2Page

Table of Contents Agency Introduction 3 Executive Summary 4 Situational Analysis 5 Research 6 SWOT Analysis 7 Competitor Analysis 8-9 Objectives 10 Strategies 11 Branding Positioning Strategy 12 Target Audiences 13-14 Media Outlets 15 Tactics 16-23 Measurement and Evaluation 24-25 Timetable 26 Budget 27 Staff Bios 28-23 Appendix 34-41

Page 3

Agency IntroductionSouth Hill Consulting is a public relations firm that specializes in the local eateries and food services in the Finger Lakes area in New York state. The Finger Lakes area, and the city of Ithaca in particular, is known for its high-quality local based foods and restaurants and food services. Our firm strives to promote these unique community assets to incoming students and their families, local consumers, and visitors to the area who are looking to ‘taste’ this experience.

From observational research and first-hand experience at Ithaca College, our team is experienced in how local college students network and communicate new products and services to each other. Combined with our specialization in local eateries, we have extensive knowledge of the strategies that local food suppliers have used to contact and reach the college audience.

Our consulting members hold experience within the pastry and baking industry including past experience with home-town bakeshops and international encounters of Parisian pâtisseries. We are confident that South Hill Consulting’s expertise in the food services market will serve the needs of Sarah’s Pâtisserie quite well.

4Page

Executive SummarySarah’s Pâtisserie is an exquisite local pastry shop that produces high quality pastries, sweets, and chocolates, located in Cayuga Heights of Ithaca, NY. Sarah’s Patisserie would like to extend their current customer base, as well as build brand awareness and understanding to a larger audience. Our plan will center around the same values that Sarah’s Pâtisserie currently holds, mainly an ardent dedication to quality and a pleasant community atmosphere. South Hill Consulting is excited to present our plans and recommendations.

Our mission for this campaign is to extend the public’s awareness, specifically college students and their families, of Sarah’s delicacies and joyful experiences within the eatery. Through a larger audience and market awareness, Sarah’s Pâtisserie can experience an increase in revenue, ultimately leading to a higher profit.

We would like to thank Tammy Travis, owner and head chef of Sarah’s Pâtisserie, and her fellow employees, for participating in this plan and taking the time to assist us with any questions we had during the creation of the plan. We would also like to thank her for attending our proposal presentation.

Sincerely,

Kristal Hamou (khamou1@ithaca.edu)Gwen Fernau (gfernau1@ithaca.edu)Katie Shaw (kshaw2@ithaca.edu)Matt Caggiano (mcaggia1@ithaca.edu)Carly Moore (cmoore3@ithaca.edu)Alana Soumas (asoumas1@ithaca.edu)

Page 5

Situational AnalysisSarah’s Pâtisserie is a French styled bakery and café serving the Ithaca, New York area. Tammy Travis, the owner and head chef at Sarah’s Pâtisserie, works hard at delivering fine, French-inspired sweets including cakes, truffles, macaroons, and cookies for any occasion.

Sarah’s Pâtisserie is a quaint shop located at Community Corners in Cayuga Heights that caters towards audiences such as mothers, business owners, and retired citizens. Owned and operated by Tammy Travis, a native to the area with world-class training from chocolatier Jacques Torres. Sarah’s Pâtisserie offers high quality desserts at a fair pricing. These qualities make Sarah’s Pâtisserie capable of increasing popularity in the community and grabbing younger demographics attention.

Sarah’s Pâtisserie has an advantage of being located in a town where locals favor hometown specialty shops. In addition, Ithaca is known for its variety of excellent food providers. Sarah’s Pâtisserie is also located in one of the largest and most well-known college towns.

Currently, Sarah’s Pâtisserie feels that their customer base is limited and would like to reach a more diverse audience. We questioned local students and peers within the community and essentially all of the responses were the same; we discovered that most had not heard of Sarah’s Pâtisserie before. The goal of this PR campaign is to make Sarah’s Pâtisserie more widely known and respected for their superior quality in the community, which will subsequently increase customers and profits for Sarah’s Pâtisserie.

6Page

The majority of our findings about Sarah’s Pâtisserie came from web research. The results showed that Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s had limited web presence. There were only a few listings that accurately portrayed the character and personality of the shop, but the overall presence was weak and most of the content was not all that informative. However we did find two articles about Ms. Travis in particular that were very informative and engaging, one from edible Finger Lakes and another from the Light in Winter (a festival in Ithaca) webpage.

