Download MTDM

Used X
Performance indicators for MTDM
Assess information needs
Determining who users of the information will be
What type of information is needed and what they plan to do with the information
What type of information is already available?
Costs involved
Timelines (how soon do they need the information?)
A needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or
"gaps" between current conditions and desired conditions or "wants". The discrepancy
between the current condition and wanted condition must be measured to appropriately
identify the need. The need can be a desire to improve current performance or to correct
a deficiency. A needs assessment is a part of planning processes, often used for
improvement in individuals, education/training, organizations, or communities. It can
refine and improve a product such as a service a client receives. It can be an effective
tool to clarify problems and identify appropriate interventions or solutions. By clearly
identifying the problem, finite resources can be directed towards developing and
implementing a feasible and applicable solution. Gathering appropriate and sufficient
data informs the process of developing an effective product that will address the group’s
needs and wants. Needs assessments are only effective when they are ends-focused and
provide concrete evidence that can be used to determine which of the possible meansto-the-ends are most effective and efficient for achieving the desired results
In this case there are 2 sets of needs to be assessed. The needs of those seeking
information on the companies through the evaluations of others, and the needs of those
companies in wanting fair and ethical assessments.
4 Coordinate activities in the promotional mix
The four elements of the promotional mix are: advertising, sales promotion, publicity,
and personal selling. All elements used should be coordinated to achieve the company’s
goals. All initiatives should be coordinated to target the identified markets, clearly
communicate the same underlying message.
 Advertising includes any paid presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or
services by an identified sponsor (Ex. Print ads, radio, television, billboards etc)
Place advertisements that would appear locally promoting the award-winning
coffee in newspapers, direct mail, posters/billboards Recognize that TV ads
would be created for national chain by the national chain itself
 Sales promotions Incentives designed to stimulate the purchase or sale of a
product (Ex. Coupons, sweepstakes, contests, rebates etc. Offer sample coffee
taste cups at popular local events and venues) . Sales promotion includes media
and non-media marketing communication in order to increase consumer demand,
stimulate market demand or improve product availability
 Public relations includes paid intimate stimulation of supply for a product,
service or business unit by planting significant news about it or a favourable
presentation in the media and sometimes include direct marketing and
sponsorship Contact newspapers and radio stations to come review or feature the
restaurant or Sponsor local events
Personal Selling is a process of helping and persuading one or more prospects to
purchase a good or service or to act on any idea through the use of an oral
presentation (Ex. Sales presentations, sales meetings, sales training) Each waiter
should up sell by recommending products, especially our award-winning coffee
Participants should describe a variety of creative ideas that address all areas of concern.
3 Coordinate channel management with other marketing activities
Students should indicate that marketing activities (includes all Advertising, Publicity,
Selling and Sales Promotions - contests, coupons, discounts – expanding to new sales
outlets, making changes to product or service design, function, etc) need to be coordinated
or sequenced effectively. Customers need to be made aware of any changes and given
enough time to understand, ask questions and adjust. As a result changes should be
communicated effectively and all sales channels should be consistent.
It is important to coordinate channel management with other marketing activities to ensure
alignment of promotion and communication of information to customers, and to reduce any
channel conflict. It is important to set goals, set up communication policies and procedures,
and monitor performance. The messages communicated must be consistent with the
marketing activities they support so that customers do not receive mixed messages and feel
frustrated in the process. This might include important details such as the date, time, and
location of events that are critical to organizing the audience to attend
These channels need to be re-examined during busy seasons, changes in location,
redecorating / renovation, changes in suppliers,
You can email customers, put up signs and flyers, give out coupons, local newspaper ads,
local radio ads.
Demonstrate a customer service mindset
A service mindset is an outlook that focuses on creating customer value, loyalty and trust. A
business with this outlook wants to go beyond simply providing a product or service. It
wants to create a positive and indelible imprint in the customer's, or even in the prospect's
mind. To do this, a business has to care about the customer or prospect experience and work
continuously at enhancing it
 Listen carefully to the customer’s complaint and acknowledge that you are there to
help—in this case that the business meeting has been disrupted
 Explain that you appreciate and value the business that the customer has given you and
that you would like the relationship to continue
 Provide customer surveys to get feedback from the customers. This could be done by a
card with the bill, a website address or a phone call to important customers. There could
be an incentive such as a discount or free dessert if they fill out the survey
 Use interpersonal skills to handle customer requests and questions, Understand
management’s role in customer relations, understand procedures for handling difficult
customers, explain business policies to customers and handle customer complaints.
 you should view negative customer interactions as opportunities to learn even more
about the customers’ needs and expectations
2 Demonstrate connections between company actions and results
Most companies will compare their actions and results by having set some specific
objectives and seeing how closely they are meeting them. In this case, the company will

probably be setting goals involved with an increase in revenue and/or an increase in profit.
They would want to have the results of the catering function kept separate from the results of
the regular restaurant activity although there would be some carry-over of fixed costs
between the two practices. They might even separate the activities into two separate
companies. In any case there should be a measureable difference in the company in terms of
profit.
Brochures, ads and web pages are not results. A marketing department needs tangible
objectives and deliverables. But it is easy to fall into the trap that looks at these deliverables
as ends in themselves. A new department in the store means nothing if it doesn’t in some
way contributes to improving the state of your business. Similarly, brand awareness isn't a
result. It is also a means. Building brand awareness may be a reasonable objective but only if
your marketing team can articulate how it drives results. . Opening a coffee shop is not a
result.
That's all the more reason that your marketing efforts need to be focused on the right results.
Because it is difficult to measure directly the effects of many marketing tactics, it is
important to design those tactics with appropriate end results in mind
What are your most influential economic engines, and are your marketing efforts focused on
them? Do you make significantly more profit on a small number of loyal customers than you
do on a large number of transactional customers? If so, do your marketing efforts focus
appropriate energy on building customer loyalty, or is the lion's share of your efforts focused
on finding new customers? Does opening a coffee shop add significantly to the profitability
of product sales?
