Strategic Marketing Analysis and Recommendations for eBay

This report provides a strategic marketing analysis and recommendations for eBay's expansion into the New Zealand market. It begins with an introduction outlining the company's background and goals, followed by an analysis of the macro and micro environments, along with a discussion of the strategic challenges eBay will face. The report then focuses on strategic positioning, defining high-level marketing objectives and recommending product-market strategies. It covers segmentation, targeting, brand positioning, and customer value creation, including communication and delivery strategies. An implementation plan, resource allocation, and evaluation mechanisms are also proposed. The report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how eBay can achieve a competitive advantage in the new market, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities identified in the analysis. It emphasizes the importance of a strong brand, customer value, and effective implementation to ensure success.

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Introduction
The article gives long term recommendations to the top management of eBay regarding
the various challenges the online platform is expected to face while seeking to expand its
business in New Zealand. After a successful review of the Macro environment,
microenvironment, strengths, weaknesses, and threats which the online platform is expecting to
face during its business expansion, there is a need to offer recommendations. Despite having
various strengths over its competitors, the online platform is exposed to several drawbacks,
which may limit its success in the new market hence the need to make recommendations on how
to avert or solve them (McDONALD, 2016). Implementation of these recommendations within
the organization will help in ensuring the success of eBay.
Strategic challenges to be addressed
While exploring the new market, the business will face an intensely competitive industry
situation. An intense competitive industry situation will be caused by some of the existing online
and offline marketers in New Zealand (Ducange, Pecori & Mezzina, 2018). A fierce competitive
industry situation poses a significant threat to the business since it may cause its closure.
Besides, this challenge may offer undue pressure to the company hence disrupting its focus.
Competition may also cause eBay to sell its products at a lower price to attract customers .The
move may cause the business to incur substantial losses hence losing its key suppliers. eBay top
management needs to establish a strong network before and after the entrance in this new market
to avert these challenges (Banerjee, 2017). Networking will ensure a vast customer base, a
healthy working environment with business competitors and suppliers. Having an active online

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presence and setting long-term and short term goals to avoid getting disrupted are other strategies
the management can implement to develop a sustainable competitive advantage in the long-term.
Strategic positioning
While entering this new market, the top management of eBay should work toward
strategic positioning. The reason behind this is strategic positioning will give an upper hand to
eBay as compared to its competitors. Implementation of Porter's generic strategies the business
can gain a competitive positional advantage. The model has four segments of Cost leadership,
Cost Focus, Differentiation Leadership, and Differentiation Focus. Through Cost leadership,
eBay can work toward becoming the lowest cost producer in the market through the economics
of scale. In cost focus, eBay can seek a small-cost benefits in a single or a limited number of
marketparts(Aghazadeh, 2015). In differentiation View, eBay can aim to differ with an
individual or a limited number of focus market parts. Lastly, through Differentiation
directorship, eBay can target many huge markets and work towards achieving competitive
advantage through distinctions across the whole market.
Considering the business processes key inside strengths such as an efficient business
model, strong market presence, and an increasing number of customers. The management should
empower and exploit these strengths as they will help the business achieve a competitive
positional advantage (Brown, Abduljabbar, Englund& Treen, 2018).

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High-level Marketing Objectives
By implementing the recommendations regarding strategic positioning, eBay will achieve
various objectives. However, the main objective is to achieve a competitive strategic advantage
over other online and offline businesses during its start-up period in New Zeeland. The goal set
by eBay meets the requirement of high-level marketing objectives as it consists of all the
required criteria of an S.M.A.R.T goal (Whalen et al., 2016).The goal is specific since eBay
wants to achieve a strategic position in the new market. The goal is measurable since it states the
specific location where eBay wants to achieve a competitive strategic advantage in New Zeeland.
The set goal is attainable as eBay can achieve it having set various strategies to be applied while
entering the new market. The objective is relevant since it revolves around the marketing

