marketing plan report

STUDENT MARKETING PLAN FOR “BAGELS BY THE BAY”

A Marketing Plan Presented by:

Jamie Johnson

And

Amy Smith

Table of Contents

Page

1. Background 1

2. Strategic Focus and Plan 1

 Mission Statement 1

 Goals 1

 Competitive Advantage 2

3. Situation Analysis 2

 SWOT Analysis 2

 Competitor Analysis 3

 Company Analysis 3

 Customer Analysis 4

 Customer Analysis 4

4. Market-Product Focus 4

 Marketing and Product Objectives 4

 Market-Product Grid 5

 Target Markets 6

 Points of Difference 6

 Positioning 6

5. Marketing Program 7

 Product Strategy 7

 Price Strategy 7

 Promotion Strategy 8

 Place Strategy 8

6. Financial Projections 9

 Break-even Analysis 9

7. Organization 9

8. Implementation Plan 9

9. Evaluation and Control 10

 Possible Deviations 10

 Possible Solutions 10

Appendices

 Appendix A: Bagels by the Bay Menu 11

 Appendix B: Bagels by the Bay Flyer 13

 Appendix C: Bagels by the Bay Coupon 14

 Appendix D: Bagels by the Bay Survey 15

1. Background

Bagels by the Bay is a new eating establishment located in Three Harbors, Michigan. After surveying the selection of fast food restaurants in the Three Harbors area, Jamie Johnson and Amy Smith discovered the need for a healthier eating option.

Three Harbors is located on the northern shore of Lake Superior. As you may have guessed, there are actually Three Harbors surrounding the town. Currently, it is the home to about 3,500 people who earn around $30,000- $35,000 a year. As a general rule, they enjoy taking advantage of their beautiful location by engaging in many outdoor activities. They pride themselves on being a safe place to live and visit. Like many other small communities, they have formed a strong community bond and are very supportive of one another.

The inhabitants of Three Harbors are not the only ones who like to enjoy their beautiful scenery. Every year thousands of people make the trip to Northern Michigan on and their way they cross right through Three Harbors. During any given summer day a sea of cars fill the streets of the town. Everyone of these people has a similar characteristic- they need to eat and drink. Bagels by the Bay will work to fulfill these needs.

2. Strategic Focus and Plan

This aspect of our marketing plan focuses on the strategic planning of Bagels by the Bay to make it a successful business. There are three areas that we will discuss: mission statement, financial and nonfinancial goals, and competitive advantage.

Mission Statement

To provide tourists and local citizens with a low-fat, healthy meal alternative with high quality products and service.

Goals

Financial:

1. To break-even in profits versus losses within the first two years of business.

2. Within five years, obtain a 15% profit from sales.

3. To maintain financial stability so that we can stay open year-round unlike many other businesses in our area which are only open during the tourist season.

Nonfinancial:

1. Within five years, expand our services to catering for special events.

2. To create a demand for business outside the tourist season.

3. Employ seven to ten workers on average.

4. Within ten years, expand Bagels By the Bay to two locations, such as 7th Avenue in Three Harbors and either the towns of Beaver Bay or Silver Bay.

5. Sell high quality meals at an affordable price.

Competitive Advantage

Bagels By the Bay’s most obvious competitive advantage is the product line. The menu consists of healthy, low fat choices of different sandwiches, soups, and salads. These are items that the other fast food restaurants do not offer. To ensure the exceptional product line, Bagels by the Bay focuses on using top-quality ingredients in its products. Customer service and satisfaction is also a high priority. Another competitive advantage is that Bagels by the Bay is locally owned and operated unlike many of the franchises that have moved into Three Harbors, such as Hardees, McDonalds, Burger King, and Subway. Location is another key factor of which we have an edge over our competitors. Our location is readily visible, easy to access, and in the middle of a high traffic zone during the tourist season.

3. Situational Analysis

The SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis provides a brief description of the present environment in which Bagels By the Bay is operating. This is a quick overview of our position among internal and external forces influencing our operating strategies.

