Part A- Product
Abu Dhabi Government Logo Car Badge is a car emblem that is considered a decoration for a car. The product is attached at the front end of the bonnet, near the number plate, or at the back of the car. It is not a mandatory requirement for one to attach the emblem, but it is considered a decoration. It is metallic and has the government logo on it. The price for this product would be set at AED 21.99, inclusive of the value-added tax (VAT).
When determining this price, the company uses internet resources to determine the average market price. Kelley, Jugenheimer, and Sheehan (2015) advise that when setting a price for a given product, it is necessary to determine what other companies are charging. The price should not be significantly below the market average because it may be viewed as a substandard product. At the same time, it should not be significantly above average because it may become unaffordable to the majority.
Mohamed Ali, a government officer who uses his own car for most of his official duties, is the best candidate for this product. Ali is a male Arab who lives in Abu Dhabi and works with the General Revenue Department. He is a tax compliance officer responsible for tracking down businesspersons who are keen on evading tax. He uses his private car on most occasions to avoid being detected by his suspects. He would need this emblem as a sign of authority when undertaking his official duties. The emblem may act as a reminder to the people who he engages that he has the mandate to review their tax compliance records.
When identifying a potential buyer for this product, it is important to determine whether there are specific biographic, geographic, or psychographic (attitudes, values, and lifestyle), which can connect this buyer to the item the company is selling. Given that the sales representative has been interacting with the client for some time, the lifestyle shows that he is the best candidate for this product.
Ali likes to demonstrate his authority as a government officer, and anything that would confirm the same is always welcome. The fact that sometimes he cannot use official government cars when on investigative missions makes it necessary to have the emblem on his car. It helps reinforce his authority when handling the suspects. It has also been established that Ali values everything that symbolizes national unity. Analysis of this customer also revealed that he cherishes symbols of national unity.
As such, he would embrace anything that reinforces that fact. When promoting this product, it would be important to emphasize facts that would be appealing to this customer. The attitude of this customer is a factor that would have to be treated with caution when selling the product to him. He is very sensitive to criticism and would always respond negatively to them. As such, the sales representatives would be advised to avoid actions or statements that could be misconstrued by the customer.
Part B- Media Plan 1
An Online Template Post
The following figure 1 shows the online template post that will be used in the digital campaign for the product. The team ensured that the template is not only appealing but also detailed enough to inform customers about the product, its price, the place where it can be found, and its unique attributes.
Promotional Strategy
When the product has been developed, the next step is to conduct an awareness campaign to inform the targeted customers of its availability, cost, functionality, and superiority over its rivals in the market. Digital and social media marketing have become the most popular means of promoting a product in the current market. In this case, the team will use Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, and WhatsApp to popularize this product in the market (Mishra & Dham, 2019). It is important to discuss strategies that will be used in each case to ensure that the targeted customer is reached through each of these platforms.
Facebook is currently one of the dominant social media platforms in the world. It has a population of over 2.2 regular users who visit the website daily (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2015). In the United Arab Emirates, this platform is popular among people of different ages, including a significant population of the elderly. Mohamed Ali, the primary customer of the company’s product, is a regular user of this product. As such, the sales team will be assured that the message will reach the customer if this platform is used. The platform has evolved over the years, and currently, it is possible to use videos or posters to promote the product.
YouTube
YouTube is another popular social media platform with the population of its regular users estimated to be about 2 billion people (Taşkıran & Yilmaz, 2015). Many teenagers and young adults prefer watching movies and music through this platform. This platform has become popular among advertising companies who consider it effective in passing a promotional message through short video clips. The clips are often short, lasting 5-15 seconds (Jones, 2017). It means that the message must be packaged in a way that the client will get the message within that short period. It means that words must be condensed and images made very clear as to pass the intended message within a short period. Mohamed Ali is a regular user of this platform.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a growing social media platform in the United Arab Emirates. When using this platform, one needs to develop short messages that should be presented in the form of a digital poster. It should be short, precise, and capture the attention of the audience. As Jones (2017) observes, it is easy for a customer to ignore messages of Snapchat if they are not captivating enough. Given the fact that the team had profiled the attitude of Ali and understood his likes and dislikes, it would be critical to ensure that the promotional message is hilarious to captivate him.
Twitter has become popular among the working class in the United Arab Emirates. People like Mohamed Ali prefer using this platform to make their official communication. As such, the same team of this company is assured that they will reach him if they use this platform to promote the product. Using short video clips, the team will pass the message about the availability of the product in the market, its price, and the benefits it offers. This platform also makes it possible to use digital posters to promote the product.
WhatsApp is another dominant social media platform in the United Arab Emirates. It has a worldwide user estimated to be over 1 billion people (Mishra & Dham, 2019). When using this platform, the sales and marketing team will have the opportunity to reach out to Mohamed Ali and other potential buyers every time they share a message with their colleagues through WhatsApp. Just like the other social media platform, the message has to be short, appealing, and precise to ensure that it achieves the desired impact.
Illustration of Posts for Each Platform
Each of the five platforms has different requirements when one is planning to use them to pass a promotional message to customers. They function differently, and as such, the message should be designed in a way that would ensure that it has the maximum impact on the targeted audience. It is important to illustrate how messages would be presented on each platform.
