Marketing Plan for Rain Love on Manila
Executive Summary
Purpose of the Plan This marketing plan aims to serve as a tool for administering the initial launch of a not-for-profit cause to bring awareness and relief response to the environmental disaster that attacked the Philippines beginning September 27, 2009. The cause ultimately intends to seek the support of the general public across economies, regions, and social status. However, for scholastic purposes and constraints, the cause will initially be introduced to target market segments of volunteers actively participating in not-for-profit support. Brief Description of the Cause Rain Love on Manila is a not-for-profit cause that seeks to use the graphic design of its identity to raise awareness and funds as a response to the call for relief in the Philippines after the series of natural disasters since September 2009. One of the steps in accomplishing this goal is by the production and sale of graphic tees globally, the proceeds of which will be distributed among a list of beneficiaries in the Philippines. Another is by the promotion and collection of old clothes, medicines, canned food, and other daily consumables to create care packages for shipping back to the victims in the Philippines. The ultimate goal of the cause is to develop and execute creative means to use the identity design to promote compassion and generosity for the Philippine community; therefore, the steps toward that goal can be numerous. However, for the sake of this academic exercise, the focus of this report will be on the marketing of Rain Love on Manila as a cause that seeks the production and sale of graphic tees. Therefore, the role of the marketing plan is to appeal to an audience that will support Rain Love on Manila in terms of that particular function. Parent company’s Broad Positioning The organization behind the cause of Rain Love on Manila seeks to become a product leader, a market maker or an innovator.
Brand Name and Product Positioning Brand Name
Broad Positioning
Product leader/Market maker/Innovator
Specific Positioning
Best designed
Value Positioning
More for more. You get more emotional gratification, for donating more time, money, and resources.
Total Value Positioning
Rain Love on Manila is a unique initiative to raise awareness and relief response for the victims of the super typhoons in the Philippines from September 27 to October 15, using design. The design is an identity of relief - which can be used to brand any relief effort by both volunteer members or target partner organizations. The first effort is a branded shirt campaign, wherein shirts bear the logo of the cause, and are sold, and/or sold and sent to a victim. The second effort is a branded care package drive, which will be shipped to Rain Love on Manila volunteers that will distribute them accordingly. The cause of Rain Love on Manila is open to creating and executing more branded efforts in order to fuel awareness and generosity back to the Philippine community. Rain Love on Manila is the only cause that gives the option of clothing the victim. It is also the only cause that is supported internationally. Rain Love on Manila is the only cause that grows with their supporters’ ideas. It is the only cause that has both online and physical distribution methods. Rain Love on Manila is a call to act and not just to empower. Rain Love on Manila is a cause that seeks not only buyers of the shirt, or donors of care packages, but volunteers that will keep supporting the cause and its various methods of spreading awareness and providing relief.
Situational Analysis Current Market Analysis There is no accessible data that measures the total amount or activity of volunteers in the Philippines connected to the relief of super typhoons Ketsana/Ondoy and the following others. However, volunteering to help was issued in several forms, such as: 1. responding to the disaster site and saving victims from imminent danger 2. providing means to save victims via rafts, surfboards, jet skis 3. housing victims in evacuation centers 4. collecting, packing, transporting and donating care packages for the victims 5. cleaning the damaged property 6. donating money to organizations 7. hosting benefit parties 8. conducting benefit concerts 9. attending benefit activities 10. calling out to Filipino organizations abroad for assistance 11. designing and selling shirts with inspirational messages and donating the sales to the victims There are several groups that have organized relief operations, whether or not they belong to the official list of agencies that have the authority to conduct national fundraising campaigns.1 However, since the aim of the cause and consequently this marketing plan is to reach out to volunteers everywhere, there are findings on volunteer statistics in the US that can be analyzed. Statistical Data The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor reports that in 2008, approximately 61.8 million people, volunteered for or through an organization at least once. According to the report, women volunteered more frequently than men despite age differences, educational attainment, and other similar demographic aspects. Individuals between the ages of 35-44 also were found to be most likely to volunteer. Those who have attained a higher level of education volunteered more frequently. People who are currently employed volunteered more than those who do not have any jobs.2 Of the different ways to volunteer, the most common activity that people engage in is fundraising, followed by tutoring or teaching. Men offer manual labor, supervisory and/or management skills, while women fundraise, teach, collect, prepare, distribute and serve food. Findings also state that college graduates are found to readily offer services in terms of managing or teaching others. And,
most volunteers decide to offer their services to a cause most often because they were asked by someone already active in the same cause. Based on primary data gathering research (See Appendix), of which the 27 respondents are within ages 20-36, all Facebook users, with a 1:3 ratio in favor of women, volunteers have most commonly attained the educational level of bachelor’s degree. These volunteers most commonly work full-time and study full-time, rent their current place of residence, do not have kids, and earn a steady source of income. The same respondents belong to the following fields: advertising, marketing, PR, legal service, architecture, teaching, public service, etc. The media they most often use include Internet search engines, Internet emailing, followed by Facebook, TV, and print magazines and newspapers. Findings show that the top reasons the respondents volunteer are because: 1. It is a chance to help others 2. It allows them to give something back to society 3. It allows them to support an important cause 4. It makes them feel like they’re doing a good job 5. It will improve the community On the other hand, the least common reasons the respondents have for volunteering are: 1. To socialize with people like them 2. Because they know someone who has benefited from the organization 3. Because they can build a network of contacts Volunteers also are most ready to offer money, followed by managerial and organizational skills, talents, and resources both material and contact. However, volunteering becomes difficult to accomplish and/or sustain because of schedule, financial liquidity and the lack of information how to begin volunteering. Most individuals who volunteer learn about the opportunity from personal contact. About 40% become involved because someone asks them and over 25% learn about the work from a relative or friend involved in the activity. Less than 20% seek out the activity on their own.3
