Medici Creative Brief

BY: lauren dearman, Dakota dousias, cecilia holmes, & chris pattersonMorgan

Table of Contents

Preliminary PagesTeam Biographies……………………………………………………………..2Executive Summary…………………………………………………………...3

Section I: Target Audience ProfileTarget Audience Profile……………………………………………………….5

Section II: Creative PlatformPlatform Description and Justification………………………………………..10

Campaign Objectives…………………………………………………….……11

Measurement and Timeline……………………………………………….…..12

Section III: Creative StrategyOverview of IMC Plan…………………………………………………….…..15

Execution Principles of Creative Platform………………………………….…17

Presentation of Logo, Layouts, & Analytical Critiques……………………….17

Appendices Appendix A: In-Depth Interview Method and Results……………………….28

Appendix B: Copy Test Method and Results………………………….…..….31

Lauren Dearman is currently a senior at Illinois State University, and graduating in May 2015 with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Illinois States College of Business and

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Marketing program has given Lauren a lot of real world experience to take with her into her future career. Lauren is excited to start her internship for the summer of 2015 with Prime Time Marketing where she will be doing media buying and selling.

Dakota Dousias is currently an Integrated Marketing Communications Major at Illinois State University. Dakota has gained his marketing experience through his internship at The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, as well as his job back in his hometown at The Princess Cafe. Back home Dakota assists in operating The Princess Cafe’s social media pages, as well as developing marketing campaigns to bring in more customers. At The Castle Theatre, Dakota is responsible for promoting all of the upcoming shows and events. Whether it be through social media promotions, implementing Google Ad Word campaigns, writing blog posts, or street teaming Dakota is responsible for bringing the customers in to The Castle each night there is a show.

Cecilia Holmes is currently a senior that is graduating this May at Illinois State University (ISU) with a general marketing degree. Cecilia has taken a few classes over the past two years that have been in the IMC sequence and has enjoyed them very much. There has been a variety of class projects and experiences that has allowed Cecilia to be very versatile in her future. She is a retired swimmer at ISU and has been involved in the Student-Athletic-Advisement-Council (SAAC) for the past 3 years as well as Treasurer and Secretary this past year. She is also the Illinois State representative on the Missouri Valley Conference SAAC. Along with athletics she has been able to contribute to the American Marketing Association (AMA) as the Director of Community Service for the past two years. She has an internship lined up this summer for a local gym helping to market young athletes and coaches by direct mailing, using social media and conducting a target market analysis to reach out to potential customers.

Chris Patterson

Executive Summary

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Going into the campaign we found that Medici was facing a few key issues that needed to be changed. The main issue we found was that college students don’t go to Medici too often because they view the restaurant as fancy and expensive. We took a look at who we wanted our target audiences to be and decided our primary audience would be college students and our secondary audience would be resident of Bloomington-Normal. College students were chosen for our primary target audience because Medici is located in Uptown Normal right by Illinois States campus, which is by other restaurants, bars, and store college students go to often. Resident of Bloomington-Normal were chosen because college student are not on campus all year long, and because Medici is one of the better restaurant choices in the Normal area.

For our creative platform we proposed to: Increase the overall perception of Medici’s food and drink quality Increase the overall perception of the restaurant style Move Medici into an affordable, classy category for college students  Our campaign will be centered on the quality food and service, easily accessible

location, and affordable prices.  

Our campaign communication objective are to:1. Move Medici into the evoked set of target audience

2. Increase the awareness of drink specials at Medici3. Increase awareness of food quality of Medici and full menu4. Make Medici a top of the mind choice for date nights or special evenings out

Our campaign sale and behavioral objective are to: 1. Increase traffic from our primary market.2. Increase the restaurant sales3. Increase social media presence

We created a logo for Medici because they currently were not using any specific logo. Our logo incorporate the well-known tree that in located inside the restaurant to enhance recall and to go along with the unique environment Medici offers. Our advertisement layouts included flyers, direct mail, social media, and a billboard. In our layouts we highlight Medici’s food and drinks with picture and specials. When copy testing our first flyer we found that consumer liked a dark blue background. This background was more visually appealing and also enhanced recall of the restaurant. With this creative strategy in place we hope to see a favorable outcome from our target audience and meet all of our proposed objectives. Once the campaign is complete, consumer’s perceptions will no longer be misplaced that Medici is just another elegant restaurant to go eat at. . Medici will be a great place for college students to grab drinks on the weekend, but also a place for families and friends to meet up to grab a great quality meal at.

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Section I: Target Audience Profile

Target Audience Profile

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Upon locating a Medici in Normal, Illinois, owners Hans Morsbach and Bob Steinman knew that they would be hitting a region where local citizens, administrations, and colleagues could join together and enjoy a meal.  Medici is conveniently located in Uptown Normal, right in the middle of Illinois State University’s campus, and just outside of Illinois Wesleyan University and Heartland Community College.  Refer to Exhibit 1 for the complete target audience profile.

