April 23, 2012

Final Promotional Plan for Auto Credit of Southern Illinois

Prepared by:
Tyler Rossdeutcher Michael Ingram Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson

Prepared for:
Nic Skovgaard Taylor Motor Company, Marketing Director

Marketing 363
Dr. Gordon Bruner II

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer

Table of Contents
Introduction
Business Description Summary of the Problem S.W.O.T. Analysis

General Plan
Objective Available Resources Evaluative Techniques

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p. 3 - 5 p. 3 p. 3 - 4 p. 4 - 5 p. 5 - 10 p. 5 - 6 p. 6 p. 7 p. 7 - 8 p. 9 - 10 p. 11 p. 11 - 13 p. 14 15 p. 16 - 24 p. 16 - 19 p. 19 - 21 p. 21 - 22 p. 22 24 p. 24 p. 25
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Strategy ..... Target Market Psychographics and .....

Target Market- Demographics Consumption Habits Causality Substantiality Accessibility

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Tactile Recommendations
Packaging and Branding Public Relations Personal Selling Advertising Complete Budget

Summary and Conclusions

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer

Introduction
Business Description Auto Credit is a lending firm dealing in high risk loans for used cars. They deal mostly with a low income, low class, and low education demographic who have had any number of previous issues leading to a bad credit score. These issues can range from divorce, past defaults and repossessions, foreclosures, medical problems, etc. The company has offices in Carbondale, Marion, Benton and Mount Vernon which are currently headquartered in Benton. Auto Credit is in the process of building a new office in Marion which will be much larger than their other locations. Their goal is to make the new Marion office their headquarters in the coming months. Auto Credit deals only in 3 year term loans and always in used cars because of their high risk demographic. Their customers come to Auto Credit because they cannot obtain a loan from other dealerships, banks, or credit unions. To compensate for their willingness to take a risk in giving their high-risk for default customers loans, Auto Credit gives loans with 18-20% interest. They require three basic terms in order to qualify for a loan: a valid Illinois driver's license, 18 years of age and must bring home at least $800/month. One single person included in the loan application must meet all 3 of these requirements to qualify for a loan. Summary of Problem Bruner and Associates 3

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer The two basic issues that Auto Credit would like help with are coming up with a new slogan and planning a sales promotional event which includes a referral program. With the opening of a new office they would like us to coordinate a promotion that revolves around both a grand opening which they would like to break into two separate events. Additionally, since Auto Credit does not have a slogan, it was asked of us to come up with one for them to use on business card, their website, advertising, etc. SWOT Analysis Strengths Close proximity to demographic Product/service always in demand Selection of over 200+ vehicles company wide One of very few high risk loan offices in Southern Illinois Consistently sell highest quantity of used cars in Southern Illinois Previous sales promotion experience

Weaknesses Image issues High risk clientele Poor advertising Inconsistant brand (image, signage, etc) No slogan

Opportunities Improve the image Bruner and Associates 4

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer Down economy and high unemployment has increased customer base Recent rebranding initiative with St Louis-based company has given detailed geographic customer market base map and demographic density maps Threats Moving the home office (organizational issues) Worsening image The proliferation of national "buy-here-pay-here" locations moving into area Loan Defaults Their high risk clientele could theoretically put them out of business Increase revenue Increasing referral program numbers

General Plan
Objective The overall goal is to drive up traffic and draw people to the dealership. We want people to physically be at the location. We plan on accomplishing this by using attractive incentives for our target market (food, family entertainment, etc.) and having an effective slogan. We feel that traffic at the location will lead to customers. Specifically, our goal is to increase the number of cars sold annually across the four Auto Credit of Southern Illinois locations from 1,614 in FY 2011 to 1,800 by end FY December 31, 2012. That represents an increase of approximately 11.52% or 186 cars company-wide. These numbers have been derived from looking through the

