Ad Agency 1 Competitive Sales / Pricing analysis
User Solution Inc Campaign Book
Jacquelyn Cusumano Estefany Hernandez Mariana Gomez Del Nogal Isabelle Ashby Adriana Castro Natalie Cordero Jennifer Ruby Perez
pg. 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
RESEARCH SECTION
- INTRODUCTION
- PROBLEM STATEMENT
1. SITUATION ANALYSIS
2. SECONDARY RESEARCH
3. PRIMARY RESEARCH
a. PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
- STRATEGY SECTION
1. TARGET MARKET PROFILE
2. MARKETING GOAL
3. IMC OBJECTIVES
4. IMC STRATEGIES
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TACTICS SECTION
1. MARKETING RECOMMENDATIONS
STRATEGY #1
IMPLEMENTATION SECTION
1. BUDGET
2. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
EVALUATION SECTION
1. EVALUATION METRICS
2. LIMITATIONS
APPENDIX SECTION
1. APPENDIX
2. BRIEF STUDENT BIO
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Users Solutions Inc serves the manufacturing industry to thrive by creating and
providing multiple products that adjust to and schedule any manufacturing needs a company
may have. The company has been providing service out of South Lyon, Michigan since
1991. Their products are always improving, and the company's main mission is to respond to
what their customers want and need.
With these goals in mind, it is important to create and define the steps in order to
accomplish what the company is wanting to achieve. With that in mind this book is an
advertising plan that covers Digital, social media, sales promotions, public relations, and
communication advertising that will take Users Solutions Inc to another level as a company.
The company will use Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn as the social media platforms to
create an increase in brand awareness and outreach.
The implementation of the techniques covered in the remainder of this book will
create the growth Users Solutions Inc is looking for in order to ultimately create the best
service for their current and future customers.
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INTRODUCTION
Users Solutions Inc is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1991 in South
Lyon, Michigan. Users Solutions Inc. was founded as a distinct offspring from Lotus
Development Corporation with the initial goal of marketing and supporting Lotus Factory as
well as other products being developed at Lotus Development Corporation, such as the
"Spreadsheet Operations Manager".
User Solution Inc's major goal is to assists factories/manufacturers become
significantly more profitable, productive, and successful by utilizing superior material
management systems that are accessible, adaptable, and simple to deploy.
Since 1991, User Solution Inc. has stood for the idea that the company must work
closely with its customers to develop innovative solutions to their production planning,
scheduling, and tracking challenges in their preferred way. User Solution Inc works to
understand the demands and needs of their clients and deliver a solution that will smoothly
connect with those needs. By offering several types of memberships of production planning
and scheduling solutions to address their manufacturing client’s scheduling difficulties.
User solution finds motivation from their company’s vision which aims to increase
the quality of service to clients that are in need of improvement and growth in their
manufacturing companies in order to become competitive in their markets. User Solution
Inc’ primary objective is to help businesses and manufacturers increase their profitability,
efficiency, and success by adopting complicated management systems that are easily
deployable and adaptable.
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
- SITUATION ANALYSIS
The main problem that is a threat to Users Solutions Inc is lack of sales outreach,
advertising and PR plans. Users Solution’s technology is full of value and quality but has an
older display that can turn away potential clients. The ideal situation we hope to achieve for
Solutions Inc. is to increase brand awareness in social media outlets and the quality of
service provided to the clients that are most in need of improvement in the management and
the growth of their manufacturing businesses.
Supply chain and manufacturing management is a complex industry in America and
all over the world. It is an intertwined industry that relies on several parts to function. With
that being said, the supply chain management industry is the most crucial factor for allowing
the world to continue to function together. There are also a lot of companies like User
Solutions Inc. that focus on providing service to the supply chain industry, which at the very
beginning of the process is manufacturing. With the surplus of companies that target
manufacturing companies, it is overwhelming for these companies to figure out which
management scheduling will be the best for their specific and unique needs. With that being
said, User Solutions Inc provides the perfect solution. User Solutions prides themselves in
the unique and adaptable software they provide to each and every one of their unique clients
that come from all different types of manufacturing fields. There are various products,
facilities, technology, and export and import techniques that need precise and deliberate
scheduling and managing.
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SECONDARY RESEARCH
- COMPANY ANALYSIS
User Solution Inc. was established in 1991, in South Lyon, Michigan as an
independent spinoff from Lotus Corporation. In 1992, User Solution added more
spreadsheets models for scheduling, additionally, they announced the integration of
Spreadsheet QC and StatMax, as well as a large collection of SPC/SQC templates.
By 1995, User Solution became a Lotus business partner and had introduced a new
program called Spreadsheet MRP, the first all-purpose Material Requirements Planning
software that worked with Lotus 1-2-3. This new program was praised by APICS (American
Production and Inventory Control Society) as a "Unique and Valuable Tool." Additional,
User Solution became Microsoft Solution Provider and started converting the Spreadsheet
Resource Manager, a Lotus 1-2-3 macro-based program, to Visual Basic.
By 2000, User Solution had incorporated excel version 1, 2 and 3 to their software
programs. And had been selected as the Software Winner in the Excellence in Innovation
category by the readers of New Equipment Digest. Additionally, User Solutions kept
enhancing Resource Manager by upgrading it to work with Excel and Office 2000 and
adding connections to the well-known QuickBooks and Peachtree Accounting products.
