Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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PR Plan by: Angel Owens
"I have abided by the UNCG Academic Integrity Policy on this assignment. All work
contained within is my own work and follows the guidelines provided above."
Angeleah Owens
Abstract
Thank you for taking the time to review the Public Relations plan for The Curtain
Cottage. This plan was produced in order to assist The Curtain Cottage in creating
strategic relationships in the Lexington Business community. The Curtain Cottage would
like to increase business locally. This plan was devised to appeal to local leasing agents
to suggest the Curtain Cottage to their tenants for their home design needs.
The first section of the plan includes the situational analysis. Here you will find basic
client information, The Curtain Cottage's goals, strengths and opportunities, and a
description of the target public demographic. This part also addresses the strategic
research design. Section two covers the communication objective, spokesperson,
slogan, and spokes entity of the campaign. The third section of the plan contains
communication tactics. Included are details of the final event, publicity contacts, sample
press releases, and a media advisory.
This plan will serve to meet the goals of reaching more local residents by creating
lasting relationships with local leasing agents in Lexington, while maintaining The
Curtain Cottage's commitment to family and home. I look forward to working with you.
Thank you for your attention,
Angel Owens
Table of Contents
Section One: Situational Analysis ..4
Contact Information .5
Hours of Operation ..5
Description of Services ...5
Mission Statement 5
Administrative Staff ..6
Short Term Goals .6
Long Term Goals .....6
Strengths ...7
Challenges .....7
Existing Competitors .8
Government Regulatory Agencies .8
Reference Publications ....9
Channels of Communication ...9
Exhaustive Ranked Labels List of Client Publics .....9
Opportunity Statement ....10
Target Public Description and Defense 11
Target Public Demographics ..11
Target Public Psychographics 12
Defense of Psychographics 12
Strategic Research Design .13
Budget Information ...13
Section Two: Strategic Planning Detail .14
Communication Objective ...15
Message ..16
Spokesperson 17
Spokes Entity .17
Section Three: Communication Tactics 18
Event Description .19
Event Rationale .20
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Section One:
Situational Analysis
Contact Information
The Curtain Cottage
120 S. Main St.
Lexington, N.C. 27292
Local phone: 336-248-8266
Long distance: 800-235-4088
Email: kayla@thecurtaincottage.com
Website: thecurtaincottage.com
Hours of Operation
Monday- Friday: 10a.m.-5p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m-2p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Description of Services:
The Curtain Cottage is a retail store and website, local to Lexington, NC that offers
everything interior including custom window treatments, shower curtains, home dcor,
bedding, and bath products. They offer window treatments for every budget, including
the option for custom draperies. The Curtain Cottage has attained worldwide recognition
for their ruffled/gypsy curtains. They offer quality products and friendly service.
Mission Statement:
All the Comforts for Your Home.
Administrative Staff
Kimberly Watson
Owner
336-248-8266
Kayla Watson
Manager
336-248-8266
Kayla@thecurtaincottage.com
Darien Comer
Assistant Manager
336-248-8266
Short Term Goals
To be the number one place for anything interior, known worldwide by 2026
Strengths
The Curtain Cottage strives to be a well-trusted family organization with an honorable
name. They take pride in their face-to-face customer service. They seek to provide
clients with southern hospitality. The family atmosphere and staff provide a welcoming
experience to customers. Additionally, staff members are reliable to the business.
The Curtain Cottage recently changed the name and began offering new products. By
introducing fresh perspective and maintaining business staples, the company offers a
wide variety of options for home dcor. The company also provides less expensive
options, in addition to customizable products.
The Curtain Cottage maintains a strong relationship with the city of Lexington,
participating in local events, including the annual Lexington Barbeque Festival. They
enjoy relationships with local interior designers and participate in the High Point
Furniture Market.
Challenges
The location and image of the business presents some challenges. As part of the
uptown Lexington community, the potential customers often assume the products are
out of their price range, so they go to the competition. The Uptown Lexington location
also limits parking for customers.
