Abstract
The development of marketing concept from a Product orientation to a Sales orientation and finally a Marketing orientation has signified an important change in how we understand and conceptualizes marketing in the 21st century. It signified an increased focus in the behavior of consumers and how by applying different marketing strategies organizations have been able to influence the way in which consumers react to their potential needs and how marketers can change their strategy to target different consumers wants. An assessment has been made in this essay looking at the development of the Volkswagen (herein referred to as VW) polo hatchback model.
Consumer Behaviour is defined as the activities people undertake when obtaining, consuming,
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The VW Polo uses its marketing strategy to convey this point, as seen in the above advertisement, by arguing that their hatchback model cars relative advantage is that it is affordable, has efficient fuel consumption and still manages to give the superior German motor vehicle class.
• Compatibility: this refers to the degree to which a new product is consistent with an individual’s existing practices, values, needs and past experience. Volkswagen has successfully been able to segment its target market and as a new generation of the VW polo have been introduced, as seen in the annex below, the innovations have taken into cognisant both the existing and potential needs of their consumers. In so doing VW Polo has been able to successfully keep its existing consumers while aiming to achieve new
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This has been done by looking at the VW polo model of 2014 in particular, and the previous models in general, and adequately substantiated by using literature, journals, advertisements and public opinion. The essay has gone further to show how consumer behavior is an important tool for marketers to understand how to influence consumer personality traits particularly as it relates to the need for uniqueness and consumer innovation. These two categories were analyzed with reference to the Volkswagen Polo and comprehensively studied how the company aimed to fulfill such consumer needs. The analysis provided in this essay has shown that it is increasingly important for organisations to research, understand and respond to the current and potential needs of consumers if they are committed to influencing the manner in which their products and services are interacted
The Nissan leaf has been positioned differently for different market segments. According to Solomon, though the job of the marketer is to create value, build customer relationships and satisfy their needs, it is difficult, as in todays’ complex society people have different needs and therefore it is important to segment markets and target them individually, therefore markets are segmented into different segments on the basis of demographics; age and gender, family structure, income, race, ethnicity and social class (Solomon, 2013). Using these different criteria, marketers segment their markets, according to particular characteristics, which they share, and then target them accordingly. Targeting is evaluating
Arnold Communications undertook extensive market research in order to understand the modern VW buyer and their position in the industry. They set about collecting primary data through extensive interviews, visiting 95 of the top VW dealers and drving VX over 50,000 miles
Now before it was mentioned that a strength the commercial had was the fact that it was aired during the 2011 Super Bowl but at the same time tat was also a weakness. Now the commercials during the Super Bowl get a lot of popularity but they do not get much screen time for 2 major reasons. The first being it costs millions of dollars to get a commercial to air during the Super Bowl and second, many other companies want to get a commercial to air also so the time has to be split evenly. Little screen time means sacrificing vital information for the commercial. In other words, the commercial was good at making itself memorable and fun to watch but it did not display many features or specifications about the car that are important when someone is in the market to buy a car. The only feature Volkswagen showed was the fact that you could click a button on your keychain to turn the car on. That feature is not important when it comes to the safety of the vehicle or how many miles to the gallon the car has. If people did not care about the specifications then there would be no competition in the car industry other than to make a car as fancy looking as possible. Another weakness the commercial displayed was not giving a good price point for the car. The commercial said “prices starting at $20,000,” which to begin is a bit high to begin at for a 4 door sedan. Also, what would make the price higher? This brings viewers back to the specifics of the car that the commercial doesn't tell
The article discusses that “Marketing’s ultimate assignment is to serve customers’ real needs and to communicate the substance of the company—not to introduce the kinds of cosmetics that used to typify the auto industry’s
Generation Y is now the prime target for the auto industry, they are also the largest potential consumer market, and the auto industry has to work on getting this new generation interested in their products. To achieve this goal, it is important that the industry acknowledge that the consumer patterns are not the same. A global consciousness has developed in
Alternative 2: Target the New Beetle to a younger population ranging from 18 to 34 years old, not excluding baby boomers. If this alternative is pursued, Volkswagen would reach a larger audience in line with the company's image to reach a new generation of drivers. The target audience would mainly be younger people although, baby boomers would not be excluded, since some of them would probably like to be associated with characteristics such as youthful, adventurous, creative, and confident. The advertising should focus more on the playful, youthful, fun, and unique aspects. The driving experience which is an asset of the brand should be highlighted. If price in this segment is determined in the range of US $14,000 - $16,000 (refer to SWOT analysis annex # 1), some young customers would be excluded. In addition, the high comparative price with other brands will oppose to the message of affordability desired by the brand, notwithstanding dealers would be inclined to sell the car due to high margins. An advantage with this strategy is that female customers with high incomes are growing fast as a consumer segment in the U.S. Soft Characteristics of the car would appeal more to the female segment, as a result, print advertising directed to these consumers should be used more actively than only TV advertisement.
