1
Client: Scribbles Coffee Co.
Team Members:
➢Haley Maxwell
➢Andrew Piggott
➢Brittney Prather
➢Kayla Todd
2
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………...3
Primary and Secondary Research…………………………………………………………..…..5
Situation Analysis………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Competitor Analysis……………………………………………………………………………10
Problem Statement/Solution Idea……………………………………………………………...11
Key Publics…………………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Secondary Publics……………………………………………………………………………....12
Measurable Objectives………………………………………………………………………... 12
Formal Research………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Key Messages andThemes……………………………………………………………………. 13
Strategies and Tactics to Meet Objectives…………………………………………………….14
Objective 1……………………………………………………………………………….14
Objective 2…………………………………………………………………………….... 15
Objective 3……………………………………………………………………………….16
Objective 4…………………………………………………………………………….... 17
Budgeting………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Delegation of Workload………………………………………………………………………...19
Rough Timeline………………………………………………………………………………....21
Appendix (ResearchData)……………………………………………………………………..22
3
Executive Summary:
In 2002 the first Scribbles Coffee Co. was opened in Kentucky before relocating to Kent,
Ohio in 2006. The company is a family-owned business striving to “provide a comfortable place
for people to hang out with a good book and a great cup of coffee.” It is an establishment that is
continually thriving and displayed this by reporting progressive sales within the past two years.
Prior to last year, annual sales were at $52,000 but have since then increased to $192,000.
Scribbles is very involved within the community and has shown its support of the city of
Kent and its university through various recurring events and promotions. Jenn Richards, the
owner of Scribbles, named Tree City Coffee & Pastry Company and Starbucks as its main
competitors. Both coffee shops provide a different kind of atmosphere than Scribbles. The
company’s biggest opportunity is to increase awareness and brand recognition, especially among
freshman and sophomore students. Students that fall under this category may be less inclined to
make the effort to go there due to it’s distance from campus and to the lack of transportation.
Research (83 online survey/40 face-to-face encounters) proved the theory that many freshmen
and sophomores do not know about Scribbles. The surveys provided information such as age,
class standing, coffee shop preferences, insight as to why they chose those shops and if they
knew about Scribbles and its location.
The secondary research examined the client’s competitors’ websites and social media
accounts. The research showed that Starbucks and Tree City both use multiple social media
platforms that attract a lot of web traffic. Both coffee shops have locations that are convenient
for freshmen to walk to. Scribbles does not.
Given a $600 budget, a plan that will specifically target freshman and sophomores while
still appreciating regular customers was developed. As mentioned before, the key publics include
4
Kent State University Freshman/Sophomore Students and the remainder of Kent State students.
As for the secondary publics, the target is Main Street Kent, Kent State juniors/seniors, graduate
students, and faculty/ staff. This plan consists of several objectives, tactics, and proposals.
The objectives to be reached are as follows:
Objective 1
Get 75 Kent State Freshmen and Sophomores to go to Scribbles by December 1st, 2016.
Objective 2
Increase awareness of Scribbles among the sampling of Kent State Freshmen and Sophomore
students by 2 percent by December 1, 2016.
Objective 3
Increase preference for coffee among Kent State students through a blind taste test by January 1,
2017.
Objective 4
To increase local customers by 5 percent by September 12 through customer appreciation
promotions by January 1, 2017.
Within the pages of this document, you will come across more details as the objectives will be
accomplished through the budgeting, work delegation, and more importantly, a timeline in which
each task will be put into action.
5
Primary and Secondary Research:
Primary:
● 1st interview with Jenn Richards (owner): 2/17/16
● 2nd Interview (follow up interview) with Jenn Richards: 3/10/16
● Surveyed 40 people in person and 80 online
Secondary:
The secondary research focused on Scribbles Coffee Co. and its two primary competitors:
Starbucks and Tree City & Pastry Company. All information was taken from outside sources
such as websites and social media accounts.
Scribbles’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts promote new specialty drinks and
shows interest in the community with funny and relatable quotes or pictures pertaining to coffee
or the store. Scribbles offers coffee, tea, specialty beverages, smoothies, open mic nights, jam
sessions, catering and merchandise.
Starbucks’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are presented professionally,
appeal to the general public and apply sharp design and polished photography. In addition to
those three main social media platforms, Starbucks has a Google Plus and Pinterest account that
Scribbles and Tree City do not have. Its website provides information on its menu, career
opportunities and all of the products it manufactures. Starbucks offers coffee, specialty
beverages, tea, pastries, frappuccino beverages, smoothies, catering and branded merchandise.
Tree City’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are directed toward the Kent
community and are all used to promote products. Its website clearly presents its mission
statement and pertinent information about its hours and location of the shop. Tree City offers
6
coffee, specialty beverages, tea, frozen drinks, pastries, sandwiches, bagels, wine and mixed
alcoholic drinks, catering and branded merchandise. Tree City is the only competitor that serves
alcohol.
Situation Analysis:
In 2002 the first Scribbles Coffee Co. was opened in Kentucky before relocating to Kent,
Ohio in 2006. The company is a family-owned business striving to “provide a comfortable place
for people to hang out with a good book and a great cup of coffee.” Scribbles is committed to
serving unique drinks by using fair trade coffee beans from Cincinnati, OH, organic teas and
other ingredients. The local shop is known for supporting local artists, musicians and community
projects.
Scribbles is an establishment that is continually thriving and displayed this by reporting
progressive sales within the past two years. Prior to last year, annual sales were at $52,000 but
have since then increased to $192,000. It is a company that has grown as a whole through its
social media outlets in addition to the events it hosts and participates in. Scribbles is very
involved within the community and has shown its support of the city of Kent and its university
through various recurring events and promotions.
Such events are both hosted and attended by Scribbles. Throughout the week Scribbles
facilitates events such as poetry night, open mic night, knitting night and jam sessions. It puts a
huge emphasis on the support it has for the talent within the community. Although Scribbles has
many of its own events, there are a handful of occasions that it takes part in as well. Among the
frequent events that occur in Kent, it engages in local high school events, Taste of Kent, Main
Street of Kent and the 4th of July Festival. The company also offers a catering service with which
they provide a coffee bar service; a coffee cart with an employee who is prepared to make an
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assortment of drinks. Scribbles caters to events of all kinds and some of these events include, but
are not limited to, business functions, fundraisers, celebrations and weddings.