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strategies taken by any business while joining in a new market. Lastly, the objective time-bound
is as eBay states that it wishes to achieve this objective during the start-up period (Varadarajan,
2015).
Recommend product-market strategy/ strategies
eBay management needs to implement the following recommendations regarding their
different products in the new market to achieve a competitive strategic advantage. While entering
the new market, it will be important for the management to bring in products of high quality,
well branded, and of high functionality. Also, prior to entry into the market, eBay should carry
out through business promotion activity through advertisement and sales promotion (Kim, Shin
& Min, 2016). Proper Promotion will ensure that new customers are aware of the entrance of
new online businesses with unique products. The business should also review the pricing of its
product, and this is to ensure they offer irresistible deals to their new customers. Lastly, the
management should conduct thorough research on the strategic places where they can set up their
offices and distribution stores in the new market. Implementation of these recommendations will
ensure the business gains a competitive strategic advantage in the new market (Hunt, 2015).
Segmentation and Targeting
The consumer markets targeted by the recommended product-market strategy are;
Consumer electronics
Leisure
Entertainment
Healthcare

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Sports and Travel consumer markets (DeTienne&DeTienne, 2017).
These markets will be eBay's main targets, given the specific products the online platform sells.
The market driverfor consumer electronics, leisure, entertainment and sport and travel is due to
demand for these products. For Healthcare consumer demand is the market driver for these
products.
Brand positioning
Brand positioning strategy should work towards the development of a reliable product
bland among its customers. Considering the organization mainly deals with electronic, leisure,
sports, and entertainment products, among others, the consumers should term our products to be
of high quality and durable. Besides, the customers to the organization should also get the
perception that the organization is the best among all online marketing platforms (Liebl, 2015).
These strategies and five-star rating will be achieved if the organization works toward the
achievement of customer relevance and competitive distinctiveness while maximizing the brand
value. Attain meant of this perception by the different customers will enable the organization to
compete way much ahead of other competitors in the new market (Julian, Ahmed, Binti CheWel
& Bojei, 2016).
The customer value proposition that should be adopted by eBay is; eBay's product is of
high quality hence durable. The use of these products will help improve the lives of customers in
different ways. Sports, entertainment, leisure, and electronics will give the customer a wide
range of us since the best companies in the world develop them. Healthcare products will give
the consumer a long healthy life when used appropriately. The organization itself will offer

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timely responses to customer needs and offer a warranty on all goods purchased (Viljoen,
Roberts-Lombard & Jooste, 2015).
The above customer value proposition developed on the drivers identified by the organization is
based on the customers' desires which the goods purchased should meet .besides the customers in
this new market also desired to have an organization that will fully promptly cater to their needs.
Delivery strategies Customer value creation mix and communication.
While entering into the new market, it is essential to research the target customers' choice
and preference. In the New Zeeland market, most of the customers who purchase products from
various online platforms prefer the purchase of entertainment, sporting, and health products.
These are the main products purchased form the already established online platforms in this
country. When entering into this market, the organization needs to create and sustain Cost Value
Profit (Miles, Gilmore, Harrigan, Lewis & Sethna, 2015). There is a need to carry out analysis to
help determine how variation in cost and volume affect the organization pertains income as well
as the net income. The organization management needs CVP analysis for the basis of insight
provision on the various effects and inter-relationship of factors influencing the profits of our
organization (Dogu& Albayrak, 2018).
Organization management should work toward the maintenance of the established brand
consistency. The organization can employ various methods to maintain brand consistency .these
methods include; designing a logo that should be shared and posted on the organization website
and other internet platforms. Most people will become familiar with the emblem hence develop
consistency with the organization. Also, the management should ensure all products sold by the
organization meet the required initial standards of this particular organization. To maintain

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strategic market positioning, it is always essential for the organization to determine how the
brand is performing in the market and continually identify its competitors( Cross, Belich
&Rudelius, 2015).
Application of the touchpoint map can be beneficial when carrying out product management,
communication strategies, and the delivery strategies of the organization product. The
organization can use it to identify each customer's interactions. The first step is the identification
of the customers' touchpoint before, during, and after purchase, which may be website or store
locations. The next step involves mapping the touchpoint, improving the customers' touchpoint,
and lastly, setting a schedule to review the touchpoint (Burford& Chan, 2017).
These are the principle items bought structure the effectively settled online stages right
now. When going into this market, the association needs to make and continue Cost Value Profit
(Miles, Gilmore, Harrigan, Lewis and Sethna, 2015). There is a need to do investigation to help
decide how variety in cost and volume influence the association relates pay just as the net gain.
The association the board needs CVP examination for the premise of understanding arrangement
on the different impacts and between relationships of elements affecting the benefits of our
association (Dogu& Albayrak, 2018). Association the board should move in the direction of the
upkeep of the built up brand consistency. The association can utilize different techniques to keep
up brand consistency .these strategies incorporate; planning a logo that ought to be shared and
posted on the association site and other web stages. A great many people will get comfortable
with the token consequently create consistency with the association. Likewise, the administration
ought to guarantee all items sold by the association fulfill the necessary starting guidelines of this
specific association. To keep up vital market situating, it is constantly basic for the association to

