Marketing Communications Plan by aapokorn

For the Love of Book Clubs and Brunches

Alexis A. Lake

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary

II. Strategic Focus and Plan

III. Situation Analysis

IV. Marketing Communications Plan

V. Evaluation and Control

References

Appendix

Annotated Bibliography

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

Market-Needs Executive Summary Today, the FLO Brands business is primarily segmented into the self-help book, speaking opportunities, wine, and jazz music areas. From an overall strategic perspective, the company positions itself as a life-enhancing, consumer brand. In terms of the goals of the business, Marcus Johnson, founder and chief executive officer, aims to increase the book and speaking side of the business within five years, while decreasing the number of jazz engagements, and exiting the wine product line sometime beyond the next five years. These diverse product offerings supporting the goals of FLO Brands and give the company a sustainable advantage to pivot quickly in the face of competitors or changing business conditions across multiple industries. With diverse core competencies, the FLO Brands business is active across three major industries including the self-help book industry, the table wine industry, and the jazz music industry. In terms of the book industry, the market potential is ripe through new opportunities through trends in self-help books, audiobooks, and online and in-person book clubs. Additionally, the wine industry also continues to grow, with the Baby Boomer generation maintaining the bulk of the purchasing power, while special blends and moscato varietals grow in popularity in the United States. While the self-help book and wine industries are growing, and should continue to be a focus for FLO Brands, the jazz industry is in an overall decline with falling consumption and popularity both domestically and internationally. By analyzing these industry trends, financial results, as well as the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats of FLO Brands, clear strategies begin form. These strategies are around increasing awareness, fan engagement, and sales for the selfhelp book, while incorporating the wine products through consumer focused events and

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

experiences. Both proposed strategies focus on the growing trends and participation in online and in-person book clubs in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center “17% [of Americans] are active in hobby groups or clubs” and “11% are active in literary, discussion, or study groups such as book clubs,” (Rainie, Purcell & Smith, 2011). This translates to more than 35 million Americans belonging to book clubs. The first strategy focuses on engaging with the current FLO Brands fan base in the greater Washington, D.C.-area, as well as other fans across the United States through partnering with an established online book club, The Rumpus. The second strategy is intended to create a new “Book and Brunch” club experience that engages with an under utilized geographic fan base in the Atlanta, Georgia-area. Both of events aim to increase fan engagement, visits to the website, social media followers, purchases of the book, and create a small-revenue base and survey results to improve future events. With an integrated marketing communications plan focused on digital and social media content and advertising through Facebook, Pinterest, and digital websites, both strategies aim to primarily engage with African American women, ages 35 to 65, who reside the greater Washington, D.C., and Atlanta-metro-areas. Johnson has found success and fan loyalty within this target audience in the Washington, D.C.-area because he resides there and fans have frequent, in-person interactions with him. In order to increase revenues, the awareness of the book, and cultivate a strong base of fans in another geographic area, Johnson should not only focus on partnering with an online book club platform, but also host an in-person book club discussion through a “Book and Brunch” event in Atlanta, Georgia.

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

II. Strategic Focus and Plan    In researching the strategic focus and business plan of FLO Brands, LLC., it is essential to examine the company’s mission, which, “is to enhance our customers’ life and make each day a little better one sip and sound at a time,” (Johnson, 2014). While this mission statement is strong, incorporating the newer areas of the business, specifically the speaking opportunities and book, will make it more effective at conveying the overall strategic focus of FLO Brands. Improving this mission statement would be simply changing the later half of the sentence to, “one sip, one word, and one sound at a time.” The phrase “one word,” represents both written and spoken words from Johnson. This small edit creates a powerful statement for the new book and speaking opportunities. Additionally important is the FLO Brands vision statement, which focuses on how “everything that the company creates is about improving that segment of our customers’ lives, especially when products are combined like music and wine,” (Saylor Social, 2016). Similar to the mission statement, the vision statement should be updated to include the newer FLO Brands book and speaking opportunities, but also position the company as life-enhancing brand. With this in mind, the recommended vision statement is that “everything created by FLO Brands is enhancing our customers lives through a unique combination of music, wine, and inspirational words.” The phrase “inspirational words” conveys both the self-help book and the speaking opportunities, while “unique combination,” speaks to the distinct product mix and brand footprint of FLO Brands. The brand footprint is focused on the self-help book, speaking opportunities, three types of

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

wine (red blend, white blend, and a moscato), and jazz music with adjacencies surrounding the offerings. For example, gift baskets, wine bundles, and glassware products stem from the wine. Additionally, performances, radio shows, online music offerings (Spotify, Pandora, and iTunes), as well as 18 recorded CDs relate back to Johnson’s jazz music (Johnson, 2014). The speaking opportunities and the book could be considered symbiotic products because a speaking opportunity could be scheduled from reading the self-help book or vice versa. This rationale could apply to all of the FLO Brands products, where experiencing one leads to future purchases of other products in the mix. These adjacent and complementary products create an expansive and diverse FLO Brands’ footprint. The company’s focus as a life-enhancing, consumer brand is reinforced by its positioning statement as which is: “[representing] a journey through which we discover those things in life that fulfill us and make each experience a little better. For the love of life, self, happiness, passion, joy…love itself,” (Marcus Johnson, 2014). FLO brands also defines “three pillars of ‘Artistry, Spirituality, and Strategy,’” (Marcus Johnson, 2014) which are demonstrated through the company’s everyday operations and products. The pillars and positioning statement convey the strategic focus of the company, while also leaving the future open to new life-enhancing products or services. Today, the FLO Brands business is primarily segmented into the self-help book, speaking opportunities, wine, and jazz music areas. Each of these areas has varying levels of importance and goals for future growth (Appendix A). The goals of the business are heavily focused on the jazz music (75%), the book (15%) the wine (8%) and motivational speaking (2%). (Marcus Johnson, Class Discussion, 2017). In five years, Johnson would like the business to shift less on