Taking the location into consideration, it is in the best interest of Medici to primarily target college students.  Since the menu is slightly overpriced for the wide demographic of college students, we propose that Medici primarily focus on a student who has more disposable income, who is relationship-oriented, or who is in a group or organization.  Disposable income and relationship oriented will ensure that Medici will gain customers who are able to afford each meal on the menu, as well as invite couples into the facility for date night.  The upstairs group eating area, as well as the patio will draw in registered student organizations (RSOs) from our primary target audience, as well as business and family groups from our secondary target market.

Medici is one of the classier restaurants in town, and because of that we propose our secondary target audience to be the locals of Bloomington-Normal.  More specifically, we will want to target those who are currently employed, and who are at least 21 years of age or older.  Medici offers a full bar, so targeting the over 21 age range will be necessary due to the high demand & supply of bars in the Uptown Normal area.  By doing this, Medici moves from just competing with restaurants like The Rock and Firehouse, to also competing with bars such as The Pub II, and Brewe-Ha’s.

Primary Target Audience

Medici’s primary target market will consist of students enrolled in the surrounding colleges, including Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Heartland Community College.  Illinois State University currently consists of 20,615 students (both undergraduate and graduate) [1].  Illinois Wesleyan University has 1,893 students [2], and Heartland Community College has 5,324 students [3].  Because Medici is meant to attract all types of people, we will include all gender and race variations in our profile.   

Income and relationship status will play a huge role in our target market profile.  We are targeting students who are currently employed with at least minimum wage, since they will have the disposable funds necessary to afford a night out at Medici.  Students in relationships are important because Medici is an elegant restaurant, which makes it extremely appealing to couples looking for a place to eat.

Registered Student Organizations will also be a focal point in the target audience.  RSO’s typically require dues in order to be a member, and that money is then used to form a budget. Groups can use their budget to host events at Medici for an evening.  To address this factor, Medici offers a group eating area, as well as a patio eating area, so that larger groups can enjoy a banquet style meal.

Exhibit 1: Target Audience Profile for Medici

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Demographics:Primary Target Audience - College students

Age: 18-24 years old Location: Campuses around town:

o Illinois State University: 20,615 [1]o Illinois Wesleyan University: 1,893 [2]o Heartland Community College: 5,324 [3]

Gender: Male and Female Income: $8.25/hr (minimum wage) and up Education: Undergraduate and Graduate students Race: All

Secondary Target Audience - Residents in Bloomington Normal

Age: 25 years old - up Location:

o Normal, IL- 54,664 [4]o Bloomington, IL- 78,902 [5]

Gender: Male and Female Income: $30,000 - up Education: College graduates Race: All

Psychographics:

Behavioral characteristics-

Enjoy going out to eat (with colleagues, registered student

organizations, co-workers, family members, and friends)

Socializing Middle-high class dining Frequent Uptown Normal

Attitudes and Perceptions

Individuals who enjoy having service Enjoy dining in a tasteful

environment

Lifestyle Dimensions

Trying new foods Enjoying beverages Eats lunch, dinner, brunch or dessert

out

Personality Traits, Values, and Interests

Social Open to try new things Enjoys slightly classy seating, low

lighting Enjoys laid back social settings Spend disposable income dining out Participate in Group/RSO events

Secondary Target Audience

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The target chosen for the secondary target audience is Bloomington Normal residents. While college student make up a large majority of the market, given that Medici is located on Illinois State’s campus, there is still a large market outside of college students. Many customers may come from the secondary target audience. Medici is a nicer sit down restaurant that college students may not be able to frequent as often as an audience with a steady income. Also, because college students are typically only in town nine months of the years, Medici needs a secondary market for when college students travel home for the summer and school breaks.

The people in this target audience are going to be anyone aged 25 and up. The younger half of this segment will be people who have graduated from college and are looking for a unique and professional location to dine with colleagues, friends or coworkers. The older half of this segment will include people who are married or with families looking to go out to a nicer dinner. The income of this target will be $30,000 and up to focus on middle class to higher class residents of Bloomington-Normal. We are focusing on male and females of any race and ethnic background. The total population of people in this target audience is 54,664 for the town of Normal [4] and 78,902 for the city of Bloomington [5]. The combined secondary target audience will include a total of 133,566 people between the ages of 25 and up.

Primary Target Psychographics

Our primary target audience values going out to eat at a fancier, higher end restaurant with either close friends or family when they come to town and visit for the weekend.  In addition, if they are looking to take a date out to eat, Medici is the place for them! Students who go out to eat at Medici are looking for a social environment with a close location that is easy and convenient to find. If you don’t have a car, that is no problem for ISU students as well as our neighboring universities since this community has a Bloomington/Normal public transportation system that drops people off right in the Uptown Normal Circle Plaza. As far as ISU students, this is a great walking location from any spot on campus. These individuals are looking to get away for a couple hours and be somewhere quiet with a nice laid back, lower lighting, and service based restaurant where they can try new foods, drinks and desserts.

