1. Public Relations plan for Buchanan Industries Inc. (fictional client)
I. Introduction
Olivia and Derek Buchanan are Australian farmers who specialize in ostrich ranching. They
breed ostriches at their farm to later sell organic ostrich meat and eggs, alongside body
cream which is also manufactured from ostriches.
Likewise, they provide assistance as consultants to farmers who wish to pursue
similar farming business with ostrich-related products, as well as providing consultation
and custom incubation of fertilized ostrich eggs for small farm owners.
They had a successful run in Australia with their new business, but they later moved
to Calgary to expand their business on an international level. They later founded Buchanan
Industries Inc., a company dedicated to produce and process products made out of
ostriches. As of now, they have a small-sized business. They wholesale to restaurants,
butcher shops and they also retail at Farmer's Markets and other small markets across
Calgary.
After a few years, the organization has managed to establish itself as a small-niche
business in Southern Alberta within the organic food industry. They have forged strategic
partnerships with four restaurants in Calgary and Red Deer. With that being said, only 30%
of their sales account for home consumers, and 75% of their sales are concentrated in the
Calgary-Red Deer/Sylvan Lake Area.
They made a profit of over 10,000 dollars by 2011, a number that rose to 15,000 by
the end of 2014. On the other hand, by the end of 2011 they had established an alliance
with only one restaurant, but since demand has grown over the years, they had to hire more
people to work for them at the farm. As of now, the number of employees working at
Buchanan Industries Inc. stands at 38.
Even though they have made a name for themselves in Calgary as ostrich farmers,
the Buchanans believe that their business can grow even further. They would like to expand
their business across other provinces but they don't have enough financial resources to start
an aggressive advertising campaign. Consequently, they made some research and found out
that public relations can be an effective and more affordable tool to accomplish their
expansion goals, especially when it comes to changing people's attitudes towards their
products.
II. Research
The problem in front of us can be defined as consumers displaying the bias of the unknown
towards ostrich products. According to the Buchanans, their goods have not been as
popular as they would have wanted because Albertans are very conservative when it comes
to their culinary preferences. They think Albertans might think the products they are
offering are "too exotic" for their taste. Ostrich meat is just starting to catch up in some
parts of Alberta, but there's still a major unknown bias in-between that is blocking its
growth.
However, given the success and expertise the Buchanan's have regarding ostrich-
related products, there are several opportunities to make their business grow. Olivia
Buchanan states that ostrich meat is not that expensive and it's as nutritional as traditional
red meats, but easier to process. Therefore, there is an opportunity to explain to the
audience about the breeding process that the ostriches undergo before the meat is

2. processed. Finally, there's another opportunity to expand the consulting feature offered by
Buchanan Industries Inc. across other small and mid-sized farms in Alberta.
Given that the scope of the problem has been narrowed to a specific behavioral
issue (finding more about Albertans' preferences when it comes to trying new foods) and
the limited budget the Buchanans have, it was recommended for them to carry out a
qualitative research, in the form of focus groups and one-on-one interviews, and secondary
research based on information that is already available about existing sales statistics within
the industry and how the Buchanans have been managing their company.
First and foremost, we had to carry out an internal research to determine how the
company is behaving and communicating with their target audiences. Subsequently, we
found out that the company has not been doing a very good job at trying to reach the public.
They didn't have active online channels where they could communicate with their
customers. They usually relied on telephone calls and in-person consultations. However,
they have managed to establish solid relationships with farmers and agriculturers in
Southern Alberta and earned a reputation as top experts in ostrich farming.
Several of the Buchanans' employees agreed that the processing the ostrich meat
undergoes is one of the most efficient, hygienic and professional they have ever seen. Many
of their employees have had experience working with other farms, but they all agree that
the Buchanans take their jobs very seriously and professionally as well. They believe that if
the process is explained to the public, then the products manufactured by the company
could become even more reliable among the public.
Available data from several retailers and Farmer's Markets also suggest ostrich meat
is selling at a price which makes it more affordable compared to other meats. For example,
a 16-ounce ostrich ground meat can be sold for $12.95, whereas an 8-ounce Elk striploin is
sold for $14.951
.
After the qualitative research was carried out, we found out through focus groups
that there is a public perception problem with their products, in terms of them being
perceived as intended for foreigners or for people with higher income. They think only
"adventurous people" would be willing to try this kind of meat. Additionally, only 30% of
consumers stated they would be willing to try ostrich meat if the opportunity presented
itself, but ostrich meat still ranked below alternative choices like Elk, Deer, Boar and
Bison. Public perception has not been a strong aspect that the Buchanans have been
working on since moving to Calgary. This contradicts the fact that ostrich is actually not
that expensive compared to traditional red meat and alternative choices as it was pointed
out in the previous paragraph.
The information that needed to be gathered from existing data was Albertans'
preferences regarding when do they decide to try new meat products and which products
are the ones they consider more reliable and why. The Buchanans' Annual reports showed
that even though they have been able to grow their business since moving to Canada, the
restaurants where their products were sold (accounting for 70% of their company's total
sales) are isolated in non-centric neighbourhoods in Calgary which makes it difficult for
them to get new customers to try their products.
Furthermore, we also held one-on-one interviews with the owners and chefs of
partner restaurants to know more about the popularity of ostrich meat in their businesses.
The leading chefs of all four restaurants agreed that ostrich meat is a product that can
1
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch. https://www.northforkbison.com/buy-online/ostrich/

