Marketing Communication Plan for New Opening Local Gift Shop (Research Paper Sample)

MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLAN FOR NEW OPENING LOCAL GIFT SHOP
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Executive Summary
The new, independent local gift shop we intend to launch is expected to operate in a small but wealthy township neighboring the University of Buckingham. Consistent with its mission, the new gift shop will strive to provide clients with unique, affordable, and superior quality merchandise at all times.
Following marketing research efforts, the owners of the new gift shop have realized that they can venture in supplying a range of high-quality merchandise that has not been sufficiently available in the University. Thus, they have seen supplying an assortment of customized business cards, personalized apparel, memorabilia, and greeting cards as a great opportunity to grab. Apparently, it is desired that whatever the enterprise offers must reflect quality and appeal that emanate into the product and brand image.
The marketing communications plan provided below has been designed to help in promoting the range of merchandise that the new gift shop intends to supply to the university and the surrounding local community. The tactics delineated in this marketing plan will help in communicating with the target market, which primarily comprises the Buckingham University students.
Being that the gift shop is a new enterprise and in this business environment that has different competitors, and the local community knows little about it, the single most vital thing that the marketing campaign shall accomplish is to communicate the brand vividly to the target market.
Table of Contents
 TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u  HYPERLINK \l "_Toc433810483"
Executive Summary  PAGEREF _Toc433810483 \h
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Marketing Communication Plan Overview  PAGEREF _Toc433810484 \h
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Background and Introduction  PAGEREF _Toc433810485 \h
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Mission  PAGEREF _Toc433810486 \h
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Vision  PAGEREF _Toc433810487 \h
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Core Values  PAGEREF _Toc433810488 \h
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Target Market Analysis  PAGEREF _Toc433810489 \h
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Primary Target Audience  PAGEREF _Toc433810490 \h
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Secondary Target Audience  PAGEREF _Toc433810491 \h
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Demographics  PAGEREF _Toc433810492 \h
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Geographic  PAGEREF _Toc433810493 \h
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Physiographic  PAGEREF _Toc433810494 \h
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SWOT Analysis (For Established Business)  PAGEREF _Toc433810495 \h
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Marketing Communications  PAGEREF _Toc433810496 \h
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Overview  PAGEREF _Toc433810497 \h
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The Objectives of Marketing Communications  PAGEREF _Toc433810498 \h
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Marketing Communications Strategies and Tactics  PAGEREF _Toc433810499 \h
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Creative Strategy  PAGEREF _Toc433810500 \h
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Overview  PAGEREF _Toc433810501 \h
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Brand Positioning/Creative Strategy Statement  PAGEREF _Toc433810502 \h
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Creative Brief  PAGEREF _Toc433810503 \h
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The Media  PAGEREF _Toc433810504 \h
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Overview  PAGEREF _Toc433810505 \h
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Media Usage Objectives  PAGEREF _Toc433810506 \h
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Media Usage Tactics  PAGEREF _Toc433810507 \h
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Marketing Mix (4Ps)  PAGEREF _Toc433810508 \h
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The 4Ps Explained  PAGEREF _Toc433810509 \h
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Marketing Communications/Promotional Mix and Communication Theory  PAGEREF _Toc433810510 \h
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Sales Promotion  PAGEREF _Toc433810511 \h
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Advertising  PAGEREF _Toc433810512 \h
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Personal Selling  PAGEREF _Toc433810513 \h
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Direct Marketing  PAGEREF _Toc433810514 \h
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Public Relations  PAGEREF _Toc433810515 \h
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Budget Breakdown (£1000) and Media Pricing Strategy  PAGEREF _Toc433810516 \h
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Marketing Communications Schedule  PAGEREF _Toc433810517 \h
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Reference List  PAGEREF _Toc433810518 \h
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Marketing Communication Plan Overview
Local Gift Shop Marketing Communication Plan Overview
Objectives:
To raise awareness of the new gift shop and its offerings amongst approximately 1800 students in the target population over one year
Attain 70% brand awareness amongst the entire target audience for the next one year.
To establish and implement social networking accounts that attract more than half of the primary target audience in one year
Advertising
Sales Promotion
Direct Marketing
Personal Selling
Public Relations
Objectives:
Objectives:
Objectives:
Objectives:
Objectives:
Use paid print and broadcast media a minimum of 10 times over the next one year to reach averagely 8% of the target audience
Establish sales promotions that will be redeemed by more than 10% of the target audience over the next one year
Utilize email and direct mail to reach about 4% of the target population for one year

Create websites and web pages that will foster interaction with over 10% of the target audience for the next one year
Achieve about 70% brand awareness and 55% response rate of customer satisfaction from returning clients over the next one year

Tactics:
Tactics:
Tactics:
Tactics:
Tactics:
TV ads, radio ads, social media ads
Coupons, discounts, prizes
Direct mail, email, social media ads
Websites and web pages
Websites, press releases, product packaging
Rationale: Initiating a marketing communications approach that will benefit the new local gift shop as follows:
Establishing well-defined and measurable marketing goals for the shop
Building the basis for future repeatable marketing endeavors
Enhancing customer focus and collaboration.

Background and Introduction
In the past, students at the University of Buckingham have depended on online shopping when it comes to gift items such as apparel and cards as the already running gift shops around the town seem focused on targeting the local community rather than the university students. As a recent search by the owners of the new gift shop revealed, the problems or challenges the potential customers have encountered in online shopping include intricacy in site searching and transaction processing, insufficient merchandise information, unavailability of “touch” experience, and late arrivals of orders. And as the situation stands now, the population of the university is growing each year, augmenting the demand for gift items.
The new gift shop owners will launch the business to address these challenges conveniently, along with exploiting new opportunities emanating from university population growth. The shop, which will be in proximity to the University, will provide an assortment of popular culture gift merchandise, supported by complete product sourcing services. In ensuring that the enterprise’s image exemplifies the gifts’ tastes and preference of the new customers, the marketing practices shall be customer-oriented. In that regard, the overall marketing plan of the establishment will align with customer needs, delivery schedules, and cultural inclusiveness to assist in bolstering the new efforts and plans.
The new gift shop is poised to get fully established in the new market on the basis of the following mission and vision, as well as core values that will remain with the business for years to come:
Mission
To produce an excellent shopping and selection experience by offering unique, affordable, superior quality, and value-centered merchandise that meets the desires and tastes of our customers at all times.
Vision
To become a leading enterprise in the Buckingham community in creating memorable customer experiences through the development of an inviting buying atmosphere in gift supplies while enhancing convenience and saving time and money for our clients.
Core Values
Excellence: Striving to excel and improve all our realms of operation every day.
Passion: working to exceed our customer expectations through offering them the best shopping and selection experience.
Teamwork: Collaborating and cooperating as one team to focus on our common goals in facing our challenges and exploiting our opportunities.
Diversity: Esteeming the diversities between and among all people, along with the open exchange of their opinions and ideas.
Accountability: Acting responsibly for excellence in delivering results collectively and doing the right thing at all times
Respect: Treating our clients, colleagues, dealers, and salespersons with dignity and respect.
Target Market Analysis
According to Dowhan (2013) and Thornley and Marsh (2010), an effective marketing strategy should consider both the primary target audience and the broader community, which is the secondary target audience. The primary target audience constitutes the potential buyers within ...