MMK101 - Marketing Strategy Recommendations for Haigh's Chocolates

This report provides marketing strategy recommendations for Haigh's Chocolates, building upon a previous STDP analysis. It assesses the company's current product, promotion, and placement strategies, offering specific recommendations for improvement. Key suggestions include unit-based pricing, retail-first product launches, website advertising, customizable packaging, and strategic product placement in key retail locations and online platforms like Bigbasket, Amazon, and eBay. The report emphasizes the importance of adapting marketing strategies to target the youth market and ensure sustainable growth for Haigh's Chocolates.

Running head: MARKETING STRATEGY RECOMMENDATIONS
Marketing Strategy Recommendations
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1MARKETING STRATEGY RECOMMENDATIONS
Table of Contents
1. Background summary............................................................................................................2
2. Marketing Mix Strategy 1: Product........................................................................................2
2.1. Current product strategy analysis and discussions..........................................................2
2.2. Recommendations...........................................................................................................3
3. Marketing Mix Strategy 2: Promotion...................................................................................3
3.1. Current Promotional strategy analysis and discussions..................................................3
3.2. Recommendations...........................................................................................................4
4. Marketing Mix Strategy 3: Placement...................................................................................5
4.1. Current placement strategy analysis and discussions......................................................5
4.2. Recommendations...........................................................................................................5
5. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................6
References:.................................................................................................................................8

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1. Background summary
In assignment 1, STDP framework was used to assess the segmentation, target
market, differentiation and positioning strategy used by Haighs chocolates. The major
product of the company is the handmade chocolates. It has also differentiated its products that
comprise of chocolate confectionary, chocolate blocks and chocolate bars. Furthermore, it has
targeted the youth for its products as they meet their profit related goals. Moreover, the
positioning statement of the company is- “All you need is the chocolate biscuit in morning
and pudding in the night”.
2. Marketing Mix Strategy 1: Product
2.1. Current product strategy analysis and discussions
Haigh’s Chocolate has a very strong presence in Australian market. It offers its
customers handmade chocolates of different types, right from candies to bars. However, it
continues to undergo product innovation by means of introducing new tastes and flavours.
Innovation is a prime concern for Haigh’s chocolate (Verissimo 2017). It is also to mention
that the company has got high techniques from the Swiss during 1950s and it has also
designed its stores and promotions successfully. Haigh’s chocolates have always remained
attractive to the customer segment that it targets. It is to note that a product is much more
than what a person think of it. There are three different level of products- the core customer
value, the actual product and the augmented product (Xia, Singhal and Peter Zhang 2016). It
is to note that the core customer value that Haigh’s chocolates buy is freedom and the on the
go connectivity. It acquired this by enhancing its product availability. Its website offers
Centenary collection, loose chocolates and Chocolate Bars etc. the next is the actual product.
Haigh’s chocolates turn the core benefit that they identify into their actual product by means
of developing its product design, feature and quality. The company supply panda, frog and

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bilbies shaped chocolates to save the use of their spices. It offers more than 250 chocolates
that range from chocolate frogs to big gift boxes filled with truffles. It makes its product
packaging colourful and elaborate to attract the teens. Hence, its products appeal to both the
foodies as well as the chocolate and animal lovers. It also attracts anyone who have social
and ecological conscience. The third is the augmented product. The company offers
additional customer services and benefits. It provides its customers with huge opportunities
for tasting fresh and healthy chocolates after visiting the stores (Haigh’s 2018). It has now
decided to offer two new products including the chocolate custard pudding and the dry fruit
cookies. It is targeted to both young and old genders as consuming healthy cookies and
pudding is good for health and today’s customers are highly health conscious.
2.2. Recommendations
The target market of Haigh’s chocolates are the youth as it is believed that they could
help the company to meet their goals in relation to profit. The new product strategy that
would best serve the new target market are as follows:
a) Haighs chocolates could set the pricing of their products as priced per unit. This
would ear it profits and at the same time, it will also give customers a clear
calculations for the total amount of collective units.
b) Haigh’s chocolates could sell its new products first through its retail channel and
stores before presenting it online. This will ensure the company that its target
customers are actually liking the products or not.
3. Marketing Mix Strategy 2: Promotion
3.1. Current Promotional strategy analysis and discussions
The ever increased competition has notably influenced the business of Haigns
chocolates and it has made it very necessary to increase the advertising and promotions of the

