Who Is ZK Digital?

ZK Digital is a fictional media agency created for a project within UT Austin's Media Planning Foundations class. For the purpose of the class, we were asked to break into teams, or "agencies", and create a full media plan for Hoover's, a famous Austin restaurant for southern comfort food. In this hypothetical scenario, Hoover's was launching a new location in Atlanta. Our goal, was to create a media plan that would ensure the success of that launch, and pitch against the other "agencies" to secure the client and Hoovers' place in the Atlanta market.

ZK Digital is an agency born and raised in Austin, Texas, inspired by the local eccentric culture. Made up of a diverse team of quick thinkers, problem solvers and media gurus, we are here to serve your company, beyond industry standards. We create experiences, feelings and engagements that elevate brands. Using traditional and new media, we can communicate your message to drive sales, reach goals and increase your bottom line. We deliver results. Whatever your problem may be, we’ll go outside the box to find the answer.

Roles

Creative Director: Madison Grube

Project Management: Morgan Eisenstot

Account Planning: Adriana Sanchez

Marketing: Maria Alvarez

Public Relations: Michaela D'Eramo

Media Strategy: Ana Quireza

Campaign Scope

As Hoover’s moves into a new location in Atlanta, Georgia, ZK Digital will work to develop a consumer base that will cherish and advocate for Hoover’s Cooking. Moving into Midtown Atlanta allows Hoover’s to react to that same thriving art community that they currently cater to in Austin, but it also allows for Hoover’s to branch out into a whole new market of consumers. Settling in a location known as the financial and commercial crossover of Atlanta, Hoover’s can open its doors to a market of mothers who are drawn to a family-style, home setting, who are looking for a casual, dependable spot. With a budget of $75,000, ZK Digital is working in a few specific areas of media that are designed to capture the attention and loyalty of Hoover’s new, Atlanta consumers.

Through showcasing the Southern comfort, home-style feeling of Hoover’s, ZK Digital can employ these strategies to reach Hoover’s goals of 375 visitors a day during the week - broken down into 150 for lunch, 100 for Hoover Hour, and 125 for dinner - and 500 visitors a day during the weekends - with 200 for breakfast, 100 for lunch, and 200 for dinner - within twelve weeks of opening their new Atlanta location.  Keeping about a 10 mile radius from Hoover’s location at Peachtree Street and 4th Street, the goal is to have at least 20% of our target market brand aware within twelve weeks of launch as a checkpoint. Then through maintenance of social media, print ads, sponsorship, and television commercial spots, ZK Digital will have 50% of the target market well aware of the Hoover’s brand, with at least half of the market familiar with the attitudes, values, beliefs, and location of Hoover’s in Atlanta. Hoover’s launch will take place in mid-Spring of 2017, in March, with pre-launch campaign happening as early as February. Continued marketing efforts will lead throughout the summer months, marking the twelve week period to reach our initial goals.

With intentions of increasing Hoover’s presence in the Midtown Atlanta community, ZK Digital’s goals include consistent involvement from nearby communities like churches and youth groups, creating a Hoover’s image of nostalgia for mothers trying to bring together their families, connecting segments within the target market to breakdown barriers that surround financial status that aims at welcoming mothers and their families from the entire surrounding area, and bringing a new style of diversity to Southern cooking already available in Midtown Atlanta. Hoover’s in Atlanta will be all about spreading good Texas cooking to those empty nesters in Atlanta looking for their new favorite spot in Midtown. 

Target Market

Hoovers hosts an “at home” experience and affordable southern comfort food that is appropriate for families of different types. Hoover’s primarily targets families who share their same values of community, comfort and convenience. Due to the large population of women in Atlanta and the large influence mothers hold with in a traditional southern family, Hoover’s will primarily target single mothers of 25 to 34 years of age and “empty nester” mothers of 55 to 64 years of age. These women are very family oriented and spend their free time reading magazines, watching television, listening to music and being involved in their community or children’s lives.

