Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan

The University of Texas at San Antonio community needs a solution to the escalating problem of driving under the influence. The mission of Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence is to meet these needs by solving the problem of drunk driving and educating the community about the effects, dangers, and consequences of drunk driving. This organization targets students, male and female, of all ages at the University of Texas at San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas that are currently enrolled full or part time. Generally, these students are of modest financial status and either do not work or work only part time. Regardless of age, gender, enrollment status, financial status, or occupation, a majority of these students drink alcohol in social settings. Our organization assures that all of these students have access to a safe and sober ride home for themselves and for their vehicles. This is a service that no other organization in San Antonio or surrounding areas is able to offer. We would like our customers to value our dedication to their safety. We would also like to garner support from any future competitors that have a similar mission.  

1. Succinct vision, mission, and values statements must be developed so that all volunteers and customers are fully aware of our goals, work, and attitudes. This should be done during weekly gatherings of all volunteers over the course of four weeks. Erica Parazo will summarize these discussions as she sees fit in the vision, mission, and values statements and will be posted on the website by the webmaster. This will be free of cost.

2. We will need to develop a detailed projection of what we plan to accomplish as a business in years to come. This will take some time because everyone will need to contribute ideas to better our enterprise. The executives will all work together on the detailed projection over the course of four weeks. This will be free of cost to the organization.

3. In order to garner local support we will notify radio stations in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Our Marketing Executive, Kryslin Starett will meet with radio station representatives to assure that the organization is mentioned at least five times a day on each station for at least a month prior to the first day of business. This will cost twenty dollars per mention totaling one hundred and forty dollars that must be spent over the course of one month.

4. Ms. Starett will require an administrative assistant to aid in all marketing projects. The assistant will focus specifically on radio and television advertising. It will be free of cost to hire the assistant they will be volunteering their services free of cost to the organization.

5. Our organization would like to put together a television commercial to be aired five times a day during the local news for the entire month prior to the first day of business. Ms. Starrett and the future administrative assistant will contact local television stations to make this possible. This should cost about one thousand dollars every time the commercial airs totaling one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

6. The uniform for all volunteers will consist of a T-shirt with the company logo on it and must be worn during business hours by each volunteer for further advertising. Kryslin Starrett will make these T-shirts with her own supplies so that it is free of charge to our organization. This project will take Ms. Starrett about a week to complete.

7. The organization must hire an ad agency to aid in promotion of our company and services. Kristin Meloni will be in charge of garnering support from an ad agency so that they will offer to provide their services free of cost to our organization. She has four weeks to complete this task.

8. We will need to hire five volunteers who will be in charge of a street team to help promote Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence by word of mouth. Brandi Hays will be in charge of hiring these enthusiastic individuals for the organization over the course of four weeks. Interviews will be free of cost and the volunteers will be volunteering their services free of cost.

9. The future webmaster must create a Facebook page to promote the organization. This will take one day and will be free of cost. 

10. The future webmaster must create a Twitter account for the organization. Creating the account will take one day. This will be free of cost to the organization.

11. We will need to provide the street team with “Swag Bags” to hand out to potential supporters and customers. These bags will include a company T-shirt, a bracelet with the company acronym that will be hand-made by Kryslin Starrett, and a water bottle with stickers advertising our business. The T-shirts and bracelets will be hand-made by Ms. Starrett and will be free of cost to the organization. It will take Ms. Starrett about two months to make enough to distribute. The water bottles will cost one dollar each totaling approximately one thousand dollars that must be spent on “Swag Bags” each month.

12. A social media personnel assistant must be hired that will have the sole responsibility of managing the Facebook page. This person will manage all comments, messages, and tags from the social media site. Kristin Meloni will hire this individual over the course of four weeks. The interview and hiring process will be free of cost to the organization. The social media personnel assistant will work about an hour every day and his or her services will be free of cost to our organization.

13. This social media personnel assistant must also be in charge of managing the Twitter account for the organization. This will involve tweeting to our followers at least five times per day and retweeting at least fifty percent of all followers that mention our organization. This will take about three hours every day and will be free of cost to the organization.

14. The street team coordinator will need to be hired in order to create a street team itinerary so the street team will have a clear understanding of when and where they will advertise. This itinerary will include rules as to what businesses allows posters, where on businesses you may place signs, and locations in the city in which it is legal to gather. Kristin Meloni will be in charge of finding the person best suited for the job. The interview process and the services of the volunteer will be free of cost.

15. We will need to constantly purchase the latest design software to make sure that our website is always appealing to the customers. This will depend on how often the software companies introduce new software and each update will cost between two hundred to six hundred dollars each. The webmaster that Kristin Meloni hires will be in charge of purchasing the latest software when appropriate.

GANTT Chart

Television Advertisement



Setup Plan

Setup Plan

This is the setup plan for Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence designed to ready the organization in terms of real estate, tools, equipment, and volunteers.

