A Marketing Communications Strategy for Tiger Beer in the UK - Essay Example

A Marketing Communications Strategy for Tiger Beer in the United Kingdom Full MAR005-2 Marketing Communications (2009-10) December 18, 2009 The objective of the report is to evaluate Tiger beer’s current marketing communications strategy and determine its ability to enhance the brand’s equity in the United Kingdom. 1. Who is/are currently the brand’s target market(s) and other important publics in the UK? Profile these groups in as much detail as you can, given word-count restrictions. Aside from lording over the local market in Singapore, Tiger Beer has also earned a reputation in the United Kingdom market, attracting many choosy drinkers in the country. Its target market in the United Kingdom is the youth ages 20 to 31-year olds (Tai, 2008). The market segments who currently patronize Tiger Beer are the men, specifically middle to lower income earners made up of wage earners, office employees and students. An important target market of Tiger Beer, is the youth composed of working individuals aged 21 to 29. This age group appreciates the foreign qualities of the East, relish Asian and mixed menu, and savor new experiences. Tiger Beers global flavor pleases their palate. Majority of the Tiger Beer market is composed of the younger age brackets representing a potential increase in demand in the future. This market segment holds 35 percent of the UK population (National Statistics, 2009). The taste preference of UK people is also a consideration for Tiger Beer. The crisp, sweet beer offered is especially catered to the UK taste. More choices in terms of flavor offerings is now the name of the game with UK taste buds becoming harder to please and more fickle. The bulk of customers who purchase Tiger Beer, come from the class C socio-economic level, who are composed of lower C or middle income earners. Even in bars that are in high-end market locations, the bulk of customers drinking Tiger Beer are people of average income who are looking for a different taste away from the usual Carlsberg or Heineken. Employees and blue collar workers treat themselves to Tiger Beer because of its relatively affordable price, distinct taste, and colourful design. Furthermore, UK people love to drink and since are they are naturally collectivistic and fond of group gatherings, beer is their means of getting together to talk and mingle with others. In fact, beer has been one of the bases of the UK men’s social life (Tai, 2008). 2. What is the brand’s positioning and how far is this integrated into its brand touchpoints? Brand Positioning can be defined as the particular position in which the brand defines itself as capturing in the competitive field (Kotler, 2004). Positioning refers to differentiating brand attributes, consumer benefits and target segments, individually or collectively. With regard to Tiger beer, the beer market that Tiger beer is positioned towards can be defined by its appeal to a specific market segment, its unique taste and lower price. Tiger Beer has been very profitable in the UK, because the brand has employed the British appeal for the exciting and unusual to its advantage. However, the United Kingdom market, although a huge drinking market, possesses a brief attention period. Likewise, the market is highly competitive. Its present obsession with Tiger Beer could shortly end up being a flash in the pan. In any case, Tiger Beer has realized from its foreign expansion and certainly will discover innovative methods to make Tiger relevant in the United Kingdom and its key cities. To define its position in the market, Tiger Beer concentrates on building quality, availability and value to its UK customers. Because it is the one of the top 5 leading alcoholic beverage in the United Kingdom, it has extensive experience in providing quality beer to its consumers. It offers customers a diversion from the popular Stella Artois and Carlsberg which has a distinct taste different from the beer offered by other beer manufacturers (Tai, 2008). Based on interviews with beer drinkers in the UK, Tiger Beer differentiates itself by offering good quality beer distinct in taste from the top brands. According to Tiger Beer drinkers, the hue of the beer is a precisely soft golden. With reduced soda than a pilsen, it possesses small foam ascending to a moderate opening. A trace of malt taste, and similar to common pilsen, it possesses “a tinge of a polished aroma” (Calagione, 2008), even though this is not existent in the texture. The beer has a simple, somewhat citrus fragrance, but, all in all, the flavor is equally moderate. Tiger Beer is a pleasantly, flowing fermented ale aroma that is quite impeccable on the taste for this beer variety (Tiger Pte Ltd., 2009). As evidence, respondents to interviews also note a distinct, lemon flavour after the first gulp and a mild tangy taste before the malt like aroma absorbs in the mouth when Tiger Beer is tasted. It possesses a soothing aroma, without too much carbonation. Not only is it considerably rich in taste, with a rich malt like aroma, it is crisp, clean and not bitter. The price of Tiger Beer is set equal to or slightly lower than the leading beers such as Carlsberg and Stella Artois. Touchpoints: a. Pre-purchase experience – Tiger Beer employs advertising through television, print, flyers, samples, and its company website. Tiger Beer has leveraged on consumer