A Comparative Analysis of Marketing Mix: Ben & Jerry's vs Halo Top

This report conducts a comparative marketing mix analysis of Ben & Jerry's and Halo Top, two competitive ice cream brands, to identify which brand possesses a greater competitive advantage. Utilizing secondary research, the report examines their respective marketing strategies, target markets, product offerings, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotional activities. The findings indicate that while both companies employ effective marketing strategies, Ben & Jerry's has achieved greater success due to its superior implementation of the marketing mix, particularly in product diversification, pricing, and distribution. The report concludes that comparative studies are valuable in understanding how companies can provide better products and services than their competitors, and highlights areas where each brand could improve its marketing mix for enhanced performance. Desklib provides comprehensive study resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to support students' academic endeavors.

Principle
of marketing
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Executive summary
The main aim to prepare this report is to conduct a marketing mix of two competitive brand of
same industry and identify which brand have more competitive advantage over other. The report
is about a study of comparative analyse of marketing strategy and marketing mix of Ben and
Jerry's and Halo Top the two ice cream brand of United States. Secondary sources are used for
the research study. The results have been derived from the report that both the companies have
used the marketing strategy to applied their marketing mix but Ben and Jerry got more successful
due to its effective implementation of marketing mix. From the research it can be concluded that
comparative study helps in finding how a company is providing better product and service that
its competitive brand.
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Table of Contents
Executive summary .........................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Main body ......................................................................................................................................4
Comparison of target markets.....................................................................................................4
Product .......................................................................................................................................4
Price.............................................................................................................................................5
Place............................................................................................................................................5
Promotion....................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................6
References .......................................................................................................................................7
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Introduction
The primary objective of the research is to identify the target market of the brand's and
their competitive position in the market. The report is a comprehensive analyse of marketing mix
of two competitive brand with their market share, market size and sales trends. Chosen brands
for comparative analysis of marketing mix are Halo top ice-cream and Ben and Jerry's ice-cream.
Halo Top is an ice cream brand headquartered in California, U.S. The brand was founded in
2012 and very soon it became the best ice cream selling brand in U.S. considering healthy
option. In 2017 approximate annual sales of the company was $340 million. Market size of the
brand is quite large as it is operating in multiple countries including Australia, South Korea, UK,
Ireland, France, Austria, Germany etc. The second brand Ben and jerry is also an American
company producing ice cream, sorbet and yogurt. It is subsidiary company of Unilever leading in
food and beverage market. Ben and jerry is an established brand running for almost 40 years
headquartered in United States. The brand is serving worldwide area with 600 and more
locations with a market share of 8.7% in United states [SlideShare from Scribd, 2021].
Main body
Comparison of target markets
Ben and jerry segmented its market on the basis of income level and people who prefer
high quality ice creams. But the target audiences of the brand is people of the age group of 5 to
35 years. This group includes kids who love ice creams and young people who are brand
conscious and trend following persons. Brand also targets the young adults who are more health
conscious by introducing light ice cream with low calories. Halo top ice cream brand segmented
their market on the demographic basis traits including gender, age and income factors. The brand
has targeted ambitious and highly educated female customers with age of 18 to 35 years of
middle class society. As the brand is called as guilty free ice cream brand because of its low
sugar and high protein ingredients(Thabit and Raewf, 2018). The brand is selling low sugar and
carbohydrates ice cream and at same time maintains the exact taste as other regular ice cream.
Product
Main product the Ben and jerry is producing and selling is ice creams. The brand is
providing different flavours of ice cream such as mint chocolate flavour, chocolate chip and
cherry Garcia and many more. Company reinvent different flavours to attract more customers. It
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has also started producing low sugar ice cream for diabetic patients and also started light ice
cream for health conscious people. This brand pays more attention to quality of its products. Ben
and jerry is also offers ice cream cakes and iced yogurts. Chubby hubby, Vermonster are some
ice cream products of the brand. Brand use ECO friendly packaging for ensuring a contribution
to environment. Ben and jerry's developed high brand value for the brand by their successful
application of marketing strategy. Halo top is producing and selling ice cream but with healthy
ingredients. Their product strategy is to produce ice cream with high protein and less sugar. This
brand is producing ice cream with same ingredients as other ice cream brand but is different
because it use substitute for sugar as vegetable glycerine, organic sugar to make low calories ice
cream. Company is providing ice creams with different flavours such as mint , peanut, red
velvet, strawberry, pistachio and peanut butter etc. Their ice cream is also available in different
shapes and size pops, dairy pints and mini pops and large pops.
