This strategic communications plan aims to help Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. expand their brand and target younger demographics. Key strategies include creating promotional videos representing the brand's values, hosting booths at craft beer festivals, pitching an article about local breweries to a university newspaper, running a 4-month social media campaign, hiring student ambassadors to promote the brand at university sporting events, and implementing paid and unpaid internships to manage social media outreach. The plan provides goals, objectives, audience analysis, and a timeline through January 2017 to increase awareness of and engagement with the LagerShed brand among millennials.

1. Shawn & Ed Brewing CO
Strategic Communications Plan
Version.1 February 2016

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
STRATEGIC SUMMARY
TARGET AUDIENCE[S]
SWOT SUMMARY
STRATEGIES & TACTICS
BUDGET
TIMELINE
CONCLUSION
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Focus Communications
Kayla Ford, Jasmine Gilmour, Kaitlynn Jong, Natalie Legault, and Jessica Petrunti
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3. 2
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.is a new craft beer company that produces beer using
the finest natural ingredients and craftsmanship. Their goal is to provide
premium quality beer at a non-premium price making it more affordable.
Originating in Dundas, Ontario, two college friends, Shawn Till and Ed
Madronich,had an idea 20 years ago that would eventually come into fruition
in 2015. They are already familiar with the alcohol industry due to Ed’s
successful winery, Flat Rock Cellars, established in Niagara, Ontario. Based out
of a century-old building that has been part of the Dundas community since
1860, Shawn & Ed began brewing for people who embrace life to its fullest
and strive for adventure.They have three brand archetypes to accompany the
brewery; the Hero, the Warrior, and the Explorer.Though the Brewery is titled
the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co., they would like to establish the brand as
Lagershed. Currently, they produce two lines of beer, LagerShed and
BarrelShed, which began brewing in January 2016. LagerShed, their primary
beer brand,consists of three types of lagers.BarrelShed,their secondary line of
beer,will consist of one type of beer.The brewery is under construction with a
tentative grand opening date of April 1st, 2016 and plans to include an event
space,retail space,and bar.
Though the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. has yet to open its doors to the public,
they have a fairly strong communications and marketing presence.With close
to 1000 followers on Facebook and a well-established brand identity, they
have proven themselves as up-and-coming contenders in the craft brewery
market. Plans have been put in place to have their beer sold at restaurants in
the Hamilton area,including the Phoenix and Dundas Golf Club,in addition to
the other 30+ licensees across Ontario. Although they have succeeded at a
local level, there is ample opportunity to expand their company provincially
and nationally. The Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. currently services the Dundas
region with an older demographic, but have yet to tap into the millennial
generation; a market Shawn and Ed would like to target. Given that their
current focus is on building the brewery and establishing their brand, they
have yet to fully concentrate on communications and promotions.Using social
media as a promotional tool and participating in outreach events will help
increase awareness and participation in Shawn & Ed’s products and services.
This one-year plan will streamline their communication messages in all
channels of their business and establish their brewery within the craft beer
market.

4. -Target a younger demographic
-Increase brand awareness and messaging
-Establish LagerShed as a premium craft beer
-Increase social media following and streamline content
-Expand provincial reach
GOALS
-Enhance social media presence on all platforms
-Enforce brand archetype through social media and outreach promotional events
-Create brand recognition and visibility
-Attract consumers and businesses through events
-Hire interns to further the above objectives
OBJECTIVES
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY

