Sonic Media Plan- Shenanigans Media (1)

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Table of ContentsAgency Overview 3Brand Analysis 8 Competitive Analysis 20Target Audience Analysis 36The Big Idea 45Objectives and Strategies 47Media Mix 49Reach, Frequency, GRP 59Timing and Scheduling 61Geography 64Budget 66Appendix 71

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Agency Overview

Don’tletthenameofouragencyfoolyou.HereatShenanigansMedia,wetakeyourbusinessveryseriously.Ourexpertteamofmediaplannershastheknowledgeandexperiencetohelpyoumakesenseofthewildbusinessenvironmentoftoday.Sure,weenjoyagoodofficeprankandtheoccasionaltomfoolery,butthatonlygivesusanedgeovereveryoneelse.

Sometimes,youhavetobealittleirrationaltounderstandtoday’sworld.Withsomemuchchangingsoquickly,youcancountonustobringthatcreativeedgethatwillsetyouapartfromthecommonriffraff.Wemayfillyourcarwithbreadorprankcallyoueveryafternoon,butthat’sjustourwayofshowingyourourdedicationandcommitmenttohelpingyousucceed.Conventionalmedia agencies will get you conventional results, Shenanigans will getyouexceptionalones.

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Executive Summary Afterthecreationin1953,Sonichasbecomethelargestdrive-inrestaurantchaininAmerica,hencetheirself-proclaimedtitleof“America’sDrive-In”isveryfitting.Bestknownfortheiruniqueroller-skatingcar-hops,Sonicsellsvariousmenuitemssuchastater-tots,milkshakes,burgers,andfries.Whilethequick-serviceindustryisgrowingasconsumersarebecomingmoreprice-sensitive,thereisstillalargefieldofcompetitorsandthispresentsamajorchallengeforSonic. Therearemanybrandsinthequickserviceindustry,butouragencycollectivelydecidedthatChick-Fil-A,DairyQueen,McDonald’s,andWendy’swerethemostrelevant,astheyaresimilarinbothpriceandquality.ThoughMcDonald’shasamuchhighershareofthemarket,wehopetolearnfromtheirsuccessintheindustry,andthusfounditnecessarytoincludethebrandasacompetitor.Our12monthcampaign,runningfromApril2017toMarch2018,willfollowapulsingstrategyandwilltargetadultsages18-34.Specificallythe“MillenialParent,”whoturnstofastfoodasawaytomanagetheirbusylifestyle(126),andthe“DeterminedSocialite,”wholookstoquickservicerestaurantsasawaytostayonbudget(179)wereinfluentialwhendesigningourplan.Furthermore,afterresearchingkeyinsightsaboutourconsumers,itwasdeterminedthatthetargetmarketenjoyseatingwithotherpeople,andthusourbigidea:“BeSocial.BeSonic.BeYou.”wasformed,inhopesofemphasizingthesocialexperience

Togenerateawarenessforthe30newstoresbeingintroducedinthenorthernfront,ourteamformedamediamixbuiltonproducingmaximumresults.Mediumssuchastelevision,internet,direct-email,andradiowerechosen based on the high index numbers prevalent with our target audience, andwereimplementedtoreachaminimumof300monthlyGRP’s.Likewise,thougharecampaignwasdesignedtooptimizefrequency,ourreachisstillconsideredhigh. The budget was given by the client, and our group stayed well inside theallocated$28millionwhenschedulingourspot-onlycampaign.ShenanigansMediabelievesthatwithourthoroughresearchandon-strategymediabuys,wecanincreasesalesinthe32DMA’sinthe“northernfront.”

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Team BiosRyan Opila

RyanisasophomoreIntegratedMarketingCommunicationsmajoratIthacaCollegefromScottsdale,AZ.AstheConsultingDirectorfor180DegreeConsultingand

MegaphoneMediaProductions,Ryanprovidespro-bonomediaandmarketingconsultingtolocalnonprofits.Whilsthisfocusisoncommunications,Ryanisalsointerestedinglobalhumanitarianconflict,especiallyinregardstomigrationand

conservation.Aftercollege,heisinterestedinpursuingaFulbrightgrant,volunteeringabroad,orfindingworkthroughprofessionsinmediaplanning,social

entrepreneurshiporoutdooradventure.

Courtney Gavurnik CourtneyisasophomoreIntegratedMarketingCommunicationsmajorfromUnionSprings,NewYork.Whennotstudying,sheisalsoamemberoftheCornellSynchronizedSkatingteam,aSocialMediaInternatWellSaidMedia,andanEventandMarketingCoordinatoroncampus.Upongraduation,sheisinterestedinworkinginmediaplanningorpublicrelations.

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Team BiosAlec Nevin AlecisajuniorIntegratedMarketingCommunicationsmajoratIthacaCollege.HewasborninRochester,NewYork.Hewishestousehismajortoworkforanadvertisingcompany somewhere in a big city where there is lots to do and where the people are everchanging.InhighschoolAlecparticipatedinmarketingcoursesaswellasstartedhisownlocalbusinessthroughtheYoungEntrepreneursAcademy(YEA).Alechasastrongloveforfilm,theatre,andJapanesefood.Alecisanavidgymattendantandlovestobeactive.Inadditiontoschool,Alechasplayedlacrosse,wrestling,andparticipatedintheatre.AlecisanEagleScoutandsecond-degreeblackbeltinKarate.Alecisexcitedabouthisfutureandcan’twaittostudyabroadatsomepointinhistimeatIthaca.

Amanda RamseyAmandaRamseyisajuniorIntegratedMarketing

CommunicationsmajorandWritingminorfromStoneham,Massachusetts.Shelovestoread,write,andtravel

whenevershegetsthechance.Sherecentlycompletedasemester abroad in Sydney, Australia where she studied at

theUniversityofSydney.Upongraduation,Amandahopestoworkinthepublicrelationsindustry.

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Situation Analysis

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Brand AnalysisIndustry Situation Sonicbelongstothequickservicerestaurantindustry(QSR),onethatishighlycompetitiveintermsofprice,service,location,andfoodquality.Thecategoryincludeseverythingfromsmallfamilyownedrestaurantstonationalfranchisesandismadeupofover250,000restaurantlocations.It’scombinedannualrevenuestotaled$191billionin2013withthe50largestcompaniesintheindustryaccountingfor20%ofthatrevenue.It’ssuccessisdependentonconsumertastesandpersonalincome,makingithighlysusceptibletochangesinsocietaltrendsandeconomicconditions.However,evenin2008,whenmostrestaurantoperatorshadatoughyear,manyQSRbusinessesreportedimpressivesalesgrowth.Pooreconomicconditionsactuallyfavorthisindustrybycausingcustomerstoplacegreatervalueonthepriceandconveniencethatitsbrandsoffer.In2013,personalincomegrewbyonly1.5percent;however,industrysalesgrewby4.9%.Consumersaleshavebeensteadilyrisingsince2009,reachingahighof261.9billionin2014.Trendspredictthatrevenueswillreach$210.22billionby2018.Ina2013survey,28.2%ofrespondentsindicatedthattheyvisitedarestaurantinthisindustryonceaweek;15.9%

saidthattheywentthreetimesaweek.Anothersurveyshowsthatrepeatcustomersaccountfor71%ofsalesatQSR.Specificbrandshavebeenabletodifferentiatethemselveswithinthecategorybyfocusingonefficientoperations,effectivemarketing,andimprovedservice.

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Brand Situation Sonicisalargestdrive-inrestaurantchainintheUnitedStates.It’sfirstlocationopenedinStillwater,Oklahomain1953.By1987,therewereathousandlocationsfranchisedacrosstheUnitedStates.Thenin1990,SonicincorporateditselfintheStateofDelawareandtheyearafter,wentpublicastheSonicCorporation.Overtheyears,Sonic’srestaurantshavebecomefamousfortheirsignaturedrive-inservice,retro-futurelook,androllerskatingcarhops.Theyarealsowidelyknownfortheirvastmade-to-ordermenuthatincludesuniqueitemssuchastater-tots,slushies,moltencakesundaes,andfoot-longhotdogs.Themenufea-turesproductofferingsthatarenotavailableatmostotherindustrycompetitorsincludingrealicecreamdesserts,breakfastallday,andmorethan1millionuniquedrinkcombinations. BecauseSonicDrive-Inhassuchauniqueculture,andbecauseitpayssuchcarefulattentiontocustomerservice,itscustomerloyaltyisamongthestrongestinthefoodindustry.ManycustomershavecometoregardSonicasanoveltyandwilleventogooutoftheirwayjustsothattheycanstoptoeatatoneoftheDrive-Inlocations. Basedonthemostrecentdatafrom2014,Sonicpossess2.10%ofthemarketshareintheQSRindustry.Thisisupfrom1.99%in2012and2013andfrom1.96%in2011.Sonic’smarketsharehasbeensteadilyincreasingsince2010aftertheeconomicdownturnin2008adverselyaffectedSonic’sprofitabilityforthenexttwoyears.WhiletheQSRindustryasawholeremainedlargelyunaffectedbythiseconomicshift,manyofitsbrands,includingSonic,sufferedminorlossesinmarketshareduetochangingconsumerspendingpatternsandaninabilitytokeepupwithcompetitorsinnewfranchiseopenings.

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The 4 P’sPrice WhileSonic’spricesvaryfromlocationtolocationaswithmostfastfoodrestaurants,theygenerallytendtobeslightlyhigherthantheaverage.Theextracostcomesfromtheuniquemodelofusingroller-skatingcarhops,thesheersizeofthemenu,andthedecisiontooffereveryproductasmade-to-order.However,SoniccanusuallyoffsetthiscosttocustomersbyrunningallsortsofsalespromotionssuchasHappyHourandSummerofShakes.Thatbeingsaid,whileSonicdoesn’tusuallyhavethelowestpriceonanyitem,itrarelyhasthemostexpensiveprice.TheonlymenuitemswhichSonicconsistentlychargesmoreforthanitscompetitorsareitsbreakfastfoods.Sonicusesafairlyconservative,safepricingscheme.Theyshootforthemiddleoftheroadandrelyonpromotionalandproductinnovationtoattractcustomers.