Describe data collection methods
Data collected may be secondary or primary and may come from sources within or outside
the business. Once new information and data are obtained it must be analyzed for the
business to use.
Data can be collected in various ways including:
 Surveys – on paper, via email, phone, asking questions as customers leave the store, etc
 interviews
 experiments (eg. selling a couple of the new items in store and assessing how well they
do)
 focus groups
 Participants may also include the importance of ensure that any sample group is
representative of the population that they are studying
 A large amount of data is also collected through points cards and credit and debit cards,
and sold to marketing firms.
Describe factors used by businesses to position corporate brands
Branding is all about creating unique identities and positions for products and services,
hence distinguishing the offerings from competitors. Hence a corporate branding
strategy can enable the corporation to further leverage on its tangible and non-tangible
assets leading to branding excellence throughout the corporation
The main factors that go into defining a brand position:
 Brand Attributes: What the brand delivers through features and benefits to
consumers
 Consumer Expectations: What consumers expect to receive from the brand?

Competitor attributes: What the other brands in the market offer through features and
benefits to consumers
 Price: An easily quantifiable factor – Your prices vs. your competitors’ prices
 Consumer perceptions: The perceived quality and value of your brand in consumer’s
minds (i.e., does your brand offer the cheap solution, the good value for the money
solution, the high-end, high-price tag solution, etc.?)
 Quality image/products –
 Logo, slogan, unique storefronts/layouts
 Product appeal
 Control - promotion
3 Describe factors used by marketers to position products/services
Differentiation in the context of business is what a company can hang its hat on that no other
business can. The positioning concepts focus on the rational or emotional benefits that buyer
will receive or feel by using the product/service. Products/services should be positioned
based on their comparative advantages
For example, for some companies this is being the least expensive. Other companies credit
themselves with being the first or the fastest. Whatever it is a business can use to stand out
from the rest is called differentiation. Differentiation in today’s over-crowded marketplace is
a business imperative, not only in terms of a company’s success, but also for its continuing
survival
Positioning is also defined as the way by which the marketers attempt to create a distinct
impression in the customer's mind. Positioning is something (perception) that happens in the
minds of the target market. It is the aggregate perception the market has of a particular
company, product or service in relation to their perceptions of the competitors in the same
category. Products/services should be positioned based on their comparative advantages.
A company can positively influence the perceptions through
enlightened strategic actions
Marketers often use a Product Positioning Map to “map” out the
position that their products occupy in comparison to the completion
These positioning maps are based on 2 dimensions
The most common dimensions are price and qualtity
So, for example, Rolex may be categorized as high price, high
quality. Timex may be categorized as low price, high quality..
Some possible positioning strategies:
 Focus on healthy low calorie snack (< 200 calories)
 Price and quality
 Positioning by features and benefits
 Positioning relative to competition
Describe marketing functions and related activities
Nine functions of marketing:
 Purchasing- buying goods and services for a business’ operation (manufacturers
purchase cloth and thread; retailers buy the finished shirt for resale in their stores)
 Selling- providing customers with goods and services they want to buy (to the end
user and in the industrial market as materials for business operations)
 Pricing-deciding how much to charge for goods and services (takes competition into
consideration & how much a consumer is willing to pay)
Product planning - all the decisions a business makes in the production and sale of
its goods and services (products to carry, branding, labelling, packaging, etc.)
 Marketing information management – the process of getting the marketing
information needed to make sound business decisions (marketing research)
 Promotion-any form of communication used to inform, persuade, or remind people
about a business’ products OR to improve a firm’s public image (TV and radio
commercials; specially designed perks as gifts with purchase-McDonald’s
toys/glasses)
 Financing-getting the money needed to finance the operation of a business
(obtaining a bank loan; offering credit to consumers)
 Distribution- making decisions about where to sell your product (method of
transportation-truck; rail; ship or air) (storage of items is also part of distribution)
 Risk management- preventing or reducing business loss (one risk that is out of a
business’ control is high local unemployment rate; business competition; natural
risks)
Describe the need for marketing information
Without marketing information, businesses are left with no ability to anaylse customer
profiles. Marketing information is needed to understand the consumer and to therefore
improve the product or the service in ways that will satisfy consumers. Marketing
information is also crucial in order to plan and carry out successful and cost effective
Promotional efforts – how do you advertise if you don’t know who you are trying to reach?
Marketing information informs businesses about sales trends and patterns and helps perfect
the timing of re-ordering or discontinuing products. Marketing information can inform
businesses about pricing levels and a customer’s perception of value
Marketing information management is a fancy term for managing data and information
about customer attitudes and development of new products. Marketing research can be
done of a formal or informal basis within small and large companies. For large businesses
that utilize formal research, the procedures and outcomes must be organized so the
business can make sense of the findings and benefit from the research
Students should mention the importance of collecting information about customers. The
more a business knows about its customers, the better it can tailor its products and services
to them. It can deliver products and services to meet and exceed customer expectations.
This information also helps the business reach out to potential customers because it
informs them about the customer profile of the target market
Describe the use of technology in customer relationship management
 Participant may discuss how technology will play a role in the new rewards program
(i.e. via an app for the customer)
 How will technology be used to monitor sales and determine success of the program
 Email messages re sales and product promotion
3 Describe the use of technology in the channel management function
From a business and technological standpoint, perhaps the most significant change has
stemmed from the rise of digital. We now live in a world where more than four billion
people own mobile devices (a quarter of which are smartphones) and another billion
have Facebook accounts. Whether marketers like it or not, the “digitization of

everything” is having a profound effect on direct marketing—from the strategies and
tactics down to the individual communication channels. Technology has its impact in the
direct marketing channel. It can be in the form of:
 Banners on websites and social network sites
 Social networks like Facebook and Twitter
 Email campaigns having bought selected e-mails
Technology has created a new channel of distribution known as e-tailing where
customers and industrial buyers make purchases using the Internet. The online shopping
location is known as an e-marketplace
Use of the internet by the customer provides greater convenience to the customer as they
can shop from the convenience of their home, at any time of day. E-tailing also provides
benefits to the business as orders can be received and processed electronically.
