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Marketing&Analysis:&BarHop!!

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Jessica'Gratrix!Nicole'Sheard!

Peter!Laskowski!Megan!Carter!

Jamie!Steinman!! !

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Table&of&Contents&Executive!Summary:!...................................................................................!3!

SWOT!Analysis:!..........................................................................................!5!

Customer!Analysis:!.....................................................................................!9!

Brand!Plan:!...............................................................................................!13!

Marketing!Objectives:!..............................................................................!17!

Marketing!Mix:!.........................................................................................!18!

Product!Strategy:!..................................................................................!18!

Communication!Objectives:!.................................................................!21!

Promotion!Strategy:!.............................................................................!23!

Pricing!Strategy:!....................................................................................!27!

Distribution!Strategy:!...........................................................................!30!

Budget:!.....................................................................................................!31!

Controls!&!Feedback:!...............................................................................!27!

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Executive)Summary!

Mission&Statement:&BarHop!is!an!allOinclusive!app!that!helps!you!plan!the!best!night!of!your!life!

from!beginning!to!end.!BarHop’s!features!include:!

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• A!list!of!local!bars.!Including!their!location,!hours!of!business,!cover!cost,!menu,!and!

features.!!

• A!calendar!of!current!events!and!featured!DJ’s.!Connection!to!Lyft!and!other!taxi!

services.!Current!phone!numbers!and!wait!times!for!a!ride.!

• Coupons!for!local!bars,!such!as!½!price!shots.!

&Target&Market&Breakdown:&BarHop!is!scheduled!to!launch!on!September!1st,!2015.!BarHop!will!be!

targeting!college!students!and!adults!between!the!ages!of!21!and!25!years!

old.!The!target!market!will!be!reached!through!informative!advertising!

using!print!ads!and!flyers,!social!media,!supporting!bars,!attempting!to!

emphasize!the!connection!we!have!to!the!target!market.!Total!estimated!

startup!costs!for!BarHop!are!$21,780.!In!the!first!year!after!launch,!revenue!

is!projected!to!be!$79,600!with!estimated!sales.!This!is!followed!by!a!

market!share!increase!from!0%!to!35%!by!September!1st,!2016.!

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Marketing&Mix:&Using!the!four!P’s!of!the!marketing!mix:!product,!price,!placement,!and!

promotion,!BarHop!will!create!their!position!within!the!market.!We!will!use!

smart!technology!and!current!information!to!provide!users!with!a!fun!and!

interactive!way!to!plan!their!night!out.!Next,!the!pricing!strategy!will!take!

advantage!of!the!“Freemium”!Model!Strategy,!allowing!new!users!access!to!

a!free!lite!version!with!limited!features.!To!gain!access!to!other!features,!

they!will!need!to!upgrade!to!the!Premium!version,!costing!$1.99.!The!

placement!strategy!will!be!businessOtoOconsumer!selling!in!which!feedback!

can!be!received!directly!from!users.!We!will!be!promoting!our!brand!

through!social!media!such!as,!Facebook,!Twitter!and!Instagram,!as!well!as,!

through!print!media!which!includes,!flyers,!print!ads!in!magazines!and!

exclusive!coupon!coded!print!outs!distributed!by!the!bars!we!are!partnered!

with.!

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SWOT%Analysis!

Overview:&Entertaining!into!the!world!of!smartphone!applications!will!be!challenging,!

but!it!will!also!provide!us!with!an!immense!amount!of!opportunities!we!can!

use!towards!a!competitive!advantage!over!our!target!market.!Figure!A!

illustrates!a!SWOT!analysis!of!BarHop!in!order!to!showcase!our!internal!

strengths!and!weaknesses,!as!well!as!the!opportunities!and!threats!we!may!

find!outside!of!our!brand.!We!use!the!internal!analysis!to!highlight!what!we!

are!capable!of!now!and!to!understand!our!limitations!in!order!to!exceed!

them.!The!external!analysis!is!a!tool!to!highlight!the!ways!we!can!capitalize!

on!our!internal!strengths,!while!identifying!what!our!competitors!are!doing!

and!allow!us!to!improve!our!brand.!

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Figure!A,!a!graph!summarizing!the!SWOT!analysis.!

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Strengths:&!

•!BarHop!staff!are!committed!to!excellence.!

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•!We!are!the!secondOmovers!in!terms!of!bar!applications,!and!with!this!knowledge!

we!have!created!a!unique!application,!going!above!and!beyond!our!competitors!

services.!

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•!For!the!low!cost!of!$1.99,!BarHop!users!are!able!to!receive!more!features!and!

save!more!time!and!money!doing!the!same!activities!they!would!normally!achieve!

using!multiple!other!sources.!

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•!Brand!developers!with!a!high!level!of!relatability!to!our!target!market.!The!

founders!of!BarHop!are!themselves!parts!of!the!target!market,!giving!us!a!strong!

idea!of!what!our!customers!are!looking!for.!

Weaknesses:&!

•!BarHop’s!founders!have!limited!technology!experience.!None!of!the!founders!

have!been!part!of!an!app!creation!process!before!now.!

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•!The!brand!has!a!low!amount!of!research!and!design!talent.!Our!brand!was!created!

by!a!group!of!friends!with!an!idea,!not!a!design!expert.!

