The Breakfast Bunch

A Public Relations Agency

The Breakfast Bunch A Public Relations Agency

It Starts With You

Table of Contents
Team Introductions..2
SWOT3-4
Secondary Research.4-7
Primary Research..7-9
Goals and Objectives.10
Publics10-11
Theme12
Key Messages.12-13
Spokesperson.14-15
Communication Theory.15
Strategies15
Tactics16-20
Timeline.20-21
Budget21-22
Evaluation.22-23
Research Report: Appendix.24-32
References.....33-34

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Meet The Breakfast Bunch

Samara Tu
President
Samara currently works as a Digital Media Intern at Burson-Marsteller in D.C. Her
past work experiences include interning for the Global Business School Network,
UMDs Communication Department and for the National Consortium of the Study of
Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). She is excited to be a part of The
Breakfast Bunch PR firm and hopes to contribute her robust skill set to the position.

Julia Steinly
Creative Director
Julia currently works as a Marketing Assistant for UMDs Department of
Transportation Services. Her past work includes interning for Weddings in Vieques,
RLI Insurance Company and American Express. She is thrilled to turn her creative
ideas into innovative campaigns for her clients.

Erica Richardson
Research Director
Erica currently works as a Communication and Marketing Intern for UMDs Office
of Community Engagement. Previously, she interned for the Prince Georges County
Police Department as a Communication Assistant. She is excited to bring her
knowledge of social media analytics to The Breakfast Bunch PR Firm.

Rachael Romano
Vice President
Rachael currently works as a Communication Assistant for UMDs College of
Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Science. Her past work includes interning for
Primannum Honor Society, TerpThon, Salisbury University and START. She is
excited to bring her creative ideas and digital media knowledge to the firm.

Situation Analysis
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Medifasts Take Shape for Life program is a weight loss and support system for those looking to
make healthy lifestyle changes. It is a system that attempts to promote its Optimal Health Trilogy
for clients, who would eventually become health coaches. Take Shape For Life focuses on
healthy body, mind and finances. The program offers clients the opportunity to become coaches
by providing them with the tools they need to help others on their weight loss journey, while
simultaneously generating a profit from sales. Currently, 92 percent of the coaches are Caucasian
non-Hispanic. However, the purchase power of the Latino consumer is expected to grow in the
coming years.
Opportunity Statement
The Latino population is growing in America and with its growth, their position in the economic
market will rise. While Hispanics only make up 2 percent of Medifasts overall Take Shape For
Life program, this provides them with a great opportunity to expand and acquire a new type of
customer. By catering to Latinos entrepreneurial drive, Medifast can reach Latino consumers
and become their brand of choice.

SWOT Analysis
Strengths

Weaknesses

Incentives program for current health

coaches (the three conferences, Go Global,
Sundance and National)
Mentorship through Coach Connection
Corporate would help connect coaches to
clients
Dr. Wayne Anderson is a useful source of
information (author of Habits of Health)

Opportunities

Initial $200 potential coaches have to

pay to get the business kit
Three-month program to get vetted
as a coach (therefore, not making
money during this period)
Program skews slightly to the upper
class as meal plans are around $300$400 monthly
Flexibility for the Health Coach
would vary the quality of the coaches
Take Shape for Life relies primarily
on earned media coverage and wordof-mouth, rather than paid
advertising
Health coach could be in another part
of the country
Threats

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Changing seasons influence dieting

patterns
Latinos represent the second most
overweight/obese ethnicity in the U.S. for
adults
Offers the opportunity for a second or
primary source of income
About 80 percent of self-employed women
work in the services sector compared to
less than 60 percent for men
Latinos primarily use texting, Facebook
and Instagram (In that order) (Medifasts
Hispanic Consultant)
Purchase index among Latinos is highest
in childrens clothes, groceries, and mobile
devices (Medifasts Hispanic Consultant)
Latinos are more attracted by peer
recommendations, and, therefore, have to
trust and respect the source (Medifasts
Hispanic Consultant)

Traditional Latin cuisine is heavier

with particular focus on
carbohydrates (rice, tortillas, etc.)
Latinos spend more money on beauty
products over health care (Medifasts
Hispanic Consultant)
Family meals are driven by family
suggestions (Medifasts Hispanic
Consultant)
Puerto Ricans are less likely to share
personal information regardless of
benefits (Medifasts Hispanic
Consultant)
First-generation Latinos put cost over
well-being, specifically in the case of
health (Medifasts Hispanic
Consultant)
Latinos are deterred strongly from
sales pitches (Medifasts Hispanic
Consultant)

