COMMUNICATIONS PLAN October 26, 2016 Marcus Tuttle
Table of Contents SITUATION ANALYSIS... 1 RESEARCH... 2 TARGET AUDIENCES... 3 GOALS... 4 OBJECTIVES... 4 STRATEGIES & TACTICS... 5 KEY MESSAGES... 7 EVALUATION... 7
INTRODUCTION Second Cup has noticed that there is a lot of potential for their social media platforms. This Communications Plan will outline detailed strategies for how to develop more original, engaging content and, ultimately, build Second Cup s audiences on Facebook and Twitter. Strengths High demand for coffee and tea. Established brand presence. SITUATION ANALYSIS Canada s largest specialty coffee retailer. Commitment to ethical products and initiatives. Expanding internationally; over 30 regions across the world have Second Cup franchises. Specialty coffees are becoming more popular. 1 Weaknesses Fewer locations than competitors (Tim Hortons, Starbucks, McDonalds). o Less convenient. o Does not reach rural and suburban coffee drinkers as much. Sustainability because of competitors. Coffee drinkers tend to be loyal to their usual café or restaurant 2. Opportunities Opportunity to be the premier Canadian luxury coffee brand option. Room for growth on social media (followers + content). Smaller infrastructure means that Second Cup could appear to be less elite than large, Threats corporate competitors (Tim Hortons, Starbucks, McDonalds). Resources and prominence of market competitors (Tim Hortons, Starbucks, McDonalds). 1 Source: Coffee Association of Canada s 2015 CAC Coffee Trends Report 2 Source: Ipos Reid Research: Canadians Take Their Coffee Seriously (November 2010) Second Cup Communications Plan 1
o These competitors are also more iconic and therefore have more cultural importance (e.g. Tim Hortons considered a part of the Canadian experience). Growing popularity of locally-owned coffee shops. Negative PR surrounding company due to store closures, loss of profits 3. RESEARCH Canadians love their coffee. Recent studies by CBC (2016), the Coffee Association of Canada (2015) and Ipsos Reid (2010) state that coffee is the drink of choice for adult Canadians over the age of 16, even over tap water 4. Canadians drink approximately three cups of coffee daily. What we know: Canadians drink more coffee than most people in the world, ranking No. 1 in the litres of coffee consumed per capita in a study of 80 countries in 2016. 70% of coffee consumption happens at home. Coffee consumption is at its peak during the morning. Demand for specialty coffee products is growing. Outside of home and work, coffee drinking tends to be a social activity that happens in cafes and restaurants. There is approximately one Tim Hortons locations for every 9,000 Canadians. 3 Source: The Globe & Mail: Crushed: Why Second Cup is in the fight for its life (August 2016) 4 Sources: CBC Why Canadians drink more coffee than most people in the world (Sept. 2016) Source: Coffee Association of Canada s 2015 CAC Coffee Trends Report Source: Ipos Reid Research: Canadians Take Their Coffee Seriously (November 2010) Source: The Globe & Mail: Crushed: Why Second Cup is in the fight for its life (August 2016) Second Cup Communications Plan 2
Millennials are more interested in ethically sourced coffee products. Consumers between the ages 65-79 are more likely to consume traditional coffee. Flavour, convenience & brand loyalty are the top three factors affecting coffee choice. What we need to know: There is plenty of research available about coffee consumer trends. However, in order to develop a successful social media communications plan, Second Cup needs to conduct primary research about its demographic, which includes: Who is Second Cup s primary demographics? Are they on social media? What social media platforms do Second Cup consumers use? When do Second Cup consumers use social media (time and day of week)? How do Second Cup consumers define what it means to be authentic and relevant? How we can get the information we require: Distribute a web survey about consumer social media habits and include a Second Cup gift card as a reward for participation. Target Audiences There are a variety of publics, demographics and psychographics that need to be considered to use Second Cup s social media more effectively. Key Demographics Millennials (age 18-34) Urban residents Post-secondary educated People leisure time and disposable income Key Psychographics Coffee connoisseurs Second Cup Communications Plan 3
Socially conscious o People that value products that are ethically sourced and/or certified: Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Organic Certification, Swiss Water Decaffeination Process, Ethical Tea Partnership. Coffee is a shared experience, not a convenience Innovative types: artists, entrepreneurs, explorers. Relevant Publics: Customers Franchise owners Employees (baristas, management, coffee farmers and roasters) Media Goals The goals, objectives, strategies and tactics outlined in this plan are built on Second Cup s core values of superior quality, optimism, collaboration, creativity and community. Increase brand engagement online Increase brand loyalty Improve Second Cup's reputation Objectives 1. Increase Facebook likes by 25,000 over the course of four months. 2. Increase Twitter followers by 5,000 over the course of four months. Second Cup Communications Plan 4
