Marketing

1

SNHU pet supply company is about to launch a new pet food. This product, namely ‘Alpha Eats’ will be organic and econ-friendly and will be available in local pet boutique as well as online via Amazon.com.

On the Strengths of the product, the fact that our product is organic and econ-friendly and the use of locally found ingridients gives the product an advantage because consumers tend to go for products with such qualities. The need to support local farmers and stores will sway consumers to Alpha Eats. The competitive price over similar products will also be used to the products advantage during marketing. Focusing more on these qualities during marketing will help in counteracting the weakness of price and reputation. Increase in pet ownership and the demand for healthy pet products are opportunities one cannot just bypass. The focus on the health benefits of Alpha Eats will be crucial in marketing it and will in turn counteract the threat of products that are cheaper but don’t compare to Alpha Eats in terms of health benefits.

Figure: SWOT analysis of Alpha Eats

The target market for this pet food is Duluth GA and the surrounding cities. This is an area comprised of wealthy homeowners with children and with incomes of approximately $100,000. The age group ranges from 24 to 60. According to McConnell et al., (2009) individuals within this age group with suitable disposable income have a higher chance of spending more on costly lifestyle and this means the will be willing to go for organic pet products like Alpha Eats.

Pet owners also consider their pets part of the family and the same way they would want the best for their family members for example kids is the same way they would want the best for their pets too. This will bring about the decision to go for healthier products like Alpha Eats even if it means pay a little bit more. The need for all natural and econ-friendly products will appeal to customers because of Alpha Eats ingredients hence a lot of customer

Using the the approach of business to consumer relationship marketing would be good for this product, this is because the consumer are a direct beneficiaries and target for the product. On this, a relationship marketing strategy and word of mouth strategy that will focus on building and enhancing customer relationship hence improving customer loyalty. Price- offering discounts like buy one get the scond half off. Clearly outline the value of the product by pointing out the benefits of Alpha Eats. Offering rewards points towards getting a free or discounted service in the SNHU pet store after a certain amount of points. Place- Having the product available in the SNHU pet store and as well as local grocery stores will capture more customers who wouldn’t want to make many stops. Promotion- Having rewards cards for key chains, instore promotions in local grocery stores. Include that the product can also be purchased online via Amazon.com Product- Clearly point out that the product is organic and igredients are acquired locally to support local farmers. Also point out the health benefits of the product itself.

Use of undercover marketing strategy would not be very effective for this product. This is because for a product like Alpha Eats the consumer needs to know of its existence. Public promotions will help in marketing tis product. Anyone marketing this product should have something like a tshirt advertising the product which won’t be the case in undercover marketing. Also this takes time to perform. Price – For undercover marketing offering discounts maybe easier handing out coupons to consumers. Place – Explaining the places where the product can be found is also easier and has a personal touch to it. Promotion – Promoting using this strategy is the best since there is that direct feedback from consumers. Also the marketer can explain the product in detail to the consumer, however, it is time consuming and not ideal for reaching wide area targets. Product – The agent will also be able to go into depths about the ingredients and health benefits of the product compared to its competitors hence making it more appealing to the consumer. Making a change to any of the 4 P’s will not change the effectiveness of this strategy because still it would need agents to perform this. It still will not be ideal in targeting a large number of people. Also in some places not everyone owns a pet hence rendering this marketing irrelevant to those consumers.

The SNHU pet supply store has come along way in launching this exceptional product focusing mainly on all natural ingredients and health benefits for pets. The main goal was to attend to the customers needs and by focusing on business to customer relations, the company will be able to know how this product will fair before expanding the supply market. The need for healthy and affordable pet products should be able to capitalize on the ingredients of this product compared to its competitors.