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Step 1: Analysis of the Situation
Envy Us Looks is currently struggling to get foot traffic into their store. Their overall
goal is to attract more college age student from the local college campuses. They are located
down in Elmwood village. In order to grow their business, they need to make contact with local
college age students, and show the many different services they can offer to their clients.
This is the first time our client has reached out to anyone for help on this particular issue.
The lack of popularity among college students is due to a lack of awareness among the local
college community. However, we also believe that the past reputation of barbershops may also
be a factor affecting the growth of the business as a whole.
Barbershops are seen as a predominantly male occupied business. This social stigma can
be the reason that the business is currently having issues promoting and growing their business,
the current obstacles that this organization faces is that the social media platforms that they are
using are not commonly used by college age students. Envy Us Looks as of right now typically
uses Facebook to typically to communicate with their older clients. They also post photos to
Instagram in the hopes of gaining more clients from the photos that they post.
This process can and may involve working with other companies and business that are
located in the Elmwood Village. Another option to be explored is to plan an event with local
college campuses in the hopes of gaining college age clients.
This situation does not play a major role in the business’ mission. It does not affect the
business’ vision statement either. In order for this business to keep growing, gaining new,
younger clients will ensure that the business continues to grow. This campaign will need to be
continuous and on a long term basis. This campaign will focus mostly on the community
relations aspect of the business.
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This situation can be seen as both an opportunity and an obstacle. If done well, being able
to communicate with the local college students can significantly grow the business as a whole.
However, this situation can be seen as an obstacle because if this communication reach to the
local community turns out to be unsuccessful, the business may not gain as many new clients as
they had hoped.
Step 2: Analyzing the Organization
2A. Internal Environment
Envy Us Looks consists of six barbers: three of them with regular clients, three of them
that continue the rotation during busy hours of operation. The budget of this organization is
limited to none, the only other sources that are available to the business is the social media that
the business is already using. The barbers that are working have a hard time understanding the
ins and outs of the social media that they are using. They have asked us to conduct a social media
workshop for the barbers in the hopes of teaching the proper ways to use social media.
Determining the quality of the social media being put out is by the amount of interaction
they receive. Currently the quality of their social media is limited. They are having trouble
contacting the correct age groups and clients they are hoping to reach. Because the business is
new, they have not grown in social media since the store has opened.
Currently, the business is satisfied with the social media methods they are using.
However, they do not know the extent that social media can help them, once we conduct the
social media workshop they have requested they will have a better understanding of what social
media can do for them. However, the services they are offering can be intriguing to potential
clients. The niche or specialty that separates their business from other businesses in the area is
that they offer college student discounts and highly push their clients to do well in school.
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Organizational leaders are willing to make some changes in order to keep the business growing.
These changes are limited to the use and technique used during social media and the dates that
the college discount is being offered.
2B. Public Perception
Envy Us Looks is not a very well-known business as of right now. Since they just started,
public perception of them is relatively limited. This organization has a positive reputation and all
of the clients they have currently have become regulars that love the service they have been
receiving. We are hoping to enhance this positive reputation even further with the help of social
media.
Envy Us Looks is located in Elmwood Village in Downtown Buffalo. The area is filled
with locally owned businesses and shops and also several other barber shops. Envy Us Looks is
one of many barber shops that are located in the Elmwood Village making the services and
products they have less unique.
The reputation has increased in positivity since the business was opened. Envy Us Looks
leadership is currently satisfied with the reputation they have now. However they are looking
forward to using their new social media skills to grow and enhance their reputation. By using
their social media accounts, they can push their service and products they offer to the public they
are trying to reach.
2C. External Environment
As stated earlier, the location of Envy Us Looks is in the Elmwood Village in Downtown
Buffalo. The village is located in the heart of college life and is the prime location for the target
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audience they are trying to reach. But because of the amount of other barber shops in the
vicinity, competition is extremely high.
Other forms of competition can be locally owned businesses such as local stores,
restaurants, and the other barber shops in the community. As of now, there is nothing happening
locally that could influence and/or limit the effectiveness of the public relations programming
that is placed.
The competition seems to offer the same things as our client currently does. The
competition has grown since Envy Us Looks was established. Over the next three years, it is
possible that the competition will continue to grow within the community. The environment they
are operating in is continuing to grow and expand.
The only projected environmental factor that could potentially harm the business is the
winter season coming. During the winter, foot traffic within the village diminishes significantly.
The cold weather hurts the flow traffic from college students who typically walk or bike
throughout the neighborhood. This could hurt the foot traffic of the business and diminish the
amount of economic growth the business will see.
Step 3: Analysis of Publics
The major publics for this organization is college level students, both undergraduate and
graduate levels. Currently they have a client base of mostly older men that live in the. In order to
grow the client base, Envy Us Looks needs to reach out and target the influential college students
who have sway within the college community.
The major wants and needs of the key publics are as follows: a cheap haircut that looks
good and a barber that is personable. Our client can offer the key public a personalized
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experienced with the barbers. Not only are the barbers concerned with giving a professional
haircut, they are also invested in the success of the students during their school careers.
3A: Identifying Publics
Customers are groups of people that use the service or product. The primary customers
are college age students, and middle ages men in the Elmwood Village area. The secondary
customers are the wives and girlfriends of the current customers that may purchase gift cards or
hair products for their spouses. Because our client was just established within the year, there has
not been a change to the customers. As the business grows, there may be a small change to the
customer base but it should not be significant.
Producers are the groups of people that provide the products or services. The services
are provided by the six barbers that are working in the shop. The products that are used are made
and provided by the companies that make them. The money is provided by the current clients
that we have and the products that they purchase for the shop itself. Because this is a new
business, there are no changes within the last three years. As the business continues to grow, the
producers used by the shop will most likely expand to keep up with the growing client base.
