Water Management Strategies for Melbourne

This assignment delves into the water management strategies employed by the Melbourne Water Corporation. Students will analyze various aspects, such as pricing models, promotional campaigns, and digital marketing tactics used to promote water conservation and manage this valuable resource in Melbourne. The analysis will draw upon provided research papers and resources specific to Melbourne's water infrastructure and challenges.

Running Head: Marketing Management
Melbourne Water Company
Marketing Management & Digital Communication

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Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Back Ground of Company...............................................................................................................3
Research Methods............................................................................................................................4
Current Value analysis.....................................................................................................................5
Marketing promotional plan............................................................................................................7
Elements of promotional mix.......................................................................................................8
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11

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Executive summary
Melbourne Water Company is a government authority which controls various water systems in
Australia. The major places covered by the company are Victoria, Melbourne and numerous
reservoirs. Along with these areas, this company also operates to maintain and control drainage
system services across the city in terms to provide the better experience to its target audience.
These services are included in the basic activities of an individual and this company help those
individuals to start their livelihood in an effective manner. The company was formed in 1992 and
its headquarters are situated in Victoria and Melbourne. It is wholly managed and controlled by
the Victorian State Government and manages water supplies, drainage systems, rivers and
sewage line. In relation to this, this paper will include the marketing management and digital
communication plan in order to increase their efficiency in relevance to expand their business
functionalities in other parts of Australia. Their major target market is whole Australia. Thus, the
report will conclude current value analysis of the organization. Current value analysis will
include the value of the services and the products delivered by the organization along with
enhancing the performance of the organization in the other parts of Australia. Further, the report
will describe the marketing and promotional plan in order to promote the services and the
products delivered by the organization across their target market. The promotional and
advertisement plan of the organization is segregated on the basis of budget allocated by the
Victorian State Government. The major segment of the promotional plan of the organization will
be promotional mix and its elements through which the information in relevance with the
products and the services delivered by the organization could be spread effectively.

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Back Ground of Company
Victorian State Government owns Melbourne Water Company and their primary services include
maintenance of water supplies and controlling of drainage and sewage line across the Australia.
Water supply catchments, rivers’ water, sewage lines, and major drainage systems throughout
the Port Phillip and Westernport region are managed by the Melbourne Water Company. The
company was formed in 1992 with the motive of maintaining the above mentioned services
across the Australia in relevance with smoothening the Australian people’s experience
(Melbourne Water Corporation, 2018). Governance of Melbourne Water Company is
independently managed by the Board of Directors in union with the Ministry of Water of
Australia. The company performs its activities in relation to managing the water business which
includes City's wastewater, Yarra Valley Water and South East Water. Along with the water
businesses, organization also manages various water authorities, land development industry and
local councils. The company operates under the Water Act 1989 and Water Industry Act 1994.
The company is formed with the merger of number of small urban water authorities of 1992 and
Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. The company was formed with the motive of
resolving the water shortage conditions in numerous Australian parts. The water shortage
situations were faced by the various Australian regions in the 1870s and then the Melbourne
Water Company takes the initiative to resolve this issue in relevance to provide clean water to
the Australian regions which were facing issues. The company received water initially from the
Yan Yean Reservoir in 1857. The primary aim of the organization is to manage the huge and
small water resources of the Melbourne. Now the company is planning to expand their business
in the other regions of the Australia. Along with this, it is also required for the organization to
increase the organizational efficiency in relevance with the governmental objectives.

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Government is required to fulfil the local citizens’ needs and the demand along with fulfilment
of the industries and companies’ needs in relevance with the water. Yarra Valley Water is the
primary resource through which Melbourne’s and Victorian’s people’s water requirements are
being fulfilled. Apart from this, water requirement of the companies and the industries is also
being fulfilled by this reservoir (Ferguson, Brown, Frantzeskaki, de Haan & Deletic, 2013).
Following are primary competitors of Melbourne Water Company:
 Barwon Water;
 Central Highlands Water
 City West Water
 Coliban Water
 East Gippsland Water
 Gippsland Water
 Goulburn Valley Water
 Goulburn-Murray Rural Water
 Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water
 Lower Murray Water
 North East Water
 South East Water
 South Gippsland Water
 Southern Rural Water
 Wannon Water
 Western Water

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 Westernport Water
Research Methods
In this report, secondary sources have been used to collect the information in relevance with the
value of the company in comparison to the competitors in the target market. Apart from this, the
research methods will also identify the information in relevance with the competitors’ value
propositions, target market, customer value and the future value propositions of the products and
the services delivered by the Melbourne Water Company. Survey and personal interview
sessions will be used in this report to gather the information in relevance to the target market
(Ferguson, Frantzeskaki & Brown, 2013).

