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“Baking every day better.”

2011 - 2012 Marketing Campaig

Gina Cielo and Nicole Sullenger

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Situation Analysis

Theme/Slogan

Objectives

Budget

Calendar

Strategy

Execution

Evaluation

Campaign Content

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A. Executive Summary

Sassy Sweets is a new bakery located in Searcy, Arkansas, specializing in custom-

order cakes and ready-to-eat treats. Referred to as a small-town bakery with a

big-town style, Sassy Sweets is dedicated to producing tasteful eye-catching

cakes, cupcakes and cookies for special occasions. We are very aware that

today’s consumer has less time to bake desserts, but increasingly appreciates

the uniqueness and creativity custom-order desserts provide.

Over the next month, a campaign will be launched to produce a set of loyal

customers. Because of the company’s recent opening, a stronger set of loyal

consumers is a necessity. In order to promote repeat customers, we will be

employing a number of tactics such as a cake contest, punch cards, thank you cards, signage, direct mailers and scheduled tweets. With the four-month

integrated brand promotion documented in this advertising plan, the company

will experience a 30% increase in customers and a 50% increase in service

awareness among the target audience. With an estimated budget of $1400, the

business will use the Internet, signage and print media to advertise the service.

Other tactics, such as press releases sent to local newspapers and magazines and

social media usage will be free of charge. With these newly implemented media

vehicles, Sassy Sweets will see a denite increase in their amount of customers

and service awareness.

B. Overview

In the following advertising plan, we plan to rst conduct a situation analysis.

In this analysis, we will cover the history of Sassy Sweets, the current trends of

the baking industry, the methods used to overcome market tendencies, and

means of producing a competitive brand. The following section will provide our

objectives, where we will identify our goals as increasing consumer awareness

and converting one-time product users into repeat purchasers. Our budget willcome next, outlining our estimated amount as $1400 and justifying our means for

spending. Continuing on, our strategy will give a clear and concise description

of our proposal and how we plan to achieve those objectives. Perhaps the most

important part of this advertising plan lies in the execution where we will give a

thorough description of the media proposal and integrated brand promotion.

Lastly, our evaluation will cover our means for evaluating our results and the

consequences and contingencies that exist.

I. in t roduct ion

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II. sit u a t ion a n a lysis

A. Historical Context

Sassy Sweets, a new bakery located in Searcy, Arkansas, specializes in custom-order

cakes and ready-to-eat treats. Sassy Sweets thinks of itself as a small-town bakery with

a big-town style. The bakery has relocated recently into the former shop, “Key Lime

Cottage,” — redecorating and identifying the building as their brand. Run by Deb

Bashaw and her daughter Rachel Grady, Sassy Sweets has focused on advertising

via Searcy.com and has gotten exposure in very few publications. The company is

looking to increase their custom-ordered cake sales, but has yet to nd a successful

way to do that. Within the last two months, Sassy Sweets has stopped working with

Searcy.com despite their lack of exposure in different mediums. Because of their

history and reputation as a very personal, dependable and easy-to-work business,

Sassy Sweets will be easy to expand with the right strategy and placement in regards

to promotions, public relations and advertising.

B. Industry Analysis

The baking industry is a fad-based industry. The goods companies produce constantly

shift and change to cater to the temporary and new wants of its customers. Within the

past two years, a trend amongst dessert companies has been cupcakes. Cupcakes

replaced cakes at various genres of events: weddings, graduation parties, company

gatherings, etc. Because of their extended time of success, industry experts believe

that cupcakes are going to go out of style by the end of the year. New stylish items,

such as cake pops, will take their place. When cakes are ordered, they are expected

to be custom-made to the exact specications of the customer and the event.

C. Market Analysis

As a whole, the quantity of orders and the overall sales have decreased dramatically.

Within the past three years, there have been much fewer orders for products that

consumers nd a “luxury.” If a budget is tight, the rst products or activities to typically

be cut out of a consumer’s routine are things such as the gym, luxury foods, manicures,

etc. At the same time, dessert businesses are focusing on securing a loyal customer

base that consistently order custom orders versus the tactic of having a larger number

of one-visit customers. The one consumer that won’t sacrice luxury goods is a bride.

Weddings require professionally made, custom cakes, and the market isn’t hurting

in that area.

