the team executive summary creative summary situation analysis the target the consumer campaign profile competitive analysis communication strategy budget conclusion works cited 1
the table
3 5 6 7 9 11 12 15 18 21 22
of contents
23 2
surname Stageman
sex F
sex F
given names Amanda Stageman nationality Zimbabwe date of issue January 21, 1967 date of expire February 21, 1988
given names Megan Sajdak nationality Portugal date of issue January 4, 1901 date of expire July, 1911
surname Kozicki
surname Cwik
sex M
given names Kevin Kozicki nationality Iceland date of issue April 4, 1962 date of expire October 5, 1997
surname Feuntes
sex F
given names Stacy Cwik nationality Jamacia date of issue August 8, 1999 date of expire Decemer 3, 2009
sex F
given names Danielle Fuentes nationality Greece date of issue November 1, 1988 date of expire June 1, 1999
3
surname Sajdak
the team
4
executive summary Café Abroad’s current positioning is to serve as an outlet for students who are studying abroad. The goal of this campaign is to present Café Abroad as the best study abroad resource for prospective, current and past study abroad students. This goal will be accomplished through increased website visibility, website use, print subscriptions, and awareness among target audiences. The primary target audiences include aforementioned study abroad students and campus study abroad offices at colleges and universities in the United States. The secondary target audiences include third party study abroad program providers, study abroad directories, databases, and media outlets.
5
The creative strategy of the campaign is to give Café Abroad a more modern look that will appeal to the primary and secondary target audiences. The theme of the campaign book and associated media will be designed like a passport, the most basic staple of international travels. Café Abroad’s passport will be old and worn out to give the effect that it has been carried around the world. The passport is an important part of Café Abroad’s creative image because it represents the traveler’s story and individual perspective. Through this multi-faceted campaign, Café Abroad hopes to offer students a unique, trendy perspective on studying abroad and provide multiple resources that will aid in travel.
creatvie summary
With a dramatic rise in the number of students studying abroad in recent years, there is an increasing need for student travel resources. Café Abroad has built one of the largest studentgenerated study abroad resources on the Internet. Café Abroad’s Internet mission, then, is to serve as a forum for meaningful exchange between prospective, current, and past study abroad students. Café Abroad also publishes a quarterly print magazine that offers a glimpse into a student’s perspective while traveling through student-produced stories and photography.
6
situation
where we would like to be
the competition
The target market may see competitors’ websites and find them more attractive than the Café Abroad website. A competitor such as Goabroad. net has a stronger appeal to the target because the site labels itself as “the network for travelers,” and is more of a social networking site than Café Abroad. Social networks are currently a key benefit to the target audience. In addition, a competitor such as Glimpse Abroad not only has a very credible partnership with National Geographic, but also offers tips on what a student might encounter on their trip, in regards to food, religion, and other useful information. Students see websites with interesting applications and information more useful than a site that has general information about study abroad locations. •Specific inTherefore, Café Abroad needs to strengthen its formation needs website through design, social networking, to be easier to access and applications to position itself as the •To have an application to top of mind study abroad resource. post places students have already traveled •Food/dining information •Interesting travel activities that are easy to access •Cheap airfare advertisements on Café Abroad •Have a shop attached to purchase map, books, and travel information •Section on what to bring and how to prepare yourself before you go abroad •Info of weekend trips, close by, hot destinations •Updated site layout and functionality
7
analysis
opportunities for growth
Café Abroad wants to be the first study abroad resource that comes to a student’s mind when he or she is planning to or currently studying abroad. In other words, Café Abroad Currently, Café Abroad is should be synonymous with the studying positioned as an outlet for abroad experience. In addition, Café students who are planning, in Abroad would like to establish itself as the process of, or have studied an innovative and unique site that abroad. Café Abroad offers an inspires students to come back and outlet for students to share their invite their friends. Café Abroad experiences through different blogs, also wants its users to log in articles, event and review postings, daily in order to enhance photos and more. The website currently the study abroad features hundreds of articles, photographs, experience. reviews and events written by students studying abroad in 400 cities worldwide. Café Abroad also comprises a weekly online newsmagazine, a quarterly print publication, which is distributed to more than 320 study abroad offices and a global community of thousands of study abroad students.
where we are
8
studious steve
chatty cathy
Cathy, from the Bronx, always knew she was meant for bigger and better things. Ever since she decided to go to college, Cathy knew that she wanted to study abroad as many times as possible. Although she had to forgo studying abroad her freshman year, this first semester sophomore simply cannot wait to go abroad and explore new places and meet new people. Cathy is a registered member of ALL the study abroad networking sites that she could find. Cathy particularly likes Cafe Abroad because not only is it a social networking site, but it also is a place that will offer her a potential internship for doing what she loves: writing about her explorations! Cafe Abroad has offered Cathy a way to keep in touch with her school, meeting new people while she is abroad, and helped her with her abroad financial situation. She can’t wait to update her Cafe Abroad profile with pictures and tales of what she’s up to.