Research
Secondary Research
Our research has focused mainly on gathering information about Medifasts target public, uppermiddle class Latinos. A majority of our information came from recent surveys from the Pew
Hispanic Center, which were supported by Medifasts Hispanic consultant, Graciela. The
research contains demographics about the population including income-level and the year in
which they came into the United States. It also looks at technology ownership and user
frequency, which is an important factor for Medifasts TSFL program because the health coaches
use social media to connect with clients. Additionally, the research includes a competitive
analysis and trends report on the weight loss and diet industry.
Pew Hispanic Center
According to the Pew Research Center, which uses the terms Hispanic and Latino
interchangeably, the Hispanic population had reached a record of 55 million in 2015, totaling to
about 17.9 percent of the minority population. Counties that had the highest Hispanic population
were Los Angeles County in California, Harris County in Texas and Miami-Dade County in
Florida. The following are a list of facts about Latinos who have an income of $50,000 or higher.
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Theyre technology-centric (Lopez, Gonzalez-Barrera & Patten, 2013)

Most Latino smartphone owners are native born (54 percent).
95 percent of Hispanics from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more, 93 of
Hispanics from families with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 and 93
percent of Hispanics ages 18-29 say they go online at least occasionally.
87 percent of Latino internet users ages 18-29 and Latino internet users from families
with annual incomes of $50,000 or more say they access the internet through a mobile
device at least occasionally.
Cell phone ownership rates are highest among Latinos from families with annual incomes
above $50,000 (97 percent), Latinos ages 18-29 (96 percent) and Latinos from families
with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 (95 percent).
The highest smartphone ownership rates are among Hispanics from families with annual
incomes of $50,000 or more (76 percent).
Fully 95 percent of Latinos from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more own a
desktop or laptop computers.
They live in enclaves (Krogstad & Lopez, 2015)
Counties with the highest Hispanic population are Los Angeles County in California (4.9
million), Harris County in Texas (1.9 million) and Miami-Dade County in Florida (1.8
million).
Hispanic populations have declined in some counties that had a Hispanic population of
10,000 or more, but California, Texas and Florida have the highest Hispanic populations;
in fact, these three states account for 55 percent of the Hispanic population. Migration to
these states might have occurred because they are attracted to a strong Latino community.
Theyre homeowners (Lopez, Gonzalez-Barrera & Patten, 2013)
Among households headed by Hispanics, 46% are owner-occupied, second to households
headed by whites and are owner-occupied (72%).
Some 48% of native-born Latino households are owner-occupied, compared to 44% of
immigrant Latino households.
Graciela, Medifasts Hispanic Consultant
Through an hour-long conversation with Medifasts Hispanic Consultant, Graciela, we learned
that we needed to take into account the year Latinos had come into the United States as well as
the country they came from. First-generation Latinos care a lot more about cost than secondgeneration Latinos, and Mexicans, El Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans are
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the more affluent Latinos. Additionally, upper-middle class Latinos, which is determined by how
many of them own homes, live in the following cities:
Jacksonville, Florida
Riverside, San Bernardino, California
Baltimore, Maryland
Houston, Texas
Washington, D.C.
Virginia Beach
Dallas, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Austin, Texas
St. Louis, Missouri
The following a list of facts about Latinos, including psychographics:
Theyre mission-driven
Latinos care about transforming lives.
They like to own their own business.
They seek jobs that have flexibility, allows them to be independent, and provide for their
family.
Theyre message specific
Latinos like messages that are in Spanish and English.
They like messages that are about uniting with non-Latinos.
Messages have to convey kindness, friendliness and respect.
They dont like messages that sound like a sales pitch.
Source of the message matters. They prefer testimonials from friends and family, as well
as customer ratings, in their purchasing decisions.
Trends Report: Diet Management Plans
According to Euromonitor International, Weight Watchers currently dominates the diet industry.
Its a popular choice among American consumers as well as European and Latin American
consumers (Holmes, 2013). As more consumers become more attracted to convenience, mealdelivery and pre-packaged ready meals will become more popular. Additionally, online weight
management solutions like calorie counters and ability to have virtual meetings will become

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more popular among those who want to be more hands-on with their weight loss journey, but
dont have the time or inclination to meet in person.
Trends Report: Access to Health Information
Latinos in the U.S. have lower access to health care providers. In replace of a doctor or
physician, Latinos turn to online health resources, which they say have more of an impact on
their health knowledge and behaviors (Fox & Jones, 2009). To view these resources, most
Latinos gather health information using their cellphones (Fox & Duggan, 2012).
Competitors
Herbal Life
The global nutrition and weight management company has a similar business model to TSFLs.
One difference is that Herbal Life markets their products and services through video and social
media #IamHerbalife. Currently, it only sells shakes. Customers can buy the shakes immediately
after entering their email and name.
Isagenix
Another global nutrition and weight management company, Isagenix has four programs: Weight
loss, Energy, Performance and Healthy Aging. Through these programs, Isagenix targets a
multitude of publics who are interested in losing weight, becoming active and/or slowing down
age. Customers can only buy products through an Isagenix associate.
Weight Watchers
The American company that offers products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance
provides a personalized approach to weight loss. Customers can call a coach any time using its
24/7 coach expert chat line to speak with a coach who has been in your shoes. Additionally,
they can participate in an online community of peers to encourage one another on their journey
to weight loss.
Medifasts Current Position in the Market
U.S. News and World Report released its ranking of weight loss diets and gave an overview of
Medifast. Medifast ranked 28 out of 38 in Best Diets Overall behind Weightwatchers, which
ranked No. 4. It earned an overall score of 2.7/5. For Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets, it ranked 11
(Medifast Diet, n.d.). Current social conversation, which weve analyzed via online forums, have
indicated that some have dropped out of the Medifast program because of the food or lack of
results. However, comments that said that theyve taken advantage of the Take Shape for Life
program have said that theyve had positive results (NORAM66, 2014).
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Primary Research
Our primary research methods were a survey and several interviews (See Appendix for survey
questions and interview questions/responses). By conducting primary research, we hoped to gain
more insight on how the Latino population feels toward meal replacement diet plans and health
coaching, as well as their preferences in regards to accessing information and language. The
results of our primary research heavily influenced our strategy, tactics, and messaging for our
campaign idea.
Survey Results
We conducted our survey at Lauriol Plaza restaurant in NW Washington, D.C. Lauriol Plaza is a
prominent Mexican/Latin American restaurant in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. We
distributed 150 surveys and asked affluent, upper-middle class Latinos to respond to a series of
questions. Among the respondents, 88 were male and 62 were female.

