Saluki Practice PR: Team 1

Nellie Fredriksson
Bardha Hoxa
Trevor Thompson
Kylie West
CMST 481
05/09/2017

"We are a student-run PR firm that is committed to achieving our client's goals and helping them

build relationships with their publics in new and innovating ways in an ever-changing

environment."

1
Dear Bryan Woodruff,

Over the past months, we have had the pleasure of working with Traxx Bar and the time has
finally come to present to you the much anticipated Traxx Campaign Plan Book from us here at
Saluki Practice PR. We would like to take the time to thank you for working with us this
semester in creating a campaign for your business, Traxx. The plan book essentially consists of:

1. Client Profile and Situation Analysis

2. Formative Research Plan
3. Adaptation Stage
4. Strategy
5. Timeline
6. Budget
7. Evaluation Plan

We are excited by the prospect of continuing our work with Traxx and are thankful for the
opportunity to work with the business.

Sincerely,

Saluki Practice PR Account Head

Bardha Hoxha

2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Client Profile .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Situation Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Formative Research Plan .............................................................................................................................11
Adaptation Stage .........................................................................................................................................14
Strategy ........................................................................................................................................................17
Timeline .......................................................................................................................................................20
Budget ..........................................................................................................................................................22
Evaluation ....................................................................................................................................................24
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................27
PR Tools........................................................................................................................................................29

3
Executive Summary

4
Executive Summary

Carbondale is home to some of the most diverse nightlife outside of the St. Louis area.

Traxx, located on the strip, the heart of downtown Carbondale, offers salukis an entertaining

venue to spend their time. Having just opened in this location, the owner of Traxx has an

opportunity to carry over elements that worked for him in the old location, Sidetracks. The

opening of this business in this new location offers an opportunity to reevaluate the image of the

company and rebrand however necessary.

Saluki Practice PR has developed a comprehensive plan to assist Traxx in these efforts.

This plan, made to be implemented throughout the opening stages of Traxx, focuses on key

developments of the promotional and operational process, including research, establishing goals,

and evaluation. The following plan will include potential goals, possible tactics, and other useful

tools that could be beneficial to the current situation of Traxx. Some of these tools include

increased interactions with college aged students and media coverage.

With careful implementation of these ideas, we feel confident that Traxx can build on

their current situation to ensure a positive transition is made from their old establishment to the

new location of business, which would allow for an enjoyable environment for all who

participate.

5
Client Profile

6
Location

Traxx is located at 610 South Illinois Avenue Carbondale, IL 62901.

Organizational Structure

The personnel that make up the organizational structure of Traxx is the staff, which include

bartenders, waitresses, and other bar hands.

History

Years ago, a bar by the name of Gatsbys occupied Traxx's current space. In 2014, however,

the bar closed due to financial reasons. During a city council meeting in December of 2015, the

owners of Sidetracks bar made a Tax Increment Financing agreement with the city worth up to

$45,000 to make improvements. Sidetracks is set to close in May of 2017, when full managerial

efforts will be shifted to cover Traxx only.

Culture

This organization is primarily filled with individuals who find enjoyment with socially gathering

with other people. They serve to provide Carbondale students with a fun, safe, and enjoyable

place to relax and let loose.

Nature of Business

Traxx is a college bar that goes by a simple yet direct mission statement: "Good times, good

people, good drinks.

Internal/ External Publics

Internal: Traxx staff

External: Bar patrons

7
Situation Analysis

8
 Traxx has a simple slogan, "Good times, good people, good drinks". In examining the

business, we concluded that Traxx has an opportunity to capitalize on its rebranded presence on

campus and within Carbondale. In a PR campaign, especially for a local business, it is best to be

proactive rather than reactive. In a proactive approach, we can anticipate and move accordingly

from each step rather than be on the defensive and attempt to fix a broken image. The proactive

approach will serve as a preemptive effort to ensure that the positive branding efforts resonate

with the target audience, college students and Carbondale locals. Traxx's image is brand new so

going this direction with the campaign is in the business's best interest. In taking this route, we

can strengthen the bar's public image and develop a certain level of credibility and trust between

the target clientele and the business.

The direction Traxx now plans on going entails maintaining set, reasonable drink prices

without competing with nearby bars (such as neighbor, Stix Bar and Billards) and still have a

packed bar full of satisfied customers. So if they are not going to bring people in with absurdly

cheap drink specials, then they have to bring people in with the environment and service.

