7. Baskin-Robbins has been around for over 70 years and
is typically associated with traditional flavors, families,
and their kids. 22squared challenged us, Kraken Creative, to
create a fresh, competitive campaign for Baskin-Robbins with
a new target audience. We are marketing to women ages
18-49, encouraging them to come in to stores and experience
Baskin-Robbins’ many innovative flavors during the National
Ice Cream Month of July.
Seeing as Baskin-Robbins has lightly advertised for National
Ice Cream Month in the past, we produced offers and content
that has more incentive; it will break through the copious
amounts of clutter. While continuing Baskin-Robbins’ fun and
energetic tone, we developed a more interactive campaign
that showcases camaraderie and exploration through both
everyday and fantasy situations. Our campaign will not only
increase sales and appeal to our new target market, but make
consumers realize that the sky’s the limit for Baskin-Robbins.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
6
8. Background:
First, a little history on the brand:
-Baskin-Robbin’s was founded in 1945
-2,800 stores in the US
-Founded in California by two brother-in-laws (Burt & Irv)
-#1 hard scoop ice cream shop
-Product offering goes beyond ice cream– Cakes, Cones, Scoops, Sundaes, Beverages, Warm Cookie Sandwiches
-Customize and buy cakes online
Baskin-Robbins is all about flavors. They have created over 1200 different ice cream flavorsand release a new
flavor every month (FOM) in stores across the country. Their tagline is even “More FLAVORS. More Fun.”
Despite their focus on innovative flavors, they are not getting the credit they deserve from consumers. Baskinhas
more than the usual flavors andmany of themare based on food trendsand are familiar with a twist. We want to
make consumers think differently about BRand recognize that BR is a place todiscover unexpected flavors they
have not tried before.
National Ice Cream month/day is in July and is naturally a brand relevant holiday forBaskin-Robbins. The holiday
is an opportunity for the brand to tout the variety of unique flavors and entice consumers to visit the store to try
them. Historically, Baskin has supported the holiday with social content recognizing the dayin a light-weight
fashion, but never in a way that is ownable for the brand and against competitors(ie free ice creamoffer or larger
creative activations). This year there is an opportunity to celebrate the holiday in a bigger way, capitalizing on the
relevance of the holiday, in an effort to drive traffic tostores to celebrate with Baskin.
Business Challenge:
Drive traffic and purchase during National Ice Month (July) and National Ice Cream Day.
Campaign Challenge:
Drive consumers to experience the variety of flavors at BR duringNational Ice Cream Month & Day in alarger and
more integrated & unique way
Assignment:
Develop integrated campaign, inclusive of strategy, media & creative, to support National Ice Cream Month/Day
Single-Minded Idea:
Come to Baskin-Robbins to to try the many flavors in the dipping cabinet &celebrate National Ice Cream
Month/Daythis July!
Target:
Adults 18-49, skew female;Flavor Explorers love to try new foods, flavors, and share a new food experience with
friends. Theconversation, “have you tried XYZ food yet?” can motivate them to visit a restaurant. If they haven’t
tried it, they’ll seek it out. They like to be among the first to try a new restaurant, or new signature dish. They like
telling their friends about new tastes that few have tried, and they like foods with unique twists.
Support:
With the vast variety of ice cream flavors and product offerings, there are many waysand reasons to
celebrate at BR (there are 31-42 flavors in store at any given time)
BASKIN-ROBBINS BRIEFBASKIN-ROBBINS BRIEF
Background:
First, a little history on the brand:
-Baskin-Robbins’ was founded in 1945
-2,800 stores in the US
-Founded in California by two brother-in-laws (Burt & Irv) -#1 hard scoop ice cream shop
-Product offering goes beyond ice cream – Cakes, Cones, Scoops, Sundaes, Beverages,
Warm Cookie Sandwiches
-Customize and buy cakes online
Baskin-Robbins is all about flavors. They have created over 1200 different ice cream flavors
and release a new flavor every month (FOM) in stores across the country. Their tagline is
even “More FLAVORS. More Fun.” Despite their focus on innovative flavors, they are not
getting the credit they deserve from consumers. Baskin has more than the usual flavors
and many of them are based on food trends and are familiar with a twist. We want to
make consumers think differently about BR and recognize that BR is a place to discover
unexpected flavors they have not tried before.
