Lindsey NeeldStrategic Planner

Autumn trees don’t serve much significance in this book, other than the fact that autumn is my favorite

season and I often find myself awestruck by an incredible looking

tree.

Table of Contents:

Bass Pro Shops: Retail Holiday Campaign & Uncovering Hidden Truths

OshKosh B’Gosh: Brand Revival & Product Innovation

Royal Wedding Mobile App: Turning an Assignment on It’s Head

Endurance Moms: Segmentation of a Sub-Culture

Family Storage: Ethnographic Study Leads to Innovation in an Industry

1-6

7-13

14-18

19-20

21-24

Strategic Planning + Altruistic Approach = Me.

I was exposed to a variety of cultures at a very young age. Between the ages of 5 and 11, I moved from Miami, Florida to Bangkok, Thailand to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Spotsylvania, Virginia.

Each place I lived has impacted who I am today: unbiased, adaptable, and curious about lifestyles and cultures outside my own. I chose the path of strategic planning due, in part, to these traits but there’s more to me, and what I think it takes to be a good strategic planner. As an empathetic person who believes karma exists, I think altruism plays a key role in what it takes to be a good planner.

Reciprocity is key to any good relationship and in order to engage and build strong relationships with audiences, a planner needs to ensure their work is giving back to the audience. I align myself with the people I’m learning from, giving me the ability to deliver a sincere representation of the topic and the audience and how my client’s company or brand fits into the puzzle. The idea of altruism doesn’t have to be taken in the most serious of terms. It can be as simple as creating a mobile application that helps locals navigate around gridlock in their city during a big event. Taking an altruistic approach is beneficial to companies and brands, too. The rise of eco-consciousness, fair-trade, and consumers demanding more corporate transparency and responsibility shows that people are generally keen to promote well-being of others.

Altruism isn’t the be-all and end-all of a good planner; there may be good planners who disagree with me… that’s what distinguishes us from another. For me, a successful career as a strategic planner is being able to look back knowing I made a positive impact in the lives of people I learned from along the way.

Brand Campaign | Retail HolidayWhat started out as a Valentine’s Day campaign to strengthen Bass Pro Shops beyond the retail holiday ended up being much more than that; uncovering truths about hunters and fisherman often masked by assumptions and stereotypes. With a deeper knowledge in hand, Bass Pro Shops could champion for their customers beyond spouses and girlfriends, to anyone unfamiliar with true outdoor enthusiasts.

Brian Naujelis (CW) | Kyla Wagman (CBM) | Warner Whatley (AD) | Jeremy Williams (CT)

• strong, loyal customer base stems from sharing the same passion for the outdoors and outdoor sports

• for loyalists, BPS apparel serves as proof of their level of dedication to the outdoors

Getting from “A to Z”:

Brand audit: What resonated with me...

As a team, we laid out our basic knowledge and preconceived notions of Bass Pro Shops’ core audience:

Taking the reins... to better understand who our audience is and to help determine the right path for our campaign, areas I explored were:

• what kind of lives do they live?

• what drives their need/desire to hunt/fish/be outdoors and what do they get from it?

• where does the girlfriend/spouse fit into the equation?

• their relationship with BPS & why?

A Glimpse Into the Lifestyle...with secondary research:

• scoured the BPS facebook page

• read hunting/fishing/outdoor forums

• blogs by outdoor enthusiasts and blogs related to hunting/fishing/outdoors

• focused a lot on comments left on the various blogs

Armed with secondary research and moving beyond the computer screen, I developed a better idea of things to pay attention to and more specific, pointed questions for personal interviews.

Through my mental rolodex of friends, I reached out to the ones I knew could give me the best look into this lifestyle.

General Understanding of our Audience

• male

• outdoor enthusiasts

• down-to-earth, no frills

• spend a lot of time & money on their outdoor lifestyle

Digging Deeper...

Bass Pro Shops is a destination outdoor retailer that provides hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts with outdoor apparel and equipment.

Through the Eyes of Outdoorsmen | Hunt-a-long & One-on-Ones:

I snagged a hunt-a-long with two friends In-depth interviews rounded out research and solidified insights

AJ

Phats Nate

Buck

Strategic outdoorsmen, not “weekend posers.” A true outdoorsman understands the life cycles and complexities of their “opponents,” are devoted to the sport and playing fair. To them, it’s more about the hunt, not the kill.

