Product Campaign Plan - Research Paper Example

PRODUCT CAMPAIGN PLAN Executive analysis This paper presents an integrated marketing communication plan for Miyagi, a Japanese restaurant in Mclean. With no single advertisement for the restaurant, the key focus of the plan is to grow Miyagi’s popularity within Mclean region and expand the experience of the Japanese through food in the region while at the same time ensuring the restaurant has a stronger online presence especially in social media, and stronger channel and media integration in the message portrayed. This is accomplished through viral marketing, advertising, public relations, active sales promotions, direct selling and digital / internet promotional strategies. Situational Analysis Industry trends Over the past two decades, there has been increased number of Japanese restaurants in the US with the numbers more than doubling and the business environment becoming increasingly competitive. The 2010 Jetro Japanese Restaurants trends have shown that Japanese restaurants in the period 2005 to 2010 have increased by 54.8% (1). Furthermore, Lim (2) in his study acknowledges that increasingly over the past years American customers have come to appreciate Japanese food, and most specifically its famous sushi dishes. Such resign appreciation for the Japanese food and the increasing number of Japanese restaurants implies that Japanese restaurants will have to operate effectively within the growing competitive environment to be profitable. For Miyagi, one of the highly rated Japanese restaurants in Mclean VA, the need to be efficient and competitive in a changing environment is even greater if it is to retain its top spot in the region. Company background Miyagi is a family owned Japanese restaurant in Mclean VA, with the restaurant having been founded the late 1980s, according to Lei a waitress in Miyagi, after the family immigrated to the US. The restaurant serves Japanese meals such as sushi, to the wide diverse population in Mclean region. However, based on observation, the ratio of Japanese vs. other residents frequenting the restaurant as compared to the ratio of the Japanese vs. other residents in Mclean VA region is higher. While the population in the region is 38929 residents that have different race backgrounds, Japanese population in the region are 514, presenting only 1.32% of the population and not enough market for the all Japanese restaurants in the region. This therefore implies Miyagi needs a campaign strategy that will elevate its prominence in the region as the place to be. From the figure below, clearly it is important that the restaurant tap into the diverse demographic to remain competitive. Competitor analysis While there are quite a number of Japanese restaurants in Virginia region which make the industry competitive, the observable direct competitor to Miyagi in Mclean region is Tama sushi, another Japanese restaurant located less than a mile from Miyagi. Observation research showed that this restaurant offers similar services as Miyagi, as well very similar sushi selection and Entrée. The close proximity of the two restaurants can be cause for increased competitiveness and a need for Miyagi to even further its communication strategy. Current campaign strategy The current message strategy for the Japanese restaurant is that they provide the best Japanese food in the area, and this message they pass across through their service staff. However, this message strategy is not focused and does not define the very essence of the benefits that the restaurant provides to its customers. A search through various media shows that the restaurant has no formal campaign strategy to elevate its products or services. After observations and research, no single advertisement for the restaurant online, newspaper or any kind of flyer could be found. However, the restaurant is reviewed and rated in quite a number of websites online such as Yelp, Opentable and Urbanspoon, where it has received considerably positive reviews as compared to negative ones. In fact, one of the fans on Yelp acknowledges that Miyagi had the best foods and service which were both “super fresh and very creative” (Miyagi Restaurant, N.p.). Campaign Goals and objectives The key goal of this integrated marketing campaign is to grow Miyagi’s popularity within Mclean region where it is located and expand the experience of the Japanese culture through the various foods that Miyagi provides. Furthermore, another key goal is to ensure the restaurant has a stronger online presence especially in social media, and stronger channel and media integration in the message portrayed. Hence the objectives of the Campaign will be to ensure that Miyagi comes out as its own strong brand, attractive to consumers who wish to have a unique Japanese experience and those who wish to explore exotic tastes; to get the Tyson’s Corner area residence become aware of the restaurant; to increase sales by 5% by the end of 2012; and to open a second restaurant and expand the Japanese cuisine experience within two years of successful campaign and coverage. Target Audience The market targeted in a given campaign promotion defines what media of communication to use in disseminating marketing messages and how such customers are to be approached. The targeted markets are often the most profitable for both existing and potential