The Kent location regularly sees customers from varying demographics. According to
management the people they see most are Kent State professors, truck drivers from the local
flour mill, parents of students, regular attendees of their knitting and gaming clubs and Kent
State juniors and seniors. Research showed that of all the Kent State students, juniors and seniors
are the most prominent public. The company attempts to retain these customers by offering a
membership punch card where buying 12 items gets a customer any item for just $3.50, which
makes coming back to Scribbles much more appealing and shows the customers that Scribbles
appreciates their regular, consistent business.
Scribbles believes hard work and customer service are two key components to its success.
These components are expected from both the managers and the employees. Scribbles’ staff
consists of two managers and seven different hard-working employees. When customers enter
the store, staff members are very welcoming and always try to make every person feel at home.
Beyond this, the workers make it a goal of theirs to try and remember customers’ names after
meeting them. They always make conversation and ask how the customer is because they truly
care about everyone who walks through the door. This is a nice touch because it makes business
with them personal and memorable and it is also something the customer will remember after
they leave Scribbles Coffee Co.
Making the customer’s experience unique through other components such as the ability to
draw and color on the large white paper placed on each table, also gives the company another
personal touch that other coffee shops do not have. Scribbles wants to encourage everyone to
express their art no matter what skill level they’re at, it is apart of their warm and accepting
8
atmosphere. As for owner and manager, Jennifer Richards, she carried the same easygoing and
welcoming aura about her as well. Richards made it clear right away that she was very driven
and passionate towards her coffee shop. She cares a lot about how the customer feels while at the
coffee shop and wants every customer to feel at home; to feel comfortable enough to sit and do
homework or be able to just talk with friends. Richards believes the customers and employees
are family. Her respect for her customers and employees is shown upon entering the coffee
establishment. She understands that having a customer leave satisfied goes well beyond that one
experience. Richards and co-owner Beth Budzar both let local artists sell and display their
artwork within the coffee shop, this helps the company connect with local artists on a more
personal level. It also shows their support and enthusiasm for art.
The client named Tree City Coffee & Pastry Company and Starbucks are their main
competitors. Both coffee shops provide a different kind of atmosphere than Scribbles. The
company’s biggest opportunity is to increase awareness and brand recognition, especially among
freshman and sophomore students. Those students may be less inclined to trek to Scribbles due
to lack of transportation. These thoughts are consistent with research taken (83 online survey/40
face-to-face), which showed that many freshmen and sophomores do not know about Scribbles.
The surveys inquired elements such as age, class standing, preference of coffee shop,
reasons why they chose those shops and if they knew of Scribbles and its location. The survey
results showed that 57 percent of the people chose Starbucks as their preferred coffee shop,
proving that Starbucks is a primary competitor for Scribbles. The next highest percentage was
33.3 percent classified as “Other,” where many students wrote in places where meal plans are
accepted. The top reasons why people attended their preferred coffee shop was
location/convenience with 66.7 percent. Key findings from the survey were that 57.1 percent
9
knew what Scribbles was but 52.4 percent did not know where the coffee shop was exactly
located. This provided reasonable evidence that Scribbles does in fact have an awareness
problem. This backs up the owners claims of them noticing mostly professors, upperclassmen
and grad students attending the coffee shop. Richards said that in the next few years they do wish
to expand because location is an issue, but right now being a small business it is hard to afford.
With 57.1 percent not being aware of Scribbles location, this supports Richards’ belief that
location hinders Scribbles success with younger Kent State Students. A remarkable 52.4 percent
of students who took the online survey said they went to preferred coffee shop locations because
of the taste and quality which is something that Scribbles prides themselves in. Taste and quality
of their coffee is very important to Scribbles, which is why they try to use all organic ingredients.
The coffee beans the shop uses are all organic fair trade beans. By knowing that a significant
amount of students choose their coffee because of taste and quality, Scribbles can use this
information to further promote their high quality coffee made from organic ingredients.
The secondary research examined the client’s competitors’ websites and social media
outlets. The research showed that Starbucks and Tree City both use multiple social media
platforms that attract a lot of web traffic. Both coffee shops have locations that are convenient
for freshmen to walk to, whereas Scribbles does not. The competitors’ websites were very
detailed, yet easy to maneuver. Scribbles’ website is not so user-friendly. The website is very
simple and not as exciting compared to the competitors. It also lacks details pertaining to its
membership program, its mission statement and links to all of the establishment’s social media
outlets. Along with these problems was the fact that not all of the links the company did include
on the website worked nor did they consistently open. Having a functioning website is important
for both current and more importantly, potential customers. Richards agreed with this concept
10
and mentioned that she hired someone who is in the process of having the company’s website
updated.
The establishments in which Kent State’s meal plan is offered is another major
competitor and reason to why such a large amount of undergraduate students are not aware of the
other coffee shops, mainly Scribbles. This solidified the research that suggested that most
freshmen and sophomores will choose not to venture off campus because there are many
locations that offer coffee and accept the meal plan. Among the many locations, a few of them
include: Jazzman’s, Einstein's, Eastway, Prentice and the two small Starbucks outlets; one
attached to the Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) on campus and the other in the
campus library (two of the most popular outlets to be utilized). Richards expressed that she has
considered looking into working with Kent’s Meal Plans but the cost appears to be too high. To
Richards, it would not be worth the expense and Scribbles would lose a little of its “small town
vibe” by accepting the meal plan. If Scribbles loses its “small town vibe” it could also lose the
welcoming and relaxed environment it has worked so hard to create, which is essential to its
brand.
Competitor Analysis:
Scribbles has three main coffee competitors: Starbucks, Tree City, and Bent Tree.
Starbucks and Tree City attract the younger crowd of Kent State University Students because
they are easily within walking distance. Starbucks and Tree City both have large social media
presences, and utilize social media to their advantage by advertising in-store promotions. The
companies use delectable food and drinks to catch the eyes of their viewers. Starbucks has a very
friendly reward program that is available on smartphones. Tree City has another social media
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technique where it posts funny quotes and pictures on its Facebook to make its audiences feel
connected on a personal level. Tree City and Starbucks both obtain a user friendly website that
are very beneficial to their success. The websites help promote sales, show new products, and
customer photos.
