Mellow Johnny's by Thao Le

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................................................................................................................................................3 WHAT WE FOUND The Brand............................................................................................................................................................................................................5 The Hometown..................................................................................................................................................................................................8 The Consumer....................................................................................................................................................................................................10 Consumer Portraits..........................................................................................................................................................................................14 The Competition...............................................................................................................................................................................................18 Brand Makeup...................................................................................................................................................................................................22 Branding as a Utility........................................................................................................................................................................................23 Advocacy vs. Marketing.................................................................................................................................................................................24 Creating Community.......................................................................................................................................................................................25 The Brand Truth................................................................................................................................................................................................29 MARKETING RECOMMENDATIONS Our Method.........................................................................................................................................................................................................31 Mellow Johnnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Equity..................................................................................................................................................................................32 The Tangible Market........................................................................................................................................................................................33 The Target Audiences.....................................................................................................................................................................................34 Consumer Journey...........................................................................................................................................................................................35 Connection Strategy.......................................................................................................................................................................................36 ADVERTISING RECOMMENDATIONS The Big Idea.......................................................................................................................................................................................39 Equity Elements.................................................................................................................................................................................40 Inspiration............................................................................................................................................................................................41 Sample Executions.............................................................................................................................................................................42 Transitioning Efforts..........................................................................................................................................................................44 MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS Search...................................................................................................................................................................................................46 Mobile...................................................................................................................................................................................................49 Blogging..............................................................................................................................................................................................52 Social....................................................................................................................................................................................................53 Display..................................................................................................................................................................................................55 Out-of-Home.......................................................................................................................................................................................56 Events...................................................................................................................................................................................................57 Print.......................................................................................................................................................................................................59 MEASURING SUCCESS Metrics..................................................................................................................................................................................................63 Moving Forward.................................................................................................................................................................................65

Looking forward to the upcoming year, Mellow Johnny’s issued a call to agencies: find a way to help us expand our business, generate growth, and push our goods and services all while maintaining our brand’s coveted brand integrity. More specifically, you aimed to see gains in three specific areas: • INCREASE SALES OF BIKES PRICED $1200 & BELOW (recreational, beginner, etc.) • BUILD UP THE SERVICE & REPAIR BUSINESS WITH THOSE WHO DID NOT PURCHASE THEIR BIKE FROM MELLOW JOHNNY’S • EXPAND MELLOW JOHNNY’S GEOGRAPHIC REACH BEYOND CENTRAL AUSTIN Our agency, The Armoury, started by looking at your history, your established image here in Austin and the makeup of your company. Careful analysis of the Austin market revealed that the Austin bike community is vast and dynamic, but ripe with opportunity. We dichotomized the Austin landscape and revealed four key archetypes that helped unveil our target consumers and simple brand truth: that the community relies on Mellow Johnny’s to get going. We used this brand truth to create a series of marketing and creative recommendations that build upon Mellow Johnny’s previous efforts to get Austinites to not just know your shop, but ride with it. The following pages are the ammunition to a carefully-decided and thought-out communications plan to help strengthen Mellow Johnny’s brand, business and community.

W HE R E YOU’ VE COM E FR OM Ever since opening 3 years ago on May 10th, Mellow Johnny’s has quickly become a world renowned brand. Mellow Johnny’s has found success through its own strong positioning as a performance brand in addition to its affiliation with Lance Armstrong. Mellow Johnny’s carries a wide variety of different biking brands and products, and offers state of the art training facilities and educational classes. In essence, the store is the epicenter of biking culture in Austin.

PRO DUCTS Mellow Johnny’s product offerings can be broken down into three different areas: GO O DS

NIKE | “JUST DO IT” Reebok was dominating aerobics and had the most market share in the sneaker business. Nike responded to that by releasing a tough, take-no-prisoners ad campaign that practically shamed people into exercising, and more importantly, to exercising in Nikes. The “Just Do It” campaign was not only about sneakers but about Nike’s own renaissance. Post campaign, 80% of Nike shoes sold were used for something other than what the product was originally intended for.

Counted among goods are bikes, equipment, and merchandising. Bike sales make up 30% of their overall revenue, indicating a large area for potential growth. Compared to industry standards of making 70-80% revenue through bike sales alone, Mellow Johnny’s lacks in store sales. Increasing the number of bike sales should be the #1 priority of marketing efforts. Additionally, Mellow Johnny’s branded merchandise accounts for 15% of revenue, making the sale of branded clothing and goods an area of potential growth. In addition to expanding the sale of merchandising through marketing efforts, Mellow Johnny’s can use their products to further promote their brand.

S ERV IC ES Mellow Johnny’s can attribute professionalism and expertise to their brand due to the many services their mechanics provide. Service offerings include a variety of different repair packages and options. These options are priced to reflect different levels of performance expectations, from basic bike repairs to racing-quality tune-ups. These choices meet the demands of both the daily biker and hardcore racer. However, these services are under-marketed and reflect in repairs accounting for only 3% of Mellow Johnny’s overall revenue. It is essential to highlight these services in order to make Mellow Johnny’s more accessible to unengaged consumers. EDUCATION The most unique area of expertise that Mellow Johnny’s owns is their “educational programs”. In addition to facilitating daily rides for novices and experts alike, Mellow Johnny’s teaches maintenance and repair classes. The class offerings appeal to a wide demographic due to the different areas of interest (i.e. Ladie’s rides, racing training rides, etc. Most notably, Mellow Johnny’s has a high-tech training facility within the building itself, catering to the most dedicated of bike riders. These classes and services lean towards a more devoted bicyclist, but position Mellow Johnny’s as an exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced brand. No other competitor within the Austin market can claim this level of sophistication and technology. Incorporating these strengths into a marketing strategy can solidify Mellow Johnny’s position as a leader of industry.

A C IT Y G O IN G T HROUGH GROWI NG PAI NS Mellow Johnny’s is situated right in the heart of Austin, a bustling city with a small-town mentality. Home to nearly 800,000 residents in the city limits, Austin is an epicenter of young adults, arts, and entertainment. Only 7% of Austin’s population is over the age of 65, and nearly 45% of the total population is between age 22 and 501. This statistic echoes throughout much of the city’s infrastructure: parks, running trails, sidewalks - and yes - bike racks, are everywhere. These young persons are brought to the city by its booming business acquisitions such as Google and Facebook, and they’re staying to become settled Austinite families, but that doesn’t mean they’re settling. A staggering 55% of Austin residents rent their homes compared to the average of 36% of all Texans. 1 The dynamic community of Austin has been bursting at the seems, and as a consequence has led to the gentrification of many areas throughout the city. Areas such as South First, East Eleventh, Terry Town, notarized as seedy, uninhabited or downright dangerous in the 1980’s and 90’s are now home to collectives of artists, musicians, and young professionals alike.

