ISLAND
MOCHI
MARKETING
PLAN
Angelica Olivas
Thesis Project
Barrett, The Honors College
Arizona State University
About &
Executive Summary
As a Cronkite student with a minor in business, I have become interested in the intersection
of marketing and public relations. For my Barrett Thesis Project, I decided to develop a
marketing plan for a local small business, Island Mochi, that incorporates what I have learned
from both fields. The purpose of my thesis was to create a marketing plan that will grow
Island Mochi’s sales by using digital marketing and public relations strategies. I performed an
audit of the company as it currently stands and researched best practices in the industry to
inform the steps of the marketing plan.
The business I have been working with is Island Mochi. It is a dessert business that sells
mochi, which is a Japanese dessert. The company is run by one person, and it has been
operating since July of 2020.
The components of the marketing plan include an executive summary, environmental
analysis, SWOT analysis, customer personas, PR and marketing objectives, strategies and
tactics, and an outline of the implementation and evaluation procedures.
Island Mochi has been in business for approximately one year and three months, and its
mission is to share this dessert with Arizonans because it is difficult to find in the state. The
following marketing plan describes how Island Mochi can grow its sales by using outlined
digital marketing and public relations strategies and tactics. These include producing social
media ads, creating a social media strategy, partnering with local food bloggers, pitching
media, among other ideas. This campaign will build awareness for the company and
ultimately lead to more sales.
Company Profile
Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market
721 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Saturdays 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Phone: 702-850-0461
Website: [Link]
Instagram: @islandmochiii
Facebook: Island Mochi
Yelp: Island Mochi
Mission & History
Island Mochi is a small food business that
sells mochi, which is a Japanese dessert. The
company is run by one person, and it began
operating in July of 2020. Island Mochi’s
mission is to share this local Hawaiian
dessert with Arizonans. Brendan Wong
decided to start Island Mochi because of his
love for baking and passion for
entrepreneurship. Originally from Hawaii, he
grew up eating mochi which is popular on the
islands. When he moved to Phoenix to attend
Arizona State University, he couldn’t find the
dessert near him. He decided to experiment
with his own family recipes and wanted to
share the dessert with everyone in the desert.
Wong has since created and sold more than
five different flavors.
Situation Analysis
Island Mochi has been successful in its short time of operation. Most of its customers return
often to support the business. Island mochi’s product is also currently being served at both
locations of Clever Koi, a local Asian fusion restaurant in Phoenix.
Political
Island Mochi was founded in July of 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
business has had to follow local regulations regarding social distancing. Island Mochi’s sales
come primarily from the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. When it first began selling
there, people were not allowed to eat at the market, and no vendors could offer samples. As
restrictions have eased, customers can now eat while they’re at the market, and Island Mochi
has begun to give out samples. It will need to continue to monitor regulations set by the city
and state.
Economic
As stated above, the majority of Island Mochi’s sales come from the Downtown Phoenix
Farmers Market. The business sells through the Community Exchange table at the market,
which handles all of the transactions. It takes a 25% cut for providing these services. This is a
cost that needs to be considered.
Social
Most consumers who shop at farmers markets want to support local businesses and prefer
the shorter supply chain of shopping locally. This demographic also tends to have more
discretionary income and can more easily afford the higher prices of shopping at farmers
markets. Researchers from Utah State University conducted a study that found that the
average respondent spends $24.78 per farmers market visit. They found that respondents
visit the markets frequently, and, “A representative respondent of this study is 39 years old,
holds a 4-year college degree and earns $70,000 annually” (Gumirakiza & Curtis, 2013).
Technological
Island Mochi should use social media and website analytics to inform PR and marketing
decisions.
Situation Analysis
Continued
Legal
Island Mochi holds an Arizona Food Handler Certificate and an Arizona Cottage Food
Registration.
Environmental
Arizona weather is upwards of 100 degrees most days in the summer, which can deter
customers from going to the farmers market. All of Island Mochi’s products are packaged in
plastic containers, which could be a deterrent for those who want to be eco-friendly.
However, the containers are sturdy and can be reused. This could help consumers feel more
positive about the plastic packaging.
S W O T
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Unique and specialty Price point may deter Expand to more bulk Community exchange
product potential customers sales to restaurants closing or taking a
Large percentage of Only able to sell in and businesses larger commission
customers return person on Saturdays, Utilize online sales Other baked goods
Many hear of the with few local pick-ups more vendors that sell
business through Summer in Phoenix is Use the time in the traditional desserts
word-of-mouth or very hot, which could down months of that people are more
through social media mean less customers summer to expand familiar with
Currently served at at the market in those sales
both locations of local months Attend more and
restaurant, Clever Koi Not as active on social different markets to
media as it could be attract new customers
Run by one person,
who can’t do it all
Audience Analysis
Island Mochi sells specialty Japanese mochi. People who are familiar with the product are
one segment of the target market. Those who are interested in trying a new, foreign dessert
are another segment.
