+12/6/18

Executive Summary

The Uptown Normal Marketplace is a beautiful dream, but to fulfill this dream you need

the right ideas and the right people to fulfill those ideas. As people who were mesmerized by

this concept, we decided to come up with a realistic marketing plan that covers everything from

Market Research to Promotions.

Before we begin, our main goal for this project is that after the duration of this contract

which lasts till December 31st 2019 is to create a platform, through which this establishment can

take off, to create awareness throughout the audience in such a way that when they think of

Uptown Normal they immediately think of The UNM. We want to target our 3 year goal in such a

way that this establishment becomes the No 1 attraction in Central Illinois.

For our first year we are going to stick to a budget of a mere $4,936.08 for all our

promotional efforts, we believe that our promotional strategies are very competitively priced and

at the same time they will be very effective. Unlike many other agencies, we will not just stick to

the basics like Press Releases and Social Media, we want to connect our business directly to

our targeted audience which is the Student population and the Residents that work in the

corporate industry around the twin cities. We will be doing this through focus groups, events like

Homecoming Tailgate during the uptown parade,social media competitions, targeted marketing

like Google Adwords and interesting Signages around the City.

We believe in the Marketplace, we believe that it’s a beautiful concept and with the right

marketing, this establishment can reach unfathomable heights in a very short time and with our

expert client services, we can save you the time and money on advertising and market
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research, the time you could use to make your future audience say- “Come grab a bite for

everything you’d like.”

Company Analysis

The Uptown Normal Marketplace has been a dream of Mr. and Mrs. Kane for over half a

decade now. After talking to them, we found out that they both went to ISU in the 90s and a lot

of their friends and relatives went to ISU as well and they all struggled to find fresh groceries

and a location off-campus where students could go and just hang out while experiencing a wide

variety of food options. Adults and parents living in Bloomington working in the corporate

industry have a different kind of struggle, they found it to be difficult to find a location that

offered live bands and an electrifying atmosphere where they could go along with their kids.

After traveling across the country, visiting several farmer’s markets, food halls and

similar establishments, they amalgamated the best qualities of all of these ideas and decided to

come up with a completely different concept. A concept that would be appreciated by the divided

populations of college students and corporate employees residing in these twin-cities. A concept

that opens up a whole new category, where they have the freshness and trusted quality of a

farmer’s market, the food variety of a food court and the electrifying atmosphere of a shopping

mall.

We talked to Mrs Kane regarding the types of products and services that will be offered at

the Marketplace. She said that this location has two purposes, providing college students

necessity grocery goods as there are no supermarkets like Walmart or Costco in walking distance
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from the campus and providing the “Townies” a new place to hang out, a new place to get fresh

goods and enjoy a wide variety of food options under a single roof.

After talking a little more about the products and services that will be provided, we found

out that they are trying to set up stalls for local farmers and vendors, who would be providing

locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables at the cheapest rates. They are also in talks with famous

food trucks around the town and restaurants and professional chefs to set up their own stalls that

would provide a wide variety of speciality food items. They are targeting on having only one

food stall per cuisine, for example, no other stalls will be allowed to have Mexican food, if one

stall specializes in Mexican food. The reason behind this is to eliminate internal competition.

They are also planning on having a seasonal or festive market, for example during Oktoberfest,

they will have stalls that focuses on German food items or German liquor. Apart from these

products, they also want to provide a wide variety of services to the community, like having

cooking demos, live bands, art nights, wine/beer tasting, theme nights for kids and karaoke

nights during the weekends.

At the moment, the Uptown Marketplace is set to open in late 2019 or early 2020, and it

will be located right up by the uptown circle. It is the best location that an establishment could

possibly be set up, as this location gives the Marketplace to have a high volume of walk in

customers due to various reasons. Due to its proximity to the Bus and Train Station, it is

surrounded by bars and clubs, that are very popular during the weekends amongst locals and

students alike, there are no direct competitors in the area and lastly it takes 5 minutes for students

to walk from their dorms to the marketplace.

