Communications

Plan 2010

The Canadian Food Industry

Council

Prepared by:
Magnitude Partners
February 2010
Revised
CFIC Confidential FY 10 Comms Plan Rev 1

Introduction
Branding and Communications Goals for 2010

 Create a single brand for the CFIC and its product and service offerings

 Clearly articulate and communicate to internal and external audiences what

the CFIC does and its value

 Position the CFIC as the go-to authority on HR issues in the Canadian Food
Retail/Wholesale Industry

 Position the CFIC as the premium leading solution provider for delivering
best-of-breed HR tools to Canadian Grocers

 Differentiate the CFIC from other competitors in the industry

 Communicate the CFIC’s ability to support a collaborative and integrated

industry-wide approach to human resource issues

 Establish a brand identity that can support an evolving mandate the CFIC
over the next five years

 Support a strategy to become the dominant third-party solution provider to

the industry

The Brand
Brand is a combination of both tangible products/service benefits and the intangible
values, associations and expectations attached to an organization and its
services/products by stakeholders, in CFIC’s case its industry members, individuals
within the industry, funding bodies, industry partners and others. It is the
“meaning” or “promise” triggered by seeing or hearing a name.
Branding is:
• A 360 degree look at every aspect of the enterprise
• Every touch point with members of the company’s target audiences (external
and internal)
To develop a strong brand that can survive over time, the brand must exhibit the
following characteristics:
• Differentiating: needs to carve out a clear unassailable position
• Compelling: needs to appeal to audience drivers

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• Credible: claims and messages must be believable. The organization needs to

be able to deliver.
To be successful, a brand must be defined from the customer’s point of view, that
is, the value that they need to have delivered. It’s not about the “how,” it’s about
the “what.” Brand reputation refers to how well the company has delivered the
brand value over time and whether the marketplace trusts the company’s ability to
continue to provide value.
Positioning CFIC and the LMS

Positioning a company/products and its brand is based on three core factors: the
market base they serve, the problem they solve, they value they deliver and finally
what is unique about the value or the way it is delivered. The positioning statement
answers these questions and forms the basis of the elevator pitch, the About CFIC
and About LMS boilerplate, the tagline, the visual treatment and all sub-messages.
Part of positioning also includes identifying the organization’s values as well at its
characteristics as an entity. Core to positioning is to place the organization within a
competitive space: people can largely only identify where a brand is located in their
mind relative to the competitors.

At the heart of the CFIC’s positioning and brand position is the unique three-pillar
structure designed to support strong industry-wide HR management

Relevant, practical
Strategic action support and tools
through a neutral, to address the
collaborative industry’s
industry-led The CFIC pressing HR
approach
Brand challenges
Promise of
Value

Continuous research and

Industry monitoring to
identify future issues
and opportunities

The draft Positioning Framework developed by the agency is below and will provide
the basis for developing the overall brand identity:

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Mission
to enable a collective response to the food retail/wholesale industry’s human resource challenges.

USP — The CFIC is a hybrid

CFIC is the only organization that provides a
combined focus on HR expertise and industry The CFIC
The CFIC knowledge and understanding. Values
Personality

Positioning Statement Listening

For Canada’s food retailers and wholesalers,
Confident Honesty
the CFIC combines HR expertise with specialized
industry Strategic
Friendly
knowledge and understanding
Collaborative Partnership
to deliver a variety of relevant, practical and affordable
HR solutions designed to meet the industry’s unique Action
Understanding
needs and challenges,
Problem solver Focus
resulting in the sustained success of individuals,
stores and the sector overall. Commitment
Responsive

The CFIC’s Competitive Advantage

There are a large number of sources where Canada’s grocery industry can turn for
HR support and tools, ranging from U.S. and other off-shore grocery groups, books
publishers, online properties and even competitors. The CFIC, however, brings a
unique, differentiated and highly defendable competition advantage in its
combination of specific focus on Canada’s retail and wholesale grocery industry and
on Human Resource issues, to the exclusion of other areas. The matrix below
illustrates The CFIC’s position in the competitive space and its positioning as the
only organization focused on delivered HR-specific tools and strategies to Canada’s
grocery industry.

HR Focus
The CFIC
HRSDC

Skillpath Nelson FMI

Consultants RCC UFCW

CFIG
CCGD

CMC
General
operations

Non-specific Industry focus

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Priority Audiences and Key Messages

Based on feedback from the CFIC staff as well as from the one-to-one interviews conducted
over the course of the research phase, the following priority audiences have been identified
as the primary targets:

Priority Audiences:

 Senior HR executives
 HR/training managers and supervisors
 Independent store owners and franchisees
 Industry associates:
 Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers
 Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors
 Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec
 Comité sectoriel de main-d’oevre du commerce de l’alimentation
 Retail Council of Canada
 HRSDC
 Labour organizations
 Teamsters
 UFCW Canada

Below are core messaging matrices designed to bring focus to communications aimed at
these groups. These messages are not exhaustive or meant to be limiting: they are intended
to act as a guideline to ensure that communications at a minimum relay these important
elements:

HR Exec and Managers: Needs Messages

• Credible unbiased partner
• Non-adversarial forum to
discuss issues
• Coordinated industry effort on
common problems
• Trustworthy industry research
• Standards and benchmarking
• HR decision-support
• Strategic direction
• Partner with the only third-party national sector
organization focused on addressing HR issues within the
food retail/wholesale industry
• Speak and act together on shared issues through the
CFIC’s unique position as a neutral forum of labour and
competitive organizations
• The CFIC invests in developing standards and
benchmarks
• Through the coordination of expertise from across the
industry, the CFIC develops high-quality HR tools,
research and resources to better support strategies for HR
best practices.

