Marketing: Select two products from the list of product categories below and using the teaching materials and any additional research explain what you think would be an appropriate promotions strategy for both them. In doing so compare and contrast

Promotion plays a significant role in increasing the market share of a product’s target consumers. In making decisions about the promotion strategy marketers make considerations about how the target market perceive the strategies such as advertisements, and offers on products and pricing adjustments. Promotion strategies are important to companies because they trigger an increase in sales for its survival. The strategies are carefully planned to ensure a return on the investment made (KnowThis.com, 2013). Promotion is very important as it a way of encouraging repeat customers, creating awareness of the product, triggering an increase in sales by creating demand, building interest among the target consumers and allowing customers to sample products before they make purchasing decisions (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2010). Promotion of products may be targeted towards the final consumer or those involved in the distribution channel. There are several ways to deliver promotion messages such as through the media, social media, postal mail and person to person promotion (KnowThis.com, 2013). Promotional strategies for the carbonated soft drinks and breakfast equipment are anchored on segmentation, targeting, positioning and messaging elements of a successful promotions strategy.

Segmentation for Sprite carbonated drink would be based on varied criteria based on demographics and behavior patterns of young people. All ages of middle and upper income levels are able to purchase a bottle of Sprite for consumption during outdoor activities (Irish Times Business, 2000). The promotion strategy is tailored to suit both males and females because they enjoy outdoor activities in the same way. However, males may have more opportunities to consume Sprite carbonated soft drink owing to their inclination to participate in sporting activities more than women. The young people are also the most likely to organize and attend social events such as parties and weddings  and the promotion strategy must addresses this market segment for the above reasons.

K protein plus cereal consumer segmentation covers people in different ages, gender and economic class. It may be consumed by the young and the elderly alike both males and females. It has a high fiber and protein level suitable for health conscious people as well as those seeking to lose weight through diets. The product is particularly attractive to professional women of child bearing age who have a special interest in foods with low metabolism rates. This is convenient for them to adhere to diet requirements without starving (All India Association, 2009).

K protein plus breakfast cereals may reach the most suitable target market of professional women between the 25 to 45 years through securing celebrities in the food and health industries to act as the spokespeople of the product. Their images may be used in banners and visibility props to be set up at strategic positions in in stores as a way of attracting customers to buy the products. The consumers will also have an extra incentive to purchase the commodities by receiving coupons that may be redeemed for a variety of prizes after the expiration of the promotion period.

The most suitable target market for Sprite carbonated soft drink is the young people between 10 and 35 years regardless of the income levels of their families. This is because this target group would go at any length to purchase the soft drink because e of the music and sport celebrity euphoria created through promotional activities. Young people are attracted to trends and because celebrities play a significant role in setting trends. Promotional activities that showcase celebrity association with the soft drink would be the most successful in attracting the customers. The influence from celebrities would drive this target group to reject substitutes with higher prices and those that fail to use celebrity influence in their marketing.

Positioning of Sprite shall further a perception that it is the ideal soft drink for young people seeking to protect their image in line with its slogan that depict that image is what matters most for its consumers. Young people will display an attractive image to their peers by consuming the trendiest carbonated soft drink. Positioning of the K protein plus cereal will be similar to Sprite’s because the underlying concept is maintaining a good image. Sprite guards consumers’ social image while K protein plus cereal protects the body image through healthy eating. It is anchored on driving the perception that it is the most ideal cereal for professional women seeking to maintain a healthy lifestyle by consuming healthy foods. K protein plus will be the most sought for cereal because of its high protein content and its capacity to provide adequate  energy levels over a prolonged period of time. It also helps the women to resist the temptation to consume junk food for better weight management.

The communication targeting the K protein plus breakfast cereals consumers shall incorporate an incentive to prompt existing and potential customers to buy more of the product. The promotion will do so through using physicians and nutrition experts to advocate for the K Protein plus breakfast cereal. They will indicate that it contains the nutritional content required for health living. This will particularly target people that are on a diet and those wishing to refrain from taking fatty and unhealthier foods for breakfast. The message will also be delivered by the players in the products’ distribution channel such as retailers and supermarkets who will display visibility props in their stores to attract more customers to the product.

The Sprite carbonated soft drinks will use advertisements having sports celebrities in its marketing communication. Consumers’ interest on the product shall be stimulated after airing the advertisements showcasing sporting celebrities on television. It shall be followed by another sales promotion strategy involving sales people accompanying local music celebrities on the road shows. The sales people will persuade customers who have already developed interest through the advertisements on television and reinforced through entertainment and testimonies of music celebrities to make purchases at discounted prices during the road show. The music celebrities will be carefully chosen to showcase the energized state after consuming the Sprite carbonated soft drink. This will also attract a significant number of music enthusiasts that idolize those music artists to purchase the exercise equipment.

The promotions strategy for both the carbonated soft drinks and the breakfast cereals is similar in its segmentation because the products may be consumed by people of different ages, all genders and social economic standing. However, its targeting is different because the cereal promotion mainly targets professional women of childbearing age that seek to manage their weight through dieting. Sprite targets young people both male and female who lead active social lives through social and sporting events. In terms of messaging, both products will use various forms of communication such as television advertisements, visibility props and celebrities to attract consumers wishing to emulate the lifestyles led by the celebrities that they idolize. Sprite will also us road shows to increase sales made by on the ground sales people while K protein plus cereals will use the distribution channels to maximize on their sales. In their positioning both products will ride on the goal of protecting the image of the consumers with Sprite capitalizing on the social image while the cereals capitalize on the body image of the consumers.

 

References

All India Association. (2009). Kellogs K Strategy: Tapping New market Segment. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from All India Association: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1444672

Irish Times Business. (2000, August 7). Sprite-An Innovative Product Launch. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from Business 2000: http://www.business2000.ie/pdf/pdf_6/coca-cola_6th_ed.pdf

KnowThis.com. (2013). Principles of Marketing Tutorials. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from KnowThis.com: http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials

Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. D. (2010). Essentials of Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning.

 

 

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