Assignment -2

Subject: Essentials of Marketing Management

Brand Name: DoggoWalker
Category: Pet Assistant Product
Program: SIBM CG PGDM 2021-23

Our Group:

Roll Number Group Members

2157 Rahul Binani
2158 RAMYA N
2160 Rini Darathy J
2161 Rishabh Naruka
2162 Ritesh Srivastava
2163 Rohan Puthran Leeladhar Sarala
2164 Rohini Shaw
2165 Romit Sengupta
2166 Sahaj Kapoor

Faculty: Dr. V V Ravikumar

Date of Submission: 30-Nov-2021
Product

Working on tight deadlines? Travelling out of station? Office work is keeping you
away from home sparing no time to walk the dog. Too exhausted today for a
walk? Do not worry while we are here to take care of your pets’ walking needs
and to give your furry friend the best walk. A dog walking robot that
automatically walks your dog while you are busy!

Brand Introduction:

Presenting your all-new dog assistant “DoggoWalker” powered with smart AI

and state of the art sensors for your dog’s outdoor needs. This product is
suitable for daily walks and keeps your pet healthy and fit. This advanced robotic
dog sitter can take a dog for leisurely 15-to-30-minute walk at pre-set times,
using its on-board GPS tracking to safely navigate a backyard or neighbourhood.
You can also create walking routes on app and track your dog through GPS.

Features:

This product comes with salient features such as

auto-cleaning, smart charging, GPS, spatial sensing,
and anti-collision feature. It can be configured with
few basic steps – charge it completely before first
use, download the app for easy tracking & let the
bot map the track with an assisted pilot walk. From
the next walk, just attach the leash to the sturdy
hands of the walker and it will take care of the rest
while you can enjoy reading your favourite book or
binge watch.

Design:

The bot provides you with a mini screen display

where you can check the battery levels, customize
system settings or any other warnings. These statuses can also be checked on
the app which is now available on android and iOS platforms. We release
important system updates for the bot with performance enhancements to ensure
a seamless experience. We are always improving ourselves to give you the best
experience!

Quality:

Our research and engineering team has designed this product with durability and
reliability in mind. The product is made up of aluminium which is lighter than
steel yet provides security to internal components to protect them from harsh
weather or a fall. A coating of rubber on the insides also makes the product
waterproof and prevents the electrical components from damaging. The display
is made up of toughened tempered glass which will not break easily.
Variety:

During the walk, in-built sensors enable it to pick up the doo-doo by the dog
using its efficient vacuum cleaners, stores it into the waste bin which can be
disposed comfortably once they are back from the walk. While not on the walk, it
can help you around with the house chores by cleaning up the mess indoors just
like a regular robot vacuum cleaner. Its efficient vacuum motors can clean up
paper, plastic, or any solid waste with no hassle. Additionally, with two handles
this product can be used to walk at most two dogs at once or it can carry your
bags. But for safety purposes we recommend you walk one dog at a time or do
not hang stuff more than 25kgs.

Packaging:

The product will reach you in a cardboard packaging with brand name and basic
features details on the box. In the box, you will find the product and booklet for
detailed features and setup instructions for the first time. Although we prefer
you install the product yourself with a Do It Yourself (DIY) kit provided in the
box but for any assistance you can reach out to us by dialling on toll-free contact
(111 000 333).

Size:

It is currently available in one model and is currently limited for dogs. We are
planning to scale our products portfolio to create more humanoids to aid other
pets. Since dogs as a pet are most popular in the market and needs a
companion to accompany them all the time, we hope you will love the product
we are offering.
Price
Company must set its price relative to the value delivered and perceived by
customer.

List price:

The list price is the price that the manufacturer recommends a store charge for
an item. In this case, we have set the list price a little higher than usual because
we intend to attract buyers who have a strong desire for the product as well as
the financial means to purchase it.

MRP: 84,999 (odd number discount perception)

Odd pricing is a pricing method that aims to maximize profit by making micro-
adjustments to the pricing structure. It assumes that consumers are calculation-
averse and will only read the first few digits of a price when making a purchasing
decision. If buyers consider odd-numbered prices to be bargains, that perception
should be factored into the pricing strategy of businesses that want to be
perceived as discount retailers.

Discounts:

Since the customer base we are trying to reach is mostly city based and since
prices have been set on the higher side, we are trying to capture the premium
customer base. So, a flat 5% discount on Union Bank Credit/Debit Mastercard
has been kept, as well as Rs 1500 cashback if payment is done through UPI is
also available for this purchase.

