CDR AGENCY | MEDIA PLAN | 2015

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3
Situation Analysis 4
Creative History 6
Media Analysis 7
Geography 8
Timing and Purchase Cycle

SWOT Analysis 10
Problem Statement 11
Target Audience 12
Creative Brief 17
Media Mix 18
Works Cited 31

Executive Summary

The following report was conducted in order to gain valuable insight on key characteristics of Lindt Excellence chocolate bar. The
information offers a closer look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Lindt, as well as its main consumer.
Research was conducted to analyze geography, timing and purchase cycle, and media analysis. This report will help Lindt
Excellence bars increase brand awareness, achieve national distribution, and be seen as a high quality chocolate bar.
For this study we utilized Mintel, MRI+, Ad Spender, Simply Map and other softwares to gain more insight on the brand and its
market. We also conducted interviews and questionnaires with the target audience in the form of brand contact audit charts and
personal media network charts.
Lindts main competitors are Ritter Sport, Ghirardelli, and Godiva. Chocolate is most heavily consumed in the North East region,
making this a key market to target. The primary target audience are working women ages 25-54 and the secondary target
audience is working men ages 25-54. These consumers value high quality products and often reward themselves for their hard
work.
Based on the data, there are a number of suggestions that may help Lindt Excellence achieve the objectives. We plan to advertise
using TV, magazines, digital marketing, and point of purchase. We plan to increase reach and frequency in months that have
holidays with high candy consumption. With this we intend to reach the target audience in the peak months for chocolate buying.
The majority of the budget will go to traditional media to reach a large portion of the audience at key times. The rest of the
budget will go to non-traditional media. Overall this will increase awareness of the brand. Lindt will be seen as a high quality
product throughtout the nation using this carfully crafted plan.

Situation Analysis
Marketing Objectives

Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars would like to be seen, in the minds of the consumers, as a high quality, premium chocolate
bar that can be enjoyed during a special occasion, as well as year-round. Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars want to have a loyal
following that not only enjoy an array of gourmet chocolate bars, but also crave them.
Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars would like to achieve national distribution in 90% of US food and convenience store outlets.
Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars would like to improve brand awareness from 35% to 45% during next calendar year.

Industry Trends
Market size:
Grew 24% from 2009-2014 to reach $21 billion
Sales in box/bag/bar greater than 3.5 oz. lead the category with 41.3% share
Industry trends:
Growing
Chocolate confectionary growth forecasts $24,921 million by 2019 (Mintel,2014)
Best case: $28,168 million
Worst case: $21,674
Marketing Trends:
Mood to Order- communicate functional benefits to improve mood
Lets Make a Deal- promotional discounts
Never Say Die- updated/revived products
4

Situation Analysis

Product,price, place, promotions

Lindt

Ritter Sport

Ghirardelli

Godiva

Product

High quality, ingredients

Eliminates bitter flavor
Engages all senses
3.5 oz. bar
10 pieces
Approximately 20
flavors

High quality ingredients

3.5 oz. bar
16 pieces
14 flavors

High quality ingredients

Velvety smooth
3.5 oz. bar
8 pieces
Approximately
25 flavors

3.5 oz. bar

10 pieces
Smooth and silky finish
Approximately 8 flavors

Price

$3.99* - Standard bar

$5.00* - 99% Cocoa
Excellence Bar

$2.99*

$3.95* - Standard bar

$4.55*- Intense Dark

$3.99

Place

Grocery Stores
Online
Discount Retailers
Drugstores
Lindt Stores

Online
Grocery Stores
Discount Retailers
Drugstores
Office Supply Store

Online Grocery Stores

Discount Retailers
Drugstores
Office Supply Store
Ghirardelli Stores

Online
Discount retailers
Department and
specialty stores
Drugstores
Godiva stores

