Category: Marketing Research

Introduction

Over the past many years, the photography industry has experienced tremendous revolutions that have been brought as a consequence of the changing trends in technology as a result of changing tastes and preferences by customers. This has seen many companies compete to outdo each other in terms of complexity in technology leading to the introduction of the digital cameras (Amazon, 2012).

Current Market Situation

Currently, the company has a chain of products that range from digital/film cameras lenses such as ophthalmic lenses, binoculars, telescopes, laser rangefinders, IC/LCD steppers and scanners, optical materials and equipment and surveying instruments. Some of the rival companies in the film and photography market include Pentax, Panasonic Lumix, Olympus, Sony, and Canon. Out of this, Sony is the biggest competitor with their Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 camera. However, the Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera remains to be the best (Amazon, 2012). This kind of innovation has seen many companies compete to outdo each other in terms of complexity in technology leading to the introduction of the digital cameras.

Market Description

Description of Market Segments

According to Kotler and Armstrong (2012), a market is made up of all people or organization and they all demand for a certain product depending on the individual’s tastes and preferences. This also depends on the customer’s ability to purchase them. Market segmentation or fragmentation is a course of action where a given market is divided into unique clusters or firms that have reasonably comparable demands (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012). The chart below is a geographical segmentation of the market:

Nikon currently has its headquarters in the Europe, Asia, the United States America, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa. Out of this wide coverage, Asia and Europe markets have the highest consumers of our products with Africa being the least consumer.

As demonstrated above, out of 90% of the total demand for Nikon products, men between the ages of 12 and 30 years of age formed the highest percentage of consumers. This is attributed to the type of lifestyle that people of this age group live.

Current Marketing Targeting Strategy

Nikon has employed a concentrated/ niche’ marketing strategy that focuses on a particular group of interest and in this case, the primary target is the youths between 12 and 30 years.

Value Proposition

Some of the ways through which Nikon aims at increasing the net present value of the expected revenues of each customer also known as customer lifetime include establishing good relationships, increasing the coverage of after-sales services, establishing a channel for collecting feedback and addressing customer issues promptly (Phau & Poon, 2000).

Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior

The center of marketing is the satisfaction of consumer needs. Nikon has put into consideration the three related aspects of consumer behavior analysis that include “motivations of the customer, consumer typologies and the consumer purchasing process” (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012, p. 190).

As shown in figure 3, the six key factors that influence consumers’ purchasing behavior are culture, age, gender, lifestyle, lifecycle, reference groups, and social class. However, age, gender, lifestyle, and reference groups are seen as the major determinants of consumer behavior.

Buyer decision process

Buyers between the ages of 20 and 30 years tend to have a variety-seeking buying behavior. When it comes to Nikon Coolpix P7100, variety cannot be overemphasized. The camera comes with features such as AE lock in movie mode, new front control dial and many more (Nikon, 2012).

Product Review

Levels of Product/Service

As a core product, the feature that comes along with Nikon products is core benefit or service. As an actual product, the company offers good quality products that are stylish and come with attractive packaging. The company also offers after-sales services that include installation of equipment, delivery, credit facility and warranty on all its products. All these services are disbursed at the regional levels to ensure that customer needs are addressed.

Type of Product and Service

Nikon products are tailored to meet the expectations of both the amateur and specialist photographers. For example, the Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera combines both the latest trends as far as technology is concerned with ease of use and it produces the most incredible digital images. It comes with a 37-megapixel camera with an optical low pass filter also known as OLPF which facilitates the sharpest images, therefore, a good option for both specialized and inexperienced photographers. It also has the best night mode vision lenses that ensure all pictures taken at night especially in the nightclubs have the best quality (Amazon, 2012).

Product and Service Lifecycle

Nikon products are at the maturity level having passed the first two phases of the PLC that is the introductory and the growth stage as shown below.