Age Range Gender
18 - 24 26.6% Men
23.2%
25 - 34 33.6%
35 - 44 24.4%
45 - 54 12.2% Women
76.8%
Personas
Emma, 38 Aaron, 26
Emma is a wife and mother to two young Aaron is a young professional who is single and
children. She works a traditional 9 to 5 office has a significant amount of discretionary income.
job and takes her family to the farmers market He goes to the farmers market on the weekend
on the weekends. She likes to support local primarily as a social activity to browse and chat
businesses and prefers to know where her with others. He really enjoys mochi and buys a
food comes from. Her children love sweets, so package from Island Mochi nearly every weekend.
she occasionally treats them to a package of He keeps up to date with the company on social
Island Mochi while she’s at the market. media and speaks highly of it to his friends.
Strategic
Recommendations
Goal
Island Mochi’s primary goal is to increase awareness and move consumers through the
marketing funnel. This connects to its overall business goal to expand to more markets.
Objectives Tactics
To increase followers on Create Instagram and Facebook ads
1 Instagram, Facebook, and Invest in paid search to show up first on
TikTok by 25% in by May 1, 2021. Google
Incorporate user-generated content
Create a brand hashtag for users to
be featured on Island Mochi’s social
To receive coverage in five
2 media outlets by May 1, 2021.
accounts
Create a TikTok account
Post video content on TikTok and
Instagram Reels
Partner with local food bloggers to
promote the products
Create how-to videos for YouTube for
dry mixes
Create a Spotify for compilation of
Hawaiian songs
Use shoppable feature on Instagram for
easier ordering
Pitch 10 local outlets and five national
outlets
Timeline & Evaluation
The campaign will follow this timeline that will show progress over the next six months. It
will run from November 1, 2021, to May 1, 2022.
First Half: How we will evaluate our
November - January objectives
Begin posting Instagram and Facebook
We will evaluate each objective to determine if
ads for the mochi
the goal was reached and the campaign was a
success.
Pay for paid search on Google
Identify local food bloggers to partner Objective One
with To increase followers on Instagram, Facebook,
and TikTok by 25% by May 1, 2021.
Identify outlets and reporters to pitch
This will be measured by comparing social
Create personalized pitches for each media analytics from the beginning of the
reporter campaign to the end of the campaign. We will
use Rival IQ to find the engagement rate,
Introduce branded hashtag to begin average likes and comments, and other
posting user-generated content analytics. Instagram and Facebook insights will
also provide more specific data on who the
Second Half: posts reached and the interactions users took.
February - April
Objective Two
Continue to post on all social media To receive coverage in five media outlets by
accounts bi-weekly and engage with May 1, 2021.
followers
We will measure media coverage by creating
Finalize post agreements with local food coverage reports in Muck Rack, a news
bloggers monitoring software. Muck Rack will track
sentiment and reach to know how many people
Pitch all identified media read the articles. This coverage will also
improve Island Mochi’s SEO.
Repost all coverage received
Sample Work
Media List
Outlet Name Contact Name Contact Title Email
Senior Digital
12 News Julian Paredes jparedes@[Link]
Content Producer
Assignment
AZ Family ———— newsdesk@[Link]
Desk
Assignment
FOX 10 ———— FoxPhoenixPress@[Link]
Desk
PHOENIX Magazine Craig Outhier Editor in Chief couthier@[Link]
Arizona Foodie Diana Brandt Founder arizonafoodie@[Link]
Media Pitch
Subject: Island Mochi is bringing a new dessert to the desert
Hello XX,
The weather in Arizona is finally starting to cool down which means it’s the perfect time to
shop at outdoor farmers markets. There is a new vendor, Island Mochi, at the Downtown
Phoenix Farmers Market who is selling mochi, a traditional Japanese dessert that is hard to
find in Phoenix. The small business is run by Brendan Wong, a senior nursing student at
Arizona State University who grew up in Hawaii, where the dessert is a popular treat. He
bakes all of the mochi himself from a family recipe and attends the market every Saturday.
Brendan began selling at the farmers market because he couldn’t find mochi anywhere near
him and wanted to share this treat with Arizonans.
Please let me know if you are interested in this story. I would be happy to coordinate an
interview.
Conclusion
Island Mochi has been operating for just over a year and has been successful in its current
strategies. Incorporating my recommendations into its social media and campaigns will
increase awareness for the brand and ultimately lead to more customers and more sales.
Future recommendations
As Island Mochi becomes more popular, there are various strategies it can use to keep the
conversation going.
It should consider doing seasonal promotions, especially in the summer months when
business is slower because of the weather to encourage customers to purchase through
other distribution channels such as online ordering.
Island Mochi can create a customer of the month and/or loyalty program to continue to
build a relationship with them and reward them for their returning support.
It should apply to be a vendor at other farmers markets around the valley to expand its
customer base. It can also apply to sell at different types of markets, such as the Phoenix
vegan night market or arts and crafts markets that include food vendors.
Island Mochi should continue to research best practices in the industry and frequently
update and evaluate its strategies and tactics.
Sources
Farmers Market Coalition. (2018). Farmers Market Stats. Retrieved from Farmers Market
Coalition: [Link]
[Link]
Gumirakiza, J. D., & Curtis, K. R. (2013, April). Exploring Consumer Spending at Farmers’
Markets: Who Spends More? . Retrieved from Utah State University:
[Link]
referer=[Link]
Leibrock, A. (2014, August 6). Good Growth: Farmers Markets Still on the Rise . Retrieved
from Sustainable America: [Link]
markets-still-on-the-rise/