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•!BarHop!has!limited!financial!resources!to!begin!with.!Raising!capital!thus!far!has!

been!slow!going,!and!that!has!caused!us!to!falter!in!some!aspects!of!the!creation!

process.!

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Opportunities:&!

•!BarHop!is!the!first!of!its!kind!as!a!fullOservice!app.!At!the!time!of!app!completion,!

our!top!two!competitors,!BarChick!and!Howl,!currently!do!not!offer!a!calendar!of!

events!or!a!coupon!section.!

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•!We!are!always!going!to!focus!on!the!21O30!year!age!group.!In!order!for!our!brand!

personality!to!remain!young!and!trendy,!we!will!only!focus!on!adults!who!fit!that!

ideal.!

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•!BarHop!will!continue!to!form!alliances!by!expanding!the!region!of!local!bars!and!

taxi!services!we!offer.!Our!goal!is!to!make!the!BarHop!app!accessible!to!the!majority!

of!the!United!States,!not!just!the!big!tourist!cities.!

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Threats:&!

•!The!allOinOone!bar!application!is!an!unknown!field.!To!date,!no!one!in!the!bar!

application!service!has!attempted!such!a!vast!amount!of!services.!

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•!While!BarHop!is!a!paid!application;!consumers!can!use!other!similar!social!apps!

for!free.!Most!people,!especially!young!adults,!are!looking!for!highOtech!apps!that!

do!not!require!a!fee.!This!gives!our!competitors!without!a!paid!version!an!

advantage.!

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Competitive&Advantage:&!!!!

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• Since!our!app!is!a!recently!developed!

brand,!we!are!starting!out!on!the!

bottom,!behind!our!competitors!who!

have!been!in!the!game!and!going!strong!

for!a!while!now.!With!this!in!mind,!we!

plan!on!using!our!freshness!as!a!

competitive!advantage!for!people!who!

are!looking!for!a!new!app!with!more!

features,!compared!to!one!of!our!

competitors,!such!as!BarChick.!!

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• Another!advantage!we!have!is!our!

connection!to!our!target!market,!being!

that!we!are!all!in!our!early!twenties!and!

currently!attending!Western!

Washington!University!in!Bellingham.!!

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• Finally,!BarHop!is!a!oneOstopOshop!

application,!and!we!believe!this!to!be!a!

key!opportunity!to!capitalize!on!over!

our!competitors.!!

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Customer!Analysis!

Segmentation:&There!are!three!markets!for!

the!BarHop!Application,!

which!includes!a!division!

between!collegeOage!adults,!

adults!midOtwenties!to!30!

years!old,!and!then!all!of!

the!other!people!over!30!

years!old!who!visit!bars.!

Although!our!app!will!fit!the!

needs!of!all!three!markets,!

the!main!focus!for!BarHop!will!be!on!collegeOage!adults.!&

College@age&Adults:&Primary&Target&Market&!

• Students!and!adults!ages!21O25!are!constantly!looking!for!the!newest,!trendiest!

bar.!Our!App,!BarHop,!will!allow!the!user!to!easily!find!which!bar!they!would!like!

to!attend!on!a!particular!evening,!how!they!will!get!to!and!from!the!bar,!what!

events!are!occurring!each!night!at!the!different!locations,!any!drink!or!food!

specials,!and!exclusive!coupons.!

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• Demographics!for!collegeOage!adults!include!all!ethnicities,!genders,!and!races.!

They!will!most!likely!be!unmarried,!an!income!of!$10,000!a!year!or!less,!and!will!

be!renting!a!house!or!apartments.!Their!attitudes!towards!drinking!are!of!the!

“Let’s!get!wasted”!persuasion,!and!they!are!looking!for!a!good!place!to!socialize.!

We!are!targeting!the!funOseeking,!adventurous,!carefree,!and!bargainOsearching!

segment!of!the!city’s!young!adults!that!want!to!be!“plugged!in”!to!their!city’s!hot!

spots.!The!city!size!we!are!aiming!for!requires!a!population!of!at!least!85,000!

people!who!live!and!work!and!socialize!within!a!close!proximity!of!each!other!and!

the!downtown!area.!!

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• Emotional!benefits!include!the!feeling!of!belonging!and!happiness.!

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Adults&25@30&years&old:&Secondary&Target&Market&!

• Adults!between!the!ages!of!25O30!years!old!will!be!our!secondary!market.!They!

will!use!our!app!to!find!a!bar!that!fits!their!needs!for!a!night!out!after!work.!!

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• The!demographics!will!include!all!ethnicities,!genders,!and!races.!This!age!group!

will!include!people!who!are!both!married!and!unmarried!with!the!possibility!of!

children.!They!will!have!entry!level!through!corporate!jobs,!working!full!time!with!

an!income!of!at!least!$25,000.!As!for!their!education!background,!they!will!range!

from!some!college!to!having!graduated.!Most!will!either!be!renting!apartments!or!

houses!and!some!will!be!beginning!to!own!their!own!houses.!!

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• This!market!will!mostly!be!done!with!their!crazy!party!days!and!are!looking!to!be!

social!and!catch!up!with!a!few!friends!after!work.!They!want!to!stay!connected!

with!their!friends,!watch!sports,!or!watch!live!music,!while!getting!a!break!from!

their!work!and!family.!Location,!coupons,!and!bar!atmosphere!features!will!

attract!this!age!group!to!BarHop.!

