2009

COMM2380 Public Relation Specialist

[MAJOR ASSIGNMENT - PROPOSAL]

Dung, Dao Tuan – S3192571

Due Date: 22nd September 2009

 Major Assignment - Proposal

SUBWAY ONLINE PROFILES

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The online profile of Subway in Vietnam will be set up in these four main online places:

1. Main Website
The main website for Subway Vietnam will be decorated with two main colors: yellow and light
red in order to stimulate the digestive system of viewers, this can also help bring attention of
the message to them. The design for Subway website will be simple with six icons at the
website’s entrance: About us, Menu & Nutrition’s, Eat fresh & live green, Subway goes to school,
Media & Podcasts, and Contacts. Each icon will lead viewers into different sections of the
website. The profile for Subway will be put in “About us” section. In this place, the Business
history, Vision & commitment, Company FAQ, and Subway’s press release will be put in sub -
sections. The profile for the company and brand will be written in short and simple sentences
for viewers to gasp the information quickly.
2. Facebook
In Facebook, we will set up a fan page for Subway Vietnam. There will be four main sections in
this fan page: Info, Wall, Notes and Photos. The profile will be put in the Info section, and will be
very short to meet the standard of Facebook users (short and simple written language). We also
put the main website link on the Info section so that Facebook users can click to view the
website for their reference or interest. The Wall and Notes will be used to update some
contests, new programs or promotions that Subway Vietnam want to introduce.
3. YouTube
In YouTube, we will establish a channel for Subway. In the channel page, we will put the profile
(also written in simple and short sentences) on top of the page. Next to the profile, we will put
newest video (could be our TVC, our promotional video, contest video of Subway) to bring out
updated news about our brand or company. We also set dif ferent playlists (TVC, Contest, Go
Green playlist) for audiences to view the content easily.
4. Twitter
The profile in Twitter will keep in only 120 words and put the link to the main website as well.

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 Major Assignment - Proposal

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SUBWAY CAMPAIGN PROPOSAL

A. Executive Summary

After starting the 31,800th restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Subway fast food chain
wants to address the problem of obesity among young people in Vietnam through an online
campaign. The campaign will start in November 2009 to November 2010 and mainly base on
online social network such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Main Websites in order to
approach the target group of young people from 18 to 29 year old in Ho Chi Minh City. This
online campaign aims to promote and position Subway as healthy fast food chain in Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam. Through the campaign, we aim to encourage our target group to eat more
healthy food in their meals through the interactive virtual reality projects (on YouTube,
Facebook and Websites). We also aim to have more than 1 mil lion viewers on the four online
spaces (Websites, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter) from November 2009 to November 2010.
With diverse and attractive programs for the target group to experience in three popular social
networks in Vietnam such as Video contest, funny cooking tutorials on YouTube, Weekly Quiz
and Interactive game on Main Website, and Funny Subway Application for Facebook users,
these activities can generate buzz around the campaign and increase the number of viewers on
our virtual projects and encourage viewers to eat healthy food.

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 Major Assignment - Proposal

B. Background:
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Subway is the world's largest fast-food chain with almost 31775 restaurants in 91 countries and
5,000 are located outside the U.S. Subway specializes in custom-made sandwiches and also sells
wraps and salads[1]

In May 2009, Subway starts its 31,800th restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Being in the
competitive yet lucrative fast food market, Subway differentiate itself with other fast food chain
by providing healthy combos and balanced nutrition components in its products. With an on -
going healthy issue about the increase of obesity in Vietnam lately, Subway will start an online
campaign in November 2009 to November 2010 to show the company’s commitment in
providing healthy meals for everyone. The campaign will mainly base on online social network
such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Main Websites and approach to the target group of
young people from 18 to 29 year old in Ho Chi Minh City.

C. Aims:

For Subway to be positioned as healthy fast food chain in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

D. Objectives:

- We aim to encourage our target group to eat more healthy food in their meals through the
interactive virtual reality projects (on YouTube, Facebook and Websites).

- We aim to have more than 1 million viewers on the four online spaces (Websites, Facebook,
YouTube, and Twitter) from November 2009 to November 2010.