“I start watching deer in late May when they start growing their antlers back. By the beginning of June, their antlers are full grown so you know how big their rack will be in October.” - Nate

“It’s all about the hunt. It’s not about how many deer I kill. I let plenty of doe pass me... I’m looking for this one buck I’ve been watching for the past year; it’s like a game between me and the buck... who can outsmart who? and they’re really f*cking smart” - Phats

“You have to alter your fishing style depending on the season; fish swim slower in the winter and spawn in the spring.” - Buck

Bass Pro Shops apparel serves as code to others that they’re serious about the outdoors.

Bass Pro Shops commitment to the outdoors mirrors their customers. Serious

outdoorsman are loyal to Bass Pro Shops because, like them, a love for the great outdoors and passion for outdoor sports is at their core.

Communications Strategy: Share your love with your other love.

Alleviate some of the tension caused by hunting and fishing by helping her understand the deeper, spiritual side of her partner’s outdoor hobbies. Thus revealing the romantic side of nature.

Bass Pro Shops enables involvement in sports that place a strain on their customers’ relationships.

BPS may have a little to do with this tension:

There’s an opportunity here for Bass Pro Shops:

All-consuming holiday puts strain on personal relationships. Significant others have a hard time understanding why their partner puts so much time, money and thought into this lifestyle; sometimes feeling like they’re being placed on the back-burner.

“I know rednecks who’ve gotten divorced because they’re always wanting to hunt or fish.” - Nate

“I knew my wife was gonna be mad that I chose to go fishing on my day off but I hadn’t been yet all spring!” - Buck

The act of the catch or kill is exciting but the overall journey is intrinsically spiritual. They understand the higher power of mother nature because of how deeply immersed they become; being one with the environment, contributing to and supporting the “circle of life.”

“It may sound weird but it’s [hunting] so peaceful... because it’s nothing but me and nature. I’m out here before sunrise and I get to watch mother nature at work; as sun starts to rise, flowers begin to open up. Critters emerge, I’ll watch a doe walk by with her fawns closely behind her... I feel blessed to be able to witness it all” - Phats

Copy: There’s the love story playing at 8, or the place love stories are written about.

Copy: There’s the out-of-town getaways, the overnight getaways, or the getaway from getaways.

Copy: The quietest place on earth doesn’t take reservations.

Tagline: Experience love in its natural habitat.Print:

In-Store: “Love notes” will be placed in bags for customers to give to their wives/girlfriends.

Invitations:

Online:

Product Extension:Leading up to Valentine’s Day, men will be able to send invitations to their lovers, inviting them to a day spent in nature via the Bass Pro website. They’ll have the option to print the invitation themselves or to have Bas Pro mail it.

Flowers are so cliche. Instead of bringing home flowers to their wife/girlfriend, Bass Pro will sell tree saplings, encouraging customers to take their lover to their favorite fishing hole or hunting spot and plant the tree. The trees will create a place where they can return to enjoy nature together

The Bass Pro website will allow couples to geo-tag where they’ve planted their tree, share stories and find suggestions on how to make their outdoor trips romantic.

Bass Pro Shops throughout the country will be closed on February 14th, encouraging customers to spend that extra time with their loved ones.

Valentine’s Day:

Ethnographic Study: Family StorageWe visited a stay-at-home mom to gain an understanding of her life and how she stores her children’s things. We went into this study with pre-conceived notions on how storage fits into a person’s life relative to their children and left with an enriched view of one’s relationship with storage and created an innovation in storage we may have never considered.

Sensei Blake | Carrington Faulk | Amit Gurnani | Jennifer Hunley

This is Kendra.

• married with 2 boys and 1 girl• worked as a project manager and

is now a full-time mom• clean and well-organized

Generalities:

Around the House...

• Kendra’s always tidying up; if she isn’t storing or tucking things away, she’s rearranging and getting rid of stuff her family no longer needs.

• The kids mimic what she does; everything has it’s own designated place, guiding the kids to put their things back where they belong.

“My rule is: I like to keep all the toys in one room.”

“I’m kind of an organizational freak...”“I try to keep up with the toys, if they’re not playing with it I’ll donate it to Goodwill cuz it just gets overwhelming.”

