Squirrel Food Marketing Plan

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Marketing Plan

The Squirrel Food Marketing Company

Where a Well-Fed Squirrel is Just Plain Happy.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 2Competitive Research ................................................................................................................................... 4

Product ......................................................................................................................................................... 4Packaging ...................................................................................................................................................... 5Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 5Pricing ........................................................................................................................................................... 5Stiel Direct Observations .............................................................................................................................. 6

Wildwood Farms ....................................................................................................................................... 6Healthy Squirrel Food ............................................................................................................................... 6

MARKET SEGMENTATION ............................................................................................................................. 7Business to Business (B2B) ....................................................................................................................... 7Business to Customer (B2C) ...................................................................................................................... 7

Product Segmentation .................................................................................................................................. 8Full Cob in Husk ........................................................................................................................................ 8Shucked Cob ............................................................................................................................................. 8Cut Cob ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

Promotions ................................................................................................................................................... 9Creative Strategy ...................................................................................................................................... 9Logo .......................................................................................................................................................... 9Typeface ................................................................................................................................................... 9Copy ........................................................................................................................................................ 10Print ........................................................................................................................................................ 11Web Development .................................................................................................................................. 11

Communication Elements........................................................................................................................... 12Website ................................................................................................................................................... 12

TIER ONE ............................................................................................................................................. 12HOME ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

STORY ...................................................................................................................................................... 12Tier One .............................................................................................................................................. 13The Informative Section...................................................................................................................... 13B2C Retail Section ............................................................................................................................... 13

INITIAL CONCEPT FOR THE SQUIRREL FOOD COMPANY WEBSITE ......................................................... 14TIER TWO ................................................................................................................................................ 15

The Informative Section...................................................................................................................... 15TIER TWO ............................................................................................................................................ 15B2B Retail Section ............................................................................................................................... 16

Internet Marketing ................................................................................................................................. 17Keyword Advertising with Google & Facebook .................................................................................. 17Heres how it works ............................................................................................................................ 17Pricing ................................................................................................................................................. 17

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Executive Summary

The Squirrel Food Companys primary product offering is the hybrid corn, created by a world-famous

geneticist code-named Dr. Squirrel. Through cross-breeding, Dr. Squirrel is able to enhance features of

the corn that increase the nutritional value for squirrels. The embryo, white portion of the corn, is larger

than traditional corn. It is the embryo that contains protein and amino acid, fundamental building blocksof cells. Squirrels eat the embryo and discard the outer hull. Squirrels eating the corn have been

observed to be more playful and responsive.

Dr. Squirrel licensed the patent for this corn from a major company. The actual process for creating the

corn is not new, but no other company has licensed the product intent on tailoring it specifically to

squirrel dietary needs. Other companies competing for the market offer high quality corn, but are well

below the amino acid content in The Squirrel Food Company corn.

The competition, in terms of product, packaging, distribution and pricing are all playing in roughly the

same field. The Squirrel Food Companys primary competitors offer corn and related extension items

such as squirrel feeders. From ordering firsthand, most companies package the product in crude boxes

with little indication of corporate identity. In bulk instances, the product is simply piled in a box and itsarrival condition is left to the whim of the shipping company. Standard size increments are 5-6 ears of

corn, 6.5 lb. bag, 20 lb., and bulk is considered 40 lb. Competition pricing ranges anywhere from $.43 per

lb to The Squirrel Food Companys closest competitor, Wildwood Farms at $.92 per lb. However, not all

companies measure pricing in the same manner. Some measure per pound and some measure per ear.

In distribution, many only offer business to consumer through a website and only take larger orders by

specific email requests.

We have identified our target market in terms of two divisions: Business to Business (B2B) and Business

to Consumer (B2C). The distinction between buying interests will also be applicable to the online

purchasing arena. Under B2C, we have identified six types of buyers: 1) Squirrel Enthusiasts, 2) Bird

Lovers, 3) Casual Buyers, 4) Retirees, 5) City Slickers, and 6) Educators. Under (B2B), we have identified

two types of Organizational buyers: Retailers and Distribution agents.

The Squirrel Food Companys product can be broken up into five major categories 1) Full Cob in Husk 2)

Shucked Cob 3) Cut Cob 4) Cob Medallions 5) Shelled kernels. These divisions do not alter the

product itself, but simply influence the way the product is perceived in display and packaging. Using a

combination of these categories in packaging can elevate The Squirrel Food Companys perceived value

to the consumer, allow for a more diverse pricing scheme, create a more consistent shipping result from

start to finish and allow The Squirrel Food Company to offer future line extensions.

The creative stance is rooted in the following brand positioning statement: Dr. Squirrels The Squirrel

Food Company from Squirrelly Farms is a premium corn snack that promotes healthier, happier squirrels.

The creative challenge is two-fold: the creative must appear professional enough to capture the interest

of the wholesale market, but non-threatening enough to appeal to people of all ages. We suggest

surmounting these challenges by using an illustrative or storybook theme. Bright, non-muted watercolorbrush strokes with heavy black outlines will be pervasive throughout the four key creative components:

logo, typeface, copy, print and web.

Possible methods of promoting The Squirrel Food Company are: the Internet, catalogs, fairs/festivals,

direct mailings, newsletters, e-mail, and magazine advertisements. Sampling is an additional method to

help obtain market buzz from tastemakers. For example: the distribution of The Squirrel Food

Companys product in a small quantity (e.g. 1 corn medallions) would involve a process of giving the

public or a select group a preview. There has been a remarkable success rate obtained when using the

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Internet and word-of-mouth endorsements. Grassroots marketing will be a key approach in promoting

The Squirrel Food Company, especially on the web. The website will be a product testing platform,

publicity generator and also used to gather information about the consumer base. We suggest dividing

the site plan into two distinct sections, an informative section and a storefront section (both retail and

wholesale). The Squirrel Food Company has the opportunity to create a strong web presence through

keyword advertising on search engines and partner site banner advertising.

