Jimmy John’s

Campaign Plan Fall

2020
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………..………..1
BACKGROUND………………………………………………….2
SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIT………………………………………..3
SWOT……………………………………………………………...4
SITUATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS………….5
KEY INSIGHTS…………………………………………………..6
GOAL ……………………………………………………………...6
TARGET AUDIENCE…………………………………………...7
KEY MESSAGE PLATFORM………………………………….7
SLOGAN…………………………………………………………..7
KEY MESSAGES………………………………………………...7
TAGLINES………………………………………………………..7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………….8
OBJECTIVE 1…………………………………………………….9
OBJECTIVE 2…………………………………………………..10
BUDGET………………………………………………………...11
APPENDICES…………………………………………………..12
APPENDIX A…..…………………………………………..12
1a…………………………………….………………...12
2a……………………………………………………….12
APPENDIX B…………………………….………………...13
1b……………………………………………………….13
2b……………………………………………………….13
REFERENCES…………………………………………………..14
 Executive Summary
Jimmy John's first shop in Charleston, Illinois in 1983 has come a long way from the garage it
started in. They've since expanded to 2,800 locations all across the country. Jimmy John's
boasts the freshest ingredients, competitive prices, and fast serving times. The brand has
created a casual, funny brand voice that resonates with its customer base. Other than being
freaky fast, Jimmy John's focuses on what customers want the most in the fast-casual food
market; a quick, easy meal that will bring taste, quality, price, and variety, along with healthy
options.
Gold Standard PR has created a Public Relations campaign that focuses on restoring Jimmy
John's image. Our research shows that customers negatively perceive the brand due to
reckless actions conducted by the founder and former CEO. We seek to repair this perception
through the objectives listed below.
● Objective 1 is to repair women's perception of Jimmy John's.
● Objective 2 is to obtain corporate sponsorships to improve the image.
The campaign will be considered a success when both objectives are achieved. An increase in
women's perception of the brand will lead to increased affinity. Corporate sponsorships with
non-profits will improve the image of the brand.
 Social Media Audit
Jimmy Johns is a fast food sandwich restaurant. They are located in 43 states in the United States having
2,800 stores. Social media is important to their business because their popularity is based on
commercials and then social media platforms. They use a snarky style on social media, similar to
Wendy’s. The follower breakdown is written in the chart below. Their YouTube holds their ads where
some videos reach upwards of 30 million views. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram seem to be more for
making and improving relationships, and also for driving conversation and creating clicks. Jimmy John’s
targets a young adult audience and people who need quick food.

Social Media Handle Profile Name Purpose Followers Average Post

Type per Day/Week

Twitter @jimmyjohns Jimmy John’s Build 466.3k 77.3 / 367

Relationships/
drive
conversation/
engagement

Facebook @jimmyjohns Jimmy John’s Build 3,280,349

Relationships/ Followers
drive
3,400,714 Likes
conversation/
engagement/
awareness

Instagram @jimmyjohns Jimmy John’s Build 137k .689 / 4.82

conversation

YouTube Jimmy John’s Jimmy John’s Awareness / 4.38k .026 / .179

engagement Subscribers

Evaluation
Starting off with Twitter, Jimmy Johns has almost half a million followers, but their posts get around 300
likes on average and roughly 20 retweets on average. Their Twitter feed has a lot of memes and
attempts to be humorous similar to Wendy’s. They are extremely active, totalling 335,500k total tweets
and replies. 97.52% of their tweets respond to people’s mentions. This data all comes from
TweetStats.com which is a Tweet graphing software for Twitter. According to the data, they also Tweet
77.3 times per day.

On Facebook, they have a more extensive following of 3,300,00 million, which is seven times bigger than
their followers on Twitter. However, their reactions are even less than Twitter. Their pinned post has
over a thousand likes, but plenty of posts have less than one hundred reactions and comments.
Interaction should be higher, considering their large following.
On Instagram, they have 137k followers, and the engagement rate is higher. Their posts average over a
thousand likes with hundreds of comments. Their most-liked post has 30.5k likes, roughly 22% of their
followers interacting on this post. Their Instagram is much more impressive in this metric.

Jimmy John's

YouTube only has 4,330k subscribers, but their highest viewed video has 37,000,000 views. However,
most of their videos have less than 1,000 views. Their more "traditional" videos, like advertisements, get
spread around more and have a higher chance of exposure as Jimmy John's likely has paid advertising
for them. Many of their "non-traditional" videos don't have the typical advertisement feel, which could
mean that they don't distribute them like the others, but it might also mean that it's not what the
customers want to see.

I took the total number of posts/tweets divided by how long their platform existed for the averages.

I looked at a big competitor of Jimmy Johns, Subway, to see what their social media was like compared
to Jimmy John's. I started with Subway's Twitter. Initially, I noticed that they have more than 4x the
followers that Jimmy John's does, but about a third of the total tweets. They bear similarities yet are still
quite different. They both have a style that feels like more of a friend than a business. But Jimmy Johns
has more of a Wendy's type of strategy of using harsh language.

