Choosing the right marketing strategy is very important for any organization that wants to establish a competitive advantage in the and in the process increase its sales. There are three fundamental marketing strategies commonly used by business organizations to penetrate the market and at the same achieve a competitive advantage in the market.
These strategies include the product differentiation strategy, the cost leadership strategy and the niche marketing strategy (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009). This paper will discuss the three marketing strategies and at the same time suggest the best strategy for marketing Blizzards.
Product differentiation entails demonstrating to the buyer how the quality, price, design, promotion activities and product availability are different from the rest in the market with an aim of achieving a competitive advantage. Differentiation makes the product to appear unique to potential customers (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009).
Differentiation shifts competition to non-price factors thus reducing directness of competition. Cost leadership strategy involves achieving a competitive advantage through establishing a low cost of operation that eventually enables the company to compete in terms of price. The organization should ensure that the product produces are of the required standard. The scale of production is exploited through this strategy with a clear scope definition (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009).
A company can have a competitive advantage through the reduction of the cost of production and offering competitive prices in the process. The niche strategy is a focused one and deals with selective marketing based on different consumer segments. Each consumer segment has got unique needs and characteristics that call for a special attention in terms of marketing and product features.
Blizzards are among the many categories of fast foods products by the Dairy Queen Chain of restaurants. There are many fast food chains in existence that have led to increased competition in the fast foods market (Palmer, 2009). The best marketing strategy for Dairy Queen to apply is differentiation for it to have a competitive advantage. Since many fast foods being offered in the market are almost similar, Dairy Queen should come up with Blizzards with new and unique flavors that will draw the attention of consumers.
The other area that the company should show a difference is in product distribution and convenience. This can be achieved through putting their joints in places near homes and workplaces. This will ensure that the consumers get the products any time they want without straining. The company should also show a difference in terms of pricing in order to attract more customers (Palmer, 2009).
This can be achieved trough offering more at low prices and enticement through free samples. The strategy helps Dairy Queen to have a competitive advantage over other chains because most of them focus on niche and cost leadership strategies which are not favorable for fast foods. Differentiation will help change the basis of competition from prices to non-price factors such as quality and convenience.
Consumers need quality products which are easily available. The type of marketing strategy employed determines how much competitive advantage the company will have in the market. Differentiation is the best marketing strategy for fast foods such as Blizzards because it focuses on making the product look unique from the other similar products being offered in the market.
References
Armstrong, G. A. & Kotler, P. (2009). Marketing: An Introduction. New York, NY: Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Palmer, A. (2009). Introduction to marketing: Theory and practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.