UGA Talking Dog Advertising 2016-2017

1. case study
talking dog advertising

3. bagel bros
4 - the team
behind the bagel
6 - background
our tall order
10 - summary
gathering ingrediants
12- insights
feelin’ the heat
16 - challenge
recipe for success
26 - strategy
build it up
28 - phase one
spread it on
46 - phase two
hungry no more
68 - impact
3

4. lindsay tuck kendall tayman reilly megee
account executive project manager art director
4

5. shelby miller jenna becker jordan arnold taylor bremer
copywriter photographer digital specialist strategist
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7. 7

8. Athens Bagel Company is located in the heart of downtown Athens’ historic district. It’s the
go-to local bagel shop serving students, families, or whoever finds themselves looking for
a satisfying breakfast or lunch sandwich. Started and owned by David Asman, a University
of Georgia Alum, ABC offers fresh New York-style bagels with all the meats, cheeses, and
spreads you could want. Entering ABC, you can see the fresh bagels on the exposed brick
walls, can see into the kitchen (where the magic happens), and are able to relax at tables
and chairs that look out onto downtowns Athens.
Aside from their delicious bagels and spreads, ABC is unique; it is a part of the tight knit
Athens community that the locals all know and love. Asman constantly looks for ways for
Athens Bagel to go above and beyond simply serving up food, ways to be involved in the
lives of the people who make this town so great. ABC consistently donates killer bagels to
the wonderful volunteers of Extra Special People Inc., gives leftover bagels to the Athens
food bank, and even uses honey made by UGA’s students. This restaurant is so much
more than a breakfast hot spot.
it’s as easy as abc
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9. 9

11. CHALLENGE
Athens Bagel serves delicious and fresh bagel sandwiches that anyone can enjoy. The food quality, variety, and taste was
nowhere near a challenge. The problem was the disconnect between the yummy, warm, and friendly ABC we knew and
the ABC brand itself. ABC’s social media presence was lacking compared to the personality that the food, owners, and
employees put out towards the community of Athens. In addition, the new brand personality and increased advertising and
digital presence needed to reach a new target audience of adults 25-40 years old, including young adults and those with
families, and raise awareness for ABC’s lunch bagel sandwiches.
STRATEGY
To bridge this gap, we began a total brand makeover on all social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and
the website. This paired with a new friendly, upbeat brand voice, refreshed photography, and features of real Athens Bagel
customers. The enticing photos and community engagement represented who ABC truly is: an Athens community staple
and neighbor. Through the total brand revamp, we attracted old and new customers. Next, we tackled raising awareness
of lunch bagels and reaching a new target audience by featuring children, young professionals, and adults on our social
media accounts, along with photographs of lunch menu items that would make anyone’s mouth water. Art installations, new
merchandise, and other promotions placed in the community cemented ABC’s place in the neighborhood.
RESULTS
Through key strategic efforts, we were able to strengthen ABC’s brand presence in the digital space. Social media engagement
rose dramatically: Facebook by 2271.95% and Instagram by 148.57%. Through implementing paid social in both Facebook and
Instagram, new customers were shown images of savory bagels - especially lunch meals - directing them towards the store
and website, while current customers were reminded to revisit their favorite breakfast and lunch destination.
A complete revamp and launch of the website in January created a 41.25% session increase compared to December statistics.
ABC saw a large growth in post interaction across all platforms, from post likes, comments, and shares to interaction with our
Buzzfeed quiz, with 227 participants.
executive summary
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12. 12

14. We wanted to ascertain the eating and spending
habits of college students, our current main
customers, in order to understand what about
ABC made them keep coming back. To get to
the insights, we prepared a survey for college
students, and 172 people participated. The results
were revealing.
When choosing where to eat, food quality,
convenience, and price were the three most
important factors. Coincidentally, when asked to
identify Athens Bagel’s best qualities, these three
criteria rose to the top. It was important for us to
recognize where ABC was excelling so we could
fix what was broken and further uplift the things
that were not.
When deciding where to eat, please rank the order of
importance of the following criteria with 1 being the most
important and 6 being the least important.
research approach
14