SWOT Analysis

Competitor Analysis

Fast food has become an important factor in the American culture. When people think of fast food, what comes to mind is high fat and calorie food at a low price with little customer service. Bagels by the Bay is similar to traditional fast food restaurants in only one aspect—low price. Our meals, which are on average a sandwich, side order, and beverage, are $5.00 to $6.00. This is highly comparable to other fast food establishments. However, our products are not high in fat and calories. Because bagels are naturally low in fat and calories, we offer sandwiches with wholesome ingredients, such as chicken, turkey and vegetables. Our side orders are also healthy. We offer a vegetable tray, side salads, and homemade soups. When these items are combined together, they offer a nutritious meal at a low price in a short amount of time.

There are many fast food franchises moving into Three Harbors. Some examples of these that are already established are Hardees, McDonalds, Burger King, and Subway. Of these four restaurants, the closest competitor is Subway, which offers six low fat sandwiches but also has many high fat products. McDonalds and Burger King also offer a low fat chicken sandwich but they sell high fat French fries as a side order. These establishments have gained a reputation for low quality and minimal customer service. We treat each customer as a special person in order to meet their satisfaction in hopes of their return.

Bagels by the Bay does not have competition in the bagel industry within the Three Harbors area. The closest bagel restaurant is forty-five minutes from Three Harbors. With Bagels by the Bay centrally located in Three Harbors, local residents will no longer have to travel to fulfill their bagel hungers, instead they will have the convenience of being able to purchase fresh baked bagels at any time.

Company Analysis

Bagels by the Bay is a partnership of Jamie Johnson and Amy Smith. Each has experience in the management and marketing aspects of business and has also participated in the start-up of a new business. With these skills, they are able to successfully manage a restaurant and its staff. However, they will continue to learn new aspects of the bagel industry daily when they encounter new situations and decisions.

Bagels by the Bay is in the introduction stage of its marketing strategy. Jamie and Amy hope to make it a successful business venture in Three Harbors and to spread its popularity throughout Northern Michigan.

In order to provide high quality products with high quality ingredients, Jamie and Amy will work in close association with local farmers to receive top quality, nutritious ingredients for the products. This relationship will also strengthen community loyalty between Bagels by the Bay and the Three Harbors area. We hope to give back to the community as they give their support to us.

Customer Analysis

The customers of Bagels by the Bay will be of a wide range. The residents of Three Harbors are of middle-income and are naturalists. They enjoy being outdoors but are often in a hurry, so quick and easy meals are important. The community of Three Harbors is also becoming more health conscious. There is now a committee, Health Wise, which rates local restaurants on their nutritional basis. On the other hand, there are many tourists that visit Three Harbors throughout the year. Many of these people are families, environmentalists, and “yuppies.” These tourists also appreciate health consciousness and fast meals in order for them to spend more time vacationing than eating.

Industry Analysis

Nation-wide nutrition is becoming an important factor in people’s lives. More than ever before, people are taking health and nutrition into consideration before selecting where they should buy their next meal. Because bagels are naturally low in fat and calories, bagel restaurants are becoming increasingly popular.

4. Market-Product Focus

This section describes the marketing and product development for Bagels by the Bay and also provides information concerning the marketing and product objectives, market-product grid, target markets, points of difference, and positioning of Bagels on the Bay.

Marketing and Product Objectives

Bagels by the Bay’s marketing aim is to promote its products as healthy meal alternative to the normal high-fat products which most other fast food establishments provide. In order to accomplish this task, Bagels by the Bay will focus on current markets, look to expand into new markets by extending our services, and continually offer new products.

The primary objective of Bagels by the Bay is to market our restaurant to current customers as a good place to get a good meal. Since we are located by the bay, we want to use this to our advantage by creating and open and friendly “nautical” atmosphere. The atmosphere of a restaurant is key in determining whether or not a customer will return, and that is why we pay close attention to how the customer “feels” during their visit. Our goal is to make each customer’s visit an enjoyable experience by combining excellent service and atmosphere with high quality products so they will return again and again!

