3.
3
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Table
of
Contents
Executive
Summary
4
Design
Brief
5
Design
Thinking
Process
6
What
Is
9
Identified
Opportunity
9
Scope
the
Project
10
Plans
11
Research
12
Insights
and
Criteria
15
What
If
19
Brainstorm
Ideas
19
Develop
Concepts
19
Napkin
Pitches
21
What
Wows
24
Surface
Key
Assumptions
24
Prototypes
24
What
Works
27
Feedback
from
Stakeholders
27
Learning
Launches
28
Design
the
On-‐Ramp
30
4.
4
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Executive
Summary
The
Blue
Talon
Bistro
is
a
renowned
restaurant
in
Williamsburg,
Virginia
that
prides
itself
on
holding
true
to
its
mission
of
offering
“serious
comfort
food”:
high
quality
food
in
a
comfortable
setting.
It
brings
a
touch
of
the
classic
French
bistro
to
America,
and
to
our
historic
city.
The
College
of
William
&
Mary
is
situated
right
near
the
Blue
Talon,
and
while
many
students
are
aware
of
the
Blue
Talon,
few
dine
there
frequently.
Upon
doing
research
with
both
the
restaurant
and
the
students,
we
noticed
there
was
a
disconnection
between
the
two
groups.
Students
were
only
aware
of
the
Blue
Talon’s
major
student
specials,
but
not
of
any
other
deals
available
to
them.
They
were
dissuaded
by
the
higher
price
of
menu
items
as
compared
to
other
restaurants,
though
stated
that
the
quality
of
food
at
the
Blue
Talon
was
notably
high.
The
Blue
Talon
will
thus
create
a
design
strategy
that
reconciles
this
and
rebrands
itself
as
an
integral
part
of
the
William
&
Mary
college
experience.
While
the
Blue
Talon
does
have
good
deals
for
William
&
Mary
students,
there
is
low
awareness
about
the
deals,
thereby
contributing
to
the
image
of
the
restaurant
as
a
less
agreeable
option.
The
restaurant
should
approach
the
students
in
a
personal
way
to
build
a
relationship
with
them,
and
both
increase
the
probability
of
repeat
dining
and
awareness
of
specials
featured.
The
Blue
Talon
can
do
this
by
expanding
its
many
community
events
to
include
student-‐focused
events,
increasing
social
media
engagement,
and
personal
advertisements
such
as
flyers
in
individual
mailboxes.
Our
major
recommendation
is
to
host
a
Tribe•Talon
Tasting
Table,
a
table
set
out
on
the
central
location
of
the
Sadler
Terrace
spotlighting
free
desserts.
This
would
give
employees
an
opportunity
to
both
make
a
connection
with
students
and
inform
them
about
the
restaurant’s
other
events
and
deals,
which
leads
to
higher
restaurant
attendance
and
social
media
interactions.
Our
goal
is
to
increase
the
demographic
of
students
at
the
Blue
Talon
Bistro
by
10-‐15%.
We
anticipate
this
change
within
about
a
year,
if
the
table
were
to
be
hosted
early
next
fall.
5.
5
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Design
Brief
Project
Description
The
Blue
Talon
Bistro
will
be
able
to
increase
engagement
from
students
at
The
College
of
William
&
Mary
through
improving
expanding
advertising
including
boosting
social
media
engagement,
hosting
an
event
for
students
during
the
Williamsburg
Harvest
Celebration
(WHC),
and
introducing
a
new
Tribe•Talon
Tasting
Table
event
on
the
Sadler
Terrace
to
increase
student
awareness.
Through
these
marketing
efforts,
the
Blue
Talon
Bistro
will
become
an
integral
part
of
the
William
&
Mary
college
experience.
Scope
&
Intent
The
scope
of
our
project
will
create
a
better
understanding
about
the
student
specials
and
events
that
the
Blue
Talon
Bistro
offers
the
students
of
William
&
Mary.
Through
engagement
with
the
restaurant
through
our
marketing
efforts
previously
mentioned,
students
will
be
more
likely
to
dine
at
the
Blue
Talon.
The
Blue
Talon
Bistro
will
explore
what
the
students
of
William
&
Mary
look
for
when
choosing
restaurants
outside
of
on-‐campus
dining
options.
It
aims
to
create
a
design
strategy
that
differentiates
itself
from
other
restaurant
competitors
in
and
around
Colonial
Williamsburg.
Opportunities
for
the
Blue
Talon
Bistro
include
boosting
campus
awareness
through
a
tasting
table
and
aesthetically-‐pleasing
flyers,
hosting
a
WHC
event,
increasing
online
engagement
through
social
media,
and
ultimately
adjusting
of
student’s
perception
of
the
restaurant
into
one
that
is
consistent
with
their
needs.
Target
Users
The
project
will
focus
on
students
from
The
College
of
William
&
Mary.
Exploration
Questions
The
project
will
inform
key
strategic
questions
including:
1. What
do
students
value
most
in
choosing
a
restaurant?
2. What
is
the
current
demographic
of
consumers
at
the
Blue
Talon:
how
much
is
comprised
of
students,
and
what
is
the
target
student
demographic?
3. How
can
we
boost
brand
awareness
and
engagement
among
students
so
that
they
come
to
recognize
the
Blue
Talon
as
a
part
of
their
college
experience?
4. How
can
we
create
an
advertising
campaign
catering
to
students’
restuarant
needs?
Research
Plan
We
will
do
primary
and
secondary
research
on
restaurant
options
for
the
students
of
William
&
Mary.
We
hope
to
understand
what
help
would
most
benefit
Adam
Steely
in
our
design
consulting
project
as
well
as
insight
as
to
what
students
look
for
in
restaurant
options.
We
will
conduct
an
in-‐depth
interview
with
one
William
&
Mary
student
and
survey
at
least
60
William
&
Mary
students.
Expected
Outcomes
We
expect
to
discover:
1. Student
interest
in
dining
at
Blue
Talon
Bistro
2. Consumer
insight
in
perceiving
the
quality
of
the
Blue
Talon
experience
3. How
students
could
see
Blue
Talon
Bistro
as
a
part
of
the
College
of
William
&
Mary
experience
Success
Metrics
1. Increase
the
demographic
of
student
Blue
Talon
customers.
2. Increase
the
number
of
Blue
Talon
Bistro
events
specifically
for
students
3. Increase
the
number
of
students
attending
student
specials
4. Increase
in
quality
of
social
media
and
student
engagement
with
it
Project
Planning
The
tasting
table
will
be
held
in
Fall
2015,
ideally
during
the
week
before
parents’
weekend
so
students
are
inclined
to
visit
the
restaurant
with
their
families.
6.
6
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Empathize
Define
What
Is
What
If
7.
7
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Ideate
Prototype
Test
What
Works
What
Wows
9.
9
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
“The
student
market
is
a
market
we
have
failed
to
penetrate
effectively.”
-‐Adam
Steely,
Manager
What
Is:
1
Identified
Opportunity
Our
team
has
identified
an
inadequacy
of
student
knowledge
concerning
student
deals
at
the
Blue
Talon
restaurant.
There
is
an
opportunity
to
increase
the
student
customer
base
at
the
restaurant
by
raising
awareness
and
publicizing
money
saving
opportunities.
The
customer
needs
a
way
to
attract
more
students
from
the
College
of
William
and
Mary
because
they
are
an
underutilized
demographic
compared
to
the
rest
of
the
greater
Williamsburg
area.
This
problem
is
in
fact
human-‐centered
because
we
want
each
individual
student
to
feel
a
connection
to
the
restaurant.
If
students
leave
campus
each
year
feeling
as
if
the
Blue
Talon
was
a
positive
part
of
their
experience,
then
we
will
have
been
successful.
We
clearly
understand
the
problem
because
we
are
students
ourselves,
and
can
obtain
the
opinions
of
our
peers
very
easily.
The
level
of
uncertainty
is
low,
because
when
polling
our
2
friends
and
colleagues,
it
quickly
becomes
clear
that
students
are
not
aware
of
deals
offered.