National Ice Cream month/day is in July and is naturally a brand relevant holiday for Baskin-
Robbins. The holiday is an opportunity for the brand to tout the variety of unique flavors and
entice consumers to visit the store to try them. Historically, Baskin has supported the holiday
with social content recognizing the day in a light-weight fashion, but never in a way that is
ownable for the brand and against competitors (ie free ice cream offer or larger creative
activations). This year there is an opportunity to celebrate the holiday in a bigger way,
capitalizing on the relevance of the holiday, in an effort to drive traffic to stores to celebrate
with Baskin.
Business Challenge:
Drive traffic and purchase during National Ice Month (July) and National Ice Cream Day.
Campaign Challenge:
Assignment:
Develop integrated campaign, inclusive of strategy, media & creative, to support National
Ice Cream Month/Day
Single-Minded Idea
Come to Baskin-Robbins to try the many flavors in the dipping cabinet & celebrate National
Ice Cream Month/Day this July!
Target
Adults 18-49, skew female; Flavor Explorers love to try new foods, flavors, and share a new
food experience with friends. The conversation, “have you tried XYZ food yet?” can motivate7
9. Background:
First, a little history on the brand:
-Baskin-Robbin’s was founded in 1945
-2,800 stores in the US
-Founded in California by two brother-in-laws (Burt & Irv)
-#1 hard scoop ice cream shop
-Product offering goes beyond ice cream– Cakes, Cones, Scoops, Sundaes, Beverages, Warm Cookie Sandwiches
-Customize and buy cakes online
Baskin-Robbins is all about flavors. They have created over 1200 different ice cream flavorsand release a new
flavor every month (FOM) in stores across the country. Their tagline is even “More FLAVORS. More Fun.”
Despite their focus on innovative flavors, they are not getting the credit they deserve from consumers. Baskinhas
more than the usual flavors andmany of themare based on food trendsand are familiar with a twist. We want to
make consumers think differently about BRand recognize that BR is a place todiscover unexpected flavors they
have not tried before.
National Ice Cream month/day is in July and is naturally a brand relevant holiday forBaskin-Robbins. The holiday
is an opportunity for the brand to tout the variety of unique flavors and entice consumers to visit the store to try
them. Historically, Baskin has supported the holiday with social content recognizing the dayin a light-weight
fashion, but never in a way that is ownable for the brand and against competitors(ie free ice creamoffer or larger
creative activations). This year there is an opportunity to celebrate the holiday in a bigger way, capitalizing on the
relevance of the holiday, in an effort to drive traffic tostores to celebrate with Baskin.
Business Challenge:
Drive traffic and purchase during National Ice Month (July) and National Ice Cream Day.
Campaign Challenge:
Drive consumers to experience the variety of flavors at BR duringNational Ice Cream Month & Day in alarger and
more integrated & unique way
Assignment:
Develop integrated campaign, inclusive of strategy, media & creative, to support National Ice Cream Month/Day
Single-Minded Idea:
Come to Baskin-Robbins to to try the many flavors in the dipping cabinet &celebrate National Ice Cream
Month/Daythis July!
Target:
Adults 18-49, skew female;Flavor Explorers love to try new foods, flavors, and share a new food experience with
friends. Theconversation, “have you tried XYZ food yet?” can motivate them to visit a restaurant. If they haven’t
tried it, they’ll seek it out. They like to be among the first to try a new restaurant, or new signature dish. They like
telling their friends about new tastes that few have tried, and they like foods with unique twists.
Support:
With the vast variety of ice cream flavors and product offerings, there are many waysand reasons to
celebrate at BR (there are 31-42 flavors in store at any given time)
BASKIN-ROBBINS BRIEF
BR’s new “twists” on favorite flavors follow popular food trends.
Who better to celebrate National Ice Cream Day/Month with thanan ice cream brand that has been
around for 70+ years?
#1 hard scoop ice cream shop
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy ice cream
Baskin never stops inventing new combinations, new flavor concepts. To date, they have invented over
1200 flavors.
Brand Tone:
Celebratory, Fun, Playful, Energetic
Considerations:
Consider month-long flighting with a heavy up around National Ice Cream Day
Utilize BR’s owned channels (website, social platforms, email). Other channels outside of these should be
considered.
Consider incentivizing store visits and purchase with offer
BUDGET & TIMING
Flight Dates:
July 1-31
NICD: July 17
Budget:
Media: $1M
Production: $250k
BASKIN-ROBBINS BRIEF
them to visit a restaurant. If they haven’t tried it, they’ll seek it out. They like to be among the first to
try a new restaurant, or new signature dish. They like telling their friends about new tastes that few
have tried, and they like foods with unique twists.