Secondary Target Psychographics

Our secondary target audience, consisting of the local Bloomington/Normal residents, enjoy a casual, laid back social setting where they can dine out with colleagues, friends, and family. Whether it be lunch, brunch, dinner, or dessert,these individuals enjoy dining out any time of the day. They have established themselves as middle to high class and have a disposable income that they will look to spend as they are being served, in an elegant low lit dining environment. When they go out to eat they want to enjoy a drink or two with their meal, and do not let the price of the items on the menu sway their decisions. With the wide variety of choices available at Medici, we want to target the customers who are willing to try new things and are open to new experiences.

Influencers

Since our primary target audience consists of college students, there are a number of factors that can influence their decisions. The classy image that Medici has among college students is a good influencer for couples looking for a nice place to go on a date. Many students also participate in

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school organizations, whether it be a Greek organization or one of the many RSO’s, Medici can serve as a host to various meetings, dinners, or banquets those organizations may have.

For the secondary market, Medici’s classy image yet again serves as a great influencer. When families are looking for places to celebrate things such as birthdays, promotions, or graduations they will tend to look for nicer places to go, such as Medici. It is also a great place for business professionals to set up business meetings with colleagues or organize work parties. The holiday season always sees an increase of consumers going out, which will lead to more traffic through the establishment from this market as well.

Target Audience Size

The primary target audience includes college students from Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University and Heartland Community College.  Illinois State University is the large majority with 20,615 students currently enrolled [1]. Next is Illinois Wesleyan University with 1,893 enrolled [2]. Last, is Heartland community College with an enrollment of 5,324 [3]. The total population of our primary target audience ends up including 27,832 students.

The secondary target audience is made up of residents of Bloomington-Normal who are 25 and older. The total number of people in this age range in Normal is 54,664 [4] residents. The total number of people that fall in this age range in Bloomington is 78,902 [5] residents.  The total population of the secondary target audience is 133,566 residents aged 25 and older.

Looking at both of the target audiences together, the total of the primary and secondary targets is 161,398. This IMC plan will focus on college students as key because it is located on Illinois State's campus and is a great place for special occasions such as date nights or parents coming into town for a visit. Additionally, looking at residents is crucial as well, because college students are only living here temporarily, while it is home to actual residents of Bloomington-Normal.

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Section II: Creative Platform

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For our situation analysis, our team proposed the following demographics and psychographics characteristics for Medici’s target audience:

Demographics:

Gender: Male and femalePrimary Target Market: College Students Occupation:

o Student – undergraduate and graduate Age:18-24 years old Income: Minimum wage and higher School Affiliation

o Illinois State University: 20,615 [1]o Illinois Wesleyan University: 1,893 [2]o Heartland Community College: 5,324 [3]

Total Audience:

Secondary Target Market: Residents of Bloomington-Normal Age: 25 years old - up Location:

o Normal, IL- 54,664 [4]o Bloomington, IL- 78,902 [5]

Gender: Male and Female Income: $30,000 and Higher Total Audience:

Psychographics: Socializing Enjoys middle-high class dining Frequents Uptown Normal Open to try new things Enjoys slightly classy seating, low lighting Enjoys laid back social settings Spend disposable income dining out Participate in Group/RSO events Enjoys going out for beverages Eats lunch, dinner, brunch or dessert out

Creative platform

Upon completing our in-depth interviews, we decided to focus on certain questions to understand the overall target awareness of Medici.  Determining this metric has allowed us to generate our primary goal of the campaign: to move Medici in the evoked set of our target market.  In doing so, we plan to increase not only the overall perception of Medici’s food and drink quality, but also the overall perception of their restaurant style, ultimately moving them into an affordable, classy category for college students.  Our campaign will be centered around the quality food and service, easily accessible location, and affordable prices.  We will accomplish this externally

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through social media, and internally via walk in promotions and end-of-purchase coupons to be redeemed at a later visit.

Message Tone and Appeal

Currently, from our depth interviews with our target market, Medici’s brand image is viewed as more serious, dry, and uptight. (Refer to Appendix A). This is what is turning away our primary target market, college students.  In order to draw those students back in, we are going to revamp the brand image to appear more approachable, fun, and easy going.  From the in depth interviews, we learned that a little more specials involving food and drinks, and a lot more advertising of those food and drink promotions, are key to drawing in our target market.  We want to show students that Medici is a fun place to go with friends during lunch, dinner, and nightlife occasions. We plan to retrain employees to emphasize excellent service. In our in-depth interviews 9 out of 17 respondents stated that good service is the most effective way a restaurant can prove itself to be a top choice for consumers. Refer to Appendix A Question 13. We want to institute a program at Medici where the managers would have a training session with current employees to highlight good service techniques at least once a year. The goal is to emphasize the importance of great service to the employees. So when customers come in to Medici they receive good service that makes them want to come back and bring friends with them.