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the jazz music (30%) and more on motivational speaking (40%), slightly more on wine at (10%) and more on the book (20%) (Marcus Johnson, Class Discussion, 2017). Johnson did mention that beyond five years he would like to exit the wine business as a whole, perform at fewer jazz concerts and events, and focus more on speaking engagements and writing new books. FLO Brands also has core competencies of jazz music, wine, the self-help book, and public speaking. This diversity is FLO Brands’ sustainable advantage because the company is able to quickly pivot and adapt to changing business conditions or competitors. According to the Harvard Business Review, “to achieve a sustainable advantage, diversifying companies need to create something unique,” (Markides, 2014). This is exactly what FLO Brands offers through a specialized mix of core competencies that come together as part of a larger life-enhancing brand. III. Situation Analysis As a company, FLO Brands has several internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats from competitors (Appendix B). In focusing on the internal strengths, FLO Brands has diverse products across multiple industries, a network of loyal fans, and a company direction that is passionate about helping people. In looking specifically at the new self-help book, it has established distribution through Barnes and Noble and Amazon and is affordable at $14.95 per book. In contrast, FLO Brands also faces internal weaknesses around the diversity of the products. The company is too dependent on Facebook Live, which takes away the incentive for fans to pay and attend an event in person. Also, with multiple social media accounts creates confusion and inconsistent messaging. In looking outside the company, there are many opportunities for FLO Brands including

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

new online book club platforms, audio book recordings, or events that directly engage with the fan base. The established product distribution channels and communications platforms allow for easier access into newer markets like North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia. FLO Brands wines are also distributed through grocery stores such as Food Lion, Albertsons, and Target. There are also opportunities to move away from digital and Facebook Live by offering fans exclusive events or experiences that could generate revenue for the company. While the opportunities are promising, the external threats facing FLO Brands include competition from other self-help books and inspirational speakers. Also, being a small staff primarily driven by Johnson, there are often conflicting and schedules. With the book and speaking opportunity being fairly new, the revenue streams from these products could be fairly inconsistent and insubstantial right now. By analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses alongside the external opportunities and threats, strategies form for how to increase awareness, fan engagement, and sales with the self-help book (Appendix B). One strategy is set on utilizing online book club platforms to retain loyal fans in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia, or D.M.V.-area, while simultaneously engaging with newer fan bases in other areas. The second strategy is to cultivate a new bookrelated experience that engages with an under utilized geographic fan base. Johnson has found success and fan loyalty in his local D.M.V.-area because he resides there and fans have frequent, in-person interactions with him. In order to grow a strong base of fans in another geographic area, Johnson should not only focus on partnering with an online book club platform, but also host an in-person book club discussions through a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Book and Brunchâ&#x20AC;? event in Atlanta, Georgia. These events, both in-person and online, are intended to focus on the book industry.

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES

According to the Association of American Publishers (AAP), in 2015 the book industry earned $27.78 billion in total revenue with unit volume of 2.715 billion (Book Publishing, 2017). In looking specifically at the self-help book industry, the market is very strong with $693 million worth books sold in 2014 (Filer, 2016) (Appendix C). Additionally, how consumers read books is changing. The Wall Street Journal recently reported, “that although the majority of people who use electronics to read use tablets, that number is declining as the number of those reading on phones increases,” (Maloney, 2015) (Appendix D). This increase in smartphone use could be partially attributed to the growth of audiobooks (Appendix E). In terms of the trends and financial potential, the “audiobook industry is currently evaluated at 2.8 billion dollars…43,000 new audiobooks released [in 2015]” (Predictions For The Digital Publishing Industry, 2016). This trend aligns with how Americans are listening to books on the go, while traveling or commuting, but also listening to books while exercising (Wilson, 2016) (Appendix F). Another trend in the book industry is an increase in book clubs and American participating in both in-person and online clubs. According to the Pew Research Center “17% [of Americans] are active in hobby groups or clubs” and “11% are active in literary, discussion, or study groups such as book clubs,” (Rainie, Purcell & Smith, 2011). This translates to more than 35 million Americans belonging to book clubs (Appendices G-J). While it is challenging to measure the true buying power of this group it is “assume that if each club has ten members, and picks six books a year, that’s 60 books sold per club,” (Wu, 2011) even with a low figure of 100,000 clubs in existence, that’s 60 million books (Wu, 2011). It is important to FLO Brands to engage in the emerging financial potential and trends in the book industry. In focusing on the wine industry, FLO Brands should strongly consider maintaining this

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part of the business as well. The wine market is projected to grow 3.8% in the next five-year time frame making the wine industry worth $46,154.4 million by the end of year 2020 (Wine Industry Profile, 2016). In terms of the current table wine market, blended wines like the red and white wine offerings from FLO Brands, were the third highest selling type of wine in 2016 with $1,906.10 million in sales (Table Wine Sales by Category, 2016) (Appendix K). Moscato, the third type of wine offered by FLO Brands, experienced $714.10 million in sales and a spot on the top-ten best selling wines in 2016. (Table Wine Sales by Category, 2016) (Appendix K). This financial performance mirrors the major trends in the overall wine industry. An article from Forbes outlines that the baby boomer generation (people between the ages of 53 and 71) is seeking out wines with lower-alcohol percentages and retains the most purchasing power. There is also growing consumer-buying pattern across generations, focusing on red blends between the $8 to $14 per bottle price ranges (Hughe, 2016). FLO Brand wines align with all of this information with wine blend offerings, the highest alcohol percentage of 13.5% (which still is on the lower spectrum), and an average price point of $10 per bottle (Johnson, 2014). While FLO Brands should consider increasing the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention to the book and incorporating the wine into more book-related events, it should not completely ignore the financial potential and trends in the jazz industry. The jazz industry is trending on an overall decline and according to a report from Neilson, jazz music has the second only to childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music in the lowest share of the total volume of consumption in the music industry (Nielsen Music U.S. Mid-Year Report, 2016). Total consumption for jazz music and audio-on demand streaming is at 1.3% and 0.7%, respectively (Nielsen Music U.S. Mid-Year Report, 2016). Out of the $4.9 billion trade value in the music industry, jazz music has about $63,700,000 in total

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consumption (Nielsen Music U.S. Mid-Year Report, 2016). While this is a fairly large number that could FLO Brands compete for further revenue, in the overall music industry, this number is relatively low and in terms of consumer trends, in the United States and internationally fewer people are downloading and listening to jazz music (Buskirk, 2015) (Appendices L & M). While FLO Brands should not ignore or dissolve itself away from the jazz industry, it should strongly focus primarily on the book industry with some focus on the wine as well. In looking to compete in the book industry, and specifically the self-help book segment, it is important to understand that industry spans many famous authors. One infamous author is the late-Dale Carnegie, whose 1936 self-improvement book How to Win Friends and Influence People remains a popular bestseller even today. Other authors include, Eckhart Tolle whose The Power of Now “has sold more than 2 million copies in 30 languages” (Burkeman, 2011), or the author and life coach Tony Robbins (Burkeman, 2011), to the late Richard Carlson author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff… and It's All Small Stuff, which has “sold over 15 million copies worldwide,” (Burkeman, 2011). This expansive industry has many competitors (Appendix N) and to make an impact The Huffington Post suggests that authors ensure they are saying something different and saying it in a unique way (Triska, 2014). The stories and advice in the FLO Brands book are exclusive to Johnson, giving the book a competitive-edge. IV. Marketing Communications Plan With a focus on the primarily the self-help book, and some incorporation of the wine, FLO Brands should continue to target what Johnson outlined as his key demographic or “FLOyalists” (FLO Brands-loyalists). This target audience is 60% women and 40% men between the ages 35-65 who are 66% African American and 33% Caucasian or others (Johnson, 2014).

