Background
Hobbs is a store that sells clothes and accessories and it primarily targets wealthy people. The marketing strategy that the firm wants to start for the year 2009 is aimed at raising the footfall. From the analysis from Mosaic, it is clear that Birmingham is a place that has many people who are affluent and are willing and able to spend a lot of money to get good quality and fashionable clothes. The composition of people in Birmingham is quite diverse with people high on the socioeconomic scale and others in the lower end of the scale. However, the majority of the residents are quite wealthy.
Analysis of Target groups
The target groups of the Hobbs marketing initiative in Birmingham are A01-7, E29, E30, and K58. The A01 group is referred to as the global connections group. This group comprises people who are extremely rich and live in expensive houses. Some are childless and earn high incomes. Some are foreigners who work in multinational firms in London. These people have an economy that is dependant on the global economy. They appreciate personalized unique products which are tailor-made for them. They lay a lot of importance on high-end shopping for shoes and clothing.
A02 is called cultural leadership. They have mostly educated professionals and they work in the government or other firms. Some have their business enterprises. They are often called on to make recommendations on public matters because of their experience and education. Their financial position is not influenced by the global economy. They research products before purchasing them. They like high-quality goods which are original and rich in color. They read magazines a lot and are more followers than initiators when it comes to new products.
A03 comprises people who are very wealthy business managers. Because they are so rich they can afford the good things in life. However, they don’t have much time to spend their money and they often outsource services which they could do themselves. The value brand of a product is very important for them and they will only purchase from superior and well-established brands.
A04 are older people who have grown-up children. They value well-established brands but they are also open to trying out new and upcoming brands. They are careful in their shopping and prefer spending money on high-quality items than on the latest fashion. They are not affected by problems in the economy and enjoy spending their money on gifts and antiques.
A05 is composed of the older professionals who work in key positions in the public and private sectors. They rely on the city center for their jobs and livelihood. The stock market affects their income largely. They are not very receptive to messages in advertising. They are glad to purchase items from the internet. They prefer adverts which give relevant information about the benefits of the products and the social responsibility that the company is involved in.
A06 is a group that comprises well-paid executives most of them are young singles or have young children. They enjoy a high employment rate, especially in the IT industry. They prefer products that are highly personalized and are innovative. These people are willing to try new products. They value their status in society and will spend large amounts of money to maintain them.
A07 comprises people living in villages and small towns. The occupants are well-paid long-distance commuters and the local older people. Many of these people find work in the research companies that are set up in Oxford and Cambridge. The semi-rural group of people is not interested in fashion or dressing for display. They prefer traditional and casual styles which are comfortable. They get information from the internet and magazine. This group has a high disposable income as many are managers and business executives. They often travel for shopping for groceries and other necessities in the nearby towns. They do not watch much television or videos.
E29 are very young single people who work in high-pressure jobs in the city. They are frequently read magazines and are interested in making sure that they live a classy life. They are fashionable and want to dress to impress. An E30 group is a middle-class group that takes many shopping trips but is usually small. They like trying new varieties of fashion and they check for the latest trend in magazines and the internet. The K58 group is farmers who live traditional lives. They are prosperous in their activities. The price of a product is very important in their decision-making process. Fashion is of no consequence to them.
From the above analysis, it is clear that the groups which were chosen by Hobbs in the marketing initiative are the most promising group. There is a lot of disposable income which can be used to purchase the clothes and accessories at Hobbs. There is a good market for ladies’ fashion wear in this area because the different groups analyzed have people who are interested in making a fashion statement at whatever cost. The marketing strategy adopted by Hobbs should consider the fact that the fashion industry is very competitive and substitutes are easily available (Easey 2008).
Fashion marketers have to differentiate the market offering to attract and keep the customers. The most effective way to increase the footfall of the company is to gain new customers (Mendoza 2008). However, the strategy planned should bear in mind the budget of £1000.