15. breakfast
lunch
We also noted that both men and women are
equally likely to eat lunch at ABC. While 75% of
people are somewhat or extremely likely to go
to ABC during breakfast, however, this number
drops dramatically to 37% for somewhat or
extremely likely to go to ABC for lunch. Based
on this finding, we determined that our action
should be to boost social posts concerning the
lunch option, promoting and offering specials
for lunch time bagel lovers. This applied not
just to college students, but more importantly,
the locals who work downtown during the
week and families on the weekends as well.
15

17. The challenge was to create a new, cohesive brand identity that accurately portrayed
ABC’s personality and spoke to both families and young individuals in the Athens
community. Athens Bagel Company is a staple among many different groups within
the neighborhood, however, in conjunction with a continued appreciation for the loyal
college student customers, we wanted to exponentially grow ABC’s presence in a new
target market: 25-40 year old local families and young adults.
It was then pivotal to close the gap between the delicious food ABC was serving up
and the underwhelming representation of it on social media. The social media and
advertisingpresencedidnotrevealABC’smouth-wateringfoodortheirfunny,easygoing,
and neighborly atmosphere. Not to mention, it failed to address ABC’s amazing and
underrated lunch options.
ABC has one goal: to serve the community of Athens, students and locals alike, a
breakfast or lunch that will leave them happy and satisfied.
the challenge
17

18. Well-liked product
Appeals to a large target market
Downtown location
Option to personalize bagel order
Number one company on Google search
Incentives, deals, and discount opportunities
Promoted social media posts
Cater to the college student & Athens markets
Owner is willing to give back to the community
through philanthropic connections
Local partnerships
Expensive price point
Extensive menu can be overwhelming
The storefront lacks color and cohesiveness
Weak social media presence
Lack of overall brand identity
Lack of awareness of ABC’s lunch selections
Direct competitors such as Ideal Bagel &
Einstein Bro.’s Bagel
Indirect competition from local breakfast &
lunch spots (i.e. Ike & Jane and Mama’s Boy)
Trend of healthy eating
strengths
opportunities
weaknesses
threats
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19. 19

20. ideal bagel
DIRECT COMPETITOR
Branding: retro, artsy, local
Digital Presence: no website, Facebook (1,047 page likes)
Target Market: locals & families
Products: bagels, sandwiches
Unique Factor: local vintage decor & “Athens-y” atmosphere
20

21. einstein bros bagels
DIRECT COMPETITOR
Branding: famous chain bagel restaurant,
“shmear society”
Digital Presence: corporate website, Facebook
for their local location (736 Page Likes)
- Weekly offers on Facebook
- Twitter hasn’t been used since 2015
- Corporate Instagram used infrequently
Target Market: college kids & young adult
Athenians
Products: breakfast sandwiches & bagels with
spreads at a lower price point
Unique Factor: support of a national chain
behind them
zombie donuts
INDIRECT COMPETITOR
Branding: young, colorful, fun. Zombie has a
huge following on instagram
Digital Presence: website, Facebook (1119 Page
Likes) & Instagram (4000 followers)
- Food pictures, events, and reminders
- Use their media to reach students
Target Market: college kids on Facebook &
Instagram
- Facility is the perfect place for studying
Products: personalized donuts, coffee, blended
beverages, espresso drinks, & merchandise
Unique Factor: less of a meal, more of a treat.
Who doesn’t love a beautiful, yummy donut?
21

22. key fact
Athens Bagel strives to serve delicious
breakfast and lunch food right in the heart of
downtown Athens. They have strong ties to
thecommunity,utilizingsomelocalingredients
and participating in key Athens events.
problem
Athens Bagel Company lacks a cohesive
brand identity that can be implemented
across their social and digital platforms.
Although they are centrally located
downtown and have a strong college
student following, they lack the traffic of the
lunch crowd and local adults and families
living in Athens.
objectives
- Establish presence as a fixture in the
Athens community.
- Create a cohesive, more attractive brand
identity through a color and promotional
materials revamp, enticing food
photography, redesign of website, store
improvements, and merchandise.
- Increase social media presence on
Instagram and Facebook.
- Increase engagement with consumers on
social media.
target
The primary target audience features local
Athens adults age 25-40. Athens Bagel
offers a delicious and quick option for a
breakfast on the way to work, a lunch break,
and a friendly neighborhood spot for the
whole family to enjoy a meal together.
The secondary target audience is our
forever loyal college students age 18-24.
Although this group of people are current
customers, we want to keep spreading the
love and showing them that they matter.
promise
To be your friendly neighbor while serving
you, your family, and your friends delicious
fresh bagels exactly how you like them.
support
It feels good to walk into Athens Bagel. If
you love Athens, you’ll immediately be
inspired by the local, friendly atmosphere
that truly encapsulates what this town is all
about. The menu classics and customizable
sandwiches will satisfy any customer that
wants to feel at home when sharing a
meal with family or friends. Bagels don’t
discriminate, and ABC spreads the love.
tone & manner
Easy-going, fun, friendly, and neighborly to
emphasize that when you’re at ABC, you’re
at home.
22

