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Marketing Plan World’s Biggest Garage Sale
Marketing Plan: World’s Biggest Garage Sale
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Date
1. Situation Analysis
The World’s Biggest Garage Sale is a business that uses a unique model involving the reselling of up-cycled, re-furbished, and recycled products. The companies hopes that by tackling the issue of waste from a business angle, it would contribute to landfill diversion. The use of dormant goods in the circular economy is presented as an important resource recovery practice. The World’s Biggest Garage Sale intends to promote responsible consumerism and sustainability and offer employment opportunities to vulnerable community members (World’s Biggest Garage Sale, 2021). A lot of their products for resale come directly from the community while some are sourced from retail businesses. Without the intervention of the World’s Biggest Garage Sale, a lot of these products and commodities would end up as waste in landfills and other areas where they would create negative effects for the environment. Therefore, the company tackles the issue of the environment through social and economic initiatives.
1.1 Analysis of Social Trends
One of the most notable research finding is that Australian consumers are increasingly preferring sustainable brands. Nimri, Patiar, & Kensbock (2017) found that 90% of the Australian consumers tend to purchase sustainable and ethical products and 85% want brands and retailers to be transparent and accountable regarding the sustainability of the goods and services produced. Globally, there is a similar movement towards more sustainable products. Consumers are more purpose driven and have shown a tendency to select products or brands that align to the personal beliefs on green practices and sustainability. A research exploration by Tan, Johnstone, & Yang (2016) found that more than 33% of consumers in Australia would stop consuming and purchasing a brand if they lost trust on the basis of transparency, sustainability, and accountability relating to green approaches. World’s Biggest Garage Sale has an opportunity to appeal to a market that is already thinking sustainability. Another major social trend is the active participation of consumers towards protecting the environment through recycling, reducing waste, and stopping the consumption of single-use plastics. The attention of consumers to the environment has been heightened (Meyer et al. 2012), to a point where Moloney and Strengers (2014) found that some are willing to pay about 5% extra for products that are environmentally friendly. World’s Biggest Garage Sale can capitalize on this social trends by marketing their products to a wider audience.
1.2 Analysis of Technology
One of the best technology developments has been the popularity of social media and the digital media. Its availability for organizations has greatly boosted marketing abilities (Veldeman, Van Praet, & Mechant, 2017). World’s Biggest Garage Sale takes advantage of this technology trend with a community averaging more than 20,000 interactions per day on Facebook, which is the company’s main social media platform (Facebook, 2021). The company does not have a similar following on Instagram and Twitter, yet these two platforms are identified by Ghvanidze et al. (2019) as some of the most important avenues to reach the younger audience. It means that the company does not have an active plan to reach teenage audiences that are increasingly getting into the sustainability culture. Technology will be one of the best partnerships that World’s Biggest Garage Sale can have in relation to attracting and retaining more consumers in line with the organization’s sustainability agenda and the benefits of technological platforms.
2. Marketing Goal
World’s Biggest Garage Sale intends to increase brand awareness and market penetration through social media impressions for the teenage and young adult target audiences by 50% by the end of the current financial year through increased presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The Ansoff Matrix in figure 1 below summarizes this objective, showing World’s Biggest Garage Sale’s market penetration strategy for the Australian market.
Figure 1: Ansoff Matrix (Source: )
3. Marketing Strategy
3.1 Target Consumers
The segmentation analysis provided in Table 1 below shows how World’s Biggest Garage Sale will reach their targeted market. The table reveals that the company targets teenage consumers as part of developing a sustainability agenda and young adults who are the largest consumers of a majority of products in the Australian market.
Segmentation Approach Traits/Features Segment Description
Demographic Age 15-19 World’s Biggest Garage Sale will need to focus on teenage consumers. This category has a lot of influence in the consumption patterns, including the ability for the company to ensure a development of a sustainability culture.
25-40 In this age group, the use of social media is still heavy. The group also makes up a significant part of the Australian consumer. By targeting them, the company will ensure that brand awareness is raised and that the goals of the organization are spread across the country
Income Middle to high income earners Middle to high income earning classes are more likely to have disposable income, therefore engaging in the purchase of sustainability products even when the prices are higher than the alternatives in the market.
Geographic Australia World’s Biggest Garage Sale is an Australian brand that targets the national market as a way to push sustainable consumption and to contribute to the creation of environmental benefits through responsible consumption and business
Psychographic Lifestyle and values Environmental-conscious consumers This category is keen on spending on brands and products that aligned to the current sustainability and green production measures (Song, Qin, & Qin, 2020). World’s Biggest Garage Sale can target them based on the company’s value proposition
Behavioral Benefits sought Audiences looking for specific unique value proposition World’s Biggest Garage Sale can use quality of products, their contribution to a better environment, and additional benefits such as reliable pricing and an active role in making the environment better as selling point for this segment.
