Consumer Behavior- Heineken

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Table of Content

  1. Brief analysis of the current communications mix for Lindt …………………...…….1

  1. 1.1 History of Lindt ………………………………………………………….…...…………….….1
  2. 1.2 Communication mix …………………………...……...……………………………………….1  
  3. 1.3 Lindt SWOT ………..………………………………………………………………………….4

  1. Lindt Excellence Marketing Communication Campaign ……………………………..5

  1. 2.1 Context Analysis ………………………………………………………………….…………...5
  2. 2.1.1 Lindt Excellence background ……………..…………………………………………….5
  3. 2.1.2 Customer analysis ….……………………………………………………………………5
  4. 2.1.3 Business analysis ………………………………………………………………………..6
  5. 2.1.3.1 Competitors analysis ……………………………………………………………...6
  6. 2.1.3.2 Current communication Mix ……………………………………………………...7
  7. 2.2 Communication objective ……………………………………………………………………..8
  8. 2.3 Marketing communication strategy …………………………………………………………...9
  9. 2.4 Coordinated promotional mix ………………………………………………………………..10
  10. 2.4.1 Public Relations …………………………….………………………………………….10
  11. 2.4.2 Advertising ……………………………….……………………………………………12
  12. 2.4.3 Sales promotions……………………………………………...………………………..23
  13. 2.5 Scheduling and implementation ……………………..……………………………………….26
  14. 2.6 Resource: Budget planning …………………………….…………………………………….27
  15. 2.7 Evaluation and feedback ………………………..……………………………………………29
  1. Conclusion …………………………..………………………………………………….29

  1. Appendix ………………………………………………………….……………………30

  1. Bibliography …………………………………..……………………………………….44

  1. Brief analysis of the current communications mix for Lindt
  1. 1.1 History of Lindt

Lindt is an internationally operating, premium quality chocolate brand, founded in 1845. By 1915 the company was exporting its chocolates to 20 countries around the world and by 1994 had become an internationally successful business. Today, with its head offices in Switzerland, it has production companies and offices in many countries throughout the world (Lindt 2009).

  1. 1.2 Communication mix  

Product- Lindt is an international company, known as a market leader for producing premium quality chocolate. In terms of Lindt’s U.K. market execution, they operate in six major product categories:

  • Lindor (smooth melting chocolate)-

Lindor milk, Lindor assorted, Lindor 60% cocoa, Lindor dark orange, Lindor bag (variety), Lindor valentine (seasonal product with variety), Lindor gift box.

  • Excellence (the ultimate finesse in solid chocolate- perfect combination of finest ingredients into thin shape)

Excellence 70%

Excellence 85%

Excellence extra creamy

Excellence orange intense

Excellence chilli

Excellence mint intense

Excellence coffee intense

Excellence crunchy caramel

  • Swiss tradition (boxes with a variety of chocolate delicacies)

Dark collection

Caramel collection

  • Gold bunny/Easter (seasonally sold chocolate –dressed in gold and crowned by the golden bell)

Easter egg

Plush gold bunny

Lindor minis egg

  • Gold reindeer/Christmas (seasonally sold chocolate- setting a festive mood)

Santa / Children’s advent calendar / Gold bell

  • Filled bars (chocolate filled bars with a range of variety)

Swiss classic

Creation

Lindor

Petit desserts

  • Gift boxes  (boxes with assorted chocolates specially designed for gifting purposes)

Gift boxes (variety)

Precious collection (delicious assorted filled chocolates with stunning gold dust, pearl and diamond effect)

(Lindt 2009)

Price- Lindt uses a mixed pricing strategy, with an array of products priced differently. They offer premium priced chocolates/chocolate boxes especially for gift purposes, which range from £ 5 - £10, and regular chocolate excellence bars ranging from £1 - £4 (Lindt 2009).

Place- Most of the Lindt chocolate products are available in major supermarkets and large shopping stores, for example Morrisons and Asda. However, they have a selective approach in placing their premium products, which are found in luxurious or specialized stores such as Harrods, Whittards and Selfridges (Lindt 2009).

Promotion

  • Sales promotion - free samples

Lindt has invested considerable time and resources into the free sampling of their products in recent years. One approach they have used to provide free sampling is their partnership with Hello magazine, where they mounted a free chocolate sample on the front cover of the magazine. This partnership was first used in the year 2000 and then again in 2004 to promote their crunchy caramel chocolate bar (Forder 2008).