Enablers are the groups of people that create an environment that supports your
organization. The opinion leaders among our customers are those that have been clients with the
barbers for long periods of time. The regulators for Envy Us looks are the steady regulars that
come in on regular basis. Because the business was recently established, there is no way to tell
how regulators have affected the business for three years. The media available to our client is
social media, since the shop recently opened, there is no past media experiences to look back on.
Limiters are the opposite of enablers, this group of people create an environment that
does not support your business. The competitors/opponents of Envy Us Looks is the other barber
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shops that are located in the Elmwood Village area. The types of opponents that Envy Us Looks
is currently facing are dissidents. Dissidents are the companies that are their competing directly
against Envy Us Looks. An example of this would be the several other barber shops that are
located within the Elmwood Village.
3B. Analyzing Key Publics
The nature/type of the lay public for this organization is college age students living
within the Elmwood Village community. One of the major problems is that the key public
doesn’t know enough about the business or that it is even there. This is why this campaign is
important in the aspect of growing the business.
This key public may affect the organization because it will grow the client base of the
business as a whole. Envy Us Looks may affect the key public by offering and giving a potential
client a professional haircut for a low cost. This particular public has limited knowledge about
the business because it has been newly established. This public expects a professional haircut
from this business. Currently, Envy Us Looks is not satisfied with the amount of exposure they
have received from this key public.
The media that this organization currently uses is social media for personal
communication channels and also advertising and promotional media. Depending on the source
that this media is coming from, the key publics actively seek the information. Because of their
age, the key public is influenced by images that provoke action. The credible sources and/or
opinion leaders for this key public are other college students within that community.
Step 4: Goals and Objectives
The shop needs a set of goals and objectives to reach those goals. This is supremely
important because these goals and objectives are going to be what brings in the desired business
that the shop desires. After understanding Envy Us Look's publics as well as analyzing the
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barbershop itself and meeting with Carlos and Manny, the goals listed below are specifically
crafted for Envy Us Looks. Following the understanding of these goals, an extensive list of
objectives must be followed which will lead to the goals being realized.
The barbershop has a set of unique qualities that sets it apart from the other barbershops
in the immediate area. These qualities are qualities that need to be expanded and capitalized
upon. The first quality and perhaps the most important is the location of Envy Us Looks. Being
located right in the heart of the Elmwood Village is an amazing opportunity to bring in all types
of clientele and can help the barbershop zero in on its desired Monday-Tuesday crowd: college
students. The Elmwood Village carries with it people from all types of demographics, and in
being one of the busiest places in Buffalo, offers more business ventures than being in a less
metropolitan locale.
Secondly, the fact that the Envy Us Looks barbershop is using different facets of social
media including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Yelp is so good for business. Of course, these
social media outlets need to be refined and used more effectively but that will come as a result of
this campaign plan. (See Objectives) Social media is going to be the deciding factor that truly
pushes the barbershops agenda and brings in more foot traffic. It's also how college students
predominately communicate and is a much more effective and inexpensive way of advertisement
than the more traditional methods. Something else that the barbershop is currently working on
and can really benefit from is their relationship with the community. The upcoming “Bald for
Bucks” event in conjunction with Roswell Park Cancer Institute is a great example of the kinds
of events the barbershop needs to gain more notoriety and become a known force in Buffalo.
Partnerships with other companies, organizations, and local businesses are exactly what Envy Us
Looks can benefit from. (See Objectives) These connections, and showing those connections
9. 8
through the use of social media and posters and pictures in the shop will lend power to the
barbershop's credibility. People in the area will know about the shop and will want to go there.
Reputation equates to power.
Goals/Objectives for the barbershop are to bring more foot traffic, especially for the
Monday and Tuesday special for college students, as well as getting the name of the shop on
people's radars. The end goal of the shop in regards to reputation is that the shop is to be seen as
a professional environment that caters to the needs of the patrons and where someone can go get
a haircut/shave/massage and feel comfortable, as if they are at home receiving the cut from one
of their close friends or family members. These will help with credibility and will in turn lead to
ROI (Return on investment). This can lead directly into a third goal, that goal being partnerships
with other organizations and businesses to benefit all parties involved. Another goal is to do all
of the things just mentioned in an inexpensive way so as not to hurt the budget of the shop. To
list them out the five goals/objectives this plan is going to work to achieve are:
1.) More foot traffic.
2.) Capitalize on the Monday/Tuesday student deal.
3.) Partnerships with other organizations.
4.) Inexpensive advertising.
5.) To be seenas a respectable, professional organization, with a comfortable
atmosphere for customers.
As far as general objectives go in regards to the goals listed above, we are working to increase
awareness to the shop and what differs Envy Us Looks from somewhere like Supercuts or Great
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Clips, and there are actions we will take in order to reach that awareness. (See Objectives)
Position Statement
The key public's for the shop as mentioned before are the college student demographic
predominately (undergraduate and graduate levels) and to a lesser extent patrons from around the
Buffalo area as a whole. The position Envy Us Looks needs to take to achieve this desired public
is to accentuate its deal for college students as well as actively engage with its public. This
position is entirely appropriate because it will bring those publics into the shop. Currently, the
shop is trying to get involved with their publics via social media, but there needs to be a more
reinforced effort within this vein. This effort will come from using social media effectively and
from doing things to get involved with the community such as visiting campuses and doing more
events like the upcoming “Bald for Bucks” event (See Objectives). The competition Envy Us
Looks has to worry about are commercial chain hair stylists such as Supercuts or Great Cuts.
They also need to consider other barbershops in the area and it's never a bad idea to look at these
other shops and see what they are doing that is working for bringing in desired publics.