Competitor Market Analysis Among the various ways people have responded to the call for typhoon relief in the Philippines, a handful of organizations and individuals made use of the sale of shirts to raise funds for the benefit of the victims. There is the Alyansa T-Shirt for Ondoy Relief, launched in October, which is a call to design a shirt that will retail for USD$10, the proceeds of which will go to relief effort. The campaign was initiated over Facebook by the group Alyansa ng mga Kababayan, a Filipino-American socio-political student group from University of California, Irvine.4 Another is a shirt campaign called “No Ondoy can Bring Down a Pinoy”, promoted in October through TwitPic, Multiply, Sulit.com.ph, Bayanihanonline.wordpress.com and other web networks by George Ramil Ramos and his siblings. The shirt retails for PhP200 and is available in sizes S-XL, and colors black, white, yellow and green. The shirt can be ordered through emailing the designer at his personal account. The shirt revenue is pledged to Ateneo de Manila’s Blue Bayanihan Project, which benefits the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng, the second super typhoon to hit the Philippines. George is a law student in Ateneo de Manila Law School.5 One of the more prominent shirt campaigns is Mark Gosingtian’s “Where I’m From, Everyone’s a Hero.” Mark is a BFA Information Design graduate from Ateneo de Manila University, decided to design a mark with this phrase and posted it on his Tumblr blog. It was reblogged by 1,600 people on the same network, used as profile pictures in other networks like Twitter and Facebook, and was featured in the local newspaper and TV. People eventually gave him the idea of turning it into a shirt or using it to mark their events. The shirt is produced only in black, has men’s shirt sizes and baby tees for women, and retails for PhP400 (USD$8.00). His shirts were made available in showrooms sponsored by his family’s business in the greater metro area, and can be ordered through email or by logging onto his Tumblr website. As of late, his design is translated into baller bands retailing for PhP100 (USD$2.00).6 The shirt that promotes world-renowned Philippine boxing champion Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao also built in a charitable angle to give back to the victims of the typhoons by pledging a part of the shirt proceeds to the victims. The design reads IMKING Pacman: I Bow to No One, and is printed on black and white. The concept behind the design is developed by the creative designer of Imaginary Kingdom, IM KING, an online clothing retail store, based in Sta. Ana, California. The shirt sells for USD$30.00 and is available in small to xx-large.7 A shirt with an unlikely design aspires to raise funds with the Star Wars theme, Jedi Power to the People. The design uses a custom illustration of Yoda in color, on brown. It retails for USD$20, shipping cost included. A purchase of this shirt promises another shirt to be donated to the relief efforts of the typhoon disasters in the Philippines. This campaign is marketed in the designer’s blogsite at http://belloinna2nd.blogspot.com/2009/11/jedi-power-to-people.html.
Two other shirts have been advertised for fundraising purposes, the “I Survived Ondoy” shirt, and the “Survivor: Ondoy.” The first one uses both silkscreen print and hand paint techniques to achieve the design, is available in small through xx-large, and retails for PhP300. It is not clear whether the sales are going to benefit the victims of the disasters.8 The “Survivor: Ondoy” shirt comes in white and echoes the logo of the Survivor Reality TV series logo. It is sold online through Multiply, and is priced at PhP 200, but has gone down to PhP190.00. It appears that two organizations teamed up to establish this shirt campaign, Maiden State USA and Revenge Fork, an online fashion store selling graphic skirts to trendy girls. PhP10.00 of every purchase will go to the victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.9 Lastly, Reach Out Pinoy, a Canada-based organization, launched a “United as One” T-shirt which is a tool to promote the cause “Shirt Ko Give Ko” (My Shirt, My Gift). A shirt purchased automatically queues the same shirt for donation, alongside the organization’s other efforts to generate basic necessities.10 Intelligence Most of the competitors offer at least a portion of the shirt sales to the financial relief of the victims of the super typhoons in the Philippines, but none have specified how they are going to channel the collections, and to whom are they channeling it. At least two competitors provide potential buyers the opportunity to purchase another shirt for a victim upon purchasing one for himself, but have not explained how the shirt will be delivered to the needy recipient. The cost of the shirts being sold are all lower than the target price point of the Rain Love on Manila shirt. It is not clear as to how long the shirt campaigns are going to persist, however, most competitors have started early in response to the disaster than Rain Love on Manila.
Campaign Name
Price Per Shirt
Sizes
Colors
Manufacture
Distribution
Promotion
USD$10
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
tag search, Facebook
No Ondoy Can Bring Down a Pinoy (part of the proceeds go to relief)
PhP200 (USD$4.2)
S-XL
black, white, yellow, green
N/A
pickup/ shipping
tag search, email, Twitter, Multiply, Sulit
Where I’m From Everyone’s a Hero (shirt and accessories sold) (part of the proceeds go to relief)
PhP400 (USD$8.4)
S-XL (M and W)
black
silkscreen
pickup/ shipping
tag search, email, print, Tumblr, showrm
IM King Pacman: I Bow to No One (part of proceeds go to relief)
USD$30
S-XXL
black, white
N/A
pickup/ shipping
tag search, email, site
Jedi Power to the People (one shirt bought, one shirt sent)
USD$20
N/A
brown
N/A
N/A
tag search, email, Multiply
PhP300 (USD$6.25)
S-XXL
white
silkscreen handpaint
N/A
tag search, Multiply
PhP200 (USD$4.2)
N/A
white
N/A
pickup/ shipping
tag search, Multiply
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
tag search, site
Alyansa T-shirt (call for designers to design a shirt for fundraising)
I Survived Ondoy (part of proceeds) Survivor: Ondoy (PhP10.00 of purchase) United as One T-Shirt (one shirt bought, one shirt sent)
Core Benefit and Differentiation The specific positioning that the Rain Love on Manila cause takes is based on benefit. Supporting Rain Love on Manila makes one feel better about himself/herself because he/she helps deliver financial assistance to a list of beneficiaries in the Philippines by purchasing a Rain Love on Manila shirt. There are other individuals and organizations who have produced and are selling shirts to raise funds, but Rain Love on Manila bests the competition because: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)
Rain Love on Manila is produced by a graphic designer with a Master’s Degree in Communication Design in New York City. The Rain Love on Manila shirts are co-produced by vendors in two locations, both in Manila, Philippines and New York, US. The shirt printer partner in the Philippines is a known fashion retail brand, with a similar target market as those who are responding positively to Rain Love on Manila. The publicity partner in the US is a PR agency that has close connections with print and online press. Shirts can be purchased by several methods – phone order, email order, online order, and retail shopping. The proceeds of the Rain Love on Manila shirts are broken down into percentages which are pledged to an official list of beneficiaries as well as the Philippine National Red Cross. Rain Love on Manila shirts begin with the first edition design and will grow into a collection.
