2010-2011

The Bakeover IMC Campaign

Rebecca K Roussell
IMC 462 – Marekting Communications Via
Social Media
2010-2011
Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies
Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

States of Nature Summary and New Orleans Marketplace

Kitty’s Bakery has a deep rooted history in New Orleans, Louisiana which is also my hometown.
My great-grandmother, Rebecca Bolden (Becky) opened it in 1950, with the help of her
daughter, my grandmother, Katherine Bolden Williams (Kitty). Both loved to bake and would
make all kinds of cakes, breads, homemade pralines, etc. After about 20 years of being so
successful, they decided to expand with the help of local investors – opening two more locations
in the New Orleans area. One location, Cake Stop, was another variant bakery, the other; Cakery
Supplies, specifically sold baking supplies. The Bolden Family enjoyed multiple years of
success, awards from local bake-offs, and traveling with their award-winning recipes.

In 2010, the recession, low sales and infrastructure damages after Hurricane Katrina, forced
concerned investors to pull-out and the family had to close Cake Stop and Cakery Supplies. I
partnered my cousin Darryl Coleman, Jr., a chef in New Orleans and my best friend Rebekah
Tsadik, a licensed nutritionist and chef. We formed Cake It 2 Me, L.L.C. and took over the assets
of all three and turned it into one concept Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies.

Our store concept is unique. We give our consumers options. We’re not the traditional grocery
store and we feel our valued customers appreciate this concept. We sell just about any ingredient
and the tools needed to complete that desert or snack. For those who are not so brave to add too
much sugar or not enough flour, we also offer our own goodies prepared by my cousin Chef
Coleman. We also noted growing natural, organic market. Two months ago, we began offering
vegan cupcakes in a variety of flavors, prepared by Chef Tsadik. Introducing our vegan cupcakes
has been a major success. Kitty’s is the only privately owned shop uptown which offers vegan
cupcakes.

New Orleans Marketplace

The New Orleans marketplace has more concerns in addition to this most recent recession. The
city is still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina, one of the nation’s most horrific natural
disasters. Although, the storm hit in 2005, many residents and businesses have not returned or
are still trying to rebuild. City-wide estimated damages exceeded well over $200 billion
(Bergman, B. et. al, The effects of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Economy).

The store, as mentioned above, was not immune to the aftermath of the storm. For residents and
business owners alike, it was a tough decision to return to a city which needed so much work.
Most just cut their losses and did not return. However, the ones who did return have made it their
business to come back better. The history of the store was just too rich for us to just give up and
walk away.

New Orleans is like no other city in the world. Known for its unique culture and heritage, New
Orleans’ most prized treasure is its rich food. The city is filled with restaurants and grocers,
which are combinations of locally and corporate owned establishments.

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Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies’ Future
Together, we revamped Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies, taking the concept to another level while
making sure we maintained some of the original business objectives and operating practices my
grandmother founded the company on 60 years ago, with an updated scope to remain relevant in
the marketplace.

In these recession times, it is imperative that we be very efficient with our marketing efforts and
customer satisfaction. In order to do this, our marketing communications needs to be current.

At Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies, we see the importance of remaining relevant and participating in
social media marketing and integrating it into our current marketing communications model. The
store has a 60-plus year history and practices have changed, therefore, in order to remain part of
the conversation and keep up with the competition, we must change as well. We plan to use more
social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to beef up our social presence, in addition to
enhancing our website. We have a timely, detailed plan that will be executed heavily with social
media, as well as integrated with the other disciplines from marketing communications.

Change is an essential to any successful marketer, and if executed correctly and strategically, can
be successful to bottom line and prove to be a good return on invested time and money.

Insights
Below are some facts from a study titled Shopper Marketing 4.0: Building Scalable Playbooks
that Drive Results. The study was conducted this year by the Grocery Manufacturers Association
(GMA). The study surveyed more than 2,000 shoppers, retailer and shopper marketing agencies
and industry executives. About 55 percent of the companies surveyed said shopper marketing is
their first priority investment and will increase marketing budgets by five percent in the future.
These facts help support our rationale for investing more in social media marketing for our
marketing communications plans.

