Environmental analysis and marketing strategy for Dreamline Trucking Company

Running head: DREAMLINE TRUCKING COMPANY ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

DREAMLINE TRUCKING COMPANY ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 4

Week 2 Apply Signature Assignment Part A Strategic Marketing Plan

Dreamline Trucking Company Environmental Analysis

Dreamline trucking company was founded in 1990 ferrying goods between Arizona and Los Angles. The company started with a handful of trucks and now has a fleet of 3,500 trucks and specialized in transit of brokerage and refrigerated trailers. The company generates $850 million in revenue annually and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NSE). Dreamline\\\\\\\'s mission is \\\\\\\"to operate truckload businesses that are industry-leading in both margin and growth while providing cost-effective solutions for our customers.\\\\\\\"

The vision of the business is \\\\\\\"to improve the revenue generated from our systems capability, terminal network, and management capacity and leverage the company resources to expand business through mergers and acquisitions.\\\\\\\" Dreamline services include transportation of temperature-controlled truckload carrier services. The proper management of these issues makes it possible for the corporation to address the differences associated with creating a common interest.

Environmental Analysis

Current Marketing and Target Markets

The business-to-business model has enabled the organization to establish long-term and carry out marketing tailored to meet organizations\\\\\\\' needs rather than individual consumers. However, the firm is relying on traditional marketing channels to reach customers. For example, most of its customers were referred to the company by current clients (Hong & Nguyen, 2020). The marketing strategy is leveraged on the firm\\\\\\\'s capabilities such as environmental leadership, the capability to accommodate various customer needs, industry-leading service, and superior safety record. The organization\\\\\\\'s marketing channels are conventional, and the modern efficiency realized through online mediums is yet to be exploited fully (Gijsenberg & Verhoef, 2019). The current target audiences in Dreamline\\\\\\\'s marketing strategies specialize in the specialty retail industry, the retail industry, the furniture & fixtures industry, the auto & truck manufacturers industry, and the apparel, footwear & accessories industry.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths. Dreamline trucking company is the market leader with more than 51% market share of the trucking market segment. The revenue generation channels have been diversified to leverage the firm\\\\\\\'s logistics and network to generate income. Dreamline has laid its geographical network across America close to population centers. Consequently, the firm\\\\\\\'s market growth is propelled through marketing to such a population using traditional and digital channels to acquire and retain old customers.

Weaknesses. Dreamline services\\\\\\\' market position is not clear that may limit the market reach in its marketing activities. While the firm might be performing well in the sale and positioning the firm accordingly in the market would make it possible for the firm to be more competitive in the market.

Opportunities. New automated inventory systems offer new opportunities for the business\\\\\\\'s growth by eliminating time lags in its client\\\\\\\'s supply chain. The firm has diversified its trucking business into the in transit of brokerage and refrigerated transit market segment that can be developed through online marketing channels to promote these subsidiaries\\\\\\\' awareness. Trade agreements made by the government with Mexico and Canada have opened new markets for the organization.

Threats. The growing ability of new entrants is high with new online marketing channels and logistic systems. The government rejoining the Paris Agreement of 2016 could limit its ability to continue growing profitability before adapting to climate-friendly technology use measures. The reactive tendency to innovation by competitors could limit the firm in remaining competitive in the future. The demand for the services offered by Dreamline often varies with seasons that could sabotage the profitability of the company of the seasons coincide with unlikely events interrupting business. The liability the firm faces due to its employment policies could result in a loss of talented employees and the development of common interests.

Strengths to Opportunities & Converting Weaknesses and Threats

The firm has a diversified portfolio that should use its wealth to build a large base of customers for all the subsidiaries. The firm can define its market clearly by examining the customers\\\\\\\' needs rather than relying on what they purchase (Gijsenberg & Verhoef, 2019). Focusing on service delivery across its subsidiaries rather than product development will eliminate the threat of seasonal challenges in cash generation. Raising the cost of switching could also eliminate new entrants\\\\\\\' threats and secure a loyal customer base.

Marketing Objectives

Dream line aims to increase its market reach among individuals and businesses, targeting this demographic by 40% through online mediums in 2021. To increase inhouse driven innovation and to leverage modern technology trends in marketing by 2023. To segment the marketing audience between 21-29 and 30-38 by 2022 to engage young consumers interactively. Tailor services for different market segments without looking into organizational services.

Part B

Internal Data

Source

What it measures

Data

Potential usage

Financial Data

Monthly acquisition of funds, management of funds, and monthly expenditures of funds in the company

Cash flow reports express the amount of money generated and used in the company in a month.

Production reports indicate the company\\\\\\\'s total cost in a month to produce a certain product or service.

Budget variance analyses investigate the changes between the overall performance of the company and what was budgeted.

It can be used to track the financial progress of cash inflows and cash outflows, evaluate costs incurred by the company in the production of goods and services, help in the decision-making of when to order supplies, and evaluate the overall price per unit.

Marketing information and research

The information generated from analysis of customer patterns and behaviors, products and market dynamics, and their effect on the company\\\\\\\'s performance within a certain period

Marketing research generates information on environmental factors and their effect on consumer habits, product research, corporate research, customer attitudes, behaviors and perceptions, marketing, advertising, and promotion research.