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer sales histories of each store location dating back to 2002. Last year Auto Credit had their strongest year in company history selling a total of 1,614 cars between their 4 stores. Their highest individual store totals were as follows: Benton, 306 in the year 2006; Marion, 722 in the year 2011; Mt. Vernon, 412 in the year 2006 (followed by a very close second of 405 in 2011); Carbondale, 359 in the year 2008. If each one of those store had their best year ever at the same time we would hit 1,800 cars sold company-wide. This is our goal. Across all 4 locations, in 2010 Auto Credit sold 1516 cars, and in 2011 they sold 1614 vehicles. This is our benchmark. From 2010-2011 Auto Credit saw a 6% increase in total vehicle (gross #) sold. For us to reach our goal of 1,800 cars sold, Auto Credit would need to see an 11.52% increase in total vehicles (gross #) sold from 2011. We will measure the success of our promotion throughout the entire FY of 2012. Our timeline, then, is the remainder of the 2012 year. More specifically, however, we plan on having an official slogan by April, and have consistent signage and advertising by the end of the year. For a graphical representation of the above figures see Appendix D and E attached. Available Resources We were told to think outside of the box because of the resources available in addition to the demographic we will be dealing with. The lower income/education demographic allows for more creativity while planning a sales promotion than it would be for a higher-end dealership because there are many more things which can draw in traffic. The demographic Auto Credit deals with Bruner and Associates 6

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer can be drawn by the mere offer of free food, or free entertainment. Dinner and a movie for a family of 4 can cost $200. The families Auto Credit works with may have trouble make a $200 monthly payment. Auto Credit has had previous sales promotion ideas ranging from free hot dogs and entertainment at the dealership all the way up to bringing in a monster truck their Marion location. The end result is that their customer base should come out for offers of free food or entertainment but the available resource is actually the database of customer names, addresses, and phone numbers that they would be able to contact as a result of the promotion. Essentially, it will be up to us to come up with a realistic budget for a high quality promotion for Auto Credit. Because Auto Credit sells more used vehicles than any other dealership in southern Illinois, they have cash flow that enables us to even go so far as to have a monster truck demolish their old Marion office. Auto Credit already has a large promotional budget, and has a recently created website and numerous TV and radio spots. Evaluative Techniques The success of the company for 2012 will be measured by total number of cars sold. Therefore an accurate measurement of the success of our promotion will be to evaluate the increase in sales of cars, with our goal being a 10% increase to a total of 1,800. However, this is a longer range goal, and can more easily be measured in stages. The actual success of the promotion can be measured by the total number of customers who come to the promotion. We propose Auto Credit measure the success of the promotion on the amount of people who attend. Traffic counters, Bruner and Associates 7

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer sign-up sheets, and tickets are all feasible ways to accurately track how many people attend. Additionally, the number of referrals will be a good indicator of the promotions success.

Strategy
Target Market - Demographics Our target market first includes Auto Credits signing requirements which are; individuals making at least $800 per month, have a valid Illinois drivers license and are over the age of 18. Beyond that a family which makes below $49,999 per year is within Auto Credits demographic. Furthermore, as seen in figure 1, the red zones show the strongest potential for customer development. These are high potential areas because of the increased number of people who fit our target market. We have used tapestry segmentation to locate these hot zones and decide where to try to pull our potential clients from. Tapestry segmentation classifies U.S. neighborhoods based on their socioeconomic and demographic compositions (ESRI, 2012). The tapestry information further allows us to zero in on our specific target market and more easily define our promotional strategy.

According to data gathered from ESRI, a marketing firm based in St Louis, the target market in Southern Illinois can be divided up into close to 100 distinct target markets. Of these groups, we have identified 6 which fit well into our target market. These 6 include our core segments of Salt of the Earth, Midlife Junction, and Midland Crowd. These three represent

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer 34,631 people in Southern Illinois which we already successfully reach. Customers in these groups make up a large percentage of Auto Credits customer base. They represent good loyalty and opportunity (ESRI, 2012). Continuing to reach this market is key to the success of Auto Credit as they make up a large portion of Auto Credits sales. The last three constitute our development segment: Heartland Communities, Rooted Rural, and Home Town. These three represent 89,899 people which Auto Credit is currently not reaching as well. These last three make up a significant portion of Auto Credits customers, but also represent areas with households that have not yet been reached (ESRI, 2012). Focusing on the development segment while not ignoring the core segments will enable Auto Credit to significantly grow. The key to this process is finding the similarities within the two groups.

Auto Credit targets those households making a combined income of $49,999 and less while selling to individuals who make at least $800/month individually. Using data dating back to 2002 from Auto Credit, we see an alarming disparity in the amount of sales to whites versus other races. Enabling Auto Credit to bring in the black and Hispanic populations of southern Illinois while grow their actual customer base without targeting a new market. We will discuss ways to enable Auto Credit to reach the lower-income black and Hispanic demographics in addition to the lower-income white demographic which Auto Credit already successfully reaches.

