Richmond University: Strategic Marketing Planning for Cafe Pod Coffee

This report critically assesses the corporate and business strategic objectives of Cafe Pod Coffee, a London-based SME. The analysis begins with an introduction to strategic planning and its importance, followed by a detailed examination of corporate strategies such as product differentiation, growth strategy, and stability strategy, illustrating how Cafe Pod Coffee applies these concepts. The report then evaluates strategic marketing planning theories, including segmentation, targeting, positioning, marketing mix, and marketing development, in the context of Cafe Pod Coffee's operations. The report uses relevant marketing theory to demonstrate how Cafe Pod Coffee implements these strategies to achieve its business goals, including attracting customers and maintaining a competitive edge. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and emphasizing the importance of strategic planning for business success, supported by references to academic literature and industry practices.

Strategic Marketing
Planning

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
Determine the understanding and knowledge of corporate strategies.........................................4
Evaluation of strategic marketing planning theories in context to Cafe Coffee Pod...................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCE...................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The term strategy is defined to set the standard goals and plan which helps them to
accomplish business objectives and targets (Beirman, 2020). It consists of strategy of thinking
and planning. It is important to determine and identify the direction of organisation in long term.
Cafe Pod Coffee is considered in this report. This company offers quality coffee to its customers.
It is located London which is established in year 2011. This organisation is founded by Peter
Grainger and Brent Hadfield as they have to bring happiness to its audiences everyday in their
life. They start their business when Peter was in South America but left his job. Then, Peter owns
a shop making Nespresso in UK. This report includes to determine the knowledge of corporate
strategies as well as evaluate strategic marketing planning theories in context to Cafe Pod
Coffee.
MAIN BODY
Determine the understanding and knowledge of corporate strategies.
Corporate strategy refers to the framework to determine the long term planning as it set
the company target and it create business value as well as inspire the employees to execute a
activities in order to accomplish fulfilment of ultimate users. Therefore, this strategy is ongoing
tasks which need a hard work to attract shareholders and keep them engage to invest in entity
with the sum of money as it lead to maximize enterprise image. Company manage and control
the values of consumers by focusing on those areas which they have to improve as this result in
better outcomes. Cafepod Coffee Co. adapts strategic benefits by making effective actions in
their areas. Another strategy for their business is to make coffee based on the tastes and
preferences of coffee drinkers (Brooksbank, Subhan and Calderwood, 2018). There are different
types of corporate strategy which are mentioned below:
Product differentiation: It refers to that it distinguish goods and services from the other
competitors as well as of their existing products. It is the strategy which attract the target
audience and market in order to achieve the business objectives and goals. Cafe Pod Coffee can
use this type of strategy to provide different flavours of coffee to its customers. Thus, it helps to
take competitive advantage and make organisation products above from their rivals in the
market. As this help them to differentiate their products from their competitors in order to build
brand image and gain the higher profits.
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Growth strategy: This type of method is used for organisational plan and strategy to
solve the issues to expand their business in order to achieve goals and objectives. Growth
strategy such as maximizing market share, investing more in machine as well as equipments
which helps them to innovate new products and services in market place which lead to growth in
enterprise. In context to Cafe Pod Coffee, management are acquiring different types of coffee
machines by which they can develop more demand for coffee which result in sales and revenue
in business (Brown and et.al., 2018). By the different methods Cafe Pod Coffee use this to
analyse the market share for the development of their business. They increase their growth by
launching new method to flavour their coffee different from their rivals.
Stability strategy: It is the method by which organisation maintain its existing position
in current market for the stability of their brands. Thus, in this type of strategy they focus on
improvement of their goods as well as services to remain stable in the marketplace from their
competitors. Coffee Pod Coffee maintain their stability in market by launching new coffee
flavours to attract the new as well as existing customers. To remain stable they conduct market
research to know taste and preferences so that they remain competitive in market which impacts
positively on Cafe Coffee Pod. However, but there is drawbacks as this take more time and
efforts to reach target customers.
From the above analysis it is evaluated that Cafe Pod Coffee adapts products
differentiation as they offer products such as regular and flavoured which includes various
flavour caramel, vanilla and hazelnut. They blend which includes ristretto, intense roast, brunch
blend as well as decaf espresso in order to increase demand in market. In COVID pandemic they
launch different types of coffee related to health benefits of consumers. Selected enterprise use
various methods to remain in competitive market (Chernev, 2018).
Evaluation of strategic marketing planning theories in context to Cafe Coffee Pod.
Strategy marketing planning refers to the tool which sets the objectives and targets which
helps them to determine organisational factors, strategy of products in order focus on the success
of business. This planning helps them to identify the brand position in business environment.
However, it benefits organisation to establish marketing goals as well as objectives. Strategic
marketing planning provides direction to perform their tasks effectively and efficiently in defined
manner in order to achieve goals. This method helps Cafe Coffe Pod to learn the changing
market place so that they can develop strategies to accomplish long term targets and survival of