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CFIC Confidential
Independent, Franchisees, Chains: Messages
Needs
• Low-cost HR tools that are
affordable and easy-to-use
• A trusted source for HR tools
• Access to the combined wisdom
and expertise of the industry
• Help manage compliance risk at
a low cost
• Retention and recruitment
strategies and tactics
• A “virtual” HR department to
level the playing field
Industry Associations: Needs
• A partner within the industry that
focuses on HR issues
• A supporting “voice” to
collectively
address broader industry
issues
• A partner that adds value to
their current membership
• A partnership approach to CFIC
products in which they can
contribute in exchange for
discounted access
Labour Organizations: Needs
• Participation in HR issues and
setting direction
• Visibility into HR issues and
solutions
• A forum to express the voice of
the employee
• Collaboration with the private
sector
• Helping the private sector
improve its HR management
techniques
Secondary Audiences:
 Chain/banner store managers
 Department managers
 Existing front-line and supervisory employees
FY 10 Communications Plan
FY 10 Comms Plan Rev 1
• The CFIC is the most trusted and cost-effective source of
high-quality industry-specific HR tools and resources
• The CFIC’s products are easily obtained, easy-to-use and
highly affordable
• Reduce turnover, hire better, improve your bottomline and
manage compliance risk by using the CFIC as your virtual
HR department
• Stay on top of what’s new and what’s working throughout
the industry with the CFIC’s regular communications
Messages
• The CFIC is the only neutral organization devoted to
addressing HR issues in the food retail/wholesale industry
• The CFIC is committed to partnerships with
complementary associations in order to ensure a healthy
industry
• The CFIC encourages its partners to contribute to its
products and resources in order to effectively harness the
collective expertise within the industry
• By leveraging the products and resources produced by the
CFIC, industry associations can offer their memberships
expanded offerings
Messages
• Speak and act together on shared issues through the
CFIC’s unique position as a neutral forum of labour and
competitive organizations
• The CFIC provides a channel for labour-developed training
• The CFIC’s tools and products help the grocery industry
improve HR management techniques
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 Media:
 Trade media
 National and regional mass media
- Business, Careers, Human interest
 College and university co-op teachers, deans and counsellors
 Association of Canadian Community Colleges

Communications tactics will be developed and produced with an eye to secondary

audiences to ensure that they contain information relevant to them as well. A
separate media plan will also help address the national and regional mass media,
although the emphasis throughout will be on vehicles targeted specifically to the
industry primary audiences.

Brand Awareness: Closing the Gap

As part of the effort to achieve the branding and communications objectives, the
CFIC and the agency worked with Canadian Grocer to establish a brand awareness
benchmark as of Fall 2009. The survey was conducted through an online survey to
which participants were invited via email. Three email lists were used: 1) the CFIC’s
own internal list 2) a list purchased by the CFIC and 3) Canadian Grocer’s subscriber
email list.

The bulk of the respondents worked for chains or franchisees (46%) and
independents (33%) while their roles were skewed to owner (41%), with corporate
HR manager, store manager and corporate executive all ranging near 20%. Based
on these statistics, it appears that the respondents were representative across the
industry but also delivered a larger number of those priority audiences important to
this effort: specifically franchise and independent store owners and HR
professionals.

The results indicated general low brand awareness, surprisingly even among the
CFIC’s own internal list:

Canadian CFIC Internal CFIC

How familiar are you with the Total Grocer List Purchased
CFIC? n=172 n=93 n=62 List
n=17

% % % #

7-10 Familiar 37 18 58 10

4-6 18 19 17 2

0-3 Not Familiar 42 61 22 2

What’s notable here is that 22% of the CFIC’s internal list was not familiar with the
brand, while 42% of the entire surveyed population was not familiar. Moreover, a
whopping 61% of Canadian Grocer’s list was not familiar either. Surprisingly,

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although there were few respondents form the purchased list, 10 out of the 17 were
very familiar.

The survey does reveal several ongoing communications opportunities, some of

which the CFIC can start to take advantage of immediately and others requiring a
longer-term approach. Perhaps most significant is the awareness delta, indicating
that a large portion of the industry is not really familiar with the CFIC, its role or its
offerings, providing a sizeable market to attack. For example of all the Canadian
Grocer verbatim responses, only two persons correctly identified HR as the CFIC’s
area of expertise, again providing for large upside potential in communicating the
story.

Complementing that example is the fact that the Canadian Grocer list provided over
50% of the respondents, showing that this publication will need to play a key role in
2010 communications.

