Part A: Background and Target Audience
The increasing investments in marketing communication highlights the need in innovation for satisfying and improving the identity, positioning of brand and products, reputation, goodwill, as well as networking. On the basis of the literature in marketing communication, this work studies the importance of creating a new integrated approach that will help organizations manage the complex issues in communicating the brand to both new and existing consumer. This paper considers the launch of differentiated cologne. The paper studies introduction of new cologne Versman Fragrance by the Interconsumer Products Limited (Caywood 2013). This single product is expected to be successful in the international market. It can also be used in promoting other brands of the company. This report starts with of the overview of the communication strategies and operations. It identifies the most effective factors that are supposed to attract the consumers’ attention and, as a result, succeed in promoting Versman to the right and historical position as the best cologne ain the world (Thorson and Moore 2013). This paper suggests the means for the organization that can help strategically organize and project an integrated marketing campaign that will be useful in a successful branding transformation. Companies often fail to combine various communications channels. This results in a mixture of different messages to consumers (Shimp and Andrews 2013). However, companies that adopt the concept of integrated marketing communication make it easier for their consumers to encounter the company, the company’s products, as well as its brands (Shimp and Andrews 2013). IMC implies that all the company’s messages, images, positioning, as well as identity are interconnected issues along all its marketing communications venues. It means that all the promotion mix that the company uses communicates the same message and the advertising campaign employs the same features and spirit. The Interconsumer Products Limited (ICP) was founded as a sole proprietor in 1995 and later changed into unlimited company. ICP Mission was to provide personal care and beauty products, which were to meet international standards and satisfy customers in all its existing and venturing markets (Caywood, 2013). The company discovers and develops quality beauty products that satisfy the market needs. Some of the products offered in this range include hair products, lotion, colognes, and other deodorant product. This report considers the Versman Fragrance cologne. This product used to be produced as a single product and used to be the best in the market. The competitors aped Versman Fragrance in all its aspect, ranging from packaging, pricing to advertising. All of the competitors made their products look the same because of the good brand name Versman Fragrance had enjoyed for a long time. Other brands began gaining momentum at a high rate by operating in the same area and diminishing the Versman distinctiveness. Consequently, Versman sales began to decrease at a very high rate leading to a very minimal market share. Because of competition from other manufactures, the company decided to divide the cologne into four new products: Versman Fresh, Versman Indulge, Versman Cool, and Versman Sporty. All these brands came with different scents and in different colors. This meant that it was a new product that had to be introduced into the market from the ground up. This report studies two target markets for the product. The first one is the females under 25 years of age. Out of four different types, Versman Fresh and Versman Cool are supposed to satisfy these customers effectively considering that they have a light and catchy smell. The second target market is the males below 30 years of age. Versman Indulge and Versman Sports are supposed to attract their attention since they are not too concentrated and use the male appealing colors. Although the production of the four smells is almost the same, this integrated market action plan will play the role of separating the products to appeal to the appropriate target groups.Part B: Integrated Marketing Communication Plan
Marketing Objectives- Drive differentiation for Versman and make it the common brand in people’s minds through consumer engagement.
- Reverse the downward movement of the Versman market share. The long-term objective is to increase the sales by 5%.
- Make Versman Fragrance the number two cologne by the second year.
- Increase sales of other Versman products resulting to at least 10% market share of the general Interconsumer Product Company limited in Africa.
Marketing Strategies
Branding A broad marketing strategy will introduce a marketing plan of the Versman Fragrance under the Interconsumer Products’ name. The continued use of ICP as a company trade name will assist in successful launching of the plan and boosting the sales of the Versman Fragrance in the international competitive market of deodorants. The use of the company name on the product will also help boost some Versman products other than Fragrance and, as a result, enable the company gain more shelf space in the entire market. Relationship Communities and Event Marketing This issue deserves special attention as it is considered a marketing strategy. It involves specific communities that are identified by the territory of living and common interests that move them. This is a new way of reading and managing the sponsorship of events by traveling through several towns in Kenya and advertising the new Versman Fragrance among the local communities. Pricing The selling price of this product should be lower than the price of other Fragrance smells produced by other manufactures. This step will appeal to the younger consumers and those who are interested in the cosmetics price. However, there will be no specific marketing of the product based on the value as this will cannibalize the ICP’s other products. Moreover, this strategy will help avoid cheapening of the company’s name. It is worth noting that people who are interested in lower prices do not go shopping with a specific product in mind. They are supposed to see how preferably the Versman Fragrance is in terms of price and probably end up buying it. Distribution Channels The distribution channels should be slightly altered in order to take advantage of less utilized channels. The channels should penetrate into all, even very remote, areas because of their value. With all other steps, a presale program should be launched, as well. The company is also to pioneer a new customer care by utilizing the most modern business processes and strategies, as well as improved technologies, for example, vendor managed inventory or electronic data interchange. Position Statement A position statement for the Versman Fragrance by the Interconsumer Products will be ‘All natural, all for you.’ This slogan will be meant to intrigue the consumer’s curiosity and will end up convincing them to buy. A good marketing strategy incorporates the old communication media combined with the new digital media in order to reach the potential consumers and ignite their interest. Market Segmentation The IPC’s perfume brand will now be highly segmented in terms of price tiers, as well as target audiences and geography since it is a renowned brand in the Kenyan market. While the Versman Cool and Fresh are expected to be popular among young women, the Indulge and Sports will target the male consumers (Keller & Fay 2009). In penetrating the new markets, the company will employ the fresh brand because it can be consumed by both males and females. Advertising The company will have to invest heavily in advertising. Any increased sales are always determined by the advertising made. The main advertising method in this strategy will be television and press advertising (Baker and Hart, 1999). Although television advertising can be quite expensive, its coverage is wide. Since the aim is to reach the consumer and deliver the company’s information, the television advertising will worth every penny spent on it (Yeshin, 2012). Promotion Mix A company’s promotion mix is a specific blend of marketing sales promotion, personal selling, and public relationship materials that the company uses in setting its advertising and sales objectives. In this plan, the company will apply all the five promotion techniques including:- Advertising through non-personal presentation of ideas, information, goods and services by an identified person. The company should propose the use of print, outdoor, broadcast and billboards advertisement whereby the pictures of all the four brands of Versman Fragrance will be demonstrated to the general public (Baker & Hart 1999). Such displays are vital since they create awareness of the new Versman smells other than the originally single brand of the Versman Fragrance.
- Personal selling will involve the personal presentation of the product by the company’s sales force. Through trade shows and incentive programs, the targeted consumers who do not know about the newly launched line of the Versman Fragrance will have the opportunity to try the taste of the different brands in order to choose their favorite one. This method also gives the consumer a chance to ask questions about any nagging issue.
- The sales promotion involves short term incentives meant to encourage the sale or purchase of a product or service. In this campaign, sales promotion will include different bonuses, coupons, discounts, demonstrations, and unique advertisement of the four brands.
- Direct marketing involves direct communication with carefully targeted consumers to get an immediate response. In this strategy, direct marketing will involve mail, telephone, email, and fax (Thompson, Rindfleisch, and Arsel 2006).
- Public relations entail building of good relations with the public by getting favorable publicity and maintaining a good corporate image.