The Squirrel Food Company as a company and a product has a large opportunity to enter the market and

fill a niche as a premium Squirrel corn, possibly the strongest of which is Dr. Squirrels Stamps expertise

in corn hybridization and the possibility of product extension. However, The Squirrel Food Company

must work to avoid having consumers separate The Squirrel Food Company into the genetically

engineered category of produce. Genetically engineered produce has historically had a negative

connotation.

With 10,000 ears of corn waiting to be sold in the Squirrelly storehouse, Stiel Directs job is to help Carol

and Dr. Squirrel get the corn for market to make room for next years crop. Each crop developed by Dr.

Squirrel will have a successively larger embryo, thus increasing the current embryo size by about 30% in

three years.

Competitive Research

Preliminary research has identified twelve main competitors that sell ear corn. These companies offer a

variety of wildlife feed products, feeders, and lawn ornaments. The primary means of reaching clientele

is through the Internet, although some companies additionally offer catalog ordering. Other means of

ordering offered by some companies include fax, mail, and phone.

Product

Research has found that many companies in the squirrel feed industry offer a variety of products to their

clientele.

The company Healthy Squirrel Food is currently The Squirrel Food Companys only competition offering a

high quality product in the marketplace. According to Healthy Squirrel Foods website, Chirp-n-

Chatter, their nutrient-enhanced hybrid corn has a higher protein content then traditional corn and has

the ability to give squirrels more energy. Healthy Squirrel Food average price per pound is $0.53. Their

ear corn is sold in quantities from 15-60 lbs. 15 lbs is sold for $8.00, 30 lbs for $13.00, and 60 lbs. for

$26.00. The company also offers shelled corn, cracked corn, and squirrel feeders.

Although Healthy Squirrel Food is currently the only company offering high quality corn, Wild Wood

Farms appears to be the leader in the squirrel feed industry. Wild Wood Farms is by far the most

dominate company on the internet. They advertise with existing website in a variety of areas including

animal lovers, feed stores, and Home & Garden. Their company offers variety of feed mixes, other nuts,feeders, houses, a squirrel call, and novel lawn ornaments. The average price for their ear corn is $0.92

per pound. The delivered product ranges in sizes from a small quantity of 5 ears per tray to a bulk 40 lb.

box.

As previously mentioned all other competitors do not sell hybrid corn. Each company packages the

product differently, but ultimately, is offering the exact same product to their customers. A list of the

companies including products and price has been included (Appendix A).

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Packaging

Packages for corn are usually bags, both paper and plastic, boxes with a wide range of sizes, and

buckets/jugs for loose corn or mixed feed. Wild Wood Farms offers a 5-ear Styrofoam tray, while others

put their smallest quantities in bags or boxes. The most common packaging is a clear plastic bag with

labeling that is either printed directly onto the bag or a sticker affixed to the front. The bags are crimpedoff with a metal staple. Larger quantities use a paper bag with stitch-sealed ends (See Appendix B)

Standard size increments are 5-6 ears of corn, 6.5 lb. bag, 20 lb., and bulk is considered 40 lb. Most

websites offer an e-mail request for larger quantities. The Squirrel Food Company can easily distinguish

itself as a premium product because they combine qualities of a premium product, a classic image,

practical knowledge on the improved corn embryo, and prestigious packaging.

Distribution

Overall, most companies warehouse and distribute their product directly from their farm. Companies

generally pass the shipping costs to the customer. After receiving orders, the corn is then packaged and

shipped via a ground carrier. UPS is the standard carrier used by all the companies. Some companies dooffer the option of shipping with another carrier, but UPS is still their preferred shipper. However, using

an alternate carrier can drive the cost upwards. Considering the company sizes and locations, this

method of distribution seems to be working fine.

Pricing

Not all companies price their products the same. Some companies sell their corn per ear while others

sell per pound. The most widely used method of pricing is price per pound. In order to accurately

compare pricing between the different companies, companies using price per ear were converted to

price per pound, using the assumption that 2 ears of corn equals one pound.

The markets pricing for ear corn ranges from $0.43 2.13 per pound and cost does not denote quality.Squirrel Snax only offers bulk options of 28 lb. (four dozen ears) which gives the cheapest price per

pound. Squirrels Fed Here has the highest cost and advertises their product by price per ear. Stiel Direct

then found the average price per pound for each company. Using this information, Stiel Direct has

determined $1.06 to be the average market price per pound. The following chart shows the average

price per pound of the ten different companies.

$0.98

$2.13

$0.43

$0.71

$0.60

$0.84

$2.10

$0.90$0.86

$1.00

Price per Pound by Company

Wild Wood Farms Squirrels Fed Here Squirrel Snax Moscarillos's Healthy Squirrel Food

The Squir rel Lover's Club T he Squirrel Store, Florida Nature's Vittles Kaytee Products, Inc. Critter Corn

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An added convenience is when consumers are able to select faster shipping options if they are willing to

pay the extra fees for that service. Another premium opportunity is to allow variable online payment

options (Master Card, Visa, and American Express).

Stiel Direct Observations

To get a better understand of the competition, Stiel Direct ordered some test products from two main

competitors, Wildwood Farms and Healthy Squirrel Food. This allowed Stiel Direct to observe the

physical characteristics of the companys products, types of packaging, evaluate customer service,

analyze the companys ability to handle orders, and the shipping time from when the order was placed.

