relationship improves the of excellence, the team frequently competes in the perception of the brand among students, who are receptive NCAA volleyball tournament. Previous seasons have to brands that partner with their university. The aims to inform experienced match attendance of nearly 4,000 fans. For college students about weekly specials and urges them the past two years, the KU team has sponsored the NCAA to use the featured coupons. Tracking coupon usage will volleyball tournament and hosts matches between teams measure the success of this tactic. Objectively, this tactic from across the country in Allen Fieldhouse. Head Coach,

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Ray Bechard, has a 16-year tenure and was named the Big 12 coach of the year in 2012 and 2013 making him well recognized within the sport.

CASSAA Creative recommends Carlos O’Kelly’s partner with IMG College and the Jayhawk Sports Network to become the sponsor of Hawk Talk with Ray Bechard and the KU volleyball program. Sponsorship will associate the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand with the KU athletic community. Carlos O’Kelly’s banners will be displayed around the court during games and the restaurant will be referenced as a supporter during the Jayhawk Radio Sports Talk with Coach Bechard. This sponsorship supplements the relationship between Carlos O’Kelly’s and the vast community of KU sports fans. Catering to this audience allows Carlos O’Kelly’s to reach the Millennials in Lawrence as well as the broader group of Jayhawk Radio Sports Talk listeners.

credit: Jeff & Laura Jacobson, Kansas Athletics

Fliers Fliers have the highest versatility of any print medium and reach a broad audience with effective communication. The ability to reach large audiences at minimal cost is extremely valuable for a brand trying to increase awareness.

CASSAA Creative recommends Carlos O’Kelly’s use four situation-specific fliers to reach the Millennial audience in Lawrence. The fliers will include an incentive urging consumers to visit the restaurant and therefore, drive traffic.

To engage Millennials on Mass. Street and in parking lots across campus, CASSAA Creative has designed parking-ticket style fliers. The fliers will be placed on cars to give the appearance that drivers have received a parking citation. Once the driver has opened the ticket, be rewarded with a coupon for Carlos O’Kelly’s. Most parking tickets for expired meters cost less than $5, so the incentive will be of similar value. Millennials constantly seek coupons, which are commonly digital. By placing print fliers on Millennials’ cars, automatic engagement with the flier is ensured and the tactic will leave a lasting impression.

Awareness is increased and trial rates are likely to increase as well.

To engage patrons of the food truck (see page 71), fliers will be distributed post-purchase. These fliers will include scheduled hours, locations and the menu and will reinforce the impression of the food truck. Latenight patrons may need a reminder of their visit and the flier can achieve this.

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the power of choice...campaign plan

Choose Your Charity (see page 71)

Guerilla Marketing (see page 75)

Like you

November 15, 2014 Join us at Carlos O’Kelly’s Lawrence on National Philanthropic Day for great fun and community service hours for your house!

1

Bring you and your friends to Carlos O’Kelly’s, Lawrence on November 15. 10% of your check will be tallied up for the charity of your choice.

2

Encourage all your friends and fellow house members because the sorority and fraternity with the most amount of donations will receive ALL the donations from the evening for their charity.

3 ##voiceyourchoice

That’s it! Enjoy our great food with your friends while competing for your house’s charity! It’s all about the power of choice.

Contact us for more information: 707 W 23rd St, Lawrence, KS 66046 (785) 832-0550

what see?

Follow us on twitter @CarlosOKellys to see how your choice fares in the competition.

TEAM TACO Vs. TEAM #VOICE YOUR CHOICE

burriTO

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Late Night Taco Truck Flyer (see page 71) Front

To support guerrilla marketing efforts, fliers will be distributed before, during and after guerrilla marketing events. These fliers will remind students of the event and encourage social media interaction.

The goals of the fliers are to increase brand engagement by five percent and increase awareness by 10 percent. The success of the fliers will be calculated by monitoring the incentives redeemed.

Back

Paid Social Posts Paid social posts are similar to unpaid social media posts, but can be promoted to a much wider, yet precisely targeted market. After designating a budget, the selected post is broadcasted and its content made more visible to followers and potential leads across that social media platform. Unpaid Facebook posts are often overlooked due to clutter. Paid social posts combat this challenge. CASSAA Creative recommends that Carlos O’Kelly’s utilize paid Facebook posts specifically around holidays (see content calendar).

