Forte Public Relations

> Dominic Barbaro > Sarah Fielman dbarbar1@ithaca.edu sfielma1@ithaca.edu

> Isabel Balla > Alec Nevin iballa1@ithaca.edu anevin1@ithaca.edu

> Alex Cammy > Alisa Popple acammy1@ithaca.edu apopple1@ithaca.edu

> Liz Pellegrino epelleg1@ithaca.edu

> Contact Information

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Table Of Contents <2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3 ABOUT THE AGENCY: FORTE PR

4 SITUATION ANALYSIS

5 PRIMARY RESEARCH

6 COMPETITOR RESEARCH

7 SECONDARY RESEARCH

8 SWOT ANALYSIS

9 OBJECTIVES

10 TARGET AUDIENCE

11 TARGET AUDIENCE PROFILES

12 STRATEGIES

13 TACTICS

19 EVALUATION

20 TIMETABLE

21 BUDGET

22 AGENCY BIOS

24 APPENDIX

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> Executive SummaryForte PR has been given the incredible opportunity to work with the talented, local a cappella group Premium Blend. The all-female group is prominent among Ithaca College students, and has a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth within the Ithaca Community. As we develop the Premium Blend brand, Forte PR has set forth the overall objectives of creating a consistent brand image for the group, strengthening their social media and online presence, and increasing on campus awareness of Premium Blend. While there is certainly competition within the local a cappella world, Forte PR believes that a successful positioning of Premium Blend as the premier source of a cappella entertainment within the local Ithaca community is tangible.

To reach these objectives, Forte PR has outlined targeted tactics for the Ithaca community, promotional events (including a pop-up coffeehouse) to take place on the Ithaca College Campus, and an overall Premium Blend brand overhaul. The combination of these recommendations will bring Premium Blend to the forefront of a cappella entertainment within the Ithaca Community.

Forte PR is grateful to have Premium Blend as a client and are thankful for their participation and openness during this process.

Sincerely,

Premium Blend, Fall Tour 2014

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ABOUT THE AGENCY <

Forte Public Relations is a boutique public relations agency located in Ithaca, New York, with a small, focused staff of seven expert communicators. Interweaving the core practices of public relations with creative strategy, the agency prides itself on creating all-encompassing public relations campaigns. Forte PR is a detail-oriented agency that focuses on the essential needs of the client. Forte PR offers everything from research and campaign development, to event planning and execution and

website development to create the best image and presence of the client. We take big ideas and turn them into realities. From conception to execution we are dedicated to our clients and campaigns.

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> Situation AnalysisPremium Blend, the first ever Ithaca College all women a cappella group is filled with young, smart, talented women who share a love for singing. The a cappella group has been part of the Ithaca College community since 1998. The group consists of 14 women from various majors, and backgrounds. They are known to be fresh, smooth, and can rock the #tealappeal.

The group is well known throughout the Ithaca College campus. Premium Blend puts on four campus-wide concerts a year, in addition to various private performances, giving members of the Ithaca community plenty of opportunities to see a show. Each concert sports an unique theme, often times related to pop culture or holidays associated with the concert dates. Not only does the singing group perform on Ithaca College’s campus, but they also go on tour. The group holds workshops for middle and high school students interested in music in various states such as Florida, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. During Ithaca College’s winter break the group embarks on “Wintour”, an intense touring week that raises awareness and followers for the group outside of the Ithaca community.

Premium Blend has been mentioned locally, in newspapers such as The Ithacan and has steady followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Their music can also be heard on YouTube and Spotify. In addition the group sells CDs of their music.

The women of Premium Blend have a vested interest in supporting local charities and clubs on campus. While they haven’t currently acted on this, they hope to work with causes that focus on women empowerment.

The talented group has a decent presence within the Ithaca College community, however, there is always room for improvement and growth. At Forte PR we are excited to be working with Premium Blend and are looking forward to the opportunity to expand their horizons and allow the greater community to hear their voices.

THE CURRENT SITUATION: WHAT’S GOING ON?

