GROUP ASSIGNMENT

TECHNOLOGY PARK MALAYSIA

MARKETING
APU1F2011

IBM

PREPARED FOR: MS. SHANTINI DEVI

SHANMUGANATHAN

PREPARED BY:
ERMA (TP061759)
HAIFA (TP062757)
FAATIMAH BIBI NUSAYBAH SAHEBDEEN (TP062357)
ZAHWA ANANDA PUTRI (TP057394)
 DATE ASSIGNED:
DATE COMPLETED:

TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 Executive Summary 2

2.0 Introduction 4
4.0 SWOT Analysis 10
5.0 Marketing Objectives 11
6.0 Marketing Strategies for New Product 12
6.1 Product Strategies 12
6.2 Pricing Strategies 18
6.3 Promotional Strategies 19
6.4 Placement/Distribution Strategies 20
7.0 Conclusion 22
8.0 Recommendations 23
9.0 Reference 23
 1.0 Executive Summary

IBM has been in business for a long time, providing the best products and services to its
customers. Customer preferences, on the other hand, have been evolving over time. For its
employees in each of the regions where it operates, IBM has made significant investments in
highly qualified and motivated individuals. Customer needs differed, but existing human
resources were not nimble enough to adapt. IBM's business success depends on its ability to
remain innovative and creative, as evidenced by most customer needs. IBM has partially
failed in identifying and defining the necessary workforce to manage with rising customer
challenges. IBM has recently faced many challenges that indicate a need for reform. Even
after diversifying into new areas, IBM has struggled to maintain its market leadership and
faces tough competition from competitors in the same industry such as Intel and Microsoft.

IBM is the world's largest manufacturer of computer software and hardware. However, given
the present economic conditions, it is imperative that the organization devise plans to
guarantee that it stays sustainable and productive in both the short and long run. The
corporation had to focus on and change its human resources to guarantee that its worldwide
operations are successful and efficient. IBM is an innovative company that serves the needs of
businesses and organizations all around the world. It describes innovation as the combination
of business knowledge and technical creativity. IBM assists its clients in becoming on-
demand enterprises by assisting them in redesigning their business processes and
organizational structure, which is allowed by new operating systems (Pandey, 2021).
2.0 Introduction

Figure 1.0:(IBM company logo)

Source: (Mongodb Partner Ecosystem, 2020)

IBM (International Business Machines) is a global technology company that offers hardware,
software, cloud, and cognitive services. It was initially titled the Computing Tabulating
Recording Company and was formed in 1911 by Charles Ranlett Flint following the merger
of four companies in New York (Vinod, 2017). Both commercial and scientific applications,
IBM was the leading global provider of computer systems. It has assisted leading IT pioneers
throughout the years and is currently a worldwide industry that reshapes and flourishes the
way organizations, corporations, and individual’s work. (Computer History Museum, 2019).

IBM is a global leader in information technology and provides a vast range of hardware,
software and service offers. It has been one of the biggest IT businesses worldwide. It is
known as "Big Blue” that has launched its hardware business and succeeded for decades,
becoming the leading provider of mainframe computers. IBM's service units include global
business services that comprise advising activities on big blue management and global
technology services that offer mobility, networking, and continuity. (Moore, 2019). The goal
of IBM is to dominate the most advanced information technology industry, including
innovation, design and manufacture computers, software, networking systems, storage
devices and microelectronics. Through its international professional solutions, services, and
consultants the firm turns new technology into value for its customers (Lambardo, 2018).
 3.0 Current Market Situation

According to The Hartford (2021), The current business situation, or marketing situation, is
an integral element of the marketing plan. The marketing plan includes at least one year of
corporate information and may take months to be written. It described the description of the
company, a marketing plan in place and goals for the future. It also states the company's
mission statement. The current business situation is one piece in a plan that describes the
current state of the enterprise market.

