Sobe Eats Integrated Marketing Communications Plan by Meredith Parrish

integrated marketing communications plan - 2021 -

The SOberanis Bros.

Contents List of Figures Executive Summary

PART I: Situation Analysis Competitor Communications Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Current Corporate Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Current Brand Development Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Current Distribution Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Current Business to Business Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Current Public Relations Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Current Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

PART II: Target Market Analysis & Consumer Profiles Market Segmentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Target Market Demographics, Psychographics, Geographics, and Behavioristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Customer-Focused Survey Demographics & Psychographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Market Segmentation | Consumer Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Market Segmentation | Business to Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Business to Business | Consumer Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

PART III: Objectives, Strategies, & Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Schedule & Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

PART IIII Evaluation Plan & Ethics Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Works Cited | 36 Appendices | 37

list of figures Figure 1 Who They Are & Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 2 Purpose & Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Figure 3 Brand Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Figure 4 Current Brand Development Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 5 Social Media Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Figure 6 Psychographic Survey Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 7 Consumer Profile 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 8 Consumer Profile 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Figure 9 B2B Consumer Profile 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Figure 10 B2B Consumer Profile 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 11 Customer Loyalty Messaging Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Figure 12 Social Media Messaging Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Figure 13 B2B Messaging Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Figure 14 Loyalty Program Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Figure 15 Collaborator Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

SOBE EATS | 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

OVERVIEW The Sobe Eats Integrated Marketing and Communications Plan (IMC Plan) describes a new, holistic approach to the business’ marketing and communication strategy. The Plan serves as a guide to help garner loyalty amoungst Sobe Eats’ customers, and to build lasting relationships with Social Media Collaborators and fellow food trucks. Secondarily, the implementation of this plan will help build internal culture and pride by fostering engagement among all those involved with Sobe Eats: staff, collaborators, and partners.

Sobe Eats’ primary strengths and opportunities were identified during preliminary research. This research creates a context for the specific competitive position and industry outlook in general. The result of this research, along with ongoing stakeholder collaboration, is the identification of goals and objectives that will be accomplished through the creation and execution of the IMC Plan. JUSTIFICATION An integrated marketing and communications plan is needed because alongside increasing competition, Sobe Eats is in need of more social engagement to achieve their organizational goals. Observation and research confirm the opportunity to define and promote a cohesive brand identity. This brand will continue gaining equity over time with reinforcement of compelling narratives from stakeholders and the marketing of Sobe Eats’ strengths.

While those who are already part of Sobe Eats are aware of the business’ exceptional qualities, there is a lack of that message being shared with the public. This vagueness hinders Sobe Eats’ ability to reach current and potential customers with a compelling, succinct, and motivating message. As a result, Sobe Eats is experiencing a slow increase in social media engagment. This challenge is accompanied by their newly opened drive thru location and a lack of brand awareness, which is addressed in the subsequent goals and objectives.

SOBE EATS | 2021

SITUTATIONAL ANALYSIS COMPETITOR COMMUNICATIONS ANALYSIS Sobe Eats’ main competitors are casual dining restaurants. With Sobe Eats providing unconventional Acapulco cuisine in the greater Salt Lake area, their competitors were determined to be: y Hall Pass

y SLC Eatery

y Chile Tepin y Spitz

Based upon a rating of 1-5 (1: Not Included; 2: Somewhat Included; 3: Moderately Effective; 4: Somewhat Effective; and 5: Very Effective), each competitor has been rated as follows based on 5 different elements, along with an overview of each company’s strengths and weaknesses, shown in figures 1-3 : Who They Are & Values Do they tell a story about who they are, what they stand for, what their mission is, and where they want to go? COMPETITOR

RATING

y Vessel Kitchen

Hall Pass

SLC Eatery

y Not a lot of information about the company’s concept of multiple restaurants in one hub on the main page of the website or y Story highlights their on social media. decision to not include other restaurants and y Very few photos of the space. instead create their own food concept y Story lacks hierarchy options, which can be and is not engaging to a pro, but also a con in the reader. this instance.

y Food concept/style is on the homepage and is the first thing you see when you arrive. Social media highlights their concepts y Lots of photography of their food and ambiance.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

WEAKNESSES

y Their story is told via their About Us page and it explains the story behind the concept.

y Nomad Eatery

These competitors all offer nontraditional options in a fast/casual dining environment in the greater Salt Lake City Area. A few also have more than one location, similar to Sobe Eats with their projected Drive-In opening the end of October 2020, and their location at The Hub food hall in Provo.

STRENGTHS

FIGURE 1 Who They Are & Values

y Nothing about the restaurant story, how it started, who the chef’s are, or why it’s called SLC Eatery. y No photography of the people behind the kitchen.

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Chile Tepin

y Homepage leads directly into their awards, the concept behind their name, their food, drinks, and location. y A few photos of the food and ambiance.

Spitz

Nomad Eatery

Vessel Kitchen

COMPETITOR

RATING

y They only show food photography on home page and not the menu.

y Not much of a story or sense of the company values on their marketing materials.

y The only description about who Spitz is, is on their franchise page. Nothing about what kind of food it is until you get to the order menu. Social media is a little better by using photography and a bio.

y Not much of a story or sense of the company values in their marketing materials.

y No description about who they are, what their story is, or what kind of food they offer.

y “Our Story” is at the top of their menu on their homepage.

y Vessel Kitchen is the strongest competitor in terms of communicating their story and values.

y The location is historic to SLC and there is only one photo being used to highlight the space.

y Story includes their menu, mission, food ethos, and community partners with photos to support each item.

Purpose & Position What difference are they trying to make in the world? What value are they delivering to customers?

Hall Pass

SLC Eatery

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

y Product value is highlighted in about section.

y There isn’t a clear defining point of difference in the messaging or photography.

y Feast of 5 Senses is unique and exclusive to the establishment.

y There isn’t a clear defining point of difference in the messaging or photography.

FIGURE 2 Purpose & Position

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Chile Tepin

y Focus on the ChileTepin pepper they use is a clear point of difference that is highlighted and explained.

y Aside from the chile pepper, there are not many points of difference highlighted or explained.

y Dining Award highlighted.

Spitz

y SLC page lacks y Homepage for the information and does company overall not highlight the (not the SLC page) highlights their oneareas that the main of-a-kind döner kebab, page of the company falafel, salads, bowls highlights. Could be and award-winning misleading for firstfries. time visitors. y Photography highlights their dishes and ambiance to show the culture and style of the restaurant. y No descriptions about their menu, their product, or what makes it different.

y Not much that highlights their menu items, ambiance, or product value in their marketing materials.

Vessel Kitchen

y Strong highlights y Vessel Kitchen throughout materials is the strongest that highlight their competitor in terms of products’ difference communicating their in where it is sourced, purpose and position how it is prepared, and within the market. the benefits.

COMPETITOR

RATING

Nomad Eatery

Brand Identity Overall consistency of the colors, logo usage, typography, photography, and relevance of the content.

