Marketing Communications Plan of Woolworth Samples for Students

Question: Prepare a Marketing Communications Plan for Selected Organization. Answer: Introduction Marketing communication planning is important for marketing managers when developing marketing strategies(Hossen, 2015). The plan enables organizations to exploit opportunities, reinforce a brand, and focus on new markets. The retail market in Australia is currently characterized with intense competition and changes in business environment. Some of the big supermarkets in Australia like Jewel food stores, Welcome Mart, Sims Supermarket, and Woolworth are employing marketing strategies in order to maintain and compete in the market. One of the marketing strategies employed by the stores is developing a marketing communication plan(Westwood, 2016). This paper will focus on creating a marketing communication plan for Woolworth supermarket. Background of Woolworth supermarket Woolworth supermarket is one of the largest retail supermarkets in Australia known for supply of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat. The retail store enjoys the largest market share of about 64% with over 961 stores across the country. The service provision is depended upon 111000 employees located in different support offices, stores and distribution centers. It is reported that 96% of fresh produce from farmers is supplied to Woolworth. Recent financial report of 2016 showed increases of profits of about AUD 2.2 million across its stores. One notable statistics from the report was that 2% of the revenue originated from special orders from the countries Japan and China. Sales record of 2016 showed that the dominant product purchased in the two countries were meat produce(Vu, 2016). That has prompted the Woolworth management to rethink on the marketing strategy of the two emerging markets. Woolworth supermarket marketing objectives Woolworth development of marketing communication plan will be guided by the following objectives: To increase the market share from 64% to 74% through penetration of new markets within a period of 12 months. To develop a meat produce brand suitable for the new markets within a period of 12 months. Marketing segmentation Segmentation of the market is important when focusing to meet customer needs or wants(Blakeman, 2014). The study will review four types of market segmentation which include demographic, geographical, behavioral, and psycho-graphic segmentations. Segmentation will be done by Woolworth supermarket in order to identify the target, positioning, creative and media strategy to employ. Demographic segmentation The current business environment in Australia is characterized by an increase in the number of old citizens and different types of occupations. Market survey conducted by R D team of the retail store showed 66.7% of sales originated from customers aged between 50-75 years. Sales data showed that the company made more sales from ready to eat meat produce which was attributed to the working class. Woolworth supermarket will need to repackage the meat produce in order to meet the customer needs and wants. Geographical segmentation Woolworth supermarket customers are located in different locations including cities, states and countries. Financial records of 2016 showed that there was an increase in sales originating from new markets of China and Japan. To serve the varying needs of this customers the store will distributing and exporting meat produce to new markets. Exports will be done to new countries like China and Japan. Psycho-graphic segmentation Over the years Woolworth supermarket meat produce have been known to be of higher quality. Woolworth supermarket customer feedback report showed that majority of the country citizens is happy with company meat products because of its cultural heritage identification(Vu, 2016). The retail store will continue maintaining value by producing fresh meat produce that will be consistent with Aboriginal culture and lifestyle. Behavioral segmentation The Australian consumers have higher regards on their nutritional status(Vu, 2016). The sales data from retail store show that there are more purchases of good when the items are delivered in comparison to non-delivery days. They wish to continue consuming fresh produce from the right source. Products produced by the retail store will be served fresh as per the needs of the consumers. Target strategy Through the various markets segmentation and financial data reported for the retail store to achieve the intended objectives the target strategy it will focus on demographic and geographical segmentation. The two types of segments provide data useful to justify the intended target population. In order to capture new markets and customers strategies should focus on penetrating new markets like China and Japan, and increasing sales to the older consumers. Positioning strategy In order to position well in the new markets and be able to meet the target population needs positioning strategies of market penetration will be employed(Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., Kotler, P., 2014). The meat produce for this specific target group will be differentiated to capture their needs. Product customization with