Wildwood Farms

Utilizing Wildwoods Farms website, Stiel Direct ordered a corn tray with five ears of corn, 6.5lb bag of

ear corn, and a 40lb crate of corn. The order was placed on October 8th. An automated e-mailconfirmation was sent to Stiel Directs e-mail account confirming the order and purchase price. During

this process, Stiel Direct purposely left out the suite number to their location. The morning of October

9th, Stiel Direct placed a call to a representative at the Factory Outlet Store to correct the address

mistake. The representative was very nice in changing the order and they noted that it was a good thing

they were there behind in entering the UPS orders for that morning and could get that done. Another

automated e-mail was sent to Stiel Directs e-mail confirming the change of address. At our request

another e-mail was sent with the UPS tracking number once the package was picked up.

The products were delivered on October 16th, five business days from the 9th, to Stiel Directs office.

The first package was a plain box (containing the tray and 6.5 lb. bag) and the second was cardboard box

styled to resemble a wooden crate. After opening the smaller box, Stiel Direct noted that it was a

PantryPest Trap box that had been turned inside out. Inside the smaller box, the tray with five ears of

corn and the 6.5lb bag were packed using their local newspaper. The five ears of corn were in what

appeared to be a meat Styrofoam tray. This tray had been shrink-wrapped to keep the corn in place.

This package shipped well as there were no noticeable kernels broken off the cob. The 6.5lb bag,

however, appeared much worn and had many loose kernels within the bag. The 40lb crate consisted of a

bunch of cobs loosely thrown into the box. Numerous kernels were broken off. The packing slip for the

order was haphazardly inserted in the top of the large box. The actual weight of the crate including the

corn was 42lbs. The total price for all three items after shipping was $60.48.

Healthy Squirrel Food

On October 16th Stiel Direct ordered a 15lb box of ear corn from the Healthy Squirrel Food website. An

automated e-mail confirmation was sent to Stiel Directs e -mail verifying the order and additionally

included a thank you message for the purchase. The box was delivered by UPS on October 22nd, fourbusiness days after placing the order. The corn arrived in a plain brown box and did not include a

packing slip. There were large cobs in the box but many kernels had broken off the cob. The damage

was so significant that some cobs looked bear with one end completely missing one inch square patches

of corn. Kernels were of an irregular size, varying from cob-to-cob, and the nutrient enriched embryo

was not noticeably larger as there website suggests. A significant finding of Healthy Squirrel Foods

product was that many of the cobs were moldy. Overall, that companys entire presentation was very

sloppy, had a repulsive quality to their product, and did not meet the websites advertised standards.

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MARKET SEGMENTATION

Business to Business (B2B)

Stiel Direct has identified two types of Organizational buyers: Retailers and Distribution agents.

Retailers include: the independent pet stores, national pet stores, big box retailers (e.g. Wal-Mart and

Home Depot), feed stores, pet shops, and country-general stores. These retailers will take title of the

Squirrel Food Companys product and sell it in their locations directly to the customers.

If The Squirrel Food Company deals directly with the retailers, a salesperson will have to establish

appointments and visit each retailer individually to discuss the product. The preliminary process of

finding a retailer to sell The Squirrel Food Company s product consumes time, energy, and financial

resources. The direct marketing process to a retailer can often be very tedious when trying to locate

correct contacts, getting them to speak to you, and finally selling your product at the retailers location.

Distribution Agents are organizations that have an established list of companies and already conductbusiness with retailers. These agents offer the new product to these retailers by taking possession of the

product, but do not retain title.

Retailers are more likely to buy from a distribution agent because these agents provide a means to buy a

large variety and quantity of products from one source. Therefore, new products offered from a

distributor are more likely to be accepted then if a company was trying to d irectly sell it to them.

Business to Customer (B2C)

Stiel Direct has identified 6 potential target markets: 1) Squirrel Enthusiasts, 2) Bird Lovers, 3) Casual

Buyers, 4) Retirees, 5) City Slickers, and 6) Educators.

1) Squirrel Enthusiasts are the people who enjoy watching squirrels and feeding them. They buy squirrel

food for their pet squirrel. These are the people most likely to buy high quality premium squirrel corn

as it will keep their squirrels healthy, more energetic and keep them coming back.

2) Bird Lovers are similar to Squirrel Enthusiasts but instead buy squirrel food to keep the squirrels out

their bird feeders. Some bird lovers divide the feeding areas in their yard to keep different locations for

their birds and squirrels. Usually the front yard is designated for the birds and the back yard services

squirrels. The intention of buying a quality of corn would promote the squirrels to the backyard area

opposed to the birds front yard feeding area. By doing this, the two animals are able to live together in

harmony.

3) Casual Buyers can be grouped into two categories: Impulse shoppers and Gift Buyers.

Impulse Shoppers buy squirrel food simply because they happen to come upon it in the store and think it

would be fun to try. These people are looking for something to do for recreation or entertainment in a

brief period of time. Impulse shoppers are not likely to spend a lot of money on premium quality food.

Gift Buyers are those who buy squirrel food for a friend or loved one that is a squirrel enthusiast. They

feel it would be nice little gift to give them because they will enjoy it and therefore are probably more

willing to spend a little extra money to get the best quality food.

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4) Retirees are those that have extra time on their hands and looking for a hobby or something to do to

take up their time. This group might be willing to buy higher quality corn if they knew it would keep the

squirrels coming back time after time. Retirees could potentially generate repeat buyers if The Squirrel

Food Companys product worked better than the competitors.

