!!!!!!!!!!

GREEN ZEBRA IMC PLAN Mixed Media Marketing Agency

Courtney Klauber, Gia Gallone, Michelle Blank, Thomas Lipari, Jacob Orme

courtneyklauber@mac.com !!!!!!!!!

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Situation Analysis

2-1. Brand Overview 3

2-2. Consumer Analysis 4

2-3. Competitor Analysis 8

2-4. Communication Analysis 9

2-5. SWOT 10

Message Strategies

3-1. Communication Objectives 10

3-2. Message Positioning 10

Promotional Plan

4-1. Media Mix and Tactics 11

4-2. Rationale 14

4-3. Campaign Schedule 14 4-4. Budget 15

Evaluation and Contingency Plan 15

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I. Executive Summary

1-1. Executive Summary Overview

Our marketing plan for Green Zebra encompasses tactics that will grab the attention of not only the

local Glassboro community, but those who set out to eat healthier and live a healthy, green lifestyle. Our plan

will show that Green Zebra is not just a catchy name, it is about the quality of the products they serve.

1.2. Objective One

Our first objective is to increase the number of Green Zebra customers by 30 percent in the duration

of the fall semester of 2014. We will gain this increase by targeting unique customers looking for a healthy

place to eat. We will show students and the community that Green Zebra is the healthier, tastier option.

1.3. Objective Two

Our second objective is to increase the level of awareness about healthy living and environmentally-

friendly habits in the Glassboro community by 20 percent. We will highlight the health benefits Green Zebra

provides. Eating items such as low-fat organic dressings and their all-natural chicken free of preservatives,

hormones, or steroids will lead to a healthier well-being. Organic eating provides more energy for the

consumer, without the crash later on that one would experience from other energy sources.

1.4. Issues and Challenges

Problems we anticipate to face are the presence of competitors off-campus. Eateries such as Pizza

Hut, 7-Eleven, Prime Burger and Ry’s Bagels are located within walking distance of Green Zebra and it is a

struggle to persuade college-aged consumers to turn down foods they are familiar with and try something

new. When competing for consumers on Rowan’s campus, we understand, as students, that not many of us

have a lot of money to spend on eating out. Our mission is to open the eyes of potential consumers and

allow them to see that Green Zebra is the better choice over these local competitors.

!II. Situation Analysis

2-1. Brand Overview

Green Zebra, a restaurant located on Rowan Boulevard in Glassboro, NJ, shows the Rowan and

Glassboro community that healthy eating can be fun and fulfilling. Through Green Zebra, the owners share

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the healthy lifestyle and environmental awareness they are passionate about. The owners’ mission is to do

everything they can to make the restaurant as “green” as possible. Relationships with local farmers help

provide Green Zebra customers with locally grown foods without preservatives. Additionally, the owners

make Green Zebra “green” by using recycled materials throughout the restaurant. The chairs are made from

recycled bottles, the countertops are made from recycled glass, and the floor is made from repurposed corks.

!2-2. Consumer Analysis

Our target audience is all students in the Rowan community, including current Rowan students,

incoming freshmen and students visiting campus for tours and open houses. Although the ideal target

audience for Green Zebra is health-conscious students, we want to reach out to all Rowan students and

encourage them to take advantage of Green Zebra’s healthy food options and nutritious benefits, regardless

of if they are concerned about the environment or their own health. We want to let students know that

Green Zebra is a simple, accessible step toward a better, healthier you.

We conducted an online survey among Rowan students to research current views/attitudes/beliefs

on Green Zebra. Of our 74 responses, the majority has eaten at Green Zebra before or has heard of it.

!

!We found that almost all of the respondents participate in recycling (93.2%). The majority of the

respondents also participate in exercising, and over half participate in health conscious eating. It is a great

advantage that such a significant amount of our target audience participates in these activities. This means

that our message will appeal to a great amount of Rowan students.

Answer Choice Responses

Yes, I eat there regularly 8.22%

Yes, I’ve eaten there before 43.84%

Yes, I've heard of it 42.47%

No, I’ve never heard of it 5.48%

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!Many respondents were unsure if they would be willing to spend more money on organic food. 29%

responded yes, 26% responded no, and 45% responded maybe. This is a bit of a disadvantage. Since students

are unsure if they are willing to spend more money on organic food, this means we have to work hard to

convince students to spend the money by sharing the benefits of eating organic/healthy.

