I created this survey research as part of my coursework for Public Relations

1. Finding​ ​what​ ​Auburn​ ​University​ ​Students​ ​are​ ​Looking​ ​for
in​ ​an​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​Shop:
A​ ​Research​ ​Study​ ​for​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream
Anna​ ​Laura​ ​Killian,​ ​Courtney​ ​Guidy,​ ​Hannah​ ​Gornto​ ​and​ ​Megan​ ​McKinstry

2. Table​ ​of​ ​Contents
Executive​ ​Summary………………………………………………………....….2
Research​ ​Specifics……………………………………………………………..4
Literature​ ​Review……………………………………………………………….6
Media​ ​Analysis…………………………………………………………………..8
Methodology……………………………………………………………………12
Results………………………………………………………………………….13
Discussion/Recommendations……………………………………………….15
Appendices…………………………………………………………………….18
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………....45
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3. Executive​ ​Summary
O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​is​ ​a​ ​locally​ ​owned​ ​business​ ​in​ ​historic​ ​downtown​ ​Opelika.​ ​O
Town​ ​strives​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​customers​ ​who​ ​are​ ​in​ ​college​ ​and​ ​also​ ​raise
awareness​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lunch​ ​menu.​ ​As​ ​they​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​their​ ​customer​ ​base,
they​ ​also​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​add​ ​to​ ​their​ ​lunch​ ​menu​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​help​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice
Cream​ ​maintain​ ​business​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​season.​ ​We​ ​have​ ​conducted​ ​thorough
research​ ​through​ ​an​ ​online​ ​survey​ ​with​ ​questions​ ​specifically​ ​aimed​ ​toward​ ​discovering
what​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​can​ ​do​ ​to​ ​attract​ ​more​ ​college​ ​students​ ​and​ ​increase
awareness​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lunch​ ​menu.
The​ ​study​ ​conducted​ ​asked​ ​the​ ​public​ ​two​ ​type​ ​of​ ​questions:​ ​screener​ ​questions
and​ ​questions​ ​related​ ​to​ ​solving​ ​the​ ​problems.​ ​The​ ​survey​ ​begins​ ​with​ ​questions
referring​ ​to​ ​the​ ​age,​ ​gender​ ​and​ ​education​ ​level​ ​of​ ​the​ ​respondent​ ​then​ ​moves​ ​into​ ​more
specific​ ​questions​ ​having​ ​to​ ​do​ ​with​ ​their​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​and​ ​whether
or​ ​not​ ​they​ ​have​ ​been​ ​there.​ ​The​ ​questions​ ​varied​ ​between​ ​open​ ​ended​ ​and
multiple-choice​ ​questions.​ ​The​ ​open-ended​ ​questions​ ​allowed​ ​the​ ​respondent​ ​to​ ​give
more​ ​detailed​ ​answers​ ​so​ ​we​ ​could​ ​gauge​ ​their​ ​interest​ ​on​ ​the​ ​matter.
We​ ​collected​ ​the​ ​data​ ​through​ ​an​ ​online​ ​survey​ ​through​ ​Qualtrics.​ ​The​ ​data​ ​was
collected​ ​during​ ​a​ ​two-week​ ​period​ ​and​ ​had​ ​a​ ​total​ ​of​ ​149​ ​respondents.​ ​The​ ​population
was​ ​randomly​ ​selected​ ​as​ ​we​ ​sent​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​out​ ​through​ ​social​ ​media.​ ​Majority​ ​of​ ​the
respondents​ ​were​ ​in​ ​the​ ​class​ ​category​ ​of​ ​Auburn​ ​seniors​ ​at​ ​41​ ​percent,​ ​followed​ ​by
Auburn​ ​juniors​ ​at​ ​35.37​ ​percent,​ ​etc.​ ​One​ ​possible​ ​area​ ​for​ ​error​ ​was​ ​that​ ​majority​ ​of
respondents​ ​were​ ​female,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​were​ ​aiming​ ​to​ ​target​ ​both​ ​male​ ​and​ ​females.
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4. Some​ ​major​ ​findings​ ​from​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​conducted​ ​were​ ​80​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents
had​ ​never​ ​been​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream,​ ​55​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​are​ ​somewhat​ ​likely
to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​if​ ​the​ ​shop​ ​serves​ ​food​ ​items​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​ice
cream​ ​and​ ​80​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​are​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​use​ ​Instagram​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​a​ ​local
business​ ​on​ ​social​ ​media.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​result​ ​of​ ​our​ ​findings,​ ​we​ ​recommend​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town
builds​ ​a​ ​presence​ ​on​ ​Auburn’s​ ​campus,​ ​aim​ ​their​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​specifically​ ​Instagram,​ ​at
college​ ​students,​ ​and​ ​increase​ ​overall​ ​awareness​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lunch​ ​menu.
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5. Research​ ​Specifics
The​ ​research​ ​conducted​ ​was​ ​necessary​ ​for​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​how
much​ ​knowledge​ ​Auburn​ ​University​ ​students​ ​have​ ​about​ ​the​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop.​ ​O​ ​Town
Ice​ ​Cream​ ​will​ ​use​ ​the​ ​results​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​a​ ​better​ ​communication​ ​plan​ ​with​ ​students
in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area.​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​customers​ ​mostly​ ​consist​ ​of​ ​families​ ​living​ ​nearby.
Increasing​ ​communication​ ​with​ ​Auburn​ ​University​ ​students​ ​would​ ​greatly​ ​increase​ ​its
customer​ ​base​ ​and​ ​also​ ​its​ ​profits.​ ​The​ ​research​ ​conducted​ ​helped​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​to​ ​learn
what​ ​students​ ​look​ ​for​ ​when​ ​going​ ​out​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​best​ ​ways​ ​to
communicate​ ​with​ ​student​ ​customers.
The​ ​research​ ​was​ ​conducted​ ​randomly​ ​through​ ​an​ ​online​ ​survey​ ​using​ ​Qualtrics.
The​ ​survey​ ​was​ ​distributed​ ​through​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​specifically​ ​Facebook​ ​and​ ​GroupMe.
Since​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​was​ ​distributed​ ​online,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​no​ ​control​ ​over​ ​who​ ​took​ ​the​ ​survey.
This​ ​resulted​ ​in​ ​a​ ​random​ ​population​ ​that​ ​we​ ​counted​ ​in​ ​the​ ​survey.​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​span​ ​of
one​ ​week,​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​received​ ​149​ ​responses.
The​ ​results​ ​of​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​provided​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​with​ ​various​ ​interesting​ ​statistics.
Those​ ​surveyed​ ​said​ ​that​ ​flavor​ ​was​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​influencer​ ​when​ ​deciding​ ​where
to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​and​ ​brand​ ​recognition​ ​was​ ​the​ ​least​ ​important.​ ​This​ ​supports​ ​O
Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​as​ ​they​ ​focus​ ​heavily​ ​on​ ​the​ ​flavors​ ​they​ ​serve.​ ​Of​ ​those​ ​surveyed,​ ​65
percent​ ​agreed​ ​that​ ​getting​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​should​ ​be​ ​an​ ​experience.​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​focuses​ ​on
making​ ​every​ ​customer’s​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​its​ ​shop​ ​and​ ​entertaining,​ ​unique​ ​experience.​ ​The
majority​ ​of​ ​those​ ​surveyed​ ​were​ ​more​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​that​ ​serves​ ​food;
however,​ ​94​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​had​ ​no​ ​clue​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​served​ ​food.​ ​The​ ​results
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6. showed​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​has​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​popular​ ​characteristics​ ​that​ ​students​ ​seek​ ​when
choosing​ ​where​ ​to​ ​go​ ​for​ ​ice​ ​cream.​ ​The​ ​problem​ ​is​ ​that​ ​80​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​those​ ​students
had​ ​never​ ​heard​ ​of​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream.​ ​By​ ​increasing​ ​communication​ ​with​ ​students,
specifically​ ​on​ ​Instagram​ ​where​ ​students​ ​prefer​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​local​ ​businesses​ ​(according​ ​to
the​ ​survey),​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​could​ ​attract​ ​many​ ​more​ ​customers.
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7. Literature​ ​Review
​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​Opening​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​is​ ​a​ ​dream​ ​that​ ​most​ ​people​ ​with​ ​a​ ​sweet​ ​tooth
have​ ​at​ ​one​ ​point​ ​or​ ​another​ ​in​ ​their​ ​life.​ ​Starting​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​is​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​gig
because​ ​not​ ​only​ ​do​ ​you​ ​get​ ​to​ ​be​ ​your​ ​own​ ​boss,​ ​you​ ​also​ ​get​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​the​ ​local
community​ ​together.​ ​Many​ ​people​ ​have​ ​gone​ ​from​ ​college​ ​degrees​ ​to​ ​owning​ ​their​ ​own
ice​ ​cream​ ​shop,​ ​because​ ​there’s​ ​something​ ​about​ ​it​ ​that’s​ ​just​ ​bigger​ ​than​ ​food.
Paul​ ​Nugent,​ ​a​ ​small​ ​business​ ​advocate​ ​whose​ ​background​ ​is​ ​in​ ​the​ ​startup
space,​ ​mentions​ ​a​ ​few​ ​main​ ​areas​ ​of​ ​focus​ ​when​ ​opening​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop.​ ​These
areas​ ​of​ ​focus​ ​are:​ ​knowing​ ​your​ ​product,​ ​dealing​ ​with​ ​seasonality,​ ​knowing​ ​your
customers’​ ​tastes​ ​and​ ​knowing​ ​how​ ​much​ ​to​ ​charge.​ ​Staying​ ​in​ ​business​ ​during​ ​the
winter​ ​can​ ​be​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​struggles​ ​of​ ​owning​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop.​ ​“You​ ​need​ ​to
be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​scale​ ​a​ ​business​ ​quickly​ ​and​ ​efficiently​ ​in​ ​the​ ​summer…​ ​and​ ​then​ ​run​ ​a​ ​lean,
efficient​ ​operation​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter,”​ ​says​ ​Nugent.​ ​This​ ​puts​ ​a​ ​large​ ​demand​ ​for​ ​income
during​ ​the​ ​other​ ​seasons,​ ​especially​ ​if​ ​you​ ​plan​ ​on​ ​closing​ ​shop​ ​during​ ​the​ ​winter.
Studies​ ​have​ ​found​ ​that​ ​the​ ​most​ ​effective​ ​way​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this​ ​is​ ​to​ ​offer​ ​seasonal
items.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​offering​ ​holiday​ ​flavored​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​like​ ​pumpkin​ ​or​ ​candy​ ​cane​ ​for
the​ ​fall​ ​and​ ​winter​ ​seasons.​ ​It’s​ ​also​ ​important​ ​to​ ​advertise​ ​these​ ​seasonal​ ​flavors​ ​so
your​ ​customers​ ​are​ ​kept​ ​up​ ​to​ ​date.​ ​An​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​successful​ ​seasonal​ ​flavor​ ​is
Chick-fil-a’s​ ​famous​ ​peppermint​ ​chocolate​ ​chip​ ​milkshake.
Iaments​ ​Susan​ ​Soorenko​ ​owns​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​Washington,​ ​D.C.,
and​ ​said​ ​one​ ​thing​ ​she​ ​does​ ​to​ ​survive​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​season​ ​is​ ​creates​ ​custom​ ​flavors​ ​as​ ​a
tool​ ​to​ ​set​ ​them​ ​apart​ ​from​ ​other​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shops.​ ​These​ ​are​ ​created​ ​for​ ​wholesale
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8. businesses,​ ​which​ ​sell​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​to​ ​an​ ​assortment​ ​of​ ​restaurants,​ ​supermarket​ ​chains
and​ ​hotels.​ ​According​ ​to​ ​Malcolm​ ​Stogo,​ ​president​ ​of​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​University,​ ​a​ ​business
he​ ​operates​ ​where​ ​aspiring​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​makers​ ​enroll​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​trade,​ ​“diversification​ ​is
absolutely​ ​necessary​ ​if​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​business​ ​is​ ​to​ ​survive.”
Another​ ​area​ ​of​ ​focus​ ​we​ ​found​ ​in​ ​many​ ​articles​ ​was​ ​attracting​ ​children.​ ​Some
ideas​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​children​ ​in​ ​attendance​ ​are​ ​to​ ​host​ ​birthday​ ​parties​ ​and​ ​events​ ​for​ ​the​ ​local
community.​ ​While​ ​it’s​ ​important​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​the​ ​children​ ​happy,​ ​it’s​ ​even​ ​more​ ​important​ ​to
keep​ ​the​ ​parents​ ​entertained​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​why​ ​many​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shops​ ​have​ ​started
serving​ ​coffee​ ​and​ ​espresso​ ​drinks​ ​so​ ​parents​ ​can​ ​treat​ ​themselves​ ​while​ ​their​ ​children
enjoy​ ​the​ ​dessert.​ ​“Kids​ ​want​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​the​ ​temperature.​ ​Parents​ ​not​ ​so
much,”​ ​says​ ​John​ ​Landis,​ ​an​ ​iconic​ ​store​ ​manager.
