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Locally Grown, Locally Prepared Megan Corbet Carly Yeung Korena Fenton Priscilla Dominguez
2 Executive Summary Reeves Farms is a family owned farm in Baldwinsville, NY, that specializes in growing produce. Currently, it supplies to local grocery stores and it sells produce at its fruit stand. The ultimate goal of Reeves Farms is to increase its bottom line. To help Reeves Farms achieve its overall goal, PR Innovate proposes a campaign plan that will expand its consumer base to include local restaurants. Supplying to local restaurants increases Reeves Farms outreach and increases consumer awareness of the Reeves Farms brand, raising the farm’s revenue. To achieve the outreach to local restaurants, Reeves Farms will distribute brochures to local restaurants. The brochures will detail the benefits of buying locally grown produce and why Reeves Farms is a reliable choice. The brochures will also have information about how restaurants can start a relationship with Reeves Farms. Restaurants have the option to contact Reeves Farms to setup private tours. The campaign plan starts with a pilot program in Summer 2013. This pilot program will deliver brochures to 5-10 restaurants. The success of the pilot program will be evaluated in October, 2013. After this evaluation, Reeves Farms can decide if it wants to continue with the full campaign and make necessary changes. The full campaign aims to reach out to 100 restaurants. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to have Reeves Farms supply to 30-50 restaurants by Summer 2014.
3 Table of Contents Executive Summary Statement of Principles Client Background Problem/Opportunity Statement SWOT Analysis Central Core of Difficulty Organizational Linkages Demographics Psychographics Influentials Media Habits Goals and Objectives Strategies Core Messages Tactics Timeline Budget Evaluation Consultant Backgrounds Works Cited
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4 Statement of Principles PR Innovate developed its campaign plan with the understanding that Reeves Farms’ ultimate goal is to increase its bottom line. One way of doing that is to expand its current consumer base, which can be done by selling produce to local restaurants. Client Background Synthesis Reeves Farms began in 1890 when Arthur Thomas Reeves and his wife, Mary, purchased a farm in what is now Baldwinsville, NY. Arthur Thomas Reeves and his wife grew crops and raised livestock until their oldest son, Edward Thomas Reeves and his wife, Flossie, took the farm over in the mid 1920s. The farm began to expand in the 1960s when Cecil Edward Reeves and his wife Dorothy bought it. Under their ownership, the farm began to direct its focus towards fresh market vegetables, berries and grains. In 1990, Cecil and Dorothy sold Reeves Farms to their three sons Bruce, Mark and Brian. Bruce left the partnership he had with his brothers in 1992 but was shortly replaced by another brother, Andy, in 1995 (Reeves Farms, 2013). Today Mark, Brian and Andy still own Reeves Farms in Baldswinville, NY and are dedicated to producing fresh, nutritious berries and vegetables using sustainable farming practices. Its key factors for sustainable farming have been crop rotation, cover crops, minimum tillage, scouting for pests and practicing Integrated Pest Management. Reeves Farms is committed to producing nutritious and healthy barriers and vegetables and uses Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The farm is GAP certified by the USDA and obtained organic certification for its blueberries in 2008, its tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, winter squash, and summer squash in 2009, strawberries in 2010, and gourmet bicolor sweet corn in 2011. All certifications are by NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC. Today, Reeves Farms encompasses more than 1000 acres of tillable land and employs a seasonal crew of 40-50 people. Its produce can be purchased in local grocery stores or by visiting the farm stand (Reeves Farms, 2013). Reeves Farm’s has local competitors selling fruit, vegetables and organics like Emmi & Sons Inc., Abbott Farms, Hencle’s Berry Patch, Al’s Market and Happy Hooves Organic Farm. Previous Research Reeves Farms’ research objectives are to find the potential in restaurants to use organic and locally grown food to determine how consumers comprehend organic foods and to research how the public perceives the history behind the development of Reeves Farms. They want to know what motivates people to eat fruits and vegetables, what prevents them from doing so and to create a strategic communications plan.
5 Previous research on Reeves Farms has shown that there has been a recent surge in demand for organic food among consumers. Studies done in the past show that consumers are willing to pay more money for organic foods. Future predictions conclude that restaurants will move toward a focus on eating healthier foods. Reeves Farms receives excellent reviews in the quality of their produce and service. A high percentage of research study participants agreed that fruits and vegetables grown locally are much fresher and taste better (Dorsen, Mencia, Munoz, 2012).