Annie is a sixteen year old only child from a small, rural town in Oklahoma. She is going abroad with her class of 20 students for two months over the summer holidays, and frankly, she’s rather nervous about it. She’s never been away from her family or from her home state. She registered at Cafe Abroad to keep in touch with the other group of students that her class will be traveling with. She constantly uses her cellular phone to keep in touch with her close group of friends and parents, but her family cannot afford an international plan for the two months she’ll be traveling in Europe. She has a laptop, and plans on using that as her only means of communication with the United States and her beloved Oklahoma. Cafe Abroad gives her the tools to not feel so disconnected while in a foreign place.
the target
nnie apprehensive a
Steve, a second semester college junior, has always wanted to study abroad, but never had the chance. He plans on attending medical school after completing his undergraduate degree. All of his concentration and efforts have gone into maintaining his impressive 4.0 cumulative GPA. One of the things he does not want to regret missing out on is studying abroad. Though he usually does not use online social media, Cafe Abroad has offered Steve the solutions for getting this Harvard undergraduate to an abroad location. He found Cafe Abroad to be a quick and comprehensive source to find out about abroad study locations, and learned from other students how they continued their studies without getting offtrack.
10
The target consumer can be divided up into three sub-consumer categories. Primarily, the company should target students, ages 16-21 years old who are either in high school or in a college or university. This primary target market best describes whom the company targets now. The suggestion of expanding this core market to juniors and seniors in high school is for share-of-mind purposes. Teenagers between the ages of 16-18 are beginning to think about college and about different opportunities. It is also suggested for Café Abroad to reach out to colleges and universities. Since this company has the unique advantage of having schools communicate with their students abroad via Café Abroad, one of the company’s target consumers should be colleges or universities. Since a lot of the company’s revenue comes from these college and university sponsors and the company wants to expand and grow in market share, having more schools backing this company would be advantageous.
11
Additional target consumers that Café Abroad should consider are non-students in the target range who want to go abroad, such as volunteers or interns. While Café Abroad usually does not have as much traffic in the summer months as in the fall and spring, targeting those who work or volunteer abroad might raise numbers during the summer lull.
campaign profile
the consumer
purpose
The purpose of the new campaign launch for Café Abroad is multi-fold. One of the main purposes is to increase Café Abroad’s market share and especially the share-of-mind. There are a plethora of study abroad resources, and in the growing niche market, Café Abroad wants to stay competitive. Overall, Café Abroad wants to drive more people to their website to see their benefits and then register for the Café Abroad services. Thus, part of the campaign would require a revamping of the web design to include a layout that is more user-friendly, updated features and social networking functions. Aside from the website format itself, Café Abroad would be extending its target audience through this proposed campaign so that it can gain share-of-mind among a more diverse group of targeted consumers, rather than the selective group of targeted consumers it has now. This would also be beneficial in building a more loyal base of Café Abroad consumers over a longer period of time. For example, if Café Abroad can clinch a core consumer at the age of 16, the company could potentially keep that consumer until he or she is 22 and graduating from college.
12
key benefits
Café Abroad has several unique advantages. One of these advantages is giving colleges and universities the ability to keep in touch with their students abroad through this website. Not only can students use Café Abroad as a social networking website, but it is an informative site as well. Students can post about their abroad experiences and schools can post to keep their students informed and connected to campus while they are abroad.
campaign profile
Café Abroad functions as a website that is facilitated by students abroad or students who plan to study abroad. The company offers internships or “ambassadorships” to those who study abroad. This gives students a bit more enrichment and meaning to their study abroad opportunities. It also gives students, especially those interested in journalism, writing, and communication studies, an opportunity to use the skills that they are learning while at an abroad location. Internships are both paid and unpaid depending on which opportunity a student is offered. Café Abroad offers a safe place for students, parents and universities to market themselves and network. The website is created as Web 2.0 so that students abroad can interact with each other, sharing their experiences and making recommendations to other Café Abroad users. Café Abroad is a free service. A user needs to register to view anything on the current website, but registration is free. The print magazine that Café Abroad publishes is also available in PDF format on the website, allowing the consumer to have access to all aspects of Café Abroad for free.