1.      The organization needs to hire a volunteer to be in charge of vehicle maintenance.  This includes making sure all company vehicles have had the proper inspection, insurance, oil changes, washes and details, and gasoline.  Kristin Meloni will interview prospective volunteers for four weeks and choose two at the end of this period.  The cost of the interview process and hire will cost nothing; however, the cost of vehicle maintenance is predicted to cost around $1,000 per year per vehicle which, at this point, will total about $10,000 in the first fiscal year.

2.      Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence would not be able to operate without safe transportation.  Our organization will have to obtain vehicles through donation from companies such as CarMax.  Brandi Hays and Kristin Meloni will be in charge of introducing our organization to these companies and requesting the generous donation of a used vehicle.  This process will be of no cost to our organization and if all goes as planned the vehicles will be of no cost.

3.      It is important that all of the volunteers that we have working for our organization have a clean driving record, have an up-to-date Texas driver’s license, and are properly insured.  The organization will need to hire two volunteer coordinators to oversee the hiring and training of all volunteers.  Kristin Meloni will be in charge of hiring the volunteers over a four week interview period.  This process will be of no cost and, since the volunteers are donating their time, they will not have to be paid by our organization.

4.      The organization will need to designate a portion of a parking lot at the University of Texas at San Antonio for vehicle use.  We have been allotted ten parking spots for the ten vehicles that we currently own.  It is our job to choose which ten spots we would like to choose.  Erica Parazo will be in charge of choosing where the vehicles will be stored on campus.  This will take two days and will be free of charge.

5.      The University of Texas at San Antonio has donated furnished office space on campus for our use.  It is the responsibility of our organization to fill out the paperwork that comes with occupying this space.  Erica Parazo will fill out the paperwork and manage it as needed.  Filling out the paperwork will take one day and will be free of charge.

6.      The office we were granted contains only one multi-line telephone.  We will need to purchase four more telephones so that the business will run smoothly on busy nights and so that all clerical volunteers have a phone that they are able to answer.  Erica Parazo will be in charge of obtaining these phones.  The phones cost twenty dollars each.  This totals eighty dollars that must be spent on multi-line telephones.

7.      First Aid kits must be made available for all company vehicles.  Each kit should be equipped with gauze, band aids, tape, scissors, and other supplies that could be needed in an emergency situation.  Kristin Meloni and Brandi Hays will be responsible for requesting supplies from local hospitals over the course of four weeks.  This process will be free of cost and the supplies needed for each kit will cost nothing.

8.      Each vehicle must also be equipped with emergency equipment such as flares, a flashlight, an empty gas canister, and jumper cables.  Is will be the responsibility of Kristin Meloni to request such supplies from car dealerships and local businesses such as Auto Zone.  This process will be free of cost and the supplies should cost nothing.

9.      The company headquarters must be prepared if a volunteer mistakenly loses a key to a company vehicle or locks it in the car on accident during one of their shifts.  We will obtain a spare key for each vehicle.  Erica Parazo will be in charge of gathering all ten spare keys from Home Depot and making sure that they are always readily available.  This will take one day and will cost five dollars per key totaling fifty dollars that must be spent on spare keys.

10.  Our services are offered during peak hours of alcohol consumption each week on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.  This will require a staff that is able to stay awake and alert from ten o’clock in the evening until at least three o’clock in the morning.  To help our employees remain awake and alert our organization will provide unlimited coffee to each individual.  Erica Parazo will purchase a coffee machine and coffee grounds to provide this service.  The coffee machine will cost ten dollars from the local Goodwill and the coffee grounds will cost about ten dollars a month totaling one hundred and thirty dollars that must be spent on coffee costs in the first fiscal year.

11.  The organization must hire a volunteer organization professional to keep the headquarters in pristine condition.  His or her duties will involve organizing files, organizing advertising supplies, and organizing business contacts.  Kristin Meloni will interview individuals and will choose one or two people as she sees fit.  The interview process and services provided by these volunteers will be free of cost to the organization.

12.  Although the office comes fully furnished, our headquarters will require more chairs than provided.  The chairs do not have to be uniform in appearance; they simply have to function as chairs.  Therefore, we will ask that all volunteers bring at least two chairs to use in the office so that obtaining the chairs will be free of cost to our organization.

13.  The headquarters office does not come equipped with a fridge will be necessary for the convenience of our volunteers.  As mentioned, our volunteers will be working the “graveyard shift”.  It is important to us that all of them are as comfortable as possible.  Along with coffee being made available, we would like a refrigerator to be made available to the volunteers so that they are able to store their non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to last them during their shift.  This refrigerator will cost nothing to purchase because it will be donated by a volunteer.  However, it will use some electricity and will contribute to the electricity bill.  It will cost nothing to transport the refrigerator because it will be transported by a team of volunteers.  The transportation of the fridge will take one day.

