Marketing Plan and Strategy for Online Company

Marketing Plan and Strategy for Online Company The marketing plan explains the creation of an on line T-shirt Company by the name of The T-shirt. It explains on what grounds the company is made and the tactics to run the business. The situational analysis explains the background of the business. The marketing plan explains how the product will be made acceptable by the audience and the methods of awareness that will used to make the product know to the market in Karachi, Pakistan. It also explains the ways that will help the product to capture the market in lesser time period. The total amount for initiating the business is $100,700/= (I need about 40,000 pounds investment)- this amount is apprx 63000 in pound, please let me know if we have to only consider the exact amount of 40,000 punds. Kindly confirm this so that we have to change the change our costing sheet. The T-shirt Companys ( the name of the company is T-Shirt company mission is to offer far above the ground superiority t-shirts to target audiences with a plan to expa nd in future moving into further product categories. It has been anticipated that the business will grow in the coming three years with gradual increases in the revenues. (And also try to set a target market like Pakistan, dubai etc, because we cant serve whole world there are different rates like currency and postage rates which will confuse us,so it is imposible to serve whole world)- Karachi is mentioned in the report now 1. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The availability of internet makes it incredibly easy to instigate an apparel Web site comparatively promptly. The initiative to start the business will start with the assembly of an internet based on line shop for the propagation and the development of the business. Similar to a physical, bricks-and-mortar T-shirt business, the establishment of the company is backed by research and planning for future penetration and to capture market in less time (Woerndl 2007). The online company by the name of The T-shirt Company is an innovative and exciting business that will help the customers to wear a designed- shirt of their own choice based in Karachi, Pakistan. The business will be aided by latest computer technology to help in customized printing o T-shirts in small bulks. This online company will accept orders from anywhere at any time. The option to choose the material, style and design will be always there. The front and back designing can be chosen by the customer. Hence the customer can express himself ultimately. The T-shirt with the customized designs will help a person the inner feeling of be a fanatic or a sportsman or a musician or the customer can feel the celebrity feeling by wearing a T-shirt having a picture of a celebrity imprinted on it. The T-shirt may be imprinted with a social message or a causative clause to capture the attraction of others (Urban 2004). 1.1 Marketing and Brand Strategy The company will provide a number of options for the T-shirt wearers. The business is solely meant for T-shirt ordering. The T-shirt Company will have ties with printing companies to utilize their printer sublimation technology. This will help in developing a computer image to be applied to a shirt in a high quality, high resolution, and economically feasible manner. The use of this technology will help the customer to use the shirt for a longer period of time with out any tension of the print to be washed away. The sublimation technology is cost efficient enough to offer customers the ability to order just one unit. The customer may choose from a wide-ranging collection of accessible imagery, provide their own image, or have an artist generate a representation for them (Ackerberg 2001). Marketing Sales Strategy The sales strategy will make putting the order to The T-shirt Company a pleasing experience. The sales team will continuously work for the website since it is the main portal for the purpose of ordering. The sales will work on the persistent development of the website which is considered as the main instrument used for ordering. Similarly, the website will be user friendly since it will be the direct source to come in contact with the customer. It is necessary since all the choices for the customer are available on the web portal. The sales will be performed directly on this portal. The directions for the usage of the site will be easy to understand so that the customer will not get frustrated. It will be important to have a responsive, comprehensible web interface for two major reasons. First, there are so numerous choices accessible that it could turn into daunting to the patron and the second reason is that a large segment of sales will be positioned on the website. It is essentia l to create it so uncomplicated that people dont impede part way throughout ordering process due to cumbersome (Cateora and Graham 2007). The T-shirt will also incorporate the following techniques for boosting the sales. The priority is extraordinary customer service. The second technique is to fulfill the order giving