1.0 Introduction
As an assistant brand manager, this project is premised on a duty assigned by Miranda Priestly, Robins’ brand manager in the bid to ensure that the company’s brand, Fabreze Air Freshener, remains competitive. Consequently, the assistant brand manager will seek to review all publically available information related to Fabreze Air Freshener brand and the product category, prepare a detailed analysis of the brand category, and make three recommendations to improve Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position premised on the findings of the research. Notably, the analysis and recommendations will be limited to the domestic United States market.
Currently, Robins’ Company conducts marketing of its Fabreze Air Freshener brands on the local television channel. Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s current market entails both men and women residing urban and suburban regions. Fabreze Air Freshener offers a wide range of affordable Freshener products. In addition, they offer delivery services to their customers with a fixed rate of $8.40.
Robins’ faces competition from many existing and upcoming retail business in United States, for instance, El Suprimo which is retail store for air fresheners. In addition, Smart Air Freshener Company sells their products at cheaper prices and delivers products to their clients at a fixed rate of $8. Besides, Smart Air Freshener Company, another competitor is working on approaches of maintaining its brand loyalty thus a strong competitor to Robins’ Company.
Ever Fresh Air Freshener Company is yet another upcoming company that is posing a great market competition to Robins Air Freshener Company. It operates on the philosophy of minimizing environmental effect of their products and achieving client experience that is second to none in the industry thus a threat to Robins’ Air Freshener Company’s product, Fabreze Air Freshener.
Ingrained in the current trend in technology, Robins’ is strategizing to harness from the influence technology on the consumer Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s demand. This is critical because client demands get influenced by the changing social environment in addition to technology. Robins’ has vast unexplored market opportunities in regions across the United States. Presently, Fabreze Air Freshener is advertised through local television channels and magazines. Due to advances in technology, Robins’ is increasing its operation capacity, innovation, and its efficiency in marketing its Fabreze Air Freshener product. Robins’ intends to utilize online marketing chance to access new opportunities. As elucidated by McClure & Montague (2009), there is an increase in the purchasing power in society in the U.S thus prompting vast consumers to seek branded products of air fresheners.
It is worth noting that seasonality does not influence Fabreze Air Freshener’s market. Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s records sales throughout the year with a slight increase registered in festive seasons. Additionally, factors the entail government regulations and tax policies are also crucial affecting the air freshener market. Further, external factors influencing purchase of air fresheners in the industry are crucial to developing a marketing plan in consideration of economic and social in addition to technological and regulatory trends in the Fabreze Air Freshener campaign strategies.
3.1 Segmentation and Targeting
Fabreze Air Freshener’s is greatly reputed product in the US and the brand management seeks to boost its recognition to enhance its competitive position. This objective will be rooted in promotional campaigns. Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s current market entails both men and female in urban and suburban. Particularly, Robins’ targets clients with residential homes and accommodation places such as hotel, resorts, and restaurants.
Fabreze Air Freshener brand has recorded greater number clients living in urban set up compared to those livening in rural regions. Ingrained in the statistical findings of the study conducted by Aryeetey & Ernest (2012), 82% of Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s clients were from urban regions while 18% were found to reside in rural set ups.
Robins’ is working to ensure that it continues to dominate in the local markets in the US. To achieve this, Robins’ is targeting people residing in both rural and urban environments as its target market. Being that the marketing plan targeting far-flung opportunities to tap customers, Robins’ should work towards establishing offices in other many regions countries across the United States. This move should be geared towards marketing and expanding market opportunities to other regions. Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s advertisement will carried out ingrained in the evaluation findings of Fabreze Air Freshener brand before it is fully rolled out in the new regions.
Many region across the US should be selected for the launch and marketing of the Fabreze Air Freshener brand. Notably, regions with diverse ethnic groups with two-thirds of its population living in major and small towns across the country will be favored. A survey indicates that 87% of the total homes across the US are connected with electricity. The findings of the survey further indicate that many regions are middle-income economies with 21.2% of the population being middle-income earners (Decker, 2014). Additionally, the marketing plan targets government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the people residing in their residential homes in the rural and urban environments as the target market.