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Promotion Overtheyears,Sonichasbegunincreasingitsnationalmediaspending.Ithaslaunchednu-meroussuccessfulcampaignsovertheyearsincludingthememorabletelevisionadsfeaturingthe“TwoGuys.”InarecentstudyconductedbythefoodindustryresearchfirmTechnomic,SonicwasrankedthirdintheeffectivenessofitsbrandadvertisingoutofalltherestaurantsintheQSRindus-tryandfirstamongburgerchains.Itsadvertisementsalsohaveatotalawarenessof54%amongthetotalgeneralpopulation,secondintheQSRindustryonlytoMcDonaldsat58%.Thesecam-paignshavegeneratednationalbrandawareness,whichhasbenefittedSonicbycreatingdemandinareasbeforeafranchiseisevenopenedthere.Thishasboostedtheinitialtrafficatnewloca-tionsanddecreasedtheriskassociatedwithopeninganewfranchise. MostofSonic’spromotionalstrategiesspecificallytargetoneoffivedifferentdayparts:breakfast,lunch,afternoon,dinner,andevening.Ittailorsitsproductpromotionsandmediabuy-ingdecisionstosupporteachofthedaypartsinanattempttospreaditsbusinessacrossthem.Sonicseekstomakeitsfranchisesprofitablethroughouttheday,agoalthatithassucceededin.In2015,Sonicexecuted12%ofitssalesinthemorning,22%ofitssalesintheafternoon,48%ofitssalesduringlunchanddinner,and18%ofitssalesafterdinner.ThisboostinsalesaroundthelunchanddinnerhourislikelyduetothetrafficdrivenbySonic’sHappyHourpromotionthatof-ferscustomersseasonaldiscountsonselectfoodsandbeveragesduringthelateafternoonhours.Recognizingtheregionallimitationsofitsbusinessmodel,Sonichasalsodevelopedaseasonalsalespromotionplanthataccountsfortheannualdecreaseinsalesduringthesecondfiscalquar-terthatspansthecoldermonthsofDecember,January,andFebruary.Sonicaccepts that the lower temperatures in the northern regions during this time willreducecustomervisitstothosedrive-insandfocusesondrivingsalesduringthewarmermonths.

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Product SonicboaststhemostdiversemenuofanyQSR.Itsmenunotonlyoffersthetraditionalfastfoodfare,butalsobringslocalfavor-iteslikeconeystoanationalaudience,andincludesthemostrobustarrayoffrozenandfountaindrinkoptionsofferedbyaQSR.CEOSteveVaughanbragsthatonlyabout17%ofSonic’ssalescomefromburgersales. Unbeknownsttomost,it’salsothenation’stopsellerofhotdogseatenoutsideofthehomeandhasdiversifieditsmeatofferingstoincludechickenandvariousflavorsofbonelesswings.Allofitsprod-uctsaremade-to-order.MakingupthemajorityofSonic’ssaleshow-everarebeveragesandicecreamproducts,whichaccountfor40%ofthebrand’sbusiness.Theconstantinnovationofitsproducthashelped Sonic to sustain its recent business momentum as it continues to setitselfapartfromasaturatedmarket.

(Promotion Continued) Themostnotableoftheseseasonalsalespromotionsisthe“SummerofShakes”thataggressivelydrivesbusinessduringthemonthsofMay,June,July,andAugustinordertomakeupforthedipinsalesduringthewinter.Othernotablepromotionsincludethecrowdsourcedsocialmediacampaign“ThisishowyouSonic”thatchallengedfanstowhipuptheirownSonicstoryforachancethatthebrandwouldmakeittheirnationalcommercialaswellasSonic’spartnershipwithbasketballstarKevinDurant,whichledtothelimitedtimeofferingofthe“HighFlyerSlush”customdrinkflavor.ThesepromotionsdemonstratehowSonic’sproductinnovationoftenspillsoverintoitsadvertising.Justamonthago,inApril2016,SonicalsodevelopedandpromoteditsoneofakindCreameryShakes.Inkeepingwithitshabitofinnovation,Sonicdecidedtodesigntheproductspecificallyfor,andsolditthroughInstagram.Thisoutoftheboxcampaigndebutedon-siteatthepopularmusicfestivalCoachella.

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Place BeginninginOklahomaCity,Oklahomabackinthe 1950s, the Sonic brand has spread to 171 DMAs acrossthecountry.InMarch2016,anewfranchiseopenedinHawaii,extendingtherangeofSonic’scoverageto46states.Sonicoperatesoffofafran-chise-focusedbusinessmodel.In2014,89%ofallSon-iclocationswerefranchises.WhilethetotalnumberofSoniclocationshasdecreasedby55unitssince2010,theratiooffranchisedunitstocompanyunitsisonanupwardtrend.Between2008and2009,Sonicunderwentalargerefranchisinginitiative,selling 209 company owned units to be run by entrepreneursasfranchises.(SeeGraphsinAppendix)InanannouncementmadebySonicinApril 2014, the company indicated that it plans on opening1,000newdrive-inlocationsby2024,with60-70unitsopeningin2015and80-90locationsopeningin2016.

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Analysis of Marketing Strategy Asawell-establishedbrand,Sonic’smainobjectiveistomaintaintheirpositionas,ortobe-comealeadingrestaurantoperatorwithinitsmarketsnationwide.Theirbusinessstrategyisbuiltuponmaintainingcustomersatisfactionandgeneratingrepeatbusinessthroughfourkeyelements:1)Offeringcustomersauniquedrive-inconceptthatfeaturesquickfooddeliveryviacarhops;2)Developingadistinctivemenuofqualitymade-to-orderfoodproductsandsignatureitems;3)ExpandingthenumberandreachofSonicDrive-InswithintheUnitedStates;and4)Committingtostrongrelationshipswithbothcustomersandfranchisees.Thisisreflectedwithintheirmarketingstrategythatemphasizestheirdistinctivehighqualitymade-to-ordermenuitemsandpersonalizedskatingcarhopservice.Overtheyears,theirpromotionshavecenteredontheintroductionofnewlimited-timeproductsorsignaturemenuitemsinanattempttodifferentiatethemselvesfromthecompetitionwithinafairlyhomogeneousindustry.Thesepromotionsarerunonapulsingschedulethatcapitalizesontheseasonalityofconsumerdemandandheavy-upsduringthewarmermonths.Forthiscampaignspecifically,Sonic’strategyfocusesspecificallyonincreasingSonic’ssalesandbrandawarenessinthe“northernfront”.

Analysis of Marketing Objectives Sonicisintheprocessofdevelopingitsannualmarketingplan

inconjunctionwiththeSonicFranchiseAdvisoryCouncil.SonicwantstocapitalizeontheCFO’sprojectionsthatthecomingyear

will yield a modest improvement in overall economic growth by opening30newstoresinthenorthwesternandmid-northernstates

wherethey’vejustrecentlybeguntocarveoutafootholdinthepast5years.Sonichassetaside$28milliontolaunchaone-year

introductorycampaigntoensurethesuccessofthenewlocationsopeningupinthenorthernfrontandbolsterthesalesofthe

locationsthatalreadyexistthere.

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Geography Asof2014,thereare3,517SonicDrive-Ins.Fewerthan500ofthesearecompanyowned;therestarefranchises.Eachunitaveragesabout$1,153,000inannualsales.WhileSonicisstrongestinthesouthernstates,itisbeginningtoexpandupintothenorthwesternandmid-northernstatesaspartofits2014commitmenttoaddonethousandnewstorelocationsby2024.Thisyear,Sonicplansonopeningup30newlocationsinMichigan,Minnesota,Montana,NorthDakota,SouthDakota,Washington,andWisconsin.TheserestaurantswillbecomepartofSonic’s“northernfront.”Thenorthernfrontiscurrentlycomprisedof58locationsspreadacross32DMAsinMichigan,Minnesota,Montana,Oregon,SouthDakota,Washington,andWisconsin.Thisexpansionwillincreasethenumberoflocationsinthenorthernfrontto88andaddNorthDakotatothelistofmemberstates.

Withinthenorthernfront,thereareafourDMAswhereSonicsalesareexpectedtoincreaseinfutureyears.Theseareashavebothahighconsumerdevelopmentindex(CDI)andahighbranddevelopmentindex(BDI).TheyincludeEugene,Oregon(101CDI,102BDI);GrandRapidsetal,Michigan(113,101);Milwaukee,WI(123,101);andRapidCity,SD(104,102).OftheseDMAs,GrandRapidshasapopulationofnearly2million(470,00018-34yearolds)withaprojectedfive-yearpopulationgrowthofnearly2%andMilwaukeehasapopulationofover2.3million(520,00018-34yearolds)withaprojectedfive-yearpopulationgrowthofnearly2%.Lookingatlifestyleinformation,MilwaukeeislikelytopresentthegreatestopportunityforSonicsalessinceitspopulationoverindexesintryingnewdrinks(104),preferenceoffastfoodoverhomecooking(105),andtryingnewfoodproducts(102).ThepopulationofGrandRapidsalsooverindexesfortryingnewdrinks(101),preferenceoffastfoodoverhomecooking(102),andtheirpropensitytoeatfoodtheylikeregardlessofcalories(104).ThesetendenciesbodewellforSonicswidearrayofmadetoorderproductofferings.Sonic should continue spending money on advertising in these DMAs to maintain brand awareness even though Rapid City, SD is the only location with a high CDI andBDIwherenewunitsarebeingopenedthisyear.ThiswillhelpensurethecontinuedgrowthofsalesintheseDMAs.

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Geography (continuted) Therearealso3DMAswhereSonichastheopportunitytostepinandbuildtheirmarketsharethroughadvertisingandincreasingbrandawareness.Theselocationshavelowbranddevel-opmentindexesbuthighconsumerdevelopmentindexes.SonicwillneedtocompeteformarketshareinordertobesuccessfulintheseDMAs.TheyincludeDetroit,MI(120CDI,99BDI);Lansing,MI(106,98);andPortland,OR(102,98).OfthesethreeDMAs,Detroithasthelargestpopulationwithalmost5million(1million18-34yearolds)andPortlandhasthesecondmostwithjustover3million(680,00018-34yearolds).WhilethepopulationofDetroitisexpectedtodecreasebyalmost1%overthenextfiveyears,Portlandhasaprojectedfive-yearpopulationgrowthof6.2%.BothDetroitandPortlandoverindexinthelifestylepreferencesfortryingnewdrinks(104and101respectively)andeatingfastfoodoverhomecooking(109and101respectively).SonicisnotopeninganynewlocationsinDetroitorPortland,howeverbyfocusingtheiradvertisingspendingontheseDMAs,itshouldbeabletoincreaseitsBDIandgarnermoreofthemarketsharethroughincreasedbrandawareness. Ofthe30newlocationsopeningupthisyear,20ofthemwillbelocatedinnewDMAswhereSonichasnotdonebusinessbefore.SinceSonichasnoprevioussalesdatafromtheseDMAstocalculatetheBDI,wemustrelyonotherdatatopredictwhichmarketswillpresentthebestopportunitiesforgrowth.