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Current Value analysis
Customer value analysis will be conducted to analyse the organizational position in the target
market along with the efficiency of their products and the services. Melbourne Water Company
is engaged in the management of the water resources in the Melbourne where the major water
resource for Melbourne is Yarra Valley Water. Melbourne Water Company is the first
organization engaged in the management and controlling of water and drainage system
resources. In the late 1870s, various Australian regions were suffered from the lack of water
resources and reviewing this situation, Victorian and Melbourne’s state government decided to
form a body in relation with providing appropriate services to its target audience (Rogers,
Brown, de Haan & Deletic, 2015). Melbourne Water Company and their primary services
include maintenance of water supplies and controlling of drainage and sewage line across
Australia. Water supply catchments, rivers' water, sewage lines, and major drainage systems
throughout the Port Phillip and Westernport region are managed by the Melbourne Water
Company (van Leeuwen, 2017).
Melbourne is the greatest cities across the globe and as the leading position in the world-class
integrated water, waterways, sewerage and amenity management. Apart from this, an
organization has developed their primary motive in order to make the city continues to flourish
and adaptation of the unique and advanced services in relation to matching with the dynamic
climatic conditions, population growth, and urbanisation. Company’s motto for the Melbourne
city is that “The services we provide every day are essential to the community, businesses and
the environment. This makes us an important part of Melbourne’s future.” (Rathnayaka,
Maheepala, Nawarathna, George, Malano, Arora & Roberts, 2014).

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Their major role and functionalities are to protect the water resources on behalf of the
community and they operate under the Victorian Government. Maintaining and controlling
drainage systems, sewerage lines and the management of the waste is necessary in order to help
the public to live freely and independently. Providing these services in an effective manner is a
useful resource which enhances the life expectancy and the living standard of the individuals.
Company’s ‘enhancing life and liveability’ strategic vision and rigorous research and water data
informs our services, guaranteeing the supply of affordable, high-quality water, reliable
sewerage, healthy waterways, integrated drainage and flood management. These services are
helpful for enhancing the livelihood of an individual as well as it is also essential for the
individuals to live a healthy life (Stephan, Crawford & De Myttenaere, 2013). Organization is
involved in the protecting the community’s interest through providing them qualitatively and
health services. Water is an essential element for the organization and it is basic element for the
individuals to live their life. For a better and a healthy life, organization performs numerous
quality check procedures for decreasing the health issues related to the water and its related
services. The primary target market for the Melbourne Water Company include metropolitan
water companies and other small water distributors and companies, businesses that are engaged
in diverting rivers’ water to the society and the land developers. Apart from this, the major target
segment is 1.8 million households and they get numerous waterways and drainage, sewerage and
its related services (Kenway, Scheidegger, Larsen, Lant & Bader, 2013).
Melbourne Water Company's major products and services include waterways and drainage
charge, bulk sewerage, bulk water, bulk recycled water, waterway diversion and stormwater
harvesting, providing clean water, and providing flood level information. Organization is