The
General
Manager
of
the
venue
has
metrics
on
how
many
students
eat
at
his
restaurant,
and
he
wants
a
higher
percentage
of
his
customers
to
be
students.
The
degree
of
complexity
is
moderate
to
high,
depending
on
how
much
a
response
is
desired.
We
have
delved
into
a
few
opportunities
for
the
restaurant,
to
be
explored
in
the
next
section.
We
have
data
available
in
the
form
of
an
interview
with
the
GM,
who
has
techniques
for
measuring
who
eats
at
his
restaurant,
namely
in
the
form
of
a
sheet
of
paper
requesting
the
customer’s
email
address
and
basic
information
in
order
to
retain
them
as
a
consumer.
Additionally,
we
have
survey
data
from
approximately
80
students.
Our
level
of
curiosity
is
high
because
we
want
to
help
the
restaurant,
and
our
potential
to
influence
is
also
high
since
we
are
students
with
a
unique
perspective
and
ability
to
coordinate
with campus
resources.
10.
10
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
“We’re
proud
we
have
been
able
to
reach
the
students
thus
far,
but
our
work
is
not
done…
there
has
been
a
failure
to
understand
access
points.”
–Adam
Steely,
Manager
Scope
the
Project
Our
area
of
opportunity
is
focused
on
the
students
of
William
and
Mary
in
Williamsburg,
Virginia.
Two
important
reasons
explain
why
this
is
a
crucial
opportunity.
The
first
is
that
the
Blue
Talon
restaurant
has
a
strong
demographic
of
Williamsburg
residents,
but
not
of
students.
Creating
a
strong
student
demographic
produces
customers
that
will
be
lifelong
visitors
even
as
alumni.
The
second
reason
is
that
while
college
students
typically
spend
less
on
food
than
adults,
there
are
many
student
deals
and
incentives
that
will
entice
them
to
come
to
the
restaurant.
This
in
turn
causes
students
to
choose
the
Blue
Talon
over
competing
restaurants
when
dining
out
in
general,
generating
a
large
amount
of
new
revenue.
One
barrier
that
arises
is
the
difficulty
of
reaching
large
groups
of
students
at
once,
meaning
that
we
must
find
a
differential
opportunity
to
communicate
such
as
flyers
delivered
personally
to
students’
CSU
boxes.
A
second
barrier
to
success
is
the
cost
of
an
average
meal
at
the
Blue
Talon
compared
to
other
restaurants,
which
defers
students
from
visiting
in
the
first
place.
The
most
advantageous
project
scope
we
propose
is
to
establish
a
tasting
table
on
the
terrace
outside
of
the
Sadler
Center
on
a
day
with
heavy
student
traffic.
Traction
is
almost
guaranteed
since
many
pairs
of
student
eyes
will
see
it,
and
because
it
will
generate
talk
amongst
the
student
population.
The
items
offered
will
be
free,
to
incentivize
students
to
try
it,
and
the
restaurant
representatives
will
promote
the
deals
that
the
Blue
Talon
offers,
and
seek
consumer
feedback
simultaneously.
Creating
a
strong
student
demographic
produces
customers
that
will
be
lifelong
visitors.
11.
11
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
deals.
Empathy
for
Mr.
Steely
is
developed
through
meeting
him
face
to
face,
and
understanding
the
challenges
that
come
along
with
running
a
restaurant.
He
faces
daily
logistical
issues,
in
addition
to
tracking
long-‐term
strategy
goals
that
will
keep
the
company
relevant
into
the
future.
Concerning
students,
we
are
especially
empathetic
towards
their
finances.
Many
students
do
not
have
steady
access
to
large
sums
of
money,
preferring
instead
to
save
by
purchasing
a
meal
plan
or
cooking
their
own
meals.
We
must
be
sensitive
to
this
when
crafting
a
plan
that
involves
their
cash
flow.
Research
plan
Our
team
will
interview
Adam
Steely,
the
general
manager
of
the
Blue
Talon
bistro
(Appendix
B).
His
insight
should
help
us
focus
our
purpose.
He
will
provide
the
insight
to
the
company’s
needs
and
wants:
who
he
wants
to
reach
out
to
more,
what
he
wants
Blue
Talon’s
image
to
reflect
in
the
future,
how
he
wants
us
to
go
about
increasing
his
marketing
reach.
We
will
also
interview
a
student
at
the
College
of
William
and
Mary
to
use
as
a
baseline
for
our
consumer
feedback
(Appendix
D).
The
questions
are
from
the
Customer
Equity
Review
Guide
(Appendix
C).
Upon
creating
an
action-‐oriented
plan,
we
will
create
a
survey
for
Blue
Talon
customers
to
fill
out.
We
will
share
the
survey
on
social
media,
specifically
Facebook,
to
reach
out
to
more
than
60
students.
Some
issues
we
will
explore
are
the
contrast
between
the
Blue
Talon’s
target
audience
and
the
students.
The
typical
customer
is
of
a
higher
socioeconomic
status
than
the
students,
who
are
quite
young
and
more
often
than
not
have
little
spending
money
for
eating
out
on
a
regular
basis.
Normalizing
the
restaurant
experience
for
college
students
is
our
objective.
The
other
issue
is
brand
recognition.
The
logo
of
Blue
Talon,
a
stylized
black
rooster
with
“blue
talons”,
is
eye-‐
catching.
It
is
a
classic
animal,
used
in
many
of
their
dishes,
with
a
modern
shape.
We
will
implement
it
in
any
visual
marketing
efforts
to
help
solidify
their
brand
DNA.
Project
plan
The
manager
of
the
Blue
Talon,
Mr.
Steely,
would
like
the
amount
of
college
students
who
frequent
the
restaurant
increased
10
to
15
percent.
We
will
target
marketing
plans
at
students
of
the
College.,
and
ideate
a
few
ideas
to
raise
awareness
about
the
restaurant’s
student
deals
and
increase
overall
student
visitation.
The
Blue
Talon
has
never
put
marketing
first,
and
Mr.
Steely
would
wish
to
gain
new,
steady
customers
instead
of
one-‐time
customers.
Consistently
high-‐quality
food
and
reasonable
prices
help
keep
customers
around.
College
students
are
quite
receptive
to
social
media
for
events
and
promotions.
It
is
important
to
reach
out
to
a
students
in
a
more
personal
way
to
truly
make
a
lasting
connection
with
them,
and
we
consider
this
when
choosing
our
plan.
People
plan
We
interviewed
people
to
empathize
with
their
point
of
view
and
how
their
behavior
and
actions
need
to
be
different
in
order
to
address
challenge:
Stakeholder
1:
Mr.
Adam
Steely.
His
current
point
of
view
is
that
while
his
company
has
customer
stability,
there
is
potential
for
growth
from
college
students,
who
are
all
in
rather
close
proximity
to
the
restaurant.
His
business
actions
need
to
change
from
servicing
socioeconomically
stable,
well-‐to-‐do
locals,
and
market
to
a
younger
crowd
with
fewer
resources.
(Refer
to
Appendix
B
to
view
interview
transcript)
Stakeholder
2:
W&M
student(s).
Our
current
point
of
view
is
that
Blue
Talon
is
a
high-‐quality
restaurant.
It
is
conveniently
close
to
campus,
and
is
in
an
aesthetically
pleasant
area
of
the
city:
nestled
just
in
between
Old
Campus
and
Colonial
Williamsburg,
along
the
shopping
centers.
While
Blue
Talon’s
food
is
very
good,
it
caters
to
mainly
tourists
and
locals,
and
while
some
students
do
go
there
to
eat,
they
do
so
mainly
for
special
occasions.
A
special
occasion
such
as
a
birthday
is
especially
inviting
because
of
the
deal
(a
free
meal)
that
comes
with
it.
In
regards
to
Mr.
Steely,
we
are
curious
about
how
concerned
he
is
about
retaining
the
Blue
Talon’s
image
intact
while
reaching
out
to
more
college
students.
