Commercials using the college-aged Jared should appear in a limited capacity on television, but in a greater capacity on the radio. The spokesperson should use the commercial in order to compare Subway's prices with those of other fast food restaurants while distancing the sandwich shop's products from the products offered at other fast food establishments. A slogan might sound something like this: "Subway. Because the dollar menu doesn't have to be so greasy." Using the college-aged Jared to publicize these prices over the radio will convince many to make a fast-paced decision to choose Subway over comparatively priced fast food restaurants.
Those who choose to eat with their friends or in social situations
Subway's current sales promotion advertising a foot-long sandwich for only five dollars is an excellent way to promote Subway as a place for friends to eat together. Two people can share a Subway foot-long for five dollars, making for a very inexpensive lunch. Unfortunately, Subway has not used a strategy involving friends eating together or social situations to publicize this sales promotion, but has concentrated, rather, on a PR campaign centered on price. In addition to the current sales promotion, the menu changes proposed in the sales promotion part of this plan can also be marketed as incentives to encourage friends and social groups to eat together.
This feature of the publicity campaign should include the college-aged Jared and a group of friends, perhaps a study group or other organization that would help identify them with the student target group. The college-aged Jared can promote Subway as a "place for friends to eat together." Radio and television advertisements can feature school groups holding meetings at Subway because the new, varied menu has "something everyone enjoys" and the five dollar foot-longs allow for a "shared lunch and a shared experience." In addition to the radio and television advertisements, Subway should target college campuses and high schools during this PR and publicity campaign. Handing out coupons, hosting booths at student events, and hanging posters that describe Subway as a "place for friends to eat together" would go a long way in encouraging students as a target audience to frequent the restaurant.
Finally, establishments like Starbucks have marketed their restaurants as places not only to eat and consume coffee, but also as establishments for relaxation and social interaction. Subway could encourage the same type of atmosphere by making physical changes to their restaurants such as including couches, televisions, and free WI-FI. Advertising the new changes via television, radio, and posters will encourage those who want to eat in social situations to choose the restaurant.
Creativity
Developing creative ideas for Subway sandwiches is a challenging task because the United States fast food market has already exercised...
Because Subway has an advantage over the rest of the fast food market with its unique products, however, the restaurant also has an advantage when it comes to developing creative ideas.
One of the best ways to develop creative ideas for the restaurant is to expand on the creative ideas that have already been used. For example, Jared and the Subway Diet was an extremely effective creative idea and promotional tool, judging simply from the fact that the diet, which was launched in 2004, is still being used today as a marketing tool (the Subway Diet 2004; Subway 2008). Subway should continue developing creative ideas based on this model for several reasons. First of all, Subway caters to a market that desires fresh and healthy foods. This is a unique characteristic of Subway that does not apply to other fast food restaurants. By developing creative ideas based on the Jared model, Subway will be able to continue to cater to those who want fresh and healthy foods. Some examples of creative ideas that can be inspired by the Jared model are certain diets for specific individuals. Subway could design certain diets around certain spokespeople from different ethnographic groups. For instance, an active young woman, an elderly couple, and an older child could all become "Jareds" with certain diets. Customers could log onto the company's web site in order to participate in and track their diets along with the spokespeople's diets. Every year, a contest could be held for the next spokespeople, who will be given rewards and free sandwiches if they stay healthy.
Another area in which Subway has an advantage over other fast food markets is the fact that the company offers a unique product. This is exemplified by the fact that most other fast food restaurants do not have sub-sandwiches or sandwiches with deli meat. Those restaurants that do include lunch meat or sub-sandwiches often take the products off the menu after a short run. For instance, Wendy's recently had a selection of deli sandwiches available on its menu. Now, only one of those sandwiches is currently offered. Creative ideas should be developed with this unique product in mind. Subway should develop creative ideas based on the sub-sandwich's superiority over the hamburger as an American fast food. Marketing and public relations campaigns should attempt to promote subs as a unique, healthy, and delicious food.
References
Anonymous. (September 3, 2004). The Subway Diet. CBS: 48 Hours Investigates.
Retrieved June 10, 2008 at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/02/48hours/main603484.shtml.
Anonymous. (2008). Subway. Retrieved June 10, 2008 from www, subway.com.
South Western. (2005). Selecting Advertising Objectives. Advertising and Promotion.
Retrieved June 10, 2008 at http://classes.bus.oregonstate.edu/ba495/Materials/ch11.ppt.
