Course:Course:LFS350/Projects/W2023/ILS

Project Title

Raising Brand Awareness Through Social Media Channels, Especially LinkedIn

Organization Information

Organization Name

Mission and Vision of Organization

Mission

Create sustainable food recovery network available to people in need and save environment by reducing avoidable food waste.

Vision

Fighting hunger and combating food waste ·

Motto

"Food is life, don’t waste life"

Guiding Principles + Values

Equal Opportunity Statement

ILCS believes that all people are entitled to equal employment opportunity. We do not discriminate against employees or applicants on any basis that is prohibited by applicable law, including race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, religion, political belief, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability and criminal conviction unrelated to employment.

Values

At ILCS, we pride ourselves on operating our charity in a socially and environmentally responsible manner, while providing our employees with an inclusive, respectful workplace that fosters professional development.

Contact Information

Primary Contact Person(s): Ali Haeri (he/him)
Email: bhaeri@gmail.com
Phone: 778-861-2053
Address: 1770 Foster Ave., Coquitlam BC, V3J 2N4
Website: https://immigrantlink.ca/
Alternate Contact: Igor Bjelac (he/him), igorbjelac@yahoo.com

Preferred Method of Contact

Best method(s) to contact: Email
Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

Email, Zoom

Project Description

Note: This project will take place online and in person

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

Soul Bite Food Inc. is the social enterprise branch of the charitable organization, Immigrant Link Centre Society. Soul Bite produces plant-based food, and donates 50% of profits to support charitable initiatives. While charities tend to rely on grants, the financial sustainability of Soul Bite is a critical consideration. Students working on this project will contribute to the development of our financial sustainability strategy beyond a reliance on grant-based funding, and affordable, effective marketing is a key component to our success.

There are many theories about marketing, but how do we know what strategies would be most effective for Soul Bite? How does a marketing campaign become viral? These questions are closely connected to others -- how might we adjust and tailor our marketing approaches as a small business in BC? Soul Bite is present on various social media platforms, but we would like students to help us make a campaign for brand awareness, focusing on LinkedIn. We have a LinkedIn account, but we would like to make it a more professional business account.

We are present on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We are also open to exploring other social media platforms (such as TikTok). LFS 350 students can help us develop our digital marketing strategy, advising on how these different platforms can be used most effectively to reach a large audience. We would be happy to work with you, and learn from your recommendations how our brand awareness campaign can achieve success.

Main Project Activities and Deliverables

Benchmarking from successful businesses, helping to update and refresh our LinkedIn account
Potentially, content for other social media platforms (e.g. TikTok)
Students will create written recommendations/guidelines on professionalizing our LinkedIn
Students will create written recommendations/guidelines for using social media as an effective marketing tool, so we can continue following these practices after the course ends (format to be discussed with partner, e.g. report, infographic)

If time permits:

Research and recommend other effective online marketing strategies

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

Some knowledge of social media
Experience or interest in marketing

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

N/A

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

No

How much self-direction is expected from the students?

Deciding on the project deliverable(s): Mostly led by students, with some community partner input
Developing the activity plan and timeline: Equal leadership between students and community partner
Scheduling and initiating the communication plan (e.g. weekly Zoom check-in, biweekly email update, etc.): Mostly led by students, with some community partner input
Implementing the activity plan (e.g. surveying stakeholder groups): Equal leadership between students and community partner
Finalizing the deliverable(s): Mostly led by students, with some community partner input

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

Students will have volunteering opportunities in our charity activities: www.immigrantlink.ca www.soulbitefood.com

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review the following materials prior to the first partner meeting. Additional orientation materials may be provided at the first partner meeting.

Expected Outcomes

Intended Short-term Project Outcome

Soul Bite will have increased knowledge of effective digital marketing strategies that can be used to raise brand awareness among a large audience, supporting the financial sustainability of the business.

Our goal is to increase our social media engagements by 10%.

Learning Outcomes

Through this project, I think students will learn about...

The importance of research in product marketing
How to implement a successful digital marketing
How to write a practical marketing plan

By working on this project, I think students will develop skills and/or awareness of...

Social enterprise as a business model
Financial sustainability challenges for charitable organizations
Food "waste" diversion and processing un relation to environmental sustainability

By the end of the project, I believe students will come to appreciate...

The potential for social enterprises to fight hunger and raise awareness of environmental sustainability issues