Executive Summary

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Table of Contents3 Agency Identity & Strategy 4 History of Annie’s Homegrown, Inc.5 Environmental Analysis6 Competitor Analysis7 SWOT Analysis8 Objectives & Budget9 Research10 Brand Value Proposition 11 Target Market12 Campaign Strategy13 Big Idea14 Creative Overview15 Creative Executions21 Results of Creative Testing & Marketing Recommendations22 Media Objectives23 Media Choices26 Media Schedule27 Media Budget28 Brand Activation30 Evaluation31 Creative Brief 32 Meet Cayuga Creatives 35 End Notes

Annie’s Homegrown, Inc. (Annie’s) is one of America’s most popular producers of natural and organic pastas, meals and snacks. Offered in grocery stores across the nation, Annie’s is highly known for its line of organic Mac & Cheese products not only because they taste delicious, but also because they are made with 100% organic pasta.

However, since macaroni and cheese aisles have become so vast in recent years, consumers often have trouble determining which products to purchase. Thus, through the use of print advertisements, television commercials, Internet and out of home ads, Cayuga Creatives, Inc. hopes to promote Annie’s Mac & Cheese as the guilt-free choice among consumers based on its great taste, better ingredients, and sustainable brand image!

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Agency Identity

Our Strategy

Brainstorm | Research | Set Goals | Create | Execute | Evaluate

Is your company drowning in marketing woes? Cayuga Creatives, Inc. can help you get your head above water! Our full-service advertising agency focuses on providing clients with an array of creative resources from print to digital integrated marketing tactics. We target the most suitable audience in order to appropriately promote brand and product recognition.

By utilizing innovative research techniques and execution strategies, the team of experts at Cayuga Creatives, Inc. helps their clients achieve detailed goals and objectives to improve their marketing strategies.

So, come dive into success with Cayuga Creatives, Inc. and watch as your products and services swim to the top of the market!

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History of Annie’s Homegrown, Inc.

In 1989, Annie’s founder Annie Withey teamed up with Andrew Martin to create a delicious and healthy macaroni and cheese. They were dedicated to creating a business that could be socially responsible and fulfilling to the everyday family. After 25 years, Annie’s has over 125 products in over 25,000 retail locations throughout the United States and Canada. The natural and organic company has been recognized nationally for its superior taste and socially responsible attitude. Their mission is “to cultivate a healthier, happier world by spreading goodness through nourishing foods, honest words and conduct that is considerate and forever kind to the planet.”

Annie’s continues to prove it’s commitment to this mission by awarding $100,000 in scholarships yearly through its Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship. Annie’s also partners with over 200 educational programs with its Grants for Gardens program by donating funds and means to create gardens that allow children to have direct contact with growing real food.

Timeline

1989- Annie Withey co-founds Annie’s in Hampton Connecticut with Andrew Martin selling only Mac & Cheese.

1995- Annie’s completes a direct public offering that raises $1.3 million

1999- John Foraker, of Homegrown Natural Foods invests $2 million into Annies. Product begins to be distributed to chain stores.

2002- Solera Capital invests $23 million into Annie’s. Annie’s headquarters moves to Berkeley, California.

2008- Annie’s Grants for Garden program begins. Annie’s gives over 80,000 children the opportunity to grow their own, real food by establishing gardens at 270 schools.

Present- Annie’s donates to over 270 schools and gives over 80,000 children the opportunity to grow their own, real food.

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Environmental AnalysisEnvironmental

Annie’s strives to make their mark in the environmental realm by ensuring that not only their employees are aware of how important the environment is to the company, but also that their stakeholders know it as well. Priding itself on understanding and dedicating energy to sustainability, the company acts on the importance of recycling and climate change by educating all stakeholders involved. For instance, Annie’s has made significant improvements to its carbon footprint by making 90% of their packaged goods recyclable. In addition, the company has partnered with Organic Valley since 2008, and has “prevented more than 23 million pounds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides from polluting the air, land, and water” by using their organic cheese in their Mac & Cheese products (Annie’s).