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Many of these women and men are college educated or have advanced degrees. With 2016 graduates “projected to have an average salary of $50,556,” (Poppick, 2015) it is likely that this target audience is earning more and is financially stable with disposable incomes to spend on wine, entertainment, and self-help books. This target audience likely has a premium palate for good wine and food, and an interest in meaningful, relaxing experiences that enhance their life and well-being. They are also upwardly mobile in terms of their careers, but looking for a strong work-life balance because they likely have children and families. They are casual to frequent drinkers and tech savvy through smartphones and social media (Johnson, 2014). Johnson outlined that his followers or Floyalists enjoy a personal connection to him, his brand, and his success (Johnson, 2014). In terms of target locations, much the fan base is in the D.M.V.-area, with others in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Mississippi. In moving forward with the online book club and the “Book and Brunch” strategies, it is recommended to target African American women ages 35 to 65 in the D.M.V.-area and the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically, Atlanta has a strong representation of the FLO Brands target audience with 50.2% of the population being female and 54% of the population being African American, (United States Census Bureau, 2015). Additionally, the median household income in the Atlanta-metro area was $60,219 in 2015, which is higher than the state and national medians (United States Census Bureau, 2015). In terms of demographics around in-person and online book clubs, women largely dominate the trend. The Pew Research Center found that of the 11% of Americans active in book clubs “that women were more than twice as likely to take part in such gatherings as men were” (Rainie, Purcell & Smith, 2011). Lastly, in considering the brunch event, according to The

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Washington Post, there is a “relationship between a state's median income and brunch interest… [and] there’s a slightly stronger relationship between brunch and the percentage of a state's residents living in urban areas,” (Ferdman & Ingraham, 2015) (Appendix O). In terms of the objectives, the aim for both the “Book and Brunch” and online book club event, is to increase the overall awareness and purchases of the book by 50% in the three months before and after each event (Appendix P). The in-person “Book and Brunch” event will activate and strengthen the Atlanta fan base, while the online book club event would aim to attract a strong D.M.V.-fan base while engaging with few fans across the country by leveraging either The Rumpus online book club platform. Together these events should increase the digital traffic and engagement with the FLO Brands website and social media accounts. In terms of two promotional activities, the communications materials designed for each will include an individual press release (Appendix Q), a dedicated landing page for each event on the FLO Brands website with registration information, as well as a homepage web slide. The timing of the events should be around springtime and focus on a key message of rejuvenation, personal growth and springing into a better version of yourself. The online book club event will offered through the The Rumpus website and heavily promoted three months before the book club event begins through an integrated marketing communication plan (Appendices R & S). On The Rumpus website, users pay $27 per month and receive a book in the mail every month (The Rumpus, 2016) (Appendix S). The book is discussed on the member-portal throughout the month, then at the end of the month users are invited to an exclusive moderated online discussion with the author. While there are many other online look club platforms, The Rumpus offers an engaged user population of men and women on fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and a variety of other

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books, versus fiction-only or women-only book clubs. In terms of the communications materials designed specifically for the “Book and Brunch” event, would include also include a promotional poster (Appendix T), a promotional bookmark (Appendix U), as well as a discussion guide to be used during the event. The event itself would be held at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead location in Atlanta (Appendix V) and would be promoted starting three months before the event through an integrated marketing communications plan (Appendix R). Attendees would register on the FLO Brands website and then receive the book in the mail along with the discussion guide and bookmark. The registration should close two weeks before the event, and during the event attendees would mingle, enjoy the brunch items, then turn their attention to the book and have a question and answer session with Marcus Johnson. After the discussion, Marcus will be available to sign the book, sell additional copies, or take photos with fans. Special cocktails of white and red sangria using the red and white FLO Brands wines will be served and promoted with a small sign at each table during the event. In terms of the media mix, both the online book event and “Book and Brunch” event will be promoted via digital channels including the FLO Brands website, Facebook fan page, as well as paid Facebook and digital web advertisements that are the geographically targeted to both Atlanta and the D.M.V.-areas, helping to strengthen the participation from those targeted fan groups. The online book club will utilize the digital and social platforms through The Rumpus. With “roughly eight-in-ten online Americans (79%) now [using] Facebook,” (Greenwood, Perrin, & Duggan, 2016) as well as the increasing engagement from the target audience (Appendix W), Facebook will be the primary social media platform for both event campaigns. Pinterest will be secondary platform for paid advertisements featuring inspirational quotes from

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Marcus Johnson (Appendix X) linking to the FLO brands website. With “nearly half of online women [using] the virtual pinboard (45%)” (Greenwood, Perrin, & Duggan, 2016), Pinterest is a strong channel to engaging with these women. Additionally, Marcus should focus on low-cost public relations efforts including local media interviews and mentioning both events through his radio show broadcasted in both the D.M.V.-area and Atlanta. In terms of measuring success, FLO Brands should create follow-up surveys for both events. The online book club event should use an online survey platform such as Survey Monkey, while the “Book and Brunch” event should be an in-person paper survey. When people turn in the survey in-person or online they receive a coupon for 25% off FLO Brands wine from the local Food Loin or Target stores. They will also be added to the mailing list. Success criteria would be having 75-100 people participate in the online book club, while having 75 people attend “Book and Brunch” resulting a small revenue for each event (Appendix Y). Additionally, success criteria are increasing the amount of traffic to the website by 25% and Facebook fans by 50% over the three months before and after each event. The main driver for success will be increasing the book sales by 75% over the three months before and after each event, and meeting the event budget (Appendix Y). A week after each event, Marcus Johnson should send out an email blast thanking attendees for coming and offer links to his website and Facebook page. Evaluation and Control While the online book club and “Book and Brunch” events are two very strong marketing opportunities for FLO Brands, other future strategies could include creating an audiobook that concludes with a special interview with Marcus Johnson or a reading of a manuscript he is currently drafting. Additionally, there is an increase authors self-publishing books and earning