Public Relations Issue The major public relations challenge of Reeves Farms is changing the consumer perception on why locally-grown, organic foods are worth higher prices. Changing that perception will require both raising the awareness of the health benefits associated with organic foods and educating consumers on the more costly growing processes of Reeves Farms. People may be more likely to pay higher prices if they know exactly what makes organic foods more expensive. Among other health concerns, “conventional farming increases the chance of producing resistant bacteria, perpetually creating bacteria resistant to antibiotics and increasing the chance of human infection via new types of bacteria� (Dorsen, Mencia, Munoz, 2012). Changing consumer perceptions will lead to higher sales of organic products and will ultimately increase the demand for Reeves Farm products. Problem/Opportunity Statement Currently, Reeves Farms is not utilizing restaurants as a source of revenue. Though Reeves Farms is successful with its current publics, local consumers and grocery stores, there is an opportunity for expansion with restaurants. Restaurants will not only be a new source of revenue but it will also open Reeves Farms up to other local consumers who go to these restaurants. Therefore Reeves Farms, restaurants and local consumers will all benefit from this opportunity. Reeves Farms will produce a greater income, restaurants will receive new customers for their locally grown product and local consumers will be eating healthier and fresher food. Though this opportunity is not vital for the life of Reeves Farms, it could be beneficial. If it is not realized, Reeves Farms will simply not obtain such benefit.
6 SWOT Analysis Strengths • Reeves Farms is established in the Central New York region • The farm is in close proximity to restaurants • Grows variety of different fruits and vegetables Weaknesses • Reeves Farms is entering this selling area later than other local farms • If pricing for organic produce is higher than what restaurants are currently paying, it might be a deal breaker Opportunities • Customers already recognize the Reeves Farms name from buying in the grocery store • Countless restaurants in the Central New York region • Many restaurants already try to buy local • Consumers are more concerned now than ever before with where their food is coming from • Local produce can be delivered to restaurants fresher than produce from across the country Threats • Competitive pricing from larger farms • Other local farms could copy the idea • Weather conditions affecting crops • Restaurants may want to purchase odd amounts of produce • Restaurants may have already established relationships and contracts with local farms Central Core of Difficulty The ultimate goal of Reeves Farms, like any other business, is to to sell more at a higher margin. By excluding local restaurants, Reeves Farms is limiting its maximum potential revenue. Having Reeves Farms’ name on the menu of restaurants also increases its brand awareness. Customers who like the food at partnered restaurants will be more likely to buy the produce of Reeves Farms if they see it at their local grocery store. Therefore, Reeves Farms can lose potential customers in two areas.
7 Organizational Linkages Organization Reeves Farms Enabling Linkages Description: These are linkages with organizations and social groups that provide the authority and control the resources that enable the organization to exist. Examples: Individuals, groups, organizations providing authority, control Specific Examples: Board of Directors, members, funding sources, regulatory bodies, accrediting bodies Case: Reeves Farms is a family partnership between the three brothers, Andy, Bruce and Brian. Input Linkages Description: These linkages include relations with employees and unions and with suppliers of raw materials. Examples: Employees, volunteers, vendors, etc. Case: Forty to fifty employees are working throughout the season. Output Linkages Description: These linkages may be with other organizations that use the organization’s products, such as automobile companies that use steel, or organizations that use government services. Examples: Users and potential users of the organization’s services such as customers, members, students, tourists, etc. Case: Major supermarket chains within the boundaries of Watertown, Binghamton, Utica and Rochester with Syracuse in the middle (Wegman’s, Walmart, Tops. etc). Diffused Linkages Description: Linkages are elements in society which cannot clearly be identified by membership in formal organizations. Examples: Minority groups, activists groups, environmentalists and media Case: Media Normative Linkages Description: These linkages are with organizations that face similar problems or share similar values. The linkages explain the need for associations to exist to facilitate communication between member organizations so that the members can jointly attack common problems. Examples: Similar businesses, businesses associations, national trade and professional associations Case: Florida grown fruit vendors and lower competitive prices from competition
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Linkages! Enabling Linkages! Partnership between three brothers Bruce, Andy and Brian.