5) City Slickers, or vacationers, are people going out on a camping trip and while they are out are looking

for something to do. Whether it is feeding the squirrels for leisure or doing something the whole family

can enjoy at their weekend cabin.

6) Educators would be teachers in elementary or high school and would buy the squirrel food for class

projects or educational purposes. They would probably be willing to spend a premium price for better

corn as it is better for the squirrel. Or they might want to do an experiment and see if the squirrel will

choose the high quality corn over a regular cob of corn.

Product Segmentation

The Squirrel Food Companys product can be broken up into five major

categories:

Full Cob in HuskPositives- Shows the natural beauty of the Squirrel Food Company product.

Negatives- Kernels may break off during shipping if not properly packaged.

Husk is not aesthetically appealing, may incur mold. Husk partially hides full

impact of kernel. Adds more weight to shipping.

Shucked CobPositives- Gives consumer immediate opportunity to see full corn beauty.

Negatives- Kernels may break off during shipping if not properly packaged.Husk is not aesthetically appealing, may incur mold. Husk partially hides full

impact of kernel

Cut CobPositives- Gives consumer immediate opportunity to see full corn beauty.

Greater packaging options

Negatives- Kernels may break off during shipping if not properly packaged.

Kernels may break off of cut end easily. A non-standard process for cutting

corn produces a jagged edge.

Medallions- small 1 cut of corn cob

Positives- Showcases individual kernels of corn. With proper labels and

packaging, consumer can be immediately directed to note the difference

between The Squirrel Food Company and its competition. Can be used as a

promotional piece or sampling tool.

Negatives- Cannot drive hard-dollar revenue. Packaging will be more

expensive because each individual piece must be wrapped.

Shelled- kernels are off-the-cob

Positives- Highly cost-effective for packaging. With proper packaging, can

invoke a Premium popcorn appearance.

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Negatives- Could be construed as popcorn, instead of Squirrel food.

Promotions

Creative Strategy

The recommended creative strategy is as unique and distinctive as the

product offering. It all starts with a brand positioning statement. Every part

of the creative will refer to, uphold and originate from the following

statement:

Dr. Squirrels The Squirrel Food Company from Squirrelly Farms is a premium

corn snack that promotes healthier, happier squirrels.

This statement anchors the creative in something solid and substantial. It

gives an incentive for the creative approach to convey the Squirrel Food

Company message to the target audience. The Squirrel Food Company has

an enormous opportunity to differentiate itself in this arena. The challengeis two-fold: the creative must appear professional enough to capture the

interest of the wholesale market, but non-threatening enough to appeal to

people of all ages.

The overarching creative / artistic approach we recommend uses an

illustrative or storybook theme. Some examples of this can be viewed in the

works of Beatrix Potter, Stephen Kellogg and other master illustrators. The

bright, non-muted watercolor brush strokes and heavy black outlines will

send the message that The Squirrel Food Company is a bold product

celebrating its specific market niche and finding humor in its squirrel

subjects. The illustrations used will be full of energy and will covey

movement whenever possible.

Logo

A strong logo and typeface is essential to creating consistency. As seen in the

upper-left-hand corner, Stiel Direct and The Squirrel Food Company have

already decided on an initial logo. Here are the three essential elements that

the logo must convey in less than an instant: The squirrel as the product

recipient, the corn as the actual product, the corn kernel embryo as the main

product differentiator. Here is a breakdown of the meaning behind

Keeshaw, the Squirrel Food Company mascot & logo: By placing the squirrel

on its back, this indicates a submissive squirrel, asking to be cared for and

fed. It is clutching an oversized The Squirrel Food Company kernel and the

embryo is clearly visible. The squirrel tail is wrapped around the kernel andforms the S in The Squirrel Food Company. The logo is just as memorable

and as clearly recognizable in black and white as it is in color; the goal of a

strong logo.

Typeface

We, as a creative team have chosen to use a typeface that might have been

seen on old medicinal bottles and advertisements of the 1920s. This makes

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an indirect comparison between The Squirrel Food Company and other

types of semi-medicinal Oils like Snake-Oil or Linseed Oil. This mildly

humorous reference is also reinforced by using Dr. Squirrels in front of

The Squirrel Food Company. This helps to invoke the image ofDr. Squirrel

selling a cure-all or a tonic-elixir for Squirrels. The highly stylized typeface will

be used only when it can be viewed at 16pts or above. Any smaller and itbecomes difficult to read. The secondary typeface for documents and

general text is Baskerville.

The creative approach will be reflected in all copy, print materials, and web

development.

Copy

The Squirrel Food Company history, including the technical and scientific

descriptions should read like a fable. A stable of characters including Dr.

Squirrel, Keeshaw and others will help shine the spotlight on the hybrid

corns enhanced embryo and squirrels delightful reaction to it. Largeornamented or illuminated capital letters such as often seen in fairy tales will

introduce new paragraphs. The following is an example of a possible story

line:

Hardly daring to breathe, Carol watched from the porch as the little brown

tree squirrel peeked its head from around the massive oak trunk. The

squirrel glanced furtively in either direction and stood stock still, staring in

the direction of the corn field. Carol smiled as she could almost see the

instinctive wheels turning in the little mind. She had allowed this section of

corn to dry on the stalk and fall was fast approaching. This squirrel meant

business. Muscles tensed, the squirrel sprang from its safe haven and darted

across the field and up the nearest stalk. It deftly wrestled the cob from its

stalk and it fell to the ground. Carol watched in amusement as the squirreldragged the ear across the field.

The squirrel stopped briefly to catch its breath in the middle of the field.