So how do we go about achieving this? Customers are people, they appreciate personal

contact and an effort to communicate with them by the management and staff. Unlike other bars,

the manager of Traxx spends most nights walking around working with his staff on the floor and

chatting with customers in booths or posted at the bar. In making him a familiar face, it gives the

bar its own personality and identity. Giving the customers a warm, welcoming face with every

visit can go a long way and interestingly is not a very common approach by most of the local

bars and pubs.

9
 Traxx is within walking distance to SIUC's campus. It is a college bar and will be

profiting primarily from the student base, so developing a relationship with the organizations on

campus can make the bar the go to establishment for events.

While direct interaction can go far, we do live in an online world. Social media is lacking

at the moment, so rejuvenating some of the primary accounts will be beneficial long term.

Currently the Twitter account for Traxx is just the old Sidetrack's account with a name

change. Providing a promotional deal for social media interaction has proved to be effective for

other establishments of similar nature. There could be a promotion one night where Traxx could

hand out free koozies (fairly inexpensive) to every person that follows them on Twitter,

Facebook or Instagram on the spot at the door.

To overtly develop trust between the business and the community as a whole, Traxx can

tackle a national issue that is especially prevalent among college campuses. By joining other

establishments nationwide in the Safe Bars training program, they'll be promoting safety and be

the only bar in Carbondale that is prepared to deal with "unsafe" situations. Safe Bars is a bar and

restaurant training program that provides staff with detailed directions on recognizing possible

sexual assault and discretely offering an out for the recipient if they feel unsafe. By taking part in

a simple training program, they are not only showing they care about the issue but they are

capitalizing on the "environment" that they are trying to sell. In partaking in a simple training

program, this will enhance the bar's image as a place that puts their customers first. This can be

achieved with involvement in other awareness campaigns as well which can be decided upon by

the management and their person preferences.

10
Formative Research

11
Research Design and Rationale

For this specific campaign, we concluded that two types of research would be beneficial

to our implementing changes to for the campaign. Archival research can be done in order to

provide information on other bars; this information such as, drink prices, crowd analysis, peak

hours of operation, special events, and comparison of night specials, Descriptive research will be

done to obtain a better understanding of the participants, customers, and direct interactive

individuals. .

To find out the current opinions that SIU students have on the bar settings and nightlife in

Carbondale we will be asking the following research questions for the descriptive research

design:

1. How often do you go out to the "Strip" in Carbondale?

2. How can Traxx reach out to the public and SIU students about their events?

3. What is working for other bars in the Carbondale area?

To find out what is working for other bars in the same area, and what promotions already

been done we will be asking the following research questions for the archival research design:

1. What former promotions have other bars in the Carbondale area done to connect with their

audiences?

2. How did Gatsby's promote themselves to their target audience, and what were the results of

those promotions?

12
Methods to Be Used

The methods our team has chosen to use for conducting research is archival research. We

decided that doing surveys and sending them to the masses of college students who attend SIU

would be a good target. We also have several other approaches we will be looking into such as

Traxxs current attendance records, as well as Gatsbys old attendance records, etc. We also

thought it may be helpful to take a glimpse at the other bars in Carbondale, by looking at drink

prices, a crowd analysis, the peak hours of operation, special events at the bars, and comparison

of nightly specials. Monitoring these aspects will give us a better insight into what may drive

customers to or away from Traxx as a nightly hot spot. We are hopeful most of the responses

from the surveys will help us to understand and classify the information above, so we can help

implement better tactics for Traxx.

Another approach our team has decided on is looking at other colleges comparable in size

to SIU, in the Midwest to give us an idea what nightlife and the deals are like in other college

towns. By seeing what several other bars are doing and have to offer their customers, we may be

able to gain new ideas for Traxx and keep their customer following more consistent.

The surveys will be given specifically to SIU students because their feedback about what

they do on a night out is vital to this process. By surveying what draws students to certain

establishments and their thoughts on what they find appealing and what they do not, we could

potentially align Traxx with their desired clientele. While creating a client profile, the survey will

also ask about their nightlife agenda and itinerary: when do they start drinking, when do they go

to the bar, how long are they there, and so on.

13
Adaption Stage

14
Opportunity Statement

With new location and renovation, Traxx have the opportunity to build a brand new

image of being a classier bar that differentiates itself from ordinary college bars.