Inlookingattheirlifestyleattitudes,threeDMAsoverindexintheirpreferenceforeatingfastfoodthattheylikeregardlessofthecalories:Duluth-Superior,MN(101);LaCrosseEauClaire,WI(102);andTraverseCityetal,MI(103).TheseDMAsmightbenefitmoresothantheothersfromanincreaseinadvertisingspendingtodrivepotentialcustomerstothenewlocations.However,all20ofthese DMAs will need substantial ad spending in order to ensure the successofthenewlocationsopeningthere.

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Relevant Economic and Social TrendsPrice and Quality Conscious Consumers Manyconsumersarestillnervousaboutspendingfollowingtheeconomicdownturnthatoccurredfromlate2007tomid2009.Whiletheeconomyhasgrownsubstantiallysincethattimeandcustomershavemoredisposableincome,manyofthemarestillwaryaboutspendingthatmoney.They’restillworriedaboutthestabilityoftheeconomyandgenerallyfavorpriceoverotherproductfactorswhenmakingpurchasedecisions.However,therearealsomanyconsumerswhoarebeginningtomovepasttheseworries.Consumerconfidencehasincreasedsubstantiallysince2009withthemostrecentratingcominginat89inApril2016.Consumerspendingisalsoontherise.In2015,73%ofconsumerscitedpriceandvalueastheleadingfactorsthatdeterminedtheirbrandloyalty.Inaddition,52%ofMillennialschosequalityoverpriceasthemostimportantfactorintheirdecisionmakingprocessand67%citedthatimprovingproductqualitywouldhelpabrandremainaMillenial’sbrandofchoice.Assuchinordertoappealtothe18-34yearolddemographic,brandsmuststrikeabalancebetweenpriceandqualityandfocusonofferingcustomersagoodvalue.

Hyper connectivity and Social Sharing Theincreasedavailabilityoftechnologyandsocialnetworking

capabilities has created a hyper connected society in which customersarehighlyinfluencedbytheopinionsofthepublic.

In addition, customers have started expressing their opinion about brandsmorereadilybothinpersonandonline.In2015,61%of

consumerssaidthattheywouldtellfriendsandfamilyabouttheirexperienceswithabrandand31%ofconsumerssaidthattheywould

bewillingtorecommendbrandstostrangers.Inaddition,62%ofMillennialssaidthatonlinecontentdrivestheirloyaltytoabrand.

Consumersareusingthehyperconnectivityofsocietytoassistthemintheirpurchasedecisionprocess.

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The Importance of Customer Service Theincreaseinthenumberofbrandswithineachindustryhasgivenconsumersmorepowertochoose.Asaresult,brandloyaltyisbothextremelyimportantandhardtocomeby.Itisfarmoredifficultandexpensivetogenerateanewcustomerthanitistomaintainapreexistingone.Oneofthekeyfactorsinmaintainingcustomersisabrand’scustomerservice.In2015,89%ofconsumersagreethatgoodservicemakesthemfeelmorepositiveaboutthebrandstheyengagewithand79%ofAmericanshopperssawcustomerserviceasthe“truetest”ofhowmuchabrandvaluesthem.Twooutofthetopthreereasonsthatconsumersswitchbrandswererudestaff(18%)andtoomanymistakes(16%).Giventhisinformation,only41%ofquickservicerestaurantcustomersconsideredthemselvestobesatisfiedwiththeirexperienceandonly44%ofMillennialssaythattheyareloyaltothebrandstheybuy.

Relevant Economic and Social Trends (continued)

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Competitve AnalysisOverview Ouragencywasverystrategicwhendecidingwhichcompetitorsweremostrelevant.Aftercarefulconsideration,wedecidedonChick-Fil-A,DairyQueen,McDonald’s,andWendy’sasourfourprimarycompetitors.Thecompetitionwaschosenbasedonthesimilarityinpriceandqualityoffood.However,itisimportanttonotethatMcDonald’sistheleaderinthequickservicerestaurant(QSR)industry,intermsofbothsalesandadvertisingexpenditures.EventhoughcompetingwithMcDonald’sisquiteadauntingtask,ouragencywantedtocompareourcorporationsinhopesoflearningfromMcDonald’ssuccess.Bythoroughlystudyingourcompetition,wehopetohelpSonicdevelopaneffectivemediaplanfortheirexpansioninthenorthwesternstates.

Sonic Overview TheSoniccorporationwasfoundedin1953byTroySmith,

andtheyhavebeenknownas“America’sDrive-In”eversince.Famousfortheirdriveinservicewiththeiruniqueroller-skating

car-hops,Sonicusesthisstrengthtoseparateitselffromthecompetition.Ofcourse,theirdelicioushotdogs,burgers,tater

tots,anddessertsbodewellforthemtoo.Theseassetswillbekeywhenlaunchingthemediablitzfortheopeningofthe30new

storesinthenorthwesternstates.

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Sonic Media Mix Sonicisbestknownfortheirtelevisioncommercials centering around two guys who enjoyspendingtimeintheircarssnackingonSonicfood.Thecampaignhaslasted10years, starting in 2004 with a small hiatus in2010-2012.Therefore,itisnosurprisetoseethatSonicspendsnearly47%oftheir$136,584,700advertisingbudgetonSpotTV.

Past Creative

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Chick-Fil-A Meda Mix Chick-Fil-A’smostpopularcampaignis“TheCowCam-paign.”Theideaofthismovementisbasedontheideathatcowsareadvisinghumansto“eatmorechicken,”or“eatmorchikin,”

astheadvertisementsreadandhense,“savethecows.”The campaign started in 1995, and reaches millions through

mediums such as television, radio, online, and even the occasionalwatertower.Thecorporationspendsmostofits

advertisingonNetworkTV,SpotTV,andOutdoor,whichac-countsforabout34%,24%,and20%oftheiradspendingre-

spectively.

Chick-Fil-A Overview Chick-Fil-AisanAmericanfastfoodchainspecializinginchicken.Itwasfoundedin1946andhassinceopened1,950restaurantsin42statesandWashingtonD.C.Thecorporationconsidersitsmallrestaurantsanintegralpartoftheirbusinessstrategy,butbeganexpandingtostand-alonerestaurantsin1986duetocustomerdemand.Chick-Fil-Aservestheirever-sopopularchickensandwich,wafflefries,milkshakes,andevenbreakfast.

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Past Creative

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Dairy Queen Media Mix DairyQueenbelievesthattheyserve“Fanfood,notfast

food,”whichistheirnewslogan.Thiscampaignfocusesontelevision,print,andsocialmediaspots.Becausepeopleheavily

associateDairyQueenwiththeiricecreamtreats,thenewsloganwantstoremindconsumersthattheyofferawiderange

offoodproductsaswell.Anothercampaignobjectiveis to bring more people into the restaurants by

generatingtheawarenesstotheirvariousmenuoptions.Theirmediaspendingisveryheavilyinvestedintelevision.Afterall,

thecorporationspends89%oftheiradvertisingbudgetonmediumssuchasNetworkTV,SpotTV,orCableTV.

Dairy Queen Overview DairyQueen,oftenabbreviatedas“DQ,”isanationalchainoffastfoodandsoftserveicecream;theyaremostfamousfortheirfrozentreatscalled“Blizzards.”TheAmericanDairyQueenCorporationisasubsidiaryofBerkshireHathawayInc.andhasbeenoperatingsince1940.Withonly100storesin1947,theyquicklygrewtohave2,600in1995andover6,000locationstoday.Theyarecommittedtomakinghighqualityfoodanddelicioustreats,andstaytruetotheirbeliefthat“satisfiedcustomersleadtosuccessfulrestaurants.”

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Past Creative

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McDonald’s Media MixMcDonald’sisinternationallyrecognizedforits“goldenarches”

andlongtimeslogan,“I’mlovin’it.”McDonald’sadvertises on television, radio, newspapers, billboards, and

sponsorships.Furthermore,thecorporationisthebiggestspenderonadvertisingintheworldoffast-foodrestaurants.In

2013McDonald’sspent$882,232,300onallformsofadvertisingworldwide,withapproximately71%ofthat

spendingallocatedtotelvisionadvertisements.Muchliketheother competition, television seems to be the most popular

mediumtosharepromotionalmessages.

McDonald’s OverviewMcDonald’sistheworld’slargestchainoffast-foodhamburgerrestaurants.Thechainstartedin1940whenDickandMacMcDonaldopenedthefirstrestaurantinSanBernardino,California.TodayMcDonald’sserves68millioncustomersdailyandhasover36,000restaurantsinover119countries.Despitebeingsuchalargebrand,morethan80%oftheirrestaurantsareownedbyabout5,000smallscaleentrepreneurs.McDonald’sisbestknownforitshamburgers,fries,chickensandwiches,milkshakes,andalldaybreakfast.TheyevenstartedofferingMcCafeRealFruitSmoothiesandFrappesstartingin2012,whichcouldappealtothehealthconsciousconsumerwithan“on-the-go”lifestyle.

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Past Creative

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Wendy’s Media Mix Asofearly2016,Wendy’schangeditssloganfrom“Nowthat’sbetter”to“Deliciouslydifferent.”Wendy’sstrivestopositionitselfasdistinctivefromitscompetitorsbyhighlightingtheiruseoffreshmeatinsteadoffrozenproducts.Inaddition,Wendy’slatestcampaignhasspecificadvertisementsencouragingconsumerstointeractwiththebrandonsocialmediaplatforms.

Wendy’s Overview Wendy’sisaninternationalhamburgerfast-foodchain

foundedin1969byDaveThomasinColumbus,Ohio.Wendy’sisbestknownforitssquarehamburgers,seasaltfries,chicken

sandwiches,andtheiricecreammix--knownastheFrosty.Wendy’sattemptstopositionitselfawayfromit’scompetitorsby

emphasizingtheideathattheycompanyonlyusesqualityingredients.TheyalsorecentlypartneredwithHonestTeaand

createdaTropicalGreenTeathatisexclusivetoWendy’s,alongwithtwonewsalasaddedtothemenuin2014.

Additionally,oneoftheirmostrecentmovementisfortheirPretzelBaconCheeseburger,titled“Yes.Yes.Yes.”campaign.

