How to Create a Content Marketing Plan

As a final assignment in my Content Marketing course at St. Lawrence College I created a Content Marketing Plan. This plan was based on the client Catitude, with a strategy including the objective/purpose, target market and buyer stage, the tactics, and tone of messaging. I will share with you my strategy as well as the three pieces of content I developed for the plan.

Background

Catitude is a fairly new e-commerce, monthly subscription service, that provides cats with toys, treats and catcessories, and a gift for their human, hand-selected based on the individual personality of the cat. The concept of the company is that we as humans should embrace that cats have attitude and celebrate their unique personalities.

The pet supply subscription market is highly competitive and Catitude must use its unique selling point of embracing individuality in a humorous, relatable way, to set the brand apart from its competitors.

Plan Purpose

The purpose of the content marketing plan is to support the launch of the new e-commerce website by using brand storytelling, with a humorous appeal technique. Overall the purpose is to build brand awareness for consumers and increase engagements through social media conversions (likes, follows, shares, etc.), and to increase website visits.

The target Market and Buyer Stage

So who are we selling Catitude to? Cat enthusiasts either cat owners or those looking to give Catitude as a gift are the primary and secondary target markets.  They are at the awareness stage in the buying cycle as they may not know of Catitude or other pet subscriptions, but do understand that there are benefits to purchasing pet supplies online. Here is the breakdown:

Primary Target Audience

The primary target audience of cat owners are cat enthusiasts. They treat their pet as a member of the family and will do anything to protect them. They are openly known as cat people and will often sport cat inspired clothing and accessories. They feel a sense of community when discussing their cat with other cat owners. These cat owners are tech savvy and you can often find these people looking online at funny cat memes or watching videos of cats and their antics. The follow influencers like Grumpy Cat and Taylor Swift to get a candid, authentic look at the lives of the sarcastic cat and celebrity’s daily life with her feline. These people care that they are getting a good quality product for their purchase and that the company has good corporate social responsibility, donating a portion of the proceeds to animal causes.

Secondary Target Audience

The secondary target audience is of those people who are looking for a gift for a loved one. They know that the pet owner thinks of that pet as a member of the family. The believe the person the gift is for is as cat person and will often wear cat inspired clothing and accessories. These people care that they are getting a good quality product for their purchase and that the company that they buy from has good corporate social responsibility. These people are tech savvy and may choose to purchase gifts online because of convince in shipping.

 

The Tactics

The primary goal of this content plan was to create content that will drive engagement while providing consumers valuable content that is authentic, brand storytelling consistent with brand values.

Themes within the content are present to provide consumers with a variety of content that is compelling and worth seeing. One theme throughout is embracing your personality. The videos are a cat personality series that will each feature one cat and the characteristics that make up who they are. These videos use a humorous appeal and border on cat shaming. The purpose of the video series is to introduce the fact that each cat has their own personality and that it is okay to showcase the uniqueness that is a cat’s attitude.

 

Another tactic is to showcase that the brand has good corporate social responsibility and is heavily involved in charity work. Catitude supports several cat rescues in Ontario by donating a portion of proceeds to animal charities and helps to provide cats with the opportunity to find their forever home. Targeted blog posts and an infographic are used to communicate a strong company corporate social responsibility.

 

How-to’s are also a theme within the content plan. Cat owners often adopt cats to save them from lives on the street or in shelters and do not always have the knowledge on how they should raise their pets, who are usually a lot more work than the the owner anticipates.

 

The overall goal is to produce a content that is relatable to the target audience and communicates Catitude’s brand values. Catitude’s content will effectively deliver the USP of embracing individuality making the brand stand out amongst the competition.

The Tone and Style

Catitude relies heavily on a brand storytelling style and uses a blunt humorous tone in its messaging. The brand looks to portray honesty in its messaging and is inspirational in the way that it is an authentic,  unbiased reaction to cats and their attitudes. The brand embraces the fact that its okay that cats have attitudes, and we as humans can mock them for it, while accepting that each cat is truly an individual.

The Content

Video

 

Infographic

 

Blog

What Can You Learn From a Social Media Audit?