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Talking about competitive advantages, apart from the location, the Marketplace will be a

one of a kind establishment with no direct competitors. The only real competition in the area is

from Downtown Bloomington Trailside Farmer’s Market and the Watterson Dining Center on

campus. Neither of these are well known amongst the college students mainly because they are

kind of far from the campus and most students don’t have cars. Neither of these locations have

been able to acquire a desired market share, apart from that, the Marketplace is so much more

than just a farmer’s market or a fresh grocery store.

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Goals and Objectives

The overall goal for our marketing plan is to develop go-to-marketing strategies for The

Marketplace in Uptown Normal regarding brand saturation and sales. This is an important aspect

to the owners of the business since the Marketplace is not open yet. We want to build as much

hype as possible and get the word around the Bloomington-Normal area that The Marketplace is

coming and it is going to be a trendsetter. We want to solidify the fact that there is nothing else

like The Marketplace in this area, it is the go to spot when it comes to college students and

professionals in the community. To achieve our overall goal, we have broken it down into

smaller SMART goals, that allow us to actually take action and be able to measure how we are

doing as time goes on. With our marketing plan we want to grow awareness of The Marketplace

to 50% of target market within 6 months of opening. We will achieve this through aiming

specifically at the target market of college students and professionals in the community, which is

approximately 100,000 people. Our next goal or objective, is to grow social media presence on

Facebook to 1,000 likes and Instagram presences to 500 followers within one year of opening.

This will be done by making our presence known on social media, posting routinely, giving

exclusive deals for social media followers, record a walk through of what The Marketplace is,

and anything else that involves growing brand awareness. Our final objective is to plan

community-engaging events bimonthly for the first year, and monthly for the time following. We

feel as if this will be the best way to engage with “townies”, as well as get the college students

out, whether they are from Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, or Heartland
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Community College. This will allow for there to be an activity twice a month, which will grow

awareness, as well as give people a reason to visit even if they are not interested in the food.

Overall, these goals and objective align with the owner’s vision of The Marketplace. All of these

goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realtic, and timely. With the opening of The

Marketplace set at late 2019, early 2020, this allows for management to implement these goals as

soon as they see fit.

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SWOT Analysis

The Uptown Normal Marketplace has a handful of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,

and threats. To start off, the first strength of the marketplace is location. The Uptown Normal

Marketplace will be located in the most convenient place possible for students around the area.

It is not only located around lots of student foot traffic but around parents and families around

the bloomington are as well. The next strength of the marketplace is the variety of food it has to

offer. The marketplace will have foods from burgers, hot dogs, pizza, pasta, all the way to,

salads, yogurts, gluten free, vegetables, fruits, etc. This will cause the customers to increase

because it will hit the tastes of everyone and anyone who enjoys food. The next strength is that it

is a growing industry. The marketplace will be “the new guys in town.” This will catch

everyone's attention and it will get them to wonder, “hmm..what is this place all about? Let’s

check it out.” People around the area are bored of the places open in uptown and I assure you,

the people want something new! A new taste that will brighten their day. The last strength for

the marketplace is that it will be unique to the environment. Like I said before, it will be the new

place to eat at around town. After living at Illinois State University, one tends to get sick and

tired of the same old boring food places around town. People are urging to get that brand new

flavor and environment which is why The Uptown Normal Marketplace will be the unique add

on to the environment.

Along with strengths there usually comes weaknesses. The marketplace first weakness is

that lots of people do not really understand what a market place/food hall is. Students might
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question what the heck is a marketplace and decide not to check it out because they want

food/restaurants and the marketplace is not considered a restaurant because it offers more than a

restaurant. Another weakness would be the lack of brand exposure in the community. Nobody

has even heard of The Uptown Normal Marketplace because it is not even open nor built yet

which is why obviously there is zero exposure of the brand. The last weakness of the

marketplace is that the building will have no drive through. Reason being is that this is no fast

food restaurant. This food hall is going to hire outside vendors, not as big as burger king, panda

express, etc. and these vendors will make food that tastes more fresh and homemade which is

why it is going to take a bit longer to make which eliminates the need of a drive thru.