SWOT Analysis Strengths 1. Not-for-profit cause is one of its kind. Using shirts to promote a message is not unique. Selling shirts to earn profit is not unique. But producing shirts from donated funds to be sold at a flexible rate, where the proceeds will benefit the victims of the disaster is unique.
2. Volunteers are around the world. Volunteers who are willing to co-design,to sell the merchandise, to produce the merchan- dise, to buy the merchandise, to spread the word through word-of-mouth or publicity;
Volunteers with different assets to contribute: design skills, management skills, writing skills, presentation skills, PR skills, network of contacts.
3. Overhead cost is low. Design work is home-based. Managerial work is home-based. Cost of the legwork, phone calls, messaging and emailing are regarded as personal expenses.
4. People are eager to expand the methods of the cause. One volunteer in Toronto, Canada thought of exchanging yoga and dance classes for monetary donations to the cause.
5. The cause is done by a private group. Red tape does not exist because the government is not involved, but they are informed.
6. Free publicity goes to organizations that partner with us. Whomever supports the cause can get their exposure through the continued presentations we make, the possibility of tagging the merchandise, and the free promotions offered by the PR agency we are working with, and the school. There is also online publicity through the blogsite, the Facebook page and the occasional Tweets.
7. This is the only fundraising shirt with this cause that originates from New York City.
Weaknesses 1. Not-for-profit cause is one of its kind. Its absence of reputation may make it difficult to convince organizations to partner, or convince shirt buyers to make donations. The system of doing things is experi mental, with no immediate point of reference to guide us. 2. The growth of volunteers is hard to track. The cause is listed in various networks online which gather its own group of followers, on top of those volunteers reaching out through phone, or email.
3. Managing the communication overseas is challenging because of the time difference and personal schedules. 4. Leveraging personal relationships with these stakeholders is risky. If volunteers fail to give feedback in a timely way, or fail to execute any agreed action
between them and partner organizations, sponsors or donors, there is a risk of ruining personal relationships.
5. Incurred expenses are hard to track. Managing the cause may be significantly affecting personal liquidity/liabilities.
6. Virtual office may not be helpful in all situations. A headquarters will help identify where the shirts and merchandise get shipped from the suppliers to the customers, and can assure partner organizations of the permanency of the operations.
7. It’s a cause initiative, and not a fully-established not-for-profit organization. Opportunities 1. Expanding the method to raise funds is doable. Exchanging donations for classes have a potential to grow. Adding more merchandise to sell is also a predictable step of improvement (mugs, stickers, bags, umbrellas, ponchos, blankets, pillows)
2. Expanding the cause from one particular disaster relief to another disaster or to an ongoing community-giveback movement is possible and is needed. The Rain Love cause can continue its efforts since the Philippines is always hit by typhoons. Or, the group can be retained and a new design cause can start.
3. Collaborations with designers locally and internationally. The cause can give way to a coalition of designers who design identities to raise awareness of socio-anthropological problems in Manila or the world. Coalition can also happen between businesses that are not necessarily within the same industry.
4. Fundraising events that can turn the design into an exploded design implementation. Fashion shows, benefit concerts, music CDs, home makeovers. 5. Building a website that enables designers to submit their design solutions to solve a problem.The cause will then grow into a group that enables design professionals to contribute solutions to socio-anthropological problems through design.
Threats
1. Solicitation scams, or the possibility that the design would be abused (because it is avail able online.) 2. Volunteer sustainability. How long will the volunteers be interested in helping out? Is there a momentum that must be preserved?
3. Partner sustainability. Because this is only a cause initiative and not a NFP, how long will the partners provide their support?
4. The idea of a cause initiative can very well be replicated by a business brand as part of their corporate relations project.
The next page will simplify the SWOT and describe ways to leverage the strengths and opportunities while mitigating the weaknesses and threats.
Strengths
Leveraging Tactics
Opportunities
Leveraging Tactics
Weaknesses
Mitigation Techniques
Threats
Mitigation Techniques
Marketing High product quality Good service quality Distribution effectiveness Geographical coverage
Focus on the superiority of the product (shirt) and the service (the cause), in terms of design, and intent through promotions Highlight the convenience of participating in the cause and/or purchasing the shirt in promotions Keep track of the expenses related to the management of the cause, in order to sustain a low overhead Add vigorously to the list of partner organizations and volunteers who can donate their resources and money, to keep the overhead low inspire volunteers and potential volunteers/donors with the vision by constantly talking about the story behind the cause Affirm volunteers with a reward system for bringing in more volunteers, and conducting their own promotional campaign Join related associations, attend network events and introduce the cause Blast out press releases on the cause to catch media attention and retain a relationship with the press Encourage people to regard the cause as their own because they can help improve the cause with their suggestions
Marketing Expansion of the scope of the cause International and inter-charity collaborations Design explosion in events Website feature showcasing design solutions
Get people involved in expanding the cause past the immediate disaster incident to an annual relief cycle. Create volunteer groups in other places that are populated by Filipino communities. Co-sponsor or co-host events and campaigns with other related charities. Encourage cascading the brand identity into other design outputs like furniture, decor or a fashion line. Maintain a flexible website foundation from which to build features, like getting submissions from other designers as to their design-for-relief initiatives. Tailor promotional content to appeal to organizations’ generosity. Invest in developing a member loyalty program that rewards regular patrons with publicity and incentives. Create promotional content that reminds people of their instinct for help.
