rightpathpr researchreport 2 13 10...

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Executive Summary Right Path PR implemented a variety of research initiatives to evaluate the current market for icedcoffee products in order to assess the ways Country Pure Foods may introduce iCafe in a comprehensive public relations campaign. Primary research involved multiple facetoface methods with all key publics identified by Country Pure Foods and Right Path PR. Right Path PR conducted one focus group with collegeaged students, 10 interviews with key audiences ages 1835 and an interview with Kent Walgreens manager, Joe Roeger. Secondary research initiatives involved finding best practices, evaluating social media users, gaining insight into Walgreens shoppers and getting a greater look into key publics to find information that may be applied to future strategies and tactics. Key findings of primary research revealed that awareness of the product is nonexistent. Kent State focus group participants agreed that if they were able to taste iCafe, they would choose it over Starbucks if placed next to each other, due to cost and flavor. Student interview participants, ages 18 to 24, agreed that the Internet and wordofmouth communication is the best way to be reached concerning promotional events. Both focus group subjects and personally interviewed students agreed that impulse purchases are made if the product is placed at the checkout counter or if the item is on sale. Like the target audience of 18 to 24 year olds, coffee drinkers ages 25 to 35 agreed the Internet and wordofmouth strategies are most effective and also agreed that items on sale in convenience stores spark impulse purchases. Secondary research revealed that a majority of social media users are between the ages of 18 and 34, which coincides with currently defined key audiences. Best practices research identified PomX as a good example of an icedcoffee product breaking into the market with innovative methods involving social media tactics among college students. iCafe Research Report

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Page 1: RightPathPR ResearchReport 2 13 10 FINALkatiemdarcy.weebly.com/.../rightpathpr_researchreport_2_13_10_final.pdf · RightPath&PRheld&one&focus&group&on&Jan.&26,&2011&among&KentState&University&students&ages&18&to&24.&The&

                   Executive  Summary  Right  Path  PR  implemented  a  variety  of  research  initiatives  to  evaluate  the  current  market  for  iced-­‐coffee  products  in  order  to  assess  the  ways  Country  Pure  Foods  may  introduce  iCafe  in  a  comprehensive  public  relations  campaign.  Primary  research  involved  multiple  face-­‐to-­‐face  methods  with  all  key  publics  identified  by  Country  Pure  Foods  and  Right  Path  PR.  Right  Path  PR  conducted  one  focus  group  with  college-­‐aged  students,  10  interviews  with  key  audiences  ages  18-­‐35  and  an  interview  with  Kent  Walgreens  manager,  Joe  Roeger.  Secondary  research  initiatives  involved  finding  best  practices,  evaluating  social  media  users,  gaining  insight  into  Walgreens  shoppers  and  getting  a  greater  look  into  key  publics  to  find  information  that  may  be  applied  to  future  strategies  and  tactics.      Key  findings  of  primary  research  revealed  that  awareness  of  the  product  is  non-­‐existent.  Kent  State  focus  group  participants  agreed  that  if  they  were  able  to  taste  iCafe,  they  would  choose  it  over  Starbucks  if  placed  next  to  each  other,  due  to  cost  and  flavor.  Student  interview  participants,  ages  18  to  24,  agreed  that  the  Internet  and  word-­‐of-­‐mouth  communication  is  the  best  way  to  be  reached  concerning  promotional  events.  Both  focus  group  subjects  and  personally  interviewed  students  agreed  that  impulse  purchases  are  made  if  the  product  is  placed  at  the  checkout  counter  or  if  the  item  is  on  sale.  Like  the  target  audience  of  18  to  24  year  olds,    coffee  drinkers  ages  25  to  35  agreed  the  Internet  and  word-­‐of-­‐mouth  strategies  are  most  effective  and  also  agreed  that  items  on  sale  in  convenience  stores  spark  impulse  purchases.      Secondary  research  revealed  that  a  majority  of  social  media  users  are  between  the  ages  of  18  and  34,  which  coincides  with  currently  defined  key  audiences.  Best  practices  research  identified  PomX  as  a  good  example  of  an  iced-­‐coffee  product  breaking  into  the  market  with  innovative  methods  involving  social  media  tactics  among  college  students.    

 

iCafe  Research  Report    

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Primary  Research  Report  iCafe  

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 Right  Path  PR  held  one  focus  group  on  Jan.  26,  2011  among  Kent  State  University  students  ages  18  to  24.  The  participants  willingly  participated  in  the  discussion  about  Country  Pure  Foods  iced-­‐coffee  product,  iCafe.      Recruitment  and  Screening  Participants  were  not  asked  to  share  any  personal  information  and  all  participants  signed  consent  forms  agreeing  to  participate  in  the  focus  group.  These  students  were  recruited  intentionally  because  they  fit  one  of  the  primary  audiences.  E-­‐mails  were  sent  to  15  on-­‐campus  student  organizations  to  provide  a  more  accurate  representation  of  Kent  State  University’s  diverse  student  body.  Names  of  the  participants  are  not  released  per  rules  from  the  Kent  State  Institutional  Review  Board.  The  sample  of  students  included  members  whose  majors  were:    

Criminal  Justice  Studies Public  Relations Fashion  Merchandising Architectural  Design Public  Relations Accuracial  Mathematics

