MKT600: Marketing Plan Report for Donald B Company

This report provides a detailed marketing plan for Donald B, a chocolate manufacturing company based in Melbourne, Australia. The report begins with an introduction to the company and its objectives to compete with international brands in the Australian market. It then explores the key elements of a marketing strategy, including target market identification (age, income, gender, and location), and market positioning. The marketing mix (product, price, promotion, and place) is analyzed, along with an extended marketing mix (people, process, and physical evidence) to provide a comprehensive view of the company's marketing approach. The report emphasizes the importance of competitive pricing, product quality, and effective promotional activities to increase customer attraction and gain a competitive advantage. The report also includes a positioning map and concludes by summarizing the key strategies for Donald B's success in the market.

Running head: MARKETING
Marketing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Marketing strategy.....................................................................................................................2
Target market.........................................................................................................................2
Market positioning.................................................................................................................3
Marketing mix............................................................................................................................5
Product and services...............................................................................................................5
Pricing....................................................................................................................................6
Promotion...............................................................................................................................6
Place.......................................................................................................................................7
Extended marketing mix............................................................................................................8
People.....................................................................................................................................8
Process....................................................................................................................................8
Physical evidence...................................................................................................................9
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
Reference List..........................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Donald B is a company that specializes in manufacturing chocolate products and has
two stores in Melbourne, Australia. The owner of the company wants the products to compete
with international brands so that it can gain a competitive advantage over the other companies
that are operating in the Australian market. The company wants to deal with candied nut and
popcorn, confectioner, cocoa products, liquorice, marshmallow and glazed fruits. The owner
has also gone for the options that will help the products to be sold through popular
supermarkets in Australia such as Aldi, Woolworths and Coles along with other speciality
stores. This will help the company in gaining more number of customers as well. This report
will deal with the marketing strategies that needs to be taken up by the company so that the
products can be marketed to the customers in a better way.
Marketing strategy
Target market
Target market can be defined as the group of customers that the company usually
targets so that it can increase its sale of products and services. The company needs to identify
its target market properly, which will increase the profit level of the company. The use of the
right target market will help in the repetitive buying behaviour of the customers as well, as
they will want to purchase the product continuously (Baker, 2014).
The target market for the company can be divided in to different sections such as the
age of the customers, their income, gender and the geographic location of the customers as
well. The age of the customers play an important role for the company, as chocolate products
are liked mostly by children. The company needs to attract children along with adults so that
it can help them in increasing their sales. The income of the customers also play an important

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role, as the economic status of the customers will help in determining the sales of the
company (Armstrong et al., 2015).
The gender of the customers along with the geographic location is also important for
the company, as it helps in understanding the type of customers who are interested in the
products or the services. The location of the company plays an important part in attracting the
customers as well (Schimdt, Spann & Zeithammer, 2014).
Thus it can be stated that the company needs to target customers who are between the
age group of 5-18 years of both the genders. This is due to the fact that most of the children
like to have chocolates apart from the adults as well. The company is situated in Melbourne,
which is a highly populated area leading to the increase of the sale as well. The location of
the company will result in increasing customer attraction towards the brands. The products
that are available in the company can also be consumed by adults, as the sugar content is very
less so that it does not harm the health of the consumers. This will help in attracting not only
the children but the adults as well so that the sale can be increased (Borland & Lindgreen,
2013).
Market positioning
It can be defined as the place that the company will take up in the market so that the
products can be different than the ones that are being sold by the competitors. The positioning
of the brand will help the customers in identifying the types of products that the company is
dealing in so that features of the products can be identified (Shariff & Lah, 2014).
The approaches of market positioning that the company can take up is that the
characteristics of the products need to be provided to the customers. This will help in
providing a better knowledge to the customers regarding the ingredients that are being used in
the products. The price of the products of the company also need to be competitive enough so

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that it can attract the customers. The setting of the price by the company will help them in
attracting the customers from the rival companies as well due to the fact that the same
product will be available in the company at a cheaper price (Azar, 2014).
The process and class of the product is also important for the company in
determining the positioning strategy in the market, as it will help the customers in associating
with the products. The class of the products will help in determining the varieties with which
the company is dealing (Afoakwa, 2016)
It is also important for the company to place themselves in a better position than its
competitors, which will increase the profit levels at a substantial manner. The quality of the
products along with a low price will ensure that the company gets a competitive advantage in
the market. The advantage against the competitors will also help the company in dominating
the market so that then positioning strategy can help them in increasing its share in the market
(Shekhar & Raveendran, 2015).
Nestle, Kraft Foods
Hillshire
Donald B
Con Agra Foods
Low
Quality
High Price
Low Price
High
Quality

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Figure 1: Positioning Map
(Source: Created by Author)
The company will position itself in the ‘High quality, Low price’ quadrant so that it
can help in increasing its profits by selling more number of items to the customers. This can
only be done with the help of reduction in the price rates of the to increase the customer
attraction towards the products. The increase in the rate of the products, which will attract the
customers towards the products and result in giving a competitive advantage to the firm who
are also operating in the same market. The high rate of attraction of the customers will also
help in gaining feedbacks from them so that it can help in producing the items according to
the preferences of the customers (Paharia, Avery & Keinan, 2014).
Marketing mix
Product and services
The company is operating within the service industry and wants to be famous for the
products that are being provided to the customers. The products that will be provided by the
company will help in creating memories within the customers, which will increase the
customer base. The products that are being delivered by the company are confectionery,
drinking chocolate, marshmallows, candied nut and popcorn, which will satisfy the
customer’s needs and preferences. This will also help in increasing the sales of the company
to a great extent (Matti et al., 2015).
The products will be targeted mainly towards the younger group of people, as they are
more attracted towards chocolate products. The adults as well can try out the Products, as the
purchase level of the company will increase to a great extent. This will help the company in
increasing its base of products in the market, which will result in better rate of returns. The

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feedback from the customers regarding the products after being consumed will help in
changing the attributes as well so that it can be liked my most of the customers. This will help
in increasing its sale in the Australian market (Fromm, 2014).
Pricing
The company will try to maintain the price of the product and ensure that better
quality is being provided to the customers so that it can help in earning better level of profits.
The purchase of the products can be increased in the market by keeping the prices of the
products low, which will result in increasing the level of customer attraction. This would
result in increasing the base of customers as well. Since, most of the products would be made
within the company, it would help in saving the cost of travel and bringing the raw materials.
This will play an important role in keeping the process of the products at a minimum level
(Dagevos, 2016).
The proper decisions that will be taken up by the owner of the company regarding the
price of the products will help the company in generating better level of revenues so that the
cost of manufacturing can be covered. This would result in decreasing the level of
competition in the market as well. The competitive pricing that will be taken up by the
company will result in providing the products to the customers at a lower rate than most of
the established companies. This would result in switching of the customers towards the new
products and increase the loyalty of the brand as well (Pride & Ferrell, 2016).
Promotion
Promotion of the products and services by the companies play an important role, as it
helps them in raising awareness among the customers regarding the types and varieties with
which the company is dealing. This also helps the customers in gaining proper level of
knowledge regarding the products before they are making the purchase. The company will be

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promoting its products with the help of advertisements. The utilization of advertisements will
increase the attraction rate within the customers, which increases the level of sales as well
(Shekhar & Raveendran, 2013).
The company will also be using the means of media such as radio and newspapers so
that it can help in educating the customers regarding the type of products with which they are
dealing. The promotional activities will result in attracting the target audience so that the
company can be beneficial as well. The products will also be promoted through the
supermarket stores that are present in Australia, as it is a strong foundation through which the
products can be distributed. The benefits of the products can also be identified by the
customers so that proper level of feedbacks can be shared with the company. The
promotional activities will also help in increasing the level of sales for the company
(Gabrielle & Baghi, 2016)
Place
Place plays an important role for the company so that it can help them in being
situated in a competitive environment that will increase the volume of sales. The company
will be situated in the Melbourne market in Australia, which will result in increasing its level
of sales. The placing of the company is important, as it will help in ensuring that the right
products can be distributed to the customers at the right time. The company has also taken up
the decision to distribute the products through the well-known supermarkets that are present
in Australia so that it can reach out to different places as well (Yamoah, 2013).
This will help the company in increasing its base of customers as well the level of
attraction. The supermarkets will be in a better position to market the products to the
customers, as they have a higher number of loyal customers. This will help the company in
maintaining a smoother level of flow of goods in the market as well. The products will be

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placed at a better level so that the knowledge of the customers can be increased (Alhawsawi,
2016).
Extended marketing mix
People
This tool in the marketing strategy will help the company in gaining better insights
regarding the employees and the customers who are involved in the business. It is also
inclusive of the stakeholders, as they have the right to be informed regarding the progress of
the company. The company will be hiring two employees that will help in the process of
making the products and provide the additional help of handling the customers as well. The
employees will be rewarded based on the level of skills that they have so that it can help in
improving the products that will increasing the rate of attraction in the market (Renton et al.,
2015).
The customers will be able to provide valuable feedbacks to the company after they
have consumed the products so that it can help in making additional changes according to the
preferences of the customers. The customers will also enjoy different discounts so that it can
increase their loyalty towards the firm as well. These people will serve as important
stakeholders to the company, as they will be able to provide proper insights regarding the
goodwill of the company in the market. It will also help in increasing the image of the brand
in the market (Dulea, 2013).
Process
It is the process in which the service that is being provided is essential in nature and
will help the customers in informing them regarding the type of products that are being made
available by the company. The employees who will be working in manufacturing the
products will be reviewed on a continuous manner so that the progress of the work can be

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identified as well. This will help the company in gaining a better knowledge regarding the
level of skills that is being possessed by the employees. The evaluation of the employees will
ensure that the company can operate in a smoother manner and the products can be delivered
to the customers as well (Majaro, 2013).
The company will also keep a track of the customers who are loyal to them so that
these customers can be provided with certain advantages such as discount coupons and
loyalty bonuses. The feedback that will be provided by the customers through mails and
personally will also be taken in to account so that it can result in improving the products in a
better manner. This will increase the profit levels as well, as the feedbacks will help in
developing the products according to the needs and preferences of the customers (Yamoah,
2013).
Physical evidence
Since the company will be dealing with products, it is important for them to serve the
customers properly so that it will increase the loyalty among the customers. This will result in
increasing the customers towards the company, as they will be interested to purchase the
products due to the high level of hospitality that will be shown by the company. The goodwill
of the company in the market can be increased as well. The customers will be able to
experience the products as well as the service that will be provided by the company towards
them in an effective manner (Gabrielle & Baghi, 2016).
Conclusion
Thus it can be concluded that the company will be in a better position in providing
better products to the customers by increasing the attraction rate. This will help in building
the goodwill of the company with respect to the products that will be supplied by them. The

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prices of the products will be competitive in nature so that the company can be able to gain an
advantage over the rivals that are operating in the same market.

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