The plan is to ensure that social content is clearly visible to the restaurant’s followers and the most relevant potential leads. Like all social media posts, the restaurant should post frequent and relevant content to its users. Maximum exposure to social media posts will support top-of-mind brand awareness among its followers. Through the use of these posts Carlos O’Kelly’s will see an increase in Facebook engagement by at least five percent. Carlos O’Kelly’s can monitor the success of its paid Facebook posts by analyzing reach, impressions, “likes” and comments of its paid social posts.

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the power of choice...campaign plan

Owned Promotions Owned media are a channel that Carlos O’Kelly’s will have complete control over. An effective and successful owned media plan directly affects the success of earned media. The strategy and tactics focus on specific owned-media channels that will be critical to the success of Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence.

Utilizing Carlos O’Kelly’s owned media in conjunction with the paid messaging will reinforce the brand message in the mind of the consumer. Recommended owned promotions focus on the website, email marketing, social media platforms, a food truck, guerrilla marketing and in-store promotions.

Website Of all demographic groups, Millennials spend the most time on the Internet. An easily accessible and user friendly website promotes positive initial interactions with potential and returning customers who seek online information about Mexican restaurants. The current Carlos O’Kelly’s website is functional and aesthetically appealing, however, CASSAA Creative recommends adding location-specific specials pages. This addition will provide potential customers with valuable content and encourage them to visit Carlos O’Kelly’s.

Clearly displaying the specials reinforces strategy of the Power of Choice. Often times, the website is the first point of contact between a brand and a customer. The initial decision-making process will be eased with the readily available information about specials. The design and layout of these additional pages

Lawrence Drink Specials

Drink Specials

Drinks for days

Monday $2 bottled beers Tuesday $3.99 jumbo marg Wednesday ¢99 lime mug-o-rita Thursday ¢99 boulevard Friday $4.99 gold marg Saturday $4.99 long islands Sunday $3 big beers

Drinks Online Our research showed that millennials are always looking for the best deal on drinks. But they also want to be able to find those deals easily. Designating a page for drink specials will increase the searchability of those specials.

67 will be consistent with the current website and require minimal coding. The drink specials at the Carlos O’Kelly’s in Lawrence are some of the best in town and displaying them prominently on the website enhances awareness of them. A seven percent increased awareness of specials will be considered successful.

By referring back to content posted on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and mobile applications, Carlos O’Kelly’s can be sure to create messages for email that are complementary. It is important to avoid discrepancies between messages across platforms.

Email Marketing As noted earlier, the importance of email marketing to a restaurant’s overall campaign is vital because of how widely email is used by consumers of all demographic and psychographic groups. Although social media have been the topic of conversation lately, Carlos O’Kelly’s marketers must remain cognizant that email is still the most used and most trusted form of electronic communication.

Timeliness is imperative in a successful email marketing plan. Holidays, community-based events, relevant sporting events, tragedies, and major political issues are all factors that can determine whether an email is appropriate and effective, or problematic.

A successful email marketing plan is not intrusive in the lives of subscribers. Marketers can be sure to respect subscribers’ privacy and mailbox by limiting email blast The main goal of Carlos O’Kelly’s email campaign is to increase frequency. Setting an appropriate schedule and making it brand loyalty. Five email marketing tactics will be employed to easy for subscribers to unsubscribe are critical to nurturing achieve this goal. The emails should: offer customers value, be a healthy customer relationship. Organizing leads and visually appealing, be consistent with the messages transmitted loyal customers into separate email lists will ensure that through other communication channels, be sent with emails are marketed independently and appropriately. consideration of timeliness and not be perceived as intrusive.

Including truly useful information, information about weekly or seasonal specials, and discounts or coupons provides customers with value. This will successfully remind customers of a need that only Carlos O’Kelly’s can satisfy.

The use of high-quality images, clean and simple organization, consistency in the use of the brand logo and color scheme and limited body text is critical to creating visually appealing emails.

They must evoke emotional reactions using target-specific aesthetics.

Consistency between messages transmitted through email and other channels is easy to maintain, but very costly if neglected.

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the power of choice...campaign plan

Social Media Content & Publication For Carlos O’Kelly’s, the main goal of social content should be to establish and maintain relationships with patrons who have already eaten at Carlos O’Kelly’s.