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer Target Market Psychographics and Consumption Habits From talking with the Director of Marketing at Auto Credit, Nick Skovgaard, and sorting through data gathered dating back to 2002, we have specified the shopping habits and general tendencies of our target market. Following are lists of this data. Nick broke it down into 9 different product purchase categories, and the purchasing tendencies of our target market within those categories.

1. Shopping a. General Purchases i. Wal-Mart ii. Gas Stations iii. Dollar Stores b. Groceries i. Aldis ii. Save-A-Lot iii. Generic / Off-Brand Products iv. Food Pantrys v. Link Program c. Clothing i. Thrift Shop ii. Salvation Army iii. Other: 1. Laundromats d. Food/Dining i. Fast Food e. Online Shopping i. Craigs List ii. Online Classifieds f. Rentals i. Rent One ii. Rent a Center 2. Communication a. Track Phones b. Prepaid Phones c. Free Wi-Fi at Public Locations d. Pay Phones 3. Health & Beauty a. Health i. Medicare ii. Medicaid

iii. Free/public health clinics iv. Bi County Health Department v. Smokers vi. Young/Single Parents vii. Poor/No Dental Care b. Hair care i. Great Clips ii. Sports Clips 4. Entertainment & News a. Free/Low Cost Community Events i. Balloon Fest / Color Fest ii. Cobden Days iii. Deer Days iv. Du Quoin St. Faire (Du Quoin) v. Hunting & Fishing Days (JALC) vi. Polish Fest (Du Bouis) vii. Sunset Concerts (Carbondale) viii. Vulture Fest (Makanda) b. Sports i. Hunting ii. Fishing iii. Racing (Nascar/Drag iv. racing) 1. I57 Dragstrip / Mt. Vernon Raceway

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Lauren Nelson Brandi Hammer

c. News i. Free Newspapers ii. Trader iii. Classified Ads 5. Transportation a. Public Transportation b. Taxi c. Walk d. Barrow a car e. Carpool with Family 6. Education / School a. GED b. Little or No Secondary Education c. Free lunch programs d. Kids ride bus to/from school 7. Money / Income a. Employment i. 3rd Shift (Overnights) ii. Factory Jobs 1. Continental Tire iii. Coal Mining iv. Minimum Wage Jobs 1. Bar & Restaurant (Waitress/Cook s/Bartender) b. Other Income i. Link Card ii. Unemployment Checks iii. Child Support iv. Medicare v. Medicaid c. Transactions i. Prepaid Credit Cards ii. Money Orders d. Loans i. Check it to Cash ii. Pawn Shops iii. Car Title Loans iv. Personal Finance v. World Finance 8. Causes for Credit Problems a. No Credit i. Age ii. Cash Transactions b. Bad Credit i. Divorce (Major Cause) ii. Health Problems iii. Bankruptcy iv. Repossession of vehicle v. Foreclosure 9. Home Life & Living Arrangements a. Live with relative b. Public Housing c. Low Income Housing d. Apartment e. Rough Neighborhoods f. Trailer Courts / Trailer Parks

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April 24, 2012 Causality We created our Target Market as lower demographic from information based on the fact that our clients make less than $49,999 a year. According to the US Census the median household income from 2006-2010 is $32,169 whereas Illinois is $55,735. Per Capita money income in the past 12 months was $19,294 and 28.5% of the population lived below poverty level. With these numbers we are confident in potential customers (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Substantiality Above we separated, for purposes of more specifically defining our goal, our target market into two segments: Core Segments and Development Segments. Our core segment represents the customers whom we have already reached, whereas the development customer segment represents customers whom we have identified as fitting with our target market but whom we have failed to reach. In our core segment we have identified Auto Credit as having successfully reached 34,631, but have realized that there are 89,899 persons who fit our target market extremely well that are not being reached. This represents 72% of our potential customer base of 124,530; needless to say a substantial market that needs to be realized (ESRI, 2012). Figure 1: Tapestry Profile Core Customer Segments Tapestry Description Salt of the Earth Midlife Junction Midland Crowd Count 14, 025 12, 262 8, 344 Percent 7.4 6.5 4.4 Count 48 59 44 Market Area Percent 3.4 4.2 3.1 Index 216 154 140 (ESRI, 2012). Bruner and Associates 12