When using this social media platform, the researcher intends to use still images that can pass the message in an effective manner. Figure 2 below is an illustration of the image that would be used.
YouTube
When using YouTube, it is recommended that the advertiser should consider using short video clips, which show how the product should be used. The clip should use images extensively.
Snapchat
Snapchat advertisements should also make use of images that demonstrates the brand and product for the company. The image in figure 3 below can be used in the advert.
When using this platform, the team intends to use still images, just as those proposed in Facebook and Snapchat. Figure 4 below shows the image that the team should consider using.
WhatsApp is another platform that would be appropriate to promote the product that this company offers to its customers. Like in the case of YouTube, the advertiser should use short video clips for the promotion.
Part C- Media Plan 2
When introducing a new product in the market, it is important to collaborate with an experienced advertiser who will be responsible for ensuring that the product and the brand are known in the market. Popularizing a product and a brand in the market requires a team of experts who understand the local culture, the buying behavior of customers, and the decision-makers when purchasing a specific product (Kelley et al., 2015).
The company has chosen ITP Media Group as the preferred advertiser who will be responsible for promoting this product in the market. This advertiser has been working in the United Arab Emirates for over the last three decades and has its headquarters locally, in Dubai. It has a perfect understanding of the market and can develop an effective plan of promoting both the brand and the product within the country. The company intends to start the promotional campaign from March until May 2020. Within the three months, it would be critical to ensure that the product becomes known for its attributes, superiority over other products, its price, and where it can be purchased within the country. The following are some of the factors that will have to be considered when developing the plan.
Description of the Product
The product that the company offers is the Abu Dhabi Government Logo Car Badge, an emblem that is attached to the front bonnet of a car, as shown in figure 5 below. One should understand that the emblem is not a replacement of the legal number plate that every vehicle in the country should have. However, it is more of a decoration that is growing popular in the country for those who are feeling patriotic enough to do so.
The product is the national emblem of the United Arab Emirates. When attached to the car, it acts as a decoration and as a sign of patriotism. In the past, the emblem was strictly used in government officials’ cars as a sign of their authority. However, a civilian can use the new model that has been created because it is not entrenched in the legal number plate of the car. It has been designed specifically for use by non-governmental officials as a way of promoting the UAE as a brand. It has in promoting tourism in the country among those who visit on their way to other parts of the world.
Goals of the 3-Month Campaign
When developing a promotional campaign, Jones (2017) advises that one should have clear goals that should be realized. Setting such goals makes it possible to understand what should be achieved within a specific period. It makes it easy to assign specific roles to different individuals and assess their progress periodically to determine if the team is achieving the needed level of success. In this case, the advertiser will have three months to engage in promotional campaigns to ensure that the brand and the product are known in the local market. The following are the specific goals that the team should achieve within the period of three months:
They are ensuring that the brand of the company is known
One of the main goals that should be achieved by the end of the three months is to popularize the brand of the company. According to Mishra and Dham (2019), many customers often prefer purchasing products from known brands. When they realize that the other attributes of different products are the same, they opt to select the brand that is associated with the best quality (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2015).
As such, the aim of the campaign would be to create awareness about this brand and to ensure that customers can easily associate it with quality. Whenever a promotional campaign for the product is developed, the brand should be clear to the customers. A strong brand offers a firm a competitive edge over its rivals in a highly competitive market (Taşkıran & Yilmaz, 2015). Attributes of the brand, such as logo, color, and message, should be clear. It may be appropriate to use a brand ambassador to promote the brand in the market.
They are ensuring that the product of the company gains popularity
The second goal is to promote the actual product in the market. The advertiser has the cardinal responsibility of ensuring that customers know about the product in the market. The Abu Dhabi government car badge may not be a popular product currently because of many associate such items with government officials. However, they need to be reminded that the new model is developed for civilians and that it is a symbol of patriotism.
The firm should not only create awareness about the product but also make it popular (Jones, 2017). The advertising team will need to explain to the customers why they need to purchase the product. They have to explain its value to make it a relevant product that customers can consider worthy of spending their money on, especially those who are not government officials.
It is informing customers about the pricing of the product
Price is one of the most important factors that define the buying behavior of customers in the market. Kelley and Jugenheimer (2015) explain that in many cases, customers often base their purchasing decision on the price set for a given product. As explained previously, the pricing set for this product should be as close as possible to the average price in the market. When the product is priced significantly above the market average, it may be unaffordable to the majority.
On the other hand, many people often associate cheap products with compromised quality. As such, the firm should convince its customers that it offers quality products at the most competitive price possible. The advertiser will have to inform the market about the price of the product, which was set at AED 21.99 inclusive of the, and why it is competitive.
They are informing customers about places where the product can be purchased
The advertiser should ensure that customers are informed about places where products can be purchased. For the advertiser to achieve this goal, it must work closely with the sales team of the company. The team must determine the best retailing strategy that it can employ to achieve success in the market. It can decide to use leading retailers in the country. When using such a strategy, the firm will act as both the manufacturer and supplier of the product.