3. become very popular because of its taste and nutritional value. They also added that the
meat comes in perfect condition and that the Buchanans are arguably the most reliable
providers they have worked with. Restaurant owners added that they encourage waiters to
recommend customers to try the meat, but according to their own internal research, only
20% of customers who are undecided about their order actually try ostrich meat after
hearing the suggestion. Nevertheless, satisfaction levels of customers who tried ostrich
meat are usually good or better. Owners also claimed that customers who tried ostrich meat
have become frequent consumers at their restaurants. One Restaurant owner in Calgary said
he is already featuring the Buchanans' ostrich meat as one of their main specialties.
Finally, as far as the consultation aspect of the Buchanans' business goes, local
farmers who were interviewed praised the Buchanans for their expertise on ostrich farming.
They claim the Buchanans' help has allowed them to earn extra assets that will eventually
translate into more income for their businesses. Moreover, they have regarded the
Buchanans as very professional individuals and have recommended their services to other
farmers every time they had the opportunity to do it.
Overall, our research showed the Buchanans are regarded as strict and professional
farmers which turned their company in one of the most reliable among the people that were
interviewed. At the same time, ostrich meat has been having a very good reception among
consumers who actually tried it, but there is a big misconception about the facts and myths
regarding the consumption and processing of this type of meat.
III. Action and Communication Planning
As stated before, there seemed to be an important barrier between the public and their
willingness to try ostrich meat. People have been judging these kinds of products without
actually trying them before, so Public Relations would serve as an ideal tool to help the
audience understand they are being judgmental.
Moreover, Public Relations would be used in this case to "educate" the consumer
about the advantages and the virtues of ostrich meat, from a nutritional, hygienic and
financial standpoint. The target audience would learn about the Buchanans' experience as
ostrich farmers dating from past generations and how they achieved success in Australia in
order to build trust with the public.
What was needed to be done was to change people's attitude towards ostrich meat
rather than advertising this product. Prejudices are a barrier that were holding Buchanan
Industries Inc. back in terms of the growth they could potentially achieve. Therefore, Public
Relations would try to build a trustful relationship with potential consumers, so that in the
future they would feel more confident about the opportunity to consume ostrich products.
Target Audiences
The communications plan had three target audiences in mind; given that these have been
the main stakeholders that have been interacting with Buchanan Industries Inc. at different
levels.
Primary Target
"Organic-meat consumers"
Olivia Buchanan stated that they felt comfortable with the target market they had in mind,
but that they would like to reach more of their current audience: Middle-aged, "Green",