Result 1: 70.8 percent of respondents said they

would be interested and 37.5 percent said they would
be very interested in learning about a meal
replacement diet plan. This was encouraging for our
group because it showed us there is a strong potential
market within the Latino population, and that
Medifast/Take Shape for Life would be something
that a majority of Latinos would at least be interested
in learning about.

Result 2: 71 percent of respondents said they would be

interested in becoming a health fitness coach. These
results were also encouraging because it further
showed that Latinos would most likely be interested in
joining Take Shape For Life not only for the diet
aspect, but for the coaching opportunities as well.

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Result 3: 72 percent of the respondents said they

prefer to receive their information in Spanish.
Learning this greatly affected our tactic decisions and
messaging choices.

Result 4: 75 percent of respondents said they prefer to

access their accounts through mobile applications rather
than websites. This influenced our decisions for our
tactics.

Result 5: A majority of respondents said they would be at

least somewhat interested in a line of dietary Latin food.
This also influenced our decisions for our tactics

Interviews
We conducted two in-person interviews. The first interview was with a first-generation, 50-yearold male and the second interview was with a second generation, 28-year-old female. Both of the
individuals are general managers at Lauriol Plaza.

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Planning
Goal
To make Medifast the brand of choice among Latinos looking to get into healthy habits.
Objectives
Objective 1: Increase the representation of Latinos in the TSFL community from its previous 2
percent to 5 percent within the campaigns first year.
Objective 2: Increase mobile app downloads of MiTSFL by 5 percent within the campaigns
first year.
Objective 3: Increase membership in the Take Shape for Life program by 65 percent within the
campaigns first year
Publics
Primary
Comfortable middle class, notice weight or health concerns and has the ability to do
something about it.
30s-40s
Grew up learning equal Spanish and English
1st Generation- Immigrated young (Survey)
2nd Generation non-foreign born
El Salvadorians
Cubans
Mexicans
From Jacksonville Florida, Riverside California, Baltimore Maryland
Interested in self-employment and entrepreneurship
Married- a parent
Interested in healthy lifestyle
Community oriented

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Meet Mariana
She is a 39 year old stay-at-home mom in
Riverside, California. Her husband is the
construction manager of a successful
construction company and makes $90,000
a year. She loves helping at her kids
school and being around family. Shes
noticed she has put on some weight and
wants to start creating a healthy lifestyle
and be an entrepreneurial role model for
her kids.

Secondary

Upper middle-class Non-Latinos

Health coaches and current program members who are already involved in Medifast
and/or Take Shape for Life
People who are already in a meal replacement diet program (Weight Watchers,
Nutrisystem, Optifast)

Intervening
Spanish Health and Wellness media (Medscape, WebMD, Mayo Clinic)
Latina Health and Fitness Bloggers
o Michelle Rivas (TheHealthyLatina.com)
o Christy Wilson (ChristyWilsonNutrition.com)
o Cynthia Santiago (LatinaWellness.com)
o Maribel Marmol (Food4ThoughtNYC.com)
o Carmen Melgoza (LatinoFitClub.com)
o Adriana Rue (VivirenBienestar.com))
Doctors and practitioners who can speak Spanish

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Theme:

It Starts With You

Community. Family. Health. Financial Independence.

We wanted to create a theme for TSFL that embodies both the program and our target public. It
Starts With You is a message that captures the Latino mindset of being the best version of
yourself, while empowering the client or coach to start making changes. We want our target
public to know that they are capable of tremendous personal and community growth, and while
TSFL is there to motivate and help facilitate healthy changes, it is up to them to take that first
leap. TSFL represents: community, health, financial independence, and family. All these positive
aspects start with you.
Key Messages
Sea la mejor versin de ti mismo (Be the Best Version of Yourself)

Supporting message:
TSFL is motivated by the Health Trilogy: Healthy Body, Healthy Finances, and Healthy
Mind.
TSFL helps you achieve your highest potential.

