Honest Tea Strategic Plan 2013/2014
Southern Region
Southern
Strategies
Meet the Team
Lauren Frager is studying public communications and graphic design.
She has had two internships at a B2B Marketing firm and two in the ad
sales marketing department of National Geographic Channel. Lauren is
most interested in the creative side of marketing, and enjoys developing
integrated communications plans. She is an Austin, Texas native and
while she eventually wants to move back to the south, Lauren plans on
staying in Washington DC after graduation. She loves baking, has a pet
hamster, and her favorite Honest Tea flavor is Moroccan Mint.
Alexandra Kula is studying public communications with a minor in law
and society. She currently interns at the American Legacy Foundation
and has previously interned at the National Geographic Society and
Allied Integrated Marketing. Alexandra has also worked within different
departments at the American Embassy in Panama and with the University
Center at American University. She was born in the United States but has
lived in Paraguay, Costa Rica, France and Panama. Her favorite Honest Tea
flavor is Pomegranate Blue.
Ali Ziegler is a public communication major with a minor in creative
writing. She is currently interning in the publicity department at Island
Press, and hopes to pursue a career in the publicity side of the book
publishing industry. A Florida native, Ali loves stories, sunshine, and
exploring. Her favorite Honest Tea flavor is Peach White Tea.
Joanna Polaski is studying public communications with a minor
in marketing. She is currently interning at MXM Social located in
Arlington, Virginia. Joanna is interested in social media campaign
management and communications strategy development. She is
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but plans to continue living in
Washington DC after graduation. She likes photography, cooking
and going to the movie with friends. Her favorite Honest Tea
flavor is Peach White Tea.
Jonathan Whitehead is a public communication major with a minor in
public administration & policy. He aspires to become a foreign service
officer with the U.S. Department of State in the field of public diplomacy,
and will begin going through the selection process this summer.
Jonathan has interned with the press office of the United Kingdom
Labour Party during his semester abroad in London, as well as with the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Public Affairs here
in Washington, D.C. A native of the Jersey Shore, he loves music and
photography, and is an avid follower and supporter of space exploration.
His favorite Honest Tea flavor is Half-and-Half.
&
A special thank-you to Professor Kumar for her
guidance, knowledge, and around-the-clock
availability and support.
3
Executive Summary
Southern Strategies is a regional public relations firm committed
to providing our clients with effective, creative research-driven
planning and results, served with a side of southern hospitality.
The Challenge: We want people to “taste
the truth” of Honest Tea. Instead of focusing on the products in general, we
will focus instead on the great taste and
wholesome, fair trade ingredients.
Target Markets:
Objectives: To raise awareness about the
wholesome and delicious flavors in Honest
Tea products, develop brand loyalty and a
community of advocates within the region,
and increase regional sales of Honest Tea
by 5%.
Nashville
Nashville is known as the “Music Capital of the United States,” and in this vibrant
Southern city, we’re targeting Thrifty Young Families. These families might not be up on
the latest trends, but they are always interested in saving money and finding quality
products that the whole family can enjoy.
Austin
Austin is known for its bustling tech community, trendsetting music scene, and the
renowned University of Texas. Here, we’re targeting UT’s Socially Aware Young Singles,
smart and hip college students who practice a unique combination of social and
environmental activism mixed with a whole lot of fun.
Orlando
World famous for its amusement parks and warm climate, over fifty million people
visit Orlando each year. In this sunny city, we’re targeting The Disney Family – families
committed to providing a healthy and educational environment for their children.
Key Messages:
Honest Tea is a healthy, affordable alternative to other sugary beverage options for
children.
Honest Tea is a refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage made from wholesome ingredients.
Honest Tea wants to be part of your community.
Honest Tea is a progressive and socially responsible beverage company that cares
about the world.
Tactics:
“Join the Brew Crew” - Nationwide
Strategy: To showcase the wholesome and healthy ingredients in Honest Tea by inviting
the public to develop and vote on their favorite new tea flavors.
With so many potential flavors to be created, we couldn’t resist limiting this tactic to
one city. This nationwide contest invites participants to join the “Brew Crew” by creating
their own Honest Tea flavors and submitting them to Honest Tea’s Facebook page. The
inventors of the ten most popular flavors will be invited to Honest Tea headquarters in
Bethesda, where they will develop their flavor with the Honest Tea Brewmaster. A panel
of judges will select the winning tea, which will be added to Honest Tea’s line of products for a limited time.