8 1 | 2010 Census

This new urban sprawl of residents can be feasibly dichotomized into four separate and unique areas: DOWNTOWN: Including the infamous sixth street, the arts district on Willie Nelson Blvd. and Mellow Johnny’s - this is the place where the city is really alive. This area spans from I-35 to Mopac Lady Bird Lake and MLK and is a booming home for young socially-conscious up and comers to the city in one of the 2,000 added apartment units to Austin’s downtown area in the past quarter alone2. With an average takeaway income of $46,582 by the inhabitants of downtown, many are living well with plenty extra cash to have fun with. THE HILLS: A far cry from Los Angeles, but places like Westlake, Lakeway, Town Lake, and areas surrounding the Highway 360 area are home to some of the most affluent residents of Austin. The average cost for a home in these areas is $468,000 and an average family income of $117,000, The Hills and its surrounding areas are home to some of the city’s wealthiest inhabitants3. While a departure from the dense urban lifestyle, it’s only a twenty minute drive to the city for these residents, and they’re often in the city - be it for work or pleasure.

THE EASTSIDE: Described by many older Austinites as the area that is still “Keeping Austin Weird”, the Eastside is home to the truly alternative side of Austin. The Eastside is known for up-and-coming artists, new restaurants and a revitalized oasis of obscure nightlife. The mentality in this area can be summed up by phrases such as “do it yourself” or “stay local and sustainable.” The average household income in the area is just $24,689, so many of these residents are living on their own means with just half of what residents less than two miles away make3. THE SUBURBS Places such as Round Rock and Leander, Slaughter and Bowie were once areas that were detached from actual Austin. However, these suburban areas exploded in the nineties and millenium and have now virtually become a part of the Greater Austin area. With staples such as the Round Rock Express baseball diamond, Ikea, Round Rock Donuts, and some of the areas best high schools, it’s easy to see that this is a family-oriented part of Austin. The average family makes $61,485 and has two kids, both over the age of twelve3. The parents in these homes are typically inner-city Austin workers who escaped the city’s congestion, hustle and bustle, but still spend nearly 68 minutes in traffic daily in their commutes.

2 | Trulia Real Estate Market News, Downtown 3 | Truila Real Estate Market News, Suburbs

N OT YO U R AVE RAGE JOE & JA NE Nationally, bike sales are increasing despite the economic recession and locally, cycling is booming as well. Cycling trends are vividly reflected in the local Austin culture as more and more people are choosing biking as a recreational activity and necessary mode of transportation. There is definitely a place for Mellow Johnnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the cycling industry and the local Austin community.

N AT ION A L CON SUM E R BIK IN G TRENDS There are five primary distribution channels for bicycles in the United States: 1. Mass Merchants (discount, department and chain toy stores) 2. Specialty bike retailers 3. Chain sporting goods stores 4. Outdoor specialty retailers 5. Other (mixture of retailers and internet sales)

CYCL IN G PA R T IC IPAT ION 4 • 39.3% Americans above the age of seven were estimated to have ridden a bicycle six times or more in 2010 (up 3% from 2009) • Cycling is listed as the seventh most popular recreational activity, behind walking, swimming, camping, fishing, exercising with equipment and bowling. CYCL IN G PAST, P R E SE N T & FUTURE 4 • There was a “bike boom” in 1970 but it ended suddenly when the industry reached a total saturation point and did not have a variety of products to sustain sales • Today there are about 2,000 companies manufacturing and distributing bikes and accessories, and approximately 150 bicycle brands. Bike designs and materials are constantly changing and improving so the saturation that killed the “bike boom” is no longer a threat to the industry • In 2010, the road bike category saw the largest growth (up 3% from 2009). This could be attributed to high gas prices and a switch in the economy, forcing an increase in bicycles as a mode of transportation • Cycling is a seasonal industry that is easily impacted by weather and economic conditions. Nevertheless, the future looks promising • National trends surrounding environmental stability, the green movement, personal health and gas prices will continue to assist in the growth of this industry • The federal government has budgeted for the construction of bike paths and road improvements for cyclists

4 | Cycling Trends Report, Mintel

LO CA L CONSUME R T RE NDS & BI KE CO M M U N IT IE S Austin is a “silver” designated bicycle friendly community as awarded by the League of American Bicyclists. This is evident in the many bike lanes, bike commuters, and generally high visibility bike culture in Austin6. Lance Armstrong, arguably the most famous cyclist in the world resides in Austin, bringing a national attention to Austin as a bicycle friendly community. There are two prevalent bike cultures in Austin: The first is the cyclist culture, with its proximity to hills and scenic highways, Austin hosts many professional and amateur cycle races as well as organized rides every weekend. This culture is one of fitness, exercise and promoting cycling as part of an active lifestyle. The Austin Cycling Association has an active twitter account alerting riders of upcoming rides and races (@ austincycling). This culture is focused around many of the high end bike shops in the city (Mellow Johnny’s, AustinBikes, Bicycle Sport Shop etc.)

12 5 | Yellow Bike Project 6 | League of American Bicyclists

THE YELLOW BIKE PROJECT YBP takes donated bikes in any condition to use for parts. Volunteers then put in hours in the shop refurbishing and rebuilding the donated bikes into functioning, rideable bicycles. They are creating skilled and knowledgeable cyclists and enabling them to spread the cycling culture through out the community. This is the idea that drives the DIY bike culture, the idea that anyone can do it, and in the end do good through human power.5

The second culture is the DIY biking culture. The DIY biking culture rides for enjoyment and necessity. Many of these cyclists use their bikes to get around the city and less as a fitness activity. The DIY culture is often linked with bike advocacy and the green aspect of biking. The DIY culture is brought to life by less organized crowd sourced rides like Critical Mass, Moonlight Tower Rides, and Tour de Fat. The DIY culture is facilitated by local bike shops like East Side Pedal Pushers, Tsunami Bikes, and The Yellow Bike Project, all of which focus on restoring old bikes to sell at a much cheaper price than a new bike. The DIY culture also relies on Craigslist. A quick search for used bikes on Craiglist brings up an endless stream of bikes for sale from vintage fixies to modern road bikes and everything in between.

CO N S U M E R P OR T RA ITS Armed with our knowledge of the national trends and these local communities, we wanted to get a candid look at the people that are the fabric of Mellow Johnny’s. Through seven in-depth interviews, we were able to explore four key archetypes: Commuters, Adventurers, Enthusiasts, and Athletes. THE ADVENTURER Name: Macon Catch-Phrase: “I’m always game” Why They Ride: To get away from it all, to be free What Makes Them Tick: • Digital pop-culture vulture • Freedom Seeker • Life is better unplugged • Information Scavenger • Constantly on his toes • Out and about A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE ADVENTURER

Macon gets up in the morning, pours a bowl of cereal and flips through his phone quickly to check the weather and a few headlines before he heads to a job. An Austin local, our adventurer always looks to find something new and incredible in this city he knows like the back of his hand. Macon is always after the next hill, the next rock face or the next pitfall or mountain in life. He’s never afraid of a challenge, and he’s constantly on his toes. Macon is a hard worker, but he uses his bike as his way to unplug from the world and just focus on one thing – the ride. His ride is his escape from work, class and everything in his life, it’s a way to get away from it all, and a high energy thrill that he can get just by pedaling on to Shoal Creek Trail. When he does tune in, he’s a digital scavenger, always hunting the net for the next cool thing, whether it’s a news article or a new song – and you can bet he’s always sharing it.

