Running head: GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 1

Grand Valley Surplus Store Plan Book

Jillian Youker

Grand Valley State University

April 15, 2019

Table of Contents
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Introduction…………………………….…………………… 3-5

Secondary research…………………………………………………5-11

Primary research………………………………………………… 11-15

Action plan…………………………………………………15-17

Budget…………………………………………………18

Timeline………………………………………………… 18

Evaluation…………………………………………………18-19

Appendix…………………………………………………19-21

Moderator's guide…………………………………………………19-21

Survey………………………………………………… 21-23

Survey results…………………………………………………23-25

Tactic 1………………………………………………… 26

Tactic 2…………………………………………………27

Tactic 3…………………………………………………28

References………………………………………………… 29-30

Introduction
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Background

In 2014 the Grand Valley State University Surplus store, currently located in Standale

previously in Grand Rapids at the Pew campus, serves as a retail outlet for products that are no

longer in use or not able to sell in a retail setting. In addition, the products are kept out of

landfills and sold instead of thrown away. Some of the items include, but not limited to, office

supplies, laptops, office chairs, furniture, cell-phones, computer monitors, along with many other

items. The focus of this retailer is to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose items that have served

their need. However, may also provide usefulness to someone else. The Surplus Store offers

employment for Grand Valley students. The employment opportunity helps students learn about

sustainability. These positions are posted on the Laker Jobs website. The main goal of this

retailer is to have its revenue put back into the university helping the students gain an affordable

education.

The goal of the Grand Valley Surplus stores is to gain exposure to their new location in

Standale and bringing in more sales. Another main issue is selling products at a faster rate to free

up usable space. The Surplus Store would like to increase exposure through, social media

including selling on Facebook Marketplace, Twitter, and Instagram, updated commercial

advertisement, and an improved content calendar all within an $800.00 budget. The objective is

to gain popularity and exposure for this store, increase awareness of what is offered, and an

updated image.

Goals and Objectives

The first action will be to enhance the stores website. Second, create various platforms to

gain media exposure on Facebook Market Place, Twitter, and Instagram. Lastly, will be to create

a commercial that will be aired YouTube, Twitter and Instagram within budget. The importance
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of the project is to advertise the mission and benefits of shopping at the store. As well as helping

the public recognize their objectives to recycle, reuse and repurpose to their audience. This

project will fulfill the needs of the Surplus’s situations. The situation consists of lack of

exposure, little media presence, and outdated commercials. The problem with these suggestions

are budgetary constraints, primarily with the commercial advertisements and changing the

website.

Some possible contributing factors would include perceived image similar to other

second-hand stores such as Goodwill. Also, inconvenient location for consumers that do not have

transportation. As well as consumers not knowing what the inventory is and the potential of the

products being there at a later date.

Established in 2014, the Grand Valley State Surplus store recycles and repurposes items

to be sold in a retail setting. Because of their recycling efforts, they were able to keep over

500,00 lbs. of waste out of landfills. This store also provides donations to other organizations as

a way to give back to the community. These include, churches, food pantry’s and public schools.

Run by students, this helps them learn the importance of recycling.

The company’s strengths include giving back to the community, keeping waste out of

landfills, offering employment to students, offering affordable items, and profits are put back

into the university to make education more reasonable. The company’s weaknesses include lack

of advertising, outdated television commercials, awareness of location, and perceived image.

The goal of this campaign is to increase traffic both instore and online and also change

the image of the retailer to be more current and appealing. This strategy can be achieved through

tying current social media to the main Grand Valley Instagram account. And utilizing their

Twitter account promoting what is in store and new deals. As well as posting and updating new
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inventory that can be sold on Facebook Market Place. Additionally, enhancing the current

website to be more aesthetically pleasing to the users and consistent posts. Although the budget

is limited, creating a video advertisement to reach a wider audience. An additional strategy,

changing the store hours making more convenient and open longer at least one day a week.

The Grand Valley Surplus store serves as a recycle, reuse, and repurpose outlet for those

looking for items at a reasonable cost and keep these products out of landfills. The challenges the

surplus store faces are the lack of exposure, outdated and or lack of media accounts, as well as

location and store hours of operation. Remedies to these challenges will be accomplished by

updating the website and creating a stronger presence on social media through Twitter,

Instagram, and Facebook Market Place also by linking Grand Valleys main social media

accounts to the Surplus Store’s. Additionally, creating a potential video advertisement to be aired

on a variety of social media platforms. These strategies will achieve the goal of the campaign.