 Focus  Group  Process  Right  Path  PR  asked  a  series  of  open-­‐ended  questions  to  gain  the  greatest  understanding  from  our  participants  on  a  variety  of  subjects.  A  moderator  guided  the  discussion  while  the  other  members  of  Right  Path  PR  observed  the  discussion  and  took  notes.  After  the  discussion,  participants  tasted  the  iCafe  French  Vanilla  drink  and  a  Starbucks  French  Vanilla  Frappuccino  drink  in  a  blind  taste  test.      Secondary  research  left  Right  Path  PR  with  six  clear  objectives  for  the  focus  group:  

• To  understand  coffee  drinking  habits  in  college  students  age  18  to  24  • To  understand  what  motivates  college  students  to  purchase  coffee  • To  understand  which  communication  tools  college  students  use  to  receive  information  • To  gain  knowledge  about  what  would  motivate  students  to  come  to  events  • To  gain  understanding  about  what  motivates  college  students  to  go  to  drugstores  such  as  Walgreens  • To  gain  insight  about  strategies  to  build  awareness  and  preference  for  iCafe  among  our  target  audience  

 Objective  One  

• To  understand  coffee  drinking  habits  in  college  students  age  18  to  24  Key  Findings  

• Most  college  students  were  coffee  drinkers  prior  to  college  and  consume  an  average  of  three  cups  per  day  

• A  majority  of  participants  said  they  drank  coffee  to  wake  themselves  up  in  the  morning  • Students  expressed  if  coffee  was  not  available,  they  would  purchase  energy  drinks  to  wake  them  up  • All  participants  agreed  that  iced  coffee  was  more  enjoyable  in  the  warmer  seasons  • All  participants  agreed  that  iced  coffee  was  easier  to  carry  than  hot  coffee  

 Objective  Two  

• To  understand  what  motivates  college  students  to  purchase  coffee  Key  Findings  

• Health  factors  made  no  impact  on  coffee  purchase  decisions  

FOCUS  GROUP  

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• Students  said  they  would  not  purchase  a  coffee  beverage  priced  at  more  than  $4  • If  a  coffee  is  tied  to  a  non-­‐profit  or  worthy  cause,  students  said  they  would  purchase  that  brand  over  

others  • Purchase  decisions  about  coffee  are  influenced  by  opinions  of  peers  and  family  members  

 Objective  Three  

• To  understand  which  communication  tools  college  students  use  to  receive  information  Key  Findings  

• Students  expressed  hearing  most  information  through  word  of  mouth  • Students  access  information  through  social  media  such  as  blogs,  Facebook  and  Twitter  • Students  hear  about  events  through  the  on-­‐campus  organizations  they  belong  to    • Students  expressed  getting  overwhelmed  by  Facebook  invitations  and  tend  to  ignore  them  

 Objective  Four  

• To  gain  knowledge  about  what  would  motivate  students  to  come  to  events  Key  Findings  

• Students  expressed  that  they  would  come  to  events  that  offered  “freebies”    • Students  expressed  that  weekday  afternoon  or  early-­‐evening  events  were  the  best  times  to  be  reached  • Students  would  pay  a  minimal  fee  for  access  to  an  event  offering  entertainment  • Students  are  more  likely  to  attend  an  event  that  their  friends  are  going  to  and/or  participating  in  

 Objective  Five  

• To  gain  understanding  about  what  motivates  college  students  to  go  to  drugstores  such  as  Walgreens  Key  Findings  

• Most  students  felt  too  young  when  they  went  to  shop  at  Walgreens  • Students  expressed  they  went  to  drugstores  such  as  Walgreens  to  purchase  prescriptions,  cosmetics  

and  other  hygiene  products  • Students  said  when  they  go  to  drugstores  they  tend  to  make  impulse  purchases  while  checking  out  • Students  expressed  that  if  they  had  time  to  think  about  their  impulse  purchase  they  would  probably  

put  it  back  on  the  shelf  • Students  said  they  mostly  shop  at  drugstores  when  they  are  on  they  way  to  another  location    

Objective  Six  • To  gain  insight  about  strategies  to  build  awareness  and  preference  for  iCafe  among  our  target  audience  

Key  Findings  • Students  expressed  that  it  was  important  to  be  able  to  taste  the  product  in  order  to  make  a  purchase  

decision  • Students  said  that  having  a  comparison  booth  at  student  events  such  as  “Welcome  Weekend”  and  

“Blast  Off”  would  be  a  good  way  for  students  to  become  aware  of  iCafe  • Students  said  that  iCafe  would  do  well  in  campus  food  markets  and  residence  halls  

 Taste  Test  Results  Right  Path  PR  thought  it  was  important  for  participants  to  taste  the  product  against  the  leading  competitor:  Starbucks.  Participants  were  given  two,  three-­‐ounce  samples:  one  of  each  product.  After  participants  tried  each  beverage,  Right  Path  PR  asked  for  feedback  on  each  sample.  Students  said  that  Starbucks  was  sweet  and  refreshing,  but  that  iCafe  provided  an  “awake  feeling,”  and  tasted  more  like  coffee.  The  students  expressed,  since  they  were  able  to  taste  the  product,  they  would  pick  iCafe  over  Starbucks  if  placed  next  to  each  other  

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because  of  the  lower  cost  and  flavor.  However,  students  expressed  they  were  not  pleased  with  the  packaging  and  it  looked  like  an  energy  drink.  Also,  students  said  coffee  in  a  can  does  not  seem  “fresh.”    Implications  Right  Path  PR  will  create  strategies  and  tactics  to  increase  awareness  about  iCafe  products  with  the  information  from  the  focus  group.  Right  Path  PR  will  attempt  to  reach  college  students  through  social  media  and  face-­‐to-­‐face  communication.  Right  Path  PR  will  develop  incentive-­‐based  initiatives  that  will  reach  students  about  upcoming  events  where  iCafe  will  be  showcased.      