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson Salt of the Earth The Salt of the Earth segment has a median age of 41.5 years old with an average household size of 2.6 people. The median household income is $51,080 which is very close to the national median household income. About half of the people in this segment live in the Midwest, mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Eighty-four percent of the people in this segment are homeowners. These people enjoy hunting, fishing, NASCAR racing and truck and tractor pulls/mud racing (ESRI, 2012). Midlife Junction The median age for Midlife Junction is 41.5 years old, 20 percent of which are over the age of 65. About one third of households in this segment receive Social Security. People in this segment mainly live in suburbs in the Midwest and South. The people in this segment enjoy fishing, woodworking and reading science-fiction books or romance novels (ESRI, 2012). Midland Crowd The Midland Crowd is approximately 4% of the US population, with a median age of 37 years old. The median household income is $50,518 and about half of the people in this segment have attended college but only about 16% have earned a degree above an associates degree. In general, people in this segment live in rural towns, with a homeownership rate of approximately 82 percent. People in this segment watch The Speed Channel, HGTV and CMT (ESRI, 2012).

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson Figure 2: Tapestry Profile Development Customer Segments Tapestry Description Heartland Communities Rooted Rural Hometown Count 46, 437 32, 127 11,335 Percent 24.4 16.9 6.0 Count 467 248 111 Market Area Percent 33.2 17.6 7.9 Index 74 96 76 (ESRI, 2012). Heartland Communities Mix of married-couple families, singles who live alone, and single-parent families; made up of roughly 70% white and 16% black. The median household income is $33,319 while some families still rely on supplemental income. These households typically enjoy outdoorsman sports such as fishing and indoors they enjoy mainly courtroom programs and reality shows. Shopping is mainly done at stores such as Wal-Mart and Kmart (ESRI, 2012). Rooted Rural This segment has a median age of 42.3 years old and the median income is $38,234. This segment is mainly located in rural areas and three-fifths can be found in the south. This is a heavy do-it-yourself community and the residents take great pride in homes and keep busy with home improvements. This segment is heavily involved in fishing, hunting, horseback riding and attending country music concerts (ESRI, 2012). Hometown This segment has a median age of 42.4 years. The median household income is $35,701. This segment is home to roughly six million people around the Midwest and

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson south. This segment is heavily invested in their homes and communities. They have a distinctly country lifestyle which includes hunting and fishing as well as enjoying country music and auto racing (ESRI, 2012).

Accessibility

1. Jerry Springer 8. Judge Joe Brown 15. Tyra 22. Who Wants to be a Millionaire 29. The Doctors 36. Law & Order

2. Maury

3. Judge Jeanine 10. Price is Right 17. Y&R 24. GH

4. The B&B

5. Steve Wilkos 12. One Life 19. Wendy Williams

6. As the World Turns

7. Judge Alex

9. Divorce Court 16. All My Kids 23. Cops

11. Judge Mathis 18. My Wife and Kids 25. George Lopez

13. 14. Family Days of our Feud Lives 20. Judge Judy 21. People Court 28. King of the Hill

26. 27. Smarter Insider than a 5th Grader 33. The View 34. Inside Edition 41. Simpsons

30. Dr. Phil 37. South Park

31. MASH 38. Family Guy

32. Wheel

35. Thats 70s Show 42. According to Jim

39. 40. Regis & My Name Kathy Lee is Earl

(Nielson Inc, 2011). Shown above is a table of the top-42 television shows as rated by Nielson for the demographic making less than $49,999 per year, per household. Our target market, as said

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson previously, can be reached numerous ways. Most of the above listed shows appear on basic cable, which can be viewed for free. Our target market will tend to seek out entertainment which is free and accessible. Knowing this, we can pick and choose the networks and individual shows which we will run commercials for with greater accuracy, in hopes of reaching our target market more efficiently. In conjunction with television commercials, we plan on running radio spots, and advertisements in the backs of taxi cabs. Knowing the tendencies of our target market to seek out cheap entertainment, public transportation, public telephones, Laundromats, etc.; we will be able to advertise ourselves to them with much greater effectiveness.