Empieza contigo (It All Starts With You)

Supporting message:
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Take Shape For Life allows you to make a healthy change in your life with the help of
health coaches.
Becoming a health coach allows you to create change in yourself, in your family and in
your community through wellness and financial stability.

Behind an Independent You

Supporting message:
Take Shape for Life gives health coaches the resources they need to start and manage
their own clients.
Take Shape for Life supports its coaches and incentivizes them to give it their all for their
clients through the conferences that they hold.

Para ti, Para Tu

Familia (For You,
For Your Family)
Supporting
The
them
With

message:
additional income health coaches make could help
provide more for their family.
a positive attitude, health coaches motivate others,
including their family, to live healthier lives.

TSFL is the community-oriented way to create a healthy lifestyle

Supporting messages:
TSFL offers individuals an opportunity to create sustainable health in all areas of their
lives.

The support of your peers and a community is the most effective way to get healthy.

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Representing Take Shape For Life

America Ferrera
Our spokesperson for this campaign is America Ferrera. Ferrera is
a movie and television star with a strong Latina voice. She was
previously involved in Latino wellness through Obamas
reelection and is passionate about Latinos rocking the vote. This
passion is what Take Shape For Life needs in a spokesperson for
Latinos. In addition to her ties to her cultural roots, she is a strong,
confident woman who lost a significant amount of weight in 2009.
She was open with the media about her weight loss journey and
was commended for her transparency. America Ferrera not only
changed her lifestyle and eating habits, but she is also within our
target audiences age range. Our target public age ranges from 3045 and Ferrera is 32 years old, which is perfect for our audience.
America Ferrera may also be willing to be our spokesperson
because she cares about social change and Latino health. She also
just finished filming her television show, Superstore, so she may have more flexibility in her
schedule to take on the TSFL spokesperson position.
We understand that Ferrera as a spokesperson may potentially increase the overall budget, which
is why we plan to use Ferrera on social media only. We hope that she would make posts on either
Twitter or Instagram about Take Shape For Life. These posts would run at a couple thousand
dollars per post and is easily doable with TSFLs budget. America Ferrera has over 106K
followers on Twitter and over 158K on Instagram. Having her as our spokesperson would get
Take Shape For Life and Medifast recognition and help increase the number of Latino health
coaches.
Mona Ameli
Another great option for a Take Shape For Life spokesperson is Mona Ameli. Mona Ameli is the
president of Take Shape For Life and has the background and story that would resonate with our
target public. Ameli is actively involved in organizations dedicated to the advancement and
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empowerment of women. In 2007, she founded the nonprofit,

Women Without Borders, that helps women and families struggling
with domestic violence. She also has a rich multi-lingual
background and speaks three different languages (Spanish, French
and English). Mona Ameli would be another wonderful choice for a
TSFL spokesperson because she wouldnt be expensive and has a
compelling story to draw in more TSFL Latino coaches and clients.
Ameli accurately represents our target public and would add a
business savvy, success story to the campaign.

Communication Theory
Our strategies and tactics were influenced by Ting-Toomeys face negotiation theory. Face
negotiation theory comprises of the following key components: face, face concern and facework.
For our campaign, we were particularly interested in the idea of face, which is the projected
image that a person wants to show to others. Latinos want to portray themselves in a positive
light in their community. Additionally, they care about the welfare of others in their in-group,
including their family and friends. Therefore, they have a mutual or other face concern. Our
program, It Starts With You, provides the strategies that Latinos need to manage their face and
the faces of the people they care about and want to help.

Implementation
Strategies
Strategy 1: Ally with different nonprofit organizations.
Strategy 2: Partner with Latin fitness influencers.
Strategy 3: Generate a buzz around weight loss and wellness among three key markets with a
heavily concentrated Latino population.
Strategy 4: Encourage Latinos to participate in community-building activities.

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Tactics
Flash Mob
This would take place at the Austin conference in July. TSFL could create a simple step-by-step
choreography video with a Latin style of dance and distribute it to health coaches in the area, or
who are interested in participating, via email or social media. Interested participants would also
receive a TSFL-branded T-Shirt to wear during the flashmob. The goal for coaches participating
in the event would be 150. We think this is a reasonable goal because of the number of coaches
that will be attending the conference. A secondary location could be Jacksonville, Florida, a
target city, according to
Medifasts Hispanic consultant.
The Jackson Landing provides a
good atmosphere to perform the
flash mob as it has concerts,
shopping, dining and hotels.
This tactics is a fun way to earn
media placement, involves the
health coaches, and introduces
our campaign to attract Latino
coaches and clients.

