The Copy Platform Selling strategy - Research Paper Example

The paper "The Copy Platform’s Selling Strategy" is a great example of a case study on marketing. Presently, markets for consumer goods are characterized by perfect competition. There are numerous sellers offering a variety of products at closely similar prices. This means consumers have a wide range of options when selecting the best seller of preferable products. Since product prices are almost similar, sellers have to specialize and differentiate their selling strategies as a means of not only attracting but also keeping customers.

Undeniably, selling strategies and related techniques depend on the nature of the marketing environment, the nature of products and most significantly the niche group or the target market. This means a selling strategy that works effectively in big metropolitans like Toronto may not necessarily prove effective in local towns like Halifax. Succeeding paragraphs of this business plan discusses potentially effective selling strategies for fruit juices in Halifax, Canada.  Marketing Environment in Halifax Prior to formulating any marketing techniques for the fruit juices, it is worth acknowledging the nature of marketing environments in Halifax.

First, Halifax is a local town popularly flocked by local visitors. The town does not offer numerous business opportunities for large scale foreign investors. However, Halifax is characterized by businesses related to recreation and quality of life. Aside from arty shops and recreational parks, one can easily spot bars and shops selling healthy food products like smoothies. For example, along Bayers Road in Fairview downtown, there are 11 bars selling juices and smoothies. In terms of potential consumers, this town’s population comprised mostly of the young university and college students.

In addition, family members, especially mothers and their children, frequent public parks and heritage sites for relaxation. Proximate Positioning Undeniably, the Halifax market for fruit juices and smoothies has many established competitors. In addition, young people and mothers make up the most likely niche market for healthy products. The first selling strategy for such markets is proximate positioning (Grant, 2013). Facts from the ground show that the leading fruit and smoothies bars in Halifax are clustered around Fairview and South End.

For example, top smoothie shops like Wild Leek, MR Smooth and The Mango Café are all found in the clustered locality. However, most learning institutions like college and university campuses are found in Lower Sackville and Dartmouth. Among the most populous colleges found in the area include Nova Scotia Community College, Medavie HealthEd and Success College. In this case, setting up a retailing shop in Lower Sackville or Dartmouth will prove effective in positioning the fruit juices close to the young consumers.

Cost Leadership Apart from proximate positioning of products to potential consumers, another selling strategy would involve cost leadership. Apart from the proximity of product sellers, consumers are also interested in pricing aspects (Grant, 2013). Currently, most fruit juice and smoothie bars sell a 500ml bottle for $1.59. In addition, most shops within Clayton Park West, which is a location popular among family members, sell 500ml smoothies at a price range of $1.39 – 1.99. Irrespective of the smoothies’ flavor and ingredients, it would be effective and profitable if a 500ml bottle of the products is priced lower than the competitors.

Admittedly, fruits and vegetables used in making our smoothies are acquired locally at an expensive cost. In addition, additives like sugar and preservatives are also acquired locally. This means the cost of producing the smoothies will be higher compared to the cost incurred by competitors. However, the cost leadership aspect can be realized by minimizing expenses on other tasks like brand awareness. Most competitors set prices based on the cost of producing and selling fruit juices. This means their current prices are inclusive of high brand awareness costs.

Therefore, minimizing spending on marketing will enable reduction of smoothie prices; hence facilitating execution of the cost leadership plan. Creating a Brand Lastly, creating brand features as another potential selling strategy for the fruit juices. A good brand inherently attracts consumers to purchase products. In order to create a brand for the fruit juices and smoothies, both hard and soft selling techniques will be employed. In Halifax, hard-selling can be conducted through unsolicited pitches.

Product sellers will have to personally approach college students coming from class and mothers in recreation parks in an attempt to capture their attention (Grant, 2013). In terms of soft selling, product packages and advertisement messages in billboards and flyers should carry perceived benefits of the fruit juices and smoothies. For example, each flavor of smoothies like that containing ginger, grape, apple, and celery must be depicted as possessing certain unique health benefits. Consequently, such hard and soft selling techniques will create a strong brand that motivates customers to buy the products.