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9. Media​ ​Analysis
SWOT​ ​Analysis
Strengths
1. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​has​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​hometown​ ​voice​ ​and​ ​persona​ ​that​ ​it​ ​portrays
through​ ​its​ ​locally​ ​named​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​flavors​ ​and​ ​artwork​ ​inside​ ​of​ ​the​ ​store.​ ​This
provides​ ​customers​ ​with​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​experience,​ ​unlike​ ​that​ ​of
commercialized​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shops.
2. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​offers​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​food.​ ​It​ ​has​ ​eight​ ​rotating​ ​ice​ ​cream
flavors,​ ​dairy-free​ ​Italian​ ​ice​ ​and​ ​seasonal​ ​treats​ ​such​ ​as​ ​caramel​ ​apples.​ ​It
recently​ ​opened​ ​the​ ​“Lunch​ ​Stop,”​ ​where​ ​it​ ​serves​ ​sandwiches,​ ​soups​ ​and
salads.
3. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​has​ ​a​ ​strong,​ ​trustworthy​ ​and​ ​close-knit​ ​staff​ ​with​ ​great
internal​ ​communication.​ ​The​ ​owners​ ​are​ ​passionate​ ​about​ ​their​ ​craft.
4. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​has​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​social​ ​media​ ​presence​ ​on​ ​Instagram​ ​(3,000
followers),​ ​Twitter​ ​(1,000​ ​followers)​ ​and​ ​Facebook​ ​(5,000​ ​followers).​ ​It​ ​does​ ​a
great​ ​job​ ​of​ ​responding​ ​to​ ​both​ ​positive​ ​and​ ​negative​ ​comments​ ​on​ ​social​ ​media.
5. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​is​ ​conveniently​ ​located​ ​in​ ​the​ ​center​ ​of​ ​downtown​ ​Opelika,
making​ ​it​ ​very​ ​accessible.
6. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​has​ ​a​ ​stable​ ​and​ ​secure​ ​target​ ​audience.​ ​This​ ​audience
consists​ ​primarily​ ​of​ ​local​ ​families.
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10. 7. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​offers​ ​multiple​ ​immersive​ ​events​ ​for​ ​its​ ​customers.​ ​Some​ ​of
these​ ​events​ ​include​ ​storytime​ ​every​ ​Tuesday​ ​morning,​ ​Daddy​ ​Daughter​ ​Date
Night​ ​and​ ​Mom’s​ ​Night​ ​Out.
Weaknesses
1. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​does​ ​not​ ​advertise.​ ​Advertising​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​way​ ​to​ ​reach​ ​new
audiences​ ​that​ ​don’t​ ​know​ ​about​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream.
2. The​ ​interior​ ​of​ ​the​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​shop​ ​is​ ​still​ ​being​ ​worked​ ​on.​ ​A​ ​mural​ ​is​ ​in
the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​being​ ​painted.​ ​Once​ ​this​ ​is​ ​complete,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​be​ ​a
weakness.
3. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​has​ ​very​ ​little​ ​connection​ ​to​ ​Auburn​ ​University​ ​and​ ​its​ ​student
body.​ ​These​ ​students​ ​make​ ​up​ ​a​ ​large​ ​percentage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​population​ ​in​ ​the
surrounding​ ​area.​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​should​ ​work​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​its​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​the
university​ ​community.
4. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream’s​ ​new​ ​“Lunch​ ​Stop”​ ​is​ ​not​ ​well​ ​known​ ​by​ ​its​ ​audience.​ ​Many
believe​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​only​ ​offers​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​products.​ ​“Lunch​ ​Stop”​ ​has​ ​the​ ​ability​ ​to
bring​ ​a​ ​wider​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​customers​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town,​ ​so​ ​should​ ​be​ ​better​ ​advertised.
5. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream’s​ ​website​ ​is​ ​outdated​ ​and​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​be​ ​revamped.​ ​The​ ​images
are​ ​low​ ​quality​ ​and​ ​don’t​ ​show​ ​up​ ​well​ ​on​ ​the​ ​site.
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11. Opportunities
1. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​should​ ​partner​ ​with​ ​downtown​ ​Auburn​ ​to​ ​support​ ​each​ ​other’s
local​ ​businesses.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​also​ ​help​ ​bring​ ​more​ ​awareness​ ​of​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​to​ ​the
university​ ​community.
2. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​should​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with​ ​Auburn​ ​University’s​ ​Greek​ ​Life.
It​ ​can​ ​reach​ ​out​ ​to​ ​various​ ​sororities​ ​and​ ​fraternities​ ​about​ ​having​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​at
their​ ​events.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​help​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​advertise​ ​on​ ​Auburn’s​ ​campus.
3. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​should​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​take​ ​its​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​push​ ​carts​ ​to​ ​local
events​ ​such​ ​as​ ​concerts​ ​and​ ​festivals.
4. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​should​ ​create​ ​a​ ​marketing​ ​campaign​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​the​ ​“Lunch
Stop”​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​its​ ​new​ ​food​ ​menu​ ​items.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​help​ ​to​ ​attract​ ​a​ ​wider
variety​ ​of​ ​audiences.
5. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​should​ ​follow​ ​seasonal​ ​trends​ ​especially​ ​in​ ​winter.​ ​For
example,​ ​it​ ​could​ ​offer​ ​warm​ ​drinks​ ​and​ ​a​ ​special​ ​candy​ ​cane​ ​flavored​ ​ice​ ​cream.
This​ ​will​ ​allow​ ​the​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​fresh​ ​new​ ​flavors​ ​and​ ​treats​ ​to​ ​its
audience.
6. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​should​ ​offer​ ​and​ ​advertise​ ​study​ ​spaces​ ​and​ ​meeting​ ​spaces
for​ ​its​ ​customers.​ ​Many​ ​shops​ ​surrounding​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​are​ ​popular​ ​study​ ​locations
for​ ​high​ ​school​ ​and​ ​college​ ​students.​ ​Because​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​already​ ​has​ ​Wi-Fi,​ ​it
would​ ​be​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​host​ ​students.
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12. Threats
1. Like​ ​many​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shops,​ ​the​ ​changing​ ​of​ ​seasons​ ​will​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​on​ ​O​ ​Town
Ice​ ​Cream.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​months​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​becomes​ ​less​ ​popular.​ ​For​ ​this
reason,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​crucial​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​establishes​ ​its​ ​“Lunch​ ​Stop.”
2. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​is​ ​surrounded​ ​by​ ​multiple​ ​competitors,​ ​especially
commercialized​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shops​ ​like​ ​Marble​ ​Slab​ ​and​ ​Bruster’s.​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​must
continue​ ​to​ ​advertise​ ​what​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​different​ ​from​ ​these​ ​competitors:​ ​its
hometown​ ​attitude.
3. O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​gets​ ​its​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​from​ ​a​ ​creamery.​ ​Because​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​made​ ​in
store,​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​must​ ​always​ ​have​ ​a​ ​backup​ ​plan​ ​in​ ​case​ ​something​ ​was​ ​to
happen​ ​to​ ​the​ ​creamery.
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13. Methodology
We​ ​conducted​ ​an​ ​online​ ​survey​ ​using​ ​Qualtrics​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​assess​ ​how
knowledgeable​ ​Auburn​ ​University​ ​students​ ​are​ ​about​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream.​ ​Aside​ ​from
increasing​ ​college​ ​student​ ​awareness,​ ​we​ ​also​ ​tried​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​their​ ​new​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop,
as​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​critical​ ​component​ ​for​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​to​ ​be​ ​successful​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter.​ ​We​ ​distributed
this​ ​survey​ ​through​ ​different​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms,​ ​but​ ​focussed​ ​on​ ​Facebook​ ​and
GroupMe.​ ​The​ ​respondents​ ​were​ ​random​ ​because​ ​we​ ​had​ ​no​ ​control​ ​over​ ​who​ ​took​ ​the
survey.​ ​Over​ ​a​ ​two​ ​week​ ​span,​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​received​ ​148​ ​total​ ​responses.
The​ ​survey​ ​included​ ​17​ ​screener/qualifier,​ ​demographic,​ ​multiple​ ​choice,​ ​open
ended​ ​and​ ​scale​ ​questions.​ ​The​ ​data​ ​concluded​ ​that​ ​flavor​ ​was​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important
influencer​ ​when​ ​deciding​ ​where​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream.​ ​This​ ​result​ ​backs​ ​up​ ​O​ ​Town
because​ ​their​ ​main​ ​selling​ ​point​ ​is​ ​the​ ​unique​ ​flavors​ ​they​ ​offer.​ ​However,​ ​80​ ​percent​ ​of
students​ ​had​ ​never​ ​heard​ ​of​ ​O​ ​Town,​ ​and​ ​94​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​had​ ​no​ ​clue​ ​they
served​ ​food.​ ​This​ ​further​ ​emphasizes​ ​the​ ​communication​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​should​ ​have​ ​with
students​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future​ ​because​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​survey,​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​has​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​popular
characteristics​ ​students​ ​look​ ​for​ ​in​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop.​ ​For​ ​all​ ​the​ ​specifics​ ​of​ ​the​ ​survey
we​ ​distributed​ ​please​ ​see​ ​the​ ​appendices.
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14. Results
This​ ​survey​ ​was​ ​intended​ ​for​ ​current​ ​Auburn​ ​University​ ​students,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​were
able​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​we​ ​got​ ​responses​ ​from​ ​our​ ​target​ ​audience​ ​through​ ​a​ ​screener​ ​question.
Within​ ​the​ ​two​ ​weeks​ ​of​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​being​ ​open,​ ​147​ ​eligible​ ​people​ ​took​ ​it.​ ​There​ ​was
one​ ​other​ ​participant,​ ​making​ ​the​ ​total​ ​number​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​148,​ ​but​ ​since​ ​he​ ​or​ ​she
was​ ​not​ ​a​ ​current​ ​Auburn​ ​student,​ ​he​ ​or​ ​she​ ​was​ ​not​ ​able​ ​to​ ​complete​ ​the​ ​survey.
Of​ ​the​ ​147​ ​respondents,​ ​8.87​ ​percent​ ​were​ ​freshmen,​ ​13.61​ ​percent​ ​were
sophomores,​ ​35.37​ ​percent​ ​were​ ​juniors,​ ​41.50​ ​percent​ ​were​ ​seniors​ ​and​ ​.68
percent​ ​were​ ​graduate​ ​students.​ ​The​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​or​ ​participants​ ​were​ ​female,​ ​at
92.52​ ​percent,​ ​and​ ​most​ ​have​ ​lived​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area​ ​for​ ​two​ ​to​ ​four​ ​years.
When​ ​asked​ ​what​ ​their​ ​favorite​ ​place​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​was,​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of
respondents​ ​said​ ​Marble​ ​Slab​ ​Creamery,​ ​Bruster’s,​ ​Toomer’s​ ​Drug​ ​Store​ ​or​ ​various
fast​ ​food​ ​restaurants.​ ​Most​ ​respondents​ ​ranked​ ​flavors​ ​as​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​factor
when​ ​picking​ ​a​ ​place​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​ranked​ ​brand​ ​recognition​ ​as​ ​the​ ​least
important.​ ​When​ ​given​ ​the​ ​statement​ ​“going​ ​out​ ​for​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​should​ ​be​ ​an
experience​ ​and​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​purchase,”​ ​64.63​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​either​ ​somewhat
or​ ​strongly​ ​agreed,​ ​22.45​ ​percent​ ​were​ ​neutral​ ​and​ ​only​ ​12.92​ ​percent​ ​either
somewhat​ ​or​ ​strongly​ ​disagreed​ ​(see​ ​Question​ ​10​ ​in​ ​Appendix​ ​B).​ ​Over​ ​80​ ​percent
of​ ​our​ ​respondents​ ​have​ ​never​ ​been​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​before.​ ​When​ ​asked​ ​how
likely​ ​they​ ​were​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​that​ ​only​ ​served​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter,
54.42​ ​percent​ ​said​ ​they​ ​were​ ​either​ ​somewhat​ ​or​ ​extremely​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​go,​ ​but​ ​when
13

