IGNITE PR

April 9, 2020

Elizabeth Aspbury
Owner
Bobzbay
419 N Main Street
Bloomington, IL 61701

Dear Ms. Aspbury:

We at Ignite PR are excited to reveal to you our 2020-2021 strategic plan for Bobzbay. Crafting this strategic
plan to use as reference within your organization is valuable and could serve a crucial role in Bobzbay’s
continued development in the future. As a business specializing in various forms of vintage media in a growing
digital society, we recognize the challenges and opportunities confronting Bobzbay. With the current outbreak
of the COVID-19 virus, this plan will prove its importance to future business, considering Bobzbay’s nostalgic
factor with vintage media in an increasingly digital society. Because Bobzbay is an up-and-coming
organization located in a growing college town, it should be recognized as a successful small business paving
the way for other small businesses in Downtown Bloomington. We, Ignite PR, believe that our 2020-2021
strategic plan will benefit Bobzbay in its goal to achieve a status of high reputability.

The plan we have designed begins June 2020 and concludes May 2021. Both the start and finish dates of the
plan have been accommodated to the unexpected changes brought about from the COVID-19 outbreak. The
first portion of the plan addresses the organization in its entirety. This includes the organization’s improved
mission and vision statements, value proposition, organizational structure, and history. The second portion of
the plan includes potential positive and negative effects the plan could have. The third and final portion of the
plan explains how the enacted plan could lead Bobzbay to a successful fiscal year. Within the final portion of
our strategic plan, we have identified three objectives with strategies and supporting tactics to assist Bobzbay
in its continued success. This section not only identifies potential business objectives and tactics, but also key
performance indicators (KPIs), a timeline, a budget, and various evaluation methods with anticipated results.
These are imperative to supply proper data to assess the value and effectiveness of the plan. This plan in its
entirety is key to increase community participation, improve local recognition, and raise the amount of in-store
interaction and browsing.

Ignite PR would like to thank you for your cooperation and willingness to allow us to design a strategic plan
for Bobzbay. We are excited about putting this plan into action and hope that it achieves the desired outcomes
for your organization. We are looking forward to discussing the plan with you and will contact you to arrange
a meeting. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Katie Smith Haley Wolfe Morgan Day
Sasha Bandaru

Strategic Organizational Plan for

2020-2021

Prepared by:
Haley Wolfe, Katie Smith, Morgan Day and Sasha Bandaru

Ignite Public Relations Group

April 9, 2020

Page 3 of 21
Table of Contents

Page
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................5
1.0 Organization Background .................................................................................................................6
1.1 Business definition ................................................................................................................6
1.2 Vision.....................................................................................................................................6
1.3 Mission...................................................................................................................................6
1.4 Value Proposition...............................................................................................................6-7
1.5 Organization Structure...........................................................................................................7
1.6 History & Culture ..............................................................................................................7-8
2.0 Situation Analysis..............................................................................................................................8
2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation.......................................................................................8-10
2.2 Stakeholders Affected .........................................................................................................10
2.3 Competition ....................................................................................................................10-11
2.4 SWOT Analysis...............................................................................................................11-12
2.5 Market Position................................................................................................................12-13
3.0 Plan ...................................................................................................................................................13
3.1 Objectives, Strategies & Tactics......................................................................................13-15
3.2 Critical Success Factors .......................................................................................................15
3.3 Key Performance Indicators ................................................................................................16
3.4 Budget & Resource Allocations...........................................................................................16
3.5 Timeline...........................................................................................................................16-17
3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results...........................................................................17

Appendices ........................................................................................................................................18-20
A. Overall Budget for 2020-2021...............................................................................................18
B. Proposed Timeline.................................................................................................................19
C. Designed Punch Cards for Incentive Strategy ......................................................................20

References...............................................................................................................................................21

Page 4 of 21
Executive Summary

Bobzbay is a retail store specializing in the sale and trade-in of books and various forms of mass media.
The store resides in Downtown Bloomington and settled in this location years after the organization’s
birth. Before Bobzbay had a physical storefront, business was primarily completed in an online format via
eBay. It is the only store of its kind in the Bloomington-Normal area and seeks to gain a larger customer
base with greater interaction rates.