“...everyone has their own baskets so they know exactly

where their stuff is and where to put it back...”

PART ONE:

the Car

Artwork & Crafts

Areas of Storage We Covered:

Toys & Games

Keepsakes

Insights:

• Storage gives her a sense of control over her house & helps her maintain sanity: by tucking things away, she feels more at ease because the house is in order (or at least appears to be).

• Storage is a responsibility • She’s the curator of her family’s history• Storing items represents moving from one chapter to the next• While Kendra has full control over her house, she feels powerless in the car

“Everything is accessible to them

so they can feel like they can get

it themselves if they want it.”

“Oh, the car is a whole other organization... I’m telling you.”

Clothes

“I’m having a hard

time right now with a

few items that they’re

kinda done with but I

think I want to keep

for like, grandkids or

something...”

PART TWO:

My team and I took what we learned and observed from our storage “expert,” Kendra and discussed how the needs and behaviors we uncovered from our experience could be tailored to a brand, expanding it’s portfolio.

What was most interesting to us was Kendra’s relationship to storage relative to her minivan.

Something is missing in the realm of family cars if even a self-described “organizational freak” is having trouble maintaining order in her minivan.

While Kendra has full control over her house, she feels powerless in her car.

The air of pride Kendra had as she took us through her house, showing

us her impeccable knack for the order, diminished when she showed us

how she “stored” things in her car. The order she had in her house

seemed to be lost once she and her family entered the car.

“I’ll do a major overhaul every few weeks, and for a few days I’ll work like mad to keep everything *just so*. Then, someone will spill their snack or leave a pile of crayons in the third seat and everything goes downhill from there.”

Kendra’s not alone. There is nothing orderly about most family cars.

The peace and order of “home” shouldn’t have to end at the house.

• The car is the family’s secondary living space.

• Safety means more -- maintenance of sanity: we know the right storage system helps

Mom maintain sanity in the home; it’s even more important for her to keep sane while

driving.• It’s about being prepared: being able to organize the every day items brought into the car

can help pacify kids.

Car companies are addressing Moms needs with storage options for the trunk, center console and floor boards but

they turn into black holes where junk gravitates and festers. Right now, Honda is the most considerate of

families, offering a cooling system in the center console for drinks and snacks but that’s stowing, not storing.

There are companies who’ve realized moms need

more. detailed storage options in the car but “cargo”

storage options are eye-sores and take up a lot of space.

Car Storage Insights:

to develop a better in-car storage system, adding a new line to their family-oriented Town & Country mini-vans.

• Chrysler was the pioneer of the minivan category; with families in mind they developed a smaller version of their full-size vans

• leads the minivan segment in market share but Honda and Toyota are increasingly taking away mindshare of Moms; adding more practical value to their latest versions

• growing mindset and desire in America to “buy American.”

It’s also an opportunity for a car company to gain a leg up on Honda and stand out from all the others by having a different perspective on safety; they care about more than just physical safety... they care about the overall well-being of their drivers (and passengers.)

OPPORTUNITY:

PARTNER WITHCHRYSLER

There’s a huge opportunity for a car company to give Mom real storage options she needs - built in.

WHY CHRYSLER?

Offering customized storage solutions for specific needs of Moms and their kids will create order in the car so kids can easily access things and tuck them away in the right place, and Moms will feel more in control in the car.

Under-seat drawers for each child

Customizable storage compartments

Customizable storage compartment

Fold-out tray/table

Vertical-open draw for easier access during drive

Storage space under passenger seat cushion

Lock/unlock buttons for all compartments

Brand Revival and Product Innovation

The revival of OshKosh B’Gosh and the product innovations that came out of this campaign seemed to come together seamlessly because the direction made sense across the board... for the brand, the category,

and the audience.

Rory Shallis (CBM) | David Sloan (CW) | Marc Andrew Stephens (CT) | Avery Old!eld (AD) | Warner Whatley (AD)

CHALLENGE:How do we move a mature brand to the forefront of mothers’ minds and toward the top of a mature and crowded category?

CATEGORY LANDSCAPE:Children’s clothing is an emotionally driven purchase but the children’s clothing category has become super!cial.

Brands are missing the essence of what it means to be a kid. Children are growing up at a faster rate than ever before and children’s clothing companies are re"ecting this, producing teen and adult-styled clothing in children sizes.