Allowances:

Allowance is a portion of something given to a person in exchange for service,

usually in the form of money or goods. Along with this purchase, we have
included a SmartTracker and a USB Charger. The SmartTracker will be included
with the original item and will allow the owner to track the activity of their pets
while also sounding an alarm in the event of an emergency. In addition, we have
included a USB Charger, which will allow you to charge the original device. We
believe that including these two items would make the product more appealing
to our buyers.

Payment Period:

We are targeting mostly the working sector of people having the proper
resources to buy, so we have decided to ease on the EMI available since most of
the customers would be a corporate card holder in a bank. So, we have decided
to roll out a No Cost EMI on HDFC Platinum Credit/Debit Cards only for this
purchase. EMI can be paid in 3/6/12 months as per the convenience and option
selected by the buyer.

Credit Items:

For any good product, there is a margin of error so there may be a case where
the product delivered has failed to function or is broken internally. We have
decided to provide a warranty that would last for two (2) years from the date of
original purchase of this product, before which if the product fails or is internally
broken, will be replaced by the latest version of the product. However, Company
will not hold such policy for any external damage caused.

This will be the initial version available in the market. We have determined the
budget keeping all our production costs in mind and we are aiming at a 15%
profit with the sale of each product. We expect to recover it within the next 5
years of production.

If we get a positive response on this product, we are planning to introduce a

cheaper version of the model to capture a wider audience in the market.

We used a Skimming pricing approach to price the commodity in this case, which
means we set a high introductory price to attract buyers who have a strong
desire for the product and the resources to buy it, and then gradually reduce the
price to attract the next and subsequent layers of the market.

Place
Under the 4 Ps for Marketing, Place refers to the distribution of the product or
from where the consumer can procure the product and the product can be
introduced to the consumer. “Place” was a traditional brick-and-mortar store or
even Sales by a distributor or a partner. As we have progressed towards an
intelligent and convenience-based economy, “Place” has also adapted multiple
variations from it’s traditional “Shop or Single place of trade” definition. “Place”
has evolved into comprising channels that make it convenient for targeted
consumer base to procure a product. The idea of Place for “Supplier”/” Producer”
is frequently compared to “convenience” for consumers. Place in 4P’s means the
way by which a product is moved or transported from the manufacturer to the
customer with or without the involvement of multiple levels of intermediate
agents. For example: How easily can the product be introduced, made available
for procurement and accessible for the consumer.

Traditional Channels of Distribution

With the rapid growth of e-commerce, often people don’t have to go to a

particular place to procure a product or satisfy a want or a need, nor are they
limited to a few places to satisfy them. Sales and reach of a product using
website and online sellers can be used to boost the sales and leverage an
existing supply chain to provide an effortless experience to consumer, right from
its introduction to delivery.

The approach to take while selecting Channels, Coverages, Locations, Transport,

and Inventory can be easily determined by asking below fundamental questions:

 How can the targeted consumer base reach the product?

 Which channel will be most beneficial for to sales of the product?
 How can access the right distribution channels be obtained and utilized?
 Does the Product require sample or trial to be shared with channel
partners or Retailer for showing demo / trials to target audience?
 How convenient will the experience be for the potential audience from
introduction to conversion into consumer.

By identifying the above, an optimal Marketing plan for the product placement
and selecting channels can be determined.

Coverage: Coverage for a product signifies the target audience and assessing
multiple factors like economic condition, purchase power, social aspects prior to
push of advertising for their product.

For the current product, we’ll be proceeding with concentrated marketing.

Concentrated Marketing: Targeted Marketing is where; focus is only on a

certain section of the market. The efforts for advertising, floating products will
be concentrated on the section of society with slightly higher socio-economic
levels looking to maintain their work-life balance while also keeping the need of
their pets covered. By utilizing this, a higher ROI can also be expected as this
clientele will seek better options and recommend amongst their own as well. By
Placing this product to selected audience as well, the product will retain its
exclusivity and can be marketed as a sought-after product as well, which will
also passively generate demand for the product.

Channels: Selecting the correct channels involves understanding where buyers

are looking for their products and work to make the product available at these
locations, controlling the delivery of the product from the stage of production to
Delivery and end consumer utilising various existing distribution methods for
making the purchase.

1. Direct to Consumer (Zero Level Channel): This is the most direct

channel for the target consumer base to get the product. This channel
utilizes the setup done for our product delivery and will focus on minimal
involvement of other factors. This channel can also attract consumer base
by offering additional offers over the product which will be exclusive to the
products site.