Sabor de Latinoamrica (Taste of Latin America)

The 30-second recipe videos featured mainly on Facebook are growing in popularity. This video
tactic would be a great opportunity for TSFL. We know Facebook is a popular social media
platform with Latinos, so TSFL could create its own version of these videos with healthy Lean
and Green meals with a Latin flair. We found in our primary research that a majority of the
survey respondents would be interested in a line of Latin food. The videos could also have
Spanish translation for the ingredients on the main screen. If coaches share these videos, it
generates interest among our target public. It increases their awareness of the program, as the
videos can be branded with the TSLF logo and shared with information about the program, as
well as demonstrate that TSFL has a vested interest in this particular population. The effort to
create Latin cuisine demonstrates that TSFL wants its clients and coaches to succeed and will do
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its best to make their health journey as simple and

easy as possible.
Baltimore Mural
In

early November, Medifasts Take Shape for

Life could partner with the Baltimore Mural
Project to create a mural on a dilapidated
building in Baltimore, Maryland. Health
coaches in the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area would be invited to volunteer and
create the mural. The It Starts With You theme will be the focus of the mural.
The project is meant to bring the Take Shape for Life community together in one of the most
affluent Latino communities in the United States in addition to Medifasts headquarters. To
attract more Latinos to the community-building project, Medifast could also partner with the
GALA Hispanic Theatre and Hola Cultura DC, nonprofit organizations whose mission is to
promote Latin culture and art. Such a project would attract Latinos, which our research has
shown are mission-driven.
Empieza Con Una Meta (It Starts With A Goal)

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You may have seen the popular

#TranformationTuesday posts on Facebook and
Instagram that showcase people making positive
changes in their lives. This tactic will put a twist on
these social media posts. We want Take Shape for
Life coaches to start the trending hashtag
#StartsWithYou. Coaches will create posts that
feature before and after photos of themselves.
These side-by-side photo comparisons will
showcase a past change, and then a change coaches
want to accomplish over time. One example of a
post would be a TSFL coach posting a picture of
her living a sedentary lifestyle like sitting on the
couch. The picture to the right of the old picture
would feature her finishing a half-marathon. These posts are to promote healthy lifestyle changes
and showcase ambitions for the future. These posts also help TSFL and Medifast market for free
without any out-of-pocket expenses. Eventually, more people will get involved and create their
own posts. If the posts are successful, TSFL could pay notable bloggers or even our
spokesperson to create and post one of the #StartsWithYou posts. This would give the social
media push more traffic and credibility.
Sample Post:
Before I became a TSFL health coach, my health wasnt great. I was carrying around extra baby
fat and knew I needed to make a change. With Take Shape For Life, I was able to lose the weight
and even able to complete a half marathon! #StartsWithYou #proudmama
#TSFL #strongishealthy
MiTSFL
Our research has shown that Latinos are technology-centric, in which 87
percent of Latino internet users access the internet through a mobile
device at least occasionally. Through our survey, 75 percent of
respondents prefer to access personal accounts via mobile application.
Taking the information weve found into consideration, we suggest that
Medifast take the current MyTSFL application and translate it into
neutral Spanish to call it MiTSFL.
To make the app worthy enough for Latinos to download and take space
in their phone, we suggest that the content be catered to Latinos
entrepreneurial drive and their values toward family and health. Potential
content and capabilities could include:
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Tips for entrepreneurial success, or Lynda-like videos for business.

30-second recipe videos
Articles on health issues that affect Latinos

Ability to message Latino coaches.

Community Picnic

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Our primary research indicated

that Latinos like to participate in
social gatherings where food,
family and friends are involved.
This helped us create the idea for
a community family picnic at the
National Mall in Washington
D.C. where we encourage guests
to bring their entire families for a
day of healthy food and fun
activities for kids, while being in
the beautiful setting of
Washington D.C. Through
hosting the picnic, we could
promote the message that Medifast is invested in you and your community. We want to create a
sense of unity between Latinos who share a common interest in having a healthy lifestyle. The
picnic will feature healthy food and beverage choices and activities for kids such as a hula hoop
contest, dance-a-thon, soccer games and face painting. We will partner with La Clnica del
Pueblo and the National Alliance of Hispanic Health, which are health-oriented organizations
targeting Latinos, in order to attract more guests to the picnic.
Blogger Outreach
For this tactic, we would send out invitations
for our events with swag bags to nearby
influential Latino bloggers. In each swag bag,
we would include a water bottle, reusable
grocery bag, bento box for meal prep and Dr.
Wayne S. Andersons Dr. As Habits of
Health. We hope that the swag bags would
incentivize the bloggers to come out to our
events and ultimately write about our events to
promote our program and give it credibility.
Because Latinos tend to be more trusting of other Latinos, we hope that Latino audiences who
read the blogs will be incentivized to learn more about or start the Take Shape for Life program.
We understand that we may need to have a paid program to motivate bloggers to write about
TSFL; if thats what they want, we would need to reevaluate the relationship with bloggers.