In order for Robins’ to communicate to the target market about the Fabreze Air Freshener product, creation of brand awareness in order to facilitate purchase of the product by the customers is critical. Consequently, the Robins’ marketing plan should seek to incorporate social media. Further, Robins’ should also seek to use YouTube to promote Fabreze Air Freshener brand awareness. Particularly, YouTube platform has 2.2 billion monthly critical to Fabreze Air Freshener product. This platform is intended to not only aid in the creation of Fabreze Air Freshener awareness but act as an avenue of connecting customers.
Additionally, remaining solid in Fabreze Air Freshener campaigns besides creating a concept features to aid customers who are using mobile app will be done. Robins’ should use its online website, http://www.fabrezeairfreshenerproducts/, in creating brand campaigns. There are 1.2 million online utilizers who qualify as the target market for Fabreze Air Freshener brand. Robin’s marketing plan should further seek to create interactive online features in the bid to aid clients’ do online booking in addition to prior research regarding the Fabreze Air Freshener product.
Robins’ will embrace social engagement and build brand loyalty in the bid to improve Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position.
3.3 Product, Price, Place, and Promotion
There are cultural differences among some residents in the United States thus posing a challenge on the acceptability of the Fabreze Air Freshener brand. As such, Robins’ should seek to adapt Fabreze Air Freshener brand to suite the new market. Consequently, embracing a new strategy to facilitate communication flow in order to evaluate and monitor the operational progress of Fabreze Air Freshener brand on its products is necessary. Besides, Robins’ management should engage a customer suggestion approach as milestone approach in adapting Fabreze Air Freshener brand.
This study established that presently, the cost of Fabreze Air Freshener brand is pegged on vast determinants that entail production costs and scale. Contractual agreements that are premised on engaging suppliers who deliver the products have an impact on the overall cost of the Fabreze Air Freshener brand. In addition, fixed factors also influence the price of the brand. These factors include the Robins’ structures. Notably, even if the cost of this production factors will remain unchanged they have an influence on the cost of Fabreze Air Freshener brand. Further, based on statistics, the general cost of fixed production factors of Fabreze Air Freshener brand are estimated to be is $2.1 billion (Financial statements: Business week, 2015).
Variable factors were also found to influence the level price of Fabreze Air Freshener brand. In order to determine the price of Fabreze Air Freshener brand, the cost for labor, fuel, and power incurred by Robins’ company are influential. Additionally, to promote service delivery of the Fabreze Air Freshener product to clients transport cost is incurred. Premised on McClure & Montague (2009) elaboration, labor is critical in sorting in addition to packing Fabreze Air Freshener products for delivery.
Determinants of Fabreze Air Freshener brand price
Fabreze Air Freshener brand’ distribution strategies were examined and established the Robins’ embraces direct distribution. Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s customers are directly served from Robins’ facilities spread in the major cities in the United States. Additionally, Fabreze Air Fresheners are delivered directly to customer upon booking. Based on the current market strategies, Robins’ advertise its products via magazines. In addition, Robins’ brand team embraces physical distribution and delivery of Fabreze Air Freshener brand using agents located at the various offices across major U.S cities.
3.3.4 Promotion
In order for Robins’ to succeed in its plan, structured marketing strategies are critical. Strategies ingrained in marketing via social media will be emphasized. Robins’ target market spends 35 weekly on social media. The frequency of interactive Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s advertisements should be enhanced to boost Fabreze Air Freshener awareness. In addition, seeking to access business chances in other regions in the United States through setting up offices and conducting campaigns on the moderately priced Fabreze Air Freshener brand will remain Robins’ crucial strategy.
The company projects to 80% online sales by the end of 2016. This opportunity will be tapped further because market research indicates that consumers are increasing preferring online shopping because it gives them an opportunity to conduct product research before purchasing and it gives them an opportunity to give a feedback on the product they purchase (Aryeetey & Ernest, 2012). It is worth noting that creation Fabreze Air Freshener’s awareness by employing the medium of mobile apps is presently little emphasized by Robins’. This approach is crucial in giving users a chance to utilize mobile phone to engage online shopping. This brand plan forecasts great return because the target market is greatly using smartphones. The marketing approaches will be important in aiding Robins realize its marketing objectives. The company further needs will have to foster an interactive client relationship so as to create Fabreze Air Freshener awareness and loyalty.
