Table of Contents

Meet the Team 2

Executive Summary 3

Client Goals 3

Research 4-7

Target Audience 4

Secondary 4-5

Primary 5-6

Implications 6-7

Creative Concept 8

Campaign Goals 8

Strategies 9

Implementation Plan 10 - 13

Budget 14

Timeline 14

Evaluation 15

Addendum 16 -

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Emily Morency
Major: Strategic Communications
Minor: Business Administration

Melissa Guistino
Major: Strategic Communications
Minor: Spanish

Grant Robinson
Major: Strategic Communications
Minor: Psychology

Ellen Dore
Major: Strategic Communications
Minor: Business Administration

Jo Brown
Major: Strategic Communications
Minor: Professional Sales

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The client for our campaign, Grove Winery and Vineyards, located in Gibsonville, NC, is an
awarded winery and estate vineyard that specializes in European style wine. Its convenient location
makes it accessible to most in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. It is open every day,
year-round and offers a welcoming, casual atmosphere for all to enjoy. More than 80% of the grapes
they use are grown right on the premises, offering a variety of wines as well as hosting tastings, picnics,
paint nights, and special events.

The NC Food Rodeo, and food truck event, is hosted at Grove Winery on the second Sunday of
each month from March to November. While this is the winerys biggest event, there is room for
improvement to benefit the winerys success. The client believes that it can make better use of the
Rodeo as a means of making customers come back to the winery, through raised awareness and
stronger promotion of the event. Our team has developed a strategic and creative campaign that will
help our client reach their desired destination. Our methods for achieving this will be explained
using the clients goals, the results of our research findings and those implications, and our creative
concepts strategies and tactics.

CLIENT GOALS

Target immediate neighbors, Elon students and parents, and a

younger demographic (millennials ages 21-33)

To use NC Food Rodeo event as means of attracting people to

the winery

Improve event turnout

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RESEARCH

Target Audience
The target audience of this campaign can be divided into two groups: Elon and nearby-college
students, and local residents of Alamance County. College students are an imperative group to
reach out to as they are between the ages of 18 and 23. This is important because one of the main
overarching goals of the NC Food Rodeo is to attract a larger demographic of young adults. By
targeting nearby college students, we can create a more youthful environment at the rodeo, which
is important to make sure the rodeo continues to grow and becomes more successful.

Local residents are the second half of the target audience. They are an important group to attract
to the Rodeo because they will always be in the area. By appealing to this group, the NC Food
Rodeo would always have a consistent audience base of locals. This is important to maintain the
current turnout because, unlike some students, locals will be in the area during the time of the
Rodeo each month.

Secondary Research Findings

Millennials: The Right Target Audience
Millennials enjoy posting pictures of food to interact with peers
Crave new food experiences
Value authentic, healthy, organic, shareable, on-the-go foods
Millennials enjoy live music at social events
A study conducted by AEG and Momentum WorldWide found that 93% of
respondents say they like brands that sponsor live events.
28% of millennials drink wine daily

Importance of Social Media Strategy

Millennials have a strong and constant relationship with technology
72% of millennials choose Facebook as their platform of choice
When targeting millennials, it is important to use easy-to-understand information that is
communicated in a fun manner
Promotion through social media is extremely important to foster brand loyalty, because it
keeps consumers returning and increases the awareness of festival
Creating social media posts provide a channel for consumers to interact with the brand,
and vice versa

Relevant Information Regarding Food Festivals

Visitors are more likely to attend if festival information is made more accessible,
transportation is convenient, good hygiene is practiced, and the site is well-maintained

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 57% of entertainment venues have a defined social media strategy, and those that do
experience higher revenues than those that do not

Other Considerations for Strategy

1. Search Engine Optimization
90% of Internet users use a search function to find a local business. With proper
SEO, a business can increase visibility, sales, and profits to result in a greater ROI
2. Humor
Humor is a part of the millennial identity
88% of people said that humor is vital to their sense of self
3. Student Input
In marketing to college students, businesses may consider hiring a college student
to propose and look over marketing ideas