Support:
● With the vast variety of ice cream flavors and product offerings, there are many ways and reasons to
celebrate at BR (there are 31-42 flavors in store at any given time)
Drive consumers to experience the variety of flavors at BR during National Ice Cream Month & Day
in a larger and
more integrated & unique way
● BRs’ new “twists” on favorite flavors follow popular food trends.
● Who better to celebrate National Ice Cream Day/Month with than an ice cream brand that has been
around for 70+ years?
● #1 hard scoop ice cream shop
● Summer is the perfect time to enjoy ice cream
● Baskin never stops inventing new combinations, new flavor concepts. To date, they have invented
over
1200 flavors.
Brand Tone:
Celebratory, Fun, Playful, Energetic
Considerations:
● Consider month-long flighting with a heavy up around National Ice Cream Day
● Utilize BRs’ owned channels (website, social platforms, email). Other channels outside of these
should be considered.
● Consider incentivizing store visits and purchase with offer
BUDGET & TIMING
Flight Dates:
● July 1-31
● NICD: July 17
Budget:
● Media: $1M
● Production: $250k
8
11. Our research questions revolved around increasing
sales and awareness. Through our secondary
research, we wanted to gain an understanding of
how the target market responds to competition
as well as to the Baskin-Robbins brand. The most
important objective of the primary research was to
gain insight into our target market of women. We
wanted to know how they rate the brand and its
product against our competitors.
OVERALL RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
RESEARCH
10
12. • To gain insight into the target market to discover who
they are and what media outlets the majority of the market
uses
• To uncover sentiments towards Baskin-Robbins’ to
identify the brand’s strengths and weaknesses
• To examine the Baskin-Robbins’ brand in order to be
inspired and gain a greater knowledge of the brand
SECONDARY RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
RESEARCH
11
13. SECONDARY RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
MRI: We used MRI+ to discover who our target market
is and where they spend most of their time consuming
content. Approximately 52% of consumers were women
and 48% were men. We noted that a large portion of our
market uses traditional media outlets, with the two main
ones being cable television and magazines. FamilyFun,
Taste of Home, and Good Housekeeping were among the
major magazines read by our target market. For television,
late-night shows dominated over other programs, but
daytime talk shows, daytime dramas, and news programs
closely followed. With this information, we recommend
using a variety of placement tactics involving some
traditional media, such as spot commercials and print ads,
along with the constantly growing social media platforms
Reviews: We paid attention to our current consumers and
read reviews; this allowed us to understand consumers’
attitudes towards Baskin-Robbins, leading us to understand
the needs of our consumers better and identify both
the strengths and weaknesses of our brand. In general,
consumers seem to be satisfied with the brand and
prices, while providing positive feedback about slightly
more traditional flavors. Despite customer satisfaction,
Baskin-Robbins consistently does not get the recognition
it deserves when compared to competitors such as Ben
& Jerry’s and Cold Stone. A new, fresh campaign that
rejuvenates Baskin-Robbins image could mitigate the
problem.
Website: By examining the Baskin-Robbins website
and other content from Dunkin’ Brands, we gained an
understanding of its brand personality. Baskin-Robbins
positions itself as a fun, lively brand that offers a variety of
premium desserts. We also looked into Baskin-Robbins’
history, international presence, and flavor options which led
the team to our main consumer insight and ultimately our
big idea.
Social Media Insight: We used websites such as
Sproutsocial, PewResearch, and Business Insider to gather
information about current social media users and trends.
The overall consensus is that Facebook is the most popular
platform, while the next biggest platform is Instagram.
Snapchat is another social media platform gaining traction,
especially among young adults. While Facebook’s users
are split evenly between men and women, Instagram and
Snapchat are used more frequently by women. Lastly, we
discovered that Youtube is used more than any other cable
network by individuals aged 18-49
RESEARCH
12
14. • To gain insight into the motivations of customers in their
selection of ice cream stores, as influenced by quality,
flavor selection, environment, brand loyalty, and price.
• To go beyond the provided demographic data of Baskin-
Robbins’ customers and discover new facts and behaviors.
PRIMARY RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Survey: We administered an eight question survey consisting
of demographic and psychographic questions to better
understand the behaviors of our target market of adults 18-
49; we put a particular focus on women in this age group.