By 2010, User Solution had celebrated 15 years in business. In addition, User
Solutions gains status as an Exact North America Complementary Software Provider. In
addition, User Solutions incorporates Lean Manufacturing into Resource Manager-DB
through a collaboration with Instruments for Industry (IFI). Resource Manager-DB is made
available by User Solutions, Inc. in a version that is compatible with Microsoft SQL Server,
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and User Solutions also enters into a distribution agreement with Digital River, a leader in
global e-commerce, to make their Excel templates available globally through a network of
thousands of online complementary software resellers.
By 2016, User Solution celebrated their 25-year anniversary and was chosen by CIO-
Applications as one of just 25 short-listed businesses changing the ERP space. In addition,
the introduction of Visual Scheduler, a.Net product that replaces the traditional white-board
method of scheduling with a graphical interface. As well as the announcement of the
SweetRP release, the first user-friendly and economical cloud-based resource planner.
When viewed as a whole, one can see that User Solution Inc values positive
effects. User solution finds motivation from their company’s vision which aims to increase
the quality of service to clients that are in need of improvement and growth in their
manufacturing companies in order to become competitive in their markets. User Solution
Inc’ primary objective is to help businesses and manufacturers increase their profitability,
efficiency, and success by adopting complicated management systems that are easily
deployable and adaptable. Additionally, User Solution Inc provides a strategy that seamlessly
connects to those needs by providing a variety of production planning products and
scheduling solutions to resolve their clients' scheduling challenges.
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- ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES
We wanted to find out how we compare to our competitors in the market, from this
comparison we will look at what we can learn from them and their strategies, to implement it
into our plan. This will help us match up with our competitors and gain more exposure,
which increases our profits and our name.
We used various internal and external sources to meet our objective. For more
information about inside the company (sale, clients, current marketing and media efforts), we
consulted Jim Convis (the CEO of User Solutions). For information on statistics of other
companies, we used external sources like Monday.com, Enlyfft.com, and Fishbowl. These
sources were used to give us the statistics we would be comparing to User Solutions. Some
of the statistics include (clientele, marketing efforts, advertisements, product pricing, and
testimonials).
- COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
o COMPETITIVE MEDIA
The competitors of User Solutions have a modern and vibrant typeface. The brand is
vibrant and attractive to the modern target audience. With the innovations of social media,
competitors have an advantage, by using seemingly unorthodox mediums of advertising.
User Solutions is in the field of scheduling and manufacturing, one would assume that
to market such a service, one would have to go about advertising the traditional way.
Traditionally a “back-end” service like this would advertise and market through word of
mouth, from manufacturer to manufacturer. User Solutions competitors like Monday.com,
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have taken another route by marketing the service like if it were a trendy product, which is
what makes their service approachable.
Monday.com does not make the ad viewer feel that they do not know enough about
the field to purchase the service. They give themselves an approachable style by marketing
on newer media like Instagram, and even using Micro-Influencers that have a small
following in the business owner field on Instagram or TikTok. Monday.com will reach out to
a Micro-influencer, who posts about small businesses and ways to grow your business, to
make posts promoting them. They will reach out to the influencer and offer them a free or
discounted subscription so that they can learn all the benefits for small business that
Monday.com brings. Monday.com is a service that organizes and schedules products or
services for a company, much like User Solutions does. Mondays.com has an advantage over
User Solutions because of their relatable approach to a seemingly unrelatable topic.
o COMPETITIVE SALES
Fishbowl is a direct competitor of manufacturing and scheduling software’s, some
customer testimonials find it to be expensive, but they say that it is worth it. Fishbowl is
currently being used by more than 700 companies, and the companies that use it as their
main source for manufacturing scheduling and inventory, and many also use it as their main
program for accounting. These companies have roughly 10-50 employees and can be seen
from low to middle tier sized. These companies vary in specialization, with the most being
Manufacturing, but also being used by businesses like Retail, Food & Beverage, and Oil &
Energy (https://enlyft.com/tech/products/fishbowl-inventory).
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In comparison, User Solutions can greatly benefit from their competitors, rather than
having such a niche business base for companies, User Solutions can target different areas of
business. Creating variety in the business targets creates an opportunity for User Solutions to
increase their profit as well as their exposure. Targeting small businesses that sell on Etsy
that hold their inventory in Etsy’s warehouse, can be extremely beneficial. Having many
small businesses as clients not only increases the customer base, it also creates a wider
portfolio for User Solutions, giving it a more approachable front.
o PRICING ANALYSIS
An influential competitor of User Solutions is Fishbowl, it is an inventory
management software that specializes in managing the manufacturing process, as well as
inventory. Scheduling of manufacturing is just one of the many things that fall under their
umbrella, Fishbowl, also helps their clients’ cut costs, and flags anything that is harming
their efficiency, productivity, and sales. Fishbowl has an annual subscription of $4,395.
