Incident Command System - Marketing Strategies - Case Study Example

Running Header: Incident Command System Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 INTRODUCTION 3 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR THEORIES 4 CONSUMER DECISION MAKING PROCESS 7 Evaluating alternatives 8 MARKETING STRATEGIES 10 MARKET POSITIONING 12 MARKET TARGETING 13 MARKETING MIX 13 FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 15 CONCLUSION 16 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Entrepreneurship has grown over many decades. Many business people have come with various innovations, techniques and skills of managing their business entities. Many business firms aim at maximizing profitability of the firm by incorporating functions of management to enhance productivity. Firms require planning to set objectives and define means of achieving it, organizing to arrange organizational activities, directing to ensure that people work according to instruction given and staffing. However, over past years management has come to know that without customers their businesses may collapse. They identified that consumers were the major core of their profitability. Over past periods, management and board of governance have been designing ways of attracting more consumers to their services, their concern diverted from production concept to customer oriented concept. Managers have realized that consumers have trends or behaviors that affect their buying decisions in the market. This behavior involves a series of steps that influences their decision making. These steps are need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post purchase decisions. Consumers need to be informed about products that are sold by the company. This brings in an issue of marketing. Marketing strategies should be employed to educate consumers in the market. Market segmentation, market positioning and targeting are the key values of marketing strategies. Consumer behavior is affected by internal and external factors within the environment. External factors are found within the environment while internal factors are found inside the body of the consumer. Mangers should understand these processes of consumer behavior. INTRODUCTION Consumer behavior refers to the study of how consumers behave when buying products and services. Consumers have varying needs with time. What is common with consumers is that they all aim at maximizing their utility. They consume from the bundle of goods and services that maximizes their utility. For instance, if there is a basket containing 10 oranges, and another containing five oranges? The basket containing 10 oranges may maximize consumer’s utility. The question we ought to ask our self is, how much money does the consumer have? This brings us to consumer equation. Consumers choose the bundle deriving high utility levels but it is subjected to their budget line. If the amount of money s more he would go for then oranges and if it is less, he would go for five oranges. This is exactly how consumers make their decision when buying goods and services in the market. Mangers have over past concentrated in monitoring consumer behavior closely. They have realized that their profits are affected by consumer decision. For instance, Birds nest clothing company in Australia is a big fashion and design firm which design women clothing. They strongly believe that women beauty can change their ambitions in life. They are designing women brands, styling and fashions for women. They also offer free advices to women on which clothes to suit you more. This company has more than 250 outlets which supplies best women clothes. They aim at dressing women from the toe to the head. It is important for us to understand how Bird nest clothing industries manages their consumer behaviors. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR THEORIES There two major theories that explains how consumers behave when buying goods and services. These theories are cardinal and ordinal approach. Ordinal approach It was introduced in 1906 by Pareto. It assumes that consumer levels of utility cannot be measured, but rather can be determined by the choice made by consumers to satisfy their utilities. It argues that what consumer likes, prefers more than another can be termed as his/her utility. For instance, Bird nest clothing company produces various brands of women clothing’s. . Women may choose sexy dresses more than sports clothing’s. They may have higher satisfaction when wearing sexy dresses than wearing a sport dresses. Ordinal approach curves involving two goods can be studied. The indifference curves represented on the graph shows various levels of utilities that consumer derives from consuming goods y and x respectively. The higher the distance of indifference curve from the origin the more the level of utility derived by the consumer. Cardinal approach It differs from ordinal approach. It assumes that consumer utility levels can be measured by amount of money that consumer is willing to pay for that good or service. If women like sexy cloths and are willing to pay $100 per cloth wear, then $100 measures their utility. Cardinal utility equation can be represented as; Consumer behavior is rooted in marketing strategy. It is essential to understand marketing concepts that may induce consumer behavior. It includes the following concepts; Production concept It is concerned with production. It assumes that customers only need products and services which are easily available. Bird nest clothing Company believes that consumers source of market to their products. They may increase production of women ware products to best suits the needs of their customers. They