Onward Campaign Plan by Michael Handler

A TASTE OF INSPIRATION. CAMPAIGN PLAN 2016

+ O N WA RD

TEAM MEMBERS RESEARCH DIRECTOR ABBY RUE

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR MICHAEL HANDLER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALIX DEBROUX

COPYWRITER-ART DIRECTOR CARLIE SWENSON

MEDIA DIRECTOR JORDAN GOGGINS

PR DIRECTOR CAT EDQUIST 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS 04

SITUATION ANALYSIS

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

CREATIVE PLAN

MEDIA PLAN

PR AND PROMOTION PLAN

APPENDIX

SITUATION ANALYSIS 4

COMPANY HISTORY Kashi was founded in 1984 by Philip and Gayle Tauber in La Jolla, California. The brand was named after an amalgam of two terms: “Kashruth”, which means “kosher” in Hebrew, and “Kushi”, the last name of the Japanese couple that brought macrobiotics to America [1]. Armed with an idea to make nutritious food using “Seven Whole Grains” and other natural ingredients, their first product release in 1984 was Kashi Breakfast Pilaf. Kashi released their first breakfast cereal, Kashi Puffs, three years later and continued to release a variety of different products containing whole grains and other nutritional ingredients, including pizzas and other cold and hot breakfast cereals, throughout the 1990s and 2000s [2]. In 2000, The Kellogg Company bought Kashi for an undisclosed sum and 2002 it released a line of USDA-certified organic cereals [3]. Continuing to prove their commitment to the health and safety of their health-conscious consumers, Kashi now promises that all of its products will be Non-GMO Project Verified by summer 2016. In 2014, the company moved from Kellogg’s headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan back to its original home in La Jolla, California and has rehired its old CEO David Denholm in an effort to reinvigorate the brand and distance it from the “big business” image of the Kellogg Company [4].

INDUSTRY TRENDS Figure 1 [5]

Brand

Percent of market share

Known for

THE KELLOGG COMPANY

31.5%

Froot Loops Frosted Flakes Kashi

GENERAL MILLS INC.

21.8%

Cheerios Lucky Charms Wheaties

PEPSICO INC.

6.6%

Quaker Life Cap’n Crunch

OTHER COMPANIES

30.%

Malt-o-Meal Industrial imitations of brand names

According to Euromonitor, cold cereal sales in general have seen a sharp drop in sales in the past decade – from $13.9 billion in 2000 to $11 billion in 2014 [6]. The top two rival companies, the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have struggled significantly due to this decline. Kellogg suffered a 2 percent drop in sales in 2014, bringing its sales down to a lower-than-expected $3.64 billion. The company also reported that its cereal sales now make up 45 percent of its total sales, down from 70 percent in 2000 [7]. John A. Bryant, CEO of Kellogg, credits this decline to “innovation that hasn’t worked” [8]. General Mills experienced a 4 percent drop, bringing it down to $2.86 billion in sales in 2014, but its Yoplait, Nature Valley and Cinnamon Toast Crunch sales were up due in part to the innovative marketing that Kellogg is currently missing [9]. The decline in cereal consumption can be explained by several different trends and patterns in consumer attitudes and behavior, the most significant of which being that consumer demographics are changing significantly, consumers are faced with more choices than ever and they have come to shun ingredients like the sugar commonly found in cold cereal in favor of more nutritious and convenient options [10].

CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS The changing demographics of the United States play an important role in the continuing decline in cereal sales. One factor that contributes to the United States’ changing landscape and its tendency to avoid breakfast cereals is a steady decrease in birthrate; it has seen a 9 percent drop since 2007 [11], and because families with young children have traditionally made up a large portion of the cold cereal market, this decrease poses a problem for cereal companies that seek to market their products towards children. Another crucial trend in consumer behavior lies in the millennials of Generation Y (people born between 1980 and 2000) and their tendency to snack throughout the day instead of eating complete meals at certain times [12].

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Although changing demographics have had a notable effect on the cereal industry, the change that has impacted this sector the most is arguably a shift in consumer attitudes and behaviors. While more consumers than ever are eating breakfast, low-carb, low-calorie and high-protein diets such as Atkins and the Paleo Diet have turned consumers away from sugary breakfast cereals in favor of healthier options like Greek yogurt and easily-customizable juices and smoothies [13]. Fiber, protein and whole grain seem to be the three most desirable nutrients among breakfast consumers, and because cereals have built a reputation of being heavy in carbohydrates – despite efforts from General Mills and Kellogg’s to add more protein and fiber to their products – cereal consumption continues to decline [14]. Due to the end of an economic downturn that began with the financial crisis of 2008, the unemployment rate in the United States has also drastically decreased from nearly 10 percent at the height of the recession to 5.1 percent in August 2015 [15]. This means that more consumers than ever are employed and convenience has thus become an extremely important value for busy consumers. Portability is a notable value among cereal consumers, with 40 percent of Mintel’s hot and cold cereal consumers agreeing that cereal should be more portable [16]. Companies that provide customizable options, such as General Mills’ Nature Valley and its protein-enhanced oatmeal that includes granola and dried fruit that can be mixed in and Chobani Greek Yogurt’s Flip line, have also seen success in a consumer market that prefers to customize its breakfast and snack options [17]. The end of the recession also has given consumers an increased disposable income, which makes them less likely to buy cereals than they were in the recession when eating cereal at home was a cheaper and easier option. Consumers with more disposable income are now turning to more expensive options, such as cereals or other breakfast items that contain more nutritious and organic ingredients and that come from higher-end brands [18].

CONSUMER ANALYSIS DEMOGRAPHICS According to Simmons data, both women and men from ages 35-44 and 55 and over are more likely than average – 12 and 19 percent respectively – to be Kashi consumers. They are a highly educated group, with people who responded that they “graduated college or more” being 39-47 percent more likely than average to have eaten a medium volume of Kashi cereal (5-9 servings) in the past week. [19] The professions in which respondents were most likely to be Kashi consumers were education, health services, finance and insurance, professional and scientific professions and Simmons respondents are more likely to be Kashi consumers if their household income is $30,000 or above, with respondents with a household income of $75k or more being up to 82 percent more likely to be Kashi consumers. [20] Contrary to what is often true of cereal brands, people with children are less likely to be Kashi consumers than those without children, although childless people are only 3 percent more likely than average to have eaten Kashi in the past week. Divorced people are more likely than married people to be Kashi consumers. These families and individuals are more likely to live in the northeastern or western parts of the country than in the Midwest or in the South. [21] According to Simmons, Kashi consumers are a generally active, environmentally conscious and adventurous group. They are up to 12 percent more likely than average to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they are up to 22 percent more likely to consider their diet to be healthy, up to 32 percent more likely to “always think of the calories in what [they] eat”, and up to 28 percent are more likely to exercise regularly. Up to 72.7 percent of reported Simmons Kashi consumers say they are more likely to buy products from a company that is “environmentally friendly” and up to 51.4 percent believe that it is important for them to “be seen as environmentally conscious.” [22] Current Kashi consumers also tend to consider themselves adventurous, with up to 42.7 percent of Simmons Kashi consumers reporting that they “enjoy taking risks” (index of 112 and 125) and up to 59.3 percent of them reporting to “love the idea of traveling abroad” (index of 138 and 142). [23]

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS In an oversaturated marketing and communications environment, the big players in the cereal industry are the brands that manage to use their consumers’ trust and resulting brand loyalty in order to create products that meet their target market’s most pressing needs. Simmons respondents that reported having consumed Kashi in the past week were also up to 68 percent more likely than average to have eaten cereals like General Mills’ MultiGrain Cheerios, up to 46 percent more likely to have consumed Nature Valley granola bars, up to 150 percent more likely to have had Chobani yogurt and up to a staggering 220 percent more likely to have eaten General Mills’ Fiber One in the past week [24]. These figures clearly reflect that Nature Valley, Fiber One and Chobani’s nutritious breakfast and snack options have all become major competitors to Kashi’s diverse and equally nutritious cereal offerings. Nature Valley Protein Bars, released in 2012, have been particularly successful because of their protein content that makes them an ideal breakfast addition or snack; according to General Mills, these bars “generated more than $100 million in U.S. retail sales in their first year” [25]. In 2014, all varieties of Nature Valley granola bars generated $604.9 million in sales, making them the most profitable granola bars on the market and a considerable competitor to cold cereal as a category [26]. According to Figure 2, although Kashi appears to be the most nutritionally well-rounded cereal of this group with simultaneously high protein, fiber and whole grain content, the popularity of other options reflect the most important values of cereal consumers: High fiber content and low calorie content in the case of Fiber One, lower calorie count and very high whole grain count paired with high brand loyalty for Multigrain Cheerios, and Nature Valley Protein Bars’ and Chobani’s high protein content paired with high portability. It is also important to note that Kashi GOLEAN’s highest calorie content of the group can be seen as a detriment to the brand when compared with the competition, but this just reflects a need to market to a more active consumer base that requires the extra energy that those calories can provide.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Figure 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Competitor analysis [27]

Product Brand/Type

(per serving)

Price

(per standard size box, on Amazon)

Competitive Elements

180 calories; 12g protein; 13g fiber; 8g whole grains

$3.12 (13.1 oz. box, about 7 servings)

High protein, fiber, whole grain content

Fiber One

(Original) (General Mills)

60 calories; 2g protein; 14g fiber

$3.14 (16.2 oz. box, about 15 servings)

Known for high fiber content

Multigrain Cheerios

110 calories; 2g protein; 3g fiber; 20g whole grains

$3.98 (18 oz. box, about 8 servings)

High whole grain content; one of the most trusted cereal brands

Nature Valley Protein

190 calories; 10g protein; 5g fiber

$3.48 (box of 5 bars)

Portability and high protein content

120 calories; 12g protein; <1g fiber

Around $1.00 for 5.3 oz.