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Past Creative

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Seasonality Theseasonalityforthecompetitionisveryscattered.WhileMcDonald’sadvertisingislowestinOctober,Chick-Fil-Aisatapeakdurinthattime.DairyQueenadvertisesveryheavilyinthesummermonths,butChick-Fil-Adoesn’thavemuchofavoiceduringthattime,excludingthemonthofJuly.Wendy’sspendsalotofOctober,butisfairlyconstantotherwise.IntermsofSonic,theyaremostactiveinthemonthofMarch,whichisstrategicconsideringthesecompetitors.However,duetothesedispersedadvertisingseasonalityschedules, our agency recommends that Sonic remains relatively consistent with their ad expenditures.Sinceallofthesecorporationshavesuchvaryingschedules,itisbestthatSonicmaintainamediapresenceatalltimes.

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Overall Share of Voice TheQuickServiceRestaurant(QSR)industryisdefinitelyacompetitivemarket,withMcDonald’salargeforcetocontendwith.However,consideringthemostutilizedmediumforthecompetitivelandscapeistelevision,SonicbodeswellastheirTVadsareeffective,memorable,andhumorous.Nevertheless,McDonald’soverallbudgetissomuchhigerthantherestofthefield,itisdifficulttoeffectuallycomparethebusinesses.Withthatinmind,Soniciscertainlyaforcetobereckonedwith,astheyhavealargershareofvoicethanbothDairyQueenandChick-Fil-A.

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Share of Market

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Social Media Comparison

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SegmentationTarget Audience Ouragencygatheredbothprimaryandsecondarydatatodeterminewhichsegmentofthemarketwouldbebesttotargetbasedonpsychographic,demographic,andbehavioraldata.Wefoundthatmenare3%morelikelytobeheavyfastfoodusersthantheaveragepopulation,whilewomenare3%lesslikelytobeheavyfastfoodusersthantheaveragepopulation.However,thiswasnotabigenoughdifferencetonotincludewomenaspartofthetargetmarket.Afterall,bothgenderswerewithin10%ofeachother. Furthermore,adults18-24are21%(121)morelikelytobeheavyfastfoodusersthantheaveragepopulation.Similarly,adultsages25-34are17%(117)morelikelytobeheavyfastfoodusersthantheaveragepopulation.Consideringthatthesetwosegmentsarecloseinageandtheybothindexwithin10%ofeachother,wedecidedthatwewouldincludebothagegroupsaspartofourtargetaudience.Allinall,adultsages18-34compriseourtargetmarket.

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Primary Research Tocollectprimaryresearchforourmediaplan,Shenanigan’sMediacreatedasurveytobedistributedviasocialmedia.Questionsrangedfromwhatmakesaconsumerchoosefastfood,towhatmediaoutletstheyprefer,andevenhowtheyviewSonicinrelationtoourcompetitors.Wealsoaskedquestionsaboutthelocationoftheirhometownandtheirage.76.74%(33outof43respondents)werewithinourtargetmarket,whichwasveryhelpful.

Secondary Research Inadditiontoourprimaryresearch,ourteamhadaccesstoawidevarietyofdatabasesthatwereextremelyusefulwhendesigningourmediaplan.Inparticular,weusedindustryreportsfromthequickserviceindustry,Sonicannualreports,SimmonsOneview, news articles, as well as the case study document and data provided by MediaFlightPlanandKantarMedia.Thisinformationwasusedthroughoutthecampaignwithconstantreferencetoindexnumbers.AllofthedataobtainedthroughSimmonsOneViewwasdonebycrossreferencingvariouspsychographic,demographic,andbehavioralinformationwiththe18-24and25-34yearolddemographiccharacteristicsofourtargetaudiencethrough12monthNHCSAdultStudiesfromFall2012.Thedecisiontotargetthisspecificaudienceanduse them as the demographic to conduct our Simmons researchwasinfluencedbytheKantarMediainformationprovidedbyMediaFlightPlan.Unlessspecified,themajorityoftheindexnumbersreferencedinthisplancomefromSimmonsOneView.

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The Determined Socialite TheDeterminedSocialiteisaman(103HeavyFastFood/Drive-InUser--Kantar(HFF),91SonicDrive-InUser--Kantar(SD))orworkingwoman(108HFF,115SD)betweentheagesof18-24(121HFF,126SD).Theyarejustenteringtheworldofadulthoodandtryingtobalanceitall.Theydon’tseekadventure,theycraveit(137Simmons).Theystriveforsuccessintheworkplace(212Simmons)andareknownforleadingthecrowd(138Simmons).Theyeatfastfoodbecauseitfitstheirbudget(179Simmons)andcomplimentstheirlifestyleofadventureandspendingtimeeatingwithfriends(215Simmons).

Meet Jake!

Jakeisa22-year-oldstudentfromSanAntonio,Texas.JakeisaseniorattendingTheUniversityofWashington,wherehedoublemajorsineconomicsandmathematics.Toprepareforgraduationinthespring,Jakeiseagerlyapplyingtofulltimejobsinhisfield.Inhisfreetime,Jakelovespracticingphotography(129),painting,drawing,andsculpting(208).Hisfriendsdescribehimasadventurous(137),courageous(123),andinventive(121). JakeisgraduatingfromTheUniversityofWashingtoninMayof2016.Tocelebratehisachievementsandtohaveonelastadventurebeforeenteringtheworkingworld,Jakeandhiscollegeroommatesareplanningacross-countryroadtrip.Jake’sfriendslooktohimtoorganizeactivities(138),soheisinchargeofdoingmostoftheplanningforthetrip,includingplanningtheroute,stops,accommodation,andfood.Jake’sfriendstrusthisjudgmentsincehe’snotoriousfortryingthingsthatnooneelsehas(161)andfollowingtheunbeatenpath(114).JaketypicallyturnstotheInternettohelphimplanhistravel(109).YoucanusuallyfindJakebrowsingtheInternettocheckouttravelroutes,browsingpopularblogs,andcheckinginwithhisfriendsonvarioussocialmediasiteslikeFacebook,Twitter,andInstagram.Jakelovessocialmediabecauseitletshimconnectwithfriends,bothnewandold,aswellasthebrandsheloves(221). OneofthemoredifficultaspectsofplanningtheupcomingroadtripforJakeisplanningthebudget.Jakewantstospendmostofhismoneyonadventuring,notonfood.Helookstoeatingfastfoodinordertostayinbudget(179),butthisdoesn’tmeanhewantstomissoutontaste,quality,andvariety.

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The Millennial Parent MillennialParentsare25-34yearold(117HFF,121SD)men(103HFF,91SD)andworkingwom-en(108HFF,115SD),whoareparents(114HFF,118SD)ofyoungerchildrenbetweentheagesof2-11(115HFF,117SD).Thesecollegeeducatedindividuals(109HFF,116SD)makeanywherebetween75,000-$99,9999ayear,(111HFF,122SD)andmostofthemliverentfree(93HFF,117SD).Theyoftenfindthemselveslivingabusylifestyle,jugglingfulltimejobs(111HFF,110SD)andtakingcareoftheirchildren.Theyoftenlooktofastfoodasanalternativetopreparingahomecookedmeal(110Simmons)andanopportunitytospendtimewiththeirchildreninafunenvironment(189Simmons).

Meet Laurie! Laurieisa33-year-oldaccountantlivinginBeaverton,Oregon,asuburbofPortland.Sheismarriedwithtwoactivesons,ages6and8.Herhusband,Paulworksoddhours,asheworksasafirefighterintheirhometown.Laurie’shobbiesincludebaking(128),playingboardgameswithherfamily(143),andscrapbooking(131).Though,betweenworkingfull-timeandcaringfortwochildren,Laurieisalwaysonthegoandcherishestheraretimesheisabletoindulgeinherhobbies.Sheworkshardbecauseshe wants to able to provide her children with luxuries that she did nothaveasachild(123);thereforeshedoesn’tmindsplurgingtogiveherchildrenextraopportunities(122).Shewakesupearlytogethertwoboystoschool,spendsafulldayofwork,andreserveshernighttimebalancingdrivingtoandfromsomecombinationofsoccer,karate,andflagfootballpractices. Laurieisespeciallybusywhenherhusbandisonduty,workingovernightatthefirehouse.Mostnightsoftheweeksheturnstofastfoodtofitherbusylifestyle(126).Herkidsloveitandithelpshersavetimeaswellasmoney(133).

*See Appendix for Target Audience Data

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Weaknesses-Inconsistentsalesinwintermonths(1st+4thquarters)-UnequalbrandpresenceincertainpartsofcountryandnotasuniformlywellknownthroughouttheUnitedStates-Businessmodelfailsincoldweather-Smalladvertising/mediabudgetthansomeofcompetitors(specificallyMcDonald’s)

Strengths-Givesauniquedrive-inexperiencefeaturingcar-hopsonrollerskates-Largedistinctiveandoriginalmenuchoicesrangingfromonionringstocandyslushies-Over60yearsofcustomerloyalty-Unlimitedcustomizationofdrinks,shakesandslushies-Strongmanagement-Promotesafunandretrocultureforitscustomers-Differentiationandpositioningisuniquefromitscompetitors

SWOT Analysis

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Threats-Competitorscurrentlyhavehigherbrandawareness than Sonic-RiseinhealthfoodpreferenceshaveledtocompetitorssuchasMcDonald’sandWendy’stohavehealthier options-DQisestablishingmorewaystocustomizetheirshakes-Withtheriseofconsumerincome,consumersmay decide to dine at sit down restaurants

Opportunities-IncreaseCSRtodevelopbetterrelationshipswithconsumers.-Recenttrendsforhealthiereatingonthego-Withthecurrenteconomypeoplearemorewillingtopayforfoodinthequickservice restaurants over other restuarants that are higher priced-GrowinguseofSocialMediaforadvertising(especiallyFacebook,Instagram,andTwitter)-Customerservicedeterminesbrandloyaltynowmorethaneverbefore

SWOT Analysis

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Key Consumer InsightsWant To Get More Out of LifeI’mveryhappywithmylifeasitis(94,97)Iamperfectlyhappywithmystandardofliving(85,78)Ioftendothingsonthespurofthemoment(147,122)Attendingeducationcourses(226,132)Brave, Courageous, Daring, Adventuresome(123,124)Iamadventurous(137,124)Iliketoputthingstogetherinnewways(122,123)

For all insights, the index numbers are listed accordingly: (94, 97) means that 18-24 year olds were 6% less likely to agree with the statement the average person and that 25-34 year olds were 3% less likely to agree with the statement than the average population

Consider Themselves to be TrendsettersIliketotraveltheunbeatenpath(114,129)Myfriendsandacquaintanceslooktometoorganizeouractivities(138,104)Iliketotrynewthingsnooneelsehas(161,140)IworkhardtoconvinceothersaboutthingsIbelievein(124,103)PeopleoftencopywhatIdoorwear(173,132)I’mgoodatconvincingotherstotrynewthings(152,127)Iliketosharemyknowledgewithothers(108,106)