The strategic plan that Ignite PR has built will be in effect during the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The plan
aims to increase Bobzbay’s community participation, local recognition, and in-store interaction and
browsing. This information originated from a meeting with the business’s owner and establishing
concerns within the organization. Secondary research was conducted to support solutions to the owner’s
concerns. Ignite PR designed the strategic plan considering and targeting the factors stated above. A
variety of opportunities were analyzed, and it was concluded that the objectives needing development for
the success of the plan in place include:
● Increase community participation in organization hosted events by 10% by May 2021.
● Improve local recognition by 7% by May 2021.
● Raise the amount of in-store interaction and browsing by 5% by May 2021.

The overall success of this plan can be evaluated based on the success of each objective listed above.
Section 3.0 explains the specific measures that need to be taken to achieve each of the above objectives.
With the help of Bobzbay’s owner, multiple criteria were crafted to help identify the value that the plan
possesses for the organization. The success of the organization will reflect the mission and vision sought
by Bobzbay to unite the community with a love for affordable media and a comforting ambiance. Upon
the plan’s success, this will bring a positive change in business with a larger customer base that will
increase local recognition; this will ultimately encourage more members of the community to participate
in organization events.

Viewing the plan in its entirety, the changes brought on will inspire people to seek a sense of nostalgia
and contribute to Bobzbay’s success by engaging with their vintage products.

Page 5 of 21
1.0 Organization Background

This section displays Bobzbay Bookstore in an overview format and examines the organization as whole.
It will highlight major aspects of the organization that help define who the organization is, the mission
and vision of the organization, the value proposition and history and culture of Bobzbay. These will assist
in identifying notable aspects of the document below and will help to understand the organization as
whole.

1.1 Business Definition

Bobzbay is a locally owned and operated used book and media store that buys, trades, and sells all
different types of media. With merchandise ranging from nostalgic to modern, Bobzbay has many forms
of media to offer their audiences. One unique aspect that Bobzbay takes pride in, is the ability to offer a
full trade to a customer in search of a new book that brings in an old one. Books are not required to be of
equal or lesser value, giving Bobzbay a higher quality experience.

The primary goal of this PR strategic plan project is to increase top-minded awareness to multiple
audiences including students, collectors, and book-lovers themselves.

1.2 Vision
A vision statement describes a future state an organization realistically would like to achieve. A modified
Bobzbay’s vision statement is as follows:

“Be recognized as the area’s first and best dealer for nostalgic media.”

1.3 Mission
A mission statement describes succinctly how an organization does what it does to get closer to fulfilling
the vision statement.

“At Bobzbay we provide affordable media with a comforting ambience for Bloomington-Normal residents
to buy, sell and trade books and other forms of media.”

1.4 Value Proposition

A value proposition states what makes Bobzbay different from other bookstores in Bloomington-Normal.
Bobzbay values a positive and fun outlook on life and welcomes community members to come into the
store for the full Bobzbay experience.

Slogan: “A most excellent day to visit Bobzbay”

Proof Points:
● Bobzbay accommodates the community by adjusting the store-environment to fit the needs and
desires of customers.

Page 6 of 21
 ● Bobzbay encourages individuality and uniqueness amongst its customers by having a distinctive
logo, in-store style and events that differ from other local businesses.
● Bobzbay promotes the importance of keeping a story alive by encouraging book donations or
trade-ins to fulfill not only the organization, but the consumer themselves.

1.5 Organization Structure

Bobzbay’s organizational structure is different from most organizations because it is a tight-knit company
and is primarily self-ran by the two owners. Because Bobzbay is an intimate organization there is little
need for heavy organizational structure. The list below describes current positions within Bobzbay and
their daily responsibilities:
● Owner: This position maintains positive internal and external communications with employees,
customers and the community. They oversee the company as a whole and make decisions on
company practices, improvements and interactions with others.
● Co-owner: This position oversees the company, assists in decision making and holds employees
accountable.
● Managers: Store-front managers who primarily deal with customer-service and store
maintenance. They are responsible for customer satisfaction and store function. Reports to the
owner.
● Part-time employees: Report to owner and maintain store functions throughout the day.