Non-fat; portable; different varieties allow for customization

Kashi GoLean

(Original) (Kellogg Company)

(General Mills)

Chobani

(Fruit on the bottom, strawberry flavor)

Nutritional Profile

BRAND ANALYSIS Kashi has worked position itself away from the brand image of a company owned by a multi-million dollar corporation like Kellogg and with its product packaging and media messages filled with scenes of “the great outdoors” and individual employees traveling to find the best-tasting and most natural ingredients, it has managed to create the perception in the mind of the average consumer that it is a small company with the social and environmental consciousness that a large company lacks. Its product line includes cold and hot cereals, snacks like cookies and crackers, pizzas, and entrees, among others. With 5 flavors of its popular GOLEAN and all its other cereals, the brand boasts an impressive 28 varieties of cold cereal, with appetizing flavors like vanilla, sweet potato, fruit, and honey [28]. Kashi has helped to define and position its brand by using 7 different whole grains; its slogans (“Our 7 Whole Grains are better together”, “The Seven Whole Grain Company”, and most recently, “7 Whole Grains On a Mission”) have created a strong association in consumers’ minds of Kashi with whole grains, and thus with healthiness. The “7 Whole Grains” in question are hard red wheat, brown rice, triticale, barley, oats, buckwheat and rye [29]. Although Kashi’s 7 Whole Grains have been a part of its mission statement since the brand’s conception in 1985, this association has been a positive way for the brand to capitalize on the United States’ more recent focus on whole grains that began with the United States Department of Agriculture’s release of its 2005 dietary guidelines that included 3 servings of whole grains – half of the daily recommended grain intake – as part of a balanced diet and continued with American dieters’ focus on differentiating “good” and “bad” carbs [30]. The brand has also created an association with its products and an overall healthy and active lifestyle. Part of Kashi’s mission is to provide “Progressive Nutrition,” which involves educating people on what they’re putting in their bodies and how certain foods can help people lead a more active life. Their website contains a “Natural Living Library”, which educates users not only on Kashi’s products but on several general health topics related to food and exercise [31]. This lifestyle brand is an important asset when considering campaign strategies because this sets it apart from its competitors, which are not necessarily as well established as the 30 year-old Kashi. Kashi has recently made strides towards transparency in its public commitments to consumers as well as its packaging; in light of the 2012 GMO viral scandal wherein a Rhode Island grocer pulled Kashi cereal off his sheves due to his disagreement with the brand’s “natural” label [32], Kashi has made sure to prominently label cereal boxes which are USDA-certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified, alongside other prominent nutritional information such as fiber, whole grain and protein content. According to Mintel, consumers want brands to clearly communicate the product’s contents on the packaging, and Kashi has attempted to fulfill this demand [33]. Kashi has made a concerted effort to clean up its brand image and regain the trust of consumers, including the launch of the “Organic Promise” range and its commitment to get all of its future offerings Non-GMO Project Verified by Summer 2016 [34]. Kashi general manager David DeSouza made a statement in 2012 announcing the brand’s commitment to ensure that all of its GOLEAN® cereals and Chewy Granola Bars would be changed to fit the Non-GMO Project Verified label by 2014; he also added that “beginning in 2015, all new Kashi foods introduced into the market will contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients and will also be Non-GMO Project Verified” [35]. In 2014, Kashi started working on fulfilling this promise and released 4 different Non-GMO Project Verified versions of their popular GOLEAN cereals [36].

CREATIVE ANALYSIS With cereal names that include words like “Indigo Morning”, “Warm Cinnamon” and “Simple Maize”, the brand uses language that attempts to bring forth simple, natural and peaceful imagery while also highlighting flavors that cereal consumers are drawn to such as vanilla, honey and berries. Its iconic logo is green and features a piece of wheat, which calls forth an association with nature. The packaging itself features more white space than other cereals, which sets Kashi cereals apart on an aesthetic level due to other cereals’ reliance on loud colors to attract consumers. Like Kashi’s product packaging, its print ads feature a great deal of white or light-colored space and brief messages that evoke a simple and natural image. Kashi print ads and product packaging also feature fonts that appear to be handwritten, which helps build the perception that Kashi is a small company that works hard to personally ensure the quality of its products. Kashi has traditionally used a mix of print and television advertisements. The brand uses different strategies for different types of advertising, but a unifying feature of most of their advertisements is that they are mostly informational (rather than narrative or emotional) and focus on the simple and healthy ingredients of their products. Recent television advertisements have featured Kashi employees traveling to exotic locations to find the healthiest and best-tasting ingredients for their products and scenes of people being active. A 2011 advertisement featured Kashi employees handing out “eggs” to people running a marathon; the eggs contained Kashi GOLEAN cereals and the focus of the advertisement was to inform consumers that the cereal had added protein that makes it similar to eggs [37].

Because Kashi has positioned itself as a brand that can transform lifestyles, it has attempted to engage social media users in order to show the reality of what the products can do for consumers.In one example of Kashi’s lifestyle branding, a March 2015 social media campaign launched by Kashi’s newsletter “Cultivate” encouraged users to share photos of their activities on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag “#Theworldismygym,” promoting the idea that proper nutrition can fuel any activity and that physical activity can be done anywhere [38]. Kashi is not necessarily known for innovative integrated marketing campaigns, but in 2014 it launched this type of campaign in a highly visible way. Kashi partnered with World Champion crosscountry skier Kikkan Randall for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter games and it released several advertisements and posted social media updates closely following the actions of Randall throughout her training and during the Olympics. The advertisements and videos featured Randall in various phases of her training and promoted the message that good nutrition can fuel even the most difficult physical activity [39].

COMPETITOR CREATIVE ANALYSIS KASHI

• Heavily features white space in order to evoke the simplicity of their products • Uses warm colors and images of ingredients to reinforce the simplicity of the product • Uses handwritten font, giving the feeling that Kashi is a smaller company that cares about the individual quality of its products • Smaller logo • Product labels indicate that it is USDA certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified

NATURE VALLEY

• Also uses warm colors, but to evoke hardiness and energy instead of Kashi’s strategy of reflecting simplicity and nature • Large logo with classic, bold font • Even larger font for the word “Protein” in order to emphasize the product’s high protein content, which is a desirable trait for breakfast and snacks • Graphic background, product featured on table alongside some of its individual ingredients

CHOBANI

• Like Kashi, features white space and product ingredients • Colors vary depending on flavor (which is also something Kashi does with its cereals) • Large logo with straightforward, sans-serif font • Contains message “Only naturally sourced ingredients”, similar to Kashi’s assurances of natural ingredients • Large “0%” to indicate fat content, similar to Nature Valley’s

PUBLIC OPINION ANALYSIS Because a brand is shaped by its consumers’ perception, it is important to identify what the general public thinks about Kashi and its values. The Kashi brand’s media across social media is very polarized. Like with any brand, there are some people who swear by the product, and the general consensus among people who report on social media to be regular consumers is that the cereal tastes good and is good for you. Most recent comments on the Kashi Facebook page are by users who are singing the praises of the taste and nutrition of Kashi products, asking where to find products, or saying where and how they eat and customize the products [44]. These users appear to be generally active people who lead a healthy lifestyle, which fits with what Simmons data indicates about the average Kashi consumers’ lifestyles. However, this space where consumers talk about the products curiously and positively does not exist everywhere, and because of consumers’ ideas on the morality of food labels, Kashi’s online reputation is not altogether positive. One type of social media user that has been particularly critical of Kashi’s business practices and product contents is health food bloggers. The Digital Age has created an avenue of communication where controversies can go viral and people can express their opinions with more ease than ever, and after Kashi’s 2012 controversy, popular health food and anti-GMO activist bloggers have been crusading against the brand and it’s “natural” claims. In one strongly-worded article – posted originally on The Alternative Daily website in 2013 and circulated on natural lifestyle blogs – an anonymous writer muses, ”It is amazing how Kellogg’s, a massive multi-million dollar company, has convinced the public that Kashi is a group of sensitive, health seeking and health promoting individuals.” [45] In 2012, the Organic Consumers Association released a video on their website called “Ca$hi” in which they portray Kashi as a greedy and manipulative brand, a far cry from their “natural” image [46]. Despite the vocal population of anti-Kashi activists and the general public’s increasing awareness and concern over genetically modified food and its effects (represented by the 2013 Roper Poll to the left) [47], the aforementioned criticisms may not represent the general public’s perception of the brand. In a survey conducted by our public relations director Cat Edquist, 70 respondents, aged 17 to 68 with an average age of 26, were asked to describe, in one word, what they thought of when they saw a picture of a box of Kashi. The responses were not as polarized as Kashi’s online presence would have predicted; the most frequent one-word association was “healthy”, which indicates that this is the image Kashi puts out to a general public. Other positive responses included “organic”, “filling”, and “nature”. The most frequent negative responses were “expensive”, some variation on “sugary”, and “boring”, but there was no mention of the concerns of the aforementioned bloggers and no respondents implied that they thought the cereal was flat-out unhealthy.

STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS Kashi has several stakeholders that have some kind of investment in the brand and its activities. The most significant stakeholders are the consumers and the proprietary Kellogg Company, but other stakeholders include:

• GROCERS: Many major grocery stores carry Kashi, including those contained in major stores such as WalMart and Target. However, smaller and/or independently owned grocers that carry Kashi depend more on its success and they are some of the more important stakeholders.

• THE NON-GMO PROJECT: This non-profit organization is heavily involved with the production of Kashi’s cereal, and a failure on the part of Kashi may reflect poorly on the Non-GMO Project. Given the public’s increasing awareness of genetically modified foods and their effects, the Non-GMO Project verification may be an element that increases the value of Kashi’s products, but this organization’s involvement with the controversial Kashi may hurt its reputation. • THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA): The USDA has been involved in the production processes of Kashi cereals and several of them have been certified organic by the governmental organization.

• POSSIBLE PARTNERS: Given Kashi’s status as a natural food and lifestyle company and the cereal’s potential for customization, it is highly likely that partnerships with companies with similar values will be an important part of Onward’s Kashi campaign strategy.

MEDIA USAGE ANALYSIS The television networks that are most popular with Kashi consumers are:

• • • • •

PBS (indexes of 141 and 121 for GOLEAN and “other Kashi” consumers) FOX (index of 115 and 110) CBS (111 and 108) ESPN (132 and 117, reflecting their active lifestyles) FOOD NETWORK (130 and 144) [48]

The television programs that were most likely to have been viewed by Simmons Kashi consumers in the past week are mostly situational comedies, dramas, and documentary or news shows such as:

• • • • • •

CBS’ 60 MINUTES (indexes of 124 and 152) CBS’ THE BIG BANG Theory (129 and 116) CBS’ THE GOOD WIFE (188 and 176) CBS’ HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (118 and 140) ABC’S GREY’S ANATOMY (138 and 105) NBC’S DATELINE (index of 128 for Kashi GOLEAN) [49]

Kashi consumers use the Internet in general more than average, and most of these consumers are using both at home and at work it for e-mail, making travel arrangements, online banking, reading the news, getting weather information and researching and purchasing products. These users’ most-frequented sites are Google, Facebook, Amazon and Wikipedia, reflecting their tendency to use the Internet to do several different kinds of research (including keeping themselves up to date on current events and looking at product reviews) and to connect with others. They are around 14 percent more likely than the average consumer to be social media users and around 17.6 percent of them report using it more than three times a day, but they are generally more likely than average to use it 1-3 times a week or even less than once per week [50]. Kashi consumers are also not easily swayed by online advertising; most Kashi-consuming Simmons respondents responded “not very often” or “not at all” when asked if they ever buy products after seeing a banner advertisement, an email advertisement or a “floating” advertisement [51]. For magazines, it is important to note that Kashi GOLEAN consumers seem to be more likely than average to read women’s magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Glamour and O – The Oprah Magazine as well as health, nature and cooking magazines such as Health, National Geographic and Bon Appetit. Time, AARP - The Magazine, People, Sports Illustrated, and the category of magazines provided by airlines are statistically more likely to be read by consumers of both GOLEAN and other Kashi cereals [52].

SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

• Kashi has created a strong association with health and nature • The brand has made a name for itself as a well-known health food brand over the course of 30 years • The brand has made a strong commitment to the health and safety of its customers with its GMO-free and organic product lines

• Cereal is not thought of as being portable and portability is something current breakfast consumers value highly • Brand has relied too heavily on informational advertising • Brand has created an association with “health” but this is not enough to incite action in possible consumers • Public relations issues arose after the 2012 GMO scandal

OPPORTUNITES

THREATS

• Options like yogurt and granola bars have nearly replaced cereal in the breakfast market due to their convenience and variety • Nostalgia is currently a popular and successful marketing tactic among cereal brands and it would be difficult for Kashi to incorporate this strategy in its campaign

KEY ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS • Like the rest of Kellogg’s brands, Kashi has struggled with a failure to innovate, according to Kellogg CEO John A. Bryant (Strom). It has relied too heavily on informational advertising, and a storytelling approach with emotional appeals may strengthen the brand image. • People do not think of cereal as a portable or convenient option, hence the decline in consumption. However, Kashi does have portable options, and partnerships with yogurt brands, which are some of the brand’s biggest competitors, would both strengthen the brand’s profits and promote the idea that Kashi is a convenient and customizable option. • Kashi has created a strong brand associated with health and it has even attempted to assert itself as a lifestyle brand; however, these efforts have simply created brand awareness, which has not translated well to actual consumer action. Creating memorable messages that continue to promote Kashi as a trustworthy food and lifestyle brand may help bridge the gap between consumer brand awareness and action.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY 18

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES Onward has done extensive research both on the cereal industry and American consumers in order to develop a comprehensive campaign strategy that will launch Kashi’s new campaign in the year of 2016.

THE CAMPAIGN:

A TASTE OF INSPIRATION. OBJECTIVES

1. Increase Volume of Consumption/Build A Lasting Relationship

Our campaign hopes to create a personal association, dependency and reliance on Kashi, pushing individuals on working to accomplish their goals by finding their inspirations, and tackling them. By working to create a dependency and positive association with Kashi, our campaign will lead to a higher volume of Kashi’s consumption, resulting in an increase of sales and a strong, personal relationship tie with the brand.

2. Increase Sales

With sales reaching $351 million in 2014 [53], we hope that this campaign will tap into an even larger audience, increasing Kashi’s revenue and sales for the future by 5%. This campaign will forge a relationship between Kashi customers and the brand that will remain firm in the future.

3. Improve Brand Image

We hope to rebuild Kashi’s brand image through the use of a sleeker and more modern color scheme in advertisements, in conjunction with a newer, more motivational campaign that highlights Kashi’s health benefits, especially with Kashi’s debut of the 2016 guarantee to that all of their cereals will be Non-GMO Project Verified. All of this will make Kashi appear to be a more “serious” brand. Their playful nature and earthy tones have created a lot of doubts as to Kashi’s reputation, especially following the discovery of GMOs in some of their products. [53]

CONSUMER TARGET MARKETS TARGET MARKET DEMOGRAPHICS

[54]: Onward would like to target two different markets based on information gathered on Simmons and Mintel. 45-54 year olds are 22 percent more likely than the average person to consume Kashi. Additionally, 55+ year olds are 19 percent more likely than the average person to consume Kashi. While there does not seem to be much of a racial or ethnic difference between those who do and do not consume Kashi, white people are 9 percent more likely than the average person to consume Kashi. Additionally, both males and females have around the same consumption rate, therefore we will be targeting both men and women.

BEHAVIORS

[55]: We will be targeting those with higher education levels, as college graduates are 39-47 percent more likely than the average person to consume Kashi. With increasing education level comes a higher amount of income. In general, households with income greater than $30,000/year are more likely to consume Kashi. We will be targeting those with an income greater than $30,000 and also those with incomes greater than $70,000/year, as the consumption rate dramatically increases with a higher income bracket. Those who work in the field of Education, Health Services, Finance and Scientific professions tend to purchase Kashi cereal the most. Those who are divorced and those who are childless tend to be higher consumers of Kashi. We will attempt to target both of those people because they have more time to focus on themselves and their healthy eating habits, as opposed to trying to target individuals which children, who pose a much harder challenging of attracting and convincing. A comprehensive analysis of consumer behavior tells us that we will be targeting “White Collar” Americans in Kashi’s new campaign.

ATTITUDES [56]: Kashi’s consumers are healthy and environmentally conscious people. They are well informed, somewhat adventurous, and pretty self-satisfied with their lives. They exercise regularly, and they care about how they are perceived by others.

PRIMARY CONSUMER TARGET “Middle-Aged Serious and Satisfied” • Characteristics [57]: - White adults ages 45-54 - Single and Childless Professionals - Currently living in the Northeast and West Coast - Household incomes over $50,000 - College educated and graduated - Self-satisfied with their lives - Already consume Kashi in some volume - Think breakfast is the most important meal of the day

MEET “JENNIFER GREEN” FROM BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS • Married for 18 years, recently divorced • Age 47 • Staff Administrator at Harvard University • Does Yoga weekly • Active in her book club • Enjoys spending time with friends Why “Jennifer”? 1) Gender – women are more likely to consume Kashi cereal than men are, and in turn they tend to be more self-conscious and aware of what they are eating and what they look like. 2) Location – East Coast and West Coast tend to have higher incomes, they can afford to purchase higher-costing food products because they have the resources to afford them [58]. 3) Values – Kashi consumers tend to already be somewhat health conscious and environmentally friendly, and tend to eat that way too [59]. They strongly believe that breakfast is an important start to the day, and therefore are the perfect target for Kashi’s new campaign. 4) Individual – Those who are divorced and childless are more likely to consume Kashi, and while those who are married and those who have children will be targeted too in regard to this demographic, it is easier to target individuals because they have more time to spend on themselves and their individual eating habits [60].

SECONDARY CONSUMER TARGET “The Retired Country Club Couple” • Characteristics [61]: - Ages 55+ - Men and Women - Income levels between $75,000 and $100,000+ - Those who live active lifestyles and are hoping to remain adventurous - Already consume Kashi - Seek and desire adventure, try to live healthy and active lifestyles

MEET “DONALD AND JOAN WILSON” LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Donald: • Retired Financial Officer at J.P. Morgan Chase • Age 60 • Hobbies include golfing, travelling, and spending time with his neighborhood friends • Enjoys spending time with his older children when they come to visit Joan: • Stay-at-home mom • Age 58 • Social Hostess • Likes to casually exercise (early morning runs/walks) with friends • Cares about how she looks and dresses • Also cares about how her husband looks and dresses Why “The Wilsons”? 1) Age – Those who are ages 55+ are 19 percent more likely than the average person to be consuming Kashi, most likely due to health-consciousness with older age [62]. 2) Location – East and West Coast older citizens are more likely to be consumers of Kashi cereal and in general more healthy products [63]. 3) Values – the older generation consuming Kashi enjoys being active, they care about how they look and appear to others, they shop at more high-end supermarkets and stores [64] They are also satisfied with their current lives, but continue to seek out more adventure, activity, and experiences. 4) Income – the 55+-year-old income bracket for our target market shows that as income increases, consumption of Kashi cereals increases as well. With a higher income, the target is more willing to spend their money on more expensive products [65].

TARGET GEOGRAPHICS Our Simmons data indicates that residents living on the East and West Coast of the United States are more likely to consume Kashi (and in higher volumes) than other regions of the country. However, there are Kashi consumers that spread throughout the entire United States, so efforts to appeal to those targets will be made as well. We will focus on targeting customers like “Jennifer Green” and “The Wilsons” in cities like San Francisco and Boston, where health-conscious consumers tend to live. In addition, we will target the smaller cities and towns on the coasts that our target customers live.

MARKET POSITION KEY INSIGHTS We have identified several key insights in regard to Kashi’s target market that will ensure the success of their 2016 campaign. Currently, people are more willing to spend more on cereal as the economic climate has settled. Our target market already consume Kashi, but not with as high of a volume as you should hope. With money to spend, there is a significant opportunity to increase the volume of consumption of Kashi, leading to an increase of profits and a dependency and positive association with the Kashi cereal line. Kashi’s advertising has relied heavily on information-based appeals for a long time, and with low-involvement products like cereal, emotional appeals (such as nostalgia) have been more successful. Kashi may have created a strong association with health through its information advertising, but it is still seen as boring because its communication strategy only focuses on the facts and not an emotional appeal of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. While nutritional content is a main benefit of eating Kashi, the largest consumers of Kashi are already aware of the health benefits that Kashi has to offer, and need a new reason to continue consuming it. Finding a better balance between an informational and emotional “storytelling”-type advertising will strengthen the brand’s image and open the brand up to a wider market than just 45+ year olds in addition to increasing Kashi’s consumption within those markets.

THE BUSINESS OBJECTIVE Hinging on the belief that Kashi is a healthy breakfast option made with fresh and natural ingredients, we hope to increase Kashi’s sales by 5% at the end of our yearlong campaign. By stopping to heavily advocate Kashi products as “allnatural, organic and non-GMO”, our objective is to use honest, current language to communicate the reality of Kashi’s products with their consumers. We want consumers to trust the Kashi brand and eliminate the divide between customers’ thoughts and perceptions of Kashi [66]. Goals: • Increase the volume of consumption of Kashi through expanding consumers’ mindset of how, why, and where Kashi can be consumed • Increase awareness of Kashi’s use of natural ingredients and non-GMO promises (with the summer 2016 guarantee of all cereal products being Non-GMO Project Verified) • Conduct post-campaign survey to understand how Kashi’s brand perception has changed through the campaign • Kashi sales reached $351 million in the year of 2014 (being the 5th most popular cereal in the US), and we hope to increase that number with Kashi’s new campaign [67]

KASHI’S CURRENT PERCEPTION granola

processed nature

heart

designer

fiber organic grains fancy boring

bland

crunchy

cereal expensive sugar

yummy green tasty colorful

KASHI’S POST-CAMPAIGN PERCEPTIONS fiber

nutritious

motivating yummy

nature

real organic smart

personal

fresh

caring

modern productive honest colorful empowering green tasty 25

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION Kashi’s competitive advantage is its emphasis on local growing and local farming that contributes to the ingredients in their products. They have done an incredible job of positioning themselves in the market as a small and locally-owned brand that strives to create all of their products with integrity, instead of capitalizing and advertising themselves as a Kellogg’s brand of cereal.[68] Kashi’s brand has a strong allegiance to the environment, which does separate Kashi from other competitors in the market. Although there have been some issues with the switch to non-GMO products, it has proved the company’s efforts to ensure the highest quality of product for its consumers. Consumers are very engaged in the details of healthy living, activities and a concern for the environment, too, all of which is emphasized by Kashi’s ingredients and products [69]. Continuing to highlight Kashi’s involvement with local ingredients and a focus on the environment, especially compared to other brands, would truly captivate those consumers’ engagement with the brand. Kashi has all of the strengths to be an influential brand, but without proper communication to customers, it only inhibits the brand’s progress. Kashi’s Unique Selling Proposition hinges on the family-oriented, handcrafted association that consumers have with the brand.