Marketing Relatively high price point One design, one color One fundraising merchandise
Justify price point with a document explaining the worth of $25 in terms of basic necessities, and consumption period. Develop flexible plans to donate money or others in kind. Introduce the initial design as a “first edition” among many succeeding collections. Eventually develop more designs and more colors, based on what appeals to target market. Establish an impression with the public and the press that differentiates the cause from other existing fundraisers or charities. Design a feature in the website that collects data on members, like contact information and schedule availability, and enables volunteers to leave messages on message boards. Designate a schedule when to regroup and discuss plans between places. Register the cause initiative as a not-for-profit organization to remove the risk of personal liability. Tap volunteers whose professional background is finance and accounting to manage expenses. Look into renting an office or showroom to receive volunteers and members, and hold events.
Marketing Solicitation scams or the abuse of the design
Secure proper certifications and security measures to apply onto the website, the design, the “business model”and the shirt trademark. Perform a thorough background check on volunteers wishing to donate their resources by comanaging the cause operations Survey existing volunteers and partners on what else the cause can do to sustain their interest in supporting it.
Finance Low overhead cost Flexible price points Organization Visionary leadership Motivated volunteers Fresh, new management Growth potential of the cause Affiliated with a known charity
Organization Tendency of organizations to give more each time. Women give more than men. People have the innate characteristic to help.
Finance Expense tracking difficulty Organization One-of-its-kind nature Member/volunteer tracking difficulty Communication difficulty between the Philippines and New York Risking personal reputation Virtual office challenges Cause initiative, not a not-forprofit organization Variable availability of volunteers
Organization Volunteer sustainability Partner sustainability Cause initiative copied as a corporate relations project
Segmentation
Primary Target Based on the findings of the initial market research, the most promising target to market the Rain Love on Manila cause to is the “community volunteers”.11 These are those individuals who are motivated to volunteer, and actually already do, to improve the community, to give something back to the society, and will want to support an important mission. Community volunteers are most attached to the local area in which they live. They are most likely to have children, or to be parents. Most of them are part-time workers, and are exposed to reading the local newspaper as well as watch alternative TV channels.12 To capture a wider market of those who are motivated to volunteer, a secondary target is logical to identify. These are the “altruistic volunteers”, those who volunteer as a chance to help others, wish to set a good example of themselves.13 Altruistic volunteers are mostly female. They are most likely to be married, are university graduates, have full-time jobs, and are paid comfortably. They read in their leisure time.14 Target Market The pie: The slices: Main targets: Possible secondary target:
All Who Volunteer Motivations to Volunteer (social volunteers, community volunteers, altruistic volunteers) Community volunteers (CV), Altruistic volunteers (AV) Social volunteers (SV) (volunteering to meet different people and socialize, keep active)
Why the Target? The CV
Rain Love on Manila will appeal to them because its main goal is to improve the current state of the Filipino community, and to give back to the Filipino needy in the society.
The AV
The Altruistic Volunteer is most likely to commit to supporting the cause of Rain Love on Manila without any reservations or hesitations, because they simply want to help for the sake of helping. Altruistic Volunteers will want to support Rain Love on Manila because they believe in its selfless goal.
Volunteer Profile Based on Primary Data
The SV
Rain Love on Manila will appeal to them because the idea behind wearing a shirt that other people wear is a fun way to belong in a young network. The intended exposure of Rain Love on Manila is more online, so the message will get to them first.
Age
20-36
Gender
1:3 ratio, 9 males, 27 females
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor’s Degree
Most Common Housing Situation
Renting, No Kids, Income-Earning
Most Common Economic Situation
Working Full-time, Studying Full-time
Most Common Industry
Advertising, Marketing, PR
Most Common Media Usage
Internet search engine, Internet emailing, Facebook, TV, Print Magazines and Newspapers
Top Reasons For Volunteering
1. Chance to help others 2. Give something back to society 3. Support an important cause 4. Feel like I’m doing a good job 5. Will improve my community
Bottom 3 Reasons for Volunteering
1. Socialize with people like me 2. I know someone who has benefited from the organization 3. I can build a network of contacts
Top Things to Volunteer:
1. Money 2. Skills (managerial, organizational) 3. Talents 4. Resources (material, contact)
Top Reasons It’s Difficult to Volunteer
1. Schedule 2. Financial Liquidity 3. Lack of information how to begin to volunteer
Objectives and Goals
Objectives Based on the Primary Data 1. to provide opportunities for people to give back to the society 2. to provide the assurance that people are contributing to something great and important 3. to provide a sense of pride for doing a good and selfless job 4. to provide the feeling of accomplishment for improving the community 5. to provide opportunities to help that make it easy and convenient for volunteers to commit their time flexibly, and to donate monetary assistance from a range of price points 6. to disseminate useful and timely information as to the various methods for volunteering Goals to Reach the Objectives 1,5. to increase public awareness of Rain Love on Manila as a disaster relief operation by increasing the number of members of its online network groups (Facebook, Twitter, website/blogsite) to 5,000 each network in 12 months, and increasing the number of partner organizations to 20-30 every 6 months. 2. to increase brand recognition and support by targeting a total revenue/collection of 3-5 times more than the marketing budget of USD$12 Million ($36-60M) in order to net 50%-80% ($18-48M) to donate as financial relief to victims and conduct continued awareness programs in 12 months 3-4. to increase volunteer satisfaction by increasing the number of volunteer sales representatives to 50-100 within the first quarter (Q1) and sustain the sales force until they can each recruit and train 5 volunteer sales associates by the third quarter (Q3) . 6. to attain steady media presence by clocking in a total of 12-15 individual print and online press coverage (writeups and photo ops) every month.