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Primary Research <

Based on primary research conducted by Forte PR, a survey was presented to Ithaca College students to gather insight and information regarding awareness of Premium Blend. More than 50 members of the Ithaca College community took the survey.

90% of respondents were aware of Premium Blend, but only 49% of those survey takers have actually attended a concert/performance. 88% of the respondents attend a cappella concerts primarily for the actual music. When asked if the respondents followed any of the a cappella groups on any social media platforms, 58% replied that they do not follow any of the three groups on campus and only 22% follow Premium Blend.

After analyzing the results of the survey provided to Ithaca College students, Forte PR determined there was a need to raise awareness of Premium Blend’s music and the group’s events.

See Appendix (page 25) for the survey and survey results.

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> Competitor AnalysisIthacappella, an all-male a cappella group based in Ithaca, NY has a large following among the Ithaca College Community. With over 2,500 followers on Twitter, and a following of over 5,000 on Facebook, Ithacappella is well regarded locally. The group is branded strongly, and heavily markets their all-male members through the tagline “All MALE. ALL A CAPPELLA. ALL THE TIME.” The groups website ithacappella.com is live, active, and regularly updated.

IC Voicestream is a mixed gender a cappella group based in Ithaca, NY. The 12 year old group has a moderate local following, including a social media following of over 1,200 on Facebook and 400 on Twitter. While the group does have a live website, it is currently inactive.

Pentatonix is generally considered one of the most popular a cappella groups on the current market. This five person, Texas based group has a worldwide following that includes a social media following of over 1.75 million people on Facebook and an active Twitter account with 396,000 followers. The group won the 3rd season of NBC’s The Sing Off, has gone on international tours , and has released 3 full studio albums, with their most recent album That’s Christmas to Me peaking at # 7 on the Billboard’s 200 bestselling chart.

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Secondary Research <Secondary research was utilized to determine the objectives, strategies, and tactics of our public relations campaign for Ithaca College’s Premium Blend.

Research has concluded that the primary competitors to Premium Blend are Ithacappella, and IC Voicestream, two local a cappella groups which market themselves to not only Ithaca College but to many parts of New York State as well as other states within the country. The main advantage Premium Blend has over its competitors is it’s all-female member makeup.

Both Ithacappella and Voicestream have men within their groups which is can act as disadvantage when focusing on audiences who would find an all female a cappella group more interesting. Currently Premium Blend’s main disadvantages include an underdeveloped Twitter and YouTube page. These pages lack the consistency of their competitors.

According to a recent article in IMC News, Premium Blend just gained a new Communications officer in early September 2014 (Flowers, 2014, para. 1). Rosalyn Moisan, the new Communications officer, brings new advertising and re-branding experience to the group this year through improvements with the groups Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages (Flowers, 2014, para.2). Rosalyn and Justine Gray, the group’s Public Relations Director, are also in charge of the group’s Thanksgiving break tour. This tour funds the recording of the group’s albums as well as for the technical aspects of their concerts (Flowers, 2014, para. 3).

Overall, Premium Blend has received fairly little media coverage since the group’s conception. This has resulted in low visibility for the group. With this in mind, Premium Blend still has a fairly strong following at Ithaca College and, with an improvements in their social media outlets, can expand their target market even further.

http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/programs/imc/news/imcs-rosalyn-moisan-gains-advertising-experience-with-premium-blend-38543/#.VGf-VPnF9Q4

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> SWOT Analysis

Threats: Not the only a cappella group on campus Ithacappella’s following No money made by having concerts at Emerson Suites Surrounding colleges and universities a cappella group A cappella being a fad

Opportunities:

Joining forces with a female empowerment organization and throwing a charity concert Working with other a cappella groups on campus Gaining a stable audience who will support the group Going on tour Working with local schools Selling merchandise to raise money for the group

Strengths A recognized organization on the Ithaca College Campus A talented group of singers Involvement with charities and other campus organizations Presence of multiple social media formats Strong vision for women empowerment

Weaknesses: Lacking a website Social media postings are infrequent Lack of brand consistency Not a big audience following Poor video quality of performances

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Objectives <This public relations plan for Premium Blend is designed to achieve the following objectives:

To increase awareness of Premium Blend as a primary entertainment option on the Ithaca College campus. Ithaca College is an institution known for its entertainment options and performing arts. From mainstage theatre productions to concerts and recitals, Ithaca has entertainment at its core. We aim to position Premium Blend as the go-to choice for an a cappella performance and generate a greater recognition of the group.