Bagels by the Bay also desires to extend its services in order to tap into new markets. Graduations, confirmations, and office meetings are a few examples of the special events we want to cater to. Catering will increase the volume of products we sell and more importantly, will give ourselves exposure to a large variety of potential customers.

Since people’s tastes and preferences differ so greatly, it is the goal of Bagel’s by the
Bay to offer new products on a regular basis. Every month we feature a new menu item.
For example, we may offer a new bagel flavor, a seafood sandwich, or a different brew of our gourmet coffee. Using this strategy will benefit us because if an item does well, we have the option of adding it to our menu, and our local customers will be more inclined to make frequent visits if they know there is going to be something new for them to try.

Market-Product Grid

The following market-product grid provides vital information to help segment the bagel market. According to the survey that Bagels by the Bay conducted, the following information was analyzed and utilized to form the appropriate market-product grid.

3 = large 2 = medium 1 = small 0 = none

According to the market-product grid and its calculations, it is in the best interest for Bagels by the Bay to segment its market toward local citizens, local businesses, and summer and fall tourists. This is due to the fact that local citizens are residing in Three Harbors, local businesses are purchasing bagels for various meetings and breaks, and the main tourist seasons are summer and fall. The best hours to be open for business are during breakfast and lunch. During the off-peak seasons, such as winter and spring, the hours will be held constant but for shorter amounts of open business hours. For example, during winter and spring, we may only be open until after lunch or shortly after dinner. On the other hand, during summer and fall, we will be open from breakfast until later in the night. The hours pertaining to these predictions are for winter and spring; we will be open from 6:00am to 2:00pm or 6:00pm. For summer and fall,
we will be open from 6:00am to 9:00pm.

Target Markets

During the process of researching target markets for our marketing plan, we interviewed the current owners of Bagel Café located near the University. According to Cheryl XXXX, the bagel industry finds it difficult to define a specific target market. She often encounters customers ranging in all ethnicities, ages, size, and gender. She states that Premier Bagel Café has customers ranging from infants using bagels as teething rings to senior citizens seeking a soft, chewy food product.

However, it is important to realize that a broad target market for bagel restaurants does exist. It consists of health-conscious individuals seeking a meal that is low in fat and calories while also providing some of the essential daily nutrients recommended by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Bagels by the Bay has two specific target markets. The first is the local citizens of Three Harbors and surrounding communities. The second is the tourists that travel through Three Harbors. In each of these markets, Bagels by the Bay will work at promoting to those individuals who are more inclined to choose healthy meals.

Points of Difference

There are many characteristics that set Bagels by the Bay apart from our competitors:

• Bagels by the Bay is not only conveniently and centrally located in Three Harbors but is also the only bagel restaurant in a one-hour traveling radius.

• We offer the only healthy fast food alternative in the Three Harbors area.

• Our menu offers a wide variety of items which can be “mixed and matched” to meet each individual customer’s satisfaction.

• Also offered is an assortment of gourmet coffees and baked goods.

• Customers have the choice of purchasing a single bagel as a satisfying, healthy snack at relatively the same price as an unsatisfying, unhealthy snack such as candy bars and cookies.

Positioning

It is the desire for Bagels by the Bay to be known in customers’ minds as a restaurant that provides a healthy meal in a short amount of time for a relatively inexpensive price. Because the sandwiches and meals can be made to provide individual satisfaction, Bagels by the Bay also desires to be recognized as a restaurant catering to customer needs hopefully leading to customer loyalty.

5. Marketing Program

Product Strategy

The product line of Bagels by the Bay is relatively simple. We are offering the following items on our menu:

• Fresh bagels purchased singly, half-dozen, or a baker’s dozen.

• Fresh bagels with a variety of condiments such as cream cheese, butter, honey, jam and peanut butter.

• Sandwiches with the basic ingredients but are made to order by the customer’s request.

• Homemade soups that are made fresh daily.

• Salads and vegetables.

• Homemade baked goods, such as muffins, rolls and cookies.

• Hot and cold beverages are offered, such as gourmet and regular coffee, soda, iced tea, lemonade, juice, milk, and water.