Input Linkages! Forty to fifty employees working throughout the season.
Normative Linkages! Fruits grown in Florida Competitive and lower prices elsewhere
Reeves Farms!
Functional Linkages! Output Linkages! Major supermarket chains within the boundaries of Watertown, Binghamton, Utica and Rochester with Syracuse in the middle .
Diffused Linkages! Media
9 Demographics Who Are They? • Innovate PR is creating a campaign targeting restaurants in the Central New York region, where Reeve’s Farm is already supplying (i.e. Utica, Watertown, Binghamton, Rochester and Syracuse) • Specifically local restaurants that are already buying from regional farms and have a commitment to the community • Most large chains and franchise restaurants have contracts with large suppliers through their corporate managers, so Innovate PR will not focus on those restaurants How Many Are There? • There are countless restaurants in each of these five cities that could potentially buy from Reeve’s Farm with more than fifty in each area. Some restaurants have strict contracts with suppliers already established while others conduct business more casually and buy from local farms and markets. What factors distinguish them from other publics? • Unlike end consumers, restaurants will make standing orders every week or few weeks and order larger quantities • Working with restaurants is less competitive than in supermarkets where Reeve’s Farm produce is currently sold • Local and independent restaurants are more invested in the community and many want to support other local businesses by working with local vendors and farms Psychographics After surveying restaurants in Rochester, Syracuse and Watertown, there were several similarities found related to buying from local farmers. All of the restaurants surveyed (Alto Cinco, Empire Brewery, Shuler’s, Longway’s Diner, Owl House, Natural Oasis, and Lento Restaurant) buy locally grown produce when it is available or in-season. There was a general agreement from the owners and managers that they want to use the freshest ingredients as possible, which impacts taste and quality. Great food, along with excellent customer service, directly impacts the decisions of restaurant goers. Repeat customers, after all, are what restaurants want. Empire Brewery noted that its sales have increased since starting its buy local movement. Beyond the reason of customer satisfaction, the restaurants also liked the idea of supporting local farmers. Empire Brewery stated, “We decided to go local after examining our carbon footprint. In 2008, our food traveled on average 3,000 miles. After that, we started a buy local movement” (personal communication, 2013). The feeling of supporting ones’ neighbors and fellow community instead of a larger corporation located across the country has an impact on buying decisions. A study conducted by professors at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University states, “In general, local production was more
10 highly valued than organic production� (Thilmany, Bond & Bond, 2008). The same study also found that consumers perceived locally grown produce as fresher, safer and more nutritious compared to produce from outside states and countries. In addition, it found that consumers get a sense of self-satisfaction from buying from local farmers. The support of local farmers from restaurants sometimes extends beyond the purchase itself. Lento Restaurant and Natural Oasis, for example, list the names of its partnered farms on a sign. Empire Brewery lists its partnered farms on its menu and website. Buying from local farmers can make a great selling point. One area of concern though, is having a set delivery schedule with consistent quality. Natural Oasis emphasized that it likes to support local farmers when possible, but has had scheduling issues in the past. Natural Oasis is focused more on having fresh produce, which may not always mean local. Alto Cinco also aired a concern over pricing. Strawberries, for example, are sometimes more expensive locally. Overall, the idea of buying local was positively received by restaurants. Influentials Restaurant owners create a revenue through selling their food and services. Therefore, restaurants are greatly influenced by their customers and make decisions based on customer preferences. Customers are motivated by a variety of factors including the price, taste and nutritional value of the food. Customers try to get the best quality of food for the cheapest price possible. However, some customers are willing to invest more for food they perceive as fresher and healthier. Customers also have fears that contribute to their decisions to go to certain restaurants. Some customers fear that they will make a poor deal and pay more for a lesser quality. Also, customers worry that the food they are eating is unhealthy. It is the job of the restaurant owner to keep in mind what both motivates and worries customers. Since customers drive the decisions that restaurant owners make, Reeve’s Farm has to keep this influential in mind. A study has shown that consumers will pay more for local food because of the perception that it has better qualities and also because they want to support their local economy.