It
is
a
quality
establishment,
and
prefers
to
advertise
through
word
of
mouth
rather
than
print
advertisements.
For
the
students,
we
are
curious
how
much
the
cost
of
the
dishes
at
Blue
Talon
influence
their
decision
to
go
there,
and
if
they
would
be
willing
to
frequent
Blue
Talon
more
often
if
they
knew
about
other
special
12.
12
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Blue
Talon…maintains
its
place
as
a
loved
“local”
member
of
the
community.
Research
Design
Project
Objectives:
the
principal
purpose
of
initiating
the
project
Our
group’s
principal
purpose
in
beginning
this
project
is
twofold.
The
first
segment
is
intended
to
research,
analyze,
and
understand
the
design
function
of
the
Blue
Talon
Bistro
located
in
Colonial
Williamsburg,
VA.
After
gaining
an
appreciation
for
their
brand
and
brand
awareness,
our
group
will
strategize
with
the
manager,
and
elucidate
clear
steps
that
will
help
Blue
Talon
reach
a
wider
student
demographic
without
sacrificing
their
brand
quality
during
day-‐to-‐day
operations.
These
efforts
will
both
aid
a
local
business
and
help
us
better
understand
how
design
and
branding
play
a
key
role
in
business.
Information
about
the
Client
Company
Our
principal
contact
for
Blue
Talon
has
been
the
manager,
Adam
Steely,
who
in
turn
has
contacts
throughout
the
Williamsburg
restaurant
community,
as
well
as
the
city
council
and
city
governance.
The
Blue
Talon
holds
a
number
of
activities
for
the
community
throughout
the
year
including
a
Thanksgiving
Turkey
Trot,
live
music
or
movie
screenings
on
Sunday
nights,
breakfast
with
Santa
Claus,
the
sponsorship
of
art
and
cultural
festivals,
and
more.
They
also
host
culinary
events
within
their
own
venue;
recent
events
have
featured
craft
cocktails
and
a
truffle
dinner.
The
restaurant
has
about
4,000
square
feet,
with
14-‐foot
ceilings,
giving
it
the
size
for
a
full
kitchen
and
bistro
atmosphere.
It
can
hold
about
120
guests
at
one
time.
It
holds
its
own
in
the
competitive
environment,
given
its
unique
status
and
following
within
the
community.
Blue
Talon
does
not
advertise
to
the
community
strongly
through
media
or
print,
proudly
creating
and
maintaining
its
place
as
a
loved
“local”
member
of
the
community,
rather
than
simply
a
profit-‐driven
company.
The
manager
communicates
and
shares
with
other
restaurateurs
in
the
area.
The
bistro
is
a
chef
driven
restaurant,
so
its
operational
structure
is
traditional
in
the
sense
that
it
has
hosts,
servers,
and
chefs,
but
the
business
believes
that
the
authority
runs
top
down.
So
the
chef
decides
what
the
food
will
be,
and
the
customer
arrives
expecting
to
be
served
with
minimal
stress
or
fuss.
The
company’s
identity
is
strong,
with
a
focus
on
customer
service
and
loyalty
to
their
mission
of
“serious
comfort
food.”
Their
internal
image
is
one
of
a
professional
food
venue
that
offers
high
quality
food
and
a
relaxed
but
structured
dining
experience.
Its
external
image
is
that
of
a
French
bistro
which
offers
excellent
fare
and
an
atmosphere
similar
to
that
of
a
bistro
in
any
French
city.
They
distinguish
themselves
by
consistently
being
warm
and
welcoming,
contrasting
the
sophistication
of
antique
furniture
with
modern
colors,
music,
and
a
lack
of
tablecloths
to
dispel
any
stiffness.
Its
business
mission
is
to
consistently
deliver
delicious
comfort
food,
and
combine
continental
and
American
comfort
foods.
Blue
Talon
has
had
positive
growth
in
their
economic
and
sociocultural
evolution
as
they
have
many
repeat
customers,
and
have
been
making
a
profit
essentially
since
their
inception.
Their
price
structure
is
upper
median,
with
lunch
entrees
ranging
from
nine
to
thirteen,
and
dinner
entrees
varying
from
eighteen
to
twenty
four.
They
complete
market
research
by
offering
cards
at
the
end
of
each
dinner
encouraging
diners
to
email
them
with
thoughts
and
responses,
receiving
about
40-‐60
a
week.
The
manager
also
makes
a
point
to
personally
inquire
as
to
the
dining
experience
of
customers
in
order
to
get
honest
answers.
Mr.
Steely
conducts
lifestyle
studies
essentially
through
his
long
years
of
experience
in
the
restaurant
business,
13.
13
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
and
has
achieved
the
style
of
the
Blue
Talon
by
putting
tables
closer
together,
increasing
music
volume,
and
using
antique
fixtures
to
create
a
cosmopolitan
experience
that
will
appeal
to
certain
demographics.
Project
Information
Conceptual
Data:
The
project
is
important
because
it
will
help
the
Blue
Talon
reach
a
wider
audience
in
the
greater
Williamsburg
area,
especially
the
students.
It
will
also
teach
our
group
to
better
understand
the
use
of
design
as
a
strategic
tool.
Technical
Data:
Focus
on
food
production
by
an
executive
chef
trained
in
fine
dining
who
worked
at
a
previous
restaurant
that
rated
AAA
triple
diamond
every
year.
Manager
Adam
Steely
works
with
hosts,
servers,
chefs,
and
customers
to
create
an
experience
which
will
help
his
business
succeed
financially,
and
create
a
positive
work
environment.
Innovation
comes
from
the
kitchen,
and
he
hopes
to
use
more
social
media
to
attract
a
stronger
student
presence.
Constraints
arise
from
the
customers
themselves
and
what
they
want
from
their
food
experience.
Some
may
want
more
fine
dining,
some
may
prefer
more
casual.
Commercial
Data:
Publicity
arises
mostly
from
word
of
mouth.
Blue
Talon
has
become
a
community
fixture
because
of
their
strong
branding
and
community
outreach
efforts
such
as
charity,
showing
movies,
and
the
turkey
trot.
He
works
closely
with
customers
to
understand
their
expectations.
Their
brand
is
known
for
quality
food
for
a
reasonable
price.
It
is
also
known
for
being
a
unique
dining
atmosphere
Mr.
Steely
has
achieved
over
the
years.
Marketing
Data:
The
bistro
has
a
strong
following
because
of
their
branding,
but
wants
to
get
that
impression
into
more
minds.
The
manager
wants
to
create
a
slow,
steady,
word
of
mouth
reputation
that
will
result
not
in
periodic
floods
of
customers,
but
in
a
reliable
stream
of
returning
customers,
along
with
a
smaller
number
of
new
diners
that
will
become
regulars.
While
Blue
Talon
has
reached
the
student
market
and
they
are
glad
to
have
done
so,
they
feel
their
work
in
this
segment
has
been
incomplete.
Mr.
Steely
stated,
“The
student
market
is
a
market
we
have
failed
to
penetrate
effectively.”
Financial
Data:
From
our
initial
interview
with
Mr.
Steely
(Appendix
B)
would
like
to
see
a
10-‐15%
increase
in
student
visitation
and
a
3%
increase
in
overall
sales.
Tourists
typically
make
up
20%
of
visitors.
The
restaurant
averaged
140
people
a
night
in
January.
They
have
about
15,000
people
on
their
email
list
who
are
reliable
diners
who
took
the
time
to
sign
up
and
respond.
Customer
Equity
Interview
Overview
We
conducted
an
in-‐depth
customer
interview
with
Arianna
Roumeliotes,
a
senior
at
the
college.
She
tends
to
eat
outside
of
William
&
Mary
dining
about
6
times
per
month
and
dines
at
Blue
Talon
about
2
times
per
month.
Her
favorite
types
of
cuisine
are
French
and
Italian.
For
Arianna,
quality
is
the
most
important
aspect
of
her
dining-‐out
experience.
While
she
would
rather
pay
less,
since
she
is
on
a
student
budget,
she
is
willing
to
splurge
for
a
good
meal.
