1.
Sparky’s Marketing Plan
by The Spice Girls Inc.
The Spice Girls Inc.
311 S. 6th St. Columbia, MO 65201
(708)555‐3434

2. Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Target Customers
Unique Selling Proposition
Distribution Plan
Marketing Materials
Promotion Strategy
Online Marketing Strategy
Conversion Strategy
Joint Ventures and Partnerships
Retention Strategy

3. Section 1: Executive Summary
The goal of this marketing plan is to outline the strategies that will help make Sparky’s
Homemade Ice Cream the premier ice cream shop in the downtown Columbia, Missouri area.
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream provides a completely unique customer experience. Their target
customer can look forward to: (1) quirky, hand‐painted art, (2) totally unique homemade flavor
combinations, and (3) a place to socialize with friends and family in a fun atmosphere.
Marketing through social media, radio, and flyers will help Sparky’s reach many different types
of people in the area and convert them into customers. This plan focuses on keeping existing
customers and building brand loyalty by keeping Sparky’s more interactive.
Section 2: Target Customers
Our target customers include:
● Families in the Columbia, Missouri area.
● Students from the University of Missouri and Stephens College.
● Parents visiting students in Columbia, Missouri.
For example: When the Smith family wants to treat their two young children to some ice cream
after dinner they drive or walk to Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream. The art on the walls provides
fun ambience and entertainment. If it is nice outside they can sit in the “parklet” and take
pictures with the dog, Sparky, in front of the store. The Smiths appreciate that they are
supporting a local store with product that is completely homemade. There are a great deal of
flavor options for all customers ranging from vanilla to cicada flavored ice cream. More
importantly, Sparky’s wants the Smith’s experience to be fun and memorable so that as the
children grow up, they continue to frequent Sparky’s as a comfortable and nostalgic place.

4. Section 3: Unique Selling Proposition
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream creates a fun and exciting experience in every aspect of its
presentation including: wall art, ice cream flavors, servers, and signs. Our simple core message
is “Spark Up Your Life”.
Section 4: Distribution Plan
The main goal of Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream is to increase foot traffic into the Columbia,
Missouri store. Sparky’s, while previously closed during winter months, is now open during
January and February on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as on unseasonably warm winter days.
By expanding their stores hours, customers are able to return more frequently.
Sparky’s has also expanded their product to include pints of ice cream in‐store.
Another possible way to expand the brand would be to sell pints in local grocery stores.
Section 5 : Marketing Materials
The marketing materials for Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream include:
● Sparky’s logo stickers for free distribution.
● Surveys in‐store for customers to fill out requesting certain flavors.
● Sparky’s website (needs to be created) ‐ temporarily Facebook page.
● Buttons with Sparky’s logo and pictures of quirky artwork that is displayed on the walls
for $0.50 distribution or free with each pint of ice cream (need to be created).
● Business cards displaying owners name, work phone number, and email should
customers feel the need to contact. Sparky’s logo will be present.
● Flyers to be displayed in classrooms on campus and posted in the downtown area.

5. Section 6: Promotions Strategy
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream promotional strategies include:
● Hashtags on social media including: “SparkUpYourLife”, “FlavorFriday”, and
“SparkYourImagination”.
● Radio Advertisement/Promotion.
● Sparky’s “Spark Your Imagination” promotional flyers.
● Sparky’s “Fav Flave Poll”.
Hashtags
Sparky’s various hashtags and social media campaigns will help increase circulation online and
product referral.
1. “SparkUpYourLife” hashtag ‐ implemented in every Sparky’s post on social media. This is
the overarching hashtag and core message/unique selling point of the brand.
2. “FlavorFriday” hashtag ‐ implemented to involve customers on Twitter. Customers are
able post on Twitter including their favorite flavor of Sparky’s ice cream along with the
“FlavorFriday” hashtag. The customer is then able to show their tweet to a Sparky’s
employee in‐store and receive 20% off their ice cream.
3. “SparkYourImagination” ‐ promotional hashtag used to post about their annual flavor
competition. Customers are encouraged to tweet their ice cream flavor ideas to
Sparky’s. The winner’s ice cream flavor will be featured in‐store and named after the
winner. The winner will also receive free ice cream whenever their flavor is featured in
the store.
Radio Advertising/Promotion & Flyer
We have created a radio commercial to promote Sparky’s Spark Your Imagination Contest as
well as a flyer. Included below is the script of the on‐air promotion and flyer.