When we asked students how often they eat out around campus (excluding food located in the

Student Center) the majority of respondents replied with “often” and around the same amount replied with

“not often.” An extremely low amount of respondents replied with “never.” The fact that a large amount of

respondents said they eat out around campus is an advantage since Green Zebra is an eatery located on

campus but is not associated with food provided by Rowan. On the contrary, around the same amount of

respondents said they do not eat out around campus often. We will need to work to encourage students to eat

out around campus more often. An easy way to do this is to promote that Green Zebra accepts Boro Bucks.

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Do you participate in …

Recycling Health-conscious eating Organic eating Vegetarian eating Exercising

79.45%

9.59%17.81%

58.9%

93.15%

!

!!We asked students which eatery on Rowan Boulevard is their go-to option out of Green Zebra, Pizza

Hut, Prime Burger, Ry’s Bagels and 7-Eleven. The most dominant answer was Ry’s Bagels with 34.25% and

“none” with 30.14%. Only 10.96% responded with Green Zebra. This is a disadvantage and shows us we

need to promote Green Zebra even more among Rowan Students, making it their new go-to option.

We asked students what features they would find useful if a mobile app was created for Green Zebra.

We included coupons, menu viewing, ordering and rewards programs in the answer options allowed

respondents to check all that apply. The majority of the respondents selected all answers, and 10 respondents

said they do not own a smartphone. It is great to see that students would find all of these features useful,

since they are some of what we plan to include on the Green Zebra mobile app.

A main reason we decided to create a mobile app for Green Zebra is for its “green” aspect. Giving

customers access to the menu and coupons via mobile app saves paper. After doing secondary research, we

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2.7

21.62

32.43

37.84

5.41

Very often Often Not often Rarely NeverPercent of Students Eating Out Around Campus

found even more advantages to creating a mobile app which apply to our target audience. A study on

PewResearch shows that 96% of undergraduate students and 99% of graduate students own cell phones, and

92% of undergraduate students and 88% of graduate students have access to the Internet via cell phone. The

amount of adult cell phone owners who have downloaded an app to their phone nearly doubled in the past

two years, especially among college students. This shows that there is an extremely great chance that college

students will have the means to access our mobile app and will make use of it.

When we asked students which social media platforms they use out of Facebook, Twitter and

Instagram, almost all respondents use Facebook with 95.95%, 67.57% use Twitter, and again 67.57% use

Instagram. This shows us that our plan to increase Green Zebra’s social media presence should be successful

since majority of students have these social media platforms. This research also shows us that our strongest

social media presence should be on Facebook.

Using social media to promote Green Zebra will help us reach a large amount of our target audience.

According to a study on PewResearch, 98% of undergraduate students and 99% of graduate students use the

Internet, regardless of if it’s from a cell phone, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet device, iPod/mp3

player or game console. We also found that 86% of undergraduate students and 82% of graduate students

use social networking sites.

Our respondents living situations varied. Although the majority was on-campus residents, we had a

good mix of on-campus residents, off-campus residents and commuters. Although we are marketing to all

Rowan students, we will put an emphasis on promoting to on-campus residents by hanging fliers around

residence halls, handing out pamphlets around campus, and having on-campus promotional events.

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Commuter

Off-campus resident

On-campus resident

0 12.5 25 37.5 50

44.59

31.08

24.32

Percent of studentsLiving Situation

!

2-3. Competitor Analysis

Through our own informal research of visiting eateries, which we believe are competitors to Green

Zebra, we have observed and recorded product comparisons, strengths, weaknesses and the target markets of

the competitors for our competitor analysis.

A big competitor to Green Zebra is Glassboro’s Saladworks. Saladworks offers similar food options

as Green Zebra such as salads, soups and wraps for around the same prices. Just like Green Zebra,

Saladworks’ menu holds a healthy stigma. A large strength of Saladworks is that it is a well-known chain

restaurant with a good reputation. In another sense, some may consider this a weakness because it does not

have a personal, local feel. A second strength is that Saladworks accepts Boro Bucks. Weaknesses of

Saladworks are that it is not located as close to Rowan campus as Green Zebra, and the food is not as healthy

as it seems — it has high sodium content and is not locally grown. Also, Saladworks does not seem to be

concerned about having an environmentally friendly restaurant. Although Saladworks’ target market includes

Rowan students, it seems to cater more to Glassboro residents since it is located on the opposite side of

Glassboro in comparison to Rowan’s campus.

