The Service Marketing Plan of SPCA - Case Study Example

Marketing plan of SPCA 1 Background SPCA is a charity organization started in Hong Kong in the year 1903 as RSPCAHK but became active in 1921. Its purpose is to enhance animal welfare and not only in that region but in the entire China. (Orwell, 2005, p. 67). The organization is not a governmental organization therefore; it operates under elected committee members. Its operation funds are attained from public donations, fund-raising, membership money etc. as animal welfare organization in Hong Kong (Orwell, 2005). Its main objective is to promote kindness to animals and prevent them from cruelty. In 1922 the first fund-raising was held to promote growth of the organization and after in 1934 they opened a new dog’s home which was enlarged from the previous one (Silverman, 1992). After the World War II, an office was also constructed in Central with funds from Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club and in 1967 three years after office construction animal clinic opened which was also funded by the same club (Silverman, 1992). The society was recognized as RSPCAHK, from 1983 the organization kept growing, more clinics were opened until 1999 when they started redevelopment of the Kowloon Centre, and it was completed in 2001. Here the principles of SPCA were set out (Silverman, 1992). Vision It is to ensure that all the sick pets (puppies, kittens, dogs, and cats) in the states are well taken care of in terms of getting the right medication and being given the right meals, they need (Silverman, 1992). To make sure that they are readily available for response in case of any emergency arises in the state. This is done by responding immediately in case of seriously sick, injured or diseased animals (Orwell, 2005). They collect the unwanted animals through request. To create home for the unwanted animals and strays through accepting them and making temporary kennels for shelter as they build permanent ones with time (Orwell, 2005). They take complete care for the adopted animals unlike those, which have homes, and they are there because their owners are not within (Orwell, 2005). Animal ambulances are provided to pet owners willing to take their pets to veterinary clinic and veterinary services are carried on twice in a week to treat outpatient animals and those in kennels (Silverman, 1992). They handle cases concerning animal cruelty in the public. They give public education through individuals, organizations and schools on the importance of taking care of their animals (Orwell, 2005). Mission It is to endorse kindness to animals, to defend them and care for their health and welfare, to enhance respect for life in the society and finally, prevent them from cruelty (Orwell, 2005). Marketing analysis Situation Analysis- When a caring pet owner wants to travel, the only best place to leave it is in SPCA organization where it is taken care of until the owner picks it (Silverman, 1992). Since the services of SPCA are good, its marketing has been going on very well due to this kind of situation arising (Orwell, 2005). Below is a summary of how the market has been growing. A good record of the market information is held by the organization that enables them to know the great transactions they mostly have with their quality and loyal customers who are majorly prized. So that the customers get to understand the services they are offered and what is required for them they are given the information (Orwell, 2005). Market Needs- when a pet owner is leaving his/her pet is always sure that it is provided with a foster care. The animals are kept in a fenced yard home whereby they get to interact and play together etc (Silverman, 1992). The following is significant benefits to their customers:- Customer service- Good attention is paid to them as they take to them their pet for care. Accessibility- The home where the animals are kept is located in a convenient area for all customers and its closure and opening time when they are supposed to pick and drop them is also convenient for them (Orwell, 2005). Selection- there is many options given to dog/ pet owners. Competitive pricing- according to the kind of services offered to the pets, there must be reasonable prices put on place (Silverman, 1992). Market Trends- there is an improvement of the kind homes the animals had and the foster homes they are currently provided with because previously they had loveless and sterile homes (Orwell, 2005). However, kennel was the only service option available to be sufficient with it a when there was a need to travel. Currently things have changed since foster homes have been made whereby they accommodate the pets when the owners are traveling and this make both the pet and the owner be excited about it (Silverman, 1992). Areas in which the customer is being discriminative are as follows: Ideal facilities- pet owners to some extent see it better for them to leave their pets in someone’s home than leaving them in a cage because when at home they have a yard to roam thus being free (Orwell, 2005). Assurance of security and love- The pet owners value the care their animals will be offered thus being sure of their protection and love in foster homes (Orwell, 2005). Personal attention- the leader in the foster home gives attention to the pets and their family does so (Orwell, 2005). In addition, the dog is taken for a daily walk which makes the owner be pleased much more and make them be attracted to this organization more and more (Silverman, 1992). Market Growth-In the year 1999 the SPCA industry scale reached $21 million and the market growth is expected to be at the rate of 5% and the places