While Annie’s is best known for offering organic Mac & Cheese products, many other companies have started to offer similar products as well. In efforts to satisfy the recent wave of health and fitness lifestyles that has hit America, every sector of the food industry has started incorporating organic foods into their product lines. Thus, more and more pasta companies are beginning to offer organic products and the competitive market has increased significantly for macaroni and cheese products like Annie’s.

Since organic products are typically more expensive, shoppers that are looking to purchase them are usually aware of the uptick in price. Being an organic product, Annie’s Mac & Cheese is a little more expensive than those of its competitors, however, it is made with all organic pasta. In addition, Annie’s is not the most expensive organic macaroni and cheese in the market, which serves as an advantage to the brand. Therefore, Annie’s is more expensive than regular boxed macaroni and cheese, but consumers are purchasing all organic pasta for a relatively lower price.

All of Annie’s products include organic ingredients and many are certified organic through the USDA. However, unlike other macaroni and cheese brands, Annie’s uses only non-GMO ingredients (Genetically Modified Organism) for its products because the company believes that GMOs cannot provide the same quality and taste that earthgrown ingredients can. This belief is what led Annie’s to file a petition against the FDA calling on them to label genetically engineered foods. If approved, the FDA will then have to label both products that use GMOs and non-GMOs, which could serve as an advantage to Annie’s because health conscious consumers are usually more inclined to purchase non-GMO products.

Competitive

Economic

Legal & Regulatory

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Competitor AnalysisKRAFT MACARONI & CHEESE Strengths - High brand awareness - Largest food and beverage company in North America - Available at many retailers and easily accessible

Weaknesses - Higher calorie content - Uses yellow dye in cheese packet

KRAFT VELVEETA SHELLS & CHEESE Strengths - Cream based cheese rather than powder - Owned by the powerful Kraft company - Made with a variety of cheese sauces

Weaknesses - No organic products in the Shells and Cheese line - Higher cholesterol content than other macaroni and cheese products

WEGMANS MACARONI & CHEESE Strengths - Less expensive - No added sweeteners

Weaknesses - Only available at Wegmans stores - Store brand - perceived lower quality

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SWOT AnalysisSTRENGTHS- Uses only non-GMO ingredients- 9 ingredients, no additives or dyes - Packaging made from 90% recycled materials- Positive brand image- Socially responsible - Grants for Gardens program- Good variety of products- Awards Inlcude: Women’s Health rated Annie’s one of 2011’s Best Pack aged Foods for Women; Rated 1 of “4 Companies That Should Profit From Consumer Health Trends In 2014”

WEAKNESSES- Low brand awareness- Little to no advertising with no memorable recent campaign- Not all products are 100% organic or USDA certified organic- More expensive than other macaroni and cheese products

OPPORTUNITIES- Society’s increased emphasis on health and activity- Annie’s commitment to charity in the form of providing fresh food to underprivileged school children (Grants for Gardens program)- Corporate philanthropy (Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship program)- Increased interest towards sustainability

THREATS- Increase in competition of organic made, ready to eat pasta products- Competitors have higher brand awareness and market share- Organic is not a widely understood term

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Objectives & Budget

Within the target market of women ages 18-34 and men ages 18-34, Cayuga Creatives will see 70% of the target market comprehend Annie’s message by the end of the year. Of those 70%, 60% will find value in the message and intend to buy Annie’s Mac & Cheese. Cayuga Creatives will reach 70% of the target market at least 3 times per person. Overall, Annie’s sales will increase by 8%.

Cayuga Creatives campaign for Annie’s will run for a year from January 2015 until December 2015. Since macaroni and cheese is a comfort food that is eaten all year long, this campaign will be pulsing, with periods of heavier advertising during times of higher macaroni and cheese consumption such as the summer months and the “back to school” season.