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* These tactics are subject to change depending on budget restrictions and client interest. If
certain tactics are not chosen, we will keep any unused tactics on file for future reference.
Timeline

Our timeline was created with the coaches in mind. We know TSFL loves to involve the coaches
in their events, so tactics are aimed at the beginning of the month. This leaves the end of the
month free for the coaches to focus on their clients and goals. We begin with the flash mob at the
Austin Conference in July as a bang to the start of this campaign. For all of our tactics, we want
to precede them with blogger outreach to ensure some earned media coverage and word-ofmouth buzz. We leave six months for the development of the mobile app, which gives flexibility
for unexpected glitches. After a small reprieve from the flash mob, we start the Sabor de
Latinoamrica (Taste of Latin America) video tactic. This can continue and be dispersed
throughout the year-long campaign. In the fall, the Baltimore Mural project takes place. This
leaves room for the busy holiday season. The social media push begins in January, just in time
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for peoples New Years resolutions. We then launch the application in the spring promoting it
for two months. When the weather gets warm again in May the community picnic can take place.
*It is important to note that these tactics are flexible in scheduling. If chosen, this timeline can be
arranged in accordance with TSFLs preference. The timeline presented is the sequence of events
that The Breakfast Bunch Agency suggests.
Budget
Flash Mob
Total: $2, 554
DJ: $ 1,000
T-Shirts: $ 900
Water for Dancers: $150

Community Picnic
Total: $15,380
Application Fee:$180
Rent Fee: $200
Staff (Security/DJ/First Aid):$3,500
Food/Water/Prep: $7,000
Activity Supplies: $500
Meals For You
Total: $10,000
Production Cost: $ 10,000

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Social Media Campaign

Total: $0.00
Content Development: $0.00

America Ferrera
Total: $20,000
Spokesperson Fee: $20,000

Baltimore Mural Program

Total: $12,950
Program Fee: $12,000
Tents: $800
Water: $150

Blogger Outreach
Total: $5,500
Travel Expenses: $5,000
Swag Bags: $500

Mobile Application
Total: $ 33,600
Development: $33,600

Evaluation

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During the implementation stage of our campaign and six months following its conclusion, we
will measure our campaigns effectiveness through surveys, Hootsuite social media reports, focus
groups and more. We will ask ourselves the following questions to determine if benchmarks are
being met:

Preparation: How well did the plan work?

o BudgetDid we stay within our budget?
o ResourcesDid we use all of our available resources?
o ChannelDid we choose effective channels to reach our priority publics?
o TimelineHow well did we follow our timeline?
Implementation: Hows it going?
o How much earned media coverage did we receive?
o How many people saw coverage of Medifast?
o Social media activity and interactions
Did we increase engagement (Likes, hearts, comments, mentions, shares)
in Medifasts social media accounts?
Did we increase the number of impressions on Twitter?
Did we increase Medifasts Facebook reach?
o How many people attended and participated in Medifasts promotional activities
and events?
Impact: Change achieved?
o Did the target audience become more interested in TSFL?
o Did Medifast get more Latino coaches signed up for TSFL?
o Was there an increase in TSFL product sales?
o Did Latinos become more aware of Medifast and TSFL?

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Research Report: Appendix

A1. SWOT
Strengths

Weaknesses

Incentives program for current health

coaches (the three conferences, Go
Global, Sundance and National)
Mentorship through Coach Connection
Corporate would help connect coaches to
clients
Dr. Wayne Anderson is a useful source of
information (author of Habits of
Health)

Opportunities

Initial $200 potential coaches have

to pay to get the business kit
Three month program to get vetted
as a coach (therefore, not making
money during this period)
Program skews slightly to the
upper class as meal plans are
around $300-$400 monthly.
Flexibility for the Health Coach
would vary the quality of the
coaches
Take Shape for Life relies
primarily on earned media
coverage and word-of-mouth,
rather than paid advertising.
Health coach could be in another
part of the country
Threats

Changing seasons influence dieting

patterns
Hispanics represent the second most
overweight/obese ethnicity in the U.S.
for adults
Offers the opportunity for a second or
primary income
About 80 percent of self-employed
women work in the services sector

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Traditional Hispanic cuisine is

heavier with particular focus on
carbohydrates (rice, tortillas, etc.)
Hispanics have an emphasis on
Spend more money on beauty
products over health care
(Medifasts Hispanic Consultant)
Family meals driven by family
suggestions (Medifasts Hispanic

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compared to less than 60 percent for men

Hispanics primarily use texting, Facebook
and Instagram (In that order) (Medifasts
Hispanic Consultant)
Purchase index is highest in childrens
clothes, groceries, and mobile devices
(Medifasts Hispanic Consultant)
More attracted by peer recommendation,
have to trust and respect the source
(Medifasts Hispanic Consultant)

Consultant)
Puerto Ricans less likely to share
personal info regardless of
benefits(Medifasts Hispanic
Consultant)
Mexicans put cost over wellbeing
specifically in the case of health
(Medifasts Hispanic Consultant)
Deterred strongly from sales
pitches (Medifasts Hispanic Con.)