Suddenly, the Squirrel sat straight up and sniffed the air. It went into a full

crouch and turned a full 180 degrees toward an oak on the opposite side of

the field. Two more beady little eyes shone forth from the tree hollow. The

invading squirrel crept low to the ground on all fours and then stopped

halfway from its tree to the other squirrel. An agonizing two minutes passed

as each squirrel pointed its tail toward the sky meant for intimidating the

other. In a blink, the pirate squirrel lunged toward the other. Tiny pairs of

claws grasped the ear in defiance of each other.

In disbelief, Carol watched the tug-of-war unfold. As the squirrels pulled, the

large kernels began popping off the ear. After a minute, the cob was

completely decimated and only a pile of the plump kernels remained. The

two squirrels, realizing the original prize was in a shambles, declared a

momentary truce. Each squirrel gathered a handful of kernels and returned

to opposite tree trunks, only to repeat the future theatrics every day for the

next week.

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The above anecdote may be embellished for effect, but the tug-of-war did

was a real experience. It is one of the main reasons we believe The Squirrel

Food Company can dominate the niche market of premium Squirrel feed.

Print

Will incorporate copy and illustrative direction with the following repeated

elements. 1) An illustration of Dr. Squirrel with Keeshaw sitting on the bill of

his hat. This will be used to call out special information. 2) An enlarged

photograph of an actual ear of corn and the corn kernel itself. 3) An

illustrative background of a sun-bathed cornfield and Squirrelly farms in the

distance.

The first recommended print piece scheduled for production is the

storybook. The storybook will accompany every product offering. Its

purpose is to ensure every customer knows the Squirrel Food Company story

and is aware of the differentiating factor. It can also be used as a keepsake,

something to be collected as the company grows and new editions arecreated. Creating this piece from the start will give Carol and Dr. Squirrel a

chance to promote the company and create publicity even before the

product hits the market.

The second suite of printed material is packaging design and packaging

labels. This does not have to be expensive to be quality. Labels, for example,

could be completely rendered in a metallic ink with an accent color. Using

metallic accents or foil accents helps increase the value in the buyers eyes

and is less costly than full four color production. Every packaging label will

look very similar regardless of product size. Please see the left margin for

examples.

Web Development

All elements in print design are translatable into a web environment.

However, an illustrative approach is not often used on the web due to the

complexity and skill required of rendering hand-drawn artwork. We feel

spending the extra time to do this will give the company a unique position on

the web from the start and create the kind of draw necessary in quickly

promoting the new product. A two-phase approach is recommended for the

website. The first level or roll-out can be quickly completed in under a

month. It will have the bare essentials such as B2C storefront and an

informative section telling the Squirrel Food Company story. The second

phase will have added features such as a B2B storefront, a Squirrel fan club

and other elements essential in building a loyal and repeat buyer customerbase.

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Communication Elements

Website

The Squirrel Food Company website creation and implementation will be

central to The Squirrel Food Companys initial marketing endeavor. The

website will not only be a tool to test the products, but also to gather

information about the consumer base and create publicity.

According to research, the vast majority of competitors online presence is

home-grown at best and amateurish at worst. Most of the sites are small

and lack sophisticated online security measures that are increasingly

important to consumers. Most sites have the same basic structure, including

an informative and B2C section.

The objective of the Squirrel Food Company site will be to generate

excitement about the new product, initiate the first branding effort and start

selling the product.

The size and complexity of the site can be broken into two separate levels,

Tier One and Tier Two.

TIER ONE

HOME

SQUIRREL

STORY

SQUIRREL

GENERAL

STORE

Home Page

Squirr-Oil

General Store

(B2C)

Contact

Search

Feeders

Squirr-Oil

Other Items

Stalk

Feeder

Chair

Feeder

Hanging

Feeder

Squirrel Crib

Squirrel Barrel

Squirrel

Barn

Christmas Cob Gift

Basket

Golden

Kernel Club

Messageboard

Member

Squirrel

Pictures

Squirrels In

The World

StoryBook Characters

The Games

Squirrels Play

Squirrel

Catcher

Corn Quest

Squirr-Oil

Miner

Plush Toys

Mettenbrink

Tins

Squirrel

Posters

Online SquirrelFan Content

Desktop

Backgrounds

The Squirr-Oil

Song MP3

Squirr-Oil

Screensavers

Squirrel

Information

Member

Login

Squirrel

T-Shirts

SquirreLinks

Affiliates

Squirr-Oil

StoryDr. Dave

Mettenbrink

Farms

The Corn

Flash

Animation

Squirr-Oil

General Store

(B2B)

Business

Login

Delivery Services

Squirr-Oil WebsiteBasic Site Layout, Tier Two

Account

Information

Flash Animation

Golden Kernel Club

Survey

Home Page

Squirr-Oil

General (B2C)

ContactSquirreLinks

Survey

Product Offerings

Squirr-Barrel

Squirrel Barn

Christmas

Cob Gift

Basket

Squirr-Oil WebsiteBasic Site Layout, Tier One

Squirrel Crib

Squirr-Oil

Story

Storybook

Characters

Dr. Dave

Mettenbrink Farms

Squirr-Oil

Statistics

Affiliates

The CornGolden Kernel

Club

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Tier One

Tier one will contain two basic sections, informative and B2C retail.

The Informative Section

We suggest A Squirrel Story page. Directly on this page will be a short

summary of Dr. Squirrels discovery/idea and Carols story of the two

Squirrels fighting over the Squirrel Food Company. From this page, the

reader will be able to click on the other characters in the Squirrel Food

Company story.