Cayuga Creatives was given a budget of $12,000,000, which the company will allocate strategically as follows:

Marketing & Advertising

Time Frame

Budget Summary

MEDIA BUDGET

TelevisionPrint AdsBillboardsTransitInternetProduction

2.5 %

2.5 %

19.7 %

23.1 %27.2 %

25 %TelevisionPrint AdsBillboardsTransitInternetProduction

MEDIA BUDGET

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Research

Cayuga Creatives, Inc. organized an online survey with Qualtrics and surveyed 118 men and women ages 18-34 in our target audience. First, we wanted to find how familiar our audience is with Annie’s Mac & Cheese. We found out 69% of our audience knows about Annie’s Mac & Cheese, however only 48% actually favored buying it. Second, we wanted to know what factors influenced a macaroni and cheese purchase. We found that of 118 respondents, 88% based their purchase on taste, 50% based their purchase on quality and 49% based their purchase on price. Out of the 118 people surveyed, 86 of them had bought Annie’s Mac & Cheese. For those who had purchased Annie’s, 60 of them said they did so because of its taste. Finally, some words respondents used to describe Annie’s Mac & Cheese included: great, good, quality, and organic.

Using Simmons OneView, we found the top priorities for women to live better lifestyles are eating healthier and achieving a well balanced diet. For instance, when asked about their attitudes and opinions towards diet and health, many survey respondents answered, “I try to eat healthier foods these days,” “I am working at eating a well-balanced diet,” “I like to know as much about the ingredients before I buy,” and “I’ll pay just about anything when it concerns my health.” Thus, our primary audience is concerned with putting only the best foods into their bodies.

Next, we used Annie’s Website to learn about the company’s history, its practices, how it interacts with consumers and different communities. In order to see how Annie’s compares to its competition, we visited other macaroni and cheese products’ websites to see how they represent themselves.

Investigate factors people look for when purchasing macaroni and cheese and why.

Determine what our target market thinks about Annie’s Mac & Cheese.

Find out what media vehicles are most prominent in the lives of our target market.

Finally, we used SRDS to see what kind of media vehicles penetrate our target audience best. Through this database, we found specific rates (i.e. cost and number of displays) and determined which media vehicles would be most effective for this campaign.

Research Objectives

Primary Research

Secondary Research

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Brand Value Proposition

Annie’s Mac & Cheese is a natural and organic version of America’s staple comfort food that offers consumers a guilt-free way to indulge in their favorite meal without ruining their diets. Priding itself on being made with 100% organic pasta, Annie’s provides consumers with nutritious macaroni and cheese without sacrificing taste. Annie’s Mac & Cheese is produced in over 20 varieties such as Shells & White Cheddar, Creamy Deluxe Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar, Organic Peace Pasta and Parmesan, and Real Aged Cheddar Microwavable Mac and Cheese Cups, so even those who are looking to step out of the traditional macaroni and cheese box can find an organic variety to enjoy.

Consumers who eat Annie’s Mac & Cheese feel guilt-free. Since Annie’s contains no artificial preservatives, no growth hormones, and no GMO’s, consumers can rest assured that they are eating the healthiest macaroni and cheese on the market and feel better about themselves for doing so. In addition, Annie’s consumers never have to think twice about their purchase because they are consuming all natural ingredients.

When a consumer purchases Annie's Mac & Cheese, it says that they are conscious about both their health and their effects on the environment. Compared to a non-organic macaroni and cheese product that says they’re cheating on their diet, Annie's Mac & Cheese says that these people know how to eat smart. Since these consumers only put the best ingredients into their bodies, choosing Annie's Mac & Cheese is easy because it's made with all organic pasta. In addition, Annie's customers receive an added benefit with their purchase - a lower carbon footprint. They know that 90% of Annie's packaging is recyclable, making it much more ecofriendly than it's competitors, so these shoppers walk away looking more intelligent and green than other macaroni and cheese buyers.

Self Expressive Benefits

Functional Benefits

Emotional Benefits

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Kelli is a 20-year old sophomore in college from Seattle, Washington. She is working towards a degree in photography. She is health-conscious and goes to the gym with a few other girls from her history of photo class close to three times a week. However, whenever Friday night rolls around, Kelli finds herself eating snacks and watching movies in her dorm room. Thus, she wants a midnight snack that tastes delicious, but won’t ruin all of the hard work she did at the gym earlier in the week.

Target MarketPrimary Target Market

Secondary Target Market

Women 18-24Meet Kelli...