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Enjoy Having Social Experiences with PeersLikestoeatwithfriendsorcoworkers(215,131)Eatwithotheradults(110,108)Iliketointroducepeopletoeachother(110,107)Leisureactivities/hobbiesfromthepast12months:Goingtothebars/nightclub(167,179)Leisureactivities/hobbiesfromthepast12months:Goingtothebeach/lake(113,130)Leisureactivities/hobbiesfromthepast12months:Tailgating(172,158)

Views and Preferences Are Heavily Influenced By OthersIfindthatIameasilyswayedbyotherpeople’sviews(170,115)Iliketobuythesameproductscelebritiesuse(213,138)Myfriends’opinionofastoreinfluenceswhetherIshopthere(164,106)IammorelikelytopurchaseaproductifIseeadvertisingforitonasocialnetworkingwebsite(255,111)

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ValueFastFoodforit’sPriceandSpeedyServicebutNotit’sLocationalConvenienceInormallyonlyshopatstoresthatareconvenientlylocatednearby(86,97)Iprefershoppingatlocalstoresasopposedtoshoppingatnationalstorechains(87,80)Iamwillingtotraveluptoanhourormoretoshopatmyfavoritestores(154,93)FastFoodfitsmybusylifestyle(183,126)Ipreferfastfoodtohomecooking(153,110)Eatingfastfoodhelpsmestayinmybudget(179,133)

Value Their Professional Lives Over Everything Else But Don’t Enjoy ItMoneyisthebestmeasureofsuccess(209,90)Ionlygoworkatmycurrentjobformoney(132,115)HowIspendmytimeismoreimportantthanhowmuchmoneyImake(78,90)Iamwillingtosacrificetimewithmyfamilyinordertogetahead(133,107)Iamaworkaholic(117,103)Iwanttogettotheverytopinmycareer:(212,151)Dominating,Authoritarian,Demanding,Aggressive(137,124)

Are Proud, Self-Centered, and Self-ServingEgocentric,Vain,Self-Centered,Narcissistic(186,141)Stubborn,Hardheaded,Head-Strong,Obstinate(127,127)Conformitymakesmeuncomfortable(114,132)Iamwillingtohelpothersevenifthereisnodirectbenefittomyself(78,97)IhaveagenuineinterestinthepeoplewhomImeet(97,91)

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The Big Idea

BeSonic.BeSocial.BeYou.

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Creative Brief Background SonicDrive-Inisauniquequickservicerestaurantthatfocusesontheconsumerexperience.SonicDrive-Insfeatureawidevarietyofsignaturefoodsandspecialtydrinks.

ObjectiveTospreadbrandawarenessofSonicDrive-Insinthenorthernfront.

Target Audience Our target audience is both men and womenages18-34;“TheDeterminedSocialite”and“TheMillennialParent”.

Consumer InsightsOur consumers consider themselves to be trendsetters.Theyareadventurousandliketotraveltheunbeatenpath.Tothem,eatingisasocialactivity.Theyprefertoeatatnightalongsidetheirfriendsorcoworkers.Intheirspare time they value sport related activities and havingfunwithfriends.

Key MessageAtSonic,weknowthateatingisallabouttheexperience.WewantyoutocometoSonicwithyourfriendsandenjoyyoursonicwithoutbarriers.

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ObjectivesThe overall goal of this media plan is to increase the brand awareness for Sonic restaurants located in the “northern front.” This goal will be accomplished by meeting the following objectives:

Target Audience and Media Mix Toincreasebrandawarenessamongstmenandwomenages18-34.ThistargetaudienceshasbeenstrategicallychosenbasedonananalysisofSonic’scurrentnationalcustomerbaseaswellasinformationaboutthepopulationsofthe“northernfront.”Inordertoreachthistarget,ourplanwillplaceadvertisementsontheirpreferedmedia,including:television,digital,radio,andout-of-home,andasalespromotionstrategy.

Reach, Frequency, and GRPs Toexecuteamediaplanthatattainsanaveragereachof75withanaveragefrequencyof7--generatinganaveragemonthlytotal525GRPsthroughouttheyearlongcampaign.Duringtheheavy-upmonthsofthecampaign,thereachwillhitamaximumof90withafrequencyof9,generating810GRPs.During the winter months, the campaign will dip to a minimum reachof60andaminimumfrequencyof5,generating300GRPs.

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Scheduling and Timing TolaunchapulsingcampaignthatmirrorstheseasonalapproachofSonic’snationalcampaignwithheavy-upsduringthewarmersummermonthswhentheclimatefavorsSonic’sdrive-inbusinessmodelanddecreasedpromotionalspendingduringthecolderwintermonthswhenadvertisementsarelesslikelytoconverttosales.However,becauseSonicistryingtogeneratebrandawarenesswithinthenorthernfront,it’simportanttocontinue running promotions year round, especially in the DMAs where Sonic is opening locationsforthefirsttime.

Budget Tomeetthedemandsofthismediaplanusinga$28millionbudgetspreadoutacrossayearlongcampaign.

Geography Toimplementaspotcampaigninthe32DMAsthatmakeupSonic’s“northernfront.”Newlocationsarebeingopenedupin14DMAsandit’simportanttoincreasebrandawarenessinthisregiontoensurethesuccessofbothnewandpreexist-ingstoreslocatedthere,aswellascultivatethedemandforfuturegrowththroughoutthe“northernfront.”

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Target Audience & Media MixTelevision Televisionisoneoftheseveralmediumsinwhichweplantoadvertisein.Televisionallowsforaudienceselectivity,creativity,andhighreachandfrequency.BasedonourSimmonsdata,wefoundahighindexof179,among18-24yearoldsand132among25-34yearoldsforrarelywatchingTVthroughouttheday.WealsofoundahighindexforrarelywatchingTVinthemorningbetweenboth18-24yearoldsand25-34yearolds(122,114).Ourtargetsarehardworking,busyindividualswhoseemtoonlyrelaxlateatnight.BothSonicandfastfoodusersalsoindexedhighforlatenighteating.Infacttheyenjoyeatingbetween10:00-10:50pmthemost(180,128). In order to achieve our media objective we chose to advertising during the television pro-gramswehavefoundtoreachthehighestamongourtargetaudience.Alloftheseprograms aired during the early and late night dayparts, the times at which our target audiencewasmostlikelytobewatchingtelevision.SincePrimeTimeisthemostexpensiveday-part,payingmoreattentiontoLateNightFringewillbenefitouragencyimmensely,allowingforcheaperadvertising. Wewillberunning30-secondadvertisementsduringallofthetelevisionprogramschoseninordertomaximizeourshareofvoiceduringeachcommercialbreakandbecauseourbudgetallowsforit.Wefoundthatourtar-getmarketindexedhighforwatchingtelevisionshowsairedduringtheselatenighttimeslots. Wechosesyndicatedtelevisionprogramstosaveoncampaignfinances.Thisplanalsoaccommodatesourtargetslatenightreachtimeaswellasthefactthat the shows that indexed highest, suchas“Friends,”justhappentobesyndicated.

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American Dad whichhasanindexof241among18-24yearoldsand163among25-34yearolds.ThecomedyshowcentersonaConservativeAmericanFamilyandtheiroverdramaticmisadventures.Sonicusersarecareerorientedandfocusedontheirgoals.Comedyshowslikethisareaperfectwaytode-stressafteralongdayofwork. Family Guy followsamiddleclassfamily,andtheirdaytodaylivesfilledwithcomedy,chaos.Thisshowindexeshigh(234)forfastfoodusersaged18-24andanindexof171forthe25-34demographic.

Futurama wascreatedbythemakersoftheSimpsons,andfollowsseveralcoworkersinthefuturewhotravelaroundthegalaxyhavingadventures.TheshowalsoindexeshighforSonicusersaged18-24and25-34(212,181).

Friends hasanindexof173forthe18-24demographicand116forthe25-34demographic.Friendscenterson6friendsandtheirromancesandadventurestogether.Theshowendedin2004,buthassincebeenshowninsyndication.FriendsalsorankshighspecificallywithourtargetsintheMidwestwithanindexof127.

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Internet Sonic’stargetmarketrankshighforheavyinternetusewithahighindexamongboth18-24and25-34yearolds(144,145).Ourtargetsalsohavebeenshowntousetheinternetfrequentlyandatahigherrateathomethanatworkwithanindexof111among18-24yearolds,and119among25-34yearolds.Internetcanleadtohigherreach,highermeasurability,andmoreadvertisingexposure.BasedonourSimmonsdata,wefoundthatSonicuserswentontheinternettolookupinformationafterseeingsomethingonTV(144,172).Withanindexof253among18-24yearoldsand174among25-34yearolds,Simmonshasledusdiscoverthattheinternetisourtargetsprimarysourceofentertainment.Likewise,consideringourtargetslimitedfreetime,webelieveduseofinternetwasanexcel-lentmediumtothesuccessofourcampaign.

Hulu presents viewers with quality television and movies exactly whentheywanttowatchthemwithlimitedcommercialusage.DatasuggeststhatSonicusersprimarilyfindentertainmentonlineandspendlesstimewithfamilyandmoretimewiththeirfriendsorbythemselves.HulualsoprovideslesscluttertotraditionTV,makingitlesslikelyforviewerstoleaveormissouradvertisements.WefoundthatSonicusersspendlesstimewatchingTVontheirTVsetbecauseoftheinternetanditsstreamingsites(207,149).Wewillbedoing30secondspotsforHulu.

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Pandora isanonlineradiostreamingsitethatprovidesmillionsofvariousartistsandstylesofmusictoconsumersallaroundtheworld.Whiletherearesomewhopayapremiumforad-freeuse,mostpeoplechoosetousethesiteandsitthroughthefewadsthatoccurwitheachhour.Pandorarankshighwithourdemographicshavingahighindexamongboth18-24and25-34yearolds(203,182).Ourtargetmarketenjoyslisteningtomusicwithahighindexamongboth18-24and25-34yearolds(114,111).Pandora’scustomizationfactorappeals to our Sonic users who are individualistic and value their own enjoyment over oth-ers.ThepersonalizationofPandoraallowsuserstoenjoysomethingthatissolelytheirs.

YouTube providesvideosharingformillionsofpeoplearoundtheworld.Asstatedbefore,Sonicusersfindtheirprimarysourceofentertainmentonline.Basedonourresearch,Sonicusersenjoypostingphotos,videos,songs,andothercontentonsocialnetworking/communitywebsiteswithahighindexamongboth18-24and25-34yearolds(222,190).Theirinterestsandopinionsmattertoothers.