This is not the first time Carlos O’Kelly’s has interacted with online audience members, and because they have actively sought Carlos O’Kelly’s out on the various social networks, they are looking to engage. By connecting with fans, Carlos O’Kelly’s has the ability to make these fans influencers and advocates for the restaurant.

Social media are the perfect platform to continuously reconnect with consumers and ensure Carlos O’Kelly’s stays top-of-mind.

Social media are what keep customers coming back, not what gets them in the door. Improving customer engagement comes in recognizing that social media are a fluid relationship between the consumer and the brand.

Relevant content encourages customer engagement.

When relevant content is posted from the brand, the consumer will react and engage with the posting, automatically increasing exposure.

Objectives 1. Utilize social media accounts to increase awareness of Carlos O’Kelly’s online presence by 10 percent 2. Engage Millennials with relevant material on a daily basis 3. Inspire Millennials to become brand advocates and influencers on a weekly basis

Who is the Target?

The target of the social media executions is the same as the overall target. (See research for full profile.)

Profile Review Sam is a 21-year-old student attending the University of Kansas. Extremely motivated and graduating in the spring, Sam is right in the middle of the Millennial age group. Her busy schedule and tight budget sometimes limit her free time, so, when Sam does choose to eat out, the decision on where to eat is thoroughly considered.

What makes this target tick?

Like many of her friends, Sam is constantly connected. As a leader among her friends, her peer group looks to her to make key decisions like where they’ll dine out. Sam doesn’t view Carlos O’Kelly’s as just another Mexican restaurant. That’s not the way her world works. She looks at Carlos O’Kelly’s as a chance to have an impressive dining experience within her budget. Carlos O’Kelly’s is a place where friends can gather and everyone gets what he or she wants. That is why Sam loves Carlos O’Kelly’s. It’s not just the drink specials or the GQ combo, it’s the fact that when her group of friends goes to Carlos O’Kelly’s, the variety of options gives everyone the Power of Choice.

Which platforms make sense?

The focus needs to be on the platforms that the community is currently using and will be using in the future. For the target audience right now, it makes sense to be on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and YouTube. Making the Carlos O’Kelly’s presence known in the platforms where fans already exist is the key component to a successful social media campaign.

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Focus group respondents noted that a brand should not be intrusive in the target audience’s life, mentioning that this audience’s top media outlets are Twitter and Instagram. CASSAA Creative is not recommending Carlos O’Kelly’s invest time into an Instagram account because the consumer is looking for an experience on Instagram that Carlos O’Kelly’s cannot fulfill.

Instagram works best for brands that serve original and unreplicable dishes. While Carlos O’Kelly’s fare is aesthetically pleasing, it cannot differentiate itself enough from other brands in the Mexican casual-dining category. To put this into context, a bowl of queso from Carlos O’Kelly’s is going to look, for the most part, the same as a bowl of queso from another Mexican restaurant.

Strategy Because Carlos O’Kelly’s wants to interact with customers and remind them of its Power of Choice, the social posts will focus mainly on this concept. Carlos O’Kelly’s will emphasize to fans that they have the Power of Choice by creating content for social postings on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and YouTube.

Voice The social media sites managed by Carlos O’Kelly’s will have a lively tone. Instead of having one personality managing the social sites, there will be two. The chain was started by a cowboy and a hippie who had two unique perspectives on what the restaurant should be. Therefore, the social accounts will be monitored by these two characters. Not only will this provide a comedic tone, it will accomplish the long-term goal of building on brand history. To successfully execute these

distinct voices each character will be assigned a name and a hashtag. The cowboy’s hashtag will be #wyattschoice and the hippie’s hashtag will be #willieschoice. Using the additional hashtag #voiceyourchoice, the characters will debate, bicker and encourage fans to interact on all of the social listings. The bio on Twitter and Facebook will clarify the cowboy (Wyatt) versus hippie (Willie) angle. Each post will be light-hearted, witty, and these two characters won’t be afraid to make fun of each other. The goal is not to talk at customers, but converse with them and make them want to continue that conversation.

Success This will not be a launch-and-hope type of campaign. When social campaigns fail, there’s a good chance the idea wasn’t initially seeded or promoted well enough to provide an initial lift (Social Media Mathematics). While the initial goal is not virality, the same tactics apply. Posting relevant content and engaging on a daily basis will help grow the fanbase. Any increase in engagement will be considered a success.