 62% of shoppers search for deals digitally before at least half of their shopping trips
 The most effective vehicles for building brand loyalty are digital: newsletters, word-of-
mouth programs in social media and virtual displays linked to search results.
 Mobile vehicles are earlier in their lifecycle and display considerable promise across
different objectives: barcode scanners for awareness, price comparison for action, and
mobile commerce apps for loyalty.

When my partners and I took over, we noticed our consumer changed. Our customers wanted to
be more hands-on in their own kitchens. Consumer trends show preparing more meals at home to
save money because of the economy is widespread.

Also, communication is now social, and consumers what to be engaged. What once started as
social networking (connecting with family and friends) has transcended to a gold mine for
marketers. Social media is user generated content. It is a way for marketers to tap into and
respond to valuable insights from their consumers.

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Internal Consumer Research
We have made an effort to listen to what our customers want and also study their purchasing behaviors.
We also utilize feedback from our in-store comment cards and electronic comment card sent after each
purchase. Currently we maintain this with a database of names compiled from customers over the years.
We started compiling this information about 10 years ago. With the enhancements of the internet and
social media, we will be able to build off these findings, and progress in the future to make sure we stay
on top of our customer satisfaction.

• This segment likes to bake and cook and are more

digital now, especially with the increased amount of
mommy bloggers. They want new recepies and are
looking to share baking experiences with other mothers.
• Our store sells all the ingridents (e.g. cake mixes,
Stay-at-home Moms cupcake pans, etc.) needed to enhance their baking
experiments. We also provide virtual baking classes to
help them. They are designed for that stay-at-home
mom who has access to the internet and needs time to
prepare those baked goods for her family.
• This segment has children, ages 4-8, who are in school.
Snack time and birthday parties at school are popular
among this group's children. These moms and dads want
quality foods and don't want the same store-bought cake
Parents with a bland taste.
• Our bakery sells prepared desserts (e.g. cakes, pralines,
cookies, traditional and vegan cupcakes, etc.) for that
parent who wants to share homemade baked goods with
their child's classmates.

• This segment teaches children in grades pre-kindergarten

to second grade. Sometimes baking is used as a learning
Teachers opportunity (e.g. colors, measurements, holidays, etc.)
Teachers can also utilize the virtual cooking classes as
well in their own classrooms.

• This segment likes to bake or has only enough time to

pick up something already prepared for the party or
home. They are heavy users of social media and
Professionals smartphones.
• This segment serves as a prime opportunity for the store
to utilize newer marketing communications efforts to
make them repeat visitors as well as tell their friends.

• This segment fits local restaurants which offer desserts

on their menus, but don't have resident pastry chefs.
• Our store will serve as a specialty catering service;
Restaurants selling prepared desserts. Part of our B2B
communication will be digital in the form of monthly
newsletters for our perferred customers.

• New Orelans is one of the top travel destinations in the

nation. This segment seeks authentic, New Orleans
flavors and expects Southern Hospitality.
Tourists • With an integrated marketing communications plan,
tourists can easily be converted from one-time visitors to
brand loyalists. We plan to capture this segement the
most with the social media, virtual demonstrations.

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Marketing Objectives (Calendar year January – December 2011)
Phase 1: Increase awareness among customers about the new store concept resulting from the
merge of the three stores. We will also heavily depend on word-of-mouth to help increase our
new customer database by 5 – 10 percent by the end of the education phase; slated for the month
of January.

Phase 2: Increase sales by 5 percent monthly by influencing purchasing behavior of all

customers by using and integrated communications platform. Our goal is to show an increase in
sales beginning in April 2011. By this time, our current customers should be familiar with the
new store concept and will have spread the word to their peers and associates (potential new
customers).

Phase 3: Continue to encourage trial with new consumers by implementing new, innovative
tactical approaches via social media. Goal here is to create a community that is focused and
centered on Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies. By the end of December, our goal is to have those new
customers convert to repeat customers, thus increasing our brand loyalists.

Strategies for Phase 1: Awareness (Communication)

Top goal for Phase 1, the awareness stage, is to implement and roll-out personal communications
to our current consumer database to inform them of the merger and the new store concept.
Focusing on our current, regular customers will assist our communications efforts to the general
public. This phase may even begin in December of the previous calendar year to ensure there is
enough time to get communications out about the grand opening of the new store in late January
2011. It is important our consumers get this information directly from us to drive them to the
new store.

