Launching a BPA-free Product Line With Event Marketing - Assignment Example

?Launching a BPA-free Product Line With Event Marketing Executive Summary Event marketing is a relatively new addition to marketing strategies that achieve multiple objectives. This report chronicles how a new line of Bisphenol-A-free products of Nuby was launched in an event, with Parents Magazine and HealthyChildren.org as the event organizers. Bisphenol-A is a toxic material that had been found in polycarbonate feeding bottles of babies. The product launch showcases safe feeding bottles and other feeding products which are safe to use for infants and toddlers. The report also describes how stakeholders were involved in the event and which marketing communication strategies were included in the marketing communication mix. Introduction Nuby, considered the world’s number 1 infant care feeding and teething company has come up with a new line of products which are Bisphenol A- (BPA) free. BPA is a toxic substance found in polycarbonate plastic which is used in baby bottles (Klotter, 2006). It is an endocrine disrupter which is a toxic substance that interferes with hormonal functions regulating reproduction, normal cell growth, among others. Grossman (2007) reports that chronic and continued exposure to Bisphenol A may lead to diseases related to the reproductive system such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, cystic ovaries, and endometriosis. Polycarbonate bottles used as babies can have long term consequences in children. To prevent exposure to this health risk, Nuby has created baby bottles, cups and toys that are Bisphenol-A free. These are relatively more expensive than the regular polycarbonate ones, but considering the safety of children from the fatal risks, they are definitely worth it. Main Findings Nuby has approached Parents’ Magazine which advertises its products, to launch its new line of BPA-free products. These are feeding bottles, sippers, cups and bowls for infants and toddlers which are not made of polycarbonate material and which are free from the toxic substance, Bisphenol-A. Nuby has created such “products to eliminate any risk or doubt and offer parents the safest option” (Nuby website, 2013). Parents Magazine invited HealthyChildren.org to co-organize the event launch since this organization has the “only parenting website supported by 60,000 pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults” (HealthyChildren.org.). Having doctors speak about Bisphenol A is a responsible act in promoting health issues concerning parents and their children. Both organizations, Parents’ Magazine and HealthyChildren.org will add credibility to the endorsement of the new line of Nuby products. Both organizations are opinion leaders and opinion formers that can greatly influence the preferences of consumers. Event marketing is presented as a way to build brand equity (Keller, 2009). Band equity is the “added value” which a given brand provides a certain product (Farquhar, 1989). In the case of Nuby products, being BPA-free is the brand equity. Promoting its use is an ethical thing to do instead of just letting people continue with their old habits of purchasing polycarbonate products to use with their children. Baines et al (2011) contend that marketing communication methods are used to spread information about an organization’s products and services while engaging a target audience. The marketing communication format should have specific objectives as to the desired responses of the audience. Planning the product launch of Nuby’s new line of BPA-free feeding bottles is guided by the planning framework of De Pelsmacker (2010) Analysis of Exhibition Process Wohfeil and Whelan (2006) describe event marketing as interactive communication of brand values by engaging consumers in a marketing event resulting in their emotional attachment to the brand. Zarantonello & Schmitt (2013) compare event marketing to be more direct, and highly interactive than the distant, one-way broad-based nature of mass media advertising. Having consumers attend a marketing event engages them in first-hand experience with the product being marketed. This is likely to result in memorable brand experience leading to patronage. For this particular product launch, the following are set as objectives: To educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of Bisphenol A To present the new line of products by Nuby that supports the healthy development of babies and toddlers. To market Nuby as a supplier of high quality baby products which are safe for babies and young children. To promote developmentally- appropriate parent-child activities as a way to bond. To advertise Parents’ Magazine and gain more subscribers. To acquire a list of potential customers/ subscribers to the organizations behind the event, namely Nuby, Parents’ Children Magazine and HealthChildren.org. for future references/ invitations to other events/ activities. Stakeholders of this event are parents of infants and toddlers, caregivers, hospital workers and anyone involved in the care of babies and toddler and young children. The main stakeholders are of course, infants