Problem Statement:
The company’s biggest opportunity is to increase awareness and brand recognition,
especially among freshman and sophomore students. Those students may be less inclined to trek
to Scribbles due to lack of transportation.
Solution Idea:
To develop a plan that will specifically target freshman and sophomores while still
appreciating regular customers.
Key Publics:
● Freshman/Sophomore Students
○ Scribbles owners Richards and Budzar believe the coffee shop has an awareness
problem to this demographic. These are the grades the owners wish to gain more
recognition with.
● Remainder of Kent Students
○ Even though the owners want to reach Freshmen and Sophomores mainly, the rest
of the of Kent State students are possible customers at the shop. Other Kent State
students may not be aware of Scribbles as well.
Secondary Publics:
● Main Street Kent
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○ A non-profit organization that promotes downtown Kent, the local businesses and
local events put on for the town.
● Kent State Juniors/Seniors
● Graduate Students
● Faculty/ Staff
Measurable Objectives:
● Get 75 Kent State Freshmen and Sophomores to go to Scribbles Coffee Co. by October
1st, 2016.
● Increase awareness of Scribbles Coffee Co. among the sampling of Kent State Freshmen
and Sophomore students by 2 percent by December 1st, 2016.
● To increase preference for coffee amongst students through a blind taste test by January
1, 2017.
● To increase local customers by 5 percent by September 12 through customer appreciation
promotions by January 1, 2017.
Formal Research
Things we would have liked to know:
● Times Freshman and Sophomores prefer coffee, morning or afternoon
● How many students commute to Kent
● How many students have a car on campus
● If more students would go to Scribbles if they expanded, had a drive-thru and/or stayed
open later
To find answers, we would have included these questions in our survey from phase one.
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Key Messages andThemes
Event 1: Free Coffee Event
Key Message: “Come enjoy a free cup of coffee, your tastes buds will not be disappointed.”
Theme: “Give your tastes buds a new experience!”
Event 2: Blind Taste Event
Key Message: “We are so sure Scribbles is the coffee you will prefer.”
Theme: “Taste variety of different coffees and challenge your taste buds.”
Event 3: Sip and Tell
Key Message: “Enjoy some coffee and decide which brew is your favorite.”
Theme: “Taste coffee and share your taste buds inner thoughts.”
Event 4: Customer Appreciation: Scribbles In The Sun
Key Messages: “Scribbles values regular customers and wants to show appreciation to all its
loyal customers.”
Theme: “Enjoy time with family and friends in a friendly, fun environment!”
Objective 1
Get 75 Kent State Freshmen and Sophomores to go to Scribbles by December 1st, 2016.
Strategy
● Give more of an incentive for students going to Scribbles.
Tactic
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● Create a “Buddy System” at Scribbles that allows a Kent State Juniors or Seniors to bring
a Freshman or Sophomore student to Scribbles with the incentive that they would get a
(discount on the coffee, free coffee, etc.)
● Create a coupon for the buddy system.
● Set up a table to work in front of the M.A.C. Center or Eastway during welcome
weekend to promote Scribbles.
● Students who sign up for “email list serve” will receive a coupon. The coupon will
explain that if they bring a friend they both will receive a free beverage upgrade.
Evaluation Criteria
● See how many people used the coupons at Scribbles. Have owners set aside each coupon
to know how many people came in. If the coupons surpass 75, the objective will be
considered a success.
Objective 2
Increase awareness of Scribbles among the sampling of Kent State Freshmen and Sophomore
students by 2 percent by December 1, 2016.
Strategy
● Promote Scribbles coffee at Kent State.
Tactic
● Set up two different locations for free coffee (Outside the M.A.C. Center and Eastway)
because many freshmen and sophomores go there.
● Make flyers promoting free coffee to post around campus.
● Make a poster that says “Come All, Come Strong: Free Coffee”.
15
● Display the bags of coffee and show the brand and encourage purchases of bags of
coffee.
Evaluation Criteria
This will be measured through a survey after all tactics are implemented. The survey will
instruct students to answer questions about their taste experience with the coffee. In addition to
this, there will be questions from the original survey handed out in the beginning of the study.
Answers from this will give a better sense of how much awareness has increased.
Objective 3
Increase preference for coffee among Kent State students through a blind taste test by January 1,
2017.
Strategy
● Make Scribbles the most preferred coffee brand at Kent State.
Tactic
● Set up blind taste test of all the coffees and put in dixie cups to create anonymity.
● Get boxes of coffee from Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Bent Tree, and Scribbles.
● Buy Dixie Cups
● Print out surveys for participants to take after test.
● Set up table outside the M.A.C. Center and have students sign up for “Sip and Tell”.
● Have one-on-one focus groups with students called “Sip and Tell.” Students will try
Scribbles coffee in a Dixie Cup and share their thoughts vocally to the researcher about
what they liked/disliked. Participants will try other coffee brands such as Tree City and
Starbucks and share their feedback with researcher. Giving students the ability to share
16
their thoughts vocally will allow them to feel comfortable and more open to answer
questions on paper.
Evaluation Criteria
● Surveys
○ Do you prefer this coffee over others? Why/why not?
● One-on-one: Evaluate questions in person such as “Do you like it/What would you
change/Do you prefer it over others?
Objective 4
To increase local customers by 5 percent by September 12 through customer appreciation
promotions by January 1, 2017.
Strategy
● Promote customer appreciation by the use of local events
Tactic
● A summer event where patrons can draw on the sidewalk (targeted towards children).
Parents can take a photo of the drawings and post it on social media with the hashtag,
#ScribblesInTheSun and parents can get half off a beverage.
● Promote their social media through signs in the window and advertisements on their
rewards card.
● For the students, show their Kent State Student ID and get a free upsize of a beverage
(Buy a small, get a medium, etc.) during the month of August..
● For the flour mill truck drivers: If they show proof that they’re driving a large
commercial truck (presentation of CDL) they will get a free upsize for the month of
August.
17
● For local businesses, create a raffle where if they come in and buy a beverage they can
put their business card in a fishbowl and at the end of the month a winner will be chosen
at random and receive a $10 gift card to Scribbles.
● A beginning of the academic year open mic event that will have local bands play and
allow students to mingle in a relaxed environment.
● Contact local bands to perform during the student mic night event that takes place at the
beginning of the school year.