 Right  Path  PR  interviewed  specialists  from  Country  Pure  Foods  to  gain  knowledge  about  the  product,  the  challenges  they  are  facing  and  partnership  options.  Right  Path  PR  spoke  to:  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  Raymond  Lee,  Marketing  Specialist  Megan  Ridenour,  Director  of  Marketing  Joe  Koch  and  VP  of  Retail  Sales  Jon  Hanley.      Key  Findings  • Believes  the  target  age  group  for  iCafe  is  18  to  24    • The  biggest  challenge  is  awareness  of  the  product  • Primarily  competing  against  Starbucks  • Cannot  change  name,  color  or  size    • American  Dairy  Association  said  iCafe  meets  10  percent  of  the  U.S.  daily  requirement  of  calcium    • iCafe  has  a  one-­‐year  shelf  life  • The  highest  calorie  amount  for  iCafe  is  130  calories,  the  lowest  is  90  calories  • Country  Pure  Foods  is  open  to  the  idea  of  a  sweepstakes,  but  is  hesitant  because  of  legal  costs  • Open  to  the  idea  of  coupons  as  long  as  it  is  specific  for  Walgreens    

 

 Right  Path  PR  interviewed  a  total  five  people  from  each  age  group  in  the  key  audiences.  Nine  open-­‐ended  questions  were  asked  during  the  interview  to  allow  participants  to  provide  a  more  detailed  answer  and  allow  Right  Path  PR  to  gain  a  greater  insight  from  each  key  audience.      Participants  18  to  24  (Students)  Courtney  Jewett     22   Hudson,  Ohio  Amanda  Albanese   21   Kent,  Ohio  Daniel  D’Eustachio   22   Kent,  Ohio  Marissa  Mendel   22   Cuyahoga  Falls,  Ohio  Nathan  Madison   19   Wooster,  Ohio    Key  Findings  • All  participants  agreed  they  drank  coffee  to  keep  them  awake  • All  participants  except  two  agreed  the  price  of  coffee  did  not  affect  the  purchase  decision  • All  participants  except  one  agreed  they  do  factor  in  the  calorie  amount  or  nutritional  factors  of  coffee  

INTERVIEW  WITH  COUNTRY  PURE  FOODS  

INTERVIEWS  WITH  KEY  AUDIENCES  

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• The  most  popular  coffee  brands  among  this  target  audience  were  Folgers  and  Starbucks  • When  participants  went  to  drugstores  such  as  Walgreens  they  normally  purchased  prescriptions  and/or  

hygiene  products  • Participants  said  they  find  out  their  information  about  events  through  the  Internet  and  word  of  mouth  • Participants  said  they  would  attend  an  event  if  their  friends  were  going  and  it  was  cheap  • Participants  said  they  choose  to  make  impulse  purchases  when  the  item  is  near  the  checkout  counter  or  

if  the  item  is  on  sale  • Participants  agreed  that  bright  packaging  of  an  item  can  influence  them  to  make  an  impulse  purchase  

decision  • Participants  had  not  heard  of  iCafe  

 Participants  25  to  35  (Coffee  drinkers)    Julie  Baldauf   35   Canton,  Ohio  Ginette  Quien   33   Medina,  Ohio  Krissy  Hays-­‐Saur   25   Hamilton,  Ohio  Adam  Mishler   26   Cuyahoga  Falls,  Ohio  Scott  Clark   31   Sagamore  Hills,  Ohio    Key  Findings  • All  participants  agreed  they  drink  coffee  to  keep  them  awake  • These  participants  said  that  the  price  of  coffee  does  tend  to  affect  their  purchase  decision  • All  participants  except  one  agreed  they  factor  in  calorie  amount  or  nutritional  values  of  coffee    • The  most  popular  brands  among  these  participants  are  Maxwell  House,  Starbucks  and  Folgers    • These  participants  shopped  at  drugstores  such  as  Walgreens  for  prescription  and  hygiene  products    • These  participants  said  they  found  out  about  events  through  word  of  mouth  and  the  Internet,  one  

participant  said  the  newspaper  • Participants  agreed  they  would  come  to  an  event  if  it  was  something  of  their  interest  and  at  low  cost  • Participants  said  they  choose  to  make  impulse  purchases  when  something  is  on  sale  or  catches  their  eye  • All  participants  but  one  said  they  had  not  heard  of  iCafe  • The  one  participant  said  she  had  heard  of  it,  but  did  not  know  what  it  was  or  where  she  heard  of  it  