Along with strengths and weaknesses comes opportunities. An opportunity that the

marketplace has is the community engagement that will be involved. Due to its location, there

will be lots of community engagement due to the families walking around the uptown normal

area and due to the crowds of hungry students. Another great opportunity is the showcasing of

local talent that The Uptown Normal Marketplace will be doing. There will be little jam band

performance events that will be going on inside the building while you grab a bite to eat. This

will really brighten the ambience/atmosphere in the food hall which is a great opportunity to get

our name out there which will grab the attention of musicians, families, and students around the

bloomington normal area. The last opportunity is that it will incubate local business.

Lastly we have some threats that come in the picture. There are a large variety of venues

in the bloomington normal area which have established brands and are locally known. People

like what they know; people are not familiar with The Uptown Normal Marketplace which is

why when it comes to choosing where to eat, people may choose what they already know which
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includes the wide variety of venues. This also includes the unique businesses already established

in Uptown. Lastly, a growing market leads to increased competition. As the marketplace begins

to take off there will surely be other competitors that might copy some of the ideas/traits that the

Uptown Normal Marketplace will have to offer. The only real competition in the area is from

Downtown Bloomington Trailside Farmer’s Market and the Watterson Dining Center on campus.

The Downtown Bloomington Trailside Farmer’s Market has its strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats as well. The strengths that this farmer’s market has is a wide variety of

local and out of state fruits, vegetables, flowers and baked goods. This appeals to many of the

families in this rural town and it is factual that local food builds community. When you buy

direct from a farmer, you're engaging in a time-honored connection between the eater and

grower. Knowing farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the land, and your food. In many

cases, it gives you access to a place where your children and grandchildren can go to learn about

nature and agriculture.

The big weakness that this market has is that it is only open for 3 ½ months and only

open on Tuesdays on top of that. Another weakness is that not many people have heard of this

specific farmer’s market so they are missing out on a potential market increase.

Some of the opportunities that the farmer’s market has is that because they are a local

food market the money spent on their products stays close to home directly benefiting our

communities and families. If every Illinois household dedicated just $10 of their weekly grocery

dollars towards products raised in our state a whopping $47 million would be re-invested in the

Illinois economy. Shopping at local markets leaves a huge opportunity for growth in the

business and state.

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The threats of this farmer’s market would be any other food place around town.

Restaurants that are more convenient for the consumer to spend their money at is a threat to the

company and other threats would be grocery stores around the area as well that offer less fresh

products at a cheaper price.

Along with the Downtown Bloomington Trailside Farmer’s Market, the Watterson Dining

Center on campus is another big competitor to the Uptown Normal Marketplace. Watterson

Dining is the number one competitor due to how close it is to the future location of the Uptown

Normal Marketplace and how it is a food hall just like the marketplace.

One of the strengths that the Watterson Dining Center has is the wide variety of foods

they have to offer. This dining center has a burritos section, pizza & pasta section, gluten free

section, salad section, bakery goods section, fruit section, grill section, asian food section, and

homestyle section. This wide variety of foods appeal to most of the students on campus. Another

huge strength is that they offer a meal plan. Thousands of ISU students sign up for some sort of

meal plan when enrolling to be students at the university. This encourages students to not eat

anywhere else due to the set meal plan with the dining center. The location is another strength

because it is located right in the center of everything and easily accessible for the hundreds of

students dorming in Watterson Towers that is attached to the dining center which makes getting

food super convenient.

