PRESSED Coffee Bar and Eatery

Marketing Plan Megan HornerRobert MooreKelsey Cannell

I. Company Description

Pressed Coffee Bar and Eatery is a gourmet coffee shop located on the Youngstown State

University Campus. They offer a variety of high quality beverages and foods as well as a laid

back environment for students to enjoy.

II. Business MissionPressed business mission is to provide Youngstown with the finest coffee and the freshest and

tastiest foods. Also, to take coffee and dining to new heights (Pressed- All About Us). Pressed

is definitely in the booming business of coffee. But coffee isn’t the only thing Pressed has to

offer. They also offer delicious food, smoothies, pastries, breads, and soups. They are a

coffee bar and eatery as stated on their website and Facebook page. Their mission seems to be

understood by the staff at Pressed. The staff were polite, cheerful, knowledgeable, and

helpful as well. In the future, the business has the opportunity to flourish and possibly

expand. They have dozens of opportunities to form relationships and partnerships with a very

diverse group of local businesses.

III. Situation Analysis

Located in somewhat of a prime location, there a plenty of YSU students and staff that are

relatively unfamiliar with Pressed and therefore unaware of what they have to offer. They

offer a variety of coffee, espresso, lattes, and other coffee based drinks, as well as smoothies,

breakfast and lunch food, desserts, soups, breads and more that anyone can enjoy at any time

of the day. The SWOT analysis for Pressed was created using a couple different research

tools. These tools included real life experiences from within the group, fellow YSU students,

local working professional Pressed customers, social media reviews, comments, posts, online

reviews, and Pressed’s direct competition. By researching Pressed we were able to develop a

marketing strategy beneficial for Pressed’s growth and expansion.

a. Internal Strengths and Weaknesses

Some of Pressed’s strengths are affordable coffee and food for demographic (YSU college

students). Their menu is quite impressive and includes a variety of options that are

appealing to people of all preferences. Included in their menu are all day breakfast and

lunch choices with a choice of different desserts as well. Their $4 Waffle Wednesdays are

a hit with customers and they also participate in the Pete’s point program. They are in a

prime location for YSU students/staff being right on campus, located on the super busy

Lincoln Avenue. Pressed boasts quick service for people on the go, online ordering, and

also a very desirable delivery option for larger orders. They have a 5-star rating on Yelp,

1700 Facebook likes, an easy to navigate and user friendly website, and are also listed as

the top 6 results when “YSU coffee” is Googled. Pressed includes free Wi-Fi and free

parking as well; always a plus when located downtown.

With Pressed’s many strengths also come some weaknesses. They are a relatively new

company, only being in business a little over a year. Although located on campus, they

are kind of on the outskirts of the heavy foot traffic areas of campus. Their outside

appearance could really use some sprucing up. The view inside is a little restricted, with

limited space to move around, especially during peak times of patronage. The upstairs

area isn’t visibly promoted, so some customers are unaware of its existence and

availability. The upstairs is quite quaint, while still being a very utilizable and desirable

space. Pressed should focus on utilizing their Facebook page more, as there is too much

time in between posts. With so many people being on social media, the increased sharing

of original posts, and screen shots of posts shared via text and social media platforms to

inform others, this is crucial to informing people of their presence. They lack an

Instagram page as well. Visual frames of reference are imperative to a business like

Pressed.

b. External Opportunities and Threats

One primary opportunity for Pressed would be a smartphone/tablet app. In today’s fast

paced and technologically advanced world, people want simplicity, quickness, and

convenience. Although already equipped with online ordering through their website, in

app ordering would be even faster and provide a constant visual reminder of Pressed on

users’ smartphones and tablets as an app icon. Menu expansion and delivery option

expansion should also be considered as opportunities. Partnerships with local non-profit

organizations, businesses, and schools would be opportunistic as well. Advertising in

YSU’s Jambar, on their Rookery radio, and fliers around campus, in student centers, and

on information boards throughout the campus would be beneficial in getting their name

out there as an alternative to their heavy coffee competition. A small YSU discount would

also be very beneficial. Everyone likes to save money, and being cheaper than the

competition, in addition to offering a discount while competitors do not, could potentially

make Pressed the preferred choice. Improving their social responsibility by giving back to

the community is also a way to connect with the community, build relationships, create

business opportunities, and expand.

Being in the booming coffee business absolutely brings competition and threats. Pressed

relies heavily on YSU and the youth/hipster demographic. YSU has many coffee options

directly inside the university, as well as outside on campus too. Located in Kilcawley

Center is the super popular Dunkin Donuts. Also spread around inside YSU are other

various, lesser known coffee venders as well. Outside the university, there is a

McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Campus Bookstore, all of which also sell coffee.

