Beards + Brews Magazine Proposal

Beards + Brewsmagazine proposal

Submitted to: Kenton LarsenPublic Relations Director at Red River College160 Princess StreetWinnipeg, MB R3B 1K9

Submitted by: Natalie ArditaEditor at Beards + Brews magazine160 Princess StreetWinnipeg, MB R3B 1K9

March 19, 2015

Summary

i

Beards + Brews features practical articles for men, with an emphasis on facial hair and beer. The magazine covers fundamentals all men want to know, like the science behind beer and what women want.

Beards + Brews’ main audience is men between 30-35 years old, our secondary target is men between 25-30 years old, and out tertiary target is women between 25-35 years-old.

The magazine is written, edited, and published by Creative Communications students, with hands-on help from industry professionals.

We will launch our magazine at Red River College’s annual Magazine Trade Fair on April 2, 2015, alongside several other student-made magazines. The launch typically brings in many visitors, including media coverage.

To entice potential readers and subscribers to our magazine launch, we are using traditional PR tactics, like advertising and guerrilla marketing, and modern PR tactics, like social media contests. Our booth will feature food, drink, prizes, and magazine give aways to put our booth at the forefront of the launch. The project is self-funded, and most of our budget is dedicated to prizes, giveaways and food.

To ensure a successful magazine launch, we’ve analyzed our team, our targets, our strategies, our budget, and developed an evaluation guide to help us achieve all six of our purpose statements.

Table of Contents

Summaryi

1.

2.

3.

6.

Purpose Statement

Situation Analysis

Target Audience & Desired Outcomes

Strategy & Rationale

9. Preliminary Budget

10. Evaluation

11. Appendix i) Launch Posterii) First Edition Cover

1.

Purpose Statement

1. Put the brand at the forefront of our target publics’ minds and create brand interest.

2. Get people talking about our magazine and encourage our target publics to buy it when it comes out.

3. Include a way to build a database of people who are interested in my magazine and plan to convert them into readers and buyers later.

4. Harness new and traditional media, PR and publicity to reach potential readers.

5. Get people talking about the magazine by giving them a stated or implied invitation to participate online and at the Trade Fair.

6. Be fun!

We developed six purpose statements to optiminize the success of Beards + Brews before, during, and after the launch.

2.

Situation Analysis

To ensure an effective magazine launch, Beards + Brews will capitalize on our strengths to mitigate our weaknesses.

Strengths

Although the magazine’s theme is facial hair and beer, our magazine covers a broad range of topics alongside eye-catching photography to appeal to males and females. With hands-on help from industry professionals, and hype surrounding our Twitter and Instagram accounts, the Beards + Brews magazine launch has huge potential for success.

Weaknesses

Beards + Brews is written, edited, and published by intermediate level students. As a student-made magazine, Beards + Brews does not have a large budget or prominent standing compared to some competitors. With roughly 15 other magazine booths participating at the launch, we risk competing with other men’s lifestyle magazines. To establish steady readership and popularity, the Beards + Brews booth must stand out at the Trade Fair.

Opportunities

The Trade Fair will take place on April 2, 2015, at Red River College Exchange District Campus. Roughly 2,000 students attend the Exchange District Campus, which makes up a large portion of our secondary target. The majority of our primary target work within walking distance of the Exchange District Campus, which makes the launch accessible to them. We will use our Twitter and Instagram accounts to promote our booth at the Trade Fair, and to invite our followers to the magazine launch.

Threats

With roughly 15 other magazine booths at the Creative Communications Magazine Fair, Beards + Brews has lots of competition. The college will be bustling with noise and will be very crowded, which may turn some potential readers off. We also risk low attendance due bad weather, since the launch takes place in Winnipeg.

3.