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

y Relevant and updated website

y Inconsistent photography

y Consistent social media presence

y Similar options of dining choices

FIGURE 3 Brand Identity

y Established brand Hall Pass

y Consistent use of brand assets y Strong copy for social media y Online menu + ordering

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

y Fairly consistent photography on social media y Consistent social media presence SLC Eatery

y Weaker brand, not as adherent to guidelines y No Gluten-Free or Vegetarian options

y Indoor/outdoor seating

y Inconsistent food photography on website

y Events page on website

y Outdated events page on website

y Online menu + ordering y Consistent photography on website Chile Tepin

y Online menu + ordering y Consistent color use y Strong brand consistency y Effective use of color and hierarchy on website

Spitz

y Consistent website and social media photography

y Not very active on social media y Inconsistent social media photography y Overall not a lot of marketing efforts y 99% of the images on web and social are of the food; not many photos of the restaurant(s), employees, food truck, etc.

y Social media and website flow well with one another y Online menu + ordering y Strong Brand y Consistent social media presence (up until August) Nomad Eatery

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

y Good mix of Food/ Employee/Restaurant photography on social media

y Lack of consistent brand elements y Recently moved locations may have resulted in lack of website and social media updates y No online ordering on main site, only access through social media

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y Strong brand and implementation y Consistent social media presence

y Not many photos of the restaurant(s), employees, etc.

y Effective use of color and hierarchy on website Vessel Kitchen

y Consistent website and social media photography y Social media and website flow well with one another y Online menu + ordering

Overall, the strongest competitors had a social media presence that flowed well with their website and other marketing platforms. They also used their brand consistently and with hierarchy, making them feel well-established and trustworthy. Meaning that their brand stands out, is used throughout the site, and is used as a point of focus in the copy throughout. The weakest competitors lacked consistent social media engagement and activity, along with a lack of using their brand as an asset in photography and graphic elements. The main competitors that Sobe Eats should target is Vessel Kitchen and Spitz. While both of these competitors have multiple locations and are a bit larger than Sobe Eats currently, they are a great tool to use as a guide in how to build their brand, target their audience, and build a strong reputation in Utah.

CURRENT CORPORATE IMAGE Sobe Eats excels at using fresh seasonal ingredients, combining interesting flavor profiles, and offering exceptional personalized service. They differentiate themselves by offering quick service and high-quality meals. They focus on a specific region of Mexico –Acapulco – combining fusion flavors from their culinary experience over the last 25 years and also using their childhood memory flavors from their hometown. They believe in exclusive relationships with their suppliers and have nurtured some strong relationships with companies such as Nicholas and Company, Verterra, IMP Seafood and other companies that they work very closely with. Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

Their marketing and social media/digital content is their greatest opportunity. They need to improve their customer engagement and gain a larger audience. Their biggest complaint from their current clientele is their prices. Due to the current situation in the world, all their ingredients are fresh and locally sourced. They use the highest quality proteins available in the market, which adds to the cost of their product. In addition, their customers are not always familiar with some of the menu items they offer as they show their customers new items from a specific region of Mexico. The number one issue right now for Sobe Eats is their high prices on protein items due to the pandemic and also their shortage of labor. 12

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Sobe Eats’ target market is changing in a way that could help them with their social media content and transparency in their product pricing and style of food that will help Sobe Eats continue to grow. Their customers commonly ask for tacos, which is something they don’t currently offer. They could easily win over competitors’ customers because they offer items their competitors don’t offer but they don’t market their offerings in a way that highlights this. When a manufacturer or supplier runs out of materials Sobe Eats needs, their culinary background of over 25 years helps them to remain calm and more effective at pivoting and reinventing themselves and their company.

Their current website is not secure and is severely lacking in branded content, including copy, photography, color, graphics, and brand story. They don’t have a strong marketing process, which they are aware of as something that is needed and will be extremely powerful to continue to grow their brand. They distribute their product through catering in stadiums, weddings, festivals, and soon in their first drive-in.

CURRENT BRAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Using the same rating system of 1-5 (1: Not Included; 2: Somewhat Included; 3: Moderately Effective; 4: Somewhat Effective; and 5: Very Effective), Sobe Eats was rated on their brand strategy based on 5 different elements. 1. Logo Is it used consistently? Are there variations that feel off-brand? Is it used on everything? Is there a secondary mark?

2. Guidelines Are there any guides on how to use the logo, the color variations, clear space, how to resize, and when not to use it? 3. Color Is color used in a consistent and cohesive way? Are there any colors that feel off-brand? 4. Typography Is typography system used consistently within headlines, body copy, web, social, print, etc.?

CRITERIA

STRENGTHS y Strong logo

Logo

Guidelines

Color

Typography

y Ability to adapt and be flexible for multiple types of implementation

WEAKNESSES y No guidelines on when to use which logo

y Both logos are used consistently

y Not used on everything which can be a good thing or a bad thing at times

y N/A

y No guidelines

y Color is used consistently and cohesively on both web and social

y The purple/red color isn’t used often and when it is used it doesn’t always feel appropriate

y Typography is in line with a script or sans serif font

y Typography is not consistent

FIGURE 4 Current Brand Development Strategy

y Multiple sans serif fonts used y Multiple script fonts

y Clear and consistent message Messaging

y Consistent social media presence

y Message could vary a bit and offer something new to their audience

y Active engagement Promise

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

RATING

y Primary value of delivery is defined y Web and social reflect unique offerings

y Not a large effort to market the uniqueness of Sobe Eats cuisine 13

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5. Messaging Is their message clear and consistent? Is there a defined tone and voice? Is their messaging architecture cohesive? 6. Promise Is there a defined primary value they are delivering to customers?

7. Relevance Are they keeping up with the trends? Do they maintain a high demand for their product? 8. Photography Is their photography consistent in color, subject, content, and size?

y In line with trends Relevance

Photography

y Finding “hot spots” to park the truck and gain followers

y Not an obvious effort to market their activity and strengths in catering

y Consistent photography on social media

y Black and white food photography is unappealing

y Vibrant and colorful photography mixed with black and white photography to match the brand

y Lack of event/catering photography y Lack of employee photography

Overall the Sobe Eats brand strategy is moderately effective. While the company is active and engaged on social media, their website is seriously lacking and in need of a refresh. They aren’t telling their unique story of the three Soberanis brothers, their 25 years of culinary experience, or about their history in Acapulco which helps them to combining fusion flavors with traditional Mexican cuisine. The Sobe Eats story is unique and engaging and should be told with the same vigor and excitement that they verbally tell their story with. The Soberanis passion is undeniable, but it is lacking in their message on web, social media, and printed marketing collateral

CURRENT DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY The company currently uses social media as their main marketing platform. They also use a business card size coupon that is given out at their three food trucks at various locations throughout the week, and catering events. Sobe Eats primarily markets their product by posting a weekly schedule, photos of the food and some events, and also posting about specials. Other than these two areas, social media and the coupon, Sobe Eats markets their company primarily through word of mouth between the three brothers. Since Sobe Eats is growing in popularity and demand, they have recently acquired a small drive-in location, along with a spot at The Hub Food Hall in Provo. These locations will offer a large amount of new business and it is important that Sobe Eats taps into potential media channels that they are not currently utilizing. Their social presence is growing stronger and an area of opportunity is to work with Instagram Influencers such as SLC Foodie, SaltPlateCity, and UtahGrubs to gain local traction and awareness. They have about 1,400 email subscribers and they could also create a weekly email that highlights some of their recent catering events and weekly schedule. Another opportunity they are interested in working on is Paid Digital Advertising through Google Ads, Yelp, and Trip Advisor.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

CURRENT BUSINESS TO BUSINESS STRATEGY The Sobe Eats story is worth telling but without a strong public relations (PR) strategy, that story may never reach their audience. PR would help the brand authentically connect with their audience, increase their visibility, and elevate their credibility. In the age of social media, and especially with the current Covid pandemic, influencer marketing can be a secret weapon as the majority of people are plugged in to the digital world in these times. Influencer marketing allows a brand to reach a large yet targeted audience through an authentic personality that consumers already trust. By partnering with an influencer, Sobe Eats can engage their audience with creative content and something new and fresh they haven’t seen before. In identifying the right influencer, Sobe Eats should be careful to choose one who’s demographic and style align with their brand and style.