15. asked​ ​how​ ​likely​ ​they​ ​were​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​that​ ​also​ ​serves​ ​food​ ​during
the​ ​winter,​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​who​ ​were​ ​either​ ​somewhat​ ​or​ ​extremely​ ​likely
to​ ​go​ ​increased​ ​to​ ​80.95​ ​percent.​ ​We​ ​found​ ​that​ ​138​ ​of​ ​our​ ​respondents,​ ​93.88
percent,​ ​were​ ​not​ ​aware​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​had​ ​The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop​ ​in​ ​its​ ​shop,​ ​but
when​ ​asked​ ​what​ ​items​ ​they​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​see​ ​added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​menu,​ ​soups,​ ​salads,
grilled​ ​cheeses,​ ​chicken​ ​fingers​ ​and​ ​other​ ​sandwich​ ​choices​ ​were​ ​the​ ​top​ ​answers
(for​ ​a​ ​full​ ​list​ ​of​ ​responses​ ​see​ ​Question​ ​15​ ​in​ ​Appendix​ ​B).​ ​Only​ ​five​ ​respondents
follow​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​on​ ​social​ ​media:​ ​four​ ​follow​ ​on​ ​Instagram,​ ​one​ ​follows​ ​on
Facebook​ ​and​ ​no​ ​respondents​ ​follow​ ​on​ ​Twitter,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​respondents
claimed​ ​that​ ​if​ ​they​ ​were​ ​going​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​a​ ​local​ ​business​ ​on​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​they​ ​would
follow​ ​the​ ​business​ ​on​ ​Instagram.​ ​For​ ​all​ ​the​ ​specifics​ ​of​ ​the​ ​results​ ​of​ ​our​ ​survey
please​ ​see​ ​the​ ​appendices.
14