All&Adults&Age&21&and&Older:&Tertiary&Target&Market&!

• BarHop’s!tertiary!target!market!will!be!all!other!adults!that!are!at!least!21!years!

of!age.!This!group!will!have!a!wide!range!of!jobs!and!income.!Their!education!

background!will!include!high!school!graduates!through!college!degrees.!Like!the!

other!two!markets!groups,!all!ethnicities,!genders,!and!races!are!included!in!the!

demographics!of!this!market.!!

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• They!will!be!social,!adventurous!people!who!are!looking!to!let!off!steam!after!a!

long!day!at!work!or!school.!People!in!this!group!are!looking!for!a!place!to!relax!

and!hangout!without!worrying!about!which!bars!are!“the!place!to!be”.!Ease!of!

use!and!meeting!new!people!are!what!they!expect!from!our!application.!!

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Target:&

Our!primary!target!market!was!chosen!with!help!from!a!secondary!source!

that!compiled!data!from!U.S.!bars,!taverns,!and!nightclubs!in!from!spring!of!

2008!to!spring!of!20121.!

• Within!a!30!day!period,!

spring!of!2012!saw!

approximately!19.3!million!

people!in!either!a!bar!or!

nightclub.!

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• The!website!also!provided!

data!on!the!amount!of!

people!who!bought!a!beer!

within!a!30!day!period!in!

2012!landing!on!

approximately!24.3!million!

people.!

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Another!source!of!secondary!data!found!that,!as!of!January!2014,!90%!of!

American!adults!have!a!smartphone2.!

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• Within!those!smartphone!owners,!98%!were!between!the!ages!of!18!and!29!

years!old.!Since!our!app!is!for!Americans!who!are!legally!allowed!to!consume!

alcohol!we!figured!our!target!market!would!be!21!to!30!years!old.!

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• We!chose!to!begin!our!target!with!collegeOage!adults!because!93%!of!

cellphone!owners!have!at!least!some!college!and!of!the!adults!in!our!primary!

market!84%!make!$30,000!per!year!or!less.!

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Positioning&Statement:&For!young,!collegeOage!adults!ranging!from!21!to!30!years!old!who!want!to!

socialize!and!let!off!steam!from!a!hard!day!of!work!or!studying,!our!brand!

BarHop!is!the!only!smartphone!application!integrating!information!on!the!

music,!drink!specials,!and!activities!available!at!local!bars,!as!well!as!

providing!our!customers!with!a!service!to!get!them!home!at!the!end!of!the!

night,!and!unlike!Howl!or!Bar!Chick!we!have!combined!all!of!these!benefits!

and!put!them!into!one!place.!

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Brand&Plan! !

Purpose:&To!be!the!leading!smartphone!application!providing!the!user!will!all!of!the!

information!needed!to!plan!a!fun!night!out,!from!beginning!to!end.!!

Values:!!!

• The!importance!of!continually!

modifying!our!app.!Technology!is!

constantly!changing!and!improving,!

requiring!applications!to!keep!up!with!

the!demand.!We!understand!the!

advantage!of!exceptional!graphics,!

highOspeed!run!times,!upOtoOdate!bug!

fixes,!etc.!!

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• Put!the!consumer’s!needs!above!

everything!else.!Our!bottom!line!is!not!

only!about!money.!BarHop!believes!

that!without!satisfied!customers,!there!

would!be!no!brand.!We!want!our!

customers!to!provide!honest!feedback!

about!their!experience!with!our!brand!

and!partners!in!order!to!produce!the!best!application!of!our!kind.!!

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• Provide!accurate,!realOtime!information.!Our!brand!was!made!to!take!the!

frustration!out!of!the!user’s!evening!plans,!and!we!know!the!key!to!that!is!realO

time,!upOtoOdate!information!within!each!of!our!product!features.!!

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Story:&!BarHop!was!founded!3!months!ago!by!a!group!of!five!entrepreneurs,!

Megan!Carter,!Jessica!Gratrix,!Peter!Laskowski,!Nicole!Sheard,!and!Jamie!

Steinman.!The!group!is!made!up!of!four!undergraduate!degrees!in!various!

business!expertises,!and!one!

undergraduate!degree!in!psychology.!It!

all!started!when!the!friends!were!

getting!together!for!one!of!their!

weekly!nights!out!and!instead!of!being!

able!to!check!one!source!for!all!of!the!

information!pertaining!to!the!local!bars!

in!Bellingham,!they!had!to!call!around!

to!the!different!bars!and!check!out!

multiple!websites!and!applications.!

Due!to!the!frequency!of!this!

frustration,!they!made!it!their!mission!

to!develop!a!smartphone!application!

that!would!provide!the!user!with!all!of!

the!information!needed!to!plan!a!fun!

night!out,!complete!with!the!ease!of!a!

few!screen!taps.!

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Brand&Principle:&!BarHop!focuses!on!maximizing!the!nightlife!experience!for!collegeOaged!

students!from!the!start!of!their!night!until!it!is!time!to!go!home.!

