Introduction & Background - Web viewThis has been an important strategic advantage that ensures the...

1Triple O’s Communication Audit

Triple O’s Communication Audit

Kelsey Coleman, Jonathan Cheng, Jennifer Derksen, & Kailyn HumennyKwantlen Polytechnic University

Marketing 3211, Pat Browne, April 9th, 2013


ContentsIntroduction & Background...........................................................................................................................3Key Concerns.................................................................................................................................................4

Goals..........................................................................................................................................................4Objectives..................................................................................................................................................5Strategies....................................................................................................................................................5

Key Components............................................................................................................................................6Internal.......................................................................................................................................................6External......................................................................................................................................................6Graphic Identity.........................................................................................................................................7Media & PR...............................................................................................................................................7

Analyze & Evaluate Key Components..........................................................................................................8Strengths....................................................................................................................................................8Weaknesses................................................................................................................................................8Media.........................................................................................................................................................9

Paid........................................................................................................................................................9Owned..................................................................................................................................................10Earned..................................................................................................................................................11

Interview......................................................................................................................................................11Qualitative................................................................................................................................................11Focus Groups...........................................................................................................................................12Managers & New Hires...........................................................................................................................12Surveys.....................................................................................................................................................12

Recommendations for the Future.................................................................................................................13Short Term...............................................................................................................................................13Long Term...............................................................................................................................................13

Works Cited.................................................................................................................................................16Appendices...................................................................................................................................................17

Appendix A: Peanut Butter Bacon Jalapeño Burger, Try It! We Dare You............................................17Appendix B: Triple O’s On-The-Go Truck.............................................................................................17Appendix D: Twitter Campaign...............................................................................................................18Appendix E: How Did We Do Today?....................................................................................................19Appendix F: Triple O’s Logo and Communication Materials.................................................................19Appendix G: Ingredients..........................................................................................................................20Appendix H: Features Point of Sale (POS) and Till Topers....................................................................20Appendix I: White Spot Head Office.......................................................................................................21


Introduction & BackgroundThe history of White Spot all begins with a man and his truck. In 1928 Nat Bailey transformed

his 1918 Model T into a travel lunch counter. Bailey would drive around Vancouver to various

spots selling hungry Vancouverites Triple O Burgers. In 1928, Bailey opened his first drive-in

restaurant on Granville Street. From that point on White Spot has grown to over 60 locations in

BC and Alberta (White Spot, 2012).

Triple O’s, a division of White Spot Limited, is a Quick Service Restaurant serving a smaller

condensed version of the White Spot menus with its focus being on burgers. Triple O’s can be

found in free-standing locations, street-fronts and select captured markets such as BC ferries,

Chevron stations, and arenas across the world (White Spot, 2012). There are now a total of 44

locations throughout Canada, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

People would come from all over to try Nat’s Triple O sauce. The name “Triple O” originated

from a shorthand language used by the carhops. Customers could choose from mayonnaise and

relish, and the order slips were printed with three X’s and three O’s. And X meant hold, an O

meant extra and Triple-O meant plenty of everything. (Triple O’s, 2012)

Key Concerns

GoalsTriple O’s focus their goals on increased awareness of their brand, to increase traffic and unit

growth, as well as advertising and marketing the company as a brand and leader in the industry.

There are a number of key goals Triple O’s is continuously working on. These goals include


introducing new promotional feature burgers, community involvement and coming up with new

forms of displaying their brand.

Triple O’s develops 6 ‘Feature’ menu items per year as a promotional tool. These Features

attempt to go above and beyond the standards of everyday menu items. “Inspiration for such

burgers comes from everywhere” (Cathy Tostenson, 2013) and it is up to the Culinary Council to

develop something to talk about and create that “water cooler talk” amongst people (Cathy

Tostenson, 2013). Triple O’s definitely stood out from the crowd when they brought about the

Peanut Butter Bacon Jalapeno Burger and Peanut Butter Banana Bacon Milkshake in September

2012. Triple O’s dared consumers to try the burger, and responses were well received with

generally 4 out of 6 using the promotional coupons and incentives. (See Appendix A) As well,

Triple O’s takes to campaign conversations on Facebook, contests on Twitter, and 15-second ads

on SportsNet to grab such attention.