5. The primary target audience for LagerShed consists of mature millennials in the 25-35 age range.This
demographic was chosen due to their higher financial status and experienced beer palette that often
accompanies older individuals. Lagershed is a premium beer, and therefore needs to be targeted
towards beer drinkers who will appreciate its taste and quality.
PRIMARY AUDIENCE
The secondary audience for LagerShed consists of younger millennials in the 19-24 age range. Beer
culture is a key component to the social lives of young adults. Individuals who fall into this
demographic are only beginning to discover beer and have yet to establish a well-rounded palette.
Additionally, craft beer tends to be higher in price, a concern for students and other youth with
financial restrictions.
SECONDARY AUDIENCE
This communications plan focuses on targeting the millennial generation. Millennials are more
prominent on the communication platforms chosen to promote the brand and the events of
LagerShed. Although it is recognized that there are many beer drinkers over the age of 35, this plan
focuses primarily on millennials because this target market is currently the company’s weakest
relationship. In addition, older demographics typically rely on traditional media for advertising, an
avenue that is out of the given budget. For these reasons, the targeted audience are those between
19-35.
AUDIENCE OVERVIEW
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TARGET AUDIENCE[S]

6. STRENGTHS
THREATS
Local
Brand design
Already
established
relationships
German
Purity Law
Discount
restrictions
Little budget
Small space
Construction
delays
Branding
Trends
Social media
Previous success
Relationships
Competition
LCBO restrictions
Deadlines
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SWOT SUMMARY

7. 6
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
LOCAL
-Local,quality craft beer made with premium
equipment
-Story/Heritage: Combination of past and present
Dundas,maintaining building roots while
establishing a new company
-Positioned within Dundas and larger Hamilton
area,this establishes close relationships with
renowned businesses and provides access to
greater communication mechanisms
BRAND DESIGN
-Strong and diverse bran design that is modern and
sophisticated
-Brewery doubles as a retail and event space
GERMAN PURITY LAW
-German Purity Law: ingredients are water,barley,yeast,
and hops -this means that the beer has an expiry date
due to no preservatives added for genuine taste and
quality
ALREADY EST.RELATIONSHIPS
-Already-established relationships with a number of local,
regional,and provincial wide bars and restaurants willing
to sell product
-Strong social network that is consistently growing -has
already managed to attract an older demographic
-Partnered with The Beer Store to distribute product to
local branches
DISCOUNT RESTRICTIONS
-Against discounting products
-Premium priced beer is less accessible for younger
millennials whom they are trying to target (19-25
years)
Expensive marketing products ($100 growler)
LITTLE BUDGET
-Little to no advertising/communication budget
SMALL SPACE
-No expansion space at brewery
-No large event spaces within the building
-Limited staff,therefore limited opportunities for
expansion
CONSTRUCTION DELAYS
-Delay in construction.The brewery was scheduled
to open in May 2015 and September 2015 -has
now been pushed to a tentative date of April 2016.
BRANDING
-Brand identity confusion -Trying to establish
‘LagerShed’as primary name in replacement of
current ‘Shawn & Ed Brewing Co’
-Multiple voices and tones on social media -needs
to be consistent
-Masculine branding that can be deemed
exclusionary
-Unfinished website with no set launch date

8. 7
SWOT ANALYSIS CONT.
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
TRENDS
-Take advantage of craft beer trend
SOCIAL MEDIA
-Enhance and establish a solid social media
presence through contest and SOPs
PREVIOUS SUCCESS
-Piggyback off of the success and experience of
winery business in Niagara
RELATIONSHIPS
-Establish further relationships with licensees and
restaurants provincially and nationally
-Maximize exposure through outreach events and
marketing promotions
-Leverage skills of interns and brand ambassadors
to help with communications-based operations
COMPETITION
-Lots of competition in craft brewery market
-Tough to target younger demographic given price
and potential lack of interest
LCBO RESTRICTIONS
-LCBO reluctant to accept Lager beers -could be
difficult to sell product in stores
DEADLINES
-Brewery potentially may not open on launch date