insight to reinvent its product and incite interest among persuasive endorsers in the web arena. Meanwhile, print advertisements are published in UK print and national newspapers as well as men’s lifestyle magazines such as Gentleman’s Quarterly Magazine, and FHM. Advertisements can likewise be seen in women’s fashion magazines. As magazines have restricted publicity degrees, expertise magazines such as The Face and I-D have immediately targeted to the desired market (Tiger Pte Ltd, 2009). Furthermore, Tiger Beer has a quantity of media associations planned with magazines, including Gentleman’s Quarterly and Esquire. It is likewise in discussion with retailers to improve its degree of exposure, as it is connected primarily with the food service establishments’ industry (Tai, 2008). b. Purchase experience – packaging, POP displays, Packaging plays an important function for In 2008, Tiger Beer required to incite target audiences by including a component of surprise through its packaging and presentation. Thus, two different custom made bottle sleeves were actualized, based on music and artistic motifs. The bottles were wrapped with clear plastic film and presented Tiger beer’s branding in a stylish image that differentiated it from other alcoholic beverage manufacturing companies. These modern images were derived from globally known artists. The images depict that there is a perception of Tiger as a beer for good times and fun. Tiger required influencing desired audience by including components of surprise through its packaging and presentation. The two different bottle designs were created and proposed, based on customer surveys. The plastic laminated bottles showed Tiger’s branding in a creative layout that stood out from competitors (Tai, 2008). c. Post purchase experience – quality of beer Tiger Beer is a sharp, consistently lemony lager beer. Based on the company’s own description, the Tiger Beer brewing process includes at least 260 quality control checks (Tai, 2008). In addition, Tiger Beer also conducts regular customer satisfaction surveys through its in-house market research department. These help the company gain feedback regarding the target consumers’ product experience and quality. 3. Summarise the brand’s marketing communications strategy – what is your evaluation of the degree of creativity? Tiger Beer presently employs several marketing communications strategy to enhance its image and build its brand equity among consumers. First of all, a marketing communications strategy requires a consistent theme that differentiates the brand from its competitors. Tiger Beer offers light beer that is sweet in taste. Its distinct crisp taste is not offered by other beer brands in the United Kingdom. This differentiation strategy is used for them to be able to capture the niche of consumers who want variety of tastes and are tired of the more popular alcoholic beverages in the country. In addition, its unique Asian flavor sets it apart from the competition (Calagione, 2008). In marketing lingo, Tiger is a market nicher. Another competitive strategy employed by Tiger Beer is in its price. The prices of Tiger Beer are comparatively equal to the leading alcoholic beverages. To capture a share of the alcoholic beverage industry, it offers customers lower prices to further tempt them in trying their product and ultimately to shift their brand loyalty. The different taste and lower price is the differentiating and fundamental selling message used in the company’s selling activities. To publicize its theme and image, Tiger beer uses several strategies for their marketing communications program such as public relations, advertising and trade shows. Employing a consistent marketing and sales program, grassroots endeavors, special exercises and promotions for both the industry and consumers, and a long run plan of action to obtain a strong footing in every niche, Tiger has gradually progressed distribution in major cities in the United Kingdom. Regardless of which city in the United Kingdom consumers are located, similar graphic elements are presented in Tiger Beer’s marketing campaigns. People are most of the time portrayed as spending time with friends in a jovial environment. The models chosen are young, with well proportioned bodies, stylish and professionals. They are seen in television advertisements or print advertisements as having an enjoyable moment dancing, conversing with friends, or “chilling out” with a bottle of Tiger Beer. Colors are adventurous and clear. The style is contemporary and trendy. In general, an effective communication campaign also depends on the budget (Kotler, 2004). Tiger Beer realizes a compromise between areas of coverage and speed of distribution. Currently, Tiger Beer is located in fewer areas in the UK than its competitors. Furthermore, Tiger Beer employs several advertising messages and uses a similar budget in only one tri-media, such as print publication. Hence, a significantly fewer number of people will see the advertisement, but they will be shown the advertisement very regularly. Their current plan of action is to set Tiger Beer as a brand that encourages drinkers to express themselves. This move concentrated on the Internet social arena, with support from important public figures and entertainment personalities, including above-the-line advertising and public relations. It was carried out in three stages. Post-campaign publicity by