Willie

&

Wyatt

“Wyatt’s a real gun-slinger who loves real tequila and a meaty, cheesy burrito. Willie’s more a ‘free-thinker’ who prefers Boulevard Wheat and isn’t afraid to order a salad.

The founders have their differences, sure, but don’t we all? Their unlikely friendship started with two common interests: great value in food and drinks and the Power of Choice. Tell us who speaks to you, using #WyattsChoice and #WilliesChoice.”

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the power of choice...campaign plan

71 Food Truck The purchase and deployment of a food truck provides a strategically unique way for Carlos O’Kelly’s to reach Millennials in Lawrence. By placing the truck in select locations, the restaurant will be able to maximize Millennial trial rates and increase brand exposure. The food truck will provide a unique selling proposition that very few restaurants in Lawrence can claim.

The food truck will increase exposure of the brand to many potential customers. CASSA Creative recommends the food truck park in the area of 14th and Ohio St., Wednesday-Saturday from 11:30p.m.-2:30a.m. This is a prime location and time period because of the late-night bar traffic. It complies with the ordinance for food trucks designated by the city of Lawrence (see appendix for full ordinance). Currently, The Wheel Pizza is the only latenight food option near this location. As the sole late-night option, it quickly becomes overcrowded and long lines can be an issue. Parking the food truck near this location provides an alternative dining option and allows students to choose their late night food. Furthermore, the food truck will generate additional income.

The success of the food truck can be easily tracked by monitoring and comparing sales at specific locations.

Carlos O’Kelly’s should also utilize social media outlets to engage online chatter regarding the food truck.

“Choose Your Charity” CASSAA Creative recommends introducing a sorority and fraternity-focused event to take place on National Philanthropy Day, November 15, at Carlos O’Kelly’s. An in-store event presents the opportunity to increase brand awareness and new-customer traffic while engaging

with KU affiliated student organizations. Greek chapter members are required to attend philanthropy events. The Carlos O’Kelly’s event presents a fun, easy and delicious way to fulfill that requirement. These members have an influential status within the KU community, they will encourage non-greek students to attend the event.

The event will raise money for two philanthropies, one fraternity and one sorority’s. Over the course of the event, 10 percent of each check will be contributed to the donation effort. Patrons can choose which cause they wish to donate to. There will be 13 sorority and 17 fraternity philanthropy donation options. At the end of the day all donations will be split equally between the winning sorority philanthropy and the winning fraternity philanthropy.

To ensure the success of this event, Carlos O’Kelly’s needs to contact the Panhellenic and Interfraternal organizations before the start of the fall semester in 2014. Establishing this relationship and conversation may lead to potential bookings for date parties among these organizations. As a result of this event one-time trial rates will immediately increase and a new set of advocates will be created.

See appendix for contact information.

Front Flip Front Flip is a successful local rewards App that Carlos O’Kelly’s is already appropriately implementing in its marketing efforts. The App helps track customers and provides data to Carlos O’Kelly’s about the visit frequency of its customer base. CASSAA Creative highly recommends the continued use of this application with the Power of Choice campaign. A future recommendation has been made about the development of a Carlos O’Kelly’s

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the power of choice...campaign plan

Food Truck Mock-UP

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pop table-tent display

drinkS for days

Monday $2 bottlEd bEErS Tuesday $3.99 jumbo marg Wednesday ¢99 limE mug-o-rita Thursday ¢99 boulEvard Friday $4.99 gold marg Saturday $4.99 long iSlandS Sunday $3 big bEErS

branded mobile App (see page 78). Once this App gains traction, CASSAA Creative suggests that the use of Front Flip is gradually discontinued to avoid competition for customers attention and consolidate all marketing efforts.

In-Store Promotion CASSAA Creative recommends that Carlos O’Kelly’s continue to use table tents and point-of-purchase (POP) displays throughout the restaurant. The in-store promotions further establish the brand identity and improve sales on specific menu items and specials. Highquality images of food are visually striking and create an association of high-quality food in the mind of the customer.

Carlos O’Kelly’s should continue to highlight food and drink specials and seasonal items through table tents and POP displays. When there aren’t as many seasonal items to highlight, the in-store promotions should focus on items that are already popular, which has proven to be successful.

The continued success of in-store promotions will be easily measurable through changes in sales for particular menu items.

Guerrilla Marketing Guerrilla marketing aims to create buzz about the brand.