CURRENT MARKET AND BRANDING POSITIONING Currently, Kashi’s common public opinion is fairly polarized; consumers either purchase Kashi for its healthy/nutritional value, or consumers stay away from Kashi as they believe it conveys a false, misleading message about GMOs and organic ingredients [70]. Onward hopes to make Kashi a preferable cereal choice with an honest, attention-grabbing campaign. Our new campaign will encourage consumers to jumpstart their new year with a resolution to increase their consumption of healthy products such as Kashi, and continue to fulfill their promise for the future. Kashi will not hide behind health-food jargon, using phrases like “all natural” and “GMO-free” [71]. Kashi will be advocates for a positive, healthy lifestyle not only through their advertising, but also with the 2016 non-GMO Project Verified seal that will be featured on all of their cereal boxes starting in the summer of 2016. Kashi’s branding currently centers around the slogan “7 whole grains on a mission.” [72]. Kashi emphasizes their healthy grains, non-GMO products, and advertises themselves as a crucial part of a healthy diet and happy life. Onward strives to hold on to Kashi’s focus on nutritional value; with our campaign we will do just that. We will continue to increase transparency and honesty. With the promise of being completely GMO-free by summer 2016 [73], continuing to advertise and print the seal on each Kashi cereal box will help to communicate Kashi’s core values. Additionally, we will communicate that the process of becoming Non-GMO Project Verified takes time, ensuring that Kashi customers know that the brand is committed to keeping their promises. The current brand personality displays a playful, upbeat attitude on social media and through the designs and graphics on cereal boxes. Through titling the cereals, “Warm Cinnamon,” “Simple Maize,” “Berry Blossoms,” [74] it uses very simple and natural words to depict a healthy and calming presence associated with the brand. Additionally, the brand personality portrays an active, “full of life” healthy lifestyle that encourages consumers to engage with Kashi through an emphasis on a fearless, motivated and ambitious persona that is integrated into their “7 Whole Grains on a Mission” slogan.

DESIRED MARKET AND BRANDING POSITIONING Onward will be changing the traditional, earthy, natural tones and graphics of Kashi’s advertising in order to incorporate a more modern aesthetic. Our advertisements will feature simpler, sleeker colors and images. We feel this is an important step in the campaign, as it will differentiate Kashi from other competitor brands, like Nature Valley, that focus on “Earthy” themes, tones, and graphics. Doing so will also take some weight off of the scrutiny surrounding Kashi’s organic and non-GMO labels and instead focus on the unique benefits that Kashi has to offer. [75] Kashi cereals will be emphasized as a healthy alternative to other breakfast options like caloric fast foods recently found to be a popular, convenient alternative for those en route to work or on the go [76]. In comparison to other similar brands, like Nature Valley, that promote their products as hearty and energizing, Onward will focus on promoting the advertisement of the high quality ingredients and passion for natural, physical, and personal wellness that Kashi values. Kashi cereals serve as a nutritional, smart choice for breakfast; you can sit down and eat it in a bowl with milk, eat it on the go (dry), or use it as granola in additional healthy options/products like yogurt [77]. We seek to create a partnership between Kashi and other companies that produce products like yogurt, such as Chobani, and milk, with Organic Valley, to capitalize on the fact that people are looking for options to easily customize and invent new and exciting breakfast options. [78] Doing so would help cover the costs of advertising, and would increase Kashi’s brand awareness in a new market, giving customers new ideas of how to incorporate more volumes of Kashi cereal into their daily lives. Onward’s desire is to incorporate Kashi into the decision-making process of continuing (and increasing) or even jumpstarting a healthier lifestyle. Kashi’s desired brand personality will be a serious, motivational one to consumers that encourages them to continue to turn to the brand not only for its nutritious value, but additionally for the motivational, inspirational goals that it can help its consumers achieve. Onward seeks to turn Kashi’s personality into a more serious one that appeals to an older adult audience mainly, with room for a younger appeal, which creates consistency among the various mediums that Kashi is advertised. We hope to link positive, encouraging emotions to people that are trying to live and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. The brand is aiming to get consumers to feel confident about themselves through new aspirations, inspirations and challenges. Kashi will begin to link empowering, stable, and motivating associations and values to its brand. With a shift to a more personalized focus on Kashi’s consumers and their work towards a healthy lifestyle, we want to create a supportive system associated with the brand.

SCOPE THE SCOPE We aim the start of Kashi’s new campaign in January, the beginning of the New Year, a time filled with optimism in attaining a sexier self-image. Healthier eating habits, more exercise and weight loss are among the top of many people’s new years resolutions, and we hope to tap into that market through the launch of a January 1st campaign. With messages that encourage consumers to seek inspiration, adventure and new heights, our January 1st launch of the campaign will continue for a full yearlong duration. The campaign will mostly be highlighted in the months of January, March, June, September and December, following a seasonal appeal that underlies Kashi’s campaign. Kashi will endorse and market certain cereals and flavors based on seasonality, encouraging customers to interact with fluctuating seasonal ingredients, tastes, aromas, colors, and most importantly, personalwellness habits. Kashi campaign will be yearlong for continual engagement with consumers at every step of the way, and will peak at the beginning of the new season in order to align with rotating seasonal lifestyle habits, flavors, and climates that Kashi consumers experience. Ranging in different mediums based on geographic location, we will be targeting the East and West Coast target markets as they have much higher consumption volumes of Kashi due to their socio-economic standing [79]. Kashi will have a larger presence in media in the months of January, March, June, September and December, the months where an extra ounce of motivation is needed. This is a flighting strategy that remains subtle in “off-months” and appears high in peak months to excite, refresh, and renew the overall message of the campaign. The campaign will appear on television, magazines, the Internet, out-of-home ads, and billboard/ambient media. With a united story that the Kashi campaign will seek to deliver, Onward plans to inspire Kashi consumers to want more, to dream bigger, and to create and experience dreams and desires they never knew they had before. The seasonality of Kashi’s new campaign is directly correlated to the desired positioning that we hope Kashi wishes to achieve. By emphasizing the new campaign in select months, the campaign will follow changing foods, climates, and behaviors that fluctuate with the seasons. Onward’s campaign scope seek to directly increase the volume of consumption of Kashi by advertising its cereal products not only as a breakfast option, but also as the perfect on-the-go snack. In doing so, Onward believes that customers will build strong, positive associations with the Kashi brand, where individuals are encouraged to pursue their passions or inspirations, starting their day, workout, yoga session and more with a Kashi product. Different flavors, colors, and locations will be key features of Kashi’s new campaign that emphasize unique ways to use and consume Kashi during that season. In a time where customization and personalization in food is at an all time high [80], it is important that Kashi makes it known to consumers that their product has a wide variety of uses, flavors, and tasteful appeal.

LOCATIONS The media mediums used in our campaign will be focused on where our two target markets live. Large East and West Coast cities will be the main focus of our campaign. Here are some cities that our campaign will target: • Los Angeles, CA • San Francisco, CA • San Diego, CA • Houston, TX • New York, NY • Boston, MA • Washington, D.C. • Other tri-state areas (RI, CT, ME)

CREATIVE BRIEF CREATIVE POSITIONING AND BRANDING The issue of brand perception is Kashi’s main problem at this time. Kashi advertises itself as a natural, healthy brand, targeting a market of people who care about what they put into their bodies. Unfortunately, Kashi’s creative strategy has failed to excite, engage and energize their consumer target markets. They feature bland visuals and similar color schemes to their numerous competitors among all of their advertisements. This problem of brand perception must be solved in order to rejuvenate Kashi’s brand perception and increase consumption among target markets. The Kashi brand continues to advertise itself as a nutritious and all-natural breakfast source for healthy 45+ year old [81]. Kashi fits itself into the market as a slightly more expensive health food brand that people are willing to pay for in order to eat better and live a more wholesome lifestyle [82]. Kashi continues to use earthy tones and natural wording on their boxes and in advertisements to reiterate their dedication to brand values. Their commercials and cereal boxes include images of healthy ingredients, showing the natural colors and handpicked quality of the Kashi brand. However, doubts of the non-GMO promise have made the Kashi brand look deceitful and unwholesome [83]. As this controversy grows, the public has become more aware that Kellogg’s, a company that owns sugary cereal brands like Fruit Loops, is also the owner of Kashi. The brand must overcome the perception that Kashi is less healthy because its parent company is Kellogg’s. Onward will continue to emphasize Kashi’s unique family-oriented and handcrafted element in the new campaign, but will feature a unique color scheme and visual component not only to create an exciting and inspirational campaign, but also to differentiate Kashi from its competitors in the cereal market.

THE BIG IDEA The key concept that Onward wants to “own” with Kashi’s new campaign is that consistently eating Kashi helps individuals accomplish their ambitions and goals, some of which they may not even have known they had. We hope to launch Kashi’s campaign in January, and present Kashi as a New Year’s resolution and inspiration for our target market. As the New Year hits, many people make weighty pledges for big changes in their lives. However, as many people know, these pledges often go unattained soon after the New Year begins. Because of this, we would like to brand Kashi as a consistent step in living an overall healthier lifestyle. Because Kashi cereals promote themselves as healthy and tasty, replacing other unhealthy breakfast options with Kashi is the perfect small-scale change that can lead to a healthier year. Additionally, as our customers start their year off on the right foot, the Kashi brand will follow suit. As announced, Kashi promises that all of their cereals will have the non-GMO Project Certified Seal by 2016 [84]. Kashi and its customers will make healthier changes together in order to make the New Year as rewarding as possible through the new campaign. This campaign is not solely exclusive to a “New Years Resolution”. By beginning the campaign in January and posing it as a step to living a healthier lifestyle, we hope to build a brand association in consumers’ minds that Kashi can be used as a step towards a healthier lifestyle at any time, not just at the start of a new year.

Why should the targets care?

The two targets of the Kashi campaign, 45-54 year olds and those ages 55+ will care about this new campaign because they are already health-conscious people [85]. They most likely already try to make small lifestyle changes in order to live a healthier lifestyle. Both markets have the resources and the drive to make changes by taking steps towards healthier living, so a New Years resolution campaign will appeal to them. Advertising Kashi as a consistent step in the right direction will demonstrate to the target market that resolutions towards a healthier lifestyle can be made at the beginning of the New Year but also at any point where one decides to take on the task of adhering to a healthier lifestyle.

Why should the target believe you?

Kashi’s targets will believe this campaign because of the steps that Kashi has taken to provide a sense of honesty in their ingredients and products. With the announcement that all of their cereals will be non-GMO Project Certified in the year of 2016, it is clear that Kashi is dedicated in their journey of becoming one of the most natural cereals, while still tasting great at the same time.

What do you want the target to feel after seeing the campaign?

After seeing the campaign, we want Kashi’s target market to feel inspired. We want consumers to create their own inspirations, personal goals and desired experiences, and tackle those dreams head on, charging with Kashi. [86]

How should the target feel (in general, about your brand, your service)?

This campaign seeks to make Kashi a larger part of the target’s everyday life, creating a dependency and reliance on Kashi as a source of excellent nutrition. The campaign will motivate the target to be eager and excited to continue living a healthier life, instead of being bored, deterred, and uninterested. Eating Kashi should make the target feel confident about themselves and raise the target’s self-esteem. Choosing Kashi over the many sweet and sugary cereals is one of the first steps one can take to lead a healthier life, and eating Kashi will do just that. The advertising appeal will be consistent and unified, fresh, personal, and motivational, encouraging the target to use Kashi in order to continue living a healthier, more rejuvenated lifestyle.