reasons why
Café Abroad has the unique aspect that it is completely run by students. Students power Café Abroad because it is a social networking website. Likewise, students are the ones who write the features and stories in the publication. Furthermore, students put up their travel logs and photos of places they have visited. Everything in the Café Abroad website is driven by students. Café Abroad keeps everyone’s best interest at heart. Since the website is not cluttered with people other than students who are studying abroad, it is a website for those who just want to know more about abroad locations. It caters directly to the target consumer.
tone
The campaign for Café Abroad needs to encompass not only a message and ultimate goal, but also a tone that will excite and inspire the target consumers to go to the website and register for the service. The tone for the campaign must be adventurous. The advertisements must convey a constant thirst for exploration, as well as individuals who want to acculturate themselves in a deep emersion into the new cultures and environments they study abroad in, without losing their ties to their home and past selves. The tone must trigger a need for exploration and inspire consumers to want to go abroad or at least want to see what else Café Abroad can offer them.
the “take away ”
The key take away of this campaign is to drive targeted consumers to the website. The website should be made a bit more open and accessible to nonregistered users, so that people can look around and get excited to register. Not all features should be open to non-registered consumers, but it needs to be open enough so that people are inspired to register. This campaign will let people know that Café Abroad exists and will peak their interest to visit the website.
14
competitve analysis
•Partnership with National Geographic (third party credibility) •Quarterly magazine available •Study abroad media outlet •Online store that sells calendars and Glimpse books for travel •Life Abroad category – discussing issues when traveling abroad such as language, culture, etc. •Side categories: food, religion, etc. •Blogs •Ask an expert •Also have job available abroad
•Site is open to everyone- students are able to keep in touch with family and friends in the States •Designed more for travelers •“The network for travelers” •Prides itself as the ultimate postcard •Interactive maps •The option of posting resume so that it is available to a large database of clients who might have opportunities abroad •In addition to posting pictures, Goabroad.net provides an outlet to share travel journals to stay connected to friends and family while traveling •Users can also click on a country and view other travelers journals and respond to questions about places to go •The ability to create or join groups with travelers who share similar interests •Groups are also available to get tips and advice from savvy travelers and professionals •There is also a tab labeled “travelers” where you can meet interesting travelers •Features travel groups •An area to offer feedback to the social networking site •No print version •No city guides, simply relies on the help of travelers to share with each other
15
•Unique internship opportunities •Simple, user friendly
•Primarily study abroad related information •Very unorganized, too much information on one page •No social networking •Showcases various study abroad programs •Has a featured destination of the month, student of the month, and spotlight program •Has a feature that helps determine the perfect study abroad program to meet educational goals •Has a student center with helpful hints about studying abroad that showcases relevant news articles •Subject of the quarter •Funding resources •Student Center sponsored by Syracuse University and NYU •Offers international education advisers •A link to sponsors or scholarships •An internship search in different countries •A Site map to help navigate smoothly through the site
•Free online newsletter •Unattractive website •Can get f light and hostel information •Many options while abroad – work, volunteer, travel, teach, etc. •Win a ticket anywhere in the world and receive travel cuts •Popular links •Helpful with facts
16
•Resource Center •No social networking •Focus on more than just study abroad •Quarterly magazine distributed mostly in Canada •Study abroad media outlet •The most similar to Café Abroad •Also has volunteer, work, adventure category •“Ask on expert” •Articles and resources
•Top study abroad website •Well organized, user friendly •You can look at specific school programs (i.e. Boston University, Syracuse, etc.) •Provides handbook/guidebook information for high school students •Has a weekly newsletter •Has a Facebook page •Provides a list of academic study abroad programs •Internship and service learning abroad information •Volunteer abroad programs •High School study abroad •Intensive language programs •A study abroad handbook that provides a guide to education, health and safety •Also, scholarship and financial aid information •Teach abroad programs
communication strategic objectives
1. 2. 3. 4.
To increase traffic on Café Abroad website by 35%.
To increase use of products and services by the target by 15%.
To increase the institutional subscriptions by 15%.
To launch a campaign utilizing social media to increase awareness by 20%.
strategy
18
1.
