Socio-cultural factor is the main force that affecting decisions about our product. Before taking any decision we have to keep in mind the specific religious and cultural key factors for our survival in the industry because people will repel the product that their religion or culture do not prefer. In today’s world, people are actually leading fast and furious lifestyle. They want things to be done quickly. Therefore, to fulfil their needs, we designed our new product in such a way that it is easy and convenient to be used (user-friendly).
Technology is a factor which its value cannot be ignored. Technologies vary with the passage of time in all industries. We also make our techniques and methodologies up to date for keeping our product preferable in the market. Also, the enhancement in technology enables us to reduce cost of product and increase the productivity. Technology plays its role too when we want to advertise. The emerging social websites which people are so addicted nowadays such as Facebook and Twitter allow us to advertise in a more efficient way. Our messages could be easily and clearly transmitted to our potential customers online.
SWOT Analysis: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity & Threat
- High quality of product.
- To sustain quality assurance, the company has been accredited with ISO 9001 and more recently ISO 14001.
- Excellent after sale service.
- We offer consumer care line - 1800 880133. Customers may have their enquiries answered by our friendly supervisor via this care line.
- Customer department is set up in order to look into and investigate the problems faced by our customers usually. Research and development will be carried out continuously to improve our product.
- Lack of marketing expertise.
- Our rivals may have done better in term of marketing. They may have more effective ways to implant their product into consumers’ minds.
- Damaged reputation.
- Business success, or survival in a crisis, depends ultimately on reputation. If the expectations of customers are not met, reputation is damaged. They may make complaint and spread out bad rumors related with the product.
- A developing market such as Internet.
- The internet has become the global market place. We foresee the great chances to develop our product with a large geographic target and a wide appeal. With our new great product, we are able to fulfill customer’s need or desire and provide instant gratification.
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Customers could easily visit our official website at
- Moving into new market segments that offer improved profits
- With the rapid development of transportation nowadays, we have the great chance to expose our new products to more market places, approaching more customers from all over the country.
- Price wars with competitors
- Consumers tend to be very particular with the prices when they want to make a purchase. Therefore, it’s vital to take an eye on the changes of price of our rivals’ products. Let say if Colgate Palmolive Company introduces a product with a very low price in the market, then we have to carry out investigation and conduct adjustment on our own price.
- Taxation is introduced on our product of service.
- The new costs, taxes and compliance rules introduced by the Malaysia government are sapping the will of our shareholders to believe that they should risk, invest and remain confident in their businesses.
3.0 Marketing Objectives
It is always advisable to make our marketing objectives SMART. If we don't make your , it will be too vague and will not be realized. Remember that the rest of the plan hinges on the objective. If it is not correct, our marketing plan may fail.
- To achieve high market share of 60% by March 2012
- 5 million units of sales all over Malaysia before March 2012.
- Receive total revenue or sales values at RM60,000,000.00 by March 2012.
4.0 Targeting & Positioning
Target Market
Generally, we would like to practise the undifferentiated marketing strategy. For our new formulated product, TOP DayFresh Super Powder, we would like to ignore market segment differences and go after the whole market with one offer. Through this strategy, a very large market will be reached and significant economies of scale can be achieved, leading to cost leadership. Because there is a very definite message and a very focused branding effort, the brand image is reinforced in the mind of the public.
Target market consists of a set of buyers who share common needs/ characteristics that a company decides to serve.
Our environment is full of contagious diseases and viruses such as bird flu, Chikungunya fever, hand food mouth disease etc. TOP DayFresh Super Powder is launched to cater to families who are particular on general hygience. Our new product has high potential to bring profits as it is user-friendly for people from all ages (except young children). As our product is highly affordable, our target market could be people from middle-class and upper-class income groups.
As more and more Malaysians choose to stay in apartment/ condo, where drying in-doors is common, Southern Lion believes TOP DayFresh Super Powder will be the most welcome answer for the housewives.
Positioning
- Product Attributes (Benefits Offered)
- A new detergent product that is formulated with Japan’s latest biotech easy clean formula.