A PR strategy should focus on creating content that brings value to a company’s target audience. It should involve inspiring, relevant, and relatable content that converts a target audience into loyal followers and customers. Investing in strong creative that delivers the content to the right channels and publications will naturally help with a company’s search engine optimization efforts (SEO), as well. An important thing to remember with PR is that it is rarely its most powerful in the moment. It becomes more powerful when it is repurposed and reshared because it helps achieve more interaction and engagement without a large amount of effort. Sharing a single story through multiple media channels is an example of how this can be done effectively.

CURRENT PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY

CURRENT EVALUATION

Currently Sobe Eats does not have any notable business connections aside from El Diablo Churros whom they share a workspace with. Sobe Eats doesn’t have a method for establishing business relationships. This is a great opportunity for them to be marketed to other businesses, especially with the large amount of local and national connection each brother has from previous experience. These relationships could be similar to their relationship with El Diablo in partnering up to host local food events with other businesses, either in the same industry or outside of it. An example of this would be at a grand opening for a new business, or at sporting events.

There are currently no strategic or scheduled processes within Sobe Eats to review things like social media metrics, consumer behavior, advertisement ROI, etc. Sobe Eats would benefit from having such a process.

As this pandemic has proven, a crisis is bound to happen and will encounter every business whether large or small. What is important is how the business reacts, how they respond, and how they help their community move forward. Preparing a strategy for such a crisis before it hits is crucial. Sobe Eats needs to have a proven process in place that will keep them focused and allow them to bounce back quickly and efficiently. This strategy should include step-by-step actions.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

Lastly in regard to PR, video content on social platforms reigns supreme and it is cost-efficient. Taking advantage of organic and live video tools on Facebook and Instagram give followers a sense of inclusion which builds loyalty. They allow you to engage directly and it increases your transparency and authenticity. An example could be sharing what Sobe Eats is cooking that day or take them on a trip to a local farm or fish market. This will build a company’s fan base that can’t be replicated on other platforms.

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target market ANALYSIS

+ CONSUMER PROFILES

MARKET SEGMENTATION A target market consists of the consumers who are most likely to buy Sobe Eats’ product or use their service. It is important to understand Sobe Eats’ audience so they can tailor their messages to meet the target market’s needs and expectations. The following research shows who these consumers are, what they value, and which media channels they use to get their information.

These audiences are segmented as follows:

y Demographics: age, income, gender, marital status, occupation, education, ethnicity, and children

y Psychographics: activities, interests, opinions, beliefs, and values (VALS typology) y Geographics: location by city, state, region, or zip code

y Geodemographics: combination of demographic, psychographic, and geographic information

y Behavioristics: buying behavior and motivation for buying

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

Interview with Salvador Soberanis, Co-Owner

To gain a deeper understanding of Sobe Eats’ and its Target Market, I interviewed one of the co-founders and owners, Salvador Soberanis. The following questions were asked:

1. Who (individuals, companies) benefit most from using your product, and why? 2. What specific benefit(s) do they receive from using your product?

3. What unique benefit does your product offer that no other competitor can or does match?

4. How many potential buyers (individuals, companies) value this benefit(s)?

5. How are your customers’ needs evolving, and what resources are your customers using to make buying decisions?

6. Where can you gain a competitive advantage?

7. What business outcomes does Sobe Eats marketing directly impact? 8. How do you plan to foster collaboration between your marketing team, the sales organization, product organization, and business units?

9. What systems, tools, processes, analytical, and data management skills will you need to add to improve your measurement capabilities?

10. What investments does the company need to improve the marketing team’s ability to measure its contribution?

This interview determined that Sobe Eats feels that they offer an upscale product that is more appealing to medium to high-income demographics. The unique benefits they offer that competitors don’t include presentation, quality, versatility, speed, knowledge, and customer experience. Sobe Eats believes that there are about 1,000 potential buyers who value the benefits they offer. Their customers are using both social media and business reviews to make buying decisions in their market. To gain a competitive advantage, Sobe Eats would like to gain a more substantial social media presence.

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They firmly believe that their branding and name recognition will drive sales and revenue for the company. This business outcome would be achieved directly through marketing. They plan to foster collaboration between their marketing team, sales, and product by setting clear and measurable goals. They would also like to establish an efficient POS (Point-of-Sale) system with all of their offerings to allow employees to see all the aspects of their

business. This would also help to improve their measurement capabilities in terms of marketing to sales to revenue.

The company would like to invest in more robust marketing that includes social media, a maintained customer database, and loyalty programs. This would also improve the marketing team’s ability to measure its contribution.

TARGET MARKET DEMOGRAPHICS, PSYCHOGRAPHICS, GEOGRAPHICS, & BEHAVIORISTICS Social Media Demographics

I pulled these demographics from Sobe Eats’ social media account on Instagram. These demographics provide a better insight into those currently actively engaged with the content (see Appendix A for Social Media Data).

OVERVIEW Followers

700

FIGURE 5 Social Media Demographics

1,600 Accounts Social Media Reach New Users

y Achieved through relevant hashtags and content 2, 883 (over the past two weeks) 170 Users

Web Link Redirects

y Can translate into 170 potential new customers y See Appendix, Image S1: Social Media Insights Overview 82% Female 18% Male

Gender

Age Range

y See Appendix, Image S6: Social Media Gender & Peak Times 41% are 25-34 Years Old 32% are 35-44 Years Old 18% are Ages 45 and Above y See Appendix, Image S5: Social Media Audience Age Salt Lake City Primarily

Target Location

y Remaining in Lehi, Draper, Provo, and Sandy y See Appendix, Image S4: Social Media Audience Cities Mondays & Tuesdays y Between 12 pm and 9 pm

Common Interactive Day/Time

y Peak at 6 pm y See Appendix Image S6: Social Media Gender & Peak Times

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CUSTOMER-FOCUSED SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS & PSYCHOGRAPHICS I created a survey to understand the demographics (age, income, gender, marital status, occupation, education, ethnicity, and children) and psychographics (activities, interests, opinions, beliefs, and values) of Sobe Eats’ current audience. This survey was sent to 1,410 email subscribers and was twelve questions long (listed below). I asked each surveyee five demographic-based questions and seven psychographic-based questions regarding Sobe Eats specifically. The survey garnered four responses; I asked each person questions regarding gender, age, education, income, and fluent languages.