and young children since they will use the products themselves. What will determine the stakeholders’ involvement in this event? Kroeber-Riel and Weinberg (2003) explain that it is the stakeholder’s cognitive engagement and his subsequent participation in the activity that will initiate his involvement. If the issue or advertised message is of personal relevance, then it can be a basis in forming reasoned buying decisions (Coulter, Price and Feick, 2003; Geuens and de Pelsmacker, 1998). In this particular event, it is the concern of the stakeholder regarding the safety and health of their children by using Bishphenol A-free products. In addition to the added knowledge they will gain about Bisphenol A-free products, the added features of activities for their own children can heighten their interest and involvement. This feature also engages them emotionally as it gives them an opportunity to bond with their children. Such experiences in the event strengthen their association with the product being launched. Planning the event entails a marketing communication mix. The following strategies are selected for this event: 1. Advertising: Since the organizers, Parents Magazine and HealthyChildren.org both have a wide audience and are both good venues to advertise an event to further benefit their readers, then they could place an invitation in their magazine/ websites to capture possible participants. Apart from posting an invitation, they can also publish an informative article about the risks of using bottle feeders, sippers, cups, etc. that are not BPA-free along with the endorsement of Nuby as a manufacturer of BPA-free products. The article whets their appetite to learn more about the issue, and this is the opportunity to announce that they can get more information as well as a chance to win Nuby products if they attend the event. 2. Sales Promotion Another marketing strategy to boost the sales of the product is to introduce sales promotion during the event itself. Market prices are slashed to reflect huge discounts for participants of the event. Parents Magazine can likewise take advantage of this by handing out free samples of their magazines and likewise a discounted price for subscription. HealthyChildren.org can give out hand-outs of their published articles as well as invite the participants to be members of their site. It is one way of broadening their market for future advertisers in their website. 3. Public Relations Use of public relations can also drive attention to the brand. Fill (2010) contends that public relations include activities which form the attitudes and opinions of stakeholders about the brand and organizations associated with it. In relation to the event, Nuby can be asked to donate some of their BPA-free products to an orphanage. Through a press release, the brand will be perceived as sensitive to ethical and environmental issues and project a positive reputation to stakeholders and potential customers. It will also strengthen Nuby’s corporate social responsibility principles, as they show care for underprivileged children and provide them with quality products. 4. Social Media Apart from the companies’ official websites, social media networks can be useful avenues to advertise the event launch. Creating accounts for the event in Facebook and Twitter can help build brand awareness and gain followers. Such accounts can update followers of new products, news related to the brand and upcoming activities in relation to the brand and products. Dann and Dann (2011) add that social media network sites build relationships and branding, driving traffic to the company’s website and sharing stories about the brand/ firm via the platform. Inventory People in charge of the event should consider the following: Is there a budget available for the product launch, and where will it come from? Is there an available venue that is accessible to the target market? What are the logistics involved? Will there be staff available to help out? How many and how should they be compensated for their services? What are the demographics of the target participants and how will the selected communication mix reach them? How can good attendance in the event be ensured? When these are all confirmed and ironed out, then they are ready for the next step. Preparation This is the period when the communication mix takes off in order to promote the event. Advertisements are placed in print and social media hopefully making Bisphenol A a buzzword. It is also the time when the sponsors and organizers are briefed on the event details as when the props and materials are purchased and the venue confirmed. Agenda for the event as well as traffic flow is readied. Concept development The target audience, parents, caregivers, and hospital workers will attend a seminar on Bisphenol A given by paediatricians from HealthyChildren.org. This is when the new line of Nuby products will be endorsed. Young children are welcome to attend the event since there shall be featured attractions for them such as a baby gym set up, storytelling, arts and crafts and parent-child bonding activities which are all promoted by Parents Magazine. Realization During