16. Discussion/Recommendations
Social​ ​Media
While​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​is​ ​doing​ ​well​ ​with​ ​its​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​changes
that​ ​could​ ​be​ ​made​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​improve.​ ​The​ ​main​ ​recommendation​ ​is​ ​to​ ​completely
redo​ ​the​ ​website​ ​because​ ​it’s​ ​very​ ​out​ ​of​ ​date​ ​and​ ​underutilized.​ ​By​ ​revamping​ ​the
website​ ​it​ ​would​ ​add​ ​many​ ​valuable​ ​features​ ​for​ ​both​ ​current​ ​and​ ​potential​ ​customers.
The​ ​“Flavors”​ ​page​ ​should​ ​be​ ​changed​ ​so​ ​it​ ​could​ ​be​ ​updated​ ​with​ ​the​ ​daily​ ​flavors.
There​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​“Who​ ​We​ ​Are”​ ​page​ ​that​ ​tells​ ​the​ ​story​ ​behind​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream
and​ ​its​ ​mission.​ ​Since​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop,
a​ ​section​ ​about​ ​it​ ​should​ ​be​ ​added.​ ​This​ ​section​ ​could​ ​include​ ​the​ ​menu​ ​and​ ​any
specials​ ​they​ ​are​ ​having.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​only​ ​a​ ​link​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream’s​ ​Facebook
page,​ ​so​ ​links​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Instagram​ ​and​ ​Twitter​ ​should​ ​be​ ​added,​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​many
great​ ​pictures​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Instagram​ ​and​ ​Facebook,​ ​so​ ​those​ ​should​ ​be​ ​added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​website
since​ ​there​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​only​ ​three​ ​blurry​ ​photos​ ​on​ ​the​ ​main​ ​page.
There​ ​are​ ​also​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​recommendations​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Instagram​ ​and​ ​Twitter.​ ​The
Instagram​ ​has​ ​many​ ​great​ ​images​ ​and​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​helpful​ ​information​ ​for​ ​customers,​ ​but​ ​we
feel​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​more​ ​beneficial​ ​if​ ​more​ ​of​ ​those​ ​images​ ​were​ ​turned​ ​into​ ​graphics.​ ​For
example,​ ​on​ ​Wednesdays,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​always​ ​a​ ​post​ ​with​ ​a​ ​picture​ ​of​ ​a​ ​waffle​ ​cone​ ​and​ ​a
caption​ ​about​ ​“Waffle​ ​Cone​ ​Wednesday,”​ ​but​ ​if​ ​“Waffle​ ​Cone​ ​Wednesday”​ ​were
included​ ​on​ ​the​ ​image,​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​easy​ ​for​ ​customers​ ​to​ ​see​ ​at​ ​a​ ​glance.​ ​Although
there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​updates​ ​about​ ​what​ ​is​ ​going​ ​on​ ​at​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream,​ ​the​ ​Twitter
account​ ​consists​ ​mostly​ ​of​ ​retweets​ ​from​ ​other​ ​Opelika​ ​businesses.​ ​We​ ​feel​ ​that​ ​in
15