The survey was distributed randomly through Facebook and
emails. We received a total of 284 responses to the survey
from our target market, with the majority of responses being
from women aged 18-49. With the survey, we found customer
attitudes towards Baskin-Robbins and which factors influence
which ice cream store they choose.
Store Visit: After visiting the local Baskin-Robbins store, the
team was able to better understand the behaviors of the
target market. We sampled most of the flavors and took note
of the factors that influenced our decisions; our goal was to
think more like our consumers. The factors we found that most
influenced our decisions were taste, nutrition, and price.
PRIMARY RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
FROZEN
YOGURT
11%
RESEARCH
13
15. PRIMARY RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CHOICE
IN ICE CREAM STORES?
WHEN YOU GO OUT FOR ICE
CREAM, DO YOU GO OUT WITH
OTHERS?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO
BASKIN-ROBBINS?
YES
83.84%
YES
93%
NO
16.16%
NO
7%
HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO OUT
FOR ICE CREAM?
ONCE A MONTH
62%
ONCE A
YEAR
15%
ONCE A
WEEK
15%
I NEVER GO OUT
FOR ICE CREAM
7%
MORE THAN
ONCE A WEEK
1%
QUALITY
43%
FLAVOR
SELECTION
40%
ENVIRONMENT
4%BRAND
LOYALTY
6%
PRICE
7%
YES
93%
ICE CREAM
39%
COOKIE
14%
WHAT IS YOUR DESSERT OF CHOICE?
CAKE
28%
PIE
8%
FROZEN
YOGURT
8%
RESEARCH
14
16. FROZEN
YOGURT
11%
INDUSTRY
Entrepreneur Magazine ranks Baskin-Robbins as the top hard
scoop ice cream brand for 2016, followed by Cold Stone
Creamery, Ben & Jerry’s, The Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Co. Inc.,
and Bruster’s Real Ice Cream.
Premium and health-conscious products are among the food
industry’s top trends; the exploration of new and innovative
products also follows suit. “Foodies” are helping drive these
trends by striving to find the best, healthiest, and tastiest
products. Baskin-Robbins helps its position by constantly
inventing new flavors and products.
The ice cream industry’s seasonality is weighted much
more in the summer months. Production increases during
March and April, and the heaviest spike in sales is seen June-
August. As the months grow colder, ice cream sales decline
with the temperature.
With the rise of the health trend, there has been a rise
of secondary competitors in the industry. Frozen yogurt,
sorbets, and fruit pops are more in demand, based on the
general presumption that they have fewer calories than ice
cream.
The franchise model that was created by Burt and Irv
has allowed Baskin-Robbins to create a strong presence
in the communities in which it is located. It provides
opportunities for the company to have a hands-on
role in making sure every customer receives quality,
innovative products and helps to uphold the brand
philosophy of “America’s Favorite Neighborhood
Ice Cream Shop.” Baskin-Robbins is currently
headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and is part of
the Dunkin’ Group, Inc. family of companies.
COMPANY
RESEARCH
15
17. 2,800 2,800 237
600 shops in over
50 countries 200
31 Rotating
Flavors, world’s
largest chain
ice cream store,
product variation,
customer service
Super premium
ice cream, strong
social media
following, custom-
izable ice cream
and mix-ins
Non-dairy
products, strong
marketing and
advertising
presence, involve-
ment in social
activities, main-
tained a strong
legacy, have prod-
ucts in retail
Have products in
retail stores, high
television
presence,
premium and
innovative ice
cream
Ice cream made
in-store
Inconsistency
in flavors and
products between
locations, high
cost of ingredi-
ents, does not
have products in
retail stores
Complaints of
business practices
creating competi-
tive disadvantage,
limited market
share and low
margins due to
competition
Has been involved
in controversial
social and political
topics
High price range
of products, social
responsibility con-
cerns distract from
company’s core
business
Low social media
presence, little
national name rec-
ognition, few loca-
tions compared to
competition
Facebook, Ins-
tagram, Twitter,
Pinterest, YouTube
Facebook, Ins-
tagram, Twitter,
Pinterest, YouTube
Facebook, Ins-
tagram, Twitter,
Pinterest, YouTube
Facebook, Ins-
tagram, Twitter,
Pinterest, YouTube
Facebook, Ins-
tagram, Twitter,
Pinterest, YouTube
$2.19 - $3.99 $4.00 - $5.75 $3.99 - $4.99 $4.00-$6.00 $2.82 - $5.37
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
NUMBER OF
STORES (US)
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
SOCIAL MEDIA
PRESENCE
PRICE RANGE
RESEARCH
16
19. The ideal customer of Baskin-Robbins consists of men
and women, ages 18-49 years old. This market has an
average household income of $20,000 to $150,000 a
year; however, our market also has a fair amount of
disposable income. Those who make less money are
typically college students with allowances. Students
place high value on experiences and friends, whereas
families have a high focus on child-centered activities.