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(Thilmany, Bond & Bond, 2008) Media Habits Most of the restaurants included in Innovate PR’s target are locally owned and operated, so the managers and owners will be consuming the local media like newspapers and television stations and paying attention to the local economy. Most restaurants belong to the Chamber of Commerce, which would be one way to disseminate information to the restaurants. Hospitality trade publications would also be considered. Innovate PR will research trades to see who is reading them and if it is possible to advertising regionally. Goals and Objectives 1. For restaurant staff to buy produce from Reeves Farms and display the Reeves Farms name. a. To increase the awareness of Reeves Farms among 100 restaurants in the Central New York area by January 27, 2014. b. To establish a group of 30-50 restaurants that buy produce from Reeves Farms by Summer 2014. 2. For restaurant patrons to recognize the Reeves Farms brand in the restaurants. a. By January 2015, to increase the number of dishes sold featuring Reeves Farms produce by 10%.
12 Strategies To achieve the goals and objectives outlined previously, a proactive strategy needs to be taken. A proactive strategy is an action initiated by the organization. In this case, Reeves Farms will be reaching out to restaurants in the Central New York area who will realistically purchase produce from Reeves Farms. Reaching out to these restaurants can be done through the distribution of brochures and small tours of Reeves Farms for interested buyers. The brochure that would be distributed to restaurants in Central New York would include information about the benefits of buying locally grown produce and why buying from Reeves Farms will be beneficial to their bottom line. The brochure would include information about how buying locally would attract more customers, increasing the restaurant’s potential revenue. The brochure will help accomplish the first goal of getting restaurant staff to buy produce from Reeves Farms and display the Reeves Farms name. The tours of Reeves Farms will help the campaign in the same way as the brochures, contributing to accomplishing the first goal. However, the tours for interested buyers would also help build a personal relationship between Reeves Farms and the buyers. Building relationships will help accomplish goal two by supporting the branding of Reeves Farm in restaurants. Core Messages Campaign Theme: Locally grown, locally prepared. Target public: Restaurant staff Message 1: Buying locally can be used as a marketing advantage for restaurants. a. As a restaurant owner, you are looking to gain a competitive edge over other restaurants, b. Which is why you need to consider where you buy your produce from. c. Restaurant patrons have expressed interest in where the produce they are eating comes from. d. So if you buy locally, you can advertise it on your menu, signs or website because e. Restaurant patrons perceive locally grown produce as fresher and more nutritious. f. If your menu caters to the opinions of patrons, your business could increase its revenue. Message 2: Reeves Farms is consistent and reliable. a. As a restaurant with a lot of responsibilities, you should not have to worry about whether or not your produce order will arrive as expected. b. Reeves Farms has a proven track record with supplying to grocery stores consistently and on time. c. Now that it wants to expand to restaurants, your business has the opportunity to work with Reeves Farms d. And get the same consistent, reliable service.
13 Message 3: Supporting local farms a. Your restaurant is part of the larger Central New York community. b. As a fellow local business owner, you should have a commitment to this community. c. Buying from Reeves Farms demonstrates support for other local businesses d. And contributes to the economic health of the CNY region. Pretest: Reeves Farms should conduct a focus group consisting of 10 to 15 restaurant staff members who will listen to the messages and give their opinions, measuring the possible success of these messages. Tactics PR Innovate’s goal is to increase the bottom line of Reeves Farms by selling produce to local restaurants. This will require a strong communications strategy. There are several tactics that directly link to the proactive strategy of reaching out to restaurants. Those tactics include: • creating a spreadsheet of possible buyers • distributing detailed brochures to possible buyers • giving tours to small groups of interested buyers The spreadsheet will list all possible buyers and will also simplify the process of contacting them. The spreadsheet will have each restaurant’s name, address, phone number. In addition, the spreadsheet will state whether or not the each restaurant already buys locally and whether or not it is already on the delivery route. This list can be used for the next tactic of distributing brochures. Brochures are a great way of contacting buyers because it gives them the ability to look over all of the details on their own time. The brochure will carry the messages developed in the message path, explain the benefits of buying locally grown produce and also show why Reeves Farms is a great place to purchase from. It will also have information on the Buy Local bill that just passed the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill proposes a program that will give qualified restaurants a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval by New York if they show that 15 percent of their total ingredients are grown or processed in New York. Qualified restaurants will be allowed to hang a special logo in their windows and use the same logo in advertising material, which is a great marketing advantage for the restaurants. The brochure will also have Reeves Farms contact information for either setting up an order, reaching a representative or for setting up a tour. The tour allows interested buyers to see firsthand why Reeves Farms is a great choice to buy locally grown produce from. It also allows the buyers to build a personal relationship with Reeves Farms by putting a face to the name. Buyers can talk with the owners and workers, something that is not always possible with other farms and larger corporations. Good relationships are essential for a successful communication strategy.