At the maturity stage, the products of Nikon Company exhibit the features of low cost per customer and high profits. The company should, therefore, put emphasis on diversification of its brand and models and at the same time intensify its already existing distribution channels and establish more. The products should also have the best market prices as compared to the competitor’s profits are also supposed to be maximized while defending the market share (Kotler & Armstrong 2012, p. 205).

Benefits/Features Analysis

Nikon has the best cameras in the market that suit everyday use. Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera is one of the most recent to be released and comes with the following feature: “new Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor and effective pixel count of 37 -million pixels, hence clearer images”(Amazon, 2012, p. 2).

Differentiation

Nikon products are tailor-made to meet the requirements of each consumer. The products are highly differentiated from digital/film cameras, lenses, binoculars, telescopes, laser rangefinders, IC/LCD steppers and scanners, optical materials and equipment and surveying instruments so as to meet the diverse consumer needs. Nikon’s products range from the cheapest 10$ camera to the Nikon D3X that goes for a $7,999.95 that is currently being sold in Europe alone. “Through differentiation, the company is able to target a specific population and this takes place through manipulation of features, reliability, performance, presentation, design, size and variety” ( Kotler & Armstrong, 2012, p. 230).

Branding Strategy

Nikon has been around since 1917 and this has enabled the company to establish a name for itself and as a result, penetrate the market. The company produces a variety of appliances from cameras to lenses and surveying equipment.

The products, especially the cameras are centrally positioned in the market and can be found in virtually all the stores that stock rival products (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012).

Competitive Review

Competitive Analysis

As stated earlier, some of the major the rival companies in the film and photography market include Pentax, Panasonic Lumix, Olympus, Sony, and Canon. Sony, however, poses the greatest threat after launching the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 camera in mid-July this year. However, the Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera that was released in August 2012 reinstated company’s position as an among market leader since the camera offers some of the best features that the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 does not have (Amazon, 2012).

Market share

According to Harris Interactive (2012), the total volume of demand for Digital Cameras rose by 26% between 2011 and 2012. Nikon and Canon emerged as the top Digital Cameras companies with each company commanding 68.59 and 67.26 on a scale of 1 to 100 which represented 17.72% and 17.38 % respectively. Despite launching the Sony NEX – 5N and NEX – 7 in the fourth quarter of 2011, Sony came in third with 67.12 which represented 17.34%. Kodak Company was forth with 62.18 on a scale of 1 to 100 which was approximately 16.07% of the market share. Olympus was fourth with a 15.55% share which represented 61.44 in a scale of 1 to 100, with the rest taking 60.30 which represented 15.58% of the market share.

Scale of 1 to 100

Strategic Sweet Spot

The Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera is one of the best cameras in the market that comes with a sleek look that is appealing to all customers. It also comes with features that will address the needs of both the professional as well as amateur photographers.

Positioning

Positioning deals with the perception of the customer towards the products and how they define it in order to maximize the potential benefit to the company. Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera has positioned itself in the market as a stylish and status camera as far as its features and price is concerned. The aim of Nikon is to come up with persuasive reasons as to why the target market should buy the product or products (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012).

Distribution review

Nikon current conventional distribution channel is to sell only through camera distributors unlike before when the company used to be distributed through computer dealers. This move was brought about by the need to serve customers better.

SWOT Analysis

Some of the company strengths include the Image name, price, and features that come along with the products. Weaknesses include hierarchy leadership that has slowed down innovation processes. Threats come from well-established firms such as Canon and the declining dollar value. Opportunities lie in the emerging African markets (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012).

Recommendation

The company’s current marketing strategy is adequate to raise revenue. However, a review of the strategy yearly is highly recommended to increase revenue. Prices should remain as they are until close to the end of the year when promotion and advertisements through print and media are highly encouraged. Distribution through agents should remain as it is in addition to intermediaries who will do direct personal selling to customers.

References

Amazon. (2012). Digital cameras from top brands. Web.

Statista (2012). Ranking of digital camera brands in the United States in 2012, by brand equity. Web.

Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2012). Principles of marketing. 14 edn. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Phau, I. & Poon, M. (2000). Factors influencing the types of products and services purchased over the internet. Internet Research, 10 (2), 102-113.

The proposed business for this report is the Allstar Pet Hotel that will be located in East Harlem at 111th Street near the Thomas Jefferson Park in a ground floor 1,000 square foot two-story storefront in Manhatten City. The availability of this location is based on present day real estate storefront listings in the area which have a listing price of $16 per square feet resulting in a monthly rent of $16,000. The business focuses on providing a safe and comfortable hotel service specifically for cats and dogs. The viability of this proposed business is based on the analysis conducted by Armour, Burkhauser, and Larrimore which delved into the spending habits among upper-income residents in various U.S. cities.

It showed that due to their higher income levels, this enabled them to take more frequent vacations both locally and abroad (Armour, Burkhauser, and Larrimore 283). Based on this data, one identified perceived need that would arise is for someone to take care of their pets while they are not around. While pet owners could conceivably leave their pets at home and merely have someone come in every day to feed them, this creates issues regarding the potential damage that unsupervised pets could cause in a Manhatten apartment that has expensive furnishings and devices. As such, the Allstar Pet Hotel would provide upper-income clients with a high-end service that would allow them to take their vacation worry free since they can be assured that their pets are in the hands of professional handlers.

Target Business

Since the company focuses on consumers within the upper end of the income spectrum, the services offered will reflect the price paid per day ($250 each day for any breed of cat or dog). The services that the Allstar Pet Hotel will offer consists of the following:

1. Pick and delivery – a delivery van can go to a client’s address so that they will not have to go to the premises of the store to check-in their pets.
2. Online Payment and Scheduling – transactions can be conducted online to create an easier and more streamlined service for the company’s clients. Payments can be made via an online payment platform, and pick-up and deliveries can be scheduled online as well.
3. Livestream access – each room that a pet is placed in comes with a webcam that enables the pet owner to view live stream footage of the how their pet is doing. Livestream footage of other areas of the facility is also provided to allow customers to see the facilities and the employees in action.
4. Nutritious meals – each pet that is checked into the hotel is given a nutritionally balanced meal that takes into account their taste preference and the type of food that would be ideal for that particular breed of cat or dog (Florida 54).
5. Daily Interactions – every single pet that has been checked into the hotel will receive a period of daily interaction with an employee. This can consist of an hour or so of playtime within the facility for cats or walks outside the facility at the nearby Thomas Jefferson Park.
6. Grooming – all pets that are checked into the hotel are groomed regularly to ensure that their coats are free from dirt, parasites or excess hair

The packaged service and extra amenities that come with checking in a pet at the hotel serve to justify the high daily costs. This service is primarily for people that love their pets, have high incomes, and want to have some peace of mind when they are vacationing. Based on the need for serious renovations to accommodate the required design for the pet care facility, it is anticipated that should the business receive the necessary financing, the pet hotel could be established by spring of next year.

Unsatisfied Consumer Needs

Worrying about their pets is one of the reasons why wealthy owners tend to enjoy their vacations a lot less. They worry on whether or not they are being fed or looked after properly, if something has happened to them or if there is a sudden issue that came up that could cause their pet to suddenly need emergency medical attention. One solution that some of them have come up with has been to bring their pets along during their vacations; however, this often causes them to lessen the enjoyability of their vacation since they need to take care of the needs of their pet at the same time. As such, the services of the Allstar Pet Hotel, while being somewhat expensive, addresses all of the perceived needs of this particular type of consumer (Coutré 25). All the services that were mentioned ensure that the pet is well-cared for and enables the owner to actively check up on their pets whenever they want to. The result is that this addresses all of their concerns and allows them to enjoy their vacation a lot more.