7. Fave Flav Poll
Sparky’s monthly “Fave Flav Poll” will be featured on their Facebook page as well as on paper
in‐store. The poll/survey includes around five of Sparky’s most popular flavor options as well as
an option for “OTHER” where customers can type in or write a different flavor. The flavor with
the most votes will be featured in‐store the following month. The poll helps customers to feel
as though their opinions are heard and having their favorite flavor in‐store will keep customers
coming back.

8. Section 7: Online Marketing Strategy
The Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream Facebook page will serve the following purposes:
● Inform potential customers about the brand and what they can expect from the
Sparky’s store and products.
● Sponsor current and upcoming flavor options, promotions and events, collaborations
with other companies in the Columbia area.
● Temporarily fulfill the need for a Sparky’s website.
Potential and existing customers will be encouraged to “Like” the Sparky’s Facebook page in
order to receive updates on their timeline about the store’s activities. By consistently appearing
on Facebook, Sparky’s will promote themselves to a wider age range of customers than on
Instagram and Twitter. Facebook is a great way to interact with customers, post pictures,
surveys, etc. The Sparky’s Facebook page will attract customers by reflecting the fun, quirky,
atmosphere of the store.
Social Media Strategy
The Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter will be shared
between the owner and appointed employees of the shop. After creating new ice cream
flavors, all social media outlets will be updated with a picture promoting the new flavor as well
as stating briefly what other flavors they can expect from going to Sparky’s that day.
All posts should include the hashtag “SparkUpYourLife”. Other posts pertaining to the various
events happening in the store such as “FlavFriday” and “SparkYourImagination” can be included
as well depending on the post.
We have created a social media calendar detailing individual posts to Twitter, Instagram, and
Facebook according to events and promotions. For Example:

9.
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream’s Facebook page will include links to it’s flavor surveys,
Instagram, and Twitter. Customers will be encouraged to interact and create their own posts by
participating in social media promotions and including the brand’s hashtags.
Section 8: Conversion Strategy
Customers will be brought into the store through interactions with the Sparky’s Homemade Ice
Cream website/Facebook page. Testimonials on Facebook as well as posts with pictures on
Sparky’s social media of people enjoying their ice cream product will convert potential
customers.
By tweeting about their favorite flavor and including the hashtag “FlavorFriday”, customers will
receive a 20% discount on their ice cream that day. This will bring customers into the store. This
way, the customers’ followers will also receive word about the discount and be motivated

10. themselves to get ice cream from Sparky’s. Referrals from regular Sparky’s customers to their
friends will attract business into the store as well.
Section 9: Joint Ventures and Partnerships
Sparky’s has already had some joint ventures and partnerships including: Harold’s Doughnuts,
Boone Olive Oil Company, Uprise Bakery, Pizza Tree, Sycamore Brewery, and Strange
Doughnuts. These partnerships help to promote a close‐knit downtown community.
Potential partnerships to consider would be Main Squeeze and Hot Box Cookies. Main
Squeeze’s current smoothie flavors could be converted into a Sparky’s sorbet flavor and Hot
Box’s cookies can be inserted to one of Sparky’s existing flavors.
Section 10: Retention Strategy
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream’s Fave Flave Poll and #SparkYourImagination Contest will make
current customers feel as though their input is valued and that they have a say in the company.
The Fave Flave Poll will give current customers a reason to return to the store because their
favorite flavors will be reappearing. By using the hashtag “FlavorFriday” current customers will
be offered discounts and encouraged to return to the store for their favorite flavor.
Customers are encouraged to provide feedback about their Sparky’s experience through
reviews on Facebook as well as on Instagram and Twitter through comments and replies. All
comments ‐ if appropriate ‐ should be replied to politely and in a timely manner. Replies to
customers should also thank them for their suggestions. The goal is to create connections with
the customers and make them feel as though their opinion as a customer is valued.