The goal of the campaign is to increase sales and gain stronger exposure. This can be done

through an updated website and a stronger involvement with social media. Also updating

working hours that are more available for their patrons.

Secondary Research

Methodology

        The secondary research for this paper was conducted primarily from the Grand Valley

State University library database. The majority of the documents and studies conducted show the

importance of the Grand Valley Surplus Store and the usefulness of this retailer. Keywords typed

in the database, include: Social Media, Business, Increase Sales, Brand Content and Traditional

Television Advertising. The data found was helpful and excessive. This data was filtered down

by extensive examination and study. Most of the data found on the database was about social
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media. The social media articles were where the majority of the information was found on the

database. The weakness of the methodology however, was the number of articles available.

Some of the articles were used from Google rather than the Grand Valley database. The overall

information found would be easily replicated for other types of research. This could be helpful

because of the keywords and phrases and the tactics used for the overall campaign. The core

question asked in this research is what are the best methods for a small business to engage on

social media and utilizing commercials on different media platforms?

Secondary Research: Audience Analysis

        The Grand Valley Surplus Store struggles with a lack of foot traffic and outdated

advertisements. This is because of the change of location, lack of social media presence, and

budget restraints for specific advertising tactics. The current target audience consists mainly of

Grand Valley students. However, the target audience should not be limited, but include a wider

demographic including the general public, not just students. Currently on the Surplus Store’s

website, the intent of this retailer is to reach all consumers who are price conscious or enjoy

refurbishing and DIY projects (Grand Valley Surplus Store, 2019). Additionally, mentioned in

Surplus Store’s website, the retailer wants the consumer to know students are employed and any

profits made, go back directly to the university. This portrays an image of community

involvement, as well as being environmentally responsible by recycling, refurbishing, and

repurposing any products they have in store. The best way to reach the target audiences is

through social media. According to Cooper Smith (2013) in his article he mentions how 27% of

Twitter users are between the ages of 18 to 29. This compares to the 16% of users who are in

their thirties and forties (Smith, 2013). In similar study conducted by Paige Worthy (2018), the

peak demographic for Instagram users is 32% in the ages of 18 to 24. (Worthy, 2018). Because
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of this high percentage of viewership on these platforms advertising, within social media,

reaches the broadest audience.

The audience analysis and the makeup of the demographic is a cost conscious consumer

not afraid to purchase an item that may need some work. In a study conducted by TheStreet Inc.

(2013) the percentage of those who enjoy DIY projects is 70% of Americans (TheStreet Inc.,

2013). Additionally, the consumer is not afraid to purchase an item that is second hand and sees

the value in repurposing. High ticket items are at a reduced price opening up the ability for

making these items more affordable to a wider audience who otherwise may not be able to

afford. This consumer may also be environmentally conscious and involves themselves in the

process of keeping items out of landfills. Some consumers could also have a connection to the

university knowing their purchase benefits students unable to pay for full tuition.

With the lack of promotional advertising, the Surplus Store would need their social media

accounts to relate and expand to their audience reach and make their accounts appear to be more

professional. This would include putting items up for sale on the Facebook Marketplace,

improving the current Twitter account, and promoting themselves on the main Grand Valley

State University website landing page. Also, enhancing the current Instagram account to be more

aesthetically pleasing and informational. These outlets are free advertising for the retailer.

According to the article “Industrial Market Trends Blog: 4 Steps for Manufacturers to Increase

Social Media Engagement and Sales” written by Newstex (2014) social media is one of the main

ways to gain brand exposure and increase sales. The study shows that 87% of businesses are

using these strategies to build their company sales and consumer base. Furthermore, the article

mentions how 39% of social media comes from inside the company itself. The GVSU Surplus

Store, currently, does not have an active YouTube account or a LinkedIn presence. It was also
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discussed how Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn are perceived to be the top social media

platforms when starting up or promoting a business (Newstx, 2014). Social media allows

retailers to present images or products through pictures, online posts, and descriptions. Different

media platforms relate to different audiences.