Promotions

Television
Print
Social Media

Television
Print
Social Media

Television
Print
Social Media

Print
Out of home
Television
Social media

Figure 1: Competition among the Premium Chocolate Industry

*Price from company website; could vary at retail stores

Creative History

Lindt

Lindt Excellence is a low-involvement product that seeks to be a high-quality chocolate bar that consumers go to during both special
occasions and during a normal day as a quick pick-me-up. The bars are made with the finest cocoa beans and sugar. Lindt Master
Chocolatiers work to set standards to eliminate any harsh flavor or bitterness to offer a smooth texture and engage all of your senses. The 3.5
oz. bar is sectioned into 10 thin tablets allowing the chocolate to melt easier and provide a better chocolate flavor. Lindt Excellence offers
approximately twenty flavors including, Intense Mint Dark Chocolate, Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate, White Coconut White Chocolate and even
a Chili Dark Chocolate (www.lindtusa.com).
Lindt Excellence is an established name in the chocolate bar category, and uses an array of media to advertise, including print, TV, Magazine,
even social media. Lindt has a 20% share of voice on major social media sites with a total of 170,791 total mention and 648 interactions
(Mintel).
Ads for Lindt Excellence are centered on elevated vocabulary and high quality, including the theme Indulge in Excellence. Many of Lindt
Excellences ads refer to chocolate that is beyond compare, including copy that states the Worlds finest cocoa beans and creating the finest
textures, lingering tastes, and elegant flavors chocolate can offer.

Media Analysis
Compared to competitor brands, Lindt Excellence Chocolate spends the most total advertising dollars. Information for Godiva
chocolate bars is unavailable, however, Lindt spends the most advertising dollars across all media channels except outdoor
advertising compared to Ritter Sport and Ghirardelli bars. These media include network television, cable television, syndication,
spot television, and magazine.
Product

Total
$(000)

Net TV
$(000)

Cable TV
$ (000)

Syn TV
$(000)

Spot TV
(000)

Magazine
$ (000)

Lindt Excellence

13,743.0

2,860.3

3,670.7

383.1

163.4

6665.5

Ritter Sport

139.5

Ghirardelli Intense
Dark Chocolate

4248.1

Grand Total

18,130.6

15

Outdoor
$(000)
124.4

4,248.1
2,860.3

Figure 2: Competitor Spending Chart (AdSpender)

3,670.7

383.1

178.5

10,913.5

124.4

Geography

This map of the United States shows the Household Averages of 2014 for
the amount of money spent on candy and chewing gum. The lighter colors
represent lower amounts ($52.84-$89.00) and the darker reds represent
higher amounts ($97.82-$116.99). By viewing this map it is clear that
the North East region is the highest spending when it comes to candy.
The spending is also heavy in certain areas like Northern Nevada, Utah,
and Southern California. These household averages represent how much
a family/house spent in a year on candy. You can also to tell certain cities
with high spending, demonstrated by the darkest red squares. Analyzing
MRI+ the Census Region of the North East has an index of 170 making it
the region that has the highest consumption of chocolate in the Nation.

Zip Codes

Candy and chewing

gum (HH Avg)

07939, Lyons, NJ

$131.82

64092, Waldron, MO

$131.25

22066, Great Falls, VA

$129.46

07078, Short Hills, NJ

$129.28

22039, Fairfax Station, VA

$129.06

10501, Amawalk, NY

$128.91

94539, Fremont, CA

$128.74

60043, Kenilworth, IL

$127.55

76092, Southlake, TX

$127.14

10514, Chappaqua, NY

$127.06

Ranking

10

Figure 3: Simply Map HH average for Candy and chewing gum, 2014 by counties)

Figure 4:10 Zip Codes that Spend the Most on Candies

Timing and Purchase Cycle

Chocolate confectionery has a loyal consumer base, with leading brands that are widely familiar worldwide (Mintel, Chocolate
Confectionary, Feb. 2014) Chocolate is a regularly consumed item in the United States, with heavier demand on key occasions.
These times would be holidays that are associated with candy consumption such as, Valentines, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.
(See table below).
Rank

Week Ending

$ Sales for the week

% of total anual sales

Season

April 19, 2014

$812,674,639

3.9%

Passover/Easter

Nov. 1, 2014

$787,344,861

3.8%

Halloween

Feb. 15, 2014

$785,124,148

3.8%

Valentines Day

Dec. 20, 2014

$687,060,284

3.3%

Pre-Christmas/Hanukkah

Figure 5:Top Weeks Sales for Candy (Nielsen)