Pressed’s biggest competitor is the coffee giant Starbucks, which is located directly inside

YSU’s Maag Library. Starbucks’ reputation precedes itself and the coffee giant has a

definite presence among YSU students/staff. Starbucks’ brand recognition, visibility,

familiarity, and loyalty are unmatched, as they are the largest international coffee chain in

the world. Starbucks’ pride themselves in taste, quality, and a great customer service

experience. Their mission statement states “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one

person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time”. Their earnings continue to increase

annually, with their last year’s earnings from sales being $4.88 billion. With a little over

21,000 stores worldwide, 12,000 of those stores being in the US, they remain one of the

most recognizable brands in the world and direct competition to anyone in today’s coffee

indulgent market.

Luckily for Pressed, this Starbucks location is a small pop up store, and only has a fraction

of the drinks and food choices offered in their traditional independently standing stores.

They have no Yelp review, higher prices, no official baristas, and relies solely on YSU’s

community with some students refusing to patronize this Starbucks saying things like “it

isn’t the real Starbucks. It’s the same Starbucks you can buy in the grocery store and

make at home”, and “they’re charging higher prices and it isn’t even a real Starbucks”.

IV. ObjectivesPressed objectives are to Source the finest coffee from all over the world and bring it

to their customers. To provide wholesome, tasty and fresh menu items that are

“oh so good”. They want to

create a welcoming, comfortable setting to “enjoy your Pressed experience” and

their final objective is to provide customer service that is second to none through

highly trained and knowledgeable baristas and staff (Pressed- All About Us).These

objectives are customer based and focuses on customer satisfaction.

V. Marketing Strategya. Target Market Strategy

The target market for Pressed Coffee Bar and Eatery is the population of Downtown

Youngstown. More specifically, the student population that attends Youngstown State

University. The members of these markets are homogeneous in respect to geographic

location and heterogeneous in regard to sociodemographic factors and behavioral

characteristics. The population in Youngstown is split 48% Caucasian, 45% African

American, and 7% other (US Census Bureau). Youngstown State University has a student

population that is 75% Caucasian, 12% African American, 2% Hispanic, and 11%

other(Ohio Board of Regeants) The behavioral characteristics of these populations are

going to vary by age, gender, ethnicity, and occupation. Also, the student population is not

only made up of a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds but commuter students who do not

share a common hometown, upbringing, or values that one might receive if they were born

and raised in the Youngstown area. This makes the probability of differing tastes and

opinions that much more important to note.

The student population at YSU is sufficient in size and variation to warrant its own

marketing mix separate from that of Downtown Youngstown. Pressed is located on the

Youngstown State Campus and interacts more with students and faculty on a daily basis

than those from the downtown area. As far as communication is concerned Pressed uses a

Facebook account to connect with potential customers, and they have a well-developed

website, but any other advertising is essentially nonexistent besides flyers that are posted

on campus. This makes only the YSU marketing segment the one who is directly able to

be accessed through communication efforts. At present, the YSU student community

represents a high opportunity segment for Pressed. With over 12,000 students (YSU News

Center), not including faculty and staff, on campus at any given time there is definitely

opportunity for profitability and growth. Downtown Youngstown represents the low

opportunity segment for Pressed at this time. This is due to the location of the coffee bar

more than anything and the lack of traffic they get from this area.

According to a focus group conducted for this plan, the needs and satisfactions of 25

students out of the Youngstown State University population were recorded. It was found

that quality is the most wanted need of the population, followed by price, then options,

environment, and finally service. Out of the students questioned, 68% said that Quality

was the most important factor to them when choosing a coffee shop. 41% of these students

also said that price was a determining factor in what coffee shop they frequent. The same

students were asked to rate Pressed’s Quality, Price, and Reputation on a scale of 1 to 10.

1 being the worst and 10 being the best. While the average Quality of Pressed scored high

at a 7.3/10 the Price component only scored a 4.7/10.

Pressed offers its target market a homey environment in which to enjoy their freshly made

drinks and meals, it is a more comfortable setting than a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, but

that is the only differentiation that it seems to have to offer. The products at Pressed are

unique to an extent, they offer very healthy meal options that are made on an as ordered

basis and they strive to provide fresh high quality coffee to their patrons.