17. addition​ ​to​ ​those​ ​retweets,​ ​more​ ​consistent​ ​posts​ ​about​ ​the​ ​daily​ ​specials​ ​or​ ​events​ ​that
O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​is​ ​having​ ​should​ ​be​ ​added.
The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop
Since​ ​one​ ​of​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream’s​ ​goals​ ​is​ ​to​ ​spread​ ​awareness​ ​for​ ​The​ ​Lunch
Stop,​ ​we​ ​recommend​ ​that​ ​The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop​ ​be​ ​featured​ ​more​ ​on​ ​the​ ​social​ ​media
accounts.​ ​With​ ​updated​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​this​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​great​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​The
Lunch​ ​Stop.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​pictures​ ​of​ ​the​ ​lunch​ ​options,​ ​but​ ​they​ ​haven’t​ ​been​ ​posted
lately.​ ​If​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​does​ ​decide​ ​to​ ​add​ ​more​ ​options,​ ​they​ ​should​ ​be​ ​featured​ ​on​ ​the
Instagram​ ​and​ ​Facebook.​ ​On​ ​top​ ​of​ ​being​ ​added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​website,​ ​an​ ​image​ ​of​ ​The​ ​Lunch
Stop​ ​menu​ ​should​ ​be​ ​added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Facebook,​ ​so​ ​interested​ ​customers​ ​can​ ​see​ ​what​ ​is
available​ ​online.
Campus​ ​Promotions
We​ ​found​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream’s​ ​qualities​ ​align​ ​with​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​qualities
Auburn​ ​students​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​in​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop,​ ​so​ ​we​ ​believe​ ​the​ ​reason​ ​not​ ​as
many​ ​students​ ​are​ ​coming​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​is​ ​because​ ​they​ ​don’t​ ​know​ ​about​ ​the​ ​shop.​ ​To​ ​fix
this,​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​should​ ​try​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​more​ ​on​ ​Auburn’s​ ​campus.​ ​We​ ​know​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​has
done​ ​a​ ​few​ ​events​ ​with​ ​sororities,​ ​but​ ​we​ ​believe​ ​this​ ​should​ ​be​ ​expanded​ ​on.​ ​O​ ​Town
should​ ​get​ ​in​ ​touch​ ​with​ ​Auburn​ ​organizations​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Student​ ​Government
Association​ ​and​ ​University​ ​Programs​ ​Council.​ ​These​ ​organizations​ ​put​ ​on​ ​events​ ​for​ ​all
Auburn​ ​students,​ ​and​ ​many​ ​of​ ​them​ ​involve​ ​food​ ​catered​ ​by​ ​Auburn​ ​restaurants.​ ​This​ ​is
a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​for​ ​Auburn​ ​students​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​taste​ ​of​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream.​ ​One​ ​great​ ​event​ ​O
Town​ ​should​ ​try​ ​to​ ​get​ ​involved​ ​with​ ​is​ ​Welcome​ ​Week.​ ​This​ ​event​ ​takes​ ​place​ ​during
16

18. the​ ​first​ ​week​ ​of​ ​school​ ​every​ ​year​ ​and​ ​is​ ​meant​ ​to​ ​help​ ​freshmen​ ​make​ ​new​ ​friends.
This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​create​ ​customers​ ​at​ ​the​ ​very​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​their​ ​Auburn
career.
17

19. Appendix​ ​A
Survey​ ​conducted​ ​on​ ​Qualtrics​ ​for​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream:
The​ ​following​ ​survey​ ​is​ ​being​ ​conducted​ ​by​ ​students​ ​in​ ​PR​ ​Research​ ​at​ ​Auburn
University​ ​for​ ​our​ ​client,​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream,​ ​to​ ​help​ ​them​ ​better​ ​understand​ ​what
college​ ​students​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​in​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop.​ ​The​ ​survey​ ​should​ ​take​ ​no​ ​more
than​ ​10​ ​minutes​ ​to​ ​complete.
Q1​ ​–​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​currently​ ​a​ ​student​ ​at​ ​Auburn​ ​University?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Yes
o​ ​​ ​​ ​No
Q2​ ​–​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​live​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Yes
o​ ​​ ​​ ​No
Q3​ ​–​ ​What​ ​year​ ​are​ ​you​ ​at​ ​Auburn​ ​University?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Freshman
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Sophomore
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Junior
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Senior
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Graduate​ ​Student
Q4​ ​–​ ​What​ ​is​ ​your​ ​sex?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Male
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Female
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Other
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Prefer​ ​not​ ​to​ ​answer
Q5​ ​–​ ​How​ ​long​ ​have​ ​you​ ​lived​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​1​ ​year​ ​or​ ​less
o​ ​​ ​​ ​2-4​ ​years
o​ ​​ ​​ ​5​ ​or​ ​more​ ​years
18

20. Q6​ ​–​ ​How​ ​much​ ​do​ ​you​ ​like​ ​ice​ ​cream?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Like​ ​a​ ​great​ ​deal
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Like​ ​somewhat
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Neither​ ​like​ ​nor​ ​dislike
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Dislike​ ​somewhat
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Dislike​ ​a​ ​great​ ​deal
Q7​ ​–​ ​How​ ​often​ ​do​ ​you​ ​go​ ​out​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Never
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Once​ ​every​ ​few​ ​months
o​ ​​ ​​ ​1-3​ ​times​ ​a​ ​month
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Once​ ​a​ ​week
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Multiple​ ​times​ ​a​ ​week
Q8​ ​–​ ​Where​ ​is​ ​your​ ​favorite​ ​place​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area?
__________________
Q9​ ​–​ ​Please​ ​rank​ ​the​ ​following​ ​on​ ​how​ ​important​ ​they​ ​are​ ​when​ ​choosing​ ​a​ ​place​ ​to​ ​get
ice​ ​cream.​ ​(With​ ​1​ ​being​ ​your​ ​top​ ​preference​ ​and​ ​4​ ​being​ ​your​ ​last​ ​preference)
Flavors
Price
Distance
Brand​ ​recognition
Q10​ ​–​ ​Going​ ​out​ ​for​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​should​ ​be​ ​an​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​purchase.
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Strongly​ ​disagree
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Somewhat​ ​disagree
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Neither​ ​agree​ ​nor​ ​disagree
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Somewhat​ ​agree
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Strongly​ ​agree
Q11​ ​–​ ​How​ ​many​ ​times​ ​have​ ​you​ ​been​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​year?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Never​ ​been
o​ ​​ ​​ ​1-3​ ​times
o​ ​​ ​​ ​4-6​ ​times
o​ ​​ ​​ ​7-9​ ​times
o​ ​​ ​​ ​10​ ​or​ ​more​ ​times
19

21. Q12​ ​–​ ​How​ ​likely​ ​are​ ​you​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter,​ ​if​ ​all​ ​the​ ​shop​ ​serves
is​ ​ice​ ​cream?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Extremely​ ​likely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Somewhat​ ​likely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Neither​ ​likely​ ​nor​ ​unlikely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Somewhat​ ​unlikely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Extremely​ ​unlikely
Q13​ ​–​ ​How​ ​likely​ ​are​ ​you​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​if​ ​the​ ​shop​ ​serves
food​ ​items​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​ice​ ​cream?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Extremely​ ​likely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Somewhat​ ​likely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Neither​ ​likely​ ​or​ ​unlikely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Somewhat​ ​unlikely
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Extremely​ ​likely
Q14​ ​–​ ​Were​ ​you​ ​aware​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​has​ ​a​ ​lunch​ ​menu​ ​called​ ​“The​ ​Lunch
Stop”​ ​inside​ ​the​ ​shop?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Yes
o​ ​​ ​​ ​No
Q15​ ​–​ ​The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop​ ​serves​ ​chicken​ ​salad​ ​sandwiches,​ ​pimento​ ​cheese​ ​sandwiches,
and​ ​pb&j​ ​sandwiches.​ ​Please​ ​list​ ​below​ ​other​ ​food​ ​options​ ​you​ ​would​ ​want​ ​to​ ​see​ ​at​ ​O
Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream.
_______________
Q16​ ​–​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​follow​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​on​ ​any​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms?​ ​(Check​ ​all​ ​that
apply)
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Instagram
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Facebook
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Twitter
o​ ​​ ​​ ​None
Q17​ ​–​ ​If​ ​you​ ​were​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​a​ ​local​ ​business​ ​on​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​which​ ​platform​ ​would​ ​you
most​ ​likely​ ​use?
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Instagram
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Facebook
o​ ​​ ​​ ​Twitter
o​ ​​ ​​ ​None​ ​of​ ​the​ ​above
20

