Marketing plan 3

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Running head: MARKETING PLAN 1

Marketing Plan for Sprite Product, Coca-Cola Company

Coca-Cola Company is a multinational beverage company that has been in existence for a very long period of time. Sprite is one of its most popular beverage brands. According to the company, Sprite is a carbonated, lemon-lime flavored soft drink with a crisp, clean taste (The Coca-Cola Company, 2020).

Current Marketing Situation

Sprite is designed for individuals who do not want to consume a black-colored drink. It has as well integrated the lemon flavor in the drink (MBA School Team, 2020). Its distinct green color means that it is easily recognizable among the numerous refreshments in the beverage drinks market. The drink was and is still mainly marketed created as ideal for refreshment. The drink is packaged in a packet or bottle that is green in color and this is meant to ensure that the customers get the feeling of refreshment when purchasing this particular brand.

In the initial stages, the Coca-Cola Company aimed that the Sprite would be able to compete by another brand from the Pepsi group, which was known as 7up (Sharp, 2016). It, however, went way above the expectations of its creators and ended up doing better than the brand that it was meant to compete with (MBA School Team, 2020). This was achieved because of the efficient marketing strategy that the company put in place.

Market Description

One of the key factors in the marketing plan for the Sprite is that there exists a very competitive pricing for the product. This makes the brand to sustain itself in the beverage market because consumers can get it in different packaging. Another aspect of the marketing is that the product is priced fairly in accordance to the quantity contained in the packaging as well as in relation to other beverages that exist in the refreshment industry. The pricing is such that the brand gets to eat a big chunk of customers from its main competitor market.

Product Review

Sprite is one of the major brands that have managed to permeate the whole world. It is present in about 200 countries globally (MBA School Team, 2020). This makes it the most preferred lime drink and is readily available for consumers in places such as kiosks, retail shops, shopping malls as well as online shops. This coupled with the huge supply chain that the Coca-Cola Company features makes the brand reach a very large and widespread customer base.

Competitive Review

Module 3 See Sampling Marketing Plan: Chill Beverage Company in Appendix 2 of eTextbook. Delete these directions. Chapter 9

Module 3 See Sampling Marketing Plan: Chill Beverage Company in Appendix 2 of eTextbook Delete this text. Chapter 10

SWOT

Objectives and Issues

The mission of the company is to create shared opportunities as it transforms into a total beverage company. Its main objective is to diversify the beverage products and create economic benefits such as paid taxes, job creation, community investments as well as ecosystem impacts (The Coca Cola Company, 2020). The company is looking for ways that it can increase its market in developing countries especially in Africa as well as entering the market of packaged bottled water. Dealing in mineral water could be important for the company as it would help reduce the criticism that they only offer drinks that are not good for people’s health.

As with any business, there is are several opportunities that Sprite can exploit in order to propel it to a new level. One of these is to popularize the new lime that has an added cucumber flavor, which is said to have no sugar and in extension calories in it (Borland, 2018). If marketed properly, the new brand would take the company to unprecedented profit heights and at the same time continuing the great dominance and popularity that Sprite has enjoyed for many decades.

Issues

The main issue that could affect the growth of the brand or sales is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This is because of the recession that is bound to hit various countries going forward. Individuals' purchasing power is bound to be affected and in extension the company's profits.

Market Research

The company has often faced criticism over the role its products play in the increase of obesity as well as other health issues. This is an issue that a thorough market research should be done in order to ascertain the velocity of these claims. The findings of the report should be approached with an open mind in order to ensure that the claims do not go on destroying the company's reputation.

In this case, the company's marketing department has introduced what is known as Coca Cola GB to solely focus on the customer (Serôdio et al., 2016). This is in terms of what they want their complaints as well as what is it that they feel should be added in terms of quality. Doing this involves going to the field and get to have a one on one interaction with the consumers and get to understand their perspective on the goods that they get from the company.

Marketing Strategy

Undifferentiated Marketing

The product targets all the members of society. This is because it does not contain ingredients that are unacceptable to, for instance, people of a particular religious persuasion or substances that are not suitable for individuals of a certain age group. It, therefore, means that as many people as possible can buy and drink the beverage.

Differentiated Marketing

Sprite has been manufactured to cater for individuals in the society who are not fun of black-colored beverages (MBA School Team, 2020). It is also meant for customers who do not engage in alcohol consumption. This is on top of having an integrated lemon flavor for individuals who are fond of that particular taste.

Concentrated Marketing

The beverage can be found in almost every country around the globe. It is in fact available in 200 countries worldwide (MBA School Team, 2020). This, therefore, means that the marketing strategy is not a concentrated one. The widespread availability, coupled with the huge distribution infrastructure of the company, makes it one of the most popular soft drinks in the world.

