Marketing Strategies

For the purpose of making a marketing plan for the chosen product, we will do the situation
analysis of the Soft Drink Industry in Pakistan. The Marketing Strategies that can be adopted by
the company to gain competitive edge and the Marketing Mix for the product.

The later part of the assignment looks at the Actions that should be taken in order to
implement the plan and any control measures that should be taken to make the plan
successful. In the end we will draw out a budgeting plan that should be allocated for the
advertisement campaign of the product.

Marketing Objective

The objective of drafting out the marketing plan for RC Cola is to win the market share in
Pakistan and beat Pepsi and coke which are the two big competitors in that region. This
objective is set because in past RC Cola has been the market leader for more than 20 years in
Pakistan and there was no competition. This object might be difficult to achieve but is not
impossible as RC cola has a very strong brand name which is a strong edge.

Marketing strategies that company can adopt for a specified product are:

 Cost Leadership Strategy

 Mass Marketing

Cost Leadership Strategy

Cost leadership strategy is a strategy which involves company trying to win the market share by
targeting the cost sensitive customers.

Company should consider this strategy for several reasons. Which are listed below.

The average income per person in Pakistan is very low and the soft drink companies like Pepsi
and coke have increased their prices in recent past. Looking at it as an opportunity Cott
international can keep their prices low as it use to have in past and try to capture the market
share.

There are about an average of four kids per couple in a country like Pakistan, most of the kids
are school going and they need pocket money but due to low average income kids don’t get
enough pocket money. If company keeps the cost of RC Cola low than that school going kids will
be potential customers.
There is a tradition in Pakistan that people are invited on marriage ceremonies where food and
drinks are served. By keeping the cost low will encourage those people to buy RC Cola as they
will want to save money on something.

Mass Marketing
Mass marketing is a strategy in which company ignores the market segment and go into target
everyone, everywhere with one offer. Mass marketing is suitable as well in case of Cott
International for the following reasons.

It is company’s objective to gain as much market share as they could to become a market
leader. For this Cott International has to start a massive marketing campaign starting from the
south of Pakistan and going up to the northern areas of Pakistan.

Cott International should use print media and television advertisements as these two are the mostly
used modes of media in Pakistan.

Physical Evidence
Physical evidence related to those aspects of the service that customer can see and feel so as to
form an impression of the services or its provider.

Logo: Company should have a unique sign that should make it look different from other
companies. It should be distinctive in way that it reminds the customer about the quality of the
product that has been provided by the company.

Colour: In past RC Cola has used blue and red colour, which does not look different as the
market leader Pepsi uses blue colour this might result in the misunderstanding by the
customer.

Vehicles: Company vehicles such as lorries and truck should be painted and must have
company’s logo and name on it.

CRITICAL REFLECTION ON LEARNING OUTCOMES

RC Cola inc was formed a century ago, when it arrived Pakistani at that time there no other cola and
there were no advance mode of marketing which can be found now in Pakistan. People very not aware
of these foreign drinks and were fond of traditional drinks, despite of all these factors that prevailed at
that time RC Cola gained market share and soon became the market leader. Acquiring market share
when there was no vast coverage of media in Pakistan makes me think that there was something in the
product that prompted people to buy it again after they use it for the first time. Value is in the mind of
the customer, probably there were not enough carbonated drinks in the market so the arrival of RC Cola
with a sweet crispy taste should be a possible source of value to the customer.

Now a days the world has become a global village and this has a vast impact on the nature of
marketing. There is a big difference between a way how companies market their product now
and how it used to be two or three decades ago. Marketing of a product is not limited to any
physical barriers now. After the birth of e-marketing the things have changed very positively
and business have gone multinationals from nationals. This has reduced the cost to the
companies as well and have given a competitive advantage.

Few basic market research techniques followed now a days are Surveys, Personal Interviews,
Observations and Focused groups. With the birth of e-marketing these marketing researches
are now more likely to be carried out via internet. To me the outcome of these market
researches is not effective at all. This is because it you look at the first technique that is Surveys
in which people will be handed over a form with a number of questions which they have to
answer, which is then handed back to the person carrying out survey. If the questionnaire is
given in person than there might b a chance that response will be 100% but the reliability of a
survey depends on the sample size if the sample size is only 1000 out of a population of
1million than the reliability of the survey could be impaired. Telephonic surveys could also be
carried put but it will cost a bit more and are more effective but yet again sample size is the key
thing.

Focus groups. In focus groups, a moderator uses a scripted series of questions or topics to lead
a discussion among a group of people. These sessions take place at neutral locations, usually at
facilities with videotaping equipment and an observation room with one-way mirrors. A focus
group usually lasts one to two hours, and it takes at least three groups to get balanced results.
But still the question arises that everyone has its own point of view and perception about the
questions which are being asked. Few number of people cannot represent the thoughts of a
large population.

Personal Interviews are same as the focus groups but is more tended towards one on one
discussion.

Observation is an Individual responses to surveys and focus groups are sometimes at odds with
people’s actual behaviour. When you observe consumers in action by videotaping them in
stores, at work, or at home, you can observe how they buy or use a product. This gives you a
more accurate picture of customers’ usage habits and shopping patterns.

After learning alot from this assignment i tried to analyse the marketing strategies and the
behaviour towards customers that is practiced in my country and i than compared it with what
is happening here. My analysis was mostly based on my personal experiences that i had in past.
Not to my surprised i came up with a very huge difference between two environments. Back
home in Pakistan customers are not treated as they should be, the shop keepers are rude to
customers and they are not cared. On the other hand the behaviour of the people towards their
costumers is very courteous and polite because they know the value of having these customers
as they generate revenues out of them.

This assignment has enhanced my analytical skills and i have very positive plans to go back to
my country after completing my course and