2. 5GROW WITH US
“If we’re going to innovate, I believe
in social innovation as much as
I believe in technical innovation.
Social innovation, in my mind,
demands that we get over ourselves
and that we start finding ways to
bring people together in a way that
benefits the whole.”
MAYOR SLY JAMES
3. 7GROW WITH US
Isaac Bahney
PRESENTATION DIRECTOR
WE ARE
Hallie Wilson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Cole Anneberg
RESEARCH ANALYTICS DIRECTOR
Sydney Tilson
MEDIA/SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Taylor Austin
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Kate Brazier
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
We promote harmonious entrepreneurial
growth via interpersonal collaboration and
bold storytelling.
4. 9GROW WITH US
Who We Are | 07
Table of Contents | 09
Executive Summary | 11
Findings | 15
Audience | 33
Campaign Overview | 39
Creative | 45
Media | 57
Details | 73
References | 83
Appendix | 87
Special Thanks | 97
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6. 13GROW WITH US
We have crafted an identity for the
innovation center that is simple and unites
the greater Kansas City community around
the idea of growth. The name of our
campaign is “Grow with us” and creative
executions will focus on inclusion through
idea-sourcing and community engagement.
THE TWO MAIN CAMPAIGN GOALS:
to conceptualize an identity for and establish
brand awareness for the innovation center
to build lasting relationships with the
Kansas City community
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, Mayor Sly James’
administration has led the development of
innovative initiatives, creating a positive
climate for entrepreneurship in the metro
Kansas City area. As a result, the idea of
creating a non-profit innovation center was
born. The purpose of the center is to meet
the emerging needs of Kansas Citians by
providing a physical space and resources for
collaboration and support.
We have been given the opportunity to craft
a campaign that brands the center as a hub
for entrepreneurs who want to support their
community. The center will open in January
2018, giving us a year to implement our
campaign.
Based on insights from primary and
secondary research, we identified two
key target audiences: residents of the
18th and Vine neighborhood and Kansas
City entrepreneurs. We discovered that
although barriers such as access to capital
or semantic confusion exist, all audiences
share a vision of Kansas City at the forefront
of innovation.
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KC STREETCAR
A development in Ride KC’s transportation
portfolio that is free to the public seven days
a week and makes 10 stops along the two-
mile smart city corridor.
FREE PUBLIC WI-FI
Partnering with Sprint, KC created free
public Wi-Fi along 50 downtown blocks.
This partnership was part of an initiative
to provide KC residents with free public
internet access.
DIGITAL KIOSKS
Twenty-five real-time data collection kiosks
located along the streetcar route offer
information on city services, current events,
transportation services, public digital art,
local history and entertainment.
SENSORY STREETLIGHTS
These 200 responsive LED streetlights
by Sensity Systems allow the city to
intelligently manage lighting, which in turn
saves 20-30 percent on electricity and
lasts for nearly 20 years. The sensors can
also monitor parking on Main Street, detect
obstructions for the streetcar’s path and
monitor public safety and crime.
THE INNOVATION CENTER
The KC Government’s innovation center
will be a non-profit organization working to
serve the greater Kansas City area through
entrepreneurial innovation. The innovation
center will be located on the fourth floor
of the Buck O’Neil building at 18th and
Prospect, which is directly east of downtown
KC and part of the 18th and Vine area. This
neighborhood is known as the historic jazz
district.
GOOGLE FIBER
In 2013, the metro KC area was the first to
acquire Google Fiber, an internet connection
up to 1,000 megabits per second.
18
TH
FINDINGS:
INNOVATION INITIATIVES IN KC
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Social entrepreneurship generally
means creating a business while
making a positive impact on society.
10. 21GROW WITH US
FINDINGS:
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The KC government has been
investing in social entrepreneurship in
partnership with Strategic Networks
Group to provide local startups
with tools, resources and guidance
for growing a successful company
(City of Kansas City, 2015). Social
entrepreneurship generally means
creating a business while making a
positive impact on society. This is
important to entrepreneurs as 91
percent of millennials say they would
switch brands to one associated with a
cause (Cone Communications, 2015). In
a global Nielsen study, over 50 percent
of respondents indicated a concern for
access to water, sanitation, eradicating
poverty and disease, environmental
sustainability and reducing child
mortality (Nielsen, 2014).
91%Social entrepreneurship is important to
entrepreneurs as 91 percent of millennials say
they would switch brands to one associated
with a cause.
Kansas City contains a few existing
social entrepreneurship operations,
including the Kansas City Startup
Village, Plexpod, Device Shops, the
Ennovation Center, the Enterprise
Center of Johnson County, iWerx
and OfficePort KC. Each of these
organizations advocates for social
entrepreneurs and the causes they
correspond to.
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Our results indicate how our KC entrepreneurs
can be best reached. Older generations said
they receive information on events from 1
Million Cups and Startland News. Regarding
social media usage, Facebook is used by 74.1
percent of respondents. This is followed by
LinkedIn with 61.8 percent and Twitter with 40
percent.
Participants were asked to rank different
options based on importance to KC on a 1-5
scale, 1 being the most important: funding,
human capital, quality of life, regulation/
receptivity and other. Similar to what was
stated in focus groups, funding was chosen as
the most important thing the city can provide
to entrepreneurs. This had a mean ranking of
2.0, followed by human capital with 2.4, quality
of life with 2.6, regulation/receptivity with 3.1
and other with 4.8.
60% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY LOOK
TO SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON
ENTREPRENEUR EVENTS
55% OF RESPONDENTS SAID EMAIL IS
THE BEST WAY TO REACH THEM
Generally, younger generations look to
social media for information, while older
generations prefer email correspondence.
74% OF RESPONDENTS RANK FACEBOOK
AS THEIR MOST-USED SOCIAL MEDIA
SITE
FINDINGS:
SURVEY RESULTS
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“You can’t write letters fighting
people when they got ink by the
barrels. You can’t market your way
out of it either (…) The district is
important and it’s poised for growth.”
FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT
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Common themes from both focus groups included
perceptions of the 18th and Vine community,
community inclusion, perceptions of the Kansas
City Government and feelings towards the
innovation center and its services.
The focus groups were composed of
members of the 18th and Vine community.
Overall, respondents considered the 18th
and Vine area as “historic,” yet considered
it a non-white place with varied levels of
violence.
There was a large concern that the city
government hasn’t elevated this area as
much as it has other parts of the city such
as the Crossroads, Power & Light district,
the Country Club Plaza and Westport.
Additionally, a majority of focus group
respondents argued that a role of the
innovation center should be to help the
neighborhood sustain new businesses, and
perhaps incentivize the center’s efforts.
Participants were confused about what the
word “innovation” means, and what kind of
services the center will provide. However,
respondents came to understand and
map out ideal resources for the center to
provide: office space, marketing assistance,
funding resources and business mentors.
Participants also stressed the importance of
the city including members of the 18th and
Vine community in decision-making for the
center.
FINDINGS:
FOCUS GROUP RESULTS
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SECONDARY
Kansas City has unveiled a diverse
portfolio for innovation. Considering the
importance of social entrepreneurship
in a contemporary business industry,
KC could look to this concept for
inspiration for the innovation center
and the services it provides. Many other
innovation centers exist throughout the
city; therefore, the KC government could
use the variety of input and inspirations
from KC’s collaborative setting in a city-
wide effort to promote entrepreneurship.
PRIMARY
Key primary research findings suggest
a variety of approaches we could take
when crafting a campaign. First, the KC
government must include residents of
the 18th and Vine district in decision-
making for the innovation center and
include the district in other city-wide
innovation initiatives. Additionally, it
is important to note some semantic
barriers related to marketing messages
and the digital divide when marketing
to members of this community. Focus
group research found that terms such
as “innovation” or “smart city” are not
commonly understood among residents
of the 18th and Vine neighborhood.
Likewise, an interest to gain internet
access and learn its use is not a main
concern for these residents.
Overall, both secondary and primary research
shows that the innovation center is poised to move
forward as a leading social entrepreneurship
service for Kansas Citians.
FINDINGS:
RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS
Next, the KC government can consider
partnering with other innovative
and social entrepreneurship-based
organizations to offer robust services
for the 18th and Vine district and the
entrepreneurship community. Third,
the KC government will have to speak
differently to entrepreneurs and
corporate stakeholders than it does to
members of the 18th and Vine district.
While members of the district have
barriers to internet connection, the
survey pointed out that entrepreneurs of
KC are highly connected via social media
and email. Last, the innovation center
may explore networking opportunities
to help connect both target audiences to
the right resources, such as colleagues,
mentors and funding.
15. 31GROW WITH US
Strengths
The campaign has sufficient funding.
An expandable location for the
innovation center has already
been secured.
The city is optimistic about
idea-sourcing.
Opportunities
Kansas City’s recent momentum has
resulted in an increase in KC pride.
Mayor James’ administration has
created a positive climate for
innovation that people are excited to
see continue.
Collaborations and partnerships
with existing innovation centers and
businesses are possible.
Threats
The term “smart cities” has become
overused and watered-down.
18th and Vine residents feel
disconnected from other KC
neighborhoods due to a lack of
commercial development.
Divisions in the 18th and Vine
neighborhood due to race and
income level have caused a distrust
of new businesses coming into the
area.
Weaknesses
There is a lack of development of
resources the innovation center
will provide.
The location is a floor of a building,
not a standalone location.
The client assumes that innovative
terms are universally known.
FINDINGS:
SWOT ANALYSIS
17. 35GROW WITH US
In total, 15,419 people live in the 18th
and Vine neighborhood.
The median age is 34.5 years.
A majority of the population is black (53.9
percent), followed by Hispanic/Latino (26.7
percent), Caucasian (14.8 percent) and other
(4.6 percent).
Women make up 76% of the area.
Residents of 18th and Vine are mainly single
(47 percent) and a majority are renters (85
percent). Although social media and other
internet use is popular among the national
population, 17 percent of Kansas Citians do
not use internet at all (Google, 2012). Of
these individuals, 44 percent are 65 or older,
46 percent are black, 42 percent make less
than $25,000 a year and 64 percent have
a high school education or less. Our focus
group findings backed up our secondary
research, with respondents saying they
rarely used social media. This is why our
marketing focus towards the community is
direct mailing and face-to-face interactions
instead of emphasizing social media.
LILY
Lily is an 18-year-old Latina student at
North East High School. She lives in Jackson
County with her 36-year-old mother, Sophia,
who works part-time at the Gem Theatre.
Lily has always been dedicated to her
studies. She has dreams of studying business
at the University of Kansas. She would be
the first member of her family to attend a
major university.
