SPOTLIGHT MEDIAPUBLIC RELATIONS

PROPOSAL

Making every night a “10”- April 26, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

About the Agency 2 Executive Summary 3

Intro to Mixology Situation Analysis 5 Target Audience 9

happy hour Objectives 12 Strategies 13

Power Hour Tactics 15 Other Suggestions 24

On The Rocks Measurement and Evaluation 26 Budget 27 Timetable 29

last call Team Information 31 Appendix 35 Final Note 39

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE AGENCY

Spotlight Media is the premier, full-service agency located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. We are an experienced team of six Ithaca College students that came together to build a firm that focuses on putting the client under the Spotlight. Our fresh, innovative, and creative ideas help clients shine in their industry. The members of Spotlight Media are trained to assess the current situation of the client, develop a public relations plan catered specifically to the their needs, and assist them in executing and evaluating the plan.

Our dedicated staff of media specialists, event planners, and designers work cohesively to execute the highest quality work. Over the years, we have developed a specialty in working with members of the food and entertainment industry, helping them reach their target audiences more effectively and efficiently.

GREG JOHNSONgjohnso2@ithaca.edu

(315) 243-1326@g_regj

HANNAH CORBETThcorbet1@ithaca.edu

(315) 219-6989@HannahLee_11

CYNTHIA HOPKINSchopkin1@ithaca.edu

(973) 255-6300@choppykins

CLAIRE FARRELLcfarrel1@ithaca.edu

(914) 582-5885@clairemfarrell

ALEX CORNacorn1@ithaca.edu

(315) 749-3183@alexandriacorn

JANAE PULEOjpuleo1@ithaca.edu

(315) 868-8423@Janae_Puleo

2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Operating in the Ithaca Commons, Lot 10 is a bar and lounge that hosts live music events each week. Owned by Matt Riis, this

popular hang out is not your average bar. Rather, it is a dynamic space catering equally to two different audiences.

Upon entering the venue, you will find a fully stocked bar with a variety of cocktails and drinks available attached to a lounge with ample seating. This space is typically occupied by an older crowd of graduate students and local professionals.

The upstairs lounge has a much different atmosphere. College juniors and seniors are the main audience for this area. There is a bar with a more “grab and go” service style where the customers grab their beer, or take their shot, and then move into the lounge to hang out, listen to a live performer on the stage, or play a casual game of pool.

We plan on expanding this friendly lounge environment to increase the number of undergraduate patrons by adding casual events every night in order to draw them in. By adding these events, we plan to increase Lot 10’s image through multiple social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine. We also plan to add traditional promotional materials using local print and radio stations.

We would like to thank Matt Riis for giving us a tour of his venue and providing us the opportunity to work with his business. We hope that you enjoy the ideas that we have presented to you.

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

intro to

mixology

intro to

mixology

4

situation analysis

Lot 10 is primarily an event-driven venue and faces challenges developing a regular clientele base. Although the bar can currently pull anywhere from 150-350 customers on any given weekend night, the key to drawing in an even larger crowd lies within increasing publicity and providing incentives for potential customers to Lot 10.

To see what the target market thought about the club, we sent out a survey with 10 questions about Lot 10. We found that most students had heard of the club, but have not been there. We also discoved that the bar patrons had both positive and negative comments (see Wordle charts).

With these results, it is critical to remake Lot 10’s image before the upcoming school year, and add more events for the college crowd. These new events should change the current image, attracting more students.