1.6 History & Culture

Bobzbay values small businesses and works to keep all profits and acquisitions local. The value of
community in this book and media store makes Bobzbay unique in comparison to other competitors in
Bloomington. Owner, Elizabeth Aspbury, ensures that all customers know that this bookstore is a safe
place at all times, for everyone to come and escape from reality. Bobzbay prides itself on bringing the
community together by sharing and spreading the love of reading throughout Bloomington-Normal.
Bobzbay values togetherness and bonding over the shared love for the lost art of tangible media. With a
cheerful attitude, collaborative efforts and welcoming environment Bobzbay wants all community
members to feel welcome in-store.

Bobzbay was opened in 2009 by Robert Clark in a storefront that was about ¼ of its current size.
Bobzbay has expanded the store size twice in the past decade, once in 2011 and again in 2019 to optimize
space and encourage more media and customers. Elizabeth Aspbury, an employee since 2009 when the
shop first opened, collaborated with George Aspbury and purchased the store in 2015. Since their
ownership, they have worked diligently to accommodate to the wants and needs of the customers,
including renovation in order to make customers feel more welcome.

Bobzbay has a welcoming and friendly environment. The organization values a sense of community and
works to make sure Bloomington-Normal citizens feel welcome in the store at all times. With a
collaborative mentality, the bookstore wants to connect with others through the common love of leisure
reading. Bobzbay is unique to the Bloomington-Normal community because it is the only bookstore in the
area that allows for book trade-ins regardless of the initial value of the book and sales for cashback. The
organization hopes for community members to feel welcome in-store at all times and would like for

Page 7 of 21
people to be able to come in and engulf in the relaxing atmosphere. Bobzbay is accepting of all people
and hopes that they will appreciate the space and product as much as they do.

The addition of a mission statement to Bobzbay will help to build the Bobzbay brand and allow customers
to understand the culture of the organization. A mission statement can help define who the desired
customers will be, what services the organization provides, and the geographical location of the
organization. Ignite PR has proposed a mission statement above that will help to provide a more
recognizable brand for Bobzbay.

Ignite PR has also created a proposed value statement for Bobzbay to create a specific brand in the
organizational environment. A value statement is intended to inform customers, employees and potential
partnerships on the core beliefs and top priorities of the organization. This can serve as a reminder for
employees and target consumers of what is important to Bobzbay. The value statement is as follows:

“With a cheerful attitude, collaborative efforts and welcoming environment we want all community
members to feel accepted in our store. Bobzbay works towards reviving the love for tangible media by
sharing, trading and selling books with the community.”

Bobzbay has a welcoming and friendly environment. The organization values a sense of community and
works to make sure Bloomington-Normal citizens feel welcome in the store at all times. Bobzbay hosts
successful drag queen and book-signing events with large turnouts to encourage individuality and
community involvement. With a collaborative mentality, the bookstore wants to connect with others
through the common love of leisure reading. Bobzbay is unique to the Bloomington-Normal community
because it is the only bookstore in the area that allows for book trade-ins regardless of the initial value of
the book and sales for cashback. The organization hopes for community members to feel welcome in-
store at all times and would like for people to be able to come in and engulf in the relaxing atmosphere.
Bobzbay is accepting of all people and hopes that they will appreciate the space and product as much as
they do.

2.0. Situation Analysis

Internal and external factors are at a play in the performance of Bobzbay as a business. This section
covers details about the situation that Bobzbay faces in continuing its business. This section covers five
topics: defining the situation and its scope, accounting for affected stakeholders, identifying competitors,
analyzing the organization's internal and external aspects, and proposing the market position.

2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation

Bobzbay, a used book and media store located in downtown Bloomington, buys and sells used products
for a low price. The company prides itself on working to reuse books to keep the satisfaction of reading
tangible media alive. Bobzbay also has a goal of maintaining a local economy because the organization
receives its funding and supplies from local customers and organizations. This organization is established
in a prime location for easy access to students, as well as local citizens who find pleasure in reading.

Page 8 of 21
Bobzbay is currently working to call attention to the storefront and gain recognition throughout the
Bloomington area. Gaining recognition and bringing members into the store will directly impact sales and
community involvement. Acknowledgment is something Bobzbay currently struggles with and bringing
community members into the store will help with this. This section will pinpoint Bobzbay’s strengths and
weaknesses and how these affect recognition in downtown Bloomington.