She
believes
that
you
get
what
you
pay
for.
Arianna
also
values
the
brand
image,
ambiance,
and
reputation
of
the
restaurant
she
visits.
She
thinks
Blue
Talon
has
great
food
along
with
presentation
and
she
can
tell
that
a
lot
of
care
was
put
into
the
preparation.
However
sometimes
she
finds
the
service
to
be
lacking.
Even
though
Arianna
is
signed
up
for
Blue
Talon’s
emails,
and
she
always
is
interest
in
attending
the
events,
she
never
seems
to
make
it
to
the
event
either
because
she
gets
too
busy,
or
because
it’s
too
far
away.
She
loves
the
birthday
special
and
has
held
her
birthday
dinner
at
Blue
Talon
multiple
times
as
well
as
having
attending
lots
of
friends’
birthdays
as
well.
In
comparison
with
what
Arianna
believes
to
be
Blue
Talon’s
main
competition,
Blue
Talon
wins
in
value,
variety
of
student
deals,
as
well
as
food
quality
over
Dog
Street
Pub
and
Cheese
Shop,
In
summary
Blue
Talon
is
the
place
where
Arianna
goes
to
eat
out
on
special
occasion
and
she
believes
the
food
is
consistently
good.
She
does
wish
that
service
was
better
and
that
deal
and
promotions
were
advertised
more
than
just
a
an
email.
She
would
also
be
very
receptive
to
more
reasonably
priced
options
for
students
and
well
as
more
student
deals.
(The
interview
guide
as
well
as
customer
interview
transcript
is
included
in
Appendix
C
and
Appendix
D,
respectively.)
We
also
sent
out
a
survey
to
students,
which
had
78
responses.
Data
from
the
survey
can
be
seen
below,
as
well
as
further
information
in
the
appendices.
This
proved
our
belief
that
students
were
generally
not
aware
of
other
Blue
Talon
deals,
but
value
good
food
most
importantly
when
choosing
a
restaurant.
14.
14
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Research
Results
0%
100%
Yes
No
72%
28%
NUmber
of
Students
Birthday
Entree
Special:
ASendance
0%
50%
100%
Yes
No
28%
72%
Number
of
Students
Other
Student
Specials:
Awareness
0
1
2
3
4
5
Brand
Quality
of
Food
Service
Affordability
Value
3.69
4.08
3.58
1.96
2.91
Unimportant
to
Very
Important
CharacterisUcs
Importance
of
ASributes
15.
15
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
The
central
question
is,
how
do
we
attract
10-‐15%
more
college
students
without
risking
brand
integrity?
1
Dinner,
and
2)
geographically;
they
cannot
be
very
steady
consumers
if
the
maximum
amount
of
time
they
spend
in
Williamsburg
is
four
years
(and
most
students
only
discovering
BT
or
being
compelled
to
go
as
a
sophisticated
upperclassman
v.
a
teenage
freshman).
Upon
gathering
online
reviews
along
with
the
customer
interview
of
Ms.
Roumeliotes,
service does
not
rank
highest
for
BT’s
achievements.
Negative
reviews
were
peppered
with
complaints
of
wait
staff
attitude
and
error,
while
complaints
of
food
quality
and
atmosphere
were
hardly
present.
We
then
considered
a
few
options
to
make
up
for
these
discrepancies.
The
film
screenings
and
beverage-‐
centered
events
could
become
more
inclusive
of
college
students.
Although
there
are
a
plethora
of
on-‐campus
events,
off-‐campus
ones
are
often
talked
about
between
students
looking
for
a
night
away
from
academia.
It
is
no
secret
that
college
students
would
be
attracted
to
upgraded
drinks,
but
Blue
Talon
may
not
be
the
first
in
line
to
dole
out
its
reputation
for
that
of
a
bar.
On
the
other
hand,
they
would
still
be
new
customers
who
are
willing
to
pay
more
for
higher
quality
drinks.
Given
the
scattered
reviews
of
wait
staff,
it
would
perhaps
be
prudent
to
approach
that.
Packing
customers
from
back
of
store
to
front
when
they
are
not
busy
seems
to
create
issues
for
customers.
There
could
be
a
small
discount
2
with
a
William
&
Mary
ID,
once
a
week
or
once
a
month?
Word
would
likely
spread
quickly,
similar
to
how
it
did
with
the
birthday
deal. New
and
returning
customers
could
subsequently
make
it
a
point
to
eat
at
BT
regularly
during
the
days
offering
discounts.
Mr.
Steely
clearly
runs
a
very
efficient
and
streamlined
business.
He
knows
exactly
what
he
wants
from
his
employees
as
well
as
his
consumers
and
every
little
detail
in
the
restaurant
has
an
explanation
behind
it,
from
the
design
of
the
restaurant
to
the
pour-‐your-‐own
water
jugs
placed
on
the
tables.
Mr.
Steely
manages
Blue
Talon
with
confidence
in
the
food
and
atmosphere
he
wishes
to
create,
as
he
does
with
who
he
wishes
to
attract.
He
really
wants
to
make
dining
at
Blue
Talon
a
part
of
the
William
&
Mary
student
experience.
Mr.
Steely’s
goal
is
to
bring
in
10-‐15%
more
college
customers
in
the
coming
year.
The
central
question
is,
how
do
we
attract
10-‐15%
more
college
students
without
risking
brand
integrity.
Making
it
clear
to
students
that
they
can
both
save
money
and
eat
quality
food
can
only
yield
net
benefits
for
the
Talon.
Saving
money
is
a
strategy
that
works,
as
has
been
proven
with
the
birthday
dinner.
If
hosts
and
hostesses
take
note
of
these
events,
they
have
the
opportunity
to
have
a
one
or
two
minute
conversation
with
the
table
about
future
opportunities
for
them
to
save
money,
such
as
the
Tribe
Thursdays.
By
taking
advantage
of
this
preexisting
popular
feature,
the
restaurant
can
look
to
expand
its
marketing
effectiveness
with
Insights
and
Criteria
The
Blue
Talon
is,
at
its
core,
a
higher
quality
establishment
in
a
small
college
town.
For
increasing
its
reach,
it
utilizes
a
mostly
word-‐of-‐mouth
network
that
is
effective
more
in
the
Williamsburg
community
than
in
the
William
&
Mary
community.
The
occasional
events,
such
as
the
Turkey
Trot
and
Breakfast
with
Santa,
are
mostly
targeted
at
families.
The
general
atmosphere,
prices,
and
food
selection
target
older,
settled,
well-‐
to-‐do
residents
as
well
as
families
in
the
area.
Williamsburg
is
famously
an
old
city
with
no
lack
of
aged
residents,
many
of
whom
enjoy
a
sophisticated
life.
As
for
attracting
more
college
students,
the
price
is
the
biggest
hurdle.
The
majority
of
WM
students
are
on
a
budget,
and
aside
from
the
BT
birthday
special,
don’t
see
why
they
should
splurge
when
they
are
already
paying
a
hefty
price
for
campus
dining.
Mr.
Steely
no
doubt
understands
this,
and
makes
decisions
regarding
what
clientele
he
wishes
to
attract.
His
lack
of
print
and
media
advertising
is
likely
purposely
against
the
grain
of
video
and
“click”
ads
that
grab
the
attention
of
young
demographics.
His
business
has
been
steadily
growing
without
the
need
to
rival
flashy
start-‐ups.
A
sense
of
community
is
implied
by
Mr.
Steely,
and
his
image
of
customer
growth
is
very
cohesive
to
that
sense:
slow,
steady
growth,
with
reliable
customers...
But
WM
students
are
more
or
less
unreliable
in
two
areas:
1)
financially;
paying
for
a
high
quality
16.
16
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
the
campus
community.
Making
it
clear
to
students
that
they
can
both
save
money
and
eat
quality
food
can
only
yield
net
benefits
for
the
Talon.
Saving
money
is
a
strategy
that
works,
as
has
been
proven
with
the
birthday
dinner.
