Senior Capstone by Aubree Schlepp

Strategic Marketing Plan by Aubree Schlepp Senior Capstone Spring 2014

TABLEof

CONTENTS

what is scout & nimble?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 executive summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 purpose research recommendations budget situational analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 message target audiences research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 swot analysis industry analysis industry trends secondary primary messaging strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 objectives build understanding drive consumers to site ensure growth and success creative brief budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 evaluation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 references. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4

what is Scout & Nimble? Scout and Nimble is an interior design company based in Columbia, Missouri. It is an E-Commerce driven company that features different interior designer’s work on their site and allows the consumer to purchase directly from example rooms compiled on the site. The company started as a blog and a way for Jesse Bodine to show friends and family her love of interior design. Then one day she and her business-savvy husband Sam realized that a business could be started. After hours of brainstorming, business plans, number crunching and more, Sam and Jesse have started a business that they are sure will be successful. Long story short, Scout & Nimble is the story of Jesse’s grandmother courage and persistence. After picking up and moving her and four children to Springfield, Missouri, her grandmother took up farming, a trade that was most commonly done by men. She named all of her vehicles, and the two that sat in the garage were Scout & Nimble – a blue International Scout that was always filled with hay, and a gray Buick Rivera with a personalized license plate that read “NIMBLE,” which she took to town to run errands. In 2011 when Jesse had the vision of Scout & Nimble, she was reminded of her grandmother’s vision and way of life. She chose a path and did not give up. Just 3 short years later, here we are...

removing the guesswork { F R O M } Home Design 2

executive summary

PURPOSE Scout and Nimble is an e-commerce interior design company based out of Columbia, MO. Although it started as a blog in 2011, the company officially launched in spring of 2014. The company’s purpose is to grow its business through various marketing techniques. This includes building brand awareness, driving consumers to the site through various marketing techniques, building consumer relationships and earning revenue to ensure growth and longterm success.

RESEARCH Primary and secondary research indicates that the company is on track for success. Secondary research shows that the web is full of websites designed to help make home decorating simple. However, none of the sites researched make it quite as simple as Scout & Nimble. While sites like Ballard Designs, Fab or Wayfair sell some of the trendiest home décor, they do not have the room feature. Scout & Nimble features 250 pre-designed rooms. That’s 50 of the industry’s top designers showcasing 5 rooms each, which means the consumer has the option to choose from many different design styles and atmospheres of the room they are decorating. For primary research, A survey was taken by 35 women ages, 23+ to obtain opinions and information based on home decorating. Eight questions were asked regarding time constraints, stresses of decorating, online vs. in-store, budgets and inspirations. The results confirmed Scout & Nimble’s plan to saturate the online home decorating market.

RECOMMENDATIONS To support research, the following recommendations can be made: – create jobs once company growth allows for it – focus on online marketing, especially linking to Facebook – continue to attend designer conferences to market the company – saturate the single male target market – maintain personalized relationships

BUDGET Like any up-and-coming company, Scout & Nimble must start out with a low budget. However, it is projected that the company can earn $25,000 per month after it’s launch. After three or four months, revenue may potentially double. The company would like to increase revenue consistenly and eventually take on investors. The largest percentage of the budget is going to be spent on payroll, and while no money will be spent on marketing for the first two months, as the company grows the marketing budget will increase. Another large portion of the budget will be spent on shipping fees, returns, insurance and taxes.

situationAL analysis

{message

“Removing the Guesswork from Home Design” Scout & Nimble aims to the make the process of decorating your home a breeze. Their website offers what others don’t- the feature of having a whole room pre-designed by top industry designers, so all the consumer has to do is find a room they like and easily purchase the products featured in that room. Consumers no longer have to wonder and worry that what they are buying online matches or fits the dimensions of their room. Survey results show that consumers, specifically women, are all about convenience, in both decorating and budgeting. Scout & Nimble successfully caters to this.