A weakness that the dining center has is that the food is not very good. Many students

complain about the quality of food that is served and people tend to get sick and tired of the food

within the first couple of months eating there. Another weakness of theirs is that they are very
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understaffed which causes long lines and lack of silverware, cups, and plates when they are

needed the most.

The dining center has the opportunity of attaining thousands of students and getting their

name out there as well. The dining center is well established and has been around since 1969.

When future college students come to visit the university they usually have a meal with their

parents at the dining center. College visits are opportunities for the dining center to gain many

customers.

Watterson Dining Commons also has a number of threats. Like I mentioned before, one

quickly gets sick and tired of eating the food at the dining center, this is where all the other food

options come in. The Uptown Normal Marketplace will be the number one threat to the dining

center because it will be the place where students go to and enjoy due to the warm atmosphere it

will have to offer compared to the cold gray dining center.

Competitive Advantages

The Uptown Normal Marketplace has a number of competitive advantages. To begin

they have a large variety of foods that one can enjoy at this food hall and the option of

purchasing items such as fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, etc. is also there. Another advantage is

the location of the marketplace. It is in the dead center of campus and uptown normal which will

attract many students and families. The marketplace will also have one of the best atmospheres

around town which will gain and keep customers. One of the perks that will compliment the

friendly atmosphere will be the showcasing of local talents. While customers grab a bite to eat

they can enjoy nice acoustic music in the background and this will also get the word out amongst

musicians that this marketplace is the place to be. This will also be the newest addition to the
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uptown normal community which will catch the eyes of many causing them to check this place

out with a guarantee of satisfaction.

Positioning Statement:

For students, families, and anyone who enjoys tasty food, the Uptown Normal

Marketplace is a marketplace which provides a wide variety of delicious foods to consume and

purchase and provides a friendly, welcoming environment/atmosphere, unlike Watterson Dining

which provides tasteless food and a dull atmosphere.

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Branding, Target, Lifecycle

The Marketplace is currently in the start-up phase of the business life-cycle. The

marketing strategies are designed for a business in this phase. Focusing on brand awareness,

reaching the target market, and influencing sales. Also, it allows The Marketplace to be a late

mover, already entering an established market. However, when being a late mover a business

must analyze their competition closely. Yes, The Marketplace is a unique business idea, but it is

still a restaurant type business. That being said, one of the main competitors to The Marketplace

is the Watterson building Dining Center, which is in its growth stage of the life cycle. The Dining

Center, attracts college students, specifically Illinois State University. The Dining Center

provides a wide variety of food types, one of the main attractions of The Marketplace. However,

The Marketplace will be advertised as a culture experience, being able to dip the fork into food

from across the world. Another competitor to The Marketplace is Walmart, is a business that is in

the majority stage of the business life cycle. Although this may not seem like a direct competitor,

a main attraction to The Marketplace is the healthy choices available. In the

Bloomington-Normal area there are fast food restaurants around every corner. Walmart is

probably the biggest provider of these types of food. However, no one wants to go inside and

drive all the way away from campus. The Marketplace is going to be able provide that quick easy

feeling through the location of the business. It is located in the Uptown area of Normal, walking

distance from campus, and professionals in that area. Their final competitor is another farmer’s

market type business. Downtown Bloomington Trailside Farmer’s Market, this is a business that

threatens The Marketplace for their electric atmosphere. However, through engaging marketing
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and ads, it will not be long before everyone knows about The Marketplace. This allows The

Marketplace to take over, as the Downtown Bloomington Trailside Farmer’s Market is in the

declining stage of business. The primary target market for The Marketplace is

Bloomington-Normal professionals, about 70,000 in total (Mclean County, Illinois 2017

Demographic Profile). Like mentioned earlier, The Marketplace is going to be the place to go in

town. Great location, variety of food, electric atmosphere, as well as some great prices. Also, the

projected customer life of an actual Bloomington-Normal native is about 10 years, when

discussing college students, thiers are about 2 years. That is why it is important for them to be

our primary targets. The secondary target market are college students, weighing in at about

