Playground Sessions is a digital piano tutorial software that allows users to record, share, and compare their playing. It aims to make learning piano fun like Guitar Hero. The target audience is teens who want to quit regular piano lessons due to issues like disliking their teacher, difficulty, and schedule conflicts. The objective is to get 750,000 qualified visitors to the Playground Sessions site in the next year. The strategy is to first create awareness among teens who want to quit lessons via social media and YouTube. It then aims to get parents to research and ultimately purchase Playground Sessions by marketing directly to them through their own digital channels. Success will be measured by product awareness, culturally-relevant positioning as the leader of

1. becca taylor for #digistrat
Last seen: planning intern at CP+B
Free agent until January 2013
PLAYGROUND
SESSIONSA DIGITAL
STRATEGY

2. It’s a dark time for piano lessons.

5. Dread.
Fear.
Punishment.
It’s no wonder 9 out of 10 kids quit piano.
“generally accepted statistic” cited by John Aschenbrenner ,piano
instructor/Emmy winner Source: http://EzineArticles.com/675631

6. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

7. What is Playground Sessions?
ROSETTA STONE MEETS GUITAR HERO
INSTRUCTOR
SONGS
Fun, interactive piano tutorial software you can record,
share & compare
Self-taught pianist & YouTube
cover celebrity, David Sides
Learn from a library of radio
hits & popular favorites

8. Problem: Low Awareness -They wish learning piano was like
Playground Sessions, but they’re quitting because they don’t
know such a thing exists.
Objective: 750,000 qualified visitors (conversion rate > 0.75%)
to the Playground Sessions site in the next 12 months
Timeframe: November 2012 - October 2013 - Capitalize on
holiday gift giving.
Budget: $200,000
Recapping the Client Brief

9. Target: Teens who want to quit piano

10. Ugh. These teens are so over it.
They don’t want to learn piano, they want to play songs—good songs. These aren’t
aspiring pianists, they’re wannabe performers. They’re 12-16 and have hit the
fated Grade 5 Piano Hump so few make it over. With middle school came more
demanding classes and sports coaches, plus this instrument is really cramping their
social lives: “Instead of being at the most exciting volleyball game of the century I
was at piano lessons. #K #thanksmom”
As awesome as PS may be, these kids don’t have $149 to pay for it, but their
parents who’ve been shelling out hundreds for lessons do, and they’ll do anything
to keep their kids from quitting like they did—especially if it means saving some
cash.

11. Reasons they want to quit:
dislike teacher
too hard
sick of classical music
schedule conflicts
criticism & exams
Reasons they haven’t:
1. Parents
child’s feelings range from guilt  sheer terror
parent’s actions range from bribery  brick wall (“you’ll thank me later”)
2. Culture
“no quitters” ideology + “it’s good for you” + fight for music in schools
3. End Goal
really want to be able to play the piano

12. How Pre-Quitters Navigate Media
Those who actively want to quit:
1. Search Google for advice & alternatives
2. Send a warning/threat on Twitter
But most don’t even see quitting lessons as an option.
These grin-and-bearers just:
1. Complain about it on Twitter
2. Find pop music piano tutorials on YouTube

13. What’s the single thing
Playground Sessions should
communicate to these kids?

14. Quit piano lessons.

15. NO.
Wait. What?

16. Force-feeding of Motzart, Bach, &
whoever wrote Hot Crossed Buns
“Mean”/”satanic” teacher who
hates on your stumpy fingers
Conflicts with school
Cramps social life
Deferred gratification
Playing of Beyonce, Kanye, &
Bieber
YouTube superstar with serious
piano swagger
Whenever you can pencil us in
Share skills on social networks
Instant gratification
Playground Sessions are not “piano lessons.”
LESSONS SESSIONS
learnpiano

17. p. lessons
frustrated piano
learners
P. Sessions
newly-inspired piano
players
FROM TO
epidemic of regretful
piano quitters
population of
musical dream-livers

18. Okay, but how do we tell them to
quit lessons and switch to
Playground Sessions?

19. I’m
Quitting
Piano!
Awareness I want PS!
Teens who want
to quit piano
MOM / DAD
Teen’s Journey
Teens make the switch
to Playground Sessions
CURRENT BEHAVIOR DESIRED RESPONSE
Easy enough,
right?

20. I’m
Quitting
Piano!
Awareness I want PS!
Teens who want
to quit piano
Teen’s Journey
Teens make the switch
to Playground Sessions
CURRENT BEHAVIOR DESIRED RESPONSE
NOT
QUITE.

21. So, let’s plan for the parental hurdle.
These teens can’t (successfully)
quit lessons and switch to PS
without their parent’s
permission and money.

22. I’m
Quitting
Piano!
Awareness I want PS!
Research
Buying
Moment
Teens who want
to quit piano
MOM/DAD
Teen’s Journey Parent’s Journey
Make successful switch
to Playground Sessions
CURRENT BEHAVIOR DESIRED RESPONSE

25. Teen Digital Ecosystem
1. SHOULD I QUIT PIANO?
Twitter
Search
YouTube ads

26. Teen Digital Ecosystem
2. AWARENESS
Twitter
Search
YouTube ads
Owned Social
Website
Music Blogs

27. Teen Digital Ecosystem
3. WILL MOM/DAD BUY IT?
Twitter
Search
YouTube ads
Owned Social
Website
Music Blogs
Microsite

28. Mom/Dad Digital Ecosystem
4. RESEARCH
Twitter
Search
YouTube ads
Owned Social
Website
Music Blogs
Microsite Email
Website
Search
Other Parents

29. Mom/Dad Digital Ecosystem
5. BUYING MOMENT
Twitter
Search
YouTube ads
Owned Social
Website
Music Blogs
Microsite Email
Website
Search
Other Parents
Point of Sale

30. What could some of these
ideas look like?

32. Search

33. YouTube Tutorial Hijack
(Banners & In-Stream Ads)

34. Engaging Quitters/Complainers on Twitter
(See also: hundreds of relapsed quitters tweeting about #regrets)

35. What will success look like?

36. product
awareness
cool new
tech toy
culturally-relevant,
leader of piano lesson
mutiny
customers

37. Bonus Super Success
COMPANY IS ENCOURAGING YOUR KIDS TO
QUIT LESSONS… AND HELPS THEM DO IT!
PIANO
TERRORISM
?

38. Success can be measured too.

40. $200,000 Budget Breakdown
Microsite:
Search:
YouTube Ads:
Banner Ads:
Blogger Seeding:
Potential Earned Media:
----------------------------
Total Allocated: $125,000
$75,000 remaining to target first-time piano learners
$50,000
$20,000
$30,000
$20,000
$5,000
FREE