18TH AND VINE COMMUNITY
JOHN
John is a 53-year-old African-American who
has lived in Jackson County for the past 30
years. He has an associate’s degree and lives
with his 83-year-old mother, Patricia, who
is a recent widow. John works part-time at
the Kansas City Public Library North-East
Branch, and has a passion for coffee. He
wants to open a store in the 18th and Vine
neighborhood. However, due to his limited
access to an internet connection, he lacks
the resources to develop a business plan.
18. 37GROW WITH US
Our survey results indicate that entrepreneurs
are extremely likely to use social media,
which is why it is our primary way of targeting
entrepreneurs in this campaign.
AVA
Ava is a 27-year-old entrepreneur. She lives
in Overland Park with her husband and
two children, ages 5 and 3. After spending
several years working for a corporation,
she ventured out on her own and started
her own business while also attending night
classes toward a master’s degree. Her office
is currently set up in the family’s two-car
garage, but as it continues to grow, she is
looking to expand into an out-of-home office
space that is equipped with resources to
ensure the expansion is successful.
MACKLIN
Macklin is a 21-year-old from Lenexa, Kansas.
He is currently a senior at the University of
Missouri and will be graduating in May 2017.
He is serving this semester as an intern at
Fleishman Hillard’s downtown Kansas City
location. Upon graduating, he is interested
in turning his digital creative freelance work
into a more profitable business, though lacks
the capital to start off on the right foot.
KANSAS CITY
ENTREPRENEURS
71% OF KC ENTREPRENEURS
IDENTIFY AS MALE
12% OF KANSAS CITIANS CONSIDER
THEMSELVES A PART OF THIS AUDIENCE
45% OF ENTREPRENEURS IDENTIFY AS
WHITE, FOLLOWED BY 39 PERCENT
HISPANIC AND 16 PERCENT BLACK
(Ewing Marian Kaufman Foundation, 2016)
20. 41GROW WITH US
Goal 1:
Build lasting relationships between
the innovation center and the greater
Kansas City community
Objective 1:
Plan and execute a minimum of three idea-
sourcing events in the first two quarters of
the campaign
Objective 2:
Plan and execute a minimum of three
informational events in the second and third
quarters of the campaign
Goal 2:
Conceptualize an identity and establish
brand awareness for the innovation center
Objective 1:
Establish the brand name and identity
for both the smart city initiatives and the
innovation center before the campaign
begins on Jan. 11, 2017
Objective 2:
Build a social media portfolio and website
for the center and generate 15,000 total
engagements across all platforms
Objective 3:
Plan and execute a minimum of two
branding events in the third and fourth
quarters of the campaign
CAMPAIGN
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
21. 43GROW WITH US
Once our research was complete, we used the
insights we gained to strategize the creative
part of the campaign. All of our findings brought
us to one central message: the innovation
center connects entrepreneurs with the
resources they need to start, grow or save a
business. Simultaneously, business development
fortifies the community and elevates Kansas
City to be the premier city for innovation. When
developing this message, we noticed that
everything related to the innovation center and
smart city initiatives had to do with some sort
of growth. It could be growth of a business if
you’re an entrepreneur. It could be growth of
your portfolio if you’re a potential programming
employee. It could simply be growth of your
network. Regardless, your personal growth will
translate back to growth in your community. To
tie all of this together, we named the campaign
“Grow with us.”
Our “Grow with us” campaign also came
about in part due to its simplicity. Research
suggested that many people generally don’t
understand the meaning of words associated
with innovation and entrepreneurship. We
decided they needed to be eliminated from
some of the campaign messages. Thus
“Grow with us” seemed fitting, both for its
growth and innovation context as well as its
simple meaning.
With our campaign revolving around growth
and community inclusion, we named the
innovation center The Vine, and the smart
city initiatives AccelerateKC. The Vine
encompasses growth. A vine grows freely in
a variety of conditions, showing adaptability.
More obviously, The Vine includes the
community by using the name of the street
in the title. AccelerateKC signifies propelling
innovation, and thus the city as a whole,
forward.
CAMPAIGN MESSAGE
GROW
WITH
US.Our campaign is broken down into
components based on target audiences.
To target entrepreneurs, we will use the
innovation buzzwords, as we learned from
our research that entrepreneurs are familiar
with these terms. In contrast, our messages
to the 18th and Vine neighborhood will be
more straightforward to ensure complete
understanding.
23. 47GROW WITH US
OPEN FORUMS
Research showed that the 18th and Vine
neighborhood would like more opportunities
to be included in the conceptualization
and use of The Vine. In an effort to give
them a voice, we recommend hosting
open forums in the neighborhood before
the grand opening. We propose holding
open forums in early February and late
May in the community center in the 18th
and Vine neighborhood. The forums will be
open to any KC community member who
wants to learn about The Vine and wants
to contribute ideas. To promote the event,
we will send a press release to local media
organizations, as well as send direct mail to
residents of the 18th and Vine neighborhood.
We also propose creating a Facebook event
for both forums.
BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE
To collect input and support from local
business owners and entrepreneurs, we
propose holding a roundtable in March at
a local community center, potentially the
YMCA. We will invite any person affiliated
with local business to the event via press
releases, etc. The event itself will be
broken into parts. The first part will be an
introduction that will give basic background
information on The Vine and briefly describe
the agenda for the event, which will be led
by the KC Chief Innovation Officer. Next,
participants will be broken into groups
based on how they identify best with the
following categories: business owner,
business employee and general interest in
business or entrepreneurship. Each group
will meet with a city official and discuss
relevant ideas for The Vine.