 Implications  Right  Path  PR  will  take  the  information  gained  from  these  face-­‐to-­‐face  interviews  and  put  it  towards  communication  elements  for  our  campaign.    Right  Path  PR  will  create  tactics  that  will  help  its  publics  gain  awareness  about  iCafe  being  sold  at  Walgreens  stores.  Right  Path  PR  will  create  strategies  and  tactics  that  will  reach  our  target  audience  through  the  Internet  and  word  of  mouth.  Right  Path  PR  will  also  create  events  that  will  interest  its  target  audiences  and  will  be  at  low  cost.      Quotes  from  Interview  Participants  “I  usually  make  impulse  purchases  if  I  have  extra  cash  and  if  the  item  is  at  the  checkout  counter.”  -­‐-­‐Courtney  Jewett,  22    “I  certainly  do  take  into  consideration  nutritional  factors  of  coffee.  I  drink  my  coffee  black  and  without  sugar.  I  started  doing  this  after  reading  an  article  on  how  many  calories  cream  and  sugar  add  to  coffee.”  -­‐-­‐Chris  Eppich,  34    “I  drink  coffee  to  wake  myself  up,  and  I  enjoy  the  taste”  -­‐-­‐Amanda  Albanese,  21  

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 “I  would  want  to  attend  an  event  that  was  family  and  friend  oriented.  I  would  also  want  the  event  to  be  something  that  I  would  be  interested  in.”  -­‐-­‐Ginette  Quien,  33      

 Right  Path  PR  interviewed  Kent,  Ohio  Walgreens  store  manager,  Joe  Roeger.  Right  Path  PR  wanted  to  learn  more  about  the  traffic  of  Walgreens,  the  placement  of  iCafe  in  the  Walgreens  store  as  well  as  any  partnership  options  Right  Path  PR  had  with  the  Walgreens  in  Kent,  Ohio.  Right  Path  PR  also  wanted  to  identify  any  challenges  the  manager  felt  he  would  face  when  trying  to  promote  and  sell  iCafe.    Key  Findings  • The  stores  busiest  time  is  between  6  p.m.  and  10  p.m.  • Primarily  most  customers  come  to  Walgreens  to  fill  prescriptions  • Most  customers  are  between  the  ages  of  30  to  35,  which  is  younger  than  other  Walgreens  due  to  the  

fact  the  Kent  Walgreens  is  seconds  from  campus  • The  iCafe  will  be  moved  from  the  side  of  the  checkout  counter  to  the  front  of  the  checkout  counter  • The  manager  is  trying  to  work  on  getting  the  price  changed  to  $0.99  • The  biggest  challenge  will  be  getting  customers  to  become  aware  of  iCafe  and  want  to  make  the  

purchase    Implications  Right  Path  PR  will  follow-­‐up  to  make  sure  the  iCafe  was  moved  from  the  side  of  the  checkout  counter  to  the  front  of  the  checkout  counter.  Right  Path  PR  will  also  keep  in  mind  the  main  age  group  of  the  Kent  Walgreens  shoppers  when  creating  strategies  and  tactics.  Right  Path  PR  will  plan  any  events  with  Walgreens  and  iCafe  during  the  times  the  manager  expressed  has  the  highest  traffic.      

 Interview  pending  

                 

INTERVIEW  WITH  KENT  WALGREENS  MANAGER  

INTERVIEW  WITH  CLEVELAND  SPORTS  PARTNERS  

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Secondary  Research  Report  iCafe  

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 Facebook  

• 40.8  percent  of  Facebook’s  500  million  users  are  age  18  to  24  • The  next  highest  age  group  that  uses  Facebook  is  25  to  34  at  29  percent  • More  than  150  million  active  users  currently  access  Facebook  through  a  mobile  device  • The  average  user  clicks  the  “like”  button  nine  times  per  month  vs.  the  average  user  being  a  member  of  

13  groups  total  • The  average  user  is  invited  to  three  events  per  month    

 The  high  percentage  of  our  target  audiences’  participation  on  Facebook  shows  this  is  a  useful  communication  tool.  Like  pages  are  more  popular  than  groups  among  all  Facebook  users,  making  a  Like  page  a  more  effective  way  to  reach  our  target  audiences.1  2  3      Twitter  

• Twitter  has  190  million  users  tweeting  65  times  a  day  • 45  percent  of  Twitter  users  are  18  to  34  and  24  percent  of  Twitter  users  are  35  to  49  • 49  percent  of  Twitter  users  have  no  college  education  • 38  percent  of  Twitter  users  are  in  college  or  have  a  college  education  and  13  percent  are  grad  school  

students  • Thursday  and  Friday  are  the  most  active  days  on  Twitter,  accounting  for  16  percent  of  Tweets    

 The  high  percentage  of  our  target  audiences'  participation  on  Twitter  shows  this  is  a  useful  communication  tool.  This  also  gives  us  a  snapshot  of  optimal  times  during  the  week  to  reach  them.  4  5      Foursquare  

