Marketing Plan

MIDDLE EAST UNIVERSITY FZE MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLAN Membership Marketing Strategy Purpose Group President MEU Chair:Mr. Janardhanan Pariyarath Chancellor: Vice Chancellor : Head of Student Services and Enrollment : Dean of Graduate Program: Dean of Post Graduate Program: HOD School of Nursing: HOD, School of Management: HOD School of Pharmacy : Admissions Director : Student/Staff Member – MEU: Chancellor’s Advisor: Marketing Team: Meeting: The Marketing Strategy Purpose Group MEU IS TO BE CONDUCTED ON……………………………………………………………… Purpose

The goals of the Marketing Strategy Purpose Group are to: ?Define target student populations for MEU ?Determine academic programs to be promoted ?Establish a marketing plan that focuses on increasing enrollment The Marketing Strategy Purpose Group is here submitting the (FOR APPROVAL) MARKETING PLAN GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO President Mr. Janardhanan Pariyarath to use as a guide EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Enrollment growth is of strategic importance to the future of the Middle East University. Marketing is an integral element of any recruitment activity.

The Marketing Strategy Purpose Group (SPG) IS TO BE FORMED. All of the offices departments and staff have to pool the resources and funding in order to reach a broader audience of potential students. This partnership has been a positive step in achieving enrollment goals, and must continue in the future with the support of other departments across the campus. With the Marketing Plan Guiding Principles as a starting point, the Purpose Group began to determine actions that must be taken in order to improve enrollment and strengthen the overall image of the MEU

Using research from a number of sources, the Purpose Group IS TO IDENTIFY a pool of academic programs for promotion to potential students. A. HALO PROGRAMMES OF MEU ?Bachelor and post bachelor program under School of Nursing B. Core mix of programs of MEU ?Bachelor and post bachelor program under school of Management ? Bachelor and post bachelor program under school of Arts ?Bachelor and post bachelor program under school of pharmacy ? PHD Program C. Tie-up programs of MEU MBA, MCOM, MA, BBA, BCOM, BA, BSC – Calicut University. Target Audiences Target Audiences – Health care Industries, Hospitals, Medical Organizations ?Target Audiences – Traditional Fresher’s from schools for graduate Programs ?Target Audiences – Community College for post graduate program ? Target Audiences – Traditional Students (Employed expatriates) ? Target Audiences – Diverse Student Body Marketing activities among the above targeted audience include: •Research •Recruitment Geographic Range •Image Building/Promotion of the University as a Quality Institution •Web Site/E-recruiting •Promotion of Academic Programs and Halo Programs •Scholarship Development Enrollment Advisory Group •Internal Communication •Internal Marketing •Television and Radio •Media Relations •Visit Programs •Alumni •Community Involvement Based on demand from prospective students and growth potential and employment trends. Halo Programs were decided based on the positive effect of these quality programs on the overall image of the university. It was Decided that there will be overall promotion for academic programs, however research is also used to ascertain which marketing tools were the most effective for promotion to MEU’s primary target audiences.

Finally, it is recommended that funding be increased for promotion, including funding for new research to be implemented that will assist in the marketing effort for MEU. In order to make the most effective marketing decisions, research will be needed. MARKETING PLAN GUIDING PRINCIPLES 2013-2014 A. Strengthen our connection to the MEU without diminishing our identity. B. Reinforce the university’s image as: a. An institution of academic excellence b. A comprehensive university with the intimacy of a small college. c. A campus where the student is the center of the universe Focus A. n our target population, which consists of five prospective groups: a)Target Audiences – Health care Industries, Hospitals, Medical organizations b)Target Audiences – Traditional Fresher’s from schools for graduate programs and Community College for post graduate program c)Target Audiences – Traditional Students (Employed expatriates) d)Target Audiences – Diverse Student Body C. Concentrate on promoting a small number of academic programs, selected on the basis of these considerations: a)Extraordinary quality and/or reputation: halo programs. b)High demand program c)Enrollment flexibility (e. g. online, evening and weekend courses) While capacity should be a factor in certain cases, the choice of programs should not be driven by considerations of excess or insufficient capacity. Some “prestige” programs may not have the capacity to absorb more students, but they create a “halo effect” that makes the university as a whole attractive to prospective students. At the same time, increased demand for a limited-capacity program would create the need to expand it. D. Package online, evening and weekend courses as “the flexible curriculum” and promote it to non-traditional and non-local students. FINDINGS

Marketing Strategy Purpose Group has formed a set of recommendation to make satisfaction inventory analysis. Statistics are to be collected from several sources: 1. Visit to school 2. Parents and other family 3. Current students 4. College admissions staff 5. College web site 6. Catalogs, view books 7. Graduates of school 8. Friends 9. College guidebooks 10. Guidance counselor or teacher Television and radio advertising did not leave a lasting impression on The students but that broadcast advertising was very influential. The following elements and questions are going to be put forward or pointed out while approaching the prospects.

If SPG is to check out these questions and should make answer by giving proper suggestion to the management, everything is concerned towards MEU Satisfaction Inventory analysis. ?Courses and majors ?Brochures about Academic programs ?Admission information/catalogs ?Approval and accreditation from the ministry of education or any other agency ? Faculty information about each course and programs offered ? Regularity of operational efficiency ?General feels and rapport about the university institution ? Cost breakdown ?Infrastructure and Housing information ?Campus life/student information ?Financial aid estimator Campus tour ?Extracurricular activities, tour, annual day, cultural, artistic programs. ?Library resources, Recreation facilities, Campus Safety MEU Satisfaction Inventory •The overall level of satisfaction at MEU is significantly higher. •MEU students place a high level of importance on academic quality of faculty, content of courses within their major, campus safety, parking and academic advising. •The least important things of MEU students pointed out are sports and leisure activities •MEU students continue to express concern that they cannot always easily get the classes they need to graduate on time. Basic element and reason behind lack of growth in tie up program is absence of teaching staff and the irregularity of operation or running the program also marketing efforts we did is not satisfactory everything is pointed towards the increase in labor turnover. Advertising Budgets of Comparable Universities It is difficult to accurately estimate the percentage of funds devoted to advertising and promotion at MEU Although University Relations is the department that has funding specifically allocated for advertising and promotion, many units across the campus are spending funds from their budgets on marketing projects.

Although the MEU Accounting Department is unable to provide an accurate total of money spent on advertising and promotion across the university due to inconsistent coding of expenditures across the units. There are several departments at those campuses engaged, in marketing activities, and there is not an accurate record of money spent on advertising and promotion. RECOMMENDATIONS Funding In order to adequately address the five target populations and to strengthen the image of the university, more funds must be allocated to marketing.

Other public universities in close proximity to MEU are spending substantially more money on marketing and advertising. That assumption is based on the large amount of radio, television and direct mail advertising that is in the marketplace from these institutions. MEU’s message is getting lost quickly in a flood of advertising from such institutions as Wisdom, Atlas, HAWK, Sharjah, City college Ajman, While some of these institutions are not direct competitors, nevertheless, potential students are choosing these schools instead of MEU. Research New research will be needed to track the results of the marketing effort MEU.

It will be time to re-evaluate the impact of the latest marketing and promotion plans. It is difficult to measure the success or failure of any plan without research. Although it is expensive, research can also protect the institution from costly mistakes. Recruitment Geographic Range A geographical recruitment range has been defined to attract students. MEU students are primarily EXPATRIATES IN UAE. An area of growth for MEU is REQUIRED. By focusing marketing efforts TO SHARJAH & DUBAI, AJMAN, UMMUL QUAIN, This range would obviously change when student housing becomes a reality on the MEU campus.

Image Building/Promotion of the University as a Quality Institution There must be a two-prong approach to marketing. Image building is the first step. This will be done through the creation of television, radio and print ads. Several ads need to be created to speak to each of the target populations. Some of the advertising should showcase more of our most notable/successful alumni. They are the best proof MEU has of people achieving their goals through education. This campaign can be expanded to include alumni with their favorite/most influential MEU professor.

This will help potential students make the connection that one-on-one attention from faculty is an important quality, and a unique attribute of MEU. The second prong of image building is promotion. Promotion includes all public relations and media relations activities. The accomplishments of students and faculty must be highlighted for the public whenever possible. An important resource for image building is the recent AND PAST Student Satisfaction Inventory. By using the results of a survey by MEU students, this information can be sent to potential students, parents, alumni and others.

It is a strong statement about the quality of the institution. Image building requires time. While MEU is already thought of as a quality university, this perception can be strengthened through promotional efforts that show the actions of the campus community. The goal is to be a top consideration for students pursuing higher education. Web Site/E-recruiting College web sites are a key factor in attracting students. MEU is nearing the completion of a re-designed, interactive web site that will serve potential and current students in a more professional manner.

The new site will have an updated application form, a financial aid calculator, and an improved catalog component. Members of the University Relations staff will monitor all aspects of the web site weekly. The web site must also be promoted through an image campaign. By having positive experiences on the web site will help to build good word-of-mouth references for MEU. With a strong web site presence, more emphasis can be placed on recruitment techniques through the MEU web site. One recommendation from is to hold online Open houses for students.

Other considerations include e-mail alerts about campus events and establishing a dialogue with admissions counselors and faculty. In the long run, a stronger web site and e-recruitment plan can add up to substantial cost savings by eliminating the need for printing and postage. a)Target Audiences – Health care Industries, Hospitals, Medical organizations TARGET AUDIENCE NURSING The Office of Graduate Programs has done outstanding work in the area of marketing. An extensive series of brochures promoting each of the programs has been produced. MORE than the potentiality of the market and the possibilities of the market is not considered.