This buzz makes initiating conversations between the consumer and the brand easier. Guerrilla marketing breaks through the over-crowded media environment and lures consumers with low-attention spans by quickly grabbing their attention. According to Brian Martin, we interact with thousands of different stimuli every day,

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the power of choice...campaign plan

but our perceptual registrar filters out the vast majority.

Tactics that are outside the realm of everyday activity stand out and are more easily retained.

To maximize brand exposure, connect students with the brand and create buzz, Carlos O’Kelly’s will utilize this non-traditional platform on the KU campus. The following promotions are designed to assist Carlos O’Kelly’s in their community outreach endeavors.

The Taco & Burrito Race The beginning of school and week of midterms are some of the busiest times on campus. Wescoe Beach is a popular spot on campus for students to gather between classes, socialize and eat meals. Students, faculty and staff pass by Wescoe Beach at the fiftyminute increments of each hour, when most classes conclude. Due to the fact that it is a main connecting point between the north and south ends of campus, sidewalk traffic is heavy.

To capitalize on this high traffic, Carlos O’Kelly’s will host a taco and burrito race down Jayhawk Boulevard in front of Wescoe. The race was a suggestion from a focus group respondent who noted that seeing this event would inspire conversation on social media and increase brand awareness.

The taco and burrito race would include one participant dressed in a taco costume representing #teamtaco, and the other participant dressed as a burrito representing #teamburrito. During the 10 minutes of high traffic in this area, Carlos O’Kelly’s will introduce the competition, race the taco and burrito

down the sidewalk and announce the winner.

The event will be live-tweeted using the hashtag #voiceyourchoice to interact with students.

To gain coverage of the event, the UDK will be notified of the event date and time. All UDK ad creative will be altered the week before to intrigue readers about the upcoming event. Additionally, fliers will be distributed to students before, during and after the race to reinforce the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand. Bypassers will be encouraged to search social media to discover which team won the race and coordinating restaurant incentives. If #teamtaco wins the race, tacos at Carlos O’Kelly’s will be 50 percent off for the week following the race. If #teamburrito wins the race, burritos at Carlos O’Kelly’s will be 50 percent off for the week following the race. These details will be included in the fliers handed to students.

The race will entice passersby to mention Carlos O’Kelly’s and the event on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. The brand will be able to capitalize on these interactions by responding to those who talked about it and either reward them with a digital coupon or let them know when the next race is. These interactions are the first step in establishing consumer-brand relationships.

Studylicous For students, the busiest weeks of the academic semester are midterm week and finals week.

During these busy times, many students pack the libraries studying for tests and working on papers.

The University of Kansas is a public university and its libraries are therefore a public space open to anyone.

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To capitalize on this high concentration of students Carlos O’Kelly’s will distribute free tacos and burritos to students studying during dinner hours of these weeks. In order to ensure only positive interactions with the brand, the free food will only be distributed to students working in the group study areas, as not to distract those students who require silent study.

This promotion creates a favorable interaction between the consumers at the libraries and Carlos O’Kelly’s while also exposing students to the brand. It ensures a one-time trial of the product. Students will appreciate the act of generosity and associate Carlos O’Kelly’s as a brand that understands their lifestyle and can cater to their needs. This encouraging freebie from the brand during a time when many students feel overwhelmed will likely cause students to share the experience with their peers via social media. Carlos O’Kelly’s will capitalize on this in-person and online interaction and gain advocates as a result of their support of student success.

Earned Promotions: Carlos O’Kelly’s will rely on earned media, as a result of successful paid and owned promotions, to improve brand perception and create brand advocates.

Social Media sites To strengthen relationships with current customers, Carlos O’Kelly’s will initiate and monitor online conversations regarding the

brand. When a conversation has been started about the brand, monitoring and responding appropriately is critical to managing the social channels. In slow periods with little online chatter, initiating a new conversation with relevant content is suggested. To stay consistent across all social platforms, the content calendar and social media guidelines (which will be agreed upon by CASSAA Creative and Carlos O’Kelly’s) should always be referred to.

Interactions with the online community are a vital means for content creation and relevancy. Social media provide a platform to receive direct feedback from customers and monitoring the chatter allows Carlos O’Kelly’s to improve customer experiences. Using this tool, Carlos O’Kelly’s and CASSAA Creative can influence buying decisions and improve perceptions of the brand. As primary research shows, when brands interact with social media users, customers are more likely to have a positive perception of the brand.

