aanc mark101 040512

Auctioneers Association of North Carolina April 5, 2012

Tom George • Director, Small Business

Center at Stanly Community College

• Adjunct Faculty at The Art

Institute

Market Research The Marketing Plan Industry Products Features & Benefits Customers Competition Niche Marketing Strategy Advertising & Promotion Promotional Budget Pricing Location Distribution Channels https://www.ncsbc.net/

Why utilize market research?

Why … - Identify potential customers - Understanding your existing customers - Set realistic targets - Develop effective strategies - Examine and solve business problems - Prepare for business expansion - Identify business opportunities

How to do marketing research

How to do marketing research

Primary – DIYS

▪ Survey

▪ Focus Groups

▪ Talk to your customers!

How to do marketing research

Primary – DIYS

▪ Survey

▪ Focus Groups

▪ Talk to your customers!

Secondary - published information such as industry profiles, trade journals, newspapers, magazines, census data, and demographic profiles.

How to do marketing research Primary – DIYS

▪ Survey

▪ Focus Groups

▪ Talk to your customers!

Secondary - published information such as industry profiles, trade journals, newspapers, magazines, census data, and demographic profiles.

Knowing your customer helps you plan.

What is a marketing plan?

What is a marketing plan?

It’s a systematic process of examining how your company/product or service stand in the marketplace.

What is a marketing plan?

It’s a systematic process of examining how your company/product or service stand in the marketplace.

Why do your need a plan?

What is a marketing plan?

It’s a systematic process of examining how your company/product or service stand in the marketplace.

Why do your need a plan?

It’s helps you determine where to place scare resources to maximum benefit.

The Marketing Plan Industry Products Features & Benefits Customers Competition Niche Marketing Strategy Advertising & Promotion Promotional Budget Pricing Location Distribution Channels https://www.ncsbc.net/

Facts about your industry Total size of your market

Percentage share of the market you have. (This

is important only if you are a major factor in the market.)

Current demand in target market Growth history

Trends in target market — growth trends, trends in consumer preferences, and trends in product development

Growth potential and opportunity for a business of your size What barriers to entry keep potential new competitors from

flooding into your market? High capital costs

High production costs High marketing costs

How could the following affect your business?

o Change in technology

o Government regulations o Changing economy o Change in your industry

Describe Products and Services from your customers’ point of view.

List all your major products or services. For each product or service, describe the

most important features. That is, what does the product do? What is special about it?

Now, for each product or service, describe its benefits. That is, what does the product do for the customer?

Identify your customers, their characteristics, and their geographic locations; that is, demographics.

The description will be completely different

depending on whether you sell to other businesses or directly to consumers. If you sell a consumer product, but sell it through a channel of distributors, wholesalers, and retailers, you must carefully analyze both the end user and the intermediary businesses to which you sell.

You may have more than one customer group. Identify the most important groups. Then, for each consumer group, construct a demographic profile:

Age

Gender

Location

Income level

Social class/occupation

Education

Other

What products and companies compete with you? List your major competitors, including their names and addresses.

Do they compete with you across the board,

just for certain products, certain customers, or in certain locations?

Now that you have systematically analyzed

your industry, your product, your customers, and the competition, you should have a clear picture of where your company fits into your market.

What is your Unique Value Proposition?

A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is a statement by which a company defines what sets its business apart from the competition. Without a UVP, a company may risk becoming lost in a sea of similar business models.

Promotion: How do you get the word out to customers? Advertising: What media do you use, why, and how often?

Has your advertising been effective? How can you tell? Do you use other methods, such as trade shows, catalogs,

dealer incentives, word of mouth, and network of friends or professionals?

If you have identifiable repeat customers, do you have a

systematic contact plan? Why this mix and not some other?

Outbound marketing Inbound marketing

Traditional Marketing

Newspaper

Radio

Tradeshows

Cold Calls

Email Blasts

Who Moved My Customers? People shop and learn in a whole new way

compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction. People now use the Internet to shop and gather information, but where on the Internet do they go—and how do they use the Internet for these activities? We can break the Internet down into three main areas. Search Engines, Blogs, Social Media

(Halligan, Brian. Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs. John Wiley &

Sons (P&T) pp. 6 - 7

Google, Bing, Yah00

SEM/SEO (Search Engine Marketing/ Optimization)

Google’s algorithm

Relevance

Authority

A blog will establish your company as a thought leader in your market.

Due to its dynamic nature and the fact you're creating new content on a regular basis, a blog will change your web site from an online brochure to a living, breathing hub for your marketplace.

A blog gives your potential customers a way to engage with you versus being hit with a premature sales pitch.

(Halligan, Brian. Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs. John Wiley &

Sons (P&T) p. 35).

Facebook – a social networking site allowing you to connect with your friends and their friends.

Twitter – “what are you doing how”. Only allows 140 characters.

LinkedIn – professional networking site allowing you to connect with potential prospects and partners. Great for business to business.

Pinterest - A content sharing service that allows members to "pin" images, videos and other objects to their pinboard.

AuctionZip Proxibid.com Ebay.com Other sites…

How much will you spend on the items listed above?

Should you consider spending less on some

promotional activities and more on others?

What is your pricing strategy? For most small businesses, having the lowest prices is not a good strategy. Usually you will do better to have average prices and compete on quality and service. Does your pricing strategy fit with what was revealed in your competitive analysis?

Compare your prices with those of your competition. Are

they higher, lower, the same? Why?

How important is price as a competitive factor? What are your payment and customer credit policies?

Analyze your location as it affects your customers. If customers come to your place of business: Is it convenient? Parking? Interior spaces? Not out of the

way?

Is it consistent with your image?

Is it what customers want and expect? Where is the competition located? Is it better for you

to be near them (like car dealers or fast-food restaurants) or distant (like convenience food stores)?

How do you sell your products or services? Retail

Direct (mail order, World Wide Web, catalog) Wholesale Your own sales force Agents Independent reps

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable” Dwight D. Eisenhower

Small Business Center Network - https://www.ncsbc.net/

Small Business Technology Development Center – www.sbtdc.org

SCORE – www.score.org

QUESTIONS?