14.  The office will need to have a constant supply of office paper to print out forms and other necessary paperwork.  We will use one hundred percent recycled paper donated from Office Max.  The cost of the supply will be free of cost and the transportation of the supply will be done by any and all of our generous volunteers so that it is free of cost to the organization.  The transportation takes a few hours and will be done once a month by available volunteers.

15.  The office will also need a constant supply of computer ink used for paperwork and advertising.  Erica Parazo will be in charge of obtaining ink as needed.  This will cost fifty dollars for each of the four ink cartridges totaling two hundred dollars that must be spent each time the ink requires a refill.  We estimate that we will need to refill the ink once a month.

Funding Plan

Funding Plan

This is the funding plan for Roadrunners against Driving under the Influence.  It is a brief description of the actions necessary to obtain and control the funding for the business.

1.      A volunteer Chief Financial Officer must be hired to take on the responsibilities associate with managing and controlling funding.  Kristin Meloni, our Human Resources Executive, will interview prospective volunteers over the course of four weeks and will select one.  This process will be free of cost seeing as there is no real estate or supplies needed to interview for the position or funds needed to be allocated to this person’s salary.

2.      An Excel document must be produced to show the start and end dates of tasks in the financial plan to assure that the organization carries out all tasks in the allotted time frame.  Kristin Meloni will hire a volunteer to take on the responsibility and will interview candidates over the course of four weeks.  Once the candidate has been chosen, he or she will have three days to develop the Excel document and will maintain and adjust the document as needed over time.  This process is free of charge and, because the position is a volunteer position, the funded allocated for this person’s salary are zero. 

3.       Erica Parazo, Chief Executive Officer, will be in charge of developing a business plan for the organization.  The business plan should be developed within one week prior to the birth of the organization and will be revised as Ms. Parazo sees appropriate as long as the organization exists.  Ms. Parazo is a volunteer employee and will use personal supplies to format the business plan; therefore, this task will be of no cost to the organization.

4.      A volunteer must be chosen that will call potential partners such as Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, College Station Carpool, and Riding Under the Influence to spark their interest in the organization and solicit their support.  Kristin Meloni will interview potential volunteers over the course of four weeks and will select only one.  This process will be free of cost seeing as there is no real estate or supplies needed to interview for the position or funds needed to be allocated to this person’s salary.

5.      The face of our organization, Brandi Hays, will need to present our business to various organizations in order to gather donations.  Because Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence is a non-profit organization, the financial support gained from these donations is imperative.  Brandi Hays will have four weeks to present our organization to as many potential donators as possible and must attain at least $10,000 in donations before we can open for business.  This process will cost nothing because Ms. Hays is a volunteer and will not need to buy any supplies to perform the task at hand.

6.       We will need to hire someone whose sole purpose is to search for creditors to help the business.  Kristin Meloni will interview and select a volunteer for this position over the course of four weeks.  This process will not cost anything and, since the position is for volunteers only, their salary will be zero.

7.      A Purchasing Manager must be hired in order to identify and coordinate priorities and actions to contain and reduce operational program costs.  Kristin Meloni will hire a volunteer for this position over the course of four weeks.  The interview process will cost nothing.  Because the Purchasing Manager is a volunteer, funding a salary will be of no concern to the organization.

8.      A Product and Service Manager must be hired in order to research new, improved, and lower cost products and services for the organization in hopes of saving money in the long run.  Kristin Meloni will have five weeks to hire a volunteer for this position.  This process will be cost nothing and the new Product and Service Manager will donate their time and effort free of charge.

9.      A person must be hired to develop contracts with future partners and to seek legal counsel as needed.  Kristin Meloni will interview candidates over the course of five weeks and select one person for the job.  This process will be free of cost and the position will be volunteer only; therefore, we need not allocate any funds for this person’s salary.

10.  We must contact an accountant to manage company taxes for the non-profit organization.  Kristin Meloni and Brandi Hays will be in charge of meeting with potential accountants and presenting our vision and mission to them in hopes that at least one will donate their services to us free of charge.  Ms. Meloni and Ms. Hays will have two months to do this.  This process will cost nothing and the salary of the accountant should be free of charge as well.

11.  Donations to the organization will come in the form of electronic money via our website, paper money, and supplies.   We must hire an individual to manage all of these company donations to make sure that every penny is accounted for and that all money donated is distributed appropriately.  Kristin Meloni will have two months to hire this individual.  This process will be free of cost.

12.   The organization must hire a webmaster to manage and maintain the company website.  His or her duties will include managing all online donations.  Kristin Meloni will be in charge of finding a webmaster that best suits our needs and will be given two months to do so.  The interview process will cost nothing; however, the cost of purchasing a website will run about five dollars per month.