Bagels by the Bay only uses the freshest ingredients to ensure product quality. Our homemade menu items are made fresh daily by local citizens to promote the closeness of the Three Harbors community. The bagels are also made fresh every morning and ongoing during the day as needed to guarantee top product quality. The leftover inventory at the end of each business day is sold as day-old products at a discounted price. After that, the leftover day-old inventory is given to local houses for the needy and handicapped.

Our menu items are formatted on an easy-to-read menu with the Bagels by the Bay logo on the front. The sandwiches are named according to the ingredients in order to make customers enjoy their purchases and visits. These names also make their visit to Bagels by the Bay memorable and appealing. See Appendix A.

Price Strategy

Bagels by the Bay’s pricing varies from product to product. Single bagels are an inexpensive $0.50, and when customers purchase six to a dozen bagels, they receive a discounted price, such as $2.75 and $4.75. When condiments are added to the bagels, the price rises to $1.40 and $1.70 for cream cheese and $0.80 for other various condiments. The average price for menu sandwiches is $3.00 with cheese at an additional $0.30. Our fresh soups and salads are priced at $1.75 respectively for a small and $2.75 for a large. Due to the size of our baked goods, their prices are higher ranging from $.75 to $1.50. The gourmet coffee is priced competitively with other restaurants offering the same. The prices range from $1.50 to $2.25 and adding a flavored syrup is an additional $0.30. Because we use fresh ground coffee beans for our regular coffee, the price is $.75 for a small and $1.00 for a large. Our other hot drinks range from $1.00 to $1.50. The cold beverages’ prices are $0.75 to $1.25 with free refills on soda. Bagels by the Bay’s prices are competitively priced with the fast food restaurants’ prices, but customers will see and taste a difference in freshness and quality.

Promotion Strategy

Because Bagels by the Bay is a new restaurant in Three Harbors, we must advertise our business extensively. The different methods of our promotion strategy are to submit an article in the Lake County Chronicle describing our new business venture, submit an advertisement in the Lake County Chronicle, provide cents-off coupons on the back of the local supermarket’s customer receipts, and distribute flyers throughout the region describing Bagel’s by the Bay and offering coupons for their purchases. Through the use of different methods of promotion, we are able to reach a variety of people.

An article in the Lake County Chronicle allows Bagels by the Bay to promote and describe its new business venture. Because it is a local newspaper that circulates throughout the northern communities of Michigan, our article will be read by a variety of people in different communities. The newspaper and article also promote community loyalty because Bagels by the Bay is locally owned and operated in contrast to the many franchises moving into the Three Harbors area. The Lake County Chronicle also offers an excellent opportunity for Bagels by the Bay to submit advertisements.

The local supermarket, Super One, also offers an excellent opportunity for promotion. Bagels by the Bay will print a coupon on the back of Super One’s customer receipts for a cents-off coupon. Because locals as well as tourists shop at Super One, we will reach a broad segment of people throughout all seasons of the year.

Bagels by the Bay is also printing flyers with cents-off coupons to distribute throughout Three Harbors and the surrounding communities. We will place these flyers in strategic places, such as shopping centers, the train depot, the tourist information center, hotels, and gas stations in order to reach a variety of customers. To view the flyer, please turn to Appendix B.

The coupons noted above in our promotional strategy will only be offered during an introductory period and will be printed with an expiration date in order to introduce Bagels by the Bay to Three Harbors and tourists. As time passes, we will offer other discounts and coupons to promote further business at Bagels by the Bay. Please refer to Appendix D to view the coupon for Super One.

Place Strategy

As noted before, Bagels by the Bay is centrally located on 7th Avenue in Three Harbors, Michigan. 7th Avenue is the main road through Three Harbors, and thus, everyone will inevitably pass Bagels by the Bay. We are conveniently located on the side of the road, so that customers are able to easily quickly pull off and park along the street or in our customer parking lot. We also have a large sign displaying our logo for traffic from both directions to notice and draw attention to Bagels on the Bay.