As nursing courses is becoming key element of the all programs of MEU. Still the MEU Not taking any scientific way for answering questions of targeted group which may come across on the time of marketing operation PROSPECTED nursing target candidates are enrolling because of the need only. Highly demanded market prospects are coming to enrollment automatically, here “better suggestion and recommending habit of the market” is to be noted. MEU ALSO required taking much effort for strengthening the technical support from the Ministry of higher education UAE, Indian Nursing Counsel, and all authoritative bodies

MEU stands out from other universities by offering NURSING AND PHARMACY COURSES, MEU and allied institution hold good status providing these courses and program to targeted audience in hospital and medical organizations. Since there is such a large potential student population that is undecided about their course of study, we need to develop a marketing campaign that solely addresses the need to provide this group with options and assistance in plotting a course for their future. As a purpose group member observed, “We (MEU) have success with the ‘I Can’ts. ’ We need to empower them. ” This ould be a unique marketing campaign by identifying the “undecideds” and offering them support and solutions as they find their way to a major. Marketing images and slogans, there was nearly universal response for images and ideas that provided the perception of “choice and possibility. ” This is a theme that can be used to address traditional freshmen in marketing materials. b)Target Audiences Target Audiences – Traditional Fresher’s from schools in UAE for graduate programs and Community College for post graduate program Community college transfer students are an area of enrollment growth at MEU.

The Office of Admissions is having great success with regularly scheduled “On the Spot Transfer Days” at MEU. There should proper marketing strategy for BBA, BCOM and OTHER DEGREE PROGRAM. Concerned other competitors MEU’s share in the market is very poor, mainly because of lack proper marketing program and some time we fail to close the sale because of increasing turnover of marketing employee. And more than insufficiency of teaching staff also decreasing confident of the soul of MEU. c)Target Audiences– (Employed expatriates) Non-Traditional Students THE SCOPE AND POTENTIALITY OF THIS MARKET IS UNLIMITED.

A marketing campaign can be developed and tailored to fit the market. By emphasizing faculty support and guidance, there should be separate marketing staff for offering the potential prospects, BBA, BCOM, MBA, and MCOM PROGRAM TO employed expatriates in UAE. Furthermore, evening and weekend classes are expanded; it will be a marketing opportunity to reach this group with a message of convenience. With courses being offered in almost every top career field, MEU can easily look appealing to these are that considers she/he an employee first and a student second.

MEU should promote the services of the Career Development Center to this group. We should keep the potentiality of this market if once we cached the fruits we easily expand the target audience also to local emirates’ d)Target Audiences – Diverse Student Body More needs to be done to recruit a diverse student body to MEU. New initiatives by the Office of Admissions are seeking to reach out to students through the Flint churches. Contacts have been made with the Urban League of Flint to try to engage the Black Scholar Award recipients in the coming year as well.

Throughout the year, MEU HAVE TO bring hundreds of middle school and high school students to campus to introduce them to campus life. These programs should be supported with strong promotion whenever possible. It is also recommended that Admissions, University Relations meet on a regular basis to find new ways to market and promote these programs. A new initiative to attract International Students to MEU is in the beginning stages. This will require a broader marketing reach that will also result in enhancing diversity and promoting enrollment growth.

While there are a large number of international students attending community colleges in UAE, attracting these students to MEU could take on a regional approach. A brochure has been developed for international students, but that is not enough. Specific advertisements addressing their needs should be run in student newspapers as well as some magazines. Again, this will be an expensive venture. e)Other Target Audiences Although five target populations have been chosen, there are associated groups, who have great influence over these potential students that need to be marketed.

Marketing initiative needs to be developed to recruit not just the potential students, but also these groups that are influencing factors in their decision to pursue a degree. Direct Mail While e-mail can help to save on printing and postage costs, it cannot be used alone, especially in efforts to attract non-traditional and graduate students. The problem is many people change e-mail addresses often, or they do not check their e-mail on a regular basis. E-mail is simply not the most reliable form of communication. Direct mail continues to offer the most accurate response.

It is also easy to track the results of direct mail, since most of the pieces created have a reply card. That information is entered into the University Relations Marketing database. This provides insight into which promotional pieces were well-received, and which had very little impact. Promotion of Academic Programs and Halo Programs The following areas were selected to become part of a pool from which programs will be selected for special promotion. Each of the programs chosen for advertising was selected based on three factors: 1. Interest from prospective students, 2.

Growth potential and 3. Employment trends. Beyond marketing material development, detailed marketing plans need to be developed for each program. With the unique needs of each area, plans must be tailored to address specific attributes of each program, and the needs of various target audiences. Halo programs are an important component for helping to build the image of MEU as a quality academic institution. As with some academic programs, Halo Programs are being used to promote the university. Halo Programs are essential ingredients in mounting a successful public relations campaign.

A good example of a Halo Program contributing to the image building process is nursing program. Management program is another outstanding halo program. By promoting such a high quality program, prospective students will perceive MEU as a leader in an important area of management, leadership and training, which then reflects positively on the entire University. Scholarship Development With rising tuition costs at public universities in UAE, it is recommended that scholarship development should be started to accelerate the pace to help potential students offset the price of pursuing a degree.

Furthermore, a concentrated effort should be made to develop more opportunities for emirates’ to train them for facing corporate environment. Enrollment Planning Committee The Enrollment Planning Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chancellor for Student Services and Enrollment Management. The purpose of the Enrollment Planning Committee is to establish goals, make recommendations to the Chancellor, suggest strategies and assist in setting enrollment targets for various areas of the University.

The EPC will engage in the discussion and provide support and a framework for the following: •An Admissions Plan which identifies strategies and enrollment targets •A clear marketing plan that is tied to established enrollment goals •The Enrollment Planning Committee is tied to the Purpose Group Reports (in their final and accepted forms) and the mission of the institution. The EPC shall meet on a quarterly basis to discuss, recommend and move forward enrollment related issues. Membership of this committee would include Internal Communication

Communicating the marketing initiatives to the campus community will be a major undertaking in the next few months. This can be done through a series of workshops, e-mails, and the formation of a Marketing Representatives Group. This group would be made up of designees from each unit on campus. The group would meet monthly to review marketing initiatives across units, and to coordinate efforts. Each representative would report back to their unit on the ongoing promotional efforts across the university. Internal Marketing For faculty and staff members, marketing is part of routine everyday business.

Marketing is in the form of responding in helpful ways to phone calls or e-mails, assisting students with problems or questions, and being involved in the community. A continued emphasis must be placed on services to students at the institution. If a student or alum talks about their experience at MEU as positive, it is one of the most believable and affordable forms of advertising. Media Relations MEU has benefited in the last year from a strong relationship with the media. Mounting a media strategy campaign can help position the university as the ideal place to receive a liberal arts education in UAE.

In an effort to take advantage of media attention, MEU should implement a media strategy including: •Identifying events/information that are appropriate for press conferences •Keep an updated list of all media contacts •Establish a contact with each department to find out newsworthy events •Work with local media in the creation of public service announcements that promote events on campus •Meet with the community relations leaders of media outlets to form partnerships that can provide free promotion of events •Maintain an up-to-date media resource guide for providing experts to various media outlets

Visit Programs The most important recruiting strategy is the campus visit. With this in mind, the Office of University Relations along with the Office of Admissions and the Office of Graduate Programs is launching a new visitor’s center on campus. The primary purpose of the visitor’s center is to have a central-meeting point on campus for large groups. This room will be geared to hosting new visitors to the MEU campus. It will be a meeting point for tours, a room used for open houses and receptions, and general “starting point” for all visitors to the campus.

These programs will be at times convenient for potential students and their families. Individuals who seek personalized attention will still be directed to the appropriate offices for service. Alumni However, they are still one of the most underutilized resources of the campus. In an effort to re-engage alumni, it is important to make them part of the public relations activities at MEU. Alumni should be formed and used for recruitment. They can be featured as success stories in publications or commercials. Community Involvement

MEU should lead the way in community involvement. By opening the campus to the community for events, new visitors will be brought to the campus. This can leave a lasting, favorable impression. The campus should continue to support and open the doors to such events as Destination Imagination. An effort should be made to attract other academic and community events to campus such as science fairs, competitions, health fairs, business expos and others. By this gesture of goodwill to area organizations and businesses, it will build positive momentum for MEU.

Chanel’s objective is to provide a sense of luxurious, elegant and fashionable bringing up for women introducing timeless style. If Chanel wants to retain the same kind of brand image then it needs to continue with the same strategies which are currently being applied. However, in order to increase market share, emphasis on mass media and e-commerce would be effective which the competitors are already practicing. Chanel’s vision is’ o be the ultimate house of luxury’.

Chanel is an established brand and specializes in haute couture, luxury goods, accessories and ready to wear cloths. With the vast positive change in the global economy, the trends are changing with time like demand for luxury products is on its boom. Company Summary Chanel started back in 1909 and it is operating mainly in europe,asia and most parts of united states. The house of chanel is known for its fashion stores all over the globe. In this new milinoum Chanel stepped up its purchsess in luxury sectors.

Chanel offers and is known for fashion apparel ,watches ,eye products and various other fasion able accessories for women. Products and services Product description: Chanel specializes in wide range of products. Famous Perfumes by Chanel include Allure, Chance Eau Tendre and N5, which used to be global perfume leader and is still one the best perfumes in the world. The company offers trendy handbags as well. These emply different leather and locks in order to be adjustable to individuals One of the famous unisex wristwatches line by Chanel is J12.

Chanel also has a clothing line for women. Competitive Comparison: Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci are strong competitors for Chanel as they have a very strong image amongst the people. Technological needs: Chanel, a luxury goods brand with a long tradition, has evolved into what it is now by constantly adding new innovations to its tradition. Instead of resting on the business fields where it has proven successful, the company has brought forth new ideas. Technology management refers to business management conducted around sophisticated technological proficiency.