will produce many brands of soft drinks to make it available to consumers. Production concept views production as a major step towards achieving satisfaction levels of consumers. It aims the market of products and services. Bird nest clothing has various branches across the world. It must produce enough brands to suit the needs of different consumers globally. Product concept It is concerned with products. It assumes that consumers require products of higher performance and quality. It requires that products are developed and improve in quality to satisfy consumer needs. Companies increase the quality of products they produce. This Company produces women cloths as its major product. However, they developed their fashion designs with time to suit changing needs of consumers. They may increase quality to look better than before. They may change packaging styles and introduce more equipped packages that suits consumers. This Company may increase production of other products that may substitute major product. It involves product promotion and development to increase its quality. Marketing concept It concerns strategies to be used to market goods and products. Organizations believe that consumers need to be informed about the products offered by the company through campaigns at the market. They should create awareness at the market place to ensure that consumers are informed. Marketing concept focuses on market strategies rather than consumer management. Marketing strategies such as market positioning and segmentation may apply here. Bird nest clothing Company divides the markets into various sections. They channel products to specific market groups in the market. Niches enable channeling of specific sections with specific needs. (Atlanta, M.C, 2001) Selling concept It is concern with selling of products and services. It assumes that consumers will never buy products and services in the market unless they are being persuaded to do so. Marketers have to develop a good customer relations measures to attract new customers and to maintain existing customers. Bird nest clothing Company should develop effective customer care services which direct customers towards solving their problems. Offers can be placed on products that are avoided by consumers. These promotions are seasonal in nature. Consumers need to be persuaded to buy products. Effective campaign measures should be launched to market products and services to customers in various places. Society marketing concept It involves designing products and services that directly benefits the society. Organizations may aim at marketing their products in a manner that they achieve profitability and promoting the welfare of the society. This Company may launch a sport competition within the society and sponsor it. As a result the community benefits from sports and recreational activities while the company benefits from selling products and services. This strategy has been effective over the past periods. It has been adopted by many corporations as a major method of satisfying the needs of different consumers. Every business has a social responsibility to administer to the society. This can be one way of delivering responsibilities to the society. This promotes profitability within the company. Market research Market research refers to tools and techniques that should be use to study consumer behavior in the market. It involves observing activities done by consumers. It collects information from the market, analyzes them and summarizes them. Market research helps marketers to develop good marketing strategies. It informs them of their weakness and strengths. Bird nest Company faced huge losses in some years back. It wanted to determine the cause decline in sales. They found out that customer turn up was low. What else could they do? They had to conduct market research to come up with causes of consumer diversion. They have to determine their prices and compare with other products. They must also research about their product quality. Quality products attracts many consumers and vice versa. Competitors can cause decline of customers if their products are more affordable. Market research answers the question, why? What? How? Etc. It should be effective. (J. Scott Armstrong, 1991) CONSUMER DECISION MAKING PROCESS It refers to steps that consumer undergo when making purchase decisions. These decisions are said to be psychological in nature. Decisions have to be made by consumers regarding the type, color, material or prices of commodities to purchase. It involves the following steps; Recognition of a need It is the first stage encountered by consumers during purchase of goods and services. It involves identification of a need by the consumer. Essential human needs are shelter, food and clothing. Consumers have to recognize that there is shortage of a particular commodity. Maslow hierarchy of needs defines needs as commodities that are required for human existence. They include physical needs, physiological needs, security needs, self esteem needs and recognition needs. (Mc Daniel, M, 2011). Human needs are universal. They generally apply to everyone. They can be satisfied in various ways. Human needs can be stimulated by many factors. Such factors are external or internal. Internal factors occur within the body of a human being while external factors occur within the environment. Human needs are correlated. Whenever u satisfies one, another needs to be satisfied. Information Search This is the second stage of consumer decision making process. Consumers look for ways to acquire more information about the products. Methods used include internet researching, observing what others say about the product, through past