Can facilitate strategic planning in the company, identification of potential competitive threats and market opportunities, evaluation of trend analyses, risk assessment, and provision of revenue projections

Human resources

A monthly collection of company employees\\\\\\\' data, especially during recruitment, formulation of payrolls, and attendance

Functionalities of the human resource system include applicant tracking systems, payroll, benefits time and attendance, training of employees for skill improvement, performance management, succession planning, employee self-service, and reporting and analytics (Vulpen, 2020).

They are potentially used in better analysis and good decision-making processes, recruiting management for the Dreamline Trucking Company, and recording employee training details.

Secondary Data

Source

What it measures

Data

Potential usage

Sales records

Measurement is made through a record of all the company\\\\\\\'s sales and transit services per day. It also includes the reduction in the inventory about the sales or deliveries made by the company, and the sales tax liabilities

Holds information contained in files of the company\\\\\\\'s customer data on purchases, transit, and delivery of goods (Horwitz, 2016)

Customer data addresses, dates of transactions and deliveries, amounts of products purchased or ferried, products bought or ferried, payment methods, and customer returns

Can be used in the effective management of accounts, interests incurred from loans, taxes and working cost in the ferrying company.

Marketing records

It contains a record of information about a specific product or service provided by the ferrying company. For example, monthly temperature-controlled carrier services marketing records.

All labeling, informational letters, advertising strategies, marketing strategies, market research done for a specific service or product, sales and promotional materials used in the marketing of a certain product or service by the ferrying company during a given period

It can be used in quicker decision-making processes.

Generation of customer patterns analysis and competitor information analysis

Product purchasing data

The number of goods purchased and delivered by the company per month

A purchasing plan entails; the type of product or service ordered by the customers or the company, the quantity or number ordered or delivered, the price for each product or service, and all the delivery terms.

It can be used as a tool for monitoring, controlling, and planning the ferrying operations during various decision-making processes in the company

Primary Data

Sources

What it measures

Data

Potential usage

Surveys

An understanding of the markets for the Dreamline Trucking Company\\\\\\\'s products and services

The customer and company relationships and all the transactions made between them (Wreden, 2002)

Both qualitative and quantitative.

When done properly, data collected from surveys can reduce risks in the company and provide insightful information about employees, customers, and the general market and alignment of marketing and other communication programs.

Interviews and questionnaires

Complaints made by certain customers about some of the services provided by the company

Improvements to be made on service and product provision to customers.

Qualitative and quantitative feedback from customers and various stakeholders on the overall performance of Dreamline Trucking Company in the provision of services and production of goods

It can be used in the improvement of service provision and decision-making processes in the company.

Observation

Competitor information and progress, product usage by the customers, and the company\\\\\\\'s customer satisfaction and market trends within a certain region

Both qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative because it includes descriptive data. And quantitative because data collection by observation can be done numerically by, for example, counting the number of trucks a competitor company owns.

It can be used to analyze the company\\\\\\\'s progress as compared to other competitor companies and markets.

It can be used in the major decision-making processes of the company.

Customer Relationship Management.

CRM Touchpoint

Purpose and CRM objective

Data

Potential Data Usage

Company events

Boosts morale among employees and customers, strengthens teamwork, and promotes creativity among the employees (Profitability).

New product ideas, employee complaints and suggestions for solutions to their problems, merits, and awards, reports from various assignments.

They are potentially used in decision-making processes and risk assessment by the company.

Peer referrals

Provides information to other customers about the company and its products or services (Customer acquisition)

Company name, location, opening hours, product or service offered, and detailed information on a specific product the customer found appealing and would recommend to other customers.

It can be used in boosting overall sales or supplies made by the company.

Ecommerce

Provides flexibility for customers, faster response to customers\\\\\\\' market demands, enables customers to make a comparison between products or services and their prices, and reduced costs (Customer retention)

Datasets, which includes all kinds of information from the company\\\\\\\'s types and number of products, customers, stores and their location, company sales, to purchases and pricing of goods and services provided by the company

It can be used in the optimization of customer service, forecasting of market trends, and boosting and generation of more sales in the company

They are potentially used to optimize pricing in the company\\\\\\\'s market and the prediction of demand and supply levels of goods and services from the company.

Online advertising

Helps in increasing sales of the Dreamline Trucking Company, improving awareness of the ferrying company brand, engaging the customers, and improving its general outlook in the market (Customer Acquisition and Retention).

Dreamline Trucking company logo, a call to action(CTA) with supporting information, visual elements such as graphics and photos, and other information about the company such as location, opening hours, delivery services, and other services provided by the company

It can be used in the maintenance of an after-sales service relationship between the company and its customers.

Potentially used in the company\\\\\\\'s brand optimization, ensuring an overall global reach of customers, the company\\\\\\\'s improved delivery rate and services, and ensuring the company achieves its goal of being cost-effective and time-efficient.

Digital Marketing Content.

Increases revenue generation into the ferrying company

Unstructured digital data, which includes memos, PowerPoint presentation files, images, letters, videos, researches, and white papers

Semi-structured digital data entails; emails and markup languages.

Structured data, which mostly encompasses data stored in databases

The data generated by digital marketing content can improve customer experience, improve the customers\\\\\\\' purchasing rate and create new products and services to be produced and provided by the company.