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Brand&Personality:&!• Fun!→!BarHop!strives!to!give!its!users!an!exciting!bar!experience!where!they!

can!find!exactly!what!they!are!looking!for!to!have!a!great!night.!Through!the!

features!that!we!provide,!user!need!look!in!one!place!to!find!the!events,!

games,!and!atmosphere!that!would!maximize!their!experience.!

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• Trendy!→!BarHop!provides!its!users!

with!the!popular!place!to!be!each!

night.!With!its!checkOin!feature,!our!

consumers!will!never!again!miss!out!

on!exciting!events!and!they’ll!be!able!

to!find!the!most!populated!bars.!

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• Social!→!BarHop!gives!its!user!a!

chance!to!go!out!with!friends!and!find!

fun!bars!to!hang!out!in.!The!checkOin!

feature!lets!people!know!where!the!nightlife!is!most!exciting!that!night!so!they!

can!go!out!and!meet!new!people,!or!get!together!for!drinks!and!games!with!

people!they!already!know.!

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• Friendly!→!BarHop!caters!to!all!of!the!different!experiences!that!its!users!want.!

Whether!they!prefer!a!dance!floor!to!go!wild,!or!if!they!just!want!a!lowOkey!bar!

with!a!private!booth!to!talk!and!share!some!drinks!with!friends,!BarHop!caters!

to!both!ends!of!the!spectrum.!

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• Young!→!BarHop!focuses!on!giving!collegeOaged!students!the!opportunity!to!

find!other!young!adults!to!share!the!good!times!with.!The!application!is!geared!

towards!the!youngOadult!crowd;!with!the!idea!that!when!they!use!our!app,!

they!know!which!bar!is!the!place!to!be.!

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Brand&Associations:&!

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• Kangaroos!→!The!kangaroo!is!the!mascot!of!our!application.!!

He!is!the!logo!that!is!thought!of!by!each!user!as!!

they!are!hopping!from!bar!to!bar.!

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• Good!Times!→!BarHop!is!designed!to!give!its!!

users!the!fun!experience!that!they!are!hoping!!

to!receive!from!a!night!at!the!bars.!Whether!it!

is!a!laid!back!bar,!or!a!more!rowdy!atmosphere,!!

we!will!help!them!find!a!bar!that!suites!their!!

tastes.!

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• Friends!→!BarHop!is!a!social!application!that!gives!its!users!a!chance!to!connect!

with!friends!and!make!new!ones.!!

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• Music!→!BarHop’s!events!calendar!informs!its!users!with!the!many!live!

performances!and!different!events!being!held!at!each!bar!in!order!for!the!user!to!

enjoy!their!favorite!music.!

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• Alcohol!→!BarHop!is!a!tool!designed!to!give!collegeOaged!adults!a!safe!night!of!

drinking!with!friends.!!

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Marketing*Objectives!Our!main!marketing!goal!is!to!finish!creating!the!BarHop!app!by!September!

1st,!2015,!occurring!just!in!time!to!launch!the!app!for!the!college!students!

arriving!for!fall!quarter!at!Western!Washington!University.!

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• BarHop’s!goal!for!the!following!year!is!to!reach!25%!of!the!target!market!that!

attends!Western!Washington!University.!!

o Western!Washington!University’s!student!population!is!approximately!

15,060!students.!Assuming!that!about!35%!of!these!students!are!at!least!

21!years!old,!then!we!plan!to!reach!1,318!people!within!the!first!year.!This!

increases!our!reach!from!0%!to!35%!by!September,!1st,!2016.!

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• Currently!BarHop!is!not!bringing!in!any!revenue.!In!the!first!year!after!launch,!

BarHop!plans!to!generate!total!revenue!of!$79,600!by!September!1st,!2016.!

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• By!January!31st,!2017!BarHop’s!market!share!is!estimated!to!increase!from!0%!

to!35%.!Standing!close!in!comparison!with!our!top!competitors:!Bar!Chick,!Yelp,!

and!What’sUp!app.!

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• We!will!begin!passing!around!flyers!exactly!one!month!prior!to!the!launch!of!

BarHop,!beginning!August!1st,!2015.!The!majority!of!collegeOaged!students!will!

be!home!for!the!summer!and!not!living!in!Bellingham!but!this!will!help!to!get!

the!word!out!among!the!locals.!This!will!hopefully!create!a!small!buzz!by!the!

time!the!college!students!move!back!which!should!help!make!the!BarHop!

launch!easier!and!more!effective.!!

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• What!we!want!strive!to!achieve!with!BarHop!is!an!easier!way!to!plan!a!night!

out.!We!want!collegeOaged!people!to!find!enjoyment!in!planning!their!Friday!

night!out!while!staying!connected!to!others!and!being!fully!aware!of!all!of!their!

options.!

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Marketing*Mix!

Product&Strategy:&

Features:&!

• BarHop!reflects!the!individual!needs!of!its!customers.!The!basic!version!of!the!

app!gives!users!access!to!the!bar!locator!and!the!details!of!a!specific!bar’s!

activities,!DJ,!access!to!What’sUp!app,!and!nightly!drink!specials.!!

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• By!purchasing!BarHop!for!$1.99,!users!unlock!the!full!capability!of!our!app.!In!

order!to!remove!the!need!for!a!designated!driver,!the!full,!paid!version!enables!

users!to!request!a!ride!from!our!safe!and!friendly!partner!Lyft.!!