According to our research, only slightly more than half of consumers eat chocolate weekly (Mintel, Chocolate Confectionary, Feb.
2015). Our findings demonstrate that 72% of consumers eat chocolate as a treat, followed by 66% of them eating it to satisfy a
craving. This means that people are not buying chocolate all the time, just during a special time or when then really want it, not
for every day snacking or enjoyment (Chocolate Confectionary). Also, we found out that millennials are the group less likely to
consume chocolate weekly, and people 55-64 are the most likely to eat chocolate in a weekly basis.
9

SWOT Analysis
Strength

Weaknesess

Has an online retail site

Prices of bars are higher than competitors

Has physical stores

There is not a unique element to the product that stands

Highest advertising budget in the category

out in the consumers minds

The gourmet chocolate industry has a lot of competition

Opportunities

Threats

The industry is expected to grow

High quality cocoa is getting more expensive, which could

Can expand on social media presence

affect chocolate prices

Actively seek to attract male consumers

No health-conscience edge

Can make healthier chocolate bars such as gluten-free,

organic, and low-calorie
10

Figure 6: SWOT Analysis

Problem Statement
Increase Brand Awareness
Lindt Excellence is a high quality chocolate bar prepared using the most premium ingredients. The brand has been around since
1845; it has reached a certain level of brand equity, but regardless it needs to improve its marketing efforts in order to reach its
objective of improving brand awareness to 45% during the next calendar year.
Low Customer Loyalty
There is a medium level of competition in the chocolate industry, but the trend is increasing. In this industry, consumers usually
develop a loyalty towards certain brands, making it difficult for smaller and new producers to gain market share. Because most of
the chocolate brands in this category are made from premium ingredients, it is hard to differentiate their brands and gain repeat
customers. Lindt Excellence does not have a large loyal customer base continually buying the product and advocating it to others.
Positioning Problem
Lindt Excellences biggest challenge is to position itself as the favorite brand in the mind of the consumer by differentiating itself
from the competition. We want to reach a loyal consumer base that enjoys the product not only during special occasions such as
Valentines Day or Christmas, but also on a day-to-day basis. Lindt Excellence is not often chosen first when it comes to consumers
and has the image of being overpriced for the quality.

11

Target Audience

Strategy and Rationale

Lindt should aim to reach consumers who are willing to pay a premium price for higher quality chocolate. Additionally, they
must be willing to try new flavors and appreciate good chocolate. Overall, chocolate is often used as an emotional escape, thus
women are the primary target audience. This audience is between the ages of 25 to 54 male and female with a moderate to high
paying job. This group is then broken into two types of women; younger, newly engaged women, and older, married women.
The engaged women strive to succeed in their careers; they are constantly on the move and enjoy being in love. As for the older
women, they have families composed of husbands and two to three children. They work 9-5 jobs and enjoy spending time with
their families on weeknights and weekends. They are often busy running errands for the household and you can find them during
their free time watching the evening news and reading magazines. Both of these women like to reward themselves for all their
hard work by picking up chocolate at the store.
As for the secondary target audience, we move towards men ages 25-54. These men are either engaged or married to the women
mentioned earlier. They enjoy sweets from time to time, therefore they are often found influencing their significant other when
it comes to the type of sweets the eat. These men are busy with 9-5 jobs, raising the kids, and trying to maintain balance in their
lives. They also like to reward themselves for all the hard work they do with chocolate. During their free time, you can find them
watching a sports game or reading a business magazine.