Goals
There are several goals that the barbershop is trying to reach. These goals lie within the
shop's reputation, relationship with their public's, (including competition, customers, and
employees) and tasks that need to be done in order to attain said goals. Specifically the goals are
the same one's expressed earlier within this document. Those being, bringing in more foot traffic,
capitalizing on the Monday/Tuesday student deal, partnerships with other organizations and
businesses, advertising the shop and all it does inexpensively and finally, to have the shop be
11. 10
recognized and respected as a professional organization, with a comfortable atmosphere for
customer's in the shop.
All of these goals should work cohesively with one another, and one will lead to the next.
Bringing in more patrons will lead to more students partaking in the Monday/Tuesday deal,
which can come as a result of partnerships and events with other organizations, and advertising
through inexpensive means. (See Objectives) All of these goals in combination will lead directly
into the final goal of the shop gaining a reputation that will leave it a lasting pillar of the
community for years to come.
As far as priority of execution of these goals, inexpensive advertising should be the first
goal. It will be the simplest to attain for the shop as a whole and as mentioned previously will
lead to the next goals which will most likely be achieved concurrently. After sitting down with
Carlos and Manny, Envy Us Looks definitely has the time, personnel, and resources to reach
these goals. There is also a willingness to reach these goals on the part of the shop. At this point,
it's going to be all about the execution. From this point forward, all efforts should be given in
reaching these goals as will be explained in the next section.
Objectives
The objectives the shop needs to execute may be the most important part of this entire
plan. This section will detail exactly what and how Envy Us Looks has to do in order to attain
the goals mentioned throughout.
Different ways to advertise the shop by inexpensive means:
Campus Visits
Simply visiting college campuses and giving information on Envy Us Looks and the different
barbers and cuts in the Student Union or the Library would be a great start to appealing to the
college student demographic. See Below for other suggestions when visiting campuses.
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Campus Organizations at Local Colleges (“Tabling,” ex. Bengal Pause at Buffalo State College)
Have representative from the barbershop table at peak hours when students are in the student
union
(For example: Send representative to table during Buffalo State’s Bengal Pause to get to know
students and inform them on who Envy Us Looks is and what they are about)
Collaborate with a student organization and come speak at one of the programs and print
flyers to hand out in the union and place in the dorm halls (Buffalo State and other schools)
Bring merchandise to distribute! Go to other businesses/organizations around Buffalo and do the
same
Make flyers
This wouldn’t be too pricey depending on how many flyers Envy Us Looks decides to print off.
These flyers should be printed in color and posted in many different places for the WNY
public at large to see. They should be posted at other businesses, on college campuses, in
coffee shops, at grocery stores, in restaurants, tattoo shops, and basically everywhere with a
lot of foot traffic in WNY. The people delegated to posting these could be the barbers or
volunteers.
Print off coupons
Coupons are always a good way to get people anywhere. Offering $2 dollar off coupons online
for example, would draw in a decent amount of people. Putting an expiration date on these is a
requirement. In posting them on Envy Us Looks online accounts, it will be required to interact
with the social media in some aspect in order to even get the coupon.
Hold/Take part in more special events
More special events, like the “Bald for Bucks” event is a MUST. These events also need to be
heavily advertised through social media.
Social Media
Instagram
There needs to be at least two posts a day of a cut or of the shop or events going on in the shop.
When the following list hits 3000 people, there should be 3-5 posts a day. (Videos included)
Needs professionally done pictures with good lighting
Should be linked to FB and updated daily. Especially with daily deals, and specials
The Instagram should be used to its fullest effect
LINK TO ALL OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS (Use URL links, post about others)
Facebook
Posts should be daily, with 2-3 posts at the least. One early in the morning (people have been
proven to view social media accounts predominately during the early morning and the late
night) detailing daily/weekly specials, etc. Another should be posted in the evening highlighting
the late hours of the barbershop. Any posts in between should be photos, videos, and news
articles about Envy Us Looks.
“Like” other local organizations and businesses (make connections! – network)
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Add a bio and more info into the about section, capitalize on who the barbers are
Any event (even a weekly one) must be filled in the Facebook events
Add professional pictures, like the ones on the website
LINK TO ALL OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS (Use URL links, post about others)
Twitter
Needs attention, there should be consistent posts. There should also be an official Twitter account
and page for the barbershop. Posts should be daily, with 2-4 posts at the least. One early in the
morning (people have been proven to view social media accounts predominately during the
early morning and the late night) detailing daily/weekly specials, etc. Another should be
posted in the evening highlighting the late hours of Envy Us Looks. Any posts in between should
be photos, videos, and news articles about Envy Us Looks.
Offer discounts for follows (i.e. “follow us and retweet this for a chance for $2 off a cut
Tweet back to patrons when they mention you. It looks good and people love that
LINK TO ALL OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS (Use URL links, post about others)
How to partner with other organizations/businesses in the area:
Trade business cards – Trading business cards with other organizations and businesses
is always a great tactic because at the very least, Envy Us Looks will be on the minds of other
businesses. Print out some business cards and visit other places!
Just say hello – Just going through the Elmwood Village and saying hello to the other
organizations in the area will let them know who you are and that you're interested in what they
do and ask about collaborations. It seems like Envy Us Looks is already doing this to some
degree.
Flyers – Printing off flyers is generally inexpensive and posting them around Buffalo
alerts the public about your presence and what you represent.
To make the shop respected as a professional organization with a comfortable atmosphere:
Customer Interaction - Just talking to customer's in a friendly fashion is going to be
what give the shop that comfortable feeling. Customer interaction in and out of the shop (social
media) is going to be what dictates this relationship entirely.
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Name Change - Another thing to consider and this is a big maybe is a name change for
the shop. The name is a play on words with Envy Us equating to Envious, but for what the shop
is going for through the use of this plan, it might not be taken as professionally with said name.