Potential customers in the area do not know they exist, think they only sell curtains, or
think it is expensive because they know the Curtain Cottage for custom window
treatments. Potential customers are not aware of the affordability of the products.
Existing Competitors
Wal-Mart Supercenter Store #1322
160 Lowes Blvd.
Lexington, N.C. 27292
Phone: 336-243-3051
Website: http://www.walmart.com/store/1322/
Belk Lexington
69 Parkway Plaza
Lexington, N.C. 27292
Phone: 336-249-3126
Website: www.belk.com
Reference Publications
Channels of Communication
Website
Word-of-mouth
Interior Designers
Etsy
Ebay
Amazon
Resource
1.
Current Customers
Reason to exist
External
2.
Future Customers
Reason to exist
External
3.
Administration
Guidance
Internal
4.
Staff
Workforce
Internal
5.
Suppliers
Provide Inventory
External
6.
Media
Information Dissemination
External
7.
Awareness
External
8.
Competitors
Motivation
External
Internal/External
Opportunity Statement
The Curtain Cottage has relationships with returning customers and local interior
designers. They hope to continue to build these types of relationships and increase
clientele. There is an opportunity to develop a positive image among local
organizations. Creating strategic relationships can help to create a larger client base.
Many people are not aware of the business, so creating a positive image locally will
boost awareness of the business, along with awareness of the quality and affordability
of the products they offer.
The Curtain Cottage values family and hospitality. As their mission statements states,
their goal is to provide "All the Comforts for Your Home." There is an opportunity to
enhance this positive image locally in order to increase business.
http://www.thecurtaincottage.com/pages/about-us
10
The local community college, Davidson County Community College, does not offer
housing for out of town students, so they list accommodations on the website. The
website lists two of the included apartments, Forest Ridge Apartments and Fairview
Apartments, on the website. New students to the area will come in about every two
years for new programs.
The tenants of these apartments fit into the age and budget demographic that the
Curtain Cottage hopes to appeal to as new clients. The tenants of the apartments
represent wide range of budget to whom the Curtain Cottage appeals.
www.davidsonccc.edu/hotel-and-housing-information
11
Are hardworking
Are moderate
Are private
Are professional
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/ustypes/achievers.shtml
Defense of Psychographics
The leasing agent managers fit into the psychographic of achievers. This group works
to rent apartments out to prospective clients. They are professional, hardworking, and
goal oriented. The nature of the job requires them to be scheduled and committed to
their career.
12
The qualitative questions will address if the leasing agents are familiar with the Curtain
Cottage, if they refer clients to stores or interior designers, and if they refer tenants, to
where? Additional questions would address the values of the business itself.
Quantitative research collected will reflect the number of tenants and turnover rate of
tenants. Additional quantitative questions will consider the needs of the tenants,
including design budgets and what interior items they need when they move in.
The answers to the questions will help to establish if the relationship with the target
public will benefit the Curtain Cottage, by reflecting their values and helping to achieve
their goals.
Budget Information
The budget for this plan will be $750.
13
Section Two:
Strategic Planning Detail
14
Communication Objective:
To motivate three out of five local leasing agents to recommend The Curtain Cottage to
new and current tenants. The primary goal is behavioral because the plan aims to
motivate action from the leasing agents. By dispensing information and building
relationships, the goal is to convince the leasing agents to refer their tenants to the
Curtain Cottage for their home dcor shopping. In order to achieve this motivation, the
secondary goal is informational and attitudinal. It is important to dispense information
from The Curtain Cottage to the leasing agents and to convince them that The Curtain
Cottage is a good local business to support. This plan will take place over the course of
the next year, beginning May 1, 2013 and ending May 1, 2017.
By motivating three out of five leasing agents to recommend The Curtain Cottage to
tenants of their apartments, the plan will contribute to achieving the short-term goal of
building local business by 30 percent in 2016. The plan will also help The Curtain
Cottage eliminate old inventory, by increasing in-store traffic. Additionally, this plan will
aid in the long-term goal of becoming the number one place for interior home dcor
worldwide; once the business meets local goals, they can focus on expanding to a
larger market, both online and through franchises.