Describe the use of technology in the marketing-information management function
 Collaborative customer relationship management : Organizations must assemble and
integrate customer relationship management (CRM) systems that enhance customer
collaboration and build customer loyalty and exit barriers.
 Outsourcing sales and marketing functions: Organizations must strategically
outsource sales and marketing budgets to a new generation of businesses, including
marketing agencies, e-commerce utilities and service providers, and e-channel partners
to obtain talent, technical expertise, and cost efficiencies.
 Customer-centric organizations: Organizations must recast their familiar
organizational and functional models, transforming them into a natural extension of
customer segmentation, enterprise selling processes, and complex demand chain
partnerships.
 Operationalizing e-care: Organizations must adopt enterprise-wide management of the
customer care processes to ensure seamless service and enhanced intimacy across
multiple-channel interfaces and throughout the customer lifecycle.
 Hybrid distribution systems: Organizations must build multi-channel, hybrid
distribution systems that leverage low-cost, high-touch technologies to improve cost
efficiency, market coverage, and overall selling performance.
 Value-added direct sales: Organizations must migrate the role of direct sales to better
align high-touch, face-to-face selling interactions with high-value and high-margin
products and services.
 Demand chain remediation: Organizations must restructure demand chain
relationships to maximize value creation and customer access while leveraging costs and
value-added channel partnerships.
 Customer interaction centers: Organizations must consolidate and integrate call
center, Web, e-mail, fax, and marketing technology assets to better manage selling
resources, technology infrastructure, and customer interactions.
 Product channel readiness: Organizations must design modular, "channel-ready"
products optimized for specific sales channels, partners, and customer segments,
improving personalization, ease of doing business, and transaction costs.
 Dynamic pricing and trading: Organizations must creatively manage the impact of
buy- and sell-side technologies and trading communities on margins and pricing.
 Changing role of branding: Organizations must aggressively build brand equity in e-
channels, in virtual communities, and across multiple selling partners, channels, and
points of interaction (POI).
 Interactive direct marketing: Organizations must deploy new tools, approaches, and
strategies for anticipating or influencing the way customers buy.
Determining which of these twelve areas are of most importance to your specific
organization is a first step in acknowledging the impact of technology on sales and
marketing and in moving your organization into the world of e-business.
Describe word-of-mouth channels used to communicate with targeted audiences
Word-of-mouth channels are the methods through which a message is communicated by an
organization and then shared to the recipients’ peers. The success of word-of-mouth
channels are contingent on connections, value of content, and ultimately what the customer
deems as share-worthy. Moreover, with the variety of social media outlets, there are
increasingly more ways to spread the word online within targeted audiences based on their
preferred outlet (i.e. Facebook vs. Twitter). Examples of word-of-mouth channels include:
Word-of-Mouth (Traditional) - traditional, in-person conversation and sharing of opinions
on products, brands, and companies
E-mail – opinions shared and sent to friends through forwarding (SWYN tools – Share with
Your Network)
Blogging – demonstrating know-how and dialoguing with interested readers
Social Networking Sites – opinions shared spontaneously through the interactions between
people and organizations on sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
Social Content Channels – content is the basis of a story and can be shared using SWYN
tools (i.e. Slideshare, YouTube, Flickr)
In some cases, traditional word-of-mouth may be more effective in the seniors market while
the technology-based tools may be better to target the young voters
Discuss internal and external audiences for public relations activities
Public relations activities are designed to influence the perceptions of a specific group of
people. Activities can be created for Internal or External audiences. An internal audience is
a company’s employees. For example, a company may create a public relations campaign to
change attitudes or create awareness of policies for employees. In this case, the participant
should discuss the importance of creating a campaign that demonstrates:
 Measures the company is taking to ensure future employee safety
 That the company cares about the employees welfare
An External audience is a market of consumers. In this case, the participant will want to
discuss ways that (and the importance of) Venture can create a public relations campaign to
improve the company’s image for this group. It would be important for the company to
demonstrate:
 It is taking responsibility for the accident
 It is assisting in cleaning up or reversing any environmental damage
 It is helping those in the community who may be affected by the accident
Discuss motivational theories that impact buying behavior
Consumer motivation is linked to Maslow's "hierarchy of needs." According to this model,
motivational drivers have different levels of importance. The most common needs are
physiological and concern basic survival--the need for food, shelter and safety. Higher-level
needs include social ones (for relationships and love), esteem needs (recognition and status)
and self-actualization needs (fulfillment of self). According to Maslow, an individual must
meet lower-level needs before being motivated to fulfill higher-level needs
Motivational Levels
 Depending on how important a purchase is to an individual, his motivational levels may
vary from low to high. Influences include familiarity with the purchase, status factors and
overall expense and value. Where fulfillment rewards are low, as with groceries,
motivation levels are also relatively low and involve little decision-making behavior
 The behavioral aspect of consumer motivation concerns the actions someone takes before
purchasing and consuming goods or services. A person might do a lot of research-evaluating alternatives, testing and sampling--before making a selection. She might
decide to buy something based on which goods or services most closely meet and satisfy
motivational wants and needs. Marketers aim to gain the most impact and eventual sales
by linking their products and services to clearly defined consumer needs and by
understanding what motivates people to buy
 Motivational levels differ greatly between individuals and are influenced by many
external variables. These include the social value of making the "right" decision, beliefs
about brands and alignment of brand values and personal values. If other people are
involved in the decision, their motivation also affects the behavior of the primary
consumer
They may also identify categories of buying motives such as rational or emotional reasons
why people eat out and choose one restaurant over another. The key to any business is that
they must have a plan to try and understand what consumers are willing to pay for and to try
and satisfy their needs. It is not enough to simply open a restaurant and hope customers will
come. You have to give them a reason. Maslow is the obvious choice given its popularity
in business textbooks.