Women 25-34

Victoria is a 29-year-old financial consultant from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who is expecting her second child. Lately, her life has been consumed with motherhood and she is constantly taking precautions to ensure that her children are growing to be happy and healthy. Thus, she wants a macaroni and cheese that not only satisfies her toddler, but also one that is natural and organic that she too can eat, to ensure everyone in her family is eating only the best and most nutritious ingredients.

Meet Victoria...

Sean is 25-year old a paralegal from Westchester, New York. After receiving his first promotion, Sean decided it was finally time to get his own apartment and has recently been seeing a steady girlfriend. His secret weapon to winning his girlfriend’s heart is to invite her over to his place and make her dinner. Thus, he wants a macaroni and cheese that can impress his sweetheart with its delicious taste.

Meet Sean...

Our primary target market is women ages 18-34.

Our secondary target market is men ages 18-34.

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Campaign Strategy

The ChallengeUnlike its major competitors, Annie’s does not hold a lot of power in the macaroni and cheese market. Therefore, it is Cayuga Creatives’ challenge to differentiate Annie’s Mac & Cheese from its competitors by highlighting its unique selling points like its quality taste, natural and organic ingredients and recyclable packaging.

Through primary research Cayuga Creatives has found that consumers, specifically women ages 18-34, are interested in bettering their health and often try to incorporate a balanced diet into their everyday lives. Because of this, Cayuga Creatives will focus on the natural and organic ingredients found in Annie’s Mac & Cheese.

The Key Insight

The Solution

Cayuga Creatives will promote Annie’s Mac & Cheese as the guilt-free choice amongst other macaroni and cheese brands based on its quality taste, natural and organic ingredients and recyclable packaging. The agency will aim to show Annie’s target market that they can enjoy a delicious tasting macaroni and cheese without being ridden with regret afterwards.

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The Big Idea

Because There’s No Guilt in Organic.

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Creative Overview

In almost every stage of life, people are conscious about what they eat. Cayuga Creatives has made an attempt to capture specific scenarios in the different stages of life in which Annie’s target audience may find themselves feeling this way. The hope is to get consumers to relate to the various situations presented in each ad and then to realize that if they had purchased Annie’s Mac & Cheese, they would not feel as health conscious “Because There’s No Guilt in Organic.”

Creative Strategy

Copywriting

Art DirectionIn order to establish consistency, the left side of each Annie’s ad will have a colored bar in Annie’s signature purple to establish the brand’s identity. In addition, each ad will picture a different variety of Annie’s Mac & Cheese in the lower right hand corner as well as be pictured in each different scenario.

Each Annie’s advertisement will begin with a clever phrase that plays off of one of the product’s unique selling points and then will end with the catchy slogan, “Because There’s No Guilt in Organic” at the bottom of the ad. The copy will be pictured in a font that looks like handwriting in hopes that the target audience will picture them-selves writing each scenario.

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Print Ads

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Out of Home & Transit Ads

Billboard

Transit

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Online Ads

PandoraOnline Banner

:30 SECOND PANDORA AD(sound of cashier scanning items)The voice of a young child: “Mommy! Mommy! Can we get cookies?”Voice of mother: “No honey.”(sound of cashier scanning items)The voice of a young child: “Mommy! Mommy! Can we get soda?”Voice of mother: “No dear.”(sound of cashier scanning items)The voice of a young child: “Mommy! Mommy! Can we get Annie’s Mac & Cheese?”Voice of mother: “Of course!”Voiceover: Whether it’s the dinner your kids keep asking for, or the meal you need to make in a pinch, Annie’s Mac & Cheese is the wholesome, guilt-free choice made with 100% organic pasta. Serve your family only the best ingredients and pick up a box of Annie’s Mac & Cheese at a local store near you, or click the banner to find out more!

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TV Commercial

Two moms chat in a grocery store aisle. Mom #1 brags to mom #2 and says “I don't know about you Linda, but my kids only eat organic. We live a very healthy lifestyle you know. Tonight we are having brussel sprouts, broccoli and roasted tofu for dinner.”

