Public Relation by Meme Whisper

Zayed University College of Communication and Media Sciences Integrated Strategic communication

Public Relation Plan for Simply Pie Pastry

Prepared by Maha Jasim 200816089 22 January 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS Section

Page

I. Executive Summary

II. Situation Analysis - Analyzing the Situation o Situation defined o Background of the situation o Significance of the situation

4-7 4 4 4

o o

- Analyzing the Public Key public(s) Analysis of Key Characteristics in the Key Public

4 5

o o o

- Analyzing the Organization Internal environment External environment SWOT analysis

5 5 6

III. Recommendations - Strategy o Goals o Position o Objectives o Key messages o Message Source and spokesperson o Message Appeals

7-9 7 7 8 8 9 9

o o o o

- Tactics Branding Phase 1: Awareness Phase 2: Awareness & Acceptance Phase 3: After Shop Opens Schedule Budget

V. Appendix

9-14 9 12 13 13 14 15

16-19

I. Executive Summary Simply Pie Pastry is a new Belgium baker that will start it business in home. The owner of Simply Pie is Ann, who is really talented and expert in baking Belgium pastries. Being new to the market and having more natural and simple look compare to it competitors in the market, creating a threat to Simply Pie. The ultimate goal of this campaign is to create awareness among our target audience and build a strong brand image and customer base. Also, we want Simply Pie to be the first choice for the target market and to be the lead in the market of pastries in United Arab Emirates. Besides that, Simply Pie aim to change the taste of the market from the fancy artificial parties to the healthy natural homemade pastries. Simply Pie will have primary, secondary and tertiary audiences. Our primary audience is parents, especially mothers. The secondary audience is students and young generation. And for the tertiary audience, it is Arab and Western expats. Simply Pie audience’s objective for the primary audience is to make parent, especially mother to buy for their beloved children a healthy and homemade pastries. For the secondary audience, we want university and school students to make Simply Pie as a trend and buy form it for their gathering and parties. Finally for the tertiary audience; who is expat, we want them buy from us to remember a taste from home. To achieve all that, we will use several types tactics and tools, such as using social media, flyers and participate in school, university and exhibit events. These are for the awareness. After being recognized, we will use open house and media relation by getting food critic taste Simply Pie pastries. After the shop open, we will use Newspaper, Magazine, Radio and outdoor advertising. For the budget it is estimated by 116,000 AED. The first phase awareness, social media wouldn’t need money because it’s free. However, flyers and printing business card and creating box and bags design will need money. The second phase will need more money. And the after shop opens phase will cost the most because of the mediums that we will use.

II. Situation Analysis -

Analyzing the Situation

Desserts and pastries are the first dish households think about when ever a party or even a family gathering happens. In the UAE there are lots of bakeries and cafes that sale pastries and dessert. Some of these shops are famous for a special cake or tart or pie they have. For example, Le pain is famous of it delicious Mix Berry Tart. Simply Pie will be the first destination for emirates when they want to buy pastries. Simply Pie will start as a small business in home. Customers can order and Simply Pie will deliver it to your house or you can pick it by yourself. Then if it gains popularity and success, it will develop it to walk in customer shop. As new business in the market that only use natural ingredients and care about the quality not the quantity. It will give Simply Pie competitive advantages among competitors. Simply Pie aims to change the perception and the thinking of emirates from buy fancy with artificial color desserts to more natural and healthy pastries. The owner of Simply Pie is Ann, who is a very expert lady in pastries field and gain experience from working in hotels and being a Chef. She started this business to reborn the old family gathering and homey tradition. She misses her grandmother delicious pies and pastries, which make the family gathering so perfect. With using her grandmother recipes, Ann will change the way we think about pastries. All Simply Pie pastries are homemade, healthy and natural. Pastries and desserts Café are widely located around the UAE. Some of them have a great customer base. In the lead of this market you will find Jones the grocer, la Brioche and Miss J Café. -

Analyzing the Public

As a pastry business that is establish in the UAE and start in Abu Dhabi. Our main target audiences are emirates, especially parents. Another target group is children. Also, Simply Pie aims to be sponsor and be sold in restaurants. Besides that, we will always want to target expats.