IMDb isthepremiersourceformovie,celebrity,andTVinformationandnews.IMDbrankshighamongSonicUserswithanindexof161.Thissitealsorankshighamongboth18-24and25-34yearolds(173,206).Ourtargetmarketalsolookstoceleb-ritieswhenpurchasingitems(213,138).

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Radio Radioalsoknownasthe“frequencymedium”isacosteffectivemediathatallowsfortargetselectivityandisthebestmediatoincreasefrequency.Sonicusersarebusywithworkingtowardstheircareergoalswithlittletimetospendlisteningtotheradioconstantlythroughouttheday.Wefoundthatourtargetmarkethadararealldayradiousage(140,94).ThisledustochoosetousespotadsduringthemorningandeveningdriveasthosewherethehigherdaypartsforSonicusers.Stationswillbechosenbasedonthethemusictypeouraudiencepreferstolistento,asshowninthechartsbelow.

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Social Media Ourcampaignstrategyalsoincludesbothearnedandownedmedia.Sonicusersaresocialandenjoyinteractingandsharingcontentonline.BasedonourdataourdemographicindexeshighforspendingalotoftimepostingandcommentingonsocialmediaplatformssuchasFacebook,Instagram,andTwitter(222,190).ItisourhopethatthesuccessofourpaidmediaoutletswillleadtoincreasedconsumerdesiretofollowSonic’scampaign.Socialmedia will be used to:-PostpicturesofSonic’stimelessclassic’ssuchastheirfamoushotdogs,tatertots,andcook-iedoughmilkshakes-Helpcreatehypewithpostsofupcomingpromotionaleventsandtie-ins-Promotethesalespromotioncampaign,emphasizingthesocialexperienceofSonic-Eventupdates,andphotosshowcasingnewmenuitems

Out of Home ForOutofHome(OOH)advertisingSonicusersindexedhighwithvideoadvertisementswhilewaitingforthepublictransportrankinganindexof155for18-24yearoldsand123for25-34yearolds.Largebillboardadsalsoindexhighat133forSonicusers.Otherresearchsuggeststhatourtargetmarketnoticedadsatsportsstadiumsandarenaswithanindexof116forSonicusers.Weplanonutilizingthisdatatoadvertiseonbillboards,particularly25ShowBillboardstosaveonbudget.

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Sales PromotionsGeneral Sonichasasuccessfultrackrecordofusingacombinationofsalespromotionsandbrandactivationstoincreaseawarenessanddrivesales.They’veusedeverythingfromiconiccampaignslike“SummerofShakes”toholidaypromotionslikethe“President’sDay$1HotDogs”toaplethoraofeverydaycouponsandlocationbasedpromotions.Inadditiontoapaidmediaplan,ourcampaignalsoincludesanumberofadditionalpromotionsbasedoffofourbigideathataredesignedtoincreaseengagementwiththebrandandhelpSonictoimbeditselfinthenorthernfront,especiallyinthoseareaswhereSonicisopeninglocationsforthefirsttime.

Email Campaign Amongourtargetaudienceofadultsages18-34,emailisproventobeaneffectivestrategy.Youngadults,ages18-24,indexed134%(234)higherthanaverageforemailadvertisementsveryoftenleadingtopurchases.Thus,ouragencydefinitelyagreedthatanemailcampaignwouldproveeffectivewhengeneratingawareness.Furthermore,emailisaverycosteffectivewaytoincreaseourshareofvoice.Accordingtooursources,itcostsapproximately$1,000toreachonemillionpeopleviaemail.Themaincostissimplypurchasingalistofnamesandemailsthatarewithinourtargetmarket. Weplantosendemailstobothaddressesfrompurchasedlistsandliststhathavebeencompiledthroughotherpromotions.Sincethe32DMAscomprise11.4%ofUSHouseholds,thatequivalenttoabout31,890,000emailswewouldsendeachweektoanyonelivinginthoseareas,accordingto2014U.S.CensusBureau.ThiscalculationcamefrommultiplyingtheoverallU.S.populationby10%.Wedidnotmultiplythisnumberby11.4%toaccountforthepeopleinthislocationwhodonothaveemailaddresses.Thismeansthatourcostswouldbe$31,890eachweek,for52weeksoutoftheyear,equalingabout$1,658,280.Ouremailswouldpromote menu items, special deals, and integrate various other campaignswearelaunching.

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Social Saturday ShenanigansMediawouldliketolaunchacampaignencouragingourmarkettoeatatSonicwithafriend.IfyoucometoSoniconaSaturdaywithanotherperson,youbothgetafreemilkshake!Duetocostconstraints,thiswouldhappenthefirstSaturdayofeverymonth,andwehaveadjustedourbudgettomatchthisstrategy.Sinceitishardtoexactlypredicthowmanymilkshakesthiswouldbe,wehaveallocated$3.59millionforthispromotionalevent.Thiswouldallowustosell1,000,000mediummilk-shakesatacostof$3.59.Thisisenoughmoneytogiveawayabout70,000freemediumsizemilkshakeseverySaturdayforayear. Thisideafora#SocialSaturdayresultedfromacarefulanalysisofourkeyconsumerinsights.Adultsages18-24are115%morelikelytoenjoyeatingwithfriendsorcoworkersthantheaverageperson,whileadultsages25-34are31%morelikelytoenjoyeatingwithfriendsorcoworkersthantheaverageperson.Thus,wethoughtthiscampaignwouldbebeneficialforboththebrandandtheconsumers,anditwouldsupportourbigidea,“BeSocial.BeSonic.BeYou.”

Contests (#ShareYourSonic) Membersofourtargetaudience,adultsages18-34,indexhighforconteststobeaneffectivestrategy(106,124).Youngadults18-24indexed6%higherthantheaverageforrespondingtoincentiveoffersviacontestsorcompetitionswhileadults25-34indexed24%higherthantheaverageforthiscategory.18-34yearoldadultsalsoindexedhighforenjoyingpostingphotosonsocialmedia,youngadultsages18-34in-dexed120%higherthantheaveragepersonandadultsaged25-34indexed90%higherthantheaverage. The#ShareYourSonicInstagramchallengeencouragesconsumerstotakephotosofthemselveswiththeirfriendseatingSonicandshareitonsocialmedia.Thewinnerofthe#ShareYourSoniccompetitionwillwinfreeSonicdrinksforthemandafriendforayear.Wewouldhave100winners,totalling200milkshakesat$3.59apiecefor365days.

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Friendship Day (Ultimate Roadtrip) Sonicisaboutmorethanjustgreatfood--it’sabouttheexperienceyouandothersgetfrommakingatriptoone.SonicaimstotakethisideaandcombineitwithNationalFriendshipdaytocreatetheulti-mateweekendroadtrip!NationalFriendshipDayfallsonthefirstSundayinAugustintheU.S.In2017,itfallsonAugust7th.Basedonthedataabove,inordertopromotegreatfoodandfriendship,Sonicwillcreateanationalweekendcontesteventwhereconsumerstaketheweekend(FridayandSaturday)lead-inguptoAugust6th,2017(Sunday)toroadtriparoundthestateintheNorthwesternregionwiththeirfriends,stoppingatdifferentSonicDrive-Inswheretheywillparticipateandcompeteinvariousactivitiesandgamesthatcanonlybecompletedwith2ormorepeople.Gamesmayinclude:

-SonicHotDogScavengerHunt-SlushieoneleggedRace-BuildtheUltimateSonicBlastContest-UltimateSonicSelfieChallenge-SonicBigBurgerEatingContest-RollerSkateRace-ServelikeaSonicCarhopContest

Thosewhowanttoparticipatewillbeabletosignuponlineinadvancewiththeiremailaddress.Theywillgetacodewhichwillbeabletobeusedfora“SonicUltimateRoadTrip”card.ThiscardwillbebroughttoeachSonicthroughouttheweekendwheretheywillbeabletoswipeinafterparticipatingineacheventearningthempoints.ThesepointswillaccumulatethroughouttheweekendleadinguptoNationalFriendshipDaywheretheywillberedeemableforfamilysizedtatertotsatanyparticipatingnationalSonicrestaurant.Wehaveallocated$3.99milliondollarstowardsthisparticularevent,enoughtomakeuptheproductcostof1millionfamilysizetatertotgiveaways,eachtatertotpricedat$3.99.Everyonewhosignsupwillautomaticallygetafreemediumshakenomatterthenumberofpoints.Thisgiantweekendoffunpromotesfriendshipandtogethernesswhileenjoyingsomeofthetastiestfoodoutthere!

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Geographic Promotions Inourgeographyobjectives,westatedthatthereweretenDMAswherewewantedtospecificallyincreasetheweightofourpromotions.SevenoftheseDMAsdemonstratedthefavorabilityoftheirindustryenvironmentsthroughhighCDIsandtheotherthreewereidentifiedasthemostlikelyenvironmentsfornewSoniclocationstosucceedbasedoffoflifestyledata.InordertoincreaseawarenessinthesefavorableDMAs,ourcampaignhasrecommendedanumberofgeographicspecificpromotionalcampaigns.TheseasonalityofthesepromotionsarealsointendedtofitwithinthepulsingstrategyofthecampaignandcapitalizeontheSonic’stypicalincreasinginsalesduringthesummermonths.The Wisconsin State Fair (Milwaukee, WI)TheWisconsinStateFairisgoingonthisAugustfromthe4th-14th.ThiselevendayeventisseenasanintegralpartoftheMilwaukeesummer.It’safuneventforallages,offeringfood,music,animals,andallsortsoffun.Ruralmeetsurbanasfairgoershavetheopportunitytointeractwiththestate’sbestlivestock,watchthejudgesratethem,andevengettowatchthetraditionalpigraces.WehaveselectedthiseventasasponsorshipopportunityforSonic.In2014,theeventbroughtin1,030,881fairgoersfromacrosstheregion,thoughmostofthemcomingfromMilwaukee(83.8%).WhiletheaverageagefortheFair’sattendeesis38,theirhouseholdincomeof$65,900iswellwithinourtargetdemographic.Inaddition,both18-24yearolds(110),and25-34yearolds(147)aremorelikelythanthegeneralpopulationtohavegonetoastatefairinthepast12months.InadditionSonic’swidearrayofuniquemadetoorderproductofferingswillbecomplementedwellbythefairfoodslikedeepfriedbaconwrappedtatertotsandthefamouscreampuffs.