The retailers will have the responsibility of delivering the product to end-users of the product. Alternatively, the firm can opt to have its own retail outlets where customers can purchase the product (Kelley et al., 2015). Whichever strategy the firm considers appropriate, the sales team should inform the advertiser to ensure that clients can be adequately advised on where they can access the product. The place element in the marketing mix is critical in enhancing the success of a product in the market. The place should be easily accessible to customers.
They are informing customers about the superiority of the product
Within the period of three months, the advertiser should convince customers that the company offers a superior product to that of the rival firms. The product is already available under other brands in the market. The advertiser has the responsibility of convincing customers that they stand to get a better value if they purchase this product. Using short video clips and posters, the superiority of the product should be emphasized in a way that would convince customers to shift their loyalty from other companies to the brand of this firm. The success of the advertiser after the end of the four-month period will be based on how well it has achieved these goals.
Primary Audience for the Campaign
The targeted audience is the normal car owner in Abu Dhabi who may find it necessary to have the Abu Dhabi government car badge for personal or business reasons. Mohamed Ali, a government official who works as a tax compliance officer, has been used to personify the model customer for this product. Under normal circumstances, Ali is expected to use his private car with a civilian number plate to investigate those who are engaged in tax evasion practices.
He is only allowed to use government cars when planning to make arrests after the investigations have revealed that an individual was actually involved in fraud. During the normal days, Ali would find it appropriate to use the emblem in his car as a reminder to those with who he engages that he is a patriotic citizen and an official who is protecting ethical practices in terms of tax compliance.
It is important to start the analysis of this audience by examining various demographical and geographic factors. Ali is a middle-aged man who works for the government in Abu Dhabi. When making purchases, one of the critical factors that he often considers is the quality of the product. He is always giving priority to locally made products as a way of promoting the economy of the country. He buys products that he believes have a positive impact on the environment and the economy. The psychographic analysis of the customer reveals that he prefers products that help to demonstrate class or his level of patriotism to the country. He also avoids products that societal values do not accept. As a staunch Muslim, Ali is often keen on avoiding anything that goes against the teachings of the Quran.
The analysis of the audience has made it possible to understand his preferences, and now it is possible to come up with an effective campaign plan that would convince him to purchase the product. One of the main facts that come out is the patriotic nature of this client. Given that this product is the national emblem of the United Arab Emirates, the client should be convinced that it helps to demonstrate the level of patriotism to the country.
Ali values quality goods and services from local firms. The product that this company offers meets these criteria, and the advertiser should make this point clear when developing promotional campaigns. The success of the project depends on the ability of the advertiser to appeal to and convince Mohamed Ali (the audience in general) about the relevance and superiority of the product in the market.
Media Outlets for the Campaign
Choosing an appropriate media outlet for the promotional campaign is an important factor in ensuring that the set goals are achieved. According to Mishra and Dham (2019), it is important for an advertiser to choose the media outlet that would help in reaching a wide audience. It means that the outlet should be popular among the locals. Cost is an issue that cannot be ignored when selecting an appropriate outlet. Kelley and Jugenheimer (2015) argue that sometimes a firm may avoid a given outlet because of the associated high costs. However, this company should not compromise on its choice because of issues relating to cost. The following are five main media outlets that should be considered for the campaign:
Television
Television commercials are still a very popular and effective means of promoting a product or a brand in the market. Using some of the popular local television channels, this firm can promote its brand and product among the targeted audience. The nature of the product, an emblem, means that it does not contradict any of the Islamic teachings. The firm should develop short video clips that show the image of the product, how it is used, its unique attributes, and the brand under which it is promoted. Given the high cost of advertising associated with television commercials, the adverts should only be featured during prime time when it is likely to reach a wider audience. The firm should not pay for commercials that are less likely to be seen by a wide population.
Radio
Radio advertisements should also be given emphasis because of the considerable number of people who still tune on to various radio stations in the country—most of them tune on to these stations when going to work. Radio adverts should be used to promote the brand name and to explain why the product can be accessible.
Social media platforms
Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter were identified as social media platforms, which are becoming increasingly popular in the country and other parts of the world. The advertiser, working closely with the sales and marketing team, should develop effective ways of advertising through these platforms.
Three-Month Flight Plan for March, April, May 2020
The following table shows the proposed plan of when various activities should be conducted in this media-planning project.
References
Jones, C. W. (2017). Bedouins into Bourgeois: Remaking Citizens for globalization. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Kelley, L. D., Jugenheimer, D. W., & Sheehan, B. K. (2015). Advertising media planning: A brand management approach (4th ed). New York, NY: Routledge.
Kelley, L., & Jugenheimer, D. W. (2015). Advertising account planning: Planning and managing an IMC campaign (3rd ed.). London, UK: Routledge.
Mishra, P., & Dham, S. O. (Eds.). (2019). Application of gaming in new media marketing. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Mytton, G., Diem, P., & Dam, P. H. (2016). Media audience research: A guide for professionals. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Taşkıran, N. O., & Yilmaz, R. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of research on effective advertising strategies in the social media age. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference.