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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…
Overall, Jim faces a tough branding exercise. Despite being in business for a year, snatching customers from his major competitor has been a difficult undertaking. If Jim is to remain in business, he must focus on developing his brand. He must pay attention to building a more powerful brand image. This is the only he can lure customers from Bullard's ship. By understanding his target market and gaps left by his competitor, Jim can build a more compelling brand. It is not a straightforward endeavor, but Jim must rethink his brand building approach if he is to sustain his seemingly dwindling business.
Reference
Lamb, C., Hair, J., & McDaniel, C. (2009). Essentials of marketing. 6th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning.
3.2 Segmentation The DKNY perfumes are divided into two segments, based on the consumer types they target -- perfumes for women and colognes for men. The main segment is represented by perfumes for women. 3.3 Targeting The main market targeted by Donna Karan New York is constituted by above the average income women. 3.4 Positioning The positioning strategy used by Donna Karan New York is a dual one. On the one hand, the DKNY perfumes
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Marketing of any product requires evaluation and review of Price, Product, Promotion, and Place, generally referred to as the 4 Ps of marketing. Marketing personnel constantly attempt to identify the right balance of these factors to ensure that the customer will select their product. Marketing strategy is always determined based on how the company wishes to position itself with respect to its competitors. For example, Southwest Airlines is a success
Columbus (3) found that within the customer service arena, one CRM capability in particular demonstrated the greatest impact on profit improvement -- customer service execution. Integration into Overall Marketing Strategy SAP seeks to improve global campaigns' effectiveness at generating qualified sales leads, and to do so at lower cost per lead and greater speed over the Internet. To accomplish this SAP conducts an internal evaluation of its Marketing practices and uncovers the
(1998). "The Trouble with Nike" Motley Fool. Retrieved November 17, 2008 at http://www.fool.com/Features/1998/sp980324TroubleWithNike.htm Parker, Mark. (2006). "Nike's Strategy for Winning the Footwear Game" Nike F1Q Conference Call Transcript retrieved November 17, 2008 at http://seekingalpha.com/article/17559-nike-s-strategy-for-winning-the-footwear-game Corporate author, Nike. (2008). "Company Overview" Nikebiz.com. Retrieved November 17, 2008 at http://www.nikebiz.com/company_overview/ Cox, Beth. (1999). "Nike Decides to Just Do it on the Web" InternetNews.com Retrieved November 17, 2008 at http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/67101 Barron, Kelly. (1996). "Nike to Enter Premium
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