A site that included reviews on Sarah’s Pâtisserie was Yelp.com, a food and restaurant review site. The reviews listed on this particular site were all positive. Many of them commented that, although the pricing was on the higher-end, the quality of the products was well worth the price.

When conducting social media research, Sarah’s Pâtisserie was only found on Facebook. The Facebook page seemed to be managed well with pictures and status updates describing products. The comments seemed to be coming from a concentrated audience, displaying a customer-based loyalty.

Research

Page 7

SWOT AnalysisStrengths• Taste, quality• One of a kind, no other

French pâtisseries located in Ithaca

• Family owned• Quaint, atmosphere• Good, quiet location,

neighboring businesses• Moderate prices• Cultural experience

Weaknesses• Low awareness/visibility• Away from main traffic• Outside of the Commons/

center Ithaca• Limited marketing efforts• Understaffed• Not much space for

groups dining in• Not enough promotional

packages, deals

Opportunities • Expansion• Discount/package deals• Local food stands/

community events• Increase marketing efforts• Reach out to local

businesses/hotels/visitors• Gain interest with Cornell/

Ithaca College• Partnerships with local

groups/organizations• Promote homemade/

local/grassroots• Clever, snappy product

phrases/names

Threats• Competitors• Economy• Not enough disposable

income• Seasonal/holiday oriented• Slow off-season

8Page

Competitor Analysis We recognize that Sarah’s Pâtisserie is the only French pastry shop in the Ithaca region, but we looked at other types of pastry businesses that we considered to be competitors for Sarah’s Pâtisserie. Just Desserts and Sincredible Pastries are other local businesses in the Ithaca area that specialize in experience, personalization, homemade pastries, chocolates, and cake orders. Wegman’s is another source of inexpensive dessert items that serves the Ithaca area.

Just DessertsJust Desserts is an elegant and simple cake and bakery shop that is centrally located on Danby Road in Ithaca. An advantage that Just Desserts has is that its pastries and breads are sold at the Queen of Tarts coffee shop located in the historic Coal Office building on Ithaca’s East Hill. They are also sold at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, the Grassroots Festival, and other events. Just Desserts charges $35.00 for setup and delivery in Ithaca and neighboring areas, and like Sarah’s Pâtisserie, cake prices vary on number of guests and cake flavor.

WegmansWegman’s is one of the most popular grocery stores in the Ithaca area. Wegman’s is conveniently located off of route 13 and supplies shoppers who are looking for a one-stop-shop. Wegman’s convenience and affordability is their biggest threat to Sarah’s Pâtisserie. Shoppers in Ithaca might not want to drive out of the center of town to buy pastries, cakes, and other assorted desserts. However, the quality of their products does not compare to Sarah’s Pâtisserie.

Page 9

Sincredible PastriesSincredible Pastries is a boutique-style cake and pastry shop. We chose this business as a main competitor because like Sarah’s Pâtisserie, Sincredible Pastries specializes in high-end cakes and pastries. Sincredible Pastries does not have a retail storefront, so orders are only available upon appointment.

One major advantage that Sincredible Pastries has over Sarah’s Pâtisserie is the amount of publicity they have received. They have been featured in The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook!, Catering Magazine, Brides Reception Magazine, and WellWed New York Magazine. Sincredible Pastries also utilizes a wide range of social media sites. Their website is very attractive, well organized, very detailed, and portrays the business as fun and chic, making their brand more appealing to a younger demographic.

At Sincredible Pastries a cake order has a minimum of $150.00 and increases due to customization and how many people the cake is serving. Sincredible Pastries also charges a $45.00 flat fee if your event is within a 20 mile radius. Every additional hour of travel adds $45.00 to the amount. At Sarah’s Pâtisserie, there is no flat rate, prices vary due to the amount of people you will be having at your event and how many tiers you’d like your cake to have.

Competitor Analysis (cont.)