Because of the format, Twitter engages users differently than other platforms. According

to the article “How Does Brand-related User-generated Content Differ across YouTube,

Facebook, and Twitter?” written by Andrew Smith (2012) Twitter promotes brands through

tweets, re-tweets and paid advertisements. The study shows that 19% of tweets are about brand

awareness (Smith, 2012). The article mentions how the main focus of Twitter is to express

opinions about and seek or provide information on the brand (Smith, 2012). Updating the

Surplus Store’s Twitter account allows the Surplus Store to tweet and potentially use humor to

relate and engage the audience but also still promoting their store. The current Twitter account

needs to attract attention by improved content. Because the Surplus Store items are usually one

of kind, the use of Call to Action Advertising would be helpful. According to Mindy Lilyquist’s

(2019) article, a Call to Action Adverting is a strategy used to target their audience and persuede

them to take an immediate response to the message they are trying to send. Smith (2012) also

says, Facebook allows users to engage in others interests and promote upcoming events (Smith,

2012). If the Surplus Store utilizes Facebook and the MarketPlace, they will be able to promote

events, sales, or new incoming products on their page, as well as promote what they are selling

on their MarketPlace page. Twitter and Facebook also gives the user the ability to track online

engagement. This tracks what times and content are relevant to post. This tactic also refers to

Instagram because this app allows users the ability to track information and online engagement

with their audience.

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Instagram is another outlet that has potential when promoting a brand. Although the

Surplus Store currently has an Instagram account, the use of improved quality of the photos and

the use of influencers is an example of endorsement advertising. In the article “Examining

Advertising Intrusiveness on Instagram” the authors Zhao, Xiaoyu; Yang, Jing; Xie, Tong;

Wang, Zhibin mention how Instagram content plays an important role influencing customers in

making buying decisions. The authors discuss how Instagram is the best way to tell a story,

provide information to their audience, and appeal to emotion rather than informational text on a

picture (Xiaoyu, Jing, Tong & Zhibin, 2017). The authors state in the article “According to

Iconosquare (2016), popular brands on Instagram have now attracted over 40 million followers.

Over 90% of auto brands, fashion brands, beauty brands and other 4 brand categories adopted

Instagram to be part of the marketing plan” (Xiaoyu et al., 2017). This proves how impactful the

Instagram platform is to gain knowledge and exposure to a brand. Posting professional or high

quality photos will gain the attention of the consumers instead of them scrolling past. The study

also mentions how Instagram is one of the main tools to gain customer engagement and be able

to share information about a specific brand and is one of the best platforms when jumpstarting a

brand (Xiaoyu et al., 2017). Another potential tactic is to use influencers. In review of the current

Instagram account for the Surplus Store, it appears the use of Instagram stories is lacking.

Uploading engaging crisp photos of patrons using specific products consistently will expose and

engage the consumer to what is available at the store. Also, investigating the highest viewership

and scheduling posts for optimal viewing and reaching more followers. Utilizing influencers

(other than employees) to endorse the brand will create interest and credibility. This would also

increase engagement. The influencers could be Grand Valley students posting on their own
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Instagram page while tagging the Surplus Store in their stories and their posts or the Surplus

Store using the pictures on their own feed.

Because of the lack and outdated television advertisements in the past, it is important for

the Surplus Store to re-design the television campaign in a new and improved manner. Although

the budget is limited to $800, options may include broadcasting on social media platforms or

utilizing students majoring in television production through the university program to create a

professional advertisement. Partnering with either of these options would prove to be the most

economical because the budget is so limited. In Amanda Sheimans’s article “Is TV Advertising

Still Effective, Relevant, and Worth It?” (2017) it is discussed how television advertisements are

still relevant even in the digital age. The author mentions how traditional advertisements should

not be confused with streaming digital advertising (Sheiman, 2017). The concept of traditional

advertising focuses on promoting goods and services. Between the ages of 18 and 24, the

average television viewership averages 22 hours and 27 minutes per week. Older viewership

ages from 25 to 49, average 30 hours and 38 minutes per week (Sheiman, 2017). For this tactic

to be effected, the Surplus Store would need to produce a television advertisement to reach a

wide variety of ages. However, this option may be cost prohibitive.