the customer a feeling of furnished product and giving the customer a sense that the business is meant for the customer. Sales can be enhanced by providing high quality products (The Finance Resource 2010). Competitive Edge The T-shirt Company has following dominant competitive advantages. The strategic partnerships with companies that have existing graphic image libraries, The T-shirt Company is able to offer an extraordinary number of options. Other competitors costs proscribe printing custom shirts in one-off manufacturing runs while the T-shirt Company offers single item order (Gauzente and Ranchhod 2002). The T-shirt Company is a unique online T-shirt company that offers a wide range of customized products. It uses the sublimation process to put the prints on the fabric of T-shirts. This is a cost effective method since the T-shirt Company offers the option of small production runs. The use of recent technology has made the use of sublimation process cost efficient (Eighmey 1997). As specified and prà ©cised by the name, there will mainly be an emphasis on T-shirts. Organic fabrics, Long sleeves, Short sleeves and a variety of styles will also be offered (The Finance Resource 2010). Corporate strategy The corporate strategy of The T-shirts Company focuses its customers and peers keeping in view the idea to bring innovation and style in the world of T-shirt market. Build connection with consumers Bring affordable products with the demand the customers Make our online company a competitive advantage, through regulation and distinction Speed up growth through focused implementation The corporate strategy is meant to leverage the brand strategy (Johnson 1998). Brand Strategy Our brand reflects youth and style hence the tag line will be Wear the style with comfort. This reflects an impact of the target audience that is youth goes for style while adults prefer comfort (Greenwald, Anthony and Leavitt 1984). The brand strategy of The T-shirt Company is Brand Extension. Brand extension means coming up with a new product line along with the existing one. Initially we will emphasis on our core product that is the T-shirts. With the passage of time as the profitability of the current product increases we will go into line extension that is the manufacturing of other shirts for casual and formal wear (The Finance Resource 2010). Marketing and Brand Communication Our imaginative approaches guarantee engagement, and an occupied, considerate audience will be far more approachable to our message. We can create a communications strategy to maximize the impact, by communicating with your audience prior to, and following to any marketing event. All pre-event communication will be created in-brand our website, and other media methods we are adopting. This will build up expectation. All tactics designed to enhance the brand (Laroche, Michel, Zhou and Kim 1996). 2. MARKETING AND BRAND OBJECTIVES 2.1 Marketing and Brand Objectives Brand forms the foundation of a marketing activity and Brand plays the biggest role in creating space in the minds of a customer. The strength of the brand is critical to our companys long-term business health and profits (Griffin and Pustay 2009). The utmost objective of The T-shirt Company is to make The T-shirt preferred brand among the target audience (Greenwald, Anthony and Leavitt 1984). The brand will reflect the Recognition among the competitors Targeting the audiences so as to capture Attaining a number of new clients in the next year Positioning the brand as an industry leader in the next five months Employ a local promotion with the Companys targeted audience through the use of newspaper advertisements, flyers and word of mouth promotion and internet blogs. Develop the websites to fully attain the attention of the customers who are the ultimate people to be served (Woerndl 2007). The power of our brand lies in its ability to focus on its target audiences as the specificity of the products full supports to the brand. The objective of our brand is to gain customer loyalty in order to incline the customer to come for repeat purchases. The brand development clause will be incorporated in the corporate strategy to strengthen the impact for brand in future development (Jagdish and Sheth 1971). 3. MARKETING AND BRAND STRATEGY 3.1 Market Analysis Summary The T-shirt Company has segmented this market into two groups. The first target group is one who prefers already made designs. The second group prefers the customized designs. The basis of segmentation is again based on the demographic of the buyers as there are two separate groups of buyers (Laroche, Michel, Zhou and Kim 1996). 3.2 Market Segmentation The market has been segmented into two groups on the basis of the following two characters. By product type Age group 3.3 Target Market Segment Strategy The T-shirt Company has selected two market segments i.e. follow demographic segmentation and the second is based on Psychographic segmentation. The reason is that the customers will chose according to their lifestyle (Ackerberg 2001). 