4. organic-meat consumers, both men and women alike. Some of the traits that define this
segment are:
- Healthy and health conscious.
- Well-educated and working professionals.
- Environmentally-conscious. They care about the breeding and farming process the
animals undergo before farmers process the meat.
- Have average incomes and can afford a meal out of the house at a restaurant
every now and then.
- Open-minded and are willing to try new experiences, but that doesn't always
translate into trying new types of food because they don't always trust the
procedure behind its processing.
- Cooking is one of the activities they enjoy the most, but they also care about the
state of their kitchen after they are done cooking.
As mentioned before, research show these individuals don't regard ostrich products as high
as alternative and traditional choices, but they would be willing to give it a try if the
opportunity presented itself.
Key Messages:
- Become an ostrich fan in just one meal.
- Ostrich products are affordable and tasty.
- Step out of your comfort zone and try some "Big Bird".
- Ostrich products: A healthy kitchen needs healthy food.
- Fans of "Green" will love some Ostrich.
Secondary Targets
Restaurant Owners
As of now, all four restaurants that are serving Buchanan Industries Inc.'s ostrich products
are located in isolated areas without the necessary margin to obtain a better customer flow.
The Buchanans would like to target "funkier" restaurants that are also average priced. That
being said, the owners of the restaurants they are targeting to should have some of the
following characteristics:
- Middle-aged, informed and educated individuals.
- They believe new servings are pivotal to attract new customers.
- Adventurous and risk takers.
- Family-oriented individuals who enjoy a friendly atmosphere.
- Environmentally conscious.
- Financially conscious individuals who worry about making a profit.
- Trendy individuals. They are constantly tracking which trends are catching up.
To reach this audience, messaging must motivate restaurant owners to include ostrich meals
into their menus by appealing to its price, hygiene and its potential to become a trendy meal
among consumers.
Key Messages:
- Become an ostrich fan in just one meal.
- Ostrich products are affordable and tasty.

5. - Don't get stuck in the past and try some ostrich.
- Ostrich meat: Easier to cook and easier to clean.
- Fans of "Green" will love some Ostrich.
Albertan Farmers
The final target audience that this communications plan will try to engage is Albertan
farmers. The Buchanans have developed productive relationships with many farms across
Southern Alberta, but now they intend to reach additional farms in the north to start paving
the way to eventually introduce their products into Edmonton.
These farmers are middle-aged or older (roughly between 40 and 65 years old) and
have established businesses that have been running for many decades. They can also be
characterized as:
- Skeptical. They have fluid communication channels with their neighbours but they
are very conservative when it comes to trying new breeding procedures or farming
new species because of the risks that these procedures imply.
- Active, outgoing and work-oriented.
- Result-oriented. They are not always sold on the potential or the "could be" of
certain products if they have not been tested elsewhere before.
- Value experience and hard work.
- Traditionalists. They are influenced by their closest family members when they
have to make decisions that might go against with their beliefs.
- Are well-informed and educated about the current trends among farmers within
the province.
Consequently, messaging for this target audience should emphasize Buchanan
Industries Inc.’s prestige as ostrich farmers and the reliability of their consultation service
with regard to breeding ostrich products. It also has to underline the qualities of ostrich
products.
Key Messages:
- Need a new business? Start your ostrich-farming business by calling Buchanan
Industries Inc.
- Buchanan Industries Inc: Three generations of experience breeding ostriches.
- Ostrich meat: Easier to cook and easier to clean.
- Become an ostrich fan in just one meal.
- Ostrich products are affordable and tasty.
Communications Goal
Albertans are moved past the prejudices and myths surrounding ostrich-related products, to
a stage where they feel confident enough to try ostrich products farmed by the Buchanans.
Objectives
- Increase ostrich product sales among consumers, retailers and wholesale buyers by the
Fall of 2016.
- Raise consultation rates among Albertan farmers and expand this feature to several farms
in northern Alberta, closer to Edmonton.