Maybe a simple name change to Envious Looks is what is needed. It's sleeker, classier and
easier to understand. It would also help with the shop's efforts of communicating with other
businesses and organizations for potential partnerships. They will be taken more seriously.
QR Codes – QR codes can be found and generated from a QR Code Generation website.
These can be found simply through a Google search. When a QR code is scanned it redirects a
smartphone/tablets browser right to whatever the code links to. This could be used to link to
social media, an eventual website and to bios on the barbers in the shop. QR Codes could be a
factor that distinguishes Envy Us Looks from other shops.
To reach the college student crowd:
This demographic is the one that will accommodate the Monday/Tuesday student deal
that the shop offers. Campus visits and basic advertising can attest to this. (See inexpensive
advertising above)
To bring more foot traffic into the shop:
Advertising is going to be the key here. Starting off with the lower budget advertising
tactics and eventually moving forward with the use of sponsors, more revenue, etc. is the way to
go. (See inexpensive advertising above)
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Step 5: Proactive & Reactive Strategies
There are a number of strategies that the shop can take post-objectives. These strategies
can be proactive or reactive by nature. Proactive strategies are strategies that help your business,
whereas reactive strategies are responses to outside stimuli such as other businesses, patrons, and
crisis'. Reactive strategies tend to do more harm than good for a business. However, that doesn't
mean that they should not be thought about because on occasion they can help a business,
especially in a crisis situation. In a crisis, reactive strategies are the backbone that will save Envy
Us Looks from being completely destroyed.
Public Relations Proactive Strategies
Actions that can be taken:
Organizational performance - Envy Us Looks needs to stay on its “A-game.” Posting
pictures of the many different cuts that shop does daily is an extremely beneficial and strategic
business move because it shows what the shop is capable of. Most consumers are attracted to the
visual aspect of a product and are drawn to a location because of that. Of course, word of mouth
never hurts either, and everybody knows somebody who needs a haircut. As long as Envy Us
Looks keeps on pouring out exceptional work this particular strategy won't lose any steam.
Audience participation – Getting the public involved is a strategy that needs to be
continued to be in use as clientele numbers increase. The consumer market has never has as
much of a say in how well a business does as it does now in today's social media age. The fact
that the barbers are trying to get clientele involved through the use of Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook, and Snapchat is such an essential business strategy. Something like a survey couldn't
hurt, and compiling the results to understand what the clients actually want will never be a bad
16. 15
thing. Another strategy that can be implemented in order to garner more audience participation is
through the use of events in the community that will involve more people with Envy Us Looks
and associate them with the name, brand and the vision of the shop.
Special events – The upcoming “Bald for Bucks” event in conjunction with Roswell
Park Cancer Institute is a great first step into the kind of strategic events that will take the Envy
Us Looks name over the top. Doing more events with other shops, businesses, and organizations
in Buffalo could be the factor that separates Envy Us Looks from the competition. Thinking
about this aspect from a location perspective, the barbershop is surrounded by all the shops on
the Elmwood Village strip. Why not strike up a conversation with the other business owners and
see if perhaps a joint event could be in the works? It doesn’t hurt to ask and then at least you are
on the minds of the other businesses. Even an in-house event such as canned food drive were
customers receive half price on all cuts in exchange for two canned goods would be so beneficial
to bringing people in as well as projecting that community image Envy Us Looks strives to
achieve. It might seem a little odd to do events as a barbershop, but this is what will ultimately
help set apart Envy Us Looks from other shops.
Alliances and coalitions (partnerships) – As mentioned throughout the entirety of this
plan, partnerships are such a driving force behind local business gaining traction. Especially in
Buffalo. Working together with other local businesses in a part of the city which is predominately
locally run and owned is an absolute must. Envy Us Looks is already on the right path as far as
this goes, but showing that it’s connected to other places in the community will never hurt. The
Elmwood Village as a whole often has “Elmwood events” such as their farmers markets that the
barbershop can get involved with. Envy Us Looks should be going to the local businesses and
trading business cards with the other owners and creating those professional connections. It also
17. 16
wouldn’t hurt to hang flyers in other businesses in the area and to hang theirs in return in Envy
Us Looks. The late hours, free Wi-Fi and Monday/Tuesday student deal should be accentuated in
the flyer.
Sponsorship – Talk to major corporations and businesses in the area about sponsoring
the shop. Sponsorships could not only lead to relationship building but to more advertisements
for the shop. It would allow Envy Us Looks to advertise a little more expensively through the
means of print advertisements, television and radio spots and could pay for internet advertising.
Sponsorships could also lead to better equipment in the shop, and of course different professional
connections that could benefit the shop in the long haul.
Strategic philanthropy – Volunteering in the community is going to create more of that
“comfortable” feeling that the shop is striving to achieve, and in offering philanthropic services
to other local organizations it creates more of that professional business relationship mentioned
throughout this plan. It would be akin to the help that potential sponsors could offer Envy Us
Looks. A great example that needs to keep being brought up is the “Bald for Bucks” event Envy
Us Looks is partaking in. This is such a great opportunity for exposure and providing potential
customers with the necessary information to pay the shop a visit. These kinds of philanthropic
services need to be expanded on in the near future.
Communication that should be used:
Publicity – Publicity is essential for the inner workings of a business and in following the
inexpensive advertising tactics described within the Objectives section an optimum level of
publicity can be attained. (See Objectives)
Generating newsworthy information – Actions that can help Envy Us Looks become
newsworthy are important for the sole fact that it will help the shop gain traction with not only
18. 17
the college student demographic but with the entire Buffalo region. Press releases about the
shop’s involvement with an event in the area will bring in one demographic, news stories on the
barber and the shop will be in an entirely different demographic, and radio interviews will bring
in even more of another demographic. Commercials and bio’s on the barbers will help get to a
level of knowingness as well. Being on the radar of potential customer’s is not something to be
taken lightly and if the opportunity presents itself that publicity can be invaluable.