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decide how the brand is acting in the market and consistently distinguish its rivals ( Cross, Belich
&Rudelius, 2015).
A broad overview of the proposed implementation plan
While implementing the proposed recommendations, the organization needs to set aside a
marketing budget, which should cover 3-5 years. The marketing budget to be allocated in this
period should include in branding campaigns. The management should be well aware that the
budget used in branding may not be recovered in the initial stages considering the organization is
new in this market. The budget will also cater to the cost of billboards, which are to be installed
at strategic points. Besides, this budget will also provide for the cost of carrying out public
relations, employing staff, and catering for all office costs( Felix, Rauschnabel & Hinsch,2017)..
Implementation of the Customer value chain mix will be managed by a close study on the
constant changes in the customer's preferences towards a given product. The management will be
responsible for studying the differences and carrying out the delivery process by offering a
solution to these changes through the continued supply of the goods preferred by different
customers.
Evaluation and control mechanisms to monitor performance over the strategic plan
timeframe
After the implementation of the proposed strategies, the manager should measure,
monitor, and evaluate the performance of these strategies. The following processes can be
beneficial while measuring implementation (Cegliński, 2016). In the first step, the manager
should make the right choice of the metrics, which will be assessed in the course of the
implementation process. eBay organization such measures include strategic positioning,

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application of market strategies, and brand positioning, among others. The next step comprises
ting financial metrics to the strategic objectives and directing the employees on the required
actions. The manager should then keep the whole process simple to avoid employee overload.
Employees are then trained on how to submit a metric relating to their specific departments.
Failure to train employees would lead to the submission of wrong metrics, which would
jeopardize the whole process (McCamley& Gilmore, 2018). The manager should then ensure up
to date data is submitted after the implementation of every major project. Data reported from the
various departments will be vital towards measuring the performance of the organization. The
management staff should then keep the entire procedure easy to maintain a strategic distance
from worker over-burden. Representatives are then prepared on the best way to present a
measurement identifying with their particular offices. Inability to prepare workers would prompt
the accommodation of wrong measurements, which would imperil the entire procedure. The
manager should then guarantee modern information is submitted after the usage of each
significant venture. Information announced from the different office will be indispensable
towards estimating the presentation of the association. After investigation of information gave by
the director can quantify accomplishment by altogether looking into the at first set target of
accomplishing a serious vital preferred position over other on the web and disconnected
organizations during its beginning up period in New Zeeland. Furthermore, the execution of the
proposed suggestions will be named as effective on the off chance that it meets the vital time
span sketched out. After analysis of data provided by the manager can measure success by
thoroughly reviewing the initially set objective of achieving a competitive strategic advantage
over other online and offline businesses during its start-up period in New Zeeland. Besides, the
implementation of the proposed recommendations will be termed as successful if it meets the

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strategic time frame outlined. eBay association such measures incorporate vital situating, use of
market systems, and brand situating, among others. The following stage includes ting budgetary
measurements to the key destinations and coordinating the representatives on the necessary
activities. The director should then keep the entire procedure easy to evade representative over-
burden. Representatives are then prepared on the most proficient method to present a
measurement identifying with their particular divisions. Inability to prepare workers would
prompt the accommodation of wrong measurements, which would risk the entire procedure
(McCamley& Gilmore, 2018). The administrator should then guarantee modern information is
submitted after the execution of each significant venture. Information revealed from the different
offices will be crucial towards estimating the presentation of the association. The administration
staff should then keep the whole system simple to keep up a vital good ways from specialist
over-trouble. Agents are then arranged on the most ideal approach to give an estimation
recognizing their specific workplaces. Powerlessness to plan laborers would provoke the
settlement of wrong estimations, which would endanger the whole system. The director should
then ensure current data is submitted after the use of each noteworthy endeavor. Data reported
from the distinctive office will be irreplaceable towards evaluating the introduction of the
affiliation. After examination of data gave by the executive can evaluate achievement by through
and through investigating the from the start set objective of achieving a genuine essential favored
situation over other on the web and disengaged associations during its start up period in New
Zeeland.

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