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For our main target audience, we know that parent care for their children health and they will like to have a homemade natural dessert. With Simply Pie, they will find what they want. It like you cooked it in your home. It will be a good solution for working mothers, because they want something they can trust to give their beloved children. Our secondary target audience is children. Children love colors and fancy decorated dessert. It considers a hard market to target, but the delicious taste of Simply Pie pastries will grip their hearts and make them love it. Simply Pie is not fancy as other, but it has it own specially way of decorating their pastries. Another target audience is young generation like university and school students. Young people are like trendy things. Simply Pie will attract them by being new to the market and by having different delicious taste. In addition, Simply Pie will want to be the general public choice and attract expat too. -

Analyzing the Organization

Simply Pie is a high quality pastry shop. It also serves healthy and fresh pastries to customers with high quality. The company mission is to take the UAE by storm, by tantalizing the taste buds with extraordinary culinary delights and being the first choice for everyone, who loves homemade dessert. For the mission you can see the company main goal. Also, Simply Pie vision is to become a household name for the freshest, tastiest, mouth-watering pastries in Abu Dhabi, served with care and richness from the heart of our home to yours. The owner of Simply Pie is Ann as we mentioned previously. She will manage to start Simply Pie Pastry form home first. Then when she expand her business, she will hire some experts staff to help her run the shop. Simply Pie Pastry will offer various type of fresh and homemade pastryies, such as pies, tarts, muffins, waffles and much more. (As shown in figures 1,2 and 3)

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

It will be in various flavors, such as apple, blueberry, vanilla, chocolate, nuts and other fruits and vegetable. All Simply Pie pastries will serve with high quality and love. Simply Pie Pastry offer home delivery service, which is really useful for lots of people who, cannot come and pick the pastry. As a new market and a new shop Simply Pie Pastry can face different type of possible problems or external factors. Being new can be an advantages and disadvantages in the same time. The main goal new is to create awareness among the target audience and the public to build an image and brand in the market. Another external factors that effect Simply Pie Pastry is competitors. We found that there are 26 competitors, 17 are indirect and 9 are direct. The indirect competitors focus on cakes, chocolate and non-organic desserts. And for the direct competitors, they offer freshly baked, handmade pastries. Some of the indirect competitors are Mister Baker, Le Café and Le Pont. Shakespeare and co., Miss J café, La Brioche and Le Pain. To have better understanding about the company position and situation we create a SWOT analysis. SWOT contains strengths and weaknesses, which are internal and opportunities and threats, which are external. For the strength that Simply Pie has, Ann has a good Experience. It focuses on quality rather than quantity. It uses natural, healthy & fresh ingredients. Simply Pie has a homey feeling bakery and offer home Delivery all that with reachable prices.

However, there are some weaknesses as it is new to the market. Also, Simply Pie pastries are not fancy compared to competitors. And it does not have existing customers. For some of Simply Pie opportunity, it is not offered in other places and it is new. People are more health conscious now, but want something sweet. Also, it could be expand it to more than one branch around the UAE and cross marketing opportunity with hotels or Cafés. Finally for the threats, some potential market the Emirati May not like the product’s presentation because it is simple and people always attract to more fancy decorated desserts. There is also difficulty in finding the natural needed ingredients for special seasons pastries. Competitors could launch the same product and strategy. For example, few days ago new pastries lunches called tarts. Also, competitors have a strong customers basis and having lower prices. Moreover, there is lack of walk in customers’ area in Abu Dhabi.

III. Recommendations o

- Strategy Goals

Simply Pie main goal is described in it mission and vision as I previously mentioned in the situation analysis section. However, the main goal of this campaign is to achieve the mission and vision by creating awareness and build a brand in the market using various Public Relation tools that we will discuses later in the next section. o

Position

Simply Pie Pastry is new in the market. It is important to position it in the right image and place in the customers’ minds. We want to be the first thing that come to their mind when they think about having a desserts or pastries. We want to be position as a healthy, natural, delicious and high quality pastry. We want Simply Pie to be linked to healthy and delight mouth-watering pastry.

