Executive Summary
This marketing report provides an overview of the strategies Rosa O’Brien can use to incorporate social media and mobile marketing into her successful small business, Rosa’s Pastries. The report focuses on the goals, strategies, and tactics that can help Rosa build brand awareness, expand her customer base, and drive business growth. By leveraging the power of digital marketing, Rosa can strengthen relationships with her business clients and individual consumers by positioning her brand as innovative and digitally competitive.
Company Overview
Rosa’s Pastries is a thriving small business founded by Rosa O’Brien that began as a church and school bakery business and grew into a distribution agreement with Serena, the owner of a local restaurant. Today, Rosa’s Pastries has expanded its presence to several restaurants in nearby cities and has built a successful catalog and online sales platform. The company relies on traditional marketing methods such as catalogs, websites, and direct mail. However, Rosa recognizes the potential of social media and digital marketing to grow her business further. With 18 full-time employees and a robust distribution plan, Rosa is ready to use new media strategies to increase brand awareness, customer acquisition, and sales.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Rosa’s Pastries has built a strong brand and reputation for delicious pastries made from family recipes passed down from generation to generation. It distinguishes Rosa’s Pastries from competitors and attracts regular customers (Fisher & Kordupleski, 2018). Rosa has also successfully established distribution channels through Serena’s restaurant and other local establishments, allowing her to reach a broad customer base and ensure stable sales. In addition, Rosa’s Pastries has successfully introduced catalog and Internet sales, which now account for 70% of total sales. It demonstrates the ability of a business to adapt to modern consumer preferences and reach a wider audience.
Weaknesses
Despite significant benefits, Rosa needs a deeper understanding of social media and mobile marketing and how they can benefit her business. That limits her ability to use these platforms to engage with her target market audience (Dwivedi et al., 2021). In addition, adapting traditional media for integration with social media and mobile marketing may require additional resources, including personnel and financial investments (Dwivedi et al., 2021). Rosa needs to evaluate her ability to allocate these resources efficiently.
Opportunities
The transition to online grocery shopping and e-commerce presents significant opportunities for Rosa’s Pastries. By strengthening its online presence and leveraging social media and mobile marketing, Rosa can tap into this growing market and reach a wider customer base (Dwivedi et al., 2021). Another opportunity could be partnerships with popular food influencers or local celebrities, providing a valuable opportunity to showcase Rosa’s baked goods to a broader audience. Influencer marketing can significantly raise brand awareness and attract new customers.
Threats
The bakery industry is highly competitive both locally and online. Rosa’s Pastries faces competition from other local bakeries and online pastry shops. To stay competitive, Rosa needs to differentiate her brand and constantly innovate (Kuncoro & Suriani, 2018). As the business grows, maintaining consistent quality and taste becomes a challenge. Rosa must ensure that as her production expands, the quality of her baked goods remains impeccable to meet customer expectations.
Customer Analysis
B2C Clients
Rosa’s Pastries’ B2C consumers span a wide range of age groups, from young people who enjoy sweet treats to older customers who appreciate traditional pastries. In addition, Rosa’s delicious baked goods appeal to both men and women, making the target audience relatively gender-neutral. While income levels may vary, B2C consumers with disposable income are more likely to prefer premium baked goods.
It is important to note that B2C consumers are active on social media such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. They rely on mobile devices to browse, shop online, and access social media. Visual content and recommendations from friends and influencers are essential in their buying decisions.
B2B Clients
Rosa B2B customers include restaurants and local establishments within a 15-20 mile radius. They are looking for high-quality baked goods to complement their menu and provide an exceptional dining experience for their customers. B2Bs mainly rely on traditional media channels such as directories and websites to find and evaluate potential suppliers. However, they are increasingly active on social media such as LinkedIn and Instagram to keep abreast of industry trends and build professional networks.
Understanding these customer segments’ characteristics and media habits allows Rosa to effectively tailor her marketing efforts and messages to reach and engage her target audience. Using social media and mobile marketing, Rosa can create personalized and targeted campaigns that resonate with both B2C and B2B consumers, driving brand awareness, customer loyalty, and business growth.
Promotional Plan
Advertising Purposes
The first advertising goal is to raise awareness of Rosa’s Pastries. Using social media and mobile marketing, the goal is to reach a wider audience and make Rosa’s Pastries a recognizable and trusted brand in the bakery industry. That will help to achieve the next goal: to stimulate online sales through targeted advertising campaigns.
The goal is to drive more customers to Rosa’s website and encourage them to shop online. Advertising efforts should focus on encouraging customer interaction and brand engagement. It can be achieved through interactive contests, sweepstakes, or user-generated content campaigns that build a sense of community and customer loyalty.
Interactive Advertising
One of the interactive ads Rosa can place on the social networking website is the “Create Your Dream Dessert” contest. Rosa should encourage contestants to share their entries on social media by tagging Rosa’s baked goods and using the contest hashtag. Rosa can then interact with members by liking, commenting, and sharing their creations, creating a sense of excitement and community. Participants can submit their work using a dedicated hashtag, tag Rosa’s Pastries’ social media account, or submit applications through a form on the website. The advertisement can be presented in the following way:
These interactive ads not only promote engagement with Rosa’s brand but also encourage members to explore and experiment with Rosa’s Pastries products. They create buzz on social media and generate user-generated content that showcases members’ creativity and enthusiasm while also increasing brand awareness and engaging potential customers.