2. Using Retailers (1 Level Channel): This channel will be used as an

opportunity market wherein, product will be kept at eye level at targeted
audience and would be either demonstrated or pitched with the idea of
convenience of the product, with base idea of sale of the product. This
would require the Inventory decisions to be taken for supply and
identifying potential Locations in the early stages so that the pre-
 determined target market can be reached with the product.

3. Online/E-commerce (Multi Level Channel): Apart from the website

promoting the product, the existing supply-chain of E-commerce platforms
can be utilized and be used to both, Promote the product while placed
categorically and make the Purchase/delivery of product smooth
experience as the extensive framework for these platforms and reach will
be utilized.

Of the above, Whole seller Channel is not considered for this product as the
Focus would be on only select consumer base while the abovementioned channel
is suitable for either mass produced product targeting a more general consumer
base with varied economic placements in markets.

Location: The location of any product is very important. In order for any
product to be successful the location selected should be where the customers
are. Location means where the product has to be made available for the
customers. In some cases, it also means where the product would be placed
within a store-shelf.

Any company should keep in mind where are the customers located?
The product has to be within the reach of the customers. For best results, the
product has to be placed where the market of that product is i.e., where there
are customers for that product.

DoggoWalker being a high-end product, is mainly targeted for the high-end

customers who are found generally in the Metro cities or Tier-I cities. The stores
selling this product would need to be in the high-end locality of the city where
most of the customers will be and from there the online as well as offline
customers can buy this product.

Transport: The primary motive of managing trade channels is to ensure that

the product is made available to the customer at the right time and place. In
modern times, many products have been made available online due to which the
placement involves how the item reaches the customers.

The mode of distribution available for the product in order to get the products to
the customer has to be always kept in mind. There are many products that are
not sold at every retail outlet or every store. There are some products that are
not even sold at various cities or towns around the country. They are sold at
some specific places or high-end city areas as their target customers are the
upper class people. Although, these products are not sold around the country for
various reasons, but if there’s a demand, the companies have to make sure that
the product is being delivered to any part of the country. If they fail to do so, the
brand name would be impacted.

In case of DoggoWalker, since the store or product is not available in all the
places, transportation is an important aspect. Once the product is ordered by
people from different areas within the Metro city (where the store may not be
located) or from different cities as well, the product is packed appropriately and
then shipped to the concerned location. If the order placed is within the city
limits or nearby the city, road transportation is the most feasible way to get the
product delivered to them.

Not all high-end customers live in Metro or Tier-1 cities, a few bunch of the
crowd can be found in Tier-II cities as well. In that case, if the order is placed
from different cities, based on the city and the mode of transportation available
either road, rail or air transport can be used to deliver the product to the
customers. In this case, a nominal packaging or transportation charges may or
may not be applied to the customers as the cost of transportation would be
higher comparatively. Also, packaging of the product has to be done in such a
way that it does not gets damaged during the transportation as it may incur
additional cost to us.

Within transportation, the inclusion of a 3rd party such as courier services or

packers and movers or even local transporters who are already indulged in the
transportation industry altogether can be considered. This being a high-end
product with limited targeted customer band, the way the product is being
delivered to the customers also creates an impression of the Brand name. So,
based on the feasibility it should be decided as to which mode of transportation
works best for the Brand and the product.

Our company, in future, would plan to roll out offers such as exchanging the
previous version of the product with the newer version with applicable discounts.
In cases like this, transportation would cover the return/exchange of the product
for the customers who would opt for such offers.

Inventory: In some cases, inventory becomes a part of the placement or place

when we talk about the 4P’s of marketing. Inventory means maintaining the
stock of the product at all times so that the customers get the items when they
need it. If a product goes out of stock, it is not a good sign for the customers as
they would opt for the alternative of the item.

Availability of the product is something that keeps every customer happy. If a

customer does not find the products they are looking for, they will not think
twice to go for another brand. Inventory is one of the aspect that needs to be
considered when a product is placed in the market. If a product is regularly out-
of-stock in the market, the brand name gets negatively impacted.