THE COMMUTER Name: Kelly & Angga Catch-Phrase: “Where am I off to?” Why They Ride: To work, to class, to get to their next spot What Makes Them Tick: • The Follower • Friendship emphasizer • Cozy homemaker • Distance matters • Repurposer

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE COMMUTER Kelly and Angga are twenty-something newcomers to Austin. They moved here with the big tech booms in the area and they count themselves lucky to have such great jobs given the tough economy. In order to save a few dollars, they ride their bikes as much as possible – which they found by hunting on Craigslist. They’re always on the move - both physically between work, home, and play – as well as emotionally. Kelly and Angga value their relationships deeply, whether its hanging with the whole group on a Friday night or just getting a quick cup of coffee - they’re always getting there on their bikes. As for where they shop, distance is everything. They avoid using a car as much as possible and love the fact that Austin lets them shop local. As a consequence, they typically live in a twenty-square block radius and don’t venture beyond that except for something important. Kelly and Angga are followers of trends and they’re definitely keeping an eye out for what’s next, but for them its more about being in the know of what’s hip rather than sharing it to their followers. As Kelly and Angga wheel away, they leave with a destination in mind and a plan ahead.

THE ENTHUSIAST Name: Barron, Garrett & Joel Catch-Phrase: “It’s about loving what you’re doing” Why They Ride: To socialize and experience life What Makes Them Tick: • Its the experience that matters • Always in control • Mobile Fiends • Chasing Passions A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE ENTHUSIAST Meet Barron, Garrett & Joel – the ultimate bike riders, and they’ll tell it to you no holds barred. Whether its to-and-from work, a leisurely way to kill twenty minutes, or an intense ride through the city streets of Austin with a band of friends, these enthusiasts live for riding their bikes and advocate for riders all over; for them its about the experience, from their bikes to their routes. They love what they do and they do what they love. They’re always out and about experiencing life - commuting to and from work or hanging out with a friend, and they typically jump at the chance to do it on a bike. They’re mobile fiends, they live untethered and typically won’t trust you if they can’t find you on foursquare or a mobile site/ app. Because they’re armed with their smartphones, they always have the newest information and are message mavens – sharing the latest and greatest first. Because of this, they’re able to create a strong community around their thoughts, interests and advocacy. These guys chase their passions on two wheels and they don’t show any sign of slowing down.

THE ATHLETE Name: Marcelo “Mars” Catch-Phrase: “For the Ride” Why They Ride: For exercise and sport What Makes Them Tick: • Limit Pusher • The arbiter of what’s right • Influencer and re-sharer • Digital Dominator and Social Roamer

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE ENTHUSIAST Mars, a twenty-something UT student who just joined the Texas4000 Team, isn’t your typical rider. Where as a “normal” bike ride might consist of a few miles, ten if you’re feeling lucky, Mars bikes thirty miles on average through the hill country surrounding Austin. Mars joined the team to do something crazy and push the limits of what he thought was possible – something he’s done in every aspect of his life. Riding a $9000 bike, he’s definitely got the right equipment to push the limits, but the price tag isn’t really what fuels him – its quality. Mars is always on the hunt for the best shop, the best tires, etc. – but he’s looking for it all at a decent price. That said, he’s willing to cough up a bit more for this quality. When he’s not pushing through that next hill he’s advising his friends and inspiring them about the cycling world. He’s an expert to his friends and to them the arbiter of taste in the biking world. He dominates the digital space with the information he shares, but its mostly just things he found roaming through his daily reads. Whether he’s pedaling to Alaska or just peddling out information to his friends, Mars is a serious rider and a maverick in the biking world.

B I CYC L E S P O RTS SHOP Mellow Johnny’s primary competition is Bicycle Sport Shop. An Austin establishment for almost 30 years, BSS is “simply the store” the target thinks of first when looking to purchase a new bike. Reviews cite a stellar service department, helpful employees, and a strong product selection as major draws to BSS. STRENGTHS • Primary: Approachable by non-pro riders • Top of Mind Awareness • Long-time establishment • Multiple locations in strategic areas • Easy parking • Wide selection

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WEAKNESSES • Weak branding • Less visible presence at events • Big-store feel, less conducive to “hanging out”

REVIEW If you know exactly what you're doing and know exactly what you want, you could probably get your bicycle parts & accessories cheaper elsewhere. But I don't, so I turn to Bicycle Sport Shop. This place has the friendliest, most helpful employees that you could ever hope for. They're knowledgeable about the products, make good suggestions, and don't try to sell you stuff that you don't need. –Christine M., 5 Stars (YELP)

These are the smaller neighborhood stores found around town. Lifestyle shops typically reach lifestyle riders who live within a 10 mile radius of downtown, and are typically chosen for their proximity to the rider’s home. These shops are also highly frequented for their service departments. • East Side Pedal Pushers • Clown Dog Bikes • Peddler Bike Shop

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REVIEW The Peddler is my neighborhood bike shop. I respect all the dudes working there and honestly feel like they give me respect as well. Bike shops tend to be hyper-masculine spaces and I feel as though these guys (although I should say that I do criticize that there are no women working there) have been more than willing to help me with questions and provide a safe and friendly atmosphere for cyclists. The service is excellent and the prices are reasonable. I’ll gladly support them again and again. –Hillary A., 5 Stars (YELP)

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L IF E ST YL E SHOP S

STRENGTHS • Convenient locations • Strong customer loyalty • Stellar service WEAKNESSES • Smaller, single-location operations • Fewer resources for brand establishment • Often more niche-focused selections

B IG B OX R E TA IL E R S These national chain mega-stores lie mostly in the suburbs and reach the Starbucks-drinking, mall-shopping, Pei Wei-eating suburban families. These stores draw the outer layer of our target, who are farther removed from the city, not as loyal to local, and often not as enthusiastic about the cycling lifestyle the Mellow Johnny’s brand is so attached to. • REI • Dick’s • Academy STRENGTHS • Top-of-mind in suburbs • Accessible/approachable by non-riders and beginners • Wide-selection of all sports items to draw wider audience

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WEAKNESSES • Impersonal, lack of community orientation • Narrow selection of cycling-specific products • Lower expertise in cycling world

REVIEW Just bought a 24 inch mountain bike for my 8 year old son [at REI]. Paid more than what you get at Walmart but it is 20 pounds lighter and has better components. They did a quick safety tune and took off the junk plastic stuff and kick stand that was just adding weight. He is loving it. The service was great. –Steve B. 5 Stars (YELP)

For the cost-conscious consumers, Mellow Johnny’s cannot compete with Craigslist on price, but can spin the situation to its advantage: offer a special service package for buyers of used bikes. STRENGTHS • Low-cost, potentially quality bikes WEAKNESSES • Prone to scams • No expert guidance • Hassle of logistics, meeting up

SERI O US STO RES These stores cater to the hardcore riders and tri-athletes of the city. Their primary business lies in high-end TT bikes and triathlon accessories. These stores are strong on organized events, rides, and races, but these are often advanced in difficulty and focus on the tri-target, not the Austin community as a whole. • Austin Tri-Cyclist • Jack & Adams STRENGTHS • Strong customer loyalty within the niche • Stellar service WEAKNESSES • Focused mainly on the tri-athlete consumer audience • Intimidating store environment for new riders • Limited selection of mid-level price range bikes

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CRA IG SLIST Though not a physical competitor, Craigslist and the secondary market for used bikes is a force that Mellow Johnny’s must recognize and wrestle with. The more frugal-minded Austinites look to sites like Craigslist for a great value on used but still quality bikes.