5

Positive Commentary

Negative Commentary

situation analysis SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

THREATSOPPORTUNITIES

- Two separate areas pertaining to different audiences- Meets the needs of a wide range of ages- Has several popular themed nights and activities- Fairly priced drinks- Wide selection of liquor, wine, and beer- Strong brand recognition

- Minimal advertising presence- Low awareness among target audience- Irregular clientele

- Rapidly changing customer pool- Changing customer tastes- Large local talent pool - Social media is easy to access

- Very dense competition field- Competitive pricing- Close proximity to very similar businesses- Age requirement limits customer base

6

Competitor Profiles

Silky Jones is a bar and lounge. It commonly features special events including trivia nights, nightly discounts and themes such as Tuesday Night Girl Talk, Wednesday Night Loungin’, Funk Night, and an 80’s Dance party. It is open Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Moonies is a bar and nightclub, and is currently one of the most popular weekend destinations for Ithaca College students. It has frequent events ranging from trivia, beer pong, themed nights, and a mechanical bull. It offer smany cheap drinks and are known for its “fishbowls.” It also has a service where customers can receive texts about current specials.

7

Competitor Profiles competitor profiles

Kilpatrick’s is a fully operational restaurant and Irish Pub. Attached to the Hilton Hotel, it is best known for its presence as a live music venue. It features Wednesday night trivia and Thursday Night Karaoke. It is open daily from 11:30 a.m. until 1 a.m.

The Nines is a bar and music venue located in close proximity to Cornell’s campus. Due to its presence as a music venue that commonly features IC students’ bands, it frequently draws a large crowd. It also contains a fully functioning bar and restaurant. It is open nightly, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 3:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. on Sunday.

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target Audience

Lot 10’s current target audience is anyone who is over the age of 21. As it stands, there are two distinct groups of people who frequently visit Lot 10 based on the different floors of internal space.

On the first floor, the primary audience is individuals who are generally 25 and older. They are typically professors, graduate students, and professionals from the community.

The second floor’s primary pull is undergraduate students who are normally current juniors and seniors. These patrons are less inclined to purchase pricey drinks.

The primary targets for this campaign will be undergraduate students who will be frequenting the second floor. The majority of our media choices and suggestions will be aimed towards driving this key demographic into Lot 10.

Our secondary audience will be those who generally visit the first floor bar.

Although we will be targeting the undergraduate demographic much more aggressively, we will still include messages aimed at the older, professional customers.

This campaign will utilize social media as well as traditional media in order to access our target audiences. Social media platforms will include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as Vine. Traditional media will involve placing ads in The Ithacan, The Cornell Daily Sun, and The

Ithaca Times, recording a 60-second radio

spot, as well as posters and flyers.

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target Audience Audience profiles

Jake is a senior, majoring in Business Administration at Ithaca College. He is looking for a change of pace from his regular weekend routine. One Friday night, Jake and his pals are walking around the Commons and stumble across Lot 10. They hear some live music that piques Jake’s interest, and he urges his friends to follow him inside. Once inside, Jake leads his friends to the second floor where they grab a beer from the bar, chill out to the live DJ in the lounge, and play a few games of pool.

Ragan is a writing professor at Ithaca College, and is looking for an event that she can go to with a few of her colleagues. While searching on her social media pages, she comes across a competitive story telling event being held at Lot 10 on Thursday. When she brings her colleagues to the event, they all decide to sample one of Lot 10’s custom cocktails from the first floor bar while they listen to everyone’s stories. After the stimulating evening, Ragan decides to make this outing a regular event and competition among her department.

10

happy

hour

happy

hour

11

OBJECTIVES

This public relations campaign has been

designed to achieve the following objectives:

Build public awareness of Lot 10

We want to build Lot 10 to be more

well-known in the Ithaca community.

Increase attendance at Lot 10’s weekly

events

We want to see Lot 10 receive a higher amount

of customers visiting and frequenting the

location.

Drive more traffic to Lot 10’s website

We want more people to research Lot 10 in

regards to what types of events, drinks, and

specials are being offered.

Build Lot 10’s social media presence

and utilization

We want to increase the total interaction

between Lot 10 and its customers. We

also want to increase how frequently the

accounts are used to push certain messages.