“Honest Jingle Competition” - Nashville
Strategy: To demonstrate Honest Tea’s commitment to communities and healthy alternatives by developing personal connections between Honest Tea and individuals through
the distinct local culture of Nashville.
Introducing a musical competition for a musical city! In this contest, participants will
write and record a jingle, up to 60-seconds long, about their favorite flavor of Honest
Tea. We’ll use a combination of digital and traditional media to promote this contest,
and in keeping with the spirit of Nashville, the winner will record their jingle at the Grand
Ol’ Opry.
“U Tea: Make it Rain!” – Austin
Strategy: To demonstrate the nutritional, sustainable, and creative qualities of Honest Tea
by tapping into and engaging the unique personality of Austin and its residents.
We’re planning a truly unique event for a truly unique city. We will partner with UT clubs,
organizations, and local Austin environmental groups to put on a huge event at Barton
Springs during UT Welcome Week. With belly-flop contests and rain dance instruction,
this outdoor party will highlight Honest Tea’s environmental and sustainable practices as
well as their wholesome ingredients.
“World’s Most Magical Tea Party” - Orlando
Strategy: To demonstrate to the families of Orlando that Honest Tea is family-oriented,
child-friendly and made with wholesome ingredients by engaging parents and children
alike.
Where better to host an event in Orlando than Disney, and where better than Disney to
host an extra-special tea party? At the World’s Most Magical Tea Party, children and
families will learn what Honest Tea is made of – organic, fair trade ingredients – and will
be asked to tell us what they’re made of. We will provide porcelain teacups for kids
and their families to decorate with their dreams and wishes, and they will be able to
spend time with their favorite popular Disney characters in the Magic Kingdom.
5
Budget:
These estimates include materials and venue costs, and do not account for costs that
could possibly be alleviated by seeking out nonprofit and corporate partnerships.
$31,806 in Orlando for “World’s Most Magical Tea Party”
$54,800 in Austin for “U Tea: Make it Rain”
$28,400 in Nashville for “Honest Jingle Competition”
$64,400 nationwide for “Join the Brew Crew”
Evaluation:
“U Tea: Make it Rain”: We will be able to track how much social media visibility surrounds the event and how many people attend the event.
“Honest Jingle Competition”: The number of submissions received will largely determine
the success of this tactic.
“World’s Most Magical Tea Party”: We will be able to track how many people attend
the event.
“Join the Brew Crew”: It will be easy to monitor how many recipes are submitted on
Facebook and how many votes are cast for the recipes.
Timeline:
Honest Jingle Competition
Announcement & Launch of Competition: September 1st
Jingle Recording: October 6th
Release of Winning Jingle: October 13th
U Tea: Make it Rain
Announcement of Event: July 7th
Event Launch: August 21st
Join the Brew Crew
Announcement of Competition: March 17th
Launch of Competition: March 24th
Deadline for Submission & Voting: April 5th
Finalists Chosen: April 12th
Finalist Judging Event: April 15th
Announcement of Winners: April 26th
Launch of New Flavor: June 16th
World’s Most Magical Tea Party
Announcement of Event: March 10th
Tea Party: April 14th
Current Perceptions
Honest Tea has an
extremely engaging
Facebook and the
customer base is
contstantly sharing
thoughts with the company. The biggest
strength about the Facebook is that
HonestTea responds to every post;
negative or positive. Right now the most
heated conversation centers around
Coca Cola’s vote against Prop 37. Most
feedback is from women.
I am boycotting your brands of tea and juice. It is a darn shame
that your company has supported to say NO to Prop 37 for GMO
labeling.
I will no longer be buying you Honest Kids line of ‘juice’ due to the
fact that I recently found out that you are partially owned by the
Coca cola company [and the] the gross amount of money they
spent to defeat Prop 37 against labeling GMO’s.
Just finished a bottle of Raspberry Fields. I used to be a big soda
drinker but wanted to quit and I needed something to help me.
Something with flavour but not crazy sugar. I LOVE the Raspberry
Fields. Totally helping me quit the soda. - Paula
Mid afternoon thirst quencher. I'm loving these
stevia sweetened teas. @honesttea http://instagr.am/p/VPYGvLt57s/
Just had my first @HonestTea. The Honey
Green Tea is delicious, exactly what I was
looking for! #bravo
Glad to know that @HonestTea offers a great
tasting drink alternative for kids on-the-go.