Market Situation Analysis

Company Analysis

East Harlem was chosen as the site for the business due to the following factors:

1. Accessibility – the nearby Thomas Jefferson Park is an ideal location for taking dogs on a walk in a safe environment. East Harlem has also begun to have a steady rate of development within the past decade with more specialized stores opening up in the area (Connolly 46).
2. More Affordable Spaces – the price and size of the storefront location in East Harlem are far more affordable when compared to other places with the same features (i.e. proximity to the Thomas Jefferson Park). Trying to get a storefront in areas near to Central Park is not financially feasible for this type of business (Li 95).

Overall, the chosen location for the company addresses several of the initial problems that could cause issues and is ideal for the type of operations that will be implemented.

Business Environment Analysis

There are more than a dozen pet hotels within Manhatten that operate either under the same price range as the proposed Allstar Pet hotel or are more affordable yet have fewer services. To compete in this saturated market, Allstar Pet Hotel needs to stand out based on services that the other hotels cannot match within a short period. This takes the form of having live broadcasts of the pets as they sleep or play within the facilities of the hotel. This enables the hotel to stand out from its competitors since no other pet hotel within Manhatten has implemented a similar concept. Aside from this, most hotels do not have the same pick-up and delivery services that Allstar has. This creates an added level of value to the services of the hotel which make it more enticing. Given the higher than average saturation of upper-income residents within the city of Manhatten, this creates a business environment that is far more likely to bring in consumers to this specialize niche business compared to putting up the same business in a rural location like Napa Valley in California.

Environmental Forces

Social

There is little in the way of sufficient social impact from the business’s operations.

Economic

The industry is inherently vulnerable to shifts in the economy since it is considered as a non-essential luxury. As such, the company would need to prepare for a sudden loss of customers should a sudden economic downturn occur.

Technological

Technological competitiveness is not that serious a factor for this particular industry. This is because a pet hotel can be considered as being part of the broader services sector. While it is true that technology does play a factor in many aspects of the company’s operations, it is not necessarily an integral element.

Competitive

There are more than a dozen competitive forces within the Manhatten market, each with their own prices, services, and locations that will make it initially difficult for Allstar to penetrate the market. However, given the company’s unique approach to the pet hotel industry, it is likely that it should be able to carve out a sufficiently large niche within this market.

Regulatory

An examination of the regulatory environment within New York shows little in the way of significant government regulatory intervention in this industry as well as within the Manhatten area. This may be due to the niche market status of the company and relatively few people that can afford its services.

Competitor Analysis

The closest competitor to Allstar when it comes to similar services, value and location is D Pet Hotel in Chelsea. It has a superior location but similar services; however, due to the rental costs associated with its 10,000 square foot facility, D Pet costs 40 to 60 percent more than Allstar (the price increases to nearly twice as much if a client opts to hire the facilities specialized dog chef). D Pet Hotel also focuses primarily on dogs and does not accept cats; this is a business advantage that Allstar has over its competitor since it allows both cats and dogs.

While it is true that Allstar has smaller facilities, this means that it can operate at a lower operating cost with fewer pets compared to the massive rental costs associated with a 10,000 square foot facility in Chelsea. D Pet also does not offer the same live streaming services and does not have the online booking and pet pick up registration. Based on these factors, Allstar would have a competitive advantage over D Pet since it would have better and more convenient services while enabling it to operate at a lower price per pet due to the lower facility costs.

Market Development

To increase its consumer base, online advertisements and social media should enable the company to gain a greater customer base.

Marketing Tool

Sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be utilized by Allstar Pet Hotel in the same way that retailers use it to market and sell their products. The reason behind this is because the cost of utilizing Facebook or Twitter as an online marketing tool is quite cheap yet would enable the company to potentially target a lot of people. Using traditional advertising, while capable, is no longer sufficient given the sheer amount of competitors within Manhatten. What Allstar needs is an edge to immediately connect with its consumers, and social media seems to be one of the best ways to do it. This can be accomplished using Facebook’s online advertising platform combined with a social media page for Allstar the posts live streams and regular updates on the company’s business. By showing people what they can get from using the business’s services, it is likely to increase the number of people that patronize its services (Choi 781).