Other competitors to Green Zebra are the surrounding vendors on Rowan Boulevard, including

Prime Burger, 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut and Ry’s Bagels. When comparing products, we found that all of these

eateries offer less healthy food options, but generally sell their products for cheaper prices than Green Zebra.

Strengths of these eateries are that they are more appealing than Green Zebra to the average college students,

they are conveniently located on campus, and they all accept Boro Bucks. 7-Eleven and Pizza Hut are both

well-known name brands, and 7-Eleven is quick, convenient and cheap for the college student on the go. Ry’s

Bagels has a second location in Glassboro, which has been around for years, which brings familiarity to the

Ry’s Bagels on Rowan Boulevard. Weaknesses of these eateries are that they mainly offer unhealthy food

options, the foods are mostly high in fat content, and they do not stress that fact that their foods are natural

or fresh. Also, they do not seem to be concerned about having environmentally friendly eateries. In general,

these vendors have the same target market at Green Zebra, focusing on catering to Rowan students.

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2-4. Communication Analysis

Green Zebra’s main message is that it is an environmentally friendly restaurant that serves healthy,

organic, locally grown food. Currently, Green Zebra’s main channels include the Internet and social media

platforms. Its website, www.GreenZebraNJ.com, includes the menu, contact information, restaurant hours,

links to social media sites, and facts about how recycled materials are used throughout the restaurant.

Green Zebra’s Facebook page includes frequent posts. Posts include the winners of the “weekly

custom creation salad,” the soup of the day, upcoming events and photos. Every Wednesday, Green Zebra

announces on its Facebook page that it’s Employee Appreciation Day, and Rowan employees receive 10

percent off their order. Another Facebook post asks for customer input, explaining that Green Zebra is

looking to expand its menu. Green Zebra’s Twitter account contains tweets similar to its Facebook posts.

Green Zebra also has an Instagram account but the account has not been used in about seven weeks.

For our plan, we want to take advantage of the social media channels by increasing Green Zebra’s

social media presence and making better use of the social media platforms they currently have. For our plan,

we specifically want to use Facebook and Twitter to advertise promotions for students, share facts about

Green Zebra, and announce promotional events happening on or around campus. We would also like to

increase Green Zebra’s Instagram use not only by posting photos more frequently, but also by creating an

Instagram campaign. This campaign will encourage students to post photos of them participating in

something around campus that helps the environment, such as recycling or cleaning up around campus.

Another channel we want to use for our plan is a mobile app, which will feature coupons, a rewards

program, access to Green Zebra’s menu, and the ability to order takeout or delivery. The application will also

provide access to upcoming events, as well as daily specials such as their soup of the day. A suggestions

section of the application will allow users to provide Green Zebra with useful feedback and new menu ideas.

A mobile app is a quick and convenient way to communicate with students, and also helps the environment

by saving paper, which is what Green Zebra is all about.

!2-5. SWOT Analysis

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!III. Message Strategies

3-1. Communication Objectives

There are numerous objectives that could work with our plan to promote Green Zebra. We have

chosen to focus on the two objectives we believe will bring about the biggest benefit to Green Zebra. The

first objective of our campaign is to increase the number of Green Zebra customers by 30 percent in the

duration of the fall semester of 2014. The second objective we declared is to increase the level of awareness

about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and holding environmentally-friendly habits in the

Glassboro community by 20 percent.

!3-2. Message Positioning

There are many appealing aspects to Green Zebra that could contribute to our campaign. One of the

attributes we plan to focus our attention on is the healthy and organic aspect that Green Zebra provides. As

stated in our objectives, we will use Green Zebra’s current reputation to promote healthy living in the

community (both on and off campus). We will use this to increase awareness and draw in more consumers

within the Glassboro community.

!