 Initial e-newsletters will go to current members in the database, consisting of two large e-
blasts in December 2009 and in early January 2011.
 Pitch new concept to local news media outlets in the New Orleans Metropolitan area.
Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies has a deep rooted history in New Orleans and it has become a
food landmark in the area, so it will get coverage for a features piece or special segment.
 Make the necessary website enhancements to the store’s home on the web. This will
begin preparations for the new social media campaign outlined in Phase 3, which is
where the engagement is crucial.

Strategies for Phase 2: Excite

Top goal for Phase 2, is for new and old consumers get acquainted with the new store concept. In
order to increase sales, we must get consumers in the store and make sure they are comfortable.
We want the repeat customers to convert to brand loyalists, enabling them to speak for our brand.
This way, they will be able to express our product benefits and customer service excellence to
their friends. This phase is slated to begin in February, ending in May 2011.

 We’ve never had events or invited our valued customers to the bakery for a private party.
Through public relations with event planning, we want to offer our customers and
experience that will get them talking and inviting their friends as well.

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  Crafting unique and sometimes personalized promotions that will make our customers
feel welcomed and also keep them coming back. We also want them to share their
experiences as well which is very important to achieving our marketing objective to
increase traffic in the store.

Strategies for Phase 3: Engage

Top goal for Phase 3, the engage stage in the campaign, is to get the brand ambassadors and new
customers talking. We want a conversation related to baking, with the central focus on Kitty’s
Cakery & Supplies. We are providing the avenue to begin and monitor the discussion. Our brand
ambassadors and new customers will help us generate content and think of new opportunities to
make sure every customer’s experience is fresh.

 With so many social media applications to use, there are plethoras to choose from which
will align with each of our target segments.
 We will also have an emphasis on location-based social networking as and the use of
mobile apps with discounts or surprises. This will get those customers to make that no-
harm impulse buy. Those impulse buys are the ones that get you hooked, so we would
like to play off of that with the goal of potentially gaining a new customer.

Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies

Integrated Marketing Communication Campaign
Bakeover Campaign (January – December 2011)

Executive Summary
Who does not like to get a makeover? Sometimes makeovers can be the gateway to continued
success in the future. That’s how we at Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies see our “Bakeover”
Campaign. The store has new owners and has integrated modern concepts in its marketing
communications efforts, each tailored to the variety of behaviors we’ve noticed from our
consumer segment.

Still remaining true to the foundations of what the bakery was founded on 60-plus years ago, by
my great grandmother and grandmother, my partners and I hope this new concept of integrating
some new flavor and introducing an entire new store concept will encourage our customers to
not just be customers, but ambassadors for our brand and continue building on a new legacy in
New Orleans for the next 60 years.

The Bakeover campaign is a fresh baked look at our marketing communications efforts and our
push to remain relevant, especially in this new age of social media marketing. So, please enjoy
our new approach and we hope that you will take part in our very special “Bakeover” and let the
goodness of homemade mixes and desserts inspire you to talk about us and share your
“Bakeover” experiences with your friends!

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The Bakeover campaign will span three phases which are explained in detail utilizing our
marketing objectives and strategies. They are also illustrated below:

Phase 3: Engage
• Timing: June -
December 2011
Phase 2: Excite • Begin implementing
social media tactics
• Timing: February - to get customers
May 2011 interested about new
• Have monthly open store concept
bake houses for • Heavy usage of
customers can sample social media outlets
Phase 1: the store and its new such as Facebook,
Awareness concept Ustream, Twitter,
• Timing: January 2011 • Provide food etc. to get customers
• Inform customers of samples, product communicationg and
merger/new store giveaways from sharing information
concept supplier partners about the new store
• Communication • Begin to implement
efforts will be new promotions and
enhanced w/updated deals via new
website and monthly integrated platform
e-newsletters
• Grand opening of
Kitty's Cakery &
Supplies

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Tactics
Phase 1: Awareness
(soft launch in December 2009, campaign begins in January 2011)

Direct Marketing
Giving our current customers the courtesy of being informed and know what changes are going
to happen to the new business is very important. We want this message to come directly from the
source. We don’t want our customers to be surprised at the changes to the business we plan to
begin integrating the current customers from all three stores (Kitty’s Bakery, Cake Stop, and
Cakery Supplies). We already have well-managed database of about 5,000 names.