Bottom line...help increase Lot 10’s

revenues

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STRATEGIES

In order to meet our objectives, this

campaign will implement the following

strategies:

Better utilize both social and traditional

media to communicate to target audiences

Remind potential customers of Lot 10’s

presence on a frequent basis

Build a more regular clientele base

Position Lot 10 as both a weekday and

weekend destination

Host events that will draw new and existing

customers

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STRATEGIES

power

hour

power

hour

14

tactics

For purposes of this campaign, social media will be a key factor in reaching our primary audience. This allows for a much easier process of communication with customers in regards to feedback and suggestions for future events and improvements.

Facebook: We will purchase a sidebar ad that will appear to people who live within 10 miles of Ithaca, are between the ages of 21 and 45, and are in categories such as Alternative or Beer/Wine/Spirits.

Twitter: We will purchase a sponsored tweet, which will use Twitter’s formula to only appear to certain users, even if they do not follow Lot 10.

Instagram: By connecting this app to Lot 10’s Facebook and Twitter, Lot 10 will be able to easily share images that will intrigue potential customers to visit the bar. Suggested topics include drinks, event teasers, and event pictures.

Vine: Similar to Instagram, this app allows you to share short video clips on other social media. This would allow Lot 10 to quickly send a video of an event that is currently going on in order to make one last push for potential customers to visit.

15

tactics tactics

For our secondary audience, we will be utilizing more traditional media in the form of newspapers, posters, and radio advertisements.

Newspapers: There are three major newspapers that will cover key areas for coverage. The Ithacan, Ithaca College’s campus newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell University’s campus newspaper, and The Ithaca Times, a newspaper that reaches the greater Ithaca area. The campus newspapers will reach faculty and staff, as well as current students. The community paper will reach the professionals currently living in Ithaca.

Posters: We will design promotional posters to advertise Lot 10 as a location, as well as posters for specific events and performances. These will be posted on Ithaca and Cornell’s campuses and in locations throughout the greater community.

Radio: We will purchase 60-second radio ads on popular stations that Lot 10’s customers will likely be listening to. This would include the stations: 103.3, 95.5, and 97.3. These stations typically play current hits and will easily reach our target audience.

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TACTICS

Invite Local Bands to Perform

Lot 10 will capitalize on its presence as a venue, and draw a crowd from the band’s fans. Some potential bands that Lot 10 could invite are:

GypsyGetsShotgun:

GypsyGetsShotgun is a Punk/Ska band from Ithaca, NY. Having recently opened for Streetlight Manifesto at its recent Ithaca College show, this band is becoming much more prevalent in the minds of IC students.

Second Dam:

Second Dam is an Alternative/Indie/

Electric band, and currently one of the most well-known and popular bands at Ithaca College. The band describes its sound as: “five part harmonies, bouncing bass lines, a string section that will make your heart melt, sweet guitar riffs, a drummer who probably should be medicated, and a singer with more power and range than the power rangers.” In Spring 2012, the band was the opening act for The Wailers at IC Kicks Back, one of the largest events on Ithaca College’s campus.

17

TACTICS TACTICS

The Northern Route:

The Northern Route is an Acoustic Rock/Blues/Indie band from Ithaca, NY. The band describes its sound as:“With their buzzing harmonies, unique instrumentation, and catchy guitar licks, they captivate a variety of audiences. Each musician’s distinct style of play and range of influences create a musical bliss to soothe a listener’s ears.”

The Danbees:

The Danbees are a Rock ‘n’ Roll alternative and pop grunge band from Ithaca, NY. The band was recently featured at HiFashion Studio’s spring fashion show, and has gained a loyal following since its debut in August 2012.

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TACTICS

IC Senior Card:Every year, the Ithaca College senior class contacts local businesses to offer deals and discounts to attach to their senior card. It is our suggestion that Lot 10 reach out to the senior class and offer a deal to be put on the senior card, which will attract seniors looking to redeem their deals, as well as act as a source of advertising from the senior class when they announce the senior cards and promote the attached deals.