REVIEW Jack & Adams is one of my top go-to places whenever I have a triathlon need. They’ve got GREAT events, a pretty large selection, and the best part is - they are all very happy to work with you, and answer any questions. No matter what your skill level is, someone will come to your rescue! –Monica M. 5 Stars (YELP)

A BRAND IS SIMPLY THE SUM OF ITS PARTS Each of these parts adds up to a whole, but how is Mellow Johnny’s marketing that whole? Is there a clear message and communication of brand values, or is it just branding for branding’s sake? Though formulating a media plan will be a good way of allocating resources to expand Mellow Johnny’s awareness, there’s an additional problem of what to say. By creating a message that not only communicates all of Mellow Johnny’s values but creates additional value for the brand, we will increase the resonance of the campaign.

ED U CAT I ON

M I SS I ON

WELLN ESS SOCIAL GIVING

EXPERTISE

CH A RI T Y

WHAT MELLOW JOHNNY’S IS Mellow Johnny’s is the leader of the community and are the experts in the field. These are the two assets that Mellow Johnny’s owns that no other competitor can challenge. The problem is that Mellow Johnny’s doesn’t actively market these brand qualities, and instead chooses to passively support other businesses and events.

RI D ES

WHY IS BRANDING SO IMPORTANT? • THE MARKET IS LARGELY UNDIFFERENTIATED • EVERYONE IS ADVOCATING “RIDE YOUR BIKE” So why choose Mellow Johnny’s? What is the brand saying to the consumers that is unique from their other competitors? Currently Mellow Johnny’s has not said anything different.

Mellow Johnny’s is a great brand, but unless someone has researched Mellow Johnny’s and sought out their brand qualities, they know nothing more than the name.

ADVOCATING RIDERS DOESN’T ALWAYS SELL BIKES It is great that Mellow Johnny’s advocates riding bikes in order to promote health and a progressive lifestyle. In fact, it’s these things that provide legitimacy to the brand image. People can clearly see that Mellow Johnny’s is a brand that cares. That doesn’t always translate to sales. Mellow Johnny’s doesn’t brand themselves strongly because they want their efforts to be organic and authentic (i.e. the bike shares, giving bikes to kids, etc). However, there are many ways to advertise while maintaining brand integrity. What Mellow Johnny’s does have but does not advocate is its ability to be the epicenter of the local bike community here in Austin. Attaching to brands, events, and most of all people, the small shop has acheived global recognition, but it has yet to fully tap its full local sales potential.

THE THEORY OF COMMUNITY FOR MELLOW JOHNNY’S Mellow Johnny’s primary brand quality is being the leader of the biking community. In order to leverage that strength, a deep understanding of the mechanics of community is necessary. David McMillan and David Chavis psychologically analyzed the elements of communities. Their discoveries were integral to not only understanding how communities function, but how members become integrated within communities. More importantly, these elements illustrate essential problems that Mellow Johnny’s has to solve in order to grow its current community of Austin Bikers.

1. MEMBERSHIP: This element details specific factors required in order to actually be a member of a community. Membership is broken down into 5 components. a. b. c. d. e.

Boundaries Emotional Safety Belonging and identification Personal Investment A common symbol system

Boundaries are variables that identify who belongs in a community and who doesn’t. This is a huge concept that includes anything from clothing to language and appearance. Boundaries are the hardest barrier to overcome, especially to outsiders. Mellow Johnny’s members give off a diehard, committed image, making the brand itself seem unapproachable to biking novices. While Mellow Johnny’s professionalism is a positive component of their brand image, it’s also intimidating. Consumers feel as though they don’t fit in with Mellow Johnny’s usual clientele, making other local bike stores more appealing. Mellow Johnny’s advertising/marketing strategy has to incorporate a softer image and more inviting message to break through this perceptual barrier.

The next three elements (emotional safety, identification, and investment) are factors that Mellow Johnny’s has to provide to new members. Members need to feel comfortable and secure as a part of their community. They also need to be able to feel a sense of belonging, which actively requires the community to be accepting of new members. Members need to feel as though their personal investments in the community are rewarded. Mellow Johnny’s can incentivize consumers to choose their brand vs. competitors by promoting product benefits and relaying Mellow Johnny’s ability to help consumers through their expertise. The final, unifying element of membership is a common symbol system. Members feel connected to their community if there is something they can call their own. Common symbols are symbols, images, landmarks, etc. For most brands, and Mellow Johnny’s too, logos are the most recognizable symbol. Mellow Johnny’s yellow star branding is a well-recognized and consumers purchase merchandising for the branding alone. Mellow Johnny’s can continue to utilize this strength to support their marketing and advertising efforts. Promoting their symbol can reinforce the unity of the community as well as attract new members.

Messaging efforts must communicate accessibility and convey relevant information to consumers in order to grow the community.

2. INFLUENCE: The ability for members to influence the community and the community to influence the members is an important aspect of community. It is important to community cohesion for the group leader to be able to affect its members. However, it is also important for members to see the effects of their influence on the community. There has to be an element of trust that both parties will understand each other’s needs and attempt to fulfill them. The best way for Mellow Johnny’s to achieve that requirement is to remain open to communication and continuously engage in dialogue with the community. Constant interaction gives voice to community members and makes Mellow Johnny’s receptive to input, allowing Mellow Johnny’s to adapt to needs and concerns as they are brought up. Messaging efforts must continue social efforts to promote communication between members and the brand.

3. FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS: Members of communities need to be rewarded for their participation. For Mellow Johnny’s, this requirement is not fulfilled by creating or selling new services and products, but by communicating how their current set of products can help their members. Mellow Johnny’s repertoire is expansive enough to be able to fulfill basic and professional needs. Messaging efforts must communicate Mellow Johnny’s ability to fulfill consumer’s needs.

TREK | COMMUNITY OUTREACH Trek’s motto is “we believe in a better world.” Trek throws itself into the communities that it is a part of. Through their community efforts, they host blogs that cater to various cyclist archetypes, provide constantly updated news on their product, and look for ways to integrate their brand into the larger community. Trek’s love of bikes is what keeps their brand top of mind for consumers and gives them a sense of belonging7.

4. SHARED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION: This is a large area that incorporates many different facets of interaction. Every time a member interacts with the community, the overall positive experiences they have must outweigh the negative experiences. This factor is essential in overcoming some of the barriers Mellow Johnny’s currently has, such as distance and location. This element also requires that Mellow Johnny’s become more active in promoting their brand in order to increase their visibility. Consumers cannot engage with a brand that doesn’t engage with its consumers. Without stronger branded marketing efforts, Mellow Johnny’s is missing the opportunity to increase its connection to the community. Messaging efforts must actively promote Mellow Johnny’s brand.

28 7 | Trek Bikes (www.trek.com)

THE COMMUNITY RELIES ON MELLOW JOHNNY’S TO GET GOING.

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DEVELO P

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We worked to gather intelligence, using significant findings from our primary and secondary research about Mellow Johnny’s to gain an insight on consumers, commercial stance, its current marketing efforts, and hollistic trends to develop a series of key objectives and success parameters for the campaign.

Utilizing these built parameters we created an arsenal to generate our concept, taking into consideration the key brand benefit, reasons to believe in Mellow Johnny’s and the brand’s core branded identity.