12

Target Audience

Primary Target

Meet Sally

Sally, age 40, wakes up at 6 A.M. to prepare breakfast for her

two children and husband. Her children are ages 7 and 12.
She lives in a nice suburban house in the North East region.
Sally next drives her children to school while on the way to her
business related job. While at work she is likely to venture into
the break room for a snack throughout the day. Sally browses
through the Internet heavily and plans her next vacation for
her family during this break. On her way back home from work,
Sally stops at the Mall to pick up some new clothing for her
children. She passes by chocolate and sweets stands and picks
up some chocolate for her and her family. She comes home
and watches Oprah on her DVR while preparing dinner for the
family. After dinner they all watch a family show together on TV
and she gives her husband and children some chocolate and
enjoys a few pieces as well. Sally is very pleased with her family
lifestyle. She enjoys being the caretaker, but also treating
herself to indulgences when she gets the chance in her busy
life. She uses chocolate as an escape from reality to reward
herself from the busy day of taking care of her family.

13

Target Audience

Primary Target
Meet Molly
Molly, age 28, wakes up in her loft with her new fianc. She
begins to make gluten-free chocolate pancakes for her and
her finance using chocolate she bought at the grocery store.
She then ventures off to work at a local business. While on her
break she is flipping through Bridal Magazines and snacking in
the break room. During lunch you can find Molly again reading
Bridal Magazines to get ideas for her upcoming wedding.
While on her way home from work Molly stops at an outdoor
mall to gather items for goody bags for her wedding. While
there she decides to pick up some chocolate for herself and
for her cooking. When she gets home she watches the news
and enjoys take out dinner with her fianc, finishing the night
with a few more chocolates. After dinner, you can find Molly
scrolling through online discount sites for new furniture for her
loft. Molly is happy with her new life and freedom from college,
which she expresses through her individuality and making her
own decisions.

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Target Audience

Secondary Target

Meet Bill

Meet Jeff

Bill is a 49-year-old man living in the New York. He has been

married for quite some time and has 2 children. Bill is a
traveling sales man making a high salary but is often away
from home. He spends most of his time in airports and hotels,
missing his family. Bill often turns to chocolate for comfort
while away from his family. He knows the brand of chocolate
he likes and tells his wife to have it for him when he returns
home, thus influencing the primary spender. Bill reads a lot
of magazines and watches a lot of movies due to his long
hours on the plane. When he is in the office you can find
Bill sneaking to the break room to grab a bar of his favorite
chocolate that he told his secretary to get. When arriving home
at night, Bill watches a family show and rejoices being home
with a sweet treat to end the night.

Jeff is a 27-year-old man living in the North East region. He is

newly engaged and is madly in love. When he is not thinking,
about his fianc he is at the office, working a 9-5, moderately
high paying job. During his break you can find Jeff reading
through sports and business magazines while shopping
online for new basketball shoes. After work Jeff heads to the
gym to meet up with his buddies for some basketball. On his
way home from the gym, Jeff stops by the drug store to pick
up some household necessities. While there, he passes by
the candy section and reaches down to grab the first bar that
catches his eye. On the way home, he eats the bar, knowing he
earned it after his hard day at work and working out. When he
gets home he realizes that was the best chocolate bar he had
tasted in a while. He tells his fianc about the brand, and to
make sure she buys it next time she goes shopping. Jeff ends
his night snuggled on the couch watching HBO with his fianc.

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Target Audience

Flowchart

Working Women, ages 25-54

Problem
Recognition
I am craving
something sweet,
what should I eat?

Info Search
Talk to family
about what sweets
they like.
Looking for high
quality.

Figure 7: Consumer Behavior Chart for primary target audience

Evaluation of
Alternatives
Compare Lindt to
other brands.
Recognize high
price as better
quality.

Purchase
Decision
Consumer
chooses Lindt
based on quality
and attractive
packaging.

Post Purchase
Behavior
Consumer and her
family are happy
with the taste of
Lindt.
Share their
thoughts with
friends.

Evaluation of
Alternatives
Compares Lindt
to other cheaper
candy.
Realizes his wife
would like higher
quality.

Purchase
Decision
Looks at the
attractiveness of
the Lindt package.
Consumer
chooses Lindt due
to quality and
price.

Post Purchase
Behavior
Shares Lindt with
his wife, gets
good feedback.
Continues to buy
Lindt and tells his
coworkers about
it.

Working Men, ages 25-54

Problem
Recognition
I am craving
something
sweet but maybe
I should get
something for my
wife

Info Search
Attracted to better
prices, but also
wants quality.
Thinks about what
his wife would
like.