Table 1: Segmentation analysis
3.2 Value Proposition
In a society where consumers are increasingly looking to use environmentally friendly products, and the consumption patterns are changing towards this behavior, World’s Biggest Garage Sale believes in meeting these needs by uniquely allowing people to recycle and buy recycled products as well as other strategies that reduce the amount of waste disposed to the environment. As the company prepares to go global, the success and failures experienced in the Australian market will inform its strategies. In the Australian market alone, the company has a target to create value for more than $43 billion worth of underutilized products ( ). By partnering with households and corporates, the company has found a unique way to attach value to the process of protecting the environment (World’s Biggest Garage Sale, 2021). By using technology in the form of digital media and social media, the company makes use of dormant goods into the circular economy and creates an environment of helping communities through job creation. The ethos of operation for World’s Biggest Garage Sale is creating a positive impact for the environment, the people, and making profits with a purpose. Since the company started operations in 2013, has successfully championed the ethical principles of a working circular economy that sees dormant goods used up in other platforms to ease the effect on the environment. Sustainability and altruism are the backbone of the organization.
In line with the above, the positioning statement for World’s Biggest Garage Sale is using dormant and underutilized goods in the economy to cover the huge vacant space created through excess consumption and that has negative effects on the environment. The company targets such commodities, both from corporate entities and households, and then redistributes in a circular economic model to willing buyers with an intention of protecting the environment, creating jobs, and making a profit in a manner that does not harm any of the key pillars including the society, the economy, and the environment.
4. Marketing Tactics
4.1 Product
World’s Biggest Garage Sale products are inclusive of any commodities available for resale, re-use, re-furbishing, and any other element in ensuring that products go back to the market ( ). Due to an increase in environment-consciousness amongst consumers, World’s Biggest Garage Sale has a number of options in terms of products:
Redesigned products
Repurposed goods
Re-cycled products
Restored commodities
These goods are a part of the circular economy that intends to restore how people use or reuse basic items and in finding value all through the product life cycle (Zink & Geyer, 2017). The main selling point of the products is extending its length, preventing the over-production of waste, and concurrently creating new opportunities, revenue streams, and jobs, while minimizing the environmental impact. The proposed marketing strategy in terms of the product in creating a tagline for active participation in environmental conservation through consumption of redesigned, repurposed, recycled, and restored commodities. This will create more awareness amongst the target groups in order to cover the gap that exists in the social trend towards more environmental consciousness.
4.2 Pricing
The pricing strategy proposed to be used by World’s Biggest Garage Sale in targeting the segments suggested earlier is the bundle pricing strategy. To attain this strategy, the company will pair a number of products together, selling them for less that they would individually. The aim of a bundle pricing strategy is mentioned by Yan and Bandyopadhyay (2011) to include the need to move inventory quickly. For World’s Biggest Garage Sale, there is a problem of the competition which can avail newer goods at cheaper market prices. Therefore, moving more gods through a bundled pricing strategy would help in competition. The objective of the organization is to create brand awareness and show the benefits of repurposing underutilized and dormant commodities. Therefore, the pricing strategy would be appealing and help to create value and a positive image. The customers include teenagers and young adults, with the latter being the main target especially those in the middle to high income earning groups. Young adults in the said income class are less sensitive to pricing, but will be attracted through a bundled price strategy. For the teenage market, the aim is to create a culture of consuming repurposed goods.
4.3 Place
The products from World’s Biggest Garage Sale are high turnover and low margin goods. Therefore, an intense distribution approach is preferred. The distribution will be made through the various outlets all over the country and additionally via social media and digital platforms including the company website. The products will use a single-level distribution channel, moving directly from the organization to the distribution centres.
4.4 Promotion
World’s Biggest Garage Sale will use social media advertising as the main avenue to create awareness. The marketing and promotion goal for World’s Biggest Garage Sale is to increase brand awareness and market penetration through social media impressions for the teenage and young adult target audiences by 50% by the end of the current financial year through increased presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The company will focus its promotion budget on social media, through Facebook, Twitter, ad Instagram, because evidence from scholars show that social media has helped companies in the past to sell their value proposition (Asaad & Gomez, 2011). The benefits of social media advertising include brand awareness increase, more inbound traffic on the digital platforms, increased interactions with consumers and potential suppliers of the products used by the organization, improved search ranking, high conversion rates, improved customer satisfaction, better brand loyalty, and improved brand authority (Karimi & Naghibi, 2015). These advantages will create a larger platform for the organization, increase its reach, and lead to more sales.
Objectives Platform Cost to the company
World’s Biggest Garage Sale intends to increase brand awareness and market penetration through social media impressions for the teenage and young adult target audiences by 50% by the end of the current financial year through increased presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Facebook According to the Media Ant (2021), effective Facebook advertising will cost $25000 per month
Increase brand awareness and market penetration Instagram According to the Media Ant (2021), effective Instagram advertising will cost $20000 per month
Increase traffic, brand awareness, penetration, and overall number of mentions Twitter According to the Media Ant (2021), effective Twitter advertising will cost $5000 per month
Overall cost $50000
5. References
Assaad, W., & Gómez, J. M. (2011). Social network in marketing (social media marketing) opportunities and risks. International Journal of Managing Public Sector Information and Communication Technologies, 2(1), 13.