Participant could mention the factors that motivate consumers to purchase without actually
naming a theory or theorist. What needs are satisfied when consumers save money on
special deals – needs/benefits.
Discuss the nature of customer relationship management
The key word in “customer relationship management” is management. If you want satisfied
customers, an effort must be made to find what they want. Initially, they are facing some
dissatisfaction at the implementation of their new marketing plan. Two things should have
happened or must still happen
 The new plan is causing some concern with both the new and old customers. It is time
to evaluate the plan to see what possible adjustments could be made (see question 3).
Unless these issues are solved, there will continue to be complaints from both
customers (and staff) and the situation will be expected to deteriorate. A plan must be
formulated
 Training sessions are necessary for the staff. Food preparers will have to find ways of
getting the food out faster. Wait staff should discuss the implications of dealing with
younger clients. Shift managers could be more aware of seating customers in certain
areas and possibly of adjusting work schedules to have certain staff on or off shift
during the promotion
The owners must truly want to improve relationships with their customers and must take the
lead and set the example
4 Employ communication styles appropriate to target audience
The participants should discuss appropriate methods for the desired audience. In general,
some questions that should be considered regarding your audience are:
 How important will the audience see your message as being?
 Does your communication ask the audience to take some action?
 How much information does your audience need?
 What obstacles must you overcome with the target audience?
 What are the benefits to your audience of what you have to communicate?
 How will your audience use this information?
 What method of communication is best suited to this message?
 In addition, you should consider how formal and how detailed you wish your
communication to be. Use language and terminology that are appropriate to the audience
Explain communication channels used in public-relations activities
Communication channels used in public-relations activities may include a combination of
internal and external communications, such as:
 Press releases
 Audio/video releases
 Speaking engagements
 Social media
 Newsletters
2 Explain communications channels used in public-relations activities
Participant may discuss, but are not limited to, some of the following ideas:
 Media ie. Television commercials, social media, radio
 Advertising and getting the word out to as large of an audience as possible, as quickly as
possible
 Appealing to various target markets (not limiting relief efforts to a single target market
ie. Racing Community)
Explain customer/client/business buying behavior
Buying behaviour deals with the reasons or motives customers have for their buying habits,
such as where to eat and what to eat when they go there. Eating out is a choice, not a
necessity and customers will have to prefer what one establishment is offering more than
another. This could include the prices being charged, the quality and type of food offered,
the atmosphere inside the restaurant, the locations, even the commitment of the restaurant to
issues like sponsoring local teams. Sometimes, customers may not even be able to explain
why they choose one place over another other than the fact that they simply feel more
comfortable there
Participants may ask a number of the following questions to determine the buying behaviour
of customers:
 Who are the customers for electric versus non-electric vehicles?
 Create a profile of the customer buying process?
 How do the customer groups differ from one another?
 What, when and where do customers buy?
 How do customers rate the NISSAN on quality, service, and value?
 How satisfied is each customer segment?
 What customer segments are not having their needs met?
 Is your customer base increasing or decreasing? Why?
The participant may discuss some/all of the following ideas:
 need of product/service
 availability of product/service
 cost/affordability
 evaluation of alternatives
 internal conditions ie. demographics, psychographics, personality etc.
2 Explain how businesses can use trade-show/exposition participation to communicate
with targeted audiences
 trade shows are a form of promotion
 used to communicate with current and potential customers
 geared to attract people with a defined set of interests (expectant parents in this case)
 allow potential customers to see and touch products, get information, and compare
products from a variety of companies
 present an excellent opportunity for businesses to attract potential customers who may
not have otherwise been aware of your product
 present an excellent opportunity to introduce new products to a receptive audience
 present an excellent opportunity to build a database of potential customers, that can be
used for further marketing efforts
Explain how organizations adapt to today’s markets
Participants should discuss ways that organizations adapt to today’s markets. A business is
constantly engaged in the process of renewal when they choose to use this data. Suggested
responses may include:
 Using tools like SWOT analysis and environmental scans to identify ways the business
can improve
 A SWOT analysis assesses a company’s strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities
and threats that surround it
 An environmental scan is an analysis of outside information that may have an impact on
an organization
 Utilize market research and analysis of consumer, competition and marketplace
 Determine the 4P’s of marketing as related to their organization and product:
 Product, price, place (distribution) and promotion
 Determine the 3C’s of their market strategy analysis
 Company, competition and customer
o In this case, market research of their store location and consumers would
be needed, utilizing the 4P’s and 3C’s of marketing / focus on place,
competition and customer
2 Explain key factors in building a clientele
People eating in a restaurant are making a choice. This is normally not a matter of necessity.
Therefore, they will choose to eat at this restaurant if their needs are being met. Some of the
more obvious reasons they would have are:
 The food is good
 The prices are right
 They enjoy the ambiance and feel welcome
 They know the owners
 They respect and support the restaurant as a member of the community
 They want their children to be exposed to different dining situations
 They don’t feel like cooking themselves
If the restaurant owners and management want to rebuild their clientele, they must address
these (and perhaps other) issues
Students need to demonstrate an understanding of why customers will patronize a business;
ie, what can the business do to continue attracting and keeping customers. It will not be
enough to advertise to attract new customers, it is also necessary to satisfy them in order to
keep them coming back frequently. Eating out is not a necessity. Consumers have a choice
as to where to spend their money and they will generally do so in a place they enjoy.
 The market (consumer attitudes) could be changing, and what has worked in the past
is no longer popular.
 The demographics (types of customers in the area) may be changing (aging?)
 There will likely be new competitors that may be trying to copy your success Ensure
every customer has a pleasant experience at the restaurant
 Relate to creating brand loyalty by providing an excellent product with supreme service
in an amazing atmosphere
Students could also be more specific and include examples of different types of events or
promotions the restaurant could use. Just like retail stores change their window and interior
displays, even a restaurant has different things they can do to give the customers a new look
or feel
This case tries to deal more specifically with having the proper menu items.