Tactical Recommendations
Packaging/Branding By unifying the updated Auto Credit logo you send a consistent branding image to your customers which can help display organization within the company. By placing the logo on several different items such as air fresheners or pens you display the logo in plain view for many customers and potential customers to see. In addition, you can give away Auto Credit branded tote bags at promotional events which will include several Auto Credit branded items ranging from tire pressure gauges to window shades and T-shirts. By doing this, you increase your brands opportunity to be recognized and by keeping a consistent logo across all of these items, the Auto Credit name will become a stronger brand as a whole. Another way to update the brand image is to update business cards. The company will have a stronger image if all of these items have a modern looking brand and are easily recognizable from one location to the next.
1) Updated Logo a) Use website logo at the Auto Credit Locations b) Create a common image for customers c) More stability i) Cost: Roughly $1500 ii) From: http://www.signsrus.com/

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2) Updated business cards a) Generate new cards with logo (with company colors) b) include new slogan on each card i) Cost: $10/250 cards ii) From: Vista Print 3) Custom License plate covers for each car a) Put Auto Credit at the top of the cover b) Company slogan on bottom or phone # for Auto Credit office i) Cost: $1528.20 for 1000 ii) From: plateframesonline.com 4) Steering wheel covers with Auto Credit a) Simply place the Auto Credit trademarked name around a steering wheel cover for each car b) Increases brand awareness for passengers of the leasee i) Cost: $1,696/100 ii) From: pinkcaraccessoriesshop.com 5) Auto Credit Car stickers for their car windows a) Brand each car through a decal b) Place Auto Credit name at top c) Phone number on bottom d) Website in middle of sticker e) Place in rear windshield i) Cost: #374.99/250 ii) From: VistaPrint 6) Auto Credit logo tote bags a) Brand tote bags for giveaways b) Place Auto credit logo in middle of the bag for plain view c) Assortment of colors i) Cost: $257/100 ii) From: Branders.com 7) Antenna Ball a) Place Auto Credit Logo on ball b) Plain site while car is parked in public c) Multiple color options i) Cost: $576/1800 ii) From: Branders.com 8) Air Fresheners a) Place Auto Credit logo on each air freshener b) Place company slogan around ring of the air freshener c) Assortment of scents i) Cost: $810/1000 ii) From: Branders.com

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9) Roll down shades a) Auto Credit branded sun shades b) Makes the brand easily visible on the move or in park i) Cost: $356/50 units ii) From: Branders.com 10) Exterior Label a) 3-inch permanent label b) Auto Credit branded for good c) Small yet noticeable d) Optional colors i) Cost: Roughly $400/3000 units ii) From: Branders.com 11) Keychain Key tags a) Light-weight b) Easier to keep track of keys c) Made from durable Vinyl d) Three color choices e) Place small Auto Credit Logo on side A f) Place phone number on opposite side i) Cost: $560/1600 ii) From: Branders.com 12) Tire Gauges a) Place auto Credit brand name down the side of each gauge b) Useful for all owners c) Mostly DIY market to increase relevance of product d) All color options work for Auto Credit colors i) Cost: $585/450 ii) From: Branders.com 13) Ice Scraper a) Room for brand name and logo in small font b) 3.4x2.1 inch in total size c) Several color scheme options i) Cost: $195/500 ii) From: Branders.com 14) Branded Pens a) Use in office and give to customers after signing b) Spread Brand name i) Cost: $140/1000 ii) From: discountmugs.com

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson Packaging and Branding Budget
Updated Logo Updated Business Cards Custom License plate covers Steering wheel covers Logo Tote Bags Antenna Ball Air Fresheners Roll Down Shades Ice Scraper Pens Key Chains Covers all redone materials $10/card $1.53/cover $16.96/cover $2.57/bag $.32/ball $.81/item $7.12/unit $.39/item $.14/pen $.35 $1500 $2,500(250 cards) $1,528.20(1,000 cover) $1,696(100 covers) $257 (100 bags) $576 (1800 balls) $810 (1000 fresheners) $356 (50 units) $195 (500 scrapers) $140 (1000 pens) $560 (1600 key chains)