The results were split 50/50 between Male and Female; seventy-five percent of respondents were between the ages of thirty-one to forty-five, with the remaining twenty-five percent being over sixty. The results were split evenly four ways by twentyfive percent each at High School, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, and those preferring not to say. Half of the respondents made between seventy-five to one-hundred thousand dollars per year. Twenty-five percent made fifty to seventy-five thousand dollars per year, and the other twenty-five percent made over one-hundred thousand dollars per year. Eighty percent claimed to speak English fluently, and twenty percent speak Spanish fluently.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

QUESTION

ANSWER SUMMARY

The most common answer was the beach, What do you think of when you hear with a few others such as Tropical, Sun, Acapulco? Warm Water, and Sandy Beaches What do you think of when you think about food from Acapulco?

Seafood was the most common answer, along with Tacos, Tortas, Rice Bowls, Mexican Food, and Fresh.

How often do you dine with us?

Respondents dine at Sobe Eats evenly across four different options. Twenty-five percent frequent Sobe Eats once a week, twenty-five percent every couple of weeks, twenty-five percent once or twice a year, and the remaining had never dined at Sobe Eats before.

How do you feel about our menu options?

FIGURE 6 Psychographic Survey Summary

Fifty percent said they feel that the menu is just right, while the other half either had no suggestions or wasn’t familiar with the menu. Benefits

y Service y Superfast y Friendly What are some things you like about our food and services?

Product

y Amazing tasting food y Very pretty presentation y Sauces are so tasty y Delicious combinations y Flavors

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What are some things you DON’T like about our food and services?

Are there any items we don’t currently serve on our menu that you wish we did?

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

This question did not receive much feedback, which can be a good or a bad thing. Based on the input, the only items mentioned that Sobe Eats may want to explore further are a lower price point or offering lower-priced menu items, and occasionally parking one of their food trucks in Northern cities Centerville or Davis County. As mentioned in the Demographic Social Media Insights, most of their followers primarily reside in Salt Lake City and cities south. However, a market they can reach could be in some of the closer Northern cities. Also, one person surveyed mentioned that they want to learn how to find their location. While Sobe Eats does post this information weekly on social media, they may also look into finding other ways to spread the word about their weekly locations. The number one request on this question was Tacos at fifty percent, with the remaining requests shown in the graph below.

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DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY

PSYCHOGRAPIC SUMMARY

Overall, the demographics between their social media and distribution email list slightly varied in some areas. For instance, the gender seemed predominantly female on social, where it was instead even on the survey results. Additionally, forty-one percent of their users on social media are ages twenty-five to thirtyfour. In comparison, seventy-five percent of those on the survey were aged thirty-one to forty-five. Soberanis was correct in thinking their target market had a medium to high-income level as far as household income. The survey shows that half of the respondents made between seventy-five to one-hundred thousand dollars per year. Twenty-five percent made fifty to seventy-five thousand dollars per year, and the other twenty-five percent made over one-hundred thousand dollars per year.

The majority of those surveyed were not familiar with Acapulco food, but rather the destination’s tourist appeal. With the words tropical and beach being the most common references, seafood followed as the main word for food offerings. While this is not necessarily incorrect, it doesn’t fully align with Sobe Eats’ current product model and offerings. This reveals an opportunity for Sobe Eats to convey their offerings in a way that feels more relevant and relatable to potential customers. One area that Sobe Eats is currently working on expanding is their menu into offering Tacos, which is also an area highlighted in the survey when I asked them about some things they wish Sobe Eats offered. Nachos were a second item mentioned that they might consider adding to their menu or the daily special.

DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY In the academic journal Special Issue: Food Choice & Nutrition, an article regarding the Brazilian Food Truck Consumers’ Profile, Choices, Preferences, and Food Safety Importance Perception found that the emerging industry of food trucks (FTs) is facing a rapid expansion and now represents one of the best performing segments in foodservice. In 2015, the US FT industry was valued at US $856.7 million, with a forecast for 2020 of US $996.2 million (Auad et al., 2019). The journal also states that most FT consumers were married, without children, and employed, with one in four earning at least US $1225. Also, the frequency with which people eat out seems strongly associated with their social–demographic position; that is, those with higher incomes, higher educational levels, and couples without children tend to eat outside of the home more often. Millennials, who were born between 1980 and 2000, tend to eat out twice as frequently as the rest of the population and have more disposable income than that of the previous generation, which makes them

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the most powerful consumer group in the foodservice industry (Auad et al., 2019). In comparison to other generations, millennial consumers are considered more spontaneous and prone to adventure and novelty. These features are reflected in millennials’ food purchasing habits, affecting their choices and preferences.

FTs are appealing to consumers due to their convenience, accessibility, taste, and hedonic value (Shin, Y.H, 2019). The majority of FTs offer a different experience that is more interactive and creative than the typical dining establishment. They also provide authentic and gourmet cuisine at an affordable price, making FTs very appealing to millennials as a powerful driver of the FT business. Concerning FT consumers’ choices and preferences, the article also found that most consumers eat from FTs once or twice a week (96%) and near home (74%). Also, observing that consumers usually choose to eat in (67%) and during nighttime (96%), accompanied by family (66%) and friends (17%) (Auad et al., 2019).

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On the other hand, almost a third (30%) of consumers reported that taste was the most important reason to choose a FT, followed by accessibility/convenience (23%). While taste in a known influencing attribute on eating choices, the prominence of convenience is a reflection of the modern lifestyle pattern. At the same time, poor vehicle hygiene (30%) and poor food hygiene (20%) were the main points assigned by consumers for not opting for a FT, confirming that hygiene is a criterion for high-income people that influences the consumption of fast food (Kinnarry Thakkar, C., 2014).

MARKET SEGMENTATION | CONSUMER GROUPS The following section shows what a real customer would look like in two different consumer profiles: FIGURE 7 Consumer Profile 1

Local Foodie

Tony Thorpe, 30

Project Manager at Tech Company Murray, Utah

Single, never married.

Hobbies: Soccer, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Time with Friends and Family

Bio Tony has lived in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas his entire life. He is passionate about Real Salt Lake Soccer and lives for the snow in the Winter. In between, Tony likes to support local restaurants and bars because of how many exist in the Great Salt Lake City area, especially Mexican food. He went to college at the University of Utah and studied business, so he uses his background and experience to rate and review local businesses on Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Tony has had several bad experiences at local restaurants, and he is adamant about ensuring that other locals are educated in their plethora of food choices.

Goals & Objectives Likes to stay organized and on-time. Primarily focused on his career and would like to settle down in Utah. He hopes to buy a home in the next five years and start a food blog on the side.

Frustrations Bad service, low food quality, and air pollution.

How did they hear about Sobe Eats His cousin got married, and they used Sobe Eats for their reception catering. He thought the food was phenomenal and enjoyed getting to know the three brothers who were there to support.

Path to Purchase/Motivations Tony’s desire to weed out the bad restaurants in Salt Lake, who are trendy, young, and inexperienced, and highlight those who have the experience and work ethic that will add to the food scene in Salt Lake City. What Could Hold Them Back Lack of advertising, awareness on locations, and food offerings.