CREATIVE
IDEA-SOURCING EVENTS
24. 49GROW WITH US
BASEBALL EVENT
Starting in June, our campaign will focus
heavily on community building, while
simultaneously branding The Vine. This
community-building push will include
events targeting youth, entrepreneurs
and KC metro residents. In June, The
Vine will host an event at the Kansas
City MLB Urban Youth Academy located
in the 18th and Vine district, bringing
in former celebrity athletes from the
area, such as George Brett, to interact
with the city’s youth. This event will also
feature a keynote speaker, a former
athlete who is now an entrepreneur, to
inspire these young athletes to have
dreams outside of sports, too.
LEGOLAND EVENT
Brand partnerships with major corporate
entities will roll out during the weeks
leading up to the grand opening event.
For the first partnership, The Vine will
host an event in mid-September with
LEGOLAND Discovery Center at Union
Station for citywide youth to envision
their idea of an innovative KC area using
LEGO bricks. First- through sixth-graders
from the Kansas City public school
district will be recruited for a field trip.
Students will be put into mixed grade
level groups based on the amount of
students who attend. Following this
event, The Vine will host a social media
contest for each group. The winner will
be announced at the grand opening
ceremony, and each student from the
winning group will receive a LEGOLAND
voucher.
CREATIVE
PARTNERSHIP EVENTS
25. 51GROW WITH US
CHEVY PARTNERSHIP
A recent report from Industry Week placed
KC as the second-largest automotive hub
in the United States. For this reason, we
propose The Vine partner with Chevy Bolt
EV’s automated full-electric vehicle during
the grand opening week. The purpose is to
provide transportation at select locations,
called Chevy Stops, throughout KC’s
metro area to the innovation center. This
partnership will start on the day of the grand
opening and continue for two days after
along four routes: Crown Center to The Vine,
Power & Light to The Vine, Eastern 18th and
Vine to The Vine, and Western 18th and Vine
to The Vine.
As the National Household Travel Survey
suggests, households in poverty have
limited access to vehicle availability and
face a shorter transportation radius than
higher-income households (NHTS, 2009).
Additionally, as an all-electric vehicle
capable of 238 miles per charge, this
partnership brings an element of
social responsibility.
CREATIVE
PARTNERSHIP EVENTS
We considered other automotive companies
for this partnership, such as Tesla, but this
high-end luxury brand wouldn’t appeal to
the 18th and Vine audience based on our
secondary and primary research. While Tesla
may appeal to the more affluent greater
Kansas City area, we envision Chevy Bolt EV
as the best pick for our target audience.*
*See appendix item 3 for additional Chevy
partnership mockup
CHEVY BOLT EV
26. 53GROW WITH US
MURAL
To generate buzz for The Vine before its
grand opening, we suggest employing
guerrilla marketing tactics. At the end of
November, we will visit several parts of
metro KC and ask people to write down
one or two words they think describe KC on
a green piece of paper shaped like a leaf.
Participants won’t know what the purpose of
the activity is. After we have gathered 500-
1,000 responses, we will hire a local artist to
create a mural out of the words.
We propose the mural be located along
the streetcar route in a heavily-trafficked
area and that it be unveiled no later than
one week after the responses have been
collected to remain timely and relevant. A
videographer will collect footage of people
writing words on the leaves and the artist
creating the mural itself. The video will be
released the day the mural is unveiled, with
hopes of gaining extensive earned media, as
well as viral video status.
The purpose of this tactic is to encourage
creativity in the community and boost
the identity of The Vine. The end result
will be a beautiful compilation of Kansas
City’s innovative spirit. It will also allow
community members to learn more about
The Vine as the grand opening will be
happening a few weeks after the mural is
unveiled.
CREATIVE
OUTREACH EVENTS
27. 55GROW WITH US
SCAVENGER HUNT
In December, we propose a scavenger
hunt to promote the grand opening of The
Vine. We will tell our social media followers
to look around the KC metro area for
promotional gift baskets. In the baskets,
they will find a physical invitation to the
grand opening event, as well as merchandise
from several local businesses. If they find a
basket, they will be encouraged to post a
picture of themselves on social media using
#TheVineKC.
GRAND OPENING
The grand opening event will be a family-
friendly party on the street of The Vine. This
free event will be open to the public. We
propose The Vine opens the week of Jan.
14, 2018, with the official grand opening
event on the evening of Jan. 18. The event
will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony
and opening remarks by Mayor James and
the Chief Innovation Officer. Famous 18th
and Vine business Arthur Bryant’s will cater
the event and be accompanied by a cash
bar. Attendees can pose in front of the
step and repeat for photo and interview
opportunities, as well as mingle with
community members while enjoying live jazz
performances by local musicians.
CREATIVE
OUTREACH EVENTS
Throughout the night, attendees will have
the opportunity to tour The Vine and
learn about its amenities. Due to the small
nature of The Vine’s physical space, we
suggest holding the event outdoors in large,
enclosed tents with heaters. To execute the
event effectively and with flair, we would
hire a professional event planner to handle
the details. To cap off the night, the winner
of the LEGO challenge will be announced
and presented with a certificate and award.
