The guide to how we communicate with the world around us.

1. Blue Ox Dining Group
Marketing
&
Communication
101

2. Basic philosophy and core principles
At Blue Ox Dining Group we believe in
creating experiences for our guests. Each of
our concepts has a simple statement about
exactly what type of experiences we’re
shooting for. Ourcommunication strategy
will align our messaging with those
experiences.

3. We believe in these things:
- Inviting a guest to an event is always
better than talking about ourselves.
- Asking a guest a question is always better
than blurting out information.
- Simple and clean design is better than
busy and cluttered
- We don’t need to cram every bit of
information into every message. Go for
good design over information
- Events. Events. Events.

4. - We rarely use price as a lure. Experiences
are the attraction.
- We are local, one of a kind, unique to
Tulsa, Oklahoma. We tell that story in our
design, our messaging, our content, etc
- People will tell their friends about us if we
give them something to remember

5. Our Goal
Our goal is to increase revenue at our
locations by increasing the number of people
who choose to business with us. We achieve
this by building relationships with our
guests through delightful and inspiring
interactions online, in the media, and in
person. Simply, we want our
communications to matter, to hit people
where they are, to motivate them towards
us.

6. How do we do it?

7. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
– Alan Lakein

8. Yep, this doesn’t just happen by accident.
There’s a plan. Here’s how it works.

9. Travel Guides
Here’s where we start. Each month, we’ll fill
out a Travel Guide for each place. What’s a
Travel Guide? That’s what we’re calling our
monthly marketing worksheet because we
couldn’t think of a more clever name for it.

10. This document will be a comprehensive plan
for that establishment for the month in
question. It will serve as the complete
summary of everything we’re
communicating and the ways we plan to
communicate. Sounds easy enough, right?
This document will then inform our
implementation plan and our assignment of
marketing related tasks.

11. Travel Guides will be given to the manager
at each of our locations for their own
reference.

12. Implementation
So this is a group effort. Actual execution of
the plan requires front line staff, managers,
executive team and contracted marketing
folks. Here’s the breakdown.

13. Front line staff:
Front line staff will be asked to help with the
marketing plan in several ways. They are…
- one on one interactions with guests
- recommendation to happy guests that they
rate us online

14. - physical implementation of some things
o sandwich boards
o chalkboard
o table tent placement
o marquee
o in store signage placement
- creation of special items
o sandwiches/pizzas/desserts of the
week, month, etc.
o coffee drinks
o bar drinks

15. Managers:
- communication of specials to executive
team
- one on one interactions with guests
- holding front line staff accountable for
their part
- communication of feedback from
guests/exec team to front line staff

16. Executive Team:
- communication of info to contracted
marketing team
- holding managers accountable for their
part
- preparation of some marketing materials
and digital content
- making sure information is accurate
- communication of feedback from guests to
the managers

17. Contracted Marketing:
- following the digital media plan
o social media content is up to date,
accurate, engaging
- following the bought media plan
o purchased advertisements are quality
and accurate
- following the on-site print plan
o oversee the design of print materials

18. - follow the earned media plan
o oversee the creation of
events/campaigns
o communicate with the media
regarding the details of the
events/campaigns

19. Some rules.
Why rules!?!
Because they help us to protect people’s
time and emotions.

20. 1.Executive team communicates with
contracted marketing. We can’t have
20 different people giving work to our
contracted agencies. They won’t know
how to prioritize and will likely
disappoint you. If front line staff or
managers want something promoted,
they should engage the executive team.

21. 2.Allow two weeks for everything. We
can’t live in the world of last second
ideas. If you need something printed,
designed, promoted on social media, etc.,
give proper notice.