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currently approaching the Victoria and Melbourne cities in Australia while they are now
planning to expand their business and functionalities in other parts of the country. With this plan,
an organization would be able to set up an effective and important position in the Australian
market in relevance with the effective management of water and its related resources. This type
of resources is useful for the community in terms to increase the livelihood experience along
with decreasing the health-related issues. The achievements of the organization will be described
in their promotional plan for increasing the market share in the Australian market (Scarborough,
Sahin, Porter & Stewart, 2015). Organizational products and services are cheaper and more
effective than its competitors’. In terms to promote the organizational functionalities in the other
parts of the country for increasing their market share, an organization has adopted certain crucial
and effective methods. These resources also include the customer feedback and survey methods
and under these measures, organization could easily be able to gather information regarding the
requirements of their target audiences’ (Fuenfschilling & Truffer, 2016).
This is also necessary for the organization in relevance with increasing their goodwill amongst
the customers along with the development of the customer relationship. For maintaining the
relationship with the customers, organization is required to perform and adopt advance methods
along with providing qualitative and effective products and services. In relevance to describing
and proving the organizational importance in comparison with their competitors and their
services, organization has adopted and implemented strategies such as competitive analysis and
market analysis. With the help of these strategies, an organization would be able to gather the
information in relevance to their competitors' strategies and practices (Muranho, Ferreira, Sousa,
Gomes & Marques, 2014). In addition, to gain the competitive advantage in the target market, an

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organization will easily be able to adopt the more enhanced and effective strategies in
comparison with their competitors in order to gain an adequate competitive advantage.
For providing effective services and products to its target audience and to expand their market
share, they had utilised the customer-centric approaches under which customers' valuable
feedbacks and their suggestions are being used. These are the helpful and effective resources in
order to increase the efficiency of the organizational services. Apart from this, these measures
are helpful in approaching the target audience in an effective manner along with developing a
positive image amongst them. These measures are also effective in relation to attaining the
competitive advantage in the target market (Pawsey & Crase, 2013). For promoting and
expanding the organizational products and services, the government has also initiated various
projects such as spreading awareness amongst the areas of Australia in which company's
existence is not present. Government is required to fulfil the local citizens’ needs and fulfilment
of the industries and companies' needs in relevance with the water and its related resources.
Yarra Valley Water is the primary resource through which Melbourne’s and Victorian’s people’s
water requirements are being fulfilled (Ryan, 2016).

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Marketing promotional plan
Marketing promotional plan of Melbourne Water Company includes the options to spread the
awareness amongst the target audience in relevance with enhancing the market share of the
company. It will also help the organization develop their effective presence in the whole country.
After the achievement of the goals at national levels, organization would easily be able to
develop their crucial position in the international market. The company also provides various
types of consulting services in relation to the managing the rainwater as well as the management
of wastewater. Water resources are scarce and essential as well on the other hand (Chaffey,
Smith & Smith, 2013). It is important for the survival for human being, for the smooth
functionalities of the factories and companies also, water and its related resources are required.
Until the time, not a single substitute has been invented for water which could provide the same
level of satisfaction as of water. Thus, the importance of water resources is huge and Melbourne
Water Company performs its functionalities in order to manage those resources in an effective
manner (Peppard & Ward, 2016).
In the marketing and promotional plan of the Melbourne Water Company, advanced and trending
techniques will be included. Those trending techniques will help the organization to attain its
desired goals and the objectives. The objectives of the organization are growth and expansion in
the other parts of Australia. Water resources are scarce and Melbourne Water Company’s
primary focus is to prevent these resources in an effective manner. Under the marketing and
promotional plan of Melbourne Water Company, advertisement, sales promotion, sponsorships
of events, display promotional campaigns, personal selling activities and the direct marketing
type of strategies will be included. All these strategies are capable enough to extract the best and

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effective outcomes for the organization (Holliman & Rowley, 2014). Melbourne Water
Company is planning to expand their business in other parts of Australia except for Victoria and
Melbourne as in those places, company already exists. In relevance to promoting the
organizational functionalities in the other parts of Australia, set of effective and useful strategies
will be adopted amongst the available options in the market. Prior to the implementation of the
marketing and promotional activities, organization is required to implement certain measures in
order to analyse the market conditions and the requirement of the target audience. This will help
the organization to adopt the most effective strategies in relevance to the market conditions and
market demands of the target market (Stone & Woodcock, 2014).
The first step involved in the marketing plan of the Melbourne Water Company is setting the
SMART goals and the objectives in relevance with the company's expectations. For instance,
company has expected that in the coming 3 years, 40% of the Australian market will be covered.
Thus, the marketing strategies will be adopted on the basis of organizational expectations. After
setting the goals and the objectives of the organization, marketing department of the organization
will perform certain measures in relevance to the market conditions, customers’ perceptions, etc.
The second activity which will be executed in the marketing and promotional plan will be the
situational analysis under which target market will be approached on the basis of various
approaches to segmentation. Further, targeting and the positioning statements will be executed in
order to enhance the opportunities for the organization in relevance with the attainment of the
goals and the objectives related with the expansion of the business (Oladepo & Abimbola, 2015).
Melbourne Water Company will also utilise their social cause objective in their promotional