Having Facebook ads that involve the students, as well as giving coupons and promotions to students who visit the store will improve the overall awareness and perception of the brand, as well as activate a positive word of mouth about the quality of food, service, and experience Medici has to offer.

Quantitative Benchmarks

Communication Objectives

1. Move Medici into the evoked set of target audience

In our in-depth interviews 3 out of 17 listed Medici as one of their favorite restaurants to go to with a date or friend. Refer to Appendix A Question 6.

In our in-depth interviews 8 out of 17 listed Medici as one of the places that came to mind for a date night in the campus area. Refer to Appendix A Question 1.

In campaign tracking, we want to move Medici into the evoked (one of their favorite restaurants) set of 40% or more of our target audience.

2. Increase the awareness of drink specials at Medici

In our in-depth interviews 3 out of 12 people from our primary target market said that drink specials would attract more people to Medici. Refer to Appendix A Question 14.

In campaign tracking we want to increase awareness of Medici’s drink specials to at least 30%

3. Increase awareness of food quality of Medici and full menu

In our in-depth interviews 8 out of 17 said the most effective way a restaurant can prove to be a top of this mind choice is by great food quality. Refer to Appendix A Question 13.

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In our in-depth interviews 7 out of 17 listed quality food as the number one factor they are looking for when choosing a restaurant to eat out at. Refer to Appendix A Question 5.

In campaign tracking we want to increase the awareness of Medici’s Quality food choices and menu options to at least 30% of our target audience.

4. Make Medici a top of the mind choice for date nights or special evenings out

In our in-depth interviews 8 out of 17 listed Medici as one of the places that came to mind for a date night in the campus area. Refer to Appendix A Question 1.

In campaign tracking we want to make Medici be a top of the mind choice for date nights and special evenings for 50% or more of our target audience.

Sales/Behavioral Objectives

1. Increase traffic from our primary market. In our in-depth interviews 9 out of 17 respondents said that they consider Medici a

place they only go to for special occasions. Refer to Appendix A Question 10. Throughout this campaign we want to get our audience to consider Medici as a place

they would go to for more than just special occasions. We want to increase the traffic that comes through Medici on everyday occasions by

10%.

2. Increase the restaurant sales

Our goal is to increase food and drink sales by 15% over the course of this campaign Medici should track the success of this campaign my measuring increases or

decreases in sales on a weekly basis.

3. Increase social media presence

While Medici remains very active on its Facebook page, the Twitter account has 981 followers and has not tweeted in almost a year.

During this campaign we want Medici to utilize its Twitter account more effectively, sending out at least 4 tweets a week.

We are hoping that by re-establishing a presence on Twitter, Medici can increase its followers to at least 100, which will in turn help with our other sales objectives. The current level of followers is 19.

Campaign Evaluation and Time Frame

In order for Medici to achieve effective results, our team has decided to conduct a nine month campaign period while the students are in town. This will allow for accurate ratings and evaluations to see if our communication and Sales objectives are being met. We would like to move our primary target market being the students on campus to have Medici in their evoked set, meaning this is a restaurant they would pick over others when choosing to dine out. With Medici having an accessible location and user-friendly prices, we hope to accomplish this by increasing the awareness of social media and having certain promotions throughout the year. Either food or drink specials, we are striving to increase the traffic into Medici as a approachable, fun, laid back

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place to relax after a long day. We plan to track the communication during this campaign at three, six, and twelve months into the campaign to make sure we are reaching out objectives.

To evaluate the sales, it is important that Medici track on a weekly basis whether there happens to be either an increase of decrease in sales. By providing students with half-off deals through twitter, either by replying to a post of tagging @Medici in a post, we want to make sure those customers are getting rewarded. Having promotions throughout the year that correlate to campus and in town activities is also a great way to track and evaluate the success of the campaign. These objectives will help customers stay loyal to Medici and provide a positive word of mouth when recommending restaurants around the campus area. Tracking this would have to be done internally by either the managers and employers to keep track of how many customers they have day to day, week to week, and month to month.

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Section III: Creative Strategy

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Overview of IMC Plan

This campaign revolves around the idea to move Medici into the evoked set of college student’s minds by conveying an approachable, fun, and elegant place to dine with friends.  Nightlife also plays a major role in our campaign, with the repetitive promotion of the nightly food and drink specials that Medici offers.  The constant promotion of food and drink specials will show our target that Medici isn’t just an expensive place for Bloomington-Normal residents.

To convey our message, we have included three flyers, two direct mailers, social media posts, and a billboard.  The flyers will be placed around high traffic locations on Illinois State’s campus.  Direct Mail will be distributed to the residence on and off campus to tackle both our primary and secondary markets.  Posts to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will be made to keep our audience up to date on the menu items and specials advertised during the campaign.  Lastly, a billboard will be placed on Veterans Parkway, a high traffic location in town that will attract both primary and secondary audiences.