Success will be based on obtaining the relationship with three out of the five target local
apartment-leasing agents because the pre-program benchmark is zero leasing agents.
The post-program benchmark is obtaining three leasing agents who agree to
collaborate with The Curtain Cottage. If three of the five are motivated to suggest The
Curtain Cottage to their tenants for their home dcor needs, the goal then has been
reached.
15
Message
"Taking Lexington from a place to live, to a home to love."
This message appeals to the target public of leasing agents because as "achievers"
they are hardworking individuals concerned with family and career. One main aspect of
their job is securing new and renewing existing leases; therefore, the leasing agents are
concerned with making sure the tenants are comfortable and feel at home. As the
mission statement, "all the comforts for your home" suggests, The Curtain Cottage also
seeks to provide a comfortable home environment for customers. Because the message
appeals to family values, and deals directly with the professional concerns of the leasing
agents, this message is appropriate for the plan. The message is phrased in terms of
achieving a goal, which will appeal to the "achievers" psychographic because they are
goal oriented.
Spokesperson
For over 20 years, the Watson family has owned and operated The Curtain Cottage.
Kayla Watson, daughter of owner, Kim Watson, recently joined the family business as
the manager of the store. She is responsible for the new website and social media
marketing. She runs the store and works in the store most days. Kayla Watson knows
the business well and embodies the family values of the business; therefore, she is the
ideal spokesperson for the plan.
Kayla will appeal to the target public because, like the leasing agents, she fits into the
psychographic of "achiever". As the manager of the store she is a reputable source
about the store and can relate to the values of being a goal oriented, organized, and
hard working professional. Much like the target public, she is committed to career and
family.
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Spokes Entity
The spokes entity is an image of curtains pulled back to reveal the message. Because
"achievers" are job-oriented, it is appropriate to include a psychographic dealing with
the specific business." Achievers" are goal oriented. The goal of the leasing agents in
their job is to gain and maintain leases with tenants. One way they do that is by making
the tenants feel at home, and this entity deals with that specific objective. The script and
the image are simple and easily communicate the goal.
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Section Three:
Communication Tactics
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Event Description:
For the final event, the Curtain Cottage will host a lunch for the leasing agents,
apartment managers, and their families. The lunch will be held on Sunday, April 22,
2017 at 12:30 p.m. The event will be held in a room at Caf 35, a local restaurant in
Uptown Lexington. This is local to both the Curtain Cottage and the apartment
complexes.
Kayla Watson, the manager and spokesperson, will host the event with her family,
including her mother, the owner of the Curtain Cottage. This will serve as a time for the
Curtain Cottage to say thank you to the leasing agents and apartment managers for
working with them and suggesting the Curtain Cottage to their tenants for their home
dcor needs. The Curtain Cottage will pass out a gift of candles from the store and a
frame inscribed with the campaign message, "Taking Lexington from a place to live to a
home to love", to each of the leasing agents and managers.
In order to receive feedback, each leasing agent will receive a personal phone call to
follow up after the event. This phone call will address the success of the event, including
the venue and the gift, and their likelihood to continue to suggest the Curtain Cottage to
their tenants.
19
Event Rationale
The main purpose of this event is to solidify the Curtain Cottage's relationship with the
apartments and to extend thanks for suggesting the Curtain Cottage to the tenants for
home dcor needs. For this last event, it is important for the leasing agents to invite
their immediate family, including children, their managers, and their manager's families.
Because the psychographic of both the Curtain Cottage and leasing agents is
'achievers', family and business are of the highest import. The atmosphere will be
professional and family oriented. The gifts will serve as a professional thank you to the
target demographic and their bosses.
The location at Caf 35 is local to all parties and fits with the slogan, "Taking Lexington
from a place to live to a home to love". The venue is small because the guest list is
small.
Event Timeline
Feb. 1, 2017
April 2, 2017
Call guests as a friendly reminder about the event and get a final
head count.