The
next
step
to
help
our
project
move
forward
is
how
to
inform
students
that
avenues
for
saving
money
already
exist,
and
should
be
enjoyed.
The
next
step
was
to
incorporate
the
insights
that
we
identified
into
an
ideal
scenario.
This
would
be
the
solution
that
best
encapsulated
both
Mr.
Steely’s
objectives,
and
our
goals,
into
one
cohesive
plan.
To
do
this,
we
used
some
brainstorming
techniques
that
forced
us
to
push
the
boundaries
of
our
imagination,
which
was
helpful
in
better
understanding
what
we
really
wanted
to
accomplish
with
the
restaurant.
We
decided
that
if
anything
were
possible,
our
ideal
solution
to
the
problem
of
a
lack
of
student
engagement
would
be
to
place
a
personalized,
three
dimensional
message
card
in
the
CSU
box
of
every
student
on
campus.
This
message
would
contain
information
urging
them
to
visit
both
the
restaurant,
and
free
tastings
of
Blue
Talon
products
on
a
given
date,
likely
a
Friday
when
student
traffic
is
heavy.
The
message
would
outline
the
best
deals
the
Blue
Talon
offers,
such
as
the
birthday
dinner
and
the
half
priced
wine
nights.
Between
viewing
the
message,
attending
the
free
tasting,
and
the
subsequent
student
chatter,
the
restaurant
would
notice
a
sizeable
increase
in
student
consumer
activity
during
the
dinner
hours
and
extra
events.
Clearly,
this
would
be
the
exemplary
solution,
but
its
creation
still
helps
act
as
a
guide
for
our
work.
Next,
questioning
the
design
criteria
allowed
us
to
explore
which
options
we
could
accomplish,
and
what
resources
were
at
our
disposal.
Design
Goal:
The
Blue
Talon
will
develop
an
initiative
to
increase
student
interest
and
attendance.
This
initiative
will
address
the
client
problems
of:
• Lack
of
student
consumerism
at
normal
meal
times
• Lack
of
student
attendance
at
extra
events
such
as
running
and
movie
nights
• Failure
to
maintain
steady
student
awareness
of
deals
and
pricing
options
• Failure
to
attract
student
customers
who
will
• (Cont.)
graduate
to
become
spending
alumni
User
Perception:
The
initiative
should
be
classy
and
understated
to
make
customers
buy
into
the
idea
of
serious
comfort
food.
It
should
also
make
students
believe
that
they
can
afford
to
eat
at
the
restaurant,
even
on
a
less
expansive
budget.
Physical
Attributes:
The
card
placed
inside
the
CSU
boxes
of
students
should
be
thoughtful
and
unique.
Color
will
bring
the
attention
of
their
eyes
to
money
saving
opportunities,
and
a
minimalist
design
will
reinforce
their
perception
of
the
Blue
Talon
as
a
classy
and
upscale
restaurant
worthy
of
their
time.
The
tasting
table
should
focus
on
desserts
such
as
ice
cream
and
the
chocolate
mousse,
both
of
which
contain
lots
of
sugar
that
results
in
short
term,
high
level
pleasure.
Functional
Attributes:
The
intervention
must
reach
students.
That
is
to
say,
the
ideal
scenario
would
have
every
student
on
campus
at
least
be
aware
of
the
ways
that
they
can
use
their
status
as
college
members
to
save
money
and
take
advantage
of
discounts.
The
next
functional
attribute
after
that
is
for
the
plan
to
have
a
real
draw.
Small
percentage
savings
will
not
attract
crowds
or
create
a
following.
Instead,
students
need
to
feel
excitement
when
they
hear
about
the
money
they
save,
which
should
be
an
acceptable
slight
loss
of
revenue
for
the
restaurant
since
they
are
essentially
investing
in
their
future
by
increasing
their
consumer
base.
Constraints:
The
Blue
Talon
must
accomplish
their
marketing
strategy
without
sacrificing
the
strong
brand
they
have
built
up
over
the
years.
They
still
need
to
be
considered
a
relatively
fancy,
destination
location
to
eat
quality
food.
In
addition,
the
Blue
Talon
would
ideally
accomplish
their
goals
with
minimal
cost
to
time,
energy,
or
financial
resources.
The
restaurant
business
is
notoriously
difficult
to
maintain
a
profit
in,
and
they
should
rely
on
their
brand
name
as
much
as
possible
without
taking
employee
time
or
spending
too
much
cash.
19.
19
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
What
If:
Brainstorm
Ideas
Our
team
utilized
the
ten
tools
listed
in
Liedtka’s
text
while
coming
up
with
concept
ideas
for
our
project.
The
tools
we
used
most
often
were
a
combination
of
brainstorming
and
rapid
prototyping,
which
utilized
our
innovative
mindsets
and
allowed
us
to
think
outside
traditional
paths
of
thinking.
Mind
mapping
and
concept
development
ensured
that
we
honed
in
on
the
important
parts
of
our
project,
such
as
customer
satisfaction
and
increased
student
awareness.
Visualization
was
also
a
key
aspect
of
the
process,
because
as
the
target
audience,
we
as
college
students
are
uniquely
placed
to
create
a
design
strategy
for
the
restaurant.
As
we
continued
to
brainstorm,
it
was
important
for
us
to
step
back
and
remember
the
bigger
picture
of
what
we
were
trying
to
accomplish.
This
goal
was
to
determine
the
“what
if?”
What
if
one
idea
was
better
than
the
rest?
What
if
one
idea
sacrificed
efficacy
for
a
lower
cost
in
time
and
energy?
What
if
one
idea
received
more
backing
from
the
restaurateurs?
Our
next
step
was
to
come
up
with
trigger
questions
that
would
help
us
move
forward.
We
wanted
to
explore
the
possibilities
of
what
we
could
accomplish,
and
also
open
ourselves
up
to
stimulus.
With
these
thoughts
in
mind,
we
came
up
with
several
trigger
questions
that
could
be
posed
either
to
one
another,
or
to
participants
of
a
survey.
Trigger
Question
#1:
What
tactic,
no
matter
how
drastic,
could
the
Blue
Talon
use
to
make
every
college
student
at
William
and
Mary
visit
them
over
the
course
of
a
single
week?
Trigger
Question
#2:
If
the
restaurant
offered
free
samples
of
their
chocolate
mousse
to
students
on
the
terrace
every
day
for
a
month,
would
student
visits
spike?
Trigger
Question
#3:
How
often
do
students
actually
check
their
CSU,
and
how
often
do
they
actually
read
the
contents
of
their
mailbox?
Develop
Concepts
Our
goal
was
to
build
multiple
concepts,
which
included
a
table
in
front
of
the
Sadler
terrace
or
inside
Sadler,
CSU
fliers,
advertisements
on
announcement
boards
across
campus,
advertisement
for
a
Blue
Talon
special
deal,
advertisement
for
Blue
Talon
in
general,
sampling
table,
Williamsburg
Harvest
Festival,
use
of
logo
and
possibly
a
sample
of
food
to
attract
students,
implement
strategy
to
make
Blue
Talon
a
“must-‐try”
experience
for
William
&
Mary
students
Our
action-‐oriented
strategy
will
be
personal.
We
are
planning
to
interact
with
customers
in
a
way
that
makes
them
participate
in
finding
out
about
Blue
Talon,
rather
than
people
telling
them
what
it
is.
A
tasting
table
would
be
a
good
strategy
to
follow
this
theme.
Another
strategy
is
to
create
an
20.
20
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
1
ad
for
a
special
deal
on
a
specialty
item,
such
as
Mousse,
so
new
customers
can
develop
their
interest
in
Blue
Talon
through
a
trial
visit
to
the
restaurant.
Similar
Concepts
included
advertisement
as
the
core
strategy
is
implemented
in
CSU
fliers,
or
paper
advertisements
on
announcement
boards
across
campus.
The
plans
for
sampling
and
tabling
could
be
combined
to
make
a
Tasting
Table.