● Buy chalk for customers to use.
● Make 100 flyers and submit four posts to each social media outlet (Twitter, Instagram,
and Facebook) for Scribbles In The Sun event.
● Create a hashtag for the Scribbles in The Sun Event (#ScribblesInTheSun).
Evaluation Criteria
● Evaluate how many used the #ScribblesInTheSun hashtag.
● Have a chalkboard to evaluate how many students use their Student IDs to get a free
upsize coffee.
● Buy a poster board and every time a truck driver shows an ID (CDL), a truck sticker will
be added to the board.
● Count how many business cards are entered in the fishbowl at the end of the month.
● Do a count of how many sales Scribbles made during this event compared to other
events.
● Compile all of the data gathered from the promotional items and compare it to the
primary research to find an increase.
18
Budgeting
Boxes of Coffee
Starbucks $12.95
Tree City $14.95
Dunkin Donuts $15.99
Dixie Cups
Walmart $3.28 pack of 200
Pamphlet/Flyer printing from Fedex
FedEx 50 pages 100 pages
Full Page $29.99 $59.99
Half Page $18.99 $36.99
Quarter Page $11.99 $19.99
Items for Customer appreciation event.
Walmart
Chalkboard $4.97 Duck Brand Adhesive Peel and Stick
Laminate (20’ x 12’)
Colored Chalk $2.88 pack of 12
Poster Board $5.54 Elmer’s pre-cut white foam board
sheets (18” x 24”, 2-Pack)
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Truck Stickers $4.88 one pack or $3.89 for Paper House
Puffy Stickers (3” x ^.35”)
Estimated Total Used: $129.32 (including full page pamphlets/ 100 copies)
Delegation of Workload
Method What To Do Number of
Volunteers
Buddy System ● One individual will need to print out
coupons
● One or two individuals will need to
work awareness table in front of
M.A.C. Center and Eastway
1
Free Coffee ● One person needs to buy/print
pamphlets from FedEx
● Make or buy a poster for the table
● One person needs to pick up Dixie
cups
● At least one person needs to work the
table
2
Blind Taste Test ● One person can buy the dixie cups
● One person can print flyers
1
20
● One person can make poster for table
● One person needs to work the table
Sip and Tell ● One person to proctor the one-on-ones
● One person to buy Dixie cups
1
Customer Appreciation
● Scribbles in the Sun Event
● Truckers Appreciation
● Business Workers
● Students
● Open Mic Night
● Buy chalk for kids
------------------------------------------------------
● Buy poster board
● Buy stickers
------------------------------------------------------
● By bowl for business cards
------------------------------------------------------
● Buy chalkboard
------------------------------------------------------
● Contact local bands
● Have chalkboard on hand for student
free upsize promotion
1 for all of
them except
for Open Mic
Night (May
need 2 or
more to help
with event)
Rough timeline
June 1, 2016 create flyers,and poster for free coffee booth
June 10, 2016 Make pamphlets to hand out around campus
June 15, 2016 Set up free coffee booth and hand out coffee
21
July 15, 2016 Create and print Buddy System coupons
July 30, 2016 Post five social media posts [Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook] about Buddy
System
August 1, 2016 Buddy System starts
November 1, 2016 Create surveys for Blind Taste Test
November 25,2016 Blind Taste Test
December 30, 2016 Tabling in front of M.A.C. Center,get signups for Sip and Tell
January 30, 2017 Sip and Tell Event
April 1, 2017 Make flyers for Scribble In The Sun
May 30, 2017 ● Create hashtag #ScribblesInTheSun
● Buy chalk for scribble in the sun event
June 1, 2017 Contact local bands
June 30, 2017 Scribbles In The Sun Event
August 1, 2017 Student Mic Night flyers made by this date.
August 14, 2017 Five social media posts [Instagram, Twitter, Facebook] about mic night
August 18, 2017 Student Mic Night
September 1, 2017 Create raffle for Business workers
September 15, 2017 Flyers and five social media posts [Instagram, Twitter, Facebook]
December 1, 2017 Complete campaign
Appendix
22
Survey Information:
Google Form Data (Last updated 2/25 1:25 pm)
Link to Google Forms survey: http://goo.gl/forms/uBXSe7e8jb
Responses:84
Age Range: 18-49
Academic Year?
1. Sophomore (29.8%)
2. Freshman (27.4%)
3. Junior (26.2%)
4. Senior (9.5%)
5. 4+ (2.4%)
5. Graduate Student (2.4%)
5. Other (2.4%)
Where do you get coffee most often?
1. Starbucks (57.1%)
2. Other (33.3%) [See Below]
3. Tree City Coffee (4.8%)
4. Scribbles Coffee Co. (3.6%)
5. Bent Tree (1.2%)
Other (Percentages Rounded):
1. Dunkin Donuts (~11.9%)
2. Homemade (~8.3%)
3. Jazzman’s (~4.7%)
3. None (~4.7%)
4. Kent Market 2 (~1.1%)
4. Sheetz (~1.1%)
4. Corner Cup (~1.1%)
Specifically, what are the reasons for why you chose the establishments?
1. Location/Convenience (66.7%)
2. Taste/Quality (52.4%)
3. Atmosphere/Vibe (22.6%)
4. Rewards Card (21.4%)
5. Price (16.7%)
23
6. Other (11.9%)
Do you know about Scribbles Coffee Co.?
1. Yes (57.1%)
2. No (42.9%)
Do you know where Scribbles Coffee Co. is located?
1. No (52.4%)
2. Yes (47.6%)
Hand Survey Data:
Class Standing?
Freshman: 10
Sophomore: 14
Junior: 5
Senior: 4
Where do you get your coffee?
Starbucks: 28
Tree city: 1
Bent Tree: 2
Scribbles: 3
What are the reasons you like going there?
Rewards cards: 3
Location/Convenience: 13
Taste/Quality: 18
Atmosphere/Vibe: 12
Price: 2
Other: 5
- Giftcard
-Meal Plan
Have you heard of scribbles?
Yes: 18
No: 15
Do you know where scribbles is?
yes: 14
No: 20
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Extra Comments:
● “Scribbles is basically the most amazing thing” - Sophomore
● “ Would love to go” -Freshman
Key Points:
“ I’d like more choices ( juice, smoothies) at Scribbles.” - Freshman
Screenshot of customer reviews of SquareApp, which is an app where customers can use to
pay.