STRENGTHS: !• healthy food • organic food • locally-grown food • unique food options • environmentally friendly • not a chain; personal, local feel • accept Boro Bucks • convenient location from Rowan’s campus

WEAKNESSES: !• not well-known • limited food options • poor advertising • expensive price range for a college area

OPPORTUNITIES: !• can use the “green” aspect to gain a positive image • can easily reach Rowan students through mobile

app and social media

THREATS: !• nearby competitors — Saladworks, Prime Burger, 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut and Ry’s Bagels

• Rowan students may not like menu options • Rowan students may not be aware of Green Zebra • Rowan students may not be willing to spend that

much money

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IV. Promotional Plan

4-1. Media Mix & Tactics

Objective 1

To increase the number of Green Zebra customers by 30% within the duration of the fall

semester of 2014.

Strategy 1.1

Convince Rowan students that Green Zebra is a great alternative to on-campus

dining options and provides excellent deals for college students.

Tactic 1.1.1.

Design a mobile application for all smartphone platforms. This mobile app will

feature coupons, a reward program, access to Green Zebra’s menu, and

order takeout or delivery. The application will also provide access to events

coming up at Green Zebra, as well as daily specials such as their soup of the day. A

suggestions section of the application would allow users to provide Green Zebra

with useful feedback for the company to utilize. Put big emphasis on how the use of

the mobile app is saving paper, which contributes to Green Zebra’s environmentally

friendly stance.

Tactic 1.1.2.

Design punch cards in the shape of a leaf. To conserve paper, the punch card

will be placed as an advertisement in The Whit that students would cut out.

The Whit newspapers are printed anyway, so this is a way to take advantage

of having a punch card without wasting paper printing them on their own.

Once a student’s punch card is filled, he or she receives a free salad or wrap

of their choice.

Strategy 1.2.

Grow involvement between Rowan students and Green Zebra in order to strengthen

brand awareness through special events.

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Tactic 1.2.1.

Hold a contest at Green Zebra where customers guess how many cork floor

tiles are on the floor of the eatery. The customer with the closest guess

receives one free meal a week for the timespan of the following school

semester.

Tactic 1.2.2.

Host an event on Rowan’s Student Center patio. Using recycled cans, set up

a game of beer pong, where students can shoot Ping-Pong balls and if they

make three in a row into the recycled cans they receive a tumbler for

unlimited refillable drinks at Green Zebra. This will be a fun way to grab

college students’ attentions and get them to interact with Green Zebra. At

the event, Green Zebra can offer samples of products they sell. This will

stress the fact that it isn’t Sodexo food and it is clear what ingredients are in

these products, so that they know they are truly getting a nutritious, organic

meal every time they eat at Green Zebra.

Strategy 1.3.

Gain involvement between Rowan students and Green Zebra in order to strengthen

brand loyalty through social media interactivity.

Tactic 1.3.1.

Create an Instagram campaign using the hashtag, #RowanRecycles” and have

students upload images of them participating in something around campus that will

help the environment, such as recycling or cleaning up around campus. Each picture

will use the hashtag and tag @greenzebra as well. The best or most creative picture

wins a free meal once a week for the timespan of the following school semester.

Tactic 1.3.2.

Take advantage of Green Zebra’s Twitter account. They actively tweet, but

could use this platform to advertise promotions for students.

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Objective 2

To increase the level of awareness about healthy living and environmentally friendly habits in

the Glassboro community by 20% by highlighting the health benefits Green Zebra can

provide to those looking to improve their lifestyle within the duration of the full school year of

2014-2015.

Strategy 2.1

Display to Rowan students that Green Zebra is a convenient way to eat healthy and

avoid gaining weight in college, as well as be environmentally friendly.

Tactic 2.1.1.

On the Green Zebra mobile application, display facts about their food and

how the store is made out of recycled materials.

Tactic 2.1.2.

Design and create pamphlets to hand out that highlight these facts and

target the pamphlet to college students looking to live a healthier lifestyle and treat

the environment well.

Strategy 2.2

Stress the benefits Green Zebra can provide to those who wish to live a better,

healthier lifestyle but don’t know where to begin.

Tactic 2.2.1.