In addition to the social media and television advertising, an instore approach of

extending store hours could be beneficial to increase traffic and store in store sales. In Matthew

Hudson's article “3 tips to determine the best store hours” (2018) discusses the best times for

retailer to capitalize on hours that are most convenient to their consumers. The author starts to

track the sales by the hour to help them determine what the best hours of operation would be.

Secondly, calculate the operating cost. This will tell the total amount of sales needed to cover the

expenses. Lastly, keeping hours constant so patrons know what to expect and while staying on a
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consistent schedule. The author also mentions how customers are used to different hours on

weekends (Hudson, 2018). Since the location of the Surplus Store has changed, consistent store

hours will help build consumer loyalty and traffic.

Part of the main focus of the Surplus Store is the environmental and community aspect

they encourage in their mission statement. Because of their recycling efforts, they were able to

keep over 500,00 lbs. of waste out of landfills. This store also provides donations to other

organizations as a way to give back to the community. These include, churches, food pantries

and public schools. These benefits could be promoted in the proposed commercial advertisement.

Additionally, these benefits could also be promoted on their potential and new social media

accounts. This gives them the ability to inform the public of this aspect of their business.

The Grand Valley Surplus store is in need of enhanced exposure. This can be

accomplished through enhancing their Twitter account, uploading on Facebook Marketplace and

updating the Instagram account to look more pleasing to their followers. It is important for these

outlets to be more informational and sharing more details about the store itself and what they

provide. A potential commercial advertisement can be beneficial to the potential audience based

on demographics and in promoting the attributes of the brand. Finally, the importance of the

mission of recycling, reusing, and repurposing communicated in a more thorough manner. This

attribute will bring attention to the overall intent of the store.

Primary Research

Methodology

The two instruments used to conduct this research was a focus group and a survey sent

out to participants through email. The focus group consisted of eight participants that were

willing to take part in this research. All of the participants are currently enrolled at Grand Valley
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State University. Each of the contributors were asked a series of 16 questions that relate to the

Surplus Store, what they knew about it, what their buying habits are, and what platform of media

they prefer the most. The questions were open ended to keep the discussions going. The survey

that was conducted was sent out to two different classes that were not familiar or related with the

Surplus Store, this way the feedback would vary. There was a total of six questions that were

related to some of the focus group question except there were close ended rather than open

ended. These two instruments were utilized because they are the most direct, gives the ability to

gather honest opinions, information and feedback. As well as the ease of availability. Twelve

participants were willing to take part in the survey. The survey had a Likert scale rather than yes

or no answers because this way, the answers did not seem one sided. The importance of this

research was to gather different opinions to help gain more insights about the store from an

outsider’s perspective. Although twelve was not the ideal number for conducting a survey, the

information gathered was informative. Some solutions that the Surplus Store could use if they

decide to send out some type of survey to gain more participation, would be to incentivize the

participants with a discount or other type of coupon. Another option for the Surplus Store would

be to have the survey on social media, for example Instagram, as opposed to a mass email.

Focus group Summary and Analysis

The overall results of the focus group helped gain an understanding and helped guide

what tactics are needed for the campaign to help the Surplus Store. When asked if the

participants typically thrift for items and if they know what a surplus store is, majority said yes

they do shop usually for clothes. One participant stated that the Surplus Store “is where the left

over goods from the university go and students can buy them.” This is vital information because
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only one person knew what it was, how it differs from a thrift store and majority did not know

what it was or aware that Grand Valley has one.

When asked if the participants prefer cheaper or more expensive items, majority said that

it depends on the quality of the items. Some were hesitant on buying electronics because they

were not sure about the quality or if they would have to fix it themselves. These responses are

important because the surplus store would need to promote that the items they are selling are not

broken when a customer buys them. The Surplus Store would also need to inform the consumer

that the items they are selling are carefully inspected and items are tested before selling. As well

as offering replacement if inventory is available.

Since the surplus store has unique hours, it makes it difficult for students to shop on their

time. The question was brought up about what hours of operation work best as a college student

and most of the respondents said weekend hours and between 5-9 p.m. would work best.

