PR PLAN

for the

COCOA
LODGE

BACKGROUND
The Cocoa Lodge is a local Rexburg business that was
located on Main Street next to Taco Bell and just recently
moved to a new location, between Alphagraphics and
Maverik. Currently they are using the building that the
Snoasis Snow Cone Shack uses during the summer time.
The business opened up October 2013, serving gourmet
flavored hot chocolates, muffins, cupcakes and biscotti. It
is a small business with usually or two friendly employees
working at one time.

SITUATION
SUMMARY
The Cocoa Lodge has a lot of potential to be an
established popular location in Rexburg with the proper
tactics to increase awareness and customer traffic. It
provides a solid product with deals that attract customers.
There are location issues and obstacles from the
competition. The Cocoa Lodge is beginning to create an
online presence, but has a lot of work to do to become an
established figure online.
STRENGTHS
The Cocoa Lodge provides excellent products for
reasonable prices. It is an ideal product for the weather in
Rexburg. They have recently added frozen hot chocolates
to their menu to cater to the warmer weather. They offer a
reward system for loyal customers with a stamp card. They
use their marquee sign to announce specials and sales
to customers driving and walking by. The Cocoa Lodge
attracts steady business.

WEAKNESSES
According to current staff members, the largest issue for
their business is their locationthey are too far away from
campus. The university students are their target audience
as the largest population of Rexburg, so they feel that a
location closer to campus would create more business.
OPPORTUNITES
The Cocoa Lodge has a strong Facebook presence and
would do well to expand to other social media platforms,
inclusive of Twitter, Instagram and Google+ , and invest in a
website.
The Cocoa Lodge has to opportunity to create its own
identity, separate from the image of the Cocoa Bean. The
Cocoa Bean is known for legendary, delicious cupcakes
that the Cocoa Lodge simply cant compete with.
However, they have opened up the door of uniqueness
with their biscotti. They could increase their individuality by
introducing signature cookies or cannoli. Separating their
image as much as possible from the Cocoa Bean would
give their competition a little more edge.

Since the Cocoa Lodge is currently located in a shack

without seating. Since the weather is going to be nicer
in the spring, summer and fall seasons, the Cocoa Lodge
would create better customer traffic if they put out shade
umbrellas and tables with seats.
THREATS
Currently, the Cocoa Lodge is run in a shack that provides
no seating, creating inconvenience for customers.
The Cocoa Lodge is in the process of moving to a new
location which creates uncertainty and has the potential to
deter past customers. The location is less convenient and
farther away from campus than it is currently, which would
slow business.
Main competitor: The Cocoa Bean. The Cocoa Bean is part
of a chain, so it is more well-known from people coming
from the surrounding areas. They offer similar menu items
and the Cocoa Bean is more established with a more
convenient location.

OBJECTIVES
1. Raise student awareness of the Cocoa Lodge by 50%
2. Increase social media following by 50%
3. Increase customer traffic by 30%

AUDIENCE
The audience of the campaign will focus on two groups
within the student population:
1. Young men, ages 18-25, who are looking for places to
take a girl on a date.
2. College students looking for another study place besides
campus or their apartmentsthose looking for a coffee
shop substitute.

STRATEGIES
Strategies to achieve objectives are:
1. Use social media advertising to increase awareness of the
business and location
2. Bring products to the students so they will try, like, and
want to purchase them.

TACTICS
1. Survey students on campus to:

Measure awareness between Cocoa Lodge and

Cocoa Bean

Customer impression of quality of hot cocoa from both

places

Treat preference (cupcakes, muffins, cookies, biscotti,

cannoli) to be served with hot cocoa as an indicator
of what to include on their menu.

2. Create an Instagram account and gain followers by:

Link Facebook page to Instagram

Creating contests that require user to like the page

that reward the winner with prizes

Share a photo daily

Comment on tagged posts by others

Mention and tag followers/customers in posts

Follow others

Pay attention to feedback of followers

3. Increase Facebook likes by:

Hosting contests that require users to like the page and

share the post that reward the winner with prizes

List correct phone numbers, addresses, etc.

Target the BYUI community

Like and interact with other companies

Post substantial content daily

4. Create a website with business information, linked to

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+ accounts.
5. Place an ad/coupon in two editions of the Scroll.
6. Three times at least a week apart, set up a satellite
station close to campus in a high-traffic area. Have cocoa
available for purchase, hand out free muffins/cupcakes/
biscotti/cookies/cannoli, and give away fliers with coupons,
menu examples, and links to website/ social media sites.

CALENDAR
Week 1 (April 21-26):
Survey students on campus to measure awareness,
compile and analyze data and set numeric goals based on
objective percentages.
Week 2 (April 28-May 3):
Create website, Instagram account and link both to
Facebook page; place ad in the Scroll
Week 3 (May 5-10):
Set up 1st satellite station at a high traffic location close to
campus, distribute products, hand out fliers and advertise
Instagram contest.
Week 4 (May 12-17):
Set up 2nd satellite station at a high traffic location close to
campus, distribute products, hand out fliers and advertise
Facebook contest.