Target Publics & Desired Outcomes

Primary Target: Bearded BeautiesOur primary target is Canadian men between 30 and 35. They are well-established in their careers, and work and live downtown. These guys are respected by their families and peers, and are born leaders. They believe in the power of independence, and work hard to attain their financial status. They’re up to date on styles and trends, but aren’t very active on social media. On weekends they like to kick back and watch the game, or grab a few beers and find some babes.

Outcomes

The aim for our primary target is to take them from latency to awareness about our magazine and its launch. Since most Bearded Beauties work within walking distance of our magazine launch, we will invite them to come and visit. The event is a great excuse for them to get out of the office and invest their time in a magazine tailored to their interests.

Name: AlexAge: 30Lives in: WinnipegOccupation: Marketing Manager

Alex recently moved to Winnipeg from Vancouver for a new job. He’s an outgoing guy who’s always on the go. When he’s not at work, he’s walking his dog or meeting up with friends.

3. 4.


Secondary Target: Brew BoysBrew Boys are Canadian men between 25 and 30. Some are finishing their degrees, while others are just entering the workplace. Most Brew Boys live at home or rent bachelor pads in low-income areas. They are active on social media and follow local bars, restaurants, breweries, and salons on Twitter and Instagram. These guys know where the hottest local events are, and believe in having a good time. Weekends are their time to let loose, drink beer, and chill out.

Outcomes

Our secondary target is aware of our magazine and its launch. Our goal for the Brew Boys is to turn their awareness into action and engagement. Many of them go to school where our launch is taking place and will likely be at the event. Like the Bearded Beauties, our booth will entice Brew Boys as it relates to their lifestyle.

Name: MarlonAge: 25Lives in: WinnipegOccupation: Student

Marlon is your typical guy’s guy. When he’s not busy with schoolwork, he’s at the gym or with the boys. He’s really into craft beers, and recently started brewing his own.

5.


Tertiary Targey: BellasBellas are modern Canadian women between 25 and 35 who date Bearded Beauties and Brew Boys. Like their counterparts, these girls are stylish, trendy and know what’s hot and what’s not, especially in their city. They’re all over social media, and post daily updates on Twitter and Instagram. Some Bellas are Instafamous, and have thousands of followers and likes on their accounts and posts.

After school or work, Bellas go to yoga classes or hang out with friends. On weekends, they check out new clubs and restaurants, and take pictures to post on social media. Wherever Bellas go, an entourage of Bearded Beauties and Brew Boys follow.

OutcomesAlthough our magazine doesn’t cater to our tertiary target in an obvious way, Bellas are a vital asset for our magazine’s launch. We aim to grab their attention in a positive way, and get them excited to visit our booth, which will be surrounded by Bearded Beauties and Brew Boys. If the Bellas think Beards + Brews is cool, then hopefully the Bearded Beauties and Brew Boys will be enticed to subscribe.

Name: CarinaAge: 27Lives in: WinnipegOccupation: Esthetician

Carina’s in a serious relationship and calls the shots. She describes herself as her man’s, “personal stylist and esthetician.” Her guilty pleasure is reading Cosmopolitan and GQ.

5. 6.


Launch Strategy & RationaleBased on our primary, secondary, and tertiary target’s interests, lifestyle, and hobbies, we have devised a foolproof plan for a successful magazine launch. We are using new and traditional methods of advertising and PR to attract our targets, and interactive campaigns to hold and maintain their interest. Our booth will be fun and lively, with plenty of food, drink and prizes available to entice potential readers and buyers.

Action - “Who let the Bros Out?”The focus of our launch embodies the essence of Beards + Brews, which is all about facial hair and beer. Our theme is cool and masculine, and we will incorporate either beer or facial hair in all of our tactics. We will invite our primary and secondary target to participate in contests via social media, including promotional quizzes and trivia, such as who can grow the longest beard and brew-knowledge tests. We will also create hype surrounding our launch using guerrilla marketing tactics, such as, launch invitations on beard combs, bottle openers, and coasters.

