MARKETING PLAN

OF FICTITIOUS
PRODUCT
[ AIR CONDITINED
FOOTWEAR ]
Contents:
 Introduction
 Marketing plan
 Executive summary
 Situational analysis
 Market research
 Competitor analysis
 Target market
 Barriers to enter the market
 Marketing strategies
 Mission statement
 Game plan
 Marketing mix
 Product
 Price
 Promotion
 Place
 Swot analysis
 Strengths
 Weakness
 Opportunities
 Threats
 introduction

WHAT IS MARKETING???
According to the American Marketing Association “Marketing is an
organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and
delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways
that benefit the organization and its stake holders”.

In other words “Marketing is a societal and managerial process by

which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating,
offering and freely exchanging products and services of value with others”.

Importance of marketing:
Marketing is everywhere. Good marketing has become an increasingly vital
ingredient for business success and is always a result of careful planning and
execution. It is both an art and science. Financial success of a business always
depends on the marketing ability.

Marketing management:
It is the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping and
growing customers through creating, delivering and communicating superior
customer value.
What is marketed???
Marketing people market 10 types of entities. They are:

 Goods
 Services
 Events
 Experiences
 Persons
 Places
 Properties
 Organizations
 Information
 Ideas

Marketing mix:
4 p’s of marketing:
 Product
 Price
 Place
 Promoter
What is a marketing plan???
A marketing plan is a written document that summarizes what the marketer has
learnt about the market place and indicates how the firm plans to reach its
marketingobjectives.

Contents of a marketing plan:

 Executive summary and table of contents
 Situation analysis
 Marketing strategy
 Financial projections
 Implementation controls

Features of a good marketing plan:

A marketing plan should be:

 Simple
 Realistic
 Specific
 Complete

the most frequently cited short comings of a marketing plan:

 Lack of realism
 Insufficient competitive analysis
 Short run focus
 Marketing plan of our product air conditioned footwear

Executive summary:

Our launch product is a footwear ventilation technology which is applicable to all

closed shoes and boots. The technology consists of an active displacement system
which induces a positive flow of fresh air into the shoe while forcibly exhausting
the warm and moisture-laden air which has collected inside the shoe. The resultant
cooling and dehumidifying effect on the feet is substantial. Product testing
indicates a reduction in the temperature inside the shoe of 7.3°F and a reduction in
the "heat index" within the shoe by 46°F which has an effective air conditioning
effect. This has obvious benefits in reducing odor, and other fungal infections.The
technology prevents from foot fatigue, blistering and discomfort related to the
buildup of heat and moisture within the shoe. This has obvious benefits in reducing
odor, athlete's foot and other fungal infections. It gives the user greater comfort and
protection from shock-related injuries. It suits different activities and/or users of
different weights. It permits the use of less expensive manufacturing materials
which are both waterproof and stretch resistant, eliminating the need for
reinforcing overlays and multiple stitching processes. Two additional advantages
are offered by the use of nonporous and non-stretching materials. First, if water
does enter the shoe from around the ankle, the Breeze technology would actively
evacuate the water and ultimately dry the foot. Second, non-stretching fabrics in
the shoe's upper will significantly extend the useful life of athletic shoes and other
footwear. Thus it has significant advantages over presently air bags and gel
technologies.

Situational analysis:
 Market analysis:

A study was conducted to know about the potential customers, market share and the
sales at the initial stage. The recognition of economic, social or cultural trends such as
changes in consumer behavior was the main objective of marketing research. Students,
athletes, sportsmen were taken into account to gather information about the present
market condition and changes taken in the writing instrument industry. Marketing
research was done to identify the need for effective fatigue free and comfortable
footwear.
Problem solving research was conducted to determine the basis of segmentation and
responsiveness of the various segments. Product research was performed to know best
possible product design and brand positioning. Price plays an important role in buyers
purchase decision. Proper pricing policies should be adopted for creating the
importance in brand selection. Promotional and distribution research is equally
essential to find optimal promotional mix and type of distribution adopted.