13.  The organization must search for volunteers to perform clerical duties at the company headquarters including filing funding paperowork.  Kristin Meloni will have two months to choose five people suitable for this position.  The interview process will be of no cost.  The volunteers will not be paid for their time.

14.   The organization must find a permanent contact at Frost Bank, the bank that will be managing our funds.  Kristin Meloni and Brandi Hays will be in charge of selecting the appropriate contact that will assist us with all of our fund management needs.  Ms. Meloni and Ms. Hays will be given two weeks to do so and their efforts will be free of cost to the organization.

15.  The organization must obtain credit card machines for at least half of the vehicles so that customers are able to donate money after their free and sober ride to Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence.  We understand that not all of our customers carry cash.  The credit card machines will cost fifty dollars each and will be placed in five of our vehicles totaling two hundred and fifty dollars that must be spent on credit card machines.  Erica Parazo will be in charge of purchasing these machines and installing them into the vehicles.  Her services will go unpaid and will take her about a week to complete.

Funding Letter

17423 Emerald Canyon

San Antonio, TX 78232

Phone: (210) 123-4567

Fax: (210)456-7890

E-mail: erica.parazo@gmail.com

9 April 2012

Mr. Kenneth Cole

Director of Operations

College Station Carpool
98765 White Rock
San Antonio, TX 78229

Dear Mr. Cole:

Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a solution to the problem of drunk driving for students at the University of Texas at San Antonio through free, safe, and sober transportation and through community education and awareness.  As of now, the only similar service that is available on the market is transportation via taxi cab.  This, however, fails to meet market needs due to steep pricing.  Our organization assures that all students at the university have access to a free ride home for themselves and for their vehicles.  This is a service that no other organization in San Antonio or surrounding areas is able to offer.

The sales goal for the organization is to make enough money in donations and tips to support the cost for transportation.  That is, vehicle maintenance and gasoline.  Roadrunners Against Driving Under the influence aims to make absolutely no profit off of the services that are provided.  We believe that a free, safe ride home is the only way to truly eliminate driving under the influence.

Our organization needs at least ten thousand dollars to start up.  Our volunteers have done enough fundraising to raise one thousand dollars.  We ask that you invest nine thousand dollars in our organization.  We will spend these funds on purchasing vehicles without which our organization would not be able to operate.  You will be paid back with an interest rate of six percent exactly one year after the lending date.

Thank you for your time.  I would like to meet with you in person to discuss your investment as soon as possible.  Please call me at (210) 123-4567 or E-mail me erica.parazo@gmail.com at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Erica Parazo

Erica Parazo, MBA

Chief Executive Officer of Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence
erica.parazo@gmail.com

EP/tf

Enclosure: Abbreviated Business Plan
cc: Kristin Meloni, Kryslin Starett, Brandi Hays

Memorandum

Memorandum

To                             Kristin Meloni; Kryslin Starett, Jamie Garrison

From                       Erica Parazo

Date                        20 February 2012

Subject             Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence Visions, Missions, and Values

Introduction

As you recall, we have met several times to discuss the vision, mission, and values of Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence.  I chose to document this discussion as follows.

Vision Statement

Within a period of five years we hope that Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence is leading the market as a provider of safe, sober rides home for drivers and their vehicles.  The reputation of our services will far exceed that of any competitors in quality and cost.  With that being said, we see our customer base expanding to not only San Antonio but surrounding areas as well so that Roadrunners will have more access to our services.  We hope that the driving record of our employees remains flawless over the years so as to develop trust with our customers and that these employees continue to provide customer service that surpasses that of all competitors.  All of the profit attained through customer tips and community donations will be used to expand our services and maintain our vehicles.  We hope our profits exceed $500,000 over this five year period.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide a solution to the problem of drunk driving as well as educate the community on the effects, dangers, & consequences of impaired driving.  Over a five year period we will completely eliminate injuries and fatalities caused by drunk driving in the University of Texas at San Antonio community.  Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence will present the safest drivers to all Roadrunners when called upon. 

Values System

The following core values reflect what is truly important to us as an organization. These are not values that change from time to time, situation to situation or person to person, but rather they are the foundation of our company culture.  Our services will be the best in terms of value received for time and money invested.  We will deliver excellence, strive for continuous improvement, and respond vigorously to change.  We are dedicated to satisfying our customers.  We believe in respecting our customers, listening to their requests, and understanding their expectations.  We strive to exceed these expectations in quality and on-time delivery.  We value the Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence volunteers for without them we would fail our mission.  We will continue to respect their opinions and perspectives.

Closing

Now that we have documented on the goals, work, and attitudes of Roadrunners Against Driving Under the Influence I am more certain than ever that we shall attain great success.  If you feel as though I have omitted important information regarding our vision, mission, or values, please let me know as soon as possible by calling me at (210) 332-2000 or emailing me at radui.ericaceo.com.