Product
Marketing is considered to a fundamental part of a business. It is founded on searching the suitable customer after the creation of an attractive statement regarding the product of service. The marketing of a product requires proper designing, researching and advertising in order to guarantee the success of the business. It is rather a combination of few strategies which are designed to broaden the capacities of the product or the service. Once the market research is completed, the marketing department of the business can add appropriate advertisements, visual aesthetics in order to stay sustainable in the market.
As a whole, it can be said that the marketing of a product begins by penetrating the market with a particular product and applying various strategies in order to keep the product preferable in the market. The business entities use abundant methods to keep he product preferable which includes the messaging, pricing, positioning and many others which are required to keep the product tailored to the demands of the customers. The main focus of this paper will be on the evaluation of hoe the marketing mix of a particular organization functions. The chosen organization / product for this paper is the Red Bull energy drink. The report will cover the analysis of the 8 Ps of marketing mix .It will also align the product’s marketing mix with the theory. The report will also measure the other marketing strategies, the challenges the marketers face today and also give recommendations for the organization.
The market of energy drinks is a he market and Red Bull has been found to be one of the biggest brands famous for the energy drinks. The name of the company that manufactures the product is Red Bull GmbH. It is a famous Austrian company which was established in the year 1987. The company occupies the highest market share and as it sells more than 6.302 billion cans each year. The product comprises of caffeine, glucose, alpine spring water, B-group vitamin and taurine. The company keeps the customers delighted with offering 20 varieties of flavors. The strongest marketing strategy that they apply is the sports celebrity endorsements. Here, it is to be noted that people have become extra health conscious as there are high health risks which are caused by the consumption of the health drinks. Abundant consumption of the health drinks can cause psychiatric issues. However, researchers have found that Red Bull energy drink is free from such assumptions as the European Food Safety Authority has guaranteed it safety. It also suggests that the product comprises of minimal amount of caffeine and there is no such evidence of contamination caused by the product.
Price
The marketing of a product is considered to be being thoughtful about the business according to the view of others or the consumers. The conduction of the marketing also involves creating desire for a particular product. The development of the product rests on the market research. Moreover, the marketing operates as the basis for the sales of specific product.
The marketing mix is a particular group of tactics or action which applies to a company so that the brand is promoted to the maximum in the market. In general, the marketing mix comprises of the 4Ps which are Price, Product, Place and Promotion. In this regard, there can be added 4 extra Ps too such as the people, partnership, process and physical evidence. It is to be noted that the components of the marketing mix are connected with each other and also leaves impact on each other. These components establish the business plan for a company and creates huge success when handled in the proper manner. The marketing mix requires huge knowledge about each of the components along with the market research and conversation with few of the people. The 8 components of marketing mix will assist to measure the fruitfulness of the Red Bull energy drink in the contemporary market.
Product – The chosen product of this paper is the Red Bull energy drink and it has to be noted that there are few distinct segments of products which are the consumer product and the business product. It is to be noted that Red Bull is a consumer product. These products are only bought in the market without much cost. These products are commonly referred to as the low –risk purchase products. In terms of the life cycle of the product, the product can be considered as a maturity level product. Regarding the growth stage, the profitability and sales is maintained in the process. As far as the product’s adoption is concerned, it should be suggested that the customers of Australia are at the adoption level and trying out different products persistently, Therefore, it is highly possible that the innovative product launched by Red Bull will be hardly get a chance to be tasted by the people.
It is also possible that they might have to overlap to the adoption level and the brand should rehearse the customers or focus on the new type of adopters. The standard of the product is an important attribute of a particular product that supports to quench the requirements of the people. The quality standards are strong aspects of a product that does not have to face the difficulties associated with sales. However, Red Bull is such a product that is focused on revitalizing the energy bags in the body of humans and there are never quality problems till date. Although there are few controversies regarding the product ‘s usage of taurine. There are certain questions about the ingredients of the product but the entire popularity of the product is completely unquestioned. The traditional methods are used in packaging the product. The new can system stops the product from tampering.