#B2SCrave
Amazon is a great
source of feedback
for Honest Tea. A
lot of discussion on
Amazon is related
to price and the benefits of buying online
versus in store. The overall conclusion
is that customers who buy online do so
because it is cheaper and there is a wider
range of flavors.
Most Twitter feedback
is from women, but not
as high of a percentage
as Facebook. One main
difference is that most
tweets were positive.
Twitter is not where consumers will
go to voice their opinion. Over 16,000
people follow Honest Tea on Twitter, but
the company only follows 540 in return
which goes against most social media
etiquette. Sweepstakes and contests,
such as B2SCrave, the partnership with
Cravebox are what spark Twitter activity.
I really wanted a good source of anti-oxidants in a green
tea without having to constantly brew my own. Honest Tea
is the answer.
I just opened my first bottles of Honest Ade...completely
void of any flavor. I can’t even tell there are cranberries or
lemons in it. The other has slight undertones of mango but
they both taste so watered down it wasn’t worth the $1.19
I paid.
Words cannot even begin to describe my love for this tea. I
was looking for an authentic tea that contained a substantial amount of antioxidants. This tea was it. It’s organic. It
has no artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup.
7
Strengths
•
Reputation for commitment to:
•
Offers a healthy alternative to soft drinks
•
The company is owned by a strong brand, Coca Cola, which can influence some existing
consumers by vouching for Honest Tea
•
Mission to “democratize organics”
•
Ability to earn free media attention from publications and news sources
•
Loyal customer base among influential celebrities (ex. Oprah)
•
Leading the way in full calorie disclosure on labels
•
Creative grassroots marketing and campaigns which give the brand a strong, distinct personality when compared with other mainstream beverage brands
Social responsibility
Sustainability
Fair Trade practices
Healthy living/lifestyles
Transparency led by CEO Seth Goldman
Opportunities
•
Honest Kids provides Coca-Cola Company with a product for children, along with consumer research, which is not provided from other brands within the company
•
Growing demand for healthier, low-calorie beverages
•
Current trends towards organic beverages and food on the rise
•
Increasing public awareness and scrutiny of artificial ingredients used in mainstream beverages (especially soft drinks)
•
Growing awareness of the current obesity epidemic and the rise of anti-obesity campaigns
has caused a decreas in soft drink consumption
•
Expanding the target audience beyond the already health-conscience and organic-seeking
beverage market in response to current trends
•
Target audience are “activists” in global and environmental issues and willing to spread the
word to promote their views
•
Increased interest in health consciousness and rising environmental awareness, higher demand for foods and products that are best when eaten or used as close to their original state
Weaknesses
•
Ownership by the Coca-Cola Company; although Coca Cola is trying to compromise and
adopt some of the Honest Tea ideals, they still have an outlasting reputation that doesn’t
align with the wholesome, fair trade image of Honest Tea
•
For general industry - “Company founders often focus too much on their product and not
enough on the mechanics of growing the business”
•
Lack of competitive pricing with soft drinks
•
60% of people who buy tea are female; bottled tea not as popular as soft drinks are with
males
•
Potential for disappointment among mass audience due to conditioning by sweet, sugary
mainstream beverages
Threats
•
Competitors beginning to lower the sugar content in their drinks and offering low-sugar
alternatives (e.g. TeJava, Malibu Teaz, The Republic of Tea, Snapple, Capri Sun) and is now
actively competing in an emerging “Tea Culture”
•
Disagreement between Coke’s business ideals and Honest Tea’s business ideals
•
Coca-Cola’s reputation of unhealthy soft drinks
•
Financial burden of maintaining eco-friendly practices
•
Brand image targets a very specific niche market and as a result alienates mainstream beverage consumers
9
Competitor Analysis
History: Founded and located in Beaumont,
Texas. Tea bottles feature Granny, named
after creator Clayton’s grandmother, Mimi,
who made him homemade sweet tea on
hot summer days. When Clayton started the
business of bottling tea, he used her original
recipes.
Product Information: Sweet Leaf Tea sells
unsweetened tea flavors; additionally, most of
their products are USDA certified organic with
labels that can be found on each bottle. Their
beverages are produced in certified organic
beverage plants in central, west, northeast,
and southwest parts of the USA, products are
also available online.