When

Where

Our campaign strategies will start during the first week of March, in anticipation of Red River College’s annual Magazine Trade Fair. The launch is our big day to hand out prizes and incentives to our primary, secondary and tertiary target to entice them to subscribe. After the launch, we will follow-up with our booth’s visitors for feedback and to solidify a good standing with our publics.

Our campaign strategies will mainly focus on ‘letting the bros out’ of Winnipeg’s Exchange District - specifically on our primary and secondary target who work or go to school in downtown Winnipeg.

7.


Communication Before the Event- “Where are the Bros?”First, we will reach our secondary target through social media to establish hype and an online fan base. To entice them to follow our Instagram and Twitter accounts, we will create contests, like who can grow the longest beard, brew quizzes, and promotion incentives, like their picture in our magazine and prizes.

Once we’ve established hype and an online fan base surrounding the magazine, we will reach our primary and secondary target with promotional events, like half-off wing nights at restaurants and lounges, and free beard trims at salons and barbershops.

To create brand intrigue and launch awareness, we will use guerrilla marketing tactics, like strategically placing our launch invitations on beard combs, bottle openers, and coasters at participating restaurants, lounges, salons and barbershops. We will encourage our primary and secondary targets to follow our magazine’s Twitter and Instagram accounts, and offer them limited-time offers like one-year free magazine subscriptions, gift certificates, and VIP cards with participating businesses.

Communication During the Event- “Bros at the Booth”We will announce contest winners at the trade show to guarantee a high turnout at our booth. We will also hand out contest ballots to everyone who visits our booth to help us build a record of potential readers and buyers.

The three creators of Beards + Brews will work at the trade fair to capture booth traffic. Two of the three creators will stay at the booth to hand out mini red plastic cups of root beer, mini beer pretzels, and beer and cheddar soup shots. One of the three creators will walk the floor to pass out contest ballots, and recruit people from the crowd to our booth.

Communication After the Event- “Bros & Beards + Brews” We will continue to use social media to interact with our audience through contests and incentives, and post tonnes of pictures from the magazine launch to our Twitter and Instagram accounts. We will also personally contact everyone who filled out a contest ballot at our booth to see if they would like to subscribe to Beards + Brews.

8.


RationaleWe devised our campaign strategy to engage and connect with potential readers and subscribers. We are using new methods of advertising through social media to reach our secondary target, and traditional methods of advertising by promoting our magazine at restaurants, lounges, salons, and barbershops to reach our primary target.

Our interactive social media platform and entertaining theme and booth will create excitement surrounding our magazine and its launch. Featuring awesome guerrilla tactics that potential readers actually use, will get people talking about our magazine and entice our targets to come to the launch. Beards + Brews will announce contest winners at the magazine launch to secure a high turnout, and giving away food, drinks, and prizes at our booth to help capture traffic.

9.

Preliminary Budget

The majority of our budget is dedicated to communication before the launch. Our guerrilla marketing tactics, which include the cost of personalized coasters, combs, and bottle openers, account for over half of our total budget. The rest of our budget is dedicated to communication during the event. Our booth will feature food and drink, prizes, and magazines for visitors to take home. The chart below details our expenses.

Expenses Budget500 personalized coasters $500500 personalized combs $380250 personalized bottle openers $50025 2L of root beer $50100 pretzel bites $3017L of beer and cheddar soup $75Plates, cups, bowls, and napkins $50Signage and additional printing costs $100Prize $200100 magazines $300Total: $2,185

10.

Evaluation

The chart below works as a checklist to ensure we meet our purpose statements.

Put the brand at the forefront of our target publics’ minds and create brand interest.

Purpose Statement Checklist

• Advertise at 10 establishments that our primary and secondary target frequent

• Use guerrilla marketing tactics that our primary and secondary target will enjoy

Get people talking about our magazine and encourage our target publics to buy it when it comes out.