29. 59GROW WITH US
Our media strategy will use various social
media platforms to increase awareness
about The Vine, as well as to publicize
promotional events. On Jan. 11, 2017, we
will kick off our campaign by introducing
our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
presence, as well as the website. We will
start our Twitter account in November 2017
when there will be more content to promote
as the grand opening approaches.
@TheVineKC
OVERVIEW OF
MEDIA STRATEGY
Generally, we want to use Instagram for
aesthetic branding, Twitter for engagement,
Facebook for interacting with all audiences
and LinkedIn for networking and connecting
with business owners in the KC area.
Instagram and Twitter will use the handle
@TheVineKC. Our goal is to have 5,000
likes on Facebook, 2,500 followers on
Instagram, 1,000 followers on LinkedIn, and
4,000 Twitter followers by the end of our
campaign. In order to reach this target, we
divided our one-year-long media presence
into four quarters to measure and evaluate
our efforts. The following pages will contain
specific posts with their target audience
broken down month-by-month for our media
plan.*
*See appendix items 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 & 8 for media
executions and mockups
#AccelerateKC
30. 61GROW WITH US
JANUARY
On Jan. 11 we will unveil our social media
platforms. We will spend five days
promoting our Facebook page to the metro
KC area, which will include Kansas City,
Missouri, as well as Kansas City, Kansas. We
want these posts to reach a broad range of
individuals including youth and KC metro
residents, as well as entrepreneurs. We
will reach 215,000-550,000 people by the
end of the fifth day. For this campaign, our
Facebook posts will universally target KC
residents within a 30-mile radius of metro
KC. This includes people ages 18-65 who
are homeowners, renters and residents
interested in entrepreneurship. This target
will allow us to reach KC residents as well as
entrepreneurs in the area.
JANUARY ‘17
MEDIA TIMELINE
After the Facebook page has been
promoted, we will begin our monthly
“spotlight” campaign. Every month we will
post a one-minute video of an entrepreneur
or an individual involved with The Vine.
During the first two quarters, the speaker
in the video will talk about the purpose of
The Vine and what it has to offer Kansas
City. The purpose of these videos will be to
inform KC residents about The Vine. During
quarters three and four, the speakers will
use these videos to brand The Vine, giving
it a distinct identity tied to innovation and
entrepreneurship.
The January spotlight video will feature
Mayor James talking about the purpose
of The Vine, as well as the open forum
in February that will allow community
members to contribute their ideas.
We will promote this Facebook video
for three consecutive days in order to
reach our target audience. We will target
the metropolitan KC area and will reach
175,000-460,000 people after three days.
We will also begin our LinkedIn advertising.
Once a month we will sponsor one
LinkedIn post specifically to entrepreneurs’
newsfeeds in Kansas City.
31. 63GROW WITH US
FEBRUARY
We will use direct mail to advertise the open
forum specifically to members in the 18th
and Vine community. Our research suggests
that direct mail is the best way to reach that
audience. The purpose of the open forum,
where it’s located, and why they should
attend will all be included in the direct mail
postcard. We will print and mail 15,000
postcards to community members as well as
businesses in the 18th and Vine community.
MARCH
In order to generate buzz about the
business roundtable discussion, we want
to advertise before, during and after the
event. We will write and distribute a press
release one week in advance that explains
the roundtable’s purpose, what it is hoping
to achieve and information about The Vine.
The press release will be distributed to the
Kansas City Star, The Pitch and Kansas
City Business Journal. The mayor’s office
will also post the press release on the
mayor’s Twitter account and the Kansas
City Government website. In addition, we
will create a Facebook event that local
entrepreneurs can RSVP to beforehand.
FEBRUARY
& MARCH ‘17
MEDIA TIMELINE
During and after the business roundtable
discussion, we will be posting about
the event on Instagram and Facebook.
On Instagram we will post a picture of
everyone that showed up to the event as
well as a short video segment. We will use
Facebook to provide a recap of the event
that will show other entrepreneurs in the
KC metro area what was discussed at the
event. For this post, we will specifically
target entrepreneurs in the KC metro area.
This boosted, or promoted, post will reach
15,000-39,000 entrepreneurs.
32. 65GROW WITH US
APRIL
We suggest hosting a Facebook Live
interview with the CIO. This event will provide
the community an opportunity to learn more
about The Vine as well as allow them to
ask the CIO questions that may arise while
watching the video. The reason we chose
Facebook Live is because it also allows
people to personally interact with someone in
the Kansas City government and voice their
concerns and feedback. We will be targeting
the KC metropolitan area including youth,
KC metro residents and entrepreneurs in the
KC community. This boosted video will reach
47,000-120,000 people.
During this month, Mayor James will write a
blog post about social entrepreneurship and
how this concept intertwines with The Vine,
which he will post on his Facebook page. We
will share and boost this post to our target
audience, reaching 27,000-70,000 people.
MAY
For the second open forum event in May,
we will use the same direct mail strategy
we used in January, specifically targeting
people in the 18th and Vine neighborhood.
We will print and mail 15,000 postcards to
residents as well as businesses in the 18th
and Vine community.
APRIL &
MAY ‘17
MEDIA TIMELINE
Our spotlight video for the month will
feature a former Kansas City Royals baseball
player who is now a local entrepreneur.