Â o

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Objectives

Our Communication objective is mainly to create awareness among target audience and public. One of the awareness objectives is to cerate brand awareness among 90% of customers about Simply Pie natural homemade desserts. Then we have the acceptance objectives, which are having attraction among 90% of customers about the shop within the next two years. Also, gaining trust and create loyal customer among 90% of the customers by having high quality. Besides that, increasing the positive attitude toward Simply Pie natural homemade desserts among 90% of customers within the next year. Finally the action objectives, which are making the customers, buy dessert from her shop as a habit to sale 90% within two years and Making the customers come back to the shop as a habit and have a daily sale of 90% of the desserts. Also, to have an effect on eating Behaviors of people in Abu Dhabi; particularly eating unhealthy dessert and attract 65% of people towards eating healthy dessert within a year. These objectives are for the whole key public. There are some objectives for the specific key target audience. For parent, we want to have an effect on the awareness of the natural ingredients used in Simply Pie Pastries, amongst 70% of middle class mothers in Abu Dhabi, specifically in gaining their trust. Then we have students, we want to have an effect on awareness of Simply Pie natural homemade pastries, specifically among university students in Abu Dhabi, to gain their interest within 6 months and increase their interest in taste over looks. Also, Spread the news about Simply Pie Pastry amongst families, schools, universities and working environments. The final key public is expat; we want to have an effect on the awareness amongst 60% of Westerners in Abu Dhabi; by conveying the feeling of home away from home through Simply Pie homemade pastries. o

Key Message

For every Public Relation campaign, it is important to determine the key messages depend on the key public to use it in the media. We will use these messages in the media to attract our key public. Based on the survey we conducted,

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if we want to target our key public we should emphasize in being healthy, natural, delicious taste and handmade. The first key message is for general public, which is the healthier choice of a mouth watering, all natural, heart warming pastry and a pastry that does not need artificial additions to stand out; it is ingredients speak for itself. The second key message is for targeting parents. It is a sweet treat the whole family can agree upon. Then we have a tasty pastry you cannot shine without, which is a key message for student and young generation. Finally, A piece of home wrapped in its crust is a key message for expats. o

Message Source and spokesperson

Most of the big companies have a spokesperson that represents it in their advertising campaign. Sometime the company uses a really person from itself, or use a celebrity. But we in Simply Pie Pastry will use an imaginary character as a cartoon character. It will be either a granny or a pie character. We will use it in our advertising and campaign. It will be a symbol for Simply Pie and everyone who will see it will remember Simply Pie. It is part of the branding. o

Message Appeals

For the message appeals, our main message appeal is joyful, bright and fresh morning feel. We choose this based on the survey we conducted, because most of them chose morning for the time to buy pastries. Another type of message appeals that we will use is social appeals. As we chose the parents and Simply Pie is the best for family gathering, using the social appeals is the best chose. Also, we will use youth and music appeals to attract students and youth generation. In addition, we will use play with word appeals. It is a good way to attract public attention especially if it is a new brand. o

- Tactics Branding

Another important section in the Public Relation plan or campaign is building

the brand and positions it in the right place of people mind. The Public Relation campaign is achieved by using tactics, strategy and other Public Relation tools. So

after doing research and know what is your company position and situation, it is time to take decision to take actions. First the branding, when you start a company you should have a name, logo and slogan. These three essential parts build the brand and these are the most one that the public will know you through them. Making our key public and target audience know our name and remember our logo or slogan, or even relate us to something build the brand. This campaign main goal is to build this brand and make people know Simply Pie Pastry name, logo and slogan. For Simply Pie the name came after a long discussion and Ann chose it among other names we came up. Simply Pie was the best because it easy to remember and it simple and represent what the company is. For the logo, we came up with many logos with different shapes and style. (As shown in figure 4) But finally we all agreed on the final logo, which Ann liked too. The final

Figure 4

logo we agreed on was different than the others that we came up with. (As shown in figure 5) First, it has more vibrant color. These colors are

fruit

and

vegetable colors. It will make people position then it their minds. Secondly, it contain shapes of pie in unique way and it look like it has be

Figure 5

drawn by hand. All these make it our best choice. For Simply Pie slogan, we also came up with many. For example, “A taste of Europe”, “A taste of Belgium” and “Simply Pie, Simply Delicious”. The most one that we agreed on is “A taste of Europe” because it can be used regardless of audience,

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as it can be perceived in different ways. For university students, they always want to travel, so having this slogan will attract them more. And for western mothers they would be happy to a piece of home delightful pastries. Plus other mother those seek and want something new to try. In our advertisement we will focus on the freshness, greenery, and natural part of Europe. Emphasize its taste and homemade natural look. Another aspect that we work on to build the brand is to design box, bags, menu and business card. (Shown in figure 6) We want something simple and keep the logo. The bags will be wide and have a squire base to fit the box and to keep the pie safe. Also, it will be easy to carry. (Shown in figure 7) These are some example of them. For box design, we will have special label for each pie. (Shown in figure 8)