• Create fun incentives and prizes on our social media accounts and at the magazine launch

• Contact potential readers and buyers, who filled out contest ballot slips, after the magazine launch

Include a way to build a database of people who are interested in my magazine and plan to convert them into readers and buyers later.

• Compile a database from social media accounts and contest ballot slips

Harness new and traditional media, PR and publicity to reach potential readers.

• Use posters and guerrilla marketing tactics to harness traditional media, PR and publicity

• Use social media to harness new media, PR and publicity

Get people talking about the magazine by giving them a stated or implied invitation to participate online and at the Trade Fair.

• Announce social media contest winners at the Trade Fair

• Advertise the Trade Fair date and time on the guerrilla marketing tactics (coasters, combs, and bottle openers)

Be fun! • Create an appealing booth• Distribute cool prizes and use

innovative guerrilla marketing tactics• Be approachable and fun on social

media and at the launch • Hand out mini-pretzels, root beer,

and soup at the launch

Evaluation

The chart below works as a rubric to evaluate the success of our booth before, during, and after the Trade Fair. It is divided into three sections: successful, ordinary, and unsuccessful. A grade above 24 means our launch was successful, a grade between 16-24 means our launch was ordinary, and a grade below 16 means our launch was unsuccessful .

11.

Objective Successful 2/2 Ordinary 1/2 Unsuccessful 0/2Audience ExposureTwitter <300 followers 150 followers >150 followersInstagram <300 followers 150 followers >150 followersPlacement Advertise at <10 establishments Advertise at 8 establishments Advertise at >8 establishmentsProminence Advertise at <10 prominent establishments Advertise at 8 prominent establishments Advertise at >8 prominent establishments Competitor Comparison <50 more social media followers Equal amount of social media followers Less social media followersAudience AwarenessHashtag use <50 hashtags 25 hashtags >25 hashtagsRetweets <50 Retweets 25 Retweets >25 RetweetsAverage Instagram Likes <50 likes 25 likes >25 likesContestants <50 contestants 25 contestants >25 contestantsAudience ActionAttendance <200 attendees 100 attendees >100 attendeesSubscriptions <100 subscriptions 50 subscriptions >50 subscriptionsBooth visitors <200 booth visitors 100 booth visitors >100 booth visitorsNew followers <100 new followers 50 new followers >50 new followersShares and Retweets <100 shares and Retweets 50 shares and Retweets >50 shares and RetweetsAverage Instagram Likes <50 likes 25 likes >25 likes

Total /30 /30 /30

Natalie ArditaEditor at Beards + Brews magazine160 Princess StreetWinnipeg, MB R3B 1K9

March 19, 2015

Kenton LarsenPublic Relations Director at Red River College160 Princess StreetWinnipeg, MB R3B 1K9

Dear Mr. Larsen,

The following proposal is a launch plan for Beard + Brews magazine.

The proposal acts as a plan to ensure our magazine’s success. Detailed inside is:

• an analysis of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats;• a target publics summary detailing our primary, secondary, and tertiary targets;• a marketing timeline of tactics we will use before, during, and after the launch;• a detailed budget; and• a check-list and evaluation rubric.

We have taken the time to thoroughly examine our magazine’s targets, tactics, budget and evaluation, to create a fun atmosphere for our readers and subscribers. Our proposal, just like our magazine, is fun and cool, and that theme will serve as our mantra for the entire duration of the Beards + Brews launch campaign.

Thank you for taking the time to review my proposal. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please call me at 204-632-3960, or email me at [email protected]. I will contact you by Monday to set up a time and date to go over the details of the proposal.

Sincerely,

Natalie Ardita

Encl/ 13 pages

12.

Appendix

i)Our Beards + Brews magazine launch poster came in third place among a panel of Graphic Design students at Red River College.

Launch Poster

Appendix

ii) First Edition CoverA sample of the Beards + Brews first edition cover

13.

Documents

Beards + Brews Magazine Proposal