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“60 to 80 percent of the royalties from their book’s list price as opposed to traditional publishing, where authors earn only around 12 percent to 17 percent,” (Business Journalism). Selfpublishing could help increase revenue into the future for FLO Brands. In terms of staffing considerations, FLO Brands should hire a customer relationship manager to focus on engaging with and reaching out to fans for book-related events in the future (Ripley, 2003). Additionally, while FLO Brands has many consultants including the public relations agency, a full-time marketing communication imagers should be brought in to keep the messaging consistent across all platforms and ensure the website is properly maintained. If the costs for the online book club or “Book and Brunch” events are too high for FLO Brands to support, one cost-effective contingency option would be holding an author discussion at Barnes and Noble stores in the targeted areas. The local stores will would provide 25 copies of book to have on-hand, and Johnson could bring additional to sell and sign as well for fans. There is no charge to use the space and fans could come, have their books signed, meet with Marcus Johnson, and buy food from the in-store Starbucks. The only costs would be the travel, food, and lodging for Marcus Johnson. Other options could be to have the “Book and Brunch” at another, location with less expensive meal options, or eliminating the paid advertising and focusing just on public relations efforts, the radio show, and established website and social media channels. The wine industry is growing, and FLO Brands should continue to cultivate and promote this business. However, Marcus Johnson outlined that he would like to exit the wine industry and should do so by first ensuring all the brand trademarks are up-to-date and work to patent the wine blends recipes. This will put the business in position to sell the rights of the wine to another wine manufacturer. Another strategy could be to stop production and let the inventory be

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discounted through wholesale distributors until depleted. In terms of marketing communications, once the product is sold or depleted, all wine-related content should be removed from the FLO Brands website, social media, and all marketing materials.

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References 2016 Nielsen Music U.S. Mid-Year Report. (2016, June). Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2016/2016-us-music-mid-year-report.html AAP StatShot: Publisher Net Revenue from Book Sales Declines 2.0% Through Third Quarter of 2015. (2016, January 26). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://newsroom.publishers.org/ aap-statshot-publisher-net-revenue-from-book-sales-declines-20-through-third-quarterof-2015 Book Publishing. (2017). In Encyclopedia of American Industries. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. Retrieved March 7, 2017 from http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/ GALE%7CRN2501400156/710e9a5beee43e9a96e081bcb47dd9d0?u=nysl_sc_elmira Burkeman, O. (2011, January 01). The 10 Best Self-Help Gurus. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/jan/02/10-best-self-help-gurus Ferdman, R. A., & Ingraham, C. (2015, April 10). How Brunch Became the Most Delicious-and Divisive-Meal in America. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from https:// www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/04/10/how-brunch-became-the-mostdelicious-and-divisive-meal-in-america/?utm_term=.7a08417d62f3 Filer, C. (2016). Self-Improvement Market in U.S. Worth $9.6 Billion. Retrieved from: https://www.bennettstellar.org/self-improvement-worth-9-6billion/ Greenwood, S., Perrin, A., & Duggan, M. (2016, November 11). Social Media Update 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-mediaupdate-2016/ Hughe, C. (2016, January 26). The Wine Trend No One's Talking About (Yet): An Insider's View. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhuyghe/2016/01/26/ the-wine-trend-no-ones-talking-about-yet-an-insiders-view/#56cb1d082685 Johnson, M. (2017). For The Love Ofâ&#x20AC;Ś Herdon, Virginia: Mascot Books. Johnson, M. (2017). In Class Discussion with MGT 5015 Marketing Management Course in Meier Hall on February 27, 2017. Johnson, M. (2014). FLO Brands Final Pitch Packet. Retrieved March 5, 2017, via email correspondence with Andrea Ogunwumi. Maloney, J. (2015, August 14). The Rise of Phone Reading. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-rise-of-phone-reading-1439398395

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Markides, C. C. (2014, July 31). To Diversify or Not To Diversify. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from https://hbr.org/1997/11/to-diversify-or-not-to-diversify Poppick, S. (2015, April 22). Here’s What the Average Grad Makes Right Out of College. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://time.com/money/collection-post/3829776/hereswhat-the-average-grad-makes-right-out-of-college/ Predictions for the Digital Publishing Industry in 2016. (2016, February 17). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/predictions-for-the-digital-publishingindustry-in-2016 Rainie, L., Purcell, K., & Smith, A. (2011, January 17). Section 1: The State of Groups and Voluntary Organizations in America. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2011/01/18/section-1-the-state-of-groups-and-voluntaryorganizations-in-america/ Ripley, K. (2003). “Ten Tips for Tackling Book Signings… and Other Helpful Hints.” Retrieved March 7, 2017 from: http://writersweekly.com/this-weeks-article/ten-tips-for-tacklingbook-signings-and-other-helpful-hints-by-kimberly-ripley Saylor Social. (2016). Marcus Johnson | FLO Brands | Washington D.C. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from http://www.flobrands.com/-about. Table Wine Sales by Category. (2016). Market Share Reporter. Ed. Robert S. Lazich and Virgil L. Burton, III. 28th ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2018. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 7 Apr. 2017. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. (2017). Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/georgia/buckhead The Rumpus. (2016). The Rumpus Book Club. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://therumpus.net/bookclub/ Triska, Z. (2014, February 19). 4 Points To Remember When Writing A Self-Help Book. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/self-help-bookwriting-_n_4814554.html United States Census Bureau. (2015). Median Household Income (in 2015 dollars), 2011-2015. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/chart/ INC110215/1304000

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Wilson, K. (2016, July 6). Who Listens To Audiobooks? Scribd Sheds Light On Commuter Trends In The U.S. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from https://www.bustle.com/articles/170921who-listens-to-audiobooks-scribd-sheds-light-on-commuter-trends-in-the-us

Wine Industry Profile: The United States. (2016). Wine Industry Profile: United States, 1-34. http://ezproxy.elmira.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=bth&AN=121505969&site=eds-live â&#x20AC;¨ Wu, K. (2011, February 8). The State of Publishing: The Book Club Phenomena. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-book-club-phenomena

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Appendix A: FLO Brands Strategic Business for 2017 and 5-Year Projectionâ&#x20AC;¨

! Marcus Johnson (2017). In Class Discussion with MGT 5015 Marketing Management Course in Meier Hall on February 27, 2017.