Figure 6 Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9 Also, kids will have a share of this. (Shown in figure 9) o

Phase 1: Awareness

As we mentioned before that the main purpose of this campaign is the rise awareness among our target audience to make them know about Simply Pie Pastry. To achieve this goal we are going to use Words of Mouth. Nowadays, one of the most effective tools to attract the customer is to make the people talk about you. Therefore, we will use social media that is the main place where word of mouth occur and spread. The other reason why is using social media in the awareness stage because it is free. However, it is important to keep updating as a company in the social media. Our promotion and advertisement will be in English and Arabic. We will use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Blog within website, Whatsapp and Blackberry Messenger. First, we will use Instagram because it is the new trend in the social media. We can use it to show Simply Pie produce, then people will like the photos and will want to know more. Enquiries will be the way they know more about Simply Pie. The second social media outlet is Twitter. In Twitter we can keep in touch with the clients, post updates and answer any customer enquires. Facebook will be used also to post and update pictures. Also, accept orders and communicate with clients. Older generation used Facebook, so it would be effective. For Blog within website, customers will got more information about products, see special announcement. Besides that, there will be an official page to order or enquiries. It’s important to have a website because nowadays when even people hear about a new company they just go and search about it. And having a website will give the customers the information they look for. Then we have Whatsapp, by it we can send out mass texts to update clients, receive/accept orders and answer enquires. Finally for blackberry Messenger, Simply Pie can publish their advertisement through it or send it to BlackBerry Traders where they do it for you. Another Tactics to raise awareness besides using social media is creating or joining special event in schools, university, exhibition and public bake sales. In these

event Simply Pie Pastry can set up a booth were they can promote and sale their product. Besides that Simply Pie can create simple flyers and distribute it in mall and another places that people gathers. Flyers are

cheap

and

easy

keep.

Figure 10

customers can keep it in their bags or pocket then refer to it when they need it. The flyer may contain in the backside of it the menu, so people know what type of pastries they can order. (Shown in figure 10) o

Phase 2: Awareness & Acceptance

After being known and build your brand in the market, Simply Pie can

continue it campaign of awareness and acceptance. As we mentions before, Simply Pie Pastry will start from home, where ordering will be sit by customers. If the business were good and gain profit Ann could expand her business and open the walk in customers shop with a cozy and homey decoration. After having customers, Simply Pie can do an open house. The open house can be promoted by posting in social media. People that share the love of Simply Pie will meet and greet. It’s important to have a good base of people following to have an open house. o

Phase 3: After Shop Opens

Simply Pie can use media relation to have more promotion. They can do that by encourage reviews of food experts. Then by the media relation Ann could have a news release about how she started. People love to know this kind of news specially if it is unique and have emotional appeal. However, Simply Pie cannot do that unless they officially announcer their brand and have identity in the market. Simply Pie feature news release should be placed in newspapers and magazines that are relevant to our target audience. Such as The National, Gulf News, Al Ittihad, Ahlan and Women Today. Besides having news release, Simply Pie could be part of Talk Shows. People like to give a face to products that’s why we added the word Europe to our slogan “A Taste of Belgium/Europe”. Simply Pie can promote their products on local talk shows. For example, Out & about and “Sbah Al Kar ya Arab”.

Another way to advertise is using outdoor advertising, more likely for people to see while they wait at traffic lights or in malls. Also, we will continue distributing flyers and have radio advertisement. The best time for putting Simply Pie Advertising in radio is morning form 6 am till 7 am and afternoon when school are work finish around 2 pm or 4 pm. 3.3#Schedule## Schedule # # #

It is important to have a timeline to follow and not be in mess. Objective# Year#2013#

Campaign/Activity# # Teaser# Introductory#Ad# Instagram# Twitter# Facebook#

Jan#

Awareness# Awareness# Awareness# Awareness# +# informing# Invite# more# people#

Feb#

2#weeks# # 2#weeks# # Post#pictures#on# Posting#the# # key#messages# &#Slogans# #

