Whitney Bryan's account planning portfolio... with a theatre twist. Enjoy!

1. WHITNEY BRYAN: Account Planner
Three One-Act
Advertising Stories

2. The theatre was created to
tell people the truth
about life and the social
situation.
-Stella Adler

3. A few words about the playwright/director/lead
actress:
For about 7 of my 25 years, if you had to look for me,
I’d probably be on stage.
What does this have to do with planning?
Well, it means that I’ve had to be able to understand
the thoughts and desires of a lot of different people
very quickly (both real and fictional!)
I like to get beneath the surface of people and find
out what really makes them tick – as they say in the
theatre, it’s all about discovering a character’s
motivation.
While I may not have pursued a career in theatre, my
desire to get inside the heads of all sorts of
characters has never gone away.
I’m primed to figure out what people really want. Not
just what they say they want.

4. Act 1: PNC BANK
Cast:
Account Planner Whitney Bryan
Account Planner James Colistra
Copywriter Alphie Ali
Art Director Umut Gocmen

5. (At center stage stands THE CHALLENGE: PNC, a bank TARGET: We cemented our target as young urban
with a regional presence in the Northeast, Midwest, professionals – people between 22-28
and Florida, wanted to add a new credit years old in the first five years of
card to its portfolio and attract a new, dynamic their careers.
audience for the brand. The 4th largest bank in the
US, PNC achieved its rank through its commitment to INSIGHTS: After talking to some of these
customer service and to safeguarding its customers’ people, we discovered something
money and investments.) interesting. While young professionals
can manage their finances fairly well,
they have nothing left over
at the end of the month to save – they
HOW WE STARTED: After getting the brief, we began to just “break even.”
wonder about the credit history of
other people around our age and As one person we talked to said,
at a similar stage in life – do “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to save
they have similar credit histories? for the future when I have no money TO
What financial issues do they face? save.”
What do they wish they could change
about their financial situations? At this point, we decided that the card
we were going to create had to do
We researched PNC’s existing credit something about this cyclical process
cards and had a look at the market of breaking even month to month.
overall. None of the cards in PNC’s Clearly, this was an opportunity to
current line of personal cards were connect with a major frustration that
marketed towards college graduates our target had and demonstrate how PNC
or young professionals. can actively alleviate this
And, as we looked at the frustration.
credit card market as a whole,
the cards marketed to young THE CARD: We called our card the PNC Plus Card.
professionals had limited benefits. We decided that it would take a
percentage of what the customer spends
We decided that this presented on the card each month and put it into
an excellent opportunity a low risk mutual fund. It would
to draw in a new group of effectively help young professionals
customers to PNC. People who plan and save for their futures.
could be potential lifetime
customers. And we’d create a It also featured discounts at
product that actually suited participating restaurants and
their needs. entertainment venues in the areas where
PNC has a high presence.

6. COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY: The PNC card for young CREATIVE STRATEGY: Breaking even is no way to live.
professionals helps you
break out of breaking even. ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY: Use interactive tactics that will
give consumers an immediate sense
of how the card will help them
save for the future.
-END SCENE-

7. Creative Executions
We created a microsite for the card, We also created a smart phone application that linked directly
where customers could manage their to the microsite.
monthly budget and monitor their
mutual fund.
Customers could see the
benefits of the card’s other
main feature, discounts at
local restaurants and
entertainment venues,
on their receipts .

8. A final thought about the creative work on PNC…
While our strategy tapped into a problem unique and specific to young professionals,
we should have made the creative campaign resonate more with our target audience. We
could have developed executions that depicted what our target’s futures would be like
without savings, and demonstrate how the card can improve these futures.
Additionally, we could have more closely examined what it means for our target to
lack the ability to save monthly in a more immediate way. Are they unable to afford
major emergency expenses? Do they have to cut back on small indulgences like buying
coffee in the morning and going out to dinner?
The creative work could have been stronger had we focused on these areas.

9. Act 2: Uncle Ben’s Rice
Cast:
Account Planner Whitney Bryan
Account Planner Ebubekir Kalkan
Copywriter Corey Stoddard
Art Director Juan Pablo Lemus