With parameters in place and an arsenal of information, our idea development transformed into our brand truth and single most important idea of Mellow Johnny’s - it’s ability to be the creator of a community.

Our process led to a strategic activation plan which focuses on implementing a marketing strategy that emphasizes Mellow Johnny’s ability to create and sustain a biking community and culture in Austin.

THE COMMUNITY RELIES ON MELLOW JOHNNY’S TO GET GOING.

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS: • • •

Security Trust Community

RATIONAL BENEFITS: • •

Professional Service Reliable Knowledge

BRAND QUALITIES

EXECUTIONAL EQUITY

• • •

Passionate Dedicated Supportive

The Mellow Johnny’s star Typeface Logo Script

DEFI NI NG ZO NES O F A PPROAC H A BI LI T Y Mellow Johnny’s can take into consideration two major zones of the city in its future marketing and communication efforts. CENTRAL AUSTIN Central Austin spans the four key areas that make up the “downtown” Austin area: Congress, South First, Hyde Park, Tarrytown, West Lynn, and pockets of east Austin. These areas are zones that Mellow Johnny’s already has a strong foothold in, and because residents of these areas live in the thick of it all, they’re easy to reach and easier to get attention. THE AUSTIN SUBURBS Encompassing areas such as Slaughter, Bowie, The Hills, Lakeway, Anderson, Round Rock, East Austin, Riverside, and Georgetown, the suburbs are home to an established affluent and active community of families spanning the gamut of lifestyles and dynamics. While a departure from the urban mystique of Mellow Johnny’s, these residents are constantly venturing in and out of the city looking for family friendly entertainment and a sense of community.

33 8 | 2010 Census (see “The Hometown”)

CARA, MIKE & JOSEPH Cara and her husband Mike are local Texans who moved to Austin to start their family with their new son, Joseph. They’re successful, social and loving every minute of being “in their prime,” and they’re always looking for ways to stay active and have fun.1 • AGE: 30-55 • AVERAGE HHI: $75,000+ annual • KEY SPOTS: (1) Hyde Park, Terry Town, Ramsey Manor (2) Westlake, Slaughter, Anderson, Leander, Round Rock • LIFESTYLE: Couples with 1+ child • Focused on keeping it in the family and keeping it local • Tech-savvy; digital pop culture purveyors

W HY CA RA , M IK E & JOSEPH? In addition to being the market that Mellow Johnny’s has yet to tap and is looking to get a foothold in, Austinites in the 30-55 age demographic with one or more children are three times as likely to be interested in family-friendly sport messaging when shopping for a product9.

34 9 | Quantcast

ANTHONY Anthony Schnexayeder is a a young twentysomething Austin transplant working at a new tech start-up. He’s driven and passionate, but the economy has left him a little worse for the wear financially and he needs a way to get to and from work, dinner with friends and nightlife that’s cost effective and enjoyable.2 • AGE: 22-29 • AVERAGE HHI: $40,000 annual • KEY SPOTS: Downtown, Clarksville, South First, Manor, East Austin • LIFESTYLE: Single or dating, always looking for a new fun thing to do • Socially conscious and focused on the community • Always plugged in and digitally driven

W HY A N T HONY ? Anthony’s active lifestyle and zeal for his youth are things that are already present in Mellow Johnny’s current clientelle. Expanding focus to people who psychographically match their biking counterparts, the shop can reach a pool of consumers who are five times more likely to buy their product10.

35 10 | Quantcast

RESEARCH & SHOPPING AROUND

PRE

MELLOW JOHNNY’S BARRIER

THE CONSUMER DOESN’T SEE MELLOW JOHNNY’S AS THEIR WAY TO BE A PART OF A BIGGER COMMUNITY

DISCOVER INSPIRE

ROLES OF COMM.

•

Capitalize on the truth that Mellow Johnny’s is the leader of this community through its advertising efforts

•

Research the pros & cons Investigate competitors & nearby shops

•

Experience the Mellow Johnny’s difference & its sense of community

• •

•

ADVERTISING ALONE MAY NOT DRIVE PURCHASE

UNAWARE OF THE BRAND ASSOCATION &/OR UNWILLING TO INTERACT WITH THE MELLOW JOHNNY’S PRODUCT

EDUCATE •

•

Emphasize Mellow Johnny’s commitment to its customers through engaging experiences with the product Seeing & riding is believing

Ask experts Consult blogs and professionals Seek store help

•

Enjoy, tell friends, and share

•

PURCHASE

CONVERT

UNAWARE & UNMOVED • Confused by the noise and lack of “focus” • Complacent • Unaware of the community and its benefits

GO TO STORE TO MAKE PURCHASE

TRIGGER: advertisement, WOM, referral, etc.F

BELIEVER

TREND SPOTTING: • Follows bike magazines • Invested interest in the Mellow Johnny’s product

POST

•

Enjoy & Share with friends and family

MELLOW JOHNNY’S MAY NOT PROVIDE THE RIGHT CHANNELS TO ENCOURAGE SHARING AMIDST OTHER BRAND NOISE

DRIVE $

Give consumers new ways to experience Mellow Johnny’s

Test ride & think about their purchase

SPREAD •

•

Enable ways to measure the correlation between sales and conversations Give consumers a reason to talk about Mellow Johnny’s

K E Y INSIGHT: Austinites are active and out there and want to get involved, but they’re not always able to easily join such an established group. First, consumers have to see how easy Mellow Johnny’s makes it to get on a bike and get going - then they need a shop that’s with them every step of the way.

K E Y IN SIGHT: Austinites are active and out there and want to get involved, but they’re not always able to easily join such an established group. First, consumers have to see how easy Mellow Johnny’s makes it to get on a bike and get going - then they need a shop that’s with them every step of the way.

THE BRAND T RU T H : The community relies on Mellow Johnny’s to get going.

G I V E AU STI NI TES A WAY TO R I D E W I TH M E LLOW J OHNNY ’S

DISCOVE R Show Austin the magic of Mellow Johnny’s community

EDUCATE Give information about the product line and ways to have fun and be active together

DRI VE $ Continue relationships with consumers and communicate the shop’s benefit

S PREA D Enable social sharing capabilities and ways to become brand champions

Mellow Johnny’s simple truth - that it gets the community going - kickstartd our creative juices. Mellow Johnny’s needs to create a way to invite new Mellow Johnny’s riders and its community. This all crystalized into three simple words:

RIDE WITH US It’s a motto, an emotion, and a call to action that’s simple and finite, “Ride With Us” sits within Mellow Johnny’s overall umbrella of “Ride Your Bike” but creates a more welcoming invitation to encourage Austinites to ride with the shop, to explore the various elements of the brand, and to experience the magic of this great shop that’s right in the heart of downtown.

ADDI NG TO A LEGACY Mellow Johnny’s has created a visually stunning empire in the bike community. Akin to Rapha and Trek, Mellow Johnny’s is really the Austin arbiter of biking taste. The “Ride Your Bike” campaign’s visual style is something that we know Mellow Johnny’s has deep emotional and financial investments in, and we took this into careful consideration when developing our creative thoughts and executions for the brand. Rather than proposing entirely new creative elements, themes or memes, our creative team worked to evoke key pieces of visual equity that the shop has built. With a sense of these equity tools, we brainstormed several concepts that we believe could help to enhance the overall product-push marketing strategy using Mellow Johnny’s former advertising efforts as a foundation.