for foster near the market are expected to grow at the rate of 9%. The new beginning of this place is a factor of enhancement of this high growth rate (Orwell, 2005). The second factor for this is that, many people in the country are highly attached to their animals yet they do not have enough time to take care of them since they need to work and the working hours are long so they have less time for them. This has made the pet owners decide to look for a better place for them when they are travelling (Silverman, 1992). Competition- it is always consider better for a pet to be left at its original home when its friend is going for work. This is preferred mostly when there is a close neighbor whereby the dog can see the neighbors’ pet and play with them (Silverman, 1992). On the other hand, in some homes there is no option rather than taking it to the kennels, which makes them unhappy about it although while in kennels there are some walking areas for them and they can be taken for a walk (Orwell, 2005). The other problem comes in when they bark a lot by the time they are released/picked to go back home they end up having laryngitis. The home keeping of the pets makes the market competition to be high since many people would not like their pets to have this laryngitis so they will prefer leave them home (Silverman, 1992). Product It is an element, which is achieved after processing work is done. Any customer willing to work with the SPCA organization expects or even ensures that their products are the best (Silverman, 1992). A good example for the very best product in this organization is by being shown a pet which was seriously injured or sick and the organization has made its best to restore the life of that pet through vaccination of the dog against what it was suffering from and nice feeding of the dog (Silverman, 1992). When a customer sees this he/she gets a clear picture of how good their products are. During production there is always a product life cycle. The cycle in this organization is as follows: Introduction- It is the first stage of the cycle whereby the animal has been adopted by the organization. In this stage, the animal is checked whether it might be suffering from any disease or injured so that it can be treated (Silverman, 1992). Growth- The stage in which the animals are feed with the right food and a quality one to enhance their growth. They can also be marketable while in this stage as long as they will be well cared for (Orwell, 2005). Maturity stage- At their maturity stage, the dogs are marketable and they are seen to be very healthy thus, many pet lovers can easily be attracted to them. Decline stage- Pets as SPCA product, they need to be marketed (Orwell, 2005). When they do not get buyers, they might end up edging while still under SPCA organization, thus their value also declining. Such animals end dying in their adopted homes (Silverman, 1992). Physical Evidence Facilitate design- It is the design of the product of the organization that is, it’s outward appearance (Silverman, 1992). In terms of the SPCA as an organization, its facility design is that it has small piece of land compared to the population of the animals kept in it. That’s why during donations they also expect land donations so that they may increase their shelter and more roaming ground/backyard (Orwell, 2005). Visual- To prevent destruction of their products, they display their services in form of images which help in displaying the kind of services they offer to animals (Orwell, 2005). In doing this they create attractiveness to pet owners hence making them feel that they need to take their pets there and have the same service (Orwell, 2005). In case some of the customers need physical evidence, that’s when the organization can give an example of the best pet they have which makes the customers create trust in them (Silverman, 1992). Employees dress- Employees are the other physical evidence that can be used to market the organization products. Mostly when a customer visits SPCA organization usually ask questions like; how are they able to manage such large number of pets, the kind of food and its quality the animals are given etc (Orwell, 2005). If the employee answering those kinds of questions gives a negative answer paused to their product there might be loose of customers. Their dressing also communicates a lot about the organization (Orwell, 2005). Functionality- There is also a need to know how an organization operates for example; the time it is opened and closure time, the working days in a week, the kind of animals accepted in the organization etc. Process In other words process can be defined as the procedures or steps followed until the organization succeeds (Orwell, 2005). SPCA organization started by adopting the unwanted pets in the society, then later they included the services for the pets left alone at home when the owners go to work(Silverman, 1992). Although the SPCA organization started operating long time ago, there is shortage of employees. Lack of payment leads to lack of employees. However, the success for this is enhanced by the donations the SPCA gets from the well-wishers (Silverman, 1992). SWOT Strengths: The SPCA has requested the local municipals and government to impose for penalties charges for those who comet crimes against pets (Orwell, 2005). SPCA department of veterinary services work together with the animal inspectors to investigate any complains concerned with animal neglect and abuse. Since the SPCA is concerned about the welfare of animals, they provide vaccinations for stray animals, highly subsidized foods etc for their animals in the community (Silverman, 1992). Weaknesses: They