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Appendix B: SWOT and TOWS Analysis   Internal Strengths • Diverse products in multiple industries • Network of loyal, affluent fans • Strong brand concept • Genuine passion, willingness and desire to help people, enhance their lives • Technology savvy with social media, Facebook Live • Strong reputation as a musician • Established digital and social media channels • Established and well-known channels for selling the book - Amazon and Barnes and Noble • Establishing a growing distribution for the wine through grocery stores - Food Lion, Albertson’s and Target • Affordable book price - $14.95 • Marcus has a genuine, down to Earth captivating personality that draws in fans • Strong reputation as a musician, business man • Business is based on a passion and willingness to help people • Strong fan base in the DMV-area

Internal Weaknesses • Too many products • Time and focus on Marcus Johnson is pulled various ways between the three products • Challenging for fans outside the DMV area to connect with Marcus face-toface • Fan base is largely based in one geographic area • Awareness of the book and speaking engagements is relatively low compared to the music • No clear messaging on social media and website • Book is not clearly advertised on the website • Too many social media channels with no overarching message • Limited marketing budget • Too dependent on Facebook Live

External Opportunities • Expand book-related events • Increase the number of paid speaking engagements and bookings • Find new sources of revenue in book opportunities • Write new books • Create personal connections with fans through exclusive events • Increase the sales of the book • Utilize or partner with new or existing online book club platforms

SO • Expand book sales through established and well-known channels Barnes & Noble, Amazon • Create personal connections through offering life enhancing products and fan experiences • Use establish social and digital channels to promote the book and gain more paid speaking opportunities

WO • Partner with an existing online book club platform to drive down the budgets and costs of creating a unique FLO Brands book club • Reach a new audience outside the DMV-area through a book specific event • Launch an exclusive fan event to increase awareness of the book

External Threats • Competition from other self-help authors, jazz musicians, and wine brands • Complicated regulations in the wine industry • Limited business investors and outside capital • Small leadership and company staff • Largely a consultant based business without full-time staff • Lack of awareness for the book and speaking engagements • Limited in-person interaction with fans

ST • Use loyal fan base to increase the awareness of the book • Leverage positive reputation as musician and business man to generate more business investors and outside capital • Use the existing staff and social media and digital channels to push content in new, engaging ways

WT • Increase awareness of the book by dedicating significant portions of Marcus Johnson’s schedule to bookspecific events and engagements • Move away from Facebook Live and give fans an incentive to have further interaction through in-person events • Avoid complications around the wine industry by focusing on the book

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Appendix C: Self-Help Book Industry by the Numbers

! Filer, C. (2016). Self-Improvement Market in U.S. Worth $9.6 Billion. Retrieved from: https://www.bennettstellar.org/self-improvement-worth-9-6billion/

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Appendix D: Revenues for Different Book Platforms

AAP StatShot: Publisher Net Revenue from Book Sales Declines 2.0% Through Third Quarter of 2015. (2016, January 26). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://newsroom.publishers.org/ aap-statshot-publisher-net-revenue-from-book-sales-declines-20-through-third-quarterof-2015

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Appendix E: Growth of Audiobooks â&#x20AC;¨

! AAP StatShot: Publisher Net Revenue from Book Sales Declines 2.0% Through Third Quarter of 2015. (2016, January 26). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://newsroom.publishers.org/ aap-statshot-publisher-net-revenue-from-book-sales-declines-20-through-third-quarterof-2015

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Appendix F: Audiobook Listening Habits in the United States

â&#x20AC;¨ !

Wilson, K. (2016, July 6). Who Listens To Audiobooks? Scribd Sheds Light On Commuter Trends In The U.S. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from https://www.bustle.com/articles/ 170921-who-listens-to-audiobooks-scribd-sheds-light-on-commuter-trends-in-the-us

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Appendix G: Pew Research Data on Club Participation â&#x20AC;¨

! Rainie, L., Purcell, K., & Smith, A. (2011, January 17). Section 1: The State of Groups and Voluntary Organizations in America. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http:// www.pewinternet.org/2011/01/18/section-1-the-state-of-groups-and-voluntaryorganizations-in-america/

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Appendix H: Book Club Involvement by Gender

! â&#x20AC;¨ Rainie, L., Purcell, K., & Smith, A. (2011, January 17). Section 1: The State of Groups and Voluntary Organizations in America. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http:// www.pewinternet.org/2011/01/18/section-1-the-state-of-groups-and-voluntaryorganizations-in-america/

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Appendix I: Book Club Involvement by Age

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Appendix J: Reasons People Do Not Participate in Book Clubs

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Appendix K: Table Wine Industry in the United States

! Table Wine Sales by Category, 2016." Market Share Reporter. Ed. Robert S. Lazich and Virgil L. Burton, III. 28th ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2018. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 7 Apr. 2017.

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Appendix L: Jazz Music Consumption in the United States

! Buskirk, E. V. (2015). Which Music Genres Have the Loyalist Fans? Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://insights.spotify.com/us/2015/04/02/loyalest-music-fans-by-genre/

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Appendix M: Jazz Music Industry

! 2016 Nielsen Music U.S. Mid-Year Report. (2016, June). Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2016/2016-us-music-mid-yearreport.html

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Appendix N: Self-Help Book Competitors

! Burkeman, O. (2011, January 01). The 10 Best Self-Help Gurus. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/jan/02/10-best-self-help-gurus

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Appendix O: Brunch Statistics and Demographics

!   Ferdman, R. A., & Ingraham, C. (2015, April 10). How Brunch Became the Most Delicious-and Divisive-Meal in America. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from https:// www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/04/10/how-brunch-became-the-mostdelicious-and-divisive-meal-in-america/?utm_term=.7a08417d62f3

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FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix P: Strategic Plan - Continued

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Appendix Q: Example Press Release for Online Book Club