Facebook.com (2021). World’s Biggest Garage Sale profile. Available at https://www.facebook.com/worldsbiggestgaragesale/
Ghvanidze, S., Velikova, N., Dodd, T. H., & Oldewage-Theron, W. (2019). Are Sustainable consumers health conscious? A segmentation study of wine consumers. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 25(6), 690-711.
Karimi, S., & Naghibi, H. S. (2015). Social media marketing (SMM) strategies for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 7(4), 86.
Meyer, S. B., Coveney, J., Henderson, J., Ward, P. R., & Taylor, A. W. (2012). Reconnecting Australian consumers and producers: identifying problems of distrust. Food Policy, 37(6), 634-640.
Moloney, S., & Strengers, Y. (2014). ‘Going green’?: the limitations of behaviour change programmes as a policy response to escalating resource consumption. Environmental Policy and Governance, 24(2), 94-107.
Nimri, R., Patiar, A., & Kensbock, S. (2017). A green step forward: Eliciting consumers’ purchasing decisions regarding green hotel accommodation in Australia. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 33, 43-50.
Song, Y., Qin, Z., & Qin, Z. (2020). Green Marketing to Gen Z Consumers in China: Examining the Mediating Factors of an Eco-Label–Informed Purchase. Sage Open, 10(4), 2158244020963573.
Tan, L. P., Johnstone, M. L., & Yang, L. (2016). Barriers to green consumption behaviours: The roles of consumers’ green perceptions. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 24(4), 288-299.
The Media Ant. (2021). Digital Advertising. Available at https://www.themediaant.com/digital
Veldeman, C., Van Praet, E., & Mechant, P. (2017). Social media adoption in business-to-business: IT and industrial companies compared. International Journal of Business Communication, 54(3), 283-305.
World’s Biggest Garage Sale. (2021). Activating dormant goods for good. Available at https://worldsbiggestgaragesale.com.au/
Yan, R., & Bandyopadhyay, S. (2011). The profit benefits of bundle pricing of complementary products. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 18(4), 355-361.
Zink, T., & Geyer, R. (2017). Circular economy rebound. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 21(3), 593-602.
MARKETING PLAN TEMPLATE
Marketing Plan Template (Replace this line with your title)
Contents
Executive SummaryCompany ProfileMarket Segmentation & TargetingSituation and Company AnalysisEthics and Social ResponsibilityMarketing Information and ResearchCustomer Decision-Making ProfilePositioning and DifferentiationBrandingMarketing Mix (4Ps)Product StrategyPricing StrategyPlace: Distribution StrategyPromotion: Integrated Marketing Communications StrategyBudgetAction PlanRisk FactorsAttributions
Executive Summary
Do this section last. This short summary should provide a holistic overview of your marketing plan. All this information is covered in more detail in the rest of the marketing plan. For the Executive Summary, provide a clear, concise overview of the following points:
Company Description
Briefly describe the organization and offerings (products and/or services) your marketing plan focuses on, and the problem(s) they solve.
Target Segment
Identify and briefly describe your target segment.
Competitive Advantage
Explain your organization’s competitive advantage.
Positioning Statement
Provide the positioning statement your marketing plan will apply.
Marketing Plan Objectives
List the objectives of the marketing plan: What will it accomplish? Be as specific as possible: anticipated increase in sales, profits, market share, etc.
Company Profile
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant Industry
Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN USA
Year founded: 1982
The number of employees: 3,400
Annual revenue (estimated): 2 billion
Major products and/or services: Wings, beer, sauces
Target customers: Sports fans, video gamers, trivia fans
Distribution channel(s): Local Buffalo Wild Wings distributors
Key competitors: Applebees, Olive Garden, Chili’s.
Link to website: https://www.buffalowildwings.com/
Link to Yahoo! Finance information page (for public companies): https://finance.yahoo.com/company/buffalo-wild-wings?h=eyJlIjoiYnVmZmFsby13aWxkLXdpbmdzIiwibiI6IkJ1ZmZhbG8gV2lsZCBXaW5ncyJ9&.tsrc=fin-srch
Market Segmentation & Targeting
For decades, people have stated to love fast foods. Buffalo wild wings thrives at quenching the thirst for a cold soda on a sunny weekend out and also serves tantalizing wings and fries, with fast and excellent service customers get satisfied and happy.
Our core targets include youngsters, singles, and those currently enrolled in college and high school. The family unit is also a target for the business; it shall appeal to families with young children. The business will also target both genders with a little skew towards male teen customers because of they are likely to drop by for bites to fuel them for the rest of the day.
The business targets young Minneapolis citizens as the main market. The premise is situated in a prime location where they meet and hang out after school. Due to vigorous extra curricula activities among Minneapolis young people, they often have their meals in malls where buffalo wild wings is located and they tend to flock the premise after school.