10Page

Objectives• Build brand awareness and develop a stronger presence in

the community

• Educate target audiences and media about the superior quality of the products, differentiating its products from the competition

• Increase traffic to its website and Facebook by approximately 20%

• Increase clientele by 10%, thereby helping to increase revenues

Page 11

StrategiesGreater Community Involvement

• Participation in local festivals and events• Partnerships with local businesses

~ Hotels~ Restaurants~ Wedding Professionals and Venues

Building Brand Awareness• Offer some kind of package for college raffle events• Rack cards promoting a specific incentive to visit Sarah’s

Pâtisserie ~ Convention and Visitors Bureau ~ Local businesses ~ Wineries

Enhance Media Outreach• Create press kit for pitching to relevant media outlets• Educate consumers and media about:

~ Superior quality of products ~ Head Chef Tammy’s training and talent

• Bolster Social Media

Build Brand Loyalty• Launch reward program• Create incentives for off-months• Customized Merchandise

Launch Incentives and Promotional Deals• Package deals for holidays/events• Printed gift cards• Customized Cornell University and Ithaca College products

~ ex: cookies

12Page

Brand Positioning StrategySouth Hill Consulting wants to enhance Sarah’s Pâtisserie as a brand as well as a business. We believe this is key to creating a stronger identity within the community. Sarah’s Pâtisserie is a high quality pâtisserie that has not been seen much in the public eye. Our strategy is to make Sarah’s Pâtisserie more of a household name for locals as well as visitors.

One way of accomplishing this is through the addition of a logo. People need to identify with Sarah’s as a brand, and a logo allows just that. The logo of any company is a major part of creating brand loyalty. Adding the tag line “Un gout de la France,” (“A Taste of France”) takes it a step further. With the addition of these two key factors, Sarah’s Pâtisserie becomes more memorable. People will start to identify quickly with your pastries and image as a specialized French pâtisserie, and begin to create a relationship with the brand.

Un Gout de la France (A Taste of France)

Page 13

Target AudiencePeople with Discretionary income

The Pâtisserie is located in Cayuga Heights, which is already a very affluent area. These people are likely to have a more substantial amount of discretionary income. People who have this flexibility with their finances are able to maintain a certain standard of living. This type of money is commonly referred to as your “play” money. This target includes many types customers. Women over the age of 30 in the surrounding areas are already a part of Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s target audience, but since they have such importance as consumers, we wanted to stress them as a target audience. Also, we would like to branch out to Ithaca College and Cornell University faculty and students. The media outlets that would reach these people include newspaper or magazine advertisements, online advertisements, and radio advertisements.

Businesses and Hotels in IthacaAnother one of our primary target audiences are businesses and hotels in Ithaca, mainly La Tourelle Resort and Spa and the Holiday Inn, located in downtown Ithaca. We feel that making these hotels as part of Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s target audience would be very beneficial for their business and would lead to much success. If businesses were to have conferences at one of these hotels, we think the pâtisserie could make a lot of money by providing catering services for desserts and refreshments.

14Page

Secondary Audiences

Visitors to IthacaThis includes people who live 20 to 30 minutes outside of Ithaca, people who travel to Ithaca on the weekends (mainly in the summer and fall months to enjoy the shopping centers, wineries, and natural parks), and “day trippers.” Tourism is the seventh largest industry in Tompkins County according to www.visitithaca.com.

Gift GiversSpecifically men looking for treats and cakes for special occasions, anniversaries, birthdays etc. Although this is a secondary audience, this is still a huge market. Any day someone could be planning a small celebration, and why not have them shopping at Sarah’s?

Wedding Planners Sarah’s Pâtisserie is known for their beautiful and elegant wedding cakes. Ithaca is already a great place to host weddings because of its natural beauty, and we want wedding planners to recommend Sarah’s Pâtisserie to their clients as the number one place to shop for wedding cakes. The best way to reach this audience would be to advertise in bridal and wedding magazines.

Target Audience (cont.)

Page 15

Media OutletsGeneral

Life in the Finger Lakes Magazine14850.comVisitIthaca.comIthaca JournalIthaca TimesTompkins County Weekly

CuisineEdible Finger Lakes magazine (and website)

BridalFingerLakesWeddingsandEvents.comWeddingsNYstate.comWellWed Magazine (New York issue)WeddingWire.com

16Page

TacticsStrengthening Community PresenceOne way Sarah’s Pâtisserie can strengthen their presence in the com-munity is by participating in the multiple local festivals and events that take place every year. This should be a natural expansion with Ms. Tra-vis’ experience in A Light in Winter, the festival of the sciences and arts in Ithaca.