What is a social media audit you ask? Literally the analysis of a company’s use of their website and all of their social media platforms. The audit is to see if the company is effectively using their social and to highlight some opportunities for improvement.

I compared The Small Batch Café and Eatery to Juniper Café. After looking at both of the café’s websites and social media platforms, I have noticed that there is a common theme. Both businesses share content that relates to their local community, and other businesses.

 

 

While The Small Batch creates and curates content about healthy eating, and local artists, Juniper Café creates and curates content about local farmers, or the food supply chain and about their participating in local events. Both cafés prominently showcased their relationships with local media and publications, often after the café or an employee has been featured. Both Cafés have room for improvement. Specifically, The Small Batch either needs to consistently create and curate relevant content specific to twitter or decide to stop using the platform if the audience is better reached through Facebook and Instagram.

Juniper Café has a solid brand positioning and strives to create and curate content that is relevant to the consumer as well as engaging with their audience by repurposing consumer generated content. However, the brands focus seems to be more on content marketing than promotional, and does not create a strong call to action.

So what can you learn from a social media audit?

 

You can learn about a company’s successes through social media and the opportunities they can take to become a more organized, and efficient with their marketing efforts. Comparing your business to your competitor allows you to objectively view your company in contrast what someone else has done, seeing how they have thrived.

So Its Been A While…

So its been a while since I last blogged. I started this blog as a school assignment and have often thought about picking up this blog again. I thoroughly enjoyed blog writing in spite of restrictions imposed on blogs that I was graded on.  As the time has gone on, I would regularly see something I would like to blog about (the current U.S. president gives me a lot of material), but say that I would get to blogging later. Well then a week would go by, and then the guilt would set in. I would feel so guilty that I had let it go so long, and then see something else I should be blogging about. The vicious cycle of guilt and regret would be a constant and I left this blog untouched.

So why now rekindle my blog you may ask? Well a lot has happened. I actually was nominated for a creative writing award at the 2016 Greg Awards for writing this blog! I have now entered my third year of Advertising and Marketing Communications Management at St. Lawrence College. During my time at SLC I have acted as a Peer Tutor, I volunteered as a student ambassador and as the FUSE Mentorship Program Coordinator, while maintaining Dean’s List status. In 2016, My team won 2nd Place Best Overall Ad Campaign and in 2017, at the Greg Awards in my team took home the prize for Overall Best Direct Marketing Campaign.

While I may be rusty wring this blog, recently through my summer employment as the Marketing Assistant for Kingston Association of Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Sites I have been able to curate and create blog content for the organization. So yes the class I took on creating this blog was actually useful in a real life work setting!

So here it is. My promise is to write the no-holds-barred, honest, and authentic blog that is true to my thoughts on marketing and current events. I hope you enjoy and come along for the ride!

Beer for Karaoke Superstars

Ad Report Card – Miller Lite

The Spot:

In this ad an average looking guy is in a convenience store and sets a 6-pack of Miller Lite beer on the counter. The guy then starts a conversation with the store clerk about how he is doing karaoke later. The store clerk then asks to hear him sing. At first the guy says no, then he grabs a beer and belts out the first two lines to Carry On Wayward Son.

The guy’s performance is very dramatic, and then a pretty girl walks in the store behind him. The guy abruptly stops his performance quickly leaving the store. The guy states that he goes on at 9 as he walks out the door, then pops his head back in the store to say maybe 9:30. The ad ends on an image of a Miller beer sign stating that as long as you are you its Miller time. 

Check out the ad below:

The Challenge

 

Beer commercials often show what the desired lifestyle may be while consuming the product. Miller Lite wanted to find a way to differentiate their product from the competition.

 The Idea

 

The commercial states that as long as you are you #ItsMillerTime. Miller Lite wanted to show someone embracing who they were while using the product, instead of showing you that your life will be better by using the product. It is the opposite approach some of Miller’s competitors take.

The Execution of the Idea

 

This commercial uses an iconic 40 year old song that is very well known consistently being used in movies and television brings a sense of nostalgia to the audience.