Total Public Relations

$10,118.20

Auto Credit faces an uphill battle in cleaning their image. The entire industry is oftentimes seen as predatory, and changing this in the minds of potential customers is crucial to any future success Auto Credit hopes to enjoy. One of the best ways for Auto Credit to change their appearance in the eyes of the community is to increase their role within the communities they sell. Mt Vernon, Benton, Carbondale and Marion are all larger communities that offer many opportunities for Auto Credit and its employees to make a difference. Below are our ideas for doing so, with the entire objective being for Auto Credit to appear less as if it is preying on the lower-income and bad credit population, and more as if it is truly trying to help these individuals get a start by giving them vehicles other dealerships will not. Some of our ideas include Auto Credit sponsoring a team for Up til Dawn or other not-for-profit benefit organizations (Relay for Life, etc.) Auto Credit could participate in Illinois Adopt-A-Highway program and help clean a portion of roads in each of their locations. One of the best ideas offered, is to volunteer as an organization at a local soup kitchen. By making this a regular thing at the soup kitchens (i.e. Auto Credit Thursdays), Auto Credit will avoid appearing as if they are being predatory in their practices of targeting lower income individuals, and look great for displaying their efforts of truly caring about these individuals and trying to help them out in many ways. Sponsoring Little League Teams and hosting fundraisers for grief-stricken cities such as Harrisburg are also great ways for Auto Credit to increase their credibility as an organization which truly cares about the communities in which they operate. As these programs start up, customers which come to Auto Credit can be asked to give a testimonial which will additionally increase their credibility as a company which truly cares and offers assistance to the lower income communities.

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson

1) Sponsor a team for Up 'til Dawn a) This event helps fundraise to stop Childhood cancer b) Members spend the night awake participating in activities at the SIU rec center c) Create Auto Credit "Team" and donate on company's behalf i) Cost: $1,000-5,000 donation if affordable ii) From: stjude.org 2) Adopt-A-Highway program a) Have an Auto Credit sponsored section of road/highway b) Responsible for cleanliness i) Cost: Variable per road and length ii) From: dot.il.gov 3) Grand Opening Event a) Auto Credit will be opening a new location in Marion within the month b) Create and event with free food and beverages c) Possible entertainment d) Include "tote bags" (see 'Packaging & Branding #6) with other goods from that section i) Cost: Roughly $600 for food and beverages ii) From: Auto Credit Director of Marketing 4) Customer Testimonials a) Release first-hand accounts of satisfied customers b) Builds faith in the company c) Place in website, radio, newspaper and TV i) Cost: $10-$1000 (newspaper-TV) ii) From: new idea 5) Volunteer at soup kitchens as a company team a) Creates good image for Auto Credit b) The company is socially responsible c) Brand awareness i) Cost: Free ii) From: Dosomething.org 6) Fundraising for Harrisburg a) Place employees outside Wal-Marts and other stores to collect donations b) Involve the company in the community c) Create a better brand image i) Cost: Free ii) From: New idea

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7) Sponsor a local little league team a) Increase Company Awareness b) Increase Community Relations i) Cost: $700 ii) From: Richmond Evening Optimist Org. Public Relations Budget Sponsor Up til Dawn Grand Opening Soup Kitchen Volunteer Fundraising for Harrisburg Sponsor Little League Team Sponsorship Donations All costs $3,000 $1,000 FREE FREE $700

Total

$4,700

Personal Selling Auto Credit will approach its Personal Selling initiatives as opportunities to reach their customers directly. In sections above Auto Credit will engage in activities that will either improve their image, or increase awareness of their business. However, in Personal Selling, Auto Credit will focus on reaching their potential customers directly. They will do this in a few ways. One of the first ideas is for Auto Credit to pair up with businesses who they share a common target market with. For instance Auto Credit could pair up with companies like Aldis, Yellow Cab, Aarons, Rent-One, etc. and advertise at each others locations. Having business cards, posting signs and specials, as well as posting spots on each others websites are all great ways to go about this. Advertising on local transportation could also be very effective. Knowing our target market either doesnt have a car or whose car is not very useful, we can infer that they are more likely to use taxis, buses, and other means of public transportation. Auto Credit could offer these companies a stipend for every customer who mentions seeing an Auto Credit sign at their location. Instituting a referral system is another very effective way for Auto Credit to increase sales and grow its customer base. By offering current customers cash back and a 100% luck chance at a raffle prize drawing, Auto Credit would incentivize these customers to tell friends and others about Auto Credit. One of the best ways to grow sales from current customers and potentially increase their customer base is to ensure that Auto Credits customers have good experiences. Follow-up calls and Customer Loyalty plans both achieve this.
1) Pair up with business to advertise at each other's locations a) Post signs at other businesses in area b) Give business cards to deal out at local establishments c) Hold cards/signs of other businesses on our website