Marketing Tactics
Product/Customer Value The customer value of the Rain Love on Manila cause is the ability to give people a chance to help. The cause provides customers the opportunity to give back to the community, feel good about their selfless efforts, and look good doing it. By supporting Rain Love on Manila, people can provide financial assistance and the means to buy basic necessities like food, sanitation, and clothes to those who have been victimized by the super typhoons in the Philippines as well as to others who may appreciate receiving the Rain Love on Manila shirt as a gift. The first method to providing disaster relief assistance through Rain Love on Manila is the purchase of the Rain Love on Manila shirt. The shirt is made of 100% cotton, pre-shrunk, professionally designed and screen-printed with environment-friendly water-based ink. It is bound by a recycled paper band, with the logo and the website, and packed in a recycled paperbag. In this initial stage, the design of the Rain Love on Manila shirt is the first edition in white, with the graphics in black, red and grey. Rain Love on Manila shirts can be ordered by phone, email, fax and Internet. It can be picked up in designated locations around the city and by setting up delivery-and-pickup appointments through phone and email. The cost of the Rain Love on Manila shirt is USD $25.00, excluding shipping and tax. The price is determined based on the value of the commodity as a fashion merchandise and as a financial pledge of support for a family of five. The price against commercial graphic tees is comparable to the merchandise sold by entertainment sectors like TV networks, Broadway shows, and musical concerts and tours of famous artists and celebrities. However, it is higher than the direct competition (See Competitive Market Analysis). ACDC shirt Pink Floyd retro shirt Jimi Hendrix retro shirt Britney Spears concert shirt Jonas Brothers concert shirt The Lion King - Broadway Musical shirt NBC TV Show shirt
$19.95 $38.00 $38.00 $29.99 $30.00 $25.00 $25.0015
The other method to extending relief through the cause is by donating money separate from any shirt purchase, giving one’s time and sharing one’s resources. The cost of supporting Rain Love on Manila in general is: 1) by spreading the word about Rain Love on Manila to one’s networks, 2) promoting and selling the shirt, 3) offering to run part of the operations of the cause in terms of management of volunteers, reaching out to more volunteers, website development, legal counsel, administrative tasks, financial accounting, distribution, advertising and promotions. The image of the Rain Love on Manila is unique from all other not-for-profit campaigns because of the use of a positive message, and an identified target. “Rain” pertains to the climate situation; “Love” is a call for compassion; and, “Manila” represents the community in need. Price/Cost to the Customer The cost of supporting Rain Love on Manila by purchasing a shirt is USD$25.00, derived from value-based pricing. The manufacturing cost is at a minimum because the supplier is disregarding the supposed profit gain to enable the production of Rain Love on Manila shirts to be economically viable. The markup difference is based on the realization that the market patronizes merchandise associated with a pop cultural theme. Purchasing a shirt that costs around the same price as shirts sold by entertainment shows, concerts and the like is most likely to give the same sense of pride and ownership of the customer over an item that brands an experience of giving worth remembering. Other ways of supporting the Rain Love on Manila cause can be made with and without necessarily purchasing the shirt. While people can purchase the shirt at the exact amount of $25, they can also donate any given amount to the Rain Love on Manila website. People can pledge for as little as $1 and can do this over a recommended period of time, in order to accommodate his/her limited financial capability. One can pledge to donate at least $1 daily for at least 30 days over a span of 3 months; at least $5 weekly for at least 4 weeks over a span of 4 months; at least $15 bi-weekly for at least 8 weeks over a span of 6 months; and, at least $20 monthly for at least 3 months over a span of 1 year. $1 x 30 $5 x 4 $15 x 2 $20 x 3
= = = =
$30 x 3 $20 x 4 $30 x 2 $60 x 4
= = = =
at least $30 and at most $90 in 3 months at least $20 and at most $80 in 4 months at least $60 and at most $180 in 2 months at least $60 in 3 months and at most $240 in 1 year
For the amount of $25, the shirt can be made available at designated pick-up locations between a volunteer sales representative and the customer. This policy makes it convenient for the customer to obtain his/her purchase, and will be convenient for the volunteer because it takes into consideration his/her schedule availability. For an additional flat rate cost of shipping, the shirt can also be mailed to the customer’s preferred address. If customers wish to purchase the shirt but cannot pay $25, there are other ways to own the shirt. The value of the shirt, at $25, is equivalent to approximately 2-3 bags of groceries containing daily consumables sold in the US. A customer can pay $15 and provide a bag of groceries amounting to $10, in order to exchange for the Rain Love on Manila shirt. A customer can also pay $15 and provide a box of old clothes weighing a total of at least 7 kilos. This weight is the same as the existing standard weight limit for carry-on bags during travel. Normally, 7 kilos or 15 pounds of clothing include two pairs of pants, three sweaters, two dresses, five shirts and two pairs of shoes.16 Place/Convenience Rain Love on Manila as a cause intends to take place personally (one-on-one), virtually, and physically for the convenience of the potential target market. Personally. Every volunteer is a recruiter of more volunteers, a promoter of the cause, and a seller of the shirts. A person can enlist to become a member of the Rain Love on Manila cause, build a relationship with the core group that formulated the cause, and engage in the many simple and easy ways people can donate time, money and resources to Rain Love on Manila. The strength of Rain Love on Manila is that it is run by like-minded individuals, belonging to the same socio-economic level, and practicing similar lifestyles and beliefs. This homogeneity enables volunteers to relate to other potential volunteers in a language that is familiar and trustworthy, and therefore will best inform and inspire people to at the very least find out more about the cause. Therefore, Rain Love on Manila adapts an initial distribution method of direct selling. Virtually. Rain Love on Manila establishes its presence online for promoting the cause, for gathering volunteers and partner organizations, for conducting the sale of shirts, and for collecting all other donations. There will be a Rain Love on Manila website that acts as the main marketing and e-commercial tool to introduce the cause to online viewers, explain the simple and easy steps to donating time, money and resources to the cause, and encourage viewers to support the cause by purchasing the Rain Love
on Manila shirt, alongside other relief methods. This website will contain facts about Rain Love on Manila, as well as anecdotes and testimonies from people who founded the cause, people who are existing members of the cause, people who are new members, people who benefit from the cause, and the partner organizations that work alongside the cause. To maintain the general security and integrity of the cause, the website is programmed to categorize the website visitors as to whether they are viewing for the first time, current members of the cause, current partner organizations of the cause, or would like to sign up to be a member. Then the website directs the individual in accordance to their classification, so as to better tailor the information that he/she will be most interested in knowing. The website will also contain features that can help make donating money safe and easy by redirecting donor-viewers to a secure site that enrolls them to a donating plan of their choice. The website also has a built-in online shopping component which enables individuals to purchase the Rain Love on Manila shirts and leave instructions as to the best way they wish to receive them. Physically. Rain Love on Manila is made visible through advertising, publicity, shirt consignment and events. Partner organizations like shirt printers or fashion retail stores as well as appointed volunteer sales representatives can opt to carry a certain volume of shirts to sell, to display or to store in order to broaden the pickup options of those who wish to purchase the shirt. Official events created by Rain Love on Manila, as well as events that Rain Love on Manila can collaborate with can also be considered venues in which donations and/or shirt purchases can be made. Promotions/Communication The means to promote Rain Love on Manila will include advertising, public relations, volunteer sales force and direct marketing. The target market this plan has identified is exposed to print, online media, TV and phone the most. Therefore, the following strategies will work best to reach the audience: Print advertising in magazines, newspapers, school newsletters, industry periodicals Postering Flyering Stickering Outdoor advertising
Direct mailer Email blasting Shirt consignments Promotional bundling Gifting program Website development and launch
Electronic shopping Online advertising Online blogging Online brochure Online promotional coupons Online promotional videos SMS on-the-go donation
Cause sampling Clothing swap-drive Fairs, bazaars, exhibits Press kits (press releases, photo releases)
Events (industry events, notfor-profit events, community events, social events) TV/online video promotional segments
Promotional merchandise Celebrity spokesperson/s Volunteer/member/partner loyalty program Volunteer “franchise� model
The main goal of the promotional campaign is to introduce the cause of Rain Love on Manila, and to persuade people to support the cause in any or all of the methods offered by the program - as a member, as a volunteer sales representative, or as a partner organization.