A Dr. Squirrel page will give a more thorough look at his background. A

The Squirrelly Farm page will give the proud history of the Squirrelly Farm.

A The Corn page will give a more in-depth view of the science involved.

Many more links may be included in the Squirrel family page. We

recommend storybook characters as a means to reinforce brand positioning.

The characters can become a permanent fixture with their own names and

lives centered on the Squirrelly farm.

Also in the informative section will be a Squirrel Links page which contains

links to large clubs and organizations of Squirrel Enthusiasts. It may

eventually display partner names and affiliates and squirrel related festivals

and events.

A Contact us section will be linked from the Home Page. It will give all the

pertinent information about the company and an email for inquiries.

A feature to consider would be a pop-up survey when the user clicks on

Contact. By popping from Contact the user will already have shown aninterest in either learning more information about the company or

contacting the company directly. The information will be loaded into a

database and used for future email marketing efforts.

B2C Retail Section

The Storefront Section can start simple. The Squirrel Food Company

customers will be able to order directly from The Squirrel Food Company

through the site, set up through an online storefront company. Depending

on volume, The Squirrel Food Company can purchase customer relationship

management software to better serve clients.

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Below is a table outlining components and pricing for the tier one website:

Complexity Components Timeframe Rate

1. Site Copywriting,

Design and Coding

Art and graphic design

backend coding for short

Flash cartoon and e-

commerce

80-100 hrs. $5,000-$8,000

2. Site Hosting 50 M RAM

10 email accounts

Invoiced by

month or year

~10.00 a mo. Or

$100 per yr.

3. Domain

Registration

The Squirrel Food Company

retains ownership of The

Squirrel Food

Company.com

Yearly

subscription

~10.00 per yr.

4. E-Commerce

Implementation

Setup of Storefront, outside

bank account, etc.

Photography of products /

offerings

8 hrs. Included with 1

5. Introductory

Flash Cartoon

Short- 17 sec 24-32 hrs. Included with 1

Long- 1 min 32-56 hrs. 8-24 hours over

included= $680-

$20306. Maintenance Would include any desired

changes to product

offerings within e-

commerce, additional

features, art production,

etc.

As-needed

basis

On $300 a month

retainer or $85 an

hour

INITIAL CONCEPT FOR THE SQUIRREL FOOD COMPANY

WEBSITE

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TIER TWO

Tier two will contain two basic sections, informative and B2B retail. Tier two

has more added features for customers to enjoy that will create a sense of

community and will keep customers coming back for repeat purchases. Tier

two will contain all features and information in tier one with the followingadditions:

The Informative Section

In addition to conveying the pertinent The Squirrel Food Company

information, the informative section will also have a The Games Squirrels

Play area where visitors can enjoy amusing Squirrel games. The games can

also be used to capture data about high-scoring patrons.

A search feature can also be accessed from the home page. With an

expanded site, a search feature is necessary to help viewers quickly find what

theyre looking for.

We also recommend creating a Squirrel fan club. This includes a message

board where squirrel enthusiasts can post personal squirrel stories and

photographs. A research section may be added to the fan club containing an

abundance of squirrel articles and various research topics. In a nutshell, the

Latest and greatest in the world of Squirrels. This will show The Squirrel

Food Companys interest in the squirrel culture advancement and allow The

Squirrel Food Company to claim an authoritative stance in the minds of the

customer.

TIER TWO

SQUIRREL

STORY

THE GAMES

SQUIRRELS PLAY

INFORMATIONAL

SECTION

SQUIRREL

FAN CLUB

SEARCH

SQUIRREL

SQUIRREL

GENERAL

STORE

Business to

Consumer

Business to

Business

Business

Account

Information

Shipping/

Delivery

Services

Wholesale

Pricing

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B2B Retail SectionStiel Direct recommends building a section for wholesalers. The portal will

require a secure password protected entry and username. The wholesaler

will be able to set up repeat delivery services, store account information, and

receive bulk pricing. Other features in this section will include special

promotions, added-value product offerings and sophisticated shipping

methods.

Complexity Components Timeframe Rate

1. The Squirrel

Food Company

Search

5 hrs.

2. Squirrel

Games

1-3 games 80-100 hrs.

3. Wholesale E-

Commerce

Implementation

Setup of database

SS login/password

ASP customer

40-60 hrs.

4. Squirrel fan

club andresearch

section

Fan club

alone

24-32 hrs.

Research Information

gathering is

variable

depending

on whether

it is bought

or

5. Maintenance Would include any

desired changes to

product offerings

within e-commerce,

additional features,art production, etc.

As-needed

basis

On $300 a

month retaine

or $85 an hour

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Internet Marketing

Keyword Advertising with Google & Facebook

Google (google.com) & Facebook (facebook.com) are the two majoradvertising services. Each offers a unique on-line advertising service that can

be a cost-effective means to target web shoppers seeking a niche product

such as squirrel food.

With just one buy, Facebook enables you to reach more than 80% of active

U.S. Internet users. Facebook IS THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORK ON

THE PLANET. Adding Google provides you with virtually exposure to all

internet users using search engines to find the kinds of products you sell.

Heres how it works

When a customer places a web search for something, Google & Facebooksadvertisements show up alongside standard Google search & Facebook

results. By doing this, Google & Facebook offers a great advantage over other

engines. These advertisements are less offensive to customers unlike the

tradition pop-up ads because they seem like an additional part of the Google

search & Facebook.

Pricing

First, users must register with Google & Facebook. There is a one-time sign

up and activation fee. After registering with Google, AdWords offers an

effective and flexible pricing plan. The advertiser is able to choose how much

they are willing to spend per-day on the ads. There are two components tothis pricing, cost-per-click and daily budget.