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2) Institute a Referral System a) Customers would get Cash back for every customer who comes in with their referral card b) Customers could be entered into raffle (100% luck) for each referral for a chance to win prize i. 3 months payment break ii. $$ Cash Amount iii. Cost: $300 - $1200 3) Host tent at local Events a) State Fair @ Duqoin b) Dirt Track in Benton i. Cost: $500 1,000 ii. From: www.siusalukis.com/ 4) Follow-Up calls a) Stay in contact with customers, increase feelings of appreciation and caring b) Also increase likelihood company knows where customers are located for potential repossessions c) Can include Thank Yous to customers i. Cost: normal employee salary ii. Source: Sound core Project 5) Partner with Public Transportation (busses) a) Pay them a stipend every time a customer says they discovered us vis--vis them. i. Cost: Whatever Auto Credit decided stipend to be ~$150 ii. Source: Unique Idea 6) Customer Loyalty Program a) Tickets to Miners, Cardinals, Salukis, etc b) Incentivize customers to keep up on payments i. Cost: Price of Prize $150 300 ii. Source: Unique Idea Personal Selling Budget Referral System Event Tables Customer Loyalty Program Up to 3 referrals 3 events $150/reward $300($100/referral) $2,100($700/event) $600(4 rewards/month)

Total Advertising
Radio and television commercials are Auto Credits main form of advertising. They air these

$3,000

commercials throughout the Southern Illinois and Northern Kentucky areas. They have a budget of $21,832.70 a month for radio and television ads alone. We agree that radio and television spots are great ways for Auto Credit to gain exposure throughout the day, whether their customers hear their ads while driving, on the bus on their way to work, or if they are grabbing a drink at the bar after work. Auto Credit

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also has billboards placed throughout the region with the companies Lamar and Mid America. Auto Credit spends $1,650 a month on its billboards However, we have come up a few ideas that could supplement Auto Credits current advertising projects and potentially reach currently untapped customers. Auto Credit is able to offer a coupon for a discount on a down payment with the purchase of a new car. This incentivizes the purchase of a new vehicle with the cost being only what Auto Credit chooses to credit the customer. One of the greatest ways we feel we can grow Auto Credits customer base is by advertising in places in which our target market finds themselves often. Stores like Aldis, Rent-One, Aarons, Save-A-Lot, etc. offer great advertising potential since our target market shops at these discount and rent-to-own stores. Our market also doesnt own a quality vehicle. Therefor advertisements placed in taxi cabs represent great potential. To place 10 ads in taxis it would cost $750, and advertisements placed in the shopping carts of discount stores would run Auto Credit $800 per month. 1) Billboards a) Cost: $1,650 per month b) Source: Party City 2) Radio commercials a) Cost: ~$3,145/month b) Auto Credit Balance Sheet 3) Television Commercials a) Cost: $9431/month b) Auto Credit Balance Sheet 4) Discount with purchase a) Offer coupon for discount of down payment with purchase of vehicle b) Cost: Depends on choice of Auto Credit c) Source: Unique Idea 5) Ads on/in taxicabs a) Cost: $750 for 10 signs b) Source: http://www.yellowcabsacramento.com/advertising/ 6) Ads on Aldi/Save A lot/ etc. shopping carts a) Auto Credit b) Cost: $800 per month c) Source: Aldis Advertising Budget

Billboards Radio Commercials Discount with Purchase

3 Billboards 2 giveaways/month

$1,650/month $3,145.25/month $1,000 Bruner & Associates 23

Taxi Cab Ads Shopping Cart Ads Television Commercials Total

10 signs

Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson $750 $800/month $9,431/month $16,776.25