 Did the student explain and develop a defined plan for building and keeping
customers?
 Did the student address issues related to competition and competitive advantage?
Explain marketing and its importance in a global economy
 Participants should describe marketing as the function of business used to communicate
messages from a company to existing and potential customers around the world
 Well thought-out marketing strategies are needed to effectively reach a company’s full
market potential
 In a global economy, a business’s marketing must reach beyond national borders and
messages need to take into consideration additional factors such as: socio-cultural
environments of different nations, language and contextual differences, acceptable
marketing strategies and content, etc
 Without global marketing strategies, potential customers in other countries will not be
aware of your company, brand, or product/service offering
 Need to take socio-cultural environment into consideration
 Importance of language use and context – useful for advertisements
 What are acceptable marketing norms in certain countries – do’s and don’ts
 Understanding other cultures so marketing tactics can be strategically applied
 Acceptable marketing tactics
6 Explain the concept of Market and Market Identification
 Market is the term which makes reference to your actual and potential customer base
 Market identification is the process of identifying existing or potential customers

Market segmentation – target a specific group of potential customers – divide the total
market into smaller groups of people who share specific needs and characteristics
 Geographics – segmenting a market based on where people live – locally, regional
 Demographics- characteristics of a population – age, gender, income, ethnicity,
education and occupation
 Psychographics- study of consumer’s lifestyles and the attitudes / values that shape
it
 Product benefits- features built into products to suit the needs/wants of consumers
 Niche Market (very high end users) and Micromarket (local and individual) are two
additional means of segmenting the market
3 Explain the concept of marketing strategies
An organization's strategy that combines all of its marketing goals into one
comprehensive plan. A good marketing strategy should be drawn from market research
and focus on the right product mix in order to achieve
the maximum profit potential and sustain the
business. The marketing strategy is the foundation of
a marketing plan
Your marketing strategy is an explanation of the
goals you need to achieve with your marketing
efforts. Your marketing strategy is shaped by your
business goals. Your business goals and your
marketing strategy should go hand-in-hand
A marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its
limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable
competitive advantage. A marketing strategy should be centered on the key concept that
customer satisfaction is the main goal
A marketing strategy is most effective when it is an integral component of firm strategy,
defining how the organization will successfully engage customers, prospects, and
competitors in the market arena, corporate strategies, corporate missions, and corporate
goals. As the customer constitutes the source of a company's revenue, marketing strategy
is closely linked with sales. A key component of marketing strategy is often to keep
marketing in line with a company's overarching mission statement
Bottom line: think of the definition of marketing strategy as the high-level rules that
direct your marketing activities. For example, if there’s a single influencer who touches
all your customers and has a significant impact on the way those customers try to solve
their problem... one of your strategies may be to focus on building a strong relationship
with that influential individual or company
Marketing strategies are the chosen mix of short-term and long-term marketing activities
coordinated to achieve the goals of the business. The strategies used vary depending on
the stage of the product life cycle, nature of competition, and availability of resources to
commit to marketing efforts. Examples of strategies include but are not limited to:
- Market Introduction Strategies – the primary goal of these strategies is to
increase awareness of the product and entice potential customers to try it
- Market Growth Strategies – the primary goal of these strategies is to encourage
continued use of the product and increase new sales
- Differentiation Strategies – the primary goal of these strategies is to emphasize
competitive advantages over competitors to sway the potential customer in the
company’s favour
Market Dominance Strategies – the primary goal of these strategies is to emphasize the
organization’s leadership in the market and aggressively maintain that position
Explain the concept of product mix
A product mix is a range of related products that when sold together yields larger sales. For
example, selling a chicken burger in a combo as opposed to individually
A product mix is the full list of all products offered for sale by a company. In this case, the
product mix will also include the service of catering. A product line is a group of
goods/services in the product mix that have some kind of similarity. A product is the
individual unit. The product mix can have both width (variety of products or product lines)
and depth (the assortment of items offered within the product mix).
Width – what are we offering? Do customers pick up the food or do we deliver? Will
serving the food be done by the customers or do we provide staff?
Depth – what food will be offered: current menu, additional items (party favours, napkins,
cutlery). These decisions will also include the types of functions (dinners, parties, company
meetings or picnics)
All the different products a company sells
Product line – group of related products – in this fast food restaurant – the burger line
Depth – adding Tasty Pork is an example of product depth
Participant should identify Pork Tastyas product depth – and indicate whether or not it is
consistent with the company image and other products in the line
Likely, participant will mention R&D requirements, surveys, branding, etc. – all factors to
be considered when adding to product offerings
Students would be expected to give a definition of product mix, and perhaps some related
terms such as product line. A product mix is the full list of products offered or sale by a
company while a product line is a group of similar products. There are certain economies of
scale in keeping the number of items offered for sale to a minimum (McDonalds originally
only sold 9 separate items), but today’s customers are more sophisticated and demanding.
The addition of other product lines (healthier foods) would attract more customers
(especially from their competitors)
Product mix is a specific marketing term that is defined as all of the different products that a
company makes or sells. This will include not only our food, but other items that will
reflect on our image; for instance, customers that would be interested in low-fat foods might
also be interested in using containers that didn’t harm the environment. This would include
washable cups, plates and silverware along with recyclable products for take-out items. It
would also be important to provide a mix of goods that reflects the preferences of
consumerse
Explain the concept of the product mix
 the variety of product lines that a company produces, or that a retailer stocks
 product mix usually refers to the length (the number of products in the product line),
breadth (the number of product lines that a company offers), depth (the different
varieties of product in the product line), and consistency (the relationship between
products in their final destination) of product lines
 product mix is sometimes called product assortment
Explain the key factors in building a clientele.
