research paper 2

T R A N S I S T O R C H I C A G O

PROJECT:TRANSISTORCHI

TRANSISTORCHICAGO . COM

PRESNTED BY VICTORIA RODRIGUEZ

A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY &

CREATIVE CAMPAIGN REPORT

O V E R V I E W

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S T R A T E G Y A N D

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S U M M A R Y

CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

OF STRATEGY

Launched in 2009, Transistor Chicago continues to

remain a one-of-a-kind creation, a little artistic mecca

in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Transistor is

amazingly multi-faceted, equal parts gallery, shop,

sound studio, performance space, movie theater, and

classroom. A variety of art, media and more make up

the line of inexpensive to investment-level products

at this oddly lit and decorated hole-in-the-wall shop.

People stopping by on a whim are likely asking

themselves what exactly is Transistor: a radio station, a

book and music store, a performance space, a

community social club? The answer: possibly all of the

above. And while Transistor continues to remain a hip

and trendy spot among locals, implementing a new

social media model and a marketing campaign could

help the company redefine their targeted market

along that will help with boosting revenue & engaging

more with their audience. Much of the problem that

Transistor is dealing with currently is that they aren't

engaging with their audience. Content that is being

posted, is just spewed out without giving their

customers' the ability to interact with the company.

This is also blocking the company from growing

genuine, trusted relationships with the brand.

Customers want to feel valued, so in order to expand

brand loyalty & instill trust back into their audience,

Transistor needs to go back to their roots of what their

mission was for the company when they launched

almost a decade ago.

By focusing on research and sales as our primary

business goals, we will be executing a monitoring and

rallying strategy. We will spend time expanding brand

awareness using various platforms like Instagram,

Facebook, and Snapchat to listen and connect with

who our audience is & continue to develop an online

presence. While this will help expand Transistor's

audience and aid in receiving feedback from

customers, it will also help in gaining customer loyalty

& in turn, turn those relationships into potential

revenue for the company!

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LOCAL CHICAGO

MILLENIAL ARTISTS

Transistor is known for being a hub for creatives,

especially locals in the Chicago area. They

collaborate with local artists who use many forms

of different mediums to create products that

Transistor can then sell in the shop. While Transistor

sells works & wares from over 100+ local artists,

many of them are in the age range from 25-35+. By

targeting a new market segmentation of local

Chicago millennial artists, Transistor will be

diversifying its brand & welcoming in younger

people to check out the shop. Other reasons why

Transistor should tap into this new market is

because millennials are the highest users of social

media, they value social experiential

events/festivals, and are heavily influenced by peer

approval. Millennials are socially hyper-connected

and tend to be more active in brand promotions on

social media. This will help grow Transistor's

audience of who they can connect and engage

with. This is also a win-win situation for millennials,

as they can seek out smaller businesses to possibly

sell or feature their artwork!

While some may raise heads at the thought of

bringing on micro-influencers for a small company,

there are many benefits to be discussed of why they

are a good marketing avenue. The difference

between larger-scale influencers & micro-

influencers are that they are social media

personalities with relatively small but loyal and

engaged niche audiences. Being a small business

like Transistor doesn't leave a big budget which is

why micro-influencers, even though they have

smaller audiences, have a more engaged and

targeted following, leading to better use of money

spend. And while engagement is key in influence

marketing, engagement also translates into ROI,

retention and deeper bonds. This would be a great

way for Transistor to also get more involved with the

community by trying to collaborate with someone

in the Andersonville neighborhood who is already

familiar with the shop. A micro-influencer can help

advertise brand awareness, heighten community

engagement, increase sales & drives web traffic.

Transistor's current

audience falls under

the conversationalists

& joiners category on

the technographics

ladder. Going forward,

a goal should be to

make sure a large part

of our audience fall

under the creators &

critics category so we

can receive more

feedback.

TARGET

AUDIENCE

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MICRO-

INFLUENCERS

STRATEGY & CAMPAIGN PLAN

We can execute Transistor's primary goal of

researching & listening to who our audience is by

implementing a campaign that will produce

analytical growth. Transistor currently is only active

on about two social media platforms so by making

verified company profiles & creating a monthly

content schedule, this will insure that every post has

new and engaging content that is saying something

relative to the company. The plan consists of making

a Facebook, Snapchat, & Twitter account. Along with

those new accounts, a remodel of the Transistor

website will take place to make it more attractive

and accessible for customers. There will also be

updates to the company's existing Instagram to

make sure everything is cohesive & visually pleasing

to the consumer's eye. A lot of what is happening

right now is that there's seems to not be much

activity on Transistor's social media platforms. Pulling

and curating growth reports using analytical

websites like HootSuite, Sprout24, or Buffer will

ensure that there is consistency when it comes to

Transistor's media platforms.

Along with a makeover to Transistor's social media profiles, Transistor will also participate in giveaway opportunities that align with the brand. Giveaways are a great way to get attention online because who doesn't love free stuff?! While Transistor can gain engagement, it takes more than that to convert that engagement into sales. We should focus less on what it is we're going to give away and more on how we will get people to participate. For example, Transistor can run advertisements on their platforms that will offer an entry in a giveaway in exchange for new customers liking the company Facebook page or even requiring followers to refer a friend or tag two to three people in a specific post. Things like Instagram hashtag contests, referral promotions, or even photo contests allow an easy way for potential or existing customers to engage with the brand and ask questions. This will also help strengthen community engagement if Transistor runs promotions around community thrown events.

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In conclusion, Transistor will remain a successful small business if they implement

new research & listening strategies in their business equation. Customers want to feel

valued as consumers which is where Transistor comes into the equation to save the

day. A simple rebranding of their company image will insure that future consumers

receive the correct mission of Transistor is trying to sell. While Transistor sees

themselves as a lifestyles shop, they are a big component of what brings Chicago

artists together. Art is something that people can connect to on a very simple scale

including music, movies, books, and different artworks. Every post, tweet, or picture

should be published with Transistor's social media strategy in mind. It’s easy to get

caught up in daily posts or creating fun content, but if there isn’t a goal-oriented plan

in place, you can’t tell if you’re succeeding or failing on social media. It's also good to

remember that it’s a good idea to review it from time to time so you can ensure

you’re hitting or exceeding the benchmarks you set. Overall, Transistor should be

ready to commit and listen to their customers wants & needs, and commit to sticking

with a schedule that will allow itself to flow organically over time.

SUMMARY

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