Marketing research- how?

The second stage of marketing research involves developing the most efficient plan
for gathering the needed information. This entails decisions on the data sources,
research approaches, research instruments, sampling plan, and contact method.
 Data source: To bring together the accurate, complete and reliable data we
have to collect PRIMARY DATA.
 Research approaches: Primary data can be collected in five ways- through
observational, focus group, surveys, behavior data and experiments. Focus
Group Research and Survey Research were the prominent approaches for our
product. A gathering of ten to fifteen students, professionals and managers
were invited to spend few hours to discuss about the product. The discussion
was recorded by using audiotape and videotape. The recordings were analyzed
 to understand consumer behavior, beliefs and attitudes. A survey was
conducted to learn about people’s knowledge, preferences and satisfaction.
 Research Instrument: Questionnaire was used as a research instruments in
collecting the information.

SAMPLING PLAN: After deciding the approach and instruments, a sample plan is
made. Sample plan consist of three decisions. They are:

 Sampling unit (who is to be surveyed?): The target population that will be

sampled is defined here. The sample units for our product would be
athletes, sportsmen, students. Sampling frame is developed in such a way
that everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being
sampled.
 Sample size (how many people should be surveyed?): As we know that large
sample gives more reliable results than small sample. Of around 4 per cent
of the population will be considered as our sample size.
 Sampling procedure (how should the respondents be chosen?) : Stratified
Random Sampling method was selected to chose the respondent. The
population was divided into mutually exclusive groups such as athletes,
sportsmen and students and random samples will be drawn from each
group.

FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS:

To better understand the criteria used by consumers when evaluating and selecting
footwear, focus group interviews were conducted among many students and
sportspersons. Analysis of the focus group protocols provided a very good
information for the assessment of consumer decision behavior in this product
category.

Survey research:
A very extensive survey is conducted to know the opinion of consumers about the
footwear in the present existing market and about their requirements in the foot
wear.

The questionnaire for the survey contained questions like:

 How different did you find the product from other products?
 How useful did you find the product?
 Is the price of the product acceptable?
 Is the design of the product convenient for use?
 Any other suggestions for improving the product?

Thus different opinions were collected and summarized as follows:

Results revealed that the respondents categorized footwear as:

 Athletic/casual,
 Outdoor
 Dress.

Agreement was also found when respondents were asked to generate the factors
they look for when purchasing footwear. The major factors they included are:

 Quality
 Comfort and performance
 Price
 Style.
 Likewise, respondents were also asked to list out the negative aspects of
footwear and footwear use. The major negatives they identified were:

 Sweaty feet
 Stinky feet
 Too warm/ hot
 Not waterproof
 Materials rip and fall apart

Competitor analysis:
We are introducing a new product in the market so there are no competitors for
our product. It will help in building brand strength of the product. Better service
will be provided in affordable price. But we may face competition from the
presently existing air bags and gel technologies.

Target market:
The market is primarily targeted at young lot of the customers in the age group of
15-30. It mainly aims at athletes, sportsmen and students. Later it aims at targeting
variable market segments through its diversified designs.

BARRIERS TO ENTER MARKET:

 Lack of knowledge of technology used in the product
 Consumer acceptance and brand recognition
 marketing Strategies:
A marketing strategy is a broad direction statement indicating how the marketing
objectives will be achieved. It provides the method for accomplishing the
objectives. While marketing objectives are specific, quantifiable and measurable,
marketing strategies are descriptive. The marketing strategies represent a first
overview of various marketing elements and how they will be utilized to achieve
the marketing objectives. The most commonly addressed strategy issues are as
follow:

i. Building the market versus stealing market share

ii. National, regional or local markets
iii. Seasonality
iv. Spending
v. Competition
vi. Target market
vii. Product
viii. Naming
ix. Packaging
x. Pricing
xi. Distribution/coverage
xii. Personal selling
xiii. Advertising media
xiv. Advertising message
xv. Internet media
xvi. Merchandising
xvii. Public relations
xviii. Marketing research and testing.