Target Publics

1. SIUC college students

Traxx wants to be known as a professional local college bar. Its primary target audience

are SIUC college students because of their business idea of being a college bar. College students

are the audience that picks a bar with a more "hangout-vibe" than a bar that goes after the motto,

"get in, get drunk, get out," as most college bars emphasizes. By creating an environment that is

appealing to college students and by difference themselves from the other bars in the Carbondale

area, the bar will secure a natural progression between undergraduate and graduate students.

These are the people between the ages of 19-30, which is the common age range in college. The

audience has a lower income and are of both sexes.

2. Local population of Carbondale

The secondary target audience are the locals in Carbondale that enjoys a night out with

friends. By reaching out to the locals Traxx will increase the personal relationship the bar wants

to have with its customers. The bar will appeal to this segment by switching the music genre,

entertainment, and events to be more appealing for non-college student. The bar still wants to

emphasis the more "hang-out" vibe of a bar to differentiate themselves and to appeal to this

segment and emphasize the brand image of the classier bar.

Whether it is a group of friends or a couple who wants to spend the night out, Traxx can

appeal with that environment and with alcoholic beverages. The audience is between the ages of

15
25-40 with an average income, who sometimes need to enjoy themselves with a night out or by

taking a break from their ordinary day-to-day life.

Goal Statement

The goal of this campaign is to become the bar in the Carbondale area that is viewed as

having the most class, with the highest quality atmosphere. Increasing the foot traffic through the

bar by, on average, 20 percent between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. during weekend nights

would allow us to successfully reach this goal within 6 months. We will, however, add an

additional goal to help spread the usage of the facility by people other than bar hoppers. To do

this, we plan to implement at least six events in a matter of 6 months that allow us to display our

classy image that we can offer to Carbondale citizens.

Objectives/Tactics

Objectives of this campaign are set in place for us to build on our work that we are

continuously doing so that, in the end, we will be able to accomplish the goals we have set.

1. To build a reputation that will allow us to be viewed differently than the other bars in the

Carbondale area by interacting with customers and implementing Safe Bar training for the staff.

2. To provide college students an atmosphere worth participating in during the busy hours of the

night by having weekly drink specials and events.

3. To extend our services as much as possible to student organizations, community clubs, and

other groups that want to hold events at our venue.

16
Strategy

17
Strategic Approach

Traxx will put forth a series of strategic actions that will, in result, lead this campaign to

successful completion. These actions will work to meeting our campaign goals. The first goal

will be met by the atmosphere that we present our public when they are in/out of the

establishment. In that, we will provide them with a different atmosphere than the other

Carbondale bars; the music will be accessible, the staff will be engaging, and the business, as a

whole, will be interactive by engaging with guests from right when they enter the doors. That

will allow our establishment to be viewed as an alternative to the money-grabbing businesses

they (the public) usually comes in contact with. The soothing, calm atmosphere with easy to bear

music and room to move will prove to be an enjoyable environment for everyone. The second

objective will be met by catering to college students at whatever point of the night they find

themselves in. That includes, being a place for individuals or groups to pre-game before the

night starts, or wind down as the night comes to an end. The time in between will be a common

place for people to gather and enjoy each others company. The third objective will be met by

interactions with groups everywhere in the Carbondale community. Promoting our spacious

environment, we can appeal to any group which is in need of space for any event. In order to

carry out our classy look, however, we will especially provide our services to events that

promote and bring a classier environment. We feel that our dimly lit areas would provide a

calm environment.

Resources and Limitations

Traxx faces a bit of a time constriction until the end of the 2016-2017 school year. The

staff, along with management, bounces between Traxx and Sidetracks (which will officially

close in May) on a day-to-day basis which has their available time stretched out fairly thin.

18
While they primarily focus on letting the new establishment shine, they want to ensure

Sidetracks is not left on the backburner and forgotten. It has been a part of the community and

campus for decades and has too many regulars to count, they want to stay true to them until the

bar officially closes. Most of their campaign will be fairly cost efficient which works for the new

and budding business. Once Traxx closes they can focus all of their energy and money on Traxx.

Money for certain promotional items can be raised through a cover charge for certain events.