Reinventing how it all started, Triple O’s now has a new full service food truck. It can be seen

throughout the streets of Vancouver, at charity and community events, and is even available to

rent for special occasions. With the increased attention to food trucks in Vancouver it was

important for Triple O’s to get back to where it all began. (See Appendix B)

ObjectivesTo continue to have a successful growth rate Triple O’s strives to continue its brand awareness.

While it is in the same category as other premium fast food restaurants, such as Vera’s and 5

Guys Burgers & Fries, Triple O’s prides themselves on being a step above with high quality food

and a retro-cool experience (Triple O’s, 2012) (See Appendix C). The first step of brand


awareness comes from the external communication and all their marketing and advertising

efforts. Any efforts put forward by Triple O’s will increase in the brand awareness.

Brand awareness not only helps bring in customers but it also helps to open more locations.

Because the majority of all Triple O’s locations are franchises, the company is relying on the

investments of others for these locations.

StrategiesNo matter where you are in the world all Triple O’s locations have the same look, vibe and

attitude. Triple O’s Diner and Drive-Thru are set in a 50’s diners theme with historical images of

White Spot. Memorabilia is also hung from the walls from decades past. It makes for a fun

environment for the customers on the go. While franchises have the ability to adapt to their own

environment, they all have the same look. Triple O’s focuses on building same store sales and

adding new units. This has been an important strategic advantage that ensures the company’s

market share and individual store profitability objectives are met (Triple O’s, 2012).

Triple O’s works with KidSport, a national not-for-profit organization that provides financial

assistance for registration fees and equipment to kids aged 18 and under throughout 39 B.C.

communities (KidSport, 2012.) Once a year, for 2 weeks in mid June, Triple O’s focuses their

attention on KidSport and encourages guests to donate $1 or more when ordering their favorite

Triple O’s menu items (Triple O’s, 2012.). Triple O’s also gears a Twitter Campaign towards

this partnership with KidSport. In addition to the in-store promotion, customers are encouraged

to help raise fund for KidSport by visiting Triple O’s on Twitter. For every re-tweet of the


promotional details, Triple O’s will donate an extra $1 to KidSport (Triple O’s, 2012). (See

Appendix D)

Key Components

InternalWhite Spot Limited was recently renamed as one of the top 50 Businesses to work for, 3rd year

in a row. The environment and atmosphere throughout this chain of restaurants is impeccable.

All staff are prepared, trained, and given the confidence in order to keep up the White Spot and

Triple O’s brand names. There are regular meetings at the head offices, which include the core

concepts of Triple-O’s and business reviews done at least once or twice a year in order to protect

the brand and to evaluate how they are able to better themselves.

External“We provide customers with the tools they need to answer questions; we like to be very

transparent with our guests” (Leah Perry, 2013). Triple-O’s allows customers to indulge further

into the experience with QR codes on receipts and promotional coupons. This pilot program was

launched in late 2012 under the campaign name “How Did We Do Today?” (See Appendix E).

The QR code directs customers to the Triple O’s website to complete short surveys and receive

discounts. Promotional coupons are given out if there has been a problem, or mailed out when

there is a new addition to the menu to increase incentive. At the mid to end of the summer

season, White Spot re-vamps their burger menu and comes out with what they call “Burger

Guest Stars”; unique and funky burger options. Triple O’s also adapts their menu to include the

newest of these burgers. One of the most recent burgers contained peanut butter, which is a

widely known allergen, and had to make sure they accommodated these customers who were


allergic. All restaurants were changed so that these special burgers were made away from all the

other food and that there was no cross contamination with any utensils, etc.

Graphic IdentityThroughout the entire media platform the main colors are deep green and yellow. The use of

deep green symbolizes security, peace of mind, and trust (Kase, L., 2010). While the yellow

stands for freshness and helps activate the memory (Bourn, J. 2011). There is a lot of overlap of

color and symbols taken from White Spot and incorporated into the Triple-O’s graphic identity.