The most frequent consumers of Baskin-Robbins are young
women aged 20 to 35 with diverse ethnic, socioeconomic,
and occupational backgrounds. The income of the target
market is low to high, due to different educational levels.
Baskin-Robbins target markets are mostly age and income
based. The market growth is driven by young consumers
who rely heavily on social media. Approximately 72%
of adults use Facebook; of that, 77% of women use this
social media platform. Instagram is one of the rising stars
of social media. 55% of online adults ages 18-29 use
Instagram; of those, women continue to be more likely
than men to be Instagram users.
TARGET MARKET DEMOGRAPHICS
Our Survey Monkey questionnaire indicated that among respondents, ice cream was the most popular dessert, followed by
cake. Most respondents had been to Baskin-Robbins. With that said, the most popular hard scoop shops were roughly tied
among Baskin-Robbins, Ben and Jerry’s, and Cold Stone. Here, Ben & Jerry’s had a slight advantage in popularity. Most go
out for ice cream once a month, while equal numbers go out for ice cream annually and once a week. Quality and flavor
selection are the two most important things people are looking for in an ice cream shop. Other factors such as brand loyalty,
environment, and price were deemed less important.
PSYCHOGRAPHICS
CONSUMER INSIGHT
18
21. Cassie is a single, 31-year-old woman who loves being on the
cutting edge of the culinary realm. She is college educated and
makes $75,000 a year. Cassie is a Yelper who often photographs
food before she takes a single bite. The product taste and quality
is of paramount importance to her. She likes options and chooses
restaurants based on how entertained her pallet is with a variety
of smaller dishes. Cassie is the type of foodie who is fascinated by
variety and even goes to the farmer’s market on Sunday just to look
at the beautiful array of fresh produce. If a restaurant is not giving
her diverse options, she will not give them her money.
TARGET PROFILES
20
22. Lexi is an 18-year-old college freshman who earns decent money
between her allowance and wage as a waitress. She loves sharing
YouTube videos to her social network. In her small town, there are
not many options for restaurants. Since Lexi does not want to hang
out with her friends at the place she works, they often meet up at
the local Baskin-Robbins. Lexi and her friends choose Baskin-Robbins
because of its central location and the fact that they can always get
free samples from the large flavor selection prior to placing their
Topanga is a 49-year-old mother who enjoys spending quality
time with the people she loves. She is a high school graduate,
mother of three, and a stay-at-home mom who enjoys catching up
with old friends via Facebook. Topanga picks the venues where
she and her friends meet based on geographical ease and product
quality, not the price point or environment. What’s most important
is that she and her friends have a good time with each other.
Topanga and her friends are the party…wherever it may be.
TARGET PROFILES
21
23. INSIGHT
INSIGHT
The major insight here is that virtually nobody goes to ice cream shops
alone. It is a social experience best shared with friends. Furthermore, the
quality and flavor selection is far more important than environment or
price point, which was surprising to us.
Our target market consists of people who are social, both online and
in person. They value high quality products, especially when it comes
to food. They tend to place more of an emphasis on experiences over
material possessions.
As far as we could tell, there is no singular religious or political slant
to those who enjoy ice cream. Love of this beloved treat spans all
personalities, careers, and worldviews.
22
25. 22squared challenged us to drive sales in stores for National Ice
Cream Month by engaging with customers who have an obsession
with the newest, most interesting flavors. After conducting both
secondary and primary research, we discovered two things:
Baskin-Robbins was founded on friendship and discovery, and
both millennial and baby boomer women love not only to eat ice
cream but to share their experiences. Therefore, we found out
that ice cream is a social experience.
We decided to make National Ice Cream Month about two things:
ice cream and friends. Since our target market, women age 18-
49, are considered “foodies,” we chose to center our campaign
around “Taste Buds,” in both the literal and figurative meanings.