In case of DoggoWalker, enough stocks has to be maintained so that the

customers who are stepping into the store can purchase it as well as people
ordering the product online can also avail it. In the initial stage, the quantity of
the product available for the customers is important so that the customers don’t
return disappointed. Sometimes maintaining a high inventory at some particular
location, in this case stores located at the high-end or posh area of the Metro
cities, is more feasible and advisable then at other places as we expect more
customers from that area as compared to other localities or cities.
Promotions
Promotion is generally said to be a way of communication between consumers
and producers. Producers should create an awareness among the consumers.
Once awareness created, it’s easy for a producer to create an interest in such a
product. User feedback plays a very important role in success of brand. When
the consumers are satisfied with the product, they will promote the brand to
their friends and families.

Promotions are broadly classified as

 Advertising
 Sales Promotions
 Events and Experiences
 Public Relations
 Content
 Email marketing
 Direct Marketing
 Digital Marketing

Approaches adhere to Doggowalker

Advertising:

Worried about your dog during your busy schedules? We are there to support in
hectic times. Doggowalker is the best decision customer can make to find out
exactly what fits their needs to take care of their dogs. We have designed user
manual to have some knowledge about the product so that customers can
differentiate our product from other products available in the market.

Sales promotion:

We have promoted our Doggowalker by making the product looks more

attractive, easy to operate for everyone, compatible to both Android and IOS
which can fulfil the sales goals. As we are new to market, we have followed
hybrid strategy by providing various discounts and offers to the customers as
mentioned below.
Free gifts: Offering gifts related to dogs (health check-up’s, foods, spa,
and free demo) to attract customers
Coupons: Special discount coupons are provided for first 100 customers
Finance schemes: We are providing no cost EMI to make the purchase
easier, 5% offer for specific cards (Visa, MasterCard)
Shipping schemes: Free shipping all over India

Public Relations:

Public Relation techniques helps our brand to reach the larger audience by
following the below techniques:

Influencer/Analyst Relations: With the help of Influencers, we aim to

educate the pet owners to know more about the benefits of the product and its
utilities.
Events: We have organized several events in malls and pet friendly
resorts/hotels and presented the live product demo, information about the
Doggowalker.

Sponsorships: We are getting sponsorship from the best veterinary hospitals.

Digital Marketing:

In marketing, the term Digital Marketing refers to the use of digital channels like
the search engine, internet, and Social media websites like Facebook,
Instagram, email, and also mobile devices to reach the target audience in order
to achieve the marketing objectives.

Key Elements of Digital Marketing:

• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)/ SEO
• Affiliate Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Display (Banner) Advertising
• Social Media Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Blogging
• Pay per Click (PPC)
• Online Reputation management
• Content Marketing

Affiliate Marketing: Through affiliate marketing we aim to refer the service

provided by the Petassistantbot by sharing it via blogs, social media platforms,
or website. The affiliate will get paid a commission for every sale that happens
through their site.
Social Media Marketing:
Through social media marketing we will create content to promote the
doggowalker via short video format which will focus on explaining the
functionality of the product and benefits for the pet as well as the dog owners.
This will also allow viewers to share the video across various other channels
thereby increase in audience and help to build the brand and sales. The major
social media platforms that we choose are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.
Facebook company page:
Since Facebook is commonly used social media among all age groups. We have
created our official page “Doggowalker”. The members of the page are
referred to as ‘Fans who ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ the page. These fans are engaged to
promote the products and services provided by us.
Twitter page: Twitter enables companies to set up their own page with
communication through messages that can contain information about pages. We
are using Twitter platform commonly for customer service. So, we created like
our Facebook page with our twitter handle @Petassistantbot that links to the
company website which contain relevant content or offer to engage the
audience.
LinkedIn Company pages and groups: LinkedIn is one of the most popular
networks to track and maintain professional contacts within the business world.
In fact, many organizations support pets and certifies pets with titles such as
“PAWSOME”, “PURRFECT” when they are well mannered and help their owners to
work without disturbance especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Likewise, the
brand will set up a company page which will be similar to other networks and
has status updates to communicate the updated and upcoming features of the
product. This will also listen to customer query via Help Centre and resolve those
quickly.
Blogging: With the evolution of digital marketing, blogging has become one of
the most famous marketing techniques that helps the researchers/readers to
read and research about a product or service. Bloggers create an online diary or
news to communicate to their audiences. The capability for readers to leave
comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. We
encouraged the pet bloggers to review right from unboxing and share their
feedback about our product by articulating it in their blogs.
Customer Support:
With all our social media marketing platform, we ensure to support our customer
query via all our social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp) and toll-
free contact (111 000 333). Turnaround time for our technical team will be
around 2-4 hours to maintain the relation and build the customer trust.