Shot of her child eating dinner, clearly upset.

Mom #2 says as she looks at a box of Annie’s Mac & Cheese, “ How funny, I only serve my family organic food too. Tonight we are having Annie’s Mac & Cheese!”

Shot to her child eating Annie’s Mac & Cheese for dinner, clearly happy.

Shot of mom #1 giving a confused look. Mom #2 holds an Annie’s package. Text over shot says “Because there’s no guilt in organic.” Narrator says “Annie’s Mac & Cheese is the wholesome, guilt-free choice made with 100% organic pasta. Visit your local supermarket today and pick up your organic dinner.

Because there’s no guilt in organic.

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All creative materials including magazine, online, billboard, television commercial and out of home advertisements were shared with members of our target audience. Their responses were overwhelmingly positive. Many of the women were impressed by Annie’s commitment to a healthy, earth-friendly lifestyle after reading the copywriting of the advertisements. In addition, a bulk of the women believed that all of the creative materials remained consistent and represented Annie’s as a family conscious brand. In many cases the women were able to connect and relate to the images presented in the creative materials to their own lives, particularly the 18-24 demographic, who loved the concept of a guilt-free, organic, craving satisfying late-night snack. There were some comments pertaining to our original magazine ad that was targeted towards moms aged 25-34. Our participants felt that the mom originally represented was unrelatable, and looked older than their demographic. Cayuga Creatives scheduled a reshoot of this ad with a different, younger model and re-tested this advertisement to a positive response from our target audience.

Our research shows that many people in Annie’s target audience simply have not been exposed to Annie’s and that some consumers who have heard of Annie’s are apprehensive to purchase due to its higher price in comparison to competing brands. Our suggestion for Annie’s is to try to position itself in a wider variety of stores, especially those that don’t typically offer organic food, making Annie’s stand out among the crowd. In addition Cayuga Creatives suggests that Annie’s institute a slight 3% price reduction on their “Family Size” offerings of Annie’s Mac & Cheese. This will increase the likelihood of price conscious moms to choose Annie’s over its competitors.

Results of Creative Testing

Marketing Recommendations

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Media Objectives

Our target market is women ages 18 to 34 years old, with a secondary audience of men ages 18 to 34 years old. We plan to reach these busy individuals by using a variety of media channels including print, television, Internet, transit and out of home advertisements.

Reach the Target Market

Geographic ScopeOur scope for this campaign will be a mix of both regional and national advertisements. Our print, television and Internet ads will all be national. However, our transit and out of home ads will be placed regionally in the Northeast, Midwest and the West because these areas are inhabited by a majority of our target audience.

Cayuga Creatives’ target audiences are women and men ages 18-34 who are always on the go and only get a chance to watch television late in the evening. As a result, we have decided to make late night television shows an added focus in our advertising campaign. Cayuga Creatives has also decided to place an additional emphasis on transit and out of home advertisements, since our target audiences are always traveling to and from work, transit advertisements will have an increased message weight in the Northeast, Midwest and West, more specifically in major cities in these regions, due to their high populations.

Message Weight

Cayuga Creatives’ effective reach for the Annie’s campaign is 70, with an effective frequency of 3. In order to achieve these goals, the agency has decided to implement a pulsing strategy for Annie’s commercials as well as its print and transit ads. Our television commercials will be played on specific networks during specific show times. In addition, our transit advertisements will be placed in subways and busses during high touring and or traveling months in efforts to reach as many people as possible. When it comes to print advertisements, we have decided to place Annie’s ads in the most popular issues of entertainment magazines because both women and men in our target age range read them. For example, if a popular celebrity couple has a child, the demand for entertainment magazines containing news relevant to the couple would increase and we would place Annie’s ads in these issues.