This is because White Spot is an older corporation that has built an incredible brand name, which

in turn has helped boost Triple-O’s credibility. All business cards, letterheads, and office

material display both the Triple-O logo as well as the White Spot logo. (See Appendix F)

Media & PRTriple-O’s has their own official web site as well as several social media platforms in order to

attract more potential customers and increase its brand awareness; they are Twitter, Facebook

and YouTube. White Spot and Triple-O’s host contests through their social media platforms for

their customers. Triple-O’s management updates its Twitter and Facebook account every day in

order to maintain a great relationship with customers. Triple-O’s receives plenty of media and

PR through blog sites and foodie posts on the Internet. They will repost credible blogger entries

to promote how delicious their food really is.

Analyze & Evaluate Key Components

StrengthsTriple O’s also has created excellent brand recognition. This strong brand recognition creates

significant opportunities for the company. Part of the brand recognition comes from the quality

of food. Triple O’s prides themselves on their high quality of food, advertising that they only use


the freshest, highest quality ingredients. As well, they provide this information both in the

restaurant and on the website. (See Appendix G)

Triple O’s also has a highly qualified team of experts supported by White Spot Limited. The

home office of White Spot Ltd helps to provide guidance, leadership and vision for the brand.

This help leads to innovation and product development. They continue to build on this brand

feature by constantly looking at ways to improve the quality of their ingredients.

Between White Spot Ltd and Triple O’s a lot of investments goes into supporting their franchise

network. As part of franchise package the home office will assist with:

Menu Development Supply Management National & Local Store Marketing Training & Support

Real Estate Information Technology Design & Construction

WeaknessesTriple O’s is considered to be in the Premium subcategory of the Quick Service Restaurant

Segmentation. Quick Service meaning that it is a chain of fast-food restaurants. A quick service

restaurant is characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service. Generally a

QSR will have cooked certain menu items in advance; most items are finished and packaged to

order and are usually available ready to take away. Being grouped into this definition will have

consumers see them as on par with Vera’s, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, and Fatburger.

While Triple O’s is a household name, the name more often resonates with the burger at a White

Spot restaurant and not a Triple O’s QSR; creating a Halo Effect and brand confusion.


All Triple O’s locations are outfitted with the retro look from decades ago. While it is a fun

atmosphere it doesn’t relate to their original carhop style restaurant, and some may not be aware

of the history of the Canadian company.

Media

PaidTriple O’s is not as widely advertised at White Spot locations. Being a quick service restaurant

the focus is made towards the feature burgers. When a new feature burger is out, Triple O’s will

run 15 second ads to be aired on SportsNet. Airing on SportsNet goes hand in hand with the key

demographics of Triple O’s. 54% of Triple O’s customers are males and 67% of those

purchasing a burger are males. As well, Triple O's focuses all of their in-store promotions and

advertisements on these Feature burgers with Point of Sale and Till Toppers. (See Appendix H)

As previously mentioned Triple O’s has recently rejoined the food truck scene in Vancouver.

Being a pioneer to the phenomenon it is only natural to see the truck on the streets of Vancouver,

at special events such as B.C. Lions games, the Abbotsford International Airshow, and the

Celebration of Lights. Whatever the event may be Triple O’s can be there. This is a cost to the

company for having the truck out, paying the staff, and having the appropriate permits to operate

on certain cites. While they are paying for the truck to be out, it is good advertisement for Triple

O’s.

OwnedTriple O’s uses a number of owned media as forms of outlets. The best place to start is their

website https://www.tripleos.com/. The website provides information on the history of the

company, menus, locations, franchise & career information, as well as links to all their social

media sites.

https://www.tripleos.com/


The Facebook page has over 3,900 likes and 268 people talking about it. The page is used for a

number of different tools. The company posts images of current products, advertisements and

reminds customers when promotions will be endings. They also post items related to current

events.

The Triple O’s twitter account has over 1,400 followers and counting. There are daily tweets

made of their product and current promotions. They will sometimes run promotions where a

follower could win an item by retweeting a Triple O’s tweet. Having a small twitter base has

allowed Triple O’s to be able to reply back to customers who have tweeted questions, comments

or pictures.

One of the ways Triple O’s has increased its social power is through the use of YouTube. Triple

O’s has created their own YouTube channel. The channel displays videos of past and current

advertisements for feature videos.

