Marketing Jim Service, Inc. has been in operation for about a year. Nonetheless, the business has not been able to meet its targeted annual revenue. The owner, Jim Dickson, is now contemplating closing down the business, an option that he cannot get his mind around. The major problem Jim is facing relates to brand image. Jim is competing in a space historically dominated by Joel Bullard. Bullard has created such as strong brand image that even larger, nation-wide competitors have been unable to beat. He boasts a loyal base of customers who are not willing to try other providers of carpet and furniture cleaning services. Though Jim offers equally high quality services, he is unable to snatch customers from Bullard as customers prefer Bullard's "quality-care" image. The only way Jim can beat Bullard is by developing a more compelling brand image. He must develop a brand image that customers would be willing to consider over Bullard's brand. This is without a doubt a taxing endeavor, but Jim has to do it if he is to remain in business.

The first thing that Jim should do is to have a comprehensive understanding of his target audience. Having worked in the cleaning business before, Jim has some understanding of what his target...

Nonetheless, more understanding is imperative. Jim must understand the needs, tastes, preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of his target market (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2009). This can be achieved by conducting a small-scale survey of his existing customer base. Customers can complete the survey at home or even via email. Jim must also understand his competition. He must more thoroughly analyze Bullard's services to identify any areas Bullard has ignored or paid little attention to. Even the most powerful of brands have weaknesses or areas competitors can capitalize on to beat them. The same may be true for Bullard.
With a better understanding of his customers and competition, Jim would be in a better position to build a more compelling brand. His brand building efforts should focus more on non-price aspects such as customer service. As mentioned in the case, Vita-Clean -- a national household cleaning carpet-cleaning franchise -- was unable to beat Bullard by price cutting. This means that Jim must think outside the box. He should offer more than just price benefits. What non-price aspects have his major competitor ignored? By answering this question, Jim can beat Bullard. One major weakness with…