Public Relations Reactive Strategies (Responses)
Preemptive
Prebuttal – In the instance of a crisis, Envy Us Looks needs to pre-prep its communications
collateral. This means having its talking points, contact information, releases, spokespeople, and
location set. On the off chance that a crisis bad enough happens, the spokesperson’s response
would have to be in a different, neutral location from the shop and/or the site of the crisis. People
are in a heightened sense of emotion during a crisis. There are three things to remember should
anything happen to the shop that ends up being newsworthy in a bad way. Those three things are
to remember to be first in responding to the public post-crisis. Do not let the media get the jump
on the shop. Secondly, be right; the spokesperson needs to be convincing in their appeal to the
media and the public. This will lead to the third factor to remember in a crisis which is to be
credible. Customers will continue using a product if they have faith in it. Do not let that faith
dissipate. Have a plan and create accurate and credible messaging. Constantly be updating and
adding to the Envy Us Looks crisis plan. Just remember:
- 1.) DO NOT Lie, You Will Get Caught
- 2.) Less is More (Get to the Point)
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- 3.) Avoid Being Definitive in Your Statements (Be Very Clear on What Exactly is Happening)
- 4.) Do What You Say You’re Going to Do (Follow Through With What the Spokesperson
Says)
Defensive
Justification – This is extremely important because the public won’t always understand
or agree upon why something is done by a business or organization. This happens a lot with
specific partnerships. Envy Us Looks needs to be able to justify their actions, and back up their
reasoning for doing a specific action whether or not the public agrees with it. A great example of
this would be if the shop changes a special or deal, or cuts one completely and a customer is
upset by the action. Giving the customer a good reason for the change and being comforting to
them and their needs will help the businesses’ reputation.
Diversionary
Disassociation – Sometimes Envy Us Looks will have to disassociate themselves from
certain behaviors, clients, and businesses. A great example of this is actually on a tweet from
Carlos’ Twitter account that we were tagged in. The tweet is a screenshot (screenshots are not
professional (See Objectives)) from Carlos’ Instagram account tagging the Buffalo State PRSSA
Chapter, Niagara University, Buffalo State Athletics, University at Buffalo Campus Living and
the University at Buffalo. That kind of audience interaction is a great move on the barbershop’s
part but in the comment section of the picture is a post from someone with the Instagram handle
“@findmydrunkfriends_app.” This kind of exposure is only going to hurt the credibility of the
shop. The comment should have been deleted immediately, thus ending the shop’s association
with it. Even something small like a comment on social media can hurt the shop’s image and that
is the exact opposite of what Envy Us Looks is trying to accomplish.
Re-labeling – In lieu of a crisis where credibility is lost and the label of Envy Us Looks
20. 19
is tarnished, it may be necessary to employ the use of re-labeling tactics in order to make the
brand fresher and remind people what it is Envy Us Looks is all about. This could even be
something as simple as a name change. (See Objectives) It could be that there is less foot traffic
than ever and that would require massive damage control on the part of the barbershop. In other
words, Envy Us Looks would have to put forth the effort of appealing to their desired
demographics in new ways. All of the objectives, tactics and strategies detailed in this plan will
attest to that end.
Ingratiation – Ingratiation translates to: ways to make Envy Us Looks more attractive to
the consumer market. This can be done by meeting the goals laid out by using the objectives and
tactics and proactive strategies detailed previously. (See Objectives) (See Proactive Strategies)
What the customer’s think and feel about the shop should be the driving force behind everything
that the shop does, good or bad.
Vocal Commiseration/Rectifying Behavior/Strategic Inaction
Concern – Always show concern for everything good or bad to the public. The public is
watching the Envy Us Looks staff as patrons to the shop. If they feel a sense of apathy from the
staff chances are they’re going to bring their business to someone who cares a little bit more
about the little things. Envy Us Looks seems to have this aspect under control but it is invaluable
to remember this information.
Regret/Repentance – Right along with concern, an overwhelming sense of empathy and
a desire to do the “right thing,” is what’s going to help Envy Us Looks reach the goal of
becoming a truly comfortable atmosphere where customers can come and cut their hair. If the
barbers show regret for a crisis or a situation that calls for regret, it humanizes them. It makes
them approachable and it makes them a part of the community. It’s what separates a barber at a
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chain shop and a barbershop.
Apology – Always apologize for everything even if the barbershop or the barbers aren’t
at fault. Some customer’s might pick up on the apology, see the concern and in turn talk about
how their “bad” experience turned into a great one. This kind of turn around exposure is very
helpful in helping a business’s image.
Corrective Action – Following an apology and a show of concern and a true
understanding and care for the “guests” of the barbershop, comes corrective action. Always show
that the shop is going to do something about the situation at hand. Show that the shop is in
control and that it has the means to fix an issue. A show of corrective action is what leads to
results.
Silence – Silence is something that should be avoided at all costs. However, certain
situations demand silence. Such as if a barber was found stealing from the shop, it might be
beneficial to keep that knowledge within the shop and not release it via a statement on social
media or to a customer. That type of information can truly hurt the credibility of Envy Us Looks.
Action/Response Consistency
Due to the short amount of time that the shop has been open, there aren't too many past
experiences to compare what worked and what didn't work. However, as mentioned above there
needs to be a spokesperson already lined up for the barbershop in case of a crisis where the shop
needs to be represented in the media. (See Reactive Strategies) The spokesperson quite obviously
would be Carlos. Due to his past experiences and due to the fact that he is running the shop, he is
the most qualified for the position. This type of projected action/response would also tie in to the
shop's eventual mission statement (See Proactive Strategies). Again, the mission statement would
22. 21
lend to the image of the barbershop and that overall comfortable feeling and atmosphere the
barbershop will become known for. Envy Us Looks needs to build up a good action/response
repertoire and that will come with age and more business experiences.