experience, asking friends and relatives about the product etc. Here, consumers want to get more information about the product. Birds Nest clothing Company in Australia produces women clothing. However, before customers buy their product, they seek information from various sources to know about the brands offered by this company. Consumer choice and preference may differ completely. Color, brand type, cloth sizes, fashions etc can influence consumer decision in purchasing such products. Managers have design various marketing strategies to teach customers about their products. Bird Nest clothing company have posted their cloth samples to internet sources, social sites, magazines, newsletters and media houses to make it known to consumers. They have launched several campaign programs to promote their products in the market. Through this method, they have met the needs of the consumer during information search stage hence attracting more customers. Evaluating alternatives For every idea generated, there is an alternative course of action. In this stage, consumers look for other alternatives that are more effective. It brings in marginal rate of substitution effect. The rate at which one product may be substituted diminishes. Products may be substituted due to high prices, poor quality and consumer preference and choice. Consumers spend amount equal to their budget line. When prices of goods and services are higher, consumers may look for other alternatives that best maximizes their utility. Poor quality products discourage consumers from buying them. On the other hand, consumers may prefer wearing warm sexy clothing which may not be available at Birds nest clothing company. Managers should develop their products to meet the standards of consumers. They should consider competitors prices before attaching price values to their products to avoid competition in the market. It is essential to conduct regular market research to identify various needs of consumers. Market analysis helps to design fashion clothing that best suits the needs of consumers in a given region. Buying decisions These are decisions made at purchase points. Consumers need to make further decisions when purchasing products and services. They have to determine the prices, quality, color, type, size of clothing to buy at Bird Nest clothing company. Consumers have different preferences and choices. Some consumers may prefer wearing pink blouses and black skirts, other may prefer different colors of clothes to wear. Consumers rely on sellers to get extra information about the product. For instance, during purchase of clothing at Birds Nest Company, women may consult attendants or customer care services for assistance. Buying decisions at this stage may be influenced by buyer’s perception. What the customer thinks about the company may have huge impacts on consumer buying behavior. Post purchase decision making Decision can be made by consumers after purchasing the products. It depends on levels of satisfaction derived by consumers after using the product. Consumer satisfaction can be termed as worst, fair and good. Satisfaction is worst when consumers have negative attitude towards it on consumption. Products of such kinds have poor quality and therefore do not meet the expectation of the consumer. When products offer medium satisfaction to consumers, they are said to be fair. Consumers derive their utility from it but it is not maximized. However, goods that maximize consumer’s utility levels are said to be good. These products have high quality and favorable prices. They meet the standards required by consumers. Managers should develop their product to suit the needs of consumers. They should employ new techniques to help promote their product quality for the benefit of consumers. MARKETING STRATEGIES They are ways that can be used to promote products and services. Marketing strategies requires a company to develop new skills to be implemented that will increase percentage of sales within the organization. Marketing refer to a process of making a product known to consumers. On the other hand, strategies refer to short term or long term objectives that are set to be achieved. These objectives aim at promoting products and services within the company. Management should conduct market research to determine the needs of consumers. They should analyze and use the information to design products and services that meet the standards of customers. There are various marketing strategies that can be adapted by an organization to attract more customers. These include; Market segmentation Markets can be subdivided into smaller parts that enhance easy management. These parts are called segments. Market segmentation aims at providing better services to specific group of people. Such groups have same choice and preferences. It expands markets, segmenting markets ensures that new markets are developed. Sometimes small scale consumers are never identified. Market segmentation identifies small scale consumers and provides goods and services to them. Market segments are easier to manage. It is easier for an organization to identify problems affecting consumers in a specific market segments and solve them easily. It also enhances product specialization. Many companies have produced certain products that suit the needs of various market segments. Dividing markets into segments reduces business risks. It reduces amount of risks associated with business i.e. pure risks, financial and non financial risks etc. Birds Nest Company may identify new areas where to invest in their ventures. These markets reduces amount of risks that they are exposed. They generate new markets thus attracting more customers to