D. Competitor Analysis

In Searcy alone, there is not a large number of competitors. Other than the few small

dessert shops, Sassy Sweets is competing with consumers who want to create desserts

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on their own. With an increase in cooking blogs and other forms of step-by-step

instructions, it’s more cost efcient for someone to make their own cake that looks

professional, without paying the high price. When dealing with wedding cakes, the

competition grows tremendously. Because brides-to-be order from all over the state

from all different kinds of businesses, a specic target area cannot be identied. Asa competitor, Sassy Sweets has to brand itself in a way that clearly demonstrates it

is more than just the average bakery.

A. Quantitative benchmark

Increase the number of customers by 30% and increase service awareness amongthe target audience by 50%.

B. Measurement methods and criteria for success

In order to measure the increase in customers, we will count each person who

enters the store in the next month. Measuring service awareness will be done

through conducting surveys both before and after the campaign. We will conduct

surveys among random Searcy residents, including Harding students, beforehand

to get an estimated amount of people who are aware of Sassy Sweets. After our

marketing efforts our over, we will take another survey to obtain a nal estimateof service awareness. Success will be measured on whether we meet our goal of

30% increase in customers and 50% increase in service awareness.

C. Time Frame

The time frame for this campaign will start December 1st and end exactly three

months later on March 1st. This time frame will allow for preparation, execution

and evaluation.

IV. object ives

III. them e / slogan


In the past, Sassy Sweets has not had a regular

marketing plan nor have they done any kind of

promotions consistently. The slogan, “Baking everyday better,” alludes to the new campaign that will

consist of daily marketing promotions and activities.

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V. bud get

A. Methods

This campaign will focus primarily on public relations and promotions. The majority of

the platforms being used to promote Sassy Sweets have no cost of use, therefore the

budget does not need to be large. The campaign will include tactics such as a cake

contest, advertisments, coupons, punch cards, thank you cards, direct mailers and

scheduled tweets. The objective-and-task budgeting method is the most effective

for this campaign, as our end goal is dened and our budget does not need to be

based on the company’s shares or prots.

B. Amount

The amount we use will be $1400, the specic breakdown is:

o Ad in The Daily Citizen: $220 (quarter-size, B/W, one-time)o Ad in Arkansas Bride: $300 (quarter-size, color, one-time)

o Punch Cards: $50 (cost of printing)

o Direct Mailers: $500 (.44 stamp x 1,000 mailers + cost of printing)

o Thank You Cards: $100 (cost of printing)

o Trade Show entry: $100

o Miscellaneous: $130

Reach: The ideal target market is women ages 21-60 who are family-oriented. Searcy

and White County will be the focus of the push for Sassy Sweet’s ready-to-eat treats,

while the whole state of Arkansas will be the target of the custom-made cakes

campaign.

Frequency: A goal of approximately 20 people each week who had not heard of

Sassy Sweets previously.

Time frame: This campaign will last for three months, with the social media aspects

continuing the entire proposed time.

Production costs: Costs will include the printing of the punch cards, direct mailers, thank

you cards and FourSquare sign. The postage for the direct mailers is also included.Media expenditures: The campaign uses a variety of media outlets, involving social

media, newspapers, magazines and trade shows. The cost of a B/W, quarter-

page advertisement in The Daily Citizen is $220. The cost of a color, quarter-page

advertisement in Arkansas Bride is $300. We will also be spending $100 to participate

in the KATV Central Arkansas Women’s Expo. There is no cost for our email marketing

or social media campaign.

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C. Justifcation

The proposed budget is appropriate for both the size of the bakery and the gravity

of this campaign. The growth of a bakery is most effective when it’s from a word-

of-mouth campaign, compared to paid advertisements. Spending any more than

$1400 would be unnecessary and not benecial to Sassy Sweets.

VI. ca lend a r

November 20, 2011: Send out “I Want a Sassy Sweets Wedding Cake” press releases toArkansas Bride Magazine, Searcy.com, Searcy Living, The Daily Citizen and The Bison.

December 1, 2011: Announce on Facebook that the “I Want a Sassy Sweets WeddingCake” contest begins.

December 2, 2011: Send out publicity picture/caption to The Daily Citizen, SearcyLiving and Searcy.com.

December 3, 2011: Send out email blast announcing avor of the month and monthlydeals.

December 7, 2011: Introduce punch cards in store and through Facebook and Twitter.

December 10, 2011: Run advertisement in Daily Citizen.

December 15, 2011: Send out email blast introducing the holiday deals and treats.

