Sophia fiushmoce enjoyed challenges. Early in life she conquered the challenges of become a gourmet chef. She had held positions et some of the finest restaurants on the liVmt Coast, preparing nouveau food as well as spectacular desserts. After 20 years in the business, she decided it was time to capitalize on her reputation and tackle a new aspect of the re 5taurant game, the equipment side. Most people probably don't stop to consider the many items sold to restaurants. Everything from tables and chairs, booths, ovens and stoves, cooking equipment its end pans), sibrerware, cloth napkins and paper napkin dispensers, lighted menu panels, table can-dles, wine racks, glasses, cups, plates, and an endless variety of products are sold to both ongo-ing restaurants as well as now ventures. Turnover is high in the food industry. Places come and go. It is not unusual for the same location to house four or five different types of restaurants over a 10-year period due to busi-ness failures.
Each time, some of the equipment is sold to the new owner, but there is a con-stant demand for products to individualize the business. Sophia raised venture capital from some of her favorite customers and former employers. She developed a kind of middle-person business that purchased all types of items from various manufacturers and then resold them to restaurants in packages. Her company created a paper catalog listing all of the products it could access and deliver and then posted the catalog on the Internet. She began.by targeting now and ongoing businesses in southern California, most notably Los Angeles, San Diego, and Anaheim. Her goal was to expand tho business northward over a period of five years. . Sophia personally trained the sales force. She selected an upscale name for her venture, "Accents by Sophia," hoping her new clients would respond to her reputation in the kitchen. Her company motto was "friendly, courteous, professional service to restaurants of every size and taste." Trade shows are the staple of the food industry.
Sophia established a strong presence at them. She had her life story published in a book, so she could give away free autographed copies at her display. Promotional giveaways are part of the trade show game. Sophia needed to develop her own unique set to bring attention to her business. Orders and expressions of interest at a show were followed up by phone calls, personal visits, and e-mail notes by the sales force, as quickly as possible. The final part of Sophia's new venture was to construct an advertising campaign to support her personal selling, direct mail, Internet, and promotional (trade show) efforts. Sophia had a variety of choices because she lived in a major media center, Los Angeles, Becoming estab-lished in this highly competitive marketplace was the next big step for Accents by Sophia.
1. Should Sophia hire an external agency or do the work irk-house?
2. How should she spend the money for her campaign? Which media should she buy?
3. What should be the primary goat of her advertising campaign?
4. Prepare a a-eative brief that Sophia could provide to an advertising agency.
5. Access Los Angeles Ad Agencies at Www.LosAngelesAdAgencies.com Follow the steps outlined in the chapter to select an advertising agency for Sophia. Justify the selection.