Diversification

In terms of diversifying its operations it can be seen that the Allstar Pet Hotel, by catering to dogs and cats, has in effect expanded its level of performance to encompass a significant percentage of the pet ownership market within the city and, as such, can be considered a step in the right direction for the company.

SWOT Analysis

Strength

The strength of the Allstar Pet Hotel within Manhatten is the sheer number of benefits that pet owners would receive. While it is expensive, it addresses all of their earlier concerns. This creates a certain degree of “hype” to try the services and experience of the business. The problem with other pet hotel services within Manhatten is that they either charge too much for the miscellaneous services they provide (ex: a personal chef for a dog) or charge less but, as a result, have fewer services. Allstar resolves this issues by not adding services that a dog does not really need and instead focuses on maximizing the value that a customer can derive from patronizing the hotel’s services. Live stream broadcasting, comfy and clean sleeping areas, adequate socialization with other pets, daily walks in the local park and nutritious meals that are created by the staff (not a chef) are all that is needed to keep a pet comfy and happy. Adding more services simply makes the costs unnecessarily high, and there may come a time when the appeal of utilizing such services may fade as customers realize that such services are excessive or unnecessary.

Weakness

The hotel’s relatively high prices, when combined with the current turmoil in economic markets, makes most guests shy away from even thinking of using the hotel’s services. It also isolates the consumer base of the hotel to a minuscule niche market and, as such, calls into question the long-term viability of the operation. One of the lessons that many luxury product oriented businesses learned after the 2007 economic crisis was that people would often cut luxury services out of their life first before doing any other form of cost cutting. Unfortunately, a hotel for your pet is likely near the top of that list and, as such, Allstar is vulnerable to shifts in the market where a recession is likely to significantly impact the company’s revenues.

Opportunities

Several opportunities exist for the Allstar Pet Hotel in the form of expanding their hotel chain to other countries abroad, creating discounted prices to entice customers to try out the hotel as well as utilizing online marketing platforms to attempt to reach a greater consumer base. As mentioned earlier, while the concept of a pet hotel is not unique, many of the present day pet hotels that operate around the world lack the live streaming infrastructure that Allstar will use as its selling point. Customers want to be reassured that their pets are doing alright and merely telling them over the phone or through an email is, at times, insufficient for them. Enabling to utilize a live streaming webcam in their dog’s room would help to assuage any of their worries resulting in a much more satisfied client. This same business operation can be applied to other potential Allstar branches that can be established in other major cities such as Tokyo, Paris, Brussels, Berlin or Boston. It is likely to

Threats

One of the main threats of the Allstar Pet Hotel within Manhatten is the presence of several pet hotels within the city. The competitors are likely to cause substantial issues for the company in the long term since they have already been well entrenched in their respective areas and likely have a loyal customer base due to the length of time that they have been patronizing that pet hotel’s services. The best way that the company could potentially counter this would be to have better and more efficient services that the other pet hotels cannot match within the short term. This would take the form of the company’s online booking and payment system, the pickup and delivery service as well as the live streaming webcams installed in the rooms and other facilities of the company.

Marketing Research Plan

The marketing research plan for this business would need to determine the current amount of upper-income consumer saturation within Manhatten when it comes to pet ownership. By doing so, the business will be able to identify potential customer patronage, which areas are more likely to respond positively to traditional and non-traditional methods of advertising and where the target market for the store is likely to originate from. Aside from this, the business would also need data on the number of customers that regularly patronize the potential competitors of Allstars, what factors contribute towards their patronage and what Allstar could potentially do to emulate this level of success. Lastly, since this business is likely to connect directly with seasons in which customers within Manhatten are more liable to travel, it would be important to understand which month have the greatest amount of customer vacations and hire temporary help during those periods due to the potential influx of a considerable number of people that would like to patronize the services of the business.

