TOPIC 11

UNIQUE MARKETING
ISSUES
Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
11.1 Explain the three steps (segmenting the market,
selecting a target market, and establishing a unique
market position) entrepreneurial firms use to identify
their customers.
11.2 Define a brand and explain why it is important to an
entrepreneurial firm’s marketing efforts.
11.3 Identify and explain the 4Ps of marketing activities
(product, price, promotion, and place) used by
entrepreneurial firms.
Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
11.4 Describe the seven-step sales process an
entrepreneurial firm uses to identify prospects and
close sales.
 Selecting a Market and Establishing
a Position (1 of 2)
• Important Questions That All Start-ups Must Ask
– In order to succeed, a new firm must address this
important issue: Who are our customers and how will
we appeal to them?
– A well-managed start-up approaches this query by
following a three-step process:
▪ Segmenting the market.
▪ Selecting a target market.
▪ Crafting a unique positioning strategy.
 Selecting a Market and Establishing
a Position (2 of 2)
Figure 11.1 The Process of Selecting a Target Market and Positioning
Strategy
 Market Segmentation
Segmenting the Market
• Involves studying a firm’s industry and determining the
different target markets in that industry.
• Markets can be segmented in a number of different ways,
including:
– Geography (city, state, country).
– Demographic variables (age, gender, family size).
– Psychographic variables (personality, lifestyle, values).
– Behavioral variables (benefits sought, brand loyalty).
– Product type (varies by product).
 Example: Segmenting the Computer
Industry
• The computer industry can be segmented in the following
ways:
– Product type (handheld computers, tablet computers,
PCs, work stations, minicomputers, mainframes and
super computers.
– Customers served (individuals, businesses, schools or
government).
 Selecting a Target Market
Target Market
• Once a firm has segmented the market, a target market
must be chosen.
• The market must be sufficiently attractive and the firm
must have the capability to serve it.
• By focusing on a clearly defined market, a firm can
become an expert in that market and then be able to
provide customers a high level of service.
 Establishing a Unique Position (1 of 4)
Positioning
• After selecting a target market, the firm’s next step is to
establish a “position” within the market that differentiates
it from its rivals.
• A “position” is the part of a market that the firm is
claiming as its own.
• A firm establishes a unique position in its customers’
minds by drawing attention to two or three of the
product’s attributes.
 Establishing a Unique Position (3 of 4)
Figure 11.2 product attribute map for casper
 Establishing a Unique Position (4 of 4)
Tagline
• Firms often develop a “tagline” to reinforce the position
they have staked out in their market, or a phrase that is
used consistently in a company’s literature and thus
becomes associated with the company.
• An example is Nike’s familiar tagline, “Just do it.”
• The beauty of this simple three-word expression is
that it applies equally to a 21-year old triathlete and a
65-year-old mall walker.
 Taglines—Developed to Reinforce a
Firm’s Positioning Strategy
Table 11.1 Match the Company to Its Tagline
Company Tagline
Wild Friends Foods Live Better, Together!
Wiivv Rest Assured.
Patients Like Me Write Better. Write Smarter.
Billy Goat Ice Cream Real Companies, Real Cases in Real
Time.
Prynt Making Food Friendly.
Rover.com Explore. Pain-Free.
Write Lab Health is in your hands.
Real Time Cases The New Era of Photography.
Owlet Baby Care Be Good. Eat Ice Cream.
Tyto Care Love your dog. Love your life.
 Branding (1 of 4)
• Establishing a Brand
– A brand is the set of attributes—positive or negative—
that people associate with a company.
▪ These attributes can be positive, such as trustworthy,
innovative, dependable, or easy to deal with.
▪ Or they can be negative, such as cheap, unreliable,
arrogant, or difficult to deal with.
– The customer loyalty a company creates through its
brand is one of its most valuable assets.
• Brand Management
– Some companies monitor the integrity of their brands
through a program called “brand management.”
 Branding (2 of 4)
Table 11.2 What’s a Brand? Different Ways of Thinking About the
Meaning of a Brand

• A brand is a promise to serve stakeholders’ interests.

• A brand is a firm’s guarantee of a level of performance.
• A brand indicates the promises a firm makes to those it serves.
• A brand expresses a firm’s reputation.
• A brand presents a firm’s credentials.
• A brand is an indicator of trust and reduced risk.
• A brand describes a company’s nature.
• A brand serves as a handshake between a firm and its customers.