The annual subscription requires a renewal which includes an array of different
services that are enveloped in the scheduling and inventory process, they also offer extras
that spill into the accounting sector of the behind the scenes of a business. Fishbowl has
something unique that User Solutions could benefit from, expanding their concentration in
manufacturing; currently, User Solutions offers scheduling. Adding an inventory log that
controls and keeps track of the inventory could be an area that User Solutions could look
into.
pg. 10
Keeping track of sales and automatically doing basic accounting as each product is
sold, is another facet that could potentially increase sales, and increase the target market. It
could increase the target market because many times, businesses keep track of their sales
manually, which takes a lot of time away from the business owner, or whomever oversees
accounting and sales. Fishbowl offers the accounting feature in their annual price, which
takes out the need for an accountant or accounting software subscription.
o MARKET ANALYSIS
The environment that User Solutions is competing in, can be considered as one that is
more in the background compared to other companies and that are flashier and seen at the
forefront of companies and their advertising. When companies that schedules manufacturing
are marketed, it is different to what we are used to, it is not your typical ad where the
companies that attract the general public, with bright graphics. These companies usually have
an objective that is easy to follow and seems user friendly.
User Solutions’ market is targeted towards people who are familiar with the backend
of management in a company. They are familiar with the ins and outs of the company and
how it runs, down to the raw materials that are used in the products. User Solutions’ is in an
environment that targets department heads and managers that deal directly with their product,
their manufacturers, and the ordering process.
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PRIMARY RESEARCH
- PROBLEM AND OPPORTUNITIES
When working with companies as an Advertising Agency, it is important to know all
the ins and outs of the company and everything they offer or do not offer. The objectives of
our research were to find out what User Solutions is as a company, who buys their products,
and why these clients need scheduling software. There are many research methods that are
vital in order to understand the objectives that will benefit Users Solutions as a company.
The methods include reaching out to the right sources for information, creating feasible goals
and implementing the execution in order to achieve the goals set. The Sources of the
information gathered comes from the CEO of Users Solutions Inc., Jim Convis, past clients
and potential clients such as Onix Manufacturing Company.
Research with Jim Convis Outlines:
The software products for manufacturing and supply chain companies and production
scheduling provided at User's Solutions Range from $490-$5,000 with the sweet spot 15-
20k. These products include implementing/training and getting it ready for the client that
purchased the product. Something that Jim Convis made very clear during various
conversations, is that the products can adapt to fit customers’ needs and their business in
order to “fit like a glove”.
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• Users’ Solutions Inc has been working with the same developers for over 25 years
which enables flexibility with each and every client. Reaching smaller companies is
very important for the future of the company and will, in return aid better reach.
• User Solution Inc has better software but will lose because of the dated interface
• Creating value to their customers and being able to adjust their products in order to
help the client’s business as much as possible
• What their customers real pains are and solve as easily as possible and make it as easy
as they can
• Their position is in serving the community (local, national and global) in order to use
technology to advance businesses and improve their customers businesses to grow
and thrive
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- SWOT ANALYSIS
During the course of this semester our group was able to pinpoint the internal and
external opportunities and vulnerabilities of User Solution Inc. To reach the goals the
company is aiming for, it is crucial to consider the company’s advantages and
disadvantages. Below you’ll find a chart that outlined the company's strengths and
weaknesses.
• Competitive design of schedule management interface
• Disruptions in supply chain •Competitors having better outreach
•Clients going out of business •Cyber attacks
• Integration with Monday.com
•New website revamp • The improvement of the products that are geared towards clients' needs
• Advertising campaign integration
• Secure technology and software
• Lack of sales outreach, marketing and awareness for newpotential clients
• They have a small team, therefore, could benefit from focused growth around the sales center of the company
• User Solution is an experienced and mature company; therefore, their clientele is strong and loyal.
• Manufactoring is a very established market globally and has the confidence and trust of the customer/consumer behind it.
• The product is flexible and adjustable to the needs of each client.
• User Solutions has adjustable scheduling, if there are disruptions in supply chain.
Strengths Weaknesses
ThreatsOpportunities
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STRATEGY SECTION
- TARGET MARKET PROFILE
User Solution Inc target market consists of older men and women in the
manufacturing sector and/or new entrepreneurs searching for ways to efficiently handle their
small-scale business schedule. User S. Inc is primarily looking for manufactures that are
within the U.S.A region between the ages of 30-60.
By developing a revised and improved campaign strategy, User S. Inc. will be able to
enhance its brand awareness while also generating higher outreach and accessibility for
future and current consumers.
User Solution Inc helps manufacturers to integrate versatile and cost-effective
programs that enhance their competitiveness and efficiency. They accomplish this by
allowing manufacturing businesses to add “Finite Capacity Scheduling capability to any
ERP system, or by supplying Material Requirements Planning for smaller operations with
only a basic accounting solution, and/or by delivering simple Job Shop Scheduling
Solutions”
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CONSUMER PROFILE
Target Client #1: James Shannon - Demographics: o Age: 45 o Gender: Male o Annual Income: Middle Class o Education: High School Diploma, Some College Education o Ethnicity: White o Location: Houston, Texas o Occupation: Industrial Manager
Target Client #2: Logan McGuire
- Demographics: o Age: 40 o Gender: Female o Annual Income: Upper Middle Class o Education: Associates Degree in Business Administration o Ethnicity: African American o Location: Washington, DC o Occupation: Newly Business Owner
MARKETING GOAL
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After thoroughly debating the marketing strategy, and evaluating the objectives for
User Solution Inc., and taking into consideration our fundings, and—most importantly—
examining the media preferences of our intended audience. We opted to divide our attention
between LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Google Ads as followed:
o Launch strong online platforms by January 2023, including Facebook,
LinkedIn, Instagram, Google Ads and YouTube. Establish a presence with
logos, visuals, content, and references in which all relevant announcements
and events will be published.
o Feature newsletter sign-ups into User S. Inc’s website by February 2023.
o Boost the number of YouTube views by 80% by May 2023.
o Gain over 100 new subscribers on YouTube by June 2023.
o Increase LinkedIn connections by 90% by March 2023.
o Boost Instagram account followers by 100% by April 2023.
o Enhance the click-through rate in Google Ads by 80% by July 2023.
o Gain new clients by 45% by June 2023.