E. Recommendation

1. Promoting awareness about obesity and healthy diet

Main Website

In the main website, we will put weekly update on nutrition facts and our campaign contests in
the Media & Podcasts section. The podcast will be in 2-3 minutes mp3 file which include 10 tips
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 Major Assignment - Proposal

on nutrition facts and a weekly quiz. Viewers can hear the podcasts online or download it to
their computer. After that, they can submit the answer to get the prize for that week. 25 people 5
who send correct answer sooner will win free combo.

We also put an Interactive game in this section. In this game, viewers must register to record
their scores. Practitioners will need to use available materials to make bread but the total
nutritional components must be equivalent to the requirements. 5 people with highest scores
will get a free combo.

YouTube

In Subway YouTube channel, we will put a weekly video contest, in which contestant will shows
their talents (singing, dancing, drawing or doing magic trick) regarding to the brand “Subway”.
For example, they can compose a song about Subway, or dancing to Subway commercial song.
Then they will post the link to their video on our channel. We will post those videos on our main
website, Twitter and Facebook for everyone to vote for their favorite. Each week will have 3
winners. The winner will get a special promotion from Subway (Free 5 combos, and a 5%
discount card on Subway restaurants).

We also provide some video tutorials on how to make healthy food for the family. These
tutorials will include easy-to-do cooking tips on controlling fat and sugar volume on food to
make healthy meals.

Facebook

In the fan page’s wall, we will update about our podcasts update on main website and the voting
sections for YouTube video contest. We also post the weekly quiz and answers on the Note
sections so that people can view and correct for their next week quiz. This is also a place where
people can ask about the weekly quiz or comment on YouTube video contest. The helpful
feedbacks will help us to adjust the content of those contests.

We also create Subway application for Facebook users. This application will provide the
interactive game mentioned in the Main website. When we spread the application within
Facebook, people can join the game for fun and they can see the link that leads to the main
website to register and compete with other people to win free combo.
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 Major Assignment - Proposal

Twitter
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Twitter is mainly use to announce the update and provide the link of podcasts upload and
weekly quiz on Main website, Video contest and tutorials in YouTube. This site can also be use to
answer inquiries of other users about the company, the campaign and the contests.

If there are any promotions or new programs introduced, we will use Twitter to spread the buzz
around the community.

2. Having more than 1 million viewers on four online spaces

Facebook

In Vietnam, after Yahoo 360 blog closed down in August 2009[2], Vietnamese net users started to
change their online place into Facebook due to its dynamic, convenient and user-friendly
environment. In September 2009, it is estimated that there is more than 850,000 Vietnamese
Facebook users[3]. Thus, setting a fan page and provide appropriate strategies for interacting
with users (mentioned in the first part of the recommendation) can be a good way to keep
Facebook users update and interact with our brand more often.

YouTube

After YouTube put its server in Vietnam in August 2008, there is a sharp increase in Vietnamese
users of YouTube [4]. Thus, video contest every week in the campaign period can be helpful to
attract Vietnamese YouTube viewer to subscribe our channel and follow it. If the contestants
create unique concept for their songs, dancing or video, this can attract other YouTube users to
watch and can create a buzz in the Internet community. This can also help carry our brand
around the Internet quickly.

Twitter

Although Twitter is not really popular in Vietnam because the SMS-function is not available yet
in Vietnam, it can still be a good tool for micro-blogging[5]. Since this can reach niche market or
niche target audience of our campaign (young people who want to experience innovative

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 Major Assignment - Proposal

technology), Twitter can be used to connect the brand with people in this segment, help the
brand to update, announce and answer people’s questions.
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Main Website

Because we put the website link on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the main website becomes
the center of the campaign. Those three social networks above will act as buzz-creating tools
and then links back to our website so that viewers can register to play game, or submit the
answer for weekly quiz. This will help to increase the web visitors counting of our website; thus,
contributing to the objectives that reaching more 1 million viewers in one year.

Viewers can sign in for newsletters in our website and this will help to keep them in touch with
our campaign.