The cost-per click determines how much Google & Facebook charges the

advertiser every time someone clicks on the AdWords link. This price ranges

from five cents to five dollars. Where The Squirrel Food Companys

advertisement shows up in the search results is determined by how much

The Squirrel Food Company is willing to pay for the cost-per click. The more

The Squirrel Food Company pays per click, the higher on the AdWords list

they will be. However, paying a high amount is not always important when

using keywords that have little or no other AdWords ads attached to them.

In other words, if the competitors arent using the same search words, then

The Squirrel Food Company will not have to pay a premium to show up at the

top of the list. It is recommended that a preliminary on-line search be done

before deciding on how much to spend on cost-per-click.

The daily budget will allow The Squirrel Food Company to determine exactly

how much they will spend on the AdWords per day. Once the amount of the

daily budget is reached, the AdWords stop showing up on Google &

Facebook searches for the rest of that day. How much The Squirrel Food

Premium Squirrel Snacks

A healthy corn snack foryour favorite squirrel friendswww.squirrelfarms.org

Interest:

Sponsored Links

See your message here

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Company is willing to spend determines the frequency that AdWords show

up.

Both Google & Facebook offer free tracking services, which will allow The

Squirrel Food Company to see how effective the AdWords have been. The

tracking service shows how many times the AdWord links have been clickedon. Any desired changes to the AdWords are free of charge.

Sign-Up Process

If The Squirrel Food Company decides to advertise using Google &

Facebooks Adwords, the following is a list oftypical steps for the sign-up

process:

Step 1- Target Languages and Countries

The Squirrel Food Company will choose the languages they would like to

advertise with, along with what countries they want to advertise in. Within

the United States there is an option for regional targeting as well.

Step 2 - Create Ad Group

In this step The Squirrel Food Company will design the Adwords ad itself.

They will select and manage the keywords that will trigger the ad. This is also

the step where The Squirrel Food Company will determine how much they

are willing to spend for the Cost-Per-Click of the ad.

Step 3- Specify Your Daily Budget

In this step The Squirrel Food Company chooses the daily budget. Google &

Facebook does not have a minimum budget. Initially, The Squirrel Food

Company should start off with a conservative amount. Then using the free

tracking service provided by Google & Facebook, The Squirrel Food Company

may adjust the daily budget to optimize the AdWords effectiveness.

Step 4- Sign up

This is the final step. This is where the advertiser creates the AdWords

account. After going through the previous steps, The Squirrel Food Company

is able to review all the information to make sure it is correct and allows

changed if need. When The Squirrel Food Company wants to activate the ad,

they must submit billing information. Once Google & Facebook receives this

information, the AdWords will be activated.

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Adword Advertising Chart

The following chart contains a list of relevant keywords that would be used

to identify companies that sell squirrel food. Next to the keyword under the

search engine is a list of companies that currently use them as AdWords (see

chart on following page).

From our search results, we discovered that the biggest competitor forrelated Squirrel keywords is ebirdseed.com. However, there is still an

enormous opportunity to capture the Squirrel searchers market. We

recommend bidding for the following keywords based on relevance and

number of current advertisers: Squirrel Corn, Squirrel Oil, Squirrel,

Squirrels, Squirrel Food, and Squirrel Feed.

KEYWORD GOOGLE & FACEBOOK YAHOO

Squirrel

No Entries Pestoffense.com

Nixalite.com

Doyourownpestcontrol.com

Grfrequencies.com

Squirrel

Feed

Ebirdseed.com

Apieceofcountry.com

Duncraft.com

Corn

Ebay.com Ancofutures.com

Tradecenterinc.com

Barronscommodity.com

Futuresfacts.com

Corn Oil

Naturesoils.com

Goldendropbottling.co

m

bizrate.com

Treefrogs.biz

Selectoils.com

Squirrel

Food

Tjspetshop.com

Ebirdseed.com

Ebirdseed.com

Hybrid corn Der.org Trelay.com

Squirrel

Snacks

Ebirdseed.com

Bettymills.com

Tjspetshop.com

No Entries

Pet Food

Theferretstore.com

Paaws.tv

Dealresource.com

Shopping.com

Couponmountain.com

Bizrate.com

Friskies.com

Sanypet.com

Friskies.com

Royalcanin.us

Sojos.com

Healthyfoodforpets.com

Squirrel

Corn

Prairiepremiumproduct

s.com

Ebirdseed.com

Coolgardenstuff.com

Cedarbirdfeeders.com

Squirrel Oil No Entries No Entries

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Partner Site & Publication Advertising

The following chart lists a few Squirrel organizations with a significant online

membership. We have emailed these organizations inquiring about their

interest in forming partnerships and online advertising exchanges. We have

heard back from a few. The responders generally dont carry productadvertisements but are very open to the possibility of pursuing a relationship

with The Squirrel Food Company. However, the caveat is they want to see

the product. As soon as we can start testing the product, it will be important

to acquaint these organizations with the quality The Squirrel Food Company

product. Advertising on partner sites will not only spread the Squirrel Food

Company name through the squirrel community, it will increase the click-

through rate for The Squirrel Food Company, thus driving The Squirrel Food

Company higher in search engine ratings.