22. Appendix​ ​B
Graphs,​ ​charts,​ ​and​ ​figures​ ​from​ ​the​ ​survey:
Q1​ ​-​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​currently​ ​a​ ​student​ ​at​ ​Auburn​ ​University?
Q2​ ​-​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​live​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area?
​ ​
21

23. Q3​ ​-​ ​What​ ​year​ ​are​ ​you​ ​at​ ​Auburn​ ​University?
Q4​ ​-​ ​What​ ​is​ ​your​ ​sex?
22

24. Q5​ ​-​ ​How​ ​long​ ​have​ ​you​ ​lived​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area?
Q6​ ​-​ ​How​ ​much​ ​do​ ​you​ ​like​ ​ice​ ​cream?
23

25. Q7​ ​-​ ​How​ ​often​ ​do​ ​you​ ​go​ ​out​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream?
Q8​ ​-​ ​Where​ ​is​ ​your​ ​favorite​ ​place​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Auburn/Opelika​ ​area?
brusters
on​ ​campus
Toomers
Marble​ ​Slab
Toomers
Marble​ ​Slab
Toomers
Marble​ ​slab
Busters
24

26. marble​ ​slab
chick-fil-a
Marble​ ​slab
The​ ​grocery​ ​store
TCBY
Chickfila
TCBY
Brusters
Chill
Sonic
brusters
Zaxbys
Marble​ ​Slab
Steel​ ​City​ ​Pops
Marble​ ​Slab
Brusters
Grocery​ ​store
toomers
The​ ​grocery​ ​store
Kroger​ ​tbh
25

27. Chill
Dairy​ ​queen
Brewster's
kroger
Chill
Marble​ ​Slab
N/A
chickfila
Steel​ ​City​ ​Pops
marble​ ​slab
Brusters
marble​ ​slab
Not​ ​sure
brusters
Marble​ ​slab
mc​ ​donald's
Kroger
Walmart
Brewsters
Marble​ ​Slab
26

28. Grocery​ ​store
toomers
o-town
Toomers
Toomers
Brusters
O​ ​Town
TCBY
brewsters
Brusters
TCBY
Sonic​ ​or​ ​Dairy​ ​Queen
Brusters
McDonald's
Dairy​ ​queen​ ​or​ ​steak​ ​and​ ​shake​ ​bc​ ​quick
no​ ​where​ ​really​ ​:(
Brusters
Bofa
Marble​ ​slab
n/a
27

29. Marble​ ​slab
brusters
Brusters
Toomers
Froyo
TCBY
tcby
Chill
Brusters
Brewster’s
Toomers
Toomers​ ​Corner
Toomers
Mcdonalds
browsers
Toomers
Marble​ ​slab
Kroger
Marble​ ​slab
Marble​ ​slab
28

30. Kroger1
Toomers
Brusters
Brusters
Brusters
Toomers
Toomers
not​ ​sure
Marble​ ​Slab
Dairy​ ​Queen
Don't​ ​really​ ​have​ ​one
Steel​ ​City​ ​Pops
Marble​ ​Slab
Bruster’s
chill
Marble​ ​Slab​ ​or​ ​O-Town
marble​ ​slab
Toomer's​ ​Drug​ ​Store
Brusters
O​ ​Town
29

31. Bruster's
Marble​ ​Slab
TCBY
Sonic
Brusters
marble​ ​slab
Brusters
Brusters
chill
Custard​ ​from​ ​Freddys
Marble​ ​slab
Toomers
Brusters
Marble​ ​Slab
Marble​ ​Slab
Toomers​ ​Drugs
Marble​ ​slab
Marble​ ​slab
Chill
Sonic
30

32. Brusters
Wherever​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​are​ ​going.
Brusters
Steel​ ​City
marble​ ​slab
Dairy​ ​Queen
Toomers
Marble​ ​slab
Sonic
Marble​ ​slab
Marble​ ​slab
Marble​ ​Slab​ ​Creamery
Toomer's
Marble​ ​slab
McDonalds​ ​or​ ​Brusters
Marble​ ​slab
Brusters
Tcby
Q9​ ​-​ ​Please​ ​rank​ ​the​ ​following​ ​on​ ​how​ ​important​ ​they​ ​are​ ​when​ ​choosing​ ​a​ ​place​ ​to
get​ ​ice​ ​cream.​ ​(With​ ​1​ ​being​ ​your​ ​top​ ​preference​ ​and​ ​4​ ​being​ ​your​ ​last​ ​preference)
31

33. Q10​ ​-​ ​Going​ ​out​ ​for​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​should​ ​be​ ​an​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​purchase.
32

34. Q11​ ​-​ ​How​ ​many​ ​times​ ​have​ ​you​ ​been​ ​to​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​year?
Q12​ ​-​ ​How​ ​likely​ ​are​ ​you​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​if​ ​all​ ​the​ ​shop
serves​ ​is​ ​ice​ ​cream?
33

35. Q13​ ​-​ ​How​ ​likely​ ​are​ ​you​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​shop​ ​in​ ​the​ ​winter​ ​if​ ​the​ ​shop​ ​serves
food​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​ice​ ​cream?
​ ​
Q14​ ​-​ ​Were​ ​you​ ​aware​ ​that​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​has​ ​a​ ​lunch​ ​menu​ ​called​ ​“The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop”
inside​ ​the​ ​shop?
34

36. ​ ​
Q15​ ​-​ ​The​ ​Lunch​ ​Stop​ ​serves​ ​chicken​ ​salad​ ​sandwiches,​ ​pimento​ ​cheese
sandwiches,​ ​and​ ​pb&j​ ​sandwiches.​ ​Please​ ​list​ ​below​ ​other​ ​food​ ​options​ ​you​ ​would
want​ ​to​ ​see​ ​at​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream.
BLT
salads
soup
BLT
Light​ ​snacks
Grilled​ ​cheese!!
None
Salad
Soup
coffee!!
grilled​ ​cheese
35

37. N/a
Soups
Chicken​ ​fingers
Hot​ ​sandwiches
Salad
Turkey​ ​or​ ​ham​ ​sandwhiches
Burger
Idk
fries
Chicken​ ​nuggets
Soft​ ​pretzel,​ ​pizza,​ ​turkey​ ​sandwich
Side​ ​choices​ ​to​ ​go​ ​with​ ​the​ ​sandwiches
Cookies
Grilled​ ​cheese
Corn​ ​dogs
grilled​ ​cheese!
BLT,​ ​Grilled​ ​Cheese​ ​and​ ​Tomato​ ​soup
other​ ​sandwiches
Turkey​ ​sandwiches​ ​burgers​ ​soup​ ​salad
Quesadillas
36