Conclusion

Overall, based on the data presented, the proposed business plan is likely to effective since it fulfills a need that and is sufficiently unique that it can compete with other competitors within this niche market. Since a need would arise for someone to take care of a pets while the owner is not around, this makes the services of Allstar likely to be sought out in the near future, especially during the winter months. While pet owners could conceivably leave their pets at home and merely have someone come in every day to feed them, this creates issues regarding the potential damage that unsupervised pets could cause in a Manhatten apartment. As such, it is likely that this business will continue to remain viable well into the future.

Works Cited

Armour, Philip, Richard V. Burkhauser, and Jeff Larrimore. “Levels And Trends In U.S. Income And Its Distribution: A Crosswalk From Market Income Towards A Comprehensive Haig-Simons Income Approach.” Southern Economic Journal 81.2 (2014): 271-293. Print.

Choi, Eun-Kyong. “Social Media Marketing: Applying The Uses And Gratifications Theory In The Hotel Industry.” Journal Of Hospitality Marketing & Management 25.7 (2016): 771-796. Print.

Connolly, David. “Dog-Friendly Hotels.” Pathfinders Travel Magazine For People Of Color (2016): 46. Print.

Coutré, Lydia. “Dogs Think Pet Hotel And Spa Is The Cat’S Meow.” Crain’s Cleveland Business 37.19 (2016): 0025. Print.

Florida, Richard. “The Boom Towns And Ghost Towns Of The New Economy.” Atlantic 312.3 (2013): 52-58. Print.

Li, Bethany Y. “Zoned Out: Chinatown And Lower East Side Residents And Business Owners Fight To Stay In New York City.” Asian American Policy Review 19.(2010): 91-97. Print.

Introduction

The XYZ limited company was established in the UK during the year 1990 to become the market leader in funding creative projects in England. The company is strong in the UK and neighbouring regions. Providing support to creative projects and forms of art is useful in ensuring that innovative creations are recognized and marketed worldwide (Grover & Vriens, 2006, p. 7). The main competitors providing these services include the Global Link Company and Access Ax Limited. The company is now considering supporting talented projects from upcoming youths in the UK and beyond its borders.

Objectives

The objectives of this research are;

1. To examine the attitude of the society towards the project. This includes extending services to the other regions of the world.
2. To identify the consumers’ attitudes towards the services of the company and other competing brands.
3. The study also aims to determine the appropriate promotion platforms that can be used to launch and promote these services so that they can be accessed worldwide.

Desk research purpose

The desk research will specifically collect information on the trends of individual projects. It will also evaluate how they were supported and funded in the past five years. At this stage, the research will also collect information and develop a list of other similar companies, which offer supportive services across the world.

The other purpose of the desk research will be to identify the number of projects that are likely to develop from the UK into the other regions in the world. It will also identify and establish the support mechanisms which have benefited the society through the development and registration of creative arts across the world. The research also seeks to identify the prices that customers pay in accessing these services from their competitors.

Procedure

The research will begin internally within the XYZ Company by seeking permission from the management. The researchers will brief the managers on the requirements needed for the research, and hold a meeting with the administration of the organization for this purpose. The sales and marketing team will also be a part of this meeting.

The researchers will request for information on internal reports which indicate how the company has been performing on the market. Malhotra (2009, p. 14) argues that this is essential in the identification of the strengths and weakness associated with the company, especially in its marketing abilities.

An external survey will also be conducted, particularly about the organization’s competitors. The study will analyse the current market share of the company’s competitors such as Global Link. It will also review all the published information concerning its previous services. This will allow the company to identify the appropriate platform to pursue in the advertising and promotion of this new idea (Van Hamersveld, 2007, p. 20).

