W1 Assignment "Create an Integrated Marketing Communications Plan"

Case Study

The information in the Case Study is used each week when writing the individual sections of the

Marketing

Communications

Plan

.

One of your neighbors has just inherited a restaurant in a small town about 75 miles away.

They’ve never owned or operated a business before, and know very little about marketing or the

restaurant business. They

now have a

Marketing Plan

,

but need help wit

h the

Marketing

Communications Plan

.

General Restaurant Information Provided by Your Neighbors:

1.

They want to keep the “family’s” restaurant as a legacy to their family members who left

it to them. However, they will need to make money immediately in order

to replace the

income they lost when they quit their jobs to run the restaurant.

2.

The restaurant has been losing sales/profits over the past few years.

Family members

have had some health issues (and have since passed away) and have not had the time to

ma

nage the restaurant effectively.

For the past few months, the Chef and some of the

servers have been keeping the restaurant open.

3.

The restaurant has a good reputation in the small community.

The town has a population

of 6,000 people.

It is in a good loc

ation (right off an interstate) and does additional sales

catering to local businesses in the area.

Over

-

the

-

road semi

-

drivers say it is the best cup

of coffee in town and town’s people know that you can always find the local sheriff and

highway patrol of

ficers eating there.

People are allowed to smoke at their tables and

some people have stopped eating there because of the smoke in the dining room.

Also,

you can see serving staff smoking between orders.

4.

The restaurant has a good menu.

It has a lunch me

nu and a dinner menu.

They open at

11:00 am and they close at 7:00 pm CST

seven days a week except major holidays

.

They

have daily “specials”.

For instance, on Monday it is meatloaf, Tuesday; roast beef,

Wednesday; turkey breast, Thursday; pot pies, and

Friday; fish.

The restaurant is famous

for its homemade pie menu.

The Chef makes 15 varieties of homemade pies

daily.

Customers can also order pies for holidays. People have asked to order pies online

and pick them up at the store…but so far no online

sales exist.

5.

The restaurant is in the low to mid

-

price range.

But due to changes in the local

community demographic may need to update/expand the menu.

Baby boomers are

leaving the area and are being replaced by Generation X individuals and their young

f

amilies.

When eating there, you will see a wide range of customers from older truck

drivers to young families, and even teenagers on a date.

6.

The chef has been with the restaurant for over 25 years and has done a good job but is

thinking about retiring in t

he next 3 years.

He believes in the local food movement and

buys produce from local farmers.

The serving staff is composed of women (most in their

late 60s) who call each customer by the name “honey” and have been with the restaurant

for years.

It is a

well known secret that their grandchildren come by each day for a soda

pop and pie (most times they leave without paying).

7.

The restaurant is located next to an interstate exit and is the only “family” style restaurant

in a 20 mile radius.

However, there are a McDonalds, Subway and Sonic Drive

-

in

Case Study

The information in the Case Study is used each week when writing the individual sections of the

Marketing Communications Plan.

One of your neighbors has just inherited a restaurant in a small town about 75 miles away.

They’ve never owned or operated a business before, and know very little about marketing or the

restaurant business. They now have a Marketing Plan, but need help with the Marketing

Communications Plan.

General Restaurant Information Provided by Your Neighbors:

1. They want to keep the “family’s” restaurant as a legacy to their family members who left

it to them. However, they will need to make money immediately in order to replace the

income they lost when they quit their jobs to run the restaurant.

2. The restaurant has been losing sales/profits over the past few years. Family members

have had some health issues (and have since passed away) and have not had the time to

manage the restaurant effectively. For the past few months, the Chef and some of the

servers have been keeping the restaurant open.

3. The restaurant has a good reputation in the small community. The town has a population

of 6,000 people. It is in a good location (right off an interstate) and does additional sales

catering to local businesses in the area. Over-the-road semi-drivers say it is the best cup

of coffee in town and town’s people know that you can always find the local sheriff and

highway patrol officers eating there. People are allowed to smoke at their tables and

some people have stopped eating there because of the smoke in the dining room. Also,

you can see serving staff smoking between orders.

4. The restaurant has a good menu. It has a lunch menu and a dinner menu. They open at

11:00 am and they close at 7:00 pm CST seven days a week except major holidays. They

have daily “specials”. For instance, on Monday it is meatloaf, Tuesday; roast beef,

Wednesday; turkey breast, Thursday; pot pies, and Friday; fish. The restaurant is famous

for its homemade pie menu. The Chef makes 15 varieties of homemade pies

daily. Customers can also order pies for holidays. People have asked to order pies online

and pick them up at the store…but so far no online sales exist.

5. The restaurant is in the low to mid-price range. But due to changes in the local

community demographic may need to update/expand the menu. Baby boomers are

leaving the area and are being replaced by Generation X individuals and their young

families. When eating there, you will see a wide range of customers from older truck

drivers to young families, and even teenagers on a date.

6. The chef has been with the restaurant for over 25 years and has done a good job but is

thinking about retiring in the next 3 years. He believes in the local food movement and

buys produce from local farmers. The serving staff is composed of women (most in their

late 60s) who call each customer by the name “honey” and have been with the restaurant

for years. It is a well known secret that their grandchildren come by each day for a soda

pop and pie (most times they leave without paying).

7. The restaurant is located next to an interstate exit and is the only “family” style restaurant

in a 20 mile radius. However, there are a McDonalds, Subway and Sonic Drive-in