Mission statement:
To make all the customers aware of the product, to build up brand strength and to
achieve 20% of the foot wear market.

Game plan:

The market for the product is differentiated as primary and . The

company's primary market is the footwear manufacturers and wholesalers. The
secondary market is the end-use consumer. In meeting secondary market demand,
the technology will be pulled through the primary market.

Personal selling of the technology to top executives of the target

footwear manufacturer is the chosen strategy. Firstly some prototype shoes were
manufactured to allow testing. . An animated video which explains the technical
aspects of the technology was also developed. This was considered the superior
method of communicating the physical dynamics of the technology. This video
will be used, as necessary, in conjunction with the prototypical footwear, in selling
the technology to industry executives. A technical manual was also compiled
which provides the test data and specifications. This material is available to the
research and development department of the targeted company for in-house
evaluation of the technology.
Marketing mix:

Product:

Our launch product is a footwear ventilation technology which is

applicable to all closed shoes and boots. The technology consists of an active
displacement system which induces a positive flow of fresh air into the shoe while
forcibly exhausting the warm and moisture-laden air which has collected inside the
shoe. The air is replaced entirely once per stride with fresh air from outside the
shoe. The resultant cooling and dehumidifying effect on the feet is substantial.
Product testing indicates a reduction in the temperature inside the shoe of 7.3°F
and a reduction in the "heat index" within the shoe by 46°F. This has obvious
benefits in reducing odor, athlete's foot and other fungal infections. the technology
militates against foot fatigue, blistering and discomfort related to the buildup of
heat and moisture within the shoes.The benefits of Breeze technology include
significant cushioning advantages over the existing airbag and gel technologies,
allowing the user greater comfort and protection from shock-related injuries.
Breeze technology can be used in conjunction with existing cushioning systems to
improve the functioning of those systems, and potentially can be custom-adjusted
by the user to suit different activities and/or users of different weights.

Potential manufacturing cost advantages are also provided by

Breeze technology since it renders obsolete the need for ventilation holes and/or
porous fabrics (including leather). This in turn permits the use of less expensive
manufacturing materials which are both waterproof and stretch resistant,
eliminating the need for reinforcing overlays and multiple stitching processes.Two
additional advantages are offered by the use of nonporous and non-stretching
materials. First, if water does enter the shoe from around the ankle, the Breeze
technology would actively evacuate the water and ultimately dry the foot. Second,
non-stretching fabrics in the shoe's upper will significantly extend the useful life of
athletic shoes and other footwear (and the period of peak performance), and thus
justify a premium price.

Product benefits:

 Comfortable and easy to use

 Durable

 Stylish in design

 Suitable for all age groups

 Affordable price

PEOPLE:

Market segment consist of group of customers who share a similar set of needs
and wants. The marketer’s task is to identify the segments and decide which one
to target. Two broad groups of variables are used to segment consumer markets.
Major segmentation variables for consumer markets are geographic,
demographic, psychographic and behavioral. Geographic segmentation calls for
dividing the market into different geographical units such as nation, states,
regions, countries, cities or neighborhoods. One of the major geographic
segmentation variables relevant for marketers in India is the division of markets in
to rural and urban areas. Other variables relevant for marketers are the division
according to region and city. City can be divided into class-I cities, class-II cities,
metro cities etc. In demographic segmentation, the market is divided into groups
on the basis of variables such as age, family size, gender, income, occupation,
 education and socio-economic classification. In psychographic segmentation,
buyers are divided into different groups on the basis of psychological/ personality
traits, lifestyle or values.