Instead
of
a
plain
flier,
a
table
with
samples
would
be
an
inviting
solution
to
bring
people
to
the
booth
or
table.
Blue
Talon’s
food
is
high
quality,
and
a
passerby
would
be
able
to
see
and
taste
that.
Timing:
A
crucial
aspect
of
implementing
a
marketing
campaign
in
a
college
campus
is
timing.
Advertisements
distributed
just
before
the
school
year
finishes
will
most
likely
be
forgotten
by
the
time
students
return
in
August.
Advertisements
and
fliers
would
be
much
more
useful
in
the
beginning
of
the
year
To
combine
visual
marketing
and
action-‐oriented
marketing
efforts,
advertisements
could
be
created
for
the
Tasting
Table
or
Williamsburg
Harvest
Festival.
2
We
then
decided
on
three
concepts:
1. Williamsburg
Harvest
Celebration
Student
Event:
Blue
Talon
will
either
host
a
class
or
have
a
booth
with
samples
at
the
WIlliamsburg
Harvest
Celebration
Event
this
coming
Fall.
2. Student
Engagement
Tasting
Table:
This
will
be
a
booth
somewhere
in
campus
providing
free
samples
to
students
who
pass
by.
3. Blue
Talon
Visual
Advertising:
We
will
create
paper
advertisements
for
Blue
Talon
in
general,
and
a
special
deal
of
Blue
Talon.
Both
will
be
posted
around
campus.
The
next
steps
would
be
to
create
napkin
pitches
for
each
concept.
We
are
planning
to
interact
with
customers
in
a
way
that
makes
them
participate
in
finding
out
about
Blue
Talon.
Our
action-‐oriented
strategy
will
be
personal.
21.
21
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Napkin
Pitch
#2:
Student
Engagement
Tasting
Table
We
would
set
up
a
table
on
the
terrace
selling
pastries
and
snacks
at
a
free
or
reduced
price.
This
leads
to
one
on
one
conversations
with
customers
which
the
GM
wants.
Raises
awareness
of
student
deals
and
discounts.
We
will
choose
a
sunny
day
and
set
up
at
noon.
We
can
resource
tables
from
the
Sadler
Center,
and
Blue
Talon
can
provide
a
tablecloth
and
food.
We
would
only
require
one
or
two
representatives
from
the
Restaurant
to
be
friendly,
and
take
down
student
feedback.
This
action
will
address
the
restaurant’s
principal
concern,
which
is
the
lack
of
student
knowledge
about
deals
that
would
draw
them
in.
The
terrace
is
a
major
hub
for
students
in
the
middle
of
the
day,
and
having
a
table
will
generate
talk.
We
are
uniquely
capable
of
delivering
because
the
Blue
Talon
has
real
pull
owing
to
its
positive
reputation.
Competition
will
not
react,
as
most
restaurants
already
have
established
advertising
procedures.
To
sustain
this
advantage,
the
Blue
Talon
representatives
will
pass
out
flyers,
or
verbally
inform
students
about
student
deals
that
will
interest
them.
Napkin
Pitch
#1:
Williamsburg
Harvest
Celebration
Student
Event
The
Blue
Talon
would
host
an
event
for
students
during
the
Williamsburg
Harvest
Celebration
next
November.
Students
would
be
interested
in
doing
this
because
it
would
give
them
a
cheaper
way
to
be
involved
in
the
WHC
with
fellow
students.
It
would
provide
great
food
as
well
as
community
in
a
nicer
setting
than
students
usually
experience.
We
are
also
looking
to
see
if
students
could
use
Dining
Dollars
or
Express
to
pay
for
this,
which
is
a
greater
incentive
to
participate.
We
will
host
a
large
student
dinner
catered
by
the
Blue
Talon
in
an
esteemed
location-‐-‐
either
on
the
Sunken
Gardens
or
DoG
Street.
The
Blue
Talon
has
already
agreed
to
host
an
event
for
students
during
the
festival,
and
would
like
to
cater
to
get
students
more
familiar
with
their
food.
This
event
allows
the
Blue
Talon
to
reach
out
to
students
in
a
fun
and
engaging
manner.
The
Blue
Talon
could
use
the
buzz
of
this
event
to
further
advertise
for
their
deals
which
students
currently
know
little
about.
The
Williamsburg
Harvest
Celebration
is
an
annual
event
in
its
inaugural
year
and
thus
provides
a
unique
opportunity
for
the
Blue
Talon.
Students
would
associate
the
Blue
Talon
with
an
enjoyable
experience
that
they
can
return
to
year
after
year,
and
this
provides
an
excuse
for
them
to
return
to
the
restaurant
more
frequently
than
otherwise.
No
other
restaurant
is
looking
to
host
a
student-‐centered
event
during
the
festival,
so
the
Blue
Talon
has
the
advantage
here.
They
can
sustain
this
advantage
by
continuing
to
host
the
event
in
the
following
years,
and
using
the
time
this
upcoming
year
to
promote
the
restaurant’s
deals.
22.
22
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Napkin
Pitch
#3:
Blue
Talon
Advertisement
We
will
create
two
advertisements:
one
for
BT
in
general,
and
one
for
a
deal
on
a
specialty
item,
most
likely
mousse
(example:
free
mousse
for
a
meal
purchase
on
Mondays
with
a
valid
W&M
ID).
The
manager
had
mentioned
that
he
wants
a
greater
reach
to
students.
The
Blue
Talon
logo
is
stylized
and
inviting.
Many
clubs
and
organizations
on
campus
reach
out
to
students
through
makeshift
advertisements
and
posters
on
announcement
boards
in
dorm
and
academic
buildings.
After
creating
the
ads,
we
will
need
to
either
a)
place
them
in
the
student
mailboxes
or
b)
put
them
up
on
to
bulletin/announcement
boards
all
over
campus.
The
opportunity
we
are
addressing
is
to
reach
out
to
the
W&M
campus.
With
analysis,
we
have
concluded
that
a
marketing
campaign
such
as
this
will
increase
BT’s
visibility.
Students
are
busy,
and
an
ad
based
on
visual
marketing
such
as
this
has
the
potential
to
capture
their
attention
for
enough
time.
We
decided
to
pursue
the
Tribe•Talon
Tasting
Table
pitch,
since
it
is
the
most
personal
and
efficient
option
to
reach
students
quickly.
It
appeals
most
to
students’
needs
of
good
food
at
an
affordable
(free)
price,
and
gives
the
restaurant
plenty
of
positive
publicity.
25.
25
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Both
students
who
do
and
do
not
often
dine
at
the
Blue
Talon
will
be
drawn
in.
What
Wows:
Surface
Key
Assumptions
Tribe•Talon
Tasting
Table
Value
Test
assumptions:
1. Students
will
want
to
eat
free
mousse.
2. Students
who
eat
free
mousse
will
listen
to
the
other
Blue
Talon
promotions.
3. Both
students
who
do
and
do
not
often
dine
at
Blue
Talon
will
be
drawn
in.
Execution
Test
assumptions:
1. Using
the
terrace
is
a
convenience
that
will
attract
more
students
than
a
less
central
location.
2. Funds
are
available
to
host
this
to
boost
the
student
demographic.
Scale
Test
assumptions:
1. We
can
handle
demand
for
this
tasting
table.
2. A
majority
of
students
who
will
be
more
inclined
to
visit
the
Blue
Talon
after
trying
out
their
mousse
and
hearing
about
their
specials.
Defensibility
Test
assumptions
1. Blue
Talon
offers
promotions
to
students
that
other
restaurants
do
not
offer.
2. Their
advantage
here
increases
as
promotion
is
boosted.
Our
design
prototypes
can
be
found
in
Appendix
K.
We
went
through
several
rough
prototypes
of
advertising
flyers
before
deciding
on
a
final
streamlined
design.
28.
28
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
Value
is
the
most
important
aspect.
What
Works:
Feedback
from
Stakeholders
We
conducted
two
types
of
research,
both
qualitative
and
quantitative.