This player will introduce the MLB Urban
Youth Academy event that will take place
in June and invite viewers to attend. We
will reach 35,000-92,000 people with this
post. In order to reach the 18th and Vine
neighborhood, we will send a representative
to local area schools inviting them to attend
the event. We will print 5,000 flyers and
encourage kids to take them home to notify
their parents about the event. We will also
hang these flyers at notable places around
the community, including the YMCA and
local restaurants and churches. Additionally,
we will write and distribute a press release
one week in advance and send it to the
Kansas City Star, The Pitch and Kansas City
Business Journal.
33. 67GROW WITH US
JUNE
During the MLB Urban Youth Academy event,
we will post live photo updates to The Vine’s
social media accounts.
JULY & AUGUST
During these two months, as well as June, we
will continue to post content on Facebook,
LinkedIn and Instagram; however, we will not
be specifically promoting events within this
campaign.
JUNE, JULY &
AUGUST ‘17
MEDIA TIMELINE
34. 69GROW WITH US
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
The Vine will host an event with LEGOLAND
Discovery Center at Union Station in
September. One week before the event we
will write and distribute press releases to
The Pitch, Kansas City Star and Kansas City
Business Journal. Following this event, The
Vine will post photos of each LEGO city to
its Facebook page and encourage followers
to share and vote on which LEGO city
should win based on its innovative qualities.
NOVEMBER
We will hire a local artist to paint the vine
wallscape mural. Once it’s complete, we
will post a picture of the mural as our cover
photo on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
We will encourage our followers to take a
picture with the mural and post it as their
cover photo or profile picture. We will also
create a post explaining what the words
in the mural mean. The video will highlight
the creativity of the project, focusing on
footage of people writing their words on
the leaves and the artist painting the mural.
This boosted video will be target residents
in the KC metro area and will reach 77,000-
220,000 people.
SEPTEMBER,
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER ‘17
MEDIA TIMELINE
We will use this guerrilla marketing tactic
to launch our Twitter account. We will
use Twitter to engage with residents and
entrepreneurs, as well as other business
profiles in the KC area. In order to
consistently post content, our account will
post one tweet a day about innovation,
technology, social entrepreneurship and
other smart initiatives. Additionally, we
suggest posting at least one piece of original
content each week prior to the grand
opening. Every tweet will use #TheVineKC.
Tweets specifically about smart city
initiatives will incorporate #AccelerateKC.
35. 71GROW WITH US
DECEMBER
Three weeks before the grand opening
event, we will tell our followers on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram that we have hidden 10
baskets in the metropolitan KC area. We will
post clues on our social media accounts to
guide followers in the right direction. If they
find a basket, they will be encouraged to post
a picture of themselves on social media using
#TheVineKC. Our Facebook post announcing
the scavenger hunt and its clues will be
promoted to downtown Kansas City and will
reach 46,000-120,000 people.
Advertising for The Vine’s grand opening on
our social media accounts will begin the day
after the scavenger hunt. On Facebook, we
will upload a design of the invitation, post it
as our cover photo and encourage others to
do the same. Furthermore, we will create a
sponsored Facebook event that people can
share and RSVP to beforehand.
JANUARY ‘18
MEDIA TIMELINE
JANUARY 2018
The Chevy Bolt EV partnership begins this
month. The partnership and the Chevy Stop
routes will be promoted on social media
during the days leading up to the event.
We will boost posts to target residents and
entrepreneurs specifically in the locations
where the Chevy Stops will be located.
We will reach 105,000-273,000 people
by Thursday when the Chevy partnership
begins. Additionally, we will send press
releases to national news networks to
generate buzz and awareness about this
event. We will unveil our Snapchat account
the week of the partnership and grand
opening. Working in tandem with the Chevy
Stops, we propose creating a Snapchat filter
to promote a geo-targeted campaign on
social media.
We will boost every post related to the
grand opening during the week of the event.
We will start boosting posts on Jan. 8, and
extend to the day of the grand opening.
Furthermore, we will send out a press
release to the Kansas City Star, The Pitch,
VisitKC.com and the Kansas City Business
Journal informing them about the grand
opening. We will tweet local news and radio
stations as well to generate more awareness.
During the week of the grand opening, we
will use the digital kiosks and Wi-Fi landing
pages to showcase the invitation. Lastly, we
will mail invitations for the grand opening
to the 18th and Vine community. During
the event on Jan. 18, we will post photos
on our social media accounts and include
#TheVineKC, while encouraging our guests
to do the same.