TalentZoo. This quick excerpt from talentzoo.com shows what I found during my research. Jimmy John's
caters to those who need a quick bite to eat. That's the basis of their existence, fast.

SWOT
 Strengths (Internal)
Aspects
Four social media presences
Thousands of subscribers and
followers on each social media
source.
Strong share of the “fast casual
restaurant market”
They have 2,787 locations around
the U.S
Strong Brand Voice
Weaknesses (Internal)
Implications
Thousands of interactions per day
with customers (likes and people
seeing posts)
- Ability to make YouTube
videos and posts across
Facebook, instagram and
Twitter.
Able to spread news about the
brand to many people in the U.S
and abroad
Potential to be one of the leading
companies in the market
Locations across the U.S and mainly
in the midwest.
Can grab the public's attention
regarding new deals.
Possible Actions
Add a Tik Tok account for Jimmy
John’s to try and connect with
younger groups of people.
Make sure each post is clear,
concise and correct to ensure the
those who see it are receiving the
message they’re supposed to.
Invest more time and money into
social media to try and match the
next biggest “Fast Casual
Restaurant”
Put signage up in the store
locations to help maintain social
distancing, mark outdoor eating
areas and help keep customers
feeling safe.
Push the healthy nutritional facts
regarding Jimmy John’s sandwiches
compared to Chipotle and
McDonald's.
 Delivery drivers Car accidents can happen and employees and Ensure there is proper training for
driving recklessly. civilians can get injured. drivers and emphasize safety above
all else

Donating money to Sometimes money ends up in the hands of Donate money to charity
politicians. politicians with controversial views. organizations instead of politicians
and put this on the social media
channels.

Paying workers Does not allow for workers to live a comfortable Examine where costs can be cut to
minimum wage. lifestyle while working at Jimmy John’s. ensure that JJ employees can make
ends meet. Goal should be to raise
pay for all store employees by $1.50
in the next 18 months.

No health insurance Workers don’t receive help from the company if Examine whether or not health
for workers. they are injured. insurance could be a possibility for
the employees. Make this a very high
priority goal for the company

Founder’s pictures Tarnishes the brand and upsets people. Create a company memo outlining
with dead animals how negative social media can
from hunts. influence the company

Opportunities (External)
COVID-19 means more people are Higher volume of calls for delivery Hire more people to take calls and
 using takeout and delivery which
would help since Jimmy John’s uses
its own delivery service.
People may be looking for healthier
options since they are not as mobile
due to the virus and some gyms
might still be closed.
The pandemic has caused concerns
for how restaurants and companies
are handling and preparing the food
they serve.
Due to the pandemic, it’s hard for
customers to know which
restaurants are dine-in and which
are carry-out only.
Threats (External)
and less foot traffic in stores.
People looking for less fast food such
as McDonald’s and Burger King and
more takeout such as Subway,
Panera Bread, Noodles and Co. and
Jimmy John’s.
People are more likely to ask how
their food is prepared and what
measures are in place for keeping
the virus away from the food.
People might be unsure about the
status of Jimmy John’s during the
pandemic since each section of the
country is in a different state of
openness.
also more drivers to accommodate
the influx in deliveries.
Market the Jimmy John’s sandwiches
as a healthy alternative to other fast
food that’s not as healthy.
Have an official policy for employees
and store managers to tell the
customers what Jimmy John’s is
doing to keep people safe.
Have the Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter social media teams put
updated lists of which states are
dine-in and which are delivery only
for Jimmy John’s.
 Unions are trying to organize.
Founder and CEO founder has
photos circulating of him with dead
exotic animals he’s hunted.
Workers complaining that the
work environment isn’t up to
standards.
Political involvement and
donations.
Situational and Competitive Analysis
People could see Jimmy John’s as a
greedy company that does not
care for its workers.
The public might think that Jimmy
John’s does not care about wildlife
and the environment.
The workers might not be
functioning at their highest level if
they do not feel they are being
adequately compensated for their
work.
Customers might be angered if
Jimmy John’s donates money to
politicians they do not agree with.
Have an open discussion on what
the workers want. Then make
press releases stating that both the
company and workers will work
together to address the issue.
Donate a certain percentage of
money from each purchase to an
animal conservation organization
during one month out of the year.
Send out monthly surveys to see
what employee’s biggest concerns
are.
Stop donating money to politicians
to avoid angering people.
Situation
● Records show that founder and former CEO, Jimmy John Liautaud, donated $100,000
to Donald Trump. Political donations create a negative situation for a company
because it alienates a large customer base.
● Jimmy Johns came under fire for funding the allegedly illegal re-election fund of the
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona. Liautaud deposited nearly $100,000
into a secret fund run by Arpaio Staffers to re-elect the Sheriff. Arpaio is against illegal
immigration and was accused of abuse of power, misuse of funds, and failure to
investigate sex crimes.
● In November of 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Jimmy John's on behalf of Kahler
Folkedahl, a patron who frequented a local Jimmy John's restaurant in Dubuque,
Iowa, began to experience vomiting, abdominal cramps, and hematochezia, symptoms
associated with E. coli poisoning.
● Photos of Liautaud’s big game hunts from years prior began to recirculate on social
media in early 2020.
● The current state of COVID-19 is causing restaurants to resort to outdoor seating,
delivery, drive-thru, or pick-up. However, this situation doesn't majorly impact Jimmy
John's because most of their business is delivery or drive-thru.
● Due to COVID restrictions, including gyms being closed, people are eating healthier.
Offering healthier food could be an upside to Jimmy John's business moving forward.
● Jimmy John's app and the rewards offered for customers are easy to use for most
people. They offer promotions for individuals who use the app to order their food
delivery/pick-up—offering a virtual incentive for individuals to come to Jimmy John's.
Competitive
● Jimmy John's has two categories of competitors: Fast-food restaurants like
Mcdonalds, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, and Chipotle, and fast-casual restaurants, which
include a more specific group of competitors like Subway, Firehouse Subs, Jersey
Mike's, and Potbelly. Their main goal of selling the freshest sandwiches with quick
service influences their brand voice.
● Jimmy John's maintains a high percentage of the market compared to its competitors.
They always have fresh ingredients, and their freaky fast delivery is something that
customers enjoy. The convenience of having your food delivered to your front door
separates them from other competitors. Top competitors like Subway and Jersey
Mike's have added delivery options to compete with Jimmy John's. Social media is a
big part of a restaurant's success as well. The competitors, such as Subway, are using
their social media to boost their popularity. Subway uses Facebook, one of the leading
social media platforms nationwide, to advertise and even communicate with the
public. According to notesmatic.com, Subway uses Facebook as a form of customer
support to engage and regularly respond to customer complaints and compliments,
which shows an active social media team monitoring communication and replies. This
strategy helps Subway maintain excellent customer relationships and loyalty. On
Twitter, Subway has over 2.4 million followers. They are primarily using Twitter as a
way to push out promotions and even surveys, which end up being a great way to
receive feedback from customers. When it comes to Jimmy John's social media,
Twitter is their most powerful tool. They are known for their humor and creative
content. Posting promotional tweets and getting customers engaged through laughter
is an area where Jimmy John's succeeds.