January 2, 2012: Send out publicity picture/caption to The Daily Citizen, Searcy Living

and Searcy.com.January 3, 2012: Send out email blast announcing avor of the month and monthlydeals.

January 15, 2012: Send out email blast showing the latest cakes and offering a 10%discount on any custom-order cake.

January 20, 2012: Run advertisement in Arkansas Bride.

January 25, 2012: Send out direct mailers.

March 1, 2012: Announce winners of contest on Facebook and Twitter. Send picture

of winning couple to The Daily Citizen.March 3, 2012: Send out email blast announcing avor of the month and contestwinner.

March 10-11, 2012: Attend KATV Central Arkansas Women’s Expo

March 15, 2012: Send out publicity picture/caption to The Daily Citizen, Searcy Livingand Searcy.com.

March 25, 2011: Send out email blast with pictures of Cake Pops and a “Buy a dozen,get a half dozen free” coupon for Cake Pops.

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VII. str at egy

Based on our two goals of increasing number of customers and amount of brand

awareness, we will be implementing a high-frequency brand, name-repetition

campaign. In every promotion, we will encourage loyalty through repeat business

and benets through doing business with Sassy Sweets. In order to encourage

this loyalty, we will offer various rewards, but never lose focus of promoting our

name and quality of products.

VIII. execution

A. Copy Strategy

The copy used on the punch cards, brochures and direct mailers will be shortand simple. The purpose is to convey Sassy Sweet’s mission and best services in

a way that is clear and will appeal to consumers. The custom cakes need to be

marketed in a way that encourages nostalgia and a strong emotional response

— for the purpose of boosting wedding cake sales.

B. Media Plan

The focus of the media placement is social media. The client wants a revamp

of all their social networking sites they push by the wayside too often. Through

regular postings, pictures, contests and other engaging actions, we hope to

rebrand Sassy Sweets through online marketing and awareness. Direct mailers

also introduce Sassy Sweets to a whole new set of people who may have never

heard of the company. Punch cards will create a new level of loyalty among

customers, encouraging them to visit the bakery on a more local basis.

C. Integrated Brand Promotion

The most important part of this campaign is the integrated brand promotion.

Sassy Sweets will benet the most from a campaign that works its way into variousaspects of daily life. The campaign will include many aspects such as a cake

contest, scheduled tweets, punch cards, direct mailers, thank you cards, surveys

and signage.

1. Mass media advertising- In an attempt to reach our target market of

women, we will advertise in Arkansas Bride. Because our business is focused on

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custom-order cakes, brides-to-be are a huge segment of our target market. In

the advertisement, we will feature pictures of our wedding cakes and state the

services we perform. We will also advertise in The Daily Citizen in order to reach

White County residents. Both advertisements will be small and simple. Because we

have not done much advertising through mass media in the past, we will informemployees to monitor the success of the ads.

2. Sales promotion- In order to promote repeat customers, we have designed

a punch card. The punch card allows customers to purchase 10 treats and get

the 11th free. This will highly encourage customer loyalty by rewarding repeat

patronage. Ultimately, it will turn a good customer into a great customer. Sassy

Sweets will also run the “I Want a Sassy Sweets Wedding Cake” contest beginning

December 1st. Couples to be married will post a picture of themselves on the Sassy

Sweet’s Facebook page, and the couple with the most “likes” on their picture by

January 30, 2012 will win a 3-tiered wedding cake. To promote the contest, we will

send the press release explaining the contest out to the following news outlets:

Arkansas Bride Magazine, Searcy.com, Searcy Living, The Daily Citizen and The

Bison. Various tweets and our direct mailer will also involve discounts that will fall

under sales promotion.

3. Social Media- Before each month begins, a tweet will be determined

and set for every day of that month. Throughout the month, specic deals andavors will be announced. We will use Hootsuite to help manage the set the tweets

each month. The month of December’s tweets have already been determined

and can be found in the “Campaign Content” section. The “I Want a Sassy

Sweets Wedding Cake” contest also relies heavily on Facebook as means for

promotion. Couples post their picture on out Facebook page and as detailed

in the sales promotion section, the couple with the most likes by January 30th

will win a wedding cake. We will also capitalize on using the iPhone application,

FourSquare by allowing customers to “check-in” to Sassy Sweets. We designed a

sign to attach on the front door of Sassy Sweets to promote this idea. The “mayor,”

or the user with the most number of days with check-ins at Sassy Sweets within the

past 60 days, will be eligible for discounts at the store. We believe this will create

competition among customers to become the mayor and receive perks. It will

build loyalty and keep someone coming back.