25

PHASEIII

  • 1.
    1 Client: Scribbles CoffeeCo. Team Members: ➢Haley Maxwell ➢Andrew Piggott ➢Brittney Prather ➢Kayla Todd
  • 2.
    2 Table of Contents: ExecutiveSummary……………………………………………………………………………...3 Primary and Secondary Research…………………………………………………………..…..5 Situation Analysis………………………………………………………………………………. 6 Competitor Analysis……………………………………………………………………………10 Problem Statement/Solution Idea……………………………………………………………...11 Key Publics…………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 Secondary Publics……………………………………………………………………………....12 Measurable Objectives………………………………………………………………………... 12 Formal Research………………………………………………………………………………. 13 Key Messages andThemes……………………………………………………………………. 13 Strategies and Tactics to Meet Objectives…………………………………………………….14 Objective 1……………………………………………………………………………….14 Objective 2…………………………………………………………………………….... 15 Objective 3……………………………………………………………………………….16 Objective 4…………………………………………………………………………….... 17 Budgeting………………………………………………………………………………………. 18 Delegation of Workload………………………………………………………………………...19 Rough Timeline………………………………………………………………………………....21 Appendix (ResearchData)……………………………………………………………………..22
  • 3.
    3 Executive Summary: In 2002the first Scribbles Coffee Co. was opened in Kentucky before relocating to Kent, Ohio in 2006. The company is a family-owned business striving to “provide a comfortable place for people to hang out with a good book and a great cup of coffee.” It is an establishment that is continually thriving and displayed this by reporting progressive sales within the past two years. Prior to last year, annual sales were at $52,000 but have since then increased to $192,000. Scribbles is very involved within the community and has shown its support of the city of Kent and its university through various recurring events and promotions. Jenn Richards, the owner of Scribbles, named Tree City Coffee & Pastry Company and Starbucks as its main competitors. Both coffee shops provide a different kind of atmosphere than Scribbles. The company’s biggest opportunity is to increase awareness and brand recognition, especially among freshman and sophomore students. Students that fall under this category may be less inclined to make the effort to go there due to it’s distance from campus and to the lack of transportation. Research (83 online survey/40 face-to-face encounters) proved the theory that many freshmen and sophomores do not know about Scribbles. The surveys provided information such as age, class standing, coffee shop preferences, insight as to why they chose those shops and if they knew about Scribbles and its location. The secondary research examined the client’s competitors’ websites and social media accounts. The research showed that Starbucks and Tree City both use multiple social media platforms that attract a lot of web traffic. Both coffee shops have locations that are convenient for freshmen to walk to. Scribbles does not. Given a $600 budget, a plan that will specifically target freshman and sophomores while still appreciating regular customers was developed. As mentioned before, the key publics include
  • 4.
    4 Kent State UniversityFreshman/Sophomore Students and the remainder of Kent State students. As for the secondary publics, the target is Main Street Kent, Kent State juniors/seniors, graduate students, and faculty/ staff. This plan consists of several objectives, tactics, and proposals. The objectives to be reached are as follows: Objective 1 Get 75 Kent State Freshmen and Sophomores to go to Scribbles by December 1st, 2016. Objective 2 Increase awareness of Scribbles among the sampling of Kent State Freshmen and Sophomore students by 2 percent by December 1, 2016. Objective 3 Increase preference for coffee among Kent State students through a blind taste test by January 1, 2017. Objective 4 To increase local customers by 5 percent by September 12 through customer appreciation promotions by January 1, 2017. Within the pages of this document, you will come across more details as the objectives will be accomplished through the budgeting, work delegation, and more importantly, a timeline in which each task will be put into action.
  • 5.
    5 Primary and SecondaryResearch: Primary: ● 1st interview with Jenn Richards (owner): 2/17/16 ● 2nd Interview (follow up interview) with Jenn Richards: 3/10/16 ● Surveyed 40 people in person and 80 online Secondary: The secondary research focused on Scribbles Coffee Co. and its two primary competitors: Starbucks and Tree City & Pastry Company. All information was taken from outside sources such as websites and social media accounts. Scribbles’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts promote new specialty drinks and shows interest in the community with funny and relatable quotes or pictures pertaining to coffee or the store. Scribbles offers coffee, tea, specialty beverages, smoothies, open mic nights, jam sessions, catering and merchandise. Starbucks’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are presented professionally, appeal to the general public and apply sharp design and polished photography. In addition to those three main social media platforms, Starbucks has a Google Plus and Pinterest account that Scribbles and Tree City do not have. Its website provides information on its menu, career opportunities and all of the products it manufactures. Starbucks offers coffee, specialty beverages, tea, pastries, frappuccino beverages, smoothies, catering and branded merchandise. Tree City’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are directed toward the Kent community and are all used to promote products. Its website clearly presents its mission statement and pertinent information about its hours and location of the shop. Tree City offers
  • 6.
    6 coffee, specialty beverages,tea, frozen drinks, pastries, sandwiches, bagels, wine and mixed alcoholic drinks, catering and branded merchandise. Tree City is the only competitor that serves alcohol. Situation Analysis: In 2002 the first Scribbles Coffee Co. was opened in Kentucky before relocating to Kent, Ohio in 2006. The company is a family-owned business striving to “provide a comfortable place for people to hang out with a good book and a great cup of coffee.” Scribbles is committed to serving unique drinks by using fair trade coffee beans from Cincinnati, OH, organic teas and other ingredients. The local shop is known for supporting local artists, musicians and community projects. Scribbles is an establishment that is continually thriving and displayed this by reporting progressive sales within the past two years. Prior to last year, annual sales were at $52,000 but have since then increased to $192,000. It is a company that has grown as a whole through its social media outlets in addition to the events it hosts and participates in. Scribbles is very involved within the community and has shown its support of the city of Kent and its university through various recurring events and promotions. Such events are both hosted and attended by Scribbles. Throughout the week Scribbles facilitates events such as poetry night, open mic night, knitting night and jam sessions. It puts a huge emphasis on the support it has for the talent within the community. Although Scribbles has many of its own events, there are a handful of occasions that it takes part in as well. Among the frequent events that occur in Kent, it engages in local high school events, Taste of Kent, Main Street of Kent and the 4th of July Festival. The company also offers a catering service with which they provide a coffee bar service; a coffee cart with an employee who is prepared to make an
  • 7.
