Introduction
The country of Bahrain prides itself on being the most attractive investment location in the Middle East region (Anon 1). The country has internationally recognized strong financial systems, a relatively stable economic and political system, and a strategic location that creates a favorable environment for doing business (Anon 1). The Pasta manufacturing company will therefore reap benefits associated with the country’s competitive advantage upon establishment of their company in the region. However, the company needs to market itself and its products in the region’s market to survive competition by other related firms in the market.
Brand Name and Corporate Identity
Corporate identity should focus on the visual representation of the company in terms of logo and design. The visual image should emphasize the presence and personality projected by the Pasta Company. The company is in the food industry, which is an emerging sector in Bahrain’s Economy. Corporate identity should therefore demonstrate the power in the products that the Pasta Company is presenting to the market. The company’s logo should set the company apart from any other food company dealing with pasta in the region and should be unique for the consumers to easily identify the company from anywhere in the region. For instance, the company may use a graphical representation of a unique pasta meal as its logo. In the development of corporate identity, corporate behavior and ethics should be clearly outlined. Consumers’ preferences are heavily dependent on the company’s actions and conduct toward them. Consequently, the Pasta Company should focus on presenting the appropriate image that is necessary for building consumer confidence and loyalty. For example, the company may adopt green measures aimed at preserving the environment such as utilizing renewable sources of energy as well as recycling its products. Corporate responsibility in environmental concerns promotes a company’s popularity in the modern market where environmental concerns are constantly being raised in the day to day activities. Further, in the promotion of corporate identity, communication should be heavily emphasized as part of corporate identity. The extensive advertisement should be undertaken in electronic and print media. The company should utilize such media as press releases, news features, and phone services to inform the target market of its new products.
The brand name may take different forms. It can be the name of the business or the company may pick a specific name for the product (Stone 68). It is of prime importance for the company’s product to be easily identified among a range of pasta products in the local market. A new establishment such as the Pasta Company should develop a brand name from the outset. This would enable the company to build and develop the brand image over time consequently transforming it into its popular label brand. The Pasta Company may brand its pasta products ‘healthy meal pasta’. The name appeals to numerous consumers who uphold good health and healthy eating habits as their way of life.
The slogan for the Company
A firm’s slogan plays a distinctive role in creating a harmonious brand identity for the Pasta Company (Michi 101). It should be an easily recognizable and memorable phrase that supports and defines the company’s personality. The company’s slogan should also promote the brand image, which is projected by corporate identity and the brand name. The whole brand identity need not be captured in the slogan, but the slogan should have the ability to represent both functional and emotional values presented by the company simultaneously. In addition, the slogan should represent the brand mantra in a customer-friendly language. An efficient slogan should capture the company’s brand essence, personality, and positioning and should also help to differentiate it from other companies manufacturing pasta in Bahrain. The slogan should be designed in such a way that it reflects the culture of the target market i.e. GCC and Bahrain. Islam is practiced by the majority of the population in the region and consequently governs the way of life of the people in Bahrain. The Islam religion substantially influences the food they eat, their mode of dressing, and how people conduct business in the region. Family ties are also held in high esteem and the population fiercely upholds family honor, which extends in business contexts.
The company should therefore develop a slogan that promotes the cultural practices of the target market and should be formulated in such a way that it represents the personality and functional values of the pasta manufacturing company. In addition, the slogan should be formulated in simple language for consumers to easily understand the message it is intended to portray. For instance, the company may use a slogan such as ‘For the whole family meal’. The phrase not only promotes the cultural values of the region, such as family unity but also spells out the eventual outcome of the pasta manufacturing process, which is to provide a meal.