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4. Direct Mailer - We have chosen to use direct mailers as a way to inform

prospective customers about Sassy Sweets, tell current customers about a special

offer and remind lapsed customers about our business. Our database will include

1000 random families that reside in Searcy, past customers and Harding students.

Our message will be simple and to the point. We are going to offer each persona 10% discount off his or her next purchase at Sassy Sweets. Because of the large

database, we strongly believe the direct mailers will raise our sales and signicantly

increase our service awareness.

5. Email marketing- Starting on December 1st, Sassy Sweets will begin giving

every customer a small card to ll out, which will include their name, address and

email address. We will then put all the email addresses into a database and begin

sending out email blasts every two weeks. At the beginning of each month, we

will announce our avor of the month through an email.

6. Public Relations Component- To promote the “I Want a Sassy Sweets

Wedding Cake” contest, we will send the press release, which explains the contest

to the following news outlets: Arkansas Bride Magazine, Searcy.com, Searcy Living,

The Daily Citizen and The Bison. We will also send monthly pictures of our favorite

cake with a description to The Daily Citizen, Searcy Living and Searcy.com. This

concept is outlined in a later section. Also, after each custom-order cake we

deliver to a customer, we will send them a personalized thank you card showingour appreciation for their business. By doing this, we are giving our customers a

warm welcoming feeling to Sassy Sweets and the cakes we have to offer. We

have also designed a standard thank you card, which will be used for big orders

or customers who we perceive to be loyal.

7. Event Sponsorship- Because we are a small business with a limited budget,

we feel it is not in our best interest to sponsor an event at this time. However, in

December we are teaming up with Tara’s Gold for “Ladies Night Out.” For the

event, we will provide cookies and other treats as women look at the jewelry. We

plan to work closely with Tara’s Gold all- year round and offer events throughout

the year. However, for this campaign, we will only participate in “Ladies Night

Out.” We have chosen to work with this event because it is a great opportunity

to get closer to our target audience and put a favorable attitude in the minds

of those women.

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In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the advertising campaign, the

company will conduct surveys as a way to calculate service awareness. The

survey will ask them how they found out about the service and if they thought

the promotional activities were effective. Surveys conducted beforehand

will include questions such as, “Have you heard of Sassy Sweets?,” “Have

you been to Sassy Sweets?,” “Do you follow them on Facebook or Twitter?,”

“Would you go there if you were given a discount?.” Surveys conducted

after the campaign will include the same questions in order to monitor the

number of people who knew about Sassy Sweets both before and after the

campaign. Evaluation will also be done by comparing the ending prots

with the initial prots, along with the trafc count.

IV. eva lu a t ion

8. Infuencer marketing- In today’s society, inuencer marketing is

bigger than ever because of the Internet and social media. In an attempt

to create a positive inuence among our audience, we will interview some

of our most loyal customers in stories or advertisements we do for local

newspapers or magazines. We will include their quotes on Facebook andalso on other advertisements. Another form of inuencer marketing we will

engage in is trade shows throughout the state of Arkansas. By participating

in these shows, we will elevate out stature among our target audience. One

of the rst trade shows we will participate in is the KATV Central Arkansas

Women’s Expo from March 10, 2012 to March 11, 2012 in Conway, Arkansas.

The show features a variety of experts in the areas of Health/Fitness/Wellness,

Beauty/Fashion/Makeovers, Finance/Career, and Home/Food/Entertaining.

9. Publicity photo/caption- Each month, Sassy Sweets will post a picture

of their favorite cake of the month on both their Facebook page and website.

Whether it be because of the design or the story behind the cake, we will

write a caption explaining its importance. Besides posting it on Facebook

and our webpage, we will also send the photo and caption to The Daily

Citizen, Searcy Living and Searcy.com. This will all be free of charge.

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TWEETS FOR DECEMBER

December 1, 2011:Retweet this for a chance to win a dozen Christmas cookies from Sassy Sweets!

December 2, 2011:We just rolled out December’s cupcake of the month. Come get your GINGERBREAD with buttercream icing cupcake!

December 3, 2011Have a birthday coming up? Order our custom cake pops for your nextcelebration!