Type of advertising appeal

Our campaign tone will be informative and serious, but have an emotional, “storytelling” appeal.

CREATIVE PLAN 32

CREATIVE PLAN Onward’s big idea for Kashi’s campaign is to appeal to consumers emotionally by promoting setting new individual goals and inspiring consumers to achieve them. Since men and women over the age of 45 make up Kashi’s target market, Onward wants to show consumers that adventure and renewal can come at any age. Using more emotional and mature advertisements, Kashi will inspire consumers to go out of their comfort zone and pursue new goals, starting with a healthy diet incorporating Kashi cereals. Kashi will start this campaign on New Years Day in January, a time that inspires people to make positive lifestyle changes. As the year continues, the campaign will advertise heavily during the months of March, June, September, and December. Kashi will use the changing seasons as motivation, giving consumers continuous inspiration throughout the year.

CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS LOGO In order to ensure consumer recognition, the new Kashi campaign will keep the same logo used on all Kashi products. This logo accurately incorporates Kashi’s dedication to nutrition by using a simple whole grain and the color green, which plays an important role to the new campaign.

SLOGAN

“A TASTE OF INSPIRATION”

To incorporate the campaign idea of encouraging consumers to set new goals and inspiring them to pursue them, the Kashi campaign will use the slogan, “A taste of inspiration.” Using “taste” connects the slogan back to food, while the slogan as a whole calls consumers to action; it urges people to set imaginative new goals and use Kashi as a stepping-stone to achieve them. The slogan reminds consumers that buying Kashi products pushes them closer to success.

THEME The main theme of Onward’s Kashi campaign is inspiration. By starting the campaign in the New Year, Kashi will promote setting new goals for 2016, with the help of Kashi products. The new Kashi advertisements will incorporate the theme of inspiration by using high-quality images and videos of people working towards their individual aspirations for the New Year. As consumers see these motivational advertisements, they will feel inspired to set high-reaching goals and depend on Kashi to guide them towards success.

VISUAL The campaign utilizes a sleeker and more sophisticated color palette and overall design in various advertisements. The advertising features a tall, bold sans-serif font for the main text. The new advertisements are simple, featuring bright, fresh high-quality photos that are modern and eye-catching. Similarly toned photos and consistent fonts make the campaign unified.

THE CONCEPT Consumers age 45-55 and 55+ make up Kashi’s target market. This market already cares about living a healthy lifestyle and eating nutritious foods; however, this age group often gets stuck in their comfort zone, feeling that age, time constraints, and routine prevents them from pursuing more adventurous and active goals. Onward’s Kashi campaign will remind the target market that setting individual goals and achieving them is possible despite the drawbacks. The campaign will show examples of different people overcoming different distinctive obstacles in order to lead a more fulfilling and exciting life, thus reminding the target market nothing can define their limits. The advertisements will inspire consumers and ignite imaginations, as well encourage consumers to start their adventures by eating healthy with Kashi cereal. Eventually, this campaign focused on inspiration and goal-setting will create a dependency on Kashi cereals and build a strong and lasting relationship between consumers and Kashi. The Kashi brand fits into a specific part of the health food market; it focuses very specifically on handpicked ingredients and nutrients used in their cereals, for consumers willing to pay more for a healthier breakfast option. Kashi presents itself as a wholesome, healthy, and thoughtful brand. This new campaign emphasizes Kashi’s dedication to inspiring consumers and helping them achieve their goals, thus playing on Kashi’s unique dedication to thoughtfulness and nutrition as a brand. Each advertisement will show an individual goal or healthy aspiration, created to inspire positive changes in the consumer, further developing Kashi’s main brand properties of dedication to nutrition and compassion for consumers. The purpose of the new Kashi campaign is to make the consumer feel inspired to set new, exciting goals for themselves in order to make positive changes in 2016. By starting the campaign in January, a time for change and growth, the campaign will motivate Kashi consumers to reach for more in their lives. The new Kashi advertisements will remind consumers that setting goals and pursuing them make a more wholesome lifestyles achievable. Once the campaign makes consumers feel inspired and motivated to go out of their comfort zone and aspire to achieve more, they will start to set creative goals and depend on Kashi cereal to help them start to work towards these goals. Overall, the campaign aims to make consumers feel inspired, and eventually act on individual goals using Kashi along the way. The Kashi brand personality right now focuses on informational and cognitive appeal. Despite the use of some emotional advertising in recent years, the Kashi brand mostly focuses on nutritional promises. Kashi advertising reiterates the nutrition of the cereal, shows the healthy ingredients, and promises the end of GMOs by 2016. However, the Kashi brand encountered major problems with branding by using a logical approach to advertising, like using non-GMO promises. Although the Kashi brand focuses on nutrition, making these promises the sole focus of advertising limits the brand. This new campaign will alter the Kashi brand personality drastically. Kashi will now be focused on emotionally appealing to the target market using the New Year’s resolution theme to facilitate that. Overall, the new advertisements will be narrative-based, as opposed to information-based. Also, the Kashi brand’s use of fonts, colors and wording made the brand more juvenile. By focusing on healthy lifestyles changes for adults and using more elegant fonts and colors, the maturity of Kashi will be more evident.

BROADCAST To air during the Golden Globes

The broadcast media focuses on inspiring storylines with everyday people working toward their personal goals with the help of Kashi.

AMBIENT Elevator ad

This elevator advertisement is positioned so that the person waiting for the elevator feels like they are actually on top of the hill in the photo, looking down, and getting a sense of just how high Kashi can take them. City bus skin

This bus skin advertisement shows a woman running in the same direction as the bus, so as the bus moves forward, so does the runner. The text â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race...3...2...1â&#x20AC;? encourages viewers to get out there and be active and achieve their goals. The skin is bright, unique and eye-catching.

OUTDOOR

PRINT ADS The print ads also focus on characters achieving their personal goals, whether it be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or simply taking a walk around the block. The ads are clean, mature and vibrant and will appear in menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and regional magazines.

INTERACTIVE When the mouse rolls over the ad, it will expand into a larger image in the center of the browser. The larger image features four adventurous activities, that play as a video when the mouse hovers over each activity. When clicked, the ad redirects to the Kashi website. The videos match the aesthetic of the print ads, creating brand awareness and interest.

MEDIA PLAN 40

OBJECTIVES AND APERTURE MEDIA PURPOSE The purpose of our media plan is to synchronize our campaign strategy effectively through specific platforms we select in order to reach our target demographic. The plan will focus on strategic placement of our advertisements to reach our target demographic through regional emphasis and seasonal timing. The duration of our campaign will collectively align with the ideal aperture moment where our target audience are prepared to purchase the product. Our media plan will create high frequency in advertisements to maintain the target audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention with our brand and product, but we will emphasize the start of the campaign along with the high points that we want our audience to engage with.

DURATION OF THE CAMPAIGN Onward will launch our campaign for Kashi beginning in January 2016 for the start of the New Year. This initial launch of “A Taste of Inspiration” campaign will focus on inspiring our audience to challenge themselves and their ability to achieve the goals they have always wanted to. The month of January is a perfect period to launch our campaign since it will align with the period of New Year’s Resolutions and beginning the New Year on a positive note. The campaign will last yearlong and it will end in December 2016. Onward will be using a slight continuous strategy, but more emphasis on a flighting strategy. We want to emphasize our peak periods for buying while also maintaining an active engagement with our audience throughout five months of the year. Along with our “A Taste of Inspiration” Campaign, Onward plans to raise our advertising spending during the months of March, June, September, and December. The change of each season will allow us to market our Kashi products based on the following schedule: March is the start of spring, June is the beginning of summer, September is the start of fall and December is the official start to winter. Kashi will market its products based on the season to encourage consumers to interact with the different seasonal flavors, tastes, colors and ingredients. Below are listed the two scopes that our Kashi campaign will include.

1. A TASTE OF INSPIRATION

The beginning of the New Year is a popular time period when people turn to New Year’s Resolution’s for weight loss and lifestyle changes. We will advocate for our health-conscious Kashi consumers to engage with our brand more regularly by encouraging them achieve goals they have always wanted to do and wished they could. During the month of January, Onward will advertise with strong impact, non-impact and interactive media to engage with our target audience. Beginning on January 1, 2016 our campaign will launch. The Golden Globes are aired on January 10th, which is when we will display our major television advertisements to utilize the high volume of viewership of a popular award show. Since our target audience is mainly aimed at women aged 45-54, this is a great impact medium to jumpstart their new year with inspirational advertisements. The campaign will also have a focus on a male demographic, which is where our focus will be on the PGA Tour, which is a popular sport among secondary target market. Our secondary market includes men aged 55 and older along with women, but the focus on golf in our advertisements will appeal more to our male audience based on Simmons data. The overall campaign will stress the start of the New Year to reach our target audience for our campaign.

2. SEASONAL SUPPORT FROM KASHI During the months of March, June, September, and December, Onward will focus our advertisements that shift based on the seasons to include different types of Kashi products associated with each one. Onward plans to increase spending in the media plan to incorporate different flavors of Kashi products to appeal to the change in season. Our advertisements will be featured in popular television shows, magazines, social media, and websites. The media plan will include a wide range of mediums to reach our target audience throughout the starting month of each season, which begins with March in the spring to June for the summer, then to September for the fall and December for winter. Although due to the different regions involved in our campaign, we plan to be sensitive to the season change in the East Coast compared to the West. For example, we will advertise more winter and snow themed advertisements during the winter months for the East Coast compared to lightening the snow imagery in our advertisements in the West Coast.

REGIONALITY Onward will focus the campaign geographically in the East and West Coast of the United States since that is where desired audience are more likely to reside. By focusing on areas that already have Kashi consumers and people that support the brand, while also appealing to our target, it will help our strategy succeed since we are engaging with loyal consumers. Through using print, billboards, ambient media and spot cable for advertisements, our target audience will be reached in these select areas. The targeted audience in the West Coast includes Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; and Houston, TX. In addition, the targeted audience in the East Coast will include New York, NY; Boston, MA; Washington, DC and other tristate areas. The regional emphasis of Kashi will remain consistent throughout the scope of the campaign.