The secondary market segment is the working Minneapolis population. with a number of shopping malls in Minneapolis the number of people who may rely on fast foods is quite high and hence making that population a segment to be targeted by Buffalo Wild Wings. Minneapolis is also a known tourist destination and hence tourists make the third segment of the potential customers who may flock Buffalo Wild wings.
Buffalo Wild wings plans to majorly focus on serving the youngsters and teenagers in Minneapolis. the group has been selected because they are the most frequent customers and hence Buffalo Wild Wings has a goal to be the “Extraordinary fast foods place.” and we trust that right target segment that will steer the brand is the youngsters and teenagers. The teens stick to the pocket friendly dishes and in return, they save the company as the cost on budget is reduced and the profit margins go up.
Situation and Company Analysis
Potatoes are readily available in the United States hence the basic material for the business will be easily obtained. The kids are also given sufficient amount of money by their parents to purchase their food and hence they will certainly opt for fast foods. Lifestyle changes are also influencing consumer purchases, their food and entertainment choices. the changes taking place in the economy include, the professional class has immensely grown meaning individuals have some disposable income that they are willing to use.
Technological advancements in the industry have also been seen and as a result, advertising value addition and even improved customer experience and satisfaction as well improved delivery services are some of the benefits that come with technological advancement. Technology has undeniably made everything easier.
For the business to operate in Minneapolis , it certainly has to get the appropriate documents from the licensing authorities and clearance for the health department because it deals with foods for human consumption. Political environment is stable and hence the company will thrive due to the political stability.
SWOT Analysis
HELPFUL Ideas HARMFUL Concerns
Internal Strengths
Helpful experienced Owner-Operator
Limited competition in Minneapolis
Ability to sale products online and do deliveries
Highly visible website Weaknesses
Products can be quickly offered by competitors
High Operation Cost
Limited Flexibility Pricing
External Opportunities
Continued expansion for online sales
Ability to grow and develop online stores
Acquisition of additional rounds of capital
Advancement in technology and the new innovations that ensure the business operates smoothly
Possible advancement and sale of the business Threats
Changes in regulations that can impact the business
The business products are sold by competitors
Costs continually increase as the company increases
Mission, Objectives & Goals
Our main goal is to be one of the most successful restaurant with the best wings in Minneapolis.
Objectives
To establish a presence as a successful local fast food outlet and gain a market share in USA’s food industry
To make Buffalo Wild Wings a spot for mall-goers
To expand into a number of outlets by the third year
Goals
Create a unique, innovative, entertaining menu that will differentiate us from the rest of the competition
Control costs at all times
Sell the products that are of the highest quality
Provide 100% satisfaction to our customers and maintaining the level of excellence services among other competitors
Encourage the two most important values in food industry; brand and image, as these two ingredients are a couple of main drivers in marketing communications
Get access to high-traffic shopping malls near the target market
Promote good values of company culture and business philosophy
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Current Status
It is no longer acceptable for businesses to disregard issues around ethics and social responsibility. Conduct research and briefly describe what your organization is currently doing regarding corporate social responsibility and pursuing sustainable business practices.
Recommendations
Based on your understanding of the organization’s goals, what recommendations do you have for how to create a more ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable business? What practices do you recommend the organization pursue?
Marketing Information and Research
Research Question
The most important question the organization is trying to answer is what the needs and wishes of the target customers are.
Information Needed
The kind of information needed to make useful marketing decisions include; what do the target customers think of Buffalo Wild Wings? The question tries to answer what the organization can do to encourage the customers to consume their products the more and to encourage others to do the same. A question to the already existing customers is also important in a bid to understand their product or service knowledge and how often they consume the product/service and what they think about the products/service. It is also necessary to ask those who prefer other brands that their reasons are, answer their questions in a satisfactory manner, and end up winning them to your side. Asking about the products that sell the most is paramount, as well as understanding the products that grow in decline and those that are receiving the best rates and referrals.
Research Recommendations
The necessary information about the business can be acquired by conducting a research where the study population will be the target customers. Another source of information would be from personal experience and knowledge, when employees really understand the markets, then they are in a position give the relevant information to steer the business forward. Regular data from the existing customers can be another source of information and the person tasked with collecting information should be persuasive and very imaginative.
Customer Decision-Making Profile
Identifying the Customer and Problem
Identifying the customer and the problem is arguably the most powerful marketing strategy and tool, it enables the decision makers to ensure that marketing is effective because the customers are identified and considered and decisions on how their satisfaction will be obtained is made. the best strategy to be utilized is segmentation. a segment is defined as a group of people with similar needs and are also a part of the general market. The division of the market into segments enables the business to reach its important customers effectively and to efficiently provide the products and services.
Factors Influencing Customer Decisions
Customer decisions to purchase a product or service are influenced by a number of factors. One of the factors is geographical; in this case, the location of the customer influences their buying powers. In the urban areas for example, customers tend to consume a lot of fast food because of their busy schedules and the lifestyle in the city. Personal and demographic factors also play a greater role in influencing the purchasing power of customers. Male teen often purchase fast food because they do not give much thought to their bodies like their female counterparts. The family unit also may be a contributing factor; young families may often have take-outs because fast food thrill children and their parents may give in as they try to make them happy.