Place or Distribution
The slimmer appearance of the product can fascinate the customers and gives an outer idea about the volume and the size. The new can system preserves the time and money spent on the product. It also stops the environmental impacts affecting the product. This new packaging system is entirely unique and can be identified among other millions of similar products. This system also facilitates the brand recognition and product differentiation. After much research and evaluation of the market, it has been found that people consume the brands more than the products. It can be done because of some complicated reasons related to the society or because of some contextual factors. The contextual factors can be the limitations of selection in the workplace. It has also been found that the product is preferred by a powerful customer base. The trick of Red Bull to get the ground easily is that there is only a little number of similar products in the market. A far as ethics is concerned, the product seems to be quite weak as the local mass is driven by the new trend of healthy drinking and healthy eating. The present strategies of the company can help to grow a lot
Price – Red Bull’s pricing strategy is solely concentrated on the value of the product. The brand is no at all engaged in the race or the competition of price and makes best use of it other attributes for placing itself special than others. It is not part of the cost –friendly strategy applied by the competitors. The pricing strategy of the product does not count the money but regarding the value carried by it to the customers. The primary objective of the pricing strategy of Red Bull is to receive the customer preference by maintaining the standards of quality. They make the nest use of the value-based pricing strategy. They at first derive the value out of the product and then set the price of the product. Their pricing strategy is based on the practical concept that the customers stay ready to pay for something that really has value. Overall, Red Bull’s pricing strategy is good and effective too. The company keeps a variable pricing strategy depending on the situational context. The brand can easily optimize the benefits by not affecting the reputation and the sales also. The company is adaptive of the discounts of push stock by the checkouts in the supermarkets. The brand’s pricing strategy is supportive of communicating the standards of quality without saying anything about it.
Promotion
Place or Distribution- The channels of distribution used by the brand are essential for smooth operations and the products are distributed to various corners of the world. The retailer stores and the general merchandize stores provide a considerable variety of products along with keeping it in stock. The Red Bull’s distribution channels are namely the convenience stores, the reject shop, the superstores as Costco and the supermarkets as the Coles. These variety of distribution channels are situated in many cities, regional areas and the suburbs. It is also to be noted that the retailers are not directly dealt with by the company because the company applies the intermediaries for reducing the expenses of exchange post performance. The application of the intermediaries supports to preserve the money and time and gain deeper insight about the customers. This in turn will help the company to recognize better opportunities as fast as possible.
Red Bull’s intermediaries are named as the “channel champion” and considered to be the market leaders around Australia. It rather provides Red Bull the scopes for being placed in a variety of locations. Regarding the order processing, the company has enabled the order confirmation along with each order. The person who wants to purchase as a wholesaler have to put an order. The products are transported by the wholesalers by truck to the retail stores and the stores in turn sell to the people. It is seen that the shelf life of the Red Bull product is long. Hence, higher discounts are possible by higher purchase and it is beneficial too. The place where the product is sold leaves impact on the brand. The application of the intermediaries is highly profitable for the company, its distribution and its availability. It also needs to be noted that, the intermediary organizations utilize the data out of the distributors and the company received huge opportunities and bigger advantages.
Promotion- The promotion of a particular product connotes the set of activities related to the communication of the product value to the customers. It helps to maintain the relationships after persuading the public and informing them about the product. The product’s band equity is also impacted by the campaigns conducted for promoting the brand. The campaigns ultimately create a good impact on the sales and profitability. The primary fields of promotion used by the company are the advertising, social media, sponsorship and the sales promotion. The Red Bull brand uses some of the emotional languages and appeals for conveying the value and mission of the company to the customers. The heart touching visual approaches are also applied by the company which creates awareness though the chosen stimulation concentrated on specific attributes, brand and the marketing.
Additional Ps
The company also provides the seasonal free give aways that results in huge benefits for the company. It helps to connect the brand with the greater mass. The firm also possesses high social media activities and the special online campaigns are extremely effective for the company. As the measurement of the promotional strategy is finished of the Red Bull brand, it can be suggested that its marketing strategies are well formed, well- funded, thorough and properly –planned too. Although there are controversies regarding the strategy’s proving inefficient and ineffective for the athletes and might fail to associate with the primary message of the brand. On the other hand, the brand’s public message is equally powerful and helps to connect with the target market to the maximum.
Partnership – In the contemporary business world, the partnership is about the two firms that is aimed to enjoy better outcomes ad improved future. The partnership can be conducted between two enterprises which have common goals. The Red Bull company makes the best use of the co-branding partnership that has enabled them to become successful through the past years. Shared value is what the company looks forward and which can make the company a perfect pair connected with action and sports. Taken for example, Go Pro is a seller of portable cameras. The company captures the adventures from across the world to work as a tool for capturing race, sports and stunts, the energy drink of Red Bull makes best use of the experience and also the reputation for holding the sponsorship of these particular events. The co –branding partnership has its own challenges which the company might have to resolve in the future. The partnership with other business creates two business heads. There might arise issues about the partner’s liabilities. The risk of disagreement and friction also arises in the process.