IMPACT MEDIA The media selection Onward chose for the campaign aligned with the campaign strategy to reach our target audience and ultimately achieve our campaign goals. Onwards selection for impact media includes television, outdoor, and the internet. Television will play a large role in our campaign since 31 percent of Kashi consumers find television as their main source of entertainment and 27 percent of Kashi consumers agree that they are TV addicts [87]. We plan to incorporate advertisements in the Golden Globes and the PGA Tour on television. It is a smart selection of programming since 43 percent of women aged 45-49 have watched the Golden Globes in the past and 54 percent are planning to watch it the next time is airs [88]. Additionally, selecting the PGA Tour will appeal to our target audience aged 55 and older for advertisements since they are are 74 percent more likely to watch PGA occasionally and 53 percent more likely to watch it frequently [89]. Our television selection for our strategy’s impact media should reach our target audience, plus with an innovative design in our advertisements, it will ultimately accomplish our goals. Onward selected billboards and ambient media for outdoor placement. We will place billboards regionally in the East and West Coasts that will display our advertisements near highways. With our creative team’s eye-catching design that we will devise, the billboards shall display good coverage of the medium that will project our brand. Additionally, we plan to place our ambient media on the elevator doors before they open displaying, “Going up? See how high Kashi can take you.” This will be located in airports since 25 percent of Kashi consumers notice advertisements there and 33 percent notice advertisements on elevators [90]. Additionally, we will place an advertisement on a transit bus displaying a picture of a person running on a trail in a distance with a phrase below stating, “Lets race...3...2...1” to relate to our campaign. The remainder of our impact media is on the internet using keywords and targeted sites. We plan to buy three keywords–granola, milk and inspiration. Our selected four targeted sites are Linkedin.com, Coupons.com, FoodNetwork.com and PGATour.com. These websites had the highest percentage of visitation for our target demographic online, which would allow for our campaign strategy to reach extensively to our desired audience [91]. There will be heavy emphasis on our targeted sites and television programming to create impact and reach since an accumulation of data shows that television is a main source of entertainment for our Kashi consumers and their interaction with the internet influences most of their purchase decisions [92].

NON-IMPACT MEDIA The non-impact media selected for our advertisements are television, print, video advertising, and the internet. We selected national and cable television. With an emotional appeal, the advertisements will be placed strategically in television programming on ABC, CBS, and NBC. These three channels have programs that would reach our target audience, such as: The Bachelor, Body of Proof, Castle, and Good Morning America on ABC; 2 Broke Girls, The Amazing Race on CBS; America’s Got Talent and Dateline on NBC. Each program has appeals to both males and females and through examining data, these evening programs are more likely to be watched in groups, which would expand our reach. Additionally, by selecting these programs, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor and America’s Got Talent, it will align with our campaign strategy that promotes inspirational behavior from our desired audience since the contestants in these programs compete in challenges that push their limit. Selecting Good Morning America will allow our primary target to be reached in the mornings, which is during one of our peak day part selections. The completed selections were due to the consistent viewing from our target audience throughout the week and weekends in data shown below: • Women aged 45 to 49 are 24 percent are more likely to watch The Bachelor and women aged 55 and older are 35 percent more likely [93]. • Consumers aged 55 to 59 are 29 percent more likely to watch Body of Proof [94]. • Women aged 45 and to 54 are 35 percent more likely to watch Good Morning America during the early morning [95]. • Women aged 55 to 59 are 29 percent more likely to watch Castle [96]. • Women aged 45 to 54 are 50 percent more likely to watch 2 Broke Girls [97]. • Women aged 45 to 49 are 51 percent more likely to watch The Amazing Race [98]. • Men aged 55 and older are 21 percent more likely to watch America’s Got Talent [99]. • Women aged 45 to 54 are 37 percent more likely to watch Dateline [100]. Onward will also feature advertisements in Spot Cable Television Prime time to reach a more narrowed audience base with specific programming. The television programming selected for Cable TV will be Futurama on Comedy Central and The Closer on TNT. • 60 percent of Kashi consumers are more likely to watch Futurama [101]. • 39 percent of Kashi consumers are more likely to watch The Closer and 52 percent of adults aged 55 and older have watched it in the past seven days [102]. Since our strategy plan requires a large television allocation, we plan to utilize cooperative advertising for a portion of our National Television advertisements and pair with Chobani and Organic Valley milk. This will allow our media budget to be stretched while also achieving our desired reach and target audience, which aligns with Chobani’s consumer audience as well. Women’s, Men’s, and Regional Magazines will display our advertisements for the print section of our non-impact media. Our creative designs will attract our desired audience through emotional appeals and create high involvement with Kashi consumers and products. The women’s magazines selected are Ladies Home Journal, Martha Stewart’s Living and Real Simple. Both of these selections are crucial to our campaign since women aged 45 to 49 and 55 and older have a high involvement with these three companies [103]. The regional magazines selected are The New Yorker and The Atlantic, which both access our regional target in New York and California. Lastly, we placed advertisements in the following men’s magazines: National Enquirer, Golf Magazine, and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The men’s magazines will align with the psychographics and demographics of our ideal target that are 55 and older males who have a higher income, enjoys golfing and used to be in finance. Men aged 55 and older are 91 percent more likely to read Golf Magazine, 48 percent more likely to read National Enquirer and 34 percent more likely to read Kiplinger’s Personal Finance [104]. Additionally, Onward will partner with FitBit to stretch our campaign budget for our advertisements in regional magazines that directly reach our regional areas.

INTERACTIVE MEDIA Onward will be utilizing the interactive platform of the internet for non-impact media by using extra rich media for New York Times online and rich media for MSNBC and Facebook online. Compared to television, internet and interactive media is a lot more affordable and will narrow our reach to our target market. We chose extra rich media for New York Times online since men aged 55-59 are more likely to visit the site due to the high frequency of visits in the last seven days [105]. Furthermore, we chose rich media for MSNBC online since men aged 45 to 49 are 67 percent more likely to visit this website [106]. Lastly, we bought rich media for Facebook since our target demographic over the last 30 days visited this site six to fifteen times [107]. Facebook will play the main role of our social media engagement since it directly aligns with our primary and secondary markets, we utilized interactive advertisements to engage our viewers with our brand. Below is listed the data that influenced our decision selecting Facebook: â&#x20AC;˘ Females aged 45 to 59 are 24 percent more likely than the average consumer to engage with Facebook [108]. â&#x20AC;˘ Males aged 55 and older were 15 percent more likely than the average consumer to visit Facebook between six to fifteen times over the course of 30 days [109]. Our strategy will also take advantage of Search Engine Optimization where we will embed the following key words into our site: health, renew, lifestyle, maintain, cereal, breakfast, milk, yoga, exercise, taste. These words embedded in our site will allow us to generate a quality traffic flow with our target audience and with the creative design we will arrange, it should encourage viewers to stay and engage with our brand. Social Media will also be used in our campaign strategy to engage on a personal level with consumers and maintain our brand image. Although our target demographic is middle-aged, they do engage in social media occasionally, which will present a perfect aperture moment for us to strategically place advertisements in those selected spots. Women aged 45-49 are 41 percent more likely to visit social media websites between 4 to 6 times per week, which would demonstrate a perfect opportunity for us to create contests and promotional material during those periods to generate enough reach to our target demographic. We will utilize Facebook initially and potentially expand over time if our target market begins to engage more with other platforms in social media. Onward will use out-of-home video advertising to attract itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target demographic through placing these advertisements in airports, gyms, elevators and sports stadiums or arenas. Our target audience is very health-conscious and established in their careers or already retired and a traveler, so by placing advertisements in these select locations we should be able to communicate effectively with both our primary and secondary audience markets. According to the Simmons data, 31 percent of men aged 45 to 49 noticed video advertising in airports and 27 percent noticed video advertisements in elevators. Additionally, 31 percent of women aged 45 to 59 noticed video advertisements in the gym [110]. Video advertisements will have a smaller allocation compared to the rest of the media budget due to pricing, but we will also utilize our cooperative advertising with Chobani and Organic Valley Milk to budget costs.

MEDIA BREAKDOWN The media plan is divided between print that counts for 23 percent, television that counts for 22 percent, and internet that counts for 22 percent and out of home that is 6 percent for non-impact media. Additionally, 27 percent of the budget is allocated for impact media, which includes two spots in television events, billboards, keywords and targeted sites. Onward considered our desired audiences demographics and psychographics when deciding how to allocate our media buys. Initially, using demographics to understand the overall media consumption for men and women aged 45 to 54 and 55 and older, while specifying the unique message through their preferred mediums based on their personalities.

$694,624.40 7% $694,624.40 7%

$2,553,756 27%

Impact Media Spending Out-of-Home Video AdverGsing New York Times Online

$1,041,936.60 11%

Spot Cable Television PrimeGme Facebook MSNBC $555,699.52 6%

$833,549.28 9%

NaGonal Women's Magazines NaGonal Television - Early Evening/Fringe Regional Magazines

$833,549.28 9%

$694,624.40 7% $555,699.52 6%

NaGonal Men's Magazines

$1,041,936.60 11%

TELEVISION Our main target being women that are 45 to 54 years old are involved with television and cable regularly. According to Simmons Data, women aged 45 to 54 agree a lot that they rely on television to keep them information and find it to be their main source of entertainment. Additionally, these women agreed that if they did not have cable television then they would not watch TV. This medium will help market Kashi through being visually compelling and creating an emotional message to our audience. Our secondary audience that consists of males aged 55 and older prefer cable television as well for information gathering. By using television as a large part of our budget, it will allow us to heavily advertise to our target market. The advertisements weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve selected will be displayed on cable television during the mornings and evenings on Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This period of time is more convenient for our target audience that will be watching TV before and after their daily routine. Additionally, on the weekends we will place our advertisements from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. During this time, the advertisements placed in programming on CBS, ABC, NBC, Comedy Central and TNT that will allow for us to communicate effectively to our target. Additionally, we will be placing advertisements in with spot cable television that will focus on the West and East Coasts to make sure we are reaching those specified areas.

PRINT Print advertising in magazines is crucial to our campaign in reaching both target markets. Our efforts to reach both male and female middle-aged adults will transpire in a wide range of magazines for both sexes. Appealing to our target audiences preferred style of magazines, we will place advertisements in Ladies Home Journal, Cooking Light, Martha Stewartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Living and Real Simple for women and National Enquirer, Golf Magazine, and Kiplingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Personal Finance for men. According to Simmons data, 20 percent of women aged 45 to 55 agree that they enjoy reading advertisements in magazines and same with men. Additionally, both markets enjoy reading magazines as a source of entertainment, which makes it clear that magazines for print medium will play a large role in our strategy.

INTERNET Interactive media benefits our strategy through being more cost effective while still reaching a very narrowed consumer target. Our desired market actively uses the internet for information and by displaying advertisements on websites that are most used by our target, it will definitely create reach and communicate our strategy. Through using extra rich and rich media on three of the most popular viewed sites by our target audience, it will allow us to build brand recognition and allow us to have a known presence online. The advertisements will be placed on Facebook, MSNBC and New York Times online. Additionally, using social media will create a relationship with our target market and we will be able to communicate and build a brand personality that will add to our brand recognition.