The guy and the store clerk converse as if they are old friends. Having a good conversation, the store clerk persuades the guy to sing in the middle of the store.

Miller not only looks to provide humour in the middle of the ad when the girl walks in, but also near the end when the guy pops his head back in the store.

What Works? Why?

This commercial uses a humorous appeal technique. Because it is funny, you laugh at the guy who has made a fool of himself singing into a bottle of Miller Lite in front of a pretty girl. You also laugh at the guys reappearance in the store. This commercial is entertaining.

Miller Lite’s slogan is Its Miller Time and they look to promote the consumer owning who they are while using the product. Miller looks to empower its customers to be bold and be themselves.

What Doesn’t Work? Why?

 

There is no interaction as a direct response from the female in this advertisement. The ad concept is to embrace who you are and choose Miller Lite, but you never see if the girl embraces this concept replying to the guy.

When the guy has the beer in a microphone position you do not see the Miller Lite logo. In my presentations class I have been taught the importance of keeping your product visible throughout your campaign. In this ad the bottle was rotated showing what could have been any bottle.

Grade:

 

This ad does what it sets out to do. It creates a humorous situation, promoting individuality while using the Miller Lite product. However you are left with questions like why the two characters didn’t interact at the end of the commercial. You are still left asking how the product is connected to the female character.

Answering these would have been as simple as saying “I’ll be there, save me a Miller Lite.” This interaction would have been flirty and fun embracing the concept of being yourself and having a good time while enjoying Miller Lite.  

Why Tweet?

Joining Twitter

I finally decided to create a Twitter account. Being a fairly private person that leads a rather boring life, I figured that nobody would care what I have to say.

How Twitter Plays With Emotions

Within minutes, the first post I made was liked. I’m not going lie, it kind of makes you feel special. I mean isn’t that what we do as marketers – try to make an emotional connection to our audience. This made me rethink my initial thoughts about Twitter.

#Hashtag?

Twitter has popularized the hashtag. It seems like they are taking over. Whether it be during a TV show, about a cause, or as part of a media campaign, it seems that hashtags are everywhere. A hashtag allows someone to focus in on what others are saying on a subject.

What is Trending?

On Twitter you can see what is tending. All this really means what is popular. If you think of trending from a marketing perspective you get to see if your product, event or brand is being talked about.

Twisted Tea and Social Media

This week I did a persuasive presentation for class on Twisted Tea. While this is an American company just moving into the Canadian marketplace, the company is very active on their social media accounts.

 

People are responding to the brand with almost 8,000 Instagram followers, over 3,500 Twitter followers and an astounding 98,000 Facebook likes. The Twisted Tea brand is all about the people and having a good time. This is shown throughout social media, with posts, photos and tweets being about having fun while using the product.

https://twitter.com/TwistedTea/status/660158962348617728

Check out the Twisted Tea commercial below:

What Does All of This Mean?

The Twitter platform connects consumers to brands. As I have learned in class, today’s market is consumer driven with emphasis on lifestyles and transparency.

What better way is there to communicate with your customers and potential customers than on a platform that gives your company the ultimate brand loyalty by posting core brand values.

NOT SO Effective Marketing – Part 2

In part one of this blog I talked about how Kelsey’s FAILED to promote a weekly Girls’ Night Out event and FAILED use adequate branding on the building. Now I will explain what I would do if I were running this promotion.

WHAT I WOULD DO

If I were running a company and focusing on branding instead of saying “How many?” I might have the hostess say “Welcome to Kelsey’s, enjoy your lunch, don’t forget to ask your waiter about our Girls’ Night Out promotion.” Just in that one sentence the brand name was repeated and the promotion got promoted.

If I were running this promotion, as a waiter, I would be sure to tell the customers about the upcoming Tuesday Girls’ Night Out. Especially since we were four college girls out to lunch that day. We were the perfect target demographic and an opportunity to sell us the promotion and have us invite our friends, was missed. I would not only give facts about the promotion but I would encourage the guest to come back on promotion day. I would push the value of the promotion as well as the lifestyle elements based on having a good time.