Media Strategies

Effective Reach: 70Effective Frequency: 3

Media DimensionsTelevision Commercial: (1) :30 second spots (along with Hulu)Print Advertisements: (3) Full Page with Bleed Print Ads 8.5” X 11”Online Advertisements: Medium Rectangle 480 X 900 pixels & :30 second radio spot (Pandora); Banner 2550 X 3300 pixels (Food Network)Transit & Out of Home Ads: 36” X 24” (Metro); Billboard: Standard size 14’ X 48’

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OK! Magazine provides insight into the world of celebrities with in depth exclusive interviews, original photography, and fashion, beauty, food and travel lifestyles. This magazine is very popular among our primary audience of women ages 18-34 because of the variety of topics the magazine includes. Therefore, we believe an Annie’s ad would fit perfectly in this magazine.

CIRCULATION: 502, 385

CIRCULATION: 497, 742

In Touch Magazine reports on what’s hot in the entertainment world. It focuses on celebrities from home to health, news, views and beyond. Readers of In Touch Magazine are always looking to adopt the latest trends in society. Thus, if we place Annie’s advertisements in In Touch Magazine, readers will see Annie’s Mac & Cheese as an upcoming trend and want to adopt the product into their lives.

CIRCULATION: 1,964, 057

Us Weekly targets educated adult women who want to know more about their celebrities. Us Weekly readers are loyal to this magazine, meaning its has consistent readership. As a result, if we place an ad from Annie’s Mac & Cheese in Us Weekly, readers will be able to see the ad repetitively and will remember and potentially buy the product.

Magazines

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InternetFoodnetwork.com Hulu

Pandora

Transit & Out of Home

Metro

A recurrence of Annie’s ads in multiple forms is important to us. Since consumers visiting the Food Network’s website are looking for easy solutions for dinner and other meals, placing an Annie’s banner ad at the top of the site’s page will let viewers know that Annie’s Mac & Cheese is a healthy alternative to making food from scratch.

Hulu is a great place to reach consumers because they love to eat and watch their favorite shows at the same time. However, many Hulu watchers fear that indulging in a tasty snack while watching their favorite shows will ruin their diet for that day. That’s why Cayuga Creatives will place Annie’s advertisements during commercial breaks on Hulu. From these ads, viewers will learn that Annie’s is a tasty and organic solution to their snacking woes that won’t make them feel bad about themselves when it comes to their health.

According to SRDS, 25% of 18 to 24 year olds and 24% of 25 to 34 year olds use Pandora. Thus, Pandora is the perfect place to advertise Annie’s Mac & Cheese because our advertisements will be played multiple times an hour directly into the ears of our target audience. In addition, when Annie’s ads are played, listeners will be able to click on a link to Annie’s website to find out more about their natural and organic products, which is an added bonus.

In 2013, the MTA, the Chicago “L”, the Metro (DC) and the MBTA had the top four annual and weekly ridership. In addition, each of these rapid transit systems averaged over 500,000 riders a week. Therefore, by placing Annie’s advertisements in these particular subway cars, hundreds of thousands of riders will not have much of a choice but to look at the ads, which will increase awareness of Annie’s products.

New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco are all great places for billboards as they reach a high volume as well as a diverse group of people. Cayuga Creatives plans to place Annie’s billboards in each of these regions for two to three month periods in order to increase awareness in a less expensive manner.

Billboards

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KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS, Sundays at 9 p.m. EST

E! network continues to be the network of choice for pop-culture centric viewers. Its flagship show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, has mesmerized this type of audience for over nine seasons. In addition to weekly airings of new episodes, E! typically runs marathons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which many women in our target audience stay up late to watch. With this show, Cayuga Creatives will reach their target audience at the same time this audience is reaching for a nighttime snack.

Television

E!

ABC Family

TLC

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA, Sundays at 8 p.m. EST

Bravo is a well known network among women ages 18 to 34. Currently in its 6th season, The Real Housewives of Atlanta is the most popular location of The Real Housewives franchise. During a January, 2014 episode, the series reached a network high for Bravo bringing in over 4.5 million viewers and more specifically, 2.7 million viewers in the coveted 18-34 age range. The Real Housewives of Atlanta consistently serves as the guilty pleasure for young professionals, who want to relax their minds after a long day in the workforce and will be the premier television program to reach this portion of Annie’s target audience.