One of the main points that the focus group hit on was the question of how social media

can sway purchasing decisions. One participant said that if the client posted an item that was

name brand it would entice them to purchase from the Surplus Store, they also said the quality of

their social media is important. The participant said that having a nice organized lay out and

crisp images can grab the attention of the viewer. One participant stated that it is always nice to

see pictures that are new and high quality rather than having a cluttered picture. These points that

the focus group hit on are important to the updating social media tactics because having a clean

and consistent layout on any forms of social media can influence the buyer’s decisions.

In a similar question, when asked if the participants have ever followed through with an

online purchase because of the item seen in a social media advertisement, majority said yes they
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have purchased from a brand recently found on social media. One participant said that a lot of

the advertisements she gets draws her into exploring the brand’s website.

When the participants were asked if there was anything they would like to add or

comment on, one participant brought up the issue with the Surplus Store’s location. She said that

it should be on or closer to campus. Another participant said it is hard for people to travel to for

those who have to take the bus. One person added that it should be where Brian’s Books was.

Taking this into consideration they should have more flexible hours and promote their location

better for those who want to shop there. Although the store cannot be moved again, a potential

follow up question would have been what could help the students get to the store easier? This

way, the participants could offer suggestions.

Survey Summary

The overall survey provided necessary information that was useful for this campaign.

One of the main factors of the survey was how 58.3% of the participants that took part in the

survey were somewhat familiar with what a Surplus Store is and majority were aware that GVSU

has one. It is important to have better advertisements to show what the store has to offer. Another

main point found was 50% of the participants agreed that environmental and ethical practices can

sway their buying decisions. Another main point that stood out was how 50% of those that took

the survey agreed that social media influences their buying habits. The focus is making the

Surplus Store’s social media more engaging, crisp photos, and an updated image. The results

from the survey will help better guide the campaign because it is important to receive feedback

on the participants’ perception of the Surplus Store.

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Conclusion and Overall Analysis

The results of the focus group and the survey were different because the focus group

created suggestions and opinions. Whereas the survey conducted basic close ended questions.

The participants that answered the survey could have been aware of the Surplus Store because of

potential similar surveys that had been sent out.

Overall, the focus group and the survey helped provide the necessary information that is

needed to have a successful campaign for the Surplus Store. The main focus of this campaign is

making an aesthetically pleasing social media account and presence, promoting what platforms

are best to reach their target audience, and adjusting store hours to make them more accessible to

students. The focus group and survey helped give an understanding of what aspects the Surplus

Store should be promoted such as the environmental impact and sustainability of purchases pre

owned goods.

Action Plan

Objective 1- Enhance twitter account and upload on Facebook Marketplace and updating the

Instagram account to look more pleasing to their followers and increase online engagement by 10

percent within 5 months.

Strategy 1- Create interactive content for social media platforms to encourage more

engagement from the target audience.

Tactic 1- Create Twitter polls to enhance engagement. This poll will be posted on

Twitter and will have two options to choose from. The questions may not relate to the

store itself necessarily, however they will current human interests and current events of

the day. The store will also be able to track engagement.

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Strategy 2- Take crisp professional photos of the products to make Instagram more

aesthetically pleasing. One employee will post on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Tactic 2- The Instagram posts will post consistently at scheduled times. The pictures will

be taken professionally and have an aesthetically clean theme.

Strategy 3- Use influencers to post about the Surplus Store and use them in their posts.

Tactic 3- The influencers will post on their Instagram story or tag them in posts using

specific items in store or promoting the store. Their posts will be randomly posted when

new items come into the store.

Objective 2-Increase foot traffic in store by 5 percent in 5 months.  

Strategy 1- Initially developing a news release announcing new store hours and inviting

shoppers to come visit the store.

Tactic 1- The news release will be sent out to local media in the Allendale and Grand

Valley area, promoting new store hours as well as increasing exposure of the stores

presence.

Strategy 2- The news release will make mention of online sales opportunities and how it

will be easier for consumers to pick their merchandise.

Tactic 2- Survey physical, online and social media customers to find out the best hours

for our target audience.

Strategy 3- The news release will contain feedback from the focus groups and quotes

from students.

Tactic 3- Present student feedback to the store about the concerns and the perceived

impression of how they view the stores hours.

GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 17

Objective 3- The Surplus Store provides donations to other organizations as a way to give back

to the community. These include, churches, food pantries and public schools. These benefits

could be promoted in the proposed online video advertisement. Additionally, these benefits could

also be promoted on their potential and new social media accounts. Increase social engagement

by 5 percent in 6 months by tracking likes and follows.

Strategy 1- Create a short 30 second YouTube promotional video that can be seen on

Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The video will be created by film or production

majors. $9.50 an hour to develop.

Tactic 1- The promotional video will showcase staff working in the store and highlight

DIY projects.

Strategy 2- The video will be promoting company information about recycling,

repurposing, and reusing. This way people can share the video online and allows them to

see the total engagement.

Tactic 2- The video will be posted on all of the Surplus Store social media accounts as

well as YouTube. The video will also be mentioned on the main Grand Valley Instagram

account for more recognition.

Strategy 3- The video will also be posted on the Surplus Store’s website or YouTube.

Tactic 3- Other videos could be posted on the website as a type of informational and

instructional video or blog. For example, how to recover a chair. And other DIY projects.

They can link similar or recommended videos to their website.

GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 18

Budget

Timeline

Evaluation

Objective 1: Increase online engagement by 10 percent within 5 months. This can be

done by enhancing the current Twitter account, uploading on Facebook Marketplace and

updating the Instagram account to look more pleasing to their followers and. This objective will

be measured by tracking likes, follows and comments/overall engagement after posting a photo.
GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 19

Also measuring new amount of followers at the end of the campaign and compare. If this

objective is not met, they can revisit and revaluate all the tactics and see which were the most

effective and try to implement.

Objective 2: Increase foot traffic in store by 5 percent in 5 months using a news

release. The second objective can be measured by conducting an instore survey of how

consumers heard about the store and if they utilize the news release. This way, the Surplus Store

will be able to track and monitor how their customers are coming to them. If this objective is not

met, the news release can promote DIY ideas or a human interest stories about the community to

increase more engagement and relate to a broader audience.

Objective 3: Increase social engagement by 5 percent in 6 months by tracking likes

and follows. The Surplus Store provides donations to other organizations as a way to give back

to the community. These include, churches, food pantries and public schools. These benefits

could be promoted in the proposed YouTube advertisement. Additionally, these benefits could

also be promoted on their potential and new social media accounts. Lastly, measuring the amount

of views per video can track how many viewers are interacting with the video. By linking the

video onto the main GVSU Instagram and uploading it on Twitter, this will be able to be

measured by the amount of likes the video has, comments and shared retweets. If this objective is

not met, an alternative suggestion would be to upload the video on the Grand Valley’s main

website page to gain more exposure.

Appendix

Focus Group’s Moderators guide

 Determine what Grand Valley Students know about the Surplus Store.

 Determine what source of media benefits Grand Valley students the best.
GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 20

 Determine what that the Grand Valley Surplus Store can do to make their business hours

more convent for their audience.

Purpose

Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to participate in this focus group. My name is Jillian

and I will be leading and asking everyone a series of questions. The focus group is designed for

me to get an understanding of how Grand Valleys students feel about my client’s product. Your

contribution will help guide this public relations campaign and aid new ways they can be

improved. We will talk for an hour.

Discloser

 Taking notes

 Recording

Engagement questions:

Do you typically thrift for items?

What do you typically purchase at the store?

What thrift stores have you shopped at or know of in general?

Do you know what a surplus store is?

Are you aware Grand Valley has a surplus store?

Exploration questions:

Do you prefer newer expensive items or cheaper used items? Please explain your reasoning.

Would you shop at a surplus store? Why or why not?

Do environmental and ethical practices affect your buying decisions?

What hours of operation work best for you as a college student to shop at?
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How does an advertisement on social media or in general sway your purchasing decisions? If so

why?

Explain the last time you saw such an advertisement on social media and followed through with

research or purchase?

Do you enjoy emails from companies about new items or are they obnoxious? Why or why not?

Do you pay attention to print advertisements? Why or why not?

Exit question:

Is there anything else you would like to say about the surplus store or anything in relation to it?

What would be the easiest way for the surplus store to reach college students like you?