Among the questions asked during the survey, two dealt with how respondents
preferred to receive communications from the CFIC:

CFIC
Canadian CFIC Internal
How should we raise Total Purchased
Grocer List
awareness with you? n=172
n=93 n=62
List
n=17

% % %
#
Email 53 43 63 12
Websites 38 30 45 9
Tradeshows and conferences 27 23 32 5
Traditional direct mail 22 30 11 3
Seminars 20 13 29 5
Advertising in trade publications 19 28 10 1
Other (please specify) 20 28 10 2

CFIC
Canadian CFIC Internal
What is the best way to Total Purchased
Grocer List
communicate with you? n=172
n=93 n=62
List
n=17

% % % #

Email 66 55 79 14
eNewsletter 23 22 24 5
CFIC Website 19 18 24 1
Traditional direct mail 15 19 10 2

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Tradeshows and conferences 15 10 24 2

Telephone 8 9 5 2
Personal visits 8 9 8 0
Other (please specify) 12 18 5 0
While there is admittedly a bias inherent in the responses because the survey was
sent to available email lists in an industry in which email communications is not the
main method of marketing outreach, there is a notably high percentage of
respondents who preferred email, digital newsletters and websites as the main
ways of both raising awareness and ongoing communications. Tradeshows and
conferences ranked lower for those on the Canadian Grocer list and highest for the
internal list, indicating that those people are more likely to seek out the CFIC at an
event while others may not. As a result, more emphasis will need to be placed on
on-property and pre-show communications to drive attendees to seek out the CFIC
booth. And while overall 25% saw these events as good for raising awareness
(which does not necessarily translate into sales), only 15% saw them as a viable
ongoing tool. Finally, tradeshows and conferences address small populations than
do industry publications, for example, significantly raising the cost “per touch.”
Since people generally need to “see” a brand approximately 5 times before
remembering it and taking action, tradeshows are a less targeted but more
expensive method.

The results also reveal some specific challenges for email and websites that will
need to be factored in and overcome over time. First is the fact that the CFIC is not
properly tooled to take immediate advantage of email outreach in any significant
way. Over 50% of the purchased list bounced (non-existent emails), so other means
will be needed to build solid email lists. Using websites for sponsorships will need to
be handled in balance since banner ads have become increasingly less effective
over the years.

2010 Communications: The Strategy

With a need to launch two new brands and the new online learning system, a
national bilingual market and a small budget, the CFIC will focus 2010
communication efforts on three foundational activities:

 A balance between offline and online media that build awareness and
drive audiences to fulfillment through the website.
 Generating interest and curiosity about the LMS
 Strengthening internal email lists through a combination of online and
offline methods

With a small budget, activities will be concentrated on a smaller selection of

targeted tactics as opposed to trying to hit a broader national market or spread
across many different vehicles. Repetition in particular vehicles will also be used in
order to build up awareness and drive action. Furthermore, tactics will address as
much as possible independents, franchisees and small chains.

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The bulk of the communications activities will centre on two industry tradeshows:
Grocery Showcase West in April and Grocers Innovation Canada in October. The
April show is a smaller regional show compared to the later national GIC event.
Moreover, the fall show is far enough along in the year to provide a greater chance
of customer testimonials and success stores as well as to boast a second module,
Safe Food Handling.

With two brands launch, the strategy will be to use raise brand awareness of the
organization by putting more emphasis on the product brand through pushing the
online learning system and “pulling through” the new CFIC brand name. In order to
mitigate the lack of strong email lists and to lever the CFIC’s excellent relationships
with industry publications, the strategy also specifically includes

 Placing informative, valued editorial through either media outreach or

“advertorial”
 Building presence in online publications and websites
 Investing in media pitching to improve uptake
 Using customer success stories to win interest and credibility
 Focusing on training issues in the industry

As much as possible, the website will be used for fulfillment, capturing contact
information and measurement. All material will be available in electronic format,
contact information should be required before downloading certain higher-value
items and landing pages will improve performance and provide specific campaign
metrics.

Communicating the Message

Building Email Lists

There are several challenges inherent in trying to build email lists. Among them are
the need to ensure that emails are collected with permission for use, the need to
refrain from contacting certain groups directly as requested by the Board and the
problem of overcoming the industry’s general lag in email usage. Building a solid
email list requires investment in both online and offline outreach, ensuring that
every call to action builds into it a way to capture emails and of course time and
patience. The CFIC already has a strong internal list, but it does recognize the need
to continue building it out.

Recommended Tactics:

Closed downloads: Instead of open downloads, ask for contact information for
higher value items and then send the items to the email address provided. Ensure
that an obvious box is available to check for receiving more form the CFIC. A test
can be run first to gauge reaction on certain items first.

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Require email addresses for all purchases: All persons purchasing products should
be required to provide a valid email address. The CFIC could choose to send the
invoice electronically, for example. As well, when the online credit card system is in
place, emails should be a required field.

Purchase existing lists as they become available: The CFIC is already planning to
purchase the email list of defunct Grocer Today.