The Ithaca Apple Harvest FestivalThis festival is hugely popular, drawing crowds from the surrounding areas for the three days of entertainment, food, and many artisan dis-plays. The event is held on the Commons, gen-erally in the beginning of October. If Sarah’s Pâtisserie were to set up a table at this event, they could engage with multiple audiences in-cluding: college students and faculty, visitors to Ithaca, and local families.

Ithaca FestivalThe Ithaca Festival is a music festival that takes place at the end of May. This festival draws crowds from the surrounding areas and fea-tures many components of community in-volvement. There is a designated “food court” area where local food vendors will be located, but we would suggest that Sarah’s Pâtisserie look into setting up a booth at the Wine Gar-den. This is an area specifically designated for various wineries from the Finger Lakes area, including Sheldrake Point Winery and Six Mile Creek Vineyard.

Page 17

Tactics (cont.)Cayuga Lake Wine and Herb Festival

This festival is one of the most popular events on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Participants taste wines and herb-prepared cuisine as well as taking home various souvenirs. This would require a specific partnership with the wineries in order to feature Sarah’s pastries. Also, if the actual pastries could not be featured, they have prize drawings that would be a perfect opportunity for prize baskets or gift cards to Sarah’s Pâtisserie. Participating in this event would target tourists and Ithacans with disposable income. The Wine Trail is also a popular activity for the parents of college students, who would be more likely than their children to spend money on high-end desserts.

Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal ExposThe Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo is an upscale, interactive event that allows brides to shop for every aspect of their wedding day. The event is hosted by the Special Event Network (SEN)/Finger Lakes Weddings and Events, and takes place every year in February and November. One of the features of this event is cake tastings, which would be perfect for Sarah’s Pâtisserie.

18Page

Educating the public through Facebook (Appendix A)A large part of any business is its outreach to customers. A large part of why Sarah’s Pâtisserie is so successful already is because of its high quality products. We feel that there is not enough content communicating this unique selling point to the public. Part of our plan is to educate the public on the quality of Ms. Travis’ pastries. One way we can do this is by spreading awareness of its pastries and cakes through Facebook.

The current Facebook page already has a great following, but it could be utilized more efficiently. We recommend updating it daily on different items such as new specials, pastries, seasonal menus, and other news regarding your products. For example, a “treat of the day” picture, describing a different item each day with a photo and short description of what it is. Keeping it updated daily will have fans coming back to see what is new, as well as wanting to share it with their friends.

Loyalty Program (Appendix B)In order to increase brand loyalty, we suggest Sarah’s Pâtisserie create a customer rewards card, “Pâtisserie Points.” With each purchase, customers will have the opportunity to stamp their rewards card with a unique stamper, and after ten stamps, the customer will receive a free dessert item with a value of $6.00 or less. This rewards program will heighten brand loyalty by providing an incentive for repeat customers.

The cards (at the discretion of Ms. Travis) would either be handed out to customers at the point of sale, or held on file at the store. The incentive for holding the card at the store is that fraud is more easily avoided, as well as convenience for customers who may not want to keep track of and carry around yet another rewards card.

Tactics (cont.)

Page 19

Tactics (cont.)Reaching key media outlets with a press kit (Appendix C)

In order to raise the awareness about Sarah’s Pâtisserie we will be putting together a press kit that can be pitched to the various media outlets we have identified. This press kit will include a fact sheet about Sarah’s Pâtisserie, an extensive biography about Chef Tammy Travis, and a few different descriptions of the Pâtisserie’s philosophies. Examples of this would be descriptions of Sarah’s Pâtisserie for specific occasions such as weddings, holidays, birthdays, etc.We believe it would be especially effective to pitch this press kit at the time of the Pâtisserie’s anniversary. This would not only give the media outlets an extra incentive to pick up the articles, but it would also emphasize the Pâtisserie’s commitment to and establishment within the community.

Educating the public through the Website (Appendix D)We believe the Sarah’s Pâtisserie website could also be used in a more interactive way. The site already has a good layout and has a lot of relevant content for customers. All we want to do is update the look of the site, as well as reorganize some of the content.

Adding a little more color to the pallet would make the site more inviting to visitors. In addition to color, introducing a logo could help build brand loyalty by having something to identify with Sarah’s Pâtisserie. In terms of content, we believe it would be helpful to feature more overarching categories for the sidebar tabs, such as “Weddings” and “Seasonal Menus.” These tabs could then feature drop-down menus when clicked that would allow a customer to browse within that category.