BRAND OVERVIEW:OshKosh B’Gosh was in it’s heyday in the ‘80s. The popularity of the overalls, the staple of OshKosh, is what gave rise to public awareness of the brand.

The styling of the overalls wasn’t the only thing Moms found appealing; Moms shared in what OshKosh cherished about being a kid: play, make believe and genuine expression.

“...Kids keep wearin’ OshKosh B’Gosh cuz they keep up with kids...”

‘80s Jing

le

Today, the image of OshKosh B’Gosh overalls still resonates but what they stand for has been lost.

Over the years, OshKosh has strayed away from what they stand for as a brand, no longer creating the emotional connections they once did through their ads. Instead, OshKosh is blending in with the rest of the category.

DIRECTION: Go back to the roots of OshKosh B’Gosh, becoming the clothing brand representative of children.

OPPORTUNITY:Make clothes that re"ect what it truly means to be a kid...

EMBRACING CHILDHOOD: Kids love to explore and the outdoors is the perfect source of exploration and wonderment, sparking their imaginations.

Worry gets in the way. Parents tell their kids to “be careful!” and “don’t mess up your clothes!” - this holds them back from really enjoying the outdoors because they don’t want to get in trouble if they stain or rip their clothes.

Sometimes moms have to choose between cute and practical. Moms want their kids to look nice in their clothes but they also try to be practical, which is why many moms turn their kid’s high-water pants into “play” clothes.

Kids should never feel guilty about playing outside or uncomfortable with the clothes they’re wearing. We can improve the outdoor play experience for kids and parents by alleviating some of the stress parents have when it comes to the toll outdoor play has on clothing.

No children’s clothing company is creating clothing for the “play” category.

INSIGHTS: MOMS & KIDS CLOTHING

STRATEGY:OshKosh B’Gosh creates clothing that is Made for Play.

OshKosh B’Gosh can own this space.

PRODUCT INNOVATIONS & EXTENSIONS:

Taking “Made for Play” literally, a line of clothing will be created to withstand the roughest, dirtiest and wettest of outdoor play. As a fun way to remind

parents about what outdoor play and being a kid is all about, clothing tags will give step-by-step instructions for outdoor activities

In this example: how to make a mud pie.

Kids love to pretend they’re someone else.

OshKosh will sell velcro patches kids can easily add to their clothes, choosing who ever they want to be on any given day.

Kids will never run out of ideas of things to do outside with these activity dice.

PRINT ADS:

Ads highlighting OshKosh product innovations will run in a variety of magazines.

BANNER ADS:

Keeping in line with the theme of outdoor play, banner ads incorporating local forecasts and encouraging outdoor play will be placed on select websites.

The theme of outdoor play will be brought into the store experience, offering kids an outdoor play atmosphere, indoors.

IN-STORE:

A bucket of activity cards will be placed at the check-out counter for kids to grab. Activity cards mean there’s always new ideas for what kids can do outside.

Endurance Moms:Exploration into a

Sub-Culture

There is a growing group of mothers taking their exercising endeavors past gym memberships to running clubs, training groups and long distance running events...

This sub-culture exploration stems from

a research project centered around

discovering the factors giving rise to

“Endurance Moms” and understanding the

reasons and motivations that drew

them in.

The Born-Again ExerciserThe Fitness CompanionThe Fitness GuruBefore high school

They don’t need help staying on track

Wise & inspirational

When they joined H.S. sports teams

Social aspects help keep them involved

Peppy, upbeat

After they became a mother

They want to make up for lost time

Self-expressive

Began exercising...

When it comes to getting out there,

Statements about themselves are:

Exercise was fun in high school because of the camaraderie and

competitive spirit of being on a sports team.

Being a part of an endurance group offers similar aspects of what made her push herself back in high school.

They’ve discovered what the “Fitness Gurus” have known for a long time; the benefits of participating in endurance sports go far beyond better health &

physical appearance.

They’re proud of how far they’ve come and are eager to see how far they can

push themselves.

The most avid endurance athlete, she has the strongest insights into the mental & emotional benefits

of endurance sports.

Realizing additional benefits of endurance sports after

motherhood made her an even bigger advocate.