Big Name Act:We suggest that Lot 10 invest in a few larger name acts that students would pay a cover charge to see. The best time to host an event of this scale would be at the start of each Fall semester in order to pull in the new 21 year olds before they establish their favorite bar. This would also give Lot 10 an opportunity to expand its social media presence by promoting sweepstakes, contests, or giveaways in connection to the show with opportunities to win tickets. It may also be a possibility to work with an artist being featured at another local venue and run a double header, where the artist would perform at Lot 10 one night and a different venue in Ithaca on another night. This may also be made more effective by allowing students who are under 21 in by marking their hands with an X in permanent marker.

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TACTICS TACTICS

Ithaca College Bureau of Concerts:Every year, a group at Ithaca College coordinates concerts with unique bands that Ithaca College students are interested in seeing. We suggest reaching out to the Ithaca College Bureau of Concerts and offer use of Lot 10 as a venue, or collaborate with an artist to set up a double header. Again, this tactic would be made more effective by allowing students under 21 into the bar by marking their hands with a large X in permanent marker.

Communications Intern:One way to gain additional support in implementing this campaign and finding efficient ways to canvas the Ithaca community, as well as Ithaca College and Cornell campuses, would be to create a communications intern position (paid or for credit) at Lot 10. We would recommend creating two positions with one intern from each university., who would be responsible for maintaining Lot 10’s social media presence and creating buzz about the venue on their respective campuses. This could be accomplished by assigning them to hang up posters and flyers, as well as giving them a special business card that will give students a benefit. This may be a discount on their first drink for going to the bar and redeeming the card. This would also provide means to monitor and evaluate the interns’ work and progress.

20

TACTICS

Daily Events ScheduleOne of the largest draws to bars -- and best ways to develop a regular clientele -- is to have a regular schedule of events. By catering events to the interests of the desired undergraduate market, these students will begin to make Lot 10 a regular stop in order to attend their favorite weekly events. Some of our suggestions and a sample week would look like the following.

Tuesday:Trivia Night- From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., a different theme of trivia each hour could include music at 7 p.m., sports at 8 p.m., movies at 9 p.m., and travel at 10 p.m. At the end of each hour, the team that has the most points would win a free pitcher.

Wednesday:Karaoke- Currently, Lot 10’s karaoke night sits on the same night as Kilpatrick’s karaoke night. By moving it to Wednesday night, this would allow karaoke fans an additional opportunity to sing their hearts out and eliminate the competition with Kilpatrick’s for the Thursday night song-birds.

Thursday:Game Night- Thursday would have a rotating schedule of popular bar games such as Beer Pong, Quarters, Flip Cup, or Caps. Using Beer Pong as an example, each team would receive one pitcher 50% off to begin playing, and then be responsible for purchasing additional pitchers as they continue playing. The winning player would have his or her picture put on a “Wall of Fame” and be given a special promotional T-shirt.

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TACTICS TACTICS

Friday:“Absolute 10”- This night would be based around Lot 10’s tagline of “make tonight a 10.” By offering themed discounts, such as 10 shots for $10 or 10% off 10 shots and pitchers, undergraduates would be drawn to Lot 10 for the cheap drinks. A large number of these customers would stay for the atmosphere and future drinking. One condition of this deal would be that shots not purchased in a multiple of 10 would remain normally priced.

Saturday:Cherry Bombers- Ithaca and Cornell students who show their college ID will receive 20% off their first drink. This will give students incentives to make Lot 10 a stop on their night out and potentially a regular destination.

Expanded Drink Menu on Second FloorCurrently, the drink menu on the second floor lacks a variety of cocktails that many customers would likely order if they were given the opportunity. We recommend expanding the available cocktails on the second floor to include staples such as martinis, vodka sodas, and similar drinks that would give the customers greater choice in their orders without putting additional strain on the bartender.

