Marketing Strategy - Research Paper Example

 Marketing strategy The marketing strategy offers guideline on how the company will concentrate all available resources in achieving optimal performance, through increased sales and competitive advantage sustainability. Understanding the business environment remains fundamental in ensuring implementation of a successful marketing strategy (Shaw, 2012). The company operations occur within a multinational setting with different logistical regulations in the different countries and states, where services are provided. The industry remains highly competitive; therefore, marketing strategies adopted must ensure the company remains competitive. The marketing strategy remains focused on ensuring the business becomes positioned, strategically within the industry for sustainability of operations. Competitor analysis There are numerous companies providing logistical services within the region providing intense competition. Within the African region, many logistics companies are local and have limited exposure to international logistics business. The company intends to utilise the business experience gained in offering logistical services within different states. This will become essential in ensuring quality of services offered, displayed through quick and timely delivery of services. Many of the companies operating within the industry offer logistical services in transportation of manufactured goods. As a company operating a farm, the company will offer logistical services for agricultural products. This will become a relatively new aspect which could be essential in achieving sustainable competitive advantage (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2003). The company will maximise on the weaknesses of existing competitors in gaining a competitive advantage, ultimately achieving sustainability in the business. Strength The fundamental strength for the competitor comes from their specialisation in offering logistics on manufactured goods. Many logistic providers within the regions transport manufactured goods limiting their experience in transportation of other products. The company will provide logistical services for agricultural products as well, to ensure differentiation within the business Weakness Many of the competitor companies operate within the local states and lack exposure in providing similar services at the international level. The company will effectively utilise this weakness to ensure provision of cross-border logistics and increase its market share. The international experience and presence will enable the company to offer logistics services to increased numbers of clients. Differentiation Differentiation remains an essential business strategy utilised in gaining a competitive advantage within a highly competitive business environment. Differentiation includes making a company services unique and creating an identity within a crowded business environment. The company intends to begin offering trucking services for agricultural non-perishable products within the African market. With numerous African regions facing continuous shortage of food, offering transportation services for agricultural products will attract surmountable customers within the organisations providing relief food. With many organisations covering several countries, the global aspect of the company will become a fundamental element in undertaking these business ventures. Having been involved in growing of barley, the company already has the capacity to transport similar agricultural products like, dry maize and beans. Market leadership The company will undertake a market leadership approach in performing the various business operations within the regions covered. The company will focus on offering services across the borders as many of the competitor companies have continued to offer services with limited coverage. The increased coverage of the services will ensure the company becomes a market leader within a wide region. The company will focus on attracting clients seeking transportation of various goods and commodities across different countries. The multinational approach taken by the company seeks to capture the international logistics especially within the African region. Through intensive marketing and business advertisement, the company will achieve significant leadership in providing logistics services across the African nations. The company will seek to partner with small logistic companies in different countries, to provide logistics on behalf of the company. Similarly, the company will provide cross-border logistics on behalf of the partner companies. The company will also consider making acquisitions of local logistics firms within different countries as a way of gaining significant market share, aimed at enhancing the capacity to become market leaders. The business environment analysis Performing a business environmental analysis remains essential in understanding the appropriate approaches to be utilised in gaining required market share and competitive advantage (Homburg, Kuester, & Krohmer, 2012). This includes understanding the external environment consisting of clients, competitors, markets and companies. The analysis seeks to identify different trends, issues and expectations of different stakeholders. The analysis includes different factors affecting the business environment as discussed below. Political factors - These will include the taxation and trade regulations existing within the different states where the company shall be operating. The company will have to comply with different regulations imposed by each country and state regarding international trade and taxation. Economic factors - The economic levels within the different regions have significant variations in terms of inflation, unemployment and recession. The company will undertake trade using the different currencies utilised in the different countries to eliminate the effects of stronger currencies affecting business operations. Socio-cultural factors - The socio-cultural factors which might affect the business include, language, religion, cultural values and beliefs, and time orientation of the different regions. Technological factors - These factors will include elements regarding utilisation of technology within different regions. These include the utilisation of internet, social and electronic media in undertaking business. Environmental factors - Environmental factors will include the presence of competition within the business environment, which remains omnipresent. Legal factors - There are different legal elements being regulated by the governments within the different regions. These will include laws governing the logistics business, labour laws, advertising laws among others which might affect the business. Mergers The economic occurrences within different regions have had catastrophic effects upon the logistics industry. Increased job cuts have been continuously witnessed in the industry as companies seek to reduce operating costs. The desire to increase capacity, as business increases, has however resulted in considerable mergers within the industry. Mergers have become the current trend for achieving significant market share within many regions. The company will utilise partnership as opposed to mergers in seeking to become a market leader in the industry. Partnerships have been identified as better option to mergers as the company seeks to retain identity and culture throughout the region(Homburg et al., 2012). References Fleisher, C., & Bensoussan, B. (2003). Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition. New York: Prentice Hall. Homburg, C., Kuester, ‎Sabine, & Krohmer, ‎Harley. (2012). Marketing Management - A Contemporary Perspective (p. 671). New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Shaw, E. (2012). Marketing strategy: From the origin of the concept to the development of a conceptual framework. Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, 4(1), 30–55.  Read More