To increase Facebook likes, Twitter followers, YouTube viewers, and website traffic by 100%.

Forte PR aims to make social media a more prominent part of the media mix. We will develop an effective social media campaign for the group highlighting their strengths, talents, and event promotion in order to increase social media presence and following.

To develop a consistent brand image and voice. Because Premium Blend is one of three a cappella groups on Ithaca College’s campus, we aim to build a consistent brand image for Premium Blend, differentiating them from other organizations on campus. We plan to promote Premium Blend as an empowering, talented, and positive all-female group.

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> Target Audiences

Target Region: Ithaca College and the Ithaca community

Ithaca College students and the Ithaca Community are most likely to support Premium Blend and their endeavors. Ithaca College students are always looking for fun ways to get involved on campus and have a high interest in the arts. Ithaca College has a great connection with Ithaca community members. The Ithaca community is actively involved in Ithaca College and looks to the college to provide high levels of entertainment.

Ithaca is a hub for music obsessed individuals who are always looking for new music entertainment. This audience ranges from high school students, through recent post-graduate students, to music loving adults and elderly people. Ithaca is also a very progressive community that strives for female-empowerment. Premium Blend’s all female group stands as good role models for the communities female youth.

WHO WILL RECEIVE OUR MESSAGES?

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Target Audience Profiles <

The Music Obsessed Jonathan Malts Meet Jonathan Malts. Jonathan Is a 37 year old manager at a local winery in Tompkins County. Jonathan has lived in Ithaca his entire life and is an avid fan of music, especially a cappella music. Jonathan has spent the past 7 years going to concerts at both Ithaca and Cornell. Jonathan has attended Ithacappella concerts in the past and has recently began to attend Premium Blend concerts as his daughter Ava has began to mature. Jonathan’s daughter Ava is 11 years old and loves watching Premium Blend perform. They always sing his daughters favorite pop songs while adding their own unique twist.

Premium Blend provides Jonathan with an entertaining experience that doubles as bonding time between his daughter and himself. The group allows for Jonathan to spend time with his daughter and share their common interest of music.

Freshman/New Students Beth Washington Meet Beth Washington. Beth is an 18 year old freshman at Ithaca College who majors in Television Radio. When she isn’t busy doing homework, or finding out about new clubs on campus, she loves attending productions put on by the students of Ithaca college. The Premium Blend concerts are always fun and Beth enjoys listening to the wide range of songs performed. Beth also likes the Premium Blend concerts because it is way for her and her friends to do something different on a weekday or weekend.

Female Empowered Stacey Carney Meet Stacey Carney. Stacey is a 20 year old Politics major student at Ithaca College. Stacey supports many female empowerment movements and is a member of the group Girls for a Change, a national organization that empowers girls to make social change. Stacey was trying to find ways to support all women groups on campus and found the a cappella group Premium Blend. Stacey is a follower and attendee of Premium Blend concerts because they are an all female group and are trying to build connections with other organizations that promote women confidence and self esteem.

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> Strategies

As a performing group, concert attendance is an important and necessary to the overall success of Premium Blend. While the group doesn’t typically profit out of their concert attendance, high attendance creates positive morale among the members and generates local enthusiasm for the group. High concert attendance also lends itself to increased merchandise and visibility for the group.

1. Motivate people to attend Premium Blend concerts and events

For any organization it is important to have a strong social media presence and engage their target audience and Premium Blend is no exception. While the group has accounts on many social media platforms however, the posting is irregular and they are lacking a fully updated and functional website. The end goal for Premium Blend’s social media presence is for them to be a one stop shop for all things Premium Blend.

Premium Blend needs a professional and consistent brand. Distributing promotional materials containing this brand revamp, will alert the public of the positive changes within the group while acting as a great resource for gaining on-campus recognition, which in turn will positively affect concert attendance and merchandise sales.