Week 5 (May 19-24):

Place 2nd ad in the Scroll; Set up 3rd and final satellite
station at a high traffic location close to campus, distribute
products, hand out fliers and advertise Facebook/Instagram
contest (whichever created the most traffic the first time).
Week 6 (May 26-31):
Survey students to measure success.

BUDGET
Satellite stations: $75 each, $225 total
Scroll ads: $100 each, $200 total
Fliers: $75
Website hosting: $60/year
Total: $560

EVALUATION
Analyze results from survey and revenue and compare
Week 1 with Week 6. Calculate percentages and compare
with original goals.
According to success rate, the goals will be adjusted to
begin the project again if necessary.

SURVEY
Have you tried hot cocoa from the Cocoa Lodge in
Rexburg? (Shack formerly located by Taco Bell)
Yes No

If yes, how was it?

Horrible
1
2

Poor
3
4

Okay
5
6

Good
7
8

Fantastic
9
10

Have you tried hot cocoa from the Cocoa Bean in

Rexburg? (Cupcake place by Sammys)
Yes No

If yes, how was it?

Horrible
1
2

Poor
3
4

Okay
5
6

Good
7
8

Fantastic
9
10

How did you hear about the Cocoa Lodge?

Havent heard of it
Friends
Social Media
Fliers
Other: ____________

How did you hear about the Cocoa Bean?

Havent heard of it
Friends
Social Media
Fliers
Other: ____________

What is your favorite treat to eat with hot cocoa?

(Circle one)

Cookie
Cupcake
Muffin
Biscotti
Coffee Cake
Cannoli
Other:_____________

MEDIA ALERT
Contact:
Raschelle Goodman, Media Specialist
raschellegoodman@gmail.com
757.604.6167
COCOA LODGE BRINGS COCOA TO CAMPUS
REXBURG, IdahoThe Cocoa Lodge is bringing their cocoa
and cannoli to BYU-I students on Monday, May 5th from 9
AM to 3 PM at [insert location].
Samples of hot cocoa, frozen cocoa, cannoli, muffins and
biscotti will be given away for students to try. In addition to
having full-sized servings available for purchase, the Cocoa
Lodge will be giving away maps to the location, menus,
information for social media contests and prizes.
The Cocoa Lodge is celebrating their move between
Alphagraphics and Maverick at [address] and encouraging
students to visit their new location.

MEDIA
KIT

NEWS RELEASE
COCOA LODGE CANOLLI CREATES COMPETITION
WITH COCOA BEAN
REXBURG, Idaho-- The Cocoa Lodge will give away free
samples of their new cannoli Tuesday, May 6th from 3 PM to
9 PM. The Cocoa Lodge, Cocoa Beans main competitor,
replaces cupcakes with cannoli to craft a new identity and
create an edgier competition.

The Cocoa Bean is so established and it creates such
a great cupcake that it is hard to compete with, analyzes
BYU-I senior Kris Bennett.
Commenting on the analysis, Cocoa Lodge employee
Jane Doe says, That is why we changed our menu around
to create a new image for ourselves so that we are a
completely separate entity from the Cocoa Bean.
Currently, the Cocoa Lodge is in the middle of a campaign
to increase awareness of their new location and menu
items by bringing their location closer to campus. The next
event will be held Monday, May 12th from 9 AM to 3 PM at
[insert location].

FACT SHEET
COCOA LODGE CANOLLI CREATES COMPETITION
WITH COCOA BEAN
Who: The Cocoa Lodge
What: Gives away free samples of their new cannoli to BYU-I

students
When: Tuesday, May 6th from 3 PM to 9 PM
Where: [insert location close to campus]
Why: Cocoa Lodge is giving away samples of their menu to
increase awareness of the business and location

PHOTOS

FLIER

Come visit us between the

Maverik and Alphagraphics!

LIKE us
for contests
to win free
hot cocoa!

PITCH LETTER
Dear Editor,
The Cocoa Lodge is an up-and-coming business in Rexburg
that will soon be a real competitor for the Cocoa Bean.
In order to increase awareness among the student
population at BYUI, the Cocoa Lodge is bringng their
products to students. Samples of hot cocoa, frozen cocoa,
cannoli, muffins and biscotti will be given away for students
to try. In addition to having full-sized servings available for
purchase, the Cocoa Lodge will be giving away maps to
the location, menus, information for social media contests
and prizes.
A media kit has been included in order to provide easy
access to the information.
Thank you for your consideration,
Raschelle Goodman
Media Specialist
raschellegoodman@gmail.com
757.604.6167