The placement of the flyers in front of various, high traffic buildings around campus (such as the Bone Student Center, Milner Library, State Farm Hall of Business, etc.) will help convey the different specials Medici offers.  They will keep a consistency in their color scheme, using reverse copy to draw attention to the text and new logo.  Drink specials, as well as interesting food choices will be displayed, with a suggestion to connect with Medici on social media.    

The direct mailers will be sent out when the semester ends in May, as well as when it begins again in August.  This separation will target both the in town residents (secondary target) and school students (primary target) with various food and drink specials.  A lighter, easy color scheme is used here to not distract away from the specials and coupons that can be used.

Social Media plays a huge role in the connection and deliverance of our food and drink special focus.  On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, consumers can connect with the brand to learn more, ask questions, or leave comments about Medici.  Information can be updated and sent to our target immediately with this vehicle, making it a quick way to respond to customers. Because of the rapid information deliverance and response time, social media pages will be left open long after the campaign is over to keep connection with our target.

Also running a long time in our campaign will be a billboard hoisted on Veterans Parkway.  This will help hit our college and residential targets, reconvening the idea of elegant, approachable, and fun dining experiences that can be had at Medici.  Social Media connection recommendations will also be featured here, as well as the beer tap, location, and dinner entrees. Due to the high traffic on the road, reverse copy is key here to really pop out at consumers.  This also will help attract people that aren’t in our target market, expanding our audience size, ultimately increasing the amount of traffic in and out of Medici.

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Exhibit 2: Overview of IMC Plan

Layout Type

Time Frame Media Placement Purpose

Flyer April 1st-April 31st

The flyer will be placed around campus, primarily in the Bone Student Center, Milner Library, and State Farm Hall of Business.  These are high places of traffic on campus that will reach a wide range of students

The flyer will attract attention to our primary target audience and will show restaurant offers and drink specials for that given time of the year

Direct Mail

Primary market: When school starts- August-October

Secondary market: When school ends to get the residents- May-July

Mailed to Bloomington Normal residents when summer begins and to student housing when the school year starts

To provide information and updates on new deals/specials and menu items for different seasons throughout the year

Social Media

Continuous with regular updates and maintenance at least 3 times a week

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

To keep audience up-to-date with information, offers, and enhance/maintain positive brand image. Use this as a quick way to respond to customers

Billboard August 2015- August 2016

Veterans Parkway, before the college Avenue- left at light, left at Constitution Blvd.- in uptown circle

Attract primary market at first when school starts and take it through the summer so the secondary market can be reached

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Execution Principles of Creative PlatformCreative Platform

Throughout this campaign, there will be a constant focus on Medici moving into a more approachable, fun, and fair priced restaurant for students to dine at.  To do this, weekly specials, quality food examples, and drink specials are primarily conveyed.  This will help move Medici from an expensive “townie” restaurant into a reasonably classy college atmosphere, tying together our communication and behavioral objectives.  

Appeal

When appealing to our target, we will rely strongly on a fun, informal tone, while still being informative in nature.  We want our target to learn about the various food and drink specials that Medici offers.  While doing so, we want to display the young atmosphere Medici has.  

Core Message and Theme

The core message and theme throughout the campaign will be to show our audience that Medici is not just the fancy restaurant in Uptown Normal that you should visit once and a while. We want our audience to see that Medici can be a place where you sit down with a date or colleague, or it can be just a place where you go to grab a drink during your free time. In the campaign we are highlighting the fact that Medici is a place with great unique food and many different drink specials.

Visuals, Tone, and Color Scheme

The tone used throughout the campaign is meant to give off a cool, nighttime kind of vibe. We worked to accomplish this tone by using a dark blue background in most of our pieces with a yellowish flare in places to match the tree color in our logo. We used reverse type to really make our text pop and stand out. Our visuals that are used show the dining area of Medici and food and drinks that they offer to draw consumers in and get them wanting to learn more.

Justification of Creative Platform

Based on the information we collected from out in-depth interviews and copy test results, most of our target audience were of aware of Medici. Given that most people already know of the restaurant, we went ahead and made our pieces to show information that they might now know about Medici, such as their many different drink specials. If we weren’t showing drink specials we used the line “Explore your taste buds” to invite our consumers to see the unique kinds of choices Medici offers along with pictures of the food. With this we wanted to change the perception that Medici was just a fancy restaurant in Uptown Normal.

Critical Analysis

Logo

The tree, located inside Medici, is a symbol for the lively atmosphere consumers will find when they go to Medici as well as the fresh ingredients used to prepare all of Medici’s food. (Please refer to Exhibit 3 for logos). The tree is a modest gold color is set against a dark navy blue background. This will allow existing loyal customers to maintain their familiarity with the sign

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currently above the restaurant that uses those same colors, while also attracting new customers by the way the gold pops off of the navy blue background. The logo type is white to really draw the customer’s eye, using a contrast effect with the dark colored background. The font selection stays away from being too fancy to help battle the misconception that Medici is a very expensive place to dine out, but still maintains an elegant feeling so that customers know they are in for an excellent dining experience. The old positioning statement “In Normal” did nothing to help Medici, customers that were coming to Medici already know where it is located, no need to remind them. We want to give customers a reason to come in, so I chose to use “Restaurant & Lounge” a statement that really positions where Medici stands to the customers. I chose the word lounge because in a college town, the word ‘bar’ takes on a bit of a different meaning (more party oriented). Lounge is something that lets the primary target know this isn’t a party bar, and also serves as a way to attract the older target market to come lounge for a few drinks with colleagues after work.