3.1 New products launched by IBM

1. Digital health pass (partnership with CLX Health)

On the 17th June 2021, IBM and CLX Health announced projects to integrate an Internet IBM
Digital Health Pass with the Trust Assure TM CLX Platform, in order to help individuals find
and schedule the COVID‐19 test with a provider in a smooth, secure way, and to create a
verified credential to use when returning to physical places, like an airports, stadiums or the
workplace. (ARMONK, 2021)

The IBM Digital Health Pass is intended to allow organisations to validate COVID-19 test
results or vaccine administration for employees, customers, and visitors entering their facility,
such as a sports stadium, airport, universities, government building, or workplace. The IBM
Digital Health Pass is a secure, voluntary digital alternative to paper test results or vaccination
cards based on the combination of encryption, QR codes and blockchain technology, and
provides another option, where appropriate, to share that people have tested negative or have
been vaccinated for COVID-19. (ARMONK, 2021)

2. Mayflower autonomous ship vessel (MAS400)

On June 15th, IBM and Ocean research non-profit organisation ProMare, announced that their
ship, which is equipped with 700kg of scientific equipment, is attempting to cross the Atlantic
Ocean to reach the United States.

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) uses the energy of the sun and AI to travel and
reveal more information about the ocean with no human captain or on-board crew. MAS, in
collaboration with scientists and other autonomous vessels, provides a versatile and cost-
effective platform for gaining a better understanding of critical issues such as climate change,
ocean plastic pollution, and marine mammal conservation. (New York, 2021)

IBM has developed a software called HyperTaste known as an ‘electric tongue’, The aim is to
check the health and role of the ocean in climate change. After all, around a third of the
carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is absorbed into the ocean. Increased levels of
CO2 continually lead to acidification of the ocean with profound effects on marine and ocean
carbon cycles. All these factors are analysed by HyperTaste. (Moskvitch, 2021)

3. IBM iConnect® (3D printing solution)

On the 24th of May, the newest edition of the new diagnostic viewer and image interchange
platform IBM iConnect® Access was introduced by IBM Watson Health. IBM iConnect
Access is a real web viewer developed to enable healthcare practitioners around the company
and the team to gather, exchange and access medical imaging data in real-time cooperation
from every Internet-connected device everywhere. (CAMBRIDGE, 2021)

It contains an optional 3D interactive segmentation tool to help 3D digital anatomical model

generation. The new technology is designed to help healthcare providers create an
anatomically precise and detailed 3D digital model based on patient imaging data, when used
in conjunction with an updated user interface. Editing equipment such as freehand sculpture,
sculpture in polygons, 3D eraser, "cut and discard," "cut and keep," hole filling and
smoothing can also facilitate easy editing. (CAMBRIDGE, 2021)

3.2 Competitors

1. Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Packard is an IT corporation that produces and distributes PCs, software, IT services
and solutions to major companies, medium-sized businesses, and consumers.

The enterprise with head office in Palo Alto, California was created in the USA in 1939. Its
turnover was around $100 billion and market capitalization was around $14 trillion at the
beginning of 2017. It employs over 5,000 people.Hewlett Packard (HP) is one of the 50
world's most important brands. It has also placed 49 in sales revenue and 121 in profit
generation worldwide, as one of the world's top employers. It also operates in segments in the
current competitive environment to ensure efficiency and viability. One of the main IBM
competitors is certainly Hewlett pack. (Bhasin, 2018)

2. Accenture

In 1989 Accenture was formed to provide computer services and solutions for many sectors
such as telecommunications, health and public services, banking and insurance, energy and so
on. Ranked At 204 in Forbes, Accenture achieved sales in 2017 at over $40 billion. Its market
capital. Its market capital. In the same year, over $80 billion and about 500,000 workers
worldwide were employed.

Since it was created, Accenture has garnered numerous awards. For example, the greatest
employer, the best employer for diversity, the finest management consultancy firm and Just
Company. The firm is based in Dublin, Ireland. Accenture is regarded as one of IBM's main
competitors due to its prowess in the consultancy market. (Bhasin, 2018)

3. Oracle

Founded in the United States in 1977 to create creative solutions for the software and
programming business, the headquarters of Oracle is located in Redwood City, California. By
mid-2017, its market capitalization stood at over $183 billion and employed almost 140,000
people around the globe. It operates in sectors such as software and Cloud which include
software updates, subscription and licences, hardware systems which addresses a large
number of hardware goods such as servers, storage, repairs etc.

Its Service business segment assures optimum return on Oracle Technologies investments for
its partners and customers. Oracle is one of the major IBM competitors with its excellent
database management and other tools.