Qualitative research

Purpose

The purpose of a qualitative research is to study and understand human behaviour concerning the support they normally get in developing their creative arts. The purpose of this research is to provide qualitative information about consumer behaviour related to financing and other support mechanisms they receive from the XYZ Company. The qualitative research will identify the following;

1. The type of support that individuals with different skills in art receive from various competitors.
2. The levels of support they receive.
3. The class of individuals that is likely to use the concept in developing their work.
4. How they benefit from these services.
5. Whether the target audience will be ready to welcome the new service in their environment.
6. Whether they will confuse the new service with others that exist in the market.

Population and sampling

We propose three groups with the following profiles;

These groups will include;

1. Those who have benefitted from supportive companies.
2. Those who intend to benefit or get support in developing their projects.

Procedure

The company will be required to introduce its new project to the society. This can be easily done through a variety of on-line platforms such as Facebook, where people can follow and understand the new product. The audience will follow the links on social media which will direct them on how the new project works, and support those who wish to market their creative arts.

Quantitative research

The research proposes to conduct an on-line study because the target audience is geographically spread and reside in different nations. This strategy has been chosen because McDonald and Keegan (2002, p. 13) held that it is the cheapest way of contacting respondents, especially if they are geographically distributed.

Purpose

This stage aims to quantify the number of people that have benefitted from projects that fund creative arts. It will also provide the classification of work which is funded or supported. Through the creation of this classification, it assists the researchers to know the class of people who benefit from these projects, and the prices that they pay (Churchill, 2001, p. 17).

Population & Sampling

The research team made a decision to conduct 160 interviews in different households of different economic backgrounds. Churchill and Iacobucci (2009, p. 21) argue that a study which has a wide range provides a spread response, and the ability to identify interesting differences. It will be conducted on individuals who are aware of creative projects, as well as those benefiting from this funding.

Procedure

The questionnaires will be developed by the research team and made accessible on the internet. The research team will develop an on-line system where participants will be required to log in, interact, and respond to our questions. The digital questionnaires will probe the following areas;

1. The type of creative work that is currently being funded.
2. The class of individuals who are likely to seek funding for their projects.
3. The type of creative arts the participants have some knowledge about.
4. Whether the society is ready to embrace the new project.
5. The chances that they will confuse the project with the others that exist in the market.

Reporting

After the completion of the qualitative part of this research, a presentation report will be submitted. After this, a meeting will be arranged between the researchers and the organization managers. The phases of the research will form the main agenda of this meeting. An official declaration of the research findings will be released. This will also include the conclusions and recommendations of the study.

Timing

The following table suggests a time-frame for the study. This meets the deadline established by the company’s management.

Fees

The fees shown below are exclusive of VAT and they are subject to the assumptions highlighted in the proposal. The fees are also subject to the terms and conditions of the organization, and the company reserves the right to make alterations.

Credentials

The research will be conducted by the company’s research team under the stewardship of its director who has a lot of experience in marketing research. The director specializes in research techniques. He has studied and worked in the UK.

List of References

Churchill, GA 2001, Basic marketing research, Dryden Press, Fort Worth.

Churchill, GA, and Iacobucci, D 2009, Marketing research: Methodological foundations, 10^th ed. Cengage, Chicago.

Grover, R and Vriens, M 2006, The handbook of marketing research: Uses, misuses, and future advances, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Malhotra, N, 2009, Marketing research: An applied orientation, 6th ed., Pearson Education, Ontario.

McDonald, M, & Keegan, WJ, 2002, Marketing plans that work: targeting growth and profitability, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston.

Van Hamersveld, M 2007, Market Research Handbook, Chichester, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Name of Company-Roots Canada

Contact Information

• Physical address: 1400 Castlefield Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M6B 4C4, Canada.
• Telephone Number: 416-781-3574.
• Toll-Free Number: 888-307-6687.

Executives including HR and Apparel VP’s

• Michael Budman- Co-Founder and President.
• Don Green- Co-Founder.
• Robert Sarner- Director of Communication & Public Affairs.
• James Connell – Apparel vice president.
• Laura Clark – HR and payroll director (“Roots Canada: Company Fact Sheet” par. 3).