Guerrilla Marketing The taco/burrito race and Studylicious tactics are designed to directly interact with and engage consumers in new and unanticipated manners. By making this interaction memorable for the consumer, it becomes more likely that consumers will discuss the interaction and brand with others in their community.

Immediately following all guerrilla marketing executions, social sites will be monitored and engaged to curate conversation. Fans will be engaged appropriately and reminded that the guerrilla marketing executions were interesting and well-connected to the Carlos O’Kelly’s brand. There is an opportunity to gain new customers from these engagements and they are the first step to building new relationships. All engagement will follow social media guidelines.

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the power of choice...campaign plan Future Projects Carlos O’Kelly’s App One of the recommendations for future executions is the development a Carlos O’Kelly’s mobile application. Along with the boom of App development in all industries during recent years, casual dining restaurants have specifically shown an interest in creating their own Apps. Apps are a great way to invite customers to interact with brands in a way that both entertains them and provides them with value. The percentage of Americans who own smartphones continues to increase and the percentage of Millennials who own smartphones is even higher. The App represents an important opportunity for Carlos O’Kelly’s to evolve with newer consumer channels and even targets Millennials based simply on their media consumption and technology usage.

The first component of a successful application is design. The Apps that do the best have very clean, simple designs and limit their usage of different theme colors to only two or three. In this case, it makes most sense for developers to model the color scheme, font themes and organization after the Carlos O’Kelly’s website. This allows for stronger brand association for users and will give the impression of seamless crossplatform technology and media design. The App needs to be very easy to navigate, use, and must be available to both Android and iOS mobile device operating systems.

In addition to clean and user-friendly design, the App must also take advantage of game mechanics.

Specifically with mobile applications, game mechanics can be make or break the App’s potential to go viral.

The game mechanics of the App will be based around a point system that rewards users for three types of behavior: dining at Carlos O’Kelly’s, referring friends to sign up and download the App, and posting a checkin on social media platforms about the visit to Carlos O’Kelly’s.

The point system would be monitored and possibly adjusted by Carlos O’Kelly’s management based on ROI calculations and overall production costs. point-system model: Refer a Friend- 100 Points Referring a friend would simply require that new signups enter the name or email of the person that referred them.

Eating at Carlos O’Kelly’s- 250 Points Eating at Carlos O’Kelly’s would earn App users points after they take a picture of their receipt and submit the image to the App. Checking-In on Social Media- 150 Points Awarding App users points for Checking-In to Carlos O’Kelly’s via Facebook and Twitter would require management of the data sent to the App and measurements of effectiveness.

At the 500-Point, 750-Point, 1000-Point, 1500-Point and 2500-Point values, users would be able to redeem their points for discounted appetizers, free appetizers, free desserts, discounted entrées, and free entrées.

Upon sign-up, users will automatically receive a

77 discount that they can use during their first visit and will be briefed on how to earn points and redeem them for even greater discounts. This initial incentive motivates users to come in and use their discount and serves as a measurement for tracking first-trial experiences. User behavior on the App can be easily monitored and used for determining ROI related to the App. The App will also allow users to place orders with the store in advance and specify if customers will be dining in or taking out. This can be effective in controlling user behavior by only allowing users to redeem discounts if they dine in.

In addition to being able to place orders with the 23rd Street location, users will be able to place orders with the Carlos O’Kelly’s food truck. The App will have a feature that informs users on the hours of operation of the food truck and its scheduled locations. Checking-In to the food truck location on social media will earn users the same amount of points as Checking-In to the 23rd Street location. Having this data will give Carlos O’Kelly’s management additional insight into customer behavior.

After a launch period of three months, and a trial period of six to nine months, the App will ideally be ready to provide customers with value, effectively monitor customer data and serve as the only application that customers use to interact with Carlos O’Kelly’s. At this point, Carlos O’Kelly’s would terminate the use of the Front Flip App in order to keep data collection and maintenance

of the application entirely internal.

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app mock-up

SPrEad it around The more you share the more you earn. Tap to voice your choice.