Step 6: Effective Communication
Message Source
Based off of the client meeting with Envy Us Looks, Carlos is the best person to act as
the shop’s spokesperson, and second to Carlos, Manny would be a good option. Both spoke well
during the meeting and care about the shop deeply. Each has a certain level of charisma needed
to act as a spokesperson, and both seem to have a pretty high level of control over how the shop
is run and what running the shop entails. As far as social media is concerned most of the barbers
should act like spokespeople, because that’s where the shops credibility lies. Their social media
accounts should be clean and monitored if public, because they are representing Envy Us Looks.
If their accounts are not clean then they need to be set on private so as to not hurt the businesses’
reputation. A final factor to note is that essentially each barber is a sort of spokesperson when
speaking with the customer’s during their haircut. They represent the image of the business.
As far as credibility goes both men know their shop, they know how it works, who works
there and both understand that changes need to be made and how to enact these changes. Their
audience doesn’t necessarily need to be told of their credibility except for in the case of Carlos
who would mention running the shop. Other than that, Carlos, Manny and the other barbers
should let their work speak for itself. At any time that either is a spokesperson they need to
remember to enunciate clearly, they should speak with authority, while at the same time
remembering to speak calmly and reassuringly. Both have enough charisma to speak in a way
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that will make the public trust them, and both can speak independently and truthfully on the
shop. They need to be relatable, and be willing to speak to their publics. Customer’s will feel
much more comfortable going to a barbershop where the spokesperson representing the shop and
the barbers seems to be somebody that they could be friends with. This is a quality both
candidates have in spades.
One thing to look into as far as message source goes is whether or not Carlos or Manny
are tied to any competition to the shop or are connected to anybody or anything that isn’t
consistent with the shops image. This small factor can most likely be ruled out however.
MessageAppeal
The message given by a spokesperson is going to vary based on the situation. There will
always be two appeals to any message. These appeals are the rational and emotional appeal.
These appeals must be thought about during any message given from the spokesperson. An
example of a message that Envy Us Looks could be trying to get across is simply its mission
statement, (See Objectives) at an event or at a press junket.
Rational Appeal – Always provide some sort of fact, statistic, or something substantial
when giving a message/speech. Something like adding in the mission statement is not a bad idea.
Depending on the situation the spokesperson or spokespeople (i.e. Social Media) may want to
add in a comparison, (maybe to another barbershop) examples, testimonies and endorsements,
and maybe even a visual presentation. In fact, we recommend a visual presentation for your
particular line of work. Always make sure the message has something of audience interest or else
it’s pointless.
Emotional Appeal – People are emotional by habit. Envy Us Looks can use that to their
advantage when creating messages, especially on social media. For a barbershop, the emotions
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that will “hit home” are appealing to the public’s sense of humor, as long as said humor is
appropriate for a business to post. Nothing NSFW. Humor could help enhance the message and
bring more foot traffic. Sex appeal should also be used through the use of pictures. Not in the
traditional sense of course, but through the use of showing off high-quality pictures of the shaves
and cuts the shop provides. Men and some women will be attracted to the cuts and want to pay
the shop a visit to get one as well. Women will see the pictures and want their significant other to
look like the pictures. It’s another way to bring more business to the barbershop. Another thing to
add could be “feel good” stories on the barbers, the shop and the clientele. This way the shop can
show that it is doing good things for the community.
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Verbal communication such as in face-to-face conversation and in speeches is very
important and conducting this kind of speech daily is what could separate one customer’s
experience from the next. (See Message Source) It could add to the goal of making the shop feel
comfortable.
Nonverbal communication is just as important, if not more important than verbal
communication today, thanks to social media. The social media approach to communication
could definitely be made stronger. (See Objectives)
A level of clarity must be achieved in order for a message to make sense. Whether that is
through the use of conversation, tweeting, posting a status or a picture, it needs to be expressed
fluently. Be clear, simple and understandable. Always use power words or words that will bring
clientele in. In addition to a possible name change, a slogan that doubles as the mission statement
could be just what Envy Us Looks needs. Keeping in mind the target demographics education
level is always an important precaution as well because using words that are understandable is
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surely going to hurt the shop. Do not ever use dishonest or misleading language. Do not ever use
pretentious or defamatory language.
Another thing to consider is symbolism. What represents Envy Us Looks? Look into logo
design and creation, once the business takes off and gets big enough, think about merchandising
opportunities (shirts, pens, stickers).
All communication matters. Verbal and nonverbal. Communication can make or break a
business. Using strong communication can lead Envy Us Looks to getting more business.
Following the objectives and tactics to reach specific goals is the exact driving force that Envy
Us Looks needs to separate itself from its competition and thrive within the industry.
Step 7: Communication Approach and its Tactics to Promote Envy Us Looks
We will be using several tactics in our approach to attracting more customers to Envy Us
Looks. This will be done largely through social media because it is a cheap and effective tool to
gain awareness. Drawing people into their social media accounts will allow potential customer to
view the atmosphere and services that are provided at the barbershop.
Step 7A:
Social Media Workshop:
We will be hosting a workshop for the employees of Envy Us Looks in order to teach them the
how to and the importance of coordinating their social media.
We will advocate for a single shop account on each of the main social media platforms;
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
We will show how they can improve on how they use Facebook.
o Potentially incorporating promotions for discounts or gift cards.
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We will teach employees how they can use tools such as TweetDeck to improve their
appearance on Twitter as well as free up their time.
We will show them how taking photos in a certain way can capture the experience of a
barbershop better.
We will teach them about having specific hash tags of their own as well as when to use
hash tags of other businesses, organizations, events, or trending topics.