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
January February March April May June July
Marketing Goal
Increase Clients
CTR
Instagram Followers
Linkedin Connections
YouTube Views
YouTube Subscribers
Newsletter Signups
Launch Platforms
pg. 18
IMC OBJECTIVES
By creating different social media platforms for User Solutions Inc. It will give the
company a chance for more exposure. Potential customers can learn more about the
company, what we offer and how to use it. Some of the main Integrated Marketing
communication objectives for User Solutions are to:
• Increase clicks through rate by 80% by June of 2023.
• Increase YouTube views by 80% by June 2023
• Gain 100 new subscribers on YouTube by June 2023
• Gain 300 new connections on LinkedIn by March 2023
• Increase Instagram followers by 80% by June 2023
• Gain new clients by 45% by June 2023
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IMC STRATEGIES
o Start by using Canva to design and produce infographics and aesthetically pleasing
posts and stories for the company’s social media accounts. Since it's available to the
public for free, it won't have an effect on the company's budget.
o Creating reels and stories with Q&As about the company will be a perfect tool to
engage with the audience and potential customers
o Focus on sharing success stories, posts, videos, and press releases on LinkedIn and
Instagram with a link to the company’s website so potential users can see and click if
interested.
o Consider the following social media plan:
• Post twice a week on Instagram
• Post one story/reel once a week on Instagram
• Post twice a week on Facebook
• Post once a week on LinkedIn
• Live videos every other week on Instagram and Facebook
• Post blog links from manufacturing websites which User Solution Inc is
included in
• Have personalized interactions with existing users
pg. 20
STRATEGY:
• Create an Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn profile for User Solutions
Inc
• Create and publish three daily posts for Instagram with new and organic material
• Create and publish three daily posts for Facebook with new and organic material
• Create and publish one daily posts for LinkedIn with new and organic material
• Schedule Instagram and Facebook Live interactions with existing clients to talk about
their experience with User Inc to engage and connect with existing and potential
clients.
pg. 21
pg. 22
IMC TACTICS SECTION
- MARKETING RECOMMENDATIONS
Instagram Post # 1
This introductory post for Instagram. Since the company doesn’t have a large
presence on social media, this post is great to introduce User Solutions to a broader audience.
It allows followers to get to know the company’s mission and what it offers. The link on the
bottom invites’ followers to the website, helping User Solutions gain more traffic.
pg. 23
Instagram Post # 2
The purpose of this post on Instagram is to bring awareness to followers of an up-and-
coming website launch. The pair of eyes help grab followers' attention and alert them. It is a
more fun and playful design which helps attract potential viewers. This post is just an
example and can be edited to one’s liking. Another great example would be to add a date for
the launch, that way followers are intrigued and left wondering. It creates more engagement
for the account. Posts like these should be centered around a visual and the information
accordingly.
pg. 24
LinkedIn Post
The purpose of this LinkedIn post is to generate brand awareness and name
recognition.
pg. 25
LinkedIn Post #2
This purpose of the “product alert” social media post is to alert our audience and clients
the new updated “EDGE” product that is focused on the visually aesthetic interface that
clients love and that the product is a more modern update.
pg. 26
Facebook Post
The purpose of sharing this social media post is to let our viewers and customers
know that User Solutions Inc is a credible, successful business. Sharing customer reviews
can help us establish trust and more leads and customers!
We decided for a more professional look for our Facebook and LinkedIn viewers
due to its older demographic.
pg. 27
STRATEGY #1 The strategy to increase traffic to User Solution Inc.'s website and social media
platforms was created by merging the creative strategy with strategic branding. For our
client, it was crucial that we had a contemporary aesthetic in conjunction with the new
program release considering that a more contemporary design will attract more users to the
website.
- PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY
Our aim is to make the most of the public's perception and strategic branding.
Strategies involving the creation of organic content, tradeshows, live video tutorials, and
one-on-one sections to provide more support for new clients. In addition to increasing
website traffic, our goal is to generate leads, earn trust, and finalize transactions. We want to
regularly communicate with our clients to create a simple, useful, and memorable
experience. We intend to provide our customers with press releases and newsletter that
shares updates on upcoming events and how-to tutorial publications for common concerns
twice a month.
Press releases are a powerful tool for spreading information about forthcoming events
or significant developments done to a company. Press releases give your business the chance
to interact directly with your target public, present your viewpoint on relevant events or new
achievements, and promote your company's mission. Whereas the newsletters offer people
the opportunity to learn more about your company, as well as the specific goods and services
pg. 28
your company provides. A newsletter can broaden horizons and present a more
comprehensive view of who you are to your consumers.
WHY? Technologies such social networking sites offers excellent opportunity for
growth, increase in revenue, and consumer loyalty across various platform.
(Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn)
HOW? By analyzing our resources and utilizing them in our favor. Interacting
with current and potential customers, creating high-quality content for the social
media outlets, and collaborating in live videos with currents clients are all
examples of strategies the company can use.
pg. 29
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HelloUSER@SOLUTIONSINC.COM PRESS RELEASE November 21, 2022 Michigan, November 21, 2020 - User Solution Inc. revealed the recent substantial
enhancements to their programming software, in addition to a forthcoming transformation of the complete look of their webpage. The newly added program will be known as EDGEBI. A program with an easy-to-customize, graphical interface that will improve administration of production schedule. EDGEBI offers color-coded schedules for up to the minute status on any job. A feature that enables easy mouse-click-and-drag movement of any segment between work centers. Additionally, any segment may be modified in reaction to any unanticipated disruptions or time extensions. EDGEBI also includes a capacity utilization graph, an update icon, and a rescheduling tool to ensure that the timeline reflects reality.
With the help of EDGEBI, customers will be able to view their capacity loading quickly and easily for the full schedule using the program’s Heat Map. For a more personalized overview of all activities, clients can also run the schedule Key Dates Reports with an option to import to Excel.
pg. 30
SALES STRATEGY
- STRATEGY
For Sale/direct marketing and event marketing, the most effective tactic would be to
attend manufacturing and close-related trade shows/conferences. Attending these events
would allow for many positive gains, for example gaining the ability to expand the brand,
and network, get to meet new clients with a one-on-one experience, and educate on what
exactly the company does among other benefits. According to a survey by Statista, 74% of
responders said they were more likely to purchase products that had been promoted at a trade
show.
Listed below are the different prices for the different kinds of promotional items that
bring brand awareness to those attendees. There is an expected attendance of about 2,500
people per event. Listed below are the approximations of how much the company would be
spending at these conferences if 10 were to be attended yearly.
- ESPECIAL EVENTS
o Trade Shows / Exhibitions- Estimate for 2023 trade shows
§ Find conferences to attend with exact target audience (Approx. 5-10
conferences during year 2023)
pg. 31
- CHECK CONFERENCE DATA
o Expected attendance
§ 2,500 estimated each conference
o Sponsorship Opportunities/Cost
§ Approx. $10,000
o Exhibition Opportunities/Cost
§ Approx. $3,000
o Promotional Items/Cost (1,000 of each item)
§ Pens $0.50 each
§ Selfie Lights $8.00 each
§ Mini Notebooks $5.50 each
§ Tote Bags $4.50 each
§ Stress Balls $3.50 each
§ Mugs $5.00 each
§ Mints $0.50 each
• Total: $27,500.00 yearly
o Attendee List
§ Attendee list is important because it will let us know who to
advertise to.
§ We’ll send these attendees, pre-attending emails to inform them that
we will be at the conference, and we love for them to visit our
booth.
pg. 32
o What sales team will attend
§ Picking the perfect team to attend makes all the difference. The best
salesman of the company to attract new leads who will be potential
clients of the company.
o Flight/ Hotels Accommodations/Cost
§ If the conference is out of town, we need to have a travel budget
(maximum cost):
• Hotel - $250 per night (includes Breakfast and dinner)
• Flight - $400 round-trip
o Blow-up presentation booth 10’x10’/Cost
§ Approx. $3,000 each
§ 3 blow ups booths will be ordered to have has back up
§ Total $9,000.00
o Shipment Cost for Booth (Round-trip)
§ UPS Freight/Ground
§ Booth weighs 50 lbs. max.
§ Approx. $500 round trip
o Shipment Cots for Promotional Items
§ Promotional items should be sent 1-2 weeks in advance directly to
the conference, or hotel our sales leads will be staying at.
§ UPS will be used.
pg. 33
Example of the flyer that will be emailed out once the Attendee list is solidified.
pg. 34
MEDIA PLAN
Our objectives for the media plan are to rebrand, increase website traffic, direct
mailing, and social media awareness. Increase sales outreach to similar manufacturing
companies, equip business owners with the tools they need in order to run their businesses
more efficiently. Create a strong social media presence in Instagram, Facebook, and
LinkedIn. All social media posts should be created following brand guidelines.
Facebook: User Solutions’ presence on Facebook would benefit the company.
Making connections with clients and professionals of the business would increase
engagement on the platform, keeping our engagement metrics high. The platform’s older
demographic is perfect for the company since that is our target audience. Posts should be
uploaded at the rate of 3 times a week.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is perfect for the kind of company User Solutions is. Using the
account to gain connections with other supply chain management employees or leadership
can help bring in clients and if you connect with your current clients, it increases brand
loyalty having a company that can listen to them and keep them up to date. Posts on
LinkedIn should be centered either around promotions, company updates, and customer
success stories. By doing this we would be able to achieve our goal of increasing connections
by 90% by March 2023
Instagram: Instagram is a great platform for User Solutions to expand into. The
platform’s younger demographic is great to tap into and by making and posting posts that are
bright and a little playful would draw in new followers and other potential clients in the
pg. 35
market that are interested in switching providers or finding a company to cater to them. The
company can even track post, follower, and engagement metrics by making a business
account and using Instagram analytics. Taking advantage of different features such as lives
and reels, the company can answer client questions, do live demonstrations of product
features, and more. Giving the account more reach among its prime audience.
pg. 36
IMPLEMENTATION SECTION
- BUDGET
The starting budget is $15,000. The strategies that would most benefit the company
are both effective and economic - all within the requested budget. To gain social media
interactions the best platforms to invest in for ads are LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google.