DECEMBER ‘17
37. 75GROW WITH US
We suggest spending a significant portion
of the budget on branded promotional items
to be used throughout the year at different
events. Each item will have The Vine logo on
it, and possibly more info about innovation
or The Vine, depending on the nature of the
item itself. Examples of these items include,
but are not limited to, ink pens, t-shirts, USB
keychain flashdrives, sunglasses and water
bottles.*
DETAILS
BRANDED MATERIAL
DETAILS
BUDGET
TOTAL: $100,000
*See appendix item 5 for t-shirt design mockup
EXTRA FUNDS
$6,336.34
EVENTS $36,440
SOCIAL
MEDIA
$19,900
PROMOTIONAL
BRANDING $20,010
DIRECT MEDIA
$17,313.66
38. 77GROW WITH US
CATEGORY
Social media
Traditional advertising
Branded material
Open forums
Business roundtable
MLB Urban Youth
Academy event
Facebook
LinkedIn
Website
Total:
Direct mail
Flyers
Total:
T-shirts (2,500)
Keychain flash drives (500)
Sunglasses (2,500)
Discretionary spending
Total:
Food & refreshments
Food & refreshments
Total:
Food & refreshments
Total:
Speaker fees
Refreshments
Total:
BREAKDOWN
$19,900.00
$17,313.66
$20,010.00
$400.00
$100.00
$3,500.00
COST
DETAILS
OVERALL BUDGET
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN COST
Mural
LEGOLAND event
Grand opening
Extra funds
Supplies and artist
Videographer
Total:
Union Station rental
Refreshments
Total:
Food
Drinks
Tents
Entertainment
Stage and audio
Decorations
Branded material
Event planner
Total:
Sponsorship fallout
Total:
Grand total
$5,500.00
$1,400.00
$25,540.00
$6,336.34
$100,000
DETAILS
OVERALL BUDGET CONTINUED
$11,700.00
$1,200.00
$7,000.00
$17,179.71
$133.95
$15,702.00
$1,000.00
$1,875.00
$1,433.00
$200.00
$200.00
$100.00
$3,000.00
$500.00
$4,000.00
$1,500.00
$900.00
$500.00
$4,560.00
$370.00
$4,500.00
$1,000.00
$7,110.00
$3,000.00
$2,000.00
$3,000.00
$6,336.34
39. 79GROW WITH US
CATEGORY
Promote Facebook page in
Jan. ‘17
Mayor James’ boosted
spotlight video in Jan. ‘17
LinkedIn sponsored content
Direct mail for open
forum in Feb. ‘17
Boosted Facebook post
for business roundtable
discussion in March ‘17
Boosted Facebook live
event with CIO in April ‘17
Mayor James’ boosted
Facebook blog post in April
‘17
Direct Mail for open forum in
May ‘17
215,000-550,000 reach
175,000-460,000 reach
15,000 people
15,000-39,000 reach
47,000-120,000 reach
27,000-70,000 reach
15,000 reach
BREAKDOWN
$500.00/day= $2,500.00
$500.00/day= $1,500.00
$100.00/month= $1,200.00
$5,726.57
$300.00
$1,000.00
$400.00
$5,726.57
COST
DETAILS
MEDIA BUDGET
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN COST
DETAILS
MEDIA BUDGET CONTINUED
Current or former KC
Royals boosted Facebook
spotlight video in May ‘17
Flyers for MLB Urban
Youth Academy event in
June ‘17
LEGOLAND boosted
Facebook post in Sept. ‘17
Facebook Scavenger Hunt
boosted post in Dec. ‘17
Grand opening direct mail
invitation for 18th and Vine
community in Jan. ‘18
Chevy Stops boosted
Facebook post in Jan. ‘18
The Vine website design
and creation
35,000-92,000 reach
5000 flyers
69,000-183,000 reach
46,000-120,000 reach
15,000 people
35,000-91,000 reach daily
Grand total
$500.00
$133.95
$250.00/day= $750.00
$750.00
$5,726.57
$4,000.00
$7,000.00
$37,213.66
The media budget is a breakdown of the social
media and direct media spending.
40. 81GROW WITH US
JULY ‘17 AUG ‘17 SEPT ‘17 OCT ‘17 NOV ‘17 DEC ‘17
Launch
social media
platforms
Facebook,
Instagram,
LinkedIn
Launch The
Vine website
Post first
one-minute
Facebook
promotional
video featuring
Mayor James
Send direct
mail to 18th
and Vine
neighborhood
to advertise
the first open
forum two
weeks before
event
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Write and
distribute a
press release
before the
business
roundtable, and
post on social
media during
and after the
event
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Send direct
mail to 18th
and Vine
neighborhood
to advertise the
second open
forum two
weeks before
event
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Post Mayor
James’
Facebook blog
post
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video,
featuring a
former Kansas
City Royals
baseball
player
Write and
distribute press
release for MLB
Urban Youth
Academy event
Print and
distribute flyers
for MLB Urban
Youth Academy
Event
Visit area
schools to
promote MLB
Urban Youth
Academy Event
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Post one-
minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Post one-minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Write and
distribute a press
release for LEGO
event
Post pictures of
LEGO models on
social media to
vote for the best
Post one-minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Post one-minute
Facebook
promotional
video
Post video of
vine mural on
social media
Post one-minute
Facebook
promotional
video
First open
forum
Feb. 3
Business
roundtable
March 10
Facebook Live
Stream Q&A
with the CIO
April 26
Second open
forum
May 12
MLB Urban
Youth Academy
event
June 3
“Build Your
Neighborhood”
event with LEGO
Sept. 22
Kansas City
Scavenger Hunt,
Dec. 12EVENTS
MEDIA
Unveil vine
mural
Nov. 28
Begin social media promotion of grand opening on Jan. 8
Host grand opening event on Jan. 18
Write and distribute press release about the grand opening event
Partnerships with Chevy and local businesses
Social media promotion of Chevy Stops 3 days prior to grand opening event
JAN ‘18: GRAND OPENING
DETAILS
TIMELINE
JAN ‘17 FEB ‘17 MARCH ‘17 APRIL ‘17 MAY ‘17 JUNE ‘17
42. 85GROW WITH US
About Experience Columbus: Columbus, Ohio
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https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/
about-us/
All Season's Event Rental. Retrieved from http://
allseasonseventrental.com/
Arthur Bryant's. Retrieved from http://www.