That is the end of the focus group. Thank you everyone for participating and giving your

opinions. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Survey
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Survey Results
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Tactic 1
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Tactic 2

For Immediate Release CONTACT

Rebecca Ramos
616-331-9072
surplus@gvsu.edu

GVSU Surplus Store Changes Store Hours

Allendale, Mich. (Aug 1, 2019) -The Grand Valley Surplus Store serves as a sustainable,
reusing, recycling and refurbishing retail outlet. Their mission is to keep equipment, furniture
and other products out of landfills. The purpose of this retailer is to create awareness about the
importance of environmental sustainability.

The new store hours are Monday-Friday from 12:00pm-8:30pm. Weekend hours are Saturday
from 9:00am-3:00pm. The new store hours cater to the convenience of the busy life of the
college student. The new increased hours allow more flexibility for college students as well as
the general public. The old hours were only Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00am-
4:00pm, not giving the students evening hours after class to shop. When interviewing students,
the majority agreed evening store hours work best with their schedule.

The store employs GVSU students who have an interest in improving the environment. They
receive hands on experience in repairing and refurbishing items such as computers, furniture,
electronics and other miscellaneous items. The new store hours provide flexible times that work
with the student employee’s schedules.

With the online website, shoppers are able to see what items are in-store, view posted pricing and
make purchases. However, online shoppers are not able to have orders shipped to them. The new
store hours allow longer and more convenient times for pick-ups, supporting the online sales.
The new hours are expected to increase sales as well as help keep more sustainable items out of
landfills.

To learn more about the Surplus Store and its benefits, please visit
https://www.gvsu.edu/purchasing/gvsu-surplus-store-118.htm or contact Rebecca Ramos at
(616)-331-9072

###
GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 28

Tactic 3

Story Board/Commercial Script

Light easy listening music starts

ANCR: Scene 1: Grand Valley, a community of born leaders. We take action in protecting our

future.

ANCR Scene 2: We are a community striving to keep our campus safe and environmentally

friendly. We teach the importance of sustainability.

ANCR Scene 3: Recycling, reusing and refurbishing is of the utmost importance.

ANCR Scene 4: At the Grand Valley Surplus Store we give back to the community by keeping

items out of landfills while sharing profits with local schools, churches

and Grand Valley.

ANCR Scene 5: In west Michigan, our support helps keep our waters pure.

ANCR Scene 6: The Grand Valley Surplus Store. Here, we are Lakers for a lifetime.
GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 29

References

Grand Valley State University Surplus Store. Retrieved from http://gvsusurplusstore.com/

Hudson, M. (2018). How to determine the best store hours. The Balance Small Business.

Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/determine-best-store-hours-2890246

Industrial market trends blog: 4 steps for manufacturers to increase social media engagement      

and sales. (2014). Newstex Trade & Industry Blogs. Retrieved from  

proquestcom.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1643218010/fulltext/68CA80678CA64D20PQ/1

 ?accountid=39473

Lilyquist, M. (2019). What is call to action and how do I make one? The Balance Small

Business. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/call-to-action-1794380

Sheiman, A. (2018). Is TV advertising effective, relevant, and worth it? Colling Media.

Retrieved from

https://collingmedia.com/television-advertising/tv-advertising-effective-

relevant/

Smith, A. (2012). How does brand-related user-generated content differ across youtube,

facebook, and twitter? Journal of Interactive Marketing. 26(2), 102-113. doi:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2012.01.002

Smith, C. (2013). Social media demographics: The surprising identity of each major social

network. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/a-primer-on-

social-media-demographics-2013-9

TheStreet Inc. (2013). 70% of Americans prefer do-it-yourself home improvements. PR

Newswire. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/70-of-americans-

prefer-do-it-yourself-home-improvements-209184081.html
GRAND VALLEY SURPLUS STORE PLAN BOOK Youker 30

Worthy, P. (2018). Top Instagram demographics that matter to social media marketers.

Hootsuite. Retrieved from https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-demographics/

Xiaoyu, Z. Jing, Y. Tong, X. Zhibin, W. (2017). Examining advertising intrusiveness on

instagram: Hedonic and utilitarian attributes of brand and sponsored content.

American Academy of Advertising. 243-255. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1937671521/abstract/1CE7F5388E324B29PQ/1?account

id=39473