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FIGURE 8 Consumer Profile 2

Monthly Diner

Abigail Hernandez, 25

Accountant at Wireless Phone Company

Salt Lake City, Utah

Single, never married.

Hobbies: Dancing, Spin Class, Shopping

Bio Abigail moved to Utah when she was 11 from California with her family. She loves it here and enjoys spending time with her cousins and extended family on the weekends, especially Sundays for church and dinner afterward. She currently works downtown and lives in the Holladay neighborhood. The SoHo food park is near her house, and her cousins often meet up at her place to walk the food park, grab some lunch, and head over to the park. She loves traditional and authentic cuisine and enjoys the social aspect of dining out.

Goals & Objectives Prefers to work hard in her current position and hopes to be promoted in the next year. Aims to stay stable and financially independent while also traveling when she can.

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Frustrations Dishonesty, Laziness, and people who don’t follow through with their commitments.

How did they hear about Sobe Eats She goes to SoHo food park frequently during the summer and found them there. She now follows them on social media to keep up with their other locations. Path to Purchase/Motivations Filling meals with high-quality ingredients and lots of flavors. Abigail isn’t fond of small plates or tapas and wants to get as much as she can for the amount she is paying. What Could Hold Them Back Distracted by other food trucks in her area or trying out brick and mortar places and forgetting about Sobe Eats during the Winter.

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MARKET SEGMENTATION | BUSINESS TO BUSINESS While interviewing Sal Soberanis, Sobe Eats Co-Founder, he talked about their business to business market at Sobe Eats. They are currently actively pursuing more business partnerships to gain more business and offer their customers more variety. In these partnerships, Soberanis wants to partner with other local food trucks at events to provide more catering options. He would also like to host their own events and food truck events where multiple food trucks gather to offer various options and gain new business.

In the Administrative Science Quarterly academic journal, an article titled “Competition of a Different Flavor: How a Strategic Group Identity Shapes Competition and Cooperation” found that: “A strategic group identity fosters cooperation among members over human, market, and knowledge resources, which in turn strengthens the distinction of the group. These cooperative behaviors occur because firms embrace their similarities and try to maintain each firm’s adherence to the central tendencies of the prototypes, meaning they expect all group members to be high-quality, reliable, mobile providers of food selling unique products in a market full of opportunities.” (Sonenshein, Nault, &amp; Obodaru, 2017) Working with other local FTs to share market resources, such as locations and supplies to service customers, and social capital to expand a customer base will foster this collaboration. FTs could also lend social capital to others to broaden trucks’ customer bases. Social capital could come in the form of advertising another FT via Twitter or

Facebook, which often happens with established trucks helping new entrants; it might also involve someone serving as a guest chef on another FT. This article found that those trucks with the most social capital usually help newer trucks enter the market, endorsing the belief in a welcoming market even for new firms trying to break in (Sonenshein, Nault, &amp; Obodaru, 2017).

Another type of cooperation would be to provide advice to enhance the group’s quality, reliability, and mobility to distinguish FTs from the broader food industry. Successful FT operators were found to advise on food to improve the local FT industry and make it more distinct (Sonenshein, Nault, &amp; Obodaru, 2017). Lastly, a partnership Sobe Eats is actively pursuing is through social media influencers. These partnerships will help them garner a more considerable following on social media, along with brand awareness and social media marketing. When partnering with influencers, their impact will help Sobe Eats gain a broader audience and eventually drive revenue.

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SOBE EATS | 2021

The following business profiles represent the target Sobe Eats B2B markets: Social Media Influencer Jordan Chilton, 32

FIGURE 9 B2B Consumer Profile 1

Stay-At-Home-Mom, Social Media Influencer Sandy, Utah

Married, 3 Kids

Hobbies: Budgeting, Cooking, Family Activities

Bio Passionate about budgeting and staying productive. As a mother of 3, Jordan works hard to keep her life on task and organized while also finding the best deal for her dollar. She loves to cook and be entrepreneurial in her endeavors. She currently has over 500k followers on Instagram, and her followers are engaged and active with her content. She is relevant and full of useful tips, tricks, and wholesome content.

Goals & Objectives Jordan wants to help moms like her thrive and be successful. She enjoys trying new things to share with her followers what does and doesn’t work for her in her home.

How did they hear about Sobe Eats She hosted a private event for some local entrepreneurs in her back yard and heard about Sobe Eats through a friend. They catered the event, and it was very successful. Path to Purchase/Motivations High quality for the right price, local vendors and products, and a personal connection.

What Could Hold Them Back Overpriced items based on the size or the product, a lack of relevance on the company’s social media and other communications materials, immoral values.

Frustrations When a company doesn’t deliver what they promise, a lack of communication, and overpriced items at the grocery store.

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SOBE EATS | 2021

Local Food Truck Cooperation Thirst Drinks

FIGURE10 B2B Consumer Profile 2

Salt Lake City, Utah | Millcreek, Utah

Bio

• What they do: Local spot for drinks, soft pretzels, and treats. Featuring a new cookie and drink each weekend. They cater and offer a fun, down-to-earth, and delicious snack option to their customers. • Backstory: They are an unlikely pair of co-founders— an early 20’s male serial entrepreneur and a thirty-something mom/small business owner and entrepreneur. While beginning the partnership quite by chance, Ethan and Sierra soon came to share the vision of building experienced-based businesses. Hustle is the name of the game while guiding the company towards delivering happiness and holding to core values.

Goals & Objectives Going forward, the two plan to grow the company and further develop the brand by spreading happiness to consumers and team members (as well as delicious drinks and treats, of course), one experience at a time!

Values The founders of Thirst believe in having a more profound vision and impacting the world through business ventures. For this reason, the Thirst model was designed around making a happy impact, one experience at a time, to leave customers and team members better. How did they hear about Sobe Eats They met the Soberanis Brothers at a local food truck vendor event where Sobe Eats was also parked.

Path to Partner/Motivations Thirst is passionate about teams and partnerships and hopes to partner with other local food trucks and vendors to provide more variety and flexibility to catering events. What Could Hold Them Back Poor team culture and lack of consistent communication.

Frustrations Not being treated or not treating others with dignity and respect. They have a team mentality in their business and like to treat others not as an obstacle but as potential customers, friends, or future business partners.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

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objectives, strategies, & tactics Brand Positioning Statement

OBJECTIVES

The Sobe Eats brand positioning statement is meant to be used as an internal tool to align marketing efforts with the brand and value proposition (see below).

The following objectives define clear, concise statements about what Sobe Eats hopes to achieve through its marketing efforts. These objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, and time-constrained and will help drive the upcoming year’s marketing goals within Sobe Eats marketing.

For individuals looking for high-quality and affordable Acapulco food, Sobe Eats offers a wide range of the best ingredients with unique, one-of-a-kind flavors — each dish creates a positive experience for customers enjoy a Sobe Eats meal. Unlike other fast-casual dining options, Sobe Eats inspires authenticity and strives to make a positive difference in their community. The brand is intensely focused on the needs of consumers and customers. Unique Selling Proposition Local favorites, exquisite flavors.