the event itself, participants register on the reception area. The sales promotion strategy can be done in one area of the event venue. Here, participants can avail of discounts on the Nuby products which they would not have elsewhere. The main activity will be forums conducted by professionals in child care. Pediatricians from HealthyChildren.org will present studies related to the use of products infected by BPA. The effective use of videos and graphics will add to the engagement of the participants. Following this would be another open forum on developmentally-appropriate practices and activities for young children facilitated by educators and child psychologists invited by Parents Magazine. The participants, engaged in presentations and forums on subjects of interest to them will be very much involved in learning from the facilitators. The application of learning from the forum on developmentally appropriate activities shall be done when the parent participants join their young children in the featured activities for the little ones. Some art activities, storytelling activities, etc. sponsored by Parents Magazine not only strengthens brand equity for the magazine but more importantly, the participants are educated on good parenting. Evaluation forms shall be distributed to the participants. They will be asked about their feedback on the experiences they had during the event. Their responses will determine if the objectives of the event are met or not. The evaluation forms must be duly filled out including contact information of the participants. Collection of contact information will be for the database of customers and potential customers of Nuby, Parents Magazine and HealthyChildren.org. Upon submission of the evaluation forms, the participants will be handed a giveaway pack of some minor Nuby products, a sampler of Parents’ Magazine and a pamphlet on health with children’s coloring pages from HealthyChildren.org. Evaluation The post-event evaluation shall examine how the event turned out and if the objectives were met. Evaluation questions should be considered such as:”Were the participants educated on the dangers of Bisphenol A?”, “Were the new products of successfully presented and did a lot of the participants avail of the discounted products?”; “ “Was Nuby presented as the number one supplier of high quality baby feeding products throughout the marketing period and during the event?”; “Were the organizers, Parents Magazine and HealthyChildren.org given enough recognition and mileage throughout the marketing period and the event itself? Did they gain more subscribers from the participants?” among others. Meeting the objectives as well as gaining a small margin of profit instead of loss is important outcomes of the marketing event. Evaluating both can point out the strengths and weaknesses of the event, which must be considered in consequent event planning. Conclusion Event marketing is an interesting and exciting strategy in marketing communication. However, planning the event can be tedious. It entails the use of a variety of advertising strategies in the planned marketing communication mix. The partnership of some organizations in planning an event can be an effective way to complement each other and be equally promoted in the event. In this product launch, the Nuby brand, Parents Magazine and HealthyChildren.org all benefitted from the event because they complemented each other and shared the same goals and vision for the healthy development of children. Recommendation In marketing products and services, it is recommended to select appropriate platforms and strategies to gain exposure and attract the right market. However, going the extra mile like including educational objectives and/or addressing environmental or ethical concerns in doing so would be a much better strategy that makes marketing a win-win situation for everyone. References Baines, P., Fill, C. & Page, K. (2011) Marketing 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Coulter, R., Price, L.L. and Feick, L. 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Retrieved on 20 Nov. 2013 from http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/08/02/bisphenol/ HealthyChildren.org (2013) Website retrieved on 19 November 2013 From http://www.healthychildren.org/english/our-mission/Pages/default.aspx Keller, K.L.(2009) Building strong brands in a modern marketing communications environment. Journal of Marketing Communications, 15(2-3), 139-155. Klotter, J. (2006) Polycarbonate Plastic Bottles & Bisphenol. A Townsend Letter October Kroeber-Riel, W. and Weinberg, P. (2003) Konsumentenverhalten, 8. Aufalge, Munchen: Vahlen. Nuby (2013) Website retrieved on 19 November 2013 from http://nuby.com/en/about/philosophy/ Wohfeil, M. & Whelan, S. (2006), “Consumer Motivations to Participate in Marketing-Events: The Role of Predispositional Movement”, European Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 7, pp. 125-131. Zarantonello, L. & Schmitt, B. H. (2013) The impact of event marketing on rand equity: The mediating roles of brand experience and brand attitude, International Journal of Advertising, 32(2), pp. 255–280 2013 Read More