MAR4806 Rasmussen M3 Project Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning For this week’s course project assignment, you will develop targeting and positioning

MAR4806 Rasmussen M3 Project Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning For this week’s course project assignment, you will develop targeting and positioning strategies for your product. Please note that this is a three-part assignment. All three parts will be completed as one paper with headings (e.g., “Segmentation”) that clearly identify each part. To complete the assignment, do the following:

Part 1 – Segmentation

Before conducting any research, brainstorm each of the following and include your ideas for each topic in a separate list:
Reasons consumers might want to purchase your product.
The types of people who would use your product.
Occasions for which people might use your product.
Conduct research to identify data or trends that answer the following:
(Note: Be selective when identifying credible, high-quality sources.)
Why might consumers want to purchase your product?
What types of people would want to use your product?
On what occasions might people use your product?
Discuss how your research findings compare to the lists you brainstormed initially.
Based on your research, describe three consumer segments that present the greatest potential opportunity for your product.

Part 2 – Targeting

Based on your analysis in Part 1, which consumer segment should be the target market for your product and why? Support your answer with insights from your research.
Due to the growth of global markets, many companies pursue opportunities to target consumers in other countries. Answer the following questions:
What country should your company target and why?
Conduct research on the country you chose. Discuss three (3) cultural factors that would impact how you market your new product in that country.
What cultural biases might impact your ability to launch a new product in the selected country?

Part 3 – Positioning

Conduct research to find a sample positioning statement. Include it in your paper with the proper citations.
Create a unique positioning statement for your new product.

Cite at least five credible sources in your paper, with at least two from academic databases. Include in-text citations, a title page and a reference page formatted according to APA standards. Your paper should be a minimum of three (3) pages.

***SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS FOR FIRST 2 PAPERS*** Mod 01 Course Project
1
Module 01 Course Project
Company and Product Selection
Matthew Marquette
Rasmussen College B475/MAR4806
Author Note
This paper is being submitted on February 17th, 2019 for Professor Bonnie Anderson
B475/MAR4806 Section 01 Marketing Capstone.
COCA COLA COMPANY
2
The coca cola company is an American corporation. It is a retailer and marketer of nonalcoholic beverages. The most known beverage is the Coca Cola which was invented by a
pharmacist known as John Stith Pemberton. The company has been doing very well in the
market. As a brand manager, I am supposed to launch a new product on the market (Barney, et
al. 1995). This is due to the fact that the company values innovation and this is a top priority.
However, understanding the business will be the first requirement prior to the launch of the
product.
Understanding the business will mean looking at different things such as the competitive
advantage. With the level of competition continuing to rise, it is essential for every brand to have
a competitive advantage. It is important to note that for a product to take leadership in any
particular industry, something must stand out. The following are the competitive advantages of
the Coca Cola Company.
•
Global presence and brand image- Coca Cola as a brand are present in more than 200
countries. Both its logo and name are easily recognized anywhere. This is one of the key
strengths. Furthermore, Coca Cola’s brand image is represented youthfulness and energy
due to its connection with the young generation.
•
Large supply and distribution network- The Company has one of the largest supply and
distribution network in the world. This means that it is basically a leader in the industry.
It is important to note that Coca Cola as a company deals mainly with drinks. This means that
it belongs to the beverage industry. This is the industry in which the Company competes. As a
result, the product is to be launched in this same industry. This is because the diversion to
another industry may make the product less popular. Concentrating on the same industry will
also make sure that we reach the same population of people. We will also know how to deal with
COCA COLA COMPANY
3
the competition since it is an industry we are familiar with. It is important to note that there are
certain factors that must be considered for a product to succeed in the beverage industry. Below
are three of these factors;
•
Consumer knowledge- this is a vital factor for any product launching in the market.
Without this knowledge, the marketing of the product will be difficult and thus failure.
•
Research and analysis- research and analysis are to make you as a producer find cheaper
ways to make your product and also different ways on how to improve on the product
you are making.
•
Goals- for any beverage Company to succeed, then a goal must be set. A clear welldefined goal ensures that the business does not lose focus but rather sticks with its
objectives.
These are some of the factors that have helped the Coca Cola Company to succeed in the
beverage industry. However, the Coca Cola Company paired these factors with other marketing
strategies. Coca Cola uses Pricing as a marketing strategy. They do this by first selling new
products at low prices and then increasing them over time. This helps in that people have already
identified with the product. This will most likely ensure sales. Sponsorship. This is also used as a
marketing strategy for the Coca Cola Company (Wright, et al. 2017). The company sponsors so
many events such as American Idol. By doing this, they end up creating awareness and therefore
popularizing their products. The advertisement is also used as a marketing strategy by the Coca
Cola Company. They have created profiles for social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram
and Facebook. This is effective especially now that almost everyone has access to the internet.
In as much as Coca Cola Company has made all these advancements in the industry, other
beverage companies are also growing. Pepsi and Red Bull are only two examples of the
COCA COLA COMPANY
4
competitors Coca Cola faces. Red Bull has a competitive advantage over Coca Cola. The founder
of Red Bull was the first to introduce energy drinks. It also has an appealing brand image. The
drink is associated with so many sporting activities. It has actually surpassed Coca Cola in this
sector. Pepsis competitive advantage is mainly its product portfolio. While it is a beverage
company, it also has snacks that are associated with it different from the others. Pepsi as a
company also focuses on technology. This is advantageous in that most people identify with
technology today. This has even popularized their product more. From the research, I now
understand Coca Colas key competitive advantages (Miller, et al. 1998).
•
Global presence- in as much as these other companies also thrive on global presence. The
global presence of Coca Cola Company precedes any other company in the industry.
•
Financial strength- It is important to note that Coca Cola existed in the industry way
before the other beverage companies. This means that they have financial capabilities that
precede the rest.
Initially, I thought that due to the large supply and distribution network of Coca Cola
Company, then it definitely had a competitive advantage over the other companies. However,
further analysis has shown that Coca Cola’s Competitors also have a large supply and
distribution network. For one, Pepsi even runs hotels and restaurants. However, the global
presence of Coca Cola still remains a competitive advantage for other companies. This is
because Coca Cola is known everywhere. Many people identify with the white and red logo of
the Coca Cola Company.
Due to all these factors, the best product to launch is an energy drink. This is because Coca
Cola’s competitive advantage will ensure it stays at the top. Furthermore, energy drinks such as
Red Bull and Malt do not have the type of global presence Coca Cola has. This will also ensure
COCA COLA COMPANY
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that Coca Cola deals with all the products. The consumers will be able to access whatever they
want in any Coca Cola shop (Doyle, et al. 1989).
This will require a cross-functional team. Marketing is an area that will be needed in the
cross-functional team. This is because the product is new and will, therefore, require the right
channels to market it. Operations will also be an important area in this team. This is because the
raw materials for the making of the energy drink will need good management. Lastly, Finance
will be also required to help manage the financial resources delegated towards the new product.
A cross-functional team is beneficial in that you get different insights from everyone. Creativity
and problem solving are also increased in these teams.
However, in some cases, diverse perspectives are not respected in a team. This can lead to
serious demotivation and slow growth in the team. The team is also made weak by the fact that
the opinion of one person is not respected. This creates a weakness in the team. This will
eventually lead to the failure of the business. If cross-functional teams work together and respect
each other, then the business goal will automatically be achieved. There is strength in unity. The
company will approach milestones as one entity. Each person’s voice will be heard and respected
(Porter, et al. 2008). This gives a sense of importance and motivation.
6
COCA COLA COMPANY
References
Barney, J. B. (1995). Looking inside for competitive advantage. Academy of Management
Perspectives, 9(4), 49-61.
Doyle, P. (1989). Building successful brands: the strategic options. Journal of marketing
management, 5(1), 77-95.
Miller, D. (1998). Coca-Cola: a black sweet drink from Trinidad. Material cultures: Why some
things matter, 169-87.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Education.
Porter, M. E. (2008). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance.
simon and schuster.
Running head: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND OBJECTIVES
Module 02 Course Project
Situation Analysis and Objectives
Matthew Marquette
Rasmussen College B475/MAR4806
Author Note