{target audiences

Scout & Nimble aims to target women of upper middle class all over the world who can afford designer products. Studies show that 85% of brand purchases are made women in today’s society. It is important that the company capitalizes on this statistic. However, it is also important for the company to understand overall consumer behavior and know that not just women are buying home décor. Scout & Nimble has realized the need to connect with women in their marketing, specifically online marketing. According to Tessa Wegert, “It’s important to remember that women aren’t this big, homogenous market -- each woman uses the Internet in her own specific way,” Warner notes. “Broad generalizations about women don’t work in either the online or offline world. But you can make truer statements about smaller groups of women.” These smaller groups of women would include avid home decorators. Home decorators spend a great amount of time on design blogs, Pinterest and other decorating sites. Targeting single men could potentially be extremely successful for Scout & Nimble. It would be easy for single men to potentially buy a whole room from Scout & Nimble because they generally don’t have as much vested interest in home decorating. The company could greatly benefit and earn more revenue if some of their designers featured “bachelor pad” designs that single men would buy.

TARGET MARKET A WOMEN, AGE 30-55

TARGET MARKET B SINGLE MALE, AGE 22-60

- Upper middle class - Interested in and can afford designer products - Conscientious of a well-decorated home - Single or married, with or without children - Controls buying power - Present on social media - Tech-savvy - Commonly shops online - Has an eye for design - Hobbies may include decoraring, blogging, photography, shopping, cooking, entertaining,

- Never-married single people ages 25 to 34 now outnumber the married crowd by 46% to 45%, - Freed from the restraints of family life, singles have a reputation for splurging. - Men don’t tend to overanalyze and make more impulse decisions - Men are apt to spend more if women aren’t around - About 20% of the Boomer generation are both single and male. - Single Boomer males make most of their shopping decisions independently

how to reach her:

how to reach him:

- Build relationships : know your customer, and she more likely to be a return customer – Be present on social media : 72% of women use social media to connect various parts of their lives. – Incorporate QR code readers : 68% of QR code users are female – Create mobile campaign : 46% of women first turn to their smartphones first thing in the morning

- Tailor Facebook ads : when advertising on Facebook (about 50% of males are on FB), you can specify who sees the ad based on age, location, relationship status, gender, etc. - Sidebar advertising on dating sites : with analytics you can specify where online ads are seen - Strategic use of hashtags on social media - Feature “man cave” rooms on the site, bar products, etc. 6

research

swot analysis

{W {O {T

Paid professional to perform SEO Went to market in Dallas and received great feedback No other sites like this online Existing relationships with industry designers Offers over 200 rooms and design options Existing blog Brand new company with low budget High shipping costs First company of its kind Ability to saturate the online home decorating market Build loyal customer base Create new jobs, both locally and via outsourcing Adaptability to stay ahead of the game Online competitors like Joss & Main, Wayfair and Pure Home Brick & mortar stores People prefer to shop for home decor in-store Cost of designer products

industry analysis In today’s culture, consumers buying habits are all about ease and convenience. According to ComScore, “consumers want more choices when it comes to shopping online, more control over when their purchases will be delivered and a convenient returns process. They’re also using social media to shop for the best deals and expect more shipping options from e-tailers.” Consumers also enjoy free shipping and hassle-free returns, which Scout & Nimble have already included in their business plan.

industry trends – Choices. Scout & Nimble offers 250 pre-designed rooms to choose from – Hassle-free. The company offers free shipping both ways. According to ComScore, 82% of consumers said they would complete the purchase if they could return the item to a store or have free return shipping. – Online purchasing. Online shoppers in the United States will spend $327 billion in 2016, up 45% from $226 billion this year and 62% from $202 billion in 2011, according to a projection released today by Forrester Research Inc. The steady growth in the number of web shoppers also is helping to boost e-commerce sales. Forrester says that 192 million U.S. consumers will shop online in 2016, up 15% from 167 million in 2012. But the bigger factor in driving e-commerce growth is that each shopper will spend more on average, the report says. U.S. consumers in 2016 will each spend an average of $1,738 online, up 44% from $1,207 in 2012 8

Before the research process started, I sat down with owner and CEO Sam Bodine to gain more insight in the company and learned that a lot of research had been done already. When the idea came to take Scout & Nimble from a blog to an e-commerce website, the company’s founders reached out to a University of Missouri professor who specializes in Search Engine Optimization. He was paid to do research and his results showed that there were no other companies like Scout & Nimble in the market. Many online companies were similar, but none that allowed the consumer to view an already-designed room and purchase those items directly from the site. Then, the next step the company took was to go to market. After going to market in Dallas, Scout & Nimble received great feedback and was assured that this was going to be a success. The only potential threat of direct competition is a site called Mongor, but Bodine is confident that Mongor will not be a threat based on the relationships that Scout & Nimble already has with industry designers.