• 6  million  registered  users,  60  percent  of  which  are  from  the  U.S.  • On  election  day  (2008),  50,416  check-­‐ins  occurred,  Ohio  came  in  8th  place  out  of  50  states,  with  four  

percent  of  those  check-­‐ins  (about  2,016  check-­‐ins  for  Ohio)  • Average  users  check-­‐in  three  to  four  times  per  day  • Biggest  categories  for  2010  check-­‐ins  were  food  related,  from  noon  to  1  p.m.  and  6  p.m.  to  8  p.m.    • Most  check-­‐ins  are  incentive-­‐based  (coupons,  statuses)  

 The  high  number  of  users  on  Foursquare  shows  this  to  be  a  useful  communication  tool.  The  high  number  of  food  related  check-­‐ins  also  poses  a  possibility  for  our  client.  This  research  also  shows  that  Ohio  citizens  are  a  fairly  large  group  of  users  on  Foursquare.  6  7  8      

1  http://www.blog.kissmetrics.com/facebook-­‐statistics/   2  http://www.istrategylabs.com/2010/01/facebook-­‐demographics-­‐and-­‐statistics-­‐report-­‐2010-­‐145-­‐growth-­‐in-­‐1-­‐year/ 3  http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/facebook-­‐statistics-­‐facts-­‐figures-­‐for-­‐2010/ 4  http://www.nickburcher.com/2010/05/twitter-­‐facts-­‐and-­‐figures-­‐latest.html 5  http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/08/twitter-­‐190-­‐million-­‐users/ 6  http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/01/26/Foursquares-­‐2010-­‐Report-­‐Card-­‐Top-­‐Marks-­‐But-­‐What-­‐About-­‐Facebook.aspx 7  http://foursquare.com/2010infographic 8  http://digital-­‐stats.blogspot.com/2010/11/demographics-­‐of-­‐foursquare-­‐gender-­‐split.html

COMMUNICATIONS  TRENDS  

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 PeekYou  –  Starbucks  Case  Study  using  PeekData  Reverse  Identity  URL  Lookups  This  was  a  study  that  they  turned  into  an  infographic  on  the  demographics  of  Starbuck’s  drinkers  and  showed  that  the  25  to  34  year  olds  (34  percent)  drink  more  coffee  than  the  18  to  24  year  olds  (29  percent).  This  is  relevant  because  iCafe  and  Starbucks  are  both  considered  gourmet  coffee.9      Audience  

• 60  percent  of  all  U.S.  households  use  either  whole  or  ground  coffee  beans  at  home  and  consume  an  average  of  4.2  cups  per  day  

• The  current  percentage  of  18  to  24  year  olds  who  drink  coffee  is  still  significantly  lower  than  2007’s  high  of  37  percent  that  was  attained  after  several  years  of  steady  growth  

• Gourmet  coffee  consumption  among  older  adults  returned  to  levels  typically  seen  over  the  past  eight  years  but  rose  significantly  in  2008    

Country  Pure  Foods’  target  age  group  (18  to  24-­‐year-­‐olds)  is  important,  but  25  to  34  year  olds  are  also  a  viable  target10  

   Coffee  Drinkers  

• Many  coffee  drinkers  are  loyal  to  their  chain  or  brand,  but  many  also  switch  between  coffee  houses  like  Starbucks  and  Dunkin’  Donuts  

• The  average  coffee  drinker  visits  his  or  her  favorite  chain  five  times  per  month  • Out-­‐of-­‐home  coffee  preparation  is  down  six  percentage  points  from  2009  • In-­‐home  coffee  brewing  rose  by  five  percent  to  83  percent  from  2006’s  numbers  • Young  people  prefer  coffee  they  feel  is  “fresh”  11    

 Home-­‐brewing  and  brand  loyalty  are  two  major  barriers  in  reaching  possible  consumers.  The  number  of  drinkers  who  switch  between  coffee  houses  are  more  likely  to  try  iCafe.12  13    Iced  Coffee  Drinkers  

• Why  people  drink  iced  coffee:  o 42  percent  said  it  gives  them  energy  to  get  through  the  day  o 21  percent  said  they  can  drink  it  faster  than  hot  coffee  o 19  percent  felt  it  helped  cool  them  down  o 18  percent  like  being  able  to  drink  their  coffee  through  a  straw    o 56  percent  of  iced  coffee  drinkers  still  purchase  the  beverage  during  the  winter  

• When  people  drink  iced  coffee  o 9  a.m.  to  12  p.m.  (37  percent)  o 12  p.m.  to  3  p.m.  (30  percent)  o 6  a.m.  to  9  a.m.  (20  percent)  o After  3  p.m.  (13  percent)  

9  http://blog.peekyou.com/peekyou-­‐starbucks-­‐case-­‐study-­‐using-­‐peekdata-­‐reverse-­‐identity-­‐url-­‐lookups/ 10  http://www.marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2897&Itemid=77 11http://www.faremagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=&tier=4&id=AA910663429D4E2F80B3852379EC70C 12  http://www.ncausa.org/custom/headlines/headlinedetails.cfm?id=667&returnto=171 13http://www.streetdirectory.com/food_editorials/beverages/coffee/current_trends_of_coffee_consumption.html  