Although Chanel was a latecomer to the watch business, Chanel’s commitment to technology is noticeable in the establishment of its own workshop. Chanel’s commitment to technology will be considered through the example of the “J12,”, Chanel’s first mechanical watch. Market Analysis Target market Target Market Segment Strategy: Chanel customers are women who wants to identify what Chanel represents which is elegance, simplicity, modern and class. Chanel’s cosmetics are targeted to younger consumers but they still retain the classic market which is their strong suit.

With the launch of chance perfume, Chanel is targeting women between the age group 18-39. Market Trends: Trends change every now and then and it is important for a business to keep a track of changing trends especially in the target audience. In Chanel’s case changing trends could be more like e. g. ; in accessories, size of pendants or shapes of earrings keep changing with time however, style remains the same and Chanel’s market image is such that what they bring into the market is labeled as fashion. Market Growth:

Chanel’s success started from the sale of their famous, world leading perfumes, N5. Later on in 1920’s and 1930’s they decided to launch new perfumes amongst the public to gain more market. Soir De Paris was another fragrance launched after N5. To keep flourishing in the market and to make the business grow, cloths were also being sold under Chanel’s name. In late 1980’s more than 40 boutiques were opened worldwide. This was later followed by other product chains like Shoes, Chanel watches and various other highly priced accessories Industry Analysis

Industry Participants/Key Players: The key players in the industry same as Chanel would be; * Louise Vuitton * L’Oreal’s Lancome * Calvin Klein * Gucci * Burberry * Alberta Ferretti * Bulgari * Canali Main Competitors/Competitive Analysis: Chanel’s biggest competitors in the market would be L’Oreal’s Lancome who are also focusing mainly on luxury cosmetics along with Chanel creating a very tough competition. Not just this but other renowned and LV are also equally strong competitors specifically for Handbags and other accessories.

Perhaps it’s really hard to dominate in such a market where brand image for competitors is also very strong. Strategy and Implementation Summary Marketing Strategy: Chanel is focusing a lot on developing plans to take an impressive lineage into today’s market. During 1999, Chanel took an initiative to target the age group of people under twenty five which was earlier ignored by the company. It was really important to take some new initiatives like this in order to compete with competitive fashion stores like C Pricing Strategy: Chanel is known for its luxurious products around the globe.

To Maintain this top quality image products, high prices are being charged for its products. For similar reasons, their products are usually not discounted as it won’t be really consistent for their image at all. Prices for their product are decided and selected entirely by Chanel, France. Promotion Strategy: To grow their market, Chanel focuses more on promoting their new products instead of older ones. For this, their website is updated frequently providing information for all the up to date promotions and also about their new upcoming products, if any.

Not just this but to keep up with customers, very clear and easy information is provided for the customers to reach the company and contact them. This would help the company get their feedback and work on it in order to main the relations with customers and satisfy them. Distribution Patterns: Products by Chanel such as their perfumes are not only sold in their own boutiques but also by other distributers. E. g in Canada, Distributors such as The bay, Luwinna etc are selling their perfumes aswell. Basically chanel uses a comparatively short channel for distribution.

A SAMPLE OF PREVIOUS MANAGING MARKETS EXAM QUESTIONS 1. “Marketing is just about putting the gloss on the products we provide” Discuss with reference to marketing orientation and the marketing concept. 2. You have been asked by the Chief Executive of Frozen Food Manufacturer, Birds Eye, to produce a marketing plan: 2a. Analyse and evaluate macro-environmental factors affecting the plan 2b. Analyse and evaluate customer and competitor issues affecting the plan a. Indicate some possible ways of segmenting the market for mobile phones. Discuss how each approach can be used for marketing decision making 3b. If you were a new player in the mobile phone market how would you go about positioning yourself in the market? 4. You are a market research agency who has been approached by a company who is considering entering the market for MP3 players. Produce a research plan that will help their decision making. 5.

How would the marketing mix for a Swatch watch compare with that for a Rolex Watch? 6. Discuss fully which, if any, element of the marketing mix is the most important in the successful marketing for family cars. Fully justify your arguments and conclusions and illustrate your arguments with examples. 7. Discuss fully, giving justification for your arguments, which distribution policies – intensive, selective, or exclusive – would be most suitable for the following products. ) luxury executive cars, b) Levi jeans, c) handmade ladies and gents’ knitwear, d) Omega wristwatches, e) flavoured yoghurt, f) mature farmhouse cheese. 8. A mobile phone company has approached you as marketing consultant to help it increase sales to the youth market. The company has asked you to put forward a promotional strategy. 8a. How you develop the promotional strategy? 8b. What would you consider to be the most important elements of the promotional mix for this target audience?

TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Situation Analysis – Background ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 SWOT Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7 Key Problem to be Solved …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Key Strategic Campaign Decisions – Objectives …………………………………………………………………………. 10 Target Audience……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 Brand Position………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 Campaign Strategy………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Media Strategy – Objectives …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15 Selection………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 Media Planning and Buying …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17 Message Strategy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Objectives, Selling Premise ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20 Big Idea………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………….. 21 Other Marcom Tools………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21 Campaign Management …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 27 Appendix B ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28 Appendix C ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 29 Appendix D……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 0 References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31 1 Executive Summary Clif Bar products are delicious, healthy, organic and convenient sources of nutrition. All of Clif Bar’s products are at least 70% organic and free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup (Clif Bar & Company, 2013). As the natural and organic food market continues to grow in popularity, Clif Bar has a promising opportunity for growth. Another important market in the health food category is smoothies.

This market is expected to reach $9 billion by 2015, and this type of product is increasingly sought after by consumers (Global Smoothies, 2010). In fact, 71% of consumers will purchase a beverage away from home more than twice a week (Technomic, 2012). Healthy and organic foods and beverages have expanded out of health food stores and into mainstream grocery and convenience stores. Clif Bar has proven success in expanding its selection to products other than bars with its line of energy gel shots. Increasing international growth and commitment to the environment and their employees are major strengths for the company.

Growth opportunities are present in the organic market, which is projected to grow 9% (Scott-Thomas, 2012), and the smoothie market, which will see a potential growth of 1. 6% through 2013 (Technomic, 2012). Some of the weaknesses facing the company are its narrow target market in the organic product industry and lack of traditional advertising. Major competition from Odwalla and Naked Juice are threats to growth and the volatile market for fruit and other natural ingredients may cause unpredictable price increases and as well as an unpredictable future.

Also, shifts in popularity of the trendy organic product movement may cause a decline in future revenues. However, both the smoothie and the organic/health food markets are growing rapidly and Clif Bar can secure a larger share in these markets with the introduction of Simply Clif. 2 Advertising efforts for Clif Bar have traditionally focused on social media and event support. The company aligns itself with promotions and activities that involve being active and supporting the community and the environment.

Social media, magazine advertisements, a billboard, and a responsive website will be the main media used to introduce Simply Clif to the target market of adults in the age range of 18-40 who are concerned about health and are not overly cost conscious. Campaign effectiveness will be determined by brand awareness, sales volume, and the number of unique visitors to the website. A good return on investment (ROI) will determine the overall effectiveness of the initial campaign. The goals of the campaign are to introduce Simply Clif to the target audience and increase overall awareness of the Clif Bar brand.

The key advertising problem that needs to be considered is the fact that Simply Clif is a refrigerated product and will be located in different sections of retail stores than the other Clif products. This problem will be addressed, in part, by promoting Simply Clif on existing bar product packaging. The marketing strategy will also increase awareness of the new brand and its location. The marketing strategy consists of print media (billboards and magazine ads), social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,

YouTube), and other marcom tools to reach the target audience and create brand awareness for Simply Clif. 3 Situation Analysis Company Background The idea for Clif Bar & Company started with a bike journey by owner and founder Gary Erickson. After eating several of the competitor’s bars along the ride, he thought “I can make a better energy bar than this” (Schmidt, 2005). This is famously known as his epiphany and after two years of experimenting in his mother’s kitchen, Gary finally created a bar that is now the driving force behind a largely successful American company, Clif Bar.

Clif Bar, named after Gary’s father Clifford, was first introduced in September 1991 at a bike show in California. The original Clif Bar was produced in three different flavors and the company enjoyed a first year success of $700,000. By 1997 Clif Bar surpassed the $20 million dollar mark. The company continues to lead the market in organic energy bars (Clif Bar & Company, n. d. ). The Clif Bar business model is founded on five aspirations: sustaining the planet, community, people, business, and brands. Today, Clif Bar is produced and sold to a wide variety of target markets including men, women, and children.

Some of The Clif Bar brands include: Clif Bar, Clif Kid, Clif Shot and Luna Bar, which is made for women. Currently, Clif Bar produces eight brands and offers many unique flavors of each (Clif Bar & Company, n. d. ). Market Trends Clif Bar manufactures and markets its products as being at least 70% organic. The organic market is projected to continue its growth through the year 2015. Organic food sales, which represent 4. 2% of all U. S. food sales, are up 4% from 2010. Sales of organic food products increased 9. 4% in 2011 (Scott-Thomas, 2012).

This growth has been driven mainly by increased consumer interest in health and environmental issues. 4 The smoothie market will continue to experience substantial growth in the upcoming years. According to Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA), the smoothie market is projected to reach $9 billion by 2015 (PRWeb, 2010). This is a market that cannot be ignored by companies that manufacture healthy, organic products such as Clif Bar. In a recent survey conducted by Technomic, seven out of ten consumers will purchase a beverage away from home more than twice a week, which is up 66% since 2010 (2012).

Fueled by the success of the Clif Shot energy gel products and proven ability to market items other than organic energy bars, the company has a large opportunity to develop and market a new product that will help further its line of healthy foods and beverages. Regulatory Issues To protect the integrity of the Certified Organic seal, the Organic Standards Protection Act was introduced into legislation in 2012. This act would protect the integrity of the USDA’s National Organic Program seal and filter out any imposter that puts the organic industry and the organic brand at a disadvantage.