23. “This is the kind of establishment you should
take your family, your friends; everyone you
love. The cozy wooden booths, the sleepy
atmosphere, the delicious bagels and lovely
bagel-sandwich concoctions... they make
for the perfect Saturday morning brunch or
weekday afternoon treat.”
Insight
23

24. meet brad
PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCE
Brad is 36 years old and married with two young kids. He
works downtown at Athens First Bank and Trust. Athens
Bagel is a go-to whether it is during the week for a lunch
meeting or on the weekend after a little league game!
24

25. meet claire
SECONDARY TARGET AUDIENCE
Claire is a 24 year old law student at the University of
Georgia. She loves to walk downtown to Athens Bagel for
a quick lunch and coffee after classes all morning before
it’s back to the library for some more studying!
25

26. To tackle our challenge head on, we started with a complete brand makeover. Before we
could engage the community and promote ABC’s lunch options, we needed everything
to be in top shape. This makeover encompassed a total redesign of ABC’s brand
identity, an overhaul of the website, new photography, and a rejuvenation of their brand
voice. These updates to ABC’s brand represent the true Athens Bagel personality, a
neighborhood place that simply wants to serve up good food.
Once the brand was cohesive, the social media revamp and advertising efforts could
begin. We reached ABC’s primary target market by showing families enjoying ABC,
engaging followers through reposts of user generated content, contests, and utilizing
visually appealing photography. Our advertising campaign, “Community & a Bagel,” got
the whole community to engage - showcasing Athens Bagel Company as a staple in the
downtown neighborhood and as a place to share more than just a delicious meal.
Using our new social media pushes and week-long social experience, we promoted the
lunch menu in order to encourage professionals, families, and locals alike to come not
just in the early morning hours but in the afternoon too. We cross promoted with other
local Athens businesses, designed and executed the making of new merchandise, and
threw ABC a fifth birthday party, inviting all members of the Athens community.
the strategy
26

29. 29

30. ABC is your friendly neighborhood bagel joint - but they also have a fun, edgy side to them,
reminiscent of a classic NYC bagel shop. They needed a brand identity that merged those two
competing personalities into one cohesive look. This new identity features a brighter red, adding
pops of color to the grey accents and the colorful bagel sandwiches. It also showcases grit and
noise, breaking up the whimsy with a little bit of authentic New York.
byob: build your own brand
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32. 32

33. roasted red pepper
#dc3129
poppy seed
#333333
DISPLAY headline Body
Accent2
proxima nova
brannboll
gotham roundedgotham rounded
bagel dough
#70564d
The logo colors were updated and the
alternative logo eliminated. Logo may be
used in full color, white, or poppy seed.
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34. 34

35. New Menus
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36. 36

37. cheery & humorous
neighborhood vibes
brand voice
37

38. 38

39. ABC’s digital presence needed some livening up. Since customers primarily go to Athens
Bagel for the mouthwatering food, they needed plenty of content promoting each bagel
sandwich on the menu. In addition, it was important to showcase the diverse bagel lovers of
Athens, enjoying the good food and the good company.
The photography paired seamlessly with the brand’s new personality and image: inviting,
vibrant, and relatable. The visual aspect of the social media is crucial to illustrate the friendly,
neighborhood vibe, as well as to bring customers into the store.
photography
39

