Market
Research | Marketing Plans
The days when companies could
count their competitors on one
hand, when the product development
cycle was as long as a few years,
and the most targeted form of marketing
was direct mail, are long gone.
Today, no matter what business
you are in, new competition can
appear in the blink of an eye,
from almost anywhere. Product development
cycles are now measured in days,
weeks or months, but definitely
not years. And although direct
mail still works, it is less effective
and has largely been replaced by
targeted opt-in email, pay per
click advertising (PPC), and search
engine optimization (SEO).
All companies, whether large or
small, find it increasingly difficult
to maintain a competitive edge.
Large companies have big budgets,
armies of consultants, and vast
resources of internal experts.
Smaller companies, on the other
hand, rarely have all the in-house
resources they need to properly
research, plan, and manage all
of their marketing tasks.
That is where we come in. We help
companies work harder, smarter,
and faster to win market share
and grow profits. We specialize
in the small and middle market
sector. And we are experts in both
strategic and tactical marketing.
Strategic
marketing refers to research,
analysis and planning associated
with the fundamental, strategic
aspects of your company’s
overall marketing plan. Strategic
marketing includes segmentation,
targeting and positioning:
- value proposition
— why should customers buy from
you?
- brand
definition and branding strategy
— much more than just a name,
a valuable brand means implies
specific, positive associations
for large numbers of people
- target markets — what
groups are you trying to reach,
how do these groups differ from
each other, how can you best
reach them?
- competitors — analysis
of their products and services,
price positioning, value proposition,
profitability, market share,
etc.
Tactical
marketing refers to developing
and using
- market intelligence —
are there any economic trends,
lifestyle changes, demographic
shifts, or information about our
competitors that we can use to
our advantage?
- marketing
mix — the “Four
P’s”: product, price,
placement, and promotion.
- “Product” includes
products and services, as well
as packaging (which can be virtual
or physical)
- “Price” includes
discounts, promotions, rebates,
warranties, delivery charges,
service charges, maintenance
fees, upgrade fees, etc; also
how prices compare with those
of your top competitors
- “Placement” includes
how and where products are made
available to the target market:
small retail stores in trendy
neighborhoods; large retail distribution
centers in suburbs; third party
distributors; direct sales via
the Internet; telemarketing and
telesales; etc.
- “Promotion” covers
all the ways a company communicates
product or service information
to their customers and other
stakeholders. This includes advertising,
sales, direct mail, publicity,
trade shows, etc.
- acquiring, retaining
and growing customers
- measuring,
evaluating, monitoring the
effectiveness of your company’s
marketing efforts — tracking
the effectiveness of sales
promotions and ad campaigns;
measuring and monitoring
ROI; testing and evaluating
new media, markets, messages,
and programs; etc.
Our core marketing capabilities
include market research, planning,
and execution. In each area, we
can provide as little or as much
help as you need. Whether you need
to research one market segment
in detail, or all of your markets
at a higher level, we can help.
Similarly, we can develop a marketing
plan for one product or service
in one market, or we can cover
your entire product and service
portfolio across all markets. When
it comes to marketing execution
we generally function as an interim
or specialized marketing director.
Market
research is the foundation
of all marketing. Every successful
company understands who their customers
are and how they make purchasing
decisions. Sound market research
inevitably shows that different
customers have different needs,
desires, and perceptions, and naturally
divide into segments or groups.
Market research also uncovers relevant
market trends, such as shifts in
demographics, legislative changes
(new tax laws, new immigration
policies, new environmental programs).
Of course every successful company
also understands who their competitors
are, how they are perceived in
the marketplace, and how they position
themselves relative to their competitors.
The
result of most marketing planning
efforts is a formal marketing
plan.
A good marketing plan enables you
to focus your sales and marketing
efforts in the areas with greatest
potential while avoiding costly
mistakes. Our marketing planning
process starts with a market assessment,
continues with a differentiated
marketing strategy, and ends with
steps to establish marketing metrics,
and ends with a plan for monitoring
and control.
In addition to market research
and marketing planning, we can
also provide the expertise you
need when it comes to execution.
We are set up to provide maximum
flexibility at the lowest possible
cost to meet the needs of your
growing business. You get the skills
you need and pay for only what
you use, without having to grow
your payroll. To implement specific
projects, we can provide a team
of skilled staff to achieve fast
results. As an alternative, we
can provide a manager to work at
your location using your own employed
staff. Engagements can vary in
length from as short as a few months
up to several years.
We can help you
- identify the most
profitable opportunities to build
new channels to market, through
resellers, independent representatives,
OEM's, or licensing and royalty
arrangements.
- identify and introduce
you to prospective strategic
partners, and help you structure
and negotiate the best deals
for productive relationships.
- design, monitor and manage
specific marketing campaigns,
or coordinate and manage a portflio
of campaigns
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