This bill, however, was not enacted after its introduction to Congress on June 12, 2012 (News Desk, 2012). Marketing Efforts Although not known for its large marketing budget, Clif Bar has done a fair amount to promote the brand and support the community. In 2011, the company launched the “two-mile challenge” which aimed to replace 100,000 car trips with bike travel between May 12th and October 31st. For this challenge, Clif Bar aligned themselves with such organizations as Alliance for Biking and Walking, Safe Routes to School, and 350. org.

The company has also contributed $100,000 in total to support this cause (Hyde, 2011). 5 Another recent marketing campaign involved Twitter. Users tweeted (with geo-tag) their location to the company and were sent a coupon for the company’s Clif Mojo Go product (Treacy, 2012). Users were also entered into a drawing to win a Garmin GPS watch or other adventure gear (Treacy, 2012). In an effort to keep its product line fresh and contribute to a good cause, the company introduced three different seasonal bars: Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Iced Gingerbread, and Peppermint Stick.

These bars are offered through the end of December. Clif Bar donates 1% of the net sales from these products to the Winter Wildland Alliance (Clif Bar & Company, n. d. ). Although Clif Bar does not spend the majority of its advertising dollars on traditional television and print media, the company does aim their campaigns at giving back to the community and helping the environment. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Gary Erickson founded Clif Bar in September 1991. Since its inception, the company has been committed to creating a healthy and clean environment.

Clif Bar provides its employees with excellent working conditions and was voted the 12th best company to work for by Outside Magazine in 2012 (Megroz, 2012). Starting in February 2012, Clif Bar expanded its international reach by offering its products in Japan. Weaknesses: Clif Bar has faced many challenges since it introduced its products to consumers. Clif Bar is only focused on the production of healthy and organic products. The company has a limited target market of 22-45 year old men who generally have a high disposable income. Clif 6

Bar’s advertising budget is lower than most of its competitors, making it hard to gain brand recognition. Opportunities: There are many key opportunities for Clif Bar to take advantage of in the coming years. First, the company has seen growth internationally with the introduction of its products in Japan. Also, the organic market is projected to see a significant 9% growth in 2013 (Scott-Thomas, 2012). With the introduction of Simply Clif all natural 100% organic smoothies, the company can now take advantage of another profitable market.

The smoothie market is projected to reach $9 billion in 2015 (PTM Consulting, Inc. , 2010). Threats: A threat for Clif Bar is major competition in its market. Odwalla and Naked Juice are major players with large advertising budgets and established brand recognitions that Clif Bar has to pay attention to. Along with increased competition, eating trends amongst consumers are also changing. Consumer eating trends adapt leaving Clif Bar with a new target market. Since Clif Bar has gone global, fuel and shipping costs are on the rise.

The organic market is profitable today and for the projected near future, but it might not always be that way. Competition The market for healthy organic foods continues to grow. Clif Bar is immersed in a very competitive market with well-known Odwalla and Naked Juice (Callahan, 2010). After a decision not to sell the company to Quaker Oats, for a reported $120 million in 2000, Clif Bar has continued to hold their own with the other major companies that it competes with (Wu, 2010). Clif Bar continues to gain market share within the nutrition bar manufacturers, and has recently seen a growth of 1. % in dollar share to an overall 9. 7% increase in 2011 (CSP, 2011). 7 Clif Bar continues to operate today as a privately held company with an estimated 311 employees (Clif Bar & Company, n. d. ). Key Problem to Be Solved Clif Bar generally has a large shelf display within stores like REI, Kroger, and Life Time Fitness. This large display allows the brand to stand out amongst its competitors and alert customers of new products. Those who are loyal to Clif Bar know exactly where to find the product in stores they typically frequent. Simply Clif will be released with a new logo and will be treated as a completely separate entity from the bar. The new product will also target the existing customer base. Organic beverages that need refrigeration are located in a particular area of the store; with a new logo and a new location, Simply Clif will need to find a way to stand out on its own and play on the brand awareness generated from years of success in the bar industry. Directing consumers to multiple areas presents a challenge, but it’s a challenge that Clif Bar aims to overcome through its Simply Clif marketing strategy. Key Strategic Campaign Decisions

Objectives The objective of this campaign is to capture a substantial portion of the fruit and vegetable drink market from companies such as Naked Juice and Odwalla. Simply Clif will focus on providing their key demographic, consumers 18 to 40 years of age, with an innovative new beverage that sets them apart from others in the market. This demographic plays an important role in marketing the product. Simply Clif has the perfect product for the active adult and his/her family. Making consumers aware of the portability of this beverage will allow them to see that this is the ideal product for the gym, work, or school. Clif Bar & Co. eels that limiting initial advertising expenses is necessary to prevent over-extension and unnecessary costs. Simply Clif will use a multitude of marketing media tools to sell the product. By using magazine advertisements, billboards, social media and other product displays Simply Clif will create a strong brand awareness and keep advertising costs at a minimum. As the noise level grows around the brand other, Simply Clif will explore the possibility of larger advertising venues such as television commercials. 9 Simply Clif will institute a one-year review of performance and the effects of advertising on the bottom line.

If market share growth and brand awareness increase at a strong rate, Simply Clif will look to add to the successful portions of the existing strategy and remove those they are not paying dividends. Clif Bar would like to capitalize on the 3%, two-year decline of the 100% fruit juice market. With consumers ditching 100% juice due to the high sugar content, Simply Clif believes capitalizing on vacated market share is attainable (Euromonitor International, 2012). Simply Clif has the perfect product at the perfect time and is looking forward to a successful product launch.

Target Audience Focusing on men and women ages 18-40, Simply Clif’s primary target market is broader than Clif’s current target market of men ages 22-45. Simply Clif’s target audience will consist of people that care about their health and will focus more on quality than price. After the initial oneyear campaign, we, as the ad agency, hope that Simply Clif will be profitable enough to start using television ads along with social media to start reaching a more defined target market. Simply Clif’s secondary target market will be defined as active adult men, women and growing families.

Simply Clif ad campaigns will target the parents who will buy Simply Clif for themselves and share with their children. Simply Clif’s target audience of adults 18 to 40 consists of 112. 8 million people and about 36. 5% of the U. S. population. This target audience also includes 73% of the U. S. population under the age of 18 (Meyer, 2001). Targeting is how a company designs a specific communication strategy to match the audience’s needs and wants and position a product in the best ways to match those needs and wants (Moriarty, Mitchell, & Wells, 2012).

Simply Clif’s initial campaign will consist of product displays in the stores that sell Simply Clif and Clif Bars. Additional advertising will be 10 billboards, magazine ads and social media. As Simply Clif brand recognition grows, so will sales and the capital to go after the more specific target audience of active parents and their active kids through television commercials and social media outlets. The second campaign will focus more directly on the active adults ages 25-40 with active children ages 5-17.

As of 2010, there are 81,345,554 U. S. citizens between the ages of 25 and 40 years of age, which consisted of 26. 4% of the U. S. population. That same year, there were 61,297,467 U. S. citizens between the ages of 5 and 17, which was 20. 4% of the population (Infoplease, 2010). These key groups are becoming more health conscious and are making healthier life choices for themselves and their children. About 24% of the Echo Boomers (ages 18-34) and Generation X (ages 35-46) are limiting their daily intake of sugar and sodium (Bouchard, 2011).

This campaign will focus on men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 by strategically placing commercial advertisements on sporting events, television programs, and social media outlets. Brand Position Simply Clif is being positioned as a health conscious, environmentally friendly company. The company uses recyclable materials and hopes to sponsor sporting events to further position itself as a healthy brand. Simply Clif competitors’ products in the smoothie market are sold in the same stores where Simply Clif will be sold, and as such, intend to take a portion of that market share.

Simply Clif is a nutritious fruit smoothie drink that comes in different flavors that will quench your thirst and appetite at the same time. This new product is not meant to compete with products like weight loss supplements, but instead with fruit and vegetable drinks. Simply Clif will eventually become the healthiest choice on the shelf. 11 Campaign Strategy After analysis of the current state of Clif Bar & Company, we have determined that Clif Bar is in a position to succeed in introducing the Simply Clif brand of organic smoothies.

The SWOT analysis indicates strong growth of both the smoothie market and the organic foods market. Consumer interest in healthy, organic, delicious and environmentally friendly products will continue to rise in the future and the Simply Clif campaign strategies are aimed at securing a portion of the market share from direct competitors such as Odwalla and Naked. Strategy #1: Brand Awareness Providing brand awareness to the target audience will be essential to informing the public that there is another option other than juice and sports drinks.

The smoothie will be a little more like a small meal or snack than just a healthy drink. This also provides an opportunity for Simply Clif’s healthy smoothie drinks to obtain their initial brand recognition and grow within Simply Clif’s first year of operation. Print ads will be the primary form of advertising. Strategy #2: Flavor Options One of the goals of the campaign will be to provide awareness of the smoothie flavor options. The target consumers will also need to be educated on the differing nutritious flavors that will eliminate hunger, satisfy thirst, and provide an enjoyable taste.

Print ads, social media and sampling will be used in this effort. Strategy #3: Location of Product There will be a strong concentration on product and advertising placement. Location of products and ads will be in target consumers’ view at eye level in party stores, gyms, gas stations and health food stores. 12 Strategy #4: Expand Target Audience This campaign will expand the target market to both males and females. Clif Bar’s current market are males, ages 22 to 45, with high disposable income. Expanding to a target audience that value the commitment to clean, healthy living environments, which match the lient’s goals will include males and females ages 18-40. This campaign will also educate the target audience of all the benefits Simply Clif Organic smoothies provides to the consumer. Advertising the organic ingredients should appeal to the female audience along with getting the smoothies to their families. Strategy #5: Gain Market Share Simply Clif will take a portion of the market share from companies like Naked Juice and Odwalla while at same time, providing the target consumer with a different type of drink that separates itself from the juice and vegetable market.