the target population culture will be done to increase identification and ownership. More salesperson will be employed to ensure availability of meat produce to the older target population. Creative strategy To boost more sales in both new market product innovation strategies and purchasing strategies will be employed(Baker, 2014). The use of logistics management will be employed to reduce costs which will reduce prices and attract more customers sensitive to prices. Better software aided application for electronic gadgets will be developed in order to increase customer convenience when making orders and payments. Media strategy Woolworth supermarket media strategy is to ensure that product characteristics and uniqueness is communicated to the targeted population(Royle, J Laing, A, 2014). The strategy involves proper marketing techniques and methods in order information reaches the targeted audiences(Blakeman, 2014). Media planning Media planning of Woolworth meat products will begin by mapping process. The process involves identification of customer needs, accessibility and effective means of communication. The planning process will also be guided by other characteristics like the ethical considerations and the exiting institutional policies. The justification of the media channel will be based on appropriateness and availability of resources(Team, B., Schori, A., MacLean, M., Shipe, J., Wickenkamp, A., Wehr, A., 2014). The planning will involve members from different units within the organization. Traditional media Woolworth supermarket will be employing the use of public relation officers and salesperson to market the meat produce. The two traditional media channels were chosen because they provide immediate feedback when dealing with new markets. They provide the suitable direct means in which the business can interact with the customers effectively and efficiently. Internet Changes in technology as prompted business organization to employ internet in business operations(Blakeman, 2014). For the targeted customers located in other countries the internet (website) will provide a better media channel to communicate, advertise, order, and review Woolworth products. Digital To increase self-service convenience and comfort Woolworth will design electronic aided application specifically for the retail store. The application will facilitate ordering, payment, and feedback process. The digital media will help capture a number of new customers. Media scheduling Media strategy will be executed by Woolworth by having a media execution plan. Table 1shows a summary of media plan. Table 1 Media plan schedule Events Time schedule Preparation of marketing plan materials 4th may 2017 to 10th June 2017 Development of marketing application software 15th to 25th June 2017 Market communication with China markets 1th July to 1st August 2017 Market communication with Japan markets 10th Sep 2017 to 1st Nov 2017 Public relations salesmanship visits 15th Nov 2017 to 20th Nov 2017 Review and reporting 1st Jan 2017 to 15th Jan 2017 Marketing budget Market budget is important component in ensuring market deliverables are achieved effectively(Parente, D. Strausbaugh, R, Hutchinson,K, 2014). Table 2 shows a summary of the budget. Table 2 Market budget Items Cost (AUD) Stationery 500.00 Transport 5000.00 Sales persons wages (3months) 1000.00 Media materials (assorted) 3500.00 Advertising costs 2000.00 Public address hiring 500.00 Permits 1000.00 Branded materials 2500.00 Call charges 200.00 Miscellaneous expenses 1700.00 Totals 17900.00 Evaluation and control Information obtained from internal and external information systems will be analyzed and compared with planned schedules. Data from the field will originate from sales forecasts, revenue estimates, salespersons records, financial records which will be analyzed to aid in decision making. Monitoring of the entire process will be done continuously but evaluation will be done periodically. The analyzed data will provide an avenue for decision making through evaluations and control mechanisms(Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N. D., Wells, W. D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L., Spence-Stone, R. (2014), 2014). Conclusion Marketing communication planning is an important component in ensuring that the right products and services are provided. The marketing communication will be useful to Woolworth supermarket in achieving the intended objectives. It will help them choose the suitable strategies to employ to meet the required targets. The meat product promotion will enable them to increase their revenues and market share to the intended audiences both locally and internationally. If the plan is backed up with the required support it provides a useful tool that marketing managers can use. The plan provides suitable strategies, techniques, tools and media channels that marketing personnels can use to ensure they communicate with customers. References Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., Kotler, P. (2014). Principles of marketing. Stenburg : Pearson Australia. Baker, M. (2014). Marketing strategy and management. New York: Palgrave Macmillan . Blakeman, R. (2014). 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