A2. Secondary Research

Application to the Proposal
The secondary research helped form our survey and interview questions. Additionally, it helped
form our strategies and tactics, especially the information that Graciela gave us. The secondary
research helped us paint a picture of our target public and helped us form psychographics. We
used the secondary research to determine our publics motivations, which helped us create our
tactics and strategies.
Pew Hispanic Center
The following are a list of facts about Latinos who have an income of $50,000 or higher.
Theyre technology-centric (Lopez, Gonzalez-Barrera, & Patten, 2013)
Most Latino smartphone owners are native born (54 percent).
95 percent of Hispanics from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more, 93 of
Hispanics from families with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 and 93
percent of Hispanics ages 18-29 say they go online at least occasionally.
87 percent of Latino internet users ages 18-29 and Latino internet users from families
with annual incomes of $50,000 or more say they access the internet through a mobile
device at least occasionally.
Cell phone ownership rates are highest among Latinos from families with annual incomes
above $50,000 (97 percent), Latinos ages 18-29 (96 percent) and Latinos from families
with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 (95 percent).
The highest smartphone ownership rates are among Hispanics from families with annual
incomes of $50,000 or more (76 percent).
Fully 95 percent of Latinos from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more own a
desktop or laptop computers.
They live in enclaves (Krogstad & Lopez, 2015)

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Counties with the highest Hispanic population are Los Angeles County in California (4.9
million), Harris County in Texas (1.9 million) and Miami-Dade County in Florida (1.8
million).
Hispanic populations have declined in some counties that had a Hispanic population of
10,000 or more, but California, Texas and Florida have the highest Hispanic populations;
in fact, these three states account for 55 percent of the Hispanic population. Migration to
these states might have occurred because they are attracted to a strong Latino community.

Theyre homeowners (Krogstad & Lopez, 2015)

Among households headed by Hispanics, 46% are owner-occupied, second to households
headed by whites and are owner-occupied (72%).
Some 48% of native-born Latino households are owner-occupied, compared to 44% of
immigrant Latino households.
Graciela, Medifasts Hispanic Consultant
First-generation Latinos care a lot more about cost than second-generation Latinos, and
Mexicans, El Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans are the more affluent Latinos
(G. Sanchez, Interview, April 28, 2016). Additionally, upper-middle class Hispanics, which is
determined by how many of them own homes, live in the following cities:
Jacksonville, Florida
Riverside, San Bernardino, California
Baltimore, Maryland
Houston, Texas
Washington, D.C.
Virginia Beach
Dallas, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Austin, Texas
St. Louis, Missouri
The following a list of facts about Latinos, including psychographics:
Theyre mission-driven
Latinos care about transforming lives.
They like to own their own business.
They seek jobs that have flexibility, allows them to be independent, and provide for their
family.
Theyre message specific
Latinos like messages that are in Spanish and English.
They like messages that are about uniting with non-Latinos.
Messages have to convey kindness, friendliness and respect.
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They dont like messages that sound like a sales pitch.

Source of the message matters. They prefer testimonials from friends and family, as well
as customer ratings, in their purchasing decisions.

Trends Report: Access to Health Information

Latinos in the U.S. have lower access to health care providers. In replace of a doctor or
physician, Latinos turn to online health resources, which they say have more of an impact on
their health knowledge and behaviors (Fox & Jones, 2009). To view these resources, most
Latinos gather health information using their cellphones (Fox & Duggan, 2012).
A3. Primary Research
Primary Research
Our primary research methods were a survey and several interviews (See Appendix for survey
questions and interview questions/responses). By conducting primary research, we hoped to gain
more insight on how the Latino population feels toward meal replacement diet plans and health
coaching, as well as their preferences in regards to accessing information and language. The
results of our primary research heavily influenced our strategy, tactics, and messaging for our
campaign idea.
Survey

Key Survey Findings

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We conducted our survey at Lauriol Plaza restaurant in NW Washington, D.C. Lauriol Plaza is a
prominent Mexican/Latin American restaurant in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. We
distributed 150 surveys and asked affluent, upper-middle class Latinos to respond to a series of
questions. Among the respondents, 88 were male and 62 were female.

