What are the parameters of a marketing plan and a sales strategy?

Assignment 2

This assignment consist of two sections a marketing plan and sales strategy, and a marketing budget. Note: You must submit both sections as separate files for the completion of the assignment.

For the first six (6) months your company is in business to give you time to perfect your product and to learn from actual customers you will start marketing and selling in your community a radius of twenty-five (25)miles from where you live.

For most non-alcoholic beverage, (as opposed to the actual product itself) is key to success. Cola drinks for example, are fairly undifferentiated, as are most energy drinks, juices, bottled water and the like. Companies producing these types of beverages differentiate themselves and attract market share through marketing research awareness- both of which are critical to success.

Section:1 Marketing Plan and Sales Strategy (Ms word or equivalent). Write the three to five (3-5) page Marketing Plan and Sales Strategy section of your business plan in which you:

1). Define your company’s target market

*Analyze the types of consumers who will be drinking your beverage in demographic terms (i.e. age, education level, gender, ethnic group, etc.) Support your analysis with actual data on the size of the demographic groups in your local community (nearby zip codes) (75137,75104, 75237and 75115 in my area).

Outline the demographics in formation for your company specified on the worksheet in the course text (p.107).

Hint: The American factfinder (http://census.gov) you will find demographics information on potential consumers in your area. If you are selling through other businesses in your local area. You will find information about such businesses I your local area at county business at County Business Patterns (https://www.cbp.html). Check chapter 2 of Successful Business Plan for research sources.

2). Assess your company’s market competition.

Use the factors listed in the course text graphic (p. 123). (Assess the competition) to your company’s market competition).

Defend your strategy to successfully compete against market leaders in your segment.

Hint: For example, in the soft drink market, it is intimidating to try to compete against Coke and Pepsi. Newcomers in mature markets typically must pursue niche markets or even create new market categories, as Red Bull did with energy drinks.

* Defend your plan to differentiate yourself from the competition using the information detailed in the text (p. 131)(Market Share Distribution).

Hint: Every business faces competition and the non-alcoholic beverage market is an especially crowded market.

3). Clarify your company’s message using the information provided on the worksheet in the text (p. 160) (The five F’s).

Hint; Before you choose your marketing vehicles, you must determine the message you want to convey through these vehicles.

4). Identify the marketing vehicles you plan to use to build your company’s brand. Justify the key reasons why they will be effective. Provide examples of other non-alcoholic beverage companies that use these tactics effectively.

Hint: If you plan to use online marketing tactics, refer to the worksheet in the text (p. 171).

Online marketing tactics to aid your response. Remember that even if you are selling through grocery stores you need to build your brand and social media is a major part of that in regard to beverages. Some of the marketing tactics that beverage companies use include sampling in grocery stores, building a following on social media, sponsoring events, exhibiting at trade shows attended by retailers, and so on. You will use a combination of these tactics. For example, if you decide to give out samples in grocery stores, promote your sampling on your social media networks and those of the grocery stores.

Hint: If you are planning to distribute through resellers, describe how you plan to reach them, for example, through industry trade shows or by establishing your sales force. For information on trade shows news network (http://www.tsnn.com).You can exibit or network at these shows.

5). Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:

a).cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise.

Section: 2 Marketing Budget (ms excel worksheets templates).

See course required files in week 1) to support your development of the marketing budget.

6). Complete the marketing Budget worksheet for your company. ]

Hint: When filling out “The Marketing Budget” worksheet in the excel spreadsheet,

* Begin in the current year and complete a marketing budget for the first year of your business. The information you enter in the marketing budget spreadsheet will flow through to your “Income Statement” in the Business Plan Financials.

*leave the number at zero (0) to any marketing vehicles you do not intend to use.

Remember that all marketing activities involve cost.

” Do not leave “Markketing Budget” blank, assuming you will not have any marketing cost.