Community engagement is the most important aspect for Bobzbay to focus on at this time. Bobzbay’s
current target audience consists of local Bloomington citizens who live in or around the city year-round
and have a profound love for reading for personal stimulation. Because Bobzbay values a sense of
community, the company strives for loyal and consistent customers in which employees can get
acquainted with personally. The best way to achieve this is to hold semi-frequent events that will allow
community members to spend time with Bobzbay workers.

While Bobzbay is in a prime location to receive customers from all ends of Bloomington and Normal, the
company is struggling to reach customers that reside on the outskirts of the downtown area. Technology
is very important to society and has been proven to be an effective way to reach a wide audience. Ignite
Public Relations (IPR) plans to formulate a social media strategy that promotes more interaction with
Bobzbay’s social media platforms, online event invites, and in-store interactions. IPR would also like to
implement more enticing events in accessible locations in order to increase retention rates.

Bobzbay operates in a good location in the center of downtown Bloomington, where many people walk
around and stop in to shops frequently. While this can be seen as a potential advantage, it can also be seen
as a possible threat because of the high volume of competition and other small businesses in the
downtown area. It is also important to note that uptown Normal is fairly close to downtown Bloomington
and holds further competition that Bobzbay may face. This is important to note because Bobzbay is
looking for ways to bring community members into the store, but with other small entertainment
businesses in the area it is important to find unique ways to draw customers in.

Throughout the year, Bobzbay works to hold book-signing events that citizens can attend. Invites and
information regarding the event are sent out via Facebook, and many members respond to the evites but
do not attend the event. It is important to consider the various reasons that the community members
decide not to be present.

As a small business in Bloomington that allows for affordable selling and trading of media, Bobzbay has
little funding to work with. Most funding comes from local customers and partnerships with local
businesses. This serves as a threat for Bobzbay because little strategies and tactics are limited due to
restricted funding. However, Bobzbay is not fearful of putting money into a strategy with high potential
of customer satisfaction. In the past, the organization has used radio and newspaper advertisement tactics,
however they had no impact on customer recognition due to low volume of consumers who show interest
in these forms of media.

In order for Bobzbay to be successful in Bloomington, it is essential for the organization to spread top-
minded awareness of their brand to those in the area. By representing the positivity that Bobzbay values
to the members of the community and making strong efforts to become acquainted with community

Page 9 of 21
members, the organization will impress potential customers. It seems as though many Bloomington
community members do not know that Bobzbay exists and are uninterested in coming to book signing
events. It is important to create events that people are interested in attending, at accessible locations, and
ensuring that these events are publicized enough beforehand.

2.2 Stakeholders Affected

Bobzbay services multiple publics in the Bloomington-Normal community. Within this section, internal
as well as external stakeholders will be determined as each stakeholder is a crucial factor to either the
success or failure of Bobzbay.

Internal stakeholders are individuals who are already committed to serving the organization. With this
being stated, current employees that help the day-to-day function of Bobzbay are considered within this
group. Employees are essential to Bobzbay’s success, because they preserve all the operations of the
organization that ranges from interacting with customers, shelving new merchandise, and the maintenance
of the store while on shift.

External stakeholders are entities outside of an organization that can still have some effect on the
decisions and actions of an organization. After reviewing notes as well as research from other
competitors, Bobzbay’s external stakeholders include: customers, suppliers, the local community, and the
government. The financial income and placement that is provided from the ranging external stakeholders
are what allows Bobzbay to continue to stay afloat.

2.3 Competition
Bobzbay is unique as it is the only organization in the Bloomington-Normal community that focuses on
multiple used media(s). However, its competitors consist of neighboring business organizations that either
sell similar concepts or obtain brand-names. As Bobzbay is a locally owned business surrounded by other
locally owned businesses and popular college bars in the downtown Bloomington district, it risks being
oversighted as well as the possibility of losing valued customers to more well-known business
organizations.

Below are Bobzbay’s main competitors, which are also located throughout the Bloomington-Normal area.
Competitors cannot be ignored, nonetheless, Bobzbay can utilize the listed competition as a reference for
growth and acceleration.

● Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble is the world's largest bookseller and a leading retailer of
content, digital media and educational products, making them a top competitor.
● Amazon: Amazon is the top site for its fast and convenient online shopping, and it's now taking
on traditional retailers with its own brands. It sells just about anything, including but not limited
to; novels, games, etc. Amazon is another top competitor for many organizations, including
Bobzbay.
● Phantom Studios: Phantom Studios is Bloomington-Normal’s best kept secret online comic shop
that sells products ranging from toys, anime, comics and more for over 20 years. This is a top-
level threat for Bobzbay not only for the similarity of product, but also the availability of
convenience that online shopping provides.

Page 10 of 21
 ● Graham Crackers Comics of Normal, IL: Graham Crackers Comics is a comic bookstore with
twelve other store locations. This competitor is a moderate threat, since their inventory solely
focuses on comics.
● Red Racoon Games: Red Racoon Games is a premiere game store located in Bloomington-
Normal that contains over 1500 products in stock. Red Racoon Games does not pose much threat
to Bobzbay as a whole, but primarily to their gaming inventory.
● The Alamo II: The Alamo II is an Illinois State University apparel, textbook, merchandise and
gifts store located right on campus. As for threat level, The Alamo II does not hold a top tier since
it is primarily focused on the college publics.

2.4 SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a framework that visually depicts the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats that have the potential to impact the success of an organization. These analyses are commonly
used to evaluate a company’s competitive position. This one is important as it aids Bobzbay to assess its
organization altogether.

Aspects Implications Possible Actions

Strengths Local to the Community. Central location in the Increase awareness from
Bloomington-Normal residents in the Bloomington-
area. Normal community.

Trade-In opportunities. Many people own media Provide incentives for people
they no longer use and who choose to trade-in books
want new material. when they come into the
store.

Promotes ‘hand-me- Trade-in opportunities Encourage customers to avoid

down’ tactics in order to keep media out of the throwing books away, and
reduce waste. trash and in the hands of provide incentives to those
new people. that trade in.

Weaknesses Audience engagement Social media presence Create social media content
with active social media lacks a wide, interactive that is more interactive by
lacks reciprocation. follower base. asking for responses from the
public, offering incentives
and considering public
opinions.

Low event-member Lack of interactive Make events more easily

attendee rates. followers on social media accessible and interesting for
leads to low event people in the area.
attendance numbers.

Page 11 of 21
 Lack of reach/awareness Bobzbay has an Instagram
throughout the and Facebook page with
Bloomington/Normal 820 followers. The
area. followers rarely interact
with social media posts.
Create more interactive social
media content.
Obtain a greater social media
following.

Opportunities Bobzbay has a central Provides greater exposure Provide something enticing to
location in downtown for potential customers draw customers into the store.
Bloomington. walking through town.

Escape technology Allows a greater number Promoting meditation and

through physical copies of people to take a break taking time each day to
of media, vintage from technology and life escape through literature.
material and modern as a whole.
material alike.

Threats Heavy competition from Online media is easily Rework online platform for
online media providers. accessible without leaving the public to access with ease.
the comfort of home.

No place in-store for Bobzbay is a welcoming Create a comfortable spot in

customers to spend time environment and would
and lounge. like customers to spend
time in the store but there
is no place for them to do
so.
the backroom for customers
to spend time and browse
books.

2.5 Market Position

Bobzbay is a book and media store located in Bloomington, Illinois. It prides itself on being locally
owned and sourced.

Bobzbay offers a unique and personable service for the community members. A trade in opportunity is
created where you can trade books, textbooks and other media for something new. One of it’s largest
competitions is Amazon, which has the convenience of accessibility from anywhere as well as getting it
mailed to your doorstep. While another competitor is Barnes & Noble, the top leader of bookstores for
many years being successful in its own name and operation, (refer back to 2.3).
Within the market of book and media selling, Bobzbay is rare. They are able to target a certain
community for the convenience of locality. It is near three large campuses and already has loyal recurring
members outside of the college community. The emphasis on locality is important because the simplicity
of access is easy to set Bobzbay apart from other competitors. Through the utilization of this plan,
Bobzbay will be able to set itself apart from other competitors and prosper as a company that provides an
easy way to access more knowledge through books and media.

Page 12 of 21
3.0 Plan
This portion of the plan contains information from previous sections to properly construct strong plans for
the future of Bobzbay. This plan is essential in assisting Bobzbay in achieving both its mission and vision
moving forward. Each section is broken into subsections to provide details and depth of the plan. The
subsections of this portion of the plan include objectives, strategies, tactics; critical success factors; key
performance indicators (KPIs); budget and resource allocations; timeline; and an evaluated method with
anticipated results in effect of the strategic plan.