Micromarketing

As highlighted above, the product targets people from all walks of life. The drink is quite affordable to consumers of all social-economic standing. Due to the widespread distribution, every person can access the drink from the retail shops, big shopping malls as well as through the online platforms. The company took a wise move that included, availing branded storage fridges to the retailers as well as the wholesalers in most of the places that the soft drink can be found. This meant that even the small retailers are able to sell the brand without the added cost of buying the fridges. It was a very helpful step, particularly in the developing world where the purchasing power of individuals is relatively low.

Positioning

Sprite has positioned itself as a refreshing drink that is suitable for everyone in the society. This has been accomplished through a very competitive pricing and ensuring that it is readily available to all. This is aided by the fact that it is found in different packaging and sizes. In the initial stages, sprite was meant to compete with other brands such as Pepsi but, it has managed to position itself as a very popular beverage across the many countries that it can be found (MBA School Team, 2020).

Product Strategy

Product Attributes

Sprite is presented and marketed as a drink that is carbon hydrated, caffeine-free, crisp with a lemon-lime taste as well as 100 percent natural flavors (The Coca-Cola Company, 2020). It is a refresher that best suits the consumers who do not want to drink a black-colored beverage. Being caffeine-free makes it even more popular for the many individuals who are not fond of taking beverages that contain caffeine.

Branding

The product is branded in a greenish color. This gives the consumers a feeling that they are taking a natural refreshing soft drink.

Packaging

Sprite is packaged in a bottle that is green in color. These bottles range from those the plastic ones, cans as well as traditional glass bottles. The different packaging is meant to cater for the needs of various customers. For instance, the plastic bottles, as well as the cans, are for those individuals who prefer to buy the soft drink for home or travel use.

Labeling

The sprite label has information about the ingredients, the manufacture as well as the nutritional value of the drink. The ingredients consist of carbonated water, sugar, acidity regulations (330,331), preservative (211), and added flavors (Natural flavoring substances). The nutritional value is stated as Energy: 48 kcal, sugar 12grams, carbohydrate 12grams, fats 0grams, and protein 0grams (Coca Cola Journey, 2019).

Product Support Services

The product ensures that the consumer enjoys a drink that has a longer shelf life as well as responding to the customer's complaints, concerns, and suggestions regarding the product. These include coming up with other products that the customer thinks that would be more satisfying or improving on the existing product. A good example of this is the sprite with an added cucumber flavor.

Pricing

Distribution Strategy

Module 3 See Sampling Marketing Plan: Chill Beverage Company in Appendix 2 of eTextbook Delete text. ….Chapter 10Three strategies are available: intensive distribution, exclusive distribution, and selective distribution.

Marketing Communication Strategy

The Coca Cola Company has a very aggressive advertisement campaign that ensures that the sprite brand is known by as many people as possible. The advertisement is done through radio, television, newspapers, and online platforms as well as through partnering with event organizers in order to be among the sponsors (The Coca-Cola Company, 2020). The company has also put in place a large network of distributors who ensure that the products are available to many people as well as ensuring the visibility of the beverage in many areas. It is quite common to see the company as well as the sprite brand names on various billboards across different major cities in the world.

Market Research

The company has often faced criticism over the role its products play in the increase of obesity as well as other health issues. This is an issue that a thorough market research should be done in order to ascertain the velocity of these claims. The findings of the report should be approached with an open mind in order to ensure that the claims do not go on destroying the company's reputation.

In this case, the company's marketing department has introduced what is known as Coca Cola GB to solely focus on the customer (Serôdio et al., 2016). This is in terms of what they want their complaints as well as what is it that they feel should be added in terms of quality. Doing this involves going to the field and get to have a one on one interaction with the consumers and get to understand their perspective on the goods that they get from the company.

Action Programs

Module 4 See Sampling Marketing Plan: Chill Beverage Company in Appendix 2 of eTextbook Delete text. ….Chapters 2 and 4

Budgets

Module 4 -See Sampling Marketing Plan: Chill Beverage Company in Appendix 2 of eTextbook

· Calculate first-year retail goal

· Price per unit

· Break-even analysis and calculation

Delete text. ….Chapters 8, 12, Appendix 3

Controls

Module 4 See Sampling Marketing Plan: Chill Beverage Company in Appendix 2 of eTextbook Delete text. ….Chapters 2, Appendix 2

Conclusion

Module 5 You must have a conclusion for all APA papers. Keep centered and bolded header. Delete all text here.

References

Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2016). Marketing: An Introduction (13 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.