10. (Again, at center stage stands THE CHALLENGE: TARGET (contd): They wanted to make food that
Uncle Ben’s has traditionally tried to market to was wholesome and healthy and
mothers. However, its 90 second ready rice were concerned about artificial
variety hasn’t been connecting with them. We were ingredients and additives in their
tasked with finding new insights to help Uncle foods.
Ben’s better communicate this product to moms – or,
potentially communicate to an entirely new target.) INSIGHTS: We discovered that the “health
conscious speed cooks” had a
HOW WE BEGAN: To tackle this problem, we started few reservations about instant
out by looking at cooking blogs. side items – Uncle Ben and its
Interestingly, by reading the blog neighbors on the aisle which
entries and the comments, two include Hamburger Helper,
different types of cooks emerged. Rice-a-roni (and its sister
And they weren’t necessarily moms. Pasta-roni), Kraft Mac N
Cheese, and other similar
One type we identified as foods.
“aspiring gourmets” – people who
enjoyed the cooking process as As one member of our target
much as the meal itself and loved put it, “Stuff from the box is
to discover different recipes and kind of sketchy.”
experiment with ingredients.
Uncle Ben’s is most certainly
TARGET: We selected the other type of not sketchy – its ingredients
cooks we discovered as our target list is tremendously different
- the “health conscious speed- from other boxed items. How
cooks.” This group was more could we convince this group
interested in finishing the that Uncle Ben’s was a box
cooking process as quickly as without sub-par ingredients?
possible so they could get down to
the business of eating – their Fortunately for us, the answer
ideal cooking time was half an was on the Uncle Ben’s box
hour on average. Though they label. Unlike many of its
wanted to make meals quickly, they competitors, Uncle Ben’s states that
weren’t interested in it’s heart healthy and low in
compromising on the quality of the cholesterol on the box – its wholesome
ingredients in their meals. credentials are obvious.

11. THE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY: Uncle Ben’s rice is the THE CREATIVE STRATEGY: Uncle Ben’s – wholesome food
only box that fits in real estate.
with your wholesome meal.
THE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY: Use print and online tactics
that demonstrate how Uncle
Ben’s rice fits in with the
other healthy items on
your plate.
-END SCENE-

12. Creative Executions
We created a coupon print piece,
inserted into the real estate
section of papers, positioning Uncle
Ben as a “food realtor.”
We came up with
print executions
that illustrated
the real
estate theme.
We also created a web banner directly comparing Uncle Ben’s
to its competitors.

13. A final thought about the creative work on Uncle Ben’s…
Our creative executions needed to better specifically reflect what our target is
already cooking, and how Uncle Ben’s fits in with those meals. Our tagline and
creative idea allude to this, but the executions themselves stop short of
illustrating the exact types of meals our target is making, and how Uncle Ben’s fits
in with those meals.

14. Act 3:
Starbucks Doubleshot
Coffee + Energy
Cast:
Account Planner Whitney Bryan
Account Planner Ebubekir Kalkan
Copywriter Corey Stoddard
Art Director Juan Pablo Lemus

15. (For the last time, at center stage stands THE INSIGHTS (contd): College students drink a ton of
CHALLENGE: The North American Coffee Partnership energy drinks, but all of the
[NACP] and Freedom Zone tasked us with developing a drinks only focus on giving them a
marketing platform based on the film industry to boost of physical energy.
promote Starbucks Doubleshot: Energy + Coffee.
While the drink leads in sales against its direct None help them create sustained
competitors, Java Monster and Rockstar Roasted, mental energy – an important thing
NACP and FreedomZone wanted to generate greater to have when you’re constantly
brand awareness in younger consumers, specifically looking for inspiration to write
college students. Additionally, HBO agreed to help papers and essays.
facilitate part of the project to create greater
brand desirability amongst the same audience.) Starbucks Doubleshot has
ingredients that help boost mental
performance. The caffeine in the
HOW WE BEGAN: We looked at the energy drink drink gives you an initial jolt of
market as a whole to see how energy, and the guarana and ginseng
Starbucks Doubleshot compared to in the drink are known to boost
other drinks in the marketplace. mental functions.
We read online energy drink
reviews and looked at marketing We realized Doubleshot was uniquely
programs that brands like Monster, positioned to give our target
Rockstar and Redbull have something they needed, but hadn’t
developed and are ever gotten from an energy drink
currently developing. before – mental energy. But we
wanted to go one step farther and
We also conducted a series of tell our audience why having
focus groups to find out how sustained mental energy is
college students consume energy important. We wanted to tell them
drinks. We wanted to find out exactly what extra mental energy
what brands they drink, and where can help them do – overcome those
and why they drink them. pesky mental barriers that plague
many people anytime they sit down
INSIGHTS: Our key findings came from an to write something.
intersection between unique
characteristics of the Doubleshot
product, and how college kids have
been buying and drinking
energy drinks.