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campaign. This will help the organization to increase their efficiency along with increasing the
market share in the target market (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker & Brennan, 2015).
The next part of the marketing plan of the Melbourne Water Company will be selecting the
appropriate market for promoting their products and the services. Marketing plan will also
include the competitive analysis in order to gain the information regarding the strategies used by
its primary competitors. This will help the organization to analyse market conditions in relevance
to the competitors’ strategies. In competitive analysis, organization will be able to analyse the
strategies used by the competitive organizations. This will help the organization to determine the
opportunities for increasing the effectiveness of the organization in terms to gain the competitive
advantage. Acquiring the position in the target market is essential from the perception of
attaining the desired goals and the objectives. Marketing planning can also be used to prepare a
detailed case for introducing a new product, refurbishing current marketing strategies for an
existing product or put together a company marketing plan to be included in the company
corporate or business plan (Ahn, 2013).
The next phase of the marketing plan will be SWOT analysis of the organization in order to
analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in order to compete with the
competitors available in the target market. Along with the SWOT analysis, target market's
external environmental conditions will be explored in relevance with the generation of positive
outcomes for the organization. The final step in the marketing plan of the Melbourne Water
Company will be the media and promotional strategies. This includes the promotion of the
company’s products and services in the target market through print and digital media platforms.
This also includes various types of platforms such as social media platforms, internet sources,

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offline sources such as newspaper, pamphlets, board hoardings, etc. All these strategies will help
the organization to increase their effectiveness in the target market with appropriate promotion of
the goods and the services. Along with this, it will also help the organization to set up their
effective position in the target market as well as to gain competitive advantage.
Elements of promotional mix
Following are the crucial elements of a promotional mix which could be used by the Melbourne
Water Company for increasing their efficiency and to gain their desired goals and the objectives:
Advertising: This element helps the organization to promote and spread awareness amongst the
target audience in relevance with increasing the organizational effectiveness in the target market.
Advertisement of the products and services could be done with the help of various advertisement
and promotional platforms such as internet and social media sources, television and radio
platforms, etc. (Sagala, Destriani, Putri & Kumar, 2014).
Customer relationship: Promotional mix plan also includes the strategies in order to develop
customer relations for developing the goodwill of the organization. In relation this, an
organization also concentrates on the feedbacks and the reviews provided by the customers to
match up with their requirements. This will help the organization to establish a unique image in
the customer’s mind-sets for the organization (Mullin, Hardy & Sutton, 2014).
Sales Promotion: For increasing the sales and the profitability of the organization in the target
market, sales promotional activities are considered as the crucial part. In this method, discount
offers, and other options are offered to the customers for increasing the revenues of the
organization in the target market.

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Direct marketing: In this step of promotional mix strategy, organization uses direct marketing
tools and techniques for approaching to the target audience in relation to increasing the
efficiency of the organization along with gaining the competitive advantage (McDonald &
Wilson, 2016).
Apart from the promotional mix elements, organization could also utilise the other available
options such as marketing mix techniques as this is the most effective source through which the
target market could easily be approached along with gaining the competitive advantage in the
target market.

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Conclusion
From the aforesaid information, it can be concluded that Melbourne Water Company is
performing their functionalities with the objective to help the society and the community through
providing them clear and safe water. Apart from this, they are also responsible for managing the
scarce water resources along with the maintenance of sewerage and drainage systems in the
Victoria and Melbourne. The major and primary water resource for these two states is Yarra
Valley Water. An organization has now planned to expand its operations in the other parts of
Australia and for the same reason, marketing management and digital communication plan have
been developed. In this plan, various objectives of the organization have been discussed along
with the unique sources of promotion and the advertisement tools.

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