THE MELLOW JOHNNY’S STAR • Symbolizes freedom, independence, patriotism and advocacy, and Texas • Prominent on all merchandise • Represents the brand’s core values of ownership and self-reliance FOUR COLOR PALETTE & YELLOW/BLACK • • • •

Four colors used in Mellow Johnny’s store display Vibrant and colorful Happy and professional Evokes the personality and dynamism of Mellow Johnny’s

NON-NEGOTIABLE ITEMS • The Mellow Johnny’s Logo including typefaces • Script of “Mellow Johnny’s” reserved for only that specific strain of text • Fit all creative concepts and visuals into the overhead objective of “Ride Your Bike” and previous ad campaigns

USI NG A LEGACY TO CREATE A N EW A PPROAC H While these creative executions are a departure from the symbolic approach of before, they work to bring a more humanizing and product-focused appeal to the overall marketing efforts. By showing members of the community that are atypical cyclists and using them as brand mascots to promote this idea of riding as a collective, Mellow Johnnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s can encourage weary, would-be cyclists to visit the shop and learn more about experiencing the ride and what the community is all about.

The media habits of the modern consumers are dizzying. They are texting their kids while researching products online with the TV on in the background. From mobile, to online, to print, to less-traditional tactics, their attention will shift to whichever medium holds the most relevant information at the given moment. How do you break the cycle and get their attention? You don’t. Rather, you jump right into the race. You compete for their consideration by creating multi-platform content that educates and engages your target. In writing an article, shooting a video, or starting a conversation that offers the consumer real, relevant value, you win their attention, trust, and business. Fair and square.

DISCOVER

EDUCATE

Our recommendations in the following pages spring from a commitment to high-value, branded content over traditional interruption tactics. Each medium works to connect the consumer journey of inspiring, educating, driving purchase and spreading the message with the shop’s elements in order to strengthen Mellow Johnny’s four key elements of community: 1. Membership 2. Influence 3. Fulfillment of Needs 4. Shared Emotional Connection

DRIVE PURCHASE

SPREAD

GOOGLE SEARCH For Mellow Johnny to be a source of information and go-to resource for people interested in cycling, we need to appear at the top of the search results when ever some one searches for anything related to cycling and the cycling lifestyle. This can be accomplished most effectively through Google Search Marketing. WHAT SEARCH MARKETING DOES By utilizing Google Extensions, we will target search queries that someone new to biking might be looking for, and serve them an ad with links to our content tailored specifically for this type of rider. WHAT WE WILL DO By utilizing Google Extensions, we will target search queries that someone new to biking might be looking for, and serve them an ad with links to our content tailored specifically for this type of rider.

S E A RC H DR IVE S FULFI LLMENT O F NEEDS: When a person “googles” something, they are asking a question to which they expect an immediate and relevant response. Effective use of Search Marketing will ensure that Mellow Johnny’s is there to answer any cycling researcher’s inquiry.

SITE LINKS Links underneath the headline that lead the user directly to our custom content page or our Facebook content

LOCAL TARGETING Ensures our ads only show up in Austin

LOCATION Includes a map with Mellow Johnny’s location so users can quickly locate the store

COMPETITIVE CONQUESTING Show ads to users searching for Mellow Johnny’s competition

DISPLAY Online display advertising will effectively and efficiently drive traffic to Mellow Johnny’s website and created content to spark the consumer’s interest in the brand and initiate them into the Mellow Johnny’s community. BANNER ADS: Banner ads appear on website alongside content, video, pictures and anything else a publisher may put on their site. By utilizing banner ads, Mellow Johnny’s can get its message to appear in conjunction with content the target finds interesting on the web, therefore tying Mellow Johnny’s brand with their likes and interests. AD NETWORKS: Instead of reaching out to specific sites, we recommend Mellow Johnny’s run its messaging through ad networks. Ad networks are media companies that serve advertisements across a bundle of sites for a lower price. WHY AD NETWORKS? • Hyper local targeting capabilities • Ads will only show up on computers in the Austin area • Targeting at the behavioral level • Ability to pinpoint consumers who have displayed interest in content that matches our target • Efficient pricing • Ability to appear on high profile sites at a lower rate, usually around $5 per thousand impression D I SP L AY DRIVE S M EMBERSHI P: One of the strongest media for establishing brand identity, online display ads will be made up of elements that introduce a common symbol system in the Mellow Johnny’s’s 49 star, color scheme, and style while using models and copy with which the target can easily self-identify.

PRINT WHY: To build brand awareness and top-of-mind positioning during key sales periods. To reinforce the digital strategy, we will purchase print spots in highly local, community-oriented publications. As the creative executions show, these spots will convey a community of Austin style and quality, with an approachability that allows targets to picture themselves as a part of it. PLANNED PUBLICATION AD-RUN:

December

MOBILE Consumers use their smart phones to do product research while in the process of shopping. Smart phones have redefined the idea of “shopping around” to the point where a consumer could be looking up another store’s prices and locations while talking to one of your sales reps. This is why mobile search is a key touch point in the purchase cycle for our onthe-go consumers. We want to be there at the top of the list to grab any customers “shopping around.” A proactive mobile strategy will allow Mellow Johnny’s to be available to consumers on the go, whether they are doing a quick search about cycling, or checking out other shops before they make a purchase in a competitor’s store. Initiatives to reach these on-the-go consumers: • Mobile-optimized site • Mobile search advertising WHY MOBILE? • 31% of adults in the US are Smart Phone users • 89% of Smart Phone users report using the internet from their phone on the go • 27% of Smart Phone users say they have changed their mind about buying a product from information they gathered using their phone at the point of purchase

M O B IL E OP T IM IZAT ION DRI VES FULFI LLMENT O F NEEDS: Up to 75% of smartphone users research products via mobile devices before buying in-store. As a progressive brand in a progressive market, Mellow Johnny’s must have a plan to meet their upwardly-mobile riders needs.

Mobile Search operates the same as desktop search - bid for keywords to index first when your target is searching your topic - except in mobile, indexing first is crucial because only the first three ads typically appear above the fold. To further stand out to our target and drive them to the mobile site, we recommend including click-to-call, location, and site link extensions to our Google ads. CLICK TO CALL: A one click link that immediately dials Mellow Johnny’s number so customers can quickly get their questions answered by a real live sales person LOCATION: A map that appears along side the ad with the distance from the users location to Mellow Johnny’s’s store SITE LINKS: Direct links to each section of our mobile optimized site to help guide consumers to exactly what they are looking for before they scroll down to anyone else’s ads or search results.

MOBILE OPTIMIZED SITE: The mobile search campaign will drive users to the Mellow Johnny’s mobile website, which will contain the basic but critical information that users are looking for. With the mobile optimized website, a simple approach is most effective. Include core information such as: • Location (which when selected, opens the location in the phone’s native map app i.e. Google Maps) • Product and Brand Selection • Facebook/Twitter Connections • Click to Call

The goal of the site will be to catch those consumers whose mobile research has funneled them to the Mellow Johnny’s site and quickly funnel them to the information they need in a clean and easy to read design.