3.1 Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

The following table consists of objectives, strategies, and tactics that will assist with implementing this
plan. Objectives are measurable statements that the organization wants to accomplish. Each objective
must have an effect, a goal, an audience, and a deadline for maximum success. Every objective must have
a benchmark and rationale to justify the objective. A benchmark is a comparison level to explain where
the organization is at currently for reference in the future. A rationale further explains the purpose of the
objective. Tactics are specific tasks to explain how to implement the overall plan. These objectives,
strategies, and tactics were created so that Bobzbay can be further immersed in the Bloomington-Normal
community and gain recognition as a book and media store.

Objectives Strategies Tactics

1. Increase community Host a monthly book club

participation in Bobzbay hosted
events by 10% by May 2021.
Event Strategy created by Bobzbay with
staff and community
members. The meetings
will be held at Nightshop (a
future potential business
partner). The book club will
cost $10 monthly and will
include drinks and
appetizers at the meetings.

2. Increase local recognition by Grow Instagram following

7% by May 2021. Social Media by 200 followers that live
Involvement Strategy within 25 miles of
Bobzbay. We will do this
by posting more frequently
on the Bobzbay Instagram
page, holding giveaways,
and raffles. Bobzbay will
also post upcoming events,
sales promotions, pictures
of past events, and frequent

Page 13 of 21
 customers and their
significance to the store.

Bobzbay will host a

giveaway promotion on the
Instagram page.
Community members will
be entered into the raffle
once they follow the
Instagram page and tag two
friends in the comment
section of the specific post.
The winner of the raffle
will receive #1 selling
book, popcorn, a Bobzbay
t-shirt, a Bobzbay
bookmark, and a comfy
blanket.

3. Increase in-store interaction Develop a punch card for

and browsing by 5% by May Incentive Strategy frequent customers. 5 trade-
2021. ins/sales will result in a free
Bobzbay T-shirt with the
logo and slogan on it. 10
trade-ins/sales will allow
for the customer to pick out
a book of their choice for
free (refer to appendix C).

Create in-store seating that

Customer Relations customers will be able to
Strategy enjoy. There is already an
open area in the very front
of the store. Bobzbay will
add bean bag chairs, a rug,
and decorative pillows to
make for a comforting and
relaxing spot for customers
to browse or enjoy their
purchased content.

3.2 Critical Success Factors

Page 14 of 21
The table below represents four categories of factors that have the potential to help or hurt Bobzbay when
trying to successfully implement these objectives. It is imperative to review the opportunities, barriers,
environment, and resources of each objective to have a thorough understanding of the analysis.

Objectives Opportunities Barriers Environment Resources

1. Increase Bobzbay will have Amount of Customers Promotional

community more potential community prioritize other materials (flyers,
participation in customers involvement may stores to shop. digital bulletins)
Bobzbay hosted interacting with not change.
events by 10% by their products. Customers may Incentives
May 2021. seek a specific
product. Dedicated
employees to
contribute

2. Increase local Bobzbay will There may not be Customers know Social media
recognition by 7% become a well- a noticeable stores and presence
by May 2021. known business in difference in the products that are
the community. amount of people relevant to them Promotional
that know of and their materials
Bobzbay. interests.

3. Increase in-store More products People may come Customers want Incentives
interaction and will be sold, into the store and to feel a sense of
browsing by 5% by therefore browse but not purpose for the Customer
May 2021. increasing purchase products they rewards program
Bobzbay’s profits. anything. browse.
Sales for specific
products and
coupons

Page 15 of 21
3.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs are measurable values that will demonstrate how effective Bobzbay is at achieving these generated
key performance objectives. Bobzbay should regularly refer back to these KPIs for the measurement of
success.