3 Explain the nature and scope of channel management
Channel Management refers to how a business uses marketing and sales techniques to
reach their customer base. Channel Management refers to the ability of a business to
operate all of its sales outlets or methods effectively. These Channels of Distribution
could include direct from manufacturer, retail, wholesale, import, or specialty channel
(internet, home shopping, catalogue, vending machine, etc). When done properly,
effective channel management allows a business to deliver products successfully and a
manner of its choosing to customers thus strengthening the relationship between the
business and its customers
Channel management organizes all possible ways to communicate with customers.
Organizations must consider their target markets in terms of their preferred methods of
communication while trying to reach their goals of gaining and maintaining customers.
Regardless of the channels chosen, the messages must always be consistent with the
organization’s branding and position. Types of communication channels include but are
not limited to: social media, print advertising, corporate website, online advertising,
telemarketing, email marketing, webcasts, tradeshows, direct mail promotions, white
papers, and face-to-face events
In this case Dorm Outfitters is looking at selling in stores in order to reach the population
who do not yet feel comfortable buying on line. The decision between retailers must
make sense in terms of who it will now reach higher-end shoppers, or lower end
shoppers
Explain the nature and scope of the selling function
Participants should identify that the selling function provides consumers with the
products or services that they want or need. They should also mention that this includes
all members of the distribution channel. Participants should explain that the selling
process is a personalized communication and influences the purchase of a product or
service and future sales
Participants should identify the various levels of personal selling in the apparel industry
as it relates to the level of interaction with customers:
 Stores that promote a discount image – may have limited sales staff who offer little
service beyond checking out at the cash register
 Stores that attract customers interested in exclusive, ‘pricey’ items have sales
personnel to not only help customers make buying decisions, but also make
customers feel important
Participants should identify that the selling function is not necessarily the same for male
and female customers in a female clothing store and that differences should be present to
ensure that all clients are being served and all receive the same level of quality from the
sales experience
5 Explain the nature of a promotional plan
 Detailed plan for delivering your promotional mix
 identifies all the potential promotional activities in promotional mix, who will carry
them out, the costs, etc
 Calendar based, and is tied in to the buying plan (media, products, etc)
 It is coordinated with all the different aspects of promotion, with distribution and
inventory, staff being ready, store being set up properly
The participant should recognize most or all of the following components of a promotional
plan:
 description of promotional methods
 associated costs and budget
 explanation of how promotions relate to objective
 measure of success; maximizing return on promotional efforts
An outline of the marketing tools, strategies and resources that a company intends to use to
promote a product or service. A promotional plan is usually considered a vital planning tool
by most business managers that helps contribute toward the successful launch of a new
product or service or its expansion into a new market
Promotion is one of the market mix elements or features, and a term used frequently in
marketing. The marketing mix includes the four P's: price, product, promotion, and
place.[1] Promotion refers to raising customer awareness of a product or brand,
generating sales, and creating brand loyalty. Promotion is also found in the specification
of five promotional mix or promotional plan. These elements are personal selling,
advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, and publicity.[2] A promotional mix
specifies how much attention to pay to each of the five subcategories, and how much
money to budget for each. A promotional plan can have a wide range of objectives,
including: sales increases, new product acceptance, creation of brand equity, positioning,
competitive retaliations, or creation of a corporate image. Fundamentally, there are three
basic objectives of promotion. These are:[3]
To present information to consumers as well as others
To increase demand
To differentiate a product
There are different ways to promote a product in different areas of media. Promoters use
internet advertisements, special events, endorsements, and newspapers to advertise their
product. Many times with the purchase of a product there is an incentive like discounts (i.e.,
coupons), free items, or a contest. This method is used to increase the sales of a given
product
Explain the nature of channels of distribution
A channel of distribution comprises a set of institutions which perform all of the activities
utilised to move a product and its title from production to consumption
 Channel 1 contains two stages between producer and consumer AAA has a large set of
client companies which provide roadside assistance to the client members of the club
 Channel 2 contains one intermediary. In consumer markets, this is the retailer towing
company, and service business They sell their services and expertise to the AAA
clients
 Channel 3 is called a "direct-marketing" channel, since it has no intermediary levels.
In this case the manufacturer sells directly to customers. An example of a direct
marketing channel would be a towing and auto service companies selling directly to the
customer
Explain the nature of corporate branding
Corporate branding is the practice of using a company's name as a product brand name
it creates product brand recognition by use of the familiarity of the brand name. One
advertising campaign can be used for several products, all under the brand name. It
helps with new product acceptance because customers are already familiar with the name
Dorm Outfitters has already established their company’s name with their existing
clientele. They should continue to use this corporate branding as it has favourable
recognition with their clients. New products, services and clientele that they develop and
introduce to their customers should be branded under the existing corporate brand as the
brand is already established and has positive recognition in the market. Whichever
retailer they choose has to meet the same standards.
2 Explain the nature of effective verbal communication
Student answers can be vary however they should indicate that communication is effective
when it is clear, easy to understand and consistent. Communication is also effective if it is
well matched to the target market or target audience of the particular product or message – it
should “speak to” the target audience in a clear and interesting manner. Effective
communication should also include consistency between communication methods.
Communication is the process of exchanging messages between a sender and a receiver
 Effective communicators need to understand channels of communication and media,
effective listening skills, barriers to communication, and non-verbal cues. In addition,
one must be prepared to read for meaning, speak properly, and write effectively
 Channels (or media) are the avenues through which a message can be delivered. The
choice of medium depends on the nature and importance of the message
 Effective listening allows a person to identify the purpose of the speaker, give feedback,
and evaluate the speaker’s message
 Communication may be impeded by a number of barriers, including physical such as
distance and position from the speaker, and verbal as in using vague or unclear language
Lastly, a person’s non-verbal cues—such as his or her tone of voice, emphasis, and body
language—are critical because they often communicate as much as the speaker’s actual
words
2 Explain the nature of marketing planning
A marketing plan is a comprehensive blueprint which outlines an organization's overall
marketing efforts. A marketing process can be realized by the marketing mix. The last
step in the process is the marketing controlling
A marketing plan is the company’s strategy for positioning the product and encouraging
sales. It includes a determination of the product, price, place and promotion to be used. This
expectation is linked to the previous with the identification of the target market. The
marketing plan that is used should make sense given the target market that was previously
identified for each line. The product launch time should also be included in the marketing
plan
Some considerations for the marketing plan might include:
Product: May include identification of each product’s features and benefits: quality,
fashion, trend-setting, etc
Price: The price range has been given in the case for each line. Students may link the price
range to the target market they have identified
Place: can involve the positioning of each line within the shoe department of the store.