Reaching the Customer
The enterprise will focus on reaching the customer by using the example of successful business enterprises also it will ensure they do not at all cost tamper on the quality of the products and the services they are offering. Consistence is another important strategy in getting to the customer and the availability of a variety where the customer can choose.
Positioning and Differentiation
Competitive Advantages
Buffalo Wild wings has a competitive advantage over its main competitors it may focus on having a unique product and the best dipping sauces something their competitors might not be doing. it is important to also adopt an enthusiastic culture in the business as well having friendly staff that reflects the company’s culture.
Market Niche and Positioning Strategy
Positioning strategy also enables the decision makers to understand where the customers think about the business and that information will help the organization to improve on the delivery of services and the communication of the improvements to the customers. Market Niche is a strategy that the organization must hack. it is important for the organization to ensure it places its products and offers the service in the right place.
Positioning Statement
The position statement leads in making and planning the marketing activity. The positioning statement will be to increase customer awareness in the locality. every strategy and effort will be geared towards getting the customers to know who Buffalo wild wings are.
Repositioning Considerations
Do you recommend a repositioning that improves on what the organization has been using up to this point? Why or why not?
Branding
Brand Description
The aim is to establish a distinct brand that will certainly stand out from the competitors. The logo is to be eye catching and distinct.
Brand Promise
The fries will be made by 100%fresh potatoes and with the best prices in town.
Brand Voice and Personality
Brand is excellently Delicious.
Brand never compromises on quality.
Brand Positioning and Strategy
There shall be a grand opening in a central place and colorful banners bearing the distinct logo will be displayed. A particular place in the mall will be the tester market and the most delicious wings prepared and letting out the aroma of freshly fried fries inviting people to taste the products.
When marketing information and analysis is appropriately done and the most appropriate information obtained it sets the business way above its competitors and it is safe to say Knowledge is Power against competition.
Marketing Mix (4Ps)
Product Strategy
Online Doctor deals with prescription and over the counter medication from renowned brands across the globe, the products are accompanied by a service and is at the introduction stage of the product life cycle. Allowing customers to interact with medical staff and doctors to interpret the prescription notes will go a long way in fitting the general X and Y market-a demographic that craves convenience.
•What level of quality and consistency does the offering have?
Doctors that can see patients online and recommend simple drugs for simple ailments and follow up reminders to ensure clients follow the dosage present the quality of the services which guarantees consistency.
•How many features does it have and can they be removed or added?
Online medical assessments
Repeat prescriptions
Free delivery
Fast selling brands
Medical devices
All these features of the business are essential and would not be removed, however, over time delivery will be expanded to cover more regions of the country and ultimately introduce services to external markets.
•How well does your product or service deliver what the customer values? How can it improve?
Repeat precisions are excellent after service.
Online prescriptions by physicians if they deemed fit is also a service the consumers consider critical.
Improvement can come in the form of more diversification in medical and medical devices brands and more investment in expensive drugs.
•What improvements would help your offering compete more effectively?
Low prices will go a long way in increasing competitive power.
The ability to deliver further than towns near the warehouses will mean venturing in areas the competition is yet to reach. Revenues from these areas will be useful in employing measures that suppress the competition.
Pricing Strategy
The medical products sold on Online Doctor are market standards that require low pricing sourcing to cover for the deficit created by free delivery. Exemplary customer service offsets any thought of expensive prices in the minds of consumers. Competitors are large established e-pharmacies with high prices because of the trust they have generated over the years and the effect of dealing with things branded premium.
•How sensitive are your customers to changes in price?
Customers are in search of ways to fill their prescriptions without using the tedious way of seeing a doctor. And because they consist of a young general of white color workers there is not much strain about the price.
•What revenue you need to break even and achieve profitability?
$175,000 is the amount required to breakeven.
•What does the price say about your product in terms of value, quality, prestige, etc.?
The product definitely elicits the feeling of prestige and offers tremendous value in terms of location and quality. The medicine and materials are sourced for renowned with generic ones branded as such to ensure the client is aware of the decision they are making.
Place: Distribution Strategy
The products are distributed from two warehouses located in Chicago and Joliet. There are no intermediaries and the companies supply chain is made of the supplier, the company, and the consumer. There are no actual disconnects but having small retailers use our online platform to sell their products is an incredible opportunity that is yet to be utilized. The business looks to venture into bulk buying to sell to retailers at wholesale prices. These retailers can sell on the platform or their stores and also sell their products separate from those offered by Online Doctor on its e-pharmacy platform.
•What are the best distribution channels and methods for you to use, and why?
The main distribution channel although indirect constitutes the manufacturer, online doctor, and customers because the e-pharmacy platform began as a retailer and wishes to maintain the status. Some products will be sold to retailers in wholesale to widen the company’s portfolio and inventory.
•Will you have a retail outlet and if so, where will it be located?