Clif Bar plans to be the first energy bar company to introduce a smoothie line, which will provide the client with a competitive advantage. Depending on how much market share the smoothies gain in the USA, the client can aim to launch the smoothie product in Japan in 2014. Japanese culture is more focused on selfimprovement. This should provide high brand awareness with the launch of Clif Bar in 2013. The growing international market share is a great opportunity for the client. Marcom Tools Print media ? Billboards near gyms, sport arenas, cafes, highways near large businesses: viewed by consumer base ?

Sports and health and fitness magazines ads: distribution 13 Social media ? Social media and mobile presence: tech savvy target market, word of mouth through social media – Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube ? Displays with sampling the new smoothies: sporting events, health stores, grocery stores Other Tools ? Coupons: placed in magazines, emails, post cards and other products currently sold by Clif Bar product line ? SQR codes: provides coupons and fun bits of information of how Simply Clif helps benefit consumers’ lives. ? Also, advertising on Clif Bar’s organic smoothie bar already in circulation.

Simply Clif is being positioned as a health conscious, environmentally friendly product. The client uses recyclable materials that will also be used by in the development of other Simply Clif products. Simply Clif also hopes to start a new market for healthy, meal like smoothie drinks that are not a weight loss product. Media Strategy Media Objectives The objective of simply Clif’s media strategy is to reach its target audience that consists of 18-40 year old adults searching for healthy ways to live their lives. This target watches what they eat and they live healthy active lives.

They prefer to eat a balanced healthy diet that includes 14 100% organic foods. Simply Clif will reach a large percentage of its target audience in different ways throughout a one-year p. One way it will reach its target is through health management magazine ads. There will also be Billboard ads on busy freeways such as I-96 and 275. Another way is through Social Media, by hiring Ignite Social Media for one year. Lastly, through a responsive theme website that will help Simply Clif’s audience familiarize themselves with better eating and living habits.

Media Selection The ads in health and fitness magazines will help Simply Clif reach a large portion of the target audience. Simply Clif’s target audience is technologically savvy and use social media outlets and the Internet often. This is how Simply Clif will increase brand awareness and utilize use-word-of-mouth advertising. Ignite Social Media will be hired to help Simply Clif reach their target through social media. When people see a friend mention Simply Clif organic smoothies on their Facebook page, they will pay better attention to it the next time they see Simply Clif’s products.

Ignite Social Media will help Simply Clif by featuring sports competitions and having Facebook and Twitter fans tag themselves allows their friends and families to see the pictures. YouTube would also be a great way to get Simply Clif’s name out there; by creating a contest where customers need to come up with creative ideas that are “simple and organic” once these videos are posted the customers are actually helping Simply Clif spread their brand by posting their own videos on showing their friends and family members.

The winner will win a year’s supply of Simply Clif Organic Smoothies and their video will be posted on the responsive theme website. 15 Another way of reaching Simply Clif’s target audience is by helping to sponsor a marathon in the summer. Taking pictures and posting them throughout Simply Clif’s social media outlets allows the people participating to see their achievements and also to show off their efforts to their friends and family members. The billboards will be placed on roads where they can be easily seen, especially during rush hour.

The billboards will have the catchy phrase “Simply Awesome” that is easy to read and remember. The simplistic design of the billboard reflects the overall appeal of Simply Clif smoothies. Lastly, the responsive themed website will allow Simply Clif’s users to use the website with ease and clarity allowing them to enjoy every part of the website. These marketing strategies will get the Simply Clif name recognized and help reach Simply Clif’s target audience. Media Planning and Buying

Magazines According to Media Broker International (MBI) website, “NATURAL SOLUTIONS Magazine is a USA magazine covering Health. Natural Solutions, formerly entitled Alternative Medicine magazine, is a source of information on alternative therapies and products. It guides and inspires its readers to make informed decisions about their health and well-being in every facet of their lives. Natural Solutions magazine is the most trusted source readers turn to for help in making decisions about their health and wellbeing” (MBI, 2013).

The magazine is issued to ages 18-54 and is issued nine times a year, with a total circulation of 225,000. A black-andwhite advertisement that is two-thirds of a page will cost $10,820. 00 per issue. Simply Clif will distribute advertisements in four issues of Natural Solutions magazine. 16 MBI also states “FITNESS delivers strategies and tools that help women make little changes to achieve big success. With a “you-can-do-it attitude”, our workouts, health and beauty advice, diet plans and success stories motivate readers to get strong in mind, body and spirit.

The magazine empowers women to embrace fitness as a lifestyle — not an age or dress size — and to change the conversation from “skinny” to “healthy”” (MBI, 2013). This magazine is issued ten times per year, to ages ranging from 18 to 64, and circulates 1,500,000. A half-page ad with four colors will cost $98,490 per issue. Simply Clif will distribute advertisements in four issues of Fitness magazine. Lastly, MBI stated, “PARADE’S HEALTHYSTYLE fresh dynamic, approach to the latest health, food,fitness and nutrition information (2013).

It gives you insight into the latest about the healthy recipes and lifestyle you need to adapt to discover a newer you. Parade healthy lifestyle addresses issues like men’s & women’s health issues; tackling the peculiar problems that they encounter” (MBI, 2013). PARADE’S HEALTHYSYLE reaches an audience from ages 25 to 54; the magazine is issued 11 times per year and circulates 8,000,000. A half-page ad with four colors will cost of $163,200. 00 per issue. Social Media Ignite Social Media will have a great deal of impact on Simply Clif’s social media.

As mentioned before they will have special events that will connect them to Simply Clif and the rest of their target market. Ignite Social Media will also be in charge of all the social network site editing and ensuring the information is up-to-date. Ignite Social Media will be hired for 1 year at a total cost of $15,000. 17 Responsive Themed Website Lastly, the responsive theme website allows the viewer to view Simply Clif’s website at any size on their screens, they can maximize the screen and be able to see the entire website including all the ads.

If the viewer decided to minimize the screen slightly the website will re-adjust itself allowing the viewer to still view the entire website but with minor ads. Message Strategy Key Consumer Insight The brand message of “Simply Awesome” is designed to grab the consumer’s attention and drive the consumer to investigate the bold statement. The strategy of the campaign is to be simple and clean, but also deliver a bold message. The message is designed to reach a target audience of 18-40 year old health conscious men and woman by stating that Simply Clif is simple and healthy.

The brand message is designed to be a teaser that will create curiosity and drive the target audience to investigate why Simply Clif is “Simply Awesome” (Moriarty et al. , 2012). The target audience is looking for new products that have simple, organic ingredients that help them maintain their already healthy lifestyle. The target audience will be motivated to purchase Simply Clif because they are looking for healthy, organic foods that taste good. The Simply Clif campaign will feature three different product flavors that will appeal to the target audience.

These three different flavor options will reinforce the premise that healthy foods can taste good and encourage the consumer to pursue healthier eating habits. The Simply Clif campaign is designed around the way our target audience attempts to live their lives, simple and clean. The campaign will “speak” to the target audience by introducing a product that contains only five natural ingredients, is gluten free, and is low in calories. 18 Main Objectives The main message objective is to successfully launch the new Simply Clif organic smoothie into the growing organic market by offering the target audience a healthy, organic beverage.

The campaign will capitalize on an increased interest in organic products sold in the marketplace. The overall sale of organic food and beverages in the United States has grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $26. 7 billion in 2010. The sale of organic foods and beverages has increased by 7. 7% from 2009 to 2010. Also, the highest increase in sales during 2010, were organic fruits and vegetables, up 11. 8% through 2009 (Organic Trade Association, 2011). These dramatic increases in organic food sales indicate a growing interest in consumers wanting to live a healthier lifestyle.

Secondary objectives of the campaign are to increase overall awareness of the product, highlight the fact that the Simply Clif Organic Smoothie is made of all natural ingredients, suggest the idea that the Simply Clif Organic Smoothie is a healthy meal replacement alternative, and to enforce that our product is a higher quality alternative to Naked and Odwalla juices. The overall message of the campaign is to highlight the product as the highest quality, all organic smoothies on the market.

Selling Premise The selling premise of the Simply Clif Organic Smoothie is to highlight the simple ingredients and healthiness of our product. The campaign will focus on “clean living” and the benefits of choosing an organic product over other non-organic products on the market. The Simply Clif Organic Smoothie is not only a healthy snack, but can be used as a meal replacement to help maintain a proper body weight or as a recovery drink after strenuous exercise. The campaign will enforce the benefit of choosing the Simply Clif product by explaining how the 19 roduct can help an individual live a healthier lifestyle by consuming organic products. Big Idea The Big Idea of the campaign is to introduce the new organic smoothie into the marketplace as a simple, healthy, organic and clean smoothie drink alternative to high-sugar and high-calorie drinks currently on the market. The campaign itself is clean and simple and designed to mimic the product. The goal of the campaign is to have the target audience connect with Simply Clif organic smoothies as a way to help them continue to maintain their active healthy lifestyle.

Other Marcom Tools In addition to the planned billboards, social media promotions and print media advertisements placed in magazines, Clif Bar will also employ other marketing communication tools to enhance the campaign. Public relations activities, direct marketing, personal selling, sponsorships, point-of-purchase displays and special packaging features will also be used to engage potential customers and increase brand recognition. Public Relations Clif Bar will submit a press release to introduce Simply Clif to the public.

This press release will be announced at the beginning of the next quarter and will contain information about the new flavors and the benefits of drinking Simply Clif smoothies. Simply Clif will continue the Clif Bar tradition of supporting healthy lifestyles by encouraging outdoor activities and helping the environment. The company will continue to work with organizations like the Alliance for Biking and Walking, Safe Routes to Schools, and 350. org. 20 Direct Marketing The direct marketing tools will include SQR codes and social media.