receive a very large number of the unwanted pets of which it is a challenge to them. There are a very small number of people who are willing to work in this kind of organization because it is non-profit so there is no enough money to run it (Orwell, 2005). In the organization there is a long-term growth process since no enough funds so less spaces for creating shelter are achieved hence the place is overcrowded (Silverman, 1992). Opportunities: The people willing to keep the animals are being encouraged by being given gifts. The gifts they get trigger more willingness to give more donations to the organization (Silverman, 1992). Through donations, more things are invented in support for the organization and beneficial to both the pet owners and the organization. Generally, animals do not speak hence are unable to bring forth their problems to the organization leader. The people in the society came up with the SPCA which speaks for the animals regularly with the help of others who are willing to assist (Orwell, 2005). Threats: A disease outbreak makes people abandon their pets since they believe that the pet is the one spreading the disease. When economy goes up, it makes the people owning pets decide to abandon them so that they may reduce the expenses they incurred on them (Silverman, 1992). They opt to donate for people having critical problems than donating for animals (Orwell, 2005). The Current Positioning Strategies in the Market In terms of the 3Ps, the organizations competitiveness can be shown in different ways. Production as the first P shows how an organization may either place it at a high range in terms of the quality of the product, or lower the range from the previous position i.e. an improvement increases the positioning (Orwell, 2005). Process/procedure is the other P which describes how SPCA has become popular over the world as among the best animal organizations which has contributed to lead in the competition (Silverman, 1992). Physical evidence as the last P has brought about high competition since what they present as an evidence of their product is a tangible thing and a challenging one when undergoing all the processes until it ends to be a successful animal (Orwell, 2005). As a non- profitable it proves the difficulty in running it (Orwell, 2005). To be different it has to provide the best services to their customers and give the best protection to the rejected animals (Silverman, 1992). Message-creating Medium: these are symbolic indications that help in communicating the characteristic quality and nature of the services experienced. Attention-creating Medium: this enhances to show the difference of services offered in this organization from other organization thus attracting more customers. Effect-creating Medium: sounds, textures, colors, spatial and scents are designed to enhance the making people think that the organization has the desired services experience (Silverman, 1992). The Russell Model of Affect It works under the following stapes: Arousing-It is the emotional response to a particular environment also known as pleasure Exciting- the emotion can either be delighting or not thus making the environment likable or dislikeable (Orwell, 2005). Pleasant- an environment which is pleasing is also attractive to all human-beings thus easily marketing their products. Relaxing- this is done to swipe off all the stressing events/happenings this also requires a good environment (Silverman, 1992) Sleepy-when one becomes sleepy it means that his/her mind has relaxed for sometime so he/she is resting. Boring- this explains the feeling of a normal person after sleeping. Unpleasant- this kind of environment will always remain less attractive to people and in the same way customers are not attracted to the unpleasant environments (Silverman, 1992). Distressing- these unpleasant environments make the employees also work under stress thus making them to be unwilling to work. The above model expounds more on the Current Positioning Strategies in the Market (Silverman, 1992). Recommendations Since the SPCA organization was created for the sake of farewell for any unwanted animal/pet and also to always speak for animals’ whenever need be, I also stand to approve it as a nice organization (Orwell, 2005). I can highly advice the jobless people to volunteer and work in such organizations instead of staying at home without doing anything because they need to be active (Orwell, 2005). This is a nice organization and I can encourage the countries which have never started this kind of organizations to start them immediately because they help the hopeless animals and at least make them have long life (Silverman, 1992). Many pets that are not cared for end up being useless in the society and we want to make useful animals in the society and to do that we need this organizations (Orwell, 2005). The more you care for your pet the more you eradicate some diseases because the pet is part of you and when it is kept clean and healthy there will be very few chances of being affected by any sickness (Orwell, 2005). Let us join hands and make our pets as comfortable as our children. References Orwell, G. (2005). Animal Farm: Penguin Literary Classics. Austrelia: Langenscheidt ELT. Silverman, B. P. (1992). Defending Animals' Rights Is the Right Thing to Do. USA: SP Books. Appendix RSPCAHK- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Hong Kong SPCA - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 3Ps - Product, Process and Physical experience. Foster home- the home they live in after they are adopted. Russell Model of Affect- model used to illustrate the cycle of emotions of a normal animal and human beings.   Read More