Exhibit 3: Logo

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Flyer 1

During the creation of this flyer, it was purposely made to be simple yet visually appealing to the consumer. (Refer to exhibit 4 for this flyer). The flyer will be printed on standard 8.5 X 11 inch sheets of paper in color. The flyer will be printed in color so it not only grabs the attention of the consumer and makes them curious, but also to help set a tone for the flyer that in turn will reflect the tone and mood of the Medici restaurant. This flyer will be placed throughout Illinois State's Campus. The primary location of the flyer will be in the Bone Student Center, Milner Library, and State Farm Hall of Business. These are high places of traffic on campus that will reach a wide range of students.

The Heading of the flyer reads, “Looking to explore your taste buds?”, the goal with this header is to get consumers intrigued and get a sense that Medici offers a wide variety of unique food choices. Under the header are pictures of the dining area and one of Medici’s dishes to draw the eye and give an example of their unique options. The smaller white text towards the bottom of the flyer is to get students to understand that Medici is unique but not unique in a fancy way, but in a cool way where you can just come and grab drinks with friends or food with colleagues. At the bottom of the flyer gives Medici’s address and the Facebook and Twitter Icons to let consumers know to look for them on social media for more information. Completing this flyer is the logo for Medici, which helps draw the eye down the page and to be the last thing consumers see and read.

The background color of this layout is meant to set the tone to Medici. We used a darker blue to give it a night time vibe and show consumer that it is a nicer place to dine, but it also a place you can go out and get drinks at too. The blue background was chosen over a white background due to our copy test results. Results showed more favored the blue background compared to the white background and results also showed that more people recalled the restaurant when showed the flyer with blue background. (Please refer to appendix B for copy test results and script). We chose this flyer because it set the tone for Medici and the rest of our campaigns color scheme.

Flyer 2

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With this flyer I wanted to have it stand out and be different from the other flyers I have seen around campus. For start I wanted to make the background that dark navy blue in order to have everything else on the page really stand out; also that is the color scheme we used for our selected logo and it expresses that this could be your next night out “evening feel”. (Please refer to Exhibit 5 for flyer).

Then made the tree a focal point for this flyer so that it was obvious that this is an essential piece of their company name. I wanted to keep things short and have the reader’s eyes move through the page that is why I incorporated pictures within the flyer to make it seem more visually appealing. Also the pictures went along with the subheads that were displayed, even when mentioned to connect with social media. When looking at a flyer people want the quickest read so that it why I positioned them around the tree eliminated much room to have a lot of text.

Obviously putting the Medici name and positioning statement was a must in order for people to know what restaurant they should be checking out. I wanted this ad to have a classy look however be inviting for college students to see what all Medici has to offer. I tried to make this look like a fun, easy going place with a more sophisticated feel, because based on our creative platform and results from our survey that, was one factor that was driving away our customers.

Exhibit 4: Flyer 1

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Exhibit 5: Flyer 2

Flyer 3

I wanted to really convey the easily accessible and low price traits we are giving to the brand by showing a group of Illinois State Students outside of Medici, and their sharing of laughter and beverages. (Please refer to Exhibit 6 for Flyer).  We want to revamp the brand to be more

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approachable, affordable, and fun.  We also want to stress the fact that students can go there during nightlife occasions with friends.  

The picture itself captures all of that, but I added the line “Students by Day, Friends by Night” to show that students could unwind and have fun at Medici.  By showing the daily drink specials, I show a more inexpensive side to the brand, and the fact that you can order premium beverages at Medici at an affordable price.  It is actually seen that many of the prices are comparable to other lounges in the area when it comes to beverages.  

The colors were kept consistent with Medici’s current blue and gold scheme, keeping an elegant look to the brand while appearing affordable and fun.

Exhibit 6: Flyer 3

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Direct Mail

This first piece of direct mail was made for both our primary and secondary audience. It was created as an incentive to draw consumers into Medici for their drink specials. (Please refer to Exhibit 7 for direct mail piece).  This piece will be mailed for our primary target audience when the school year starts in August and September, and mailed to Bloomington Normal residents when summer begins. The piece was made to be short and simple. It shows consumers Medici has good deals and drinks and a wide variety to select from as well.

The front of the piece uses a large, bolded header to grab attention quickly, and underlines “$5 flights” to place emphasis on what is the main focus of the piece. Under the header is a quick, short description to elaborate on the header, and under that follows with the large Medici logo. A good amount of white space is used between all text blocks to use isolation and draw the reader's eye from one thing to that next. To the right of the text are two different photos shown not only grab attention but also to paint a picture of what is being said in the text. The photos add good contrast to the piece and the colors in the photo make the tree in the logo stand out. The logo is large in order to enhance recall.