These are the platforms we have decided on due to our target market being most active on
these websites.
Some ads are more expensive than others but during the implementation of these
tactics for the three months we will be able to see the traffic flow and whether the investment
is cost-effective. When it comes to google search engine keywords, they have proven to be
very effective in many ways. Bringing in new clientele and making the company seem
trustworthy. Each keyword has a different price and that is due to the popularity of how
many times that particular word is searched on google. Depending on the word the company
chooses to invest in then when that word is searched the company's website will pop up at
the top of the search engine. Listed below are the variations in the cost per click per
keyword.
• Google Search Engine Keywords
• Software - Cost $35.00 Cost Per Click (CPC)
• Production Scheduling - $7.00 CPC
• Supply Chain Management - $9.00 CPC
• Facebook ads - $1.00 CPC
• LinkedIn Ads - $6.00 CPC
pg. 37
IMPLEMENTATION SECTION
- IMPLEMENTING SCHEDULE
To achieve our goals for the organization, User Solutions Inc. will adhere to the
following steps for our strategic plan:
pg. 38
When drafting this implementation timeline, our team took into account that our total
budget was only $15,000. Therefore, we chose to base the majority of our strategy largely on
elements that were free but also because we wanted to create as many opportunities for the
company to grow as we could. We chose to spend the majority of our budget on trade shows
because we believed it was the most effective way to raise brand awareness and generate
some revenue at the same time.
pg. 39
Below, we've included a flowchart that will assist the company when going to
tradeshow events.
Find Industrial Tradeshows
Tradeshow Proposal
Location & Timing Confirmation
Seek Sponsorship Event Promotion
(See flyer example in pg. 33)
Finalize Run Sheet (Products promotion,
person(s) attending etc.) Hold Event
Evaluation Financial & Progress Report
pg. 40
HUMAN RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS
The company should contemplate hiring a part-time marketing intern for college credit,
which means that the student will be able to work for school credits and won’t have any financial
remuneration. The intern will be learning from the more experienced employees of the company
and helping them ease their load of work.
EVALUATION SECTION
- EVALUATION METRICS
A number of organizations measure their success based on consumer feedback via
surveys, pre-and-posting testing, etc. Nonetheless, many of these organizations have larger
budgets and a larger sample size to work with. Since User Solutions Inc is starting with a smaller
customer base and growing, it is best to initially test the organization against itself using social
media metrics:
- Applause Rate - Applause rate is the number of likes, favorites, or other positive
actions from each of your posts. This can be used to calculate how much value your
posts have to your audience. The more positive actions you get on your content, the
more value you’re providing to your public. In order to calculate your applause rate,
first add up the number of approval actions on all your posts for a specific date or
over a given period divided by your total number of followers, and then multiply by
100.
- Average Engagement Rate (AER) - AER is the level of interaction between your
posts and your audience. In order to calculate your average engagement rate, you’ll
add the total number of interactions on your posts over a given period, then you’ll
pg. 41
divide by your number of followers, and then multiply by 100. However, if you wish
to calculate your engagement rate on a specific post, you have to add up all your
interactions (reactions, comments, etc.), divide by the total number of impressions on
your post, and finally multiply by 100.
- Conversion Rate - Conversion rate is the exact amount of people who take some
kind of action on your page divided by your page’s total visitors. It is the most
evident illustration of how worthy your audience thinks you are. If you are getting
many visitors but few conversions, it is time to change or modernize your strategy
and approach. Some of the actions people can take on your page can be:
• Clicking on your website link or any other link of yours
• Subscribing to your newsletter
• Registering for an event on your page
• Downloading something like an eBook, or other gated assets and visual presentations
- Click-Through-Rate (CTR) - Click-through rates deal with how many people click on
the call-to-action links you have displayed in your ads and posts. Calculating your Click-
Through-Rate involves calculating a post’s total clicks to the link and impressions and then
dividing the number of clicks by your social media impressions. Then, multiply that by
100, and you get your CTR. You want to measure both for the same reporting period and
across your target audience.
pg. 42
- Follower Count and Growth - Being aware of how many people are following you is
essential since you can’t grow your audience if you don’t know where you’re starting
from. The growth of your amount of followers depends on the impact you have on them.
The greater your impact, the more followers you’ll gain. To calculate this, first you have
to determine your net new followers (total new followers minus followers lost) and then
divide that by your total audience and multiply by 100. Nevertheless, it is a fact that what
you don’t want to see ever is a negative growth rate, because that means you’re losing
followers faster than you’re gaining them.
EVALUATION SECTION
- LIMITATIONS
Some of the major limitations we and our client encountered during the creation of the
campaign book were:
• The slowdown of the economy: The economics of a country have a big impact on
businesses. The level of consumer spending affects everything from prices, investment
decisions and the number of workers that a company employs. The economy affects
businesses in four main ways like, unemployment, changing the levels of consumer
income, interest rates, tax rates, and others.