Implementation Plan
Print ads in publications will be effective in creating a buzz about the Rain Love on Manila cause, the Rain Love on Manila shirt, and disseminating the key information engineered to drive people to go to the official Rain Love on Manila website. The print ad campaign will be a three-fold series of related advertising that hints at the brand name, while building associations with not-for-profit disaster relief, fashion, design and the Philippines through the use of copy and imagery. The posters and flyers will contain the same information and have the same goal as the print ads. The posters will be an enlarged version of the print ads, and will be situated in places that enjoy a high traffic of the target population. Schools, retail stores, malls, bars and clubs, libraries and public parks, office delis, newsstands and kiosks, coffee shops are among the places that the target market will frequent. The flyers will be multi-purpose as an informational take-one, a collectible postcard, and a promotional gifting device. When an individual gets a hold of the flyer, he/she can key in a code when he/she visits the website, or sends an SMS message to a designated number, and will then claim a prize. The prize can be any of these: 1) a 10% discount off the regular price of a shirt 2) a 10% discount off the regular price of a shirt when you submit 10 referrals 3) a free gift with the purchase of a shirt 4) a 10% discount off a service offered by a partner organization 5) a 10% discount when you bring in at least 5 referrals that have signed up to become a member 6) a 10% rebate off the purchase of a shirt when your referral purchases a shirt Stickers will be distributed as car bumper stickers or collectible decals that the target market can decorate their notebooks, journals, tote bags, umbrellas or ponchos with, to spread the interest about the cause as well as establish a semblance of community following this new cause. The stickers will be inserted in industry magazines on fashion, design, and not-for-profit, as well as in publications in different schools. The stickers will also be available in fashion and design retail stores. The stickers will also be a promotional gifting device, operating in the same manner as the flyers. Outdoor and transit advertising will consist of banners hung on street lamp posts, posters on bus stop shelters, subway car posters, subway platform billboards, and billboards or commercial building walls.
Direct mailing will be conducted using the same flyers meant for distribution in key locations. The addresses of target markets will be obtained by partnering with schools, design museums, glossy magazines, retail stores and other institutions of which the target market are members. To further widen the reach of this promotional tool, food delivery services can be tapped. After identifying the restaurants or coffee shops that most of our potential volunteers and donors frequently order from, Rain Love on Manila can ask the delivery boys to include flyers in the takeout menu that they bring to their customers. Email blasting will require sending out an online flyer to groups and communities active on the Internet. The email addresses can be obtained by joining groups and networks that relate to the cause in terms of not-for-profit disaster relief, fashion, design and the Philippines. Email blasting will also commence when members join the cause through the website and enter their email addresses into the database. As a hook for the new members, the email blast will contain several motivational schemes to encourage them to purchase a shirt, to enroll in a donating plan, and to invite other people to join. These motivational schemes can be any of the same six (6) rewards promised by the flyering tool. Since Rain Love on Manila does not have a brick-and-mortar venue from which to push the sales of the shirts, shirt consignment will be necessary to start building the physical and/or virtual presence of the Rain Love on Manila brand. The shirts can be consigned in fashion retail stores that cater to independent designers like Urban Outfitters, H&M, MetroPark, or online in Moxsie.com, or Threadless.com. Promotional bundling is the packaging of the Rain Love on Manila cause and/or shirt with any other item or service that relates to the cause or is most often purchased by the target market. Since Rain Love on Manila pertains to weather or climate change, in terms of merchandise, the shirt can be bundled with a raincoat, a poncho, or an umbrella, at stores where those items are sold. Rain Love on Manila shirts can also be bundled with cold medicine, hand sanitizer, and boxed tissues at pharmacies. As for the intangible value, the cause can furthermore be bundled with pampering and wellness services, yoga or breathing exercises, water sports or water-related therapy. It can also be promoted as a reward after purchasing a fashion merchandise, a home-related item or furniture, or an art-related or design-related object. The development of a Rain Love on Manila website is the most important tool in launching and sustaining the cause. As explained in the previous section, the website will contain features that enable the viewer to gain access to a customizable set of information based on his/her intent. The information that talks about the cause and the various means of supporting the cause will be available to everyone, and a sample of the shirt will be displayed online for the general public. However, enrolling in a donating plan will take the website viewer into a secure link where he/she can follow the steps to setting up a plan that works for him/her. If a website viewer wishes to shop for a shirt