6. - Raise awareness and consumption of ostrich products among customers attending current
partner restaurants of Buchanan Industries Inc.
- Establish ostrich products as a feature serving in at least two of the three remaining
restaurants that are currently serving products that were farmed by the Buchanans by the
Fall of 2016.
- Raise awareness and educate the restaurant community in Calgary and neighbouring
provinces about the uniqueness of ostrich products.
Strategies and Tactics
Since Albertans have been proved to be more conservative with regard to their culinary
preferences, the focus before implementing communications tactics has to be on convincing
target audiences that trying new things can lead to positive experiences.
The Buchanans have done a good job at establishing solid working relationships
with many stakeholders but now they believe that their experience and the qualities of the
products they are offering can make a compelling case for potential customers to have a
different behavior if they have the chance to try ostrich products.
Strategy 1
Educate and encourage Albertans to try ostrich products from the Buchanans by
communicating to them about the qualities that these kind of products offer (i.e. nutritional
value, hygiene), the reliability of its organic nature and how all these features account for a
product that can be sophisticated and tasty.
Communication tactics
- Develop a digital campaign utilizing both Social Media and a Website to communicate to
target audiences about ostrich products. Since the Buchanans are also concerned about how
much could this cost them, this method is a good first step for them to start creating
awareness about their business. Other planned tactics were:
 Build a detailed catalogue of the ostrich products offered by the Buchanans with
their respective nutritional value for customers concerned about calories.
 Create both a written and visual Q&A featuring Olivia and Derek Buchanan
providing information about the facts and myths of ostrich products.
 Record and upload videos showing how animals are treated and the freedom that
they have in the farm. The video should also emphasize that the ostriches are not
fed with steroids or other anabolics that could potentially be harmful for them.
Organic-food customers take these matters very seriously so this should be a key
message in the video.
 Utilize Twitter and Facebook as platforms to interact and engage the public,
providing key messages about the qualities of ostrich products. Additional "fun-
facts" about ostriches and their day-to-day behaviors should also be incorporated to
entertain the audience. All inquiries need to be addressed and replied in order to
build trust with target audiences.
 Encourage a "call-to-action" through Social Media channels to target audiences.
Stakeholders are addressed to try new experiences in the form of ostrich products
from the Buchanans. This feature will be implemented by utilizing the
abovementioned key messages.

7.  Contact key bloggers and present them a pitch highlighting the qualities of the
Buchanans' ostrich products by incorporating key messages.
 Establish communication partnerships with restaurants currently serving ostrich
products from the Buchanans. These restaurants will act as endorsers using their
social media platforms to deliver key messages to the audience while highlighting
nutritional and price value.
 Record testimonials from local Farmer's Markets sellers in Calgary. These
testimonials will be uploaded in the form of videos in which sellers will emphasize
the hygienic aspect of ostrich products as the main key message.
 Include a list of retailers, markets and stores on the Website where the public can
purchase these products.
An additional tactic will be to use Direct Mail. In this case, with the aid of a research
agency, we will compose a database of prospect customers to whom we will try to engage
with attractive content and key messages:
 Send brochures detailed with key messages alongside price information, Q&A,
contact information and places where they can purchase ostrich products.
 Develop flyers alongside a marketing agency incorporating key messages and
promotional offers for target audiences.
 Incorporate contact information that includes, phone number, Website URL and
available social media platforms.
 Develop a tracking plan to measure success of the campaign across different
mediums and how individuals are reacting to the information they are receiving.
Strategy 2
Help Albertans understand that Buchanan Industries Inc. is not just another company trying
to push a random product to make it trendy, but it's actually an organization that has
decades of experience in its field and a leader in Alberta when it comes to ostrich farming
after having more than a successful run in Australia.
Communication tactics
Communicating about the features that ostrich products have won't mean that much unless
the provider of these products inspires trust. Therefore, another tactic to implement will be
to prepare a pitch to the media in order to reach a wider audience and gain more exposure.
The pitch has to be centered on the story of the Buchanans and how their family has
forged a tradition centered on ostrich farming. This plan will help service providers, such as
restaurants, retailers and farmers, understand that the Buchanans do have an organization
that works under very strict professional standards. The breakdown of this plan is as
follows:
 Prepare and distribute media kits among target media that will include a
background story of the Buchanans' company, Olivia and Derek Q&A, multimedia
material with photos, videos and audios about the company farm and how ostriches
are treated within their facilities. They will also have endorsements from both
Australian businesses that worked with them in the past and Albertan Famer's
Markets, retailers and restaurants that currently sell ostrich products from the
Buchanans.