Figure 8: Consumer Behavior Chart for secondary target audience

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Creative Brief
Product
Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars
Why are we advertising?
Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars want to have a loyal
following of consumers that not only enjoy an array of
gourmet chocolate bars, but also crave them. The brand of
chocolate bars would like to achieve national distribution
in 90% of US food and convenience store outlets, as well
as improve brand awareness from 35% to 45% during next
calendar year.
What is the single most important thing we can
convey?
Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars would like to be seen, in
the minds of the consumers, as a high-quality, premium
chocolate bar that can be enjoyed during a special occasion,
as well as year-round.
Who is our target?
Our target is women and men ages 25 to 54 who are
educated, engaged or married, working professionals with
young children.

Who is our competition?

Godiva Chocolate Bars, Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars, and
Ritter Sport Chocolate Bars are all bars that have an array
of flavors and fillings. As a chocolate bar, Lindt Excellence
must compete amongst all other chocolate and candy
products in the industry as well.
How is the brand seen?
Lindt Excellence bars would like to continue to be seen as
a high-quality, premium chocolate bar, but would like to
be seen as the best on the market compared to Ghirardelli,
Godiva, and Ritter Sport chocolate bars.
Mandatories:
Advertising will be conducted by branding all
advertisements with the brands chocolate bar specific logo.
Tone: Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars are high-quality and
premium, which will be conveyed by using an elevated and
mature tone of voice that conveys the bars as a luxurious
indulgence that can be enjoyed any time.

17

Media Mix

Traditional Media

Objectives:
To increase awareness of Lindt Excellence bars by promoting the product through the usage of TV and Magazines
To make Lindt Excellence chocolate bars desirable in the minds of the consumers by using traditional media that effectively
demonstrates the products quality.
1. TV
Strategy: We want to use televisions ability to engage audiovisual senses to increase cravings among both the primary and
secondary target audiences.
Tactic: We will place up to 25 monthly 15-seconds TV spots depending on the month, in early morning talk shows, early morning
news shows, news specials and late night talk/variety shows.
Rationale: Television is a highly audiovisual medium that can successfully portray Lindt as a premium product and involve the
audiences senses and thus increasing desirability among consumers.
2. Magazines
Strategy: We are using frequently read magazines by women 25-54 to raise awareness about Lindt Excellence bars among the
primary target audience.
Tactic: We will place four-color, full-page advertisements in Country Living, Elle Dcor and Working Mom. We will place several
units depending on the month, during a year round campaign.
Rationale: Magazines are a popular medium among our women 25-54. Furthermore, we believe that magazines printing quality
can showcase Lindt Excellence quality. We chose specifically these magazines because according to MRI+ our target audience
heavily uses these magazines.

18

Media Mix

Non-Traditional Media

Objectives:
To utilize non-traditional media to interact with consumers hoping to built a relationship with them.
3. Digital Marketing
Strategy 1: Use Geotargeting online banner ads and to interact with Lindt consumers in hopes of turning them into loyal users.
Tactic: Geotargeting digital ads are able to directly send an ad to consumers who are around certain areas, so by targeting people
in specific cities or near certain stores, we can better reach our target audience.
Rationale: Our target audience, especially the younger spectrum, spends a lot of time online, so geotargeting ads are a great
way to get reach those consumers that are close to a purchase point for Lindt Excellence.
Strategy 2: Use YouTube pre-roll ads to interact with Lindt consumers in hopes of turning them into loyal users.
Tactic: By buying pre-roll ads on YouTube, we will be able to reach certain consumers. By having the maximum bid for CPV preroll ads at $1, we have the opportunity to reach at least 1,000,000 people.
Rationale: Our non-traditional media is intended to reach the part of our target audience that is not consuming traditional media. Millenials are turning away from television and turning to the internet to satisfy their enterntaiment needs, which is why we
think YouTube is a vital component of this campaing.