Strategies & Tactics 1. Position Second Cup as an essential part of the Canadian cultural experience. 2. Demonstrate how drinking Second Cup coffee is a responsible way to help the environment and other people. 3. Show how Second Cup empowers its customers and staff. 4. Show Canadians that Second Cup brews the most flavourful coffee in the country. Goal: Increase brand engagement online Objectives: Increase Facebook likes by 25,000. Strategy # 1: Position Second Cup as an essential part of the Canadian cultural experience. Tactics: Partner with a few popular Canadian musicians (e.g. Serena Ryder, Classified, The Arkells, Marianas Trench) to facilitate one pop-up concert every month over the course of four months at different Second Cup locations across Southern Ontario. Portions of concerts will be streamed on Facebook Live, which will make use of the musician s fan bases and prominence to attract new audiences to Second Cup s Facebook page. Upcoming concert performances will be unlocked at like thresholds (e.g. New concerts will only be announced after every 5,000 new Facebook likes.) Concert-goers will be asked post about the concerts using the hashtag #SCPopUp Concerts will also generate foot traffic into Second Cup locations. Goal: Improve Second Cup s reputation Objective: Increase Facebook likes by 25,000 over four months. Strategy # 2: Demonstrate how drinking Second Cup coffee is a responsible way to help the environment and other people. Tactics: Develop a series of brief, engaging videos that highlights the journey of coffee beans and tea leaves from harvesting to roasting and brewing. Videos will be published once every two weeks and will be no longer than a minute and thirty seconds in length. Second Cup Communications Plan 5
Each video will highlight a different aspect of Second Cup s commitment to social and environmental sustainability by highlighting the practical aspects that go into maintaining their various certifications: o Fairly Traded, Organic Certification, Swiss Water Decaffeination Process, Rainforest Alliance Certification, Ethical Tea Partnership. Videos will also highlight the social and environmental concerns that Second Cup s processes help address. This way, the videos also function as an advocacy tool that can be shared by people interested in social justice issues surrounding coffee and tea. Goal: Increase brand loyalty Objective: Increase Twitter followers by 5,000 over four months. Strategy # 3: Show how Second Cup empowers its customers and staff. Tactics: Secure positive print and broadcast coverage over four months that includes 12 print stories, 6 TV/Radio spots profiling Second Cup s First Annual Latte Art Olympics. For the first 2.5 months, baristas will tweet pictures of their most innovative latte art. Customers will vote for the best latte art at each Second Cup location by retweeting their favourite design. The baristas with the most retweets in their province moves on to the national Latte Arts Olympics event in Toronto, which will happen in the middle of the third month. The winning barista will earn $2,500 towards their education or a trip and will be featured in a segment on Breakfast Television. o This contest will help position Second Cup as a space for creativity, innovation and quality. o The local, provincial and national nature of this contest should ensure that a variety of media outlets from across the country all cover this story in some way, (i.e. highlighting their local barista designer and other local latte art). Second Cup Communications Plan 6
Goal: Increase brand engagement online Objective: Increase Twitter followers by 5,000. Strategy # 4: Show Canadians that Second Cup brews the most flavourful coffee in the country. Tactics: Hold a photo contest over one month that encourages consumers to share photos of their handcrafted Second Cup beverages using the hashtag #SecondToNone. Users will vote for the best photo in the contest by retweeting the photo. The photo with the most overall retweets will receive a DSLR camera and a trip for two to Vancouver. The 10 most popular photos will be framed and displayed in Second Cup locations across the country. Key Messages 1. Second Cup is Canada s largest specialty coffee retailer, curating the best aspects of the Canadian experience. 2. Second Cup is Canada s most responsible coffee and tea brewer. We craft over a million fair trade, organic, Swiss water decaffeinated, Rainforest Alliance certified and Ethical Tea Partnership products every week. 3. Our experience is second to none. People come from across Canada to Second Cup locations for inspiration, a cozy gathering place and a friendly atmosphere. Evaluation This communications plan takes place over four months. To evaluate our success, we will: Set goals and timeline projections at the beginning of the campaign for a desire amount of official hashtag uses, impressions, post reach and participation in contests. Monitor progress on these goals bi-weekly and revise content as needed to help reach targets. o Consider paying for additional sponsored posts if meeting goals still seems unattainable. Second Cup Communications Plan 7
Track attendance at pop-up concert event. Assess whether the events have led to an overall increase in foot traffic at Second Cup locations across the province. Track video views, likes, comments and shares. Compare with previously produced video content for Second Cup to assess effectiveness. Track if new demographics are engaging with our content as a result of new contests and live events. We will also be able to know whether we were successful if we met our goals for positive media coverage (12 print stories, 6 TV/radio spots). Finally, the communications team will meet bi-weekly to ensure that all aspects of this plan are on track, communicate any difficulties and ensure the project s overall success. Second Cup Communications Plan 8