Simulation Perceptual Maps in Marketing - Research Paper Example

To position products in increasingly crowded markets, marketing managers must understand the dimensions through which customers perceive products or services, and the firms offering relative to competitive offerings (Garry et al., 2007). Perceptual maps are used by marketing managers to improve a company’s existing or new product in the market by capturing significant factors that define the competitive structure of the product as well as mapping consumer expectations of the product (Garry et al., 2007). Thorr Motors for example has used these maps to design a marketing plan for their high brand. Scholar Clemente defines these maps as processes through which the perception of consumers on an existing commodity is charted. I will attempt to discuss the three simulation phases and recommended solutions and results.

Phase I: this involves perceptual mapping. The situation here is a decrease in sales due to brand image. This is so because the Cruiser Thorr’s target consumers were aging and their tastes had begun to outgrow the lifestyle that Cruiser Thorr symbolizes. In addition to this issue, youthful customers had more interest in lower-priced motorcycles due to their lower personal disposable incomes. Maps that were perceptual were used to position Cruiser Thorr’s position in the market in terms of consumer perceptions. The parameters for mapping included price, services offered, lifestyle image, and quality engineering. Since the Cruiser Thorr’s image was being outgrown by the target audience which was aging, lifestyle image was chosen. The mapping of the image was useful in maintaining a level of the image that satisfies both younger and older customers.

Lifestyle image was important to Thorr as it had the potential to influence a customer’s decision to buy a Cruiser Thorr because of its representation.  Since perceptual maps are visual representations of a customer's opinion of a brand and the Lifestyle Image of Cruiser Thorr is that of masculinity and mobility, Thorr Motorcycles should make changes regarding the consumer image in the wake of decreasing sales, so as to be able to bring back the profits the Cruiser Thorr had before. Marketing is not only about selling and advertising, it also affects products and the consumers in the economic system and organizations must understand how this happens. Simulation helps perfectly in this in that it helps construct and use perceptual maps so as to create effective marketing plans like for Thorr’s motorcycle brand.

Phase II: phase two of simulation is about the product, either introducing a new product into the market or repositioning the existing one. The situation involves a decrease in sales of Cruiser Thor and the need to come up with a market plan able to reposition Cruiser Thorr to effectively and efficiently launch a new product of motorcycle. The top judgment for the association was aimed at repositioning Cruiser Thorr through financing solutions and boosting services. By providing financing alternatives and rising services Thorr Motorcycles Inc can open doors for possible consumers who may have had the feeling that the Cruiser Thorr was further than their reach especially younger viewers who may already have shown great interest and passion in the Cruiser Thorr.

Recommended Solutions: The solutions here are in the area of reforming engineering in terms of quality, pricing, and services. Quality engineering touches on every aspect or quality of the commodity or product, including style, design, engine capacity, and more importantly, the design of the engine. Quality engineering has a high market impact on the product and could increase sales by meeting the customers’ needs in terms of quality, thus increasing the organization’s level of credibility of its products. Pricing is also very important to customers as it influences decisions to make a purchase for an item or not. Having a high price is okay as long as the quality and credibility of the product are met as opposed to creating low-priced products while compromising on quality. A recommendation therefore would be to create quality products that would attract customers and no matter the pricing, sales will improve.

Phase III: is about market research results after a year. The current situation is low sales for Thorr’s Cruiser but with a good mapping of the product, research, and improvement of quality of the products to meet the perceived image of the product, sales will shoot up. For instance, the World Wide Web would be a good advertising avenue as it would allow potential customers a better chance to view and notice the product rather than just sticking to showrooms that are not accessible to many people. Such marketing research and plans would considerably increase sales of Thorr.

Relationship between positioning and differentiation
The mutual relationship between positioning and differentiation of products and services usually relates to both product or service features being offered. The simulation repositioning went very much the same way as it should. I had the knowledge and understanding that repositioning may be helpful in the product and its simulation during the product repositioning.

Product Life Cycle Impact on Marketing
The product life cycle impact on marketing is basically the fact that conditions, mostly those economic in nature, will force several reformulations of the marketing strategy during the life cycle of the product (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 335). During the simulation, the lifecycle of the product impacted the commodity through the fact that there was a decrease in sales, which called for a marketing plan makeover. The simulation described the process of how the life cycle can greatly impact the image and the sales of the product.