Lastly, we would have a Facebook widget which would direct the customer to the Facebook page and allow them to “like” it. Thus allowing both platforms to interact with each other and create a more unified approach to utilizing technology to better the company.

20Page

Tactics (cont.)Rack Cards (Appendix E)

Another way to increase community awareness of Sarah’s Patisserie is through a rack card. They would be put in key places throughout Ithaca, such as: The Ithaca Visitors Bureau, businesses that are open to displaying rack cards, the hotels we have paired up with, and Sarah’s Pâtisserie. The rack cards will highlight the quality of the products and the cultural experience the store provides.They will have information about some of the pastries offered, location and hours, wedding cake information, and a coupon promotion.

Incentive and package dealsAt the moment Sarah’s Pâtisserie offers limited package deals, mainly focusing on boxes of chocolates for the holidays. For consumers who are unfamiliar with the products or would like to purchase a variety of items at once, this could be a cost-effective and enticing option. Having package deals will open consumers to taste a larger variety of pastries or chocolates, which will provide an incentive for customers to experience a larger selection of products.

This will ultimately increase audience awareness of the vast array of delicacies available. Adding package deals during holidays and school events, such as parent weekends for the colleges, will provide an easier and cheaper way for consumers to purchase Ms. Travis’ luxury pastries and chocolates. In addition, package deals and baskets will allow parents to buy care-packages for their daughters and sons in college, which will strengthen the parents and college students audiences.

These package deals should be promoted on the webpage and Facebook. Offering certain daily or weekly deals and coupons will increase traffic to the home website and Facebook on a regular basis. This will also attract consumers to look out for upcoming promotions, which will enable Sarah’s Pâtisserie to increase its advertising and ability to stay in touch with their consumers.

Page 21

Incentives for Off-Months: July & JanuaryTo attract more business in the off-season, we have developed seasonal promotions that cater specifically to these slower months. January and July are considered the slow months for the Pâtisserie. In order to stimulate sales during these times, we suggest that the Sarah’s Pâtisserie “happy hour” is revived.

While this promotion may have caused unmanageable demand during other times of the year, we believe it would be very beneficial during the off-season and with limited offerings. Our suggestion would be to hold a “happy hour” every Friday of the month from 5:00 p.m. until close. The specific offer during the “happy hour” would be customized depending on the season. For example, in January customers could receive half-off of a hot chocolate with their purchase of an item, and in July half-off a lemonade or iced tea.

Gift Cards (Appendix F)Currently Sarah’s Pâtisserie accepts cash, credit, and debit card. Ms. Travis also currently offers gift certificates for pastry lessons. However, the addition of a gift card option for everyday purchases will oblige consumers to come to the shop in order to spend the amount on the card. They also make great gifts, and would be very beneficial for allowing the Pâtisserie to participate in raffles or giveaways without actually having to worry about its chocolates/pastries sitting around for hours on display. In order to keep costs low, we suggest a paper certificate gift card, which will be easy to use for both the consumers and Sarah’s Pâtisserie.

Tactics (cont.)

22Page

Tactics (cont.)Customized College cookies and Products

In order to attract the local college students, we believe Sarah’s Pâtisserie should add customized pastries or cookies that include Ithaca College and Cornell University logos and symbols to their menus. Moreover, this will appeal to parents and families who are looking to experience the local foods during visiting time while still enjoying their children’s college culture.

Merchandise (Appendix G)At the request of Ms. Travis, we developed a t-shirt design for Sarah’s Pâtisserie. We believe this is a great idea because merchandise is free advertising and it will allow customers to identify with the Sarah’s Pâtisserie as a brand. If the t-shirts are selling well, Sarah’s Pâtisserie may want to consider customizing even more types of merchandise.

Hiring an internSince Ms. Travis is already so busy, we recommend that she hire an intern to assist with the website, social media, and general promotions. Ithaca College has an excellent intern program and students are always looking for opportunities to manage online media and work with local businesses. Additionally these interns often work for free.

The hiring of an intern to assist Ms. Travis would be highly beneficial because one of the keys to successful social media is to update often. In terms of the general promotions for the store, an intern would be useful for providing promotional posters for various seasonal and holiday deals, as well as special event promotions. An intern could also be responsible for updating the press kit as needed.