Create a flier to hang around residence halls (specifically underclassmen who

are worried about “Freshmen 15”), the Rec Center and the Student Center

that attracts students who want to have a healthy lifestyle but don’t know

how to go about doing so. Emphasize the benefits of eating organically:

more energy without the crash, better hair/skin/nails, stronger bones and

muscles, organ health improvements, less health risks overall (lowers chance

of illnesses), and so on.

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4-2. Rationale

We decided these tactics were appropriate because they appeal to college-aged students. Every tactic requires

little to no money, so the company is able to gain consumer size without paying for advertisements. The

mobile application reduces paper waste and college students typically have their phones on them at all times,

so they won’t lose a reward card or coupon since it is right on their phone. We decided to make the punch

cards a cutout in The Whit because it reaches the student community and is also cost-efficient and paper

efficient. The event on the student center patio was chosen because of the location, and because the beer

pong-type game would capture the attention of college students. Using social media to promote Green Zebra

is also environmentally friendly, cost-efficient and a great way to reach the target audience.

!4-3. Campaign Schedule

!!4-4. Budget: $10,000

We have allocated the largest portion of our budget to a Green Zebra mobile app (35%) to go

toward design and development because it is the greatest feature of the marketing campaign. It ties together

all other aspects of our plan, and will help reach and engage a large portion of Rowan students.

The second largest portion of our budget is dedicated to our promotional event (30%) on the

student center patio because this will increase student awareness in a fun way. Games using recycled products

August September October November December

Develop mobile application

Advertise mobile application

Design punch cards

Design and hang fliers

Place punch cards in The Whit

Hold penny count contest

Event on SC patio

Instagram campaign

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will give students positive feelings toward Green Zebra, and price-winning tumblers and food samples will

encourage students to come to Green Zebra.

The third largest portion is dedicated to print materials (20%), such as our leaf-shaped punch cards,

fliers, pamphlets and other advertising materials. All print materials will be produced using recycled paper. We

are not allocating a large portion of our budget to print materials because Green Zebra is environmentally-

friendly. We will rely heavily on our mobile app and social media for most of our advertising, but not all of it.

The smallest portion of our budget is dedicated to our cork floor guessing contest (15%). The only

money that will need to be spent is on advertising and the one free meal a week for a semester for our winner.

Our social media tactics will not cost anything. All social media platforms will be monitored by the

owner or a designated employee.

!V. Evaluation and Contingency Plan

Evaluation

The overall objectives of this plan are to increase the number of customers of Green Zebra by 30 percent in

the Fall 2014 semester at Rowan University and to raise awareness of healthy living options by 20 percent in

the town of Glassboro. These objectives will be evaluated throughout the execution of the plan. Follow-up

surveys will be distributed in order to provide us with optimal evaluation of the success of our plan. Another

evaluation tactic is to monitor the social media feeds and keep track of its number of followers and retweets.

!Contingency Plan

This plan was established to help Green Zebra respond to possible business-threatening situations. The

following three scenarios are addressed:

• arrival of a new competitor

• temporary unavailability of local produce

• price cut of a local competitor

Arrival of a new competitor —

1. Evaluate current standings as a company. Is the public more aware of the company and has the customer

count be going up?

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2. Continue advertising as planned and focus on the benefits that make Green Zebra different.

a. If the new vendor is salad-oriented, focus on the organic and homegrown aspects Green Zebra

provides.

b. If the place is focused on healthy living, focus on the homegrown aspect and the unique items,

such as the Agave Soda and Banana Whips, that set you apart from competitors.

3. Consider the SWOT of the new business and consider different smaller changes and menu options

depending on what the new vendor offers.

Temporary unavailability of local produce —

Green Zebra brands itself with the fact that it offers locally-grown food so customers know where food is

coming from.

1. Start by making an in-store announcement on a sign or chalkboard. This lets customers know you are

transparent and are not hiding anything from them.

2. Keep consumers up-to-date with status updates and changes

3. Announce to locals that you are looking for local produce growers in the area. Consider tactics such as

allowing them to assist in finding a replacement grower, or hold a contest including taste-testing of

different fresh products from a variety of potential new growers.

Price cut of local competitor —

1. Consider the price of the competitor. If the price is reasonably lower, consider dropping Green Zebra

prices overall.

2. If price dropping all items overall is not a possibility, consider having different specials each day so that

something is always on sale. This will also draw new customers in.

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