Public Relations Plan

John Faust Braydon GrafJoseph Meldrum

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Joseph Meldrum is a Communications major attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. He has worked with the campus to produce scripts for videos featured on the school website. He enjoys baking and watching movies. He is from Renton, Washington.

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Braydon Graf is a Communications major attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. He designs shirt prints and other paraphernalia and works with graphic design. He enjoys playing sports. Braydon currently lives in Vancouver, Washington.

John Faust is an Economics major attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. He is a small business owner and an economist. He is from Chicago, Illinois.

Joseph Meldrum

Braydon Graf

John Faust

Sustainable

Table of Contents

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Goals and ObjectivesKey MessagesResearch Summary Who is the customer What do they want How do they spendPlan Summary Why BundlesPublic Outreach Press Release Internship Social Media Blogs AdvertisementBudgetHouse Keeping

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Goals and Objectives

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• Increase the attendance of the Rexburg Farmer’s Market to 500 visitors a week by the end of 2015 season.

• Implement the bundle program at the start of the 2015 season.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

SThe Rexburg Farmer’s Market offers a unique service to the community. The market provides fresh produce grown locally at a convenient

location. It is viewed as a singular event occurring weekly that provides both entertainment and quality products. Vendors are always found in attendance each week and people flock to it with the intent to buy.

W The prices at the market are higher than those found in the local grocery stores. The market itself is only in operation once a week

and can only make so much money in one evening. Also, the Market has a very small marketing and advertising budget.

O Being a local farmer’s market in a college town provides an opportunity to reach out to a diverse group of people. Every few

months guarantees more people will be brought in.

T Local grocery stores such as Broulim’s and Albertsons creates a competitive alternative to the Rexburg Farmer’s Market. Many local

residents live below the poverty line and will see spending extra for fresh food as a luxury.

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Key Messages

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Fresh• We know it, but does the customer?

-We have to let the customer know through public outreach.• Your food speaks for itself, we don’t want to do a thing to it.

Convenient• We can change the problem of convenience.

-Pre-made bundles with everything you need for a dish.-Customers can grab a bundle, pay, and be off to soccer practice.

Sustainable• We want to brand the environmentally friendly nature of your food.

-To highlight this, we will be using printed bags.• We want you guys to be here and growing in the future.

-Our ideas are budget positive in long run and cheap until then.

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The first thing to do when tackling a challenge in any business is to know your customers. We conducted a survey of 50 shoppers across two days at different times. The complete results of the survey are provided on the included flashdrive. The survey gives insight into the average shopper in Rexburg as well as demographics information, spending habits, and cooking behavior.

96% of shoppers are between 19-25

74% are femaleThe vast majority make less than $10,000 a year

55% cook meals from scratch 1-4 times a week

29% cook from scratch 5-8 times a week

The average customer who will make the food decisions in a household is a local, female, 19-25, with very little disposable income, who cooks from scratch 1-4 times a week, sometimes as high as 5-8. She typically will spend $1-$10 for a meal which jumps to $11-$20 for a date, sometimes as high as $30.

Research - summary

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Research - Who is the Customer

2010 census-

According to the 2010 US census, there were 25,484 people, 7,179 households, and 4,925 families residing in the city. There were 7,179 households of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.4% were non-families. 9.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.17.

The median age in the city was 22.3 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 49.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.9% were from 25 to 44; 7% were from 45 to 64; and 3.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

our Survey said-

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Research - What do they want

People were given the ability to pick from many different potential finished products and asked what they would make themselves. 68% want berry smoothies 66% want to make healthy meals 64% want desserts 56% want soup and/or salad 48% want a “date in a bag”

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What do they spend typically? Census- Survey-The median income for a household in the city was $26,965, and the median income for a family was $36,047. Males had a median income of $27,280 versus $17,592 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,173. About 13.2% of families and 44.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

What affects spending habits?

Research - How do they spend

Call it a date!

People were willing to spend 100%-200% more if you called it a date.

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Plan - Summary The farmer’s market has a convenience problem. If a customer wants a salad, they have to visit multiple vendors to get everything they need. Moms are the chief buyer of groceries and tend to be the ones who make dinner. There will be days where they come and sample jerky and grab a burger, but some days moms are busy. Surely there can be a better way for the Farmer’s Market to meet their needs as well.

The Bundle program is a one stop shop grab and go way to allow for more people to be fed with your fresh, delicious, food when customers cant go to each vendor and pick out what they want. This leads to more overall sales and customer satisfaction.

I have no doubt of your salesmanship, which is why we aren’t changing the system you have right now, this addition is going to make sure the Farmer’s Market

remains a staple of Rexburg for a long time.

How:1. Pick a recipe from what is in season

2. Price the bundle $5 side/dessert $10 for dinner.

3. Shoot a video and make recipe card

4. Promote the bundle on social media

5. Keep track of how many sold and distribute revenue accordingly

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Plan - Why Bundles

Rexburg Farmer’s Market

Benefits to the Farmer’s Market as a whole• Provides a stream of revenue to the market as an organization.

• Increased revenue for traditional advertising and marketing.

