The Hybrid Clubs Case
Role of Relationship Marketing
The relationship marketing approach means customizing programs for different types of golfers and the stage of the awareness-to-buying process they are going through. The Customer Life Cycle that seems applicable in this case is:
Awareness > Comparison > Transaction > Reinforcement > Advocacy
The first task here was to listen to the requirements of end-users. Only then could a type of club (hybrid) be constructed to provide “…clean lines, compact shape, and minimal offset”. Once the flat face had been incorporated and the center of gravity moved lower and to the back, the second task then became that of building awareness. But this is easily accomplished by traditional advertising strategies.
Relationship marketing comes into play in the second to fourth stages of the above cycle. Professional or tour players themselves had to be convinced to compare, try the new club, earn reinforcement with better results and thus become advocates. The principal stimulus here was the endorsement by champion peers.
At the level of amateur players, advertising centered on endorsement by pros is a compelling factor in hastening the comparison and trial-use stages. Sponsored events and sweepstakes such as mentioned in the case make trial almost painless and thus also contribute to moving consumers along the desired lifecycle of adoption.
Promoting Brands through Strategic Alliances
The strategic alliances that could serve the goals of hybrid club manufacturers for achieving awareness and adoption benchmarks are a) champion or celebrity golfers for their expertise and commercial endorsement; b) golf stores as distribution channels that could give Brand X prominent display and technical briefings from sales clerks; c) sponsorships of club tournaments and other events because the latter are able to offer more events for their members; and, d) co-sponsorships with charities since the latter can generate donations and good press out of the alliance.
The Regional Jets Case
SWOT in Aircraft Manufacturing
Passenger Marketing Mix
The case mentions solely price as the marketing mix element that airlines emphasized in their effort to retain business passengers. This is myopic because
- low-priced competition tended to attract budget-conscious leisure travelers;
- while sacrificing guaranteed seat availability and frequent schedules;
- employers pay for business travel so the price is not necessarily a hindrance in this travel segment; and,
- the slump following 9/11 was a fluke which nonetheless bore an opportunity for gaining market share at the expense of undercapitalized rivals (but using other strategies than embarking on a price war).
In fact, the marketing mix should have emphasized schedule reliability, the availability of first-class on the larger regional jets introduced by Bombardier and Embraer, and other amenities which do not even cost very much (e.g. free-flowing coffee, adding a business news channel and business magazines to the inflight entertainment mix, etc.)