Trader Joe’sIMC Branding Plan

Research Conclusions:

Demographics

● We received 98 responses after distributing the “Trader Joes Annex” survey to

Florida State University students.

● 88% of respondents completed the survey (86).

● Females 73%

● Males 27%

● Ages ranged from 18 to over 22.

● 30% of our respondents were 21 years of age and 49% of respondents were over

22 years of age.

Hearing About

Trader Joe’s

● Since Trader Joe’s does not take

part in traditional marketing, it

makes sense that most respondents

have heard about it through word of

mouth tactics.

Primary Grocery

Store● Publix is the primary grocery store

● There are multiple factors which could be

contributing here, including the ease of

location for many students, enjoyable

shopping experience, and frequent sales.

● Wal-Mart is the next popular choice, with

Winn-Dixie falling in behind. Target, Trader

Joe’s, and “other” represent together less

than 10% of the respondent’s primary

grocery store.

Frequency of

Grocery

Shopping● Most respondents tend to do their

grocery shopping once a week or 1-

2 times a month

● This group of respondents

comprises over 60% of the overall

sample.

Living

Area● Students who live off-campus have

self-reported that they are more

likely to visit the hypothetical Trader

Joe’s annex more than those who

live on-campus or near to campus.

● There were slightly more

respondents who live off campus

(61.6%) than those who lived on-

campus or near campus (38.4%).

On-Campus

Meal Plan

Importance of

of Buying

Organic

Year in

School

Research Limitations

● Respondents skewed by age/year

● Small sample size

● Not randomized sample

SWOT AnalysisStrength Wide assortment of organic food 2000 private label products

Self-funded (No debt)

Location: High populated area

Great customer service and return policy Brand Loyalty

Weakness Lack of parking Overcrowded location

“Perceived” as expensive

Lack of recognizable brand names and variety of products --not one stop shopping

Loss of marketing channel: no sales promotion

Opportunity People are growing more health-conscious

Potential CSR partnership with FSU and the school of nutrition

Boosting the local economy by purchasing from local farmers, offering job opportunities

Creating mutually beneficial partnerships with Second Harvest (food bank) or Leon County Shelter in Tallahassee.

Threats Large competitors: Publix, Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, World Market, Winn Dixie

Restaurants that offer delivery

Neil DeGrasse Tyson: "GMO food is ok"

Students with fake ID’s could lead to legal issues

Positioning

Competitively Priced; Healthy; Specialized;

Diverse

Positioning: Competitively Priced

● There is a disconnect in message regarding whether or

not Trader Joe’s is inexpensive or overpriced.

● Semantics: “Inexpensive” or “cheap” devalues our

product

Positioning: Healthy

● The majority of respondents do not care about buying

organic or have no preference regarding organic

groceries.

● Rise of mobile health apps and healthier options at

restaurants

● “Healthy” as opposed to “organic”

Positioning: Specialized

● Common perception: there is a limited selection of

products offered at Trader Joe’s

● Based off of semantics

● “Specialized” to change consumer perception from

“limited”

Positioning: Diverse

● Trader Joe’s offers vegan options

● Large portion of the population are not vegans

● Position ourselves as “diverse” because of specialized

diets

Measurable Objectives and Strategies

Four reasonable and realistic goals

1. Generate awareness

2. Increase sales

3. Establish the brand

Measurable Objectives and Strategies

Objective #1: Exceed $1M in sales in one full school

semester (Fall or Spring)

Print and TV Ads

YouTube

Strategy: Utilize traditional and non-traditional tactics to

increase awareness and proper branding of Trader Joe’s.

$250K per/mo $62.5K per/week $9K a/day

Measurable Objectives and Strategies

Objective #2: Bring in/engage all residents in traditional

dormitories, and on-campus housing.

32,528 Undergraduate

Students1%

320 Controlled

Buzz Marketers

Strategy: Traditional door-to-door guerilla marketing utilizing

trained student ambassadors.

Measurable Objectives and Strategies

Objective #3: Maximize ROI from mobile channel

Strategy: Hootsuite, Facebook analytics and google

website analytics to monitor activity.

Increase traffic and increase retention rates of consumer engagement.

Measurable Objectives and Strategies

Objective #4: Increase sales by 60% on special weekends

(i.e. ‘Back To School’, ‘Parents Weekend” and high profile FSU

game days ) v.s a standard weekend.

Strategy:One-stop-shop for ALL needs

1. Beer & Wine 2. Food and Drinks 3. Miscellaneous 4.Tailgate Ready

Creative Brief

The Challenge

● Low-key brand presence

● Trader Joe’s not the majority’s primary

grocer

● “We must express unique attributes”

Creative Brief

What They Think

● “Affordable, healthful alternative”

● Convenient location by campus/Gaines

Street Corridor

● College Town = Overcrowded, impossible to

access by car

Creative Brief

What We Want Them To Think

● More than a grocery store

● Kindred spirits in Tallahassee

● Accessible, delicious

● “Your one-stop tailgate shop”

Creative Brief

Compelling Idea

● Location

● Value

● Community

Tone

● Wholesome

● Friendly

● Lively

Creative Brief

The Resulting Big IdeaWe are at the heart of a fresh, emerging Tallahassee, just

like the students and professionals who call this city home.

Our friendly, helpful staff can get you the quick bites and

fresh groceries you need at the high quality and low prices

you expect. We’re your tailgate central, your one-stop

shop, and your fellow Seminole, Rattler, and neighbor.

Branding Tactics: Grand Opening Sale

● Grand opening sale: get them in!

● Lower prices

● Gains customer loyalty and retention

Branding Tactics: Free Wifi

● Keeps customers in the store longer

● Assists in tracking customer spending habits

● Study: 14% of customers use mobile devices to

shop→ purchase from the store

Branding Tactics: Public Relations

● Strong publicity team, event coordination,

sponsored events

● Keep track of crisis plans, press releases,

events, journal articles, etc.

● Influence public opinion

Branding Tactics: Social Media

Promotion

● Provides the ability to tailor messages

through SEO cookie tracking

● Immediacy in communication

● Check-ins and sweepstakes

Branding Tactics: Corporate Social

Responsibility

● Trader Joes=Poster child of CSR

● Partner with the school of Nutrition Sciences

● Second Harvest or Leon County Shelter

● Boosts local economy by purchasing product from local

farmers

Questions?

Thank You!