There is no physical location for the retail outlet. As an e-pharmacy, the business is located online. However, there are two warehouses in Chicago and Joliet as well as offices and server centers where all operations will be carried out. Contact with the customer will happen through the internet.
•In what geographic area(s) will your product/service be available?
The services will be available in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois. These are all states that border the state of Illinois where the warehouses are located. Plans are available to expand to other states with time.
Promotion: Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy
Approach
The global market for pharmacies have an annual customer base of 40 million with half that number looking for drugs online and the number is still growing and Online Doctor wishes to grow with them. The penetration strategy that includes selling at the cost price, which will be below the selling price of the competition, goes a long way in advertising the business. An initial opening ceremony will be the beginning of the marketing strategy where people will gather to celebrate the business’s inception. The business will rely more on video ads on social media and video platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The importance of this is that these sponsored ads are accompanied by a link to the platform where the consumer by one click immediately interacts with the platform. Word of mouth marketing will be enhanced by providing incentives for clients that will bring referrals. Direct marketing will be applied to medical conferences and seminars. Traditional marketing including newspapers, TV, and radio commercials will take a small portion of the marketing strategy but will not be ignored entirely. Flyers and brochures will be put in strategic places such as the shops of partnering retailers. The business will also be listed in the yellow pages since the platform has also gone digital.
Goal
The primary goal of Online Doctor’s marketing the customer base at an annual rate of 5% in the first year and 7.5% in the following years and to create a long-term professional relationship with its clientele. The idea is to get a client and retain them. The campaign will target younger people between the ages of 25 to 40 who are active on the internet and seek services that are convenient like purchases that are delivered to their doorstep. Ads in traditional platforms such as the TV, radio, and newspapers will target older people from the age of 55 who require certain drugs for comorbid diseases as well as medical devices.
Messages
Message: Having trouble handling your dosage, get the prescription and a manager.
Message pillar: Some people are heard saying they would rather get an injection that deals with swallowing pills regularly because they tend to forget.
Proof point: re-prescription is a simple reminder through message alerts.
Call to action: Buy drugs on a platform that reminds you when its time to use them.
Promotional Mix and IMC Tools
Digital Marketing
Advertisements on popular blogs and application developed for mobile phones
Sponsored ads to generate more views.
Performance indicators
Revenue growth
Diversified income sources
Revenue concentration-ensuring revenue is not generated from one segment
Increased profitability over time
Approach
The global market for pharmacies have an annual customer base of 40 million with half that number looking for drugs online and the number is still growing and Online Doctor wishes to grow with them. The penetration strategy that includes selling at the cost price, which will be below the selling price of the competition, goes a long way in advertising the business. An initial opening ceremony will be the beginning of the marketing strategy where people will gather to celebrate the business’s inception. The business will rely more on video ads on social media and video platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The importance of this is that these sponsored ads are accompanied by a link to the platform where the consumer by one click immediately interacts with the platform. Word of mouth marketing will be enhanced by providing incentives for clients that will bring referrals. Direct marketing will be applied to medical conferences and seminars. Traditional marketing including newspapers, TV, and radio commercials will take a small portion of the marketing strategy but will not be ignored entirely. Flyers and brochures will be put in strategic places such as the shops of partnering retailers. The business will also be listed in the yellow pages since the platform has also gone digital.
Goal
The primary goal of Online Doctor’s marketing the customer base at an annual rate of 5% in the first year and 7.5% in the following years and to create a long-term professional relationship with its clientele. The idea is to get a client and retain them. The campaign will target younger people between the ages of 25 to 40 who are active on the internet and seek services that are convenient like purchases that are delivered to their doorstep. Ads in traditional platforms such as the TV, radio, and newspapers will target older people from the age of 55 who require certain drugs for comorbid diseases as well as medical devices.
Messages
Message: Having trouble handling your dosage, get the prescription and a manager.
Message pillar: Some people are heard saying they would rather get an injection that deals with swallowing pills regularly because they tend to forget.
Proof point: re-prescription is a simple reminder through message alerts.
Call to action: Buy drugs on a platform that reminds you when it’s time to use them.
Promotional Mix and IMC Tools
Digital Marketing
Advertisements on popular blogs and application developed for mobile phones
Sponsored ads to generate more views.
Performance indicators
Revenue growth
Diversified income sources
Revenue concentration-ensuring revenue is not generated from one segment
Increased profitability over time
Budget
Budget: List marketing budget and resources required to execute your marketing campaign, and estimate what it will cost. Include items such as labor, materials and other expenses such as: print materials, online media tools or development, public relations services, design services, content development services, space or equipment rental, etc. Also, estimate the increased sales or revenue the campaign will generate for the company.
Item Purpose Cost Estimate
Digital Campaign Increase the number of website clicks $10,000
Traditional advertisements Target the older segment $25,000
Print materials including-shirts. Flyers, brochures For direct marketing through conferences and seminars $14,000
Referrals Get people to suggest the business to others $17,525
Add additional rows as needed.
Estimated campaign impact: [insert]
Action Plan/;.