The back of the piece is meant to close what is said on the front of the piece. The logo is placed at the top-center so it is the first thing the consumer sees, which is again, for enhanced recall of Medici. Under the logo, the text prompt the consumer to go check out Medici to see what other kind of great drink deals they offer each day. In the bottom corners there is the address of Medici and the Facebook and Twitter icons to guide consumer to their social media sites for more information.

Social Media

Social media is a great way to reach our primary target market. Students check their social media pages daily and Medici should take advantage of this. The most beneficial thing that social media platforms have to offer is the fact that they are all free to use. This could make them the most effective tool available to Medici.

Social media posts are to be made often, especially on platforms such as Twitter, where users expect to see multiple posts in a day. Our main focus for this campaign will be on a Facebook page. The layout will look just like any other Facebook page, with the Medici logo as the profile picture. Posts are to be used to inform the target audience about upcoming specials or to just remind them that Medici is open and it would be a great choice for dinner that evening. The Facebook posts can also include special offers such as a coupon to bring in and redeem, an incentive for people to like the Medici page and stay up to date with what they are posting each week

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Exhibit 7: Direct Mail

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Exhibit 8: Social Media

Billboard

It is very important for Medici to convey visual images of its delicious foods and the inviting atmosphere that Medici has to offer throughout its IMC campaign. Establishing a billboard

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would be a great way to expose the residents of the Bloomington-Normal area, as well as a large portion of the student body to these visuals.(Please refer to Exhibit 9 for this billboard). In the billboard the logo is located in the top left hand corner. Viewers usually read from the top left to the bottom right of ads, so this way the logo will be the first thing they see. As their eyes move down the billboard they are drawn to the center where four pictures are placed. One is a banner across the entire board, showing all of the different beers that are available on tap at Medici. Below the banner of beer taps, there are three more photos, one of a burger, one of the Medici sign on the building, and finally a very delicious looking pork chop. The burger and beer taps paired together really lets the target audience know that Medici can be a good place to hang out and have a few beers with your friends, and is not just a fancy place for your special occasion dining. The picture of the Medici paired with the phrase “located in Uptown Normal” is to help guide the consumers to the business. They are able to see where Medici is located, and then they have an image that will help them identify the building and sign when they get there. The final image is a pork chop dinner that is decorated and looks very nice. We wanted to include this image so that the target audience could see that Medici still does offer very a very elegant experience and nice food, but the other images help with the realization that there is more to Medici than just that. We chose to follow the same color scheme as most of our other layouts with the billboard, with the dark navy background and a gold banner across the middle. The white text on the dark background really pops out and attracts the reader’s eyes while also making it easier to read. Finally, we included Facebook and Twitter logos at the bottom left corner of the ad for any consumers who maybe did not have time to go when they saw the sign, but wanted to learn more about Medici when they got home.

Exhibit 9: Billboard

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Target Audience References-

[1]: “Illinois State University Quick Facts." Quick Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015

http://admissions.illinoisstate.edu/freshman/about/facts.php

[2]: "About Illinois Wesleyan." Illinois Wesleyan: Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. https://www.iwu.edu/aboutiwu/facts.html

[3]: "About Heartland." Quick Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. http://www.heartland.edu/about/facts.jsp

[4]: "Normal, Illinois." (IL 61776) City Data. Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. http://www.city-data.com/city/Normal-Illinois.html

[5]: "Bloomington, Illinois." (IL) City Data. Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News,

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Sex Offenders. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. http://www.city-data.com/city/Bloomington-Illinois.html

[6]: "Medici in Normal - Home." Medici in Normal - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. http://www.medicinormal.com/

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Appendix A: In-Depth Interview Method and Results

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In-Depth Interview Method-

To begin this campaign it was important for us to find out from our target market their first perceptions of Medici and to interview a variety of candidates from both out primary and secondary target markets. A full description of both our primary and secondary target markets can be found in Exhibit 1. Also a script for the questions that we asked our targets is found in Exhibit A-1. Responses from our interviews gave us an insight and direction on things that needed to be changed in hopes to change their perception.

In-Depth Interview Results-

Out of the first awareness questions there were eight out of the 12 people that were asked considered Medici as a date night restaurant when asked; as well as 9 of those that listed Medici when asked to write down those in the uptown area that came to mind.

With our Behavior I questions we found out that majority of our primary target market that they go out to eat on average once a week. Many of their considerations when eating out at a restaurant included good food, friendly environment, quality service and specials with their meals or drinks. This was helpful because we were able to target them more effectively by picking out the factors they look for when going out to eat with friends of colleges.