Bravo

CAKE BOSS, Mondays at 9 p.m. EST

For the past six seasons, Cake Boss has followed Buddy Valastro through the challenges and successes of operating a family owned bakery. The themes of family unity, wholesome fun and spreading goodness fits perfectly with Annie’s mission and brand awareness. Moms from all over the U.S. spend their Mondays letting their younger children stay up past their bedtime to watch this family-centered reality show together as they wind down after a delicious, health conscious family dinner.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST

ABC Family is a popular network for the younger portion of our target audience, women ages 18 to 25. Pretty Little Liars is one of the most consistently watched shows on ABC Family as well as one of the highest rated series. Cayuga Creatives believes that ads placed during this show will capture this portion of the target audience based on its popularity and later airing time.

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Media Schedule

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Media Budget

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Brand Activation

The Mac & Cheese College Crawl

OBJECTIVETo reach college students ages 18-22, allowing them to not only be introduced to Annie’s Mac & Cheese (a necessity found from our primary research), but also to share the environmental benefits of Annie’s products with them.

STRATEGYThe Annie’s Mac Mobile (food truck) will travel around liberal, eco-friendly campuses around America (i.e. UC Santa Cruz, New York University, Ithaca College). The Annie’s Mac Mobile will be equip with Annie’s Mac & Cheese samples and an Annie’s sampler will be on hand to explain the environmental benefits of choosing an Annie’s Mac & Cheese product. This will be an opportunity for Annie’s to develop its relationship with college students, who appreciate the recycled nature of Annie’s packaging and the advantages of living an organic lifestyle.

Annie’s Mac Monday’sOBJECTIVETo separate Annie’s from other macaroni and cheese brands while promoting its superior benefits.

STRATEGYAn Instagram campaign will encourage Annie’s consumers to show the world why Annie’s is the best macaroni and cheese. Instagram users will use the hashtag #anniesmacmondays in photos utilizing Annie’s Mac & Cheese products in family recipes, with the incentive to be entered in a weekly raffle to win an “Annie’s Pack” full of Annie’s products. Not only will this Instagram campaign be produced and executed with little cost, it will spread awareness of the value and endless possibility of Annie’s Mac & Cheese, making every monday Annie’s Mac & Cheese Monday. By sharing unique recipes involving Annie’s, moms from all over the world will be introduced to an unlimited amount of possibilities when it comes to Annie’s Mac & Cheese.

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The Guilt Free Taste at Trader Joe’sOBJECTIVETo highlight the organic nature and superior taste of Annie’s Mac & Cheese.

STRATEGYAnnie’s will set up sampling stations at the organic friendly food chain Trader Joe’s. Shoppers will be given the opportunity to blind test two macaroni and cheese products (Annie’s organic Mac & Cheese products). They will then be asked to pick which product they believe to be organic (both will be). Next, shoppers will be told by an Annie’s representative that both products are actually two different Annie’s organic Mac & Cheese products. Finally, shoppers will be given a pamphlet filled with the benefits of eating organic and an “Annie’s Recipe Booklet.” This will bring awareness to the organic nature of Annie’s products, while showcasing their delicious taste to Trader Joe’s shoppers.

Cooking Segment on “The Chew”OBJECTIVETo increase awareness of Annie’s Mac & Cheese as a safe and healthy choice for moms to feed their children.

STRATEGYDuring the annual “Mac & Cheese Monday” segment on “The Chew,” chef Carla Hall will introduce Annie’s Mac & Cheese touting its health benefits, organic ingredients and social corporate responsibility. This will also serve as cross promotion, as Hall will promote the “Annie’s Mac Mondays” Instagram campaign. The mom filled studio audience will be given “Annie’s Packs” consisting of various Annie’s products to take home to their families as well as an “Annie’s Recipe Booklet” full of healthy dinner options utilizing Annie’s organic products.

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The information listed below represents our prediction of how comprehension, conviction and sales will increase based on our pulsing media schedule. Cayuga Creative’s overall goals are to increase comprehension by 70%, conviction by 60% and overall sales by 8% through this one year campaign.