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Outline the specific activities you must complete in order to execute your marketing campaign. Each element of your integrated marketing communications plan should be listed as a separate activity. List actions in the order they need to take place for the plan to be successful: first things first, later steps last. Follow-up activities and evaluation of campaign effectiveness also should be captured in this action plan. For the purposes of setting due dates in this action plan, you should assume you must complete the marketing campaign within 3-12 months.
Timing Activity Type Brief Description Audience Owner
Today’s Date Example:
Website Update Add new key messages that fit repositioning strategy and audience focus Tech company hiring managers Jim Hill
Date Date Date Date Date Launch Date Add additional rows as needed.
Risk Factors
Contingency plans and risk management: You should consider the possible risks to your business and make contingency plans to address them. You note some possible risks under the “weakness” and “threats” sections of your SWOT analysis. Identify steps you can take to either reduce risks or work around them if they occur.
Reminder to Student:
Remember to complete your Executive Summary at the beginning of this document. Also, be sure and remove all instructions, which are in italic typeface.
Attributions
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CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY
Flinders Business School Marketing Plan Template. Authored by David Medlow-Smith. Located at: https://archive.org/details/FlindersBusinessSchoolMarketingPlan2. License: CC BY-SA.
ORIGINAL CONTENT
SWOT and Integrated Marketing Communications Templates. Authored by Melissa Barker. License: CC BY: Attribution.
Revision and adaptation. Authored by Lumen Learning. License: CC BY-SA.
Revision and adaptation. Authored by Waymon D. “Wade” Hyde, faculty, El Centro College/Dallas County Community College District. License: CC BY-SA.
Life Long Process
Lifelong Learning Process
Name
Institution
Date
Lifelong Learning Process
Section 1: Introduction
The magnitude of current social and economic change, the demographic pressures stemming from an ageing population, and the rapid transition of a knowledge-based society are all challenges that demand a new perspective to training and education under the realm of lifelong learning. The advent of high-functional systems, rapid technological changes, and information overload has created new challenges and problems for training and education. More advanced knowledge is acquired after the age of formal schooling has passed (10: 43). In a number of institutions, it is attained via educational processes, which do not focus on the traditional schooling.
Learning must be examined throughout the life because prior notions of a divided lifetime education accompanied by work are no longer tenable. Professional activities have become fluid in content and knowledge intensive to the extent that learning has become an integral part of adult work activities. Learning has become a new version of labor, and working tends to be a collaborative effort among peers and colleagues (7:56).
In the modern knowledge society, an educated individual is someone who is willing to embrace learning as a lifelong process. Learning has become part of living and a natural outcome of being alive and in contact with the world. Therefore, learners need not only instructions but also access to the world to have an opportunity to play a reasonable part in it. Therefore, workplace learning and school learning ought to be integrated.
Section two: Concepts of Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learning is an all-purpose learning activity, which is undertaken on a progressive basis with the goal of improving skills, knowledge, and competence. Higher education helps prepare students to be learners by developing specific skills and dispositions described by lifelong learning. Literature on lifelong learning conveys common themes that articulate characteristics that transform training and education into the concept of lifelong learning (1:24).
Section 3: Self-motivated learning
There is a strong emphasis on the need for people to take responsibility for their own learning. Therefore, lifelong learners are defined not by the form of training or education in which they are involved but their personal characteristics leading to that involvement. Experts have emphasized the value of locus of successful academic performance and control (8:82). Personal characteristics of people who are expected to engage in learning either formally or informally in their entire lives tend to acquire:
The necessary attitudes and skills for learning, particularly numeracy and literacy skills,
The confidence to learn and a feeling of engagement with the training and education system.
Motivation and willingness to learn.
Although training and education might have economic benefits for people, it is acknowledged that economic motivators are not primarily adequate to incentivize individuals to participate in training and education. Some motivational obstacles must be identified and addressed so that some individuals could participate in training and education. Although some of these factors are economic and can be tackled with financial aid, most people are deterred from participating in training and education by social and personal factors. While recognizing the factors acting as barriers and motivators to participate in training and education, lifelong learning tends to promote the engagement in learning for its sake and not for the purpose of employment. Therefore, the goal of engaging in learning seems to be more significant than the reason itself. This is viewed as recognition of the range of factors motivating people to engage in formal and informal learning and instrumental goals (4:20).
Section 4: A mechanical engineering concept
Drafting is a technical concept by which mechanical engineers design products and create instructions for manufacturing parts. Traditionally, the technical drawing was a hand-drawn schema illustrating all the necessary dimensions to produce a part, assemble the notes, a set of required materials and pertinent information. However, with the advent of technology, this concept has been modified and a computer model has replaced the hand-drawn schematic. Mechanical engineers creating technical drawings are often referred to as drafters. Historically, drafting has had two-dimensional process, but currently, computer aided programs enable the designers to create in three dimensions.