Mar# Phase#“1”# # # # Update#the#key# messages#&# Slogans#

Apr#

May#

Jun#

# # # Answering# Customers’# Enquiries#

# # #

Creating#an#FB#page#&#an#event# Posting#&#updating#pictures#

Jul# Aug#

Sep#

Official# Special# page#for# # # # # # Announcements# enquiries# ! What’s#App# # # # Sending#out#mass#texts# # # # # # Blackberry# We!aim!to!achieve!the!target!of!making!minimum!300!followers!during!phase!1.!After!we!complete!phase!1,!we!will!enter!phase!2.!!! # # # Sending#out#mass#texts# # # # # # Messenger#(BBM)# Campaign/Activity# Objective# Year#2013# • Arranging#events#in# # # Apr## May## Jun# Jul# Aug# Sep# schools,#universities# To#make# &#Bake#Sale#Day# Phase#“2”# the# • Building#and#setting# To#make# Special#Event## # # # # # # # product#&# a#portable#booth#that# the# Posting#on# # Open#House## # # # # available## can#be#used#as#a# innovator# Social#Media## The#Pastry#Shop#will#start#in#phase#3#in#August#2013# brand#and#can#be# famous# # carried#to#any#events## Inviting# # Meet#&#Greet## # # people#to# # # # Campaign/Activity# Objective# Year#2013# # # # Apr## visit#Anne## May## Jun# Advertise#the#Delivery#number#and# Jul# Aug# Sep# # Delivery#Starts## # # # # Phase#“3”# Address# Fixing#the# • News#Releases#on# booth#to# Event#at#the#Khalifa# opening#the#shop# # # # # # # offer#pastries# # Park# Press^Kit## # # # # # # # • to#taste#and# Placing#the#news# order# release#in#the#leading# • ##Sending#pastries#to# newspaper## critics#to#review## # Media#Relations## # # # # # • Publishing#the#critics’# Opening# Open#the#Shop## # # # # ## # # reviews#in#magazines## the#shop## Creating#&#distributing#flyers# Anne# ! ! promoting# ! Blogs#

Reaching# even#more# people#

More#information# about#the# product#

# Talk#Show##

Advertising##

her# pastries#in# different# talk#shows## Outdoor,#indoor,#magazines#poster,#newspaper,#flyers,#billboard,#TVCs,##website,# banners,#radio#Spot.# #

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Budget: They are just estimated numbers. Prices will be different depend on the numbers of the advertising and the size and other element that effect prices. Total across

Printing Business card

24000 4000

7000

Labels

3000

Packaging

5000

Flyers

5000

Open House

17000

Booth

5000

Website

5000

Outdoor

20000

Newspaper

20000

Magazine

10000

Radio

15000

Total

116000

Appendix: As part of the research we conducted a survey among Zayed University female students, instructors Arabic and Western expats (male and female), also some of the general public to have a better understanding. The ages of the responders are between 18 to 46 years. These are some of the result we found.

One of the questions was “What you think about pastry?” and around 16 responders said it depends on the pastry ingredients, which is the highest. So Simply Pie Pastry should promote the idea and emphasize on being healthy and using natural ingredients to attract people and gain their attention.

Another question was “What is an important factor to you while buying pastry”, the majority said it is taste then look. For Simply Pie delicious taste is guarantee, but the look is not as fancy as most people seek. Because it is

homemade dessert, in Simply Pie we want to make you feel that you bake it by yourself in your home.

Another question was “What is your preferred choice of pastries”. 18 responders said tarts, which was the highest. Then cheesecake, muffin and cupcake came after it. With this information Simply Pie can attract people by bake tarts, cheesecake and muffin, then they can make them try the pies and other pastries that Simply Pie offers.

In the survey we also asked, “What is your favorite pastry flavor?” The majority said chocolate then apple and vanilla. Simply Pie should focus in promote

these flavor more than other. Later they can offer the other when they have a good and wide customer base.

Another question that we benefit from is “When would you usually go to bakery?” The highest response was in Morning, which was 17 times, then Teatime come after it. We use that to detriment when to put the radio advertising. Also, we will use the joyful and refreshing appeal for the adverting to fit the morning feeling.

What encourage us to promote about Simple Pie and go forward is the answers of “What type of Pastries do you prefer?” 97% of the responders said that they prefer handmade pastries more than the manufactures pastries

One of the questions was “What is the most important for bakery?” the response was logical. Everyone seek a high quality and hygiene, which are something Simply Pie would not have to worry about. However, they should really care about it and try to promote through their message that have quality over quantity and it is trusted.