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Objective 1: Increase Repeat Customers by 25%

The Target Market Analysis of Sobe Eats found that the majority of customers have dined at their truck or at a catering event once or twice. This represents the lack of repeat customers and Sobe Eats needs to increase their repeat customers by at least 25% to gain brand awareness, recognition, and ultimately produce more revenue. The Sobe Eats Drive Thru location is opening on November 3, 2020, and this objective should be met by the end of Q1 in 2021, March 31, 2021. One way to attain this loyalty would be through a loyalty program using a point system based on the customers’ purchases. This point system should be tracked through a customer phone number or points card that the customer can store on their key ring or wallet. Strategy

The fear of missing out, or FOMO, refers to the marketing appeal similar to a bandwagon approach. It stands for exactly what this appeal is: fear of missing out. This addresses the need to fit in, belong, and not get left behind. Sobe Eats can show or demonstrate their target audience enjoying the product or service to make it relatable and something their audience “has to have.”

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The appeal to join the customer loyalty program should keep the fear of missing out as a focus when developing their communications for this objective. Internal teams should reference the message architecture to the right (Figure 11)to consistently communicate the “have to have it” appeal that Sobe Eats brings to the Food Truck industry and their various target market segments.

Benefit

Local Foodie Partner with Sobe Eats, enjoy the perks of dining here while also gaining points next time you wish to return.

Monthly Diner Explore the highest quality ingredients paired with exceptional flavors to give you a gourmet meal that is also fast, casual, and affordable.

Social Media Influencer Inspire local, and build tradition amongst local FTs and foodie followers.

Local FT Cooperation Highlight the best that Utah FTs have to offer both individually and collectively.

FIGURE11 Customer Loyalty Messaging Architecture

• Fresh ingredients, affordable prices

• Five meals for the price of fourHearty, healthy, packed with flavor

Reasons to Believe

• Unique, traditional, unconventional dishes

“Dine with us four times; the fifth time is on us. Welcome to Point the Sobe Family!” of Difference

Headline

“Unconventional Ideas + Acapulco Flavors”, “SobePerks”

Tactic

With the Sobe Eats menu’s average price point being $11.25, the customer would receive 50 points for every $10 purchase. After the customer has 200 points, they will receive a complimentary warm chocolate chip cookie or dirty soda on their next visit. This point system should be implemented at the beginning of Quarter 1, January 1, 2021. The Drive-Thru will open on November 2, 2020, giving customers a chance to try Sobe Eats dishes, then commit to carrying a loyalty card with them after the Drive-Thru has been established for two months. This objective is two-fold, giving Sobe Eats an increased customer loyalty and improving the marketing team’s ability to measure its contribution.

Sales promotion is often used along with other media, especially direct marketing, giving the consumer some gift or incentive to prompt an inquiry or encourage

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

purchase. Sales promotion differs from advertising in its approach. Advertising influences attitudes and tells consumers why they should buy; sales promotion gives the target an incentive to react quickly to the advertised message (Blakeman, 2018).

An integrated brand promotion tactic, where the brand’s image is integrated into the sales promotion, must coordinate both the brand-building message and the sales promotion’s incentive to buy. A loyalty program’s sales promotion device should be determined by the price and purchase location (Blakeman, 2018). While this tactic will achieve a great deal for Sobe Eats, it cannot stand alone to build brand loyalty. This would require the following additional tactics to promote, educate, and reinvent the product and image of Sobe Eats.

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Objective 2: Onboard 5 New Social Media Collaborators.

Sobe Eats currently utilizes Social Media as its primary source of Marketing. They recently tapped into local influencers on social media to collaborate and gain brand recognition and awareness. While these are excellent avenues to pursue, the marketing team does not have clear guidance or direction in beginning these collaborations. In order to further the brand and awareness of Sobe Eats, they should onboard five new social media collaborators who can influence and market their brand by June 1, 2021. The tactic below explains some tools that will need to be implemented before these collaborators are brought on. Strategy

The Target Market Analysis found that people are motivated by what others are doing. Using social media influencers will help Sobe Eats appeal to consumers’ need to feel part of something or included. Using the messaging architecture below (Figure 12) in terms of language, tone, aesthetics, and other rhetorical devices, the following architecture should be followed based on the Target Audience.

Benefit

Local Foodie Experience local tradition with unique flavors and experience it within exclusive events and local hotspots.

Monthly Diner Create unforgettable experiences while dining in the comfort of your own space.

Social Media Influencer Promote tradition around special meals, and annual events.

Local FT Cooperation All the services we know you need, and a quality we know you deserve.

FIGURE12 Social Media Messaging Architecture

• Sobe Eats always goes above and beyond to tailor each experience to the needs of each collaboration. • A long, proven history of crafting dishes with meticulous attention to detail and excellence in execution. Reasons to Believe

• Team members exhibit a genuine sense of interest and concern for each guest, respond to requests with a calm sense of urgency, and never say no without providing an equally-enticing alternative.

• We offer world-class service, and our tradition of excellence is carried throughout everything that we do. “Meetings and events are our specialties. We manage every Point aspect down to the smallest detail so that you have an of Difference unforgettable experience, every single time.”

Headline Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

“Where anything is possible,” “Enjoy the experience—we will handle all of the details,” “Local catering at its best!”

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Tactic

Social media is a pop culture phenomenon that affects viewers both socially and culturally. Also known as user-generated content, the visual/verbal sharing of thoughts and ideas on the internet between brand users is powerful and persuasive. From a business perspective, since the target generates social media content, it creates a relationship by creating a two-way dialogue between buyer and seller (Blakeman, 2018).

Create a Social Media Collaborator Toolkit that defines Sobe Eats’ expectations (see template on next page):

• Areas the collaborator should highlight and inform their followers about Sobe Eats

• Clear purpose, dates, and times that the collaboration will take place: — What Sobe Eats will provide the collaborator.

— What the collaborator will provide Sobe Eats.

— Links to Sobe Eats Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. — Links to the collaborator’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. — Link to a signed contract previously agreed upon.

• Examples of collaborator content that will perform best on Sobe Eats’ social media platforms: — Things to do and things to avoid during the collaboration.

• Previously established policies to remember while they are collaborating: — A window of 48 hours to addend the agreement.

— The verbiage states that if the collaborator does not provide contracted content by the agreed upon due date, they will not be eligible or considered for the Sobe Eats or affiliated Collaboration Programs. — Contact information for all parties involved.

Advertising appearing on social users pages eliminates advertising that talks at the consumer through content that is mass focused for an individually targeted discussion. It is more promotional and requires brand representatives to be a part of an ongoing conversation with the target rather than delivering a scripted response to inquiries that attempt to control the discussions (Blakeman, 2018). It is essential that the strategy employed matches the other techniques to keep the message relevant and reinforce claims made elsewhere.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Collaborator ToolKit Template

This template is branded and fillable so that Sobe Eats can tailor it for each collaboration according to their needs. This template will allow both Sobe Eats and its collaborators to stay on the same page throughout their collaboration, while having this document to refer to if any discprepancies arise (see Appendix B for larger view).