Solutions should be logical for the image created for each brand and may
include merchandising methods used
Promotion: refers to the combination of all methods used to attract and create desire of the
customer. This includes advertising, sales promotions, personal selling, etc.
Solutions must be tied to target market and be reasonable for the targeted market and image
to be created
Explain the nature of marketing plans
A marketing plan is a comprehensive blueprint which outlines an organization's overall
marketing efforts. A marketing process can be realized by the marketing mix. The last
step in the process is the marketing controlling
A marketing plan is the company’s strategy for positioning the product and encouraging
sales. It includes a determination of the product, price, place and promotion to be used. This
expectation is linked to the previous with the identification of the target market. The
marketing plan that is used should make sense given the target market that was previously
identified for each line. The product launch time should also be included in the marketing
plan
Some considerations for the marketing plan might include:
Product: May include identification of each product’s features and benefits: quality,
fashion, trend-setting, etc
Price: The price range has been given in the case for each line. Students may link the price
range to the target market they have identified
Place: can involve the positioning of each line within the shoe department of the store.
Solutions should be logical for the image created for each brand and may
include merchandising methods used
Promotion: refers to the combination of all methods used to attract and create desire of the
customer. This includes advertising, sales promotions, personal selling, etc.
Solutions must be tied to target market and be reasonable for the targeted market and image
to be created
Explain the nature of marketing research
2 Explain the nature of positive customer/client relations
The participant should demonstrate an understanding of this concept through examples
A positive customer relations mindset means believing that your customers:
 Deserve the very best
 Are your employers
 Deserve your focused attention
 Have the right to expect things of you
 Have important problems and complaints
Positive customer relations yield benefits to the:
 Business
 Employees
 Customer
Businesses benefit by being:
 Employees may receive:
 customer compliments
 perhaps a raise or promotion for good customer service skills
Customers may benefit from:
 a more pleasant, satisfactory buying experience
Positive customer relations need to be demonstrated when speaking to customers in
person, over the phone, or online. It should also be evident while handling customer
complaints, inquiries and requests. Demonstrate good customer relations by doing the
following:




considering and attempting to meet their needs
concentrating on the without distractions
follow up with them
following through on what you say you are going to do
being efficient in handling issues
3 Explain the relationship between customer service and channel management
Channel management is a term that refers to the way that a business or supplier of
products uses various marketing techniques and sales strategies to reach the widest
possible customer base. The channels are all of the various outlets by which the product
is marketed and sold to customers. When done properly, channel management motivates
those channels to sell the product and ultimately develops a better relationship between
customer and product. This is achieved by identifying the goals for each distinctive
channel and then implementing various marketing strategies to make sure that those
goals are attained, all while staying consistent to the overall brand of the business
The world of marketing has become much more complicated as technological advances
have taken hold. No longer can a business rely simply on good customer relations or
word of mouth to maintain or improve revenue. Possibilities for marketing a product or
service grow seemingly each day, and keeping track of all of these disparate marketing
avenues is not an easy chore. That is why the concept of channel management has
become so prevalent in marketing.
Explain the role of customer service as a component of selling relationships
Selling relies on repeat business – customer service drives repeat business
Integral to successful selling is good customer contact. Service extras are what the
customer will remember and cause him/her to return
Product knowledge is part of customer service
Participant should mention specifics of customer service as it applies to The Shed –
product knowledge, speed of service, acknowledging customer concerns. In this case,
acknowledge should be made of the fact that the server was likely at fault and that the table
in question could have been offered the discount, or some other incentive to return to the
restaurant. Ensuring customer satisfaction must be the goal.
2 Explain the role of promotion as a marketing function
 Promotion is part of the marketing mix
 Promotional mix includes personal selling, advertising, sales promotions and public
relations/publicity
 Talk about promoting brand image and creating brand identity and loyalty
 Increase awareness
 Increase sales
 Persuasive communication
 Informs people about products and services
 Used to enhance public image, reputation and to persuade people that the company’s
products are valuable
 Goals of promotion = AIDA – first attract Attention, then build Interest and Desire
and finally ask for Action
 Promotion used to convince prospects to select ABC services instead of the
competition

Promotional activities explain the major features and benefits of the product/service,
identify where it is sold, advertise sales, answer customer questions and introduce new
offerings
 Product promotion helps companies to foster good relations with existing customers
and creates loyalty
Explain the role of situation analysis in the marketing planning process
 SWOT analysis: measure of Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
 SWOT analysis should distinguish between where your organization is today, and
where it could be in the future
 Once key issues have been identified with your SWOT analysis, they feed into
marketing objectives
 Study of the internal and external factors that affect marketing strategy
 SWOT
 Examination of the overall market – opportunities and threats, competition
Participant could perform SWOT analysis and determine that the opportunity is ripe for a
new product launch – this is the expectation of the owner
4 Explain the types of promotion
Promotion itself has its own elements called the promotional mix, namely, advertising, sales
promotion, public relations, and personal selling Emphasize the perceive value offered to
customers. Customers more likely to believe prices are fair if they perceive value in the
product
 Advertising
 Personal Selling
 Sales Promotion
 Public Relations
2 Identify communication channels used in sales promotion
Marketing communications are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and
remind consumers - directly or indirectly - about the products and brands that they sell
Traditional methods can be covered (print, television, radio) as the target market is an older
audience who may/may not use social media (the target are those who are purchasing the
gift cards, not the graduates themselves)
Communication channels used in promotion may include:
 Print media – newspapers, magazines, direct mail
 Broadcast media – radio, television
 Display media – billboards, signs, posters
 Electronic media – internet, mobile web
 Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
The participant should demonstrate an understanding of the target market and select the
appropriate promotional medium (i.e. print, broadcast, etc.)