Premium Blend’s main audience exists within the Ithaca College community. It is imperative to connect with these students through pop up events, utilization of on campus resources and targeted social media. Making strong, positive connections with Ithaca College students will allow Premium Blend to become a go-to source for local on campus entertainment.

Premium Blend has made it a point to not only be Ithaca’s only all female a cappella group but also a force of female empowerment. They are involved with schools, charities, and other organization both in and outside on the Ithaca Community. Premium Blend has been doing these things from their start yet not many people know about their impact and they deserve to be put in the spotlight. Cultivating positive associations with Premium Blend won’t be too difficult because they already do so many positive things for the community.

2. Increase social media presence and engagement with projected target audience

3. Distribute promotional material

4. Increase on campus awareness

5. Cultivate positive associations with Premium Blend

Tactics <

Pop-Up Coffee Cart

A pop-up coffee cart would be created and located in Campus Center outside Emerson Suites. This pop-up coffee cart would be stocked by donations from Gimme! Coffee, a locally recognized brand, and would be run by members of the group. This would be a few hours a day for a few days or a week before an upcoming concert day. This will allow Premium Blend to get the attention they need in addition to their posters and other promotional efforts that are put into effect before their events. We also suggest that the group perform their music while the coffee cart is open to further promote and gain familiarity with their sound.

See Appendix (page 26) for a mock up of the Pop-Up Coffee Cart at Campus Center.

Joint Concerts (Touch Tones mixer, hosting an invitational)

Another suggestion to motivate people to attend Premium Blend concerts and events, is for the group to host joint concerts. This can involve the groups on campus such as Ithacappella and IC Voicestream, or even groups on the other side of the hill at Cornell, like the Touch Tones—Cornell’s all female a cappella group. This tactic will motivate people to attend the event because it adds an element of something new- maybe new collaborations, the idea of a competition where girl power conquers, or simply experiencing a different group’s style. Then, when audience members find they enjoyed the music from all of the groups, Forte PR hopes they would feel excited to see what the group has planned next and would attend more concerts in the future. If allowed by the college, these events will be held later in the Spring semester when students need a break from the craziness and stress of the last month of the semester.

See Appendix (page 27) for a sample poster for the event and suggestions on how to market it.

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Strategy 1: Motivate people to attend Premium Blend concerts and events

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> Tactics

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT Premium Blend recently released an active website. The website provides an aesthetically pleasing online presence with information on events/concerts, samples of the group’s music, and photos of performances. The interactive website will help the group to engage with their followers and act as a platform for information and details regarding Premium Blend. The website also includes bios of each of the Premium Blend members to create a more transparent image. We still believe there is room for improvement: we suggest providing a more cohesive theme and design that coincides with of the overall brand image of Premium Blend, while integrating the newly, Forte PR, created logos (see Appendix page 28) for Premium Blend within the site.

YOUTUBE Premium Blend has an active YouTube account. However, there is always room for improvement. We suggest more consistent uploads and teasers to upcoming events and concerts. Premium Blend could also create an opportunity to post videos teaching their loyal fans and followers on how they create their music, how they choose songs, and build the parts to create beautiful a cappella sound.

Strategy 2: Increase social media presence and engagement with projected target audience

Premium Blend Fall Tour 2014

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Tactics <FACEBOOK

Currently, the Premium Blend Facebook page has over 1,000 ‘likes’. However, posts created by the group are inconsistent and mostly surround concert events, additionally there isn’t much interaction on the posts. Forte PR would create a more interactive Facebook page with more consistent postings that actively promote events, concerts, in addition to introducing the followers to the members of the group. The display pictures that are currently being used are fairly dark. We suggest to include brighter images to engage the followers and create a consistent message with the other social media platforms.

TWITTER

Premium Blends current Twitter page has a little over 600 followers. We encourage Premium Blend to post unique posts on Twitter that mirror Facebook posts, but do not necessarily direct users to the Facebook site. Twitter can be used to post quick quips about the group, snapshots of the group practicing, and teasers to upcoming performances. We suggest that the group use Twitter to engage with users to create a consistent voice. We recommend using the hashtag #tealappeal on all social media posts. Then as a concert approaches, the week before post every day to corresponding themes for the days.

