Evaluating ThaiBev’s Success or Failures
Discuss about the Consumer Behavior Patterns.
Understanding the consumer behavioral patterns totally revolves around the retail stores, in which the objective of the study is to select and identify the consumer types as well as their patterns of buying products. The marketers should be able to gauge the response of the customers for the sales promotional devices (Lantos 2015). The overall agenda of this study is to analyze the success and failures of ThaiBev Company. Moreover, it also discusses about the proposed strategic options and its critical success factors for being successful on the long run. In addition to this, the report also discusses about the key performance indicators of the company for increasing their sales revenue. Furthermore, the consumer behavioral patterns are also being discussed through PESTEL and SWOT analysis. Last but not the least; the report also highlights the limitations of the company along with its major competitors, for maintaining the long term success.
Beer sales have been reaching been reaching the level of saturation in the developed markets, since the past years. The growth is primarily being driven by Chinese markets as well as the Eastern European regions. Thus, this industry has been exploring several avenues in order to achieve the profitability and growth (Zsóka et al. 2013). The success of the ThaiBev Company is being influenced by the trends in consumers’ beer consumption. Moreover, in the developed markets, there has been a shift in the consumers’ consumption of imported as well as premium beer. This has mainly come from the expense of standard and traditional beer, in which the shares of the market declined (Thaibev.com 2018).
A new trend which has become popular in the recent days is the inception of light beer that contains lower content of carbohydrate. The health conscious consumers are more aware of the high calorie content in beer. They prefer an alternative that is healthier and therefore, this can be considered as the crucial factor for ThaiBev, adding up to their failures. The changing behavioral patterns of the consumers are more evident in different types of beer being presented to them. For example; the ever growing demand of flavored beer, specifically among young generation is being observed in the last few decades (Vinerean et al. 2013).
Customers changing preferences has been seen and observed more at the time, when they started demanding for beers containing organic ingredients. Most importantly, there is a new trend of the non alcoholic beverages in some countries, where the consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited (Heath 2013). The success and failures of the ThaiBev Company is being discussed with the help of SWOT and PESTEL analysis.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Domestic Leader in the Market
ThaiBev has a significant share in the markets of Thailand and it means that the organization has sufficient reserves for financing the foreign expansion.
Strong Image of the Brand
ThaiBev Company caters to the overall needs of the markets of Thai beer. The image of the company has strong associations with culture and much respected at their home country. The brand is also proving itself to be more flexible for entering the markets of international platforms (Foxall 2014).
Weaknesses
Expensive Management of the Brand
Nurturing and cultivating the brand can be a bit expensive and moreover, ThaiBev Company has achieved an aggressive strategy of advertising. This also means that the brand management is a bit expensive.
Relatively Static Market Growth
The company can face issues with static growth as the share can settle to a medium market share.
This can be a major competitive disadvantage as the investor or say, leader of the company can lose out to the competitors of the company (Mullen and Johnson 2013).
ThaiBev has a strong presence in the domestic markets; however, it is unknown to majority parts across the globe. This mainly represents the tremendous opportunity of the brand to proceed in the untapped marketplace of the world.
Changing Customer Tastes
ThaiBev Company fits into this category and moreover, it provides its customers with high quality products. Thus, it is easier for the company to enter into the Western markets (Hill 2017).
Threats
New Competitors
There are several players within the international markets. Most importantly, in Thailand, ThaiBev Company should be more careful about their competitors.
Growth in the Substitutes
Beer can be easily substituted by some other beverages such as local spirits, gin and rum. Therefore, if the customers are being offered with some substitute products, they can shift from consuming beer (Brodie et al. 2013).
Political Factors
The beer industry suffers mainly from the increase in the tax by governments as well as regulations at both state and federal level. State and federal level regulations affect the beer industry when advertising, labeling, distribution and production. Moreover, there is also a percentage of the alcohol including beer (Krumme et al. 2013).
Economic Factors
Economic crisis in a country can also create a major issue for the success of the company. It can even lead to its failure. According to a leading daily, the lowest level consumption of beer occurred in the year 1948, when the country faced economic crisis. It has been noted that the consumption level of the alcoholic beverages decreased in that year at United Kingdom (Mullen and Johnson 2013).
PESTEL Analysis
Social Factors
Majority of the people argue with the fact that the light beers are mostly nothing but a strong marketing strategy of the companies. Moreover, the customers have been reducing their consumption of beer due to health issues and diet. Therefore, these customers think that beer affect their health and leads to obesity. They prefer switching to wine or malt flavored drinks with low alcohol content (Vinerean et al. 2013).
Technological Factors
Technology contributes a lot to the brewing industry and companies. It helps them to develop more and more distribution channels that are efficient and effective at the same time. It assists them in upgrading the facilities by utilizing technology, which increase the procedure of brewery and improve their quality of harvesting process and cultivating ingredients. Moreover, the process also helps in increasing the consistency as well as reducing the costs. ThaiBev Company uses information technology for the production processes depending on the availability of systems (Lantos 2015).
Environmental Factors
The beer industry brewers as well as brewer suppliers’ enhancement of beer packaging may lead to the increase in recycle rate of paper, plastic, glass, cardboard and others. These are utilized in packaging the manufacturing the beer cans and packages. The company should know how to overcome these problems and manage environmental pollution.
Legal Factors
There are legal factors which also affect the beer industry when advertising, labeling and packaging. On advertising the beer products, the company can face various legal issues (Krumme et al. 2013).