With the new age of email, instant information, and mobile we will utilize the email addresses to
send out two e-blasts in the form of a newsletter. We have more than half of the email address in
our database and we want to utilize the electronic communications. This is a cost-effective way
to get our messages out, and we are “being-green” and paperless.

This will begin the pre-campaign efforts in December 2010, which will help in our transition to
the big “Bakeover” Campaign kick off in January 2011.

Newsletter Details
 The newsletter will consist of a detailed, personal letter, touching on the history of Kitty’s
and its sister stores. I will also inform them of our newest venture, Kitty’s Cakery &
Supplies, which is a result of the three-store merger.
 The letter will also include a detailed map (enhanced with Google Maps feature) which
will allow them to click on the map icon to access directions to the store location from
their original destinations.
 A link to our new website, which will also keep an update copy of the monthly
newsletters.
 Personal invitation to our grand opening event in late January.
 With a new store concept, there is always something new and old. I will also include a
sampling of our products offered and newer options. A sample is below:

Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies is the one stop shop for consumers who have the ultimate sweet tooth.
When my grandmother and great-grandmother first opened this business, it was just a bakery.
Then two other locations followed – another bakery and baking supply store.

Now, Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies is the grocery store where bakers and amateur ones buy
ingredients for their sweet creations. If you are making dessert or brining something sweet to a
party or gathering, Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies should be the first stop.

What we sell:
 Cake mixes and frostings are homemade – straight from the recipes of my great-
grandmother and grandmother
 Decorating sugars, an assortment of flavored extracts and food colors from McCormick
 Candies, nuts (pecans and walnuts)

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  Cake stands, cupcake tiers, portable containers for easy travel, icing bags, decorating
tips for the bags, cookie cutters, cupcake liners, cupcake/muffin pans, measurement
utensils
 Candles, balloons
o Prepared Desserts
 Cakes
 Pralines
 King Cakes (Seasonal for Mardi Gras)
 Cookies
 Breads
 Vegan cupcakes (new product)

Website
Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies for the first time ever will have a website. The website will have
detail product features with accompanying images, contact information, and “Did you know?”
facts and history about authentic New Orleans foods.

Another exciting feature will be our e-commerce. With Mardi Gras such a celebrated holiday in
New Orleans, we have received multiple requests for shipments of our famous King Cakes. We
want to have a home on our website where tourists who’ve visited or just heard about the bakery
can purchase a King Cake and we would ship it to them using a parcel service. Also there are
those native New Orleanians who have moved away and would like that taste of home. We want
them to be able to experience that as well.

There will also be direct links to our Facebook and Twitter pages as well as our USTREAM
channel for easy access to find Kitty’s in the social sphere.

The new website will launch in January and will be updated with content as needed throughout
the “Bakeover” campaign.

Public Relations
We want invite our closest friends to our renovated 10,000 square-foot hub on Magazine, the
most famous street in Uptown New Orleans – known for its boutiques and local eateries.
Magazine Street is definitely one of the most visited streets in New Orleans.

We plan to have a private, cocktail affair for our current customers (the database of names from
the three stores).

Grand Opening Details

 Theme: Bake ME Over
 Date: Late January 2011
 Special Guests: Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of New Orleans; Jessica N. Larche, anchor for
the CBS Evening News and New Orleans native, friend of the family; Reggie Bush,
Marques Colston, and Drew Brees of the Superbowl XLIV Champion New Orleans
Saints; Chris Paul, point guard for the New Orleans Hornets (all are frequent visitors of
the store)

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  Special invited media: Television: Local ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates, Hoda
Kotb from NBC’s Today Show; Print: The Times Picayune, Gambit Weekly, Where ‘Ya
At, and the Louisiana Weekly
 Music will be provided by Papa Smurf from the local Clear Channel adult contemporary
station, WYLD FM-98 and also will end with a traditional second line performed by the
Soul Rebels Brass Band
 This event will be an oasis of our baked goods. Patrons will be able to sample some of
our treats and also tour our grocery store concept as well.