Over the past few years Vancouver has seen an influx in food cart vendors throughout the city

streets. In 2011 Triple O’s decided to back to its roots with their own food cart. The truck can be

booked for any event and having it mobile on the street brings more attention.

EarnedA lot of the buzz from Triple O’s comes from their paid and owned media. Whether it is a

current feature burger, news of the food truck being out on the town, or opening new locations

overseas.


The recent fad of adding bacon to anything wasn’t something Triple O’s was going to pass up. In

September 2012, the company created a buzz with their “Bacon Milkshake” and “Peanut Butter

Bacon Jalapeno Burger”. People from all over BC were heading to Triple O’s locations to try the

new items (Vancity Buzz, 2012)

Critics were happy to see the new food cart join the ranks of the Vancouver scene. “British

Columbia's iconic restaurant brand drives restaurant innovation forward...literally” said one news

article (Market Wire, 2011).

In July 2012 Triple O’s opened its first location in China. It is a whole new market and

demographic for the company. The company sent a team to China to ensure food quality and

preparation at the Chinese restaurants is to same standards in Canada. They are also sticking with

their home feel by ensuring stores aren’t orphaned in a country where there's no strategy to open

nearby locations (Korstrom, G, 2012).

Interview

QualitativeOne of the ways Triple O’s confirms the quality of the product and efficiency of their locations is

by using mystery shoppers. Mystery shoppers perform specific tasks such as purchasing a

product, and asking questions about the company or products. They will then provide detailed

reports about their experiences. Some of the information points shoppers take note of include

number of employees working, whether or not the greeting is friendly, cleanliness of store and

store associates, and speed & quality of service.


Focus GroupsWhen coming out with the ‘feature’ burgers a taste testing is done amongst internal staff,

including Leah Perry (Marketing Manager) and Cathy Tostenson (Vice President Marketing). As

well, every 2 years an in-depth research regarding where Triple-O’s fits in the industry and how

they compare with the competition is evaluated.

Managers & New HiresIn order to maintain the food and service quality, there is a pre-shift meeting for every managers

and employees about the daily targets and goals of the shift. In the back office of every location

there is a store message board. The message board containers information about: current

company updates & news, upcoming company events, new products and new promotions.

A lot of work goes into training a new employee. Whenever a new employee is hired they are

given a package containing many documents. These documents include

Orientation Checklist Triple O’s Employee Handbook Triple O’s Policy Guide

Training Plans Service Quiz

SurveysAs company policy there is staff surveys completed 1-2 times a year. The information in the staff

surveys is sent to head office to see how the individual franchises are doing. They are staff

survey is done at least once or twice a year for corporate home office. They are used to help

build and manage the business.

Recommendations for the Future

Short TermThe short-term recommendation for Triple O’s would be to provide more immediate information

to their employees, as well as increase the diffusion of the Halo Effect amongst their targeted


audience with more consistent advertising. Ways in which Triple O’s could accomplish these

ideas would be to:

Email new schedules to employees so that they have access to it immediately. Allow employees to opt-in (via Email) for the latest news and updates regarding

promotions and internal communications that apply to them from Head Office. Run more commercials focused on the Triple O’s brand to bring attention to their social

media, community events, and On-The-Go Truck. This may provide more education to consumers regarding Triple O’s and will aim at avoiding the Halo Effect it currently has with White Spot.

Place these advertisements and commercials where the targeted audience will see them. For example: main bus stops in Vancouver, free newspapers (24 Hour and Metro), Team 1040 Radio, and sports news coverage channels.

These short term goals and recommendations are centered on the idea of getting information to

employees quicker, as to provide them with the necessary tools instantaneously. As well, running

more consistent commercials and ads where the target audience will see them allows these

consumers more familiarity with the Triple O’s brand and aid in the differentiation from White

Spot.

Long TermWith consideration to time and strategy, the long-term goals are geared towards internal

communications with employees of the corporate locations and implementation of a consumer

rewards program and mobile device app. Focusing on internal communications, our

recommendation is to create an Employees-Only Portal on the store computer:

This will be a place where employees can access all up-to-date information on promotions and communications from Head Office.

A ‘Positives Mentions Board’ (similar to a blog) will be set up to connect with other employees from other stores, share their favorite menu items, and even build a profile with their picture, basic information, which store they work at, etc.).