3.4 Business Analysis The T-shirt industry is brick and mortar based. This business is mostly niche but The T-shirt Company is meant to cater to the general market. Most of the associate in the industry fall into two major categories which include those that sell to individuals and secondly those that vend in multi-unit production (Brister 1991). 3.5 Competition The T-shirt will face local as well as international brand competition. Along with the online competitors brick and mortar competition is also prevailing in the market. Large numbers of companies are involved in computer based techniques to cut costs. The T-shirt Company is able to influence proprietary expertise as an aggressive edge to produce much higher quality computer sublimation (Gauzente and Ranchhod 2002). 3.6 Promotion Strategy We will adopt the push strategy making use of a companys sales force and trade endorsement activities to create consumer demand for a product (Laroche, Michel, Zhou and Kim 1996), 3.7 Price and pricing strategy The per unit price of each item i.e. one t-shirt is $ 20 which is very competitive as compared to the market. The price charged for products and services is set synthetically low in order to gain market share. Once this is achieved, the price will be increased. This approach will help in attaining the market share initially (Johnson 1998). 3.8 Strategy and Implementation Summary The T-shirt Company will influence its two competitive edges on rivals to quickly grasp and gain market share. These two competitive edges are wide range of graphic designs and the cost efficiency of the technology. Student groups and Youth events will be targeted. The same way, the sales campaign will attract the customers through word of mouth referrals (The Finance Resource 2010). Here you just define the things but you didnt explained what our company will do. I think if you read the details properly, you can find the proper procedure regarding the companys working 4. ACTION PROGRAM 4.1 Market Segmentation The market has been segmented into two groups on the basis of the following two characters. Market will be segmented on customer age basis. Ages 12-25 will be in more focus Market will be segmented on the basis of students because students will be our main customer Segmented to all those customer earning accumulative $ 8000 The marketing campaign will emphasize to promote the online shop as giving the customer a customized product (The Finance Resource 2010). There are few of the tactics to inform the customers about the venue of the product .The message can be spread as follows. 4.2 Promotion through Events Different events will be sponsored which includes sports events and music festivals along with the innovative kind of tremendous sporting events as a means of growing visibility. 4.3 Promotion through Kiosk The store will have a computer kiosk for customers to access the design book. The customer can then put the order online or take the information to a worker to place the order (The Finance Resource 2010). 4.4 Promotion through Student groups The T-shirt Company will involve student groups to actively participate in increasing the awareness about the product. The demographic and psychographic both factors will be visible in this tactic. 4.5 Product The major product is the t-shirts which will be promoted to the customers through the above mentioned media. 4.6 Logo Creation Our company will choose a logo for its branding. The logo will be source of recognition for the company since the emblem comes to the mind of the audiences. 4.7 Sales Forecast and sales Action plan The sales output will be conservative in the first year in order to fulfill the set targets. The sales forecast will be divided on the basis of the two factors that graphic design and the product type. The sales will be performed directly on the website portal. The directions for the usage of the site will be easy to understand so that the customer will not get frustrated (Urban 2004). The T-shirt will also incorporate the techniques for boosting the sales. The priority is extraordinary customer service. The second technique is to fulfill the order giving the customer a feeling of furnished product and giving the customer a sense that the business is meant for the customer. Sales can be enhanced by providing high quality products. 4.8 Website Optimization The website will be essential in The T-shirt company marketing effort is a key sales tool for both distant and customers. The access address will be used in promotional material and by heartening people to explore the company products. Good quality promotional t-shirts T-shirts printed with your logo or message. Branding is all done by sprinting. Graphics approves through e-mail. No hidden charges Free delivery to customers (I noticed you are giving references in every paragraph, but this is the plan in which we have to write our own company plan, so there should be more words(plan or strategies) from our side) You are absolutely right but This is the same way we asked you in HR assignment if you remember.. but we were asked to insert the reference in every part of the assignment 4.9 Market Audit The audit