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business. To make decisions regarding plans and executing their strategies as it involves huge
allocation of resources. This is tool to understand the condition of market along with data of
marketing opportunities. The allow them to eliminate uncertainties which can arise in future, it
helps them to collaborate and communicate between departments. There are various marketing
planning strategy which is mentioned below:
Segmentation: Goods as well as services are produced to overcome with issues of
customers to meet the requirements and needs of end users. The term market segmentation is
defined as dividing market into different groups of consumers for the common characteristics
which helps them to respond in marketplace. It helps to understand choices of customers in order
to attain the fulfil the customer satisfaction. In this market segments there are various
segmentation such as demographic, behavioural, geographical and physiological. Cafe Pod
Coffee use demographic segmentation as different people have different tastes and preferences as
this helps them to offer their products and services based on their requirements. They target all
types of the customers who like their brand as well as attract new people with their coffee.
(Chernev, 2020).
Targeting: It refers to the process of focus on the target market from the overall market.
This comprises of group of customers by which enterprise wants to fulfil and goods are produced
using various marketing tools. It plays an essential role in developing the marketing strategies to
accomplish future goals and generate profits. Cafe Pod Coffee fosters the demand of young
coffee drinkers which attract them to drink such as hard and soft coffee as it boost the growth
segments. Management of Cafe Pod Coffee divides their large market into the small sections to
focus on a particular groups of peoples in marketplace. However, the Cafe Pod Coffee focus on
the people who are interested in drinking coffee through different platforms such as online and
offline.
Positioning: The term positioning is defined as the strategy which influence the minds of
end users. This allow organisation to take competitive edge to achieve the brand image from its
rivals. The purpose of this theory is to develop the identity as well as reputation of brand. In
context to Cafe Pod Coffee, position their brands which is affordable to young people in order to
deliver delicious and strong coffee (Dogu and Albayrak, 2018). Market positioning is essential
for the brand image, give competitive edge, it also helps the buying decisions for end users
which allow them to take interest in brand that maximize the sales and revenue of business.
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Marketing mix: It signifies the activities that enterprise use to promote their brands in
market place. It method that entity use to initiate and focus on marketing objectives in target
market. It determines and understands the elements of marketing mix as it helps company to
make decision making process to increase profitability and productivity in business. This allow
them to analyse and identify the area to promote their products and services at the right place and
time. It consists of 4 Ps that is product, price, promotion as well as placement. Management of
Cafe Pod Coffee will launch different products such as livewire and supercharger at affordable
prices. They promote their products through different channels such as online channels in
London, United Kingdom.
Marketing Development: It states that strategy of growth that determine and develops
the various segments for the goods which is launched in market (Galli, 2020). This methods is
used when enterprise targets new market with the current as well as existing products.
Importance of market development is to acquire new users, maximize profit along with the
success and growth of organisation (Hanlon, 2018). When the implementation of something
goes in right direction then it result to competitive edge for enterprise. It is useful for Cafe Pod
Coffee because it focus on attracting and retaining new customers which lead to expand the
business growth. Thus, it helps them to increase sales as well as revenue (Moutinho and Vargas-
Sanchez, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the above analysis it is concluded that corporate strategy examines the scope of
business tasks and activities as it lead to achieve targets. The importance of this strategy is to
determine the organisational resources, develops the brand image and maximize investors value
which help them to build business opportunities. This shows the growth and performance of
venture. Cafe Pod Coffee follow product differentiation as to attract young people in different
areas. On the other hand, strategic marketing planning refers to setting the purpose, identifying
factors, changes and follow the process. It is beneficial for every entity and selected company to
set the standard to achiever overall performance in business. Different strategic planning theories
is used such as targeting, positioning, marketing mix, marketing development to accomplish
business strategic objectives.
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REFERENCE
Books and Journal
Beirman, D., 2020. Restoring tourism destinations in crisis: A strategic marketing approach.
Routledge.
Brooksbank, R., Subhan, Z. and Calderwood, R. J., 2018. How applicable are conventional
strategic marketing practices in emerging markets? An exploratory study in India.
International Journal of Emerging Markets.
Brown, T. and et.al., 2018. Twenty-five years and counting: an analysis of the Journal of
Strategic Marketing. Journal of Strategic Marketing. 26(2). pp.125-139.
Chernev, A., 2018. Strategic marketing management. Cerebellum Press.
Chernev, A., 2020. The marketing plan handbook. Cerebellum Press.
Dogu, E. and Albayrak, Y. E., 2018. Criteria evaluation for pricing decisions in strategic
marketing management using an intuitionistic cognitive map approach. Soft Computing.
2(15). pp.4989-5005.
Galli, B. J., 2020. Using marketing to implement a strategic plan: Reflection of practiced
literature. In Start-Ups and SMEs: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications
(pp. 1518-1532). IGI Global.
Hanlon, A., 2018. Digital marketing: Strategic planning & integration. Sage.
Hollensen, S., 2019. Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education.
Moutinho, L. and Vargas-Sanchez, A. eds., 2018. Strategic Management in Tourism, CABI
Tourism Texts. Cabi.
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