    7 assortment of drinks.Scribbles caters to events of all kinds and some of these events include, but are not limited to, business functions, fundraisers, celebrations and weddings. The Kent location regularly sees customers from varying demographics. According to management the people they see most are Kent State professors, truck drivers from the local flour mill, parents of students, regular attendees of their knitting and gaming clubs and Kent State juniors and seniors. Research showed that of all the Kent State students, juniors and seniors are the most prominent public. The company attempts to retain these customers by offering a membership punch card where buying 12 items gets a customer any item for just $3.50, which makes coming back to Scribbles much more appealing and shows the customers that Scribbles appreciates their regular, consistent business. Scribbles believes hard work and customer service are two key components to its success. These components are expected from both the managers and the employees. Scribbles’ staff consists of two managers and seven different hard-working employees. When customers enter the store, staff members are very welcoming and always try to make every person feel at home. Beyond this, the workers make it a goal of theirs to try and remember customers’ names after meeting them. They always make conversation and ask how the customer is because they truly care about everyone who walks through the door. This is a nice touch because it makes business with them personal and memorable and it is also something the customer will remember after they leave Scribbles Coffee Co. Making the customer’s experience unique through other components such as the ability to draw and color on the large white paper placed on each table, also gives the company another personal touch that other coffee shops do not have. Scribbles wants to encourage everyone to express their art no matter what skill level they’re at, it is apart of their warm and accepting
  • 8.
    8 atmosphere. As forowner and manager, Jennifer Richards, she carried the same easygoing and welcoming aura about her as well. Richards made it clear right away that she was very driven and passionate towards her coffee shop. She cares a lot about how the customer feels while at the coffee shop and wants every customer to feel at home; to feel comfortable enough to sit and do homework or be able to just talk with friends. Richards believes the customers and employees are family. Her respect for her customers and employees is shown upon entering the coffee establishment. She understands that having a customer leave satisfied goes well beyond that one experience. Richards and co-owner Beth Budzar both let local artists sell and display their artwork within the coffee shop, this helps the company connect with local artists on a more personal level. It also shows their support and enthusiasm for art. The client named Tree City Coffee & Pastry Company and Starbucks are their main competitors. Both coffee shops provide a different kind of atmosphere than Scribbles. The company’s biggest opportunity is to increase awareness and brand recognition, especially among freshman and sophomore students. Those students may be less inclined to trek to Scribbles due to lack of transportation. These thoughts are consistent with research taken (83 online survey/40 face-to-face), which showed that many freshmen and sophomores do not know about Scribbles. The surveys inquired elements such as age, class standing, preference of coffee shop, reasons why they chose those shops and if they knew of Scribbles and its location. The survey results showed that 57 percent of the people chose Starbucks as their preferred coffee shop, proving that Starbucks is a primary competitor for Scribbles. The next highest percentage was 33.3 percent classified as “Other,” where many students wrote in places where meal plans are accepted. The top reasons why people attended their preferred coffee shop was location/convenience with 66.7 percent. Key findings from the survey were that 57.1 percent
  • 9.
    9 knew what Scribbleswas but 52.4 percent did not know where the coffee shop was exactly located. This provided reasonable evidence that Scribbles does in fact have an awareness problem. This backs up the owners claims of them noticing mostly professors, upperclassmen and grad students attending the coffee shop. Richards said that in the next few years they do wish to expand because location is an issue, but right now being a small business it is hard to afford. With 57.1 percent not being aware of Scribbles location, this supports Richards’ belief that location hinders Scribbles success with younger Kent State Students. A remarkable 52.4 percent of students who took the online survey said they went to preferred coffee shop locations because of the taste and quality which is something that Scribbles prides themselves in. Taste and quality of their coffee is very important to Scribbles, which is why they try to use all organic ingredients. The coffee beans the shop uses are all organic fair trade beans. By knowing that a significant amount of students choose their coffee because of taste and quality, Scribbles can use this information to further promote their high quality coffee made from organic ingredients. The secondary research examined the client’s competitors’ websites and social media outlets. The research showed that Starbucks and Tree City both use multiple social media platforms that attract a lot of web traffic. Both coffee shops have locations that are convenient for freshmen to walk to, whereas Scribbles does not. The competitors’ websites were very detailed, yet easy to maneuver. Scribbles’ website is not so user-friendly. The website is very simple and not as exciting compared to the competitors. It also lacks details pertaining to its membership program, its mission statement and links to all of the establishment’s social media outlets. Along with these problems was the fact that not all of the links the company did include on the website worked nor did they consistently open. Having a functioning website is important for both current and more importantly, potential customers. Richards agreed with this concept
  • 10.
    10 and mentioned thatshe hired someone who is in the process of having the company’s website updated. The establishments in which Kent State’s meal plan is offered is another major competitor and reason to why such a large amount of undergraduate students are not aware of the other coffee shops, mainly Scribbles. This solidified the research that suggested that most freshmen and sophomores will choose not to venture off campus because there are many locations that offer coffee and accept the meal plan. Among the many locations, a few of them include: Jazzman’s, Einstein's, Eastway, Prentice and the two small Starbucks outlets; one attached to the Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) on campus and the other in the campus library (two of the most popular outlets to be utilized). Richards expressed that she has considered looking into working with Kent’s Meal Plans but the cost appears to be too high. To Richards, it would not be worth the expense and Scribbles would lose a little of its “small town vibe” by accepting the meal plan. If Scribbles loses its “small town vibe” it could also lose the welcoming and relaxed environment it has worked so hard to create, which is essential to its brand. Competitor Analysis: Scribbles has three main coffee competitors: Starbucks, Tree City, and Bent Tree. Starbucks and Tree City attract the younger crowd of Kent State University Students because they are easily within walking distance. Starbucks and Tree City both have large social media presences, and utilize social media to their advantage by advertising in-store promotions. The companies use delectable food and drinks to catch the eyes of their viewers. Starbucks has a very friendly reward program that is available on smartphones. Tree City has another social media
  • 11.