2 Identify company’s brand promise
Participants should make the connection between the company’s slogan, “A positive
place for positive results” and the mindset of the employees. Brands are names, terms,
designs, or symbols that distinguish a product from their competitors and they
communicate features, benefits, qualities and value. Effectively using the slogan will
help build product recognition, customer loyalty and ensure consistent quality
In this case the company’s brand promise is delivered through their brand name (the
name of the company), and their slogan to build that into their entire business through
employee behaviour and customer’s expectations and the importance of living up to it to
maintain their image
Identify information monitored for marketing decision-making
Target and segment markets for a new endeavor need to be explored thoroughly. It is
possible to identify the type of customer that would be more likely to eat in each of the two
styles of restaurant. The majority of the information required would involve determining the
demographics and psychographics of the potential customers in each city.
Demographics are the finite or definitive characteristics of a group of people in an area and
would include a combination of age groups, incomes, education, occupation, type of
dwelling, living downtown or in suburban areas, size of the family, etc.
Psychographics deals with is their attitudes and interests
The company would also have to determine the competition already in each market to
determine if there are enough customers to support an additional restaurant
 how often customer frequents establishment
 revenue per customer
 area that customers come from
 demographic characteristics
 revenue per customer
2 Identify the elements of the promotional mix
The combination of personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing and
public relations make up the promotional mix. Each plays a vital role in promoting
businesses and their products
Reference:
o Personal Selling – Personal selling requires that a company employ sales
representatives who generate and maintain direct contact with prospects and
customers. It is one of the costliest forms of promotion. Direct contact can take the
form of personal meetings, telemarketing, email contact and correspondence
o Advertising – is a form of nonpersonal promotion. Companies pay to promote ideas,
goods or services in a variety of media outlets. Advertising can be found everywhere
from magazines, newspapers, televisions and web sites to gymnasiums and city
buses. With advertising a company engages in one-way communication to the
prospect or customer
o Sales promotion – represents all marketing activities – other than personal selling,
advertising and public relations that are used to stimulate purchasing and sales. The
objectives of sales promotions are to increase sales, inform potential customers about
new products and create a positive business or corporate image
o Direct marketing – advertising directed to a target group of prospects and customers
rather than to a mass audience. The two forms of direct marketing are printed direct
mail, which is information sent via regular mail to home or business and electronic
direct mail. The goals of direct marketing are to generate sales or leads for sales
representatives to pursue. Generally direct marketing generates a response from the
targeted customer i.e. special offer coupon. Direct marketing gives recipients an
incentive to respond
o Public Relations and Publicity
Public Relations (PR) – activities enable an organization to influence a target
audience. Often public relations campaigns try to create a favourable image for a
company, its products, or its policies. However, companies can rely on public
relations strategies and techniques for many reasons. One of the goals of a public
relations program is to cultivate media relations with reporters who cover a specific
industry
One of the most important media tools is the news release. A news release is an
announcement that is sent to the appropriate media outlets
Publicity involves bringing news or newsworthy information about an organization
to the public’s attention. This process is known as placement. The main function of
publicity is to develop a positive perception or awareness of the organization in the
marketplace. The right kind of publicity can create and maintain a company’s image;
negative publicity can devastate it. People like to do business with respectable
companies. Placement of publicity is free. A news story on the evening news is free
while advertising can cost thousands of dollars. News reporters are usually viewed
as more objective than advertisers. The disadvantage is that you cannot control the
content of publicity
3 Identify types of public relations activities
Public relations involves managing the flow of information from an organization to the
public. It is an ongoing process that is critical to creating a positive corporate image.
Participants should address that public-relations is a means of communicating with the target
market and can include promotional materials that can lend itself to a strong public image.
Public-relations activities may include helping the public to understand the company and its
products/services. Participant’s suggested activities may vary
Types of public relations activities may include:
 Advertising & promotion of an organization’s corporate image
 Sponsorships
 Events & functions
 Social media
 Internal communications (employee interactions)
 Sponsoring/hosting galas, conferences, or major formal events in the city;
 Donations to historical restoration projects in the city
 Sponsoring product, sports, cultural or charitable events
 Awarding scholarships, and donations
 Creating news releases (an announcement that a company sends to the news media)
Make oral presentations
 Is the student speaking professionally and communicating clearly
 Are the indicators flowing into each other smoothly
 Is the student speaking directly or are they reading from their notes
Provide legitimate responses to inquiries
 Emails need to be responded to in a timely fashion—some of the emails might be about
an emergency situation
 All emails should be looked at three times a day—this is a priority for the business
 Perhaps a new person needs to be hired
 A plumber may need to be called for explanations about the content of the email. If the
office assistant cannot answer the email accurately, he/she should have access to a
plumber to ask for help
 Responses to emails must be done accurately and quickly
3 Reinforce service orientation through communication
Service orientation refers to a focus on service. In communication, service orientation can
be maintained by demonstrating emphasis on customer service in all communication.
Similar to handling difficult customers, communication with a service orientation should
demonstrate empathy and a focus on finding solutions that will satisfy the needs of the
customer
 staff to be trained in proper customer service techniques, including greeting
customers, asking to assist them, wishing them a good day when leaving, etc
 customer service training, tips and messages to take place on on-going basis in staff
meetings, employee newsletters, employee bulletin boards
 training to include role plays of customer service situations
 thanking customer to be part of role plays concluding transactions at cash
 employees must make it clear to customers that we want to help them; the whole
experience in our store must be positive
 open communication from customer – employees – management (full circle)
 customers can be given opportunity to fill out comment cards/on-line surveys,
perhaps with chance to win something/discounts
employees also be given chance to fill out feedback forms, surveys, suggestions
Select and utilize appropriate formats for professional writing