ROCK ʻNʼ ROLL 1/2 MARATHON

7388“I run like a girl.Try to keep up!”

VA BEACH 2011

ROCK ʻNʼ ROLL 1/2 MARATHON

251“This is my therapy.”

VA BEACH 2011 VA BEACH 2011

“Tough Chick!”

4165ROCK ʻNʼ ROLL 1/2 MARATHON

The Royal Wedding... Who Gives a Damn?

Developing a mobile application that offers details of Will & Kate’s Royal Wedding to

a select audience.

Senesi Blake (CS) | Jake Mitchell (CT) | Yvonne Allen (CT)

From the media to fashion blogs to cup makers and everyone in-between, no time was wasted trying to cash in on the upcoming wedding of Will and Kate once their engagement was made public.

There is no lack of information, goods or services surrounding the April 29th wedding.

So, how do you create a “Royal Wedding” mobile application people will actually download when there is already so much information at their fingertips?

Talk to the people no one else is talking to, the locals who aren’t into all of the royal wedding hype. (Target)

(Task)

Royal Wedding = Royal HeadacheThe 10+ million Republicans (anti-monarchists) absolutely want to avoid anything related to the royal wedding.

For other reasons, many Londoners aren’t that excited about it either.All of the tourists pouring into London the days leading up to the wedding will serve as a HUGH inconvenience to locals.• Daily routines of navigating through the city will be thrown off• They’ll become increasingly frustrated with the tourists invading

their favorite local spots.

Londoners are going to try their best to stay out of Dodge... but sometimes it’s easier said than done.

“If you think for one minute that in Britain we are ALL delighted to support this dynastic farce, you are very much mistaken!”- Phaedra, Republican supporter

“ “ ”””

“

Introducing... the mobile app for avoiding tourist traps, LondonFail. You’re a townie.

Your location as well as areas around your

location that have above normal

activity is detected.

= proceed with caution= consider alternatives= stay away!

Before figuring out a place to eat that isn’t infested with tourists,

you check to see what road conditions

are like; what’s the best route to even get near Elephant

and Castle?

There’s been a report on one of

the places you were considering

so you click on it to see what the

problem is there.

HOW THE APP WORKS:

You just spent way too much

time standing in line at Tesco. To

help out fellow townies, you

open the LondonFail app and select the Tesco location from the map.

Through your Twitter account,

you type in a description, choose the

“threat level” and click “report.”

The alert’s now on the map.

Clicking on the blue

arrow will pull up the report and

nearby alternatives

to that Tesco will

appear below.

A #LondonFail hash-tag will be created and the mobile application will run through Twitter and Google maps. Even though reports will be updated via Twitter, users will have the option to share their report on facebook,

You pull out your smartphone and open the LondonFail app. It’s the week of Will and Kate’s wedding and you want to grab lunch with some friends.

LAUNCH CAMPAIGN:

Posters and Word Of Mouth:

An Incentive for Local Businesses:

LIVING BEYOND THE “HONEYMOON PHASE”

‣ OLYMPICS 2012‣ SUPERBOWL

‣ CITY MARATHON

‣ WORLD CUP

‣ SPRING BREAK

‣ FILM SHOOTS

‣ NATURAL DISASTERS

A few weeks prior to the royal wedding, posters will be placed in high traffic areas throughout the city of London (tourist hot spots, bus stops, London Underground) to spark local curiosity.

To help fuel conversation and curiosity, people with area codes surrounding the city center will receive a text message from their mobile service provider alluding to dealing with tourist chaos due to the royal wedding and prompting them to check out #LondonFail.

Businesses will have the opportunity to advertise alongside the reports. The ad content, specialized by location and keywords, will suggest similar businesses nearby when a report is selected.

To further the buzz around this app, participating businesses could place #LondonFail stickers in their shop windows.

What is really great about this mobile application is, it has legs. Long ones. People living in cities and vacation towns all around the world are familiar with the headache encroaching out-of-towners bring to their daily lives. Who wouldn’t want an application like this?

Some events this app would be extremely useful for:

I appreciate your interest in my work.

Thanks for your time... I look forward to speaking with you further!

The paper my “business cards” are printed on is embedded with wildflower

seeds so if/when someone no longer needs my card, they can plant it and receive wildflowers in return... just

another way to give back.