8. >Additional testimonial videos from employees working at Buchanan
Industries Inc. will be included among the material to be distributed.
> Farmers that have consulted with the Buchanans in the past and that
have started their own ostrich farming business will also be contacted to
provide their experience.
 Reply to media calls as required and coordinate meetings with reporters or
producers to setup an interview or a follow-up meeting with the Buchanans.
Furthermore, an additional corporate video to be distributed among internal digital
channels will be created to target key stakeholders and to communicate the story and
experience that the Buchanans have at ostrich farming.
Most of the testimonials that were gathered to build the media kit will be used for
this purpose, but in this case, Olivia and Derek themselves will be the ones who will
tell their story throughout the video utilizing a documentary format. Additional
brochures containing the story of the company and the services they provide will be
developed incorporating key messages, to later be distributed among target
stakeholders considered prospective partners.
IV. Timeline and Budget
Timeline
The campaign will start in January 2016 in order to give the team more time to prepare and
implement the tactics during spring time. The timeframe between January and mid April
will serve as a period to carry out the required research and planning.
The implementation of the tactics will start in spring, specifically in late April, in a
season where people are more likely to have barbeques and increase meat consumption due
to improved weather conditions. This will mark the beginning of the digital campaign,
recording all necessary multimedia material, reaching key bloggers and calling target
audiences to action through social media.
In June, however, we will start pitching our story to the media and distributing
media kits to several news rooms and other media in Calgary. Summer time is an ideal
moment to begin the most aggressive part of our campaign, as companies that may be
attracted by our story will be on the process of elaborating their schedules and business
plans for the following fiscal year. Thus, it's a good opportunity to incorporate the products
offered by the Buchanans into their respective plans. A more detailed breakdown of the
timeline is shown in the following chart:
Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Research X
Planning X X X
Social Media campaign X X X X X
Pitch key bloggers X X X
Media kit production X
Media kit distribution X X X
Final Evaluation X

9. Budget
Among the expenditures required for this plan, $3,000 was required to elaborate brochures
and $2,000 for mailing material. An additional $10,000 was invested on research ($5,000)
and video production ($5,000). Other expenditures including transportation, Web
programming and Internet fees cost a total of $1,150. Furthermore, professional fees and
consultation services rose to $20,000.
On the other hand, the breakdown of the amount spent on media kits is as follows:
TV= 1,800
Radio= 1,200
Newspapers= 440
Websites= 1,000
Lastly, office expenditures, printing and supplies had a cost of roughly $10,000. The
total amount required for this campaign was of approximately $49,440.
V. Evaluation
Results for this campaign began to be measured by the first week of September. The target
audience furthered its knowledge on the qualities of ostrich products offered by the
Buchanans and additional surveys showed that now they are more willing to try it in the
future if the opportunity presented itself.
Likewise, calls from local farmers increased, as they have been inquiring about the
consultation services provided by the Buchanans. Overall, the communications plan
implemented helped the Buchanans remove the barriers standing in front of their target
audience, which allowed the company to fulfill some of its sales goals.
Increase ostrich product sales among consumers, retailers and wholesale buyers by
Fall 2016.
Secondary data gathered at the beginning of the 2016/2017 fiscal year showed that ostrich
sales rose by 25% compared to last year and an additional 15% within wholesale buyers
and retailers.
Raise consultation rates among Albertan farmers and expand this feature to several
farms in northern Alberta, closer to Edmonton.
The Buchanans have entered conversations with several local farmers in northern Alberta
that have shown interest in starting their own ostrich farming business. They estimate that
consultation requests have increased by 50% compared to last year.
Raise awareness and consumption of ostrich products among customers attending
current partner restaurants of Buchanan Industries Inc. by Fall 2016.
Surveys carried out at restaurants serving ostrich products provided by Buchanan Industries
Inc. showed that 50% of costumers were "intrigued" in a positive way by ostrich products
and 45% stated they would be willing to try them. Consequently, this has translated into an
actual increase of ostrich consumption by 50% compared to last year.

10. Establish ostrich products as a feature serving in at least two of the three remaining
restaurants that are currently serving products that were farmed by the Buchanans
by Fall 2016.
By mid 2016, the Red Deer restaurant offering ostrich meat had already featured this
product as a main serving. The owners of the remaining restaurants have expressed their
satisfaction with the reception that customers have had with ostrich meat, and are planning
to incorporate ostrich products as part of their main servings by early December.
Raise awareness and educate the restaurant community in Calgary and neighbouring
provinces about the uniqueness of ostrich products.
Several restaurants in Kensington and in the Downtown Calgary area were surveyed about
the possibility of incorporating ostrich meat from the Buchanans into their menus. 75% of
them claimed they are willing to give a serious thought to the idea of incorporating ostrich
meat into their menus, whereas 15% said they have begun conversations with the
Buchanans to study the possibility of incorporating ostrich products into their business
plans for the 2016/2017 period. Moreover, 2 out of 5 restaurants surveyed in the Vancouver
area also stated they would be willing to contact the Buchanans about the possibility of
establishing a business partnership.