Pressed directs its products mostly to coffee drinkers but also to those who appreciate

gourmet home-style foods. The questions answered by the focus group for this project

were also able to draw conclusions as for how the firm stacks up to the competition as

well as the objections the target market may feel towards Pressed and their products. In

regard to how many customers are repeat vs. nonusers, on the panel of 25 YSU students,

88% of the sample reported that they did know that Pressed existed, yet only 56% had

bothered to visit. 48% of this sample identified as nonusers of Pressed, 36% are light

users, and 16% are heavy users. When asked to rate Pressed alongside its competitors the

following results were shown:

4.7 4.8

6.7 7.17.9 7.4 7.3 7.5

6.4

COMPARISON CHART

PRESSED $ SB $ DD $ PRESSED Rep. SB Rep.DD Rep. PRESSED Quality SB Quality DD Quality

Ratings out of "10"

Pressed came back with scores that were relatively close to those of Starbucks. Overall each

coffee establishment deviated little from one another in terms of Price, Quality, and

Reputation. This is a good measure for Pressed because they have only been around for one

year and are already considered to be on the same level of quality as a coffee leader such as

Starbucks. It could also be viewed as a negative however, because Pressed is also reported to

have average prices higher than Starbucks who is more established in the market.

Most of the awareness surrounding Pressed has been brought about through Word of Mount

Advertising. When asked how each participant first heard about Pressed 54.5% answered that

they had learned of Pressed through friends, extracurricular groups, and other Word of Mouth

avenues. 31.8% of participants reported that they had heard of Pressed through on campus

advertisements, most of which were the business sign hung on the establishment. The other

13.6% reported that they had heard of Pressed from other avenues, one of which being that

Pressed was once another coffee shop known as The Beat. Also, the objections given by the

focus group as to why they do not frequent the Pressed establishment are that the price is too

high, the location is inconvenient, they do not have enough time to stop in, and they are a

“non-coffee drinker”. Pressed should emphasize on the Youngstown State target market

segment for now and ignore the segment of Downtown Youngstown due to its geographic

location on the campus of Youngstown State University as well as the fact that its brand is

being misrepresented at YSU as just a coffee house when they do in fact sell a larger variety

of beverages and foods.

b. Marketing MixPressed seeks to achieve its objective of delivering quality foods and beverage to its

customers through the means of product, place, promotion, and pricing.

i. ProductThe major products offered by Pressed Coffee Bar and Eatery include but are not limited to:

Drip Coffee OatmealTea and Steamers Yogurt and GranolaEspresso Fresh FruitIced Coffee FrittatasFrozen Coffee PaninisSmoothies SaladItalian Soda SoupWaffles

These products complement each other well, offering a variety of choices without

unnecessary duplication, especially considering the wide variation of tastes among

the diverse student population. Grouping the products into two main groups, food

and beverages, the features and benefits are that these products are is freshly made

with good quality ingredients.

ii. Place/DistributionRegarding distribution, Pressed would be able to effectively deliver its offerings to 

customers directly from their own organization as well as by collaborating with other 

organizations for delivery. Delivery strategies that are suggested when delivering

offerings directly to their customers would be using social media to create buzz and word

of mouth. They could also post flyers around YSU campus. For collaboration ideas, it

is suggested that Pressed sell their coffees at another location on YSU’s campus in one of

the many cafe’s or local grocery stores. The physical distribution facilities for the product 

should be Pressed cafe, YSU cafes, or they could create a packaging for their coffee 

and sell it to a grocery store and have them distribute it. They should be located around

 the Youngstown area so that people will still know the brand and some people will be 

introduced to the brand.

People who know and love the brand will be excited to see it in other locations other than

their main cafe.  Their target market is mostly college students and professors at YSU.  

Customers are drawn to this place because it is conveniently close and had good product.

It is uncertain whether or not the target market is willing and able to travel in order to

obtain their product. Access to Pressed can definitely be improved. Pressed should have

more parking and it is also lacking handicap accessibility.

Their location was chosen because that is where their target market is. YSU students and

teachers on YSU campus. The atmosphere is very laid back and cozy. The building itself

could use some updating. It was noted that the interior of the building is very cramped,

especially when there are a lot of customers. This can be a turn off to those who tend to

feel claustrophobic.

The overall look of the exterior doesn’t appeal to the eye and doesn’t seem very inviting.

A suggesting would be to repaint the exterior a brighter but also tasteful color such as

white and yellow, or olive green and white.

Products are available to customers all year round. Pressed’s hours of operation are

Monday through Friday from 7am until 9pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am until

8pm. These times are appropriate for their target market.

iii. PromotionIn order to find out about Pressed’s products, one must either look them up online or go

in for a visit. The message and presence Pressed has is very attractive to its customers.

College students love having a nice place to go that is laid back and casual in order to eat,

and/or meet with friends. Pressed’s message is appropriately positioned for their target

market.