These SQR codes will be strategically placed on the magazine advertisements, smoothie packaging and on other merchandise offered by Simply Clif. SQR codes will provide coupons and information about how Simply Clif can help benefit consumers’ lives. Also, direct marketing will occur through the presence of social media. Simply Clif has created Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube accounts. These accounts will help in providing information and special offers to the target audience. These accounts will provide more personal and engaging interactions with consumers.

YouTube will be used to announce offers and show mini-commercials of athletes drinking the smoothie and others having fun in the outdoors. Social media outlets will also increase word-of-mouth advertising and the brand recognition of the new smoothies. Personal Selling Because Simply Clif is a new product, personnel will be hired to hand out free samples of the new smoothies. The free sampling will occur at sporting events, college campuses, in health stores, and grocery stores. Also free lanyards will be given out to consumers willing to try all three flavors.

Sponsorships As part of the announcement of Simply Clif, it plans to sponsor a triathlon in midsummer along with swimming, BMX and Skateboard competitions. This will introduce the product to many athletes and consumers wanting an active lifestyle. These sponsorships will also hand out free merchandise, such as wrist bands, t-shirts, lanyards, and water bottles. 21 Point of Purchase Displays Large displays will be placed in locations where other Clif Bar products are currently sold. These displays will show the logo and provide the great benefits of the new smoothies.

The displays will direct consumers to the refrigerated isle where the smoothies are sold. It will also provide a large SQR code to link the interested consumer to the Simply Clif website to gather more information and other offers. Unique or Special Packaging Coupons will be placed with advertisements in magazines, sent to consumers through email, sent on personalized postcards to consumers of Clif products. Also, peel off coupons will be placed on other products currently sold in the Clif Bar product line.

Another sales tool that will be used is introductory pricing. This is a new product, so a discounted price will be used to entice consumers to try the product. Campaign Management Key Players Three roles will head up the media department: the art director, graphic designer and copywriter. The graphic designer is in charge of designing the magazine ads that will be distributed (American Association of Advertising Agencies, n. d. ). The copywriter is in charge of creating and supervising the Simply Clif website.

While working on their tasks, both the graphic designer and copywriter will give weekly reports to the art director to keep him/her informed of how the two areas are progressing. These reports will then be shared with the head of the marketing department. 22 Campaign Budget Media costs will consist of one-page ads in the following magazines: Natural Solutions, Parade’s Healthstyle, and Fitness. Other media costs include a billboard, social media services provided by Ignite Social Media, and the newly developed Simply Clif website. Media Costs /3 page ad in NATURAL SOLUTIONS Magazine (4 issues @ $10,820 / issue) 1/2 page ad in FITNESS magazine = (4 issues @ $98,490 / issue) 1/2 page ad in PARADE’S HEALTHSTYLE = magazine (3 issues @ $163,200 / issue) Billboard on I-96 & 275 Hiring Ignite Social Media for 1 year Responsive Theme Website Total Expenses = = = = $5,000 $15,000 $25,000 $971,840 $489,600 $393,960 = $43,280 For our services in creating this ad campaign, our agency will charge $95 per hour, making an eight-hour days’ worth of work cost $760. Also, since we will be purchasing and 3 orchestrating the various types of media for our client, Clif Bar, we will also be charging a 15% media commission fee totaling to $145,776 to be made payable to the agency (Janet Fazio Advertising, n. d. ). Evaluation of Effectiveness Evaluations will be conducted based on the target market that Simply Clif shares with other products of its kind. The target demographic of men and women 18 to 40 years of age was chosen because those people in that age group are more likely to engage in life-changing events such as eating healthier or having kids.

Not only will Simply Clif satisfy the health food cravings of that age group, but it will also help in developing strong and healthy children. By segmenting down into this life-stage sect of the population, Simply Clif will not only appeal to the main target audience, but also secure product loyalty among future generations (Moriarty et al. , 2012). Other smoothie brands used to weigh the effectiveness of the campaign will be Naked and Odwalla. Both brands appeal to youth and will serve as acceptable benchmarks to measure the ad campaign’s effectiveness.

Naked products are the more expensively priced of the two brands, with one 15. 2 ounce bottle retailing between $3. 19 and $3. 49 (The Nibble, n. d. ). One box of Odwalla’s smoothie product retails at $1. 49 (Beverage Industry, 2012). The size of the bottles affects the prices of the products, however, as Naked’s bottles are more than double the size of Odwalla’s bottles. Simply Clif bottles are 12 ounces and the retail price will be between $1. 49 and $3. 19 to provide the greatest value. Because the Clif Bar brand has not dealt in the smoothie industry yet, comparing the success of the campaign will be relatively simple.

Evaluation of the campaign’s effectiveness will begin three months after the campaign has been introduced to the public. Effectiveness progress will be monitored every three months until the campaign has ended. At that time, a full 24 evaluation report will be conducted to judge the success of the entire campaign. If Simply Clif is successful in taking a portion of the smoothie market share from Naked and Odwalla, the campaign will be deemed successful. The types of metrics used to judge whether or not the campaign was effective

Microsoft Corporation 1. 1 Executive Summary The purpose of this article is to highlight the current marketing strategies of Microsoft Corporation and also to identify the lacking areas where Microsoft should develop new strategies to with stand with the throat cutting market challenges. 1. 2 Mission Statement Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device. 1. 3 Our Values As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect.

We are committed to our customers and partners and have a passion for technology. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves on seeing them through. We hold ourselves accountable to our customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring our commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality. (Microsoft Corporation, 2010) 1. 4 Company Profile At Microsoft, everyone one is motivated and inspired every day, by how their customers use their software to find creative, solutions to business problems, develop breakthrough ideas, and stay connected to what’s most important to them.

Microsoft run business, in much the same way, and believe in their five different business divisions, which offers the greatest potential to serve customers. They are: a. Windows ; Windows Live Division: Includes the Windows product family, and is responsible for our relationships with personal computer manufacturers, as well as online software and services through Windows Live. b. Server and Tools:

Software server products, services and solutions, include: Windows Server operating system, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, Silverlight, System Centre products, Forefront security products, Biz Talk Server, and Microsoft Consulting Services. c. Online Services Division: Consists of an online advertising platform with offerings for publishers and advertisers, and online information; offerings such as Bing and the MSN portals and channels. d. Microsoft Business Division: Includes the Microsoft Office suites, desktop programs, servers, and services and solutions; Microsoft Dynamics; and Unified Communications business solutions. . Entertainment and Devices Division: Consists of the Xbox video game system, including consoles and accessories, Xbox Live operations, Zune digital music and entertainment device; Mediaroom, mobile and embedded device platforms, Surface computing platform, and Windows Automotive. We are committed long term to the mission of helping our customers realize their full potential. Just as we constantly update and improve our products, we want to continually evolve our company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge and to better serve our customers. (Microsoft Corporation, 2009) 1. 5 SWOT Analysis . 5. 1 STRENGTHS: i. Microsoft is one of the huge reputable global brands currently in the market. It is recognizable for couple of reasons, it was known to be one of the largest software developers and it’s developed a customer base of near about thirty million people all around the world. ii. It has built its brand image on the successful development of its computer software namely the Windows series of products. iii. Brand is everything, Microsoft is one of the best established, highly visible and healthy IT brands in the World, and holds a very loyal set of passionate customers that advocates and uses the brand.

By loyal customers, it means that Microsoft retains old customers as well as recruits new ones too. iv. The corporation is alienated in several central offices inside the United States and all around the globe making the distribution channel and development of its products easily approachable to every consumer. It helps the company to launch new products and services across the globe at the same time. 1. 5. 2 WEAKNESSES: i. Microsoft lacks a solid client age and service support centre on the internet.

This issue has to be rectified in order to overcome since problems and bugs with regards to their products must be fixed rapidly to attain efficiency. The lack of a customer service centre would erode the integrity and quality perceived by costumers on Microsoft products. ii. Generally Microsoft products have compatibility issues with different hardwares and softwares platforms manufactured by other companies, hence this sort of compatibility issue would then limit the ability of the customer to buy all products made by Microsoft since it would affect the stability and performance of a computer. ii. Microsoft does not share the programming codes of its softwares making modification difficult if bugs and other malfunctions are detected by programmers not affiliated to the company. 1. 5. 3 OPPORTUNITIES: i. Microsoft has expanded its market share by entering into the Chinese market by producing computer programs based on the Chinese language and giving discretionary authority to the Chinese government to censure and to eaves drop on emails, documents and webpage. ii. Microsoft has also diversified its products.

During the past years the company has ventured into fields such as game design, game developing and publishing and the production of game consoles such as the Xbox. iii. The company has also branched out to provide free email and news services to its customers. It has also developed softwares and computer programs that are vital in organizing business spreadsheets and data. 1. 5. 4 THREATS: i. Microsoft has created a set of example for all existing and forthcoming software developing houses to follow the same footsteps for such a drastic success. ii.

Early competitor of Microsoft in the operating systems industry is the Linux program which was developed by independent programmers. this program gave very though time to Microsoft due to of its user friendly and can be obtain free of charge. iii. Because the company is diversifying in various fields it started to compete with the products being produced by such companies who have been experts in their parent industry. The company might eventually lost its battles in making its products competitive when put side by side with products made by corporations which has established heir name and reputation to the customers. iv. Microsoft is losing its market share steadily, due to increase in competition and diversified products offered by their competitors. A recent publication (Thinking Made Easy: SWOT ) 1. 6 PESTEL ANALYSIS APESTEL analysisis a set of tools or an investigation of the important factors that are chronologically changing which influences on a businessexternally. PESTEL is abbreviated as Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental ; Legal impacts.