Event at Caf 35
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12:30 p.m.
Guests arrive.
12:35 p.m.
12:40 p.m.
Lunch is served.
1:30 p.m.
Kayla will give a last thank you and pass out gifts and brochures.
Event Partners
Caf 35 will provide the venue and food for the event.
Partners Rationale
Caf 35 is local to Uptown Lexington. The restaurant has a family atmosphere, and is a
frequented lunch venue for individuals who work in Lexington. This is a good
relationship to make in Lexington.
21
Contact Information:
Angel Owens
Office: 336-239-1845
Apowens2@uncg.edu
LEXINGTON, NC- The Curtain Cottage, a local home dcor store, hosted a luncheon
on Sunday, April 22 for local apartment leasing agents and managers from Forest Ridge
Apartments, Fairview Apartments, and The Reserve at Regents Center and their
families at Caf 35. This event marks the start of a relationship between the home dcor
store and the apartments serving to make Lexington feel like home.
"For us, home and family go hand in hand, and family is the most important thing.
We want to be a part of making Lexington feel like home," said Kayla Watson, manager
of The Curtain Cottage.
Forest Ridge Apartments leasing agent stated, "To build a sense of community
here in Lexington, it is important for local businesses to work together. We are glad to
be a part of that"
For more information, please contact Angel Owens at 336-239-1845 or by email
at apowens2@uncg.edu. You can also visit The Curtain Cottage website at
http://www.thecurtaincottage.com.
-more-
22
The Curtain Cottage and local apartments strive to build relationships in the
community of Lexington. These local businesses use the slogan, "Taking Lexington
from a place to live to a home to love."
- ### -
23
NEWS RELEASE
Contact Information:
Angel Owens
Office: 336-239-1845
Apowens2@uncg.edu
LEXINGTON, NC- The Curtain Cottage, a local home dcor store, hosted a luncheon
on Sunday, April 22 for local apartment leasing agents and managers from Forest Ridge
Apartments, Fairview Apartments, and The Reserve at Regents Center and their
families at Caf 35. This event marks the start of a relationship between the home dcor
store and the apartments serving to make Lexington feel like home.
"For us, home and family go hand in hand, and family is the most important thing.
We want to be a part of making Lexington feel like home," said Kayla Watson, manager
of The Curtain Cottage.
Forest Ridge Apartments leasing agent stated, "To build a sense of community
here in Lexington, it is important for local businesses to work together. We are glad to
be a part of that"
For more information, please contact Angel Owens at 336-239-1845 or by email.
You can also visit The Curtain Cottage webpage.
-more24
The Curtain Cottage and local apartments strive to build relationships in the
community of Lexington. These local businesses use the slogan, "Taking Lexington
from a place to live to a home to love."
- ### -
25
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MEDIA ADVISORY
Media Contact:
Angel Owens
Phone: 336-239-1845
Email: apowens2@uncg.edu
WHAT: The Curtain Cottage hosts leasing agents from local apartments for a family
lunch as a thank you for working together.
Visuals:
- ### -
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Media Contacts
Our State Magazine
Monthly
160,000 copies
Our State
P.O. Box 4552
Greensboro, NC 27404
Phone: 336-286-0600
Fax: 336-286-0100
Email: editorial@ourstate.com
The Dispatch
Daily
7,679 copies
Lifestyle Editor Jill Doss-Raines
P.O. Box 908
Lexington, NC 27295
Phone: 336-249-3981 x219
Fax: 336-249-0718
Email: jill.doss-raines@the-dispatch.com
Publicity
Controlled:
Printed brochures
Uncontrolled:
Press Release
Word of mouth
Appendix
Sources for Demographic and Psychographic Data:
Apartment Information, (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://www.davidsonccc.edu/hotel-and-housing-information
Watson, Kayla. (2016, February 23). Interview with Kayla Watson, Manager, The
Curtain Cottage, 120 South Main Street, Lexington, NC.
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Infographic
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