We also suggest that the photos on the Twitter page mirror the photos on the Facebook page as to create a consistent image. See Appendix (pages 29-30) for more social media post and image suggestions.

Strategy 2: Increase social media presence and engagement with projected target audience

These will be the theme posts to be mirrored on both Facebook and Twitter leading up to a concert:

Music Monday- Post a song or a clip for what’s to come at the concert Takeover Tuesday- Feature either a new member of the group, one of your soloists, or executive board members Wild Wednesday- Ask followers what wild mashups the group might want to perform at future concerts, and reveal the decided mashup and who it was from at the concert later on in the week Throwback Thursday- Post something iconic of the group’s past such as a clip from previous concerts, pictures from the tour, or times when the group joined with other organizations on campus Fresh Friday- Amp up the excitement and reveal the title of one fresh new song to be performed at upcoming concert

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> Tactics

Premium Blend Coffee Sleeves for Campus Cafes

The name Premium Blend has the obvious nuance of coffee attached to it. Since Premium Blend is branded by the color teal, Forte PR thought creating #tealappeal coffee sleeves would be an effective tactic for the group gain attention outside of the music realm. These sleeves will be distributed to all of the coffee purchase locations on campus during midterms week, a time where students could really go for a coffee break. The next concert date would be printed on the sleeve along with the logo and the groups tagline, as a reminder to the buyer that Premium Blend’s block concert is coming up.

See Appendix (page 31) for a mock up of the coffee sleeve.

Merchandise (shirts, CDs, travel mugs)

To gain further exposure for the brand name and what the group does, Forte PR suggests designing and selling more merchandise. This tactic will allow the group to creatively get itself out there in a more tangible way that expands their brand further than the concert. While T-shirts and CDs are a very effective way to market a musical group, because of the group’s name, a creative idea for merchandise would be to also sell Premium Blend travel mugs. These mugs would have the group’s logo, tagline, and some links to their social media. Selling travel mugs allows the group to stand out from other groups distributing merchandise on campus because a travel mug is an object someone can use every day. The merchandise can be sold at concerts, when the group is tabling before a concert or event, and when the group is hosting special events outside of their concerts (i.e. - the pop-up coffee shop).

See Appendix (page 32) for mockup designs of the T-Shirts and the Travel Mugs.

Strategy 3: Distribute promotional material

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Tactics <

Press Night Meet & Greet For each of Premium Blend’s upcoming concerts, we plan to host a Press Night Meet & Greet. This event will be hosted at the Ithaca College Pub where there will be free food, Premium Blend’s coffee, and merchandise giveaways. At this event, Premium Blend will announce the concert dates for the season and will sing a few songs from their new album. Various local businesses and organizations will also invited to this event to encourage future collaboration between Premium Blend and the community (and encourage trade agreements for advertising and more). These journalists and businesses will receive special Press Kits (CD, page describing CD soloists the group group, background, inspiration for CD title and cover art, advertisement for upcoming event, small merchandise, price guide for merchandise, press release introducing and describing upcoming events, reviews, and a letter of introduction from group thanking the business.)

See Appendix (page 33) for a sample press release.

Switch Up the Blends In order to raise awareness for the group, Forte PR suggest changing the name of a coffee blend sold at the various locations on campus to Premium Blend. Having a signature coffee blend will help raise awareness of when concerts and event involving Premium Blend are happening. This would be timed with the distribution of the coffee sleeves to colleges various places to purchase coffee. If the particular blend becomes popular among students who visit any of the on campus cafes, the school could make it a permanent coffee option in the cafes.

Ithaca College’s Instagram Premium Blend would take over the Ithaca College Instagram one of the installments of #HowISeeIC. This would allow Ithaca College Instagram followers a behind the scenes look of a day in the life of a Premium Blend member. The take over would start in the morning and continue until night time. It would be preferable if the takeover occurred on day when Premium Blend has a concert or in the days leading up to it. It can feature the group as a whole or an individual member.