SponsoringtheFairallowsabrandaccessto:inclusionintheWisconsinState Fair Collateral Materials, PA announcements, onsite sponsorship recognition,websiterecognitionandlinks,andadmissionticketsandhospitality.Inaddition,theFairalsooffersaccommodatesmobilemarketingtoursand allows brands to use these tours to sample, coupon, and lead generate.Allofthesesponsorshipsarecustomizable.Unfortunately,ourteamwasunabletoobtaintheexactcosttobethepresentingsponsorfortheFair.However,bylookingatDMA-widemarketingbudgetofthe2013presentingsponsor,U.S.Cellularandbycomparingthesponsorshipratesofothercomparablefairs,wepredictthecostofthispromotiontobeapproximately$1.5million.Noneofourcompetitorscurrentlysponsorthisevent,andthemediacoverageandsocialmediausagebyfairgoerscouldgeneratealotofunearnedmediaimpressions.

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Hosting the PDX Adult SoapBox Derby Race (Portland, OR) OnAugust20th,2016,Portlandwillhostthe18thannualPDXAdultSoapboxDerbyracewherefearlessgrown-upswillhurtledownanextinctvolcanoinhomemadesoapboxderbycarts.Overtheyears,thiseventhasgrownfromaculthobbyintoahighlypopularspectatorevent.Whilethereisnotspecificdatathatindicatesthatourtargetaudienceispassionateaboutsoapboxderby,both18-24yearolds(241),and25-34yearolds(161)arefarmorelikelythanthegeneralpopulationtohavegonego-kartinginthepast12months.Theyalsoenjoytakingrisks(18-24:242,25-34:150)andconsiderthemselvestobebrave,courageous,daring,andadventure-some(18-24:123,25-34:124). Soniccouldsponsorracers,providegiveaways,evenattractnationalattentionandmakethePDXAdultSoapboxDerbyrace,thesoapboxderbyeventoftheyear.Inaddition,sincenoothercorporatesponsorshavepickedupthiseventyet,itcouldbeanopportunityforsonictopresentitselfinahighlyfavorableenvironmentwithoutmuchcompetitionforvoice.ThisisespeciallyimportantsincePortland,ORisaDMAwhereSonichasanaboveaverageCDI(102)butabelowaverageBD(98)I.PromotionslikethisaregreatopportunitiesforSonictoincreasebrandawarenessandstealmarketsharefromitscompetitors.Thecosttohostthisannualeventwould include promotion via social media and local spot advertisements, providing stipends to cover the building expensesofracers’cars,coveringthetravelexpensesofracersfromaroundthenational,payingthevariouslicenseandlegalfees,andprovidingfortheadministrationoftheevent.Sonic has the opportunity to be as extravagant with this promotion as they desire, however, our team has decid-edtoallocate$500,000ofourbudgettothiseventwiththeintentionofgrowingitintoanationalaffair.Hostingthiseventcouldalsohelpgeneratesomegreatpromotionalcontentlikeracerfeaturesorengagingvideosfeaturingtheeventitself.Finally,thiscampaigndemonstratesthebrand’scommitmenttoinvestinginthecommunityoftheDMA.ThiscouldproveintegralinincreasingSonicsalesinthearea.

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92nd Annual Bayview Port Huron Sailboat Race and Tailgate (Detroit, MI) ThisJuly,Sonicwillhostamassivetailgateforthe92ndannualBayviewPortHurontoMackinacSailboatRace.Thepartywill starttheafternoonbeforetheraceonJuly17thandgolateintothenightbeforecontinuingthroughoutthenextdaywhiletheraceistakingplace.Bothourprimarymarketof18-24yearolds(172),andoursecondarymarketof25-34yearolds(158)arefarmorelikelythantheaveragepersontohaveattendedatailgateinthepastyear.Inaddition,theyenjoyparticipatinginleisureactivitiesaroundwaterwith18-24yearsoldsbeing13%morelikelyand25-34yearoldsbeing30%morelikelytohavebeentothelakeorabeachinthepastyearthantheaverageperson. TheannualeventishostedbytheBayviewYachtClubofDetroitandfeaturesabout200sailboats.Itat-tractsaround100,000visitorsperyear,mostofthemmoretheDetroitarea.In2010,thecurrentpresentingsponsoratthattime,Bell’sBrewery,recorded4.4millionpageviewsontheirwebsiteduringtherace.Webe-lievethatinpromotingthetailgate,SonicwillbeabletoboostthenumberofattendeesandcapitalizeontheincreasedbrandawarenessinanotherDMAwithahighCDI(120),butaslightlybelowaverageBDI(99).Bydemonstratinginterestinandsupportingawellregardedlocalevent,Soniccouldgainthelocalbackingitneedstoincreaseitsbrand’smarketsharethere.Basedonrecordsfrompreviouspresentingsponsorsandfactoringinthecostofhostingatwodaylongtailgate,weanticipatethecostofthispromotiontobearound$1.4million.

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Media Buying

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Television Overall,wearespending$7,407,200ontelevisionadvertisements.Thisaccountstobeabout26%ofourbudget.Morespecifically,wearespending$3,615,600onSpotTVLateFringe/News,whichisapproximately13%ofourbudget.Therefore,theother3,791,600accountsforapproximately14%ofourbudget(thereisaroundingerrorpresent),whichwillbeallocatedforSpotCable.

Internet SinceInternetissuchapopularplatformwithourtargetaudience,weallocatedalargeportionofourbudgettothisformofadvertising.Overall, we are spending $4,873,400 on Digital Spot ads such as Ad Networks,VideoNetworks,PublisherVideoSites,Social,andMobile.Thisspendingaccountsfor17%ofourtotalspending.*Itisalsonoteworthytomentionthatthissectiondoesnotincludeemailadvertisements.Ouremailadvertisingwasaccountedforinour“SalesPromotion”portionofthebudget.

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Out of Home SinceOut-of-Homeisoftenveryinflated,ouragencydidnotwanttoallocatetoomuchspendingtothisformofadvertising.Therefore,25ShowBillboardsonlyaccountfor1%ofourtotalspending,or$256,900.Also,weareonlydoingOut-of-HomeadvertisementsinthemonthofJune.

Radio Thebudgetforradiois$4,873,400,or9%ofourtotalbudget.WechosetoadvertiseonSpotRadioMorningDrive,andSpotRadioEveningDrive.Afterall,thatiswhenourtargetmarketismostlikelytobelisteningtotheradio.MorningDriveaccountsfor5%ofourbudget($1,458,500),whiletheEveningDriveaccountsfor4%($1,070,100).

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Sales Promotion SalesPromotionaccountsforapproximately46%ofourentirecampaign($12,900,400).SalesPromotionisbrokendownintofivedifferentcategories,includinganEmailCampaign,#SocialSaturday,#ShareYourSonic,FriendshipDay,andGeographic.

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Reach, Frequency, and GRP Thiscampaignwillfocusonprioritizingfrequencyoverreach.WhileSonichasbeensteadilyincreas-ingitsmarketsharewithintheQuickServiceRestaurantindustryandiscurrentlyranked13thinannualsystemwidesales,asof2014,itstillonlypossessesabout2.1%oftheshare.Ingeneral,theQSRindustryisahighlycompetitiveone.ThefactthatSonicisenteringsomeoftheDMA’sinthenorthernfrontforthefirsttimemeansthatcompetitionwithinthoseareaswillbeevenmoreintense.Inaddition,inlookingattheCDI/BDIinformationfromthe32DMAsthatmakeupthenorthernfront,thereareanumberofloca-tionswherefavorablemarketconditionsexist,howeverSonicisbeingcrowdedoutbyitscompetition.Assuchourcampaignistailoredtofocusonfrequencywhileachievingamoderatereach.ThroughtheOs-trowmodel,wewereabletodeterminethattheminimumeffectivefrequencyforthiscampaignis4.Giv-entheexpansivebudgetprovidedbySonic,wesettheaveragefrequencyforthecampaignat7,slightly

abovethegeneralaverageof5.2.Theaveragereachforthecampaignissetat75inordertoobtainamoder-atereachandensurethatthebrandmessagingmakesittoasizablepercentageofthetargetmarket.Inordertoachievethefrequencygoalsforthiscampaign,weendedupexceedingourreachgoalasshowninthe“SchedulingandTiming“figure.

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Scheduling and TimingObjective Wewillbecompletingaspotcampaigninthe32DMA’sprovidedbytheMediaFlightPlanSonicCaseStudy.Thisspotcampaignwilllasttwelvemonths,andwillfollowapulsingschedule,inhopestogainawarenessforSonicinthenorthernfront.

Strategy/Rationale ThepeakmonthsofthecampaignarefromMaytoJuly,whileDecemberthroughFebruaryarethemonthswiththelowestreachandfrequencygoals.ThisdecisiontohavethepeakmonthsofthecampaignduringthesummerwasduetothefactthatSonic’ssalesarehigherduringthesemonths,asmorepeopleareapttoenjoythedrive-inservicewhentheweatherisnicer.ThisinformationwasprovidedbytheMediaFlightPlanCaseStudy,whichstates“salesaregenerallylowerduringSonic’ssecondfiscalquarter.”ThisquarterisequivalenttothemonthsofDecember,January,andFebruary.Therefore,ShenanigansMediatookadefensiveapproach and advertised heaviest when our sales werethehighest.Ourteamwillalsohaveacontinu-ouscampaignonsocialmedia(owned/earnedme-dia)andvarioussalespromotionsthat,collectively,willlastthelengthoftheyear.Duetotheexcessamountofmoneyleftinourbudget,Shenanigan’sMediawantedtocapitalizeonuniquewaystopro-motethebrandinhopesoffosteringbrandloyalty.

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Scheduling and Timing (Paid Media) April May June July August September

Medium GRP's GRP's GRP's GRP's GRP's GRP's

TelevisionSyndication (Spot Late Night Fringe/News, Spot Cable)American Dad (30 second spots)Family Guy (30 second spots)Futurama (30 second spots)Friends (30 second spots)InternetDigtial Spot (Impressions)Hulu (30 second spots)PandoraYouTubeIMDbRadioLocal Spot RadioMorning Drive (60 second spots) 70 100 10 100 70Evening Drive (60 second spots) 70 100 10 100 70Out-of-HomeInserts (25 Show)Billboards/Transit 665.00Owned and Earned MediaSocial Media (free)Sales PromotionEmail Campaign#SocialSaturday#ShareYourSonicFriendship DayGeographic

TOTAL GRPs 706 813 823 813 696 586

406 403 38 403 406 406

160 210 100 210 150 180

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October November December January February March

GRP's GRP's GRP's GRP's GRP's GRP'sTOTAL GRPs

50 125 50 150 1550 125 50 140 10

633 455 422 340 387 403 7077

406 283 205 22 227 378

180 250 300 50(Spot Late+Fringe/News+Only)

160 1770

3177

1465

665

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Geography Thecampaignwillfocusontargetingthe32DMAsthatmakeupSonic’s“northernfront.”TheseDMAshavebeenspecificallyselectedbySonicandouragencyhasbeentaskedwithtargetingthem.Ofthese32DMAs,tenofthemhaveneverhadaSoniclocationbefore,andtwoofthemwillhavenewunitsopeninginthemthisyear.Inaddition,SonichasalsoindicatedtwoDMAs--Helena,MTandMankato,MN--thatneithercontainaSoniclocationnorwillbeopeningonethisyear.However,SonicisinterestedincreatingbrandawarenesswithintheseDMAswiththeintentionofexpandingintothoseareaswithnewunitssometimeinthenearfuture.Intotal,these32DMAsmakeup11.42%ofthenationalhouseholdsthatfitwithinourtargetaudience.Assuch,ourcampaignwilltakeaspotapproach.