DEMOGRAPHICS/  KEY  AUDIENCES  

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Reasons  why  people  drink  iced  coffee  and  when  they  choose  to  drink  it  provides  insight  to  when  and  how  key  messages  should  be  communicated.14  15    Northeast  Ohio  Colleges    School   Type   Location   Enrollment  Kent  State  University   4  yr.  Uni   Kent, Ohio 34,056  Cuyahoga Community College 2  yr.  Uni   Cleveland,  Ohio   31,024  University  of  Akron   4  yr.  Uni   Akron, Ohio 29,251  Cleveland  State  University   4  yr.  Uni   Cleveland, Ohio 15,664  Youngstown  State  University   4  yr.  Uni   Youngstown, Ohio 14,682  Stark  State  College  Of  Technology   2  yr.  Uni   Canton,  Ohio   13,353  Lakeland Community College 2  yr.  Uni   Kirtland,  Ohio   12,000  Lorain  Community  College   2  yr.  Uni   Lorain,  Ohio   11,124  Case  Western  Reserve  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Cleveland,  Ohio   9,800  Ashland  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Ashland,  Ohio   6,500  Baldwin–Wallace College 4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Cleveland,  Ohio   4,300  John  Carroll  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Cleveland,  Ohio   4,050  

North  Central  State  College   2  yr.  Uni   Mansfield   3,150  Oberlin  College   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Oberlin,  Ohio   2,958  Malone  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Canton,  Ohio   2,600  Walsh  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Canton,  Ohio   2,500  Mount  Vernon  Nazarene  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio   2,455  Mount  Union   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Alliance,  Ohio   2,200  Cleveland Institute of Music   Cleveland,  Ohio   2,100  College  of  Wooster   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Wooster,  Ohio   1,827  Kenyon  College   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Gambier,  Ohio   1,635  Ursuline  College   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Cleveland,  Ohio   1,180  Lake Erie College 2  yr.  Uni   Cleveland,  Ohio   920  OSU  Agricultural  Technical  Institute     Wooster   800  Notre  Dame  College   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   South  Euclid,  Ohio   700  Cleveland  Institute  of  Art     Cleveland,  Ohio   484  Chancellor  University   4  yr.  Uni  (p)   Cleveland,  Ohio   422  Remington  College   2  yr.  Uni   Cleveland,  Ohio   368  Trumball  Business  College   2  yr.  Uni   Warren   321  

 

   • Starbucks  Strengths  

o Huge  brand  awareness,  especially  online  o Has  separate  website  for  Frappuccino’s,  including  bottled  ones  o Easy  to  “share”  things  from  website  to  Facebook  

14  http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2011/01/20/2011-­‐01-­‐20_winter_doesnt_sway_iced_coffee_drinkers_away_from_chilled_java_new_survey_report.html#ixzz1ByBYoyKU 15http://news.dunkindonuts.com/dunkin+donuts/dunkin+donuts+news/dunkin+donuts+iced+coffee+survey.print  

COMPETITORS/  BEST  PRACTICES  

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o iPhone  application,  buy  coffee  from  phone  o Links  to  blog  posts  and  clear  links  to  all  social  media  sites  

• Starbucks  Weaknesses  o Expensive  o Tends  to  have  a  “brand  name”  image  (some  see  as  pretentious)  o Some  complaints  in  news  stories  that  the  names  of  the  coffees  are  unnecessary  (why  not  small,  

medium,  large)16  17    Using  Starbucks  as  an  example  for  our  client  will  help  us  identify  some  things  to  do  right  in  reaching  our  audience.  They  use  creative  ways  and  huge  brand  recognition  to  dominate  the  coffee  market.      

• POMx  Iced  Coffee  Strengths  o Flavors  have  interesting  names,  easy  to  carry  bottles  and  stress  how  healthy  their  product  is  o Healthy  Buzz  iced  coffee  Website  

Gives  recipes  for  alcoholic  drinks  that  can  be  made  with  their  product  (could  be  a  weakness)  

Has  a  list  of  sampling  events   Had  a  contest  with  mobile  phone  for  a  spring  break  trip,  also  had  a  video  submission  

contest  for  college  Greek  organizations  at  UCLA  and  Northwestern   Offered  prize  of  $4,000  cash  and  school  year’s  supply  of  POMx  Iced  Coffee   Asked  those  participating  to  enter  submissions  on  how  they  “wake  the  f  up”   Provided  them  with  a  flip  video  camera,  cooler  to  keep  bottles  of  their  iced  coffee  cold,  

six  cases  of  their  iced  coffee  for  each  week  of  shooting,  five  t-­‐shirts  and  a  $100  budget  • POMx  Iced  Coffee  Weaknesses  

o Also  a  more  expensive  product  than  our  client’s    o Seems  to  be  convincing  consumers  that  their  coffee  product  doesn’t  taste  like  pomegranates  

(primarily  a  juice  company)    PomX  is  important  for  us  to  pay  attention  to  because  they  used  innovative  methods  to  reach  a  target  audience  similar  to  ours  (college  students).  They  found  a  creative  way  to  get  key  publics  involved  with  the  brand  and  should  be  used  as  a  best  practice.  This  could  be  a  great  example  to  get  college  students  involved  in  Northeast  Ohio  universities  with  our  client’s  product18  19    