The promotion efforts that Pressed is currently using are effective. They bring customers

in. An example would be Waffle Wednesday. On Waffle Wednesday, all waffles are

$4.00 which is a great deal. This promotion effectively informs, persuades, educates, and

reminds customers of the product. Pressed does not have an established budget,

and they do not measure the effectiveness of their promotional efforts. We suggest that

they do both of these things in the future. They currently use Facebook to get information

to their customers. We suggest they utilize Twitter and Instagram. Facebook is very cost

effective and their page contributes to their image. The dates and times at which ads are

posted are good. Pressed has not prepared several versions of its ads. All advertising

content is done in house. Customer inquiries are handled by telephone or internet

contact. There is currently no PR or publicity program because their business is so new,

except for social media. There is very little personal selling done by Pressed. They

usually focus on social media use and their brand. The specific purpose for sales

promotion activities is to gain more profits that you otherwise wouldn’t have gotten

without the promotion. Types of sales promotions that are being used are daily specials

and discounts. These sales promotions are geared towards the final customer. All

promotions are available to all customers.

iv. PriceCurrently, Pressed focuses on a pricing strategy that will maximize profitability.

The target market being college students are price sensitive. The lower the price the

better it is for this target market. If the prices were to decrease the number of

customers would most likely increase, or the current customers may frequent more

often, giving Pressed a higher percentage of heavy users. It is projected that this

price change would increase total revenue. Pressed uses a Cost based pricing

strategy. They’re products are made with high quality ingredients and they need to

offset those costs by charging more for their products.

Pressed does consider the psychological dimension of price, marketing its products

as gourmet helps the customer perceive them as being worth more that “regular”

coffee of food items. Price promotions are used by Pressed to increase business and

attract new and existing customers. AS mentioned before one of the most popular

promotions is Waffle Wednesday. Interested prospects do not get the benefit of

sampling the products unless there is a special promotion running that day. Pressed

accepts both cash and credit payment methods, which is in their best interest

because it is convenient for the customer to purchase products from them.

VI. Implementation, Evaluation, and ControlPressed is in a good position to launch an improved marketing plan. They are known to have a

god reputation and good quality products, what needs to be focused on is customer awareness.

For the plan to be implemented, Pressed must expand their advertising past Facebook and

fliers. It is in the company’s best interest that they get involved with other social media outlets

such as Instagram and Twitter. They must also update these accounts on a regular basis.

Currently, Pressed only seems to update its Facebook account weekly, where they should post

at least once a day to remind their Facebook followers that they exist and are waiting for

business. Updating the social media accounts can be the responsibility of the store manager, or

the owners, or delegated to another employee.

Other than social media outlets, Pressed should peruse advertisements in the local newspapers

and radio stations as well as having some sort of information posted in all areas of campus.

Because Pressed is still fairly new and a small business we will stick to more simple

strategies, forgoing those that involve television and large budgets.

Because these suggestions are fairly simple to implement, the timetable for these would only

span a short amount of time.

Week 1

Create Social Media Accounts

Week 2

Assign Personnel to Manage Social Media Accounts

Week 3

Organize on Campus Outreach

Week 4

Design Advertisement for local Papers

Week 5

Design Advertisement for local Radio

If the Plan is implemented it will increase the number of customers therefore boosting

revenues:

Cost Of Advertisments 500$ Increase in Revenue 3,000$ Net Increase 2,500$

Year 0

If the plan in not implemented revenue may increase but most likely at a lower rate.

Standards of performance that this marketing plan will be judged on are the size of the

customer base and whether or not there is an increase in business and daily sales. Overall

Pressed does not seem to be trying to do enough for itself in the area of marketing. The core

marketing objectives are sound, increase customer awareness of Pressed and its products

through various media outlets. As of now these objectives are not being met, but they are an

appropriate start for the company to grow in popularity and overall. Currently there are no

known resources budgeted for marketing, so there are not enough to accomplish the marketing

objectives. A small budget would need to be put in place since most outlets will be through

free social media accounts.

‘

WORKS CITED

"Population Estimates, July 1, 2015, (V2015)." UNITED STATES QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/00>.

"Enrollment Increases at YSU for First Time since 2011." YSU News Center. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://newsroom.ysu.edu/enrollment-increases-at-ysu-for-first-time-since-2011/>.

"Undergraduate and Graduate Student Diversity." Ohio Board of Regents, Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <https://www.ohiohighered.org/files/uploads/data/statistical-profiles/enrollment/Diversity Report Fall 2010.pdf>.

"Pressed - All About Us." Pressed - All About Us. Web. 02 May 2016. <http://www.pressedcoffeebarandeatery.com/allaboutus/index.html>.