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Objective 3: Increase B2B Marketing by 15%

Sobe Eats is very well connected within the Food Truck community, local food groups, and fine dining establishments. The Target Market Analysis shows that while the company is well connected, they are not utilizing their connections in a way that is allowing them to gain more customers and build stronger relationships with fellow FTs. They should increase their B2B Marketing efforts by 15%. This objective should be established before the end of Quarter 3 in 2021, October 1, 2021.

Benefit

Local Foodie Come to a place where the food becomes the destination— where traditional and one-of-akind flavors await!

Monthly Diner Enjoy the best of SLC with our one-of-akind food, beverages, and service.

Social Media Influencer Hold your events with multiple options and experiences, where flavors are bold, and the possibilities are endless.

Local FT Cooperation Transform a single stop into a destination with more options, more flavors, and more real estate, without the cost.

FIGURE13 B2B Messaging Architecture

• Unrivaled, one-of-a-kind outdoor events full of authenticity and unconventional ideas.

• The community gathering place for locals seeking refinement, attentive service, and fun! Reasons to Believe

• A rare destination where a quick becomes a highly enjoyable, memorable experience. • Above and beyond group, event, meeting, and wedding experiences tailored to your every need surpasses expectations and generates vibrant memories for many years to come.

Point “The multiple food options, unique flavors, and custom of menus transform any event into a memorable experience.” Difference Headline

“Truly a tradition—in its finest sense.” “Creating unique memories” “Where lifelong experience comes to life.”

Strategy

People are motivated by what others are doing. This approach appeals to consumers’ need to feel part of something or included. Using this messaging in terms of language, tone, aesthetics, and other rhetorical devices, the following architecture should be followed based on the Target Audience. Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Tactic

Establishing a strategic group identity fosters cooperation among members over human, market, and knowledge resources, which strengthens the distinction of the group. The third objective is to develop a cooperative agreement between multiple local Food Trucks (FTs). This cooperative should consist of at least 3 FTs, including Sobe Eats, who actively participate in a collaborative event once a month. This cooperative could increase its members, but it should never include less than three. These FTs would equally participate in: • Sourcing truck parking locations

• Marketing the event(s) on their social media pages no later than one week before the event • Highlighting the other FTs within the cooperation on their social media and marketing materials for the event(s)

This tactic would also involve social media, using paid advertising and promoted ad spend on Instagram and Facebook to promote events and Food Truck gatherings will be the quickest and most efficient way to communicate the message. All parties involved should post about these events on their feed and their story while also tagging all parties involved and using appropriate hashtags. Advertising the event(s) will help garner more traction among followers and gain a broader reach using relevant hashtags and location tags.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Schedule & Budget The budget for this IMC plan was determined by an objective/task oriented model. This method entails setting objectives, determining the tasks necessary to meet the objectives, and estimating the costs of said tasks. The dollar approach was taken based on projections of costs for Sobe Eats. February 1, 2021

Research Loyalty Program Software

February 8, 2021

Meet as a team to discuss the best options Create key tags and cards for production — Graphic Designer | $35/hr

Purchase Loyalty Program Software February 15, 2021

Loyalty Program

Social Media Collaborator Toolkit

— $5 per 1,000 visitors February 22, 2021

Install Software Send cards to print

March 1, 2021

Start testing software with friends/family

March 8, 2021

Run campaign on social media to promote two days until loyalty program starts

March 15, 2021

Loyalty Program goes live

February 1, 2021

Establish parameters for collaborator contract

February 15, 2021

Start developing areas within the toolkit based on past collaborator experience

March 1, 2021

— $500 per 345 count

— $5 per 1,000 visitors

Contract freelance Social Media Coordinator for 10 hours a week — $20/hr

— $200/week

March 15, 2021

Consult with Social Media Coordinator to finalize toolkit

April 5, 2021

Social Media Coordinator to develop a list of potential collaborators

April 12, 2021

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— $189/month Start Social Advertising to promote and tease the program to followers

Work with Graphic Designer to develop collaborator toolkit template — $35/hr

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Local Food Truck Cooperation Program

April 19, 2021

Collaborator program goes live

April 19, 2021

Develop a list of food trucks to partner with

April 26, 2021

Establish contract/agreement to be signed by participating parties

May 3, 2021

Have at least 3 FTs who have signed an agreement to participate

May 17, 2021

Establish goals/expectations for the month of July Hire a Graphic Designer to start developing an identity for the co-op

May 31, 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

— $35/hr

Graphic Designer to deliver final assets to Sobe Eats and participating vendors for Social and Web

June 14, 2021

Start running boosted posts and stories promoting the first co-op event

July 2, 2021

First co-op event

— $5 per 1,000 visitors

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Evaluation plan

+ ETHICS ASSESSMENT

An evaluation plan is a significant element in implementing an IMC plan effectively. Useful measurement is vital to the success of this plan. Using the following measures for quality and quantity will help demonstrate the various marketing initiatives’ success. Using data to help make decisions will further establish both longand short-term campaigns to help increase revenue for Sobe Eats.

The following objectives each list an appropriate evaluation method to accomplish each initiative: Objective 1: Increase Repeat Customers by 25%

Sobe Eats needs to increase their repeat customers by at least 25% to gain brand awareness, recognition and ultimately produce more revenue. The Sobe Eats Drive-Thru location is opening on November 3, 2020, and this objective should be evaluated by the end of Q1 in 2021, March 31, 2021. To evaluate the success of this objective, the following evaluation criteria will need to be met:

1. After Sobe Eats’ implements their loyalty software on or before January 21, 2021, Sobe Eats will need to track the amount of loyalty program registrations each week for marketing purposes and start monitoring the frequenting loyalty members their locations more than once.

2. The following schedule will help Sobe Eats track Loyalty Program activity to understand their repeat customer growth better: Date of Review

#of Loyalty Registrations

# of Repeat Customers

Friday, February 5, 2021

FIGURE14 Loyalty Program Schedule

Friday, February 12, 2021 Friday, February 19, 2021 Friday, February 26, 2021 Friday, March 5, 2021 Friday, March 12, 2021 Friday, March 19, 2021 Friday, March 26, 2021

Ethics Assessment

Sobe Eat’s will develop a clear and safe privacy policy to protect their customers information. This privacy policy will be created and reviewed by a legal consult in order to ensure proper verbiage and legal terms are correctly used to protect both Sobe Eats and their customers. They will post this privacy policy on their website, along with on the agreement the customer will sign before signing up for the loyalty program. Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Objective 2: Onboard 5 New Social Media Collaborators

Onboarding five new social media collaborators who can influence and market their brand by June 1, 2021, will further the brand and awareness of Sobe Eats.

