This document outlines the marketing and communication strategy for Blue Ox Dining Group. It discusses the company's philosophy of focusing on creating memorable guest experiences rather than just promoting information. It also details the implementation plan, which includes monthly "Travel Guides" created by each location that serve as marketing worksheets to guide messaging. The plan assigns roles and responsibilities to front line staff, managers, executive team, and contracted marketing for executing the strategies outlined in the Travel Guides.

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.

3. Ourcommunication strategy will align our
messaging with those experiences.

4. 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.

5. - 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

6. 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.

7. Simply, we want our communications to
matter, to hit people where they are, to
motivate them towards us.

8. How do we do it?

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

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

11. 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.

12. The Travel Guides summarize everything we
could possibly care to communicate about
our establishments and their offerings as
well as a plan for exactly how we’re going to
communicate those things. Simply, it guides
our messaging as we pursue our company
goals.

13. The thing is, The Travel Guides aren’t just a
form to fill out. They are an excuse to be
creative, fantastical, and extraordinary.
How can we use our imaginations to
surprise people with a more unique,
personal, creative offering and message than
that which they’re accustomed?

14. It’s not just neat if we’re able to accomplish
that. It’s expected that we accomplish that.
We’re creative. Let’s show it off.

15. When we’re done, we’ll have a complete
guide. Sounds easy enough, right? This
document will then serve as the foundation
for our communications, informing both our
implementation plan and our assignment of
marketing related tasks.

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

17. Implementation and Assignments
This is a group effort. Actual execution of the
plan always requires front line staff,
managers, theexecutive team and contracted
marketing folks.
Here’s the basic breakdown of roles. Expect
assignments to be made with these roles in
mind.

18. 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

19. - physical implementation of some things
o decoratingsandwich boards
o decoratingchalkboard
o table tent placement
o changing the 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

20. Managers:
- communication of food and drink 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

21. 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

22. 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

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

24. Once the Travel Guides are complete and
tasks assigned, the individuals responsible
for execution of the plan will get to work.

25. And while we’re working hard to
communicate about ourselves, we listen even
harder. We are nothing without our guests.
What do they want?

26. Some rules to live by.
Why rules!?!
Because they help us to protect people’s
time, emotions, and experiences.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 3.We don’t’ sacrifice excellence.If we’re
throwing a party, let’s make it a great
one. If we’ve booked a band, let’s make
sure the show hits all the marks. If we’re
running a radio ad, it should stand out.
Whatever we say and do, let’s do it well.

30. 4.We always communicate our plans
with the people for whom we’re
responsible.Let’s not make the mistake
of communicating better with our
audience than we do amongst ourselves.

31. 5.Do what we say we’re going to do.
Ideas without follow through are worse
than no ideas at all. Ideas build hope.
When that hope is not realized, it builds
frustration. Let’s not frustrate our team
and our guests.

32. These are the basics of how we
communicate. I’m sure we’ll add to this and
take away from it as our strategy becomes
more clear.

33. Thank you.

34. Have a nice day.