• McDonald’s  Coffee  Strengths  o Drive  through  coffee,  don’t  have  to  get  out  of  your  car  o Going  for  the  down  to  earth  approach,  against  pretentious  brand  name  coffee  o Unsnobby  coffee  website  (unsobby.com),  play  games,  send  interventions  to  friends  asking  

them  not  to  drink  snobby  coffee  o Their  product  is  cheap20  

• McDonald’s  Coffee  Weaknesses  o McDonald’s  reputation  of  fast  food21  

 

16  http://www.frappuccino.com 17  http://www.starbucks.com 18  http://www.pomwonderful.com/products/coffee/ 19  http://www.healthybuzz.com 20http://www.unsnobbycoffee.com/ 21  http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/full_menu/beverages.html  

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McDonalds  is  also  using  creative  ways  to  get  its  key  publics  to  notice  its  coffee.  They  have  an  innovative  approach  to  get  away  from  the  brand  name  coffees  by  exposing  the  “pretentious”  aspect  of  gourmet  coffees  in  an  entertaining  way.  They  should  be  looked  at  as  a  best  practice.    Sports  Teams  Best  Practices  

• Dunkin’  Donuts  “Caught  Cold”  Campaign  o Partnership  with  the  Boston  Bruins    o Had  street-­‐teams  hand  out  tickets  for  a  play-­‐off  game  for  people  “caught  cold”  drinking  Dunkin’  

Donuts  iced  coffee    o Drove  around  cities  in  Boston  according  to  a  schedule  on  Dunkin’  Donuts  website  o Drove  around  in  Dunkin’  Donuts  branded  Toyota  Yaris  

The  Dunkin’  Donuts  “Caught  Cold”  Campaign  could  be  used  as  a  best  practice  for  the  partnership  iCafe  has  with  the  Browns,  Cavaliers  and  Monsters.  22  23  24    

•  San  Francisco  Has  Wings  Campaign  o Red  Bull  sponsored  San  Francisco  Giants  pitcher  Tim  Lincecum    o Used  “Facebook  Places”  for  people  to  check  in  during  a  scavenger  hunt  around  the  city    o Took  photos  of  autographed  baseballs  in  different  places  around  the  city  o First  fan  to  check  in  at  the  different  locations  around  the  city,  using  the  password  “San  

Francisco  Has  Wings,”  won  the  baseball  o Fans  that  were  unable  to  participate  in  the  scavenger  hunt  could  enter  Tim’s  “October  Heat”  

Facebook  photo  contest   Photos  showed  fans  taking  photos  of  themselves  supporting  the  teams  (outfits,  cheers,  

etc)25    The  Red  Bull  “San  Francisco  Has  Wings”  Campaign  could  be  used  as  a  best  practices  for  the  partnership  iCafe  has  with  the  Browns,  Cavaliers  and  Monsters.      

 • More  than  60  percent  of  the  drugstore’s  revenue  comes  from  prescriptions.    • Non-­‐pharmacy  items  are  an  opportunity  for  the  store,  primarily  through  impulse  buying  • Over-­‐the-­‐counter  drugs  and  prescriptions  prompt  20  percent  of  Walgreens  trips  

 Most  people  go  to  Walgreens  to  fill  prescriptions.    Food  and  beverage  products  do  not  draw  people  to  Walgreens.26                

22  http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x1700432958/Iced-­‐coffee-­‐drinkers-­‐beware-­‐Dunkin-­‐Donuts-­‐is-­‐looking-­‐for-­‐you 23  http://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/promotions/caughtcoldrules.html 24  http://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/promotions/caughtcold.html 25  http://www.allfacebook.com/red-­‐bull-­‐places-­‐baseball-­‐2010-­‐10 26  http://www.acraretail.org/documents/Katy_Mullis_-­‐_Walgreens_SWOT_Analysis.pdf  

WALGREEENS  SHOPPERS  

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 Northeast  Ohio  Media  Outlets  Right  Path  PR  identified  nine  college  newspapers  reaching  a  total  of  55,000  students  in  target  market.  The  segmented  portion  of  Ohio  circulates  17  daily  newspapers  serving  overlapping  areas  of  the  region.    The  papers  reach  as  many  as  250,000  (Cleveland  Plain  Dealer)  and  as  little  as  10,000  for  smaller  dailies  in  cities  like  Independence  and  Ashland.    Searches  also  found  more  than  20  community  papers  with  circulations  ranging  from  70,000  to  1,000.    A  full  list  of  media  outlets  can  be  found  in  the  appendix  on  page  14.      Cleveland  Bloggers  

• Eating  Cleveland  o Between  6,000  and  12,000  clicks  per  month  o Covers  diverse  food  products  including  restaurants,  products,  farms  and  gardeners27  

• Oh  Cherry  Picker  o Only  three  months  old  o Clicks  constantly  climbing,  currently  8,000  per  month    o Lists  discounts  and  specials  in  supermarkets  and  drugstores  around  Northeast  Ohio28  

 

 There  is  no  media  coverage  for  our  client’s  product  that  we  could  find.  We  looked  at  national  and  local  news  and  nothing  was  found.  We  did  find  stories  in  the  news  about  competitors,  views  of  others  on  the  competitors  and  studies  on  coffee  drinkers  and  their  habits.  We’ve  also  set  up  Google  searches  for  competitors  as  well  as  terms  relevant  to  our  client’s  product.  In  more  than  one  month,  no  alert  has  been  found.        The  Starbucks  Trenta  question:  How  much  coffee  is  OK?    BBC  News  