Roots Canada Situation Analysis

Current organizational mission

• The companys mission is to respect the culture in all regions where it operates, comply with local laws and regulations, and respect its employees who are tasked with the responsibility of manufacturing the companys products. Under its code of conduct, the company is fully committed to protecting the environment, ensuring wellness, and health.

Current ownership and management alternatives

• The company is fully privately owned by two individuals: Michael Budman is the company president and a co-founder. The second co-owner is Don Green.
• Country of ownership- Canada.
• Main business activity- manufacturer/ producer/processor (“Businessweek: Roots Canada Ltd.” par.4).

Current goods/service category

• Designers.
• Apparel.
• Leather Goods.
• Roots Home Design.
• Business-to-Business/Wholesale.
• Licensed Products.

Roots SWOT Analysis – Current and Long Term

• Strengths- enjoys the Canadian heritage and strong linkage with the Canadian society offers good and high-quality products, has a code of conduct, attractive store appearances and layout, a privately owned company, online presence, and clothed Canadian Olympic team from 1998 to 2004
• Weakness- the company is not publicly traded and cannot get capital from the financial markets, its products are relatively expensive, many product lines under the same brand name, and excessive diversification of its product lines
• Opportunities- Opportunities for expansion into foreign markets such as Europe, outsourcing to reduce costs, opportunities for research and development, be listed in the Canadian Stock Exchange, and differentiating its products from those of the competitors
• Threats- stiff competition from major players such as Hudsons Bay and the Gap.

Objectives

Profit – latest results and projections

• The gets USD $257,000,000 in annual sales.

Positioning

The companys logo-the beaver- is its main positioning tool. The logo makes its customers identify with its brand as a typical Canadian brand. The company equally has Canadian value which further strengthens its position as a homegrown brand.

Identification of Consumers

Target market

• Boys.
• Girls.
• Men.
• women.

Roots Canada Marketing Strategy Overview

Goods/services strategy

The companys overall strategy is to deliver a consistent brand experience to both its online and in-store customers. The company is committed to enhancing its customer’s shopping experience. Owing to their extensive marketing, customers can get information on products, their prices, and quality of experience even before visiting the stores. This is done through emails, website displays, and print advertisements. The company is in the process of integrating its inventory, customer service, and other systems to deliver exceptional service to its customers (“Globelink: VP of eCommerce and Marketing, Roots” par. 5).

Location strategy

• Online sales.
• Retail outlets.

Pricing strategy

• The company uniformly prices its products regardless of whether they are sold online or in retail outlets.
• The companys pricing strategy is determined by the type of product. Products for the mass market are priced cheaply compared to products for the affluent. Product prices equally vary depending on size and target market.

Promotion strategy

• Youtube videos, making use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Roots website and a blog), making calls, celebrity advertisements, encouraging current customers to refer their friends and family.
• Website advertisements, print media, emails, and calls from company agents.

Specific Activities

Social responsibility

• Sponsored kayaker Adam van Koeverden a renowned world champion
• Environmental initiatives- the company uses recycled materials and non-toxic materials to build its stores
• The companys president Michael Budman is an executive member of Waterkeeper Alliance, an agency that works with other stakeholders in both Canada and the United States to preserve and protect rivers.
• For many years, Roots has collaborated with various environmental groups, for example, Friends of the Earth, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense, the World Wildlife Fund, the David Suzuki Foundation, and the Toronto Green Awards to protect the environment (“Prezi: Roots Canada BOH4M” par. 10).

Works Cited

Businessweek: Roots Canada Ltd. 2013. Web.

Globelink: VP of eCommerce and Marketing, Roots. 2013. Web.

Prezi: Roots Canada BOH4M. 2013. Web.

Roots Canada: Company Fact Sheet. 2013. Web.