Primary Research Findings

Our team was tasked to conduct in-depth personal interviews with Elon faculty and staff as part of
our primary research. This demographic relates to the clients goal of targeting more locals, as
many university professors live in the surrounding counties. These interviews aimed to gather
information that creates a better, more insightful profile of the target demographics, specifically
regarding social habits, getting informed, and media consumption. It additionally helps to
determine the most effective means to communicate with the key publics to increase both
awareness of and attendance to the NC Food Rodeo.

Some of the broader research questions we hoped to answer were:

How familiar is this demographic with the winery and the NC Food Rodeo?
How do faculty & staff learn about social events?
What is the best way to market to this demographic?

After gathering the responses from the interviews (see addendum for transcripts), our team
extrapolated common themes to synthesize relevant insights. Most of the respondents clarified the
most effective means to communicate with the public, as well as detailing general perceptions about
Grove Winery and the NC Food Rodeo. To craft a successful campaign, understanding consumer
habits and behaviors is essential. Some of the key findings are as follows:

Drinking Wine and Social Activities are Better Together

Most respondents said that theyre more likely to visit Grove Winery during an event,
whether it be the NC Food Rodeo or the briefly-mentioned Paint Night.
Many people are turned on at the idea of live music or art shows to compliment a drinking
event. By creating a more unique experience, the Grove Winery can generate greater
consumer interest and profits.

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 Family-Friendly is a Valued Quality
Some respondents said theyre always looking for new places to take
children/grandchildren.
Many people are still under the impression that wine-tasting is a womans activity
Some respondents mentioned they are more likely to get out of the house when it involves
doing things with their children

Creating a Comfortable Atmosphere is Essential

Creating the right atmosphere is vital to not only draw in new customers, but also to
increase the likelihood they will return and recommend it to friends, family, and anyone
they meet
People are looking for experiences to enrich their lives
o One respondent says, If [Grove Winery] did an art show there or something more
cultural, then they would attend
One respondent says he doesnt want to waste time and money going somewhere that
wont feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Most Are Unaware, but Would Go If Informed

Nearly all respondents answered saying they were not aware of neither the winery nor the
NC Food Rodeo. Yet, when asked if they would attend such an event, mostly everyone said
yes
Respondents expressed being open to trying new things, and it appears a congregation of
food trucks is enticing to North Carolina locals

Word-of-Mouth: Best Option to Spread Awareness among Gen-X

Those that were interviewed said they mostly get informed through friends, colleagues,
students, and children with the occasional exception for Facebook and Instagram
Twitter was frequently mentioned, but the platform is ineffective for the type of
communication that would most benefit Grove Winery and NC Food Rodeo
The generation-x demographic desires a tangible reminder of the events

Implications
The collected information is rich enough to draw connections for relevant campaign insights. To
start, the Gen-X demographic can most effectively be reached using in-person authentication.
Social media, while key to any companys success, weighs less important to Generation Xers. It
serves as a respectable, secondary source for validation, but the people in this demographic are
more likely to respond to physical communications. One of the trends the interviews revealed was
that discounts are likely to convince a new customer to attend a Grove Winery-hosted event. It
may be worthwhile to further investigate the potential to change consumer attitudes this way.

Besides creating awareness about the company and hosted events, its just as important to create a
valuable experience for those attending/visiting. Quality, comfort, and value are just a couple

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factors that can easily change a dull experience to an unforgettable one. If Grove Winery
successfully captures its consumers with a unique experience, then they will most likely secure a
life-long customer. Additionally, the secondary impacts of a fun-filled event would benefit the
companys overall image. If enough people start talking about it, then it wont be long until media
outlets begin covering the events.