Withinthese32DMAs,thereareseventhatouragencyhaveidentifiedaslocationstoheavy-upin.Thefirstfour--Eugene,Or-egon;GrandRapidsetal,Michigan;Milwaukee,WI;andRapidCity,SD--allhavehighCDIandBDIindexes,indicatingthatoffersignificantopportunitiesforSonictoincreaseitssales.OftheseDMAs,GrandRapidsandMilwaukeehavethelargerpopulations(SeeAppendix)andRapidCityisopeningupfournewunitsthisyear.TheotherthreeDMAsthatouragencywouldliketospecifi-callytargetareDetroit,MI;Lansing,MI;andPortland,OR.ThesethreeDMAshavehighCDIbutlowBDIindexesforSonicindicatingthatgivenasuccessfulpromotionalcampaign,couldedgeoutcom-petitionandbecomeprofitablemarketsforSonic.OftheseDMAs,DetroitandPortlandhavethelargerpopulations(SeeAppendix).

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WhileSonicdoesnothavetherelevantpastsalesinformationtoconstructaBDIforthetennewDMAsthatitisenteringinthenorthernfront,thereisdataregardingthelifestyleattitudesofthosepopulationsthatleadsustobelievethatDuluth-Superior,MN(101);LaCrosseEauClaire,WI(102);andTraverseCityetal,MI(103)willlikelybenefitthemostfromincreasedbrandexposure.ThepopulationsineachoftheseDMAsoverindexintheirdesiretoeatfastfoodthattheylikeregardlessofhowmanycaloriesitcontains.Assuch,wewillbeheavyingupinthesethreeDMAsaswell.

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BudgetObjectiveTolaunchanintroductorycampaign,fromApril2017toMarch2018,withabudgetof$28million.

Strategy and Rationale ShenanigansMediaallocatedourmediabuysbasedonabudget($28million)setbytheclient.Therefore,therewasnoneedtodetermineadifferentbudgetbasedonpercentageofbrandsales,percentageofcategorysales,orbycomparingourcompetitor’sspending.Thenextdecisionouragencyhadtomakewaswhetherthecampaignshouldfollowanational,spot,orcombinedapproach.Afterrealizingthatthe32DMA’sonlyaccountedfor11.4%ofU.S.Households,itwasclearthataspotcampaignwouldbemosteffectiveforourpurposes. Ouradbuysweredeterminedbasedonthemediaplatformsthatourtargetmarket,adultsages18-34,indexedhighestwith.Internetindexeswellwithouraudience,as18-24yearoldsare44%morelikelytobeheavyinternetusersthantheaverageperson.Even25-34yearoldsaresavvyusers,andare45%morelikelythantheaveragepersontobeaheavyinternetuser.

Radiowasalsoastrategicbuy,asitallowedustooptimizefrequencyforourcampaignandisagreatmediumfortargetaudienceselectivity.Eventhough18-24yearoldsand25-34yearsoldareinthe5thand4thQuintilerespectively,meaningtheyarerareorinfrequentusers,westillfoundittobeanimportantmedium.Afterall,Sonicusersare21%morelikelytobeheavyradiousers(Quintile1)thantheaverageperson.

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Strategy and Rationale (Continued) OutofHomeindexeddecentlywithourtargetmarket,as25-34yearsoldhaveanindexnumberof118forbeingfrequentusersofoutdooradvertising(Quintile2).However,ourteamdidn’twanttoallocatetoomuchspendingintothismedium.Impressionnumbersareoftenveryinflated,andouragencywantstoensurethatthereachandfrequencyareasaccurateaspossible. Televisiondidaccountfor$7.4millionofourbudget,butthisnumberisveryreasonableconsideringthatweadvertisedduringSpotLateNightFringe/NewsandSpotCable.Also,tobeextrathorough,ourteamdedicatedtheremainingbudgetforourpromotionaleventsandadirectemailcampaign. Asshowninthecharts,ourmonthswiththebiggestspendingwereMay,July,andAugust.SinceSonic is more popular at these times due to nicer weather, our team decided to heavy up spending during thisperiod.Likewise,duringthewintermonths(especiallyJanuary),ouradspendingandGRP’swerelower.Ouragencydecidedthatduetothecoldweather,asalesdeclineisexpected. Finally, without the promotional events or email campaign, our budget was only slightly over 15 million($15,066,100).Nevertheless,wedidn’tthinkincreasingourreachandfrequencywouldbeeffective,aswewantedtoavoidwear-out.Thus,wecreatedathoroughsalespromotioncampaignwiththeremainingmoney.Theseinnovative,creativesalestechniqueswillnotonlyincreaseawareness,buthopefullyfosterbrandloyaltyforpotentialSonicconsumers.

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Media Planning Budget April May June July August September

Medium $(000) $(000) $(000) $(000) $(000) $(000)

TelevisionSyndication (Spot Late Night Fringe/News, Spot Cable)American Dad (30 second spots)Family Guy (30 second spots)Futurama (30 second spots)Friends (30 second spots)InternetDigtial Spot (Impressions)Hulu (30 second spots)PandoraYouTubeIMDbRadioLocal Spot RadioMorning Drive (60 second spots) 138.00 197.10 19.70 197.10 138.00Evening Drive (60 second spots) 103.30 147.60 14.80 147.60 103.30Out-of-HomeInserts (25 Show)Billboards 256.90Owned and Earned MediaSocial Media (free)Sales PromotionEmail Campaign 138.19 138.19 138.19 138.19 138.19 138.19#SocialSaturday 299.17 299.17 299.17 299.17 299.17 299.17#ShareYourSonic 21.84 21.84 21.84 21.84 21.84 21.84Friendship Day 3990.00Geographic 1400.00 2000.00

TOTAL COST $(000) 2,113.50 2,251.40 1,203.60 3,651.40 7,830.10 1,737.80

751.90 558.70 70.00 558.70 524.80 524.80

661.10 888.80 383.00 888.80 614.80 753.80

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October November December January February March

$(000) $(000) $(000) $(000) $(000) $(000)TOTAL COST $(000)

98.50 246.40 98.50 295.60 29.6073.80 184.50 73.80 206.60 14.80

138.19 138.19 138.19 138.19 138.19 138.19 1,658.28299.17 299.17 299.17 299.17 299.17 299.17 3,590.0021.84 21.84 21.84 21.84 21.84 21.84 262.07

3,990.003,400.00

2,074.60 1,252.60 1,938.80 1,193.20 1,516.10 1,203.40 27,966.50

524.80 364.80 362.50 37.50 419.90 699.80

753.80 1,078.30 1,269.80 231.80(Spot Late/Fringe/News/Only)

637.00 7,407.20

4,873.40

2,528.60

256.90

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AppendixSituational Analysis“SonicMediaPlanningCaseStudy,”MediaFlightPlan,2010“NielsenPopulationData,”NielsenClaritas,2011(usedbypermission)“QuickServeandPizzaCompetitive,”KantarMedia–MagazinePublishersofAmericaInc.,2011(usedbypermission)“EstimatedTotalFastFoodandSonicSalesbyDMAinSOnicFootprint”“SonicCaseDoublebase,”GfKMediamarkResearch&IntelligenceLLC,2011(usedbypermission)“SonicCaseDoublebase-CEW,”GfKMediamarkResearch&IntelligenceLLC,2011(usedbypermission)“SRDSLifestyleAnalyst:MarketPotentialIndexes,”ExperianMarketingSolutionsInc.andTheNielsenCompany,2010(usedbypermission)https://www.firstresearch.com/Industry-Research/Fast-Food-and-Quick-Service-Restaurants.htmlhttp://www.statista.com/statistics/259148/consumer-spending-us-qsr-sector/http://www.statista.com/statistics/196614/revenue-of-the-us-fast-food-restaurant-industry-since-2002/http://www.statista.com/statistics/294344/frequency-of-quick-service-restaurant-visits-us/https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/quick-service-restaurants-prevail-despite-weak-economyhttps://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/quick-service-industry-grow-49-percent-2013http://ir.sonicdrivein.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=840772http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Food-Ser-vice-Retail/2014/11/Diverse_menu_pays_off_for_Soni.aspx?ID={37E914E7-BABB-461A-B5AF-9B8A0CF01B56}&cck=1http://brandchannel.com/2011/05/24/sonic-launches-this-is-how-you-facebook-connect-crowdsourcer/http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/05/11/kevin-durant-getting-his-own-slush-drink-sonic#http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/sonic-making-awesome-square-shakes-designed-instagram-sold-through-instagram-170602?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Adweek_Newsletter_2016160416&utm_source=sailthru&utm_term=AW_Adfreakhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315005471/en/SONIC-Drive-In-Enter-46th-State-Hawaiihttp://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304626304579505520046695000?mg=reno64-wsjhttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-confidencehttp://blog.accessdevelopment.com/customer-loyalty-statistics-2015-edition#consumerhttp://blog.accessdevelopment.com/customer-loyalty-statistics-2015-edition#restaurant

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Media Mixhttp://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/american-dad-2014-15-season-ratings-34735/

Promotionshttp://www.census.gov/popest/about/terms.htmlhttp://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4488-email-marketing-guide.htmlhttp://www.thebeerspot.com/news/archive/2011/03/0/54http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2014/04/17/90th-annual-bells-beer-bayview-mackinac-race/https://www.travelportland.com/article/august-events/http://www.travelportland.com/article/go-speed-racers/http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2006/03/20/story1.htmlhttp://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2014/05/02/u-s-cellular-to-end-naming-rights-sponsorship-of.htmlhttp://wistatefair.com/fair/http://wistatefair.com/wsfp/sponsorship/http://www.visitmilwaukee.org/festivals-major-events/wisconsin-state-fair)

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