We decided that the best way to appeal to the target market’s
flavor desires and to drive in-store sales was to tell everyone to
“Bring Your Taste Buds” to Baskin-Robbins for National Ice Cream
Month. Customers will have the opportunity to take their “Taste
Buds” to Baskin-Robbins throughout the month for a buy one
scoop, get one for 31 cents deal.
To make this concept come to life, we carefully chose our media
platforms. Our audience heavily uses Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, and Youtube, so we chose these for social media. In
order to stay true to Baskin-Robbins’ fun and energetic tone, we
also chose to take our advertising to the sky.
We believe our “Bring Your Taste Buds” campaign
connects with Baskin-Robbins’ current mission and to
its history. Baskin-Robbins was founded by two buddies
over 70 years ago, and it has exploded with wild success
because of their ability to create and play together.
Although we are targeting young to middle-aged women,
we believe that the Taste Buds concept will appeal to all
ages and most importantly will boost Baskin-Robbins to
the top.
CAMPAIGN MESSAGE AND STRATEGY
24
27. IN-STORE PROMOTION
We decided to create an in-store offer that not only ties
our Taste Buds concept to the Ice Cream Float, but also
drives traffic and sales. During the whole month of July,
Baskin-Robbins will be offering a buy one scoop, get
one for 31 cents deal. On July 17th, National Ice Cream
Day, we will offer 31 cent scoops for everyone and their
tastebud. This promotion allows for more incentive for
those wanting to get involved with the Ice Cream Float
contest and creates exposure for those who have not yet
seen the competition.
In every Baskin-Robbins store we will provide a face-
in-hole cardboard cut-out for our customers to interact
and take pictures with. The cut-out will provide more
opportunities for pictures and earned media on Facebook
and Instagram with #BringYourTasteBuds. The younger
end of our target market as well as mothers with children
will be the most drawn to the face-in-hole cardboard cut-
out since it is a cute and fun way to take pictures. Teaser
posters will be displayed in stores across the country
starting in late June to build intrigue and buzz about the
Ice Cream Float.
TEASER POSTER
FACE-IN-HOLE
26
EXECUTIONS
28. MEDIA RATIONALE
WAY, WAY, WAY OUT-OF-HOME
Staying true to Baskin-Robbins’ fun and energetic tone, the
Ice Cream Float, an ice cream cone-shaped hot air balloon,
will allow people to experience and interact with Baskin-
Robbins. We made an introduction video to introduce
consumers to our concept; the video integrates the taste
buds concept with the Ice Cream Float. It is going to be
posted on Facebook and Instagram the first day of the
campaign, July 1.
The Ice Cream Float will traverse the country throughout
National Ice Cream Month. Unbeknownst to the
general population, the Ice Cream Float will stop at four
predetermined destinations: Fresno, CA, New York, NY,
Orlando, FL, and San Antonio, TX. There are three steps to
qualify for a ride in the Ice Cream Float. Step one is to “like”
and “follow” Baskin-Robbins on Facebook and Instagram.
This is to ensure higher exposure throughout the month
of July. Step two will be to go in to Baskin-Robbins with
Taste Buds for a buy one scoop, get one for 31 cents deal.
While there, they must share a selfie on their Instagram and
Facebook. They must turn on their geo-location settings,
tag Baskin-Robbins in the message, and include the hashtag
“#BringYourTasteBuds.” This will help Baskin-Robbins sort
EXECUTIONS
through applicants based on geography. As mentioned,
there will be only four cities that the balloon will travel to,
but the average consumer will be unaware of that fact.
Therefore, our target market has an incentive to engage
with the brand because they will feel as if they have a
chance to win since the next destination city is unknown.
There will be four winners in each city, and each can
invite up to three of his or her friends along for the ride,
staying true to the Taste Buds concept. Each ride will be
three hours in duration, kicking off in the first city. Fresno,
on Sunday, July 9th.
27
29. NEW YORK CITY
8,550,045
FRESNO, CA
520,052
SAN ANTONIO
1,469,845
ORLANDO
270, 934
EXECUTIONS
POP: 520,052
POP: 1,469,845
POP: 270,934
POP: 8,550,045
28
30. We made an introduction video to introduce consumers to our
concept; the video integrates the taste buds concept with the
Ice Cream Float.
EXECUTIONS
INTRO VIDEO
29
31. To keep our audience engaged with
the Ice Cream Float’s whereabouts, we
created content for both Facebook and
Instagram. For Facebook, we created
maps of where the Ice Cream Float has
been and where it might go next. For
Instagram, we created content with
pictures of ambiguous landscapes. This
will keep users engaged with the Ice
Cream Float’s next possible location.