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• Along!with!the!ride!service,!we!have!partnered!with!many!of!the!local!bars!to!

give!our!users!deals!and!coupons!towards!drinks,!accessed!exclusively!through!

BarHop.!!

!

• Finally,!paid!users!can!see!what!events!are!happening!at!each!bar!in!their!area.!!

Advantages:&!

• BarHop!is!an!application!for!smartphones!designed!to!maximize!the!experience!

of!a!night!out!on!the!town.!Following!a!beginning!to!end!mindset,!any!BarHop!

user!can!start!their!night!by!deciding!on!which!bar!they!want!to!hangout!in,!

using!the!Find!a!Bar!feature.!This!feature!allows!the!user!the!freedom!to!find!a!

bar!within!a!specific!location.!

!

• The!Calendar!tab!lets!paid!users!see!any!events!happening!at!bars!in!their!area!

on!any!given!day,!helping!the!customer!decide!which!bar!to!check!out,!based!on!

what’s!happening!in!different!locations.!They!can!also!look!ahead!on!the!

calendar!through!the!end!of!the!current!month!to!plan!future!outings.!!

!

19!!

• Our!partnership!with!the!Lyft!driver!service!virtually!removes!the!need!for!a!

Designated!Driver.!Not!only!does!this!service!provide!the!paid!BarHop!user!with!

a!convenient!way!to!arrive!at!a!bar,!the!feature!is!accessed!through!our!app!so!

the!user!does!not!need!to!have!a!separate!Lyft!application!downloaded!on!their!

phone.!The!transportation!aspect!gives!people!a!quick!and!easy!solution!to!

getting!to!the!bars!as!well!as!getting!home!safely!to!avoid!driving!themselves!

while!intoxicated.!

!

• As!a!specific!feature!of!Bellingham,!

WA,!our!app!is!partnered!with!the!

bus!app!Western!Wheels!App,!an!

application!that!gives!any!user!the!

locations!of!nearby!bus!stops!within!

Bellingham,!along!with!approximate!

times!of!arrival.!This!app!is!also!

found!within!BarHop,!removing!the!

need!to!download!the!What’sUp!

application.!

!

• Along!with!the!Find!a!Bar!feature,!BarHop!provides!a!list!within!each!bar!choice,!

giving!the!user!freedom!to!scope!out!the!bar!before!ever!arriving!there.!This!

includes!items!such!as!if!they!have!pool!or!a!mechanical!riding!bull.!Users!can!

find!out!information!on!live!events,!who!the!DJ!is,!an!approximate!current!

capacity,!the!nightly!specials,!and!which!bars!have!a!cover!charge.!!

!

• Once!the!user!arrives!at!the!bar,!the!application!gives!the!user!the!opportunity!

to!CheckOIn!and!let!others!see!where!they!are.!The!incentive!behind!checking!in!

is!found!in!conjunction!with!the!coupons!we!provide!for!paid!users!who!are!

frequent!customers!of!specific!bars.!!

!

• Before!ordering!a!drink,!our!paid,!frequent!users!can!cut!down!on!costs!by!

checking!out!the!Deals!section.!Each!bar!will!have!a!list!of!a!few!coupons,!such!as!

“buy!one!shot!get!one!free”!or!“half!price!pints”.!By!presenting!the!app!to!the!

bartender,!users!will!be!given!the!selected!discount.!This!is!used!as!an!incentive!

for!customers!to!pay!for!the!full!version!and!become!frequent!users!of!our!app.!

!

20!!

Benefits:&!BarHop!is!the!perfect!tool!for!adults!looking!to!maximize!their!nightlife!

experience!while!staying!efficient!with!time!as!well!as!reducing!costs,!all!at!

one!time.!

• The!user’s!time!is!precious,!traveling!from!bar!to!bar!without!knowing!what!will!

be!found!eats!up!a!large!portion!of!that!precious!time.!Time!is!wasted!if!groups!

of!people!eventually!are!unable!to!find!what!they!are!looking!for.!BarHop!

provides!them!with!all!of!the!necessary!information!to!decide!smartly!and!

efficiently,!ultimately!saving!time.!!

!

• One!of!the!biggest!issues!found!with!going!out!to!the!bars!is!the!high!cost!for!

purchasing!drinks!or!paying!cover!fees.!Providing!users!with!the!knowledge!of!

specials!and!cover!charges!ahead!of!time,!as!well!as!offering!the!frequent!user!

coupons,!will!reduce!the!bills!that!always!accompany!a!night!out.!The!savings!

BarHop!provides!will!pay!for!the!cost!of!purchasing!the!application!after!just!

one!night!on!the!town.!!

!

• BarHop!also!encourages!drinking!responsibly.!By!offering!our!transportation!

options,!BarHop!will!give!our!users!safe!alternatives!to!finding!a!designated!

driver!or!driving!while!intoxicated.!This!is!not!only!a!benefit!to!the!customer,!

but!to!the!public!as!a!whole.!

Future&Product&Development:&!The!start!of!the!BarHop!App!will!initially!be!the!local!nightlife!in!Bellingham,!

WA.,!but!we!plan!to!grow!our!brand!into!larger!cities!within!the!US.!BarHop!

will!be!an!application!that!can!be!used!on!for!anyone!looking!for!a!casual!

night!out!with!friends,!or!a!handy!tool!

for!vacations!as!our!users!travel!so!they!

can!experience!the!nightlife!across!the!

country.!Unlike!our!competitor!