customers (Smith and Taylor 37). While the restaurant serves all its delicious meals, a target market from which campaign strategies will be developed need be identified. Analyzing the target market based on demography, psychographic and segmentation, a well defied target is achieved. According to statistics, the biggest population in the area is of those individuals aged 35 to 44 years of age at 15.7% and 45 to 54 years of age at 18.71%. Most of these are white (84.56%) and Asian (10.61%) with 99.51% of these living in households with families (McLean Population and Demographics). Source: McLean Population and Demographics The above description clearly shows the demographic component of the population in the region and the possible target customers. Taking into account that most households are families, then, their behavior in eating out would most likely family outings. This information helps in understanding that the area and most of the campaigns are going to focus on the older and mature audience that have a family that would consider Miyagi for a meal. Hence, Miyagi will be targeting older individuals, both male and female aged 25 to 59 years of age in Mclean for their sushi. This target market will be free spirited and adventurous individuals ready to explore exotic Japanese cuisine right their doorstep. However what should be avoided to be said to the target audience is the assurance that they will enjoy the experience because not every customer will like the taste of sushi especially first time customers. From my experience this market is very wide and easy to be challenged, restaurants are not easy business but people will not to be afraid to try them and try the experience, unlike physical sold products that need to be thought through before being bought. The secondary audience is the visitors to the area and their feedback is as important as the primary customers. Creative Objectives and Strategies Creative objectives Ensure the restaurant has a stronger online presence especially in social media, and stronger channel and media integration in the message portrayed, as well as in the offline presence. the creative objectives of the campaign will be to ensure that Miyagi comes out as its own strong brand, attractive to consumers who wish to have a unique Japanese experience and those who wish to explore exotic tastes; to get the Tyson’s Corner area residence become aware of the restaurant; to increase sales by 5% by the end of 2012; and to open a second restaurant and expand the Japanese cuisine experience within two years of successful campaign and coverage. Hence the key creative objective is to revitalize the overall brand image, increasing market share, sales, customer loyalty, and make Miyagi a high performing brand of its own. The tagline ‘Experience the Japanese culture next door’ captures the idea communication campaign as it reflects exotic exquisiteness Message Strategy statement The creative strategies will strongly focus on the message strategy which will communicate both the positioning statement of the Miyagi Restaurant which outline the benefits offered by the restaurant, but will also support such positioning statement with claims that reinforce the believability and uniqueness of such a statement (Heath 427). In this case, the message strategy statement for Miyagi Restaurant will be: ‘Miyagi gives you the ultimate unique and exotic Japanese experience with exquisitely crafted food that meets your quest for food adventure. The meals are uniquely prepared by the best and experienced with careful attention to detail, flavor, and diverse consumer needs’. This unique statement positions Miyagi Japanese food around adventure and healthiness while portraying a strong image of a true Japanese food experience. Creative strategies Miyagi will use a number of creative strategies to reach out to its target market and communicate the intended message. These include, viral marketing, advertising, public relations, active sales promotions, direct selling and digital / internet promotional strategies. In internet promotions, Miyagi will have to establish a website and promote the company’s domain name by putting it as the WiFi network name, as well as having a blog dedicated to unique Japanese food and their nutritional and health benefits. Furthermore, the company will utilize search engine optimization tactics to ensure that a search for Japanese restaurant within Mclean region results to the highest hits of the site. In sales promotion, tactics to be employed could include offering sushi at discounts initially to attract more customers. In advertising the restaurant, pictures of scrumptious and delicious Japanese food will grace the company website with health benefits, ingredients and caloric contents described in the advert. In public relations strategy, the restaurant can get involved with a number of companies to build a reputation for itself. These include heath magazines and health awareness campaigns where company t-shirts can be distributed. Furthermore, a social networking strategy will be developed for the company where the company can have a twitter account and facebook fan page which will not only help in managing relationships with customers but also influence the development of the brand image for the restaurant that the company strives to develop. Direct marketing is defined as