Executive summary
The paper presents the marketing plan of The Detail Store and Cleaning Place that provides car washing and other related services to customers from different spheres of life. The shop seeks to have the top management focused on full implementation of the company’s goals and objectives. With regard to customers, the main target groups will be businesses in the local area, dealers in the car business as well as individual owners and car leasers. The Detail Shop forever endeavors to be the best business in car cleaning in the region. The company offers quality products such as plastic covers for car floors, a film for paint protection and window tinting. With regard to situation analysis, The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has a marketing strategy that is comprehensive enough to ensure it achieves set goals. There is a well worked out market summary based on sufficient information the company has regarding its target customers. The target market for the center has various demographic, geographic and behavior elements that are critical to its success. The company understands market needs, which helps in achieving critical benefits that are important to the market. The plan considers market trends that portray a general movement towards automatic washing from hand washing. This is due to advancements in technology. Since a good marketing mix is significant for a successful business, the shop uses various techniques to ensure profitability and continuous growth. Analysis of the market reveals various elements that are critical for success and growth. Market segmentation based on the kind of car owned helps in presenting market analysis. Competition analysis shows that competition is mainly on offering lower prices. This eliminates clients who want quality services, a gap that the company fills. SWOT Analysis helps in capturing the major strengths and weaknesses in the business. It also offers a description of the threats that face the company and opportunities to exploit in order to progress in the business of car washing.
The Detail Store and Cleaning Place
Situation Analysis
The Detail Store and Cleaning Place provides car cleaning and other related services to customers from different spheres of life. It is located in Sydney and it focuses on providing the best cleaning services to customers as the main shareholders in the business. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place would seek to offer clients with unparalleled services in the industry of car cleaning. This is through the three main areas of detailing, interior washing as well as exterior washing of the cars. Success of the business relies mainly on lack of completion that offers high quality detailing and car cleaning services in the region. Market research shows that completion in the industry lies mainly on the pricing aspect. With the best employees working for the company, there will be a focus on offering quality actual service of car washing and detailing and proper attendance to other customer needs and concerns. The business will hire the best employees and they will get the best working environment. This will ensure their full commitment to the company’s objectives of providing quality services to customers. It would also reduce the rate of staff turnover in the human resource department.
The Detail Store and Cleaning Place seeks to have the top management focused on full implementation of the company’s goals and objectives. The management comprises of qualified and experienced individuals who are equal to the task of guiding the business to greater heights of achievement. The management will be consistent to in structure to ensure a sustainable growth and development. With the huge advantage in the management, the business will no doubt succeed both now and in the near future. The management has the constant endeavor to provide quality services to customers and the best car washing in the area. The company will generate considerable gross and net margins over the coming years. This would ensure maintenance of focus and continued growth. In the near future, the business will have established a significant net profit on a yearly basis.
The Detail Store and Cleaning Place will forever endeavor at being the best business in car detailing and washing in the area. The company will always maintain high and progressive gross profit margin. The net profit margin will be modest and grown at a steady growth. Expansion of the business will be will be done on a regular basis depending on availability of funds. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has a mission of providing the best car wash and detail service for affluent car owners in the area. To maintain the best services to customers, the company will ensure employee satisfaction and maintenance of a good organizational culture.
The company offers quality products such as plastic covers for car floors, a film for paint protection and window tinting. Plastic covers on the floor ensure total comfort for customers. The paint protection film is on the car’s painted areas that are most vulnerable to damage. The film protects against physical damage to painting on the car. This is because of things that stick to the car permanently due to highway speeds. This would affect the car’s finish significantly. The protection fill maintains the car’s nice appearance without any effect on its look. A tint to the windows gives the car a cool appearance. It also feels cool to own and be in such a car. The basis of this is the scorching heat, glares and an interior that is faded. This may affect confidence while on the road. With a window tint, the car’s interior is comfortable and cool. In case of an accident, a tinted window holds shattered glass in place thereby preventing more injuries. It also becomes hard for thieves to smash the car and steal. Quality services provided to customers include improvements in reception section. The customers get coupons for every time they wash their cars at The Detail Store and Cleaning Place. An accumulation of five coupons guarantees the customer one free car wash.