{secondary research

The web is full of websites designed to help make home decorating simple. However, none of the sites researched make it quite as simple as Scout & Nimble. While sites like Ballard Designs, Fab, or Wayfair sell some of the trendiest home décor, they do not have the room feature. Scout & Nimble features 250 pre-designed rooms. That’s 50 of the industry’s top designers showcasing 5 rooms each, which means the consumer has the option to choose from many different design styles and atmospheres of the room they are decorating. Once they find a room they like, all products featured are located on the same web page for them to purchase. On other decorating websites, items are featured individually, or by general rooms- bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc. The consumer may have to go through pages and pages to find the items they want to purchase. With similar competitive pricing, Scout & Nimble’s ease is enough to land the consumer. In today’s culture, consumers buying habits are all about ease and convenience. According to ComScore, “consumers want more choices when it comes to shopping online, more control over when their purchases will be delivered and a convenient returns process. They’re also using social media to shop for the best deals and expect more shipping options from e-tailers.” Consumers also enjoy free shipping and hassle-free returns, which Scout & Nimble have already included in their business plan.

{primary research GOALS OF RESEARCH The goal of my research was to confirm or deny whether Scout & Nimble’s target analysis is accurate. Additionally, I wanted to gain further insight on buying and spending habits, budget constraints and other shopping motives.

research method A survey was taken by 35 women, ages 23+ to obtain opinions and information based on home decorating. Eight questions were asked regarding time constraints, stresses of decorating, online vs. in-store, budgets and inspirations.

results Since the company already had done research, I supplemented their findings with my own research and found that they are on track for success. A survey was taken by 35 women, ages 23+ to obtain opinions and information based on home decorating. Eight questions were asked regarding time constraints, stresses of decorating, online vs. in-store, budgets and inspirations. Respondents were first asked how often they redecorate, and the answers ranged from every 1-3 years to never. Those who are younger or recently married are more likely to redecorate more often than those who are older. When asked whether or not home decorating is stressful, 42% of those asked said yes, 42% said no, and 16% were indifferent. Many of the comments were that the decorating process is not what’s stressful, but that the different prices of items and spending money is what’s stressful. It also depends on whether they are decorating a room or their entire home, and that there a too many decisions when it comes to home décor. Scout & Nimble would successfully eliminate the stress of too many decisions because they showcase already designed rooms that allow the consumer to purchase right then and there. If the consumer falls in love with a whole living room designed by a top industry designer, then they could potentially buy all items in that room with just a few easy clicks. One respondent specifically appreciates the “rooms-to-go,” and said that she purchases at Bed, Bath and Beyond based on the ease of having a room already put together. This graph shows that, according to this survey, almost 89% of respondents prefer to shop in-store, while only 11% enjoy shopping for home décor online. This statistic is not necessarily in Scout & Nimble’s favor, because it is a strictly e-commerce company. However, buying online does offer ease and convenience which consumers appreciate.