9. a. Promotional Videos: Three, 30 second long videos will be created to represent Shawn & Ed
Brewing Co's three brand archetypes.These include:
-The Warrior: Proving one’s worth through courage.
-The Explorer: Freedom to experience who you are through exploring the world.
-The Hero: A desire to have a special impact on the world.
Each video will include an individual acting out a scene that represents the given brand archetype in
an adventurous setting, followed by the LagerShed logo and ‘For Adventurous Mouths’ slogan. The
videos are made to encourage consumers to engage with the brand and get a better understanding for
the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.as a whole.
b. Craft Beer Festivals: LagerShed will be featured at four craft beer festivals across Ontario over the
span of the next year. A booth will be set up at each festival where two LagerShed interns wearing
Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. t-shirts will sell beer to interested festival goers.They will also facilitate in
promoting the brand,discussing the historyof the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.,and describing the various
beers to consumers. The booths will also feature three cardboard cut-outs of the three brand
archetype characters with the faces missing. Festival-goers will be encouraged to take a picture of
themselves posing with one of the cut outs and post the photo to social media using one of the
hashtags: #LagerShedWarrior #LagerShedExplorer or #LagerShedHero. Doing so will bridge the
real-life event with social media and bring awareness to LagerShed as a brand and craft beer.
c. Article pitch to the Silhouette: The interns will pitch an idea to the Silhouette to have an article
written on craft beers in the Hamilton area.Specifically,they will be targeting the food category of the
lifestyle section.The article will cover local Hamilton brewery’s and craft beer, with the Shawn & Ed
Brewing Co. being a main focus. Shawn and Ed will be interviewed for the article to discuss their
brewery and ties with the McMaster community. Coverage in the Silhouette will give the LagerShed
and the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. more exposure amongst students and a younger demographic, as
well as creating free advertising.
1. LAGERSHED PROMOTION
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STRATEGIES & TACTICS

10. a. LagerShed can be tracked on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtag
#ForAdventurousMouths.This is the main hashtag that all posts coming from the LagerShed account
will use. Outside users who post anything pertaining to the brand will be encouraged to use this
hashtag as well. This will also contribute to increasing the traffic on LagerShed’s social media
platforms. In addition to the hashtag, the social media intern(s) will be responsible for updating and
maintaining all social media accounts to ensure that theyhave a consistent tone and voice.The interns
will be responsible for creating a Standardized Operating Procedure (SOP) that will outline when to
post, what to post, and how to engage with followers and other businesses.An SOP will be made for
all 3 platforms to ensure that content is fresh and up-to-date. Posts will include pictures of the
brewery,promotion for event space,media coverage and more.
b. In addition to daily posts and interactions on social media,LagerShed will also run a social media
campaign to generate national awareness around the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.and their adventurous
branding notion. #LiveLagerShed is a 4-month long campaign that will run from May 2016-August
2016 on Facebook,Twitter,and Instagram.These months were chosen given the popularity of drinking
and discovering new beverages during the summer months. To enter the contest, contestants must
submit a photo of themselves with a LagerShed product in an adventurous setting using the hashtag
#LiveLagerShed. Products can include a bottle of LagerShed or BarrelShed beer, a LagerShed glass,
t-shirt, growler, or any other available product. The point of the campaign is to encourage users to
connect with Shawn & Ed’s branding ideas; to be adventurous,to build character,and to live life to its
fullest. A total of 4 winners will be chosen, one at the end of each month for the duration of the
campaign. Winners will be chosen at random. Only those who use the hashtag #LiveLagerShed are
eligible to win.Successful contestants will win a LagerShed t-shirt,a beer mug,and a tour for 4 of the
Shawn & Ed Brewery.The social media intern(s) will be in charge of tracking the hashtag on a daily
basis,compiling a list of entries at the end of each week.The social media intern will also be in charge
of reposting submissions at random and scheduling posts once a week promoting the campaign.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION & CAMPAIGN
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STRATEGIES & TACTICS CONT.