    11 technique where itposts funny quotes and pictures on its Facebook to make its audiences feel connected on a personal level. Tree City and Starbucks both obtain a user friendly website that are very beneficial to their success. The websites help promote sales, show new products, and customer photos. Problem Statement: The company’s biggest opportunity is to increase awareness and brand recognition, especially among freshman and sophomore students. Those students may be less inclined to trek to Scribbles due to lack of transportation. Solution Idea: To develop a plan that will specifically target freshman and sophomores while still appreciating regular customers. Key Publics: ● Freshman/Sophomore Students ○ Scribbles owners Richards and Budzar believe the coffee shop has an awareness problem to this demographic. These are the grades the owners wish to gain more recognition with. ● Remainder of Kent Students ○ Even though the owners want to reach Freshmen and Sophomores mainly, the rest of the of Kent State students are possible customers at the shop. Other Kent State students may not be aware of Scribbles as well. Secondary Publics: ● Main Street Kent
  • 12.
    12 ○ A non-profitorganization that promotes downtown Kent, the local businesses and local events put on for the town. ● Kent State Juniors/Seniors ● Graduate Students ● Faculty/ Staff Measurable Objectives: ● Get 75 Kent State Freshmen and Sophomores to go to Scribbles Coffee Co. by October 1st, 2016. ● Increase awareness of Scribbles Coffee Co. among the sampling of Kent State Freshmen and Sophomore students by 2 percent by December 1st, 2016. ● To increase preference for coffee amongst students through a blind taste test by January 1, 2017. ● To increase local customers by 5 percent by September 12 through customer appreciation promotions by January 1, 2017. Formal Research Things we would have liked to know: ● Times Freshman and Sophomores prefer coffee, morning or afternoon ● How many students commute to Kent ● How many students have a car on campus ● If more students would go to Scribbles if they expanded, had a drive-thru and/or stayed open later To find answers, we would have included these questions in our survey from phase one.
  • 13.
    13 Key Messages andThemes Event1: Free Coffee Event Key Message: “Come enjoy a free cup of coffee, your tastes buds will not be disappointed.” Theme: “Give your tastes buds a new experience!” Event 2: Blind Taste Event Key Message: “We are so sure Scribbles is the coffee you will prefer.” Theme: “Taste variety of different coffees and challenge your taste buds.” Event 3: Sip and Tell Key Message: “Enjoy some coffee and decide which brew is your favorite.” Theme: “Taste coffee and share your taste buds inner thoughts.” Event 4: Customer Appreciation: Scribbles In The Sun Key Messages: “Scribbles values regular customers and wants to show appreciation to all its loyal customers.” Theme: “Enjoy time with family and friends in a friendly, fun environment!” Objective 1 Get 75 Kent State Freshmen and Sophomores to go to Scribbles by December 1st, 2016. Strategy ● Give more of an incentive for students going to Scribbles. Tactic
  • 14.
    14 ● Create a“Buddy System” at Scribbles that allows a Kent State Juniors or Seniors to bring a Freshman or Sophomore student to Scribbles with the incentive that they would get a (discount on the coffee, free coffee, etc.) ● Create a coupon for the buddy system. ● Set up a table to work in front of the M.A.C. Center or Eastway during welcome weekend to promote Scribbles. ● Students who sign up for “email list serve” will receive a coupon. The coupon will explain that if they bring a friend they both will receive a free beverage upgrade. Evaluation Criteria ● See how many people used the coupons at Scribbles. Have owners set aside each coupon to know how many people came in. If the coupons surpass 75, the objective will be considered a success. Objective 2 Increase awareness of Scribbles among the sampling of Kent State Freshmen and Sophomore students by 2 percent by December 1, 2016. Strategy ● Promote Scribbles coffee at Kent State. Tactic ● Set up two different locations for free coffee (Outside the M.A.C. Center and Eastway) because many freshmen and sophomores go there. ● Make flyers promoting free coffee to post around campus. ● Make a poster that says “Come All, Come Strong: Free Coffee”.
  • 15.
    15 ● Display thebags of coffee and show the brand and encourage purchases of bags of coffee. Evaluation Criteria This will be measured through a survey after all tactics are implemented. The survey will instruct students to answer questions about their taste experience with the coffee. In addition to this, there will be questions from the original survey handed out in the beginning of the study. Answers from this will give a better sense of how much awareness has increased. Objective 3 Increase preference for coffee among Kent State students through a blind taste test by January 1, 2017. Strategy ● Make Scribbles the most preferred coffee brand at Kent State. Tactic ● Set up blind taste test of all the coffees and put in dixie cups to create anonymity. ● Get boxes of coffee from Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Bent Tree, and Scribbles. ● Buy Dixie Cups ● Print out surveys for participants to take after test. ● Set up table outside the M.A.C. Center and have students sign up for “Sip and Tell”. ● Have one-on-one focus groups with students called “Sip and Tell.” Students will try Scribbles coffee in a Dixie Cup and share their thoughts vocally to the researcher about what they liked/disliked. Participants will try other coffee brands such as Tree City and Starbucks and share their feedback with researcher. Giving students the ability to share
  • 16.
    16 their thoughts vocallywill allow them to feel comfortable and more open to answer questions on paper. Evaluation Criteria ● Surveys ○ Do you prefer this coffee over others? Why/why not? ● One-on-one: Evaluate questions in person such as “Do you like it/What would you change/Do you prefer it over others? Objective 4 To increase local customers by 5 percent by September 12 through customer appreciation promotions by January 1, 2017. Strategy ● Promote customer appreciation by the use of local events Tactic ● A summer event where patrons can draw on the sidewalk (targeted towards children). Parents can take a photo of the drawings and post it on social media with the hashtag, #ScribblesInTheSun and parents can get half off a beverage. ● Promote their social media through signs in the window and advertisements on their rewards card. ● For the students, show their Kent State Student ID and get a free upsize of a beverage (Buy a small, get a medium, etc.) during the month of August.. ● For the flour mill truck drivers: If they show proof that they’re driving a large commercial truck (presentation of CDL) they will get a free upsize for the month of August.
  • 17.