38. paninis
grilled​ ​cheese
French​ ​fries​ ​and​ ​chicken​ ​fingers
Pizza
Grilled​ ​cheese
chicken​ ​fingers
Mozzarella​ ​sticks,​ ​Grilled​ ​Cheese
soup​ ​or​ ​salad
Reuben
grilled​ ​cheese,​ ​turkey​ ​sandwiches
None
hot​ ​dog
Chicken​ ​fingers
i​ ​like​ ​all​ ​of​ ​those!
Turkey​ ​sandwiches,​ ​Caesar​ ​salad​ ​wrap
Meat​ ​sandwiches
french​ ​fries
Soft​ ​pretzels,​ ​soup
Soup
burgers
37

39. pimento​ ​cheese
Coffee
Fries
Turkey​ ​sandwiches
burgers
More​ ​appetizer​ ​options
pizza
Nothing
Idk
Soups
French​ ​Fries
no
Burger
chips,​ ​cookies,​ ​candy
Hummus
Deez
That​ ​all​ ​sounds​ ​good,​ ​maybe​ ​like​ ​BLT’s​ ​or​ ​something​ ​with​ ​avocados
salads​ ​and​ ​soups
Pasta​ ​salad
na
38

40. Sides​ ​like​ ​fruit,​ ​pasta​ ​salad,​ ​etc
Fries
Cookies
Burgers
fries
Wraps
N/a
Hotdogs​ ​and​ ​paninis
Salads
Egg​ ​salad​ ​sandwich
Cheese​ ​curds
Hot​ ​dogs​ ​and​ ​frito​ ​pies?
n/a
N/a
Mac​ ​and​ ​cheese
Fries
Hot​ ​dogs,​ ​wraps
Sandwiches
N/A
Chips
39

41. Burger
No
salad
Turkey​ ​sandwhich
In​ ​n​ ​out
grilled​ ​cheese
n/a
Grilled​ ​Cheese
Soups
n/a
Hamburgers​ ​and​ ​hotdogs
Crinkly​ ​Or​ ​Waffle​ ​French​ ​fries,​ ​chicken​ ​tenders
yum
I​ ​think​ ​those​ ​are​ ​good!​ ​Maybe​ ​some​ ​sides?
hotdog
Grilled​ ​Cheese
grilled​ ​cheese
Hamburgers
cupcakes
grilled​ ​cheese​ ​sandwiches
40

42. Chicken​ ​wraps,​ ​soups
n/a
Salad
n
Baked​ ​Potatoes​ ​and​ ​Soup
grilled​ ​cheese
salads
Salad
Other​ ​desserts​ ​like​ ​cookies,​ ​pastries,​ ​doughnuts,​ ​cake,​ ​pies,​ ​etc
Chicken​ ​tenders
Wraps
Chicken​ ​fingers
Fries
N/a
Soup
Grilled​ ​cheese
Sodas
French​ ​fries
Chicken​ ​nuggets
Grilled​ ​cheese!
41

43. I​ ​don’t​ ​know
Hot​ ​foods
those​ ​sound​ ​good!
Grilled​ ​Chicken​ ​Sandwiches
Chicken​ ​Fingets​ ​and​ ​fries
Salads
Cheesy​ ​ranch​ ​fries
Quick​ ​Mexican​ ​options,​ ​like​ ​tacos​ ​or​ ​burritos
Grilled​ ​cheese
Idk
Deli-style​ ​sandwiches
Hot​ ​dogs
Na
Chicken​ ​tenders​ ​and​ ​fries
N'a
Club​ ​sandwich
Q16​ ​-​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​follow​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​on​ ​any​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms?​ ​(Check​ ​all
that​ ​apply)
42

44. *For​ ​Question​ ​16,​ ​the​ ​survey​ ​didn’t​ ​show​ ​our​ ​option​ ​for​ ​“none,”​ ​so​ ​even​ ​though​ ​it​ ​says
80​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​follow​ ​on​ ​Instagram,​ ​in​ ​fact​ ​only​ ​five​ ​do.​ ​One​ ​respondent
follows​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​on​ ​Facebook.​ ​142​ ​of​ ​respondents​ ​do​ ​not​ ​follow​ ​O​ ​Town​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​on
any​ ​social​ ​media.
Q17​ ​-​ ​If​ ​you​ ​were​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​a​ ​local​ ​business​ ​on​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​which​ ​platform​ ​would
you​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​use?
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45. Bibliography
44

46. Barrette,​ ​Sarah.​ ​(2004).​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​Parlors.​ ​​SBDC​ ​Net.​​ ​Retrieved​ ​from
http://www.sbdcnet.org/small-business-research-reports/ice-cream-parlors​.
English,​ ​Thea.​ ​(2017).​ ​How​ ​to​ ​Open​ ​an​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​and​ ​Coffee​ ​Shop​ ​in​ ​a​ ​Small​ ​Town.
Bizfluent.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from
https://bizfluent.com/how-8397152-open-coffee-shop-small-town.html​.
Glass,​ ​Evan.​ ​(2011).​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​in​ ​Winter?​ ​​CNN​ ​Money.​​ ​Retrieved​ ​from
http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/07/smallbusiness/ice-cream-makers-in-winter/inde
x.htm​.
Nugent,​ ​Paul.​ ​(2014).​ ​The​ ​Sweet​ ​and​ ​Simple​ ​Guide​ ​to​ ​Opening​ ​an​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​Shop.
Shopkeep.​Retrieved​ ​from
https://www.shopkeep.com/blog/are-you-really-ready-to-open-an-ice-cream-shop
.
Sagan,​ ​Aleksandra.​ ​(2016).​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​Shops​ ​are​ ​Reinventing​ ​Soft-Serve.​ ​​The​ ​Globe
and​ ​Mail.​ ​​Retrieved​ ​from
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/h
ow-soft-serve-ice-cream-companies-can-survive-winter-and-hold-onto-customers
/article31427308/​.
Qin,​ ​Helen.​ ​(2014).​ ​We​ ​Bought​ ​An​ ​Ice​ ​Cream​ ​Store.​ ​The​ ​Billfold.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from
https://www.thebillfold.com/2014/02/we-bought-an-ice-cream-store/​.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/otownicecream/
45

47. Instagram:
http://instagram.com/otownicecream
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/otownicecream?lang=en
Website:
http://otownicecream.com/
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