400 poInts

200 points - Lawrence, KS Dec. 4 100 points - Wichita, KS Nov. 30 REDEEMED - 100 points redeemed

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Budget Budget UDK 2 column by 3 inch weekly ad bundle Coupon twice a week Sponsorships The Big Event

Monthly $300

Gold Sponsorship $500

IMG College and KU Volleyball

up to $30,000

Print Guerilla Marketing Flyers (8.5 x 11)

Cost per 500 $112

Car Flyers (4.25 x 5.5)

Cost per 5,000 $94

Rec Car Flyers (4.25 x 5.5)

Cost per 1,000 $37

"Choose Your Charity" Flyers (8.5 x 11)

Cost per 500 $112

Food Truck

Initial purchase $55,000-$75,000

Website Remodel

Professional firm $500-$600

Restaurant Remodel

TBD

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timeline

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the power of choice...campaign plan Evaluation For tactic specific evaluation, see individual tactics.

Guerilla marketing, print media and sponsorship packages aim to bring awareness to the brand and the target audience. By creating a clear and more concise brand identity, CASSAA Creative aims to increase awareness by 15 percent. Because current awareness is at 51 percent, CASSAA Creative feels that this is a realistic goal.

Social media management, integrated brand design with a restaurant redesign and community involvement will achieve an anticipated 10 percent increase in positive consumer perception. From the survey sample, negative and neutral perceptions make up 71 percent of consumer attitudes. It is CASSAA Creatives goal to evolve neutral perceptions into positive perceptions.

The deployment of the food truck, print media, promotions through Front Flip and guerrilla marketing all work to increase trial rates and monthly traffic by five percent. Survey results show that 34 percent of respondents don’t eat out during the week. CASSSA Creative hopes to attract five percent of these consumers to the restaurant.

The overall goal of the campaign is to increase sales by 10 percent as specified by Carlos O’Kelly’s in initial concept meeting. CASSAA Creative hopes to meet and exceed these expectations with the campaign strategy of the Power of Choice.

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closing statement CASSAA Creative wants to be a partner, a cheerleader, the obnoxious kid that has a crush on you and above all your problemsolver. CASSAA Creative isn’t about the guess-work or the hoping, it’s about strategy and seamless execution. Putting your hard-work into our hands won’t be just an exchange of ideas, it will be the beginning of our long-term relationship. A commitment like that of Darrel and David’s to be part of the family. Because at CASSAA Creative, we bring it home.

CASSAA

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The

campaign

appendix you finally made it!

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oNLINE SURVEYs

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panhellenic contact Office Phone Number: 785-864-4643 Panhellenic Office Address University of Kansas Panhellenic Association 1301 Jayhawk Blvd.

422 Kansas Union Lawrence, KS 66045

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thE BIG EVENT The Big Event Sponsorship Opportunities Crimson ($50-$99) -Sponsor’s name and contribution will be recognized at www.thebigeventku.com and recognized in email communication to volunteers.

Bronze ($100-$249) -Sponsor’s logo will be displayed on the Big Event website, with a link to the sponsor’s website. The sponsor’s logo also will be printed on the “Thank You” page included in volunteer information packets. Bronze sponsors will also receive Crimson benefits.

Silver ($250-$499) -Sponsor’s logo will be printed on the Big Event participant T-shirt, to be worn by an anticipated 4,000 volunteers. Sponsor’s logo will be included on all Big Event promotional materials and listed in all Big Event news releases. Silver sponsors will also receive Bronze and Crimson benefits.

Gold ($500-$999) -Sponsor’s logo will be included on all Big Event advertisements, including a published “thank you” advertisement following the event. Sponsors will be invited to the event kick- off ceremony to distribute promotional material and have the opportunity to display a promotional banner at the event. Gold sponsors will also receive Silver, Bronze and Crimson benefits.

Platinum ($1,000+) -”The Big Event would love to discuss a sponsorship package to accommodate your generous contribution to our day or service. Please contact us at bigeventku.director@gmail.com for more information. Platinum sponsors will also receive Gold, Silver, Bronze and Crimson benefits.”

(The Big Event Sponsorship Packet, 2013) http://thebigeventku.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Big-Event-2012-13-Sponsorship-Packet.pdf

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udk UDK-Restaurant Bundle Restaurant Bundle Benefits -Maximum exposure with strategic investments -Additional ROP ads will be available at $10 per column inch, with 15 percent off advertising on Kansan.com and 15 percent off special sections in the fall -All options receive LarryvilleKU postings on the UDK mobile App, which is an interactive geo-tagging map, which features surrounding businesses and updates on its specials -Businesses with a 16-week commitment will receive four additional advertisements free of charge Bundle Options -Each bundle is a 12-week minimum commitment. Color is an additional cost, according to the rate card. All businesses must sign a contract.