While Scout & Nimble has no direct competitors, survey respondents gave their go-to choices when it comes to buying home décor. Many chain retailers could become indirect competition. The top choices of retailers that these women gave were: 1. Target 2. Hobby Lobby 3. Home Goods 4. Pier One 5. TJ Maxx The women said that Target was best for buying small items, furniture stores are best for buying big ticket items and Hobby Lobby was best for DIY projects. For online competitors, Wayfair and Joss & Main were the two top picks. Neither of these sites, however, offer the ease of looking at pre-designed rooms and directly purchasing like Scout & Nimble does. No matter where these consumers go, they are all about budgeting and decorating in the most cost-effective ways possible. The survey also asked how likely they are to include others (husband, boyfriend, family members) in their decorating process. Scout & Nimble aims to target women of upper middle class who can afford designer products. This target market is fairly accurate, as 15 respondents said no to including others in their process. Six said they absolutely involve their significant others and eight said sometimes. If these women do include others, it is the boyfriend, husband, sister, friends, mom or daughters. Many women said they include others, but in the end they have the final say. In a few cases, women must include their husband because he controls the spending. “Only husband...and only with certain things. He doesn’t really care, but he has to like it or I will not buy it.” Lastly, the survey asked how much women are willing to spend on décor. This graph shows the results and also shows that Scout & Nimble are on target to be successful and stay competitive with other home decorating companies. Sixteen respondents said they are willing to spend on average upwards of $300 on items, while 22 said they spend on average below $300. All of them said it depends on what items they are shopping for.

messaging strategy

objectives

The first objective and perhaps the most obvious is to ensure that consumers gain an understanding of what the company is. Scout and Nimble began as nothing more than a blog that Jessie Bodine started to show friends and family decorating and DIY projects. It grew from there, and the Scout and Nimble website now features designers from across the country. First, the designers design a room (living room, bedroom, kitchen) with products from various companies. Then, photos of the rooms are featured on the site, where viewers can look at and directly purchase the products from the room photos. Finally, the products are located and shipped to the consumer directly. It is a company that takes makes the home design process as easy as a click away. The second objective is to drive consumers to the site. Because it is a brand new company, they need to make sure their name is known. To achieve this, various marketing tactics will need to happen: -Crowd sourcing and pay-per-click : this technique will help the company understand how the viewers get to the site, how long they stay on each page, ensure that sidebar ads are tailored to their needs. -Online marketing -Maintained social media : as the company grows, a social media specialist will be hired to keep Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media outlets up to date. -Updated website -Advertising via real estate agencies and relocation companies : this will reach out to the target market who may have recently moved or purchased their first home and will need to decorate. This technique will be achieved through cold calls and emails and contacting corporate offices. The third objective is ensuring growth and success of the company. Like any up-and-coming company, it is crucial to succeed within the first year. Scout and Nimble will need to ensure business-to-business marketing. The products featured by the designers and purchased by the consumer will come directly from other companies. Scout and Nimble will need to have solid relationships with these companies in order to continue to fulfill orders and keep consumers happy. Consumer loyalty and retention is also key, and the company plans to handle this with their promotional marketing techniques. Hiring will also play a role in success as the company grows. Scout and Nimble is confident in their implementation of these tactics to ensure success. They will rely on knowledge of the industry and relationships with interior designers to become a household name and eventually take over the market.

> build understanding > drive consumers to site > ensure growth and success 13

{objective 1

build understanding

The most important part of launching a new company is to build understanding, awareness and brand recognition. Scout & Nimble has already accomplished this to some extent by going to market and attending conferences. The blog, which has been established since 2011, also has built loyal relationships and the groundwork for brand recognition. Scout & Nimble is also present on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+. Once the consumer becomes familar with the company, they must then understand its purpose. Scout & Nimble is different from simliar companies in that it showcases predesigned rooms. Rather than scrolling through pages and pages of products, all products that are featured in a room are conveniently located right below the photo of the room on the webpage. In order to a achieve this, a dialog box will pop up when you first visit the site that explains this.

{objective 2

drive consumers to site

In order to drive consumers to this brand new site, Scout & Nimble will have to implement many new online marketing tactics.

- Crowd sourcing and pay-per-click This technique will help the company understand how the viewers get to the site, how long they stay on each page and ensure that sidebar ads are tailored to their needs. The company has hired an analytics company to keep track of this information. According to Small Business Trends, utilizing analytics can help a business grow in 5 ways: understanding key words, customers, social activity, page quality and offline successes. By understanding these key elements, the analytics company that Scout & Nimble use is able to monitor activities that will lead consumers to the site. After that, analytics is able to tell how a viewer got to that page (i.e. what keywords they used), long a viewer stays on the page, what they view on the page and where they go to after that page, for example. Analytics is also able to target consumers that are more likely to be interested in home decorating and customize advertisements that will allow them to directly link to Scout & Nimbleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homepage.