Organization Banner Links (sponsors) Pricing

The Squirrel Lover's

Club

Squirrels-R-Us

PetJam

pending

Squirrel-Rehab www.BurstNet.com

Zap Zone Network

pending

Nature Haven Squirrels-R-Us

Tonys Flying Page

pending

Squirrels R Us Tripod Member Site pending

The Squirrel Den www.addme.com

www.doghause.com

Squirrel Wildlife

Rehabilitation

AOL

pending

Squirrel Place none pending

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Campus Market Place Editorial Calendar

800.622.7498 x 2340, 2344 email: [email protected]

Here are some magazines The Squirrel Food Company may want to do some

advertising in:

Animal Fair - lifestyle magazine for animal lovers

www.animalfair.com

Zoobooks - animal magazine for familys

www.zoobooks.com

Ranger Rick - animal magazine target towards kids 7 14www.rangerrick.com

UPCO (United Pharmacal Company, Inc.) is a distribution company that sends

out catalogs to pet lovers who want to give their pets the best products out

there. The only squirrel products they sell are squirrel cakes and feeders.

www.upco.com

Issue Editorial Feature Insert Due Date

10/6 Music Sales Review 9/26

10/20 A Look Back at Rush 10/10

11/3 Preparing for Buy Back 10/24

11/17 Hosting Holiday Events 11/7

12/1 Value of Succession Planning 11/19

12/15 Spring Break Fun 12/5

12/29 Sales Planning and

Markdowns

12/19

1/12 Events for General Booksellers 01/2

1/26 Think Spring: Bunnies,

Shamrocks, and Love

1/16

2/9 Pre-Camex issue 1/30

2/23 Pre-Camex issue 2/13

3/8 Post-Camex coverage 2/27

3/22 Garnering Gift Sales 3/12

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THE SQUIRREL FOOD COMPANY ANALYSIS

The Squirrel Food Companys primary product offering is the hybrid corn,

created by Dr. Squirrel. Dr. Squirrel has licensed the patent for this corn from

a major company. The actual process for creating the corn is not new but noother company has licensed the product with intentions for tailoring it

specifically to squirrel dietary needs.

Through cross-breeding, Dr. Squirrel is able to enhance features of the corn

that increase the nutritional value for squirrels. The embryo, white portion

of the corn, is larger (Appendix C). It is the embryo that contains protein and

amino acid, fundamental building blocks of cells. Squirrels eat the embryo

and discard the outer hull. Squirrels that eat the corn have been observed to

be more playful and exuberant.

Corn produced for animal feed, including The Squirrel Food Company, is

dried to ~10% moisture. This prolongs shelf life and presents a challenge for

squirrels to crack the hard outer shell and eat the embryo.

Possible methods of selling products directly to the customers include; the

Internet, catalogs, fairs/festivals, direct mailings, newsletters, e-mail, and

magazine advertisements. Sampling is an additional method to help obtain

market buzz from tastemakers. The distribution of The Squirrel Food

Company in a small quantity (e.g. 1 corn medallions) would involve a

process of giving the public or a select group a preview. These samples

promote the consumer to invest in a future purchase of the product. There

has been a remarkable success rate obtained when using the Internet and

word-of-mouth endorsements.

S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS

Company Strengths

The Squirrel Food Companys corn production is not dependent on rainfall

because the farm is irrigated. The farm has a nostalgic feel to it. It is family

run and not part of a big conglomerate. Even though the farm is not part of a

big conglomerate, production is completely modernized with a computerized

tracking system. Dr. Squirrel has 15 years of experience working with value-

added products and Carol has both a business and agricultural background.

The Squirrel Food Company has company license for the hybrid corn and

currently is the only company with this corn intended for squirrel feed. The

Squirrel Food Company is able to use internal labor for packaging and localdistribution

Company Weaknesses

The Squirrel Food Company is a newcomer to the market and will have to

introduce their product among existing competitors. Nationwide distribution

done internally is not an option and will have to outsource this service.

Consumers have negative preconceived ideas about hybrid corn that The

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Squirrel Food Company will have to overcome. For example, a major obstacle

is overcoming the notion that the corn is transgenic. Possibility of

pigeonholing the company may occur by offering just corn

Opportunities for Growth

Through branding and presentation, The Squirrel Food Company has the

opportunity to own the niche market of specialty squirrel corn. Specifically,

the market seems to be void of good presentation in both website layout and

product packaging. Three to four years from now, Dr. Squirrel will

have developed The Squirrel Food Company to quality light years

ahead of the competition

Threats to Market Entry

The patent for this hybrid corn is available from a major company

for licensing to any company that wishes to purchase it. Other

companies may want to enter into the same niche market as The

Squirrel Food Company.

Product Packaging Recommendations

Stiel Direct suggests four different packing ideas for The Squirrel Food

Companys corn, the Squirrel Bucket, a Kernel Crib, Aww Shucks, and a

Squirrel Barrel.

Squirrel Bucket

Ears of corn will be neatly displayed along

with a variety of items including: a stuffed

squirrel, a The Squirrel Food Company T-shirt, a storybook, a squirrel identification

book, a pair of binoculars, and a Name-A-

Squirrel T-Shirt.

Kernel Crib

The Kernel Crib will display The Squirrel Food Companys corn in a manner

similar to that of Harry and David. Individual cobs will be wrapped in a

fake tissue paper husk and will be placed in a foam tray to prevent the

kernels from becoming dislodged during shipping.

Aww Shucks

The Squirrel Food Companys shelled corn will be displayed in a cellophane

bag and tied with a nice ribbon at the top, similar to packaging premium nuts

are sold in and the Cracker Barrel uses. On the outside of the bag will be an

adhesive label displaying the Squirrel Food Company logo.

Squirrel Barrel

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The Squirrel Barrel will be used to package at least 40lbs or more of corn. A

wood barrel will be inlaid with corn by carefully placing ears corn in a circular

pattern starting at the edge and moving inwards.

Another