arthurbryantsbbq.com/party_services/par-
ty_packs.htm
Chevrolet Bolt EV. (2016). Chevrolet. Retrieved
from http://www.chevrolet.com/bolt-ev-elec-
tric-vehicle.html
City of Kansas City (2015). KC’s new small busi-
ness program gives entrepreneurs a leading
edge in the digital age. Retrieved from http://
kcmo.gov/news/2015/new-small-business-
program-gives-entrepreneurs-a-leading-
edge-in-the-digital-age/
Classic Catering. Retrieved from http://classicca-
teringcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/Classic-
Bar-Menu-2014.pdf
Cone Communications (23 Sept., 2015). “2015
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cations-millennial-csr-study-pdf.
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er-and-more-sustainable-san-francisco
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tion-items/testb2
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sgl01-wholesale-rubberized-sunglasses/
Discount Mugs t-shirts. Retrieved from
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g5000-customized-gildan-heavy-cotton-
tees/
Executionists. Retrieved from: http://www.exe-
cutionists.com/much-website-cost-2016/
Flyers. Retrieved from
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ing/flyers.php
Garman, K. (2016, August 29). Kansas City’s Inno-
vation Center: A Branding Strategy. Unpub-
lished brief.
Google Fiber (2016). Google Fiber. Retrieved
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Grinders. Retrieved from http://grinderspizza.
com/crossroads/the-menu/
Hawkins, A. J. (2016, May 9). Kansas City just
installed free public Wi-Fi and dozens of
'smart' streetlights. Retrieved from http://
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sas-city-free-public-wifi-smart-streelights-
google-sprint-cisco
Kansas City launches "Smart City" initiative, in
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kansas-city-
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REFERENCES
44. 89GROW WITH US
APPENDIX
1 - TWEET FROM THE VINE TWITTER
ACCOUNT
This mockup tweet gives an example of original
content The Vine could post. We suggest posting at
least one tweet with original content per week.
2 - BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FACEBOOK EVENT
PAGE
45. 91GROW WITH US
TheVine
3 - CHEVY PARTNERSHIP VEHICLE
We propose adhering The Vine logo to the side of each
Chevy Bolt EV used during the parternship period.
APPENDIX CONT.
GROW WITH US.
4 - THE VINE SNAPCHAT FILTER
This is a Snapchat filter designed
for use during the grand opening
week in conjunction with the Chevy
partnership.
46. 93GROW WITH US
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
May 29, 2017 Taylor Austin
Public Relations Director
(785) 969-3329
tayloraustin@ku.edu
The Vine KC to host celebrity-athlete meet & greet at MLB Urban Youth Academy
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Saturday, June 3, The Vine invites young boys and girls, ages six
to 18, to attend an event promoting social entrepreneurship. The event will take place at
the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy located in the 18th and Vine district and will
be free. Participants will have the opportunity to meet local celebrity-athletes. The event
will feature a surprise keynote speaker, a former athlete who is now an entrepreneur, to
inspire young athletes to have dreams outside of sports, too.
–INSERT QUOTE FROM MAYOR–
The MLB Urban Youth Academy’s mission is to transform our communities by providing
youth the opportunity to build a better future for themselves with guidance from
coaches and mentors in a free, safe environment. This event will provide the perfect
introduction to entrepreneurship for young kids, reminding them the sky’s the limit.
–INSERT QUOTE FROM ACADEMY REPRESENTATIVE–
The official grand opening of The Vine will happen in Jan. 2018. Located in the 18th and
Vine district, The Vine will be open to the public. Offering resources and programs for
current or aspiring entrepreneurs of any age, The Vine will also fortify the community
with business development and elevate Kansas City to be the premier city for
innovation. To learn more, visit www.thevinekc.com.
- ### -
TheVine
APPENDIX CONT.
TheVineGROW
WITH
US.
5 - T-SHIRT MOCKUP
These t-shirts can be given out for free at any
events throughout the year, and even at the grand
opening. It will be an engaging way to get the
community talking about The Vine.
6 - PRESS RELEASE FOR MLB URBAN YOUTH
ACADEMY EVENT
47. 95GROW WITH US
APPENDIX CONT.
TheVine
8 - THE VINE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
This layout mockup is how we plan to
unveil The Vine’s Instagram account.
you’re invited to
grand opening
January 18, 2018 at 6-9 p.m. at 18th and Prospect
The festivities are open to the public and will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Kansas City
Mayor Sly James, catered BBQ from Arthur Bryant’s, an open bar, give-aways and live music from
local jazz musicians.
TheVine
7 - INVITATION TO THE VINE GRAND OPENING
The invitations to The Vine grand opening will be
mailed to area residents, as well as posted on social
media and included in the scavenger hunt gift baskets.
48. 97GROW WITH US
SPECIAL THANKS
To KCMO innovation leaders, including Mayor
Sly James, Kate Garman, Kelly Lynch-Stange and
Chris Hernandez: thank you for listening to our
ideas and allowing us to brand a piece of your
innovative city.
To Professor Seo: thank you for your constant
guidance and encouragement.
To our talented graphic designer Katie Fleming:
thank you for your diligence.
To our savvy editor Lisa McLendon: thank for
your patience and expertise.