Politically influences on organisation like abrupt changes in government, inconsistency in their policies. Economic changes relate to changes in the macro economical conditions such as unstable economical conditions, rise in people standards or fluctuations in interest rates, etc. Social changes relate to changes in society (either globally or locally) such as changes in lifestyles e. g. more women going out to work, changes in customers buying behaviours. Technological changes relate to the entrance of new high tech inventions and ideas such as the development of the robotics and internet as business tools.

Environmental changes means the impact on production oriented organisation with the environmental policies like all textile manufacturing units were transferred to Asian markets from Manchester UK due to its adverse effect on the environment. PESTEL Analysis a. Political Microsoft is highly affected by the political scenario there in USA. Microsoft is becoming one of the giant companies globally. It has created huge monopoly across the globe. US government is now trying to break up Microsoft into several different companies so that to maintain equal competition throughout the market.

One of the other reasons in splitting up Microsoft Corporation that it is becoming so much stronger that it could be a threat for even US government in near future. b. Economical Being such a versatile company and the market share they have, Microsoft plays major role in bringing up the country economies they have set-upped their businesses. According to an independent studies that the economies of the country shoots up three times when Microsoft starts businesses in that country. c. Social

Microsoft has an edge on all of its competitors that socially more people are inclined towards Pentium platforms so naturally it helped a lot to have more market share rather than others. Market segment of Pentium users is considerably very huge but it would be threat for Microsoft that they are losing its share with an average pace, due to their unsatisfied customers. d. Technological It was a decade earlier that Microsoft was the leader in producing high tech softwares and gadgets, but now they are getting tough competition from global phenomenon brand ‘Apple’.

No doubt Microsoft adopts and market new technology as soon as it could be but still i e. Environmental Microsoft follows very strict policies to make sure that the company remains in full compliance with international environmental regulations and the specifically environmental requirements of each country/region where they are doing their business. Microsoft reduces waste disposal, where possible through source reduction and recycling at company facilities. All waste safely and responsibly handled and disposed of properly. f. Legal

Microsoft is playing vital role in legal aspect of their pirated products like Windows and other softwares. They are trying their level best to reduce the usage of their pirated softwares. They are introducing different security features which may reduce the usage of pirated products. 1. 7 Porter’s Generic Strategies Michael Porter has proposed three generic strategies that provide a good starting point for strategic thinking; overall cost leadership, differentiation, focus and combination of all these three strategies is known as stuck in the middle.

Microsoft is a versatile company it produces series of products and services which caters different market segments, and according to every particular segments they developed their specific strategy for different product segments. a. Overall cost leadership Microsoft’s has out scoured its major software houses towards Asian markets, that help them to develop efficient and yet low cost softwares with low overhead or manufacturing cost.

The added benefit of companies going globally is that they get access to their local market, and one of the reasons Microsoft has established software house in India is to expand their Indian market share. b. Differentiation The other strategy which Microsoft is keep following since very early stages, is of their differentiated products and softwares. With the launch of Windows the most user friendly and c. Focus Microsoft has narrow down its market segments, they identified the need of their customers and created segments within the segments.

For example at first there was only one segment of computer games lovers but now Microsoft has narrow down this segment and created a separate gaming console for gamers called Microsoft Xbox 360. 1. 8 Implementation Plans As a marketing adviser, I would redefine the marketing structure by improving their segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies. Last year Microsoft launched Xbox 360 gaming console, it was segmented for kids to teens gaming needs and it was positioned as a complete home entertainment solutions which merges video gaming, internet and DVD playback.

The Xbox 360 is the most robust and high tech gaming console in current market. Sony Playstation 2 is currently the market leader with almost more than 50% of the gaming console market share. The Xbox was launched the previous year and positioned as the complete home entertainment solution combine video gaming, the Internet and DVD playback. The Xbox is the most robust gaming console on the market, but faces stiff competition in its product category. Microsoft is trying its level best to become the market leader in this category by dethroning Sony.

To accomplish this goal, Microsoft has to restructure its targeting strategy; specifically they should stick to a specific age group people so that they could focus their efforts on them. They should more focus on people aged between 16 to 24, due to the high tech device and this age group are very high gamers. This age group people are substantial knowledge how to use high tech equipment and themselves fascinated by the entire features Microsoft is offering. Secondly, these age group people are good source of marketers by influencing their friends and family circles by introducing them and flavouring them its joy.

Considering various opportunities and challenges ahead, Microsoft must continue to narrow down their campaign specifically on the heavy male gamers, since this demographic category are usually trendsetters in the society and they are even very early innovators too. Microsoft should work out on the differentiation strategy, in the current market scenario Microsoft is the only one who is offering online and network gaming on their gaming consoles where as Sony and Nintendo are not offering such features, so Microsoft should invest more capital for marketing in such area which make them set ahead among their competitors.

In the software development side, Microsoft is facing huge customers losses by one of its competitors namely OpenOffice, they are offering complete range of office softwares free of cost, thus giving very tough time to Microsoft Office software, in such critical situation my opinion would be going towards differentiated strategy.

Technically Microsoft should develop such uniqueness in their Office software so that customers (majority of them are students) can’t think to adopt free softwares rather than paid one, customers should have high perception in their mind that paid must have great value rather than free one. This can be achieved if Microsoft creates a monopoly by creating incompatible extensions of Office which can only be viewed and edited on exclusively Microsoft Office. Bibliography Hollensen, S. (2004). Marketing Management.

Illinois: Pearson Education Limited. Kotler, P. (2002). Marketing Management (Eleventh ed. ). California: Prentice. Microsoft Corporation. (2010). About Microsoft: Your Potential. Our Passion. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from Microsoft Website: http://www. microsoft. com/About/default. mspx Microsoft Corporation. (2009, December 4). Our Commitment to Our Customers. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from Microsoft Corporation Website: http://www. microsoft. com/about/companyinformation/ourbusinesses/business. mspx

1. Evaluate the promotion objectives Rick Wyatt should include in his plan: These following promotion objectives below should include in Rick’s plan: . To increase the number of volunteers to give back to communities . To create an enjoyable working environment to keep the volunteer serving the communities longer . To have extensive diversified trainings so volunteers and members can be aware of what they’re doing . To let the volunteers know they’re respected and are recognized and are safe 2.

What promotion methods should he use to achieve those objectives? In order to achieve these objectives, Rick should do the following steps below: . To put ads in the local papers, banner/signs, radio broadcasts, flyers, posters, word of mouth, or walk house to house to advertise the volunteer are always welcome and needed . To have a short 10 minute videorun on the county public safety cable channel that will show the many operations provided by volunteers plus a video to show that what the Fire Department work and give back to communities .

To do fund-raisings to bring capitals so the Fire Department can use these capitals to expand the Department and to award the volunteers . Don’t restrict volunteers to be firefighters. Volunteer can do in different levels of medical response/support; rehab roles; and support roles. This method allows the Fire Department to bring on a wider range of people, and they all fill a vital role . Develop and use a formal awards program such as certificates, dinner coupon to let the volunteers know their works are recognized and are respected   .

A clear communication keeps firefighters feeling as though they are important to the organization and the service’s mission . To have a department-wide picnic in the summer or holiday dinner to bring volunteer and their families together . To connect and offer introductory class with Red Cross meetings or classes, blood drives, food banks, and basic community service places to find the best candidates . To have gym, coffee rooms, entertainment areas in the Fire Department that can bring all members together, to keep members in shape, to create an enjoyable working environment

Executive summary Langkawi, such an amazing island, attracted a lot of people from all over the world. Unbalanced regional development, domestic and foreign tourism competition make Langkawi cannot get a development very well, that is the reason why Langkawi cannot be the world-wild attraction. A right marketing plan can make Langkawi give full play to its advantages and make up for weakness, and then get a good development of marketing. Setting marketing objectives, confirm target markets, use marketing strategies to develop a marketing plan for Langkawi is the focal point of this article.

Introduction Langkawi, “The Island of Legend” is located 108 kilometers northwest of Peninsular Malaysia, the border of Malaysia and Thailand. Comprising a group of 104 islands, the biggest one is Langkawi, it is a place for those seeking tranquility and refuge from the hustle and bustle of . The area is about 526 square kilometers. The main island ps about 25 kilometers from north to south. Two-thirds of island covered forests, hills and natural vegetation. It’s a biggest cluster island in Malaysia, constitute of 99 limestone islands.

Langkawi Island is richly blessed with a heritage of fabulous myths and legends. As a natural paradise, this island perhaps is incomparable anywhere else in Southeast Asia. The country beauty of the island makes itself a compelling attraction. Langkawi, a drooping part of Malaysia, attracted no tourists until 1987. In 1997, there are 1. 7million tourists visited Langkawi and the number reached 2. 38million in 2009. Most of the development is in the main town of Kuah and in isolated resorts around the coast.

The airport is located on this island as well hotel resorts, restaurants and shops. The two main , Pantai Cenang and Pantai Kok, are on the island’s western coast, with Pantai Cenang being the most popular as the place for hotels and restaurants. Dotted along the northern coast are the more luxurious resorts. With the only intention to promote tourism, the island was granted a tax-free status. Government has come up with special developments to promote the in Langkawi.

Tourists are also requested not to bring any cars or other vehicles to go to this island, so it can save this city far from pollution and then make it as a green tourist destination. The Northern Corridor Economic Region development program is a Malaysia Government initiative to promote the economic growth in the north of Peninsular Malaysia . In order to improve the Langkawi’s position as a world-class tourist destination, the Northern Corridor Economic Region is trying hard to attract further world-class hotels and holiday resorts to this island.