11. a. The Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.have already arranged to have their beer sold at McMaster University
football games beginning in September 2016. However, to increase national reach amongst
millennials, exposure outside of Hamilton and McMaster University is necessary. Volunteer student
ambassadors at Ontario universities and colleges will be recruited to represent LagerShed at each
school’s respective sporting events. Each school will hire 5 ambassadors to represent the LagerShed
brand in a positive light during sporting events. Wearing Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. t-shirts, the brand
ambassadors will serve as the professional face of the brand,bridging the gap between the company,
its products,and students.
b. LagerShed will also be sold and promoted during McMaster’s 2016 homecoming.As an event that
is dedicated to alumni, homecoming will be the perfect avenue to market and promote LagerShed to
the mature milennial demographic. As McMaster alumni, Shawn and Ed have a strong connection to
the university’s community and will be able to use that influence to market the brewery and
LagerShed beer. The student ambassadors would facilitate the promotion with the assistance of the
company’s Marketing Coordinator.
3. STUDENT AMBASSADORS
a. Implementing communications internships for LagerShed can count towards a credit in CMST3B03
at McMaster University.The internship will originally be offered during the summer months,followed
by the subsequent semesters.This internship will be filled by one to two interns who are responsible
for running the social media campaign, all social media channels, events, and any other duties asked
of them.They are also in charge of the promotion of key messages,events,and other types of posts on
all of LagerShed’s social media platforms.Job duties include:
-Regularly updating Facebook,Twitter,and Instagram with a range of posts on a
consistent schedule.
- Communicate and respond with followers and other organizations and businesses.
- Run and track all aspects of #LiveLagerShed campaign.
- Attend and record events.
4. INTERNSHIP – SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
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STRATEGIES & TACTICS CONT.

12. 11
BUDGET
Videographer/graphic designer for ad creation
Beer festivals
Toronto ($750)1
Dundas ($700)2
Winter ($700)3
Niagara Craft Beer Festival ($700)4
Promotional Tools for Events
Cardboard cut-outs ($300)
T-shirts -50 ($500)
Posters,custom products,etc ($200)
Transportation for events
Social media ads
Student ambassadors and student interns
TOTAL:
$500.00
$2,850.00
$1,000.00
$500.00
$360.00
$0.00
$5,210.00
1.Become an Exhibitor -Toronto's Festival of Beer.(n.d.).Retrieved February 12,2016,from http://beerfestival.ca/become-an-exhibitor/
2.Vendors.(n.d.).Retrieved February 12,2016,from http://dundascactusfestival.ca/vendors/
3.Dress for the slopes.(n.d.).Retrieved February 12,2016,from http://www.craftbeerfest.ca/
4.About -Niagara Craft Beer Festival.(n.d.).Retrieved February 12,2016,from http://www.niagaracraftbeerfestival.ca/#About

13. 12
TIMELINE [APR 2016 - JAN 2017]
April 2016
Pre-production,production,and post-production of promotional videos
May 2016
Hire intern(s)
Complete social media SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
Social media campaign
June 2016
Social media campaign cont.
Order and receive materials for festivals (t-shirts,cardboard cutouts)
July 2016
Social media campaign cont.
Toronto Craft Beer Festival
Aug 2016
Social media campaign cont.
Niagara Beer Festival
Sept 2016
Recruit student ambassadors
Nov 2016
Pitch article to Silhouette on Hamilton craft beer
Jan 2017
Winter Craft Beer Festival
Every Month
Record social media analytics,conduct research analysis on social
media,track progress,develop and confirm content for next month

14. 13
CONCLUSION
This communications plan addresses the issues that the Shawn & Ed Brewery
Co. have experienced in regards to targeting a younger demographic and
expanding their brand. Implementing a solid social media plan, participating
in outreach events and promotions,and hiring representatives will ensure that
audiences remember LagerShed as an amazing craft brewery. Through the
implementation of the strategies and tactics within this communication plan,
the Shawn & Ed Brewery Co. can expect to see better brand awareness,
increased social media presence, an interested younger demographic, and
larger provincial exposure within the given budget.