4. Tata consultancy services

TCS was created in India in 1968 and is part of the Tata Group and is an IT solutions and
services consulting firm. It is one of the world's leading technology corporations with about
420,000 employees. It is listed on the BSE (former Bombay) and the NSE in its nation
(National Stock Exchange). It has operations in 46 countries around the globe and is proud to
have a 36 per cent female staff base. In addition, the Institute of Top Employers
acknowledged it as a Global Top Employer.
The company works with customers from various industries who aim to achieve corporate
goals, manage technological changes and enter a digital age through all its activities. It offers
an integrated solution portfolio, consulting and outsourcing services. It produced $20 billion
in revenues between March 2018 and March 2019. It is the second company to follow
Accenture in the Everest Group Ranking.

TCS specialises, among many others, in consulting, interaction services, analyses, IOT,
blockchain and other club infrastructures. The main source of income are consultancy and
integration services.

3.3 Financial

1) Revenue
The basic revenue definition is that the total quantity of cash brought in by a company’s
operations, measured over a collection quantity of your time. Revenue is often calculated by
adding up all of a company’s normal earnings, additionally to gained interest and any equity
increase accumulated over the given fundamental quantity (Sage, 2020). It can be seen from
the data below that revenue from IBM is decreasing every year.
● IBM annual revenue for 2019 was $77.147B, a 3.07% decline from 2018.
● IBM annual revenue for 2020 was $73.62B, a 4.57% decline from 2019.
● IBM revenue for the quarter ending March 31, 2021 was $17.730B, a 0.9% increase
year-over-year. (Data collected from Marco Trends, 2021).

2) Gross Profit
Gross profit is the profit a company makes after deducting the costs associated with making
and selling its products, or the costs associated with providing its services (Hayes, A. 2021). It
can be seen from the data below that gross profit from IBM is decreasing every year.
● IBM annual gross profit for 2019 was $36.489B, a 1.21% decline from 2018.
● IBM annual gross profit for 2020 was $35.574B, a 2.51% decline from 2019.
● IBM gross profit for the quarter ending March 31, 2021 was $8.205B, a 3.56%
increase year-over-year. (Data collected from Marco Trends, 2021).

3) Net Income

Net income additionally brought up as income, web earnings or all-time low line is that the
quantity a personal earns once subtracting taxes and different deductions from gross financial
gain. For a business, the net is that the quantity of revenue left once subtracting all expenses,
taxes, and prices (Bankrate, 2021). It can be seen that net income in 2019 increased by about
8% from 2018, and in 2020 net income from IBM decreased from 2019.
· IBM annual net income for 2019 was $9.431B, a 8.05% increase from 2018.
· IBM annual net income for 2020 was $5.59B, a 40.73% decline from 2019.
· IBM net income for the quarter ending March 31, 2021 was $0.955B, a 18.72%
decline year-over-year. (Data collected from Marco Trends, 2021).
 4.0 SWOT Analysis
Strength
● High Value Brand
The brand worth of IBM is 34,885 million
dollars, and it has declined by 14%. It ranked at
the 14th position of the Best Global Brands
2020 and it was at the 24th position of World’s
Most Valuable Brand in 2020 as indicated by
Forbes.
● Research and development
IBM has spent roughly 6.33 billion dollars on
research and development. Investing in research
helps companies stay up to date with new
advancement and the interest of the clients
(Alsop, 2021).
Opportunities
● Market Trends
IBM contributes a lot of resources to discover
the market trends, customers’ preferences, and
purchasing propensities of people. It assists the
company with fostering the right items
according to the needs and wishes of customers.
● Technological Advancement
IBM has endless opportunities to begin
presenting new services and products and starts
misusing it without limit, they can transform
their brand. IBM can start coming up with
innovative solutions, just like the other IT
brands in the market where the interaction will
assist the company to compete (Ali, 2021).
Weakness
● Legal Problems
IBM has been sued by organizations like
Bridgestone America and Iusacell over various
issues of concern because of a deficient
framework. In the event that the present
circumstance perseveres, the image of the brand
can take a severe hit (Momin, 2021).
● Declining Popularity
IBM's position in the tech brand has dropped from
40th to 43rd this year along with the market share.
It shows that the organization is losing the interest
of the clients’ market. They are losing brand worth
and portion of the overall industry (Shaw, 2021).
Threat
● Market Competition
Some of the biggest names that compete with IBM
are Amazon, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Lenovo,
Oracle. This has turned out to be a considerable
danger for IBM so far, the fact that it has for the
most part neglected to stay aware of the fierce
competition in the IT business (Rowland, 2017).
● Currency Flucuations
IBM is maintaining its business in excess of 177
nations around the world. The volatile currency
and exchange rate impacts the work cost, crude
material, and other running expenses (Ahsan,
2021). The worldwide market with such countless
contrasts makes everything complicated.
 5.0 Marketing Objectives

