Marketing Communications Strategy for the Chelsea Brown Sugar Range in the NZ Marketplace - Case Study Example

The paper "Marketing Communications Strategy for the Chelsea Brown Sugar Range in the NZ Marketplace" is a good example of a marketing case study. Our present task is to develop an appropriate fully integrated marketing communications strategy for the Chelsea Brown Sugar range in the New Zealand market and to formulate a promotional strategy that will be active for a full year commencing from June 2009. The objectives of a marketing communications strategy relate to the goals that an organization desires to achieve by way of promotional programs in terms of communicating to the target audience so that they become aware of the product, have detailed knowledge about it, can figure out images about the product, form attitudes that lead to customer loyalty for the product and further on lead to purchase decisions. Hence the objectives of a communication strategy for our product will primarily concentrate on increasing the level of awareness amongst the potential consumers and in tilting the attitude of the target audience towards Chelsea brown sugar so that desired sales results are achieved within the given time period of one year. Our objectives will relate to making the target customers aware of the advantages of shifting their preferences for Chelsea brown sugar by providing them with the basic knowledge of the product by various means using the promotional strategy so that they form an attitude that encourages them to go for our product. The objective is to maintain the prevailing demand levels for the product, introduce new varieties of the brand and to further increase the demand for the different varieties and brands of Chelsea brown sugar. The most challenging objective lies in identifying the target audience that has the maximum propensity and flexibility to shift their sugar purchase decisions for Chelsea Brown Sugar.

SWOT Analysis.

Strength

There is a strong reason for the Chelsea Sugar Company to proudly boast of its brand Chelsea Sugar, for it is an iconic brand name in the true sense, and the company has continued to occupy its place amongst the top 100 companies of New Zealand for the last several decades. Operating under the name of the New Zealand Sugar Company, Chelsea Sugar is a product that appeals to the consumer in a very sweet, emotional and sensual manner and is a household name in the country, having gradually diversified into several sugar-related products that range from sugars for everyday use such as normal white refined sugar, raw sugar, icing sugar and organic raw sugar to more varied and speciality sugar products like baking syrups and syrup toppings. Its range of brown sugar includes a lot of variants that can be suited to the palate of all age groups and segments, such as, raw sugar, organic raw sugar, soft brown sugar, dark cane sugar, coffee sugar and demerara sugar. The excellent brand image of the company is strongly embedded amongst customers and it has established itself strongly not only in New Zealand but also in Australia and all the South Asian countries. The company boasts of all its products being suitable for vegetarians and being Kosher and Halal certified and satisfactorily meets the demands of its national and international customers. A major strength of the company lies in its proactive strategy of being well equipped with comprehensive market knowledge as also in meeting the needs of its customers. It operates in an environment that is internationally competitive especially in view of the deregulation of the sugar industry done by the New Zealand government in 1986, whereby the New Zealand Sugar Company has to operate in a market that is exposed to free-market forces internationally. Most sugar companies in the world enjoy the patronage of local governments by way of tariffs, quotas and license systems to discourage import of foreign sugar, but in New Zealand, Chelsea Sugar continues to be the market leader despite such challenging circumstances, which is indeed the core strength of the company.