Strategy 4: Increase on campus awareness

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> Tactics Breast Cancer Concert

Forte PR feels strongly about teaming up with charitable organizations in order to establish a philanthropic brand identity for Premium Blend. Because Premium Blend focuses on being strong, empowering women, we suggest the a cappella group does a benefit concert in October to support Susan G. Komen’s efforts to fund research and find a cure as well as educate women on how to detect and prevent breast cancer. We believe hosting this concert would create a positive image for Premium Blend.

Teal = Ovarian Cancer

Premium Blend is branded with the color teal. Upon further research, Forte PR found that teal ribbons are associated with ovarian cancer awareness. Forte PR recommends that Premium Blend positions themselves as strong supporters of this cause because it aligns with their branding of being strong, empowering women. This opportunity would also allow the group to engage and interact with the Ithaca College community and encourage their fans and followers to educate themselves on women’s health.

Sunday, March 8: International Women’s Day 2015

Sunday, March 8, 2015 is International Women’s Day. Forte PR recommends that Premium Blend creates a campaign surrounding this day in order to further penetrate community engagement and build their image as a strong female group on Ithaca College’s campus. We suggest doing a white-board campaign where members of Premium Blend connect with members of the Ithaca College campus and discuss all of the wonderful attributes associated with women and why it is important to celebrate and encourage women of all ages.

Strategy 5: Cultivate positive associations with Premium Blend

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Measurement/Evaluation <Social Media Involvement The number of ‘likes’ on Facebook, followers on Twitter, and views on YouTube will be tracked to evaluate changes in social media involvement.

Website Traffic Forte PR will be able to evaluate the level of interest in the group based on the amount of time spent on the website and additional sites visited through the website.

Attendance At Concerts We will evaluate attendance at concerts before and after tactics are put into place.

Merchandise Sold We will compare the amount of inventory sold before and after tactics are put into place.

Comment Cards/Surveys at Concerts By offering the chance to complete a survey after concerts with the incentive of winning a fan pack that includes a traveler mug, t-shirt, and CD, we will be able to gauge audience satisfaction.

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> TimetableSpring'Semester'2015 Summer'2015 Fall'Semester'2015

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Facebook

Twi;er

YouTube

Merchandise

BlockAConcerts

PopDUpACoffeeACart

PressANight

PressAKitADistribuHon

JointAConcerts

CharityACollaboraHons

Spring 2015January: Launch social media campaigns on all platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube), sell merchandise before and during concert at Agava, host a press night and distribute press kits prior to Agava event February: Continue social media campaigns, promote and sell merchandise before block 3 concert, pop-up coffee cart with Premium Blend coffee to promote block 3 concert March: Social media, promotional coffee sleeves, sell merchandise at International Women’s day concert (March 8) April: Focus on social media May: Social media, promote joint concert, sell merchandise at the concert and prior to the event to promote the concert.

Summer 2015June: Focus on social mediaJuly: Focus on social media

Fall 2015August: Social media, promote and sell merchandise while promoting for a back-to-school joint concert. September: Social media, press night distributing press kits prior October concerts. October: Social media, promote and sell merchandise, pop-up coffee cart with Premium Blend coffee promoting Breast Cancer awareness benefit concert. November: Social media, promote and sell merchandise, press kit distribution promoting November tour and December concerts. December: Social media, promote and sell merchandise promoting December concert.

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Budget <Item Individual Quantity Individual Price Total Cost

CD Case 1 Pkg of 200 $36.90 $36.90

CD 2 Pkgs of 100 $26.00 $52.00Coffee Sleeve 400 $0.47 $188.00

Print Shop Estimate $20.00T-Shirt 150 $8.90 $1,348.50

Travel Mug 100 $3.50 $353.00

TOTAL $2,178.40

CDs: Premium Blend would purchase the materials and burn their own CDs. These can be purchased at merchandise tables when set up at events, for the group to get their music out there, and to make a profit. Suggested selling of price of $5.00 per CD.Total Cost: $88.99

Coffee Sleeves: These sleeves are priced at $0.47 each and are available in either White or Brown cardboard. The logo for the group would be placed on one side, and all concert dates would be placed on the other. This way they can be used at any point in the school year.Total Cost: $188.00