SMART Objectives

Figure 2: SMART objectives (question pro, 2021)

Specific - the company has chosen to come up with the ASR to help sanitize large areas
quickly and effectively. For instance, the robot will be useful to sanitize quarantine centers
without risking the life of cleaners who are healthy to get into places with infected people.
With the new technology used by ASR, the robot will be able to sanitize each and every
corner of the designated space which might take several hours to do manually. The
Automation Sanitize Robot is aimed at helping to combat the spread of Covid-19, bacteria
and germs from the area.

IBM is introducing ASR to contribute to the health and safety of the global population, to
help eradicate covid-19, which has done a lot of damage already. This Automation robot can
enter the room and disinfect it with UV-C light without exposing the personnel to hazardous
radiation. A typical hospital room takes 10 to 15 minutes to clean, and the robot spends two
minutes in six to seven different rooms to maximize the number of surfaces disinfected.

Measurable – we have targeted at least 60% of sales for the first year. Our target is to
increase profitability and revenue by 90% after 2 years of launching the product. Market share
is set to be increased by at least 50% by the time the product reaches maturity stage.
Achievable – The profit margin and market share will be achieved by launching the product
with intensive marketing campaigns in the beginning and by implementing a price skimming
strategy. We are going to create awareness by using social media platforms, paid advertising
on websites and by organizing launch events.

Relevant – since the company has planned a huge budget for advertising and marketing
campaigns, and as the ASR is a product in demand, IBM is expecting to reach the marketing
goal in the expected time frame.

Time-based – the company aims to increase marketing activity by 50% during the growth
stage, revenue is set to be increased by 60% by end of first year. We also target to reach at
least 40% of market share after 6 months of launching ASR in global markets. We intend to
reach 95% of customer satisfaction after 10-12 months of launching AS.

6.0 Marketing Strategies for New Product

6.1 Product Strategies

 Figure 1.0: Automation Sanitize Product (Self-made)

The three levels of product:

Figure 2.0 Three types of levels of products (Expert Program Management, 2021)

o Core benefits

Sanitation has been a growing problem, particularly in densely populated regions.

Multiple corporations and institutions resorting to disinfecting rooms and public places in
automation (PMC, 2021). The employment of robots can minimize the danger of infection
among cleaning personnel in comparison with hand-cleaning, ensure reliable and
traceable cleaning (Vos, 2021). Automation Sanitize Robots are the last step after hand
 cleaning and manual disinfection to reduce cross-transmission and health-care-related
illnesses and to give further hygiene benefits.

o Actual product

Quality level:

Figure 3.0 Quality of the product (Darnbrough, 2021)

Most disinfection robots combine a gasoline-powered sanitization gun with an electric

chassis. To create solely electric disinfection robots to better meet the demands of hospitals
(Humphreys, 2021). On top, a 360-degree camera platform sends videos and information in
real time, and an intelligent vision algorithm allows the operator to remotely detect afflicted
regions and prevent the spread of infection. The caterpillar crawler is being used instead of
wheels to increase the robots' abilities to handle slopes on different road conditions. The
Automation Sanitized Robot consists of three steam-sanitized pipes that move in different
directions. The camera is mounted on top, allowing the operator to detect the regions and the
environment. It has three rings of UV lamps that detect germs to keep the surrounding clear.
The Automation Sanitize Robot is outfitted with three sanitized spray devices that provide a
dry spray mist that touches all surfaces which are located in the front, on the top and is fixed
behind the robot.