Promotion:
ONLINE
• Launched a Sweet Leaf TV video of
Clayton helping make the tea at their
plant in Texas
• Facebook promotion and sweepstake
initiatives
• Presence on Twitter & Flickr
• Host a radio station through their
website, “Sweet Leaf Radio”
• Staying Green Tips
OFFLINE
• Donates and sponsors events related to
health & wellness
• Visit summer festivals - promote their
presence through Facebook (ACL,
Lollapoolza, Muddy Buddy, Eastbound
and Found)
Social Media Presence: Sweet Leaf Tea currently has a presence on Facebook,
Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Flickr. Their Facebook page has approximately
59,701 ‘likes’ and they are regularly in communication with their customers.
They have 8,389 followers on Twitter, follow 4,134 and regularly update their
feed. Their YouTube channel has a low number of 80 subscribers, but has
a high number of 88,402 views. Their Pinterest page also has ten boards all
related to their product’s flavors and the brand’s personality including: Citrus,
Raspberry, Mint, Peach, Sweet Pairings, Homemade Goods, Sound of Music,
Put a Smile On, and Sweet Facts.
Competitor Analysis
History: The Republic of Tea was founded in 1992
by Bill Rosenzweig and Mel and Patricia Ziegler.
Two years later, they sold The Republic of Tea to
Ron Rubin. Based in Novato, California, they also
have a major production factory in Nashville, Illinois.
Product Information: The Republic of Tea is a
producer of loose leaf teas, herbs and brewed
iced teas which are available at over 20,000
retailers and restaurants throughout the United
States, online and via their catalogue.
Promotion
ONLINE
• Maintains a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
and Pinterest page
OFFLINE
• Hosts tea demos at Whole Foods
• Booth at the Winter Fancy Food Show
• Partners with Whole Planet Foundation,
Room to Read, the Prostate Cancer
Foundation, Sunny Hills Services, the Dr.
Marnie Rose Foundation, and the Sponsors
for Educational Opportunity Scholars
Program
• Donaties to causes including the American
Red Cross Japan and Earthquake and
Pacific Tsunami Disaster Relief
Social Media Presence: The Republic of Tea currently has a presence on
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. Their Facebook page has
approximately 111,953 ‘likes’ and they are constantly in communication with
their customers. They have 4,825 followers on Twitter, follow 1,075 and update
their feed frequently. Their YouTube channel has 104 subscribers and 49,338
views. Their Pinterest page has seven boards all related to their industry and
clientele including: Sip through a New Year, TasTEA Recipes, Sip by Sip, Get
organized, Pins from our Citizens, Tea Gifts and Flavors of the Season.
11
Competitor Analysis
History: Lipton Pure Leaf is part of the LinPepCo line.
LinPepCo has been managed under the Pepsi-Cola
Company for the past 25 years. LinPepCo’s goal is to
provide customers with quality products and services.
Product Information: The Pure Leaf brand offers six
different flavors. Last year, Pepsi-Cola began a
re-branding initiative for Pure Leaf. Managers are
now trying to position the brand and products as
authentic, delicious drinks, definitely making Pure
Leaf a competitor of Honest Tea.
Promotion:
OFFLINE:
• Partnership with ‘Top Chef’ Gail Simmons to
launch ‘For the Love of Leaves’ campaign
• Unveiled new selection of tea-infused recipes
at the Kentucky Derby
• Partnered with health and food bloggers as
“tastemakers”
ONLINE:
• Active on Facebook and Twitter
• Facebook page is the brand’s official
webpage
• Three Facebook apps
• Twitter regularly updated but not
promoted on Facebook
Social Media Presence: In addition to its presence on Facebook, Pure
Leaf currently has a presence on Twitter. Their Facebook page has
approximately 167,033 ‘likes’ and they are regularly in communication
with their customers. They have 751 followers on Twitter, follow 1,243 and
regularly update their feed.
Competitor Analysis
History: Tejava is part of the Crystal Geyser line.
Product Information: Tejava focuses on how their
pure black tea is microbrewed from water and
contains tea leaves from the island of Java. Advertised as unsweetened, calorie free, kosher and
all natural with no artificial ingredients, additives or
preservatives. Tejava is available throughout the
West Coast and is sold nationally at Trader Joe’s,
Cost Plus World Market and at select natural food
stores.