Segmentation for the product was done on the basis of

geographic, demographic and behavioral. All metro cities will be taken into
consideration for segmenting the market according to geographical basis. Only
metro cities will be concentrated because income and lifestyle issues influence the
penetration rate of product and services. The market potential value of cities was
calculated on the based on five indicators such as number of consumers, the means
these consumer have, their consumption behavior, awareness levels. When the
segmentation was done on the basis of demographic factor only young lot of
customers that is sportsmen, athletes and students were taken into account. One
of the criteria for segmenting the market will be occasion. Occasion segmentation
is done when they develop a need, purchase a product, or use a product. Occasion
segmentation will help us in expansion usage.

In segmentation we decide how many and which ones to target: a single

segment, several segments, a specific market or the full market. Several variables
were combined in an effort to identify smaller, better-defined target groups. Our
target customers would be athletes, sportsmen and students participating in
sports meets etc. Here benefit becomes the primary means of defining the market.

Promotion:
Promotion is one P among the four Ps of the marketing mix. To
communicate with the user or the potential customer promotion is essential.
Promotion can be done through various methods such as advertisement, personal
selling, publicity, promotion through sales force, sales promotion etc…..

The promotion strategy which we have adopted is personal selling and

promotion through media. Both print and electronic media is taken in to
consideration. These promotional strategies are adopted because they cover
wider area in a cost efficient manner. We have not opted for other promotion
activities because they either incur more cost or are not suitable to our product.

We will also use some more methods other than paid advertising,
such as dealers’ incentives, word of mouth and network of friends and
professionals. This type of advertising will help in covering large area without
incurring any cost. Through word of mouth we can increase the sales because
people get influenced through their peer groups and develop a positive attitude
towards the product. We will also promote our product by distributing the sample
of the products in the stadia, sports coaching centers, gymnasiums and
educational institutions in order to create awareness among the potential
customers.

      PECENTAGE
SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION 20%
PERSONAL SELLING 25%
NEWS PAPER 18%
TELEVISION ADS 12%
INTERNET 25%
TOTAL     100%

PRICING:

Pricing represents one of the basic elements of the marketing mix, and it is one
of the most difficult elements. The firm has to consider many factors in setting its
pricing policy such as:

 Selecting the pricing objective;

 Determining demand;
 Estimating costs;
 Analyzing competitors cost, price and offers;
  Selecting a pricing method
 Selecting the final price

The pricing method which we have selected is MARKUP PRICING. This is the most
elementary pricing method is to add a standard markup to the products cost.
Pricing has been done by adding a standard markup on their time and cost.

Unit cost = variable cost + (fixed cost/unit sales)

Markup = unit cost/ (1- desired return on sales)

By using this formula we have find out the price of the product i.e. Rs 50/-. The
price of the product is high, hoping to recover their cost as rapidly as possible.
This method used for pricing cannot be fatal because there are no competitors in
the market whose pricing will be low. This method has some advantages:

 Cost can be determined easily

 Price competition is minimized.
 A fair return on investment can be earned.

PLACE:
Distribution can be defined as the transmission of goods and services from
producer or seller to the user. We can also say that this is the method through
which the target market user receives the product from the producer.
Distribution focuses on makes sure that the product is accessible at the right time
and at the right place. Various distribution channels should be used to sell the
product and services. To merchandise our product we have addressed all the
metro cities because the customers act as the innovators over here. Metro cities
has been selected as our target market because the people have more buying
capacity and are ready to undertake any type of risk. Thus it will help in
recovering the cost. The distribution channel consist number of intermediaries
such as sales force, agents and representatives.
SWOT ANALYSIS:

 STRENGTHS
 WEAKNESS
 OPPPORTUNITIES
 THREATS

STRENGTHS OF THE PRODUCT:

 Comfortable design
 Affordable price
 Durability
 Suits all activities
 Usable by all ages
 Novelty in design

WEAKNESS OF THE PRODUCT:

 Cannot be targeted at all the segments of the market
 Not affordable by customers of all economic classes

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES:
 Can be introduced in various designs as per demand
 The technology can be diffused into the entire range of footwear
products

THREATS OF THE PRODUCT:

 Future competition.
 Imitation by various other brands