- Online advertising Mobile marketing, Pandora advertising, Spotify advertising, video marketing, promoted social media posts, linking to Facebook, email marketing The benefits of online advertising are endless, which is good news since Scout & Nimble is a completely web-based company. Because the internet is so global, ads are able to be viewed by anyone in the world. Online marketing includes many different platforms: sidebar advertising, email marketing, mobile marketing, social media and many others. The most notable benefits, according to Rajesh Kumar’s “Benefits of Internet Advertising Over Traditional Advertising,” are cost implications, easier targeting means, the fact that it is more measurable, versatility and speed. Because today’s culture is so reliant on the internet, online advertising is a sound investment. - Mobile Marketing Company Benefits : builds relationships, builds loyalty, reinforces brand, increases visibility, increases accessibility, connectd with on-the-go consumers, enhanced social presence. User Benefits : easier access, notifications, one-touch access, easier and quick access - Pandora advertising More effective advertising because Pandora knows when they are listening or not,100% registered user base: they know age, gender and zip which means they are better able to target both demographics and psychographics precision targeting. “Whatever your objectives, our suite of products and solutions will help you stand out from the crowd and create real world bonds with our listeners.” - Spotify advertising Much like Pandora advertising, however unlike Pandora, Spotify advertisements are able to be visual. Listeners can actually see images of what is being advertised as well as hear about them. Spotify offers at least seven different styles of advertisements for the Scout & Nimble to choose from. - Video marketing This statistic alone : YouTube alone has more than 4 billion views per day, and it’s the second-largest search engine, right after Google (which owns YouTube). 78% of people watch at least once a week and 55% watch every day. Videos can be more visually pleasing and more entertaining. With Youtube advertising, you are able to yet again reach your ideal target market and you only pay for ads that are watched in their entirety. Scout & Nimble has an already existing relationship with photographer and videographer Kent Frost, so creating effective video ads would be easier. Once the foundation of video advertising is built, the company could also benefit from vodcasting to showcase designers, rooms or home decorating tips. - Promoted social media posts Paid advertising on Facebook is a quick and effective way to earn page likes and individual post likes, which in turn can direct a larger amount of people to the website to potentially make purchases. Scout & Nimble would be able to create a personalized campaign and promoted posts. Using this tactic, the company is able to select placement (newsfeed or sidebar), set a specific target market, decide how much to pay for the campaign, and how long the campaign will run. Much like a promoted campaign, ‘boosting posts’ is an alternative option.

- Linking to Facebook By linking Scout & Nimble’s website to Facebook, many perks and promotions could entice a viewer to visit the site, much like Joss & Main does. This allows the company to reach a greater audience since viewers are inviting their Facebook friends, while the viewer gets to enjoy a promotional discount.

- Email marketing Email blasts will be used to directly contact the consumer only after the consumer signs up on the website. Information in these emails will include promotions, discount codes, free shipping incentives, etc. Scout & Nimble plans to offer free shipping larger, ‘big ticket’ items. Ask any consumer, if it has the phrase ‘free shipping’ anywhere on the site then it’s almost guaranteed to draw them in and have them make a purchase.

- Maintained social media As the company grows, a social media specialist will be hired to keep Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media outlets up to date. - Effectively use Pinterest as a marketing tool! Include a ‘Pin It!’ button on your site

Create a clean and organized profile Include an ‘about’ section and links to other social media platforms Utilize ‘@’ to connect with other users, ‘#’ to find similar search results, and ‘like’ other pins Create unique boards Pin high-quality images Make images share-able, no watermark Show behind-the-scenes photos of your company. People love knowing how you make things! Create beautiful, visually interesting coupons, and add them to your boards Offer exclusive Pinterest promotions. Create pins that give special promotions for following you on Pinterest

- Updated website The importance of Scout & Nimble keeping their site as up to date as possible is key. The site will be updated with new designers’ room showcases and products. Each room showcase will be featured on the site for a certain amount of time, and after that time a new designer’s work will be updated, limiting how long the rooms are featured and placing a sense of urgency on consumers’ purchases.