19
Timeline

20
Gnatt Chart

May June July August September October

Research

Survey

Safe Bar Training

Implementation

Tournament Nights

Website Designed

Social Media
Management/Promotion
Order Koozies

Distribute Koozies

Karaoke Tuesdays

Evaluation

21
Budget

22
Budget
Item Projected Cost Actual Cost
Website $144/ year using Weebly $0 using WordPress

1,000 Koozies $210 $210

Social Media Management $10/month ($120/year) $10/month($120/year)

Tournament Night $190 online $0 Donation from regular

Equipment(Bags) bar patron
Tournament Night Equipment $20 online $0 Donation from regular
(Darts) bar patron
TOTAL $684 $330

The one thing we wanted to make sure our plan for Traxx maintained is the cost

efficiency aspect. Since time is split between the two open bars until May, we understand that

many of these ideas will be implemented in the Fall to coincide with the new school semester.

With help from donations our budget is cut in half from what the projected price would have

been. Simple bar marketing strategies have long proven their worth in bars with similar

objectives. Holding weekly engaging events along with maintaining a strong online presence will

take Traxx to the next level, our budget is the best deal for the job. All money for the budget can

be earned back through cover as well so it will not put a dent in the bar's finances.

23
Evaluation Plan

24
 After the completion of the campaign, we want to create a quick, efficient evaluation

research plan that can analyze the success of the campaign and if it aligned with the initials goals

set at the beginning of the process. We understand this is a result based project and want to

ensure Traxx's needs were met.

The evaluation plan itself will be a bit of a hybrid between quantitative and qualitative

research. We understand that this is a business and at the end of the day and the numbers will

speak on behalf of the success of the campaign. While numbers are important, we also

understand that this is a new business and branding is also a vital part in the success of Traxx.

The target population for the evaluation plan will primarily focus on SIU's student base

with a secondary public focusing on Carbondale residents within the city limits. Quantitative

research will look at customers in general while the qualitative research will be students due to it

being a college bar first and foremost. Qualitative research will also be sought out through staff

recordings and customer feedback.

The analysis procedure will entail quantitative based research questions at the end of

certain events that the staff can use to examine sales. The best part about working in a bar or

restaurant is that you can examine the success of day or night events at closing by noting any

increase in sales for that day. If some events are not pulling as much money as Traxx would like

then it could be tweaked if necessary. Since it is a bar and they typically have a bouncer there on

evenings, it will be easy to look at turnout through on site monitoring as well. Since bars have

certain max capacity they have to abide by due to building regulations according to the fire

marshall, they have to record how many people are in the bar on busy evenings. Aside from just

a headcount, the bouncers will be able to give a rough estimate of the crowd for the shift (gender,

25
age etc.). Since this is a heavy social media campaign as well, the evaluation of that part will rely

on social media analytics to examine exposure along with post interactions.

While the campaign is in progress, it will be vital to report qualitative data as well. Staff

should make shift logs on how certain events went, what kind of crowd showed up and how they

responded to the environment. These shift logs do not have to be long and formal, just some

quick notes to analyze the event and experience on their end. By doing this it will also allow

management to make note if they are overstaffing or understaffing certain shifts/times along with

events which will give them the opportunity to tweak if they see fit. While taking note of in-

house observations and reports, it is also vital to gather feedback from the number one priority,

the customers. Staff should always note feedback they receive from the bar patrons whether it be

positive or negative. Having a bar full of customers is not always good when they are unhappy

customers. Customers who feel that they are valued are more likely to respect the bar along with

the staff and develop loyalty to the business as well. As mentioned earlier, brand development is

a sizable part of this campaign and we want to check back with our audience and examine how

the bar is resonating with the public and what they think of these changes. This can be evaluated

through focus groups to truly examine certain experiences and feelings toward events along with

the bar in general.

The evaluation plan will be a measurement of results as well as an examination of any

organizational change that occurred during and post campaign. We understand that this is a

college bar so want to ensure that Traxx can analyze the campaign as they move through it to see

what works for them and what does not, client satisfaction will be examined through a mix of

narrative and numbers.

26
Conclusion

27
 By working on the campaign for Traxx, we learn to look at the current situation

from different angles, and how trends, opinions, and efforts play a big part into a

public relation campaign. Following the steps of researching, adapting, implementing-

strategies, and evaluation (the RAISE model) helped us put equal focus on each part,

and to provide the highest quality to each part.

By contributing proper research of the current opinions form the publics the

likes, the dislikes, and the preferences of Traxx's target audience will help the bar

create a connection with their target audience.

28
PR Tools

29
30
31