• Promotes cooperation between the vendors.

• As more people purchase bundles, the more customers show up each week.

Benefits to the customers• Customers can buy their bundle and be on their way.

• Customers can spend more time socializing and less time in line.

• Customers are presented with ready made ideas, less pressure.

• Customers bond with the vendors through the recipes, videos and social media.

Benefits to vendors• Vendors can sell more of the stuff they have excess.

• Vendors can have a more steady income.

• Vendors can utilize their vast knowledge of their products to create new recipes and bundle ideas.

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Public Outreach In an effort to get the word out to the public, there are many ways that the Rexburg Farmers Market can publicize and update local residents.

These include:• Advertisement• Press Release• Social Media• Blogs

Keeping the public informed about what is going on and what there is to do at the Farmers Market will give everyone a good outlook of the market and will erg them to attend the events and market every week.

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Press Release

246 Main Street, E / Rexburg, ID 83440

NEWS RELEASE

Contact Braydon Graf

Telephone (208) 555-7341 Email rexburgfarmersmarket@gmail.com

Website www.rexburgfarmersmarket.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2014

REXBURG FARMERS MARKET CREATES NEW METHOD OF SALE Ready-to-Make Food Bundles Will Be Sold to the Public

REXBURG, Idaho – New ways for buying food at the Rexburg Farmers Market will make it easier for students

and families to make their meals.

Fruits and vegetables will now be sold as a bundle package alongside the produce that you can buy

individually. The bundle program will help everyone who purchases one, efficiently use the produce the market

has to offer.

“The bundles of produce will also come with recipes that can be used for that specific bundle,” said

Joseph Meldrum. There will be various types of bundles and recipes for everyone to make in their own home.

The bundles will also come in different sizes to accommodate a large family to small number of people.

Prices will also differ to the different sizes.

If you would like more information, please contact Braydon Graf at (208) 555-7341 or email at

rexburgfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

The Rexburg Farmers Market was established in 2009 to promote local farmers. The weekly market is a

collection of local venders who sell original hand made products. Fresh. Convenient. Sustainable.

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Monday• Facebook: highlight story about

one of the vendors.Tuesday

• Twitter: Re-tweets of favorite comments and posts.

Wednesday• Facebook and Twitter: What to

expect at this weeks market. Events, special vendors and products, etc.

Thursday• Reminder to come to the Farmer’s

Market and promote the bundle program on all social media outlets.

Friday• Live updates during the Farmer’s

Market on all social media outlets.• Instagram: Photos of visitors and

merchandise available.• Twitter: Tweets of what is available• Facebook: Post of the weather and

what there is to purchase.

Weekly Schedule

Internship

As most of the work for the Farmer’s Market is all voluntary, it would be advised if the Market has some extra help. Hiring a free intern from local BYU-I Communications department can effectively promote the Farmer’s Market for you. Utilizing them by giving them set schedules.

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Social Media Regularly posting on various social media outlets will increase the publicity and outlook to the public.

Facebook

There are currently on average 25-35 likes on every post that the Farmer’s Market already puts out. Regularly posting will increase the amount of traffic you receive.

Instagram

Posting pictures every week at the Friday market will promote to the local residents on Instagram. What is available? Who all is there?

Twitter

Sending out tweets during the week and while at the market will also help spread the word that the Rexburg Farmer’s Market is the place to be.

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Blogs

Blogs are a great way to reach local mothers and families in Rexburg. Creating a blog for the Rexburg Farmers Market will attract in more families to the market.

The blog should include fun and memorable experiences and be open for residents to post their own memories and testimonials.

Collaborating with other local blogs will also help get the word out about the farmers market.

Blogs such as Rexburg Moms have over 700 moms that view and read the posts every week that they are published.

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AdvertisementCanvas Bags Low cost canvas bags with the logo of the Farmer’s Market will visually remind people.

Rexburg Farmer’s Market Rexburg Farmer’s Market

Logo Options

*Single color is less expensive.

www.discountmugs.com

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Budget- Build your budget

Bags- $163.00 for 100 logo printed bags If sold at - $3.00 $4.00 x 100 bags x 100 bags $300.00 $400.00 -$163.00 -$163.00 $ 137.00 Profit $237.00 Profit

Bundles-• We can scale as high as you want. As you

make more bundles, they get cheaper. • If you are strategic with your recipes, you can

sell of the produce you have a lot of. Ex. Zucchini Bread

Example Bundle 1/2 lbs of Strawberries= $1.00 (Retail) 1/2 lbs of Cherries= $1.50 (Retail) Bundle Could be sold w/ bag for $5 and makes 4 smoothies You profit a dollar plus the profit margin on the berries.

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House Keeping With every event there is always room for improvement.

The arrangement of the farmers market could be better utilized for more efficient costumer satisfaction.

• The entrances and exits of the market are hard to find when visiting, the vendors are all enclosed in a circle trapping everyone in. If both ends of the market were open, the market would have better flow.

• Including two to three garbage bins for visitors.

• Locating the vendors in set positions and not randomly spread out. Grouping like vendors together.