OUT OF HOME Advertisements using ambient media, outdoor display, and video advertising are going to strategically reach our target market while they are on the go. Our primary target are active, health-conscious women who workout, go to work and travel. Placing advertisements in gyms, airports, billboards and elevators will communicate to our target through some medium regardless of where our audience is located. Through creating visually appealing, creative media it will grab the attention of any tired exerciser, worker, or traveler. Additionally, an advantage of outside media will allow consumers that are not in our target audience to become aware of the brand and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message, which will allow it to create an even greater reach. 9

2 3

2 1

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

Golden Globes

JUN

PGA Tour

JUL

Keywords

AUG

Targeted Sites

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Outdoor

100

5 6

70 5 60

40 6 30

8 5

20 10

10 10

10 5

JAN

FEB

3 MAR

APR

MAY

5 3 JUN

JUL

AUG

5 5

OCT

NOV

3 SEP

Out of home Video AdverJsing

New York Times Online

Spot Cable Television PrimeJme

MSNBC Online

NaJonal Women's Magazines

NaJonal Television - Early Evening/Fringe Local Television

NaJonal Men's Magazines

3 DEC

Facebook

PR AND PROMOTIONS PLAN 50

GOALS Onward has an extensive public relations strategy that will launch a positive long-term brand image and simultaneously initiate short-term behavioral responses. With the new campaign starting in January 2016, our public relations strategy aims to reaffirm the public’s trust in Kashi as a source of healthy food as well as personal inspiration. This plan involves numerous communication tactics and promotional strategies that will excel Kashi’s brand to the top of an already crowded, competitive market. In partnering with brands like Chobani, Fitbit, Wanderlust and Organic Valley through the “Taste of Inspiration” campaign, Kashi exemplifies its dedication to inspire consumers to live a happy, healthy lifestyle. Breakfast is important, but a Kashi breakfast is crucial; it empowers people to make the most of their day. At Onward, we want to highlight that the energy achieved from Kashi consumption will motivate consumers to work toward their goals, no matter the obstacle.

PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENTS CHOBANI Partnership:

The “Taste of Inspiration” campaign encourages consumers to use nutritional Kashi breakfast cereal as a jumpstart, or source of inspiration, to accomplish their individual goals. In looking for partnerships, we looked at the brand’s values, ideals, and missions and compared them with those we have at Kashi. Because Kashi starts with breakfast, we looked at other breakfast food companies that also aligned with our target market. According to Simmons OneView data gathered in 2013, those who lie in our target age demographic are either average or above average consumers of Chobani (Simmons OneView, 2013) [111]. We also value Chobani’s mission, which is: “to provide better food for more people. We believe that access to nutritious, delicious yogurt made with only natural ingredients is a right, not a privilege. We believe every food maker has a responsibility to provide people with better options, which is why we’re so proud of the way our food is made” [112]. Therefore, we will be launching a new partnership with Chobani in their Chobani “Flipped” products, which contain one-part yogurt and onepart toppings. With the launch of our campaign, these Chobani products will feature Kashi granola and cereals as the toppings. This will increase brand awareness, and also provide consumers with a delicious, nutritious food item. Goals for this partnership: form an alliance with Chobani (a brand that also happens to be one of Kashi’s top competitors in the breakfast industry), create a new product line to increase brand awareness and loyalty, influence Chobani consumers to consume more Kashi products

LOGISTICS

• With the launch of the “Taste of Inspiration” campaign starting January 1, 2016, the new Chobani “flipped” line containing Kashi toppings will be sold in Whole Foods stores on the East and West coasts, with a plan to expand nationwide later on in the year. • We chose Whole Foods as the initial distributor due to its dedication to high quality, healthy food products. Kashi also has overlapping views with Whole Foods’ core values, most notably their promise to satisfy, delight and nourish customers [113].

PRESS CONFERENCE

Kashi will hold a press conference announcing their official partnership with Chobani for the “Taste of Inspiration” campaign. We want to communicate the intentional partnership with a company that also values high-quality food made from healthy, non-processed ingredients. Chobani is a valuable partner as it is also a top brand in the crowded breakfast industry. In joining forces, both brands will benefit from the advertisements and an increase in product consumption, purchased both as the new “Flipped” product and as Chobani and Kashi products sold separately.

TOTAL: $1.28 MILLION 52

FITBIT Event: Count Your Commitment Tour

Together with Fitbit, we’re traveling throughout the East and West Coasts to various 5ks, half marathons and marathons, with our first stop being the 2016 Boston Marathon. We will co-sponsor a booth and transportation methods with Fitbit. At each race, we will hand out free Kashi samples, sell Kashi products and refreshments, host a raffle to win a Fitbit/ Fitbit merchandise, showcase our “Taste of Inspiration” campaign, and of course cheer on the participants. The inspiration behind this tour comes from the shared ideals between Kashi’s newest campaign and the Fitbit brand and: to encourage and support people in the physical measures they take toward a healthy lifestyle [114]. Kashi wants to inspire and support its consumers to make a commitment to healthy choices, starting with the food they eat. This initiative will create buzz with live updates and video coverage via Facebook and the Kashi website, promote brand awareness, and provide positive media coverage.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Kashi will hold a press conference in early April to communicate the goals, values and logistics behind the Count Your Commitment Tour. With a newly directed focus on inspiring its consumers to take the first step toward accomplishing their goals, Kashi is honored to work with Fitbit, a brand that does not limit fitness to extreme measures.

LOGISTICS

We’re taking off from our headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan on April 12, 2016 to arrive in Boston, MA by April 18th, which is the date of the 2016 Boston Marathon (we are accounting for extra travel dates in case of traffic, mechanical troubles, etc.) The tour will stop in or near some of the major target cities for the “Taste of Inspiration” campaign, including Boston, Washington D.C, Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The selected method of transportation will be a tour bus/mobile home designed with joint Kashi and Fitbit advertisements. While the tour bus will serve as a form of mobile advertising promoting both brands, it will also help cut down on lodging costs for the staff. The Count Your Commitment Tour will make its way across the country, starting in the Northeast (Boston) and ending on the West Coast (San Francisco). Here are a few host events that have already confirmed participation in this tour: Northeast 1. Boston Marathon, Boston MA (April 18, 2016) 2. Blackstone Valley Running Festival, Blackstone, RI (April 24, 2016) 3. Race for Hope, Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2016) West/Southwest 1. TriGirl All Women’s Super Sprint Triathlon, Houston, TX (May 8, 2016) 2. Adventure Run, San Diego, CA (May 12, 2016) 3. Los Angeles Asthma 5k, Los Angeles, CA (May 14, 2016) 4. Bay to Breakers 12k, San Francisco, CA (May 15, 2016)

FITBIT (continued) Partnership:

Year-long challenge on Fitbit Mobile App In addition to the Count Your Commitment Tour, Kashi will work with Fitbit and create one new challenge each month to be featured on the Fitbit mobile app for one full calendar year. The Fitbit app coincides with the actual device; users need the app to monitor their progress. On the “Dashboard” screen, users will see a Kashi Challenge option. Clicking on this graphic will reveal the current month’s challenge. JANUARY: “Renew in 2016” – record your new years resolution, document your progress each day FEBRUARY: “Step it Up” – take the stairs, rather than the elevator, whenever possible MARCH: “10 minutes of yoga”- start your day with a happy, healthy mindset APRIL: “Get Out There”- go out for a run, support #BostonMarathon2016 MAY: “Eat Local”- cook one meal a week with completely local/organic ingredients JUNE: “Eat Smart”- eat at least one meal a week with Kashi JULY: “Sweat It Out”- complete 1 hour of exercise outside AUGUST: “Full Circuit”- complete 15 reps of sit-ups, push ups, jumping jacks, wall sits, and burpees; repeat for a total of 15 minutes. SEPTEMBER: “Don’t Fall Back”- set your morning alarm a little earlier and go for a morning run twice a week OCTOBER: “Ditch the Sweets”- beat Halloween temptation and avoid foods with processed sugars, especially those candy bars NOVEMBER: “Venture Out”- change things up from the typical running route and explore a different part of town DECEMBER: “Holiday Hopes”- take a break from the holiday buzz and spend a day outdoors at least once a week. Make a snowman or have a healthy picnic with friends

TOTAL BUDGET: $ 650,000

WANDERLUST We will be partnering with Wanderlust, a New York-based health and wellness company that directs people toward a “mindful and inspired life.” Wanderlust hosts various events throughout the year, but most of their efforts come together in a small number of festivals, which celebrate healthy living over a four-day period. During these festivals, guests can attend outdoor concerts; participate in large group yoga/meditation sessions; explore the natural surroundings via hikes and bike trails; attend “The Speakeasy,” Wanderlust’s esteemed lecture series; and enjoy the wide range of healthy, local & sustainable foods [115].

Event

Kashi will sponsor a booth at the 2016 Wanderlust Festival in Oahu, Hawaii at the Turtle Bay Resort. This festival takes place from February 25-28, which is just shortly after the launch of our campaign and will therefore carry the initial buzz momentum. We will be selling Kashi products with the hope to create short-term behavioral responses through our wellness-based campaign, and a long-term positive brand image through our sponsorship with such an event that shares a like-minded commitment to a positive, healthy lifestyle. At the booth, we will also give festival-goers the chance to sign the “Taste of Inspiration” pledge on which they can write their personal goals, hopes and/or dreams and their intended methods to achieve them. Media coverage will include this pledge, and photos will be posted on the Kashi website and Facebook page.

SWEEPSTAKES

Kashi wants its consumers to celebrate their efforts in working to achieve a personal goal. Therefore, Kashi will launch a sweepstakes in which the winner receives two tickets to the 2016 Wanderlust Festival in Oahu.

LOGISTICS

To enter, participants take photos of the steps they take to work toward their personal goals, whether it be a snapshot just after a morning run fueled by Kashi or a healthy meal made with Kashi ingredients. After creating an account on kashi.com using their Facebook login information (including their email), participants submit their photos electronically in one of two ways:

1. post it to the Kashi Facebook wall with a brief summary 2. send it in via email at inspiration@kashi.com with their name and a brief summary The sweepstakes will last from January 1st, 2016 until February 1st, 2016. Depending on the number of entries, Kashi will go through a randomly selected pool process in order to arrive at ten different entries. From there, Kashi will choose the winning submission based on its genuine style and incorporation of a Kashi product. The winner will be notified via email no later than February 5th, 2016.

WIN BIG SE ND US A PHOTO OF YOUR NE W YEA R’S RE SOLUTI ON A ND YOU C OULD WIN A TRIP TO WA ND ERLUST FE STIVA L, GYM MEMBER SHIPS, A ND MORE!

LEARN MORE SUBMI T PHOTO S USING

#RENEWYOU

CONTEST@KASHI.COM

WANDERLUST (continued) PRESS CONFERENCE

Kashi will hold a press conference in early January 2016 to announce its partnership with Wanderlust, a company that also values the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. We will explain in detail the Kashi booth at the 2016 Wanderlust Festival in Oahu Hawaii from February 25-28, 2016 as well as the sweepstakes in which participants have the chance to attend the festival themselves and experience the sheer joy behind a large group of people united in positive, healthy lifestyle choices.

TOTAL: $683,210

ORGANIC VALLEY At the launch of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taste of Inspirationâ&#x20AC;? campaign, Kashi will also be partnering with Organic Valley, a brand that provides milk, yogurt, butter, cheese and other similar products using fresh ingredients from local sources [116]. In cooperative advertising efforts, their products, particularly milk, will be featured in Kashi video advertisements. We will label Organic Valley as the smart, healthy choice in milk; its organic origins and fresh taste make it the perfect Kashi cereal companion.