Instigate a telemarketing program: Lists with phone numbers are available from
brokers and a telemarketing program to both a) offer people an article or some
other time on the LMS and b) collect email addresses would not be prohibitively
expensive. Available lists such as Who’s Who, brokers lists and the Canadian
Grocers subscriber lists are all options here.

Offline and online pull through: A vast majority of the tactics discussed in this plan
include calls to action that require emails:

 Adword offers and landing pages that capture email

 Banner ads must make an offer and click to a landing page to fulfill

Offerings can include:

• Live webinar registration
• Contest
• Success kit
• Special limited discount offer

Budget: Grocer Today purchase -- $750 (regular mail list does not include phone
numbers so only email purchase is recommended)
Telephone Outreach -- $1700 for approximately 2000 calls
List rental -- $1,000 estimate

Web Site – French and English

The organization’s website will play a key role as an information source, lead
capture, sales channel and fulfillment anchor for both the CFIC generally and the
LMS more specifically. The website was recently renewed and the work has
produced a largely attractive and effective site. However, several tactics need to be
implemented before April in order to support outreach and fulfill calls to action.

1. A bold announcement banner on the CFIC home page announcing the coming
availability of the LMS which should coincide with the first industry hitting the
street (second half of March).

2. An announcement banner alerting viewers to the CFIC’s presence at GSW and

inviting them to visit the booth (second half March).

3. A home page text callout explaining the new brand for the organization as
well as the products and linking to a temporary page that provides further
details. This page should remain up until June ideally.

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4. The product section for the LMS needs to be populated and linked to the
home page announcement. Messaging and downloadable items should
include:

• Address the challenges of delivering training and how online training

can help ease those problems
• Customer testimonials and stories as they become available
• A features and benefits list with strong emphasis on benefits
• Enlargeable screenshots
• Link to PowerPoint online demo (see Support Collateral)
• Link to download Success Kit with contact information required (see
Support Collateral)
• Information on pricing and how to order
• Link to press kit under Media
• Email sign-up (as is now on each page)

5. Enable credit-ordering on the website.

6. Implement search engine optimization (SEO or organic search). Efforts should

begin now to ensure improved search results by April through appropriate
page titles, anchors, tags and so on and that these elements are monitored
constantly to ensure that returns remain as high as possible.

7. Develop the ability to support dynamic landing pages for specific campaigns,
including adwords, email blasts and limited-time sponsorships.

8. The new brand name, taglines and logos implemented on all web content
where appropriate by the end of March.

For the second outreach wave through September and October, some additional
elements will be required:

1. Home page banner announcing the success of the LMS and the launch of a
new Safe Food Handling module.

2. Updated content on the LMS product page with revised

• Screenshots
• Features and Benefits
• Success Kit
• Pricing and ordering
• PowerPoint demo
• Press kit material

Additionally, SEO is an ongoing effort and should be revisited and tweaked every
several months as resources allow.

Budget: $11,000
Scheduled Completion: March 30 for Phase I and September 15 for Phase II

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Web Vendors

Real Decoy
1-205 Catherine Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 1C3 Canada
1.613.234.9330
Richard Isaac
Richard@realdecoy.com

42 Wellington Street East

4th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5E 1C7 Canada
416.628.0225
www.realdecoy.com

ABORG Computing Inc.

Suite 1114 - 2720 Queensview Dr.
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2B 1A5
Julia Borgan
(613) 829-2229
Julia@aborg.com

Principle
30 Wertheim Court
Unit 19, 2nd Floor
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1B9
T: 905.737.5905
Vik Bhalla
bhalla@principle.com
Ext 3
www.principle.com

E3 Consulting
1 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 402
Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1K6
Canada
Brad Bettinson
bbettinson@e3consulting.ca
416.967.6336 x231

9th sphere
[a division of Etalco Limited]
100 York Blvd., Suite 228
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4B 1J8 Canada
www.9thsphere.com

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905.709.2991
1.866.811.5604
Greg Allan
Ext 31
greg@9thsphere.com
info@9thsphere.com

Non-Linear Creations
Ottawa Head Office
987 Wellington St., Suite 201 (Garland St. Entrance)
Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Y1
613.241.2067
marketing@nonlinear.ca
info@nonlinear.ca

Toronto Office
524 Front St. West, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M5V 1B8
Canada
416.203.2997
marketing@nonlinear.ca
info@nonlinear.ca
Toll-free: 1.866.915.2997
Shannon Ryan
sryan@nonlinear.ca

Blackdot.ca
119 Spadina Avenue #602
Toronto, ON, M5V 2L1 Canada
416.907.2976
Eglis Vindedzis
eglis@blackdot.ca
www.blackDot.ca
info@blackDot.ca

WebStar Multimedia Inc.

1 Yonge St., Suite #1801
Toronto, ON. M5E 1W7
1.866.857.2300
416.849.2280
rob@webstarmultimedia.com
Robert Turnone
Ext 232

Events: Grocery Showcase West (April) and Grocery Innovations Canada

(October)

April’s soft launch of the new brands and the LMS will be rooted in the CFIC’s
presence at Grocery Showcase West April 25 and 26, 2010. A more aggressive

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launch with occur at the Grocery Innovations Canada show in Toronto, October 25
and 26, 2010.