BLOGGING With search acting as the gateway to influence on our target consumers, the creation of valuable and relevant content is critical within owned and earned media channels to boost Mellow Johnny’s organic search relevancy. The Mellow Johnny’s blog is the hub of all of the company’s online content. It is the voice of the shop and must convey the sense of community and accessibility that welcomes the target. The primary purpose of the blog will be to educate. Many consumers begin the purchase process with online research, and the blog will publish the content and information for which they are searching. The blog will also be the cornerstone of Mellow Johnny’s PR strategy: it will be the source of all Mellow Johnny’s info and news, push out content to be pitched for other publications, and contain the core personality of the company. GOALS • 3 Posts per Week • Secure 1 guest blog per month by industry expert • Secure 2 contributed articles per month in local publications • Grow post views by 15% per quarter • Achieve time on page of 2 minutes BENEFITS • Will produce content that indexes high in search; brings traffic • Positions Mellow Johnny’s as the thought leader and industry expert in Austin • Educates and welcomes customers who may be new to biking or intimidated • Serves as a strong company, consumer, and market resource that will spread and build brand awareness beyond Austin

B LOGGING DR IVE S FULFI LLMENT O F NEEDS & SHARED EMOT I O N A L CO N N EC T I O N : The Mellow Johnny’s blog will publish valuable, informative content that the target needs to become better educated about cycling and break down boundaries to membership.

GUERRILLA Rather than traditional outdoor placements that are often overlooked and overdone, Mellow Johnny’s will have a more unique outdoor presence that better suits its role as the hub and help of a fun, active community. These efforts will reach customers at locations and events that draw both urbanites and local-loving suburban families, effectively engaging both targets in an unexpected, entertaining experience. TUNE-UP TICKETS • WHY: Place repair shop at top-of-mind for those in need of tuneups and increase traffic at repair shop. • HOW: Periodically patrol bike racks around town, looking for broken or out-of-tune bikes. When found, place baseball-sized card in bike wheels that offer a small discount on repairs and any missing parts. • WHERE: UT campus, South Austin shops & neighborhoods, city parks, farmers markets, neighborhood grocery stores MELLOW JOHNNY’S MILLIPEDE • WHY: To garner attention that contributes to top-of-mind and give off impression of lightness or silliness to break stuffy, intimidating atmosphere • HOW: Team with Austin Bike Zoo on building a long, multi-person bike, which funny Mellow Johnny’s team members ride around in high-traffic areas, events downtown and in suburbs. Encourage employees to interact with onlookers and let them ride with the team. • WHERE: South Congress area, city parks, Texas tailgates, farmers markets, The Domain, Hill Country Galleria GUE R R ILLA DR IVE S ME MB ERSHI P & SHARED EMOTI O NAL CO N N EC T I O N : Mellow Johnny’s nontraditional, “guerrilla” efforts will support membership by breaking down boundaries and encouraging emotional safety in being fun and unexpected, while establishing a shared emotional connection by reach the target on an individual, in-person basis.

EVENTS WHY: To boost brand awareness and target engagement by becoming an integral piece of popular, active local events. Research shows that customers recruited in person are more loyal, lucrative, and engaged fans. Their first experience with the brand is personal, and in high-involvement purchase cycles, these personal connections facilitate a critical element of trust. So to reach our target in person and in the right setting, we will go where they go to have fun, be with family and friends, and enjoy the outdoors.

PLANNED PRESENCE ALL TARGETS • BORROW-A-BIKE BANDWAGON* • FIRST THURSDAYS: Borrow-A-Bike Bandwagon • BLUES ON THE GREEN: Borrow-A-Bike Bandwagon • CITY DISCOVERY RIDES: Offer easy weekend rides for families to explore various parts of town with a Mellow Johnny’s tour guide. If possible, end tours at Mellow Johnny’s so riders get an in-store experience. • FARMER’S MARKET Help attendees protest new paid parking regulations by offering additional bike parking space and free tune-ups with farmers market purchase CARA, MIKE & JOSEPH • KID’S FIRST RIDE: Host quarterly “rides” around the 3rd Street area for families of kids just learning to ride their bike. Offer training tips and a photographer to capture the moment. • CHRISTMAS LIGHTS RIDE: Offer night rides in various neighborhoods such as Tarrytown, Westlake, and others where families can safely tour with an experienced guide and see the best seasonal decor the city has to offer. ANTHONY • MIDNIGHT/SOCIAL RIDES • COMMUTER FRIDAYS: free coffee for commuters every Friday morning

EVENTS DRIVE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION & INFLUENCE: A heavy local event presence will build a strong emotional connection with the target by reaching them in-person, in a festive setting, and with an approachable, knowledgeable brand. Meeting the target on their turf puts a friendly, welcoming face on the brand.

ACL SPOTLIGHT: BORROW-A-BIKE BANDWAGON* Mellow Johnny’s is known for being a supporter of Austin events, most notably with their on site repair shop during ACL. But the onsite event visibility faces two problems: • How to get consumers engaged with the Mellow Johnny’s staff • How to make the on-site presence appealing to more than just those who rode their bikes there The Borrow-A-Bike Bandwagon will take an iconic Austin institution, the food truck, and turn it into a miniature mobilized Mellow Johnny’s experience. The truck itself will be enough to draw in the crowds, and the knowledgable and friendly Mellow Johnny’s staff will be what keeps them engaged. The truck will include a repair shop, but it will also have a few bikes on site of varying types to let people test ride and see exactly what it would be like for them to have ridden their bikes to the event. This gives Mellow Johnny’s’s staff the chance to begin the sales conversion of non-riders as well as advocate in a more visible way the benefits of riding one’s bike to an event. The truck could also feature some Juan Pelota specialties and possibly give free incentives to people who want to test ride a bike.

SOCIAL While the blog serves as the platform for all Mellow Johnny’s content, social channels will be the means of distribution. Outlets including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will be the media through which we engage customers. Mellow Johnny’s presence on Facebook and Twitter are solid, but don’t fully utilize the media as a forum for conversation. Below is a strategy to increase follower engagement and encourage them to be heard in a community centered around fun, active living. TWITTER Your Twitter presence is great. Here are a few tips to help maximize its potential: • As with Facebook, talk back. Respond to tags and/or messages always, whether positive or negative. • Add personality. Use your company voice of community/approachability to talk with followers as you would your friends. • Use Twitter to engage the high-sharers who are hyper-active on social. Establishing relationships with these influencers means your tweets and content reach a much wider audience when reposted by these powerful friends. • Post all new blogs and any original content. • Be a curator of any content that your target may find useful. In sharing content by others on healthy living, biking tips, etc, you build relationships with those other industry influencers, as well as boost your credibility among followers.