The second awareness group of questions brought up the fact that majority of our audience is very likely to try out Medici because of their good food and fun environment. We also asked a very important question of our campaign and if Medici was too highly priced. We got answers all across the board however majority of our primary target audience though that it was too highly priced for it being on a college campus. They took into consideration the nicer, more elegant feel, and better quality food and service however it has a bigger draw to our secondary target than our primary regarding the price.

The behavior II group of questions we found that majority of both our targets used social media and word of mouth as their most influential way to decide what restaurant to eat at. Also that word of mouth is the most common way people find out about the local restaurant here in town. Most importantly we asked our target audiences what they thought Medici should do and majority of them mentioned giving out discounts for students and offering drink special for those that casually go out to get a drink with a friend.  

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Exhibit A-1: In-Depth Interview Script

Hello.  My name is [_____].  I am an ISU student working on a class project.  We are interviewing [consumers] to get a better understanding of their preferences.  This interview includes just a few questions and only takes about 5 minutes.    Your name or any other identifying information will not be recorded and the results will be aggregated or summarized for the group not reported individually.  We really appreciate your help with this. Do you have a few minutes to talk? (Or can you help us out?)   

Screener Questions:·         Are you currently a college student?·         Are you a resident of Bloomington/Normal?Awareness I: 1. Please list all date night restaurants that come to mind in the campus area:2.  Please list all the restaurants you can think of in the Uptown Normal area:Behavior/Preference I:3. How many times a week do you eat out at a full service restaurant with a date/friend/colleague/co- worker?4.  List the restaurants you would consider eating out at with a date/friend/colleague/co- worker?5.  List the factors/criteria when looking for a date/friend night restaurant/restaurant to eat out with a colleague? Now list them in order of importance.6. What are your favorite restaurants to take a date/friend/colleague? What makes it a favorite? Why?Awareness II:7. Circle which of the following have you heard of:  Garlic Press      The Rock       Medici           Firehouse        Maggie Miley’s8. For each restaurant mentioned, what would be your top pick- rank them.  Why did you rank them in that order (what is your opinion of each)?(If have not heard of Medici restaurant give them a description)9.  Now that you have heard about Medici, how likely would you be to try it out? Why or Why not.10.  Do you think Medici is too highly priced? Why or why not?Behavior II:11.  Please indicate the various forms of media that influence you the most in making a restaurant choice decision:  Social Media    Television         Mail   Radio Newsletter      Word of Mouth.12.  How do you most commonly learn about local restaurants?13.  What do you feel is the most effective way a restaurant can prove itself to be a top choice in the mind of the consumer?14.  What do you think Medici should do to attract more students?

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Appendix B: Copy Test Method and Results

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Copy Test Method

We conducted a copy test on potential flyer layouts for Medici. During the copy test we specifically concentrated on the effect that the color of the background of the flyer had on the customer perception and brand/message retention.

For our copy test we included two possible layout versions for a similar flyer layout. One which used a white background with black text, version A. The other was on a black background with white text, version B. Refer to Exhibit B-1 and Exhibit B-2 for the layouts. The respondents were initially given a layout, either version A or version B. After reviewing them, the respondents were asked a series of questions based on a predetermined copy test script. Refer to Exhibit B-3 for the copy test script. We would then reintroduce the same ad, followed by another series of questions, and concluding with comparing version A to version B and getting respondents’ preferences and ideas for revision.

Copy Test Results

Our results for respondents who were initially given layout version A:

(6/8) Mentioned the pictures (6/8) Recalled the organization (4/8) Said the message of the ad was that Medici has great food

Our results for respondents who were initially given layout version B:

(7/8) Mentioned the pictures (8/8) Recalled the organization (7/8) Said the message of the ad was to explore the food at Medici

When comparing the two versions of the layouts, the results came back in favor of layout version B:

11 out of 16 respondents preferred version B over version A

Overall, the copy test results gave us the knowledge necessary to make adequate changes to the final billboard layer. Upon reviewing the results we found that the respondents found the layouts outs visually appealing and intriguing, making them interested in learning more about Medici. However, respondents stated that version B of the layout looked very fancy and expensive. As a result, we lightened to background color because the white background did not have these impressions. We also changed the picture of food used in the flyer to look less fancy, and more of a hangout spot for the students.

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Exhibit B-1: Copy Test Flyer A

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Exhibit B-2: Copy Test Flyer B

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Exhibit B-3: Copy Test Script

[AFTER LETTING INDIVIDUAL LOOK AT AD A OR B, TAKE AWAY THE AD]

1.  Please write down everything you can recall about this ad:

2. Please list which brand/organization this ad was for:

3. Please explain the main/important message from this ad:

4. a. What are your initial impressions of Medici?

   b. Do you think this is a place students would go?

5. What are some the key aspects that stood out most to you in the ad?

6. Does this ad make you interested in finding out more about Medici?

[RETURN AD]

7. What about this ad do you like/dislike?

8. If you dislike something about, what would you recommend be changed?

9. Is the ad visually appealing and easy to understand?

SHOW OTHER AD (A OR B)

10. Which ad do you prefer more? Why?

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