1. Presence
Both shows are part of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG).
The spring show will be attended by approximately 3000 people, many of them
from the main target groups, while the latter will be at least 6,000 attendees.
The CFIC will have a 10 x 10 presence there using their existing booth
infrastructure with new panels (space has already been reserved and the space
costs are not part of this overall budget.) As well, a new pull-up on the LMS will
be included as well (see Support Collateral).

2. Sponsorships and Speaking Opportunities

The CFIC is meeting with the show organizers on Monday, February 8 to discuss
sponsorship opportunities for both shows. These can include supporting
activities such as

 Registration
 Breaks/lunches/receptions
 Seminars and breakouts
 Delegate bags and lanyards

In addition, the CFIC at the same time will discuss sponsorship opportunities for
Grocers Innovations Canada as well as speaking opportunities at the event with
a focus on presenting case studies with the relevant customer(s). Conferences
and tradeshows need to be approached with summaries of timely, relevant
topics and pitched to ensure acceptance. Speaking opportunities are generally
extended first to those organizations that are exhibiting and to presentations
that focus on customer success.

3. Show Guide
The CFIC will also take a one page, full-colour ad in the Show Guide (being
published by Western Grocer) inviting attendees to experience to the benefits of
online training at the booth. The ad will feature a strong benefits message and
call to action. The Show Guide is being bound inside the March issue of Western
Grocer and will also be available as a separate booklet at the show. Copies of
the March Western Grocer will be distributed at the show as well, and these will
include the Show Guide as well.

4. The CFIC is considering running a contest or some kind of enticement to attract

attendees. This offer can be incorporated into the Show Guide ad and can also
be promoted as part of any sponsorship communications.

Possible enticement options:

Draw for free training.
Free registration for GIC (could approach CFIG about this)

4. Press
The CFIC’s media kits with press releases announcing the LMS as well as the new
brands and an information sheet on the LMS will be available in the press room.

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The CFIC is also working with CFIG to understand if there will be a list of press
member pre-registered for the show available in order to set up interview times
with appropriate editors and writers. (see Media Strategy)

GSW:
Show Guide Budget: $3,500
Sponsorship Budget: $5,000

Show Guide Space Deadline: Already reserved

Show Guide Materials Deadline: March 9

GIC
Show Guide Budget: $4,000
Sponsorship Budget: $5,000

Show Guide Space Deadline: TBA

Show Guide Materials Deadline: TBA

Pre-Show Trade Advertising

Print advertising remains the favoured and most predictable method of raising
general awareness of a brand (Forrester 2008) particularly when used in
conjunction with ads on the digital versions, regular email campaigns to subscriber
lists and leveraging presence at tradeshows and conferences owned by the same
publishing houses.

Unlike PR and media efforts, paid advertising allows the CFIC to control the
message and alleviates the problem of gaining customer cooperation in order to win
placed editorial. Since 2010 is a building year for the brand, it makes sense to
invest in increasing awareness, particularly since awareness programs will reap
benefits in years to come if maintained.

In order to be successful, advertising efforts should be maintained on a regular

rotation. A general rule is that a person needs to see an obvious message from the
company five times in relatively rapid succession for the brand to be remembered.
Therefore, ads will be placed in all the major trade publications (with the exception
of Western Grocer since the Show Guide will be bound into the April issue) as well
various online vehicles within a concentrated pre-show period in order to quickly
build brand awareness and help drive traffic at Grocery Showcase West.

The following print advertising plan is recommended to support the April soft
launch:

Canadian Grocer (March/April issue includes show circulation)

1 page, full colour ad
Space deadline: Already reserved
Materials deadline: March 2
Net cost: $7,221

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The Independent Grocer (March/April issue includes show circulation)

1 page full colour
Space deadline: Already reserved
Materials deadline: March 16, 2010
Net cost: $640

RADAR (Quebec announcement in April issue)

½ page full colour
Space deadline: February 29
Materials deadline: March 12
Net cost: $2,895

The following print advertising plan is recommended to support the October hard
launch (see Media Plan for discussion on editorial/advertorial placements):

Canadian Grocer (Sept/Oct issue includes show circulation)

2 page spread, full-colour ad on one-side, CG-generated editorial on the other
side
Space deadline: TBA
Materials deadline: TBA
Net cost: $13,900

Western Grocer (Sept/Oct issue includes show circulation)

2 page spread, full-colour ad on one-side, CG-generated editorial on the other
side
Space deadline: TBA
Materials deadline: TBA
Net cost: $5,160

The Independent Grocer (Sept/Oct issue includes show circulation)

2 page spread, full-colour ad on one-side, CG-generated editorial on the other
side
Space deadline: TBA
Materials deadline: August 27
Net cost: $1000

RADAR (Quebec announcement in October issue)

1-page magazine-size full-colour ad
Space deadline: August 31
Materials deadline: September 10
Net cost: $5,600

Ads in all of the publications, with the possible exception of RADAR, will have the
same theme and messages. An integrated approach to advertising across vehicles
boosts effectiveness and awareness building by building on visual recognition cues.