Page 23

Tactics (cont.)Partner with local businesses

In order to become more familiar within the community and potentially increase our customer base, South Hill Consulting recommends that Sarah’s Pâtisserie partner with local businesses such as restaurants and hotels. Both Sarah’s Pâtisserie and the other local businesses would benefit from the partnership. Sarah’s Pâtisserie would gain by getting its brand out to the public more effectively and efficiently, and the other businesses would benefit by having delicious desserts in-house to offer to customers.

One business we had in mind to partner with would be the Holiday Inn Hotel. The Holiday Inn is currently in the process of trying to increase revenues with renovations. What better way to increase revenues then to partner with a local business like Sarah’s Pâtisserie, which could offer Holiday Inn’s guests exquisite desserts?

Sarah’s Pâtisserie would also benefit from a partnership with the Cayuga Wineries. The Finger Lakes Wineries bring in a heavy amount of tourism to Ithaca. Tourists are an audience that Sarah’s Pâtisserie would like to earn. By partnering with places such as the Finger Lakes Wine Center, Sarah’s Pâtisserie would be broadcasting their brand towards tourists visiting Ithaca.

24Page

Measurement and Evaluation In order to track the success of the public relations campaign, South Hill Consulting will be monitoring the results of the desired objectives and implemented tactics over the course of the year. We will continue to chart the accomplishments following the conclusion of the campaign.

Media CoverageSouth Hill Consulting will collect all press clippings from any newspapers and magazines in which Sarah’s Pâtisserie was mentioned. We will observe the amount of media coverage from before the beginning of the campaign to the end.

Website and Social MediaIn order to monitor the amount of traffic that Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s website and Facebook page receive, South Hill Consulting will be using the free, online program, Google Analytics. Google Analytics will conduct a visual report of the effectiveness of our websites. This program allows us to monitor site activity, view the number of new and returning visitors, where the visitors are coming from, average time spent on a site, and much more. We would measure site activity prior to making changes to get a sense of the current flow, and compare the data to after changes have been made. This way we can measure the increase. For our Facebook page, we will take note of the number of fans prior to and after the campaign. We would also take note of the average amount of posts from fans. This is an area that an intern could assist with, should Ms. Travis choose to hire one.

Page 25

Customers and Clients (Appendix H)In addition to evaluating the success of this campaign by tracking the media coverage and website and social media, we will also be observing the increase in customer and client activity. This activity will be measured by noting an increase in actual customers, clients, and sales. We are hoping to bring a broader awareness to the public. We would like to measure public’s awareness of Sarah’s Pâtisserie by offering surveys to our target audiences before and after the campaign. Three main areas that we would like to receive feedback on would be the quality of the food, the service of Sarah’s Pâtisserie, and the atmosphere of the shop.

Measurement and Evaluation

26Page

May-July 2013• Begin updating online media (website, Facebook)• Prepare for Ithaca Festival (late May)• Begin promotions for off-season (July)• Launch Customer-Rewards Card• Order customized merchandise• Print rack cards and distribute• Print gift certificates

August-October 2013• Create customized college cookies• Hire intern to assist with online media/general promotions• Send first wave of press release• Apple Festival (October)

November-January 2014• Implement Holiday packages/deal• Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo event (November)

February-April 2014• Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo (Feb)• Cayuga Lake Wine Trail- Wine & Herb Festival (April)• 10th Year Anniversary (April 4th)• Send out special press releases before anniversary

Timetable

Page 27

There are some out-of-pocket expenses that come along with our new campaign. However, South Hill Consulting is trying to keep our expenses as low as possible. We are going to purchase 250 rack cards for $79.99 from Staples. One thousand (1000) business cards from Staples would cost $33.99. This is based on a deal on the Staples website, but it may vary. We are also going to come in contact with local hotels like La Tourelle Resort and Spa. This resort was rated #6 in “Top 10 New York Romantic Inns and Hotels” according to www.resortsandlodges.com. We think a fun idea for La Tourelle would be to give their guests a piece of chocolate as they check-in or on to put it on their pillows in the rooms. What better place to get that chocolate than from the local pâtisserie? Along with that, the Holiday Inn in downtown Ithaca is currently undergoing renovation. We feel incorporating Sarah’s Pâtisserie’s chocolates into their new plan would be a wise business decision, and benefit both of them. They are going to use their existing boxes when they deliver the chocolates to these hotels, but they may need to produce more. Also, we think it would be a great idea if Sarah’s Pâtisserie started selling their own custom t-shirts. According to www.customink.com, 35 t-shirts (5 youth medium, 5 youth large, 5 youth extra large, 5 adult small, 5 adult medium, 5 adult large, and 5 adult extra-large) would cost $443.45. If there is a high demand for them, we can always order more. We are also going to be making a press kit. We estimated about fifty press kits to cost $425.00. We knew that Sarah’s Pâtisserie wanted to keep expenses as low as possible, so we designed our tactics with that in mind. We spent a total of $982.43.