July 9th.
EXECUTIONS
WAY, WAY, WAY OUT-OF-
HOME SOCIAL MEDIA
30
32. FACEBOOK
To keep our audience engaged with the Ice Cream Float’s
whereabouts, we created content for Facebook. We
created maps of where the Ice Cream Float has been and
where it might go next. We will also use the Baskin-Robbins
national page to share content about Taste Buds and the
in-store offer. In addition to the Baskin-Robbins national
page, we are going to utilize the Facebook pages of the
specific Ice Cream Float cities as well as surrounding areas.
We will increase content around National Ice Cream Day
because that is the day of the best offer. All of these tactics
will get Facebook users engaged with the Taste Buds
concept along with excitement about the Ice Cream Float.
This will both increase Baskin-Robbins’ sales and increase
two-way communication with the brand. Consumers
sharing Baskin-Robbins content,“liking” posts, and tagging
their Taste Buds will increase the visibility of the campaign
across Facebook.
Another popular trend on Facebook are quizzes. Many
Facebook users will take quizzes that relate to relevant
EXECUTIONS
topics. We will create an interactive quiz called “Who is My Taste
Bud?” to draw in more interaction from those who have become
invested in following our Ice Cream Float. The quiz will ask
questions such as one’s preferences in terms of vanilla, chocolate,
salty, sweet, etc. With the answers and the Facebook user’s friend
list, the quiz will answer “Who is My Taste Bud?” along with
flavor suggestions. This will get Facebook users involved with the
Taste Bud concept as well as getting them in stores to try their
suggested flavors. It also offers the option to “share your results,”
which provides opportunity for more exposures.
For each respective destination city, those four winners selected
for a ride in the Ice Cream Float will be notified on Thursday,
giving them ample time to choose their taste buds and prepare
their schedule for Sunday’s adventure. They will be notified
through Facebook that they were selected by being tagged in a
photo collage of the four winners’ contest submissions along with
a congratulatory message. The post will automatically be shared
on Instagram, as well.
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34. INSTAGRAM
For Instagram, we created content with pictures of ambiguous
landscapes. This will keep users engaged with the Ice Cream Float’s
next possible location. We will also use Instagram to promote the
in-store offer by using similar content from Facebook along with
#BringYourTasteBuds. The goal is to inspire our target market to come
into Baskin-Robbins during National Ice Cream Month and National Ice
Cream Day with their friends. The hashtag “BringYourTasteBuds” also
encourages earned media. People participate when given hashtags to
post with, so when they go to Baskin-Robbins with their Taste Buds, they
can take pictures and share them with the same hashtag. As a result,
the more the hashtag is used, the more likely other users are going to
see it. In addition, tagging friends will increase the visibility of content
among one’s Instagram followers. With the option to share an Instagram
photo on Facebook and other forms of social media, the chances of the
hashtag spreading on those becomes higher as well.
EXECUTIONS
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35. SNAPCHAT
Filters on Snapchat are becoming wildly popular. To capitalize on
this trend, we will create a Snapchat filter in which you and your
Taste Bud will be transformed into ice cream cones.
Many members on the younger end of our target market enjoy
using filters. They tend to take the opportunity to save the picture
and post it on their personal Facebook and Instagram; therefore,
more people will be contributing to the #BringYourTasteBuds
EXECUTIONS
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36. OUTDOOR
These attention-grabbing billboards will introduce the
public to the “Bring Your Taste Buds” concept, National Ice
Cream Day, and the Ice Cream Float tie-in. We decided to
use billboards because they are attention-grabbing and the
content is free for consumers to view; one does not need
a subscription to a cable service or magazine to be able to
view our content.
EXECUTIONS
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39. •To reach 30% of the target market three times during the
month of July 2017
•To have a prominent presence on the social media most
used by our target
MEDIA OBJECTIVES
MEDIA
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40. Our plan focuses heavily on the social media most popular
among our target market. Social media, the backbone of
our campaign, allows us a connectivity between Baskin-
Robbins and consumers. It will also allow us to spend our
money efficiently in July. Social media will be used to
promote and hype the Ice Cream Float.