Advertising
We plan to sprinkle in a little of paid advertising throughout the campaign.

January 2011
 Full-page ads in these print outlets: The Times Picayune, Gambit Weekly, Where ‘Ya At,
and the Louisiana Weekly

January – March 2011

 We would like to spend about 10 percent of our marketing budget in digital advertising
for Mardi Gras. This is a busy season for us and it occurs during the allotted time
depending on the year. We would purchase banner ads and buttons as well as rich media
during this time to make sure we reach our virtual customers who may not be able to visit
the store front. These ads will also pop-up and will be triggered by search terms (e.g.
New Orleans food, Mardi Gras, and King Cake).

Phase 2: Excite
(February – May 2011)

Public Relations/Promotions
Moving into the second phase of the “Bakeover” campaign, it is important to excite our current
customers, convert them to brand ambassadors/loyalists, and enlist their help in sharing their
experiences to their friends and associates, hence increasing our traffic in our stores and
welcoming new customers.

We plan to have four events (once a month) similar to our grand opening event but not as large.
We will call these Kitty’s Oven Open Houses. The idea is to have customers come in and just
browse around to see our new concept; slowly integrating them into our new concept after the
initial announcement of the merger in Phase 1.

Kitty’s Oven Open House Details

 This event will be held in the evenings, after work hours and will be attractive to our
stay-at-home moms, parents, teachers, restaurant owners and professionals target
segments.
 Samples will be available of our baked goods and specialty mixes.
 We will highlight a new product each open house event. Our vegan cupcakes are popular,
and this is a new venture for Kitty’s and it is a result of our customer wanting a healthier
dessert option.

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  Special discounts will be offered on specialty bake supplies and feature a trade promotion
set-up with our vendors McCormick and Wilton.
 Notice of these events will be on our website as well as our social media platforms.

Phase 3: Engage
(June – December 2011)
Social Media
It’s time to get social! The goal of Kitty’s social communications platform is to engage our
customers, have them sharing their experiences, and making sure the brand remains relevant in the
marketplace and is a step ahead of the competition. All of these social media applications have a
mobile feature, so it will be easy for me to respond to consumers who post feedback about the store
using one of these outlets, which is a great unique plus that we did not have in the past. There will be
some soft launches as explained in the earlier phases, however the bulk of the social engagement in
this final stage of the integrated plan.

Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies Facebook Page Details

 Facebook has over 500 million unique users worldwide. Almost every business has a
Facebook page. Kitty’s plans to utilize this page to make our fans aware of deals,
promotions, events, etc. Also, we want them to talk to us too. Facebook fits well with our
social communication strategies.
 Target segments: All
 Page will contain contact information, link to our own website.
 We thought about placing a photo gallery on our website, specifically for our events
hosted. However, after research and realizing the strengths of Facebook, we thought it
better to use the photo albums here. It is an easy way for us to upload many pictures for
our grand opening event, open houses, our catering opportunities, and our personal
photos from our days at the store.
 We have a unique tab included titled “iBake.” Here, our fans can upload and share their
favorite recipes.
 We plan to offer a discount on purchase when consumers use the new Facebook Places
application and check-in our store. A great way to integrate location based-marketing in
our plan.
 We also plan to utilize the Kenmore Live Studio in New Orleans. It is a concept that is so
unique and very social. We can promote our participation on the Kenmore’s Facebook
hub. Kenmore sponsors themed, lived cooking demonstrations for the first 30 people who
sign up to attend via their Facebook Page. They invite local chefs to do demonstration of
their dishes. The demonstrations are broadcasted live on Facebook for others to partake in
the event as well. So, anyone can see it, not just people in New Orleans. It is a concept
which started in Chicago a year ago, and with New Orleans’ rich culture in food,
Kenmore elected to set-up the next live studio here. The studio is equipped all Kenmore
appliances, but the consumers are not marketed to at all or forced to purchase the
appliance. The event is free and the products are there for attendees to check-out with no
pressure.