BarChick,!we!will!stay!within!the!United!

States!in!order!to!give!a!more!inOdepth,!

specific,!focus!on!continually!improving!

our!services!for!our!target!market.!

!

21!!

Communication&Objectives:&

Brand&Awareness:&!New!to!the!smartphone!application!

game,!we!plan!to!increase!BarHop&

brand&awareness!using!multiple!

channels,!taking!advantage!of!the!

connection!we!have!with!our!target!

market.!Each!of!these!objectives!is!

vital!to!our!ability!to!make!the!

BarHop!name!a!prominent!player.!!

&

&!

• Within!our!partnership!with!local!bars,!we!will!have!them!advertise!our!

application!through!their!media!channels.!These!bars!include!local!Bellingham!bars!

like!The!Green!Frog,!The!Underground,!and!Rumours,!will!have!free,!fullOversion!

app!download!cards!for!the!first!month!after!launch,!similar!to!Starbucks’!“Pick!of!

the!Week”!channel.!Bartenders!will!have!cardholders!around!the!bar!for!people!to!

take!at!their!leisure!for!the!first!month!of!launching!the!app.!!

!

• Western!Washington!University!campus!and!Whatcom!Community!College!will!be!

home!to!tearOaway!flyers!explaining!BarHop!in!brief!detail!and!including!a!free!fullO

version!download!code.!The!flyers!will!also!include!our!Twitter!and!Instagram!

handles.!

!

• We!have!created!a!BarHop!websites!to!better!connect!with!our!target!market.!It!

includes!photos!of!the!app’s!interface,!news!on!upcoming!improvements,!

information!explaining!the!application,!and!a!link!to!our!social!media!sites.!

!

• The!fastOgrowing!social!media!sites,!Facebook,!Twitter,!and!Instagram,!will!be!

great!tools!for!spreading!awareness.!By!asking!people!to!follow!us!or!tag!us!in!

their!posts,!so!their!friends!become!aware!of!who!we!are.!

!

22!!

Brand&Knowledge:&!Our!plan!for!increasing!BarHop!brand&knowledge!requires!adding!an!

informative,!tellOall!section!to!our!website.!Once!people!become!aware!of!

our!brand,!we!want!them!to!understand!who!we!are!and!what!we!can!offer!

them.!!

!

• We!will!encourage!our!users!to!provide!

feedback!on!their!experience!with!BarHop.!

These!reviews!will!then!be!added!to!our!

website!as!well!as!our!Facebook!account.!!

!

• We!will!post!“shoutOouts”!to!users!as!a!way!

to!engage!with!our!customers.!Posts!such!

as!“Glad!we!could!help!you!out,!Brittany!!

We!hope!you!had!a!great!Friday!night!at!

the!Wild!Buffalo!where!upOandOcoming!

artist!Krio!was!performing!”!Not!only!do!we!

engage!the!users!and!make!them!feel!

special!and!unique,!but!also!we!are!able!to!

promote!our!partners.!Posting!these!

“shoutOouts”!will!show!other!Facebook!users!what!BarHop!can!do!for!them!and!

that!real!people!are!using!our!app!and!finding!it!helpful.!

!

23!!

Promotion&Strategy:&

&&&&&&&Facebook:&!• Once!we!have!completed!the!

application!and!it!is!ready!for!launch,!

we!will!begin!posting!to!Facebook!a!

countdown!photo!every!day!for!15!

days.!

!

• Potential!customers!will!be!

encouraged!to!share!the!photo!on!

their!personal!Facebook!pages,!

alerting!their!friends!of!our!

impending!launch!date.!This!will!

essentially!be!free!promotion,!since!

we!will!not!be!charged!even!a!penny!

for!the!shares!of!we!acquire.!!

!

Twitter:&!

!

• Utilizing!Twitter,!

BarHop!will!have!an!

active!account,!

tweeting!at!least!

once!per!day.!We!

will!create!unique!

hashOtags!in!order!

to!get!BarHop!

“trending”!on!the!

social!media!outlet.!

!

!

!

Example(1:(Facebook(Post

Example(2:(Twitter(Post

!

24!!

Campus&Hand@Outs:&!

• On!the!public!message!boards!at!

Western!Washington!Univeristy!

and!Whatcom!Community!

College,!handouts!will!be!

distributed!in!order!to!raise!

awareness!of!our!brand!on!

college!campuses.!!• Along!with!large!prints!on!

message!boards,!smaller!cards!

will!be!handed!to!students!on!

campus!in!high!trafficked!areas,!

such!as!Red!Square!at!WWU.!!!

&

!

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

&

Example(3:(Campus(Handout&

!

25!!

Print&Ads:&

!

• Below!are!two!examples!of!our!print!ads.!These!full!page!spreads!will!be!added!

to!local!magazines!and!newspapers,!including!the!campusOrun!newspaper,!The!

Western!Front.!

Example(4:(Print(Ad(1&

!

26!!

!

Example(5:(Print(ad(2&

!

27!!

Pricing&Strategy:&

Price&to&Customers:&

BarHop!uses!the!“Freemium”!strategy!through!the!Apple!App!store.!The!

app!is!free!for!anyone!to!try!a!very!limited!amount!of!features!that!

