C&Cs Bulmers and Magners Brand - Research Proposal Example

MARKET RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR C&C'S 'BULMERS' AND 'MAGNERS' BRAND For many years, Cantrell and Cochrane, more often known as C&C, has completely dominated the beverages and snacks industry in Ireland. Its vast expansion in the past few years have gained the attention of many market analysts as its growing presence is felt significantly in the country (Manson, 2006). Hence, C&C has become a buzz word not only in the Irish market but also in European beverage and snacks industry. At present, C&C is the country's most recognized as the leading manufacturer and distributor of beverages and snacks in the country. Its rapid spread in the international market in liquor manufacturing is evident as more and more international distributors patronize the country's current leading brand in this industry (Manson, 2006). It has been two years since the company decided to include C&C on the Irish and London Stock Exchange. The initial public offering in May 2004 became an enormous success as numerous investors have been eyeing the company for years. This event has caused significant changes to the company's manufacturing and marketing departments. In addition to that, this public openness of the company to different investors has become the object of a great deal of criticisms when it comes to the company's privacy and the health and safety effects. Logically, beverage industry is one of the riskiest industries when it comes to the health and safety of employees (Paterson, 2001). Fortunately, the company has protected its employees and avoided the risks the different operations in beverage industry entail. Yet, the public stock offering was perceived by some analysts as catalysts in the different risks of the company. Also, the stock offering of the company in the international market has changed the market's perception of C&C from a private company to a mass-oriented enterprise. Hence, this research aims to investigate and analyse the changes the company underwent after its initial public offering. Consequently, this is a marketing research which will investigate the company's major brands such as Bulmers and Magners. The appropriate research design for this marketing research is descriptive, since it will be significantly based from facts which will be gathered from reliable sources such as the Bulmers' and Magners' financial reports for the past years. Other sources will include interviews and random surveys to the Irish market. This is essential in order to identify the public's perception of the company and what has to be changed to leverage the company's assets (Taylor, 2000). Basically, the population to be investigated comprises of the present market of Bulmers and Magners. This population will include both patronisers and nonpatronisers of Bulmers and Magners. They will be picked randomly and materials will be gathered through normative methods such as surveys and questionnaires. The materials gathered will be investigated, categorised and tabulated in order to be evaluated. The researcher will use statistical and nonstatistical methods to strategically interpret the materials gathered into stable conclusions. Thus, these statistical and nonstatistical methods to be used by the researcher, together with sufficient evidences, will represent the qualitative and quantitative interpretations. Basically, the major conclusions will comprise of the qualitative research. Yet, it has to be supported by quantitative results to further support the findings (Lowry, 1999). Moreover, there is an abundance of literature which may greatly help in evaluating the materials. The aim of this study is to expand that issue by collating and reviewing useful and related literatures. Determining the current position of Bulmers and Magners in Irish and international markets is helpful in drawing an overall picture of the situation, enabling the researcher to provide recommendations on how the current practices in the company can be improved to closely align the market positions of the two C&C brands. Although the research will start from literature search, the primary research methodology will comprise of normative strategies in gathering materials from the population to be investigated. Since this is a descriptive research, a great deal of the whole marketing research will comprise of qualitative data. However, quantitative materials will also be present in order to support the quantitative data presented by the researcher (Dizon, 2000). As discussed earlier, the research methods will include both statistical treatment and nonstatistical analysis of the materials presented. Yet, the data-gathering procedure will focus on normative schemes such as surveys and questionnaires. These methods aim to identify the current position of Magners and Bulmers in the market by gathering personal perceptions of the market of the two leading brands. From these sources, a comprehensive comparison of the two brands will be derived after a critical analysis of the market's reaction regarding the two C&C brands. Since the target population of the marketing research is both the Irish and the international beverage market, the researcher will utilize projective techniques to identify the focus groups. Theoretically, the most critical and significant part of this marketing research consists of evaluating the materials and analyzing the data gathered (Furlong, 2004). Thus, it demands a careful evaluation to derive accurate findings. For this to be achieved, the researcher will use strategic methods in evaluating the results and interpreting the findings. This will bring the researcher in deriving credible conclusions and substantial recommendations on how to further improve the performance of Bulmers and Magners in both Irish and international market. Also, the research aims to justly compare the two products of C&C and their performances as a local brand for beverages and snacks and as an international brand for liquors and spirits. Since the study focuses on C&C two leading brands, Bulmers and Magners, it will cause a reasonable deal of expenses. However, most of the expenses will be for employing a sufficient population of staff to collectively work on the core aspects of this marketing research. The staff necessary is for purposes of surveying the present market of the two brands and interpreting the results. Thus, it demands a reliable and experienced group of market analysts to critically evaluate and interpret the data to be collected from surveys and questionnaires. The reearch hopes to reveal the various perceptions of the market regarding Bulmers and Magners and the present position in Irish and international markets which will be based on the financial reports of the two brands. These may include the different legislations that C&C imposes on the two brands which may have greatly affected the marketing leadership of Bulmers and Magners. Therefore to summarise, it is expected that the study will give precise answers from each respondent regarding the market leadership of Bulmers and Magners. Reference List Dizon, A. (2000). Statistical treatment in business research. New York: Houghton. Furlong, F. (2004). Illinois: Kirbstone. Lowry, J. (1999). Marketing research. Edinburgh: Leonard House. Manson, D. (2006). Marketing: In European context. Newcastle: Mann & Phoenix. Paterson, J. (2001). Entrepreneurship: the pros and the cons. Wales: McHauff. Taylor, R. (2000). Business research. Edinburgh: Leonard House. Read More