Price
Ben and jerry is targeting people who value quality of product and uniqueness that
increase their status. Therefore the brand follow the premium price strategy for the high quality
ice creams and there is not discount policy for products. Customer of this brand are highly loyal
hence they do not pay much attention to the price of the products as they are more concerned
about taste and hygiene. Company follow the same price strategy for its international market
hence there won't be high variation of price in global markets. Halo top price strategy is different
for different market and location and depends from where customer is buying it. As the company
is using natural flavours and ingredients as substitution of sugar thus low calories with superior
taste they can remain competitive even with higher prices. Other competitors are also producing
low calories ice cream but their taste is not good as much as halo top's ice creams so they follow
premium price policy for their quality of product and ingredients(BAşAR, 2019). This ice cream
brand also offer discount policy for their customers.
Place
Ben and jerry obtain raw materials from farmers, produce and distribute them through
various channels. Brand have its owned grocery stores to sells its product and sometimes they
sell through restaurants . Ben and jerry also have their online website through which customer
can direct order and get their product. Company also sales its products in supermarkets like
Walmart and through retailers. They are also providing ice creams, cakes an yogurts by home
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delivery services direct to their customers(Ganesh, 2019). Halo top has its grocery stores in
countries like U.S, London,Singapore, Austria, Australia and many other countries. Along with
physical retailers company also have online stores. Customers can buy ice creams through online
site of halo top company. While remaining in same country company should look for ways to
expand distribution and supply chains. Brand can sell through convenience stores and grocery
shops located near college area to attract students. But the supply chain and distribution channel
of the company is weak as compare to Ben and jerry's. They can improve their supply chain and
distribution network by expanding suppliers and partnerships with U.S supply chain. Company
expand its market share in UK by selling products in supermarkets and secured quick and
efficient distribution network in United Kingdom.
Promotion
Promotion is the most important part for Ben and jerry's marketing strategies. The target
group of the brand is kids and youngsters. As ice cream is a food mostly loved by kids their
promotion strategy is also according to kids friendly designs. They advertise their product by
using pictures and drawing to attract the kids attention and their brand recall is also very high.
The company held promotional event once a year in which they give free ice cream cones to
everyone to attract more customers. Brand also advertise through newspapers and also have
strong presence social media and campaigns to create awareness of their products(Thabit and
Raewf, 2018). Halo top also focus more on digital mediums for promotions. The company
invested hugely in advertising on Facebook and Instagram to reach its target group which is
health conscious audience. They provide their customers a sample of their product and also
offers discount to attract fitness influencers and to increase follower on social media. Other
promotion method brand used to increase brand awareness is WOM marketing method. WOM is
word of mouth promotion method where loyal customers of company spread good words about
its product and generate more customers for brand.
Conclusion
From the comparison of marketing mix of two competitive brands it can be concluded that both
company's has applied the effective marketing strategies to increase growth rate of their
respective businesses(Marušić, 2019). Marketing mix strategies of Ben and jerry's like inventing
new products, best pricing to cover their cost promotion method and large supply chain helped
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the company to became a successful and competitive brand. Halo top has also applied the
marketing mix to positioned itself as a healthy and guilty free brand by using healthy and natural
ingredients. They have applied the marketing strategies in this specific way to differentiate itself
from other ice cream brands. By the comparison of marketing mix it can be concluded that Ben
and jerry has applied the marketing strategy better than Halo Top by producing variety of ice
cream with a sustainable premium price strategies and has large distribution network than Halo
Top. Ben and jerry's can improve their marketing mix by giving more attention to health focused
people. Halo Top can also improve their distribution network by expanding retailers and supply
chain and maintaining same price strategy across the whole world.
References
Books and Journals
BAşAR, E. E., 2019. THE SOCIAL MARKETING. Selected Studies on Social Sciences, p.120.
Ganesh, A., 2019. Influence of Four Ps of Marketing in Buying Behavior. Academic Discourse.
8(2), pp.34-43.
Marušić, T., 2019. Importance of marketing mix in successful positioning of products and
services on the market. Ekonomska misao i praksa, (1), pp.431-446.
Thabit, T. and Raewf, M., 2018. The evaluation of marketing mix elements: A case study.
International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies. 4(4).
Thabit, T. and Raewf, M., 2018. The evaluation of marketing mix elements: A case study.
International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies. 4(4).
Online
SlideShare from Scribd, 2021. available at <https://www.slideshare.net/RiyaGandhi3/digital-
marketing-strategy-halo-top>
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