Print Shop Estimate: Using the print shop on campus is a relatively inexpensive way to have nicely produced materials. We estimate that most of the costs for the print shop will be from printing posters, press kits, and cover art for CDs.Total Cost: $200.00

T-Shirts: Using vistaprint.com, Premium Blend will send T-Shirt designs in with their logo and tagline. The order will be 150 classic tees priced at $8.99 each. Suggested selling price of $12.00 per shirt.Total Cost: $1,348.50

Travel Mugs: These travel mugs are stainless steel tumblers with aqua trim for $3.53 each. This product will only have the group’s logo as something simple that can be reproduced any academic year. Suggested selling price $8.00.Total Cost: $353.00

Promotion Possibility: Create t-shirt and travel mug bundles as a special promotion and slightly decrease the price from the two of them combined. Suggested selling price $16.00

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> Agency Bios

ISABEL BALLA

Isabel is a junior Integrated Marketing Communications major from Springfield, Missouri. She is involved both on campus and in the Ithaca community. She volunteers at South Hill Elementary and Ithaca High School, as well as Longview Senior Community. On campus, she is involved with ICMSA, which aims to raise awareness for Muscular Sclerosis. Isabel will be studying in New York City during the Spring 2015 semester and aims to pursue an internship in fashion marketing. Isabel loves to listen to Beyonce!

DOMINIC BARBARO

Dominic is a senior Theatre Arts Management major with minors in Integrated Marketing Communications and Business. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, Dominic grew up close to music by performing at many local theatres. Dominic has interned with general managers, company managers, and producers of successful theatrical enterprises including: Wicked, Peter and the Starcatcher, If/Then, Sister Act, Bring it On: The Musical, The Woman in Black, An Inspector Calls, and The VAULT Festival London. Dominic hopes to begin a career in entertainment management upon graduation and may work in marketing communications. He hopes to someday move back to London, UK where he recently spent a semester abroad and, therefore, loves to listen to anyone British!

ALEX CAMMY

Alex is a junior 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. In his journey to become the next Oprah Alex has worked at MTV, and currently hosts the hit late-night talk show “After Hours with Alex Cammy”. When he isn’t stalking Oprah on Instagram he can be found watching every city of The Real Housewives. Alex is an avid runner and tries to keep a healthy lifestyle, and loves to listen to Susan Boyle!

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Agency Bios <

SARAH FIELMAN

Sarah is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major from Albany, New York. She loves to spend her days surrounded by friends and loves to explore the Ithaca area. When she isn’t baking up delicious treats for friends she can be found updating her Twitter and Instagram feed with her latest and greatest creation. She is planning on getting out of the cold and studying in LA for a semester and is excited to jumpstart her career in communications! Sarah loves to listen to Christina Perri!

LIZ PELLEGRINO

Liz is a junior Television Radio major with a concentration in Scriptwriting and minors in Integrated Marketing Communications and African Diaspora. She is from Buffalo, New York and likes Buffalo hot sauce, a lot. Liz loves to run, watch television and hang out with friends. Liz is excited to be studying in Los Angeles this spring semester. She doesn’t have a favorite song, but really likes Hunger of The Pines by Alt-J at the moment, and usually listens to songs on repeat.

ALISA POPPLE

Alisa is a junior Integrated Marketing Communications major from Merrick, New York. She is a member of both the Public Relations Student Society of America and the American Marketing Association on campus. During any spare time she has, she is either hanging out with friends and family, painting, attempting to teach herself guitar, rereading the Harry Potter series, or rewatching the Grey’s Anatomy series. Alisa will be studying in New York City during the Spring 2015 semester. Alisa loves to listen to Florence and the Machine.

ALEC NEVIN

Alec is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major from Rochester, New York. Alec is fan of film and television and an avid gym attendant. Alec plans to study abroad in L.A. where he can further learn the different aspects of communications and expand on his skills to gain some real work experience before graduation. Alec thoroughly enjoys listening to Nicki Minaj.