As a result of our consolidated industry, consumers can have a strong effect globally. This can become a threat by a decrease on profitability. Another threat that can affect the market can be on how loyal consumers will be to the “Harley Davidson” image. This can be affected by the price of the product or the marketer performance. When we say performance, we refer to how satisfied was the consumer after a purchase. Did the customer receive good customer service, did the customer leave content or with a doubt after the purchase, or was the sales representative knowledgeable of the product he/she was selling. (www.management.stir.ac.uk).
Customer loyalty, marketing communication, and branding are all essential elements of any marketing strategy undertaken by a company in a bid to promote its brand image with an ultimate goal of increasing their sales through continuous customer loyalty (Kottler & Keller, 2003). A brand strategy is a development plan a company puts in place for its products and services. Marketing communication, on the other hand, entails informing customers and potential customers of product and service offerings of a company with an aim of attracting and retaining them in the long run (Kottler & Keller, 2003). Lastly, customer loyalty is an outcome of always giving customers a great experience while using the company’s products and services. It basically involves a preference by customers to use the products of a company as compared to the other brands available in the market regardless of their price. This is the major goal of most businesses (Kottler & Keller, 2003). Ford is no exception. When it comes to its F-series, careful situational analysis has to be conducted if the product life cycle of this truck series is to be extended despite the fact that it has been on the market for over 35 years.
A global market place has increased competitiveness across all consumer brands. The internet has created a system whereby consumers can easily comparison, shop, read peer reviews and access consumer reports at the click of the button. To effectively market to this new, highly informed consumer, an approach to marketing orientation must be flexible and must be4 quickly altered to meet the ever changing thought process and demands of today’s savvy customer. Companies that have developed an approach to this marketing approach but fail to update it as needed run the risk of alienating their
This presentation has been prepared in order to analyze level of particular company in this case – Volkswagen. The modern Volkswagen is a German automaker found in 1937, from a single public automotive company, also this company incorporated other brands such as Audi, Bugatti, SEAT, Bentley, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Scania, MAN, Skoda and Volkswagen. This company produces motorcycles, passenger cars and commercial vehicles. (Pratt, B. 2017).
1) The buyer decision process of traditional Porsche customers relies on the motivations that determine these people to select this brand. Their purchasing decision process is based on the exclusivity of the brand that is connected with the car owner. In their opinion, by purchasing a Porsche, traditional customers purchase the exclusivity and luxury associated with the brand. These customers want to purchase a car that reflects their social status and their financial power. In addition to this, they are not interested in the utility of the car, but in the characteristics that differentiate it from utility cars. These traditional buyers are rather interested in their feeling while driving a Porsche in comparison with the size, price, or fuel economy of the car.
Porsche is one of the most well-known brands in the world. In customers' minds, Porsche stands for exclusivity, class, and high quality. The company's marketing strategy is oriented towards identifying the needs and preferences of a small group of customers and on developing car models that satisfy these needs. However, Porsche was forced to introduce several models on the market that were not in accordance with what typical customers of the company usually prefer. These models refer to lower-priced cars, but also to high class SUVs like Cayenne and Panamera.
In recent times, branding has played a pivotal role in some brands’ success. This has been made possible through the ability of some marketers to capture the essence and minds of people (consumers), and put the trends and characteristics into the personality of a brand. Customers have always found ways to identify themselves with certain products, and on several occasions, branding campaigns
The multi-brand strategy was produced from the desire to have a presence in multiple automotive markets, and therefore capture a full range of the customer spectrum. In addition, it is a solution for one of the negative consequences of the module strategy; it was found that by "commonizing" (www.forbes.com) some of the lower VW brands (Seat and Skoda) that the VW brands were no longer differentiated. Acquisition of Bentley and Bugatti in 1997 was a response to this issue, as well as recent financial growth.
The Board took note of a lack of emphasis in the Marketing Plan on Volkswagen’s green technology, as this is one of the company’s greatest strengths. Volkswagen has made significant efforts to increase efficiency, and has created the world’s most fuel efficient 5-seat vehicle, the Polo. The Board emphasized the fact that green technology appeals to American consumers. The company has leveraged this in other parts of the world and has had success, and The Board felt strongly that by implementing the current Marketing Plan, the company would be missing out on highlighting an important aspect of the brand.