- Advertising via real estate agencies and relocation companies This will reach out to the target market who may have recently moved or purchased their first home and will need to decorate. This technique will be achieved through cold calls and emails and contacting corporate offices. Two examples of companies to contact are Zillow and Trulia.

{objective 3

ensure growth and success

There are many ways that Scout & Nimble can track the growth of their success. The most obvious way is be revenue earned. The more money the company makes, the more successful they are. Bodine has many projected budgets that ensure the company will be on track for success. Next, hiring more interior designers to be showcased on the website is also a sign of success. The more designers showcased on the site leads to a wider range of options for consumers to purchase, benefitting both the designer and the company. Being able to hire more employees also shows signs of growth and success. Scout & Nimble is prepared in all areas for growth and success. It will keep adapting to stay ahead of the game and will one day take over the market. Once Scout & Nimble is a household name amongst consumers and designers, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made it.

the

POWER of scout& NIMble

{

curating a room for one client Pillow Coffee Table Chair Media Console Rug Art Home Accent Lamp Light Fixture Bench

$60 $200 $300 $550 $500 $250 $120 $150 $350 $800

TOTAL PRODUCT COST = $3,280 Average time working with client = 20 days

income earned with 15% mark up = $492

vs curating a room for Scout & Nimble

{ 17

Pillow Coffee Table Chair Media Console Rug Art Home Accent Lamp Light Fixture Couch

$60 $200 $300 $550 $500 $250 $120 $150 $350 $800

TOTAL PRODUCT COST = $3,280 Time spent creating room board = 5-6 hours estimated income earned= $1,148

X 5 Rooms

$5,740 / mo

creative brief

{ target audience

Women, ages 30-55, who have a strong interest and eye for design and can afford designer home decor. Single men, ages 22-60, who may not be interested in design but have a need for pre-designed rooms and the spending power to pay for Scout & Nimble’s services.

{ problem or issue to address

The problem is that some consumers may not have an eye for design or the time to spend redecorating their home. Scout & Nimble can provide access to interior design trends and products with ease and professionalism. Consumers today are all about buying products on the internet because it provides ease and convenience and also shop based on promotions and deals, such as free shipping, that Scout & Nimble provide.

{ purpose of marketing & advertisements

The purpose of Scout & Nimble’s marketing efforts are to draw in new consumers and retain existing ones. When visitors to the website sign up for emails, they will begin to receive targeted email blasts that provide discounts and free shipping. Consumers may also choose to shop via Facebook which could also provide additional discounts.

{ what the audience should believe

Consumers can decorate or redecorate their entire home with Scout & Nimble. Industry interior designers have provided over 250 room designs for the viewer to choose from and then decorate their own home like. They are able to choose all of the products showcased on the site and have them sent to their home for decoration with just the click of a mouse.

{ mandatories

– All logo and branding materials must remain consistent throughout all marketing materials – All coupons/discount codes must stay organized within the categories of email blast, social media, real estate/ relocation companies, mailers, referrals, etc. Any fine print details must also be included on each coupon.

{ key messages

– Remove the guesswork from home design – Consumers can choose from a wide range of interior design products to use in their home – All shopping and transactions are done online, Scout & Nimble has no brick and mortar stores

budget

april 2014

payroll fees

october 2014

payroll fees marketing

fees include shipping, return fees, insurance and taxes 20

timeline

projected yearly timeline 2014

2015

january – begin to grow employee base via outsourcing,

january – hire employees

interns, local employees

– link shopping to Facebook

february – continue research to ensure success

february – implement advertising via real estate agencies

march – attend designer/blogger conference in Atlanta,

march – begin to take on investors

Georgia

april – launch official site and begin to earn revenue – ensure consumers have understanding

may – earn $25,000 – post to social media outlets

june – projected revenue at $50,000 – post to social media outlets

july – projected revenue at $75,000 increase budget for marketing purposes – post to social media outlets

august – projected revenue at $100,000 – hire employees

september – post to social media outlets october – increase budget for marketing purposes november – post to social media outlets – promote holiday deals via email marketing