Packaging of the product:

 Figure 4.0 Product packaging (Green value, 2021)

The high quality of the goods, the packaging of Automation Sanitize Robot is securely sealed.
It is an environmentally friendly package. The steamed sanitization pipes are not connected to
the Automation Robot; nonetheless, they will be present together with the item within. The
360-degree camera will be safely enclosed but will coexist with the robot in a different
package. The crawling wheels are not attached to the robot since they are heavy and might
cause harm to the robot. The crawling wheels will not be placed with a robot; instead, in the
same packaging. Hence the packaging would be securely fixed inside.

Design of the product:

Figure 5.0 (Product design, 2021)

It was determined that the robots would be completely electric powered because most
existing robots on the market use a petrol-fueled gun with an electric chassis, which may
be unpleasant to refill. It represents a breakthrough in structural design and autonomous
control systems (ELSEVIER, 2021). The Automation Sanitize Robot is powered by a
lithium battery and has a 360-degree camera that provides a live video feed and a
 sophisticated visual system that allows the operator to remotely detect problematic regions
and prevent the spread of infectious illnesses. To control the Automation, Sanitize Robot,
the operator must first download an app. Crawler tracks are to increase the robot's ability
to handle different road conditions. With three Ultraviolet lights in the front, the robot can
disinfect and break down its DNA structure and destroy infections in the environment.
These Automation robots can enter the room and disinfect it with UV light, without the
possibility of dangerous radiation being exposed to the employees. The disinfestation of a
normal hospital room takes between 10 to 15 minutes and the robot spends 2 minutes in 7
different rooms to optimize the number of surfaces it disinfects.

Features:

The epidemic has expedited the development of disinfection robots. These robots are popular
for disinfecting rooms of all surfaces in one process, and appear to be appealing to hospital
administrators, owing to their automation and apparent cost savings by decreasing cleaning
employees (DROPAC, 2021). On the top, a camera platform sends video and information in
real time, and an intelligent vision algorithm allows the operator to remotely detect afflicted
regions and prevent the spread of infection. The caterpillar chassis is taken rather than the
wheels to enhance their capacity to overcome barriers and climb hills to make robots function
effortlessly on different road surfaces. In a normal patient room, around six minutes, 99.99
percent of all viruses and bacteria are destroyed. Automation Sanitize Robot will function
without being required for continuous human presence at the location of disinfection in a
uniform manner.

o Augmented Product:

Delivery and credit:

 Figure 6.0 Delivery and credit (Tropical blue delivery, 2021)

The 100th disinfection robot was delivered today as part of the Commission's initiative to
distribute robots to hospitals across the EU to assist them in dealing with the impacts of the
coronavirus epidemic. Workplaces must be cleaned, commodities must be delivered, people
must continue to get medical treatment. Service robots are being used by businesses to help
bridge the societal divide created by the coronavirus outbreak. The healthcare business has
seen the greatest growing emphasis on service robotics. Throughout the pandemic,
computerized robotic devices were utilized to disinfect germs and viruses in all environments
to maintain the area clean and germ-free. Disinfecting robots will be utilized in a variety of
common places as COVID-19 continues to transform our social way of life..

Installation:

Sanitize through automation Robot producer of disinfection robots that are operated by a
smartphone app or tablet. It utilizes UV lamps to destroy viruses and bacteria in the air and on
surfaces, and the three steam sanitize pipes. This Robots distributor may be used in hospitals,
airports, shopping malls, and more places looking for infection-free solutions. Distributors are
now ready to satisfy demand for what is expected to be a global breakthrough in disinfection
robots. Distributors are now ready to meet demand for disinfection robots, which are
projected to be a global breakthrough.

Warranty of the product:

If a customer has a problem with the product, they must go to the company's website to find
the location of their nearest service center.

Before making any calls, they must have the serial number on hand. Even when a product
fault is discovered, the product will be retrieved within the next working days after the
warranty terms have been confirmed, and they will be returned to their product after the
service has been finished (international warranty, 2021). It is also the company's obligation to
arrange adequate packing utilizing the original package before delivering the goods for
warranty servicing. Inside the box, customers must include the defective goods and all
material accessories, the purchase voucher and return label that they will get after calling the
hotline and providing all needed information.
After-sale service:

Following the emergence of COVID-19, disinfection robot adoption has expanded. The sale
of disinfection robots has increased by 400-600 percent throughout the world. The novel
coronavirus outbreak has also highlighted the inability of traditional disinfection and
sanitization techniques to effectively disinfect and sanitize a facility, prompting the rapid
adoption of disinfection robots, which can effectively disinfect hospitals and other public
areas with minimal human intervention (Lerman, 2021).

