Introduction
Ben’s cookies are renowned for quality and unique recipes resulting in delicious cookies. These qualities depict that the product has numerous potential for growth in the market. The company, which has been being since 1983, has vast experience in the business, and this reflects in the products. In order for the market to become aware of the project consequently increasing the market share, it is essential to device an effective marketing strategy. This will involve extensive market research and analysis in order to determine the market needs and how best to engage the market (Blakeman, 2011). It is also essential to identify the potential market, which will be targeted in the advertising campaign with the aim of increasing the company’s market share. The market, which has been identified in this scenario, is the Irish market segment. This market is to be targeted using an out of home campaign a strategy that involves outdoor advertising. This means that the advertisement strategy involves targeting the market through engagement of the potential customers when they in public settings. This involves public places, commercial locations and transit areas. Some of the approaches, which may be used to facilitate outdoor advertising campaigns, include street furniture, billboards, and alternative and transit categories. This paper has a breakdown of the steps involved in the creation of an out of home campaign for Ben’s cookies in attempts to engage the Irish market segment.
Objectives
The advertising campaign will aim to achieve several objectives for Ben’s cookies. The main objective of the campaign is to create a new market for Ben’s cookies in the Irish market. This should be achieved in a manner, which is sustainable in that the market will be maintained in the long term (Applegate and Johnsen, 2007). The campaign will aim to sensitize the Irish market segment about Ben’s cookies. The advertisement will engage the market when they are performing their daily chores and endeavors hence will be encounter frequently by the target audience (Gospe, 2008). The strategy will also reach the majority of the market since it targets the segment collectively. Therefore, the campaign will facilitate awareness about the product consequently increasing the market share of Ben’s cookies in the long term. Since it is strategically located in public areas, it will have a lasting impression due to the frequent interaction with the potential market creating brand recognition and loyalty.
Situation analysis
It is essential to analyze the market situation in order to determine the feasibility of the campaign strategy and the potential of the market (Blakeman, 2011). In order to facilitate this, two tools are instrumental to this effect namely the PESTEL and SWOT analyses (Bensoussan and Fleisher, 2008). These tools will give an effective projection of the market environment targeted by the campaigns.
PESTEL Analysis
The PESTEL analysis explores the business environment. It analyses the political, economical, technological and legal factors, which characterize the target market. When considering the political factors in the proposed expansion to the Irish market, its location within the UK makes the political environment favorable for Ben’s cookies. This is because bureaucracy and red tape will not impede the expansion, as is the situation when foreign companies attempt to expand their markets.
When exploring the economical factor of the proposed market, it is apparent that the market is economically stable in that there is constant growth. Inflation and interest rates are also low hence depict a stable trading environment. The taxes are also favorable for companies within the UK hence it will be cost effective to expand operations into the market.
Social factors are also essential when determining the viability of a market. For instance, an ageing population characterizes the Irish market. This has an impact on the product demand and the labor force, which is in the market. Therefore, this should be considered during the expansion into this market.
Technological factors entail the trends of the market in relation to technological advancements. In this scenario, scenarios like online shopping and advertisement will be explored. The market is aware of the technological advancements and has adapted the same in their endeavors. This is beneficial for Ben’s cookies since the operational costs and advertising will be cheaper.
The market is conscious of the environmental effects of the products offered. This means that Ben’s cookies will have to ensure that the products are environmental friendly. This will include environmental friendly packaging and manufacturing approaches.
SWOT Analysis
The SWOT analysis is instrumental in analyzing the company’s position concerning the proposed venture. This tool analyzes the strengths, threats, weaknesses and opportunities of the firm in the new market. The strength of Ben’s cookies includes the quality of cookies and the unique recipes involved in the preparation, which involves the use of chocolate. The weakness of Ben’s cookies, is that, the company’s products are over reliant on chocolate as the primary ingredient, hence might put off customers who prefer other flavors. Despite this, there is an opportunity in the market since the market for the product is not wholly exploited. This means that the company has an opportunity to increase its market share. However, there they will have to contend with the threat of local bakeries and retail stores who offer similar products.
Potential Target Market Analysis
It is imperative to examine the practicability of the target market in order to be sentient of the benefits of the proposed market expansion. Ben’s cookies offer a revolutionary approach for the cookie market. The unique recipes and the approach of selling by weight are unexplored by most competing companies. The products are also sold fresh as compared to the retail stores, which sell stored products. These qualities will be instrumental in attracting the market to prefer Ben’s cookies. The model of operation employed by Ben’s cookies provides an opportunity for the company to attract cookie consumers. This is considering that most individual purchase cookies from retail stores, which sell stored products. This is an opportunity since Ben’s cookies offer fresh products, which are of high quality consequently winning over the preference of the market. Cookies are consumed by individuals of all ages hence will appeal to individuals across the market demographics. Therefore, the expansion of Ben’s cookies in the Irish market segment has the potential to experience sustainable growth in market share and revenue generation in the long term.