and pledge various other donations, he/she will also be led into a secure link where he/she can complete her shopping deed. The website also has downloadable print-ready PDF files to view the online brochure/magazine/catalogue and have the option of printing them out. One feature of Rain Love on Manila that differentiates it from the competition is the relief option of purchasing and sending that same shirt to a victim in the Philippines, or to someone else as a gift. The customer will become a “clothing sponsor� and receive a certification stating that his/her purchase is received by a particular victim in the Philippines. If, he/she opts to send the shirt as a gift, he/she will receive a complimentary discount off a service with a partner organization, similar to the promotional bundling option. Apart from the website, Rain Love on Manila will advertise by launching online banner ads. Headers, clickable links, search engine tags and pop-up windows will be developed to keep teasing, exciting and educating the online target market. Specifically, this part will include: buying tag words in Google AdSense creating groups in popular networks like Facebook and Twitter posting informative and fashion- and design-savvy videos on YouTube joining, being written or writing comments and informed blurbs in general blogs like Tumblr, Wordpress, Blogspot, Time Out, New York Magazine, I.D., or specialized blogs like Charity Blogger, Cool Hunting, Sartorialist, Style.com, WWD, Bryanboy.com, Logo Design Love, Be a Design Group, Inspiration Bit, Inspiredology, Designer Daily entering the Rain Love on Manila logo as one of the Top Charity Logos (http://www.logodesignworks.com/blog/top-10-charity-logos) Rain Love on Manila will also encourage people to participate in cause sampling. This method will help give potential volunteers a taste of what it means to donate their time, money or resources, by: 1. spending a period of time communicating with the disaster victims to find out more about their experience and what they need most urgently. Rain Love on Manila will assemble a web conference between NY and Manila, where a Manila volunteer will facilitate an interview with a victim, while online. 2. assembling a clothing drive in key locations in the city, which will call out to potential volunteers to help fold and pack clothes into care packages, along with basic daily necessities. 3. conducting a clothing swap in key locations in the city, which will call out to potential volunteers and donors to exchange basic daily necessities, like a bag of grocery, for Rain Love on Manila shirts, postcards, and similar branded items. Similar to this activity, Rain Love on Manila will join fairs, bazaars, and exhibits that have to do with disaster relief, fashion, design, and the Filipino community. There are events all throughout the
year where Rain Love on Manila can register to man a booth. Among these are NYC art fairs, street fairs, Asian-American Festival, Philippine Independence Day Festival, fashion bazaars, independent designer fairs – all of which can help raise awareness of the cause as well as the methods to support the cause. Rain Love on Manila can also hold its own benefit concerts, parties, charity balls and fashion shows by partnering and seeking sponsorship with corporations and organizations predisposed to donating to disaster relief. Press kits will be designed, written, produced and sent out to print and online media related to the same industries mentioned before. These will contain a press release and a photo release describing the cause, the reasons behind it, and the various methods to supporting the cause. This strategy will be habitual to draw attention to Rain Love on Manila and the various events that Rain Love on Manila will or have done, as well as educational articles on climate change, typhoon survival, fashion styling, designing graphic tees through silkscreen, and the like. Once the online news community picks up on the buzz about Rain Love on Manila, TV and online video promotional segments will help give a face to the brand. This step will assume that Rain Love on Manila will have gathered some support from partner organizations in the media. Rain Love on Manila will buy TV segments in talk shows and reality shows, and will produce related content that the shows can air. Just like the educational articles, the segment content can be about weather or climate change, disaster relief, fashion styling or graphic tee culture, and simple ways of giving. Rain Love on Manila can also produce other branded merchandise to support the fundraising responsibility weighing on the shirt. Postcards, stickers, branded umbrellas, branded ponchos, tote bags, button pins, caps are some of the items that can be sold at varying price points, on its own or bundled with the shirt in order to give the target customer more variety to choose from. Celebrity spokespersons will be appointed to talk about the cause Rain Love on Manila which they actively support, and invite people they encounter to visit the site, make a donation, or purchase a shirt, while they are pursuing their own careers. A list of promising personalities who can represent Rain Love on Manila include: Black Eyed Peas (music) Charice Pempengco (music) Manny Pacquiao (sports) Anna Bayle (modeling)
Bryan Boy (fashion blogging) Enrique Iglesias (music) Monique Lhuillier (design) Vanessa Minnillo (TV personality) Vanessa Hudgens (music, acting) John Batista (entertainment)
To show appreciation for the continuous patronage of volunteers, members and partner organizations, there will be a loyalty program in which individuals are rewarded with an incentive to remain actively donating one’s time, money and resources. When members continue to recruit others into
the site and/or online groups, and reach a quota of 30, 60 or 120 over a span of four weeks, their names are included in the website, or both in the website and in the downloadable online brochure, or all and they claim a free gift/service from a partner organization. When volunteer sales representatives continue to recruit volunteer sales associates and reach a quota of 10, 15, 20 within the first month, they get to choose among these options: a) be featured in a print ad, poster, flyer, photo release, promotional video; b) be interviewed in a press release, news coverage or TV segment; c) meet celebrity spokespersons and hang out with them at the next benefit event. Finally, a Rain Love on Manila volunteer “franchise” model will be developed so that volunteers training new volunteers have an existing structure that is easy to teach and follow. The model will delineate the steps to managing the sales, pickup-and-delivery, and documentation of the shirt exchange.