Total April Launch Print Ad Budget: $10,756 (all but RADAR is for ads that will
appear before March 31) (excluding Show
Guide)

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Total October Launch Print Ad Budget: $25,660 (excluding Show Guide)

Online Advertising Support

The communications strategy calls for a balance between traditional trade

advertising and digital vehicles. The industry generally lags behind others in its
adoption of digital communications, including the predominance of old-style banner
ads and the still relatively low use of basic email to engage with audiences. The
following pre-show online advertising tactics in themselves strive for a balance
among various online advertising types, specifically banners, enewsletter
sponsorships and participation in email blasts.

Spring Banner Ads

1) Presence on Showcase West page on CFIG site -- $800 for three months
2) CFIG banner index page – October inviting people to booth and post-show
messages -- $1000
3) Western Grocer – Two banner ads on main site for one year -- $2,000

Spring eNewsletter and Email Blasts

1) Canadian Grocer – presence in e-newsletter – April/May 4X --$3,900

2) Western Grocer exclusive email blast (3x) April -- $750
3) CFIG – presence in Showcase West delegate emails through April – $500 for 5
emailings

Spring Budget: $8,950

Fall Banner Ads

4) Presence on GIC website – Sept/Oct/Nov-- $716

5) Western Grocer – Two banner ads on main site for one year (already in spring
budget)
6) CFIG banner index page – October inviting people to booth and post-show
messages -- $1000

Fall eNewsletter and Email Blasts

1) Canadian Grocer – presence in e-newsletter – Sept/Oct 4X -- $3,900

2) CFIG – presence in GIC delegate emails through October – $500 for 5
emailings
3) Western Grocer exclusive email blast (3x) Sept/Oct -- $750

Fall Budget: $6,866

CFIC Internal Emails

The CFIC has a list of permission-based emails of those who have signed up for its
newsletters and other digital publications. As well, the CFIC has a purchased list
(albeit of not top quality) that can also be used for pre-show emailing. Finally, the

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CFIC should also, as an exhibitor, have access to pre-registrant email lists from
Grocery Showcase West and Grocery Innovations Canada if these are offered.
Conversations with CFIG suggest that they are not: hence the tactic above of
sponsoring the pre-show emails that CFIG will send to registrants.

1) CFIC will send 3 email blasts to its internal and purchased lists to advise
people of the upcoming launch and availability of the LMS as well as the new
brand and the CFIC’s presence at Grocery Showcase West. The emails should
go every March 24, April 7 and April 21 (dates are approximate and will be
finalized closer to the time) in the spring and Sept30, Oct 7 and Oct 21 in the
fall.

2) CFIC’s newsletters, Food for Thought and Fresh Thinking, should include
prominent banner, callout box and text copy promoting the upcoming LMS
and CFIC’s presence at Grocery Showcase West starting in early March and at
GIC starting in early September.

3) The CFIC will be disciplined in collecting and recording in a usable but simple
database all contact information of booth visitors and other persons at GSW.
These contacts should be followed up immediately. As well, GSW/GIC
organizers may make the show attendee list available for post-show contact
although their unwillingness to provide the pre-show registrant list is likely an
indication of their position on this overall.

4) The CFIC should follow-up the show with two to three mailings to the same
lists as used in the first activity thanking those who attended, inviting those
who did not to visit at GIC in October and providing information on how to
demo and order the LMS. These emails are also opportunity to further
communicate the new brands. Likewise, follow-up emails should be sent two
to three times post GIC in late October and early November. If the CFIC has
plans to attend shows in 2011, this email can also provide a pre-alert.

Adwords (Paid Search)

The CFIC should run a three-month test of paid search to augment print and digital
advertising and other outreach mechanism. Adwords reach a different audience
than regular advertising: those who are actively seeking products and services and
are more likely ready to buy. Although there are several popular search engines, it’s
recommended the CFIC start with Google since it’s the most common and has an
excellent adword management system.

In order to capitalize on increased awareness from the show support activities and
to fall within the new fiscal year, the test should ideally run through April, May and
June. A certain amount of experimentation will be required to ensure optimal results
and to capture interest from keywords that already do not return the CFIC at the top
organically.

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A maximum budget of $500 per month has been budgeted for this program,
although actually monthly costs will be determined by the selected keywords and
the going rate for them.

In order to measure and maximize effectiveness, the adwords must be supported by

dynamic landing pages that automatically generate headlines and copy that capture
the search keyword string. Landing pages for adwords must be clean and simple,
include the search string in the header and make a compelling NON-SALES offer
with a minimum of information required (name, company, email). Landing pages as
opposed to home pages or other regular site content significantly increase the
success of adwords.

Over the three months, the CFIC must continuously monitor and adjust the
campaign as needed. This function can be outsourced if the CFIC prefers. At the end
of the three months, the CFIC can decide whether to continue to the program or
cancel it. Should the CFIC decide to continue, then the maximum commitment
should be no more than $3,000 for the rest of the year, not counting any outside
help with monitoring the campaign or adding new landing pages.

Adword Spend Budget: $1,500

Landing Page Budget: $1,000

Collateral Support

Several pieces of collateral and other communications support pieces will need to
be produced in order to support outbound activities and tradeshow attendance.
Once the visual themes have been approved, action will be needed quickly to
design, produce art files and go to print for the various elements in order to have
them on time.