Budget

28Page

Staff Bios Carly Moore is a junior studying Integrated Marketing Communications in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. Carly will be graduating in the Spring of 2013. After graduation, Carly plans on moving to New York City to build her career in public relations and advertising.

The Park School’s Communication program has been helping her hone in on her leadership, teamwork, communication and presentation skills. She has served as the project manager of a mock event

planning campaign, which involved overseeing and providing insight to other groups in order to compile a strategic plan to pitch to mock-client, at Knowledge College.

Carly participates in the Ithaca College’s chapter of Women In Communications, and Public Relations Student Society of America organizations. This past year, Carly interned at Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County as an outreach assistant for the Way2Go transportation program. She assisted in the promotion of alternative transportation methods in Tompkins County by attending workshops and tabling events throughout the community. Ithaca’s annual 5K Fun Run and Duck Race has been one of the major projects that Carly has been working on over the course of her internship. She has written press releases and created brochures to help bring publicity to the annual event.

This summer, Carly plans to intern at a car dealership in her hometown, Athens, Pennsylvania while maintaining her job at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ithaca.

Carly Moore

Page 29

Staff BiosMr. Caggiano is currently a sophomore at Ithaca College studying Communications Management and Design. Currently declaring his concentration in Corporate Communications, Matt plans on participating in Ithaca’s LA program during the Fall of his senior year. If all goes as planned, he willl be graduating a semester early.

Matthew has been involved in a number of real world business scenarios. While in high school, Matt helped start and run a number of business

ventures. A design firm, A-Line Apparel, as well as two independent clothing lines, 5Fourty1 and EasyLivin. For A-Line, he participated in apparel design, layout design for web and print based banners and ads, and helped put together a group of sponsored athletes. 5Fourty1 was an independent company that his partner acquired to be a part of A-Line Apparel. Easy Livin is a separate company that Matthew started from the ground up. Everything regarding Easy Livin was done by Matt: starting from the website, to writing, and even apparel design.

In his personal life, Matt enjoys a number of activities separate from design. A love of music has led him to pursue learning instruments such as the guitar, bass guitar and piano; all self taught. Matt is an avid fan of both participating in and spectating sports like snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. He also has an ongoing passion for studio art, and plans on having his work shown in a gallery.

Currently he has expanded his design skills into web design. He has created a number of websites from scratch, in addition to improving current company’s sites. This summer he will continue this through an internship at Sanborn Media Factory in New York City, one of the best companies building websites and mobile applications.

Matt Caggiano

30Page

Staff Bios Alana Soumas is a sophomore at Ithaca College with

a major in Integrated Marketing Communications in the Roy H. Park school of communications. She plans on studying abroad in Sydney, Australia in the Spring of 2013. Alana is expected to graduate in May of 2014. She is a member of the women’s club basketball team. She is an employee at Ithaca College’s office of judicial affairs, as well as a member of the sustainable business enterprise club.

This past winter, Alana had the opportunity to do fieldwork experience at Entertainment Tonight and the Insider in the heart of New York City. She will also be interning there this coming summer. She had the opportunity to attend events such as the premiere for the movie Red Tails, the 60th Anniversary party for the Today Show, and many other various events. While working at ET, she learned what it takes to run a live television show, how to work with co-workers and a management team, and the skills necessary for a successful show. Last summer Alana worked at the Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts where she learned the basics and skills needed to run a family-owned business.

Alana loves sports and hopes to one day have a career in sports or entertainment marketing. She lives in Bergen County, New Jersey, about thirty minutes outside of New York City. She lives with her two brothers named Michael and Jordan, and her mother Michelle. Alana attended Northern Valley Regional High School where she played varsity basketball and tennis all four years. She was the captain of her basketball team her senior year. Alana was also a member of the international business club.