an interactive marketing system that uses multiple media to generate a transaction or other measurable response at any location (O'Guinn, Allen, and Semenik 200). After conducting and analyzing the target audience of Miyagi and coming up with an advertisement plan we need to start working on giving customers other reasons to visit the restaurant again other than the delicious food. The interne t makes it easy to market directly and is one of the top communication tools used today globally. Statistics show that in US, 92% of adults are internet users while 66% have email accounts which they check daily (Purcell). With such figures, Miyagi restaurant can employ email marketing in direct marketing where they routinely send customers emails notifying them of special offers, current events and restaurant changes. Media Budget Media Amount Search engine optimization and blogs $ 500 T shirts with company logo and slogan $500 Website /website advertising $1,000 Social Networking $500 Sales promotion $500 Total $3,000 Media Mix In planning the campaign, the key media mix that will be used in the campaign will include print media, direct marketing, company website and social networking. This media mix will be most effective and appropriate for the campaign as it would make it possible to reach out to the targeted market within the McNeal area. Implementation Schedule Campaign Activity Where it will run Length of Campaign activity Sales promotion Restaurant One week Advertisements banner ad on websites, company website month Social networking Facebook, twitter One year Public relations Around community Three days Campaign Evaluation Plan The effectiveness of the campaign will be evaluated based on pretest and post test measures applied to the campaign concepts. Pre testing will show the prior performance of the Miyagi Restaurant while post testing will include performance of the Miyagi restaurant after campaign. Such performance measurements will include impact of online presence, financial performance, consumer perception, consumer loyalty, and visibility the product. To measure the effectiveness of the integrated marketing campaign that will be done for Miyagi the Japanese restaurant with four steps followed closely to come up with the final conclusion. 1. Test customer awareness both before and after the advertising campaign: this step is also known as the post-test message tracking (O'Guinn, Allen and Semenik, 315).We will exam the customers awareness of Miyagi during the campaign and a while after it is launched to have an idea if the campaign had an effect on the target audience (Measuring Advertising Effectiveness). 2. Compare with previous data: knowing if the campaign is a success or a fail is all determined on the before and after results (Measuring Advertising Effectiveness). 3. Sales: the measurement of sales and whether it has increased or stayed the same after the launch of the campaign is another way to measure the effectiveness or the campaign. If the sales increased that means that consumers are more aware of Miyagi through the campaigns and if the sales don’t change that means that the campaign did not affect consumers and in that case it needs more progress (Measuring Advertising Effectiveness). 4. Levels of repeat purchase: the last step of measuring effectiveness of a campaign is the most important step, in business it is important to target the audience and make business through purchasing a product or service, however the creative part is giving them a reason to come back and do business again. After the launch of the campaign of Miyagi restaurant an eye will be kept on to know if previous and new consumers re-visit the restaurant and respond to the campaign more frequently (Measuring Advertising Effectiveness). To conclude by following these steps it will be helpful to know if the hard work has paid off or not and also have an idea of what previous consumers need and what future consumers want from Miyagi as a restaurant and new experience. Measuring the effectiveness will allow improvement of quality of the future work and provide Miyagi their chance to reach their main goals and objectives Works Cited "McLean Population and Demographics (McLean, VA)." McLean Population and Demographics (McLean, VA). N.p., 2012. Web. 09 June 2012. . Heath, Robert, L. ‘Encyclopedia of Public Relations, volume 1’. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications. 2005. Jetro Japanese Restaurants Trends 2010. The number of Japanese Restaurants hit Record High. 2010. Web. 1 August 2012. < http://www.jetro.org/trends/japanese_restaurants_2010.pdf> Lim, Hoon. "Understanding American customer perceptions on Japanese food and services in the U.S". UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 654. 2010. Web. 1 August 2012. Measuring Advertising Effectiveness." Measuring Advertising Effectiveness. Management Study Guide, 2008. Web. 30 July 2012. . O'Guinn, Thomas C., Chris T. Allen, and Richard J. Semenik. Promo. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Purcell, Kristen. "Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." Search and Email Still Top the List of Most Popular Online Activities. N.p., 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 08 July 2012. . Smith, Paul R. & Jonathan Taylor. ‘Marketing Communications: An Integrated Approach,’ Kogan Page Publishers. 2004 Read More