their company. Effective market segmentation enhances better performance. There are various methods of segmenting markets. These include; Mass marketing It aims at creating a wide marketing for products and services. Mass marketing ensures that products are supplied all over the region. It covers a wide area within a region. Birds nest clothing industry in Australia launches campaigns to promote their products. They move all round the region informing customers about their products. Mass marketing benefits the company in many ways; it creates new markets globally where products and services can be channel to. It attracts new customers. Campaigns trails help b to teach consumers about certain products and services hence attracting them. However it has few limitations. Product specialization is lost. Since mass marketing targets at a larger group, there are no specific products to be supplied. It targets at providing all goods and services to different consumers so as to meet their varying needs in the market. It is therefore an important practice. (Richard; Simmons, 2004) Niche marketing Niches are smaller segments within the market that require specific products to be supplied. For instance, smokers will gather in a place to buy cigarettes. Only cigarettes will be supplied to them and not other products. Birds nest clothing company can s supply women skirts only to a specific group which need them. This practice is known as niche marketing. They are smaller markets created to meet the needs of smaller consumers within the market. It helps to create new markets for products and services. Niches expand markets of the companies supplying them. Small scale retail shops and wholesalers in rural areas have to be supplied with such products. Niche marketing helps to identify new marketing opportunities thus increasing sales. It also aims at enhancing product specialization. Products and services can be design to suit a given group. (John, 1986) Mangers should take into considerations small scale entrepreneurs who need goods and services supplied to them. Marketing is essential practice that creates new opportunities. Elton mayo describes consumer behavior as the base of marketing strategies. He believes that effective marketing strategies influence consumer’s behavior. It changes the way consumers perceive products and services. It creates a positive attitude towards companies producing such goods. Target marketing It refers to marketing strategy where goods and services are designed to suit the needs of particular target group. Target marketing aims at providing extensive markets for products and services. Companies identify their target group. For instance, Bird Nest clothing company in Australia produces women brands of different make. These brands vary in sizes, types and colors. However, clothing used by adults differs from those of younger generation. These companies identify a group to supply their products to. They may channel adult women skirts only to a specific group of women. Target marketing promotes product development. Products can be designed to meet standards of a specific group. It creates wider market where products and service can be channel to. Target marketing reduces the efforts invested in management of consumers. It makes it easier to identify problems affecting a given target group. (Mark, 2007) MARKET POSITIONING Firms compete for resources and customers. This practice defines the position occupied by a company. Firms and corporations should extract effective strategies in the market to ensure market survival. This can be achieved through proper customer relationship procedures that aim at attracting more customers. It requires that organizations identify market mix to be used to promote their product. Markets have to compete effectively for resources and customers in the market by producing high quality goods and services. MARKET TARGETING It refers to the process of designing goods and services that meet the standards of a specific group. Target marketing aims at designing goods and services to a group with similar needs in the society. Birds nest clothing company may produce women clothes to be supplied to Malaysia. This practice defines what target marketing is MARKETING MIX It is combination of skills/ techniques that leads to production of high quality products. Products that satisfy consumer needs have high marketing mix. It consists of many ingredients that are applied in order to increase its quality. For instance, Bird Nest clothing industries uses various materials to produce women fashionable clothing. Material quality attracts consumers. Consumers maximize their level of utility by consuming a good or a service with high utility. (Solomon, M.R. 1994).This service is subjected to a budget constraint. The following aspects constitute a good marketing mix. Service and products Services are non tangible transactions that are offered to customers. These include banking services, transport services, customer care services etc, on the other hand, goods are commodities that are directly consumed by customers or bought for further processing. Corporations should ensure production of quality goods and services that meets the standards of many consumers. Products and services should be easily accessible to consumers. Their prices should be satisfactory. Prices. - Products and services can be measured by attaching value that corresponds with its quality. Price of commodities differ with product type, size, material used, seasons etc. Managers should ensure prices set are effective. Prices are affected by many factors including, inflation rates in the country, seasons, quality of goods and services offered by the company, place