This workshop will be held at the Envy Us Looks shop location on Elmwood Ave.
o This will allow for hands on guidance. Employees need to see the process of each
application and need to be guided through the steps together.
Step 7B:
Promoting:
By linking all their social media accounts we can then have them focus on creating a
professional, inviting, and entertaining atmosphere. Next social media must be promoted.
QR codes can be used on business cards, flyers, pictures posted online, and even on
posters in shop.
o This will allow for a customer to easily and simultaneously connect to all social
media accounts linked to Envy Us Looks.
Each barber can write on their individual white boards next to their chair the Twitter
handle, Facebook name, and Instagram name as well as any hash tags being used that
day.
A “Selfie Mirror” that will be installed in the shop will have Envy Us Looks stenciled on
to it and could also have any of the social media names or hash tags as well.
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o This will allow people to tag Envy Us Looks on their personal accounts, bringing
awareness of their new hair cut to their social media friends.
o Friends will be able to like and talk about the individual’s new haircut. This
creates a positive review through word-of-mouth which is the most influential
form of marketing.
Promoting with other local businesses in the area.
o Talk to other shop owners about hanging flyers in their windows as well as doing
promotional handouts (a small flyer handed out with each purchase in return for
either hanging a poster in Envy Us Looks shop or the barbers hand out a coupon
for the other business)
Hosting an event at Buffalo State College.
o This event could get some on campus exposure to students who might not
otherwise have heard of Envy Us Looks through social media or word of mouth.
o Events could consist of haircuts on campus, tabling during Bangle Pause for a
“Meet the Barber Experience” as well as other events.
Host an on campus raffle.
o People write down their name and email address to be contacted if they win.
o Raffle ticket could be sold for a small price although not required.
o Raffle could be for a free haircut, shave, warm towel wrap or any other service.
o Raffle could be for a discounted price on a haircut, shave, warm towel wrap,
edgings or any other service
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o There could be a first place winner who may get a price like a gift card to the shop
for X amount of service and a second and their place winners who receive a
discount
o This would have to be cleared with Student Life and coordinated with PRSSA
Step 7C:
Social Media Uses:
Facebook
Customers can go on their Facebook page and rate their experience from one to five stars.
Clickable promotions such as discounts and gift cards can be posted on their Facebook
wall for people to have easy access to them.
o These promotions can be easily shared with friends and will encourage new
clients to come in.
Student discounts, Military discounts and others will be promoted.
Services other than haircuts can be promoted such as warm towel wraps and shaves to
inform current and potential clients of the additional services.
Any videos from events or in the shop can be posted here.
Twitter
TweetDeck can be used to preset Tweets for the week freeing up time for the barbers to
spend with their clients.
Hash tags can be coordinated for either special events or regular shop exposure.
o This would include hash tags that are continually used as the shops personal hash
tag.
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o Others would be hash tags for special events that would represent the event by
either name of the event or the activity going on.
Other business or organizations can be included in the hash tags for joint events or
activities.
o People who follow certain events can see that Envy Us Looks has posted with a
similar hash tag and be able to read their Tweets.
Instagram
Photos can be taken of the shop that would express not just what is in the shop but how
the people interact in the shop. (I.e. barbers talking to clients, clients waiting for a barber
etc.)
Photos could be taken of client’s haircuts after they are finished. Unique haircuts and
regular haircuts could both be posted.
Haircuts of every style done in the shop could be posted for people to look through and people
would be able to see the types of haircuts given in the past.
Part 8: Implementation Outline
The shop came to us with very specific goals that they wanted to accomplish. Our firm
has designed a campaign plan that will help Envy Us Looks accomplish their goals in an
effective, inexpensive, and easy to understand narrative. After recognizing their specific target
market of college students we created a plan that concentrated on five major goals.
1.) More foot traffic.
2.) Capitalize on the Monday/Tuesday student deal.
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3.) Partnerships with other organizations.
4.) Inexpensive advertising.
5.) To be seenas a respectable, professional organization, with a comfortable
atmosphere for customers.
Everything in our plan has been outlined in detail, how to accomplish each specific goal.
Expanded Planning:
1. More foot traffic
The shop expressed their desire to increase foot traffic into its shop. The best way to accomplish
their goal is to use a combination of marketing tactics. Firstly, we suggest that the shop go to the
Buffalo State campus. This interpersonal communication will allow students to make a
connection with the shop and see what separates them from corporate chains like SuperCuts and
Fantastic Sams. Once you’re on the campus, use flyers, business cards, and other merchandise
(you may have to wait until business picks up to start merchandising). Hand out the flyers and
business cards in the Buffalo State Union located in the center of campus. The key is to hand the
flyers out between the times of 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. We chose this specific time because an
overwhelming majority of Buffalo State students go the union because they’re no classes
scheduled at that time.
Go to other businesses and organizations on the Elmwood Village strip. When you do
this make sure you put up the flyer yourself, or tell one of the barbers exactly where to post a
flyer. That way you know the flyer will be put in a place where it has a chance to make an
impact.
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In all flyers posted make sure they have all the details that you want your customers to
know. It’s crucial to have the following details:
1. Hours of operation
2. Daily Specials
3. Location
4. Contact Information
5. Free Wi-Fi
Don’t worry so much about making the flyer as “pretty” as possible. Even a simple flyer can be
effective in trying to get more traffic to your shop. Just make sure it has the essentials listed
above.
Remember the point of any face-to-face communication is to establish and then build on
a relationship. Make sure that people understand what your shop’s mission statement is. After
you start that relationships with clients it’s important to continue to keep building that
relationship so that these new people become customers for life.