FLO BRANDS AND THE RUMPUS PARTNER TO OFFER NEW ONLINE BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Marcus Johnson, the chief executive officer of FLO Brands announced a new partnership with The Rumpus, an online book club. The two organizations are collaborating to offer an online book club discussion and video author chat with Marcus Johnson. The month-long online book discussion opens Monday, June 4, 2018 on www.TheRumpus.net. The book discussion will be hosted through The Rumpus website where FLO Brands fans and The Rumpus book club members alike can join in together in a discussion around loving yourself, laughing, crying, and other topics to get you rejuvenated for this spring season. At the end of the month readers will have an exclusive video chat with Marcus Johnson. “Last year, FLO Brands launched this motivational, self-help book, and today we are excited to continue this momentum with The Rumpus,” said Marcus Johnson. “The Rumpus is a premier partner and platform to host this online book discussion and engage with fans across the country.” “The Rumpus are dedicated to offering exclusive online book clubs experiences and author engagements. We are excited to collaborate with FLO Brands and Marcus Johnson on this unique experience,” said Stephen Elliott, Founder of The Rumpus. This event is open to all FLO Brands fans. Registration is $27 through The Rumpus website includes a signed hardcopy of the book, as well as access to the online discussion board and live video chat with Marcus Johnson on Tuesday, 26, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. EST. About FLO Brands FLO Brands is a lifestyle company created by Marcus Johnson, an internationally renowned, Billboard Top 10, NAACP Image Award-nominated jazz musician and entrepreneur from Washington, DC. Johnson’s unique, self-taught style of piano play, has earned him distinction among his peers, praise within the media, and accolades across the music industry. Over the last decade, the self-starting Johnson has released 15 studio albums – all of which have been met with critical and commercial success – all while overseeing the expansion of a burgeoning entrepreneurial empire.

About The Rumpus The Rumpus is a place where people come to be themselves through their writing, to tell their stories or speak their minds in the most artful and authentic way they know how, and to invite each of you, as readers, commenters or future contributors, to do the same. What we have in common is a passion for fantastic writing that’s brave, passionate, and true (and sometimes very, very funny).

Johnson, M. (2014). FLO Brands Final Pitch Packet. Retrieved March 5, 2017, via email correspondence with Andrea Ogunwumi. The Rumpus. (2016). The Rumpus Book Club. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://therumpus.net/bookclub/

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Appendix R: Integrated Marketing Communications Plan THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENTS: • Establish messaging for the book assigning event • Draft and issue a press release on each event to targeted media (local newspapers, book and jazz specific magazines or publications, local radio stations) • Post press releases on FLO brands website • Find and record testimonials of consumers who read the book • Create Facebook event and invite “Floyalists” to the event • Marcus mentions “Book and Brunch” event on his radio show • Email blast/mention in newsletter to “Floyalists” on the events with inspirational quote from Marcus • Create inspirational quotes for Pinterest account • Create content to share with The Rumpus for their website, social media accounts TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENTS: • Launch geo-fenced Facebook, digital advertisements for brunch (Atlanta), online book club (D.M.V.) • Use testimonial content in Facebook promotion (two posts this week) • Upload testimonial content and event information on the FLO brands website • Marcus mentions online book club event on radio show, offers a free book to the first three people who register through the FLO Brands website • Make homepage banners on FLO brands website promoting both events, link to event info • Email blast/mention in newsletter to “Floyalists” on the event with another inspirational quote • Launch Pinterest advertisements on inspirational quotes from Marcus Johnson by the end of the week in order to pins to up over the weekend • The Rumpus book club sign ups begin ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EVENTS: • Continued geo-fenced Facebook and digital advertisements for brunch and online book club • Facebook posts focus on testimonials, encourage fans to share the invite (three posts this week) • Local media and radio interviews in Atlanta of Marcus Johnson promoting the Book and Brunch • Marcus mentions Book and Brunch on radio show - asks ten people to call in, the tenth caller gets a free book and a half hour one on one with Marcus before or after the event • Issue a reminder press release about the each event, offering media interviews at the brunch event • Email blast/mention in newsletter to “Floyalists” on the event with third exclusive excerpt • Push new Pinterest inspirational quotes by the end of the week in order to pins to up over the weekend TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENTS: • Heavy final push and paid promotional on social media, exclusive video message from Marcus that he will be doing a reading at Book and Brunch and share something a manuscript he is working on doing the online book club. • Marcus mentions both of the upcoming events on the radio station • Last mail blast/mention in newsletter to “Floyalists” on the event and the last excerpt could be the reading at the event • Local media and radio interviews in Atlanta of Marcus Johnson promoting the Book and Brunch • Push new Pinterest inspirational quotes by the end of the week in order to pins to up over the weekend • Registration for both events end DURING EVENTS: • Book and Brunch - take photos and post to Facebook account, other social media • Short 30-second video of Marcus at the end of the event thanking people for coming - Facebook live • Ensure the surveys are sent online book club, handed out in-person at brunch

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix R: Integrated Marketing Communications Plan - Continued AFTER EVENTS: • Remove all promotional content from the FLO Brands website • Post the Thank You video from Marcus on the website • Review survey data and make improvements for future events

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Appendix S: Product, Place, Promotion, Price - Book and Brunch, Online Book Club Product

Place

Both the Book and Brunch and online book club events will focus on the FLO Brands book by Marcus Johnson

Book and Brunch to take place at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia

Promotions

Price

Online book club will partner will be The Rumpus; discussion and author video chat to be hosted on The Rumpus website

Book and Brunch will have Facebook and digital The Rumpus online book club is $27 per month, web advertisements geo-fenced for the Atlanta-area per member Online book club event will have Facebook and digital web advertisements geo-fenced for the D.M.V.-area

Book costs is $14.95 per book

Paid advertisements on Pinterest using inspirational See budget in Appendix Y for complete listing on quotes geo-fenced to both areas. prices and costs Leverage FLO Brands website, monthly email blasts, and social media platforms to post about each event two to three times a week using fan testimonials on the book and inspirational quotes from Marcus Johnson Issue press releases announcing both events, follow up reminder press releases Schedule local media interviews in Atlanta for Book and Brunch events Utilize FLO Brands radio station connections to promote both events and offer exclusive deals for fans for registering for either event Posters for each event, promotional bookmark 25% coupon for completing the post event survey

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix T: Promotional Poster - Book and Brunch Event

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FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix T: Promotional Poster Continued - Online Book Club

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FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix U: Bookmark - Front and Back

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Appendix V: Venue Selection Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead - Plaza II Ballroom, Casual Round Tables

“Located in Atlanta’s swankiest neighborhood, The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead is one of the closest hotels to Atlanta’s most prestigious shopping and dining. Whether you are in town for business, to shop or a relaxing spa getaway, this elegant hotel is where Southern hospitality delights with a fresh twist on tradition. And with an entire floor dedicated as a Wellness Level, we offer a rejuvenating experience that will linger long after you leave.” • • • • •

Full liquor license and brunch menu options Central location that appeals to the target audience Ballroom and meeting space options for the “Brunch and Book” event Free wifi available Audio and visual technologies available

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. (2017). Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/georgia/buckhead

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Appendix W: Facebook and Pinterest Usage Amongst the Target Audience

Greenwood, S., Perrin, A., & Duggan, M. (2016, November 11). Social Media Update 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-mediaupdate-2016/

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix X: Pinterest Inspirational Quote Design

Johnson, M. (2017). For The Love Ofâ&#x20AC;¦ Herdon, Virginia: Mascot Books.