BarHop!provides!its!users.!We!then!offer!a!chance!to!upgrade!to!

premium,!where!they!will!be!able!to!benefit!from!the!full!scale!of!

features!that!we!provide.!

!

BarHop!“Premium”!will!be!priced!at!the!low!cost!of!$1.99.!With!Apple!

receiving!30%!of!our!total!sales,!we!will!be!gaining!approximately!$1.39!

from!each!Premium!purchase.!!

• We!believe!that!due!to!the!value!that!BarHop!provides,!the!consumers!will!be!

willing!to!pay!$1.99!to!upgrade.!

• Through!the!savings!that!BarHop!users!will!receive!from!our!coupon!feature!as!

well!as!the!knowledge!of!current!specials!and!cover!fees,!the!application!will!be!

able!to!pay!for!itself!after!one!night!out.!

• The!idea!behind!starting!out!free!!

is!to!entice!people!into!trying!out!!

our!application,!similar!to!a!taste!!

test!of!the!features!the!application!!

can!provide.!We!predict!that!once!

!they!use!the!app!and!see!the!!

benefits!that!they!could!be!having!!

by!owning!the!premium!version,!!

they!will!be!enticed!into!upgrading!!

to!a!premium!account!to!take!!

advantage!of!the!full!version.!

• By!allowing!BarHop!to!be!a!free!application,!we!are!able!to!build!our!credibility!

as!people!receive!the!positive!benefits!that!BarHop!provides.!

• Starting!off!free!will!hopefully!maximize!the!amount!of!brand!awareness!we!

generate,!as!word!of!mouth!combined!with!our!strategic!marketing!efforts!

publicizes!our!application.!

• Consumers!in!the!app!market!do!not!like!to!pay!for!apps!that!they!are!unsure!of.!

A!free!download!eliminates!the!risk!of!wasting!the!consumers’!money,!which!will!

be!an!incentive!to!trying!out!BarHop.!

!

28!!

Cost&to&Company:&!

Figure'1:'Shows'the'estimated'cost'of'creating'the'BarHop'application,'based'on'a'cost'calculator.'

There!is!a!large!amount!of!skill!and!expertise!involved!with!the!initial!

development!of!an!application.!Using!a!popular!application!cost!calculator!

we!were!able!to!develop!a!reasonable!and!realistic!estimate!of!how!much!

BarHop!will!cost!to!create,!shown!in!the!table!below3.!With!these!calculated!

costs!and!other!factors!such!as!Apple’s!share!of!the!BarHop!sales!and!the!

initial!App!Store!implementation!fee,!we!determined!that!we!will!be!able!to!

make!a!profit!with!the!low!BarHop!premium!cost!of!$1.99.!

&!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3!Kinvey!

!

29!!

Projected&Breakeven&Point&for&2015@2016&as&Percentage&of&Sales:&

!

By!providing!constant!improvement!and!excellent!customer!service!as!

well!as!time!and!costOefficient!marketing!techniques,!we!will!be!able!to!

hit!our!projected!sales!of!40,000!units.!Looking!at!our!breakOeven!point!

we!will!start!to!see!profit!by!the!31,914th!unit!sold!as!well!as!a!great!ROI!

of!16.44%!within!the!first!year.!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

30!!

Distribution&Strategy:&!

• BarHop!will!execute!a!direct!distribution!method!to!aggressively!

present!our!app!to!the!public.!We!will!implement!a!business!to!

consumer!strategy!(B2C),!which!will!allow!us!to!improve!our!app!

through!constructive!feedback!from!our!users.!

• BarHop!will!utilize!a!pull!strategy!through!direct!selling!to!customers!

using!our!ads!on!social!media!sites!print!ads!and!billboards.!Social!

media!will!be!our!main!focus!for!advertising.!!When!first!launching!

our!app!we!will!hand!out!flyers!on!campus!to!promote!and!get!

BarHop’s!name!out!there.!We!will!also!offer!a!free!download!that!

they!can!receive!at!the!bars!for!the!first!month!only.!

!

Software:!!!

Barhop!will!be!developed!by!a!third!party!app!programing!company!

inside!the!US.!We!will!provide!our!users!with!biOmonthly!updates,!or!

more!frequently!if!major!problems!arise.!BarHop!will!initially!only!be!

made!available!for!iOS!operating!systems!on!Apple!brand!

smartphones!only.!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

!

31!!

Budget:!

• We!expect!the!largest!costs!to!be!found!within!the!first!2!months!because!

of!the!initial!application!development!costs.!Once!our!application!is!fully!

functional,!we!expect!to!see!the!costs!associated!with!application!

development!begin!to!drop.!

• We!have!a!firstOclass!web!development!team!that!will!help!keep!the!

monthOtoOmonth!costs!of!maintaining!the!website!very!low.!

• After!the!initial!startup!costs,!we!can!expect!to!see!our!monthOtoOmonth!

costs!drop!to!a!steady!cost!for!application!maintenance.!

• Realistically,!travel!costs!will!vary!as!we!continue!to!add!to!our!application!

database.!

Total&Expected&Revenue:&$79,600&!• With!downloads!of!40,000!units,!we!expect!to!see!a!total!revenue!of!