will include psychoanalysis of the companys marketing strategy, marketing association and marketing efficiency. It must be organized in order to give concrete conclusions based on the analysis. To make certain impartiality, this market audit is best done by a department, person or organization that is independent and is away of the marketing program. Marketing audits must not to be done when the value of a current marketing plan of a company is in problem; it has to be done sporadically to isolate and resolve problems prior to they arise. Marketing audit will be held in case if the existing marketing plan fails to operate effectively. The audit will be run accordingly to solve the problems in advance. It means that marketing audit will help the company in gauging its profitability and effectiveness (Xiaofen and Yiling 2009). The company will actively look, make possible, and give confidence for feedback, both encouraging and pessimistic by creating friendly and omnipresence of complaint and suggestion systems (Woerndl 2007). 4.10 Management Our influential online entrusted management system can make possible all communication; this includes organization of enticement and registrations, ensuring all delegate necessities are met 5. PROJECTED PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT 5.1 Financial Look Up The sales forecast is sensibly conservative so that goals will be attainable. Sales will be slow at the start, a function of the fact that The T-Shirt Company is just a start up organization and it will get time to build an ample foundation. The total budget we assume $100,700/- approx here we take assumption of increase in sale and percentage of taxes and interest rates. 5.2 Assumptions Percentage Increase in Sale 147% Percentage Cost Of Sale 147% Inflation Rate 21% Increase in Rent per Year 10% Payroll Tax 15% Interest on Debt 10% Tax Rate 30% Total Equity 25200 Total Debt 75500 5.3 Sensitivity Analysis The company can also faces any declines in terms of revenues in economic downtown and our product which basically considered as a non-essential item and therefore company can also faces any issues in profitability and income due economic recession. So considering the fact Company has to pay attention and focus on the sales and the profits earning should remain same or even better in any economic stage (The Finance Resource 2010). 5.4 Income Statement Year 1 Year 2 $ $ Sales 117882 291169 Direct cost of sale 58941 145584 Other Cost of Goods 0 0 Total Cost of Sale 58941 145584 Gross Margin 58941 145584 Percentage of Gross Margin 50% 50% Expenses Payroll 68400 82764 Sales, Marketing and other Expenses 2500 3025 Depreciation 996 996 Rent 11000 12100 Utilities 3300 3993 Insurance 3000 3630 Payroll Taxes 10260 11799 Total Operating Expenses 99456 118307 Profit Before Interest and Expenses -40515 27277.27 EBITDA -39519 28273.27 Interest Expense 6045 5700 Taxes Incurred 0 5743 Net Profit -46560 15834.27 Net Profit/Sale -39% (set it at -25%) 5%(this is ok) Note: 1$ = Rs. 85 (PKR) 6. CONTROL METHODS The control method comprises of the following efficiency calculating techniques. 6.1 Sales Analysis Monthly sales forecast and the target meted will be matched to find the accuracy of the promotional campaign .It will help in comparing the sales target and the discrepancies (Urban 2004). 6.2 Market-share analysis Market share will be analyzed keeping in view the sales of other competitors (Gauzente and Ranchhod 2002). 6.3 Expense-to-sales analysis It will clearly demonstrate the range of costs that are explicit and implicit of achieving the company sales target (The Finance Resource 2010). 6.4 Financial analysis Strict financial accountability will exist. It will calculate various performance ratios such as profit margin, Expense-to-sales analysis, sales to assets and profits to worth (Cateora and Graham 2007). 6.5 Customer satisfaction It is the eventual pointer of tracking goal accomplishment. Recurrent satisfaction and customer constancy surveys should form an essential part of any marketing drive (Gauzente and Ranchhod 2002). 6.6 Profitability control There is no point in extravagant limited resources on marketing efforts that guarantee nothing except name appreciation. The company will focus and check what products and consumer groups give in the most profits and assessment of running campaigns (Cateora and Graham 2007). 6.7 Efficiency control The local picture is important. The company will scrutinize if there are any divergence between the feedback of consumer types and various market niches (Brister 1991). 6.8 Strategic control The accompaniment of effectiveness control is tactical control. It counts for the overall and long-term marketing plan: It will clearly bring to the front the weaknesses, and market opportunities (Gauzente and Ranchhod 2002). 6.9 Marketing audit The marketing audit is the raw matter for the tactical control. It will ensure that the marketing plan highlight the companys strengths that are well-matched with shifting market reaction, events, fashions, predilection, needs, and precedence of consumers (Cateora and Graham 2007).