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> APPENDIX

25 SURVEY QUESTIONS AND RESULTS

26 POP UP COFFEE CART MOCK UP

27 JOINT CONCERT POSTER DESIGN MOCK UP

28 WEBSITE SUGGESTIONS

29 SOCIAL MEDIA SUGGESTIONS

31 COFFEE SLEEVE MOCK UP

32 T-SHIRT/COFFEE MUG MOCK UPS

33 SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE

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> APPENDIX A SURVEY QUESTIONS AND RESULTS

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> APPENDIX B POP UP COFFEE SHOP MOCK UP

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> APPENDIX C JOINT CONCERT POSTER MOCK UP

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> APPENDIX D WEBSITE SUGGESTIONS

add new logo and black bar for better readability and brand consistency

Spend time with SEO (search engine optimization) to bring website higher on search engines. Use keywords, link back to yourself on all social media platforms, enhance sitemap, ALT tags on images, link to credible websites… etc.

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> APPENDIX E SOCIAL MEDIA MAKEOVER - FACEBOOK

Add new logo for consistency and link to new website for SEO improvements.

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> APPENDIX F TWITTER MOCKUP / SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS

Five Tips for Better Social Media

1.Always provide photos whenever possible. Photos capture attention and interaction more than plain text does.

2. To reach the market, post frequently, specifically around times when there are major concerts or events to pique interest.

3. Interact with fans and followers. Reply to their comments and support. Fans love being recognized and appreciated!

4. Make posts on Twitter specific to Twitter and Facebook posts unique to the Facebook audience.

5. Have fun with posts, this shows your audience that you are transparent and just like them!

Add new logo and a dynamic picture during a show to be consistent with other online presences.

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> APPENDIX F COFFEE SLEEVE MOCK UP

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> APPENDIX G T-SHIRT AND COFFEE MUG MOCK UPS

T-Shirts will be simple and the new teal blended logo will

pop on a black background.

Premium Blend’s tagline will be prominent on the back of the t-shirt and help create iconic merchandise for the group.

Travel mugs will be designed consistently with the t-shirts

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> APPENDIX H SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASEIthaca, N.Y. — April 10th, 2015 — On April 9th, 2015 Premium Blend, Ithaca College’s all female a cappella group will host a benefit concert for the Cancer Resource Center for the Finger Lakes Region. All the proceeds of this concert will benefit the Cancer Resource Center for the Finger Lakes Region.

Premium Blend, a well known a cappella group on the Ithaca College campus will host the benefit concert on the Ithaca College Campus. This concert will not be the first benefit concert that the group has put on at the college, other organizations that have seen the philanthropic efforts of Premium Blend are She’s the First, More than Me, Tunes for Tay, among others.

The group took advantage of their #TealAppeal slogan and decided to show support for the teal cancer ribbon and it’s association with ovarian cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be over 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed this year and that more than 15,000 women will die from ovarian cancer this year. Premium Blend wants to take a local approach to this issue and raise money and awareness for a resource for women in the area. The Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes Region offers face-to-face comfort and assistance during a stressful time, supportive environment that lets you catch your breath and get your bearings and a community for people with cancer and their loved ones.

About Premium BlendPremium Blend is Ithaca College’s only all-female a cappella group. Founded in 1998 as a larger ensemble, the group is now comprised of 14 women dedicated to learning, performing and sharing the beauty and fun of a cappella music with a wide variety of audiences. The group enjoys exploring many different styles, incorporating rock, folk, choral and alternative music into their sets as well as current pop hits off the radio. In addition to putting on four full-length concerts each year, Premium Blend performs extensively around the Ithaca College campus and community, and each year conducts a tour to a new location on the East Coast, working with high schools, middle schools and other college a cappella groups. Over the years, the group has produced several albums, competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, and received a nomination for the Best Female Collegiate Arrangement award from the Contemporary A Cappella Society for their version of “If You Could Only See,” featured on their latest album, “Ten.”

About the Cancer Resource Center The Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes Region is a local non-profit organization serving individuals in and around Tompkins County. They depend on the support of the community through individual and corporate donations and through events like the Walkathon and 5K held every October.