● Objective 1: Increase community participation in Bobzbay hosted events by 10% by May 2021.
○ Benchmark: No current benchmark.
○ KPI: Track event attendance throughout each Bobzbay hosted event and compare to the
previous attendance records the event held.
■ Analyze and compare this data in order to see which events are more popular
amongst the public and to make desired improvements.
● Objective 2: Increase local recognition by 7% by May 2021.
○ Benchmark: To establish a benchmark, management must create and distribute an online
survey targeting key publics to measure their perceptions and involvement of Bobzbay.
○ KPI: Make the redistribution of the online survey sent out June 2020 and December
2020.
■ Compare and analyze the data to the previous benchmark and create or reevaluate
actions based on publics’ opinions.
● Objective 3: Increase in-store interaction and browsing by 5% by May 2021.
○ Benchmark: To establish a benchmark, management must create an excel document or
some source of documentation to begin the tracking process. Begin this on June 1st, 2020
(to accommodate COVID-19).
○ KPI: Track the amount of people who enter the store to browse (sectioning type of media
and genres) on a day-to-day basis.
■ Analyze and compare to the previous benchmark on November 1st, 2020. This
will highlight the more common merchandise Bobzbay’s consumers are
interested in and visit most frequently.

3.4 Budget & Resource Allocations

The organizational budget created for Bobzbay by Ignite PR administers the expenses for the 2020-2021
fiscal year. It is important to note that Bobzbay did not provide a current budget, explaining as to why
income sources are not found within the chart. The expense column provides the cost for each tactic as a
whole, while the individual item expense demonstrates the cost of each item within the tactic. This is with
the exception of the ‘Monthly Book Club Fee’ as it shows earnings (written in green text) towards
Bobzbay. The notes portion of the budget identifies where these items can be found for purchase. The
total expense for Bobzbay to implement this strategic plan for the 2020-2021 fiscal year is $707.01. Ignite
PR truly believes that these objectives and tactics will lead Bobzbay to well-earned success with an
effective and sufficient cost (refer to appendix A).

3.5 Timeline (beginning with the proposal’s acceptance/approval)

If Bobzbay chooses to move forward with this plan, it will need to follow the timeline (refer to Appendix
B) that begins June 2020. This timeline will keep Bobzbay focused on following their goals for at least a
year. This timeline was created under the assumption that Bobzbay will be able to use this for months to
come. The first couple months are crucial to this plan because of the pinch point. A pinch point is when a

Page 16 of 21
majority of objectives are being executed at the same time and resources may be scarce. This timeline for
Bobzbay details a path on how to properly execute the objectives and tactics. The timeline is organized by
color. Objectives are the darker shades of the colors and the tactics are listed under them in a lighter
shade. Each box represents a two-week period. The shaded boxes represent important deadlines that are
key to the success of the store. Due to the unexpected pandemic COVID-19, the timeline is subject to
change.

3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results

In order to predict Bobzbay’s success and longevity of the plan when put into place, it is important that
steps are taken to measure specific factors throughout the course of the plan. The specific factors that
need to be measured to determine Bobzbay’s success include: increasing community participation, local
recognition, and in-store interaction and browsing, tracking event attendance and the number of people
entering/browsing the store, and analyzing the resulting data. The evaluation of these factors relates
directly to the KPIs and should be compared with one another to gain true understanding of the plan
content. Refer to section 3.3 for KPIs.

● Objective 1: Increase community participation in organization hosted events by 10% by May

2021.
○ If community participation in organization hosted events increases by 10%, then Bobzbay
is successful.
○ If the objective is unsuccessful, Bobzbay can adjust the number of community
participation and better its marketing strategies.
● Objective 2: Improve local recognition by 7% by May 2021.
○ If local recognition increases by 7%, then Bobzbay is successful.
○ If the objective is unsuccessful, local recognition may change with changes in community
population. Bobzbay should increase promotional strategies to spread awareness of their
business.
● Objective 3: Raise the amount of in-store interaction and browsing by 5% by May 2021.
○ If the amount of in-store interaction and browsing increases by 5%, then Bobzbay is
successful.
○ If the objective is unsuccessful, Bobzbay can adjust their in-store interaction and
browsing expectations and better their marketing/sales strategies to make purchasing
from the store seem more appealing.

Page 17 of 21
Appendices
A. Overall Budget of 2020-2021

Page 18 of 21
B. Proposed Timeline June 2020- May 2021

Page 19 of 21
C. Designed Punch Cards for Incentive Strategy

(front) (back)

Page 20 of 21
References

Bobzbay. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from https://www.bobzbay.com/

Smudde, P M. (2015). Managing public relations: Methods and tools for achieving solid results.
New York: Oxford University Press.

Page 21 of 21