Access to the monthly newsletter will be available.


Employee contests and challenges: prizes of two tickets to a Giants game and dinner at either White Spot or Triple O’s in the arena. As well, contests amongst stores to see who can sell the most of the promotional burger and ability to view each store’s progress.

Although Triple O’s already sends out promotional coupons and discounts, it may be worth

considering a loyalty program as well:

The Triple O’s Green Card: a card for loyal consumers, or to entice Guests to return for the rewards.

“The Sauciest, Juiciest, Tastiest, Bestest Rewards Around” – in line with Triple O’s slogan

Consumers can rack up points every time they make a purchase at Triple O’s locations, and earn free rewards or discounts towards their next visit.

Catching up with technology and those consumers seeking the latest and greatest, Triple O’s may

want to look into developing a mobile device application:

Mobile version of the website in the form of a phone ‘app’. Provides consumers with the closest Triple O’s location, latest news, promotions, and

community involvement. Access to Facebook and Twitter Feed, as well as a tracking system for the On-The-Go

Truck when it is out and about. Consumers can also put their loyalty card on there so that it is with them wherever they

go and they are able to view the status, points and rewards.

Triple O’s has always kept their focus on consumers and how to better their experience. These

recommendations and suggestions are only to increase that ability and to help pave the way for

Triple O’s to clearly standing out from the competition with being up-to-date on technology as

well as employee and consumer consideration.


Works CitedAbout Us. (2013.). Kidsport. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from www.kidsportcanada.ca/index.php?page=mission

Bourn, J. (2011, February 5). Meaning of The Color Yellow. Bourn Creative. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-yellow

Elvis loved it and so do we: Peanut Butter & Bacon at Triple O’s. (2012, September 10). Vancity Buzz. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from www.vancitybuzz.com/2012/09/elvis-loved-it-and-so-do-we-peanut-butter-bacon-at-triple-os/

Kase, L. (2010, September 20). Color Psychology: Nuances of Color to Consider for Smart Color Marketing. Marketing Psychology. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from http://www.psychologyofmarketing.com/categories/color-marketing-psychology/

Kidsport And Triple-O's Partnership. (2012). Triple-O's. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from https://www.tripleos.com/blog/kidsport-and-triple-os-partnership

Korstrom, G. (2012, July 31). White Spot expands into China. Business in Vancouver. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www.biv.com/article/20120731/BIV0106/307319869/-1/BIV/white-spot-expands-into-china

Main Page. (2012.). Triple-O's. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from https://www.tripleos.com/

Our History. (2102). White Spot. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from https://www.whitespot.ca/our-history

Triple O's Launches Canada's First Mobile Restaurant and Test Kitchen by a Quick Service Chain. (2011, August 4). Marketwire. Retrieved April 5, 2013, from http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/triple-os-launches-canadas-first-mobile-restaurant-test-kitchen-quick-service-chain-1546172.htm


Appendices

Appendix A: Peanut Butter Bacon Jalapeño Burger, Try It! We Dare You

Appendix B: Triple O’s On-The-Go Truck


Appendix C: Retro Look

Appendix D: Twitter Campaign

Twitter Campaign:In addition to the in-store promotion, customers can help raise money for KidSport by visiting Triple O’s on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/TripleOs from June 20th - July 3rd. For every re-tweet of the promotional details, Triple O’s will

http://twitter.com/TripleOs


donate an extra $1 to KidSport. Help us raise an extra $5,000 for this outstanding cause!Tweet this: Help #TripleOs get kids off the sidelines & into the game. RT & follow & we will donate $1 to @kidsportIn 2010 thanks to you, we raised $25,000. For 2011, with your help, we plan to beat last year's funds raised!For more information on Kidsport, go to kidsportcanada.ca.

http://www.kidsportcanada.ca/index.php


Appendix E: How Did We Do Today?

Appendix F: Triple O’s Logo and Communication Materials


Appendix G: Ingredients

Appendix H: Features Point of Sale (POS) and Till Topers


Appendix I: White Spot Head Office

Introduction & Background - Web viewThis has been an important strategic advantage that ensures the...

Documents

Transcript of Introduction & Background - Web viewThis has been an important strategic advantage that ensures the...