In order to improve Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position, embracing Venn diagram to enhance promotion of the brand is critical.
3.4 SWOT Analysis
Robins’ is a retail company characterized by heterogeneous Fabreze Air Freshener brand in the market. Based on the S.W.O.T analysis, Robins’ has crucial strengths and weaknesses. Besides, Robins’ faces internal threats. Robins’ has immense chances of marketing Fabreze Air Freshener that it ought to utilize in order to hit returns as forecast by the end of 2016.
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Opportunities
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Threats
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4.0 Brand Recommendation
Robins’ objective is to register 80% sales of the Fabreze Air Freshener brand by the end of 2016 within the target market. In addition, the company projects to create more awareness of its brand through the use of modern social media platforms. Further, Robins’ objective is to establish an online market website for online marketing and selling of its brand in the far-flung regions in the United States. Based on SWOT analysis, the company intends to create interactive online and mobile advertisements for its Fabreze Air Freshener brand
Fabreze Air Freshener brand is positioned fairly well in the United States market and has received continued worldwide recognition. There is an untapped market in many regions across the U.S Fabreze Air Freshener brand. Thus, Fabreze Air Freshener brand positioning in the new market will need the use of online interactive guides. Further, the conducting a wide range of advertisements for the product in the market will facilitate positioning to clients and potential customers.
Premised on the survey conducted by the assistant brand manager, the company needs to establish offices across the U.S in order to clients to easily access the Fabreze Air Freshener brand. Robins’ brand staff should do marketing in addition to addressing client issues from the Robins’ regional offices. Robins Kitchen targets all people living both in urban and suburban places. Robins’ will easily access all its Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s potential clients because of its extensive delivery mechanism.
Robins’ should identify the target market being sought. Secondly, analysis of factors likely to influence the target market should also be done.
| Identification of target audience |
| Fabreze Air Freshener positioning |
| Utilizing Media in brand promotion |
| Setting marketing objectives |
| Fabreze Air Freshener Product Mix |
Robins’ should then run a brand positioning analysis which will be important strategizing approaches deemed to foster Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s awareness. In addition, objectives and the advertisement options via social media platforms should be elucidated and extensively analyzed so as to realize Fabreze Air Freshener’s promotion objectives.
4.2 Media Mix
In order for Robins’ Company to meet its target revenues, adoption of elaborate public relations strategies will be critical. This will be done through emphasizing social media advertisements approaches that are ingrained Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Premised on Decker (2014) findings, the target market Fabreze Air Freshener brand spends an estimate of 60 hours weekly social media. Increased interactive advertisements frequency should be enhanced on these social media to facilitate Fabreze Air Freshener brand awareness. Besides, accessing market opportunities for Fabreze Air Freshener brand in other regions in the U.S by setting up Fabreze Air Freshener offices will be important in enhancing knowledge with regard to Fabreze Air Freshener brand.
Robins’ Company projects 40% increase attributed to the sale of Fabreze Air Freshener brand at the end of 2016. This opportunity should be tapped because market research indicates that consumers are increasing preferring Fabreze Air Freshener brand (Percy & Randrup, 2014). This is because of Robins’ better service delivery and ability of the company to give them an opportunity to conduct Fabreze Air Freshener brand research before they purchase. Additionally, customer should be given an opportunity to give a feedback on the Fabreze Air Freshener after use.
Robins’ Company’s objectives of the media mix entail utilizing online features for Fabreze Air Freshener advertisement to access the freshener’s target market by the close of 2016, fostering the frequency of campaigns to hit the 70% of the target audience, and promotion of the use of mobile app to facilitate the Freshener’s online shopping. Robin’s should embrace vast strategies. Firstly, 35% of the company budget should be allocated to online product campaigns. Here, emphasis will be ingrained here because of its ability to reach vast audience through interactive ads, 35% of the budget will be channeled in creating awareness via mobile app, and a further 30% via television.