In the folk custom aspects, the entertainment service development in Langkawi is not a patch on Phuket Island, the rich of history and culture is not as good as Bali Island, but it has abundant natural and geological beauty, simplicity and peaceful , leisurely and comfortable tourism atmosphere, it can be developed as an ecological, geological and leisure tourism island. That makes Langkawi not only have a unique style with neighboring famous islands, but also an intellectual tourism trend for satisfy tourists yearning at present.

Langkawi is surrounded with many legends that could be used in the marketing of the island. In addition to the natural and social resources, Langkawi has many other resources that could be developed into visitor attractions such as rubber fields, factories, fishing villages and the Hindu temples. The change of the future is expected to the attentive planning and decision by Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi (LADA). Marketing objectives Langkawi is a potential island for coastal tourism. Coastal tourism has been the world’s largest tourism hot spots and important pillar.

With the development of the economy and coastal tourism in the context of the global is developing quickly, coastal tourism development of real estate has become an important component. In order to develop coastal tourism reasonable, the marketing plan should be suitable for langkawi. Vision To become a world-class agency in the efficient and creative development of langkawi’s infrastructure and tourism industry. Mission To develop langkawi’s specialized attractions (such as theme park) objective 1. To protect natural resource in order to obtain sustainable development. 2. To improve entertainment facilities in langkawi. . To create a theme park for eco-tourism. 4. Promote Langkawi as an international tourist destination. The island has an abundance of potential, especially in eco-tourism. They could build a theme park that co-exists with the environment and encourages eco-awareness. (Jimmy Leong ). only focuses on ecological protection, and to obtain sustainable development. The international success coastal resorts all pay attention to ecological protection principle. Target markets From region, the figure shows that more than 70% of visitor in langkawi is from Malaysia, that means main visitor market in langkawi is domestic market.

However, Thailand, Singapore is Langkawi’s largest market for foreign tourist. And from demography, family and couple prefer to go langkawi. Because langkawi is a quite beautiful and reasonable coasts for destination. Couple choose langkawi as honeymoon destination. The family go vacation because of amazing landscape, and also duty free shop. According to statistics released by the Tourism Division of the Langkawi Development Authority, that there were 2,461,455 visitors stayed on the island during 2009 which nearly 25% were from overseas, All in all, Langkawi’s target market is couples and families both in international and domestic.

Marketing strategies Product pricing The price that tourism enterprises set need to conform to the certain standards, if the price is too low, customers may thought those products are not worth to buy, tourism enterprises are hard to get a profit, and if the price is too high, customers have no ability to consumption, there will be no demand on it. In Langkawi, some luxury hotels, restaurants and entertainment industries can use high price strategy to approaching market and it is good for .

Travel agency, local attractions and hotels can offer discount for visitors when they reaches a certain amount. Some hotels, motels or airlines can provide seasonal discount in rainy season, international flights can adjustment the price according to the size of demand, and the purpose is to attract customers, make sure they can get a profit. Pricing can be based on competitors, it is a kind of methods that pricing according to the price of competitors. Price variance remains unchanged and always be a little higher than competitors or a bit lower. So ompare to other islands, Langkawi can pricing according to its dominant position and give a higher price, for inferior position, we can give a discount for customers, in order to attract them to come. Promotion Promoting the tourism development of Langkawi is very necessary. Promotion can be used in various ways. Public relations is a good way to promote it, we can make people pay attention to the propaganda by special events or activities. There are a lot of people from all over the world, looking for the information of Langkawi on the Internet.

These potential visitors want to know the interesting places in this island, where they can stay, which restaurant offers the best meal. We can build websites about Langkawi’s detailed information, shows the travel and accommodation arrangements and let people know what the suitable choice is for them. Hotels can offer special discount for attracting tourists to stay in Langkawi, whatever people come to Langkawi for business, vacation or conference, Langkawi has different kinds of accommodation types to serve customers, discount hotels can attract more tourists to stay because most of them want to .

Airlines can provide , make everyone can travel by air. Travel agency can promote the preferential travel project, save money and time for visitors. We can also advertise Langkawi through media, , magazine, television or “giveaways” such as calendars and training packages, print and send out brochures, provide travel reservation service and use publicity to build a positive image of Langkawi, let people see them in their daily life. People Only find that demand can satisfy the demand. The process of finding demand needs to realize by employees.

Tourism enterprises need to arouse the enthusiasm of the employees, let them seeking for potential customers according to the demand of them. The employees with high quality and comply with the requirements are very important. Training the industry professionals, make sure travel agency employees can let visitors have a good experience in Langkawi, and get satisfactory services from hotels, restaurants and other entertainment industries, because their service attitude and level is one of the key factors which decided to customers on the tourism enterprises satisfaction, a not professional employee may be adly affect Langkawi’s image, leading to the loss of customers, reduce the economic income enterprises, affect the development of tourism industry in Langkawi. “People” not only those of the employees, but also customers. The feeling of customers on the service quality may be affected by the opinion of other customers. The marketing goal is getting loyal customers those whom believe in tourism enterprises and think they are worth to spend, and they are also willing to recommend Langkawi to other customers, thus to improve the popularity and positive image of Langkawi. Processes

While producing and service delivering at the same time, process management can guarantee the availability of service and stable quality. Otherwise, it is very difficult to balance the supply and demand of service. We must find the way to handle the peak demands, seeking the method in different level to maximum satisfy the different needs of different customers. In the implementation process of Langkawi’s marketing planning, it might happened some accidents because of the change of the market, we must do our best for the , regulate and control in the whole process, to achieve the best effect of marketing.

To sum up, in the marketing strategies combinations of Langkawi, in addition to the human factors are uncontrolled, other factors are controllable. We should adapt to the external environment actively, give full play to Langkawi’s advantages and make up for weakness, and then get a good development of marketing. Physical evidence Physical evidence is making the invisible services of products as much as possible becoming visible products, let consumers fell that the service product is exists, and improving visitors enjoy the value of the service products process.

Germany has a successful businessman said: a simple reception is better than a detailed manual. For example, the first time a visit goes to the langkawi restaurant, before entered the restaurant, the restaurant’s appearance and signs has made him an initial impression. If the impression is good, he will go into the restaurant, and then the internal decorate, how clean the desktop is and the waiters’ etiquette image will directly to decide he will repast here or not. If management and utilization t well, it can help customers experience the characteristic of langkawi, improve the service when you get to enjoy the benefit and contribute to create a good image for langkawi, to support the implementation of the . Conversely, it may send wrong message to customers, influence the customer’s expectations and judgment to langkawi, it will damage the image of langkawi. Physical evidence should focus on object factors, human factors and atmosphere factors and it also can improve physical evidence from outdoor billboards, TV advertising and the promotion activities in public places.

We can add the local customs and features to langkawi’s guideposts and signs, on the other hand, service personnel should dress the same uniform, intensify efforts to make slogan and publicity material. Conclusion Langkawi is a romantic, beautiful island which has richly natural resources, where nature itself also has many excellent conditions, making her a paradise in Southeast Asia. Walking on the main island of Langkawi, an oasis of Rubber Forest and paddy fields are in front of you, dotted with the traditional tall houses (Ganlan), coconut waves, two or three Islanders who make a living by fishing and farming pass by.

All these form a very laid-back screen. On this island which is full of ancient legend, the earth fell asleep in a lullaby of insect croak piping. In addition to the beautiful natural scenery, Langkawi also has a long history and traditional culture. Langkawi is a duty-free island that you can buy a lot of duty-free products. As the famous internationally archipelago of 99 tropical islands in Malaysia, Langkawi is the absolute holiday paradise which offers modern accommodation facilities and amenities set against the natural backdrop of sun-drenched beaches and ancient rainforests teeming with exotic plant and animal life.

For its beautiful geological heritage of stunning landscapes, Langkawi is a really good place to go, it is absolute a fantastic travel destination. Experience the beautiful countryside and the peaceful landscape of paddy fields, pass by some small villages with wooden houses which build by palm trees, and children pedaling their old bicycles . Beautiful scenery, great adventures, five-star conveniences and an international airport make Langkawi a great place for a holiday. An agro-based economy of padi and rubber cultivation and fisheries is being ast overtaken by a tourism-driven economy, taking into consideration the natural, unspoiled, ecological beauty of the island and major governmental emphasis. The largest and most developed island – known as Langkawi – is the focal point for most visitors. Traditionally the islanders have relied upon the farming and fishing industries for their livelihood, but in 1987 they were awarded Duty Free status, and the subsequent increase in visitors has promoted tourism to the point of being the islands largest industry.

Tourism is one of the most important industries in Malaysia’s national economy, and it has an important effect on promoting national economic and social development. Malaysia is richly in natural tourism resources and culture tourism resources. Since the 1960s, tourism resource advantages are gradually translated into the real economic advantages. With the rapid development of Malaysian tourism industry, during the past 50 years, remarkable have been made in the number of tourists to Malaysian, foreign exchange income, tourism infrastructure construction, the opening and protection of tourism resources, and some other aspects.

Langkawi has rich tourism resources. Develop Langkawi tourism market is good for the local economy,it can provide more jobs for local people. So develop a good marketing plan for Langkawi is very necessary, it can promote the development of tourism industry, thus promote the development of entirety economic in Malaysia. References , A. (2002), The rough guide to Southeast Asia, Rough Guides Ltd,Mohamed, Z. H. I. (2000), The legends of Langkawi, Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur. John, S. Michael, T. (1998), How to prepare a marketing plan: a guide to reaching the customer market, MPG Books Ltd, Great Britain. John, W. (2010), How to write a marketing plan, Replika Press Pvt Ltd, India. Malcolm, M. & Hugh, W. (2011), Marketing Plans: How to prepare them, how to use them, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, United Kingdom. Simon, R. (2007), Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei, Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Australia. Susan, B. (2001), Successful tourism marketing: a practical handbook, Kogan Page Limited, London.