of distribution etc. High prices may discourage consumers from buying goods and services, marketers should consider competitors prices before attaching value to their commodities. Promotions Products have to be made known to consumers in the market. Birds nest clothing company in Australia launches several marketing campaigns to promote their products. They strongly believe that consumers must be stimulated by informing them about products and services offered by the company. Products can be promoted by offering discounts to customers. Good customer care services ensure that customers are satisfied with services offered by the company. Customer relationship management is an essential practice in attracting more consumers to the company. (Loudon, D.L, 1988) Distribution Products have to be channel to consumers in various destinations. Proper methods of distribution should be defined clearly. Birds Nest clothing limited use tracks to distribute their clothes to various destinations. Channeling of goods to other countries requires air transport. Consumer behavior can be of low involvement or high involvement. Low involvement goods and services refer to normal goods. Goods that is required daily. These include clothing, food, education etc. On the other hand, highly involvement goods include luxurious goods such as cars, computers etc. Consumers’ behavior is classified into four major types; Programmed behaviors This refers to behaviors that are permanent in consumer’s life. They cannot change; they prefer consuming specific products of goods regardless of prices, quality, size etc. Their choice and preference are said to be constant. Over past years, Bird nest have observed consumers who buy specific brands of clothes throughout the season. Such consumers have constant levels of utility. Limited behavior Such consumers do not frequently buy goods and services. They only prefer searching for information about a given product when they want to purchase them. Their level of utilities varies with time. Complex behaviors Consumers under this category do not purchase goods and services frequently. They buy goods having involvement. Such goods and services have high risks. It include cars, computers etc. It is the role of marketers to identify various behaviors exhibited by many consumers. They should design goods and services that best meets the standards of consumers. (Hair, J, 2011) FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Consumer behaviors are influenced by many factors within the environment. Factors can be external or internal. External factors are found within the environment while internal factors are found within the body of the consumer. Internal factors greatly affect individual’s decision making process. They include; Motivation- it is an inner drive that enables and individual to perform a given task. Motivation can be achieved by rewarding employees according to performance produce when accomplishing their tasks. Birds nest clothing offers discounts to their customers. They issue promo codes to their customers. Promo codes ensure that loyal consumers shop products and services at a discount. Consumers needs better customer care services (Sabine, 2012.) Perception- it refers to how consumers think about products and services. Consumer satisfaction can be described as being worst, fair or good. Consumers with worst levels of satisfaction during past experience may have a negative perception about product and services. A woman who bought a skirt in Birds nest investments came back to complain for its size. She argues that the skirt was too large for her. Such consumers may perceive the company negatively. Consumer perception may be influenced by friends and relatives. They may be advised by his friends never to buy such products. His perception changes completely (David T, 1968) Attitude- they are internal feelings that one has towards a given product or a service. Attitude can either be negative or positive. Negative attitude describes low level of consumer satisfaction, on the other hand, positive attitude represent high level of consumer satisfaction. Personality- It refers to traits that are posses by consumers. This trait affects how consumers make buying decisions. They include aggressiveness, self esteem, confidence etc. Knowledge and ability- Consumers can derive information from various sources about a given product. Consumers may be familiar about a given product; such consumers need little information about products and services to buy. Ability is the capability of consumers to learn faster about given products. Consumers aim at consuming bundles of goods and services maximizing their unities. (Engel, James F, 2000) CONCLUSION Consumer behavior is an essential process that should be adopted by many organizations. Marketing is directly link to consumer behavior, effective marketing strategies such as market segmentation, market positioning and market targeting. Effective marketing segmentation strategies such as niche, target and target marketing should be employed. Organizations should ensure employing proper marketing mix that meets the standards of consumers. Conducting market research is essential to identify consumer needs. They should carry out market analysis and design goods and services that meet the standards of computers. Organizations should understand consumer buying decision process. They are various types of consumer behaviors including programmed, limited and complex behaviors. Consumers are affected by internal factors including motivation, personality, attitude, knowledge and ability and perception. REFERENCES Atlanta, M.C (2001, January 27). 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