This paper is being submitted on February 24th, 2019 for Professor Bonnie Anderson
B475/MAR4806 Section 01 Marketing Capstone.
1
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND OBJECTIVES
2
Part 1 – Situation Analysis
Digital Resources
There are several relevant digital resources that I identified about Coca-Cola Company
and the products it provides in the market. The most important digital resource was the
company’s website. However, I also identified Yahoo Finance to be an important digital resource
specifically when looking for various financial statements for Coca-Cola Company. Some of the
statements include the statement of financial position, the income statement, and the statement of
changes in equity.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
–
An incredible brand identity
–
Great competition from Pepsi
–
Has a great distribution network
–
Huge concerns over some of the
across the world
–
contents in its products
Is a trusted brand by millions of
–
Low product diversification
people
–
Water management issues
–
Very high sales
–
It has been blamed for increased rates
–
Easy access to new markets
Opportunities
of diabetes and obesity
Weaknesses
–
Diversification of its product range
–
Issues in water sourcing issues
–
Accessing new markets in developing
–
Great competition from Pepsi
nations
–
Indirect competition from other
–
Producing packaged drinking water
–
Improvement of water management
companies such as Starbucks
–
Unethical business practices by some
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND OBJECTIVES
3
issues
–
Increase the marketing of its lesser
consumed products
of its partners
–
Brand imitation in developing
countries
Discussion
From the SWOT analysis table presented above, there are several things that can be
discussed. The first thing is what role is played by the strengths and why they are important to
the core business of Coca-Cola Company. The strengths are important since they ensure that the
company has high sales across the world. Having a global distribution network means that the
company can easily use the channels to distribute its products thereby guaranteeing that success
and sustainability is achieved. The identified weaknesses pose as huge threats that can easily
push the business out of the market. Increased competition from Pepsi means that the company
could easily lose its market share to competitors and this could affect the realization of its goals
and objectives (Porter, 2008). These weaknesses also pose as huge risks for the business model
of the company. As a result, it is imperative that they are addressed by Coca-Cola Company.
For the company to pursue the identified opportunities, it must have to conduct
investments in each of the opportunity. For example, increasing its product range would mean
that the company would have to diversify its products. Such diversification could include coming
up with new brands and products that are delivered into the market (Hu, & Chuang, 2014). The
threats may be minimized through coming up with a great marketing campaign that increases
brand awareness in the market. Such a strategy would be aimed at occupying some of the market
share that is currently being controlled by Pepsi and other indirect competitors. The threats can
also be reduced through accessing new markets especially in developing nations. Doing this
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND OBJECTIVES
4
would over time increase the sales revenue and this could increase the profitability and
sustainability of the company.
The list of strengths by Coca-Cola Company given this week can be compared to some of
the competitive advantages that were identified in the past week. The competitive advantages
that were identified include global presence, brand image, and large supply network. What I
noticed is that the competitive advantages of the company are all included in the strengths in the
SWOT analysis of Coca-Cola. This means that competitive advantages are strengths that can
allow a company to be successful within the industry. However, some of the strengths are not
competitive advantages since they are possessed by other companies in the industry such as
Pepsi.
From the SWOT analysis, some of the strengths can be used to overcome the weaknesses
of the company. For example the great distribution network can be used to tackle the intense
rivalry and competition that the company faces from Pepsi. This can be done through expanding
into new markets such as the Far East and developing countries. Doing this may increase the
market value of the company while at the same time increasing its revenues from sales
(Christensen, 2016). Coca-Cola is also a trusted brand by millions of people across the world. It
can use this trust to correct some of the water management issues that it has experienced in the
recent past.
Coca-Cola Company can also use the strengths to capitalize on the opportunities in the
market. One of the opportunities is expanding and diversifying its product range. Since the
company has a great distribution network, it can use this strength to create awareness about the
new brands in the market. Coca-Cola Company can also use its strengths to minimize the threats.
One of the strengths is high sales. The high sales level may be used to counter the threat of
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND OBJECTIVES
5
intense competition from companies such as Pepsi. Countering the competition may help protect
its market share that has in the recent past been encroached by other companies in the industry.
Part 2 – Objectives
When developing a marketing plan for the Coca-Cola, it is imperative to come up with
several marketing objectives. These are goals that are supposed to be met by the plan once it has
been put into place. A marketing plan is essential for any company since it helps raise awareness
about the products and services that company delivers into the market (Noe, Hollenbeck,
Gerhart, & Wright, 2017). One of the major objectives is to increase the sales level. Companies
such as Coca-Cola aim at generating profits for their shareholders while at the same time
expanding into new markets. The increase in sales should also be higher than the costs that have
been incurred in various marketing strategies that have been adopted. When the sales level
increases, the profitability and sustainability of the business can be guaranteed and this can go a
long way towards realizing the goals of the business.
Another marketing objective is to increase product awareness in the public realm. The
main aim of marketing is to allow consumers to know about various products and services and
what needs and desires they can fulfill (Sirgy, & Dong-Jin, 2015). When Coca-Cola Company
launches a marketing strategy, it aims at creating such awareness. When awareness is created,
consumers can know what value they can receive from purchasing a given product or service.
Another marketing objective that may be developed by Coca-Cola Company is brand
management. Coca-Cola Company produces many brands under its name. Through proper
marketing, each of the brands can be appropriately managed and this can created sustained
sustainability and growth for the company. These objectives help shape the marketing plan
thereby determining its success or failure in the market.
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND OBJECTIVES
6
References
Christensen, H. K. (2016). Defining customer value as the driver of competitive advantage.
Strategy & Leadership, 38(5), 20-25. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10878571011072048
Hu, F., & Chuang, C. C. (2014). How can different brand strategies lead to retailers’ success?
Comparing manufacturers brand for Coca-Cola and private brand for Costco. Journal of
Global Business Issues, 3(1), 129-135. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/223740994?accountid=45049
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Education.
Porter, M. E. (2008). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance.
Simon and Schuster.
Sirgy, M. J., & Dong-Jin, L. (2015). Setting socially responsible marketing objectives: A qualityof-life approach. European Journal of Marketing, 30(5), 20-34. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/237020315?accountid=45049

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