1. A single double-sided information sheet on the LMS that can be

a. Downloaded from the CFIC site
b. Freely distributed at GSW
c. Included in the LMS Success Kit

This sheet should be simple and generally inexpensive since many will be
thrown out after the show and because it will change again with the addition
of the Safe Food Handling Module later in the year.

Budget: $3,000 (includes a revised sheet in October)

2. Revised CFIC organizational brochure reflecting the new brand of the

organization and the product set. This brochure should ideally be ready in
time for GSW for inclusion in the press kit and for selective distribution at the
show.

Budget: $3,000

3. LMS Success Kit should be produced in time for the launch. While the kit
should not be distributed at the show, samples should be there so that

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attendees can request the kit. Contact names, emails and addresses should
be carefully collected and recorded. The Kit should be

a) Downloadable from the CFIC site in exchange for contact

information or people can order a hard copy
b) Offered as part of the adword call-to-actions
c) Be as easily updatable as possible.

For this first year, the Kit could include:

a) The LMS information sheet

b) A simple PPT-based demo of the module so that prospects can
see its look and feel and get a sense of the content
c) Tips on how to make it a success in the prospect’s organization
d) Getting Started sheet
e) Pricing and ordering information

Budget: $10,000
PPT Demo Budget: $2,000

7) New booth panels will be needed for the CFIC’s existing booth infrastructure.
The booth type has been checked and it is still in production and therefore
new panels can be created for it. The booth design will be provided as part of
the organizational brand visual them and specific messaging on the panels
themselves should be kept to a minimum for longevity. Pull-ups are
recommended for product or event specific messages.

Budget: $4,000

8) A roll-up should be produced announcing the new LMS to accompany the

booth and to act as a background piece for seminars, small events, speaking
opportunities etc.

Budget: $2,000

9) Give-Aways

The CFIC wishes to have give-aways available the booth for both GSW and
GIC. Ideally, these give-aways should be relevant, useful or engaging and be
integrated or reflective of the LMS’s key benefits and messaging. Upon
approval, the CFIC should begin researching various options. AS well, the
CFIC should consider branding the give-away with the product brand rather
than the organization brand. A budget has been set aside for this: depending
on the choice made, the budget may have to be increased and saving found
elsewhere. Based on the brand message of “perfect pairings” and the food
visual, a strong potential is matching salt/pepper shakers or grinds. Any RFQ
issued for this should include the cost of recommendations based on the
vendor’s stock for keeping with the brand messages.

Budget: $5,000

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Promotional Vendors:

Daquin
165 Colonnade Road South
Ottawa, ON K2E 7J4
Ena Bernetti
613.226.8680 x112
enab@daquinsales.com

Barebrands
89 Sabrina Drive, Unit #2
Toronto, Ontario M9R 2J8
416-815-8000
Dave Burnett
dburnett@anopportunityknocks.com
Ext 222
disco@barebrands.com

Maple Leaf Marketing

466 Speers Road, Suite 204
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
L6K 3W9
info@mapleleafmarketing.com
sales@mapleleafmarketing.com
905-465-1430
1-877-95-MAPLE
Michael Wilson
Ext. 23
Cell: 416-993-9939
mike@mapleleafmarketing.com

Promos Canada
Clarington Promotions Inc.
2377 Hwy #2 unit 120
Bowmanville, Ontario L1C5E2
PromosCanada.Com
905-983-1128 Phone
1-877-552-6068 Toll Free
Alex Subotich
alex@promoscanada.com
sales@promoscanada.com
www.promoscanada.com

Promo Pays
1101 Clarkson Road North,
Suite 306
Mississauga, ON L5J 2W1
905-823-8999 or 416-233-3325
John Simos

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John@promopays.ca
www.promopays.ca

Adwear
Mishail Pawa, Sales, ext. 23
801 Eglinton Ave. West, Suite 404
Toronto, Ontario M5N 1E3
Tel: 416-785-0777
Lorne Merkur
Ext. 29
lorne@adwear.ca
info@adwear.ca

Brymark
Head Office
2405A St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1G 5B4
Tel: (613) 737-4556
877-521-1102
Warren Gencher
warren@brymark.com
613 737 4556 ext. 119
greatideas@brymark.com

Toronto Office
312 Dolomite Dr., Suite 218
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M3J 2N2

10) An allowance has been made for some design and production work to produce
needed collateral pieces.

Budget: $10,000

Media and Public Relations

Grocery Showcase West

Less emphasis and fewer resources will be placed behind media relations for the
softer April launch. However, several activities will help garner media coverage in
support of the LMS announcement:

Press release: : write internally, using board member quotes and release on
relevant wires as well as circulate to internal press lists.

Press meetings: Arrange as much as possible meetings with attending press at

GSW. The CFIC will engage with CFIG to determine if press registrant lists are
available. Press kits with information about the LMS and the new brands must
be available in the press room.