December 5, 2011In search for a Christmas dessert? We are taking orders up until December 19th.Place your orders today!

December 7, 2011Three words. Candy cane cupcake. Come and get yours today!

December 9, 2011Buy one, get one half off on anything in the case today before 6 p.m. Come byquick!

December 10, 2011Today only, mention this tweet for 50% off anything in the case! We close at 4:00p.m.

December 12, 2011Just a reminder that you have until December 19th to put in a Christmas order.

December 14, 2011In the mood for some chocolate? Come in today for our brownies on steroids, afudgey brownie topped with goey caramel, toasted pecans and coconut.

December 16, 2011This week we have a new brownie recipe. Come by and check it out! First personto come in and mention this tweet gets a free one.

December 17, 2011Today only, mention this tweet for 30% off anything in the case! We close at 4:00p.m.

V. cam pa ign con ten t

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CONTINUED

December 18, 2011“A group of people is just a get together. Add a cake and it’s a party!”

December 19, 2011Last chance to get your Christmas order in for cakes, cookies, cupcakes andmore! Don’t miss out!

December 21, 2011Holiday hours: Open Friday, December 23 - regular hours. Closed December 24-27. Also closed December 31- January 2. Back in business on January 3rd!

December 23, 2011Today is your last chance to get Christmas goodies for the family! We will beclosed tomorrow for Christmas and also the 26th and 27th.

December 24, 2011Merry Christmas Eve! We hope you are enjoying your Sassy Sweets treats withfamily and friends!

December 25, 2011Merry Christmas to everyone! May your holiday be lled with love, joy, laughter

and above all else, sweets!

December 28, 2011After a wonderful Christmas holiday, we are back in the kitchen! Check out our cupcakes for New Years (attach picture).

December 29, 2011Bring the children in today for a monster under the bed cookie, a peanut butter and oatmeal cookie with M&M’s and chocolate chips. Buy two, get one free!

December 30, 2011

Last chance to get a New Years cupcake! Come in today before we close at 6p.m.

December 31, 2011We wish everyone a happy and dessert-lled New Years! Sassy Sweets has bigplans for 2012. Stay tuned to see our big reveal!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sassy Sweets Launches “I Want a Sassy Sweets Wedding Cake” Contest

Searcy, Arkansas – December 1, 2011-- Sassy Sweets, a bakery specializing in custom order

cakes, launched it’s “I want a Sassy Sweets Wedding Cake” contest from now until January 30th

for all weddings in 2012. In order to participate, couples to be married must post a picture of

themselves on Sassy Sweet’s Facebook page. The couple with the most “likes” on their picture by

January 30th, 2012 will win a 3 tiered wedding cake.

Couples must have a minimum of 50 “likes” to be eligible for the contest, and each contestant

must have the Sassy Sweets page in their “likes.” Potential couples must be within White

County, Arkansas and must be married after April 30th and up to December 31st.

We do not tally up the entries until the contest ends. Therefore, if the person “likes” us and

withdraws before that last date, their entry will not count on your behalf. The contest is good for

ONE CAKE ONLY and includes delivery in White County.

The winner will be allowed to choose the avor and design of their cake. However, if they choose

to upgrade their cake, an additional cost will take place. A three-tiered wedding cake will feed

approximately 150 people.

Sassy Sweets is a small town bakery with a big town style. The bakery specializes in custom

cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, cheesecake and bread. However, there are always plenty of items

ready to buy in the shop, including cake pops and seasonal treats. To see what the week’s avors

are or to stay up to date on specials and free tastings, follow the bakery on Facebook or Twitter

or check out their website, sassysweetssearcy.com.

For more information:Deb Bashaw

Owner, Sassy Sweets

501.278.5463

[email protected]

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buy 10 cupcakes, 1get

405 N Walnut Rd. Searcy, AR 72143 • 501.230.6099

One punch per cupcake purchasedat regular price. No cash value.Card will not be replaced if lost or stolen. Not valid in combinations withother offers, discounts or coupons.

sassy sweets www.sassysweetssearcy.com • 405 N Walnut Rd. • Searcy, AR • 501.230.6099

custom cakes. cupcakes. cookies. cake pops.

Get them for offnext time you visit us.

10%

Daily Citizen 1/4 page

advertisement

Frequent Customer

Punch Card

Direct Mailer

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Cupcake Thank You Card Cake Thank You Card

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