Segmentation is vital for a successful marketing campaign. The customer needs in this field snow and skating are something fast and safe. On the other hand there are varied age groups the learners, professionals and those who perform it for fun. These groups or segments can be further merged to come up with the professionals as well as amateurs. These two market segments are important to the new product because to them it’s not just any snowboard but that which can guarantee safety and speed which will boost their performances. Amateurs on the other hand, they need a lot of practice and for them to boost their confidence in the sport; they need a snowboard that’s strong and reliable (Paul, 2000).
Customer Relation marketing to be undertaken in this organization should bear the need to keep the customer as our primary target. The incorporation of a CRM should be done on the basis of its performances and performance which should include identifying the company’s important segments, improving customer relations by identifying the company’s most profitable clientele and friendly customer interactions in the entire organization’s departments and networks. The profitability of the company is important and the customer is important as well. The CRM should not also be so complex because a lot of CRM’s have died at the infancy stage because of technicality issues in the implementation and they end up not performing (Bligh & Douglas, 2004).
A campaign to make the product more appealing and popular among the customers is recommended that will involve the internet and the print media. Print media is the number one option since the market segment is for athletes in the skating field. Sports magazines are popular among the athletes and so this should be the number one tool to put forward our message. The theme should be based upon the speed, agility and the security. The running theme should therefore read the fast reliable speed machine of the new generation. The sports magazine will target a few consumers that are essential for this segment. This calls for a complementing promotional tool that will cover the shortfalls the sport magazine. The internet (online) promotion will be a sure bet to cut across all market segments both intended and not intended. The aim here is to popularize our product which will later translate to increased sales and increased profits. The magazine campaigns should be run monthly in the popular monthly magazines whereas the online campaign should be posted on our official website (Bligh & Douglas2004).
Distribution will follow two of the popular channels. Channel one involves the conventional system involves us selling our product to wholesalers who will then sell to retailer then the customer. This guarantees optimum penetration of the product and availability. The other channel is the vertical system where we will be involved directly in the marketing of the product or we other organizations to do this for us. This channel has the increased dealing directly with our customers and attending to their needs.
Pricing of the product will be looked on at three different approaches. Premium pricing strategy is applicable due to the uniqueness of the product and the competitive nature of the market. Owing to its newness in the market, promoting price criteria is also to be considered in determining its actual price. The other important criteria to consider is the geographical pricing method since the product is produced from a different area from the targeted customer in the US or Europe (Paul, 2000).
References
- Bligh, P. & Douglas, T. (2004). CRM unplugged – releasing CRM’s strategic value. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
- Paul, S. (2000). The Power of Quality Thinking In Sales and Management. New York: Oxford University Press.