Customer Relationship Management
Customer Relationship Management is a strategy that a company uses to follow categorize the current and potential customers. A Customer Relationship Management software can be used to assist. The goal of these is to provide customers with good services. The information that is collected in a CRM strategy can be used to get a better understanding of the wants and needs of the customer so that the product that is offered is in accordance with their tastes and preferences. Segments in the customer groups which have similar characteristics can also be identified. This will help to retain the customer (Peel and Gancarz 2002).
Database marketing
Database marketing will assist in getting the right group of people to target toper promote a product. The information required in the database usually comprises the name, address, telephone and demographics of the person. Hobbs should give out cards which contain the information of the customers. They should be durable high-quality papers because using a computerized CRM database can be very expensive and the budget of £1000 will not be enough. From the analysis carried out, it was seen that many of the people in Birmingham prefer personalized treatment so being allowed to give their details and their preferences will make them feel more appreciated (Blattberg, Neslin, Pyong-do).
The fashion industry keeps changing. The fashion trends keep changing and the fashion marketers have to continually change according to the current trends. It is important to present the fashion house as flexible to the needs of the customer (Hines and Bruce 2007).
Marketing Strategies
Event organizing is one of the most common marketing strategies that are adopted by fashion marketers. Not only will the party help in the retention of current customers but it will encourage other people who are not yet customers to join in (Hines and Bruce 2007). The event organized by Hobbs should be very classy and well organized to appeal to the wealthy people who are being targeted by marketers. Even if the event is expensive, it is a worthwhile investment because more customers will be attracted.
To keep costs to a minimum and to get the most benefits from the organization of the party, the marketers should choose the most beneficial group of people. The information that can be used in the selection process will be from the data that was gotten from the cards. Those who have been shopping in Hobbs for a long should get invited because of their loyalty while the ones who can bring potential business to Hobbs because of their financial ability should also be invited. A fashion show may be part of the itinerary of the party so that the guests can see what the company has to offer and increase their interest in the company’s products.
If the customer spends more than £400 in the first three months, he or she will receive a free accessory which costs £20. A belt costing £20 will be better because it will be cheaper for the company while carrying out an effective promotional exercise. This should only be for the first ten people who purchase goods worth £400. This is because of the financial constraints that the marketers have. This will bring the total costs of the promotion to only £200.
Keeping in touch with customers is very important because it creates a good relationship with the customers. The customers should receive regular emails giving them the necessary information. This information could be about new products that are in stock, changes in prices, etc (Peel and Gancarz 2002).
The marketers of Hobbs need to consider doing advertising in the magazines. Most people who like shopping for quality products like reading magazines to find the latest fashion trends. This will probably increase the footfall of Hobbs. The target market is mainly made up of wealthy people so it is necessary to stock clothes and accessories which are appealing to them (Easey 2008).
Conclusion
£200 of the amount set aside for marketing should be used for the promotions which involve giving away belts to people who have bought goods worth £400 and above.
300 should be used to make the party. The rich people will be happy to come to a party organized by Hobbs and this will give them a chance to further market themselves. Advertising in the magazines could take about £200. The email initiative should have 50 allocated to it. The collection of information about the customers is a very important exercise and it can take £250.
Following this plan of marketing will undoubtedly put Hobbs on the right track in terms of increasing their footfall. The target group is the best for a clothes shop that wants to maximize sales and profits.
Reference
Peel, Jeffrey and Gancarz, Mike 2002, CRM: redefining customer relationship management, Digital Press, United States of America.
Easey, M 2008, Fashion Marketing, John Wiley & Sons, United Kingdom.
Hines, Tony and Bruce, Margaret 2007, Fashion marketing: contemporary issues, Butterworth-Heinemann, United States of America.
Mendoza, Mayumi 2008, Keys to Success in the clothing Retail Business, Powerhomebiz. Web.
Blattberg, Robert, Scott Neslin and Kim Pyong-do 2008, Database Marketing: Analyzing and Managing Customers, Springer, New York.
Bohdanowicz, Janet and Clamp, Liz 1994, Fashion marketing, Routledge, United States Of America.