The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has a marketing plan that is comprehensive to ensure its success. The business seeks to offer the best car washing services at a premium rate. From market research, the basic need is a less abrasive service than the conventional automatic services. There is a well-developed market summary. This is by virtue of the sufficient information the business has regarding its target market. Such information helps in leveraging for better understanding of customers, individual customer needs and better ways of communicating with the market.
Environmental Variables and Target Market
The target market for The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has various demographic, geographic and behavior aspects that are critical to success of the business. Geographically, the company targets a specific area of the city. A radius of significant size is sufficient in ensuring profits and growth. It targets a population size of about 25,000 customers. Demographics have a bigger ratio of males than females seeking car washing and detailing. The ratio is so because men generally tend to care more for their cars than women do. Men generally buy cars as a self-treat and they are most likely to buy car accessories. Females generally have cars for convenience and they often use automatic car washing services as they care less about preservation of the automobile. Almost half of households in the area earn sufficient income, which ensures a constant customer base. Most customers have undergraduate degrees with a significant proportion having graduate degrees. Behavior factors vary in the target market. Some customers lease their automobiles. The kind of automobile owned by a family or individual determines their image.
The company understands market needs in order to achieve critical benefits that are significant to the market. These include exemplary services for customers, high quality car washing and convenience. The customers are well financially and the business will provide excellent services to ensure they are regular customers. The target market owns upper end automobiles and quality in services is vital. To gain a huge market share, there should be convenience in time and speed of providing services.
Market trends portray a general movement towards automatic washing from hand washing. This is because of advancements in technology. Machines for automatic car washing are less expensive now than before. It is also more efficient making investment in the automatic car washing than hand washing. However, hand washing still has potential customers. This is mainly because of the upper-end automobiles, which may not be comfortable with the abrasiveness, associated with automatic car washing. With a sufficient customer base with upper-end cars, the trend may not affect hand washing. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has affluent customers who would increase demand in the face of decreased market supply. With a steady growth in the recent past, the business forecasts a steady growth in the near future.
Marketing Mix
Since a good marketing mix is vital for an effective business, The Detail Store and Cleaning Place uses various strategies for profits and a continuously growing company.
Product
The company provides products that give an all-round satisfaction to customers in purchasing, owning and consuming. The business provides car washing, detailing as well as services for rust prevention. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place provided products that are tangible and intangible. Tangible products include car washing and detailing whereas intangible products include free delivery services, high professionalism in the company, provision of individual customer services as well trained members of staff. Customer satisfaction has value as the best component in all products provided. Sufficient time and energy went into development of the company name. This was the same for the logo of the company. This aims at developing extensive brand recognition. The ultimate goal is the creation of brand equity to obtain full benefits associated with a strong brand.
Price
Price is the money or any other thing exchanged for the customer to use and get services from The Detail Store and Cleaning Place. Price is vital for a company’s profitability and there is every effort to ensure the business remains profitable. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place used price as a reflection of the value of services provided in coming up with their prices. This considered the hourly rate, competition, and the overall state of the economy in the target market. Based on competition the high/low strategy of pricing came in handy. Relatively higher prices emphasize on the quality of services. There is no implementation of discounts due to the young age of the company.
Promotion
Promotion provides means of communicating to the target market about company offerings. This happens through personal selling, sales promotion or advertisement. Sales promotion and advertisement are generally mass selling techniques. Being a relatively young company, The Detail Store and Cleaning Place uses advertisement on the radio as well personal selling to boost its sales figures. Running newspaper articles helps in creating awareness about the company as well as services offered. It also informs the public on the importance of washing and detailing automobiles. This creates the need among customers who would in turn look for companies that offer these services. Enhancement of personal selling is using building signage, information materials, posters, as well as brochures. With continued growth, use of other promotional means is necessary. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has a single outlet currently.