Alana Soumas

Page 31

Staff BiosGwen Fernau is a Communication Management and Design major with a Spanish minor currently in her sophomore year at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications. Gwen has earned a spot on the Dean’s list for three consecutive semesters. Next semester she plans study abroad in Spain. This summer, she will be interning for The Castle Group, a small communications agency based in Boston, Massachusetts.

During her freshman year, Gwen received the Strategic Communications Department Academic Achievement Award. As Director of Communications for Ithaca College’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, Gwen recently organized a charity basketball tournament to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She also served as the student representative on a faculty search committee. In a recent class project, Gwen planned, budgeted, and presented a hypothetical event for 200+ people.

Gwen currently has a job working as an office assistant for her department of major at Ithaca College. Along with sorting mail and filing, Gwen works with teachers to develop content for the department webpage.

Gwen grew up in Clinton, Massachusetts with her older sister and brother. She attended the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School, where she participated in multiple sports including soccer, track and field, and softball. During her senior year of high school, Gwen traveled to Nicaragua and participated in a homestay program at a Spanish speaking rural village outside of Matagalpa.

Gwen Fernau

32Page

Staff BiosKatie Shaw, a junior in the Roy H. Park School of Communications, is an Integrated Marketing Communications major. After graduation, Katie plans on traveling for a year and searching for a non-profit organization to work for abroad. She would like to find a job position that can utilize her skills of graphic design and communication.

For the last three years, Katie has been working for The Uptown Music Collective, a non-profit school of music. Here, she is the head graphic designer

and creates all of the promotional materials for performances and informational publications. Before she was an employee of The Uptown Music Collective, she attended as a guitar student during her high school years. Katie performed with her guitar in the school’s major productions and various community performances.

This past summer, Katie interned at Junto Creative, a graphic design Company, in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. While she was there, she designed the company’s product catalog and assembled mock-ups. Here, she became proficient in using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.

Katie is a girl of many hobbies outside of her jobs and school. These include riding horses, playing guitar, taking pictures, skiing and snowboarding, hiking, running, and creating art. In her very minimal free time, she enjoys traveling and is excited to graduate so she can travel more.

This summer, Katie plans to travel to Italy for a month and explore the art and culture of the country. When she is not traveling, she will be home in Williamsport, Pennsylvania working at The Uptown Music Collective.

Katie Shaw

Page 33

Staff BiosKristal Hamou is a junior at Ithaca College School of Business, majoring in business administration with concentrations in international business and marketing, with a minor in integrated marketing and communications. Kristal has earned a place on the Dean’s List for four consecutive semesters, with a cumulative GPA of 3.827. In addition, Kristal is an inductee of Beta Gamma Sigma, an internationally recognized AACSB business student achievement organization, a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor’s Society, and a member

of the Oracle Honor Society, for the top ten percent of the 2009-2010 freshman class of Ithaca College. This summer, she will be interning in the Advertising Club of New York. Post graduation, she plans on working within the women’s health and all-natural beauty industry, specializing in advertising, public relations, and marketing.

Kristal is an active member across campus, who is involved in a variety of organizations. As vice president of social media of Ithaca College Women in Business, Kristal manages and updates the club’s social media sites, while also creating LCD slides and web-based advertisements. Ms. Hamou is also a recipient of the Carl Segrecci scholarship for outstanding academic performance, Borg Warner scholarship for outstanding female student.

Kristal is also was a resident assistant, where she created innovative programs throughout last year, and developed creative advertising via print and social media. She was recruited as a research assistant for an electronic democracy project, by two faculty members of the business school. During this research, Ms. Hamou had the opportunity to encode information for the the New York county government’s internet pages.

Kristal Hamou

34Page

Appendix AEducating the Public Through Facebook

Page 35

Appendix BCustomer Rewards Program

36Page

Appendix CPress Kit

Page

37

Appendix DWebsite

Page

38Page

Appendix ERack Cards

(Front) (Back)

Page 39

Appendix FGift Cards

40Page

Appendix GT-shirts

Page 41

Appendix HCustomer Survey

When did you visit Sarah’s Pâtisserie? What was the occasion?

What do you like most about Sarah’s Pâtisserie?

How was the atmosphere of the shop?

Did you receive satisfactory service? Why or why not?

Would you recommend Sarah’s Pâtisserie to others?