Another type of marketing is the use of social media. All social media is useful and
inexpensive and if you’re looking to attract college kids then this is a must for your shop. In the
meeting, we discussed how the shop used Facebook as way to market online. If you want to
attract younger clientele Twitter is a must. Twitter is the fastest growing social media site, and it
has qualities that would be beneficial to the shop. Twitter allows for a more engaging experience
with followers. It has the ability for you to post pictures, specials, and engage your target market
with short, simple, fun messages. We believe it would be a smart idea if you had each of your
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barbers create their own professional Twitter accounts with the shop. This would allow people to
get to know their barber, as well as see pictures of haircuts that they specifically gave. Most
importantly if you chose to go this route, make each person keeps their Twitter professional, and
doesn’t do anything that would reflect poorly on the shop. If the barbers want to have separate
private and professional Twitter accounts, which is fine just make sure each Twitter account is
something that won’t hurt the shops image in any way.
Capitalizing on Monday/Tuesday Student Deal:
The shop uses Monday and Tuesday as a student special deal. This is a great idea to try to
attract students from Buffalo State, UB and Canisius College. As we stated above the best way to
attract college age kids is to engage them in social media. We know Carlos has a Twitter and
follows Twitter handles from local colleges. Carlos is engaging but is somewhat off in executing
what Envy Us Looks is trying to accomplish. Carlos needs to be more careful in some of the
material that he’s putting on social media. Posting pictures of beer may seem harmless and
funny, but you’re unintentionally showing people that you’re not professional. Cutting
someone’s hair is a big responsibility and when you’re competing with corporate chains you
have to make sure you’re not doing anything to hurt yourself. Even though Carlos’ Twitter is a
personal account he still needs to know that he’s representing the shop and everything it
represents. Creating a separate private and public Twitter account may be in the best interest in
this particular situation. In terms of the Monday/Tuesday deal, the shop should tweet around 2-4
times a day. With each tweet create a hashtag that will be catchy and help you create a brand
for yourself. For example, an extremely popular hashtag in use currently is “Throwback
Thursday.” Since most clientele that come to the shop are probably male you can take advantage
of the hashtag “Man Crush Monday.” (#MancrushMonday or #MCM) You could feature a new
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cut that somebody received, or even feature a barber to feature each Monday. Another hashtag
that could be posted by Carlos could be something as simple as #CarlosCuts.
Partnerships with other organizations:
Our big idea for this goal is to have the shop partner up with other businesses along the
Elmwood strip. Being in such an ideal location on Elmwood, Envy Us Looks should propose a
neighborhood card with yourselves and the other businesses in the neighborhood (Ashkers,
Gelateria, and HERO Certified Burgers). What this card would do is give some sort of incentive
(a dollar off a haircut) if you shop at the businesses in the Elmwood Village. We think this would
be a good idea because the other businesses are looking at the same target market as you, but
aren’t necessarily competing against each other. These cards can be available in all businesses
along the strip so it allows easy access to market to other people that aren’t in your shop and may
not know about your business. It may be a challenge to get other businesses on board initially but
if you explain to them the possibility of getting new clientele and customers, then they should be
willing to cooperate.
Inexpensive advertising/Free /Wi-Fi
The importance of inexpensive advertising is displayed in this campaign plan. When we
met with the shop owners, we were told that they didn’t have a set budget. We decided that since
there wasn’t a set budget we could create a campaign plan that included a lot of inexpensive
advertising. (See more foot traffic) (See objectives)
With the way people have become so attached to their phones it’s important that you
advertise the free Wi-Fi in the shop. Free internet is a way for people who are wandering around
the city to come in and look at your shop. This is crucial because this is an easy way to establish
34. 33
that first connection with your new clientele. By having people come in and look around, while
on their phones, you can have them check in on Facebook, or upload pictures onto their other
social media apps. This also extremely beneficial to you because having that internet connection
helps barbers engage in social media while they are working. Uploading pictures, live tweeting
and using Snapchat are great ways for barbers to engage with possible clientele. You can also
use this as a way to have people take surveys in your shop to help give a self-analysis. If you
give people a short survey to evaluate their experience, it will help in the short term and long
term, bettering the experience for the customer.
Strategic Implications: To be seenas a respectable, professional organization, with a
comfortable atmosphere for customers:
All of these ideas are hoping to lead to this goal. We want Envy Us Looks to be known as
a place that people can go to get a great haircut, and have an excellent experience. Everything
listed above is a crucial step that needs to be taken for your shop to make its mark in the
Elmwood Village. Using social media and interpersonal communication, will not only attract
more clientele but will ultimately create a greater brand for you.
Scheduling:
There is no strict timetable right now because the shop is so new. We feel that the
interpersonal communication should on campus should start at the beginning of next semester.
We can set up a timetable in the future if required.
Budget:
We understand that there is no set budget for the shop. That is why we decided to do a
campaign plan that had either low cost or no cost tactics. There will be a cost when it
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comes to printing, but also keep an open mind to expanding your merchandise in order to
help brand yourselves. If you are hoping to cut down on the costs look into obtaining
sponsors that will help pay for any merchandise.
Conclusion
This campaign plan was hand-crafted for the Envy Us Looks barbershop by the
Unlimited Communications Co. public relations firm. After following the 8 steps listed
throughout the plan, Envy Us Looks will reach the five goals discussed in our meeting with
Carlos and Manny. Following these steps with garner more foot traffic, allow the shop to
capitalize on its Monday/Tuesday student deal, allow the shop to partner with other organizations
and businesses around Buffalo, advertise in an inexpensive and easy way and finally and perhaps
most importantly, this plan will allow for Envy Us Looks to be seen as a staple within our
community, a professional, respectable organization with a certain level of comfort for each
guest to the shop.
We have gone into detail on how to market through the use of social media, and on what
to do if Envy Us Looks ever runs into a crisis. We have offered step-by-step instructions for a
number of different, very real events that could happen and might happen to the barbershop.
This plan will help Envy Us Looks become the organization they are striving to be and
we hope to see that success become apparent in the coming months.