19

Media Mix

Non-Traditional Media

Objective:
To support Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars national campaign through Point of Purchase advertising, an interactive phone
and PoP structure promotion will kick off in February and end in March, then start back October through December.
Strategy 1:
The PoP promotion will be a cardboard structure that features graphics and the logo of the brand, as well as shelves to place the
bars. When someone, whose phone is set to accept incoming messages walks by the structure, that person is sent a coupon of 50
cents off one Lindt Excellence Bar.
Along with the coupon, a link will also be sent, where people can access Lindts website so that consumers can learn more about
the brand and product.
Rationale:
This PoP promotion will encourage people to try and buy Lindt Excellence Bars because the price is discounted and will potentially cost less than competitor brands. It will also put the brand and chocolate bars in the minds of the consumers while shopping.
The promotion will occur during October through December because of holidays that take place during those months, including
Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. February and March are great months to advertise because of Valentines Day and the
weeks leading up to Easter.
try the variety of bars, and put the brand in their head over other competitor bars that they may not have tried before.
Strategy 2:
Lindt will work with grocery stores and discount outlets to have samples of Lindt Chocolate Excellence Bars in stores. The bars will
also be placed in close proximity to the tasting area. A buy 2 get one free coupon will also be handed out to people who try the
bars.
20

Media Mix

Non-Traditional Media

Rationale:
Lindt Chocolate Excellence Bar sampling point of purchase advertisements will allow the consumer to try the variety of bars, and
put the brand in their head over other competitor bars that they may not have tried before. Since competitor brands have similar
bar flavors, being able to taste Lindts bars is important so that consumers can first-hand experience the premium quality of the
bar.
Strategy:
On February 13th, Lindt will work with discount retailers to have a Valentines Day themed pop-up booth outside of stores. At the
booth, shoppers can try the variety of Lindt Excellence bars.
After sampling the bars at the branded booth, consumers can go inside the store and buy a bar, and when checking out at the
register, are given a free bouquet of flowers. While at the booth, consumers are told about the promotion, buy a bar, get a
bouquet free. Consumers will be encouraged to post on social media to spread the word and use #TheExcellenceOfLove
Rationale
Valentines Day is a holiday that centers around chocolate. Usually, people think of truffles or boxed chocolate, but by letting
consumers try Lindt Excellence bars and having the incentive of a free bouquet of flowers given to consumers, Lindt is
encouraging consumers to buy Lindt bars for their Valentine.
After trying the bars, Lindt bars are put into the minds of the consumers after having a positive experience and will think about
the brand for other holidays as well. By encouraging consumers to use social media, more people will become aware of the booth
as well as Lindt Excellence bars.

21

Media Mix

Reach and Frequency

Objectives:
To obtain a national reach of 70 with a frequency of 3; and spot reach of 80 with a spot frequency of 5 during the medium
consumption months
To obtain a national reach of 80 with a frequency of 4; and spot reach of 85 with a spot frequency of 4 during the high consumption months
Rationale:
Based on our budget and campaign goals, we decided to position our reach on the higher end of the spectrum. One of the
objectives of the campaign is to achieve national distribution in 90% of US food and convenience store outlets, which is why we
believe we need a high reach. Chocolate is a low involvement and low emotion commodity and because of this we need to be
aggressive when marketing this type of product. We used the Ostrow Model to decide an effective frequency for the campaign.
We planned our campaign based on consumption months. There will be no spot advertising during medium consumption
months. Additionaly, there will be no traditional advertising during low consumption months and we will rely solely on nontraditional media to reach our target market during those months. See timing for our rationale of consumption months.

22

Media Mix

Media Budget

Media
% Alloted
Traditional Media
25
Magazine
30
Natl TV
10
Spot TV
Non-Traditional
10
Digital Marketing
YouTube Pre-Roll
Geotargeted Display
20
Point of Purchase
5
Contingency
100
Total Available

Figure 9: Budget Breakdown

$ Allotted

$ Used

$ Totals

6,500,000 9,433,200 -2,933,200

7,800,000 10,312,700 -2,512,700
2,600,000 1,656,400
943,600
2,600,000

1,030,000
1,000,000
30,000
900,000

5,200,000
1,300,000
26,000,000 24,362,300

1,570,000
4,300,000
1,300,000
2,667,700

Objective:
To effectively use Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bars budget
through traditional and nontraditional media that properly increases awareness and interest amongst our target
market.
Strategies:
We are using the majority of our budget on more traditional
media such as magazine and television ads in order to reach
a large portion of our audience at one time. The rest of the
budget is allocated to non- traditional media such as in-store
displays and online video.
Rationale:
Because of a cluttered and competitive market, we have
decided to use the budget on media that will best reach
our target audience. We believe that using television, print,
point of purchase promotions, and online video will best
attract women and en ages 25 to 54 based on their activities
and lifestyles.

23

Media Mix

Geography

Objective:
To increase awareness of Lindt Excellence, the media buys for the brand will be national, but also spot in 7 markets with the
highest household average spent on candy and chewing gum.
Strategy:
After examining a map of the United States showing the Household Averages of 2014 for the amount of money spent on candy
and chewing gum, it was decided to use the top 7 markets that have the greatest average household spending on candy and
chewing gum. The 7 markets are: New Jersey, Missouri, Virginia, New York, California, Illinois and Texas. Because Lindt is a wellknown brand and top leader in the chocolate industry, a defensive strategy will be utilized. This is to ensure that Lindt remains a
leader and maintains its spot within the industry. It does appear as though climate does affect sales. The household averages in
the southeast are low compared to other areas, which can be a result of the relatively warm climate. Consumers may worry that
the chocolate will melt before they can consume it, so they choose a different type of candy.
Rationale:
A national strategy was chosen because Lindt Excellence is sold nationwide, but a spot-strategy was included as well because
there are areas that have households with higher averages spent on candy and chewing gum. This information was found from a
map of the United States showing the Household Averages of 2014 for the amount of money spent on candy and chewing gum.

24

Media Mix

Scheduling and Timing

Objective:
To increase the awareness of Lindt Excellence among men and women ages 25-54 during key months using a pulsing schedule.
Strategy:
Because of chocolate seasonality, we will use a pulsing schedule. For the Lindt Excellence schedule, the highest peaks will be
during January, February, October, November and December. These months have higher purchase rates because of the holidays
during this time. The next highest peaks will be during March, April, May and September, months with holidays where chocolate
is purchased but not as often. We will not use traditional media, during June, July, and August.
Rationale:
We decided to use a pulsing schedule to make sure our money will be effecetively spend based on chocolate consumption
months. There will be peaks with higher amounts of reach and frequency and months with lower reach and frequency; there
will be months where traditional media is not purchased, in order to make our budget last. Our research shows that summer
is a lower chocolate consumption period due to the heat. We chose a pulsing schedule because there are key times during the
year when chocolate consumption is higher, but chocolate is still purchased year round. The highest reach and frequency will be
achieved during January, February, October, November and December due to the candy consuming holidays and the increased
competition during that time. High reach and frequency will be used to ensure that Lindt Excellence maintains high consumer
awareness during these months when many competitors are advertising. March, April, May and September will have a high reach
and frequency but not as high as the months previously stated. This is because these months have holidays where chocolate is
often purchased, but not as frequent.

25

Media Mix

Sales Promotions

Strategy 1
A coupon for 50 cents off a Lindt Excellence Chocolate Bar will be sent to shoppers at spot market location stores after passing
by a store end cap display.
Rationale
By sending a promotion to shoppers near where Lindt bars are displayed, consumers will be encouraged to try the bar because
of the discounted price and the person being near the product.

Strategy 2
A buy two get one free promotion will be offered to consumers in spot market locations who taste a sample of Lindt bars.
Rationale
After trying a bar, consumers will be more likely to buy a bar if their experience is positive. However, to further encourage
consumers to buy Lindt, a promotion will make Lindt more attractive to people on the fence who are not sure if they want to
spend a higher price for premium chocolate bars.

26

Media Mix

Sales Promotions

Strategy 3
The day before Valentines Day, consumers will be given a promotion, buy a chocolate bar, get a bouquet of flowers for free
while visiting spot market pop up booths
Rationale
Valentines Day can be a stressful holiday that many people wait last minute to buy gifts for. The promotion will encourage
consumers to buy Lindt bars because it is part of a full package gift that is stress-free because it is already thought out. A
chocolate bar also promises the consumer a bouquet, so they do not have to worry about not being able to find one during the
busy holiday.

27

Goal Sheet
January
February
March
QTR 1
April
May
June
QTR 2
July
August
September
QTR3
October
November
December
QTR 4

28

Reach
80.0
80.0
70.0

National Goals
Freq
4.0
4.0
3.0

70.0
70.0
0.0

3.0
3.0
0.0

0.0
0.0
70.0

0.0
0.0
3.0

80.0
80.0
80.0

4.0
4.0
4.0

Natl totals

GRPS
320.0
320.0
210.0
850.0
210.0
210.0
0.0
420.0
0.0
0.0
210.0
210.0
320.0
320.0
320.0
960.0
2440.0

Budget
Share
12.6
12.6
8.3
33.5
8.3
8.3
0.0
16.5
0.0
0.0
8.3
8.3
12.6
12.6
12.6
37.8
96.1

Spot Goals
Freq
[AD] GRPS
4.0
20.0
4.0
20.0
0.0
0.0
40.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
85.0
4.0
20.0
85.0
4.0
20.0
85.0
4.0
20.0
60.0
Spot totals
100.0

Reach
85.0
85.0
0.0

Budget
Share
0.8
0.8
0.0
1.6
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.8
0.8
0.8
2.4
3.9

Flowchart

29

Yearly Summary
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Total

Reach
Goal
Est
85
84.7
85
84.7
70
69.1
70
69.1
70
69.1

70
85
85
85

69.1
84.7
84.7
84.7

Avg Freq
Goal
Est
4
3.5
4
3.5
3
2.4
3
2.4
3
2.4

3
4
4
4

2.4
3.5
3.5
3.5

Goal
340
340
210
210
210

GRPS
Est
Balance
295
45
295
45
165
45
165
45
165
45

210
340
340
340
2540

165
295
295
295
2135

Goal
2784.3
2784.3
1719.7
1719.7
1719.7

$(000)
Est
2908.1
2908.1
1715.5
1715.5
1715.5

Balance
-123.8
-123.8
4.2
4.2
4.2

45
45
45
45

1719.7 1715.5
4.2
2784.3 2908.1
-123.8
2784.3 2908.1
-123.8
2784.3 2908.1
-123.8
20800 21402.315 -602.315
National Contingency $(000): 3,900
Spot Contingency $(000): 1,300

Current reach and frequency estimation shows traditional portion only

30

Works Cited

Bars. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.ghirardelli.com/shop-1/products/bars.html

Bloom, B. (2015, February 1). Chocolate Confectionery - US - February 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://academic.
mintel.com/display/716445/
Bloom, B. (2014, April 1). Chocolate Confectionery - US - April 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://academic.mintel.
com/display/680673/
Doersam, C., & Blatter, R. (2014, January 1). Memberportrait Lindt. Retrieved February 24, 2015, from
http://kanada.ahk.de/index.php?id=9507
EXCELLENCE Flavors. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.lindtusa.com/shop/lindt-excellence- flavors
About EXCELLENCE. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.lindtusa.com/shop/lindt-excellence- about
The Ghirardelli Difference. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.ghirardelli.com/our- story/ghirardelli-difference
MRI+ MediaMark. Fall 2013 Product Report. Candy/Sweets/Snacks Boxed Chocolates: Bought in Last 6 Months Lindt (Original).
Retrieved March 1, 2015, from MRI+ MediaMark.
Ritter Sport Classic Bars. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://shop.ritter-sport.us/Classic-Bars-35- oz./c/RitterSport@
Classic
Transport. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.ritter- sport.de/en_US/cultivation_preparation/Cultivation-preparation-Transport-RITTER-SPORT-00004/

31

Diana Abad
Alexis Coons
Cady Roberts
Shelby Roberts
CDR AGENCY | MEDIA PLAN | 2015
2