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John Carroll University

By: Annie Brennan, Emily Mastroianni, & Maria Pangori
Intro to Integrated Marketing Communications
Professor Boustani
10 April 2015
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The Beautique
Integrated Marketing Communications Plan
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What is this organization?

The Beautique is a non-profit organization that strives to provide underprivileged women
products and services to enable them to fully experience some of the most special and
memorable days of their lives. The Beautique's merchandise is donation-based from both
businesses and individuals within the greater Cleveland community. Our merchandise includes
school-dance, cocktail, and wedding dresses. Our company is unique because we also provide
several services- from hair and makeup salon services, to capturing these beautiful moments
through professional photography.

In order to accomplish our mission and meet the need throughout the community, our clientele
will consist of women and high school aged girls who are from low-income families that rely on
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP) benefits. These women generally cannot afford
the retail price of our offered products and services; therefore we want to provide for them. On
the other side of things, we are in need of donations of high quality (new or gently used)
products. Under the management and ownership of Anne Brennan, Maria Pangori, and Emily
Mastroianni, we will have a small paid staff and willing volunteers.

The Beautique will be located in Ohio City or a neighborhood similar to it. Considering our
clientele, our main goal for the location of our business is that it is easily accessible through
public transportation.

To enable our business to get on its feet, the first step is making partnerships with the right
people in the right places. Local public schools, public housing, and private institutions in the
Cleveland area are essential in order to receive our merchandise and advertise to our future
clients. Recent research has shown that SNAP benefits lifted 3.7 million Americans above the
poverty line in 2013,* and now it is time we do our part.

Data:
In 2013 half of Ohio households receiving SNAP benefits (50.2%) contained children
under 18.*
Cleveland had the third highest child poverty rate among the 51 largest cities in the
United States, with more than half (54%) of children living in poverty. Cleveland only
fell behind San Juan and Detroit.*
SNAP benefits lifted 3.7 million Americans above the poverty line in 2013, according to
the Current Population Survey.*
A decade after being declared nation's poorest big city, 1-in-3 Clevelanders remain in
poverty.**

*http://www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org/about/hunger-facts#sthash.O64iRoVL.dpuf
**http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2014/09/decade_after_being_declared_na.htm
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Targeted Audiences:

Low income women in the Greater Cleveland area (high school age & up)
Upper/middle class women willing to donate dresses
Public and private high schools
Beauty school students/experienced beauticians willing to volunteer
The press
Other non-profit organizations
Neighboring businesses
Government offices
Social workers
Businesses that accept SNAP benefits

Goals:

Our specific goals are:

To become the foundation of a nationwide donation service within the United State's
poorest cities, beginning in Cleveland.
To become a well-known and widely used service to our customer base of low-income
individuals and families.
To become the top minded donation service for women of the upper and middle class,
and receive the best-quality donations.

Strategy:
This is how we plan to achieve our goal:

Effectively reach the upper and middle class women in order to obtain and then provide
merchandise for the underprivileged women community in the greater Cleveland area. To create
a business that is well respected and one that women choose first when choosing to donate
clothing.
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Tactics:
Earn ourselves a good reputation by getting our mission and business in every possible
media outlet through a press release: local news stations, newspaper, radio etc.
Make our own social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest) Where we
can post photos (through Annies photography) of women in their dresses before/during
their event and give their story
Reach our specific audience through public housing mailing lists
Communicate with local school districts by having announcements in their newspapers,
promotional tables, assemblies and announcements (at both lower and middle/upper class
school districts and Universities)
Make partnerships with local beauty schools in order to receive hair and makeup services
through their students. This could serve as a community-service component to their
education as well as practice in the professional field, which can be added to their
resume.
Make partnerships with lower-income school districts, social services, public housing
officials, and businesses that accept food stamps, or are popular among our intended
clientele, in order to reach a broad customer base.
Work with local nonprofits and neighborhood retail businesses
Hang flyers/ Advertise at bus stops & RTA stops
Connect with local government offices; send an advertisement through marriage licenses
Have a launch party before opening in which the woman can bring their clothing, get
familiar with our business and goals, make monetary donations, and speak with reps from
the beauty school to explain the part that they play
Partner with the Extrodiwear business to reach the upper class women audience for
donations

Tools:
Press Release
Fact Sheet
Write Radio Spot
Write News Spot (T.V.)
Copy for Print Ad (Newspaper)
Poster Copy (For schools/ Bus stops)
Flyer Copy
PowerPoint Presentation (Assemblies)
Letter for mailing lists
o Letter for donations
Invitation for Launch Party
Founders Biographies