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TACTICS

Promotional StickersOne of the most popular ways that brands and locations are getting their name known, especially in college towns, is by having stickers available for customers to take. These stickers, which we are suggesting be provided to patrons for free, would serve as a reminder about Lot 10 for the people taking the sticker, and would also allow their friends and classmates to view Lot 10’s logo.

Game Night Championship ShirtsWe suggest that the winners of our proposed Thursday night Game Night receive a free T-shirt. This will serve multiple purposes. First, it will give customers an incentive to participate in the weekly competition. Secondly, the Lot 10 logo on the T-shirt will serve as a free advertisement for the bar.

Promotional CoastersWe recommend giving all patrons a complimentary Lot 10 coaster with their drinks. These giveaways will serve as a relevant reminder of Lot 10. One side would show Lot 10’s logo and the other side would contain the proposed ongoing weekly themed activities.

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TACTICS other suggestions

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In addition to our proposed tactics, we have also included additional suggestions that could potentially improve the public’s perception and awareness of the bar overall. These would be engaged separately from the rest of the campaign.

Stage Re-design/RelocationWe believe that placing a greater emphasis on the live music aspect of the bar would be a very well-received update. Currently, the stage sits in the corner of the second floor. If possible, a more prominent location would highlight this emphasis.

Minor RenovationsSome patrons expressed that the dance floor felt more like a concert venue than an area to dance. If a dance floor feel is the goal, we suggest looking into renovating the type of flooring in that area.

Bar RelocationWe have also gathered that the second floor bar, as well as the area around it, is always very cramped and crowded. For these reasons, we suggest relocating the bar to a more open area on the second floor.

Increased StaffWe have gathered from multiple sources that students have found that the bar service could be faster. Due to this concern, we recommend looking into hiring additional bartenders and barbacks.

on the

rocks

on the

rocks

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MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION

Media Coverage We will monitor local news sources and see which ones are beginning to cover stories about Lot 10, as well as what is being said in those stories.

Attendance at Events We are interested in determining if Lot 10’s

increased publicity and expanded events schedule will draw more customers to the space.

Social Media Interactions We will see if Lot 10’s social media presence increases in customer activity and use of platforms as forums to interact directly with the customers on how we may solve any future problems or any suggestions they might have.

Website Traffic We want to see if the Lot 10 website is receiving additional views from customers

interested in their drink menu

or events schedule.

Post-Campaign Survey We will conduct a survey to see if public awareness and opinion of Lot 10 has changed. We would include questions such as “How did you hear about Lot 10?” “Have you ever visited Lot 10?” and “If so, what day/event did you attend?”

Changes in Revenue and Average Attendance We will be able to compare average revenues and attendance from before the campaign to those during/after the campaign to see if there is an increase in patronage.

Deal RedemptionsWe will track how many customers are redeeming the promotional deals through campaign materials, such as IC Senior Cards and the intern cards.

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budget

This budget focuses solely on out-of-pocket expenses and does not include money spent on staff or agency time. It also does not account for money to be allocated to the proposed discount programs. Posters will be 11x17, and approximately 50 posters will be printed per event, with an estimated 500 posters printed in a year. Advertisements for the first floor’s target audience will run for 12 months. Those targeting the second floor’s target audience will run when the schools are in session for eight months of the year.

Working with a budget of $3,000-$6,000, we estimated total out-of-pocket expenses to be $5,135. This was arrived at by using printing rates from Staples, average costs for social media and radio ads and direct rates for newspaper ads. Rates for the Ithaca Times were gathered using average costs between the other newspaper ads because the rates were not immediately available to the public. The excess $865 will be available for unforeseen expenses and other expenses

associated with the suggested events of our campaign.

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budget BUdget

Remaining Budget

Social Media Marketing

Print Advertisements

Radio Advertisements

Promotional Materials

28

timetable

To coincide with the college calendar, we will begin this campaign in August 2013. The campaign will run for 12 months. Due to the nature of the plan, we have included approximate times where we recommend advertisements be released, and when promotions begin.