Brochure Development
The development of a company’s brochure calls for consideration of diverse factors affecting the company. The company needs to identify the scope and target of the company (Schmidt 6-9). The scope entails the goals that the Pasta manufacturing company wants to achieve as well as the magnitude of the enterprise. The brochure should therefore present an overview of the target market and should adequately describe the company’s location as well as its outlets to communicate effectively to the prospective customers. The brochure should also outline the specific goods and services that the company is offering to the market i.e. pasta and pasta sauce. The magnitude of the project varies according to the size of the company. Being new in the market, the firm may choose to invest a considerable amount of money for the production of a detailed brochure, which fully accommodates the much that the company wants its potential customers to know in a detailed yet precise manner. The brochure should also be limited to the target market which is contained in Bahrain and GCC and should be designed in such a way that it portrays the company’s target, which is to generate awareness in the market of its overall identity. An effective brochure should have an intrinsic ability to appeal to the target customers. Visual appeals such as photos and graphics should be incorporated in the brochure since they serve to attract readers’ attention. There is an adage that says that 80% of what a company says about itself is also said by its competitors (Schmidt 6-9). Every other pasta producing company claims to produce high-quality and healthy pasta at a low cost. To counter this, the company’s brochure should seek to elaborate on the distinctive information as well as the distinguishing characteristics of the company about its competitors. For instance, the brochure may outline the actual wholesale costs of pasta and pasta sauce from the factory. It may also specify the healthy ingredients that the company uses in the production of its products. The brochure should also be organized in a systematic manner such that the flow of the information to its readers is presented in an organized way. The name of the company, products, address, and phone number should be easily located. In addition, the brochure should be written in a clear and visual capturing font which should be organized under descriptive headings and subheadings that allows the readers to locate the information which he is interested in. For instance, ‘Products offered’, ‘wholesale discounts’ or ‘sales promotion’.
Shelf Talker Development
A shelf talker is a visual sign such as a printed card, which is attached to a store’s shelf to attract buyers’ attention to a particular product. They should display special prices meant to counter competition from related products and may also display promotional information. Shelf talkers should be designed in such a way that they match the design of the company’s product. They may take the form of clips on displays, electronic messages, or coupon dispensers and should enable the products to strikeout. For the pasta sauce, the company may design bottle-shaped wobblers and for the pasta products which are usually packaged in papers, the company may use star-shaped shelf talkers to attract consumers to the items. Shelf takers are effective for new products introduction. They should briefly outline the product’s benefits and key features of products and should be placed under the product rather than beside the product to make a clear connection between the message and the product. Shelf talkers should be brief and precise. The message should be readable at a glance, for example, ‘Easy to cook pasta’ or ‘New pasta only $1.25 per packet’.
A Mailer to Bahrain Consumers
Due to advancements in telecommunication in Bahrain and GCC, a new type of direct mail delivered via the internet is increasingly being adopted and this has made marketing more cost-effective and profitable for both the advertising agencies and companies (Robert, Feit & Bly xi). The Pasta Company can utilize the internet direct mail as a means of reaching the target consumers in Bahrain. Internet direct mail presents a clear representation of the information that the company wishes to deliver to the target market and it is highly efficient since, in the current technological age, most people are utilizing the internet as the main means of communication.
Public Relations Event
Companies often utilize several public relations methods to convey messages and create the right attitude, intended brand images, and opinions for the company’s products (Hartline et al 295). A public relations event should promote publicity of the product and the company. In addition, it should emphasize a specific desirable public opinion on the company and its products. For instance, the company may sponsor an event that relates to the company’s values, such as a healthy living awareness program or eco-friendly programs. These sponsorships demonstrate corporate responsibility, which aids the company in gaining a competitive advantage.
Works cited
Anon. “Doing Business in Bahrain.” Finfinvest, Web. 2010.
Hartline D Michael., & Ferrell O C. Marketing Strategy. New York: Cengage learning, 2008. Print.
Michi Ines, Pfoertsch Waldemar., & Kotler Philip. B2B Brand Management. Berlin: Springer, 2006. Print.
Robert Stevan, Feit Michelle., & Bly Robert. Internet Direct Mail: The Successful Guide to Successful Email Marketing. London: McGraw Hill professional, 2000. Print.
Schmidt J Sally. Marketing the Law Firm: Business Development Techniques. New York: Law Journal Press, 2004. Print.
Stone, Phil. Make Marketing Work For You: Boost Your Profits With Proven Marketing Techniques. London: How to Books Ltd, 2001. Print.