december – hire employees – promote holiday deals via email marketing

– post to social media outlets

april – implement pandora and spotify advertising – post to social media outlets

may – implement advertising via relocation companies june – post to social media outlets – hire employees

july – maintain marketing efforts

– post to social media outlets

august – maintain marketing efforts – post to social media outlets

september - create promotional video with Kent Frost – implement video advertising on youtube

october – take on more investors – post to social media outlets

november – post to social media outlets – promote holiday deals via email marketing

december – implement podcasts/vlogcasts – promote holiday deals via email marketing 22

evaluation

tactic

evaluation method

Online marketing

Utilizing analytics will tell what online platform leads a consumer to the website, how long they stay on each page of the website, whether or not they make purchases, etc

Email marketing

Since Scout & Nimble plans to rely heavily on email marketing, they should create separate discount codes that are only for emails. this way they are able to know how the customer received their discount. Analytics will also be useful to the company to track email usage.

Mobile marketing

Promotions & discounts

Advertising via real estate agencies and relocation companies

Much like email marketing, create a set of separate mobile marketing discounts to know how the customer received their discount. Consumers are much happier when there are discounts involved in their purchase. Creating a set of discount codes and promotional incentives will drive sales and build customer relationships. Growth in relationships and relationship retention with these types companies

An increase in sales and increase in revenue is the most important way to evaluate how effective Scout & Nimble’s marketing efforts are. Utilizing web analytics will also play a huge role in these evaluations. Consumer loyalty is another way to evaluate how Scout & Nimble is doing. How often the same consumer makes purchases from the site and how likely they are to tell people about the company are two things to look at when building loyalty. Other ways to track progress – Analyzing company reviews – Occasional surveys send to out email users to gain feedback – Growth and whether or not it becomes a household name 24

recommendations

Since Scout & Nimble is such a brand new company, they are open to any and all new ideas and recommendations. The company has no where to go but up, and where they go will surely be successful. I believe that once the company grows, they can begin hiring and creating local jobs for the Columbia job market. Job respnsibilities could be customer service, website maintenence, social media coordinator, etc. The company may also want to relocate out of their current office if there becomes a need for that. Official headquarters could be established in a larger office space. Based on research done on the target markets, I recommend the company also start a monthly podcast or vlogcast. Much like a monthly newsletter, these platforms can showcase different designers, give easy home decorating tips and suggestions or a general update on how the company is doing. These podcasts or vlogcasts could also be transcribed into a print newsletter to be sent out via email. Not only should Scout & Nimble forcus on online marketing efforts, they can expand online marketing efforts once revenue increases and a budget for marketing is created. Along with online marketing materials, advertisements on billboards or in popular home decorating magazines such as House Beautiful or Elle Decor would increase company visibility and could also drive more consumers to the site. Scout & Nimble started out as a blog maintained by Jesse Bodine. I believe that it would benefit the company to stay true to their small start and personable nature. Conusmers like to be able to relate to a company or product. Keeping the blog that Jesse started, sending personal thank-you emails after a purchase or personal customer service calls if an order goes awry are all ways that the company can stay true to their roots and maintain a loyal client base. Continuing to attend designer/blogger conferences also ensures that the company is aware and stays ahead of the latest trends.

appendix

appendix a { survey results how often do you redecorate your home?

3% 11%

rarely 53% 33%

often annually constantly

Would you consider decorating/ redecorating to be stressful?

14%

yes 44%

no 42%

indifferent

Do you prefer shopping for home decor in-store or online?

in-store

online

what is your budget when it comes to decorating?

$100 or below $100-$300 $300-$600 $600-$1000 $1000 and up

what stores do you go to first to shop?

target pier 1 imports hobby lobby other home goods, marshalls, kohls, bed bath and beyond, goodwill, antique stores, anthropologie, ikea, etc.

do you follow design blogs for inspiration? 19% 28%

yes no

53%

just pinterest

appendix b { communication matrix

appendix c { online marketing { Scout says... } Iqui isciis ature nonsecestrum susa volenis aspel et quidelest, quam, secatet digent prehentur sitis

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thanks for joining us!