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Interviews
We conducted two in-person interviews. The first interview was with a first-generation, 50-yearold male and the second interview was with a second generation, 28-year-old female. Both of the
individuals are general managers at Lauriol Plaza.
Interview One Transcript
Name: Juan Lopez
Title: General Manager, Lauriol Plaza
Date and time of interview: May 2, 2016 at 3 p.m.
Interview questions and responses:
1. What is your opinion of meal replacement diet plans?
1. I dont believe in them. I prefer to do exercise and eat a healthy diet.
b. Describe a typical meal for yourself at lunch and dinner time.
1. I dont eat lunch. I eat dinner around 8 p.m. and I have meat or fish, rice, beans
and vegetables. Sometimes I have tortillas.
b. Would you be opposed to starting a meal replacement diet plan? If so, why?
1. Yes because I already have a system that works for me.
b. What factors would make you interested in starting a meal replacement diet plan?
1. Nothing would make me interested in starting a meal replacement diet plan
because I prefer to exercise and eat healthy to lose weight.
b. Do you consider yourself a health-conscious person?
1. I am a very health conscious person.
b. Do you often have social gatherings with friends or family involving food?
1. Yes. My family does cookouts a lot where we have meat, fish, rice, beans,
vegetables and tortillas.
b. How willing would you be to stick to a diet with pre-prepared meals for each day?
1. I would not be willing to stick to a diet with pre-prepared meals for each day
because I like to vary my food every day.
b. What five things do you always get at a grocery store?
1. Meat, fish, rice, beans, tortillas, coffee.
b. How does your background contribute to your eating habits?
1. My family has always cooked a lot and I think the foods I eat are influenced by
what I grew up eating.
b. What qualities would you look for in a coach?
1. I would look for a healthy person who is using the diet plan and its working for
them and someone who is there for you and pushes you.
Application to the Proposal
From this interview, we learned that our primary public was not first-generation, middle-aged
men, even if they are affluent. Many of them believe that exercising and a healthy diet is
functional and a diet plan is not necessary to maintain/achieve optimal health. Learning that men
are not very interested in meal replacement diet plans helped us to narrow down our primary
public for our campaign and helped us make decisions on tactics that would effectively reach the
correct target public.
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Interview Two Transcript

Name: Tiffany Solis
Title: General Manager, Lauriol Plaza
Date and time of interview: May 2, 2016 at 4 p.m.
Interview questions and responses:
11. What is your opinion of meal replacement diet plans?
a. I think theyre great. I havent ever been on a meal replacement diet plan, but
they seem like they work.
11. Describe a typical meal for yourself at lunch and dinner time.
a. I dont really eat lunch. I always eat a big dinner where I have steak, seafood,
rice, beans, vegetables and tortillas. Sometimes I eat enchiladas and quesadillas.
11. Would you be opposed to starting a meal replacement diet plan? If so, why?
a. No. I would be really interested in starting one.
11. What factors would make you interested in starting a meal replacement diet plan?
a. I would be interested in starting a meal replacement diet plan because of the fact
it could help me lose weight and become healthier.
11. Do you consider yourself a health-conscious person?
a. Yes. I am a very health conscious person. I care a lot about being healthy.
11. Do you often have social gatherings with friends or family involving food?
a. Yes. My friends and I go out to eat a lot and my family has cookouts/dinners at
my house a lot where we have meat, fish, rice, beans, vegetables and bread.
11. How willing would you be to stick to a diet with pre-prepared meals for each day?
a. I would be very willing to stick to this type of plan. It would provide me with
structure within my diet.
11. What five things do you always get at a grocery store?
a. Meat, fish, rice, beans, tortillas/bread, cheese.
11. How does your background contribute to your eating habits?
a. I grew up in a large family and my mom always cooked for us. I eat a lot of the
same foods my mom has cooked for me my whole life.
11. What qualities would you look for in a coach?
a. I would look for a person who is supportive and motivational.
Application to the Proposal
From this interview, we learned that our primary public was middle-aged, second-generation
women. Many women in this demographic care about being healthy and would be interested in
starting a meal replacement diet program to attain optimal health and fitness. By completing this
interview and narrowing down our primary public, we were able to create tactics that would
specifically and effectively reach this public.
Survey Problems
Despite our group being able to distribute 150 surveys, there are some hidden biases that could
have potentially skewed our research results. First, only one group member distributed the
survey. Because she distributed the survey in-person, people could have been more inclined to
answer in a specific way, thinking that she would see his or her responses. Not only that, more
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men responded than women. If more women had responded, there could have been different
results for the questions we asked.
In the future when conducting primary research, we could try to limit these biases by having
more than one group member distribute the survey and try to have an equal number of men and
women respond to the survey, such as by distributing the survey exclusively to 75 men and
exclusively to 75 women.

References
Fox, S. & Duggan, M. (2012, November 8). Mobile health 2012. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/08/mobile-health-2012/

Fox, S. & Jones, S. (2009, June 11). The impact of online health resources. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2009/06/11/the-impact-of-online-health-resources/

Holmes, L. (2013, August 16). Analyst pulse: Trends in Global Weight Loss Diets. Retrieved
from http://blog.euromonitor.com/2013/08/analyst-pulse-trends-in-global-weight-lossdiets.html

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Krogstad, J.M. & Lopez, M.H. (2015, June 25). Hispanic population reaches record 55 million,
but growth has cooled. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2015/06/25/u-s-hispanic-population-growth-surge-cools/

Lopez, M.H., Gonzalez-Barrera, A., & Patten, E. (2013, March 7). Closing the digital divide:
Latinos and technology adoption. Retrieved from
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/03/07/closing-the-digital-divide-latinos-andtechnology-adoption/

Medifast Diet. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/medifast-diet

NORAM66. (2014, December 9). Is the medifast diet good for you? [Online forum].
Retrieved from http://www.sparkpeople.com/ma/Is-the-Medifast-Diet-good-foryou?/7/1/27768922

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