    17 ● For localbusinesses, create a raffle where if they come in and buy a beverage they can put their business card in a fishbowl and at the end of the month a winner will be chosen at random and receive a $10 gift card to Scribbles. ● A beginning of the academic year open mic event that will have local bands play and allow students to mingle in a relaxed environment. ● Contact local bands to perform during the student mic night event that takes place at the beginning of the school year. ● Buy chalk for customers to use. ● Make 100 flyers and submit four posts to each social media outlet (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) for Scribbles In The Sun event. ● Create a hashtag for the Scribbles in The Sun Event (#ScribblesInTheSun). Evaluation Criteria ● Evaluate how many used the #ScribblesInTheSun hashtag. ● Have a chalkboard to evaluate how many students use their Student IDs to get a free upsize coffee. ● Buy a poster board and every time a truck driver shows an ID (CDL), a truck sticker will be added to the board. ● Count how many business cards are entered in the fishbowl at the end of the month. ● Do a count of how many sales Scribbles made during this event compared to other events. ● Compile all of the data gathered from the promotional items and compare it to the primary research to find an increase.
  • 18.
    18 Budgeting Boxes of Coffee Starbucks$12.95 Tree City $14.95 Dunkin Donuts $15.99 Dixie Cups Walmart $3.28 pack of 200 Pamphlet/Flyer printing from Fedex FedEx 50 pages 100 pages Full Page $29.99 $59.99 Half Page $18.99 $36.99 Quarter Page $11.99 $19.99 Items for Customer appreciation event. Walmart Chalkboard $4.97 Duck Brand Adhesive Peel and Stick Laminate (20’ x 12’) Colored Chalk $2.88 pack of 12 Poster Board $5.54 Elmer’s pre-cut white foam board sheets (18” x 24”, 2-Pack)
  • 19.
    19 Truck Stickers $4.88one pack or $3.89 for Paper House Puffy Stickers (3” x ^.35”) Estimated Total Used: $129.32 (including full page pamphlets/ 100 copies) Delegation of Workload Method What To Do Number of Volunteers Buddy System ● One individual will need to print out coupons ● One or two individuals will need to work awareness table in front of M.A.C. Center and Eastway 1 Free Coffee ● One person needs to buy/print pamphlets from FedEx ● Make or buy a poster for the table ● One person needs to pick up Dixie cups ● At least one person needs to work the table 2 Blind Taste Test ● One person can buy the dixie cups ● One person can print flyers 1
  • 20.
    20 ● One personcan make poster for table ● One person needs to work the table Sip and Tell ● One person to proctor the one-on-ones ● One person to buy Dixie cups 1 Customer Appreciation ● Scribbles in the Sun Event ● Truckers Appreciation ● Business Workers ● Students ● Open Mic Night ● Buy chalk for kids ------------------------------------------------------ ● Buy poster board ● Buy stickers ------------------------------------------------------ ● By bowl for business cards ------------------------------------------------------ ● Buy chalkboard ------------------------------------------------------ ● Contact local bands ● Have chalkboard on hand for student free upsize promotion 1 for all of them except for Open Mic Night (May need 2 or more to help with event) Rough timeline June 1, 2016 create flyers,and poster for free coffee booth June 10, 2016 Make pamphlets to hand out around campus June 15, 2016 Set up free coffee booth and hand out coffee
  • 21.
    21 July 15, 2016Create and print Buddy System coupons July 30, 2016 Post five social media posts [Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook] about Buddy System August 1, 2016 Buddy System starts November 1, 2016 Create surveys for Blind Taste Test November 25,2016 Blind Taste Test December 30, 2016 Tabling in front of M.A.C. Center,get signups for Sip and Tell January 30, 2017 Sip and Tell Event April 1, 2017 Make flyers for Scribble In The Sun May 30, 2017 ● Create hashtag #ScribblesInTheSun ● Buy chalk for scribble in the sun event June 1, 2017 Contact local bands June 30, 2017 Scribbles In The Sun Event August 1, 2017 Student Mic Night flyers made by this date. August 14, 2017 Five social media posts [Instagram, Twitter, Facebook] about mic night August 18, 2017 Student Mic Night September 1, 2017 Create raffle for Business workers September 15, 2017 Flyers and five social media posts [Instagram, Twitter, Facebook] December 1, 2017 Complete campaign Appendix
  • 22.
    22 Survey Information: Google FormData (Last updated 2/25 1:25 pm) Link to Google Forms survey: http://goo.gl/forms/uBXSe7e8jb Responses:84 Age Range: 18-49 Academic Year? 1. Sophomore (29.8%) 2. Freshman (27.4%) 3. Junior (26.2%) 4. Senior (9.5%) 5. 4+ (2.4%) 5. Graduate Student (2.4%) 5. Other (2.4%) Where do you get coffee most often? 1. Starbucks (57.1%) 2. Other (33.3%) [See Below] 3. Tree City Coffee (4.8%) 4. Scribbles Coffee Co. (3.6%) 5. Bent Tree (1.2%) Other (Percentages Rounded): 1. Dunkin Donuts (~11.9%) 2. Homemade (~8.3%) 3. Jazzman’s (~4.7%) 3. None (~4.7%) 4. Kent Market 2 (~1.1%) 4. Sheetz (~1.1%) 4. Corner Cup (~1.1%) Specifically, what are the reasons for why you chose the establishments? 1. Location/Convenience (66.7%) 2. Taste/Quality (52.4%) 3. Atmosphere/Vibe (22.6%) 4. Rewards Card (21.4%) 5. Price (16.7%)
  • 23.
    23 6. Other (11.9%) Doyou know about Scribbles Coffee Co.? 1. Yes (57.1%) 2. No (42.9%) Do you know where Scribbles Coffee Co. is located? 1. No (52.4%) 2. Yes (47.6%) Hand Survey Data: Class Standing? Freshman: 10 Sophomore: 14 Junior: 5 Senior: 4 Where do you get your coffee? Starbucks: 28 Tree city: 1 Bent Tree: 2 Scribbles: 3 What are the reasons you like going there? Rewards cards: 3 Location/Convenience: 13 Taste/Quality: 18 Atmosphere/Vibe: 12 Price: 2 Other: 5 - Giftcard -Meal Plan Have you heard of scribbles? Yes: 18 No: 15 Do you know where scribbles is? yes: 14 No: 20
  • 24.
    24 Extra Comments: ● “Scribblesis basically the most amazing thing” - Sophomore ● “ Would love to go” -Freshman Key Points: “ I’d like more choices ( juice, smoothies) at Scribbles.” - Freshman Screenshot of customer reviews of SquareApp, which is an app where customers can use to pay.
  • 25.