30,000 people (Mclean County, Illinois 2017 Demographic Profile). The best way to attract

them, is threw engaging events, deals on prices, and location. Implementing these key aspects

while targeting them will set The Marketplace up for a very successful and sustainable future.
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Market Research

Market Research is one of the biggest part of the marketing strategy for any new

business. Effective market research can be the difference between the success and failure of a

new business, market research is not only essential for a business, it’s also equally important for

the community and the business’s potential clients. Market Research connects the business with

it’s audience, it tells the business what their audience wants and so they can tailor and deliver

their products and services effectively.

The details we gathered showed us what our target market’s needs and preferences are.

We learned what the consumers’ spending habits are like and the types of purchasing decisions

these people make. Having this information and analyzing it thoroughly helped us figure out the

best way to make our offerings known and price them in a way to attract the most customers.

We used both Primary as well as Secondary Research to find out more information about

our target market and the products and prices they desire.

Primary research is the pursuit of firsthand information on your market and its

customers. We used focus group and online surveys to gather fresh details on the challenges our

establishment face and the brand awareness behind the company. Primary research is useful

when segmenting the market and establishing the buyer personas.

Secondary research is all the data and public records you have at your disposal to draw

conclusions from. This includes trend reports, market statistics, industry content, and sales data..

Secondary research is particularly useful for analyzing your competitors.

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1. Campuswide Only Survey

With the help of Google Surveys, we conducted a survey through which we got 137+

responses from people around the ISU campus. We posted this survey on multiple ISU Class

facebook groups, we went around campus asking students and professors to fill out this survey in

exchange of candy (During Halloween week). We got some great responses that showed us the

perspective of our audience. Here are some of the results-

1. Age

a. 18-22 90 responses

b. 22-30 36 responses

c. 30+ 8 responses

2. Have you ever been to a food hall/marketplace?

a. Yes: 71%

b. No: 29%

3. If so, what did you enjoy?

a. Atmosphere: 26 responses

b. Food options: 61 responses

c. Convenience: 50 responses

4. If not, what do you envision when you think of a food hall/marketplace?

a. Different food options: 10 people

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b. Food pantry: 4 people

c. Farmers market: 7 people

d. Mall food court: 5 people

e. Cafeteria: 2 people

f. Food trucks: 1 person

g. No idea: 6 people

5. What grocery items would you like to have easy access to?

a. Fruits: 62

b. Veggies: 55

c. Dairy products: 11

d. Eggs: 6

e. Unique items grocery stores might not have: 3

f. Organic/grass fed items: 2

g. Healthy snacks: 2

6. How much would you be willing to spend for a locally produced meal

a. $1-$10: 50.7%

b. $11- $20: 44.9%

c. $21+: 4.4%

d. Atmosphere: 9.6%

e. Food Options: 40.4%

f. Good Deals: 50%

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7. What types of events would you be interested in the marketplace hosting?

a. Cooking demos: 24 people

b. Live Band: 35 people

c. Farmers market: 46 people

d. Seasonal festivals/ Theme Nights: 4 people

e. Trivia/bingo night: 3 people

● On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being least favorable and 5 being most favorable

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○
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2. Focus Groups

With all the information we gathered in our survey, we put together three separate focus

groups. One group contained a bunch of local artists from various fields such as music, theatre

and art. In another group we put together a bunch of students from fraternities and sororities and

lastly in the final focus group, we put together a bunch of local townies that work at Caterpillar.

Each of these focus groups had no more than 15 people, we tried to keep them small so we could

have a conversational tone and so we can know what they like about it and what they would like

to see incorporated. We made presentations similar to the one we presented in the class but each

of these presentations were tailored based on their target focus group. For example, the

presentation we made for our artist focus group was focused on opportunities for them to

perform at ta new location. We really enjoyed having these focus groups as this served two

purposes, we gathered information and two it started the process of word of mouth marketing.

