Assessment 2: Individual Business Marketing Plan: Barkers Mens Clothing - 2500 words

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 3

Critically evaluate the marketing strategies of private and public organisations

Learning Outcome 4

Design a marketing plan

Assessment Task

Barkers Clothing have been the store of choice for New Zealand men for decades (since 1972 actually) outfitting them for daily life, unforgettable milestones, and everything in between. We’re pretty chuffed to have been doing this so long, and we still prioritise the good stuff like quality, understated style. and true value as much as the day we started.

You can find their stores nationwide, everywhere from Newmarket to New Plymouth. All of them boast their carefully considered range of quality apparel, footwear and accessories - everything customers need, nothing they don’t.

Barkers is there for their first job, that ultimate promotion, their big day, and their morning after. Customers can come to Barkers for everything from that handsome winter coat (the best way to look respectable) to those track pants they wear every Sunday. Barkers have new gear and old favourites dropping regularly, so customers stop by and see them at any of their stores nationwide, or shop online without even leaving the couch.

Prior to 2020 ,the company was thriving, but the combined pressures of Covid19, the ever increasing pressures on the retail sector, and the growth of offshore online shopping, Barkers feels the need to reorient what they do to survive and grow in the future.

Whilst they have a well developed online shopping offering, they need an innovative, low cost and low risk marketing plan to move the company ionto the future.

You need to write a marketing plan for Barkers in which you:

Introduction

Part 1:

Critically evaluate the current marketing strategies of the company identifying areas for improvement in their marketing strategies

Part 2:

Design an innovative, low cost, low risk marketing plan that the company could use to secure their business future including:

Customer/Market Need

Customer Needs Analysis: Perform. a preliminary market needs analysis in the market(s) that you propose that the company compete in.

Market Segmentation: Explore and justify an appropriate marketing segmentation model and estimate product demand in the target market(s).

Value Proposition(s): Discuss and justify the relevant value propositions for potential customers in the target market(s) and illustrate how the company's products could meet these value propositions.

Customer Profile: Create a relevant customer profile (customer avatar) of a proposed ‘ideal customer’ for the company's products in your target market.

Product strategies

Product positioning: Discuss how you will position the company's products relative to the value propositions of the target market.

Differentiation: Discuss how you will differentiate the company's products from the competition within your target market – how the company's products better address potential customer value requirements to offer a superior customer solution.

NOTE: You cannot use discounting or 'lower prices' to position or differentiate the company - they wish to remain a premium consumer brand and maintain pricing at current levels

Branding

Brand Positioning: Explain how you would position the company's brand in the market relative to the markets (customers) value propositions.

Branding strategy: Outline your branding strategy – how the strategy will be used to engage with customers to drive customer awareness and engagement of the company.

Promotion

Design an Integrated Marketing Communications strategy covering the areas of marketing communication relevant to your promotion of the companies products to potential customers in your target market(s).

Your promotional mix must cover:

Advertising

Public Relations & Publicity

Online and Social Media Marketing