It is focused on the facility of disinfection robots to improve disinfection procedures and

increase product acceptance. Manufacturers in the disinfection robots’ market are
concentrating their efforts on creating facility-specific disinfection robots, such as robots for
commercial spaces and offices, to reduce the expense of manual cleaning.

6.2 Pricing Strategies

Figure 7.0: product life cycle (administrator, 2021)

1. Introduction stage
The company is going to implement price skimming to introduce the Automation Sanitize
Robot (ASR) on the market as the cost for research and developing the ultra-tech soft-wares
for the robot is exorbitant, branding the robot and sourcing materials such as good quality
metals, raw materials, and developing prototypes also adds up to the expenses. Since, price
skimming is a pricing strategy that charges a high price to introduce a new product on the
market, (Hayes, 2021) the starting price for the robot will be $50,000. This will generate high
profit in the beginning as we are in the global pandemic of covid-19 and demand for the robot
is high. The high profit margin will allow the company to cover the expenses used in
manufacturing and introducing the robot on the market.
2. Growth stage
At this stage, the company has already positioned the product on the market, sales are at its
peak and even though intensive marketing campaigns are going on, a percentage of expenses
incurred in previous stages are already covered up due to high revenue. Coming to the
competition level, IBM will start carrying out surveys from customers to obtain feedback
about our product and the manufacturing team will continue to improve the quality of the
product to ensure positive satisfaction from customers.
3. Maturity stage
At this stage, IBM will use feedback obtained from surveys carried out in the growth stage to
make improvements for our robot such as new features, better packaging and new software
updates which will allow IBM to obtain competitive edge and a marketing campaign will be
launched internationally to make ASR available overseas to increase market share. (gleason,
2021) Since the company is expanding to the global market, international pricing is going to
be implemented; different prices for customers based on their different geographical location.
An analysis of taxes, currency exchange rates, tariffs, shipping costs and existing competitors
and other related factors will be carried out. The company may introduce other versions or
designs of the robot to the international market.
4. Decline stage
To avoid the consequences of the decline stage, the company is going to introduce newer
versions of ASR that suit different customer needs. For instance, a mini version of the robot
may be introduced, which will be more suitable for home and small spaces. The company will
try to introduce the robot to other market segments to attract new customers. For the pricing
strategy, since the robot is already on the market now, advertising cost and excessive
marketing cost will be cut down to reduce investment costs. Any distribution channel such as
agents or retailers will be discontinued or reduced, discounts and lowered prices will be
offered to customers to maintain longevity of the product and to maintain a stable revenue and
profit margin.
6.3 Promotional Strategies

Consumers are frequently inundated with promotional efforts from a variety of

sources these days. Marketers use communication to inform, educate, and persuade their
target audience to buy their product or service. With that aim in mind, there are a variety of
promotional vehicles that marketers may use to guarantee their message reaches consumers in
some form (Ahmed, 2018). To stay current in the thoughts of consumers, a multi-channel
promotional effort is often required. These are the following promotional strategies that IBM
will use:
6.3.1 Advertisement by Outdoor Media (Billboard)
IBM will make the advertisement of Automation Sanitized Robot (ASR) products to
be well-designed in order for people to notice and comprehend what the company’s selling.
This design should be simple, succinct, entertaining, and memorable, all while emphasising
on what ASR have to offer. While the message is usually shorter than other kinds of
advertising, a potential consumer has a good chance of remembering it. Furthermore, when
combined with an efficient digital approach, billboard marketing may increase the efficacy of
the plan by 40% (Phoenix, 2021). The entire process of making a billboard appear great and
express what has to be said is much easier with a competent billboard design firm,
guaranteeing that people will see and remember what IBM is providing.

