In the context of the country Kenya, the marketing of product like clothing should take into consideration several environmental factors so as to formulate a successful marketing mix. The environmental forces in Kenya should be fully and carefully analyzed because the country consists of various categories of people and various socioeconomic forces. The marketing of clothes in Kenya should, therefore, take into consideration various forces in order to determine the prices, distribution channels as well as the target markets in the most appropriate manner. The Kenyan environment has a great influence due to its diversity in influencing the marketing mix of specific products.
In relation to socio-cultural forces, marketing of clothing in Kenya should take into consideration the cultural diversity of Kenya. The diverse cultures in Kenya will influence how the people buy the product being marketed or advertised in the market. The tastes and preferences of the people from different cultures and social backgrounds in Kenya will greatly influence how such a product is accepted or responded to in the market. In this country, various communities are specific to the kind of clothing and fashions they buy and wear. The marketers should therefore take into consideration the specific cultural needs in terms of clothing in order to suit their needs (Baker, 2012). The social background of different communities living in Kenya have a great impact on the types of clothing they purchase, for instance, the Indian community living in Kenya have a specific brand of clothing they wear. This, therefore, means that specific communities like the Indian community and the Muslims in this country should be given special attention in relation to clothing. This will help attract their attention and purchase the product. This product should appeal to the cultural attention of the all people or a majority of the residents of this country in order to maximize the sales volumes as well as the revenues from such a product. This will eventually help in boosting profitability and market performance of this product.
The economic forces in Kenya should be taken into keen consideration in order to market the product effectively. The aspects relating to interest rates in Kenya like fluctuations should be fully analyzed in order to determine their impact on the prices of the product being marketed by the company. The information on interest rates and taxes associated with the product should be analyzed in order to help in the forecasting of the prices of this product. This information is very crucial to the marketing company in order to hedge against future uncertainties relating to prices in the Kenyan economy. The nature and trends of inflation should also be keenly analyzed by the marketing company in order to ensure that the product reflects the current and future economic conditions (Frazier, 2013). The influence of regional prices on the price of this product should also be taken into consideration in order to assess the impact on the profitability and the general performance of such a product in the Kenyan market.
Technological forces should also be taken into consideration in determining the market information of the product being marketed by the company. In the case of clothing, the technological advancements in relation to designs and colors or fashions should be closely analyzed in order to ensure that the product being provided to the customers meets the most current and relevant technological advancements in the fashion or clothing industry. The designs should also use the relevant technology in order to satisfy the customers in this country. The nature of response of the customers in Kenya should be assessed in relation to the technological advancements so as to enable the marketing company appeal to the trends that the customers like. The way in which customers in this country embrace or respond to technological advancements should also be assessed in order to enable the company appeal to the attention or they needs of the customers(Keillor, 2013). The level of technology used in production of clothing in Kenya should be closely analyzed in order to enable the marketing company target the most appropriate level that can satisfy the customers fully.
In relation to the regulatory forces, the marketing company should gather the relevant terms and conditions governing the fashion and clothing industry in Kenya. This will help the marketing company to avoid the heavy fines and penalties which may arise if such regulations or rules are breached. The regulations concerning the synthetic materials should clearly analyzed so as to avoid any cases of litigation relating to such threats in the fashion industry of Kenya. The taxation regulations of the country Kenya should be made clear in order to enable the company to determine the prices of their products as well as the assessment of profit levels.
Competitive forces should also be taken into consideration in order to assess the level of competition in the fashion or clothing industry of Kenya. The marketing company should have access to the information of the competitors in this industry so as to enable the company formulate strategies to curb or face that competition in the market. The prices and location of the markets of the competitors should also be clearly stated in order to enable the marketing company to set its prices and market locations or segments appropriately.
The marketing mix should ensure that the product appeals to the needs of the diverse cultural communities in Kenya. This will help in widening the customer base through higher levels of acceptance in this country. The product should also meet the religious aspects including Christianity, Islam and Hindu because they constitute a large section of the population. The product may be differentiated depending on the nature of customers occupying various regions of the country. The religious and cultural neutrality will help the product to be accepted by a large segment of the population. The income levels of the customers in Kenya should be taken into consideration in the determination of prices and the target volumes of sales. The income levels are crucial in setting prices and the actual demand of the customers in this country. The prices of competitors in the fashion industry are crucial in ensuring the setting of prices (Kotler, 2012) .The place of location or market place for the product can be done through market segmentation so as to fetch higher volumes or revenues from all parts of the country. This will also help in fetching higher outputs at the potential markets. The promotional activities of the products in the Kenyan fashion industry should take into consideration the modern channels and mean of promotion. The use of celebrity advertising as well as the use of social media will help the company fetch higher levels of revenue from such a product.
References
Baker, M. J. (2012). The marketing mix. London: Henry Stewart Talks. The marketing mix - Henry Stewart Talks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hstalks.com/main/view_talk.php?t=2183
Frazier, S. G. (2013). Marketing strategies for the home-based business. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press. Marketing strategies for the home-based business / Shirley George Frazier. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imcpl.org/cgi-bin/fullbib.pl?bibno=1438402
Keillor, B. D. (2013). Marketing in the 21st century and beyond: Timeless strategies for success. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CDQQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ursuline.edu%2FLibrary%2FAcquisitions%2FSept2013.pdf&ei=ussFU5aQO6HA7AbqvYGoBQ&usg=AFQjCNG_3T9wK9_cBbn5qmHG1kxvzaz-5w&sig2=rUr0nkPW7KdgE0212Q4wxQ&bvm=bv.61725948,d.d2k
Kotler, P., & Sheth, J. N. (2012). Legends in marketing. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
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