• Supply chain disruptions: Supply chains are a key part of the business process, and they
have a huge impact in a company’s continuity and profitability. However, as supply
chains often cross borders and responsibility becomes ambiguous, they are subject to
risks, which can transform into bottom-line financial, reputational, and compliance
impacts for companies involved.
pg. 43
• Lack of funds/ short budget: Insufficient access to working capital and other financing
options is a massive contributor to a business’s absence of success and ultimate failure.
• Lack of social media presence: User Solutions Inc. doesn’t have a strong social media
presence, and nowadays that is very important, if not mandatory. Many customers use
social media to evaluate potential companies that they might want to buy from.
Consequently, by not having a professional and active social media account, you are
demonstrating these potential clients that you are not to be considered. Having a social
media profile with little-to-no content can be just as bad as having no social media
presence at all. If your company has a page that features outdated branding and no recent
updates, your audience will likely see your company as outdated and unreliable.
• Product not being able to reach the standards of some clients: When a product does not
meet the standards of a company’s clients, it losses profits, gets bad publicity and suffers
strong damage to the company image. Those are just some of the negative consequences
that can result from not fulfilling clients’ expectations.
Nonetheless, some other limitations we encountered while working as a group were, doing a
plan based on a market none of the members of the group knew much about. Finding a specific
time to meet that could work for all the members of the group, working directly with a client,
since none of us had worked directly with a client before, and researching the competition since
it’s a business we didn’t know anything about, and we had to contact some of the competitors
directly.
pg. 44
APPENDIX SECTION
- Background Summary
Who is the client? -
• The client is User Solutions Inc., it is a non-profit organization that was founded in
1991 in South Lyon, Michigan. Users Solutions Inc. was founded as a distinct
offspring from Lotus Development Corporation with the initial goal of marketing and
supporting Lotus Factory as well as other products being developed at Lotus
Development Corporation, such as the "Spreadsheet Operations Manager". The CEO
and Team Leader of Users Solutions Inc. is Tim Convis.
What is the product or service?
• Software products for manufacturing and supply chain companies
• Production Scheduling and Supply chain management
What is the cost of the product/service?
• Range from $490-$5,000
• Sweet spot 15-20k range which includes implementing/training and getting it ready
for the company
Is it luxury or mass market?
• Mass market, resource management
What are their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
• Strength- Our product can Adapt solution to fit customer and their business “fit like a
glove”
pg. 45
o Amount of time they’ve been in business, same developers which: (enables to
flexibility with each client)
• Weakness- Core engine visual basic 6 (screens outdated) Outdated interface
• Opportunities- “Prettier face”
o There is a Base, middle, and last product, which the last product is the only
one that has a “pretty face”
o High end and pretty product all in one
Threats- reaching smaller companies that they want to help (want better reach)
• Competition against group of people with better software but will lose because of the
dated interface
• 25 years of the algorithm (scheduling tools)
What does this client value?
• Creating value to their customers and being able to adjust their products in order to
help the client’s business as much as possible
What is the client’s mission statement?
• Empower manufacturers to become more competitive and profitable through efficient
resource management tools that are affordable, adaptable, and easily implemented.
What does this brand authentically stand for?
• Users Solutions
• Listen to the clients and deliver
• What their customers real pains are and solve as easily as possible and make it as easy
as they can
What is their position on social responsibility, culture, and technology?
pg. 46
• Their position is in serving the community (local, national and global) in order to use
technology to advance businesses and improve their customers businesses to grow
and thrive
•
- Overview
What is the project?
• Our project is a campaign presentation for Users Solutions Inc.
What are we creating and why?
• Campaign presentation which includes
• Telling a story and making a case for improvement to the company.
Why does the client need this project?
• To improve outreach with new clientele and promotion of new upgraded products
What key business challenges face this client?
• Outdated interface which makes product look old and people go with other brands or
companies because their products look new and shiny even though Users Solutions
has more adaptable and a more user-friendly product
What’s the real opportunity here?
To revamp his website to portray his products in a way that shows how valuable
of a product user solution is providing to their customers. The company has a very
niche product which creates an opportunity for fabricating an optimal target
market. There is opportunity to increase brand awareness, which will eventually
lead to more sales and profits of the company.
Are there any emerging ideas and trends to consider?
pg. 47
• As technology advances, so do mediums in which people discover products and
services for them that could benefit their businesses. Considering that the company
has branched out to marketing on Facebook in the past, there are newer methods that
can create more traction to the website and optimize sales and users for the program.
What is the objective of this project? (Why a logo, website, brochure, etc.?)
• The objective of this project is to rebrand the company so that it can be geared
towards modern society. Fashioning the company to the contemporary media will
allow the brand to be more relatable and make it a brand that can be chosen amongst
their modern competitors.
What is the existing brand strategy?
• Uses website to capture leads after they come from the website
What are our top three objectives?
• Create written marketing tools
• Gain awareness
• Grow sales
Who are we talking to? Who are we designing for (really)?
• Managers, people who are in charge of creating schedules, shipping.
Ask the client to provide demographic information: who, what, where, when?
• Smaller companies
• Production scheduling (for smaller companies) more efficiency for their company
What will make the client’s product/service/company more appealing to them?
• More appealing interface
Why should they care about this brand?
pg. 48
• It will exponentially increase their business and sales by implementing Production
and Supply Chain Management
What inspires, motivates, interests, and amuses this target audience?
• Business growth and organization
- Competitors
Who is the competition?