We got tons of valuable information from our primary research but at the same time we

knew not to neglect secondary research! We went through marketing patterns and market trends

for businesses similar to ours which helped us think of a marketing strategy and marketing plan

that would help us the most.

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Projected Proposal and Expenses

Month Plan Expected

Expense
Jul Start Facebook Page and develop Website, $21.14
Focus Groups
Aug Social Media, Festival ISU Booth, Focus $28.48
Groups
Sept Social Media, Newspaper Article, Focus Groups 519.94
Oct Signage, Social Media, Focus Groups with 299.62
RSOs, Homecoming Tailgate Event
Nov Signage, Social Media, Student Reps, 531.62
Pre-Inauguration Food tasting Event
Dec Flyers, Signage, Social Media, SMS marketing, $3578.62
Press Coverage, Student Reps, Guerrilla
Marketing
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Promotional Strategies
Since the Marketplace does not open until December 2019, there is no point in

marketing the establishment so early, as until July we do not even expect to fill out all

the vendor slots or be done with the renovations. Here are some of the promotional

strategies that we thought off-

1. Focus Groups

This is a free and yet very effective form of marketing. Every month we plan on

going to multiple locations around the city and even neighbouring cities to

corporate offices and holding these meetings and providing them with information

about the organization. Apart from that also bringing in small amounts of tasting

dishes and goodies that we plan on having at the marketplace.Towards the end

of the year we will start having focus group at fraternity/ sorority houses and at

different It is a slow and time-consuming method but very effective.

2. Festival ISU

This is a zero expense form of marketing as well. Every late August, ISU hosts

this big festival where local businesses and campus organizations come

together. We plan on having a booth at this festival where we could provide our

food to the students as samplers. Estimated walking crowd every year is around

15000.
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3. Newspaper Article

This article will announce it to the community about our marketplace, the article

will contain an interview Mrs Kong and provide a whole brief that describes the

foods provided and services accessible and announce the launch date. This

article will also mark the start of our heavy usage of promotional strategies

4. Signage

If placed in good locations, these can be extremely useful. We plan on starting

with one outside the Marketplace in Oct to let people know that something

interesting is about to open in Uptown. Eventually as the date of inauguration

comes closer, we will add more signs around the city and on the highway as well.

5. Newspaper Advertisements

These will be placed in the newspapers a week from the grand opening and on

the day of the opening.

6. Flyers

These will be circulated in the residential district of Bloomington a day before the

opening.

7. SMS Marketing

These messages will be sent out on the day of the opening to the residents of

both the towns.

8. Student Reps

They will be incharge during the last month to have a student campaign that runs

around the countdown period of the Marketplace.

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9. Social Media

Facebook posts in different town groups and social media challenges and

campaigns will take place in the latter months, the winners of these contests will

get to participate in the Pre-Inauguration Event which will be a dress rehearsal

for the actual grand opening- with live music, free food sample at every food stall.

10. Google Adwords

This is a very important form of advertising tool as it is based on keywords, so

whenever someone types in fresh fruits, fresh produce or food items near me,

whenever someone types these keywords, the first thing to pop up would be The

Normal Marketplace.

11. Homecoming Event

Every year, during the Saturday of Homecoming Week, a parade goes on around

uptown, thousands of people show up to see this parade along with their kids, we

thought it would be cool if we could provide them with fresh coffee and/or

tailgating food items.

12. Press Coverage

This includes radio advertisements, newspaper cover stories and even a radio

interview days before the opening.

Here is the Budget for the first year

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Sample Advertisements
1. SMS Marketing Sample

2. Radio Announcement Sample

“Do you like Free food? Great Deals on fresh dairy and produce products? Live

Music? CUBS SEASON PASS? ED SHEERAN CHICAGO FRONT ROW

TICKETS? Come through to the grand opening of THE Uptown Normal

Marketplace on the 7th of December at 123 Street, Normal. The Uptown Normal

Marketplace-Come grab a bite for everything you’d like.”