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email blast example 1

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Scout & Nimble

scoutandnimble.com

@scoutandnimble

email blast example 2

I think having a box that pops up when you first visit the site with a description of what the company is will help the viewer get a better understanding of the company. We could also add joining the email list as well.

PH O TO HERE

Welcome aboard! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Scout & Nimble, and here is an overview of what we do. Officitatem net a ducimaio. Nam sitat apeliqu iaectatiur? Qui as asperun dipienis alia dolupicieni ute coremporios et officiet laudamet ulparchil ius reicipsanis quatios nonsed estinctur arcias explabore net is imusapi sitata conseque ex evelention et verit voluptas moluptas aut excea aut quid quae sitas maionsequo voleste niscien daeped el magnat. Sed qui dem fugiatus doluptatur a diam nusant essint quiatias voluptas parum rae plabo. At quaspelique vereium facessim fuga. Int. Lis dolut quamusa muscientium quiae nonsedicim ab idelit officiam autenih itiores sequis nobitae corion consed ut des modignimus nus nis ium lacitincia dolores nis min consequi cus consequaessi venitatem ipsa posam, optiorerro et optincti

Re a dy to g e t s ta rte d? homepage example 32

appendix d { webpage layouts H

the guesswork from Browse room designs from the industry’s top designers for a room you’ll love. ome esign

Exceptional Designers

Unique Products

Exceptional Designers

FEATURED LIVING ROOMS

FEATURED dining rooms

Meet some of the industry’s top designers

official logo

C = 17 M = 33 Y = 100 K=1

R = 217 G = 166 B = 41

{ official color swatch

bebas neue GeoSansLight { suggested typefaces

the guesswork from ome esign

FEATURED LIVING ROOMS

good design {DOESN’T} have

{

Beautiful Rooms

wait

Browse room designs from the industry’s top designers for a room you’ll love.

Unique Products

good design {DOESN’T} have

Beautiful Rooms

to wait

references

2013: A Year of Rapid Growth in Online Video Ad Views. (2014, January 14). MarketingCharts. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/online/2013-a-year-of-rapid-growth-in-online-video-ad-views-39142/ Barone, L. (2012, August 14). 5 Ways Analytics Can Help Grow Your Business. Small Business Trends. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/08/5-ways-analytics-can-help-grow-your-business.html Bodine, J. (n.d.). Scout & Nimble. Scout Nimble. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://blog.scoutandnimble.com Bodine, S (n.d.) Scout & Nimble Home Office. Columbia, Missouri. Buck, S. (2012, August 1). Marketing to Women? Keep These 3 Facts in Mind. Mashable. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://mashable.com/2012/08/01/social-media-marketing-women/ Dreyer, K. (2013, June 3). Consumers Want Choices and Convenience When Shopping Online. comScore, Inc. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_ Hayden, B. (n.d.). 56 Ways to Market Your Business on Pinterest - Copyblogger. Copyblogger. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.copyblogger.com/pinterest-marketing/ Istvanova, L. (2013, February 18). How to Target a Female Audience in your Marketing Campaigns. Koozaicom. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.koozai.com/blog/branding/how-to-target-a-female-audience-in-your-marketing-campaigns/ Kumar, R. (n.d.). Benefits of Internet Advertising Over Traditional Advertising. HubPages. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://rk1708.hubpages.com/hub/Benefits-of-Internet-Advertising-Over-Traditional-Advertising Loomer, J. (2013, August 26). Facebook Promoted Posts: A Proven Strategy to Target Fans and Non-Fans. Jon Loomer Digital. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.jonloomer.com/2013/08/26/facebook-promoted-posts-strategy/ Pandora Advertising. (n.d.). Pandora Advertising. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://advertising.pandora.com Rueter, T. (2012, February 27). E-retail spending to increase 62% by 2016. Industry Statistics. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.internetretailer.com/2012/02/27/e-retail-spending-increase-45-2016 The Benefits of Having an App for Your Business. (n.d.). Mobile Marketing Agency Montreal Punch Mobility. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://punchmobility.com/the-benefits-of-having-an-app-for-your-business https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/faXAf2_ FB0ZOoYX2_ FgPZZcuAq7wDEsqu2_ BlFLwpkv3wXU4c3_ D

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