16. “PROJECT WRITER’S “PROJECT WRITER’S
BLOCK”: We decided to build a platform BLOCK” contd: The story would go into production
that focused on the most common during its completion and premiere
mental barrier – writer’s block. as an actual movie on the HBO
The centerpiece of the project channel, HBO’s website, and as
worked like this: part of HBO and Doubleshot’s
current college film program
Screenwriter Alan Ball, “Doubleshot Double Feature.”
Academy Award winning
screenwriter and creator of HBO’s COMMUNICATIONS
True Blood, would announce that STRATEGY: Starbucks Doubleshot helps you
he needs help finishing his next breakthrough mental barriers.
project - a new TV movie for HBO.
He would start off his concept CREATIVE STRATEGY: Write on with Starbucks
for the story (introduce the Doubleshot.
characters and the basic
scenario) and then ask the public ENGAGEMENT
to help him finish it. STRATEGY: Generate grassroots buzz and
galvanize people to participate
The story would be completed in with the brand with word of mouth,
phases – after Alan explained the experiential, and online tactics.
intro, the public would first
develop and pitch ideas for the -END SCENE-
rising action, then the climax,
then the falling action/ending.
For each phase of the story,
people would get to submit their
ideas online at a microsite, and
other users/members of the public
would vote on their favorite
ideas for how the story should
progress. So, the idea that
received the most votes would be
the idea for that phase of the
story, then people would submit
ideas and vote on the next phase
of the story, and so on.

17. Creative Executions
…in addition to on and offline
We used social media to generate buzz
community boards and classified
about the project…
listings.

18. Creative Executions
The microsite provided background on the rules for the project, Alan’s story intro, and a space to
submit your own ideas…
The microsite also
provided practical
help on how to get
over writer’s
block – you could
find out the
nearest place to
get a Doubleshot,
and view live
feeds to get
visual
inspiration.

19. Creative Executions
For college students, we created giant “writer’s blocks,” where
people could write words of inspiration to help overcome
writer’s block. Doubleshot campus ambassadors would be on hand
to hand out product samples.
We also developed an online version of
the giant block, which projected
people’s words of inspiration onto an
a web banner.

20. A final thought about the creative work on Starbucks Doubleshot…
The creative idea reflected the strategy and contained engaging, audience-relevant
executions. The central part of The Writer’s Block project could have been adjusted
to be more low-involvement. The project required people to submit story ideas in 500
words – we could have found a way for people to continue the story in a more
effortless and less time-consuming way.
We could have also developed point of sale executions to directly drive additional
sales of the product. While our project has many awareness-raising components, we
should have created executions that would do more to actively drive consumers to buy
Doubleshot.

21. If you’re casting for a new planner…
…check out my experience below
302 Vine Court
Mandeville, LA 70448
whit_14@hotmail.com
Whitney Elana Bryan (985) 373-8446
Experience Highlights Education
MORE TH>N Insurance "Life's Worth" Campaign: Worked alongside Hyper, digital arm of Fallon, to Miami Ad School – Account Planner’s Bootcamp 2010
create the "Life's Worth" website (http://www.yourlifesworth.com/) - an online tool that allows
MORE TH>N customers to calculate the worth of their home contents and predict how the value of M.A. International Public Relations; Cardiff University, School of Journalism and Media, 2007
the contents will change over time. Graduated with distinction (equivalent of Summa Cum Laude)
Kellogg's NutriGrain "Bring back the tea trolley" Campaign: Worked to develop an online viral B.A. Loyola University New Orleans, 2006
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WszjwMV7BEs) and media drop initiative featuring Kellogg's Major: Drama/Communications
baker boys calling for a return to the traditional British tea breaks at 11am and 4pm. The PR President, Alpha Psi Omega (National American Dramatic Honour Fraternity)
activity supported the Kellogg's NutriGrain television campaign. Member, P.R.S.S.A. (Public Relations Student Society of America)
Graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.9 GPA)
Apetina Cheese "Text for recipes" Campaign: Worked to develop mobile service allowing Apetina Academic Scholarship and Drama Scholarship to Loyola University
cheese customers to receive recipe ideas via SMS. Apetina's retained advertising agency, McCann Dean’s List Every Semester
Erickson, supported the activity with a print campaign.
Additional Skills and Interests
Work Experience
Languages: Spanish (intermediate)
Third Sector PR Classically trained mezzo-soprano
London, England, UK Participated in over 15 productions in the New Orleans, Louisiana theatre community, including
Senior Account Executive original works as well as contemporary and classical plays (Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard, Gilbert
January 2009 – September 2009 and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado, Wilder’s Picnic)
Cow PR Additional Honours/Memberships
London, England, UK
Account Executive Member, Alpha Sigma Nu (National American Jesuit Honour Fraternity)
January 2008 – December 2008 Member, Sigma Delta Pi (National American Spanish Honour Society)
Loyola University Women’s Issues Leadership Award-2005
Zehnder Communications
New Orleans, LA, USA References
Public Relations Associate
January 2006 – August 2006 Nick Dear Amy Mahfouz
MORE TH>N Tulane University
External Communications Consultant Communications Manager
Nick.dear@uk.rsagroup.com amy_mahfouz@hotmail.com
(+44) 207 337 5620 504 337 6181

22. Thanks for reading!