Figure 8.0 ASR Banner on Billboard (Self-made)

6.3.2 Public Relations
IBM will undertake an influencer marketing campaign to promote the new brand
product launch (ASR). Since influence marketing may be large or tiny, depending on the size
of the company's launch and the number of influencers that IBM can reach. Influencers will
give their genuine opinions about IBM's new product launch to their social media followers
while being faithful to the brand’s mission (Michaels, 2019). Every influencer is different,
some demand payment for this sort of material, which may be advantageous if you want to
maintain control over the messaging, while others are satisfied to just get a free product or
service in return for a review. An experienced public relations team can compile a list of
relevant influencers for IBM, taking into account the messaging and the type of material that
IBM wants to be associated with.
6.3.3 Personal Selling
Personal selling entails engaging personally with a consumer by a sales representative
from IBM. The goal is to establish a one-on-one relationship with the consumer, empathise
with their problem, and present IBM’s new product (ASR) as a potential solution to combat
the spread of Covid-19, bacteria and germs from certain areas. Successfully completing this
task indicates that the presenter knows what he’s talking about and that he is interested in
working with the firm long-term to help them reach their objectives, therefore establishing
trust (Patel, 2019). IBM will create a strategy with making a story out of how they can bring
value to the customer, with a clear beginning, middle, and finish (how they'll work with the
customers) (the results they can expect). IBM will make sure the case studies are also
conveyed as stories and explain their company's narrative to garner buy-in, which will make
customers less of a faceless corporation and more of a friendly brand.

6.4 Placement or Distribution Strategies

Figure 9.0: Marketing Mix, Placement or Distribution Strategy (Luenendonk, M. 2019)

This item, commonly known as an Automatic Sanitizing Robot, will be offered through the
manufacturer's or seller's website. Because the company is IBM (International Business
Machine), the producer will distribute this product through the IBM website, and that will be
shipped in the safest packaging conceivable. If the buyer is still unsure or concerned about a
product, the buyers or customers can contact the seller directly. To make communication with
the buyer easier, the manufacturer will provide an email address or phone number. In
addition, the manufacturer will respond to buyer questions as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Covid-19 is in high gear. As a result, the major objective of this item is to
destroy the existing viruses, and the distributor can prioritize sales to the hospital, which
desperately requires this product at this time. A product that can automatically sanitize the
surrounding area. When a customer searches for this item on the IBM official website, the
manufacturer will provide a look at the product's shape along with instructions on how to
assemble and use it, and, of course, when the gasket arrives, the manufacturer will also
include a guide card for customers.
In addition to using the IBM main site, this product can also be purchased by coming
directly to a special shop for goods that IBM sells. If the buyer buys directly from the store,
the product will be explained well by the seller, and also the buyer will understand more
easily how this item will work. And if the buyer does not understand how this item is
assembled, then the seller will be able to immediately assemble the item in the shop and send
it to its destination safely, if the buyer wants the seller to deliver the item.

7.0 Conclusion

To conclude, IBM's business operations have consistently changed to focus on higher-

value, more profitable areas. The company will perform admirably in the market with the
marketing strategy. Life during a coronavirus outbreak may be pretty stressful. Some people
are returning to work in states where the number of cases is quickly increasing. The worries
may seem interminable, but numerous firms like IBM are now stepping up to the plate to help
us with the problems by developing innovative and fantastic items to make our lives easier
and safer during the pandemic. IBM believes the plan to begin manufacturing a product,
Automation Sanitize Robot (ASR), will help address the issue of following the unrestricted
mobility of robots in the medical environment; more adaptations of hospitals and equipment
are essential.
8.0 Recommendations
Despite IBM's strengths as well as favourable market position, there are significant
difficulties arising from the company's weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats with
in external environment. To guarantee that IBM's vision as well as mission statements, that
stress value and technical progress, are realized, certain strategic changes are required.
Changes like this must help the business maintain its development as well as competitive
edge. On the basis of SWOT analysis and the launch of a new product, it is recommended that
 Launch a new product such as ASR with a differentiation strategy to distinguish it
from other similar products offered by its competitors
 Adopt a diversification strategy to expand the new product ASR into markets that
have not being explored yet
 Motivate the employees and teams on a regular basis in order to increase the
efficiency of them
 Form a collaborative initiative with states as well as other groups to strengthen
intellectual property rights.
 Regularly check and monitor the product’s quality made by employees and reward
those that provide efficient outcomes
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