MRK106 - Taco Time Marketing Strategy and Plan: A Detailed Case Study

This case study provides a detailed analysis of Taco Time's marketing strategy and plan. It begins with an overview of Taco Time's marketing concept, highlighting its focus on Mexican cuisine and target market. A SWOT analysis identifies the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, followed by a situation analysis outlining its expansion goals. The analysis delves into the 4 Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) and the product life cycle, offering comments and recommendations for improvement. The study also explores various marketing elements, including sales promotion, social media, advertising, social responsible marketing, and personal selling, providing specific examples and strategies for Taco Time to enhance its market position and achieve its business objectives. Desklib offers a wealth of similar case studies and study tools to help students excel in their marketing courses.

Taco Time
Marketing strategy and plan

Contents
Marketing concept................................................................................................................................2
SWOT analysis of Taco Time..................................................................................................................2
Situation Analysis..................................................................................................................................3
Research................................................................................................................................................3
4 Ps of Taco Time...................................................................................................................................4
Product life cycle...................................................................................................................................5
Comments and recommendations........................................................................................................5
Two elements of sales promotion.........................................................................................................5
Two elements of social media...............................................................................................................5
Two elements of advertising.................................................................................................................6
Social responsible Marketing.................................................................................................................6
Elements of personal selling..................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................7

Marketing concept
Taco Time is a fast food restaurant that provides the Mexican cuisine in a homely
environment with fast delivery and fresh food. The market segment of Taco Time is the
Mexican cuisine by mostly targeting the upper as well as middle class people. The market
position of company is the fastest services by having talented and skilled staff through
training.
SWOT analysis of Taco Time
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
 It is serving
the Mexican
cuisine in
very low
price.
 Strong
presence in
the Mexican
food chain.
 As compare
to some other
fast food
chains,
customers of
Taco Time
are very
limited.
 As compare
to the global
players and
some well
Canadian
industries, the
target market
of Taco Time
is too narrow.
 It can develop
the innovative
technologies
such as online
order system
or can
provide some
weekly offers
to attract
more
customers
toward its
brand.
 It can also
add some of
the nutritional
guides in the
menu that
will provide
the
recommendati
on to people
 Due to people
of different
cultures in
Canada, Taco
Time can face
the threat
from various
other
restaurants.
 Some people
do not have
too much
time to go out
and take food.
Therefore, it
will lose this
part of the
customers.

regarding
their diets.
This will help
in increasing
the market
share and
customer
base.
 Provide some
attractive
things at the
restaurant
such as
dancing in
restaurants as
well as
Mexican
bands.
Situation Analysis
Time Taco is marking to expand their business operation to 115 franchises having the goal to
dominate in the Mexican food industry. For this, management is required to put the efforts for
positioning and re branding of Mexican food.
Research
The research states that Mexican Cuisine is becoming popular in recent times. Participants
were asked to rank the food that they prefer most. The result shows that of the participants
prefer the Mexican food. It also shows that the fast-food restaurants are always in trend.
Wendy’s and McDonald’s have entered in the new business. As per the press, sales are also
increased 2% in the second quarter at restaurant market of US. The research depicts that the
first target market is Vancouver.

4 Ps of Taco Time
Product Price Place Promotion
 Few times
before,
company was
serving only
fast food. In
recent time, it
has decided to
increase its
restaurant
under the
Cantina
Banner in
order to
become the
quick service
provider.
Besides this,
it has also
decided to
develop some
new products
by altering its
current chain
and convert it
into the
reliable
Mexican
food.
 Taco Time
has decided to
reposition and
rebrand the
business due
to new
product
development
by comparing
with the other
competitors.
Taco Time
has decided to
prices the
products in $6
for its new
product line
of Mexican
Cuisine.
 It believes
that the
enthusiasm is
increasing
due to
positive
response of
customers
toward the
ethic taste. It
also enlarged
to position
itself as the
reliable
deliver of the
dishes of
Mexican.
 In its
promotional
activities, it
uses radio for
promoting its
products. It
runs for
approx. 48
weeks on one
station.

Product life cycle
As per the information presented in case study, it is seen that Taco Time is in its growth stage
due to increasing its economic of scale, profit margin, as well as overall amount of profit. It
assists the organization to invest more money in all the promotional activities in order
maximise the capacity of its growth stage.
Comments and recommendations
There are changes that fast food restaurants can pursue in order to grow its business. It can
offer the free Wi-Fi in all its restaurants. It can also start making the effective use of online
app for the easy convenience of the customers. Various free gift cards can also attract the
customers to avail its services (Namin, 2017).
Two elements of sales promotion
1. Offers and coupons- Taco Time can provide the best offers in order to attract the
customers to avail its services. In a food industry, it is necessary to satisfy the
customers and sustain them for long-time. It can also start giving weekly offers to the
customers so that they can enjoy the free meal or meal in low cost sometimes
(Marchand , Paul , Hennig-Thurau , Puchner, 2017).
2. Membership- It is also an essential element of sales promotion. Taco Time can ask the
customers to make their membership card with their restaurant. IN order to save some
money, customers will take the frequent visit to their restaurant. By doing this,
customers will stick to its restaurant for long-time in order to gain some discount.
Two elements of social media
1. Content marketing- It is one of the important tool of social media. Taco Time can use the
content marketing in order to share the online materials. It is useful as in today’s time,
customers believe more to those brands that have good posts, videos and social media.
2. Search engine optimisation- Taco Time can also use this social media tool for its
restaurant. Through various search engines, it can easily publicise its restaurant in the
mind of customers.

Two elements of advertising
1. Television- It is one of the best elements of advertising. Television can prove to be
best element for Taco Time as it will provide the mass reach at one time as well as it can
show its products in better way through television (Liaukonyte , Teixeira and Wilbur, 2015).
2. Billboards- It is an outdoor advertising structure that helps the organizations to
advertising their products in best manner. It will be helpful, as it will assist the customers in
getting more information about the services of Taco Time.
Social responsible Marketing
1. Corporate social responsibility- Taco Time can take the useful advantages by using
CSR as social responsible marketing. It will be helpful by presenting its responsible concerns
about ethical, environmental, and social phenomena (Arora, 2016).
2. Corporate governance- It is also one of the most useful social responsible marketing.
By using it, Taco Time can present its corporate actions that are totally legal.
Elements of personal selling
1. Technical specialist- Technical specialist is that person who deals with the technical
aspects in the organization. Taco Time can take the appoint the technical person who will
deal with the customers in proper manner.
2. Missionary sales person- It is person who knows mission of the restaurant properly.
By knowing this, customers will be handled accordingly.

References
Arora R. Enhancement in employee skills and benefits to employees and organization with
respect to CSR Initiatives. JIM Quest. 2016 Jul;12(2):39.
Liaukonyte J, Teixeira T, Wilbur KC. Television advertising and online shopping. Marketing
Science. 2015 Feb 19;34(3):311-30.
Marchand A, Paul M, Hennig-Thurau T, Puchner G. How gifts influence relationships with
service customers and financial outcomes for firms. Journal of Service Research. 2017
May;20(2):105-19.
Namin A. Revisiting customers' perception of service quality in fast food restaurants. Journal
of Retailing and Consumer Services. 2017 Jan 1;34:70-81.