  • PR Events

Another approach they have used to offer free samples to people is by putting on themed events. An example of this is the promotion they ran in 2006 aimed at increasing the awareness of the Lindt Easter bunny amongst children. This promotion, which ran in six Major UK cities, was themed as a Swiss chocolate shop and along with free samples of Lind bunnies, also provided face painting, storytelling and a free prize draw (O’Reilly 2006).

  • Brand Alliances

A tactic Lindt has used heavily in recent years in its Marketing communications is forming alliances with brands which are either similarly perceived, or through whom Lindt can access its target market. Examples of this are its partnership with Wella hair care, lingerie group La Senza and the cosmetics firm Molton Brown (Pemble 2002). One typical way in which they utilised these partnerships was through giveaways (similar to the Hello Magazine example) and also by running competitions in collaboration with these brands, either sponsored by Lindt or with a Lindt product prize.

  • Spokesperson

Another such alliance is the one recently formed with tennis player Roger Federer, who has been signed on to act as a global ambassador for the brand (Lindt 2009).

  • Website

The Lindt website <www.Lindt.com> is another medium through which Lindt conveys its marketing communications message. On this website extensive information about both the company and its products can be found. This information ranges from detailed descriptions of the products themselves, where they are stocked, how they are made and the adverts used to promote them, to inform about the company’s history, philosophy and CSR work (Lindt 2009).

  • Television  (see appendix 1)

Lindt’s TVCs aim to communicate the following aspects:

  • The heritage of the brand : master chocolatier since 1845.
  • Characteristics of each product.
  • Lindt chocolates are produced and their quality controlled by high skilled chocolate makers.

  1. Lindt SWOT analysis (see appendix 2)

From our SWOT analysis we have come to the conclusion that amongst both the general public and in particular our target audience of premium chocolate consumers, there is a substantial growth in the level of awareness of corporation’s social responsibility. This, we feel, is a trend that Lindt as a company is not exploiting efficiently. Lindt should therefore, in our opinion, link its brand more heavily to ethical values and activities and do it immediately seen as its competitors are beginning to lead the race in this segment.

We therefore decided that to best exploit the market conditions we should focus our marketing campaign through the product ‘Lindt Excellence’. The reason for this is its high cocoa content, which we see as a characteristic we can link into Lindt’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) work. This will be explained fully in our communications objectives.

  1. Lindt Excellence Marketing Communication Campaign
  1. 2.1 Context Analysis

2.1.1 Lindt Excellence background

Lindt Excellence chocolate is renowned for its high percentage cocoa content, with some products being as high as 85%. The products all come in bar form in both 35g and 100g sizes (Lindt 2009).

  1. 2.1.2 Customer analysis

Target audience (market):

  • 25+ Mature adults
  • Average-higher income
  • Well educated
  • Concern about social well- being
  • Appreciate premium dark chocolate

We chose to target this specific audience due to their characteristics, listed below:

  • May see the purchase as part of a supermarket shop rather than as an impulse/snacking purchase. Prefer the delicate envelope-style wrapped bars thin shape which could easily be shared with their family or friends.
  • Usually purchasing chocolate as a treat, or something special driven by the ‘reward’ mentality prevalent in society, therefore, they would like to choose a premium chocolate brand as this reward.
  • More sophisticated palate and therefore may enjoy dark chocolate with its high cocoa content.
  • May have a strong sense of social responsibility and are willing to pay more for a more ethically sound product.
Join now!

(Business source premier 2004)

  1. 2.1.3 Business analysis
  2. 2.1.3.1 Competitors analysis (See appendix 3)

Due to the fact that we are targeting specifically the UK market, we have chosen to analyse three competitors whom we see as having similar characteristics and targets within the UK market:

Green& Blacks:

  • Found in UK since 1991
  • Organic chocolate
  • High social responsibility
  • Wrappers minimum 70% FSC certified material, 100% recyclable and use only water based inks
  • Member of Forest Stewardship Council and Fair-trade Foundation

(Green and Blacks 2008)

Hotel Chocolat:  

  • Found in the UK since 1993
  • ...

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