 

As the customers pay I would once again remind them about the promotion by saying, “thank you for dinning at Kelsey’s, I hope to see you Tuesday for Girls’ Night Out.” It feels informal and personal but still pushes the promotion and the brand. You really want that promotion and the brand to resonate with the customer while obtaining brand recognition and loyalty. As its not like this would cost the company any money, its just words! These words could make Kelesy’s a whole lot more money.

WHAT ELSE WOULD I DO?

Well for starters I would add some sort of sign to the back of the building, as it is seen by many cars daily. I would add a logo to some of those recognizable blue awnings at the side of the building. I would have window decals promoting Tuesday Girls Night Out. I would put the wait staff in colourful promotion shirts. I would use direct mail to attract local residents and students in Kingston. And finally I would have a printed sign in the lobby giving more information on the weekly event.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF REVIEWS

 

With many people researching customer reviews on sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp before choosing a restaurant, it is integral to provide an excellent guest service every time. Customers will start judging a restaurant before they are even in the door. On Tripadvisor Kelsey’s is rated number 248 of restaurants in Kingston and 270 of places to eat, with the majority of reviewers stating Kelsey’s is either average or terrible.

Check out the Tripadvisor page here.

Effective…Err…NOT SO Effective Marketing

So a few weeks ago I went out shopping on a Saturday with my roommates to the RioCan Centre. After a while we decided that we needed to get lunch. Wanting a restaurant in walking distance, I saw the signs of a few well known chains like Montana’s and then I saw this.

 

 

 

While the composition of the banner is eye catching and the promotion is clearly stated, I seemed to notice one major flaw. There was no signage to tell me what company or brand this was. This banner was at the back of the building that overlooked a major parking lot with interconnecting roadways that went through the outdoor complex.

Here’s why branding is important:

• Creates brand loyalty

• Creates brand recognition

• Differentiates brand for competition

• Gives employees direction

 

What I Did Next

So I walked around the side of the building and still didn’t see any signage. My roommate pointed out the blue awnings and said that she thought It might be Kelsey’s. But there was nothing on the building or in the many windows. When we got around to the front of the building and saw that it was Kelsey’s.

I found it hard to believe that there was only one sign on the building stating the name of the restaurant. Especially given the buildings location. And the only time the Tuesday night promotion was advertised was on a banner on the backside of the building. The promotion was not advertised on the side or front of the restaurant, on the windows, the doors, the lobby, by the hostess or by our waitress.  There was absolutely no personal selling involved. In addition to not having any signage in the restaurant supporting this promotion the hostess and waitress did not talk to us about it.

The only thing that told us about the promotion was a menu insert that stated the exact same thing as the outside banner.

 

What would you do to sell a weekly promotion?

 

This is part one of two, click here to see what I would do if I were in charge of this promotion!

 

CIBC Sponsorship Inspires Women

 

While on YouTube I came across an ad playing before my music video. It caught my eye and I decided to watch it instead of clicking the very appealing skip ad button in the right corner my screen.

The CIBC Run for the Cure ad pulled on my heart strings. At first I thought this is a really cool video interviewing why women participate in the run.

Then it went to a whole other level.

SPOILER ALERT: WATCH HERE 

 

I balled my eyes out while watching this ad. Every single woman in charge of some aspect of the interviews was a breast cancer survivor.

 

“Today, we were truly ‘all in this together’ as more than one hundred thousand Canadians united across the country for the CIBC Run for the Cure,” says Lynne Hudson, CEO, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

 

October is Breast Cancer ACTION Month and I have seen many stores, restaurants and local shops in Kingston promoting breast cancer awareness.

But this was an interesting take on an emotional subject. None of the merchandise I have seen evoked such strong emotions as this digital ad. I hold the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation close to my heart after seeing loved ones battle this life threatening disease.

With the annual run taking place on Sunday October 4^th, #CIBCRunfortheCure trended number one on twitter.

The cause and event marketing is the core of this ad and the sponsorship looks to elevate the CIBC brand. Fundraising events for causes like the CIBC Run for the Cure support life saving research.