The proposed strategic options include brand awareness, brand identity, positioning, image and other related factors. Brand awareness is being expressed as the impression in which the brand makes in a consumer’s mind. It is the primary step in which the consumer makes their decisions and therefore, it is the most important factor to be considered by the brand. At times, when the consumers are being able to recognize a brand or remember it, then it can be said that the company has been able to create strong brand awareness within its consumers. The primary challenge of the company will be building strong marketing strategies. It will help in creating awareness among the customers regarding the brand, which will lead to good tactics of advertising (Keller 2013).
Moreover, awareness should be increased at the time, when advertising is also combined with suitable methods of promotion. In addition to this, to create awareness among the customers, the company can also sponsor sports or music events. This strategy can also be applied in the markets of Thailand; for example, providing jerseys to the Football teams or some other events, which will carry their logo or brand name. This will also help in creating awareness among the customers, who previously did not even hear the brand name. In addition to this, the brand identity should be distinctive (Solomon et al. 2014).
In simpler terms, it should represent only a particular product, within the category and should be recognized by the customers and in turn, memorable. Remembering and recognizing the brand means that the target customer are aware of that particular brand and can identify it. The identification markers of the brand include logo, typeface, color, slogan and are easily connected with those marks along with the message. In addition to this, understanding the positioning of the brand in the market is also a major factor which the company should keep in mind. The brand positioning particularly states that the brand is being positioned in an effective manner, along with the essence and is also ready to move beyond the categories including its values (Heding, Knudtzen and Bjerre 2015).
The brand image involves around the understanding of the symbols as well as associations, which create the product and the mental impression of the consumers. It helps in constructing the product and the meaning of brand image is deeply associated with the connections. The brand image also determines the richness and quality of consumer relationships. This in turn, also gives a detailed description of the company’s emotional connection or link with the customers. In addition to this, brand knowledge also plays a vital role in achieving the brand equity. The knowledge of brand is deeply characterized by the brand identity and awareness. In the nutshell, the brand knowledge can be the consumers’ awareness regarding the product, its availability, features, product makers, why it is being used and why the product is so good (Rosenbaum-Elliott, Percy and Pervan 2015).
Moreover, brand loyalty is all about creating a good personal experience, which the company can develop for maintaining a relationship with their target customers. This connection results into brand loyalty and over the time, people builds unique relationships with their favorite brands. In addition to this, this is what makes the company and the brand loyal to the customers. If a target consumer continues to stick to one particular brand in spite being offered with some alternative products, it means that the customer is loyal to that brand. It also helps in creating brand equity. At Thailand, the target customers of ThaiBev have a strong brand loyalty. However, in order to expand, the company may have to create these important factors in the international platforms as well. Therefore, to enhance brand awareness the company should plan for good promotional strategies in order to target the most number of consumers (Santos-Vijande et al. 2013).
These are the basic strategic options, which the company can adopt in order to gain the customers’ attention and moreover, awareness can be created by conducting online promotional activities. This will help the company in raising awareness among the international customers and build a good image in front of them. These factors will enhance their relationships with the customers and increase profitability. In addition to this, the brand image of ThaiBev Company can always be improved on the basis of certain factors. The company should undertake some major initiatives by maintaining their positioning in the market and enhance it by highlighting the attributes and tastes of the particular brand. Most importantly, it will improve the customers’ perception regarding the brand as well as its performance (Jugenheimer, Sheehan and Kelley 2015).
Conclusion
To conclude, ThaiBev is a good brand of Thailand, which has the potential of becoming a major international brand; however, it should pursue the correct marketing strategy. Moreover, the report has revealed the major areas of the brand and how the customers can change their preferences on the basis of brand positioning. In addition to this, some major parts are also being discussed regarding the enhancement of brand awareness, loyalty and image. Most importantly, by strengthening the brand, ThaiBev Company is highly poised to attain the competitive advantages as well, which will assist them in growing on the long term. Last but not the least; the company needs to create some strong marketing campaigns in order to increase the loyalty of the customers. Furthermore, various approaches are needed for several markets. It will help in increasing the consumers’ commitment to a large extent.
References
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Foxall, G.R., 2014. Invitation to consumer behavior analysis. In Consumer Behavior Analysis (pp. 23-40). Routledge.
Heath, S., 2013. System and method for social networking interactions using online consumer browsing behavior, buying patterns, advertisements and affiliate advertising, for promotions, online coupons, mobile services, products, goods & services, entertainment and auctions, with geospatial mapping technology. U.S. Patent Application 13/369,244.
Heding, T., Knudtzen, C.F. and Bjerre, M., 2015. Brand management: Research, theory and practice. Routledge.
Hill, R., 2017. Family Development in Three Generations: A Longitudinal Study of Changing Patterns of Planning and Achievement. Routledge.
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Lantos, G.P., 2015. Consumer behavior in action: Real-life applications for marketing managers. Routledge.
Mullen, B. and Johnson, C., 2013. The psychology of consumer behavior. Psychology Press.
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Thaibev.com (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.thaibev.com/ [Accessed 29 Jul. 2018].
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Zsóka, Á., Szerényi, Z.M., Széchy, A. and Kocsis, T., 2013. Greening due to environmental education? Environmental knowledge, attitudes, consumer behavior and everyday pro-environmental activities of Hungarian high school and university students. Journal of Cleaner Production, 48, pp.126-138.
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