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Timeline Pilot Campaign April 29, 2013: Materials delivered to Brian May 5, 2013: Add information about supplying to restaurants to website May 5-22, 2013: Hand-deliver printed brochures to 5-10 restaurants, pitch talking points June 2, 2013: Finalize contracts with interested restaurants Mid June 2013: Supply to the handful of restaurants October 2013: Evaluate the success of the pilot campaign Objective A November 4, 2013: Print 100 brochures November 18, 2013: Create labels of addresses for mailing the brochures January 15, 2014: Mail 100 brochures. January 27, 2014: Follow-up with the restaurants via phone Objective B February 3, 2014: Determine the number of restaurants that have expressed interest in a partnership with Reeves Farms February 17, 2014: Evaluate the best restaurants to formulate partnerships with Objective C March 3, 2014: Finalize contracts with interested restaurants October 2014: Evaluate the response of the restaurants
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16 Budget Tactic 1: Brochures Design: No cost, designed by PR Innovate Printing: $199.99 from Fedex for 250 trifold, full color and high quality brochures Total: $199.99 Tactic 2: Tours Travel: No cost, buyers must accommodate themselves Execution: No cost, provided by Reeves Farms Total: $0 Campaign Total: $199.99 Priority List: 1. Sending Brochures: This step is important for raising awareness among restaurants about the benefits of buying from Reeves Farms. Otherwise, further action cannot by taken. 2. Following-up to secure negotiations of contracts for interested restaurants: After sending the brochures, it is important to follow-up with the restaurants two weeks later. At this point, ask if the restaurant staff are interested in a tour of the farm. Evaluation The criteria to be used to judge success The success of the campaign can be measured by looking at the number of restaurants that buy from Reeves Farms after the campaign. How these criteria will be measured The criteria will be measured by comparing the number of restaurants that agreed to buy from Reeves Farms compared to the number of brochures distributed.
17 Consultant Backgrounds Korena Fenton Korena Fenton, 19, is a public relations student at Syracuse University. In addition to her classroom experience at S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications, Fenton has gained professional experience with the Syracuse University Athletic Communications office. With SU Athletics, Fenton wrote biographies for the website, conducted various research, set up press conferences and wrote press releases.She also participates in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In the future, Fenton hopes to work in sports PR.
Carly Yeung Carly Yeung is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in public relations and political science at Syracuse University. Currently, she is involved with four campus organizations. Yeung is the public relations director of Zipped Magazine, assistant public relations director of What the Health Magazine, an account associate at Hill Communications, and is an active member of SU’s PRSSA chapter. After graduating in May 2014, Yeung hopes to work at either a public relations agency or in the area of consumer marketing. Megan Corbet Megan Corbet is a senior public relations and marketing management dual major at Syracuse University. She is the president of the William P. Ehling Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and has communications experience at both agencies and in-house. Megan has most notably worked with Chipotle Mexican Grill and General Electric. She will be working at Edelman in New York after graduating in May 2013.
Priscilla Dominguez Priscilla Dominguez is a Public Relations student at Syracuse University. She is currently interning at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel. Dominguez is a member of the William P. Ehling chapter of PRSSA and also part of the National Society for Collegiate Scholars. Dominguez served two years as a student representative for Career Development Center. She is also an account member of The NewHouse agency. Dominguez will be graduating this May and will begin her Masters’ program in Advertising in July. She aspires to work in a digital advertising agency or in a consumer brand company.
18 Works Cited Dorsen, J., Mencia, M., Munoz, F. (2012, December 3). Reeves Farms Comprehensive Report. Reeves Farms. (2013). About Us. Reeves Farms. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from reevesfarms.net. Thilmany, D., Bond, C. A., & Bond, J. K. (2008). Going Local: Exploring Consumer Behavior and Motivations for Direct Food Purchases. American Journal Of Agricultural Economics, 90(5), 1303-1309. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8276.2008.01221.x