Complete Budget
Updated Logo Updated Business Cards Custom License plate covers Steering wheel covers Logo Tote Bags Antenna Ball Air Fresheners Roll Down Shades Ice Scraper Pens Key Chains Sponsor Up til Dawn Grand Opening Soup Kitchen Volunteer Fundraising for Harrisburg Sponsor Little League Team Referral System Event Tables Customer Loyalty Program Billboards Radio Commercials Discount with Purchase Taxi Cab Ads Shopping Cart Ads Television Commercials Covers all redone materials $10/card $1.53/cover $16.96/cover $2.57/bag $.32/ball $.81/item $7.12/unit $.39/item $.14/pen $.35/chain Donations All costs $1500 $2,500(250 cards) $1,528.20(1,000 cover) $1,696(100 covers) $257 (100 bags) $576 (1800 balls) $810 (1000 fresheners) $356 (50 units) $195 (500 scrapers) $140 (1000 pens) $560 (1600 keychains) $3,000 $1,000 FREE FREE $700 $300($100/referral) $2,100($700/event) $600(4 rewards/month) $1,650/month $3,145.25/month $1,000 $750 $800/month $9,431/month

Sponsorship Up to 3 referrals 3 events $150/reward 3 Billboards 2 giveaways/month 10 signs

Total
Spending upon demand/request Spending per month Grand Total $16,918.20 $17,676.25 $34,594.45

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson

Summary and Conclusion

We believe our promotional plan will increase brand equity and awareness for Auto Credit. We have provided several different graphics describing our target market, how we will reach them, and the benefits for Auto Credit. Through the course of this project we have pulled together data and information from both research and Auto Credit itself to narrow in on the specific demands and issues the business was facing. We will tap several different mediums in which we will reach our target market. After working with the director of marketing for Auto Credit, both he and our group believe our plans will provide substantial market coverage which will increase sales at all four of Auto Credits locations.

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson Works Cited
"250 Premium Business Cards for $10." Vista Print. Web. <http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/default.aspx?dr=1&rd=1&GP=4%2f22%2f2012+11%3a59%3a59+PM &GPS=2422347224&GNF=1&GPLSID=>.

"AAA Yellow Cab Company." AAA Yellow Cab Company. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.aaayellowaz.com/>.
"ALDI - Home Page." Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://aldi.us/index_ENU_HTML.htm>. Crigler, S. (2012, April 12). Director, Richmond Evening Optomist. (M. Ingram, Interviewer) Richmond, IN, United States of America.

"Custom License Plate Frames | Personalized License Plate Frames at PlateFramesOnline.com! Custom License Plate Frames | Personalized License Plate Frames at PlateFramesOnline.com!" Custom License Plate Frames. PlateFramesOnline, 2000. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://plateframesonline.com/home>.
"Direct Mail Marketing Solutions L Reaching Rural America for Over 20 Years." Direct Mail Marketing Solutions L Reaching Rural America for Over 20 Years. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.mailsouth.com/>. "DiscountMugs Email Signup Special Deals Are Sent out Every Week! Only DiscountMugs Offers You Updated Promo News, Special Offers & Weekly Promotions." Coffee Mugs, Promotional Products, Shot Glasses, Wine Glasses, Beer Mugs, Tote Bags, Champagne Glasses, Wedding Favors , Sports Bottles, Tshirts, Promotional Pens, Personalized Glassware. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.discountmugs.com/?gclid=CMGskIqIyq8CFQ7sKgodNE0HdA>. ESRI. (2012). Tapestry Segmentation. St Louis: ESRI. Nielson Inc. (2011). Nielson TV Ratings. Top-100 TV Shows for $0-$49,999 . Nielson. "Party Supplies & Decorations." Party Supplies, Halloween Costumes, Birthday Party, Theme Party. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.partycity.com/>.

"Pink Car Accessories | Pink Car Seat Covers | Pink Car Floor Mats." Pink Car Accessories. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.pinkcaraccessoriesshop.com/>.

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Michael Ingram Tyler Rossdeutcher Brandi Hammer Lauren Nelson

Skovgaard, N. (2012, March 5). Marketing Director, Auto Credit. (B. H. Michael Ingram, Interviewer) "Take Action in Your Community | Do Something." DoSomething.org. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.dosomething.org/volunteer>.

The World's Largest Online Seller of Promotional Items. Branders.com, 1999. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.branders.com/>.
"Up 'til Dawn." 301 Moved Permanently. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2d43a631893a8110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCR D>.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, January 31). State and County Quick Facts. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from U.S. Census Bureau: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17077.html

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