Section 5: Importance of lifelong learning
The past several years have witnessed an increase in interest to lifelong learning mostly because societal changes are triggered by information technology. Technologies are becoming increasingly complex, while knowledge is being produced and transformed at a rapid rate. Fixing a human heart or a car is considerably less complicated currently than it was generations ago. In some instances, employees tend to offer the training required and want employees to participate in the training.
Nevertheless, the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) staff cannot count on abandoning an organization that gave them their first job and training. Career enhancement and job mobility are contingent on progressing upgrade of skills for ASME staff. Therefore, individuals in work-involving skills such as ASME employees recognize that their future relies on their continuing expansion of skills even when their organizations are not offering the training for them (6:39).
In capitalist countries, former communist countries, and present communist ones, economics is the driving force of education in all levels and lifelong education. This applies to global competitiveness in business whereby the names of competing firms are shifting. However, besides economics, other factors that form the rationale for lifelong learning include enriching of human life. Humanity requires the ability to enrich and adopt the human culture broadly and deeply. Others may have passed with good grades but have minimal interest in widening their knowledge. A vast majority has taken music appreciation classes but has never attended a symbolic concert even when it is readily accessible. Often, schooling has been seen as a key factor in curtailing instead of stimulating people continuing interest in the sciences and the arts of the culture. This issue has attracted diverse views of politicians and philosophers who argue that the community must desire for each child what the better parent would desire for their children (3:28).
The other rationale for lifelong learning focuses on sustainability in the most profound sense: the ability to sustain life in the world. Until recently, the world was immersed in bloodshed because of wars. Currently, people are peacefully assembled in the same world. The current century cannot lull anyone that the world is ending. Instead, the human race has had to choose between catastrophe and education. The problems of the world are complex. This is because substantial historical lessons can be easily misunderstood, while the cultural and national contexts that encapsulate people can sow the bad seeds of discontent and mistrust among people (9: 36). This justifies the need for continuous learning in a world where ubiquitous information technology has replaced obstacles to global competition. However, it is even more vital for continuous learning to take place so that people could increase their collective level of intelligence and understanding about the issues they face as a human race. This is their best opportunity to get out of the current century alive and successful.
Section 6: Challenges in lifelong learning
There is an assurance that people developing applications and hardware will continue to make progress. The extension of these resources will promote lifelong learning as determined by the ability to overcome various challenges like:
Access – A big number of populations lacks access to Internet resources. This has fallen sharply among people in rural areas, especially impoverished rural zones.
Disposition – The fact that there is greater opportunity for lifelong learning through the Internet should not lead people to presume that the opportunities will be embraced. This demands a major radical change in the instructional programs of schools to affect the student’s continuous learning (2:26).
Capability: For years, people who have thought carefully about education have realized that everyone needs to become his/her own teacher. The disposition of desire to learn must match the capability. Formal learning programs must incorporate explicit focus on the involvement of self-directed learning. The best success indicator is the recognition that students no longer need teachers. The issue of capability is broadened by the use of the Internet. The Internet is a huge resource filled with the best and the worst information that human beings can acquired. It contains errors, truths, the worthless, and the valuable (5:37).
Section 7: Conclusion
Lifelong learning and training are essential problems for the current and future information worlds. Unfortunately, these issues require complex answers and facts to enumerate successes and failures. To recognize the complexity of the problems associated with lifelong learning requires that individuals reinvent, rethink, and pool resources in the future. The viewpoint of lifelong learning is more than continuing education and training because it forces people to reinvent their schools and universities. People ought to understand the co-evolutionary processes between basic human activities and their interdependencies and relationships with the new media (10: 44).
They need progress and an in-depth understanding of innovative systems, new theories, assessment, and practices. People must also create new physical aspects, intellectual spaces, new reward structures, and new organizational forms to make lifelong learning a vital component of human life. This requires organizations, groups, and individuals to partake and experience these new forms. For the risk takers, using their imagination and creativity to explore alternative ways of learning is an inevitable practice.
Section 8: References
Andain, Ian, and Murphy Gerard. Creating lifelong learners: Challenges for education in the 21st century. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate. 2008
Chapman, Judith. School, Community and Lifelong Learning. London: Continuum International Pub. Group. 2008
Evans, Karen. Learning, work, and social responsibility: Challenges for lifelong learning in a global age. Dordrecht: Springer. 2009
Field, John. Lifelong learning and the new educational order. Stoke-on-Trent [u.a.: Trentham. 2006
Field, John. Social capital and lifelong learning. Bristol: Policy Press. 2010
Naimpally, Ashok, and Ramachandran Hema. Lifelong learning for engineers and scientists in the information age. London: Elsevier. 2012
Scales, Peter. Teaching in the lifelong learning sector. Maidenhead: Open University Press. 2013
Sharma, Tara C. Meaning of lifelong learning. New Delhi, India: Sarup & Sons. 2011
Wankel, Charles. University and corporate innovations in lifelong learning. Charlotte, N.C: IAP – Information Age Pub. 2008
Williams, Michael. Citizenship education and lifelong learning: Power and place. Hauppauge, N.Y: Nova Science Publishers. 2013