Bundle 1 -2x2 ad/week + one option Bundle 2 -2x3 ad/week + one option Weekly Specials Listing -The listing promotes the business’ weekly events and specials on the back page every Thursday.

-Bundle 1: $200/month -Bundle 2: $250/month Kansan Coupons -A trackable way to reach college students while promoting great deals. Kansan coupons run every Monday and Thursday in the fall.

-Bundle 1: $250/month -Bundle 2: $300/month Social Media Hosting -This option allows Kansan social media team to handle a business’ Facebook and Twitter pages, promoting deals, events and other aspects of the business -Bundle 1: $300/month -Bundle 2: $350/month

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city of lawrence ordinance

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(Mobile App of the Year, 2012) Quick Service Restaurant Success Factors. Retrieved from http://www.aabri.com/OC2013Manuscripts/OC13086.pdf Reese, Amy. (2013, September 10). New Applebee’s Prototype Coming Soon to Weslaco, TX. Retrieved from http://www.restaurantnews.com/new-applebees-prototype-coming-soon-to-weslaco-tx/ Reese, A. (2013, September 10). New Applebee’s Prototype Coming Soon to Weslaco, TX. Retrieved from RestaurantNews.

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Wilson, B. (2011, Feb 8). Sasnak restructures its management. The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved from http://www.kansas.com/2011/02/09/1711630_jon-rolph-named-president-of-carlos.html

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Wilson, Bill. (2011, February 9). Sasnak restructures its management. Retrieved from http://www.kansas.com/2011/02/09/1711630_jon-rolph-named-president-of-carlos.html Yohn, Denise Lee. (2013, January). It’s Budget Time! QSR Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.qsrmagazine.com/denise-lee-yohn/it-s-budget-time Zmuda, N. (2011, Oct 7). Marketers Hitting Campus Harder Than Ever. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/news/ marketers-hitting-campus-harder/230387/ (Zmuda, 2011) Zmuda, Natalie. (2011, October 17). Marketers Hitting Campus Harder Than Ever. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/news/marketers-hitting-campus-harder/230387/

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The

creative

elements

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Food truck menu back

front

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food truck

POP table display

drinkS for days

Monday $2 bottlEd bEErS Tuesday

$3.99 jumbo marg

Wednesday ¢99 limE mug-o-rita Thursday ¢99 boulEvard Friday $4.99 gold marg Saturday $4.99 long iSlandS Sunday $3 big bEErS

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uniform design

App Mock-Up

website mock-up

Lawrence Drink Specials

SPrEad it around The more you share the more you earn. Tap to voice your choice.

400 poInts

200 points - Lawrence, KS Dec. 4 100 points - Wichita, KS Nov. 30 REDEEMED - 100 points redeemed

Drink Specials

Drinks for days

Monday $2 bottled beers Tuesday $3.99 jumbo marg Wednesday ¢99 lime mug-o-rita Thursday ¢99 boulevard Friday $4.99 gold marg Saturday $4.99 long islands Sunday $3 big beers

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choose your charity flyer

Taco V. Burrito race flyer

Like you

November 15, 2014 Join us at Carlos O’Kelly’s Lawrence on National Philanthropic Day for great fun and community service hours for your house!

1

Bring you and your friends to Carlos O’Kelly’s, Lawrence on November 15. 10% of your check will be tallied up for the charity of your choice.

2

Encourage all your friends and fellow house members because the sorority and fraternity with the most amount of donations will receive ALL the donations from the evening for their charity.

3 ##voiceyourchoice

That’s it! Enjoy our great food with your friends while competing for your house’s charity! It’s all about the power of choice.

Contact us for more information: 707 W 23rd St, Lawrence, KS 66046 (785) 832-0550

what see?

Follow us on twitter @CarlosOKellys to see how your choice fares in the competition.

TEAM TACO Vs. TEAM #VOICE YOUR CHOICE

burriTO

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Guerrilla Marketing Tickets Place the tickets in the iconic gold envelope. front

front

back

back

hand outs

Hand these to customers at the taco truck for them to find them the next mroning front

back