[1] http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/index.aspx

[2] http://nhipsongso.tuoitre.com.vn/Index.aspx?ArticleID=318826&ChannelID=16

[3] http://o.pe/227

[4] http://www.thongtincongnghe.com/article/9090

[5] http://hutek.info/2009/04/25/bap-benh-twitter-o-viet-nam/

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 Major Assignment - Proposal

POSITION PAPER
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In Vietnam, there are an increasing number of overweight and obese issues among young
generation (from children to young people from 10 to 20 year old). This poses a threat to the
health of Vietnamese generations and causes many concerns that fast food chain impacts this
health issue. When penetrating our chain in this market, Subway considers this issue as a serious
case that needs to be addressed in Vietnam. Thus, we strongly against this problem and treat it
as our first priority.

According to Vietnamese Ministry of Natural resources and environment, in 2008, it is estimated

that there is more than 1.2 million people are obese in Vietnam[1]. The average overweight rate
of children from 6 to 10 in Ho Chi Minh City is 22.7[2] while among people from 25 to 64, the
obese rate is approximately 16% [3] in 2008. Specifically, there are 11.3% of people aged 25 to 34
are overweight, while 17.1% of those aged 35 to 44 are too heavy, 20% of people aged 45 to 54
face similar problem[3]. This is considered as a serious problem in Vietnam as the number keeps
growing every year.

The essential cause of this problem is due to the imbalance food consumption habits[4]. It is
estimated that meals of Vietnamese families have more protein, fat and dairy food but lack of
vitamins than before [3]. Another problem for the increased obesity in Vietnam is due to the
expansion of fast food chain which contains high calories and fat components in the product [3][5].
Moreover, with a fast pace lifestyle in Vietnam and the increasing urbanization, people now
starts to eat fast food to keep track with their work and do not spend much time for
exercising[3][4]. When becoming overweight, the person will encounter with many serious health
consequences. Many chronic diseases are indicated as the effect of obesity such as
cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), diabetes or even cancer (endometrial,
breast and colon cancer). Obesity in childhood can lead to higher possibilities of premature
death and disability in adulthood[4]. In our target group of young people from 18 to 29 year old,
overweight problem can result in psychological problems such as depression, low self-esteem or
depressive disorder which can eventually lead to anti-social mood[6]. In short, obesity is a serious
issue to the community since it causes damages on mental and physical health.

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 Major Assignment - Proposal

This paper informs communities on the issue associated with obesity due to the impact of fast
food chain and encourage people to have healthy food and diet of Subway’s products.
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Regarding to the obesity issues, Subway understands that a healthy meal or foods are essential
to counter this problem. Thus, our first and fundamental action for this problem is providing
good and healthy materials for our products. We also supply vegetables and high-fiber foods in
our menu to encourage people to eat “green” food. In the counter, our employees will help
consumers to customize their bread with appropriate amount of calories depend on their
purposes. In respond to the above action, we also organize the program “Eat fresh & live green”
which offers a free salad dish to any combo that contain a lot of vegetables. This is our priority
to put more healthy material to the meals of customers.

Another program of Subway that support healthy food is F.R.E.S.H Steps. In this program,
Subway will shift its 1/5 advertising budget to establish F.R.E.S.H organization that raise
awareness about childhood obesity and introduce healthy lifestyle to children in Ho Chi Minh
City. This campaign will be organized at the same time with Subway video contest on YouTube.
The video winners of each week will have a chance to go with F.R.E.S.H team to introduce
information about healthy eating and exercising lifestyle for children in Nha Van Hoa Thanh Nien
each Sunday.

[1] http://www.monre.gov.vn/MonRENET/Default.aspx?tabid=255&ItemID=49243

[2]http://www.nutifood.com.vn/Default.aspx?pageid=79&mid=298&intSetItemId=318&breadcr
umb=318&action=docdetailview&intDocId=4776

[3] http://www.thanhniennews.com/features/?catid=10&newsid=40026

[4] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html

[5] http://www.benhviennhi.org.vn/?vnTRUST=act:news|newsid:700

[6] Stunkard, A J & Wadden, T A, 1992, Psychological aspects of severe obesity, vol. 55, no. 2,
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pp. 524-531.

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