6. Financial Projections

In order to calculate a break-even amount, we averaged the prices of the sandwiches,
the side orders, and the beverages to determine the price of a typical meal. This price is averaged at $6.00. The fixed costs for Bagels by the Bay are $70,000 per year, which include loan payments, equipment costs, and selling and administrative costs. The unit variable cost is $4.00. This includes production costs per bagel, employee costs per bagel, and other miscellaneous costs. Using the following formula, we calculated the break-even point for Bagels by the Bay:

BEP = [FC ÷ (P – UVC)]

BEPQuantity = [$70,000 ÷ ($6.00 – $4.00)] = 35,000 meals

BEPRevenue = 35,000 meals × $6.00/meal = $210,000

The figure that was calculated was the number of meals that must be sold to break-even. In order to determine the dollar amount, we multiplied this figure by the cost of a typical meal, $6.00. For Bagels by the Bay to break-even in its first year of business, it must have $210,000 in revenue.

7. Organization

Bagels by the Bay is locally owned and operated. There are two owners, Jamie Johnson and Amy Smith, who operate the day-to-day business of the restaurant. They make the decisions concerning products, ingredients, management, and personnel. Because Bagels by the Bay is a new business, Jamie and Amy will often work long hours to establish a good reputation for the restaurant. There will be five other employees who will be employed at the opening of the restaurant, and as the business grows, Jamie and Amy hope to add more people to the staff at Bagels at the Bay.

8. Implementation Plan

As a new business, Bagels by the Bay has a relatively short-term implementation plan. We have scheduled the following activities to be completed by the given dates:

9. Evaluation and Control

Bagels by the Bay has several objectives and goals that it aspires to meet. If for some reason those goals are delayed, perceived as unattainable or deviate from the original plan, corrective action must be taken.

Possible Deviations

1. There may not be enough demand to keep our business open year-round.

2. Customers may be dissatisfied with our products or our service.

3. We have set a goal of expanding to a catering service within five years and for some reason that may not be possible.

Possible Solutions

1. If there is a lack of demand we could try to promote our restaurants during the winter months by expanding our soup line or by offering more hot sandwiches. Another possibility is to create a “Bagel Meal Card.” This would award people points for every meal they bought and once they bought 10 they would get the 11th free.

2. If customers are dissatisfied with our products, we would work very closely with our customers in finding out where they are not satisfied. If need be, we may change our ingredient suppliers or change our menu. If customers are unhappy with the service,
then the management would evaluate employees’ performances and offer suggestions.
In hiring future employees, management would spend more time training and stressing the importance of customer service.

3. First, we must determine why the catering service is being delayed. One reason may be that the managers are too busy to devote time to developing an adequate catering service plan. If this is the case, another employee should be hired to handle the catering service. If it is not possible because of finances, then Bagels by the Bay should look into getting a loan, look to cut cost, or increase sales.

Appendix A

Bagels by the Bay Menu

Appendix A

Bagels by the Bay Menu

Appendix B

Bagels by the Bay Flyer

Come taste the freshness

of

A fresh, healthy alternative to fastfood!

Appendix C

Bagels by the Bay Coupon

Receive 10% off your next

purchase at

Bagels by the Bay

Exp. -/-/-

Appendix D

Bagels by the Bay Survey

Jamie Johnson and Amy Smith are considering opening a bagel restaurant in the Three Harbors area and would like to hear from you!! Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out this survey. Your honest opinion and evaluation is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!!

1. Before selecting a restaurant, do you consider its reputation for being an eating establishment that offers healthy food choices?

Always Often Sometimes Never Not Sure

2. What are your favorite bagel flavors?

3. What other types of food would you like to see available and in what specific flavors
(i.e. baked goods- blueberry muffins, soups-chicken etc.)?

4. What types of beverages do you prefer?

5. How often would you visit a bagel restaurant?

2 or more once 1-3 times less than never

times a week a week a month once a month

6. Do you think that there is enough demand in Three Harbors to support another eating establishment? Why or why not?

7. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please feel free to express them here.