The
first
step
was
an
in-‐depth
interview
in
which
we
interviewed
a
candidate,
Arianna
Roumeliotes,
for
45
minutes
to
get
her
feedback
and
insights
about
her
current
perception
of
Blue
Talon
and
what
we
could
do
to
make
it
more
appealing
and
accessible
to
students
(Appendix
D).
During
this
interview
we
found
that
value
was
the
most
important
aspect,
and
while
students
would
rather
pay
less
money,
they
are
willing
to
pay
a
premium
price
for
a
premium
product.
The
second
mode
of
research
we
conducted
was
an
online
Qualtrics
survey
in
which
we
got
79
respondents
to
take
our
questionnaire.
Our
target
population
was
students
of
all
social
classes
at
William
and
Mary.
We
used
non-‐probability
sampling
as
well
as
snowball
sampling
and
distributed
the
survey
through
sending
mass
emails
in
each
of
our
classes,
as
well
as
posting
the
link
to
the
survey
on
our
various
forms
of
social
media.
Even
though
the
participants
were
based
on
convenience,
ease
of
access,
and
respondent
references,
we
believe
that
the
entire
group
of
participants
gave
a
reasonably
representative
sample
of
the
overall
William
&
Mary
student
target
population-‐
14
freshman,
27
sophomores,
18
juniors,
and
19
seniors.
After
collecting,
organizing,
and
analyzing
the
data,
we
discovered
some
fantastic
insights
and
information
that
greatly
helped
and
supported
our
project.
When
asked
how
many
times
students
dine
outside
of
William
&
Mary’s
on-‐campus
dining
options,
the
majority
of
students
(32%)
said
that
they
dined
out
over
six
times
per
month.
When
asked
if
they
had
ever
heard
of
the
Blue
Talon,
100%
of
respondents
said
they
had!
Next,
we
discovered
that
90%
of
those
students
had
actually
dined
at
Blue
Talon,
which
is
a
considerable
percentage
of
participants.
In
regards
to
Blue
Talon’s
birthday
entree
special,
a
large
amount
of
the
William
&
Mary
student
population
is
aware
of
the
special
at
97%
awareness,
and
72%
of
these
students
have
either
attended
a
birthday
dinner
at
Blue
Talon,
or
have
hosted
their
own
birthday
dinner
there.
However,
even
though
students
are
extremely
acquainted
with
the
birthday
special,
they
29.
29
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
1
are
not
as
aware
with
other
student
deals
like
Tribe
Thursdays
which
is
$10.95
for
entrees,
half-‐priced
bottles
of
wine,
and
free
hot
chocolate
for
students
on
snow
days.
Only
28%
of
students
are
aware
of
these
deals.
This
shows
us
that
there
is
a
lot
of
room
for
improvement.
In
ranking
the
attributes
of
Blue
Talon
on
a
scale
from
1
to
5
of
importance,
students
ranked
the
quality
of
food
as
most
important
at
4.08,
brand
image
second
at
3.69,
then
service
at
3.58,
followed
by
value
at
2.91,
and
finally
affordability
at
1.96.
This
data
surprised
us
in
that
even
for
college
students,
quality
trumps
affordability
and
students
are
willing
to
pay
more
for
a
great
meal.
Blue
Talon’s
brand
is
also
very
important
to
students,
and
we
believe
that
Blue
Talon
already
has
a
great
image,
and
with
our
recommendations
to
improve
social
media
engagement
and
drive
visitation
with
our
Tribe
Talon
Tasting
Table
this
will
only
increase
brand
equity.
58%
of
students
believe
that
Blue
Talon
is
a
part
of
their
William
&
Mary
experience.
This
is
a
fantastic
starting
point,
but
we
definitely
believe
that
we
can
increase
this
percentage.
On
a
similar
note,
56%
of
students
would
choose
to
dine
at
Blue
Talon
when
returning
to
William
&
Mary
as
alumni.
And
finally,
in
regards
to
advertising
methods,
Facebook
was
overwhelming
the
number
one
choice
for
students
at
71%.
(The
survey
as
well
as
survey
results
and
graphs
are
included
in
Appendices
E
and
F.)
Learning
Launches
Using
the
napkin
pitch
concerning
the
tasting
table,
we
set
to
work
on
designing
a
prototype
learning
launch
that
would
provide
us
with
valuable
feedback
on
customer
preferences,
and
consumer
willingness
to
pay.
We
understood
after
reviewing
the
handbook
and
discussing
it
as
a
group
that
risk
aversion
is
a
very
interesting
phenomenon.
Designing
and
running
the
learning
launch
becomes
far
more
valuable
than
analysis
at
a
certain
point.
Humans
are
emotional
creatures,
and
it
is
easy
to
become
overly
attached
or
over-‐invested
in
one’s
idea
or
brainwave.
At
the
critical
juncture
when
a
team
believes
their
project
to
be
mission-‐capable,
it
must
be
tested
with
a
launch.
To
that
end,
we
prepared
a
learning
launch
that
would
feature
a
tasting
table
of
Blue
Talon
products,
using
helpful
steps.
1. Set
Tight
Boundaries:
Our
tasting
table
will
feature
a
variety
of
foods,
geared
towards
attracting
attention,
and
pleasing
the
average
2
taste
bud.
These
items
will
be
strategically
chosen
to
be
small
in
size,
in
order
to
serve
and
satisfy
large
numbers
of
students.
The
table
will
feature
two
desserts;
the
chocolate
mousse,
and
the
burnt
sugar
ice
cream.
These
sugar
heavy
foods
will
leave
a
lasting
impression
of
happiness
of
students
on
a
hot
day,
and
will
also
draw
crowds
as
people
inform
their
friends
of
its
presence
through
social
media.
The
table
will
be
active
for
two
hours,
since
any
time
longer
than
that
risks
the
table
running
out
of
food
and
creating
disappointed
students.
It
will
be
operated
by
no
less
than
two,
but
no
more
than
three
restaurant
representatives
at
a
time,
who
will
be
wearing
Blue
Talon
shirts
and
hats.
They
will
have
coolers
containing
food,
be
smiling
as
much
as
possible,
and
engaging
students
in
a
friendly
manner.
The
table
will
be
resourced
from
the
Sadler
center,
and
the
representatives
will
also
bring
the
email
sign
up
cards
for
anyone
who
wants
to
fill
one
out.
2. Design
With
a
Sharp
Focus
on
Key
Assumptions:
One
of
our
key
assumptions
is
that
students
want
to
save
money,
which
drove
us
to
offer
free
samples
as
opposed
to
pricier
ones.
While
the
restaurant
is
sacrificing
some
resources,
it
is
gaining
a
huge
amount
of
publicity
and
goodwill
from
students
who
otherwise
may
not
know
much
about
the
cuisine
offered.
Another
key
assumption
is
that
students
will
enjoy
the
serious
comfort
food
of
the
venue
when
they
arrive.
To
solve
this,
we
chose
sugar
and
taste
filled
dishes
that
will
please
the
largest
demographic
of
students.
When
they
reach
the
tasting
table
and
take
a
bite,
they
should
exclaim
about
how
good
the
food
is.
3. Build
a
Team
That
is
Both
Disciplined
and
Adaptive:
The
team
members
chosen
to
represent
the
Blue
Talon
should
be
either
hostesses
or
wait
staff
from
the
restaurant.
Age
is
no
guarantee
of
effectiveness.
Rather,
they
will
be
chosen
based
on
service
time
with
the
restaurant,
and
on
general
demeanor.
Being
a
veteran
employee
makes
them
invested
in
what
they
are
doing,
and
more
readily
equipped
to
answer
any
questions
that
the
students
may
have
when
approaching
the
table.
As
for
demeanor,
the
team
should
consists
of
extroverts
who
draw
their
energy
from
others,
and
who
are
genuinely
excited
to
spend
an
30.
30
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
3
afternoon
chatting
with
young
college
students.
Smiling
is
a
very
important
and
underrated
feature
of
advertising,
and
team
members
will
be
chosen
who
are
outwardly
positive.