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FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS AND BRUNCHES Appendix Y: Budget

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Annotated Bibliography 2016 Nielsen Music U.S. Mid-Year Report. (2016, June). Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: http:// www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2016/2016-us-music-mid-year-report.html   Neilson is a global information, data, and measurement company with headquarters in the United States. Nielsen operates in over 100 countries and studies industries and markets, including this report on music consumption in 2016. This report ranks all the music types, including jazz, rock, hip-hop and country, etc., for its usage and consumption through online music and video downloads, as well as in-store purchases through the start of the 2016-year. This report covers the different type of music sales, including album sales and streaming statistics domestically. This is important information in order to better understand the current state and future of the broader music industry and specifically the jazz music industry in the United States. In this report from Neilson, jazz music has the second only to children’s music in the lowest share of the total volume of consumption in the music industry. Total consumption for jazz music and audioon demand streaming is at 1.3% and 0.7%, respectively. Out of the $4.9 billion trade value in the music industry, jazz music has about $63,700,000 in total consumption. While this is a fairly large number that could FLO Brands compete with other jazz musician for further revenue, in the overall music industry, this number is relatively low. This information could impact how FLO Brands moves forward with less of focus on the jazz industry both internationally and domestically. (227 words) An Evening with Marcus Johnson (2017). Facebook.com. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://www.facebook.com/events/381305825586487/  This Marcus Johnson's Facebook page, which is a reliable source to better understand and obtain information about his new book "For the Love Of" or (FLO) and the future events related to it including the recent book signing event in Washington, D.C. that was live streamed on the Facebook account. The section entitled "An Evening with Marcus Johnson" provides an overview of the book. The book is a collection of different themes in which the author has provided his personal experiences, advices, and life suggestions. The book aims to motivate the people to achieve their dream even in the challenging situation. Johnson has mentioned the lesson that he learned and experienced throughout the course of making his visions as musician, entrepreneur, and father a reality. The book prescribes the inspiring and real-world strategies and methods to discover the aim in life, follow one's passion, and stay on the track despite the challenges, which are inspiring. This information is essential in better understanding the content on Marcus Johnson’s book, as well as the promotional efforts underway to increase awareness for the book, and the messaging around the book itself. (188 words) Books Industry Profile: United States. (2016). Books Industry Profile: United States, 1-33.  This industry profile focuses on the value of the United States books market. According to this report, the market shrank by 4 percent in 2015 to reach a value of $26,889 million. The market

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value forecast in 2020, in which United States books market is forecast to have a value of $27,637.4 million, is an increase of 2.8 percent since 2015. Within the report, the category segmentation shows that physical books are the largest segment of the books market in the United States, accounting for 88 percent of the market's total value. Geography segmentation in the United States accounts for 21.6 percent of the global books market value. Finally, market rivalry is intensified by the popularity of Internet retail tools like Amazon, and its ease of expansion. The rivalry within the book market is increased as players compete over consumers who are more easily aware of price and stock. (150 words) Buskirk, E. V. (2015). Which Music Genres Have the Loyalist Fans? Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://insights.spotify.com/us/2015/04/02/loyalest-music-fans-by-genre/  This source from Spotify is a digital music streaming service that gives users access to millions of songs, podcasts and videos from artists all over the world This sources breaks down the music industry by genre but in terms of engagement on Spotify both internationally and nationally. Specifically, jazz music is ranked as the 27th most popular music genre (out of 38 total genres) in the United States, while it is the 8th most popular genre internationally out of 11 genres. This information could impact how FLO Brands moves forward with less of focus on the jazz industry both internationally and domestically. ). In analyzing this data from Spotify, it is important to understand that the company’s methodology “looked for repeated listens to the core artists from each genre — the ones sitting right at the ‘center’ of the genres, as it were,” so it would be reasonable to conclude within a less popular genre like jazz, listeners are playing specific artists over and over. (164 words) Dave, N. (2012). Jazz Pianist Marcus Johnson, Improvising Solos and a Growing Business. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/ style/jazz-pianist-marcus-johnson-improvising-solos-and-a-growing-business/ 2012/09/03/298e58ca-e895-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19_story.html?utm_term=.6053cc282fe8   This article is from The Washington Post, an American daily newspaper and online website. It is the most widely circulated newspaper published in Washington, D.C., and was founded on December 6, 1877. The author is a freelance reporter focused on music, and the arts. The article follows Marcus Johnson during a jazz performance in Washington, D.C., and then chronicles the focus of the business as a therapy brand, and the foundation of the FLO wine product line from the idea to sourcing to launch. The article shares valuable background information on FLO Brands mission statement and positioning statement, as well as the educational and professional background of Marcus Johnson as a lawyer and MBA graduate. The article also offers helpful insights on Marcus Johnson’s business philosophy and practices through descriptions of his personality, drive and business through quotes from colleagues and fellow business owners including Sean Johnson, the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Flo Wines. (158 words)