Description of Rosa’s Pastries Mobile App
To improve customer experience and engagement, Rosa’s Pastries may develop a mobile app called “Rosa’s Treats To Go.” This app will give shoppers easy access to Rosa’s delicious baked goods, special offers, and hassle-free ordering. The app will include features such as menus and ordering, a loyalty program, push notifications, order tracking, recipes, and baking tips.
Customers can browse the Rosa menu, explore the different baked goods categories, and place orders directly through the app. They can customize their orders, choose pickup or delivery options, and make secure payments. A loyalty program will allow customers to earn points for every purchase. These points can be redeemed for discounts or exclusive offers to encourage repeat orders and increase customer loyalty.
Push notifications inform customers about new product releases, time-limited promotions, and special events. This feature will help increase engagement and encourage repeat purchases. In addition, customers can track the status of their orders in real-time, providing transparency and peace of mind. They will receive updates on their baked goods’ preparation, pickup, and delivery. The app could also have a section where Rosa shares her recipes, baking tips, and tricks. That positions Rosa as an expert in her field and creates added value for customers by encouraging them to try their hand at home baking.
Blog Topics
- Recipe Review: Rosa can write about her favorite recipes, provide step-by-step instructions, and share tips for perfect results. She may offer a different recipe each month, highlighting seasonal flavors or holiday treats.
- Behind the Scenes: Rosa can show her readers the baking process, talking about the craftsmanship and dedication it takes to create her delicious pastries. She can also share stories, anecdotes, and the history behind some of her most popular recipes.
- Baking Tips and Tricks: Rosa can write informative blog posts about various baking methods, substituting ingredients, and troubleshooting common baking problems. These posts will educate her readers and make her a source of baking advice.
Advertising Calendar by Month and Projected Budget
Rosa should consider reallocating some of her traditional advertising budgets to support social media and mobile marketing adoption. The cost-effectiveness of social media and mobile marketing, combined with targeted campaigns and personalized communications, can provide a significant return on investment. The projected one-year budget should consider marketing costs, including traditional and new media efforts, and any additional resources required for social media management and app development. While the specific budget figures will depend on the financial situation and business goals, it is important to allocate funds strategically to maximize the return on investment in each month’s marketing activities.
January
- Traditional Media: $300 for local newspapers and magazine advertisements focused on New Year’s resolutions and healthy indulgences.
- New Media: $500 for social media advertising campaigns to promote guilt-free treats and special discounts for the new year.
February
- Traditional Media: $200 for advertisements in Valentine’s Day gift guides and local event publications.
- New Media: $800 for social media campaigns, including a contest to engage customers and promote love-themed desserts.
March
- Traditional Media: $250 for advertisements in food and lifestyle magazines to coincide with the arrival of spring.
- New Media: $1,500 for collaborations with local food bloggers and influencers to showcase spring-themed pastries on social media.
April
- Traditional Media: $450 for featuring in regional food and travel magazines, targeting tourists and visitors during the spring season.
- New Media: $280 for social media campaigns focusing on Easter-themed treats and proposing exclusive promotions for e-commerce orders.
May
- Traditional Media: $100 for advertisements in local wedding and event planning publications to target customers for catering opportunities.
- New Media: $150 for social media content and campaigns focused on Mother’s Day, encouraging customers to treat their moms with Rosa’s Pastries.
June
- Traditional Media: $250 for advertisements in summer lifestyle magazines and local tourist guides.
- New Media: $500 for social media campaigns featuring summer desserts and offering exclusive promotions for online orders.
July
- Traditional Media: $250 for regional travel magazines and community newsletters advertisements.
- New Media: $500 for social media campaigns focusing on summer events and promotions, targeting local customers and tourists.
August
- Traditional Media: $250 for advertisements in back-to-school guides and publications targeting parents and students.
- New Media: $400 for social media campaigns promoting back-to-school treats and offering exclusive discounts for online orders.
September
- Traditional Media: $200 for local food and lifestyle magazine advertisements, focusing on the arrival of fall flavors and seasonal desserts.
- New Media: $300 for social media campaigns with fall-themed treats and engaging customers through interactive content.
October
- Traditional Media: $500 for advertisements in Halloween-themed publications and community newsletters.
- New Media: $350 for social media campaigns featuring Halloween-inspired treats and running contests to engage customers.
November
- Traditional Media: $500 for holiday-themed magazines and newspapers advertisements focusing on Thanksgiving desserts and catering options.
- New Media: $500 for social media campaigns offering Thanksgiving-themed treats and giving exclusive promotions for online orders.
December
- Traditional Media: $500 for holiday gift guides and local event publications.
- New Media: $800 for social media campaigns with festive content, exclusive holiday discounts, and giveaways to engage customers during the holiday season.
References
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and Research Propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59. Web.
Fisher, N. I., & Kordupleski, R. E. (2018). Good and bad market research: A critical review of net promoter score. Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry, 35(1), 138–151. Web.
Kuncoro, W., & Suriani, W. O. (2018). Achieving sustainable competitive advantage through product innovation and market driving. Asia Pacific Management Review, 23(3), 186–192. Web.