Sunshine Café requires a comprehensive public relations (PR) plan to create brand awareness to the prospective customers and increase the number of walk-in businesses at the local stores within college towns. An effectively drafted PR strategy is critical in making targeted communication to the right audience and stimulating interest in a company’s products and services (Alhadid and Qaddomi 311). This PR program will integrate the eight-point planning components, including situation, objectives, strategy, audience, and tactics. Additionally, calendar/timetable, budget, and evaluation will be used to develop the scheme.
Situation
The current status of Sunshine Café is that they intend to create brand awareness and increase the number of walk-in businesses in the stores located within college towns.
Objectives
The PR firm will set promotional tables at various strategic spots within the campuses where free samples of coffee and snacks will be offered twice a week. To increase the walk-in business, special events will be organized once every month in which surveys will be conducted to determine how well the strategy works.
Audience
College students are the primary audience, while the employees of the institution, local people, and students from the nearby high schools are the secondary target. The latter will sustain the business when the colleges close for breaks.
Strategy
The ultimate plan is to make sure the café has a fun atmosphere, suitable for the targeted clientele. Campus-wide ads, flyers, and social media will be used to create brand awareness. However, the latter will be the primary promotional tool due to its popularity with the targeted customers.
Tactics
The firm will use Twitter and Facebook to create trending topics, increase the Sunshine Café followers, and post regular offers on the platforms, which are highly popular among college students. Targeted emails will be sent to students who grant consent, while flyers will be affixed on strategic bulletin boards and the entrances of key buildings.
Calendar/Timetable
At the commencement of every semester, the college’s academic calendar will be obtained to ascertain the midterm breaks and other important events to ensure our strategy is launched at appropriate times.
Budget
Since no monetary allocation has been provided, the plan will leverage and utilize social media campaigns. However, the available resources will be used in paying the personnel operating the tables and the production of flyers.
Evaluation
The evaluation will determine whether the revenue and walk-in businesses have increased to establish whether the plan was successful.
Reference
Alhadid, Anas. Y., and Batool Ahmmad Qaddoni. “The role of public relations on company image: Social media as a moderating variable: A case study at the Applied Science Private University at Jordan.” International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 3, no. 4, 2016, pp. 310-317.