Key Insights
1. Although the founder is no longer affiliated with the brand, his image is problematic and
continues to affect Jimmy John’s reputation.
2. Jimmy John’s has a large social media following, yet low engagement.
3. Focus on “fast” part of fast food. The company values their customer’s time.
4. COVID has majorly impacted the restaurant industry, however, it hasn’t been entirely
negative for Jimmy John’s due to their ‘in and out’ business model.
5. All franchises are controlled through corporate.
6. Jimmy John’s is perceived as a healthier fast food option than its competitors.
7. Due to controversial actions by the founder and former CEO, women favor Jimmy John’s
less than men.

Goal
1. Repair the image of the brand.
a. Founder Jimmy John Liautaud has damaged the reputation of the brand through
reckless actions.
b. Insights have led us to the sentiment that women favor Jimmy John’s less than men due
to actions of the founder.

Objective 1:
Improve women’s perception of the Jimmy John’s brand:
- Raise eNPS score to 0 or more by May 2021
Benchmark:
- -28 eNPS score according to Comparably.
Rationale:
- Female employees rated their CEO lower than their male counterparts. They also
perceived their work environment more negatively and they had an eNPS score of -28.
The eNPS score is a metric used to gauge employee satisfaction with their
employment experience. The score ranges from -100 to 100 and any positive score is
considered acceptable.(Comparably)
Strategy:
- Social Media Ads/Stories/Women in Leadership Training Program
Tactics:
- Highlight female employees who have positively benefited from their time at Jimmy
John’s. Whether it’s working their way through school or working their way up to
management or ownership. Encourage people to share their stories about how Jimmy
John’s helped them accomplish something in their life using the hashtag
#MayoDreamsComeTrue.
- Implement Women in Leadership Training Program to help female employees reach
their potential and increase positive feelings for their future within the company.
- “Jimmy John’s Saves The Day” Ad (Appendix 1a)
#LettuceHandleAllYourSandwhichNeeds hashtag.

Objective 2:
Adopt two corporate sponsorships to improve image.
Benchmark:
- No current benchmark. Benchmark will be established when the objective is achieved.
Rationale:
- Founder and Former CEO Jimmy John Liautaud came under fire when photos of his
past big game hunts began to circulate on social media in early 2020. Additionally,
legal and illegal political donations from Liautaud have portrayed a negative image.
Although he is no longer associated with the company, the stories continues to haunt
the brand. Corporate sponsorships of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy and St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital would demonstrate that new ownership desires to repair
the image formerly damaged by the founder.
Strategy:
- Social Media Stories/User Generated Content
Tactics:
- Adopt two corporate sponsorships with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy and St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital.
- Instead of Jimmy John’s stickers, create stickers that say the organization for the given
month. When customers post on their story with the organization’s sticker on their
sandwich, tag Jimmy John’s, and incorporate the #JoinTheClub hashtag. Jimmy John’s
will donate a dollar to each organization for their respective month up to $250,000.
Donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will occur during January 2021 and
Rocky Mountain Conservancy donations will occur in May 2021.

BUDGET