Evaluation

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Creative Brief

Annie’s Homegrown, Inc. Creative Brief

Historical Background In 1989, Annie’s founder Annie Withey teamed up with Andrew Martin to create a delicious and healthy macaroni and cheese. They were dedicated to creating a business that could be socially responsible and fulfilling to the everyday family. After 25 years, Annie’s has over 125 products in over 25,000 retail locations throughout the United States and Canada. The natural and organic company has been recognized nationally for its superior taste and socially responsible attitude. Their mission is “to cultivate a healthier, happier world by spreading goodness through nourishing foods, honest words and conduct that is considerate and forever kind to the planet.” Annie’s continues to prove it’s commitment to this mission by awarding $100,000 in scholarships yearly through its Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship. Annie’s also partners with over 200 educational programs with its Grants for Gardens program by donating funds and means to create gardens that allow children to have direct contact with growing real food. GoalsAfter this campaign, we predict to increase sales by 8%, awareness by 70%, and comprehension by 60%. Target MarketDegree holding, professional working women and men ages 18-34.

Advertising ProblemConsumers are not aware of the three unique selling points of Annie’s Mac & Cheese: its taste, its all-natural and organic ingredients and its sustainable packaging.

Advertising ObjectivesThe effective reach for this campaign is 70 with an effective frequency of 3. This means Cayuga Creatives will reach 70% of the target market and each one of these consumers will see these advertisements at least three times. Underlying Emotional NeedMany of the consumers in our target are very health conscious, however, they admit to occasionally “cheating” their health and regretfully indulging in meals and snacks that are not substantial or nutritious. Thus, these consumers want delicious meal and or snack that is organic and healthy, so they don’t feel bad about being indulgent every once in a while. CompetitionKraft Macaroni & Cheese, Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese and generic macaroni and cheese products.

953 Danby Rd. | Ithaca, NY 14850

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Meet the TeamAlex Cammy

Katelyn Gualtieri

Alex is a sophomore Television and Radio major with a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications. Alex is proud to hail from the Garden State, New Jersey. He loves all things related to Oprah and hopes to one day influence public opinion through mass media. When he isn’t stalking Oprah on Instagram he can be found watching every city of The Real Housewives. Alex loves to run and keep a healthy lifestyle, and thoroughly enjoys Annie’s Organic Peace Pasta & Parmesan.

Katelyn is a sophomore Communication Management and Design major with a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications and comes all the way from Syracuse, New York. Once her undergraduate work is complete she will be ready to enter the real world in the event planning industry. Her favorite things to do include playing with her cat Tucker and traveling to networking conferences. Katelyn’s love with organic products began when she had a taste of Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar.

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Lauren is a senior, Communication Management and Design major, who hopes to pursue her passion of event management and marketing. Upon graduation, Lauren will work at Macy’s, Inc. in New York City as a Marketing Coordinator. A native Jersey girl, her favorite things to do include traveling, staying active and living a healthy lifestyle and being involved in extracurricular activities on-campus. Her favorite Mac & Cheese is Annie’s Bunny Pasta with Yummy Cheese.

Lauren Holdsworth

Rebecca LongRebecca is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in Economics. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue her passion of entrepreneurship by pursuing her Masters of Business Administration and eventually starting her own business. Rebecca is the youngest of two and was raised in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Her favorite things to do include broadcasting on WICB Radio, attending concerts with friends and playing with her two loving dogs back home. Her favorite Mac & Cheese is Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar.

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Jorge is a sophomore Sport Media major. After his years in the Uni, he hopes to work with a sport organization in the community relations department with responsibility of connecting the organization to the regional area. Jorge is the youngest and oldest of his siblings and was raised in Hudson, New York. Although most would think his life is just about sports and media, his limited free time is devoted to his love of food and music. If you would ask him, “What is your favorite late night dish,” he would undoubtedly respond with “Annie’s Organic Whole Wheat Shells & White Cheddar.”

Jorge Merlos

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“Annie’s Homegrown - Real Food Tastes Better.” Annie’s Homegrown. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr.

2014.

“Record 10.7 Billion Trips Taken On U.S. Public Transportation In 2013.”APTA. N.p., 10 Mar.

2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

End Notes