The
manager
will
vet
the
candidates
ideally
from
a
group
of
volunteers,
instead
of
having
to
task
out.
As
student
advisors
to
Mr.
Steely,
our
group
will
be
present
at
the
event
assisting
where
needed,
and
also
engaging
with
students
through
social
media
and
by
asking
questions
of
acquaintances
who
try
the
food.
4. Work
in
Fast
Feedback
Cycles:
To
accomplish
this
step,
we
will
have
one
member
of
our
group
keeping
track
of
the
number
of
students
who
visit
the
station.
They
will
also
track
which
food
ran
out
first,
and
which
food
ran
out
last.
This
data
will
help
provide
information
as
to
student
interest
in
the
table,
and
which
food
grabbed
their
interest.
Knowing
the
foods
they
prefer
could
help
Mr.
Steely
develop
new
marketing
techniques
focused
on
meals
or
products
that
will
draw
students
into
the
restaurant.
Another
important
consideration
is
the
involvement
of
Mr.
Steely
himself.
Dinner
is
their
busiest
time,
so
holding
the
event
in
the
afternoon
would
provide
him
with
the
opportunity
to
visit
campus
in
person
and
supervise
for
a
brief
period,
or
at
least
4
check
in
on
his
staff.
His
presence
will
ensure
that
the
staff
remains
professional,
and
will
help
him
get
a
first
hand
look
at
his
client
base
at
the
college.
5. Make
it
Feel
Real:
The
most
valuable
attribute
of
a
successful
learning
launch
is
its
ability
to
expose
flaws
and
mistakes
in
real
time,
because
of
its
purposeful
direction.
Theory
and
supposition
hold
no
place
when
conducting
the
launch.
Instead,
usable
data
and
results
should
be
noticed
and
recorded,
helping
researchers
and
project
developers
enhance
their
idea.
If
our
idea
is
a
near-‐
total
failure,
it
is
still
a
step
in
the
right
direction;
at
least
it
would
make
us
aware
that
that
particular
idea
would
not
have
succeeded
as
a
marketing
tool
to
encourage
students
to
eat
at
the
Blue
Talon.
With
this
in
mind,
our
tasting
table
will
be
a
very
real
testing
ground
to
see
what
kind
of
response
we
get,
and
to
find
out
from
representatives
how
many
students
knew
about
the
restaurant’s
deals
already,
and
how
many
were
exposed
for
the
first
time.
Having
the
manager
stop
in,
perhaps
at
the
one-‐hour
mark,
combined
with
having
actual
venue
staff
present
at
the
event
will
lend
the
table
with
an
air
of
authenticity.
The
students
need
not
be
aware
that
5
the
table
is
an
experiment.
For
the
group
and
for
the
restaurant,
however,
it
will
be
a
valuable
tool
to
advertise
and
to
learn.
31.
31
Blue
Talon
Student
Engagement
Strategy
1
Design
the
On-‐Ramp
We
will
have
two
“On-‐ramp”
ideas:
1)
A
promotional
advertisement
for
the
Tasting
Table
will
be
put
up
across
campus
on
announcement
boards
in
dorm
and
academic
buildings
(Appendix
L).
2)
We
will
create
a
Facebook
“event”
and
share
it
with
our
Facebook
networks,
reaching
potentially
hundreds
of
William
and
Mary
students.
• Artifacts:
We
will
attract
passersby
with
samples
of
Mousse.
The
Blue
Talon
logo
is
prominently
featured
on
their
storefront,
and
the
same
chicken
logo
will
be
a
focus
point
for
our
tasting
table.
An
advertisement
created
specifically
for
the
event
will
also
feature
the
chicken
logo.
The
paper
advertisement
will
be
simple.
Apart
from
the
chicken
log,
there
will
be
no
visuals.
Successful
fliers
and
promotional
posters
found
on
campus
are
simple
and
eye-‐catching;
students
do
not
have
a
lot
of
time
to
read
much
text
while
briskly
walking
from
class
to
class.
Although
Blue
Talon
is
a
higher-‐end
establishment,
especially
for
college
students),
many
successful
fliers
also
include
hand-‐drawn
details
made
by
students,
as
it
shows
more
care
and
effort
than
something
typed
up
on
the
computer.
The
poster
will
include
a
quaint
title
drawn
in
alongside
the
logo
copied
from
the
Internet.
The
only
information
on
the
poster
will
be
the
crucial
details
(once
we
have
the
details
in
place):
the
when,
and
the
where.
The
less
professional
features
of
the
visual
advertisement
will
help
attract
students
who
are
worried
that
Blue
Talon
is
out
of
their
price
range;
if
W&M
students
(our
group)
are
promoting
this
restaurant
to
be
student-‐friendly,
it
is
much
more
believable.
• Network
Value
and
Social
Pressure:
We
can
create
a
Facebook
event
for
the
Tasting
Table,
which
students
can
“share”
to
their
Facebook
network.
Sharing
events
on
Facebook
is
effective
in
quickly
getting
the
word
out;
our
team
has
experience
in
Public
Relations
through
social
media,
and
we
have
seen
this.
As
people
say
that
they
will
go
to
this
event
on
Facebook,
their
network
will
see
this,
and
feel
compelled
to
join.
This
effect
is
compounded
as
more
and
more
people
“join”
the
event.
Added
up,
the
four
people
in
our
group
have
approximately
1000
“friends”
on
Facebook
from
William
&
Mary
alone.
Taking
into
account
that
some
people
do
not
check
Facebook
often,
we
will
still
reach
hundreds
of
W&M
students.
We
will
launch
the
event
2
weeks
prior,
to
1)
give
enough
time
for
people
to
find
out
about
it
but
2)
not
be
too
far
ahead
of
time
that
people
forget
about
it.
The
Facebook
event
will
also
feature
the
Blue
Talon
chicken
logo
on
the
web
page.
What
Now?
What
Next?
Solutions
for
failures
of
Learning
Launch:
The
Tasting
Table
is
not
a
drastic
tactic,
but
it
will
also
most
likely
be
effective
enough
to
gather
attention.
The
Sadler
Terrace
is
in
the
center
of
campus,
and
even
when
students
are
not
dining
in
Sadler,
many
of
them
walk
past
it
to
get
to
another
class.
If
the
Tasting
Table
is
done
in
early
September,
which
is
still
the
summer,
students
will
love
the
chance
to
eat
cold
desserts,
especially
free
ones
from
a
quality
establishment.
Such
an
experience,
although
it
may
be
a
one-‐time
thing,
will
stick
in
students’
minds.
The
Blue
Talon
desserts
will
set
the
restaurant
apart
from
dining
that
the
students’
are
used
to.
This
approach
will
hopefully
be
enough
to
help
achieve
Mr.
Steely’s
goal
of
10-‐15%
additional
W&M
student
customers.
Revise
Concept
and
Napkin
Pitches:
One
revision
we
have
for
the
Tasting
Table
is
that
not
only
will
we
provide
free
mousse
samples,
but
there
will
also
be
the
specialty
item:
Blue
Talon’s
burnt
sugar
ice
cream.
Both
are
cold
desserts,
and
since
we
will
be
holding
the
Table
during
the
end
of
August,
will
be
popular
among
the
tired
and
hot
students
as
they
walk
from
class
to
class.
The
logistics
for
the
Tasting
Table,
such
as
reserving
the
table
itself,
have
been
added
in
Step
14.
Refine
Key
Assumptions:
The
key
assumptions
listed
in
Step
11
are
still
accurate,
and
all
of
them
still
pertain
to
our
Learning
Launch.
Although
the
On-‐ramp
action
of
creating
a
Facebook
event
will
give
us
an
indicator
of
whether
or
not
students
are
interested
in
such
a
thing,
only
the
Learning
Launch.
The
students
who
have
not
seen
a
paper
advertisement
or
the
Facebook
event
may
very
well
still
pass
by
the
Tasting
Table.
Conversely,
students
who
said
on
Facebook
that
they
would
attend
the
Tasting
Table
event
may
forget
about
it
on
the
day
of,
or
have
too
busy
of