People – This part in the marketing mix is essential because it is here that the company is seen to deal with people around. A company needs to manage the people along with its marketing. The people management of Red Bull is completely effective. The company is well-aware of the way it needs to handle the customers’ reviews and their queries. It also knows how to innovate among the people inside the organization. The timely delivery of the products is another strong point of the company. The company is successful in maintaining the relationships with the employees, the suppliers and the investors. The brand is highly well –known for delivering the kept promise to the customers.
Challenges Faced by Marketers Today
Process – The process of a company is always evolving. The establishment of a particular product covers so any aspects in order to satiate the requirements of the customers. Therefore, it s required to examine the product, the current market and make the marketing plan for a specific company. The process of operation for a company should be designed in such a way that it ensures the success of the company in the highly competitive industry. The Red Bull company works having a huge press coverage. The huge press coverage helps the company to inspire the potential customers know about the range of product the company offers and the its benefits. The company also conducts the promotional activities smoothly.
Physical Evidence- The physical evidence of the products of the company is made evident through the marketing campaigns. It is truly effective as it leverages the connection of the brad with the people around. The evaluation id conducted through evaluating the market share, the inventory, the customer satisfaction, the revenues and the amount of sales per salesperson. A dedicated team is employed by the company to conduct the surveys to ensure that the brand is liked by the customers. The evaluation process also includes the magazines and the newspapers.
- As far as the case of Red Bull is concerned, the company should try out other segments of products and switch to other products. The strategy of product diversification is highly effective for the company. It should keep in view the customer preferences, regarding the utility of the health drinks to increase the profits and the sales. It must aim to cater to the tastes of the customers and launch a new category of products. The core ingredients of the new product can be chamomile, lavender, basil and other herbs full of nutrients. It will help the company to eliminate the controversy on the use of taurine. The new product can be named as “Red Bull Herbal”.
- Although the company’ pricing strategy is fruitful and multiplied the success of the brand, it can be improved up to greater extent. The company should offer some of the occasional or seasonal discounts on the products. It will support the company to increase some bonus as far as profits is concerned. It can easily provide 20- 30 % discounts on the drinks in sports tournaments, Olympic games or commonwealth games ceremonies. This strategy can drive the customers towards the Red Bull drinks. The company can also utilize its celebrity endorsement strategy and bring any of them in the campaigns. It can also club up with other well-known companies like the MacDonald’s or the Domino’s for optimized profits and sales rates.
- The company’s using the intermediaries has been extremely useful for the company. Hence, the company can stick to its previous strategies and strengthen the effectiveness of the strategy. The main function of the distribution channels is that the company can enhance its priority. The building up of the marketing campaigns and the management of the relationships will help the company a lot. The performance tracking of the company can be a major area to focus on. In order to experience optimum results, the company should track the sales performance at every level of its distribution channel. The internal and the external communication must be kept clear. It should also evade the conflicts of price and resolve it as fast as possible for better relationships with the people.
- After analyzing the promotional strategy used by the company, it can be easily assumed that there are some areas the process of the company which needs some brushing up. The physical presence of the brand is required to be made powerful. It must advertise in a publicly visible place where a huge mass can be accumulated. The company campaigns should be short, brisk and effective. It should not be boring and should be attractive to the customers. The visual presentation should be full of intellectual arguments and all involving. A popular athlete can be brought about by the company for putting special attraction to the customers.
- The brand is recommended to tailor the products according to the customer needs. The partnership, the marketing plan and the employment of the company should also be like that. The current customer choice is to have the health benefit in the energy drinks. Hence, the Red Bull products can evade the controversy it faces by involving the partnership aspects strongly. the company can get engaged in a relationship with a well –qualified Doctor who prescribe nutritious food supplements. The food supplements can be the fish oil which can function as complementing each other.
- The company should also continue to survey on the people in order to know their opinions and preferences about the effectiveness of the products. The variety of flavors the company offers also needs to be evaluated.
Conclusion
Hence, from the current report it can be concluded that the Red Bull energy drink brand has a well-formed marketing strategy. The marketing strategy of the company has been scrutinized through the 8Ps of marketing mix. The report has properly described the 8 marketing mix concepts. theoretically. The report also has applied the elements to the product. The present report has measured the entire marketing scenario, the rivalry and the greater issues which the marketers are facing today, and provided recommendations to the brand too.
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