Action Timeline QUARTER -1 MONTH -4
MONTH -3
QUARTER 1 MONTH -2
MONTH -1
MONTH 1
MONTH 2
QUARTER 3
QUARTER 2 MONTH 3
MONTH 4
MONTH 5
MONTH 6
MONTH 7
Segmentation and Targeting Current Market Analysis Competitive Market Analysis Differentiation & Positioning Marketing Objective and Goals Cause Management Cause Development & Shirt Manufacture Key Issue #1 Increase public awareness of RLOM (membership) Print Advertising, “Tease” Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor Ad, Direct Mailing Online Advertising, “Tease” Website Development PR and online blogging Cause sampling Key Issue #2 Increase brand recognition and support (total revenue = 3 x marketing budget) Print Advertising, “Excite” Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor Ad, Direct Mailing Online Advertising, “Excite” Website Test Launch Electronic Shopping PR and online blogging Online Brochure and Promotional Coupons Fairs, Bazaars, Exhibits, Clothing swap and drive Informational “Benefit” Events TV/online video promotional segments Celebrity spokesperson
MONTH 8
QUARTER 4 MONTH 9
MONTH 10
MONTH 11
MONTH 12
Action Timeline QUARTER -1 MONTH -4
MONTH -3
QUARTER 1 MONTH -2
MONTH -1
MONTH 1
MONTH 2
QUARTER 3
QUARTER 2 MONTH 3
MONTH 4
MONTH 5
MONTH 6
MONTH 7
MONTH 8
QUARTER 4 MONTH 9
MONTH 10
MONTH 11
MONTH 12
Key Issue #3 Increase volunteer satisfaction (volunteers involved in shirt selling) Print Advertising, “Invite” Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor Ad, Direct Mailing Online Advertising, “Invite” Website Launch PR and online blogging Online Brochure and Promotional Coupons Shirt Consignment Promotional Bundling and Merchandise Gifting Program Gratitude Party (for Volunteers, Members, Partners) Key Issue #4 Attain steady media presence (PR monitoring) Print Advertising, “Sustain” Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor, Direct Online Advertising, “Sustain” PR and online blogging
Budget and Controls Total Budget Q1 – Tease Print Advertising Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor Advertising, Direct Mailing Online Advertising Website Development PR and Online Blogging Cause Sampling
$12,000,000 $3,000,000 1,000,000 250,000 (included above) 1,000,000 1,000,000 250,000 500,000
Q2 – Excite Print Advertising Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor Advertising, Direct Mailing Online Advertising Website Test Launch Electronic Shopping, Online Brochure and Promo Coupons Fairs, Bazaars, Exhibits, Clothing Swap/Drive TV/online Promo Segments Celebrity Spokesperson PR and Online Blogging
$4,000,000 500,000 200,000 (included above) 500,000 300,000 100,000 (included above) 200,000 (included above) 200,000 1,500,000 500,000
Q3 – Invite Print Advertising Postering, Flyering, Stickering Outdoor Advertising, Direct Mailing Online Advertising Website Launch PR and Online Blogging Online Brochure, Promo Coupons Shirt Consignment Promotional Bundling and Merch Gifting Program Gratitude Party
$4,000,000 500,000 150,000 (included above) 500,000 500,000 500,000 50,000 200,000 200,000 100,000 300,000
Q4 – Sustain Print Advertising Postering, Flyering, Stickering, Outdoor Advertising, Direct Mailing Online Advertising PR and Online Blogging
$1,000,000 300,000 100,000 (included above) 300,000 300,000
Total Annual Print Advertising Budget Total Annual Below-the-Line Advertising Budget Total Annual Online Advertising Budget Total Annual PR and Online Blogging Budget Total Annual Website Development-Launch Budget Total Annual Event Budget Celebrity Spokesperson
2,300,000 700,000 2,300,000 1,550,000 1,800,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 --------------------$11,150,000
Major Promotional Tool Budgets for the Year
Control Measures The main tools to measure the effectiveness of the total marketing campaign for Rain Love on Manila include subscribing to Google Analytics, an online tracking system that collates frequency data of website visitors and derives from there the volume of mere spectators, and of substantial market; monitoring search engine result presence with Google AdSense, to check if people go online to search for Rain Love on Manila purposefully, or if Rain Love on Manila is being inadvertently advertised or exposed to viewers searching for related key words; comparative study between the frequency of hits on the website against the scheduled break of print ads over a given period; comparative study between the sales of shirts, and/or branded merchandise against the scheduled break of drive-to-site promotional collaterals (below-the-line advertising); monitoring the volume of publicity in terms of lines, photo releases or press releases published over quarterly periods; monitoring the frequency of download of the online brochure, and the TV/video promotional segments over quarterly periods; the percentage of increase in members, volunteeres and partners from Q1 to Q4, especially after events targeted to boost the morale of existing support as well as to draw new people.
Footnotes and References
1 http://ts.dswd.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=70 2 http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm 3 Why People Volunteer. http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/heritage/ComPartnE/WhyPplE1.htm 4 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149401276236&index=1 5 http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/1698158/Ondoy+shirts+for+SALE!+200PESO S+ONLY 6 http://pinoybusiness.org/2009/10/11/heroic-shirt-helps-raise-funds-for-ondoy-victims/ 7 http://imking.bigcartel.com/product/manny-pacquiao-x-im-king-pound-4-pound 8 http://shoplechie.multiply.com/photos/album/24/New_I_SURVIVED_ONDOY_T-SHIRTS_by_Lechie 9 http://revengefork.multiply.com/photos/album/18/Ondoy_Shirt 10 http://www.mig-music.com/fr_unitedasone 11-14 Why People Volunteer. http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/heritage/ComPartnE/WhyPplE1.htm 15 http://www.star500.com http://www.wolfgangsvault.com http://nbcuniversalstore.resultspage.com/ 16 http://www.nydailynews.com/travel/2009/04/26/2009-04-26_avoid_common_packing_ slipups__and_new_airline_fees__and_make_the_most_of_your_ca.html All other references are listed online under Online Bibliography at myccdv.blogspot.com. The only print references used in the authoring of this marketing plan are Kotler on Marketing by Philip Kotler, and Marketing in a Nutshell by Mike Meldrum and Malcolm McDonald.
Appendix Charts and Tables for Primary Data Results
For the complete record of the primary data results and a sample of the online survey questionnaire, please visit www.surveymonkey.com, and key in the username debflo and the password flowers, and hit Log In, and click on Why Volunteer survey.
Rain Love on Manila Shirt (and Photo Release)
Rain Love on Manila Sample Campus Poster
Direct Competitors’ Shirts
rainloveonmanila.blogspot.com