PUBLIC RELATIONS TRENDS Kashi’s media presence has not always portrayed the brand in a positive light. In May of 2012, a Rhode Island grocer removed all Kashi products from his shelves after the discovery that the company used genetically modified, non-organic ingredients. He posted a note on shelves where Kashi products used to be; it stated his discoveries and told customers the store would no longer sell such products. Photos of the note went viral and started surfacing on sites like Facebook and various food blogs [117]. This photo generated controversy over Kellogg’s reliability and representation of its products. Kashi general manager David DeSouza claimed the company did nothing wrong, and made an official statement regarding this incidence: “The FDA has not chosen to regulate the term ‘natural’”. Kashi defines ‘natural’ as “food that’s minimally processed, made with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners” [117]. Regardless of the statement, discussions over this incident lingered on social media and still continue today. The Rhode Island grocer incident is just one example of public skepticism over Kashi’s true nutritional value, as negative media coverage tends to sway public opinions in such a competitive market. While media coverage aims at the more interesting, controversial stories, people take interest and become increasingly skeptical of Kashi’s place in the “healthy breakfast foods” arena. The most common issue amongst public opinion concerning Kashi is the brand’s reliability as healthy, natural, and GMO-free brand. While the Rhode Island grocer was a highly covered instance that sparked this debate, the market is very crowded. Therefore, some skepticism is inevitable. However, Onward will address the company’s plan to be GMO-free by summer 2016 with Kashi’s official “NonGMO Project Verified by Summer 2016 “ label. Some consumers have also expressed disinterest in Kashi due to its “bland” taste [118]. While we will not sugar coat (literally and figuratively) the ingredients in our products, we will emphasize the holistic benefits of Kashi cereals and promote our products as the catalyst of inspiration to accomplish any goal, no matter how small or large.

MEDIA COVERAGE Over the past five years, various media and news outlets have covered both positive and negative buzz surrounding Kashi’s reliability as a healthy, natural food brand. Around the time of the negative press and social media coverage from the Rhode Island grocer’s refusal to stock Kashi products, most if not all media coverage displayed Kashi in a negative light. However, since then, Kellogg’s and Kashi have responded with label clarifications and public statements regarding Kashi’s steady implementation of organic, non-GMO ingredients in its products. Onward will continue this momentum with positive media coverage, valuable partnerships, and a dedication to Kashi’s image not only as a health food brand, but a personal motivator for each and every consumer. “Kashi cereals’ ‘natural’ claims prompt protest; Kellogg says it’s done nothing wrong in ingredient selection” (article) • USA Today • By: Elizabeth Weise • April 30, 2012 “Kellogg Agrees to Alter Labeling on Kashi Line” • The New York Times • May 8, 2014 • By: Stephanie Strom “Kashi introduces five new organic products in US” (press release) • Progressive Media- Company News • August 17, 2015 On the increasingly arbitrary use of “all natural” in food products: “What is a ‘natural’ food? FDA seeks public input for definition” • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel • By: Rick Barrett • November 22, 2015 “Kellogg getting Kashi back on track” • Food Business News • By: Keith Nunes • November 23, 2015 “Kellogg Reporting Its U.S Cereal Sales Uptrending” • Marketing Daily • By: Karlene Lukovitz • November 25, 2015

ANNUAL PRESS CONFERENCE Kashi’s list of media contacts for the Annual Press Conference focuses primarily on the health food and wellness industries, as well as news sources stationed in our geographic target market areas. We want media coverage in topical, regionally convenient sources to our target audience.

MEDIA CONTACTS PARTNERS Wanderlust Jodi Blea Senior Vice President of Partnerships Jodi@wanderlust.com Chobani Michael Gonda Vice President of Corporate Communications media@chobani.com Fitbit North American Press Relations Contact PR@fitbit.com Whole Foods: Michael Sinatra Northeast Press Contact michael.sinatra@wholefoods.com Whole Foods Beth Krauss Northern California Press Contact beth.krauss@wholefoods.com Organic Valley Hans Eisenbeis Media Contact Phone: (608)-625-3802

NEWS COVERAGE ABC News (Affiliate) Alyson Rozner, WABC-TV (New York) Marketing Vice President Phone: (917)-260-7304 NBC: Natalia Desroisers Senior Press Manager Natalia.Desroisers@nbcuni.com ABC Amber Brockman Media Relations amber.brockman@abc.com CBS Barbara Abseck CBS Marketing PR Contact beabseck@cbs.com ADVERTISING Cooking Light Magazine Monty McMurray Los Angeles Press Contact Monty_McMurray@timeinc.com Real Simple Magazine: Kim Tan Vice President of Marketing kim.tan@realsimple.com Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Toya Harrod Advertising Coordinator tharrod@kiplinger.com

Women’s Health Magazine Alex DeSanctis National Advertising Director alex.desanctis@rodale.com Men’s Health Magazine: Chris Peel National Advertising Director chris.peel@rodale.com Golf Magazine Danny Lee New York Advertising Director danny_lee@timeinc.com New York Times Abbe Serphos Executive Director of Corporate Communications serphos@nytimes.com Comedy Central Renata Luczak, Vice President of Communications renata.luczac@cc.com TNT Cyrille Gibot External Communications Manager Phone: +31 (0)88-393-9390 (International)

APPENDIX [1] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe. [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Nunes, K. (2014, August 8). Kellogg installs new leadership for cereal, Kashi businesses. Retrieved from http:// www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Financial-Performance/2014/08/Kellogg_installs_new_leadershi. aspx?ID=%7BC6ABCEA3-7930-49BD-ADCE-47E1C7559A39%7D&cck=1 [5] Carter, B. (2015). Cereal Production in the US (IBISWorld Industry Report 31123). Retrieved from IBISWorld database. [6] Strom, S. (2014, September 10). Cereals Begin to Lose Their Snap, Crackle and Pop. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/business/cereals-struggle-in-us-as-tastes-and-rituals-change.html [7] Kell, J. (2014, October 30). Decline in cereal sales bites into Kellogg’s results. Fortune. Retrieved from http:// fortune.com/2014/10/30/kellogg-breakfast-sales-drop/ [8] Strom, 2014. [9] Calia, M. (2014, December 17). General Mills Sales Slip on U.S. Weakness, Slow Growth Elsewhere. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/general-mills-sales-slip-on-u-s-weakness-slow-growthelsewhere-1418820200 [10] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [11] Lewin, T. (2014, December 4). U.S. Birthrate Declines for Sixth Consecutive Year; Economy Could Be Factor. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/us/us-sees-decline-in-births-for-sixth-year.html [12] Strom, 2014. [13] Ibid. [14] Mintel, 2015. [15] Gillespe, P. (2015, September 5). U.S. unemployment rate hits 5.1%, lowest in 7 years. CNN Money. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/04/news/economy/august-jobs-report-2/ [16] Mintel, 2015. [17] Ibid. [18] Carter, 2015. [19] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [20 – 24] Ibid. [25] General Mills. (2014). 2013 Annual Report. Retrieved from investors.generalmills.com/ download/2013+annual+report.pdf [26] Sales of the leading 10 granola bar brands of the United States in 2015 (in million U.S. dollars). Statista. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/188216/top-granola-bar-brands-in-the-united-states/ [27] http://www.amazon.com. [28] https://www.kashi.com/our-foods/cold-cereal. [29] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe. [30] The skyrocketing whole-grain trend. (2005). White Hutchinson, 5(8). Retrieved from https://www.whitehutchinson. com/news/lenews/2005_10/article105.shtml [31] https://www.kashi.com/natural-living [32] Silverstein, B. (2012, May 2). Kashi GMO Flap Stirs Debate on “Natural” and “Organic”. Retrieved from http:// brandchannel.com/2012/05/02/kashi-gmo-flap-stirs-debate-on-natural-and-organic/. [33] Mintel, 2015. [34] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe. [35] Silverstein, 2012. [36] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe. [37] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4AUEYQ2fdU [38] https://www.kashi.com/newsletters/march_2015 [39] http://newsroom.kelloggcompany.com/2013-09-27-Kashi-To-Sponsor-Kikkan-Randall-For-Sochi-2014-OlympicWinter-Games [40] http://scene7.targetimg1.com/is/image/Target/17395998?wid=480&hei=480 [42.http://www.generalmills.com/~/media/Images/Brands/Nutritional_Images/Nature_Valley/Protein_Bars/NV_ Protein_Bar_Peanut_Butter_Dark_Chocolate.ashx

[44] http://www.dairyreporter.com/var/plain_site/storage/images/publications/food-beverage-nutrition/dairyreporter. com/manufacturers/you-re-not-greek!-chobani-handed-uk-ban-on-use-of-the-term-greek-yogurt/8026104-1-engGB/You-re-not-Greek!-Chobani-handed-UK-ban-on-use-of-the-term-Greek-yogurt.jpg [43] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Z5pAZe0E8 [44] https://www.facebook.com/kashi [45] Kashi: The Feel-Good, Organic Company That Never Was. (2013, July 15). The Alternative Daily. Retrieved from http://www.thealternativedaily.com/kashi-the-feel-good-organic-company-that-never-was/ [46] Tell Kellogg’s You’re Boycotting Kashi! Buy Nature’s Path! (2012). Retrieved from http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/ o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=8812 [47] Roper Poll, 2013. [48] Simmons Choices 3, 2013 [50 – 52] Ibid. [53] http://brandchannel.com/2014/09/15/kashi-moves-back-to-cali-as-cereal-brands-struggle-to-regain-footing/ [54] http://brandchannel.com/2014/09/15/kashi-moves-back-to-cali-as-cereal-brands-struggle-to-regain-footing/ [55] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [56] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [57] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [58] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [59] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [60] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [61] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [62] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [63] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [64] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [65] http://brandchannel.com/2012/05/02/kashi-gmo-flap-stirs-debate-on-natural-and-organic/ [66] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/18/the-most-popular-breakfast-cereals-in-americatoday/ [67] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [68] http://adage.com/article/agency-news/kellogg-s-kashi-strategy-launches-agency-review/298494/ [69] http://brandchannel.com/2012/05/02/kashi-gmo-flap-stirs-debate-on-natural-and-organic/ [70] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe [71] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe/our-commitment [72] https://www.kashi.com/our-foods/cold-cereal [73]http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/marketing_comms/mike_hower/kellogg_drops_all_natural_ labels_kashi_products [74] http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/05/12/is-taco-bell-beating-mcdonalds-in-the-fast-food-br.aspx [75] http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/display/745928/ [76] http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/05/13/kellogg-responds-to-the-rise-of-yogurt-if-you-cant-beatem-join-em/ [77] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [78]http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2040218,00.html [79] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [80] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [81] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [82] http://adage.com/article/agency-news/kellogg-s-kashi-strategy-launches-agency-review/298494/ [83] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/31/new-years-resolutions_n_6396324.html [84] https://www.kashi.com/what-we-believe [85] Mintel. (2015). Hot and Cold Cereals – US – August 2015. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database. [86] Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013). Simmons OneView (Fall, 2015). Retrieved from Simmons Choices 3. [87 – 110] - Simmons data attribution [111] Simmons Choices 3 [112] http://www.chobani.com/beliefs [113] http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/core-values [114] https://www.fitbit.com/whyfitbit [115] http://wanderlust.com/festivals/oahu/ [116] http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-04-29/kashi-natural-claims/54616576/1 [117] UW-Madison Qualtrics Survey Program, “Onward Survey 1”