Place
Placement ensures that a product or service is at the intended place or customer at the right time and in the right condition. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place has a central location that serves the area. The shop has a strategic position to provide services to customers coming to the downtown core, wholesale clients, for instance those involved in automobile dealership, and customers shopping. This puts the center at an advantageous position for service delivery. The design of the building reflects the company’s differentiation strategy and its top quality services. The equipment used is top class. This ensures easy location of the place and appreciation of its quality.
Market Analysis
The market has various aspects that are significant for growth. Market segmentation based on the kind of car owned helps in presenting market analysis. The type of car owned relates to how the owner drives it, and as such, the needs for washing and detailing. First, new owners use hand washing, as they seek excellent care for their automobiles. The business will promote regular car washing among these customers through frequent information sharing about quality services in the company. Second, there are the older upper-end car owners who want to make their cars as good as possible to have a relaxed drive. This group will have their cars hand washed regularly as well as occasional detailing. Third are owners of sports cars. These include young as well as middle aged people who value their car’s appearance. They will bring their car for hand washing on a regular basis. Because such people usually keep their cars clean, there will be occasional detailing. The fourth group of owners is lifetime time owners. These are mostly women and they usually have their cars for more than five years. The lifetime owners attach themselves to their cars and they do occasional hand washing. Much as they like their cars to be presentable, detailing is not done unless at the time of selling. The fifth group comprises dealers. Such customers use outside washing and detailing before selling the automobiles. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place will be handy for this group. Local businesses are the final group. These businesses have many vehicles that need regular cleaning in order to maintain corporate image. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place provides efficient and cost effective washing, particularly on weekdays.
SWOT Analysis
Doing SWOT analysis helps in capturing the main strengths as well weaknesses in the business. This also offers a description of the threats that face the company and opportunities to exploit in doing business. The company’s strengths include a good association between the company and most customers in the main target market. A strong brand name and properly trained staff present strengths for the company. This is because of quality services provided to all customers. Weaknesses for the company include reliance on investors from the outside environment. The learning process may take time owing to lack of prior experience in the industry and a trend moving towards automatic car washing. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place must also have a regular clientele to ensure continued support of staff members who offer services. Numerous opportunities present themselves for the business. This is because of increased demand from a continuously growing customer base. There is a high probability of repeat ventures. With increased sales volume, the company has the ability to reduce fixed costs relative to individual sales. The company faces threats including a potential entry of a new franchised company. Slumps in the economy always reduce the spending power of potential customers. There is also a general perception that both hand washing and automatic washing are the same in terms of quality. This reduces the potential market size.
Competition Analysis
There are not many hand car-washing providers in the area. The competition present is relatively new and competition with automatic car washing is mainly on offering lower prices. This, effectively, eliminates those clients who want quality car washing and detailing services. The Detail Store and Cleaning Place capitalizes mainly on this gap. The company targets customers who want their automobiles washed and detailed in a quality manner. Such customers are comfortable spending more regularly in ensuring their cars a good wash and detail in an effort to keep the automobile in the best shape possible. Since most customers are cost-conscious, prices will be relatively low to enhance more usage of company services. The company focuses on establishing a good brand to guarantee customer loyalty. Establishment of a good reputation and various contacts will help in promoting the business. Emphasis on a fast and efficient system helps in minimizing costs out of time used in servicing a single automobile.
Customer analysis
With regard to customers, the main target groups will be businesses in the local area, dealers in the car business as well as individual owners and car leasers. This is due on the awareness that a significant proportion of people in the area are affluent, which guarantees sustainability of the business. These individuals own good cars and they would want them to look good always. With the various car dealerships in the area, the various fleets will need the services of The Detail Store and Cleaning Place. The numerous numbers of small size, medium size and large businesses in the area would certainly need car-washing services to ensure good appearance for company cars.
