Introduction
Any firm that is working on the right product and price has the duty of communicating the existence of such a product to the target consumers, explaining its features, benefits and where it can be found for purchase. The conversation to raise awareness of the product prices and locations of buying often creates brand loyalty, increases brand visibility and ultimately increases sales translating to higher profits for business. This essay is a careful examination of the distribution and promotional strategies that a business involved in selling sportswear can use in its marketing plan. It looks substantially at all the options available for the business to communicate and get the product to its target market, which is the youth, at fairly low prices at the right time.
Distribution Strategies
The business has an ambition to expand its sales through distribution to retail shops across the country. As it stands, the business is determined to sell through major national retail outlets. The business aims at introducing its sporting merchandise to new customers through the use of local retailers and hence drive sales. On the other hand, the business is considering making sales on its own behalf directly to consumers.
The business is also considering expanding its sales through online platforms. It will offer customized products to the customers that will be different from the products that it distributes through physical retail outlets. The products the company will offer through the internet will have additional customized specializations and will be accessed through online malls. The online customers will make an order through online ecommerce sites and these products will be handmade and delivered to the customer. The business will operate an online support system to communicate online buyers.
The business has also the intention of contracting sales teams who will assist the business in the development of new distribution outlets. This is the team that will move across the region engaging potential retailer outlets for a possibility of establishing the product in their store. The sales team will be the representatives of the business and will deliver the product to the retail stores where the customers will acquire there from. Sales team, will have the responsibility of identifying new markets through contacting more retail marketers as well as directly delivering to consumers when need be in the shortest time possible. They will assess the visibility of the product brand of the business in the market and introduce the product into new markets.
Regardless of the intention of the business to expand, it intends to maintain strong relationships with the distribution channel stakeholders through offering special discounts and benefits. The company will treat the retailers as the brand ambassadors of the business product. They will be given necessary support including free transportation of the business merchandise to their stores. The goods will be forwarded to them with fair prices so that they can sell profitably.
Promotional strategies
The business will communicate with its customers and retailers about its products through the internet, face to face conversations and direct mailings. This communication is aimed at differentiating the business’s products as unique with friendly prices yet of high quality. The situation as it is now, the company relies on mass advertising as part of its promotional strategy. This has, to some extent, been helpful in reaching its target market niche of the young people. Sales levels have remained at relatively levels over the last financial years but more need to be done. The business main objectives during the promotional work will include introducing the brand of its products to new customers who are mainly the youth. To do this, the business aims at projecting its brand as of high quality and prestigious yet can be acquired with pocket friendly prices.
The business will rely on stronger professional contact relationships with the retail outlets to establish product lines in their stores. The business sales representatives will be vising the retail outlets thrice each year so as to assess the display and sales patterns of the product within the outlet. This team will also be offering trainings to new and existing retailers on the new features of its products. The retail outlet will be used as a means through which the company will stimulate new demands as they will engage and reengage with customers directly. It will also use the retailers to provide information about the business product and by training the retailer outlets operators on new features of the business’s product the business aims at ensuring they have sufficient knowledge of how the product works and this knowledge is expected to reach the customer.
Sales promotion and public relations will form the bulk of the business promotional strategy. The business, together with the retailers, will organize sales promotions tied to events taking place in each individual retailer region. This will increase the visibility of the business products. Through sales promotions events, shoppers will purchase the business product at low prices than on normal sales through special discounts or awarded an extra item for every three bought at once.
The business will also engage in cause marketing through participating in environmental cleaning and tree planting programs. This is in addition to other corporate social responsibilities of helping the needy in the society through offering part of their product to orphans and the people living with disability.
The business will also engage with its customers by through interactions with consumers through phone calls and email chats to connect them with the business representatives and retail outlets near their residential areas. The company will use telemarketing, text messages and customized letters to engage with influential potential and existing retailer outlets across the country.
Conclusion
The success of any business marketing plan will involve a combination of both the promotional and distribution strategies in order for the business to be successful.