Strategy: Update the Café Abroad website to be more informational and user-friendly.
tactc: launch new web 2.0 focused Launch a website for Cafe Abroad on social networking. that will include expert advice about where to go while traveling abroad and what to buy in preparation for studying abroad. Users will have an opportunity to ask an expert specific questions that are important to them. Additionally, the new website will feature vehicles to social networking with other students that are traveling abroad and with family and friends at home. Currently, Café Abroad is primarily for student users that have to register their study abroad dates and location. On the new website, registered users will be able to invite their friends and family members to register as a guest in order to view their selected user’s profile. This guest by invitation method will help to keep the Café Abroad site secure and managed by the students. The website will be created in a Web 2.0 format catering to social networking and interaction through the website itself. While it will not be overly complicated, there will be features such as blogs and a question and answer section to keep students returning to the website to network and find out information about traveling abroad. The main goal of the new website is to keep the functions user-friendly. Website visitors will be able to easily find the company contact information and exchange in two way dialogue with the Café Abroad office.
2. tactic: photo competition for Café Abroad Strategy: Increase usage of Café Abroad’s website and get study abroad students excited about the website.
users, winners receive a free airline ticket Increase the use of the Café Abroad website through Orbitz. and the resources that are available to study
abroad students by giving students incentives to visit the site. To increase the visits to the website, establish a third party sponsorship through Orbitz ticketing warehouse. Through this sponsorship, Café Abroad will host a photo competition. The photos will be submitted through the website and judged by Café Abroad and Orbitz. Photos must be pictures from the student’s current travels around Europe. The winner of the competition will receive an airline ticket worth up to $300.00. Café abroad will advertise the competition to major
3.
study abroad campuses on the website, magazine, and through print media. Strategy: Reach the target audience by increasing brand ambassador presence on campuses and word-of-mouth promotion.
tactics: partner with four universities and four high schools and produce buzz kits.
The purpose of this strategy is to reach out and build relationships with colleges and universities by giving them Café Abroad updates. Brand ambassadors will serve as the liaison between the universities and Cafe Abroad. As liaisons, the ambassadors will answer questions about Café Abroad and create buzz about the website to get more students to visit and use the site. In addition to the ambassadors, buzz kits will be distributed to universities in the United States. The purpose of this tactic is to increase brand awareness and recognition. The buzz kits will consist of lanyards, pens, and t-shirts that have the Café Abroad logo and website address.
4.
Strategy: Establish third party credibility by partnering with a major credit card company.
tactic: Form a triple partnership with Visa, Barnes & Noble and American Tourister astute traveler knows that there are three essentials Lug gage.The for a long trip: a reliable credit card, durable luggage, and
a good book in case of a layover. One benefit for Café Abroad members will be the option to sign up for a credit card through Visa that will help them earn points towards free books and luggage. Students who have an account with Café Abroad will have the opportunity to sign up for a credit card through Visa and have a Café Abroad theme or “skin.” Points earned by using the card will take the form of gift certificates that are redeemable at Barnes & Noble or American Tourister, depending on which store the student chooses. Café Abroad Visa card users will be able to use their card in America as well as overseas. Finally, Café Abroad Visa card users will have the opportunity to earn bonus points on their card accounts if they enter a photography contest (see strategy 2). As an incentive for participating in the partnership, Visa, Barnes & Noble, and American Tourister Luggage will receive free advertising space on CaféAbroad.com and in Café Abroad’s print magazine.
20
budget
buzz kit Posters & Handouts; Landyards: Pens: T-shirts:
$2,000.00 $700.00 $300.00 $3,000.00
photo competition Posters, Websites, & Magazine Ads: $5,000.00
web 2.0
21
Web Site Developer Travel Expert
$7,000.00 $2,000.00
Total:
$20,000.00
With Café Abroad’s mission to serve as a forum for meaningful exchange between prospective, current, and past abroad students serving as the framework, this campaign aims to present Café Abroad as the best study abroad resource. The key goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about Café Abroad, peak interest, and ultimately drive targeted consumers to the website. Through an aesthetically updated website, an increase in partnerships and sponsorships, and a stronger rapport among schools and students, Café Abroad has the potential to beat out competitors and gain more market share.
22
works cited
-Jewler, A. Jerome, and Bonnie L. Drewniany. Creative Strategy in Advertising. Ninth ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2007. 114.CafĂŠ Abroad Case Study -www.glimpse.org -www.studenttraveler.com -www.iiepassport.org -www.goabroad.net -www.vergemagazine.org -www.studyabroad.com -www.Cafeabroad.com -www.rushking.com -www.landyardstore.com -www.pensxpress.com
23