• Waterloo software (out of mass.)
• Tactic
• Planitogether
What differentiates the client’s product/service/company from them?
• Bigger
• Funded
• Venture capital
- BRIEF STUDENT BIO
pg. 49
Jacquelyn Cusumano – Account Director/ Executive
Jacquelyn Cusumano is a senior at Florida International University studying
Communications, Advertising and Public Relations. She was born in Detroit Michigan and
grew up in South Florida during her late childhood. She has many hobbies such as spending
time with friends and family, reading, and watching her favorite TV shows.
Jacquelyn is also furthering her career in Real Estate with Douglas Elliman in Miami,
Florida. In the future she will be using her skills learned in the PRAAC program to aid her
career in property development.
As someone that works with clients daily, it made sense for her to gather research as
the Account Executive and Director. This position entailed speaking directly to the client of
User’s Solutions which was a great position for Jacquelyn to have during this project.
Estefany Hernandez – Public Relations Director
pg. 50
Estefany Hernandez is a senior at Florida International University and is expected to
graduate in December 2022. She is majoring in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied
Communication also known as PRAAC. She was born and raised in EL Salvador and came
to the United States, when she was 12 years old. Estefany is currently working as a flight
attendant for American Airlines but before becoming a flight attendant she worked as a
supervisor and marketing assistance at Silver Diner.
As the Public Relations Director she is creative, aware, and strategic. She is always
looking for ways to stay in touch with new information and finding ways to use it to create
ideas that will benefit the company. Her main role in User Solution Inc is to be able to
stablish a connection between the organization and their current/potential clients through
new releases and newsletters as well as taking advantage of numerous possibilities to
enhance a client's reputation.
Estefany loves reading books about spirituality and natural remedies for the body. She
also enjoys meditation and taking long walks with her dog Peluche. She is currently learning
to how to sew and plans to open her clothing store soon.
To contact Estefany Hernandez, her phone number is 202-569-0228. And via Email stefhernandez23@icloud.com
Isabelle Ashby - Secondary Research Director
pg. 51
Isabelle Ashby is a Senior at FIU and is graduating December 2022, with a double
major in Political Science and Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communications,
and a specialization in Criminal Justice. She was raised and born in South Florida, with an
intention to pursue a career in the legal field. She is attending Law School in Fall of 2023 to
be sworn in as an attorney in Fall of 2026.
She was assigned the Secondary Research Director for User Solutions’ Campaign
Book. She assures us to give efficient and insightful research on the comparison of User
Solutions in competitive markets. She does research on the target audience for User
Solutions’ marketing campaign to promote sales and increase product exposure.
(786) 340-8889
iashb001@fiu.edu
Adriana Castro – Art Director
pg. 52
Adriana Castro is a senior at FIU, majoring in Public Relations, Advertising, and
Applied Communication with a minor in Social Media Marketing Analytics. She will be
graduating in December 2022. She has completed internships as a social media intern to gain
experience and will be working as an executive assistant at a Public Relations agency after
graduation. Adriana is also applying to graduate school to continue and gain more knowledge
in the marketing field.
To contact Adriana: mobile: (941)-224-0776 email: acast616@fiu.edu
Mariana Gomez Del Nogal - Ad Copy Director
pg. 53
Mariana Gomez Del Nogal is a senior at FIU, soon to be graduating on December, 2022
with a bachelor's in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied communications and a minor in
Marketing. She was born and raised in Venezuela and came to the U.S. as an international
student to pursue her career at FIU. She has completed internships as Public Relations Intern,
Content Creator Coordinator and Digital Marketing Intern to gain experience in the field.
As a result, she was appointed as Ad Copy Director for the User Solutions Campaign
Book as she has extensive knowledge in this realm. Also, she is working on applications for
graduate schools to keep strengthening her knowledge in the communications and marketing
field.
To contact Mariana her phone number is 786-495-5741 and her email is
marianagomezdn@gmail.com
Natalia Cordero – Media Director
pg. 54
Natalia Cordero is a senior majoring in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied
Communication with a minor in Hospitality Studies and a Latin American and Caribbean
Studies certificate. She is an active member in the FIU community through her several
involvements and seeks to advocate for students as much as she can. When she isn't studying
for exams or assisting her sorority sisters, you can find her serving the campus community as
a Campus Tour Guide or engaging in service events as an active member in FIU’s Center for
Leadership and Service. She also dedicates her time by giving back to the community and
raises money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals along with her team at FIU's
Roarthon. Natalia aspires to work in advertising creative in the future and she is currently
working with Teads Miami this year as a Customer Experience Intern to progress her
aspirations and make way for what's to come.
To contact Natalia: mobile: (305) 213-0540 email: ncord022@fiu.edu
Jennifer Perez - Sales Promotion Director
pg. 55
Jennifer Perez is a senior attending FIU, majoring in Public Relations Advertising &
Applied Communications. She will be graduating in December 2022 as a magna cum laude
student and has been working as the Marketing and Communications Assistant for the FIU
College of Law for over a year. On her free time, she enjoys photography and design. Due to
her experience in marketing, she was assigned the position of sales promotion director and is
currently working on rebranding a company with a team of other experienced FIU
undergrads.
To contact Jennifer Perez
Phone Number: 786-359-5154
Email: Jpere957@fiu.edu
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