Unlock the marketing challenge for Pop-A-Lock

Investigate the competitive marketplace for effective marketing messaging; services, products, pricing Develop a buyer persona and decision making by channel; B2C (home and vehicle owners), B2B contract (property managers, facility managers, facility services, fleet managers), B2B retail (retail chains, professional offices, building owners). What drives a decision to choose and hire a locksmith ? What are the most effective marketing strategies to invest in ? How does our pricing match with our service based industries; plumbing, electricians, HVAC ? Are there value offers that avoid pricing thresholds ? How do clearly communicate "trust, reliability, dependability" ?

Right Place, Right Time, Right Service

We are at an inflection point on our business. We need to focus on the right services, at the right time in the right segments/channels. Need competitive pricing analysis (services) - we feel we might be leaving too much on the table Need product pricing analysis- locks, parts and automotive keys Need emotional and functional buyer purchase triggers; why buy, when, where do they search (marketing, pricing) need labour understanding (salaries, bonuses, commissions) Need to understand "non-emergency" buyer thresholds (# of days to wait for service, time of day) incorporate Contribution to Margin - what does it cost to get an employee to a job. What jobs are profitable ?

Unlock our brand's awareness in the B2B customer channel

Historically, Pop-A-Lock has been a B2C business.  Marketing to consumers who need emergency response, locked out of cars and homes, replacement locks and keys for their homes and replacement keys for cars. We want to have a marketing vision put together for B2B. What are the most effective B2B strategies and tactics in locksmithing. We have a variety of capabilities. Online, trade shows, content, digital marketing… To be able to create stories, vignettes, fact based solutions in Accessibility, Access Control, Door security and hardware. https://popalock.ca/locksmith/category/building-facility-solutions-4520 1. A B2B marketing and communication plan 2. leverage existing building codes and security requirements for education 3. Develop the right strategies and budgets for franchisees to consider and execute (a road map)

Commercializing automotive key/smart key business model

Scope of Work in objective #1 How to receive (inbound), track and ship out inventory (outbound) ? How to track inventory in the mobile vehicles, with office inventory ? How to ensure 100 % compliance to key inventory in the vans (challenged by technicians not paying 100 % attention to details) How to track returned inventory not working How to track used inventory picked up, needs refurbishing and prepared for resale Tracking refurbished and OEM keys depending on customer needs Pricing strategies based on F/X and Canadian distributors Effective ordering and logistics strategy for ordering/shipping across Canada to other locations Managing and tracking inventory from parent (Chicago) and Toronto local – whats on hand Organizing over 1000+ skus Truck management of keys – what to inventory, how to track on the vehicle Role of technology How to manage keys from different suppliers ? Scope of work in Objective #2 We have had limited success reselling keys online (e-commerce) The key still needs to be cut and programmed for the customer Developing a marketing and online plan to execute – could it work ? Reselling to other locksmiths in Canada – make more sense ? 1.Design and implement a logistics strategy to drive efficiency and effectiveness in our "car key" supply management for our location in Toronto and for franchise locations across Canada. 2. Design a retail plan for e-commerce, retail sales of "car keys" to other locksmiths and online customers

"Locking in" Employees at Pop-A-Lock

We would like some recommendations on the best way to on-board and train a locksmith and how to manage their expectations for growth. Ideally, the recommendations should address the following questions: What does the on-boarding program need to be ? What working conditions are needed for a locksmith to be successful ? What on-going training is required to develop skills and engage an employee ? What is the retention program needed to sustain a locksmith throughout their career ? Each student group will submit a written report detailing their findings and recommendations. As well, each student group will complete a 15-minute presentation highlighting their findings and recommendations.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

We are in the midst of looking at establishing "big strategic bets" around Systems, HR, Supply Chain, Selling and Marketing. Because this is a franchise operation, my role as Franchisor is to provide the right mix and depth of capabilities and resources to drive consistency across the system. We allow our owners to be very entreprenurial but they need guidance. Making choices about where to focus for the greatest return is our challenge. These is an everyday need for our business. Trying to help, with consensus and alignment areas to drive growth and success in the early stages of start up (3-5 years). Market sizes and competitive opportunities (SWOT)What role does sales & marketing resourcing and investment do to drive revenue ?What can be done to recruit, retain and engage our workforce ?What verticals create competitive advantage ? who do we think about margin expansion ?How can we evaluate the IOT marketing for home and business security products and services ?What capabilities should we invest in to make day to day operations flow easier and be more effective what is the ROI of managing a service work force ? The first deliverable will be the report on the students' findings at the end of February. Over the work term, there may be various deliverables depending on the nature of the student's work.