40. As the world is becoming increasingly digital, companies are having to step up their website
game. ABC’s previous website was outdated, messy, and hard to navigate - not to mention
a little behind on ABC’s brand identity. Through a WordPress platform easily editable by
the owner, we crafted a new website from the ground up. The new brand identity was
incorporated in every element, from headers to colors to tone to photography. Pages were
restructured to provide maximum efficiency for web surfers and the online ordering platform
was overhauled to present the food and merchandise in a more appealing way. And perhaps
most importantly, users could now see just how good ABC bagels look.
cookin’ up a new website
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42. 42

43. Athens Bagel’s new print and digital identity needed to be reflected in its store. We set
to work first with adding pops of ABC’s new signature red: brand new in-store signage,
revamped chalk menu boards, and custom artwork. This artwork is inspired by a small
painting ABC has hanging in a corner - a red and white cut-out image of a New York bagel
shop. Bringing in some of Athens’ most notable landmarks, we replicated this style for five
unique art pieces to adorn ABC’s walls. Finally, we created bold window decals to draw in
passersby and alert the community to the new and improved ABC.
store revamp
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44. New Exterior Window
44

45. Interior Wall Mural
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47. 47

48. Our campaign set out to do three things: bring the Athens community together over a
shared love of bagels, draw in the new markets of young professionals and families, and
promote ABC lunch bagels. Through the “Community & a Bagel” campaign, we were able
to showcase all of the different ways you could enjoy ABC - taking some time between
meetings at work, making memories with your family, or having fun with friends. ABC isn’t
just a one-stop bagel shop and it isn’t just for UGA students; it’s a neighborhood place and
a part of all of our daily lives.
In addition, through the #BagelBreak social campaign, customers were asked why they took
an ABC bagel break. Their images and insights were shared on social media, showing the
community the variety of people who walked through ABC’s doors every day.
The print ads also featured ABC’s lunch bagels - but the lunch promotions didn’t stop there.
Whether it be by encouraging customers to try new lunch bagels through an around-town
social experience, relating lunch bagels to personality types through our native advertising,
or featuring lunch meals heavily on social media platforms, customers were exposed to the
amazing lunch menu that ABC has to offer.
community & a (lunch) bagel
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49. 49

50. old new
50

51. Athens Bagel’s customers are as loyal as the food is delicious. We’ve found this to be true
after 10 months of implementing key strategies to drive user engagement and promote
good vibes all throughout the Athens community. The inconsistent social media presence
that existed before our involvement with the platforms, combined with a large following
despite this lack of consistency, provided significant room for opportunity.
We aimed to create a cohesive identity for Athens Bagel across all platforms, as well as use
ABC’s digital influence to bring joy to people’s everyday lives, whether or not they decided
to visit the store that day. Our team implemented a neighborly, humorous, and cheerful tone
in order to relate to local Athens families, students at The University of Georgia, and even
out-of-town visitors. By completely taking over social media and revamping the website, our
goal was to create compelling content to give those who followed us a sense of community
and vibrancy the only way we knew how: showing off our mouthwatering food in combination
with the people that make Athens the lovely place that it is.
taking over social
51

52. #BagelBreak
The team decided the best way to spark user
engagement was to involve customers in a simple,
yet effective way. The “Bagel Break” campaign
implemented a series of testimonials on Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter weekly where we asked
customers “What does Athens Bagel mean to
you?” With this, we aimed to expose the truth and
importance of breakfast in general, and leveraged
the idea that there is no better way to start your day
than at Athens Bagel. The hashtag #BagelBreak was
used in each testimonial post as a way to remind
customers we’re always here, and you always
deserve to take a “bagel break.”
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53. These bagels are life changing. Hands down best bagels in town!
Great atmosphere and food, it is a must stop for me every time we’re in town.
Athens Bagel Company a great local business.
Delicious, REAL bagels, and friendly service all from a locally owned business!
Every year is the year of the bagel for me!
Awesome bagels. Reminds me of a NYC bagel shop.