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FLO Wines Announces Release of New Summer Moscato. (2013, July 18). Industry News. Press Release. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://www.foodnewsfeed.com/flo-wines-announces-release-new-summer-moscato  This source is a wire service specific to the food and beverage industry that shared this press release issues by FLO Brands. This is helpful information to have the latest information on FLO Wine's product launch. Based on the company's press release, the news report provides an overview of Moscato, the new and third product of FLO wine. Citing Robert Piziali, the FLO Wines president, the press release states that the Moscato includes "a cool, crisp wine with bright notes of apricot, honeysuckle, melon, and aromatic orange blossom." It also provides the information about the production of wine and bottle, a partnership for the national distribution as well. Marcus Johnson, the CEO of the FLO Wine, is quoted in the press release as saying the decision to launch a new product was based on the experience within many markets. The market feedbacks during the company’s visits to many cities including Aiken, South Carolina, Illinois, Virginia inspired them to bring sweet wine into the FLO Wine product offering. (167 words) Frayman, J. (2015). The Demographics of Blues and Jazz Listeners in 6 Graphs. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://bluesjazzlondon.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/the-demographics-ofblues-and-jazz-listeners-in-6-graphs/  This source is a blog post dedicated to blues and jazz music in London, England. This source shares detailed information about the demographic segmentation of the jazz music listeners within the United States and the United Kingdom. This blog posts gathers information and statistics about jazz fans types, age, race, employment status, and education level. All the data is represented as graphs with a short explanation and analysis. This data is sourced from a recent study conducted in the U.S. by the Jazz Audiences Initiative (JAI), a project spearheaded by the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG). This study specifically defines six types of jazz listeners from musicians to casual listeners and social listeners. It also outlines the employment status of most jazz listeners as being full-time and the education status as bachelor’s and master’s degrees. This information confirms what Marcus Johnson shared in our class that the jazz audience is highly educated and likely financially comfortable with disposable incomes. (160 words) Hughe, C. (2016, January 26). The Wine Trend No One's Talking About (Yet): An Insider's View. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhuyghe/2016/01/26/the-winetrend-no-ones-talking-about-yet-an-insiders-view/#56cb1d082685   Forbes, a magazine and digital publication, features original articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. This article, written by a Forbes contributor who focuses on business and politics of the wine industry, outlines 2015 data trends and analysis on the United States wine industry. Her information was sourced from the annual State of the Wine Industry, released by the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in January 2016. The article outlines a trend that Baby Boomers are seeking out lower-alcohol wine. Additionally, while millennials receive the

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bulk of paid advertising and promotional attention by wine brands, the older generations retain the most purchasing power. There is also growing consumer-buying pattern across generations, focusing on red blends between the $8 to $14 price ranges. FLO Brand wines align with all of this information with a red blend, a highest alcohol percentage of 13.5% (which still is on the lower spectrum), and an average price point of $10. (155 words)

Kane, L. (2014, June 17). What Rich People Have Next To Their Beds. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/rich-people-read-self-improvement-books-2014-6.   This article is featured on the Business Insider website, a New York City-based digital publication covering news and research on financial, media, technology, and other industry verticals. It outlined a study conducted by Tom Corley, an author, speaker, and media contributor, who for five years monitored and analyzed the daily activities, habits, and buying behaviors of both wealthy and financially struggling people. One area of his research uncovered that 85 percent of wealthy people (an annual household income of $160,000 or more) read two or more education, career-related, or self-improvement books per month, compared to 15 percent of those living in poverty. This source provided helpful background information on the target demographic and their spending behaviors. This information confirms that Marcus Johnson’s book should focus on a wealthier, and likely more highly educated target audience. This audience is more receptive to self-improvement or self-help books, while also having more disposable income. (151 words)   Kimmel, A. (2014). Connecting with Consumers: Marketing for New Marketplace Realities. Journal Of Marketing Management, 30 (13-14), 1522-1524.  Allan J. Kimmel is Professor of Marketing at ESCP-EAP, European School of Management in Paris, France. His publications include Rumor and Rumor Control: A Manager's Guide to Understanding and Combatting Rumors (2004) and Marketing Communication: New Approaches, Technologies, and Styles (edited, 2005). In this article Kimmel goes into detail on how to develop relationships to customers in the twenty-first century. He argues that consumers no longer need to develop close relationships with companies because they are focusing on interacting with other customers through Web 2.0. He focuses on the multi-step flow of communication model and pushes the concept of companies understanding the basic communication process. This article could be beneficial to FLO Brands because it goes into depth on various platforms and takes another viewpoint on the importance of having a social media presence in today’s market. It includes a great deal of statistics that would be beneficial on how Marcus Johnson could effectively communicate with his target audience. (158 words)  Kubacki, K., & Croft, R. (2011). Markets, Music and All That Jazz. European Journal of Marketing, 45(5), 805-821.

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Kubacki and Croft, both professors at very respected universities, uncover the attitudes of jazz artists and the way they present themselves in the market. This case study, however, specifically focuses on jazz and its recent influence in Poland. The study suggests that jazz musicians can engage with markets through a variety of different methods. This is great for Marcus Johnson and FLO Brands because it opens a door to learn from. A great deal of the methods that were used to reach the jazz market in Poland was based off the artist’s artistic identity. The artists took what they were passionate about and found ways to market it to their niche market. Some ideas were musical interventions on stage; non-musical off stage, and moments they found impacting in their everyday life. Kubacki pushed the importance of being a self-employed entrepreneur if an artist wanted to make a consistent brand for their company. FLO could use some of these ideas and interventions to gain some greater brand awareness and publicity. (162 words)

Marcus Johnson Talks Jazz, Books & Flo Wine. BookWino.com (2013, August 8). Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBglbwLR4S8  In this video interview on YouTube provides an overview of Marcus Johnson's passion for the jazz music, the philosophy behind FLO wine, and foundation of his success. Despite coming from a family of professionals like doctors, lawyers, and psychotherapist, Marcus Johnson chose the career path as a jazz musician. It seems that his law and MBA degrees inspired him to involve in the music business whereas the law degree helped to analyze the life situation from a business perspective. He also talks about the challenges and benefits of working as a freelance artist. He mentions how he had to heavily rely on the radio during his early career when the Internet was not easily accessible. He describes his musical album Three Keys as a combination of "spirituality, artistry, and strategy." This interview also provides the information about his inspiration for the wine business, its product types and philosophy of wine bottle design, and distribution channels. This is a credible source as Marcus Johnson is the interviewee. (167 words) Rosa, D. L. (2015). Jazz Has Become The Least-Popular Genre In The U.S. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from: http://thejazzline.com/news/2015/03/jazz-least-popular-music-genre/  Per the article, jazz music is the only genre to have its digital album sales decline, year-on-year, between 2011 and 2012. And more recently, even though the use of on-demand streaming services like Spotify grew by 54.5% between 2013 and 2014, jazz music represented just 0.3% of all music streamed during the same period. The author suggests that this is due to aging listenership that is slow to adapt to new technologies. Jazz is continuing to fall out of favor with American listeners and has tied with classical music as the least-consumed music in the U.S. Due to this, FLO Brands and Marcus Johnson need to come up with a way to market jazz in different ways. As Marcus, has previously mentioned doing a piece with Drake, he is headed in the right direction by potentially increasing his following from the millennials. Country music is one of the biggest genres in the music industry. Teaming up with a popular country artist may be in the best interest, and would open FLO Brands into a different market. Rock is also a popular genre. Many rock bands are now performing covers of songs that are becoming more popular than the

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originals. FLO Brands may want to consider doing covers of popular songs and putting a jazz type of spin on it. Covers are extremely popular and are often favored. (229 words)