MEDIA STRATEGY
MEDIA
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41. MEDIA RATIONALE
WAY, WAY, WAY OUT-OF-HOME
The goal of the hot air balloon concept is to create an extra
incentive to participate in the in-store sales promotions,
communicate with the brand on social media, as well as to
generate buzz about National Ice Cream Month and Baskin-
Robbins. A gigantic floating ice cream cone is a preposterous
image that it is bound to garner attention. The fact that
the destinations are unknown to beforehand will drive sales
across the nation. We chose Fresno, CA, New York, NY,
Orlando, FL, and San Antonio, TX based on population and
number of Baskin-Robbins stores in the area. In addition to
the impressions from those who physically see the ice cream
floating over their city, earned impressions will be generated
through social media shares and possibly even local news
stories. The introduction video was made to bridge the
concept of Taste Buds to National Ice Cream Day and the Ice
Cream Float.
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42. IN-STORE PROMOTION
Since Baskin-Robbins is not sold in retail stores, in-store
promotions at each ice cream shop are very important for
driving in sales and reaching our target at the point of sale.
This is a ‘Loss Leader’ business strategy aimed at getting
new customers into Baskin-Robbins who otherwise would not
have gone. The goal is to get them to return after enjoying
National Ice Cream Day.
MEDIA RATIONALE
OUTDOOR
Billboards will be in twenty-five cities that were chosen based on
their large populations. The destination cities of the Ice Cream
Float will certainly have billboards to hype the balloon’s arrival, as
well as major cities within that state. For example, there will be
billboards in Miami and Tampa even though the destination city in
Florida will be Orlando. Since people generally spend more time
in their vehicle than they do reading the paper or watching the
news, large cities with lots of traffic will result in more impressions.
For example, a single advert on a busy road will repeatedly target
the same commuters and reinforce the advertising message.
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43. MEDIA RATIONALE
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media will be an effective way to advertise for Baskin-
Robbins since most of our target market are avid users. We
will use Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat as our social
media. These platforms will increase interactivity between the
user and the brand.
FACEBOOK
We chose Facebook because it is our target market’s favorite
social platform. Our target audience dominates Facebook;
over half the users are ages 18-49.
INSTAGRAM
The lower end of our demographic heavily uses Instagram;
ages 18-34 are the most active on Instagram. Instagram users
are also mostly female which correlates with our assigned
target audience.
SNAPCHAT
Snapchat is most used by ages 18-24. This platform is exploding
among millennial women, so we saw Snapchat as a natural choice.
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44. MEDIA PLAN
BASKIN ROBBINS MEDIA FLOWCHART
JULY 1-8 JULY 9-15 JULY 16-22 JULY 23-31 TOTAL COST
IN-STORE PROMOTION
Cost 35,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 140,000
FACEBOOK
Cost 25,667 25,667 35,000 25,667 112,000
SNAPCHAT
Cost 0 0 200,000 0 200,000
WAY, WAY, WAY
Cost 0 78,333 78,333 78,333 235,000
OUTDOOR
Cost 28,125 28,125 28,125 28,125 112,500
BASKIN-ROBBINS MEDIA FLOWCHART
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45. MEDIA BUDGET
BUDGET 1,000,000
DIGITAL
Instagram 200,500
Facebook 112,000
Snapchat 200,000
OUT-OF-HOME
Icecream Float 235,000
Billboard 112,500
IN-STORE PROMOTIONS
Cut Outs 140,000
TOTAL
1,000,000
IN-STORE
PROMOTIONS
$140,000
DIGITAL
$512,500
OUT-OF-HOME
$347,500
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46. INSTAGRAM
With our current budget almost maxed out, we were not
able to have sponsored content on Instagram, so we feel
ads would be an effective way to reach the target market.
Sponsored content is important because it allows consumers
who do not follow a company to see posts they would
not normally see. Instagram is a top platform to influence
millennials to engage with brands, so having sponsored
content will undeniably yield positive results. Additionally,
we chose Instagram as our future recommendation because
Instagram sponsored posts resulted in 2.8x higher ad recall
than other online advertising.
FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS
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47. Our goal is to reach 30% of our target market with
our advertisements and to increase engagement
by 50%. Evaluating the social media aspects of our
campaign will be as simple as tracking the views,
likes, shares, and comments for our ads on Facebook,
Instagram, and YouTube. Ultimately, the hashtag will
be the easiest way to keep up with our campaign.
Evaluating the impact of the Ice Cream Float will also
depend on the amount of word-of-mouth generated
on social media. To measure the effectiveness of our
“Bring Your Taste Buds” in-store promotion, we will
track the sales for the month of July.
EVALUATION
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