Marketing
….It is a social and management process through which the different groups and individuals obtain what they need and want, creating, offering and exchanging products with value for others (P. Kotler, 1994).
Summary
This work analyzes the need to carry out the positioning strategy of a new product, this constitutes one of the advances in marketing. This allows knowing the attributes, how the consumer conceives it, the variety, the differentiation and how to position it advantageously, as well as practical recommendations; We can say that their behavior allowed us to assess the importance of having the marketing pillars in mind, as a tool, identifying the Marketing possibilities in each agency or entity.
Introduction
The University Post agency located in the capital municipality of Centro Habana and belonging to the Cuban Post Company, aims to guarantee universal postal services and other value-added services, aimed at the general population. In addition to other sales in freely convertible currency CUC, to defray the expenses of the operations that are provided in national currency.
Every summer for a period of 5 years our company centrally carried out a Marketing Strategy with a Summer School Campaign. (At the end and beginning of each school year). The one that was aimed at satisfying the growing demand for school and office materials from our real and potential clients.
For this, a working group was created at the beginning of each year to draw up the Marketing Plan, where the budget, logistics, prices, distribution, sales history, objectives, goals and evolution were analyzed to follow a program of actions.
For a year now, our Correos de Cuba Company in Havana City due to debts with suppliers, high inventories of slow-moving products and low incomes have not had financing to carry out the Summer Campaign. So demanded by our clients.
This year the loyal customers who always wait to buy for their children at our point of sale, when the months of the campaign were approaching began to request and demand the products that one day they purchased at our point of sale at the University Mail.
The managers of the point of sale that provide us with feedback on what consumers demand, suggested the proposal of making a campaign of their own to satisfy customers and thus increase income.
It was agreed to meet with the sales force of the University Mail (Commercial technicians, Customer Service staff, Distributor Balancista, Managers and the Board of Directors). To exchange ideas and run your own campaign. Many ideas came out that allowed us to carry out an Action Plan such as:
• Exchange merchandise with other Correos sales points and thus diversify our assortment of school supplies.
• We prepared and sent the application file for slow-moving products of more than ninety days.
• It was agreed to visit our competitors (Artex. Cuban Editions, Telemail, Indochina. Postal Chart. Queen's Servipostal, Orelly and Zanja etc. and thus somehow guide our clients.
• We asked the commercial department of the territory for merchandise and the response we received is that some book covers were expected, it would be the only thing that would enter until November. Description of the problem.
For several years in the summer campaign, customers were asked to complement the sale of notebooks, which will offer covers for them. This year, to our surprise, we received the notebook covers with 4 designs from the national supplier Durero Caribe SA, as there were not many offers for other products for sale, we decided to request the distributor 35,000 units of notebook covers at a unit sale price of 0.15. CUC. Amount $ 5,250.00 CUC in inventory.
The first 3 weeks of exposing the product (notebook liners) only sold 1 or 2 per day. Raising $ 5.40 cuc in 3 weeks. The sales managers, very concerned, approached us to see what strategies we could follow, since the clients did not perceive how a product that can be independent of the notebooks and they did not buy it. We also had a stock of 34,958 units. For a value of 5,234.60 CUC in stock.
Solution given
The sales behavior of this product Book covers was unexpected, as it was new to the market.
We analyzed that to penetrate the market, it was necessary to work within the value package of the offer in communicational positioning.
We made a poster announcing the product as the special summer offer for only 0.15 cuc / u, we added the sample of the 4 designs of Covers for notebooks. Exposing on the windows of the entrances and in visible places. With the aim of offering information, creating interest, establishing a favorable image and thus stimulating the purchase intention of customers (applying communication in the Marketing mix).
We operate at the point of sale with Merchandising techniques. Exposing the product well in the showcases.
Analysis of the causes and consequences of the described situation and the solution found
Being a new product, the Lining for notebooks product did not have a communicational position in the market, that is, the image of the product was not shaped to be identified in the eyes of the clients. As a consequence, its attributes are not perceived.
Also this product was conceived within an offer package, the marketing logic (study of consumer behavior, demand, competition) should be applied to its diversification as a growth strategy.
With the solution found, we managed to penetrate the product Lining for notebooks in the market selling everything and raising $ 5,250.00 cuc, in addition to selling other products on sale and slow moving. Covering a global benefit.
The product life cycle went from the innovation stage (introduction) to accelerated development (maximum growth).
In the price - quality strategy, a high value was achieved, oriented to the market and winning to satisfy the customers.
Conclusions
To conclude, we can say that this work allowed us to assess that it is important to carry out the marketing mix for every product or service and analyze the market we want to target, always keeping in mind the segment, consumer behavior and, above all, an information system such as support that allows us to compare the relationship of bidder and applicant.
In the case of the product Book covers, the results were unexpected, but we could see that with the application of marketing, our objectives were achieved.
It also allowed us to give feedback on those changes that the example product needed: the design that they liked the most, suggested a greater dimension and thickness that would cover other needs such as the book lining, even if they had to pay more.
The product was sold out with no possibility of replacement so it was not achieved in distribution (A stable relationship with the market).
The company appreciated that this product did not have multiple segmentation in the positioning strategy and that it had missed the opportunity to sell more. At the same time to satisfy the high demand of this. As an experience, it was time to invest to guarantee its permanence in the market.
Evaluating the product in the BCG matrix, we can say that the growth rate and the market share behaved high as a product that goes to the star.
To conclude, we can say that his behavior allowed us to assess the importance of having the marketing pillars in mind. As a tool. Identifying the Marketing possibilities in each agency or entity.
Bibliography
Barreiro Pousa, Dr. Luis, Díaz Fernández Dr. Ileana and Hernández Dr. Alma. Marketing in Cuba: a necessary study. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos29/marketing-cuba/marketing-cuba.shtml 2006.
Barreiro Pousa, Dr. Luís: Materials given in class November / 2008.
Kotler, Philip, et al. Marketing direction. Millennium edition. Madrid: Prentice-Hall., 2000.