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Editorial: The CFIC will be provide Canadian Grocers, Western Grocer and the
Independent Grocer with invited editorial (“column” style)

Pre-pitching: Hire a media relations person to pre-pitch the press release and
possibly write an article on the training issues facing the industry, how good
training contributes to easing attraction and retention problems and using as
much as possible industry spokespeople if there is sufficient interest. This
person’s work can help with the CFIC’s invited columns (see above) and can also
be pitched to selected national print and digital publications:

Globe and Mail NorthWest Business

National Post (CanWest) BC Business
Montreal Gazette UpHere Business
CTV Aboriginal Business
CBC Alberta Venture
McLeans Dailies (Halifax, St. John, St.
John’s
Canadian Business Charlottetown, Moncton,
Fredericton,
Canadian Business Quebec, Montreal,
Ottawa, London,
MoneySense K-W, Winnipeg, Saskatoon,
Regina, Beaver Edmonton, Calgary,
Iqualuit,
Education Canada Vancouver, Victoria,
Yellowknife,
Franchise Canada Whitehorse)
Your WorkPlace
Les affaires

Selected industry publications both here and in the United States can also be pre-
pitched or Additional industry publications (offline and online properties):

Progressive Grocer www.chainstoreage.com

Food Management Institute RetailWire
FMS Solutions Supermarket News
The Gourmet Retailer CCGD
Food Online Retail Council of Canada
Grocery Retail Online UFCW
Food in Canada Teamsters
Ontario Agri-Food Association
The Food Institute
Skills Canada
Essential Skills for the Changing Workplace
CSMOCA

Rework existing editorial: $1000

Pitch selected media pre-launch: $2,000
Write press release: 0 (do internally)

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Release wires: $500

Spring Media Budget: $3,500

Grocery Innovations Canada

Press release: write internally, using board member quotes and release on relevant
wires as well as circulate to internal press lists.

Press meetings: Arrange as much as possible meetings with attending press at GIC.
The CFIC will engage with CFIG to determine if press registrant lists are available.
Press kits with information about the LMS and the new brands must be available in
the press room.

Editorial/Advertorial: The CFIC has negotiated a double-spread with Canadian

Grocer that includes at least a page of editorial for the Sept/Oct issue. The CG will
provide the copy as part of the cost. As advertorial, it will belong to the CFIC and
can be used in a modified format for Western Grocer and the Independent Grocer.
As well, translation will allow it to be provided to RADAR as a by-lined editorial piece
for the Quebec market. Reprints of the piece will also be needed, although to save
money a PDF is preferred that can be easily downloaded, emailed or otherwise used
for digital outreach. The focus for all editorial and advertorial work must be a focus
on the industry and customer success stories using the LMS in order to gain
credibility and interest. Customers in turn will receive exposure for both their
organization’s and personal brands in a variety of publications.

Pre-pitched publicity articles: Hire a writer/media relations expert in early August if

possible to begin pitching customer-focused feature stories to industry media.
Based on pitching success, this person will work with the CFIC and selected
customers as well as the publication to produce editorial for feature stories. Should
pitching not be warmly received, the option is produce one to two customer-focused
success stories that can be provided “as is” to publications as columns, extra
advertorial or even tip-ins (tip-ins are not part of the budget at this time). The same
lists as given above can be included in pitching activities.

Write two customer-focused articles: $3,000

Pre-pitch to selected targets: $3,000
Write press release 0 (do internally)
Release wires: $500

Fall Media Budget: $6,500

Measurement
Measurement is an on-going challenge for most marketing activities, particularly
off-line. Moreover, measurement can be expensive and given the small budgets, it’s
recommended that measurement be driven digitally. Digital efforts can be more
easily measured, ranging from bounce-back and open rates through to click-

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throughs, downloads and contact information harvested. The following

measurement options will be built-in to the various activities:

Website visit increases: A benchmark of average monthly discrete website visitors

will be set and then increases in website traffic measured during those months with
the most outreach activity as well as “quiet” periods.

Adword click-throughs: A core part of managing an adword program is to measure

click-throughs from the ad to the landing pages. From there, the landing pages
allow tracking and measurement of number of discrete visitors, downloads,
abandon rates and so on.

Organic search placements: SEO efforts are harder to measure. However, Google
Analytics provides referring websites as well as search string data to help establish
how many people go to the CFIC site from an organic search.

Contacts collected at shows: This is critical and must be met with discipline.
Investment in a tradeshow in significant and is a prime opportunity to meet and
engage with prospects face-to-face.

Downloads of Success Kit and Demos: Downloads of specific offerings can also be
measured by using specific landing pages and by requiring a minimum amount of
contact information beforehand. These types of downloads can also be measured
and extrapolated to judge the amount of interest in the LMS and whether marketing
activities are motivating actions.

Downloads of CFIC products overall: Over time, the CFIC should measure overall
purchases and usage of CFIC products overall. While the focus is on the LMS for
2010, outbound communications should also pull through increased awareness of
the additional offerings and help prompt an increase in buying.

Increase in permission-based email lists: It’s important that the CFIC lever every
opportunity to build its internal permission-based email capacity. The section above
provides more information on recommendations, but measurement of increases in
emails will help measure the overall success of the program.

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