The company’s creative execution should be to run a commercial campaign in the local and international television channels where interactive ads with be featured so as to increase brand awareness. Robins’ has recorded continuous marginal returns since its inception in 2000. In 2015, their revenue was $8.4 million which was an increase of $1.6 million from 2014. The cost of Fabreze Air Freshener sold was $5.8 million giving Robins’ a gross profit of $2.7 million in 2015. Expenses and administrative costs reduced by 7.6% (Financial statements: Business week, 2015). The proposed budget of tapping the new market through brand campaigns in other regions of the United States is $ 4.2 million dollars.
Social media and online promotion campaigns are estimated to cost $2.7 million dollars. Setting up the company’s online websites is estimated to cost $1.5 million dollars, and the other amount will buffer against eventualities.
Projected Budget
| Project Deliverables | Resource | Projected Cost | ||
| Social media campaigns | Campaign Team | $2.7 | ||
| Setting up online website | IT Experts | $1.5 | ||
| Total | $4.2 | |||
Based on this projection, the company estimates to incur $4.2 million dollars and projects returns of $9.6 million dollars. Thus, Robins’ forecasts a profit of $5.4 million dollars by the end of 2016 from the sale of Fabreze Air Fresheners.
The assistant brand manager also established that an evaluation plan is critical in improving Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position. Such an evaluation should be premised on the marketing plan of launching and marketing Fabreze Air Freshener via the website and the phone apps. The evaluation plan will be ingrained in collecting information. Further, conducting pre-testing and in addition to post-testing to determine marketing objectives of Fabreze Air Freshener brand were realized as was anticipated. Initially, before implementing the marketing plan, Robins’ management should conduct research to establish how Fabreze Air Freshener brand is perceived in the intended market. The same research should be done again at the end of 2016 to determine if the perception and attitudes changed towards Fabreze Air Freshener.
Ingrained in the survey conducted by the assistant brand manager, it is recommended that Robins’ Company should launch a website, http://www.fabrezeairfreshenerproducts/, to enhance brand awareness consequently improving Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position. Further, the assistant brand manager recommends that Robins’ Company employs a structured design in developing and maintaining Fabreze Air Freshener positive image. Besides, Robins’ plan should follow the path of boosting credibility of Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s promotional strategies.
It is also worth noting that the assistant manager finds embracing of online features in Fabreze Air Freshener advertisement crucial in accessing target market. Similarly, the features will foster the air freshener’s client trust thus critical in improving Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position. Premised on this medium, Robins’ Company should incorporate channels of media constitute Instagram. Additionally, Twitter and YouTube channels should be utilized by Robins’ to enhance credibility and Fabreze Air Freshener’s recognition scale as enshrined in the Fabreze Air Freshener media mix plan by the end of 2016.
This study was ingrained in a duty assigned to the assistant brand manager of seeking to review all publically available information related to Fabreze Air Freshener brand in addition to the product category. The preparation of a detailed analysis of the brand category and making three recommendations to improve Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position constituted the scope this study. Notably, the assistant brand manager gave the analysis and recommendations on how to improve Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position based on the domestic United States market. An analysis of Fabreze Air Freshener’s strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats were also done.
Ingrained on the study findings, the assistant brand manager recommends that Robins’ company should embrace promotional strategy that are founded in the social media and engage product positioning that needs to capture Fabreze Air Freshener’s target market. An evaluation plan on how to keep track of Fabreze Air Freshener’s marketing plan was also recommended.
Further, to improve Fabreze Air Freshener brand’s competitive position, the assistant brand manager recommends that Robins’ Company should launch and utilize an online medium in product advertisement in order to reach a bigger percentage of the target market. Additionally, Robins’ should incorporate channels of media that entail Instagram. Other mediums of Twitter and YouTube should also be embraced in advancing Fabreze Air Freshener’s brand campaig
References
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Decker, K. (2014). Trading post. Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://www.sbu.edu/docs/default-source/imc-documents/see-katie’s-completed-project.pdf?sfvrsn=0
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