Final Assessment

Course Title: Marketing Management

Course Code: MKT501

Submitted To
Faculty Masudur Rahman
Professor, Department of Marketing
East West University

Submitted by
Farsia Binte Alam
ID: 2020-2-95-034

Date of Submission: 24th May, 2021

1. This year price of watermelon in Bangladesh has created outcry among the customers.
Usually price of watermelon used to be determined by observational assessment for each
unit but this year sellers have been avoiding that assessment and rather been selling it based
on mass in kilograms. What are the possible reasons of changing this pricing method?

Introduction

The watermelon farmers in our country have convicted that they have got good yields this year
as rains did not cause any damage to watermelon. watermelon production had improved this
year due to favorable weather and for loompy soil in the reign. In addition, the colour of
watermelon is bright. despite the bumper crop this time, the farmers had a fear of not getting
the expected price due to the decreasing demand of watermelon day by day.

Although farmers are getting good prices, there is a significant difference between the price in
the retail market and that in the wholesale market. Retailers are buying watermelons by piece
from warehouses but selling them by weight and the price increases two to three times. 

By observing the gap in pricing method farmars, who previously used to sell watermelon by piece
( marked up selling method) changing their selling strategy with the hope of earning little more profit.
 Current situation in market
The Department of Agricultural Extension expects that the production would be more than 15
lakh tones this year. In 2020, 14,52,592 watermelons were produced in 38,824 hectares. And in
2019, the production was 13,67,356 watermelons in 34,607 hectares.

The Business Standard (TBS) got to know from recent survey analysis among customer that they
have been buying watermelons for so many years but has never bought them by weight which
started last year. So, even if the price is reduced a little per kg, the price still remains higher if
watermelons are sold by weight.

Customers are disappointed about higher price as watermelons are being sold by weight
instead of by piece this year.

The possible reason behind these changing pricing method could be:

Analysing huge demand for watermelon in market the seller wanted to have more profit. They thought
by selling melon in kg they will get extra profit and gradually started selling with the changing method. N
1. Watermelon always had been a bumper cash crop in Bangladesh and used to sell by unit
but suddenly the change in pricing strategy occurred due to the increasing syndicate
system. Observing the huge demand for melon in market, a corrupted group started
storing the product largely to create price hike. Day by day this group becoming stronger
by exercising the supervisory and administrative power over watermelon suppliers and
controlling over the intermediaries.

2. We found four main stakeholders involved in watermelon trade in BD: producers,

retailers, wholesalers and the consumers. From suppliers to consumer if it passes the
long term supply chain the price will automatically go higher because of the transaction
and transfer cost in each stage.

3. Retailers in the supply chain are also being blamed for the increase in prices of the fruits
at the retail market, compared to those of the wholesale market. Traders at wholesale
market said though the supply increased, consumers are not feeling the benefit as the
retailers are asking for higher prices.
 4. The h o l i s ti c market structure is linked to the market organization’s characteristics
that seem to influence the nature of the competition between market actors and also
influence the process of the market price fixing. It is the characteristics that are takes
into account the considerations of stakeholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and
the community as a whole when creating and implementing marketing strategies. The
market structure includes the trade’s channels that are used for commercializing the
fruits and the legal institutions that set the rules for market users.

This marketing strategy got much popularity in melon business due to the high
saturation rate and increased competition in the marketplace. As the system work with all
department together This changes the intregated pricing strategy.

5. trader use different types of vehicle depend upon the quantity of watermelon
purchased, the size of the watermelon and the distance between the sales markets
and the purchasing markets. Some traders have a car to transport watermelon. The
majority of wholesalers use rented cars while most retailers operate with truck, pick-up
and rickshaws to transport watermelon fruit to the place of sale. Here transportation
cost also a medium behind this pricing method.
 6. The watermelon farmer complained that the watermelon had ripened, but they could
not send them to markets as per demand due to the restriction in transport system
during lockdown. As they already incurred some loss they adopt the policy of selling it in
kilogram to avoid further lose

7. Moreover, the coronavirus situation made everything so pricy and the whole system got
collapse for a while. there is no buyer for watermelons in wholesale market because of
the persisting pandemic. People move towards more to online retail shop like chaldal,
evaly and pshycally in agora, meenabazar and swapno. So the retail shop got the most
market and took the advantage .

An advertisement on "Kakoli Furniture" has became viral on social media recently. Explain
the possible reasons behind it in your own words.

Introduction

Kakoli Furniture meme has become viral because of a 30 Second advertisement video posted by
Kakoli Funiture Store on their Facebook page in which two little girls are jumping on a sofa
sometimes sitting on a chair together and repeating some words in bengali language “Dame
Kam mane bhalo kakoli furniture” which means “It is cheap so i like/prefer Kakoli
funiture.” Kakoli furniture is a bangladeshi furniture shop, the video was made as an
advertisement to attract bangladeshi and west bengal customers from india,. well not sure
about advertisement quality but due to its uniqueness and memes the add have gone viral on
social media.
What is Kakoli Furniture?
Kakoli is a common name for girls in Bangladesh. The furniture store “Kakoli Furniture” is
located in Mawna Union of Sreepur Upazila in Gazipur district, some 60 kilometres outside of
the Bangladesh capital Dhaka. SM Sohail Rana, the proprietor of Kakoli Furniture, was thinking
of some publicity for his furniture shop and generated the idea for this low budget
advertisement after seeing two girls of his customer visiting his shop.
How it gooes viral?
In the video advertisement published first on their Facebook page on April 9, 2021, two girls are
seen jumping on sofas and mattresses of the shop or swinging in rocking chairs simultaneously.
It is accompanied by a monotonous voiceover of the girls chanting “Low price, good quality,
Kakoli Furniture” in Bengali (দামে কম মানে ভালো কাকলি ফার্নিচার!) that repeats from the beginning
to the end which can also sound annoying. The girls are seen wearing masks — which shows
that they are respecting the guidelines during the pandemic.
Since then, the video has been shared by many on several platforms such as Facebook,
YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, among others. People are commenting on it,
creating memes and sharing it widely. Another video from Kakoli furniture also created
widespread interest. Reports estimate that the videos have been shared over five million times
already.

The possible reason behind this:

1. The main characteristics of a viral video usually include humour, connection and
controversy. This video got awkward humor!
2. Sometimes you come across some content for which there is no explanation available as
to why it became viral. Specially in this pandemic people giving much time on social
media and watching any video content whatever coming in front of their face.
3. Amidst the grim news of the second wave of the pandemic in India and the ongoing
lockdown in Bangladesh and West Bengal, people are finding some moments of laughter
and respite with this viral video.
4. The cheap budget and funny promotional concept is not at all go with our modern era.
The young generation found it so unexceptionally strange and abnormal. And took their
tagline to make meme and funny video
5. Their video quality and sound effect also so worst. So that everyone attmpt to start
roasting it by comments and memes.
The low budget video advertisement of ‘Kakoli furniture’ shared on social media containing
a repetitive six-word sentence “Low price, good quality, Kakoli Furniture” has become
an online sensation in the past month. Netizens are unable to fathom why this
advertisement of an unknown furniture store in Bangladesh has become viral in the Bangla
speaking communities in Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. Even the owner of the
furniture store is baffled. He is taking credit on his negative marketing.