YOUNGER BRAND LOYAL RESEARCH LOW INVOLVEMENT PRODUCTS OWN MULTIPLE INTERNET DEVICES RECOMMEND PRODUCTS

FACEBOOK

• Use Facebook to engage the other 80% - the “Low Sharers”. Post interesting, rich content to keep them attentive and engaged what the shop is doing so Mellow Johnny’s stays top of mind when they start shopping. • Enable fans to write on your wall. Currently, it’s closed for comments by followers. • Spur engagement. Post rich media like links, pictures, and videos, which get greater interaction. • Always post all new blog and original content to all social channels. All online efforts should sync and drive traffic to the Mellow Johnny’s website. • Build a “fan gate” that invites those who are new to the Mellow Johnny’s Facebook to “Like” the page and join your community. OLDER RESEARCH HIGH INVOLVEMENT PRODUCTS CARE MORE ABOUT QUALITY THAN BRAND IMAGE OPEN TO CHANGE BRANDS RESEARCH PRODUCTS BEFORE PURCHASE

TELLING YOUR SOCIAL STORY

Promote any and all events and other activities

fan gate example: Invite followers to reply. By telling them to “like,” repost, or comment, the odds of them doing so increase by 64%. Drive traffic back to your website or other media with valuable content Pay attention to timing. Engagement is highest between 10 am and 6pm. START BY ENGAGING THE USERS FROM THEIR FIRST MOMENT, THEN BE SOCIAL & CREATE DIALOGUES Talk back. When fans comment, jump in the conversation and keep it going.

S O CIA L ME DIA DRIVES MEMBERSHI P? Mellow Johnny’s social outlets will be the virtual center of its community. On Twitter and Facebook, Mellow Johnny’s can foster a sense of belonging and identification that is essential to membership and leverage it to influence - and be influenced by - fans.

MAY 5-May

JUNE

12-May

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26-May

Fm Mkt

Kid Rd

City

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JULY 16-Jun

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SEPTOCTNOV

AUGUST 14-Jul

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DECEMBER

All

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1st Th. | ACL

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DISCOVER Search Online Display Print Mobile

EDUCATE Blog Website Guerrilla

CONVERSE Facebook Twitter

CONVERT Store Events City Events

1st Th

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City BOTG

Fm Mkt 1st Th

City BOTG

Fm Mkt Kid Rd City 1st Th

BOTG

Fm Mkt Xmas Rd

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includes PR efforts in medium

W HY T IMIN G IS K E Y: A message amounts to nothing if it’s not delivered at the right time and place. We worked to keep a constant driving force in search and social to propel the community values of Mellow Johnny’s. Pulsing in events and vertically supporting guerilla efforts in conjuction with print ads during key sales periods, this mix of staggered and steady media will give the shop the right communication mix it needs to acheive its goals.

BRAND MESSAGE

LEARNING QUESTION

METRICS

Was there an increase in brand recall and awareness of Mellow Johnny’s brand and associated elements?

Impressions

Was there an increase in relevant traffic to the Mellow Johnny’s site?

SOURCE Opinion Lab

Unique Visits/Page Views

Google Analytics

Does search traffic lead to an increase in sales during key periods?

Incremental Spend

Mellow Johnny’s

Do mobile ads & optimization lead to more in-store visits and inquiries?

Store visits/sales/ questions

Mellow Johnny’s

Impressions

Opinion Lab

Likes, Involvement

Facebook/ Mellow Johnny’s

Incremental Spend

Mellow Johnny’s

Departmental Sales

Mellow Johnny’s

Does improved event presence increase brand recall and drive business?

Brand Utilization

Mellow Johnny’s

Was there an increase in awareness & brand recall in prescribed targets?

Impressions/Leads

Publications

Are print ads effective in linking the brand to associated elements?

Incremental Spend

Mellow Johnny’s

SEM

MOBILE

BLOGGING

SOCIAL

ONLINE DISPLAY

Does increased blogger presence increase brand recall & association?

Does improved social presence increase consumer involvement with brand? Was there an increase in sales during key sales periods for specific categories? Does display advertising increase bottom line increase in the business?

GUERRILLA & EVENTS

Do guerilla efforts increase utilization of the key brand elements?

W HAT S UCC E SS LOOKS LIKE: We took into careful consideration Mellow Johnny’s marketing and communication goals, and we want to ensure that we have avenues in place to measure the success of this campaign so that we can optimize our efforts to best suit your changing needs through this and future efforts.

DISCOVER Cara, Mike & Joseph, and Anthony see a Mellow Johnny’s ad or search about biking in Austin.

EDUCATE

DRIVE PURCHASE

SPREAD

We carry them to our site, they visit our blog, or they see some of our guerrila ads. Here they see and experience the magic of Mellow Johny’s.

They attend one of our Mellow Johnny’s event,s stop in to get their bike fixed, buy their son his first set of wheels, or just come in to say hi and hang out.

Cara and her family and Anthony carry on a conversation with Mellow Johnny’s, share their experiences with their friends and spread the love.

W H AT SUCC E SS LOOKS LI KE: From the moment people like Cara, Mike & Joseph, or Anthony see our Mellow Johnny’s ads, we’ve begun a journey with them to make them a part of our community. True success means taking careful time and effort to create a meaningful relationship with them so that they think of the shop when they’re shopping for a bike, repairs, or just a place to rest their pedaling feet.

AS WE CONTINUE, WE WILL KEEP THESE FOUR KEY PRINCIPLES IN FOCUS:

1 2 3 4

DELIVER BY ACTIVATING OUR IDEAS & CREATIVE STRATEGIES FOLLOW THROUGH WITH WAYS TO UTILIZE RESULTS AND EARNED ASSETS TO TRANSLATE INTO FUTURE CAMPAIGN EFFORTS OPTIMIZE THIS MEDIA PLAN THROUGH CAREFULLY CALCULATED MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. THIS IS YOUR BUSINESS, AND WE’RE HERE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

We at the Armoury would love the opportunity to partner with Mellow Johnny’s to help foster and strengthen your brand, its community and all of your future marketing communication efforts. We know that we can create a platform for a fantastic future, and we want the chance to show you more.

KATE CLICK THAO LE Thao believes With a name like that, in the power of Click was born to be communication, and a digital evangelist. that’s why he’s always She is eager lay to rest ‘strategizing’ about outdated, traditional what to say and how ads and usher in the to say it. It’s not just age of all digital, advertising to Thao, it’s precisely targeted, a method of creating fully integrated legends and icons. advertising. Click’s Thao’s passions are professional expertise account and project lies in content strategy, management as well as digital marketing, and strategic planning. The business development. fuel behind his ideas is Her non-professional cats, weird things, and expertise lies in writing, cats. cooking (but really, just eating), and keeping 66 her teammates out too late at the discotec.

PAT WHITE Just like the Irish patron saint charmer, Pat definitely lives up to his namesake. His zeal for the spotlight and cunning understanding of what gets people on their toes, usually dancing, is what gets makes this guy so fun to work with. Pat’s expertise lies mainly in digital advertising, design and content strategy, but just like the Irish saint of old - he’s always down for getting his teammates to grab a pint.

KEVIN WARD JESSICA LAUER With a last name like Kevin finds the Lauer, nobody knows constantly fluctuating what to expect. That’s aspects of advertising Jess in a nutshell. A an intriguing and combination of sweet, exciting career field. An sassy and creative, active enthusiast of the her personality will music scene in Austin draw you in, but and a native of Dallas, her intelligence will Kevin can be found at keep you interested. a concert at Stubbs Graduating in May, on a Friday night, a Jess will have her Longhorns game on opportunity to jump a Saturday afternoon, into the advertising and cheering for the world head first Cowboys in his living and flaunt her vast room on Sundays. knowledge of media, metrics and disk golf. Get ready.