As a title sponsor CIBC not only provides a sponsorship to a brand, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, but also to a cause the Run for the Cure. According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website CIBC has been a sponsor for 18 years. I think this proves that CIBC is a social responsible company trying to find a cure.

 

Check out the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for a Cure sponsors page here.

 

 

Steer It Up for Local Foodbank

 

As I have previously blogged about the Steer It Up campaign I thought I would examine if the campaign is effective. For those of you who don’t know Steer It Up is a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the purchase of a new van created by the Partners in  Mission Foodbank with support from Spark Production House and Enactus at St. Lawrence College.

Why the New Van?

The current van is ten years old and a lot of money is spent on maintenance, repairs and fuel. The If the fundraising goal of $50,000 is raised the van will be named the CareVan. The CareVan will provide more space for pickups and improve fuel economy while maintaining lower repair costs.

Why Crowdfunding?

When asking yourself if this campaign is  effective, ask if the method of funding is effective.

Crowdfunding is a way to get many people to donate to contribute to a larger cause. It creates a sense of community within the contributors, and support to the cause. Crowdfunding this cause is effective because people are more likely to donate if they receive perks for their contributions.

The Use of Partnerships

Supporting partners Enactus and Spark Production House are groups associated with St. Lawrence College. There are 7,000 students at St. Lawrence College. By having these connections to the college the campaign is viewed by a large number of students and faculty. These students and faculty not only donate themselves but they share this information with their connections.

What you Get When you Donate

As crowdfunding rewards vary given the amount donated you can choose how much to donate based on the reward given. Some of these rewards include:

• Your name on the side of the van
• A digital badge to post on social media
• A printed copy of Recipes for an Empty Wallet
• An electronic copy of Recipes for an Empty Wallet
• Your logo on the van
• Shout outs on social media
• Facebook and Twitter sponsored posts
• One shift riding in the van

The verdict

Crowdfunding for the Steer It Up campaign is effective

In just two weeks the campaign has raised over $25,000. Thats  half of the $50,000 goal. St Lawrence College in itself is a community but it is also part of the larger community of Kingston. The partnership between Enactus, Partners in Mission Foodbank and Spark Production House allows students to become active in their community while supporting a worthy  cause. Partners in Mission Foodbank provides an important service to Kingston and the surrounding area. An area that we live in and interact with on a daily basis. By donating small amounts contributing to a larger cause, crowdfunding gives you the sense of community. Therefore Crowdfunding the Steer It Up campaign resonates with the audience of the Kingston area community.

 

So check out this campaign video created by Spark Production House

 

DONATE TODAY!

To Vote or Not to Vote

With an upcoming federal election, I have to determine if I will vote. If I decide to vote, then I must figure out why I am voting and who best supports my political views.

The Right to Vote

As a democratic society, in Canada we are given the right to choose if we want to vote. Statistically in every federal election many Canadians choose to exercise this right and do not vote. I find myself asking why people, myself sometimes included choose not to vote. While some people say its because they do not follow politics others say that they simply don’t have time on election day. But with all candidates debates and advanced polls the excuses seem pointless.

Is There Truth in Election Marketing?

Then there is the election marketing. It seems to break all the rules. Political comments are usually taken way out of context and skewed in a way that only really benefits the campaign that paid for it. The baseless accusations mount and clouds your judgement. Its hard to even know who means what they say and if they will follow through with the promises made.

My Thoughts

From personal experience I can say that sometimes I find that there is a disconnect between the federal party leaders and the local representatives. I have gone to a local all candidates meeting and have been surprised by how the representatives present themselves and the issues in relation to the party views promoted by the federal leader. So then I am faced with a challenge. Do I choose the local representative that seems to care more about the issues in our local area, or another federal party whose platform I identify with most, even if I don’t think that candidate is right for Prime Minister?                  

So really from now until election day the hard work is mine. I have to become informed and make a decision that is right for me, knowing that as Canadians we have to responsibility to make a change and let our voice be heard.

For more information regarding the October 19th election you can visit the Elections Canada website here.

Will you be voting?