Promotion:
ONLINE
• Has a Facebook page
OFFLINE
• Won first place at the 2011 North
American Tea Championship
• Hosted a Tejava Islands of Java and
Bali Adventure Sweepstakes
• Kept first place title at the 2012 North
American Tea Championship
Social Media Presence: Tejava lacks a substantial social media presence,
solely relying on their Facebook presence. They have approximately
1,443 Facebook ‘likes’, but fail to consistently communicate with their
customers.
13
Demographics
General
243,195 total population
• 57.6% white
• 28.1% black
• 25.4% Latino/Hispanic
25.4%
White
57.6%
Education (among people 25 years or older):
• High school or higher: 79.3%
• Bachelors or higher: 32.3%
28.1%
Black
Latino/Hispanic
Marital Status (among people 15 yrs or older):
• Never married: 37.8%
• Married: 27.6%
Occupation (among employed people over 16)
• Mgt/professional: 39.7%
• Service: 19.2%
• Sales/office: 25%
• Unemployed: 4.5%
• Below poverty line: 21.7%
High School or
Higher
32.3%
$42,755 median household income
Median Age:
Male: 38.1 years
Female 53.4 years
79.3%
Bachelors or
higher
Mgt/professional
21.7%
Never Married
27.6%
37.8%
Married
4.5%
25.0%
39.7%
19.2%
Service
Sales/Office
Unemployed
Below Poverty line
Orlando, FL
The Disney Family
World-famous for its amusement parks, Orlando
attracts thousands of families every year to visit
the princesses at Walt Disney World or Harry
Potter at Universal Studios. Many families also live
here for the warm climate. These families, whose
parents are between 25-40 and children between
preschool and middle school, are middle class
and ethnically diverse. While both parents may
work, much of their social lives revolve around
their children. Creating a healthy and educational
environment for their children, through both their
activities and the products they buy, is a priority.
Both parents connect to friends and family via
Facebook, but do not rely solely on social media
for their communication. They are likely to read
mommy blogs and news sites.
Messaging
• Honest Tea is a healthy alternative
for children
Honest Tea is all-natural, lightly sweetened, and 100% organic.
Honest Kids juice packs are a healthy substitution, only containing 40 calories per pack. They also have 100% of daily recommended Vitamin C.
• Honest Tea is a refreshing, thirstquenching beverage
Honest Tea is a healthy alternative to bottled soda and juice.
Honest Tea provides more flavor than other comprable beverages.
15
“World’s Most Magical Tea Party”
Honest Tea Pop-Up Party
Target Audience:
Strategy:
Tactic:
Disney Families
To demonstrate to the families of Orlando
and families visiting the Walt Disney World
Resort that Honest Tea is family-oriented,
child-friendly, and made with wholesome
ingredients by engaging children and
parents alike.
• Honest Tea will ask children to “Show Us
What You’re Made Of” and decorate
tea cups by inscribing their dreams/
wishes
• This will tie in to what Honest Tea is
“made of” (i.e. organic, fair trade
ingredients) and their “dreams/wishes”
(i.e. sustainability, community-building,
international development)
• Serve Honest Kids and Honest Splash
• Provide porcelain tea cups and
decorative materials for children to
inscribe their dreams/wishes
• Incorporate popular Disney characters
to “host” the tea party (e.g. Alice in
Wonderland)
Orlando
Tactic:
Media Types:
• Have Honest Tea representatives onhand to talk with parents about nutritional
information, health benefits
• Pitch the non-profit organization Give
Kids the World to serve as a partner for
this event. Honest Tea already has a
connection to this organization through
the Communi-Tea Service Day. As a
corporate sponsor, GKTW will cover some
costs for the event (e.g. teacup supplies).