$79,600!within!the!first!year,!based!on!the!amount!of!people!who!

downloaded!it!free!and!then!upgraded!to!the!full!version.!

Break&Even&Point:&31914&Units&

!

• Once!our!sales!total!$63,509,!we!will!have!covered!our!total!variable!and!

fixed!costs,!and!then!we!can!expect!to!start!profiting!from!our!investments.!

!

!

32!!

&

Marketing&Budget:&19.47%&!

• With!total!revenue!of!$79,600,!we!will!be!using!19.47%!towards!marketing!

BarHop.!

Share&of&Voice:&!

! To!find!the!SOV!of!some!of!our!main!

competitors,!we!used!a!tool!called!Social!

Mention4.!It!will!take!some!time!to!receive!

a!higher!SOV!than!our!competitors,!but!

with!the!right!marketing!techniques!within!

the!first!year!we!should!at!least!be!able!to!

compete!with!the!current!market.!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4!Social!Mention!!

!

33!!

Controls(and(Feedback!

Pre@Launch&Survey&Results:&!

Prior!to!launching!our!BarHop!application,!we!wrote!a!survey!5!and!

posted!it!to!our!personal!Facebook!pages!in!order!to!check!out!how!the!

current!market!would!react!to!a!hypothetical!app!with!our!specifications.!!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!5!Survey!Monkey!

• A!total!of!63!people!took!our!!

survey!within!two!days!of!the!!

initial!posting.!This!allowed!us!

to!judge!how!well!our!app!would!

!be!accepted!and!used!by!potential!!

customers.!!

!

• We!asked!them!5!basic!questions!!

pertaining!to!the!features!that!our!!

app!would!include,!with!a!Likert!!

scale!of!1O5!(1'='very'unlikely,'!2'='unlikely,'3'='neutral,'4'='likely,!'5'='very!likely).!!!!

• The!key!question!at!the!end!!

of!the!survey!asked!!

participants!to!indicate!how!

likely!they!would!be!to!use!

our!app!if!it!included!all!of!!

the!features!previously!!

asked!about.!!

!

34!!

!

!

• Roughly!50%!of!everyone!who!

took!the!survey!said!they!would!

use!an!application!if!it!included!

all!of!the!features.!The!final,!key!

question!we!asked!was!“How!

likely!would!you!be!to!use!an!app!

that!includes!all!of!these!

features?”!which!yielded!a!76%!

choice!of!“very!likely”.!!

!

• We!are!able!to!take!this!data!and!

expect!similar!results!from!our!

target!markets!once!the!app!has!

been!launched.!When!looking!at!

the!resulting!graphs!for!each!

question,!be!aware!that!the!“very!

unlikely”!and!“unlikely”!choices!

were!collapsed!and!the!“likely”!

and!“very!likely”!choices!were!

collapsed!in!order!to!present!

cleaner!results.!

!!!

!

35!!

Future&Sources&of&Customer&Feedback:&

BarHop!will!implement!two!main!forms!in!which!customers!can!leave!

feedback!in!order!to!determine!their!satisfaction!with!our!app!and!their!

suggestions!for!improvements.!The!two!forms!used!will!be!Direct!feedback!

through!our!website!and!Subjective!feedback!through!various!social!media!

outlets.!

!

Direct&Feedback:&

Subjective&Feedback:&

!

• Rate!this!app:!After!BarHop!users!open!the!app!ten!times,!they!will!be!asked!

to!“rate!this!app”!with!a!range!of!1O5!stars.!This!will!prevent!people!from!

deliberately!using!the!app!once!to!leave!a!negative!review.!!

!

• Users!will!also!be!able!to!leave!feedback!suggesting!any!improvements!they!

would!like!made.!These!could!be!adding!more!features!or!suggesting!

changing!some!of!the!current!ones.!!

!

!

• Social!Media:!Users!will!also!be!able!to!tag!BarHop!in!their!social!media!

posts.!They!will!be!able!to!post!and!leave!comments!on!Facebook!where!

they!can!interact!with!other!users!and!who!can!answer!questions!for!each!

other.!!!!

!!

!

• Customers!are!free!to!send!us!an!email!via!our!website!regarding!customer!

support,!website!technical!support,!app!support,!or!any!general!questions!

that!they!might!have.!Customers!will!receive!a!response!email!within!48!

hours.!!

!

• When!customers!experience!widespread!problems!we!will!try!to!resolve!the!

issue!with!the!latest!app!update.!!

!

!

36!!

Appendix!1!#1:!Statista.com!

!!!!!!!!!!

!

37!!

Appendix(2!#2:!Pewinternet.org!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

38!!

Appendix(3!#3:!Kinvey.com!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

39!!

Appendix(4!#4:!Social!Mention!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

40!!

Appendix(5!#5:!SurveyMonkey.com!!!

!

!!!!!

!

41!!

Appendix(6!#6:!BarHop!commercial!1!of!2!to!raise!brand!awareness!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

42!!

!

Appendix(7!!#7:!BarHop!commercial!2!of!2!to!raise!brand!awareness!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

43!!

Appendix(8!#8:!BarHop!website!using!a!trial!version!of!Squarespace!!

!

How(our(website(looks(on(a(smartphone&

How(our(website(looks(on(the(computer&