Source: Adapted from Emotional Branding by Daryl Travis, copyright © 2000 by Daryl Travis.
Used by permission of Pima Publishing, a division of Random House, Inc.
 Branding (3 of 4)
• Establishing a Brand
– So how does a firm establish a brand?
▪ On a philosophical level, a firm must have meaning
in its customers’ lives. It must create value—
something for which customers are willing to pay.
▪ On a more practical level, brands are built through a
number of techniques, including advertising, public
relations, sponsorships, support of social causes,
social media, and good performance.
▪ A firm’s name, logo, website design, Facebook
page, Instagram account and even its letterhead are
part of its brand.
 Branding (4 of 4)
• Power of a Strong Brand
– Ultimately, a strong brand can be a very powerful asset
for a firm.
– Over 50% of consumers say that a known and trusted
brand is a reason to buy a product.
– A brand allows a company to charge a price for its
products that is consistent with its image.
– A successful brand can increase the market value of a
company by 50% to 75%.
The Four Ps of Marketing for New Ventures

Product Price

Marketing Mix

Promotion Place (or

distribution)
 Product
• Is the good or service a firm offers to its target market.
• The most important attribute of a product is that it adds
value in the mind of its target customers.
• An important distinction should be made between a firm’s
core product and the actual product.
• The core product is the product itself, such as a CD
that contains a tax preparation program.
• The actual product is the product plus all the attributes
that come with it such as features, design, packaging,
and so on that constitutes the collection of benefits
that the customer ultimately buys.
 Price
• Price is the amount of money consumers pay to buy a
product.
• The price a company charges for its products sends an
important message to its target market.
– For example, Oakley positions its sunglasses as
innovative, state-of-the-art products that are both high
quality and visually appealing.
– This position in the market suggests a premium price
that Oakley charges.
• Most entrepreneurs use one of two methods to set the
price for their products, as shown on the next slide.
 Two Methods for Setting the Price
of a Product

Cost-Based Pricing
• The list price is determined by adding a markup percentage
to a product’s cost.
Value-Based Pricing
• The list price is determined by estimating what consumers
are willing to pay for a product.
 Promotion
• Promotion
– Refers to the activities the firm takes to communicate
the merits of its product to its target market.
– There are several common activities that entrepreneurs
use to promote their products and services.
• Advertising
– Advertising is making people aware of a product or
service in hopes of persuading them to buy it.
 Pluses and Minuses of Advertising (1 of 2)
Pluses
• Raise customer awareness of a product.
• Explain a product’s comparative features and benefits.
• Create associations between a product and a certain
lifestyle.
 Pluses and Minuses of Advertising (2 of 2)
Minuses
• Low credibility.
• The possibility that a high percentage of people who see
the ad will not be interested.
• Message clutter (meaning that after hearing or reading so
many ads, people simply tune out).
• Relative costliness compared to other forms of promotions.
• The perception that advertising is intrusive.
 Steps Involved In Putting Together
an Advertisement
Figure 11.3
 Public Relations (1 of 2)
• One of the most cost effective ways to increase the
awareness of the products of a company is through public
relations.
• Public relations refer to efforts to establish and maintain a
company’s image with the public.
• The major difference between public relations and
advertising is that public relations is not paid for—directly.
 Public Relations (2 of 2)
Table 11.4 Public Relations Techniques
• Press release.
• Traditional media coverage.
• Social media coverage.
• Articles in industry press and periodicals.
• Blogging.
• Monthly newsletter.
• Civic, social, and community involvement.
 Social Media
• Social Media
– Consists primarily of blogging and connecting with
customers and others through social networking sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat.
• Blogging
– The idea behind blogs is that they familiarize people with a
business and help build an emotional bond between a
business and its customers.
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
– Businesses establish a presence on these sites to build a
community around their products and services.
 Other Promotions Techniques

Viral Marketing Guerrilla Marketing

Facilitates and encourages A low-budget approach to
people to pass along a marketing that relies on
marketing message about a ingenuity, cleverness, and
particular product or service. surprise rather than traditional
techniques.
 Place (or Distribution)
• Encompasses all the activities that move a firm’s product
from its place of origin to the consumer.
• The first choice a firm has to make regarding distribution is
whether to sell its products directly to consumers or
through intermediaries (such as wholesalers and retailers).
• Within most industries, both choices are available, so the
decision typically depends on how a firm believes its target
market wants to buy its product.