Publicity:
• Pitch Amy Kaufeldt, anchor of Good Day
Orlando, to cover the event
• Pitch local mommy bloggers, newspapers,
radio and TV stations
Rationale:
• Orlando blogs, local newspapers, radio
and TV stations
The Coca-Cola Company is the official
beverage supplier to the WDW Resort
WDW has a history of hosting events in
conjunction with corporate sponsors/partners
E.g. Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
(presented by Chase), Epcot International
Flower & Garden Festival (presented by
17
HGTV)
Demographics
General
•
•
•
•
•
609,644 total
60.5% white
28.4% black
4.7% Hispanic
51.5% female
4.7%
White
28.4%
60.5%
Education (among people 25 years or older)
• High school or higher: 77.6%
• Bachelors or higher: 39.4%
Black
Latino/Hispanic
Marital Status (among people 15 years or older)
• Never married: 42%
• Married: 37.6%
Occupation (among employed people over 16)
• Mgt. Professional: 46.1%
• Service: 10.7%
• Sales/office: 29.3%
• Production/transportation: 11.3%
• Unemployed: 5.2%
• Below poverty line: 11.2%
Median household income: $46, 141
Median Age:
Male: 34 years
Female 33.1 years
High School or
Higher
39.4%
77.6%
Bachelors or
higher
Mgt/professional
11.2%
5.2%
11.3%
Service
46.1%
29.3%
10.7%
Sales/Office
Production/Transp
oration
Unemployed
37.6%
42.0%
Never Married
Married
Nashville, TN
Thrifty Young Families
Keeping up with trends is not a priority
for these Southern families, whose
main income is supported by one or
both parents working typically “blue
collar” jobs. The parents are typically
between 25-40, with young children in
preschool or elementary school. These
families are interested in saving money
and finding quality products for good
prices, and they are likely to shop at
places like Wal-Mart and Costco. They
want to provide healthy snacks for their
families, but only if the price is right.
They own computers and are familiar
with social media, but it does not play
a large role in their lives. They mostly
receive their news from TV and radio.
Messaging
• Honest Tea is committed to
helping all communities.
Honest Tea is dedicated to community development, from their hometown Bethesda to their partering with international villages.
Honest Tea is committed to charity partnerships including Recyclebank, Impact Silver Spring, Susan G. Komen For The Cure, and Net Impact.
• Honest Tea is affordable
Honest Tea is comparable
in price to less healthy
beverages such as bottled
soda and juice.
19
“Honest Jingle Competition”
Show Us Your Talent
Target Audience:
Strategy:
Tactic:
Thrifty Young Families
To demonstrate Honest Tea’s commitment
to communities and healthy alternatives by
developing personal connections between
Honest Tea and individuals through the
distinct local culture of Nashville.
• Develop a contest where contestants
write and sing a 60 second jingle about
their favorite flavor
• Invite local Nashville musicians to
participate in the contest and chronicle
how they create their own songs
• Launch a micro-site honesttea.com/
jingle for easy submissions
• Book Nashville representatives and the
three aforementioned local celebrities as
judges in the final vote
• Record the winning Honest Tea jingle
outside the Grand Ole Opry
Nashville
Tactic:
Media Types:
• Deliver one year’s supply of Honest Tea to
winner and broadcast winning jingle on
social media platforms, Nashville TV and
radio stations, and Honest Tea’s website
Publicity:
• Pitch local radio and news stations,
bloggers, and newspapers to cover the
contest
• Invite local radio and news stations to
attend the jingle recording event at the
Grand Ol’ Opry
• Pitch Meryll Rose, host of Talk of the Town,
to attend the event and interview the
winners
Rationale:
• Local news (TV & radio), neighborhood
newsletters, apartment bulletin boards
or newsletters, grocery store or other
community bulletin boards, school-wide
email list servs
Nashville is recognized as the music capital
of the United States. Our goal in promoting
the “Make Our New Jingle” Singing
Competition is to combine Nashville’s love
for music with our passion for Honest Tea.
21
Demographics
General:
• 820,611 total population
• 68.3% white
• 8.1% black
• 35.1% Hispanic/Latino
• 49.4% female
Education (among people 25 years or older)
• High school or higher: 95.5%
• Bachelors of higher: 64.3%
35.1%
White
Black
8.1%
68.3%
Latino/Hispanic
Marital Status (among people 15 years or older)
• Never married: 26.4%
• Married: 59.5%
Occupation:
•
•
•
•
•
Mgt./Professional: 62.8%
Sales/office 26.1%
Construction/Extraction/Maint.: 4.1%
Unemployed: 1.5%
Below poverty line: 5.5%
High School or
Higher
64.3%
Median household income: $51,596
Median Age
Male: 33.9 years
Female: 34.5 years
95.5%
Bachelors or higher
Mgt/professional
1.5%
4.1% 5.5%
Sales/Office
26.1%
62.8%
26.4%
Never Married
Construction/Extractio
n/Maint
Unemployed
Below Poverty line
Married
59.5%
Austin, TX
Socially Aware Young Singles
Austin is known for its bustling tech
community and trendsetting music
scene, as well as festivals like South-bySouthwest and Austin City Limits. These
young people, who range from recent
college graduates to professionals in
their 30s, enjoy a trendy social scene
and have decent entry-level positions
in their desired professions. With decent
salaries, this crowd can afford their
room and board while also being able
to have a quality of life that allows
them to enjoy more than store-bought
ramen noodles. Austin’s young crowd
practices a unique combination of
social and environmental activism.
