Analysis Of Population Services International - Case Study Example

Population Services International The Bangladesh based company engages in production of products aimed at improving the social welfare of human beings across the globe. As a nonprofit making organization, Population Services International (PSI) engages in production of contraceptives and condoms and markets the products in the global markets at reduced prices. However, the final consumer of the products reflects different perceptions, beliefs, and needs in accordance to their societal and religious values.

The company markets the condoms under the globally recognized brand name referred to as Raja, while packaging and selling the contraceptive under the name of Maya (Rangan 2). The following discussions targets on implementing the plan of executing as desired, the meaning of social marketing and the prevailing differences with conventional marketing among other key significant aspects affecting the company. The brand name “Maya” connotes beauty in the official language of Bangladesh and refers to a contraceptive pill produced by the PSI Company.

Despite the marketing and advertising made by the company to ensure that the sales of Maya increase accordingly as those of Raja, the sales turnover have continuously dwindled thus threatening the company’s future expectations. Therefore, it of salient need to resolve the situation before the company hits an alarming rate as the contraceptive loses relevance and its sales eventually decline in the market. The proper plan focused on by the management and perceived as the most accurate is the change of brand name.

Through intense researches, the company realizes that the target clients perceive the oral pill as part of medication and will decline to make its purchases whenever the name seems to contradict them. The most appropriate plan to achieve sales of the contraceptive is by changing the name Maya to a term that is more relevant to medicine thus people will be able to take it as medicine (Rangan 4). Differences occur in different marketing programs, for instance, social marketing programs differ from conventional marketing programs.

Social marketing programs revolve around the issue of marketing products that enhance the welfare of human beings and there are no specific intentions to yield profits from the customers. For example, the PSI Company practices social marketing for its products whereby it creates knowledge to the target customers and eventually encourages governments and other organization to subsidize the costs so that it may eventually reach the target clients. Through conventional marketing, the company aims at advertising the products through telephone-marketing, direct mail marketing, and blogs (Rangan 6).

Therefore, social and conventional marketing of the PSI products may differ, but eventually will target to achieve the same goals and objectives. Population Services International boasts over the market competence of the Raja condom. Initially, the company realized of the supreme and divine respect held upon the name Raja which was an ancient title to their kings and emperors. The company’s decision making team perceived that Raja would be an appropriate title for the condom because of the relevance and fame held upon the title.

Eventually, the brand name captured the desired clientele and accumulated 50% of the total market share. The Bangladesh government exposes PSI Company to vulnerability of competition as it offers its products freely to the citizens while the company has to sell them to have the ability of further productions. However, the PSI Company remains relevant and competitive in the Bangladesh market as it dominates 50% market share against rival companies. On the contrary, PSI’s Maya contraceptive lags behind and shows incompetence over other contraceptives whether cheap or expensive, for example Ovastat, Ovral and Lyndiol (Rangan 7).

The country’s citizens portray erroneous approaches to medical practices as most of them purchase medical products without any medical prescriptions whatsoever. They describe of the specifications of their illness and further dictate on the drug that they perceive as adequate to cure the ailment. The research survey shows the consumption of drugs and food was more than that of durable commodities. The distribution process of the PSI products in Bangladesh starts from the company’s delivery chain, to the wholesalers, from the wholesalers to the retailers who eventually market them to the final consumer.

Despite PSI being a nonprofit making organization, the government does not help in the free distribution of the products thus; PSI incurs considerably high costs in reaching all the market segments with hindrances from the terrain of the land and poor infrastructure (Rangan 8). Since Maya has failed to impact the desired market relevance upon the target clients, it would be of importance to change the brand name and originate with a most appropriate brand name to the product. In relation to other contraceptives in the market, Maya’s name originates from a beauty queen while the major competitor’s names imply the meaning of medicine to clients.

Therefore, the management should adapt to a name related to medicine, reposition the product, and engage in new design while maintaining the low prices, and advertising on its importance to the clients. The sales are likely to increase considerably thus suiting the company with the best competitive advantage (Rangan 10). In conclusion, it is my presumption that the project council in the PSI Company shall perceive the above remedy as of intrinsic value to the company, and subsequently adapt and implement to the company’s operations.

Work cited Rangan, Kasturi, V. Population Services International: The Social Marketing Project in Bangladesh. Harvard Business School, 2007. Print. Web. March 18, 2013. http://api.ning.com/files/bO0IcpS-hMke6Pxdl3SGz8pklVPlrF-Aus9RfkB8bl*rr6hMk5KgHwxENtWrEPORImMfxxD2HDrWQ*wBlDjWR4nXAoDeM2Ts/Session3PSI.pdf