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Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies Twitter Page Details
 Twitter as over 175 million users worldwide with over 90 million tweets written per
minute. People “Re-Tweet” and share these messages with their followers. What makes
Twitter so attractive is the interaction with followers as well as the quick time turn
around.
 Target Segment: Professionals and Tourists (on-the-go patrons)
 We plan to use Twitter as like our social comment tool, which will slowly help to erase
the paper comment cards in the store. Even though social media measurements are still
new, there is free software available to measure Twitter feeds.
 Also, we will integrate some Facebook posts on Twitter as well and create handles
specific to baking (e.g. #kittysNOLA, #freshedbaked cupcakes, come and get them)
 If there are some fresh baked items, we can use little sampling tactics to get consumers in
the doors. Example tweet: @KittysNola: First 25 people to wish us “Happy Mardi Gras”
receive a free slice #KingCake!
 We would also like to organize a Twitter Bake Hunt. We would post various tweets about
locations in the New Orleans area where people would be able to find our employees
sprinkled about the city with treats. We would keep everyone updated on the progress of
the game. This is just another fun way to get people excited and engaged with our brand.

Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies Foursquare Details

 Foursquare is a social location based mobile application for smart phones. It has over 4
million users worldwide.
 Target Segment: Professionals and Tourists (on-the-go patrons)
 Foursquare allows patrons to check-in and be rewarded for checking in. We would offer a
special gift (e.g. free dessert) for the Mayor (the customer with the most check-ins at
Kitty’s.

Kitty’s Cakery & Supplies USTREAM Details

 USTREAM is a free television broadcasts online
 Target Segment: Stay-at-home moms, Teachers, Tourists
 We would utilize our USTREAM Channel to broadcast our own live cooking
demonstrations. We love this idea because we are not only connecting with our customers
locally, but also nationally and even worldwide – wherever there is an internet

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 connection. Teachers would be able to schedule personal USTREAM sessions for their
classes. For other purposes, we would have special sessions and promote when will be
live on Twitter and Facebook. These cooking sessions will be filmed at the store and
hosted by my partners, Chef Rebekah Tsadik and Chef Darryl Coleman, Jr.

Strategy Alternatives

Recommended Strategy
• Inform current consumers
from the collective stores
about the merger.
• Enlist current brand
ambassadors/loyalists to
increase traffic in stores and
expand our new customer
segment.
• Using a social media
platform as a way to get
customers beyond the
bakery/store and engage
them in their shopping
experience.
Alternative Strategy
• Begin focus on obtaining
new customers for the new
store concept without any
mention of the older set.
• Separating customer target
sets and treating them as
their own; tailoring
individual plans to each set
with the goal of retaining old
target segemtents with the
goal of getting new
segments.
• Using the same marketing
communications platform
used in previous years with
no adaptation of newer
tactics and older disciplines.
Rationale for
Recommended Strategy
• With a focus on current customers
from the three stores will assist in
communication efforts to the general
public. It will also help CRM efforts
with the current set, ensuring that
they matter and would be willing to
share their experiences with others.
without hesitation.
• Allowing our brand
ambassodors/loyalists to speak for
our brand is essential to word-of-
mouth marketing efforts which in
most cases are most important to the
brands reputation. This will help not
only increase store traffic, but also
sales.
• We want our brand to be the center
of the baking discussions in the New
Orleans marketplace. Positive
engaging experiences shared by our
customers will only propel the store
to newer opportunites in the future to
remain relevant.

Theory of Integration
In order to have effective marketing communications, marketers must look at and examine how
consumers are getting information. When Kitty’s empire first began 60 years ago, there were no
plans in place. My grandmothers just wanted to make some money, and this was their way of
life. Over the years, Kitty’s has grown with the times and also kept up with the demand, and has
proved to be quite profitable for my family.

We chose to integrate public relations, advertising and direct marketing into the plan because
there were specific needs in our plan which would be executed better with the use of these
disciplines. That’s the beauty of using an integrated plan because each discipline has its niche.
Each social media application also has its niche. The strategies and the objectives help make the
plan unique and are able to come together to bring out the key messaging in a plan.

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