Appealing to families is as equally important as creating a unique atmosphere. Families are always
looking for fun, new activities to get everyone out of the house. Not to mention, if Grove Winery
can appeal to kids, then they will undoubtedly start seeing familiar faces returning for every event.
Kids are a great way to convince parents to return. Additionally, people appreciate when a
company can become involved in family dynamics parents and kids become more and more
invested in the company, start to appreciate the workers, and will consistently recommend the site
to other families. And since the NC Food Rodeo only occurs once a month, peoples anticipation
and desire to attend will grow greater and greater.

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The creative concept that this campaign will incorporate revolves around the phrase a truckin
good time to appeal to the audiences sense of humor. Variations of the phrase will be used to
promote the rodeo across various platforms, including social media, flyers, coupons, merchandise,
and more. It will serve the purpose to portray the brand image of the NC Food Rodeo - a fun-
filled, comfortable, friendly and lively atmosphere the event creates. The tactics this campaign
adopts will revolve around that theme: how everyone has a good time. The broader concept will
embody a few brand qualities that the NC Food Rodeo maintains, but does not altogether
emphasize. These include but are not limited to:

Family-friendly Entertaining
Lively Great, quality food
Social Comfortable

The campaigns play on words aims to utilize humor to attract a younger audience and make a
fun, lighthearted, colorful campaign. This campaign is lighthearted enough that it still maintains
the family-friendly aspect of the event. The truckin good time language better emphasizes the
food truck aspect of the rodeo.

CAMPAIGN GOALS

To increase brand awareness of the NC Food Rodeo among both the

millennial demographic and local residents

To effectively use social media to engage college students with NC Food

Rodeo & Grove Winery

To increase attendance at the NC Food Rodeo

To establish a positive brand image for the NC Food Rodeo as a good

time for everyone

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STRATEGIES
The strategy for this campaign consists of four main parts that embrace the campaign goals:

To start, we begin by cross-promoting the NC Food Rodeo at other local

events and venues

Next, we plan to use social media to establish the NC Food Rodeo brand
image as a good time for everyone

Following, we recommend providing educational and extracurricular

opportunities (i.e. journalism, performing arts, photography, etc.) for
neighboring universities and students to engage with the event

Finally, we recommend positioning the NC Food Rodeo as a community-

focused event that upholds the communitys core values of supporting
local businesses and being family-friendly

The brand positioning will require a moderate shift from the current standard. The campaign does
not intend to change the brand image, but rather enhance and clarify significant attributes that it
has already established.

The strongest differentiators of the NC Food Rodeo are its local, family-friendly qualities that
ultimately come together in a comfortable, social environment. The winerys location makes it an
accessible venue for undergraduate students, recent graduates, and faculty members alike. The NC
Food Rodeo not only caters to wine and beer enthusiasts, but also to foodies, children, and those
that enjoy live music. Essentially, theres something for everyone. This event distinguishes itself
from other food truck events because it is run by a local business that supports the surrounding
community.

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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Objective 1: To have 10 food trucks promote the NC Food
Rodeo, and 2 sponsored event/theme nights a
year
Tactic 1 Tactic 2

To have food trucks that attend the NC
Food Rodeo put up a sign with Truckin
Good Time branding on their truck
promoting the NC Food Rodeo at other
events they attend.
To have the NC Food Rodeo sponsor
a Truckin Good Time event/theme
night at local bars, and give out branded
goods to promote awareness.

Awareness is the first step that leads to attendance and profits for the NC Food Rodeo and Grove
Winery. It was evident from primary research findings that many people simply do not know about
the client, and the food-truck event it hosts. For the subsequent steps of this campaign to be
achievable, generating increased awareness above the current standard is essential. One of the
strategies this campaign utilizes is cross-promotion at similar events like Elon Universitys Food
Truck Frenzy, Raleighs Food Truck Rodeo, etc. to gain more widespread awareness. Beyond
other food-truck events, its also recommended to get involved in themed nights at local bars for
example, trivia night at Fat Frogg Bar & Grill. At these events, branded paraphernalia can be given
out as rewards so that the NC Food Rodeo gains more recognition.