54. native advertising
The challenge to create an engaging piece that would both interest our target market and function as a native
advertisement presented itself with several possibilities. The team decided on creating a Buzzfeed personality quiz,
which we encouraged customers to take and find out which bagel they should order next based on their answers
to three short questions. Over 200 people took the quiz and discovered their personality’s bagel match.
54

55. cross promotions
Athens Bagel participated in a handful of cross promotions with other local Athens businesses such as
OrangeTheory Fitness, Jittery Joes, and Cheeky Peach Boutique. The partnership with these companies
promoted the support of shopping small, local businesses, and community.
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56. 56

57. The unique social experience was designed
to provide users with an interactive ABC
experience as well as a tangible reward.
With several of Athens Bagel menu items
being named after popular destinations in
Athens, we created “Bagel Origins.” This
entailed implementing a single red sign in
each of the 5 chosen locations and creating
a snapchat geofilter for that designated area
on each of the 5 weekdays. If a consumer
took the initiative to find a location on its
corresponding day, they would have the
opportunity to enjoy 50% off that lunch bagel!
57

58. merchandise
With no merch, how are Athenians supposed to express their love of Athens Bagel? We set out to make t-shirts
that expressed the sentiments of the entire bagel nation: Dat. Bagel. Dough. Complete with ABC-esque humor,
the shirts have been a big hit with Athens Bagel customers of all ages.
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60. 60

61. bagels around town
In a guerilla art installation, ABC will play on Athens’ artistic character and place bagel artwork on manholes around
the neighborhood. Not only will these bagel pop-ups add some color to the streets, it will utilize Athenians’ fondness
for outdoor art and quirky, picture-worthy surprises - just another way to ingrain ABC as a part of the community.
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62. How can ABC draw in new people from across the neighborhood - not just people who live
and work downtown? In a guerilla marketing promotion, Athens Bagel will put “Dat Bagel
Dough” stickers on quarters and place them in key spots around Athens - for instance, on
downtown sidewalks, in front of promotional partners, like Orange Fitness, and in parking
lots of local parks and sports fields. If people find these quarters and bring them into ABC’s
Jackson St. store, they get 25% off their meal. What’s better than finding free money? Finding
free money and a bagel discount.
throwin’ out quarters
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64. 64

65. Happy 5th Birthday, ABC! To celebrate Athens favorite bagel shop’s birthday, we decided
a party was necessary. The store was to be decorated with balloons and confetti and the
bagel man mascot even sporting a birthday sash! To not only celebrate ABC but also the
customers that support it, there were raffles going on all day, giving out discounts, free food,
and free merchandise.
abc birthday party
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66. The owner made it very clear from day one that he wants to use its presence in Athens to give
back. We created multiple ways to partner up with organizations already in the community
to serve food for those deserving and in need. ABC already donates to Extra Special People
Inc, a group that serves children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Bagels
are provided for volunteers for big events, such as Big Hearts.
In addition, we suggested ABC partner up with UGA campus kitchen to help combat
community hunger, Athens Little League to provide post game snacks for children and their
families, and create a fleet of Athens Bagel Co. bikes that could be rented out for use around
town by Bike Athens riders while their bikes were under repair.
neighborhood partnerships
66

67. ABC Bike
67

69. 69

70. Athens Bagel Company saw great success in
Instagram engagement from October to February.
Through the use of paid advertising, the account
reached more people than ever before, with
a 281.53% increase in overall impressions. By
creating visually appealing content, as well as
rewarding followers for interactions, engagement
increased by 148.57%. Of this engagement, 40%
was with our primary desired target audience of
25-34 year olds.
Instagram Impressions Facebook Reach & Engagement
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Feb.
Feb.
REACH
ENGAGEMENT
Feb.
Instagram Engagement
instagram metrics
Facebook also saw an enormous increase in
engagement, which can be closely attributed
to the use of paid page and post promotions.
From October to February, engagement rose
by 2271.95%. This increase in engagement is an
indication of paid promotions ability to reach more
people, as ABC’s reach increased by 397.06%.
facebook metrics
70

71. USERS
PAGEVIEWS
+31.70% page views
+11.11% session duration
AthensBagelCompanyrevampedthewebsitewith
a new, user-friendly design that gave customers
access to all ABC has to offer. The site launched
in January and backed with a strong social push,
was received well by our target markets.
From December to January, the site had a 41.25%
increase in users and a 41.60% increase in
pageviews. A user was 2x more likely to access the
site from a mobile device, so mobile optimization
was key. The new user-face allowed customers to
access the website via their mobile device, view the
menu offerings, and place and pay for the order.
website metrics
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