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company (Frynas and Mellahi 2015). Promotional strategy is all about the strategy that a
company uses for promoting its products in its potential markets. Generally, companies do so
by means of advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing and public
relations (Stark 2015). These five components falls under promotional mix. Haighs
chocolates use different methods for promoting its products and to market them. It ensures
continued engagement with its customers through various ways like online presence. This
serves as the primary tool for marketing and selling the products. Apart from the retail stores,
the company also has strong online presence which allow the customers to purchase the
products online. This method help the company in increasing its sales as well as promote the
company towards more customers. With the same, it also enhances the efficiency in their
methods of product distribution. The company generally offer the products on the premium
prices and according to that the value that they offer to their customer is the more prices leads
to more benefits to the customers (Bliss 2017). Moreover, Haigh’s chocolates makes use of
social media for promoting its products and for getting engaged with the customers in terms
of product development. Social media is helping the company in reducing its costs of
marketing and reaching comparatively higher number of audiences within shorter span of
time. Furthermore, it is also to note that Haighs chocolates also use advertisements in print
media for developing the new ideas (Minnis 2016). However, the other promotional activities
that it uses include distribution and customisable packaging option by means of their retail
stores where customers can easily customise the packaging of their products according to
their needs and desire.
3.2. Recommendations
Haighs chocolates should world towards capturing the attention of its target customers
in a credible and catchy manner. It should world towards educating them regarding their

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products and service and at the same time, should influence them to buy from the company.
The new promotional strategy that would best serve the new target market are as follows:
a) Promoting its new products through website advertisements. It is to mention that
website is available for all and it is indeed a very effective platform for selling and
marketing products online to maximum number of customers throughout the
region.
b) Using tools such as the old Haigh’s cart and its various different outlets
c) Haigh’s can also start providing its customers the flexibility of writing short
personal messages for their loved ones or to who so ever they are gifting the
product by means of giving them customisable options for write ups.
d) It can make use television advertisements, magazine advertisements and
billboards.
4. Marketing Mix Strategy 3: Placement
4.1. Current placement strategy analysis and discussions
Haighs Chocolates use retail stores as its core product placement and distribution
option instead of using the wholesalers (Stringer 2015). This method is really useful for the
company in serving the target customers directly and getting their opinions and views about
their products. These retail stores also serve the company as different selling points of their
products and at the same time, they also ensure that the company has full control on the
whole process, right from the production of the sale of the finished products to the customers.
This strategy is providing the company with a huge opportunity to get engaged with the
customers and at the same time, it is also improving the efficiency of the very company.
4.2. Recommendations

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An effective promotional strategy can help Haighs chocolates provide right business
related information and differentiates its products from its competitors and increase its
product sales in the market. The new promotional strategy that would best serve the new
target market are as follows:
a) Haighs chocolates should distribute its new products in Sydney, Adelaide and
Melbourne first. It is because there are 14 different retail outlets of Haighs in these
three regions and all of them could have the products on display for the customers.
Haighs chocolates has a good knowledge of market in these three cities and this
would be greatly accessible to its target market, i.e., the youths.
b) It is to mention that in Adelaide, the retail store of Haighs chocolates is present near
the Rundall Mall. Valentine’s Day is near and couples are likely to be there venturing
the Rudall Mall. Furthermore, one of the flagship stores of Haighs is present in
Melbourne. It is present at the fashion end of Collins Street, which is a very famous
historic Victorian building that has very beautiful architecture. This also attracts the
young couples and teenagers to a great extent.
c) Haighs chocolates could make use of effective merchandise product placement and
distribution system. This would assist the company in maintaining its coherent growth
of product sale and ensure a sustained provision of the high end customer service. It
can also make use of common carriers for delivering the manufactured products from
the sites of distribution to the customers.
d) It can sell its new products through different online shopping sites such as Bigbasket,
Amazon and eBay.
5. Conclusion
It is to conclude that marketing strategies have a great impact on the overall success
of a company. The continued progress of Haighs chocolates has been enhanced and improved

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because of variety of factors including the pricing, promotional and placement strategies that
the company use. However, although the company has gained significant success and huge
market share, there is a need for evaluating the other opportunities for its sustainable growth.
It has decided to introduce two new products targeting the Australian youths and to ensure
high sale of these products, the company need to use some really effective measures. It needs
to increase the strategy for promotional activities for these new products to a significant
amount in order to grasp more audiences.

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References:
Bliss, S., 2017. Chololate: Interconnections, biomes and economic activity. Geography
Bulletin, 49(1), p.33.
Frynas, J.G. and Mellahi, K., 2015. Global strategic management. USA: Oxford University
Press.
Haigh’s., 2018. Haigh’s today – Our Chocolate Making, Haigh’s Chocolates. Retrieved
from: https://www.haighschocolates.com.au/about-us/haighs-today/
Minnis, A., 2016. Wounds Australia 2016: The State of Play. DeepesTissues: Wounds
Australia newsletter, (Dec 2016), p.7.
Stark, J., 2015. Product lifecycle management. In Product Lifecycle Management (Volume
1) (pp. 1-29). Springer, Cham.
Stringer, R., 2015. Vanuatu: Bean to bar: Vanuatu chocolate. Partners in Research for
Development, (1), p.10.
Veríssimo, D., 2017. The Easter Bilby as a counter-marketing strategy for biodiversity
conservation. Revista Portuguesa e Brasileira de Gestão, 16(3), pp.59-72.
Xia, Y., Singhal, V.R. and Peter Zhang, G., 2016. Product design awards and the market
value of the firm. Production and Operations Management, 25(6), pp.1038-1055.