This objective’s success is by the amount of engagement and brand awareness gained via Sobe Eats Social Media. After Sobe Eats’ establishes these collaborations, they can track their growth to evaluate the effectiveness of this objective. This template will record Social Media insights every two weeks consistently:

Accounts Reached

FIGURE15 Collaborator Tracking

Content Interactions

Total Followers

Impressions

Profile Visits

Email Button Taps

Post Interactions

Story Interactions

New Followers

Unfollows

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Ethics Assessment:

If Sobe Eats chooses to give any form of compensation to a blogger or tweeter, it is considered a compensated endorsement and must be disclosed. This includes free product or in-kind compensations and it covers all social media, not just bloggers. In addition, Sobe Eats will never have their partners or affiliated agencies comment anonymously on online forums to promote their products, raise questions about competitors or even just correct bad information. Even if their anonymous online contributions aren’t illegal, they risk ruining the trust of their customers. Improper anonymity or phony online reviews are one of the biggest plagues for honest companies now and Sobe Eats will be sure to avoid that entirely (Vinjamuri). Objective 3: Increase B2B Marketing by 15%

Sobe Eats needs to increase its B2B Marketing efforts by 15%. This objective should be established before the end of Quarter 3 in 2021, October 1, 2021.

This objective will help utilize Sobe Eats’ connections to gain more customers and build stronger relationships with fellow Food Trucks. The objective will be evaluated by cross-referencing financial summaries of Q3 for 2020 and 2021 using the following guidelines no later than December 1, 2021: • Look at the gross profit and net profit margins as a percentage of sales for Q2 2021. Compare these percentages with the same items from Sobe Eats’ income statement of Q2 of 2020. — Are any fluctuations favorable or not? — Do you know why they changed?

• Profitability ratios will aid in measuring Sobe Eats’ ability to generate income relative to revenue, balance sheet assets, operating costs, and equity. Typical profitability financial ratios include the following (Financial Ratios, 2020):

— The gross margin ratio compares the gross profit of a company to its net sales to show how much profit a company makes after paying its cost of goods sold: — Gross margin ratio = Gross profit / Net sales

• The return on assets ratio measures how efficiently a company is using its assets to generate profit: — Return on assets ratio = Net income / Total assets

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

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Ethics Assessment:

Salvador, Fernando, and Victor Soberanis, as the leaders of Sobe Eats, need to model ethical behavior. Their conduct shows employees and their partners that they are upstanding, ethical people who are not out to exploit others. Noting that the principal ethical issues that arise in B2B pricing decisions are anti-competitive pricing, price fixing, price discrimination, and predatory pricing or dumping. The Sobe Eats business culture is built on a firm foundation of ethical best practice. The leaders show their employees that ethical behavior in all dealings is the way Sobe Eats operates.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

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works cited Auad, L. I., Ginani, V. C., Leandro, E. D., Stedefeldt, E., Nunes, A. C., Nakano, E. Y., &amp; Zandonadi, R. P. (2019). Brazilian Food Truck Consumers’ Profile, Choices, Preferences, and Food Safety Importance Perception. Nutrients, 11(5), 1175. doi:10.3390/nu11051175 Blakeman, R. (2018). Internet Marketing and Social Media. In Integrated marketing communication: creative strategy from idea to implementation (p. 261). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. “Financial Ratios - Complete List and Guide to All Financial Ratios.” Corporate Finance Institute, 17 Sept. 2020, corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/finance/financial-ratios/. Kinnarry Thakkar, C.; RThatte, M. Consumer Perceptions of Food Franchise: A Study of McDonald’s and KFC. Int. J. Sci. Res. Publ. 2014, 4, 2250–3153. Shin, Y.H.; Kim, H.; Severt, K. Consumer values and service quality perceptions of food truck experiences. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2019, 79, 11–20. Sonenshein, S., Nault, K., &amp; Obodaru, O. (2017). Competition of a Different Flavor: How a Strategic Group Identity Shapes Competition and Cooperation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 62(4), 626-656. doi:10.1177/0001839217704849 Vinjamuri, David. “Ethics and the Five Deadly Sins of Social Media.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 5 Mar. 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/davidvinjamuri/2011/11/03/ethics-and-the-5-deadly-sins-of-social-media/?sh=24b20f373e1f.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Appendix A:

• Social Media Data • Survey Results

Appendix B:

• Social Media Collaborator Toolkit

appendices Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

appendix a

SOCIAL MEDIA DATA SURVEY RESULTS

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

Meredith Parrish | Sobe Eats | Target Market Analysis

SOBE EATS | 2021

Appendix

Social Media Data:

Image S1: Social Media Insights Overview

Image S3: Social Media Audience Countries

Image S2: Social Media Interactions

Image S4: Social Media Audience Cities

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Meredith Parrish | Sobe Eats | Target Market Analysis

Image S5: Social Media Audience Age

Image S6: Social Media Gender & Peak Times

Image S7: Social Media Highlights

Survey Question 1:

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

Image S7: Social Media Highlights

SOBE EATS | 2021 Meredith Parrish | Sobe Eats | Target Market Analysis

Survey Question 1:

Survey Question 2:

Survey Question 3:

Survey Question 4:

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021 Meredith Parrish | Sobe Eats | Target Market Analysis

Survey Question 4:

Survey Question 5:

Survey Questions 6-7: The data for these questions are listed in the Demographics Survey section.

Survey Question 8:

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021 Meredith Parrish | Sobe Eats | Target Market Analysis

Survey Question 8:

Survey Question 9:

Survey Questions 10-12: The data for these questions are listed in the Demographics Survey section.

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

appendix B

SOCIAL MEDIA COLLABORATOR TOOLKIT

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

SOBE EATS | 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

• • • • • • •

Rice Bowls Birria Daily Specials Plating Presentation Fresh Ingredients Aquas Frescas

THINGS TO HIGHLIGHT:

Unconventional Ideas + Acapulco flavors

SOBE EATS | 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

[insert dates]

[insert theme]

LINK TO SIGNED CONTRACT: [link]

CUSTOMIZED LINKS: [Instagram] [Facebook] [Blog]

WHAT YOU’LL BE PROVIDING IN RETURN: BY: • Item 1 • Item 2 • Item 3 • Item 4

WHAT THE SOBE EATS IS PROVIDING: • Item 1 • Item 2 • Item 3 • Item 4 • Item 5

DATES

PURPOSE

SOBE EATS | 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

•

Always tag @sobeeatsut and hashtag #sobeeatsut in your posts and stories so Sobe Eats can repost to their own stories Post and provide images that reflect the purpose of your stay – [insert theme] Remember to shoot a portion of your images in landscape for email and website purposes.

PLEASE DO:

Examples of your content that will perform best on our social media platforms:

•

• • •

Immodest clothing that is revealing or suggestive Crude language Combining promotional content of your collaboration with the promotional content of other brands/products/experiences Combining promotional content of your stay with anything other than food truck/catering/food content (ex. Fashion, fitness, other brands)

AVOID

WE FEEL YOUR BRAND ALIGNS WITH SOBE EATS’ BRAND.

SOBE EATS | 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

NAME | PHONE NUMBER

HOTEL WILL PROVIDE DURING YOUR STAY, PLEASE TEXT OR CALL

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING WHAT THE

QU E S T I O NS ?

Should you fail to provide contracted content by our agreed upon due date, you will not be eligible or considered for Sobe Eats’ or affiliated Collaboration Programs.

Changes to the agreement must be approved by Salvador Soberanis 48 hours in advance.

Sobe Eats will not compensate for alcoholic beverages. You must pay for any alcohol charges on your own.

SOBE EATS | 2021

Sobe Eats Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

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Sobe Eats Integrated Marketing Communications Plan