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3. Instagram Post Sample

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Marketing Mix

4 P’s The Marketplace

Price $1-$20 and Good deals

Product Variety: American, Chinese, Mexican, and

Italian
Type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and
Dessert

Place Set to be located at 106 E Beaufort St,

Normal, IL 61761

Promotion Social Media, Community Events, SMS,

and an Atmosphere like no other

Since The Marketplace is not up and running yet, it is important to take

advantage of market research. That is why the business can get a head start and

prepare for their customers before they even have any. Price is a very important aspect

of the marketing mix, especially when it comes to a college town. Luckily, the market

research obtained is a majority of college students. About 90% of people surveyed

preferred prices between $1-$20, and an emphasis on good deals. The Marketplace

should focus on deals to decrease the price of their products, this will attract new

customers from any target market, and can be easily advertised. Podcut is another

element of the marketing mix, like mentioned earlier, The Marketplace is going to have

great variety. Having a solid product line can make a customer keep wanting to come

back. Not only are customers going to get top quality food, but they will be able to get

any type of food they can imagine from a vendor. This is a unique aspect and it needs to
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be the main focus. The place of a business is another important factor in the marketing

mix. The Marketplace allows for college students without cars to get quality, healthy

food without the hassle of asking for a ride. It also plays an important role when

regarding professionals in the area. Keeping The Marketplace walking distances from

businesses will be an amazing asset. Employees will not only have disposable income

to spend, but also want to get away from work for a little bit. What is better than some

fresh air, good food, and a relaxing atmosphere. Now promoting these aspects is the

hard part, however, the strategies developed will help achieve this. The Marketplace will

promote their business before it is open, creating awareness and buzz. Social media is

obviously on of the most important platforms to promote on. The Marketplace will be

unique in having a walk through prior to opening of the business. Showing off what

exactly what a marketplace is, what this one offers, and upcoming events. This

“walkthrough” will allow people to get a feel for the opening without even being there.

Also, another important promotion strategy is the community engaging events, however,

this is later down the line once The Marketplace is officially open. Whether this is a “how

to” cooking event, concerts, mural paintings, or anything that engages with the

community. This is important to make the community aware of your company presence.

Some improvements that can be made when officially in business, is to focus on

keeping the price low. The Marketplace must avoid higher prices which seems to be a

trend in regards to healthy products, but staying within the suggested prices above will

be ideal. Another improvement to make in the future would be considering opening a

second store. Once The Marketplace is open, it'll mainly attract the community near
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Uptown, while it could be discussed to open a second shop in the Downtown area. This

would expand on the total reach of The Marketplace, and eliminate some threats of

competitors. Overall, if The Marketplace would like expand more on market research, it

can be a very big influence on decisions in the future.

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Conclusion
Come grab a bite for everything, you'd like! This is what customers should be

saying about to their friends after leaving The Marketplace. This marketing plan is

tailored to what has been communicated during the relationship with the business,

aligning with their goals, mission, budget, and most importantly the dream of the

owners. The plan is estimated to cost $4,936.08, which is a steal considering the

projections of sales, customer traffic, and brand awareness. Like mentioned earlier,

meeting the SMART goals will result in increasing sales by 50%, 1500 social media

followers, and be a business the community supports. Not only will a marketing plan be

prepared for the start-up stage of business, but also one will be prepared for each life

cycle of the business. This will allow for constant growth, and will be easy checkpoints

to see if everything is on track. Overall, this partnership will benefit both parties.

Allowing for The Marketplace to be the dream imagined not only by the owners, but for

everyone involved.
 34

References:
Mclean County, Illinois 2017 Demographic Profile. (2017, December 7). Retrieved from

https://www.bnbiz.org/

Uptown Circle. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.normal.org/919/Uptown-Circle