• This  article  is  important  because  it  talks  about  the  Trenta  that  Starbucks,  a  competitor,  is  releasing  and  the  health  effects  associated  with  a  “super  sized”  iced  coffee  drink  

• Talks  about  how  the  Trenta  would  lead  most  to  consume  almost  half  of  their  RDA  calorie  intake  for  the  day  in  one  sitting  with  this  new  coffee  drink  

• Starbucks  defends  this  by  saying  more  ice  will  be  put  in  the  cup  (leaving  consumers  to  pay  for  less  than  they  think  they’re  getting)  and  less  caffeine  

• Will  only  be  offered  for  a  few  of  the  iced  drinks  • Also  talks  about  the  size  as  an  inconvenience  (iCafe  is  much  smaller,  compact  and  easier  to  carry)29  

 Starbucks  drink  size  intrigues  students  The  Daily  Gamecock  (University  of  South  Carolina)  

• Starbucks  new  drink  size  discussed  by  students  in  the  article,  important  because  assumed  target  audience  by  client  is  college  students  

27  http://www.eatingcleveland.com/ 28  http://www.ohcherrypicker.com/ 29 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-­‐12249363

CURRENT  NEWS  FOR  ICED  COFFEE  

MEDIA  OUTLETS  

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• Many  students  didn’t  like  the  huge  size,  too  much  caffeine,  cup  size  is  too  large  (iCafe’s  size  is  much  smaller,  easier  to  carry)  30  

                                                                                         

30 http://www.dailygamecock.com/news/item/269-­‐starbucks-­‐drink-­‐size-­‐intrigues-­‐students

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 Relevant  Media    Loudonville  Times   Community  Newspaper   2,500  The  Journal   Community  Newspaper   2,000  Dalton  Gazette  &  Kidron  News   Community  Newspaper   1,485  Sun  Newspapers   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   246,361  Record  Publishing  Company   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   97,079  Leader  Publications   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   65,400  The  Suburbanite   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   46,000  Chagrin  Valley  Publishing  Co.   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   25,000  Town  Crier  Community  Newspapers   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   20,000  E.J.  Gottschalk  Publishing  Company   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   9,000  Farmer-­‐Record  Newspapers   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   6,100  Alliance  Publishing  Company   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   6,050  Oberlin  &  Amherst  Newspapers   Community  Newspaper  Publisher   4,000  The  Plain  Dealer   Daily  Newspaper   252,608  Akron  Beacon  Journal   Daily  Newspaper   92,856  The  Repository   Daily  Newspaper   59,564  The  Vindicator   Daily  Newspaper   46,748  The  News-­‐Herald   Daily  Newspaper   33,313  Tribune  Chronicle   Daily  Newspaper   27,274  The  Chronicle-­‐Telegram   Daily  Newspaper   24,512  The  Morning  Journal   Daily  Newspaper   21,589  The  Daily  Record   Daily  Newspaper   21,283  The  Times-­‐Reporter   Daily  Newspaper   18,594  Record-­‐Courier   Daily  Newspaper   17,406  The  Alliance  Review   Daily  Newspaper   13,200  The  Medina  County  Gazette   Daily  Newspaper   12,017  Ashland  Times-­‐Gazette   Daily  Newspaper   11,374  The  Independent   Daily  Newspaper   11,074  Morning  Journal   Daily  Newspaper   10,577  Salem  News   Daily  Newspaper   5,030  Alternative  Press   Magazine   297,222  Smart  Business   Magazine   205,985  Long  Weekends   Magazine   200,000  New  Equipment  Digest   Magazine   185,330  mental_floss   Magazine   90,705  Lake/Geauga  Family   Magazine   79,000  Ohio  Magazine   Magazine   67,630  Z  Magazine   Magazine   45,000  Kaleidoscope   Magazine   40,000  Mahoning  Valley  Parent   Magazine   38,284  Cleveland  Magazine   Magazine   36,863  Cleveland  Barhopper   Magazine   30,000  

APPENDIX  A  

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Cleveland/Akron  Health  &  Wellness   Magazine   30,000  Ohio  Sports  &  Fitness  Magazine   Magazine   30,000  Cleveland/Akron  Family   Magazine   27,229  Lake  Erie  Living   Magazine   25,000  Your  Teen   Magazine   22,000  Shaker  Life  Magazine   Magazine   21,000  Cleveland  Business  Connects   Magazine   20,000  Crain's  Cleveland  Business   Magazine   19,961  Akron  Life  &  Leisure   Magazine   15,846  This  Week  In  Cleveland   Magazine   10,000  Today's  Family  Magazine   Magazine   10,000  Lake  County  Business  Journal   Magazine   6,000  21  News  6  P.M.  —  WFMJ-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    33  News  at  11  —  WYTV-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    Channel  3  News  at  6  —  WKYC-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    Fox  8  News  at  6  PM  —  WJW-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    Good  Company  —  WKYC-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    Good  Morning  Cleveland  —  WEWS-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    News  Channel  5  at  11  —  WEWS-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    TV  27  First  News  at  6  —  WKBN-­‐TV   Television  Station  Show    

 

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