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Objective 2: To increase Facebook follower count by 700 by
the end of 2018

Tactic 1 Tactic 2

To create unique visual content centered To engage with customers as frequently

around the creative concept to post on and timely as necessary on all relevant
social media platforms. social media platforms.

A companys Facebook follower count is an easy, yet reliable way to quantify the extent of
consumer engagement. But beyond that, it is the most frequented place for millennials to gain
information regarding events. Therefore, efforts to reach this audience should involve various
online communications and promotions. Also noteworthy is this demographics responsiveness to
visual media. As such, creating visual content and videos would be effective to portray the
atmosphere and environment of Grove Winery & NC Food Rodeo. All the created content will be
posted onto the clients website and respective social media accounts along with the hashtag
#TruckinGoodTime. The themes of this content should center around the brand qualities that
differentiate the NC Food Rodeo family-friendly, social, comfortable, and entertaining among
others. Equally important to the quality of the content is the responsiveness of those representing
the NC Food Rodeo. Accordingly, follow-up on audience questions and comments solidifies the
relationship between consumer and company.

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Objective 3: To have an average of 5 Facebook posts shared
per month

Tactic 1

Improve current owned media (i.e. client website,

logo, Facebook, etc..) to showcase the Truckin
Good Time concept.

Simply having an online following does not guarantee a strong connection between the consumer
and company. However, posting unique content that your consumers can relate to assures that
connection. Once consumers feel positively engaged with a company, then theyre more likely to
attend events. So, to begin this process, the campaign recommends evaluating all current owned
media this includes redesigning the company website, adding a NC Food Rodeo tab, and
redefining the logo to resemble a food truck. Once an established brand image is created, then the
social media phase can begin. The visual content created from Objective 2 will provide plenty of
opportunities for online followers to begin engaging with Grove Winery.

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Objective 4: To increase attendance at NC Food Rodeo by
10% by the end of 2018

Tactic 1 Tactic 2

To encourage attendance at the NC Food To have local bands, acapella and music
Rodeo by distributing branded coupons groups perform at the NC Food Rodeo
with an amount designated by the client.

To increase the likelihood that newcomers will attend, we recommend continuing to distribute
coupons in a modest way for example, dropping them in campus mailboxes for faculty and
students. The value of the coupon can be anything, as this form of communication serves a larger
purpose: to be a physical reminder for the NC Food Rodeo itself. As revealed in primary research,
the older demographic responds more to physical communications so this is important to include.
Following this tactic, the client can increase attendance by hosting local bands, acapella groups,
and music groups to perform at the event. Acquaintances and friends of the performers are likely
to attend the NC Food Rodeo for support, which translates to increased awareness and attendance
for the event. Not to mention, those groups are most likely to create advertisements and promotions
for themselves that directly benefit the NC Food Rodeo.

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BUDGET

TIMELINE

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EVALUATION
Measuring the success of our campaign will rely heavily on social media outcomes. By utilizing an
SEO, we will be able to track the number of people who interact with our posts and page. This
will help us be to keep track of the number of individuals who become aware of the NC Food
Rodeo, as well as those who search for information about the Rodeo.

Along similar lines, an important output will be to see how many followers the Facebook and
Instagram have in the beginning and the end of the campaign. This will be a great gage on whether
our social media campaign has been successful or not in garnishing awareness of the event.

Another outcome to easily track would be the number of people that attend the Rodeo each month.
This will be especially important to track as the campaign starts and ends to calculate its
effectiveness.

The outcomes that can be measured would focus on the change in attitudes and awareness of the
NC Food Rodeo. After the campaign was completed we could talk to new students and locals to
see if we had gained more traction in the community. The hope is that more people would be
aware of the NC Food Rodeo and had attended an event because of the campaign strategies.

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