Client: SONIC Drive-In Objective: To draft a comprehensive media plan for SONIC Drive-In.

2. MEDIA PLAN
Stark Creative
Hannah Alkadi, Austin Fontenot, Austin Jackson, Samantha Ramey, Elizabeth Yoast

3. 1.
INTRODUCTION
Get to know the brand

4. “Today, SONIC is the largest chain of
drive-in restaurants in America.

5. QUICK FACTS
▷ Averages 3 million customers a day
▷ Known for shakes, drinks, and traditional
American food
▷ Located in 44/50 states in the US
▷ 22% jump in profits in the last year
▷ Has a secret chain called……?????

6. SONIC BEACH
A restaurant in only five locations of the United
States. Same menu — plus alcohol.

7. STRENGTHS
● unique: carhops,
waiters on roller
skates
● able to call carhop for
any reason (i.e,
anything missing)
● happy hours and deals
● can enjoy the privacy
of your own car
OPPORTUNITIES
● expanding SONIC
Beach to more beach
cities
● intimate social media
following, strengthen
it
● can market to an
older audience with
alcohol
WEAKNESSES
● makes your car messy
● variable performance in
colder areas
● unhealthy food
● have to drive there
THREATS
● McDonald’s expanding
menu
● at-home delivery food
like pizza or Chinese
food
● easy food like
Hamburger Helper

8. 2.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Target audience, ad messages, and geographic emphasis

9. Mid-20s, college students
enjoying their vacation
▷ Will be enjoying their
spring/summer/fall
break at a beach with
their friends
▷ Undergraduate and
graduate
▷ Legal age to drink
TARGET AUDIENCE
We’re taking a risk here.
▷ The most supportive consumers are
35+, but we know that their support is
secure.
▷ We want to expand SONIC Beach’s
reach to a younger audience more
likely to socialize and mingle.

10. AD MESSAGES
The Beach
▷ Scenic view
▷ Parties, socializing,
volleyball, games
▷ Small snacks, picnics,
for anyone of every
age.
Out of the Car
▷ We want to try and
get SONIC out of the
car.
▷ Focus on the people
you talk to.
Cool Drinks
▷ People are looking to
cool off.
▷ Ice cream, slushies,
and especially
alcoholic drinks for
cheap.

12. GEOGRAPHIC EMPHASIS

13. GEOGRAPHIC EMPHASIS

14. 3.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Company, Consumer, Product, Market, Competition

15. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Company
▷ More than 3500
locations
▷ Over 1 MILLION
fountain drink
and slush
combinations
▷ Personal carhop
service
Consumer
▶ Most residing in
the South of the
United States.
▶ Late teens and
young adults.
▶ Brand conscious
and appreciate
the classic
American roots
Market
▷ South-Southeast,
specifically
Texas.
▷ We chose five
popular beach
locations and the
largest
populations
within them

16. SITUATION ANALYSIS, II
Product
▷ Fast food that redefines
convenience.
▷ Largest selection of
drinks and shakes.
▷ Daily deals to encourage
consumers to come get a
cheap bite to eat.
Competition
▷ Burger and Fries — McDonald’s,
Burger King, and Wendy’s
▷ Delivery Food — Pizza, Chinese,
Jimmy Johns
▷ Quick Food — Frozen food,
Hamburger Helper, ramen noodles

17. 4.
MEDIA STRATEGIES
Budget and Scheduling

18. Comparing the Budgets
● McDonald’s Overall Spending (000) → 559495.1
● Sonic Drive-In Overall Spending (000) → 148267.1
● McDonald’s Spending Broken Down (000)
McDonald’s Network TV Spending → 307592.6
McDonald’s Cable TV Spending → 148786.2
McDonald’s Social Spending → 315.7
McDonald’s OOH Spending → 200.5
● Sonic Drive-In’s Spending Broken Down (000)
Sonic Drive-In’s Network TV Spending → 23385.9
Sonic Drive-In’s Cable TV Spending → 92608.1
Sonic Drive-In’s Social Spending → 198.2
Sonic Drive-In’s OOH Spending → N/A

19. Proposed Budget
● Sonic DRIVE-IN Overall Spending (000) → 148267.1
● Sonic BEACH Overall Spending (000) → ____________?
○ Proposed Budget → 30500.5
Sonic Beach Network TV Spending → 16775.2
Sonic Beach Cable TV Spending → 7930.2
Sonic Beach Social Spending → 3965.3
Sonic Beach OOH Spending → 1830.3

20. SPRING BREAK
It’s time to show off those beach bods and live it up.
FALL BREAK
It's time to enjoy the beach one last time before it gets cold.
SUMMER BREAK
Man it’s hot today. I got it. Let’s go to the beach!
S
C
H
E
D
U
L
I
N
G

21. 5.
MEDIA TACTICS
Media Selection

22. Media Vehicles
Television
■ MTV / MTV2
■ VH1
■ Local Channels
Radio
■ Long Beach
○ KIIS fm
■ Santa Barbara
○ KCRW
■ Gulf Shores
○ WABW
■ Myrtle Beach
○ WNOK
■ Jersey Shore
○ Z100
★ During weekends.
Internet / Social
■ Twitter
■ Instagram
■ Snapchat
■ Beach Websites
★ Social Media
Campaign needs to
be improved

23. Media Vehicles, pt II
Magazine
■ Local Magazines
■ College Campus
Magazines
★ Minimum
Billboard
■ Along highways
that lead to the
beaches.
Non-traditional
■ murals along
beach walls
■ chalk drawings on
sidewalks
■ brand
ambassadors
■ pedicabs
■ airplane banners

24. 6.
FLOWCHART
Total cost

25. Spend more during our prime beach months. March for spring break, June, July and August for summer
break and October for fall break.

26. 7.
APPENDIX
Mockups and Sources

27. SOCIAL MEDIA

28. BILLBOARDS

29. NON-TRADITIONAL

30. Appendix
SONIC Company Information
● https://corporate.sonicdrivein.com/Profile/Background
● https://corporate.sonicdrivein.com/Profile/FactSheet
● http://ir.sonicdrivein.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=840772
● http://www.fastfoodmenuprices.com/sonic-prices/
● https://www.sonicdrivein.com/menu
● https://www.sonicdrivein.com/legal
Reports
● What Sonic gets that McD’s doesn’t http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/09/what-sonic-
gets-that-mcdonalds-doesnt/
● http://nrn.com/beverage-trends/sonic-introduces-new-soda-line
● Melnick, M. (2011). Fast Food’s Biggest Customer: Not the Poor, But the Middle Class.
● Newman (2012). http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/2080C/2080C_13103
● Smith (2012) http://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/sonic-rebound?microsite=9341
Social Media
● Simmons OneView
● Crimson Hexagon

32. We’ll see you at
the beach.