Most promotions, such as the suggested nightly themes will be done daily, throughout the entirety of the campaign.

We recommend that at least one major event be held at Lot 10 per month. This could be a performance from a local band, a big name group, or a sponsored event, such as an event with Ithaca College’s Senior Class.

The timetable below indicates a sample month during the academic year when ads will be released and posters would be hung up in the community as well as on college campuses.

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timetable timetable

Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun JulMajor Group

Group Posters

Lot 10 Posters

Newspaper Ad

Social Media

Intern

Senior Card

Nightly Themes

Radio Ad

Expanded Menu

PromotionalMaterials

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last

call

last

call

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Team information

Greg Johnson, from Syracuse, NY, is a sophomore attending Ithaca College as a dual-major in Integrated Marketing Communications and Communication Studies, with a minor in Legal Studies. He is a member of several groups including the Mock Trial Team, Park Peer Advisors, and the Student Government Association. He hopes to be able to utilize his talents and experiences to work in the advertising industry as a copywriter at a prominent agency.

The last concert that he attended was Aaron Carter’s After Party Tour.

Hannah Corbett, from Little Falls, NY is a sophomore at Ithaca College’s Park Center for Sustainable Business and Enterprise, where she is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in management, and minors in Legal Studies and Integrated Marketing Communications. Next semester she will be studying abroad in London, England. She is very active as a member of the Business School Tour Guides, Women in Business, and a member and Fundraising chair of the Business School Peer Advisors. After graduation Hannah hopes to move to Boston, and work using her degree in business.

The last concert that she attended was Miranda Lambert.

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Team information

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Alexandria Corn from Utica, NY, is a Sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park school of Communications, and a minor in Theatre at Dillingham. She is interested in pursuing a creative career by combining her skills in communications and her love for music into the entertainment industry. She is involved in the American Marketing Association as a graphic designer and is the Advertising Chair for the Student Activity Board.

The last concert she attended was Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.

Janae Puleo, from Utica NY, is a sophomore at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications. She is an Integrated Marketing Communications major, and is interested in pursuing a career at a pharmaceutical advertising agency. She hopes to combine her creative and design skills along with her passion for health and medicine by becoming involved in the media industry.

The last concert that she attended was Luke Bryan.

Team informationTeam information

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Cynthia Hopkins is an Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College. Cynthia lives by the words, “inspiration is motivation”. This principle drives her to stay inquisitive and driven in all pursuits in her life. She has a passion for aesthetics, composition, and design. The manager and creative director of world famous painter Alex Grey is her mentor of nine months, with no end in sight. Cynthia has been a personal trainer for three years and never plans to stop.

The last music event she attended was The Ultra Music Festival

Claire Farrell, from Westchester, NY, is a sophomore at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications and an Integrated Marketing Communications major. She is interested in pursuing a career in Media Planning based in New York City.Her past internships have been at National Geographic Society as a Public Relations Intern, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as a Corporate Communications Intern, Zac Posen as a Public Relations intern, Lincoln Center Film Society as a Public Relations and event coordinating intern, and Rent the Runway as a College Marketing intern.

The last concert she attended to was Bob Dylan.

appendix

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Intern Card The top portion of this business card could also act as a basic newspaper ad.

Promotional Sticker

Promotional Coaster

appendixappendix

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Sample promotional Event Poster

appendix

37

Promotional Game Night T-Shirt

appendixappendix

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1  

2  

Have you heard of Lot 10?

77% YES23% NO

1  

2  

Have you been to Lot 10?

35% YES65% NO

0  

5  

10  

15  

20  

25  

30  

35  

40  

45  

1   2   3   4   5  

Series1  

How would you rate the atmosphere of Lot 10? 1=Love it, 5 = Not a fan

Survey Results

final note

39

Thank you for

your time and

c o n s i d e r a t i o n !

cheers!