- Anti-malodor. TOP DayFresh Super Powder’s easy-clean formula makes use of Lion’s Japan exclusive technical know-how with Novozyme Denmark, which jointly develop the innovative enzyme that can remove the root-cause of the malodor problem.Smelly odor is a result of the action of bacteria in the presence of stains and moisture. Bacteria from body sweats feed on such stains and their excretes causes the all-too familiar. This problem is especially prominent in our hot tropical country where people tend to sweat easily.
- Clean out the toughest stains
- Suitable for in-door drying
- Fabric conditioner for easy ironing
- Suitable for both hand wash & machine wash
- Usage Occasions
- To achieve the objectives of the our company, we should not only focus on the traditional households but also the emerging non-traditional households, single households, and home working to make our consumers range become bigger and gain more benefits from it.
- Against a Competitors
- The new TOP DayFresh Super Powder is designed after our experts went through all the weaknesses of the detergent powder in the market.
- Classes of Users
- Regardless you are a heavy, medium or light user, our new product will fulfill your needs.
5.0 Marketing Strategies
5.1 Product Offering
Product Quality
- Japan Hi-Tech formulation with superfast penetration power
- Lab test from Lion Japan has proven it kills 99.9 % bacteria
Product Benefits
- Clean sebum & oily stains
- Prevent early ageing of fabrics
- Anti-malodor (Fragrant purpose)
- Anti-bacteria
- Suitable for in-door drying
- Fabric conditioner for easy ironing
- Suitable for both hand wash & machine wash
Brand
- Good reputations on TOP products have been made among the consumers.
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Being the fastest growing premium powder detergent in the market, TOP is proud to announce its new formulated product, TOP DayFresh Super Powder which will provide superior product quality and greater laundry experience to the customers.
Packaging
Our packages have the features that add convenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, sale, opening, reclosing, use, dispensing, reuse, recycling, and ease of disposal
- Available in 125gm, 1 kg, 3kg and 5kg in all leading outlets nationwide
- Concept that will be emphasized in the packaging of the product: Environmental concerns to meet the requirements of society and also company’s objectives.
Labelling
- The details of the product are clearly shown. For examples: expiry dates, manufacturer company and etc.
- Since our product is user-friendly, clear instructions are given for customers to use our product. Precautions have also been mentioned to avoid unnecessary house accidents
Warranty
- Customers are allowed to request for a new package of our product if they find the initial one they bought faulty. For examples, the washing powder may have become coagulated inside the package before used.
5.2 Pricing
List Price
Discounts
- Discount of 10% of the product normal price for the first 1000 customers nationwide.
- Discount of 10% of the second purchase of the other Southern Lion products.
New product pricing
- By setting a promotion price and discount for our new product, we can fulfill the theory of low entry price with increase later which directly helps us to attract new customers and maintain the quality and positioning of our brand, TOP.
5.3 Channel
Channel structures
Producer- Retailer- Consumer
Large retailers used to take order in large quantity and obtaining special prices from our company.
Coverage
With today’s shopping mall springing up like mushroom after the rain, our target costumer could easily find our products as long as there are personal care stores such as Watson and Guardian around. Our products are also highly available in those hypermarkets such as The Store, Tesco, Giant and Carrefour.
5.4 Promotion
Our market segment is actionable because effective programs can be designed to attract and serve our segments. Mass media power can be used to advertise our products so that more and more people are aware with the existence of our new product. Road shows can also be organised frequently so that we could promote our products effectively.
Face to face activities undertaken by individuals, representing our company to inform, persuade, or remind consumers to take buyer decision.
Direct mail: Information distributed via the postal service to a recipient’s home or business to promote our products.
Direct response advertising: Do this with a standard broadcast and print media designed to generate a direct response, whether an order or personal visit.
6.0 Implementation and Control
Marketing programme
Budget allocated
7.0 Conclusion
To conclude, before launching TOP DayFresh Super Powder into the market, research and analysis should be done in detail to help gain competitive advantage for our company while competing with our rivals.
The objectives play the important role in the whole marketing plan. Having known well the objectives, workers in the company will be able to carry out targeting and positioning in a more effective ways. They will also be able to carry out strong strategies to implement the market. They will be more dedicated and determined to move forward.
