The new product, Veggie Burger, is a special proposition to all consumers who value healthy life style and follow dietary patterns. Rational for a product development is a new approach to cooking and new vision of customer’s needs and demands. In general, the proposed marketing strategy will deal with pricing, selling, and distributing Veggie Burger. Using a market development strategy for a Veggie Burger, McDonald’s will capture a larger share of a current market through market saturation and innovative approach to product quality (Kotler and Armstrong 2006).
Veggie Burger’s launch will be based on product differentiation strategy. This marketing plan will be the main strategy followed by McDonald’s as it allows the company create a unique product image and features, propose low price and support services for all customers. McDonald’s will follow penetration pricing strategy. Penetration pricing refers to the establishment of price levels low enough to penetrate markets deeply, and to discourage potential competitors from entry. Although prices are set relatively low, expanding markets arc recognized. Pursuit of this policy slows down the recouping of investments and expenses. Which policy to use depends on the total marketing plan and an assessment of cost-revenue market factors (Kotler and Armstrong 2006). The price for each Veggie Burger will be $1.
Segmentation for a Veggie Burger will be used to understand individual customers in the market place and to group them together to form distinct segments which are identifiable, accessible and substantial. In markets, segmentation is often used to make selling more cost effective by prioritizing the companies that require regular face-to-face salespeople and that can be served better by telesales and direct distribution. Market segmentation involves finding out the key drivers that distinguish one group of customers from another (Kotler and Armstrong 2006).. Gender and class differences will not have a great impact on purchases and marketing strategies. The majority of potential buyers are fast food eater who value healthy life style and follow dietary patterns. The product will be distributed through McDonald’s restaurants. It will not face competition because it is a unique solution designed for elderly only. The main threats of the proposed strategy marketing plan are low response level and low purchasing power of the target group. The opportunities are uniqueness and low price available for low income consumers around the globe. Technical improvements and innovation in product development will create a comparative advantage for McDonald’s. Developing countries unable to produce enough technologies are at a disadvantage because they do not have the human resources needed for producing health-conscious high-value-added menus.
The budget for marketing campaign is $ 1 000 000. As a high budget advertiser, McDonald’s might narrow the target, reduce the variety of vehicles needed to reach a target, and thus allow dominance of the consumers who are targeted. Reducing the geographical boundaries of national advertising and the times during the year when there is a promotion is launched are also useful means of achieving market dominance. In selecting among these marketing strategies, the strategic aim is to have a strong presence among as large a portion of the target as possible by restricting the playing field to a size that allows for mass media dominance (Hollensen, 2007).
‘Marketing mix’ for Veggie Burger will mean the strategies adopted and implemented by the firm including product, price, promotion and distribution issues. The company should take into account the fact that even when advertising features older people, the appeal often does not reflect an understanding of the elderly consumer (Hollensen, 2007). They are treated as if there is one elderly segment. This practice is not consistent with the data suggesting that the knowledge and lifestyles of potential visitors. One implication of this observation is that in developing advertising targeted to all classes and social groups. The findings are that older people retain proficiency in earlier learned products and experience some problems primarily when the products are ones that require new attention that have not been learned earlier. Veggie Burger campaign should take into account that today’s elderly have a difficult time when television advertising employs quick cuts—rapid movement from one scene to another. In addition, limitations in learning that do occur (Hollensen, 2007). Marketing mix will involve aggressive advertising and promotion campaigns in TV, radio and transport.
Implementation of the first campaign
- Send Direct mail – twice on September and October and one on November;
- Cinema ad – 7 times a day starting from the 20th of September to end of November;
- Radio ad – 10 times a day from the 5th of September to end of November;
- Advertising in local Press – once a week from the 5th of September to end of November;
- TV ad – 3 times in the evening starting from the 5th of September to end of November;
- Posters in transport;
- Calendars and wallcharts.
Controls will be the final stage of the Veggie Burger’s marketing campaign. Planning and control are intertwined and interdependent, so the planning process will be divided into two related phases, strategic marketing planning and controls (Kotler and Armstrong 2006).
References
Hollensen, S. (2007). Global Marketing: A Decision-Oriented Approach. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition.
Kotler, Ph., Armstrong, G. (2006). Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall; 11th edition.