In The Loop Strategy Memo

Lab 305

Strategy Memo In the Loop is a fun app that connects the residents of the Madison community with the events nearby them in real time. Through using In the Loop Madison residents will have the opportunity to experience the community in new ways by learning about events they might not have heard about without the help of the app.

Audience: ● App users will be students and local residents within the Madison community ● Businesses will also be able to have accounts to post promotional content Tagline: ● Know the scoop & stay in the loop Objectives: ● Connect Madison residents to the events in their community. ● Encourage students and local residents to find and attend events near them more easily through an app ● Allow local residents to find what events there friends are attending Main strategy: ● Main ideas description: ○ In the Loop is an app that shows upcoming events in Madison, both on and off campus. Users will be able to filter the event results to tailor what they are interested in as well as see what events and clubs are currently trending. In the Loop will help both friends and businesses to plan the events and stay connected. ● Survey Respondent Opinions: ○ Of the 48 respondents (who were primarily 20 year old white females): ○ 70.8% agreed that they would download an app that helped them find events/clubs in Madison easier ○ 58.3% said they are interested in finding new clubs and attending their meetings ○ 66.7% said they are interested in finding events off campus ○ 75% said they would attend more events if they knew when/where they were ○ 70.8% said they would be more likely to attend an event described as popular, more so than those who would attend an event described as trending (62.5%) ○ 70.8% said they would RSVP to an event ○ 85.4% said they would be comfortable letting their friends know their location ○ 70.8% said they would not pay for an ad free version of the app

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○ 79.2% said they would find a map feature helpful in finding events in their area ○ Being too busy and knowledge of when/where events are were biggest barriers to people attending events ○ Both maps and being able to connect with friends were the most requested features for the app ● Key features: ○ Protected privacy: Only the users you approve can see what events you RSVP to ○ Filter events: Users can choose if they want to view on campus events, off campus events or both. ○ Map: A map shows you where the events near you are located and what they are.

On the app there will be a search feature to find events as well as a filter feature to sort the type of events you would like to see (concerts, sports, etc.) ○ Content: ■ Pages: On the homepage there will be a list of popular events that are trending in your area, as well as the map. On the profile page: You will be able to follow venues and types of events, new information on these items will appear here. In your loop: You will be able to follow friends and see what events they RSVP to.

Revenue: ● Our main source of revenue will be the option of sustained advertising of businesses. If a company wants to have consistent prevalence on the app’s main page, they will pay a monthly membership fee upfront. The exact price of this fee depends on the responses to our survey. a. If you are signed up with the option to have sustained advertising, you can get marketing consulting from In the Loop for an additional cost. ● Paid featured ad content which gives prominence to the companies that paid for it.

Businesses can advertise deals (i.e., 2 for $1 drink night, etc.) a. We collect a 5% cut of the benefits received from promotions run through In the Loop that are paid for by the businesses. i. Nonprofit organizations (501C-3) have a discounted price to advertise featured content ii.

On college campuses, clubs and other student-run organizations will not have to pay for features on the app. ● Partnerships with third party technology companies such as Uber, Lyft, Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and other local transportation options. a. These partnerships will increase the safety for our consumers and take away an obstacle to attending events. b. Local transportation companies will vary from location to location, an example in Madison could be BCycle. c. We look to promote our brand, content and business partnerships through a partnership with WSUM radio.

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● Events thrown by In the Loop to promote the brand and local clubs and businesses. a. These events will include both fundraising options for In the Loop such as raffles and auctions b. Sponsorships from local businesses and venues ● In the Loop will apply to receive the Madison Community Impact Grant a. Other grants might include: The Small Innovation Research Program Grant, financial aid from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as the BA and Esther Greenheck Foundation *In the Loop will not profit from selling any consumer data. We will obtain this information but for the sake of transparency, our mission is to use it purely to benefit consumer experience within the app.

Timeline: ● In the Loop plans to launch in September 2022. To promote the launch, the In the Loop team will advertise the app on their various social media accounts, such as Twitter, TikTok and Instagram to create buzz around Madison. During SOAR week in the beginning of the school semester Additionally, the team hopes that the published press release will be covered by a local journalist to further spread the word about the launch of In the Loop. After the initial launch, In the Loop hopes to expand to other cities starting in Spring 2023.

Branding: One circle represents the people using the app, and the other represents the places they are going. The overlap between the circles represents the connection we are creating between them “in the loop” (keeping them “in the loop”) Stories in motion: ● Story discussing whether social media is actually disconnecting people or if there are ways that it connects people ● Asking UW students how much they know about events around campus ● Social media curation of local bar instagram pages or self promotions