8.0 References
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All New Top Detergent,Press Release. 2003. LION. Available at: <>[Accessed 1 November 2011]
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Andy Birol., 2010. 3 Deadly Threats Against Business Today. Business Trends, [online] 17 November. Available at: < > [Accessed 10 November 2011]
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All New Top Detergent,Press Release. 2003. LION. Available at: < > [Accessed 1 November 2011]
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Jobber, D. Principle and Practice of Marketing. 5th ed., McGraw Hill Irwin, 2007.
- Mason, C.H. & Perreault Jr. W.D. The Marketing Game! McGraw Hill Irwin, 2002.
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TOP Super Fast Clean Concentrated Liquid Detergent. 2010. LION. Available at < > [Accessed 1 November 2011]
9.0 Appendix
Personal Reflection Report
It had been a privilege for me to take part in this assignment. It was a great chance to put myself in the shoe of the marketers to carry out a Marketing Plan. Well, frankly speaking, it was never easy to design a good marketing plan. Before I got everything started, it was time-consuming for me to figure out and choose a company which authentically suited the product that I was going to introduce. After making up my mind to select Southern Lion as my company, I wade through all sort of information related with that company that I could obtain from the internet. I learnt the history of that company, the growing sales of the company and the concept or ideology that the company had followed all these while to be a distinguished one in the rat-race society.
While designing my marketing plan, I was given the opportunity to apply those theories that I had been learned from MKT 203. I was required to carry out a situational analysis at the beginning stage of the assignments. Through this analysis, I did realize the importance of so-called “PEST” and “SWOT” to a company. It allowed people to learn the situation of the company internally and externally. Effective program and action can only take place if and only if we clearly discovered and understood the overall situation. Both of them had always been the critical issues that companies should pay attention to them. Neglecting any of these issues may lead to failure in conducting business.
When came to figure out my marketing objectives, it was advisable to create them in a “SMART” way. SMART stood for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time. If we don't make our , it will be too vague and will not be realized. Remember that the rest of the plan hinges on the objective. If it is not correct, our marketing plan may fail.
It was of the utmost importance to detect our target market well. Generally, target market consisted of a set of buyers who shared common needs that my company decided to serve. Countless surveys had been carried out to detect the existence of our target market. Being understood with our target market, we are able to implement effective activities to appeal our new product to them. This stage did carry a heavy weight as determining the correct target market may stimulate our sales and in the long run gain profits to the company.
When we talk about marketing, there is always a connection with the 4P. Basically, 4P is made up of Product, Price, Place and Promotion. According to the principle of marketing, they are defined as the basic marketing mixes. In this context, when we talk about product, we are actually looking into the quality, the brand, the packaging and the labelling of the product. Consumer will try to look into these aspects whenever they wish to make a purchase of a product. Being inundated with all kind of information from different sources nowadays, consumers tend to be very sensitive with the price of the product. They love to make comparison for prices of different products. Therefore, we have to be alert when we set our price before entering the market. Besides, choosing a right place to distribute our products is crucial as well. We have to discover the background of our distributors before allowing them to sell our product in the market. They have to be reliable as they are the one who will directly influence the image and reputation of our product.
Promotion should be a word that most of us familiar with in our daily lifestyle. However, it is never simple to carry out promotion. Before you try to organise it, you have to come out with budgets. Do you have sufficient manpower? Are your people well-trained so that they are able to convince consumer to result in a purchase of our product? How about the objective of the promotion? These are the factors that we should take into account before we launch a promotion. Always remember that the main purpose that we hold promotion is to introduce our product to the public. Make our product appealing enough that it will become well-known among the consumers. Promotion has always been a great avenue for us to build up the image of our new product.
Through this assignment, I also appreciate the chance given for me to briefly know about the implementation and control of a marketing plan. After the marketing plan was designed, we have to select those competent people to carry out the activities as planned. It’s a matter of human resource. In this context, communication between colleagues does carry weight to ensure a successful teamwork. Besides, we have to make sure our target achieved on time.