They are engaged individuals who are
actively on sites like Reddit, Facebook,
Twitter and Google+.
Messaging
• Honest Tea is a progressive and
socially-responsible beverage
company
Honest Tea consistently develops groundbreaking products, such as Honest Fizz, their newest carbonated beverage that is naturally sweetened with Stevia.
Honest Tea is committed to the environment/sustainability and communicates that through their fully recyclable packaging.
organic ingredients to deliver fresh and delicious products
Honest Teas committed to transparency in all of our business practices
Honest Tea supports foreign farmers and helps develop their local communities
• Honest Tea cares about the world
Honest Tea uses only certified 23
UTea: Make It Rain!
Outdoor Rain Dance Party
Tactic:
“UTea: Make It Rain!”
Host a “Make it Rain” outdoor field day
event for the University of Texas at Austin’s
“Welcome Week” that features:
• Belly-flop contests (“Splash for Austin”)
• Yoga lessons
• Experts on raindance techniques
• Rain-themed music
• Hold the event at Barton Springs, a set of
four natural water springs located on the
grounds of Zilker Metropolitan Park
• Coordinate with UT clubs, organizations
and the school mascot to publicize and
have a presence at the event
• Pitch local environmental groups to
attend the event and set-up stands to
educate audiences on sustainability and
the environment
• Invite Mack Brown, head coach of the UT
Texas Longhorns football team, to attend
the event
Austin
Media Types:
Publicity:
• Invite Anne Hudson, radio personality
on KASE 101, to host the event
• Pitch UT media (student newspaper,
student radio, student TV) to cover
the event
• Pitch Austin TV, radio, and
newspapers to cover the event
• Local Austin news stations, radio,
college groups and newsletters,
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Rationale:
With over 50,000 undergraduate and
postgraduate students attending University
of Texas at Austin, it is evident why one of
our main events would be geared toward
college students.
“Make It Rain, UTea!” would be hosted during
Welcome Week, a popular time of the year
when students are first reunited with their
peers. The product promoted would be
Honest Tea Splash, and everything would be
geared towards making it rain because of
Austin’s chronic drought.
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The Brew Crew
Strategy:
To demonstrate the nutritional, sustainable,
and creative qualities of Honest Tea by
tapping into the creativity of the public.
Tactic:
• Develop a social media campaign that
asks customers to come up with their own
unique flavor combinations and invites
them to vote on the flavors they like
best. The creators of the 10 flavors with
the most “likes” will be invited to join the
“Brew Crew.”
• The 10 selected “Brew Crew” members
will bring their ideas to life by brewing
their flavors with brewers from Honest Tea
at Honest Tea Headquarters. A panel of
judges will taste test and choose their
favorite flavor. The winning flavor will be
added to Honest Tea’s line.
National Campaign
Tactic:
Media Types:
Broadcast tasting event online for Brew Crew fans to watch and cheer on their favorite teams
Publicity:
• Pitch local food bloggers and reporters
to participate and come to the brewing/
tasting event
• Pitch local news and radio stations to
cover the event
• Invite local influencers to serve as judges
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Rationale:
This event allows participants to create their
own unique flavors and provides Honest Tea
with the opportunity to work in correlation
with its consumers.
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Orlando Campaign
Austin Campaign
National Campaign
Nashville Campaign
Campaign Timelines
29
Orlando Budget
Austin Budget
National Budget
31
Nashville Budget
Media Coverage
The following are projected local media headlines for each campaign. The
press will have this information available through media kits, press releases,
Honest Tea social media, and general word-of-mouth around the city. Southern
Strategies has the connections with local media to get Honest Tea’s events the
recognition that they demand.
33
Notes & Inspiration
Southern Strategies PR
creative research-driven planning and results,
served with a side of southern hospitality
35
Southern
Strategies