Rationale for Choosing Ben’s Cookies
The rationale for identifying Ben’s cookies as the preferable product for expansion into the Irish market was based on several factors. Food is a necessity hence the product has a wide market pool. The economic situation of the market is also another factor, which has rationalized this choice. The low inflation rates in the market are favorable for the food sector. The stable economic situation in the country has also changed the perception of the population concerning products they are interested in acquiring quality products. Ben’s cookies satisfy this need due to the meticulous and focused production of cookies. The product has the potential to encourage the market to prefer fresh baked products, as opposed to storing goods, which are offered in retails stores among other providers. Therefore, the product has the potential to grow in this identified market making it suitable for expansion into new regional markets.
Creativity & Design Concept
In a marketing campaign, creativity is an essential aspect. This is due to the actuality that advertisements have to have a unique and creative approach with distinguishes the product creating appeal among the target audience. It is essential to deliberate on the design concept which will be employed in the marketing campaign (Westwood, 2011). This is facilitated by the information collected from market analysis and the needs of the market segment. When considering the market analysis for the feasibility of Ben’s cookies in the Irish market, it was apparent that there were opportunities for the company due to its unique recipes and the sale of fresh products. However, this potential was threatened by the presence of local competition. Therefore, it is essential that the company create awareness about its products in order to create an increased market share (Gospe, 2008). This will be facilitated through creative and engaging campaign concepts. The choice to use an outdoor campaign is an indication that the company needs to engage the public about the product. Therefore, the media used in outdoor campaigns should have appealing and creative advertisements in order to engage the public during their daily endeavors. The concept of the advertisement to be used to achieve this end was realized after consideration of the aforementioned factors. The concept should cut across the market demographics and should be engaging to attract the public in a busy situation.
External Research of “Out Of Home” Campaigns
In order to ensure success in a marketing campaign, it is inevitable to research on similar campaigns in the identified market. One similar campaign, which has been observed in the market, is the outdoor campaign by Renault. The company teamed with CBS outdoor during the launch of the Renault Clio. The campaign involved a creative approach of outdoor advertising whereby it was interactive as opposed to the traditional outdoor advertisements. The campaign involved digital screens in the town center of Dundrum. The public was invited to participate in the Renault “kiss cam” where the participants’ photos were taken and used in the magazine cover for the company. The advertisement saw 200 people participating in the township. The outcome of the campaign is evident to the recent times with the center attracting 19 million visitors annually with weekly visits of 375,000 individuals (Applegate & Johnsen, 2007). It is apparent that the campaign was successful in sensitizing the public about the new model, a factor that is instrumental in increasing the market share, and consequently the bottom line of the company. This research shows that outdoor campaigns can be effective in creating an appeal for a new product such as Ben’s cookies in the Irish market.
Launch of “Out of Home Campaign”
It is essential to have an elaborate plan on how to launch an advertising campaign. This will involve determining the specifics of the campaign including the location, time and the procedure for the marketing campaign (Westwood, 2011). The identified location for the advertisement campaign is Dublin. This is because this is the largest city in the region hence the product will be exposed to a large client pool. The campaign will begin after three months running for a year. The campaign will adopt identify strategic locations, which have large, human traffic. This will ensure that a large population of the market will access the advertisement message. Some of the areas, which have been identified, include subway and bus stations and public malls across the city. Billboards will also be strategically placed in prime highways hence guaranteeing visibility for the road users. Some of the billboards will be mobile. This will ensure flexibility in the campaign in that the placement of the advertisement can be adjusted according to the movements of the population. Buses will also be used to carry the advertisement message to ensure constant visibility of the advertisement message among the public. Banners and posters will also characterize the campaign. Furniture is bus stops and other strategic locations will be used for the campaign (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2008). This will ensure that the city is sensitized on the qualities of Ben’s cookies hence create a market niche for the product.
Conclusion
Marketing is an essential aspect in business. It is inevitable when a company wishes to venture into a new market. Therefore, it is essential for Ben’s cookies to facilitate an advertising campaign in order to expand its market to the Irish segment. Outdoor advertising has been favored to create awareness for the product in the market. This will involve the use of public media including billboards among others placed in strategic public places. This strategy will result in visibility and brand recognition for the product hence creates a new market.
References
Applegate, E., & Johnsen, A. (2007). Cases in advertising and marketing management: Real situations for tomorrow’s managers. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Bensoussan, B. E., & Fleisher, C. S. (2008). Analysis without paralysis: 10 tools to make better strategic decisions. Upper Saddle River, N.J: FT Press.
Blakeman, R. (2011). Advertising campaign design: Just the essentials. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe.
Gospe, M. (2008). Marketing campaign development: What marketing executives need to know about architecting global integrated marketing campaigns. Cupertino, CA: Happy About.
Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. D. (2008). Essentials of marketing. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.
Westwood, J. (2011). How to write a marketing plan. London: Kogan Page.