The Empty Nester

LeAnn is a 58 year old woman and mother of three kids who have grown up and moved out.  She’s been married for 30 years to her high school sweetheart, Randy, who is their main provider with a household income is $75k a year. They are from a smaller town in Georgia, but moved to Atlanta a while back and now reside in the midtown area. LeAnn grew up learning to cook southern food. She used to cook every night for her family of five, but now there is no one to eat the food, and packing up the leftovers makes her sad. LeAnn finds herself with a lot of free time on her hands now, she is scared of becoming lonely, and worried about the changes she's facing. Leann has a strong support network of friends, many of which are going through the same thing. They like to go out for all-day breakfast on Sundays after church to catch up. LeAnn enjoys spending a lot of time volunteering and participating in other forms of community service. 

The Single Handed Supporter

Alyse is a 31 year old single mother of two young kids. The children are involved with the youth group at their local church. Alyse and her husband are no longer together, but she is always very busy working hard to provide the best for her family. Her household income is $38k, and she is a preschool teacher at the local school. Alyse moved a few years ago into a small cozy house in the 30311 zip code area. As a treat she takes her kids out to eat at least once a month. Being from a traditional upbringing, she’s uncomfortable with not having a traditional family unit, but southern comfort food is appealing to her because it makes her feel like things are different. She doesn't have much time for hobbies, but when she does, Alyse typically spends her “me time” listening to the radio on her way to work or while cooking the southern food recipes past down to her from her mother and grandmother. She also enjoys picking up a magazine and relaxing on the sofa while her kids are out at their youth group. 

Strategy Specific Rationale

Hoover’s Cooking wants to serve more than food to its customers, it wants to serve its community. Hoover’s makes an effort to engage with their customers beyond its restaurant by taking an active part in the community. ZK Digital’s three media objectives for Hoover’s Cooking will do just that and more. Not only will we help Hoover’s to have a successful opening in Midtown Atlanta but we will help it become a force in Atlanta’s community as well.

Our first strategy is to bring the community-centric values that Hoover’s embodies in its current Austin location to Midtown Atlanta. This value is evident in our events such as the Feeding the Homeless community service effort and the Mac & Cheese Cook-Off which advocate for community involvement and giving back. Hoover’s also strives to play a role in its customers’ lives by sponsoring youth sports activities.

Second, we tied the behaviors of our sub target markets together to find common trends in their values and purchasing behaviors. Nearly all of our media objectives are catered to both LeeAnn and Alyse. Events such as the Mac & Cheese Cook-off and Feeding the Homeless get both groups involved in the conversation. Promotions regarding the churches also reach both groups as they are both avid church-goers. The overlap of these targets further enhance Hoover’s emphasis of community; it shows how people are more connected than it may seem.

Lastly, we strive to increase Hoover’s bottom line by creating long-lasting relationships throughout the community. We will do this by becoming involved with local churches. A tight-knit community such as this one helps instill our values of trust and reliability. We also create long-lasting relations between the brand and customers by finding what is most important to them. Both of our sub-target markets are lacking stability in some form or fashion; LeeAnn is about to become an empty nester when her youngest goes off to college while Alyse lacks a partner to help take on the responsibilities of raising a family. We want to help Hoover’s advocate their ability to provide customers like Alyse and LeeAnn with quality food and a helping hand.

ZK Digital has put in countless hours of research, planning and preparation of the past few months to launch the new location of Hoover’s Cooking in Midtown Atlanta.

Our insights from demographics in the area have shown us there is a neglected group in Atlanta that Hoover’s can benefit greatly from—mothers, specifically The Empty Nester and The Single-Handed Supporter. Competitors in the Peachtree Street area all cater to younger demographics, it’s their first instinct in an art district. We don’t want to do what everyone else is doing, nor is that what Hoover’s is about.

Hoover’s strives to make an impact on its community beyond the kitchen and in order to do so we want to reach out to those who may feel left out. We want that mother of three, whose youngest is heading off to college soon, to know we are there for her. That single mother who works hard day and night to provide for her kids, we want her to come into Hoover’s and let someone else take care of her for a change. We want to be there when others aren’t.

Eating at Hoover’s is more than food, it’s an experience. Taking the quality ingredients that you grew up with and love will have you feeling a wave of nostalgia with every bite. It may be Hoover’s kitchen but it’s the people’s cooking.

At ZK Digital we promise to break the status-quo and help your brand stand out and in doing so we hope to create long-lasting relationships between your brand and consumers. Our media strategy, devised for you, does that and more. Hoover’s is a force in the Austin community and will carry that legacy to Midtown Atlanta.