Tiger beer is usually highlighted with information scattered over a variety of social media instruments. Immediately after a sponsored party by Tiger, the media publishes the event in the national newspapers and social media instruments such as blogs. Participants, meanwhile, publicized by showing video clips of the party on their blogs, Facebook profiles and Twitter accounts. Hundreds of party pictures are posted on Facebook, while videos are uploaded on YouTube. In my opinion, the present marketing communications strategy of Tiger beer is creative. However, it may not effectively differentiate itself from other brands, as competitors likewise use the same themes of drinking beer to have a “good time, enjoy and relaxing.” Nevertheless, Tiger’s use of social media communicates that they recognized the importance of using modern advertising and publicity mediums to increase brand equity and consumer interest. 4. Following your evaluation of the brand under the above headings, propose and justify a new target segment, a brand proposition and campaign slogan. Broader access to information such as the Internet, digital technology, cable television and cell phones has made the youth of today more educated and sophisticated. The youth are now more conscious of the health benefits and liabilities of beverages (Calagione, 2008). It is proposed, therefore, that Tiger Beer differentiate itself from other alcoholic beverages as the beer that is “healthier”. Alcoholic beverages are perceived to be unhealthy and this is the weakness of the leading alcoholic beverages. By coming up with healthier fast food items that have lower calories and less fat content and informing this to the public through advertisements, Tiger Beer can build strong customer relationships and increase market share. Consumers would appreciate Tiger Beer’s concern for their need to have alcoholic products that take into consideration their long term health. For example, Tiger Beer can advertise that it does not use unhealthy chemicals. Also, a strategy for Tiger Beer can be to use and advertise that it uses malt which is healthier. In addition, the public can be informed that Tiger Beer has less unhealthy salt content than other beers. Proposed Positioning Statement: To the price sensitive C youth ages 25 to 30 in the United Kingdom who are concerned about quality of life, Tiger is the beer of the educated and sophisticated new generation because it is not only priced lower than the leading alcoholic beverages but it also offers unique beer taste that care for the health of the consumer. The brand character of Tiger Beer is affordable, healthy, environmentally friendly and “hip”. 5. Finally, suggest and justify which, if any, newer and/or less conventional marketing communications approaches and media could be used to support the launch of the new positioning. Because of the distinct and unique quality of beer offered, Tiger Beer would appeal to the youth who are more media conscious and are thus more fickle and variety seeking. However, it is highly suggested that Tiger Beer further broaden their flavours of beer that are suited to the UK taste. This could be done by investing on product innovation and taste test surveys. Also, an effective strategy is for Tiger Beer to focus on supplying to restaurants and bars in high traffic areas. To increase brand awareness, the strategy is for Tiger Beer to invest in television advertising that is particularly targeted to the youth. In 2008, Tiger invested only 6 Million pounds for advertising. This resulted in low brand awareness. A mini survey was conducted and results among Tiger beer drinkers showed that 50 percent of the respondents learned about Tiger only when they saw others drinking it in a bar, while 40 percent learned it from friends. However, in view of the limited budget of Tiger due to some losses in its last two years in 2007 and 2008, it is suggested that Tiger Beer sponsor only two television shows, which are currently very popular among the youth. Less could be spent on other forms of advertising (e.g. newspapers, flyers, etc.), which would free up money for television advertising. If bigger profits in 2010 allow a larger budget for advertising, the stars from a star search show could attract millions of UK youth ages 25 to 30 years old, if they are used as brand image models. To promote its image as one that is concerned with the welfare of the youth, Tiger Beer should, in harmony with the overall strategy, donate to educational foundations. In the long term, with bigger profits, an educational foundation of its own that not only offers scholarships but also educate the youth about physical health and the protection of the environment could be set up. By targeting the broad B and C socio-economic class market of UK, which is still untapped, through “Green” marketing and with strategic expansion and carefully planned logistics, Tiger Beer will have a strong chance to be the alcoholic beverage choice among the B and C UK youth. Given limitations with advertising alcohol beverage goods on television, Internet advertisements by important entertainment personalities will provide to promote Tiger Beer to its target market. To create excitement around its brand and the reinvented final commodity, Tiger will employ the United Kingdom’s top blog compiler, with 35,000 blogs composed of blogs by the nation’s most popular bloggers, and organized a blogger party. The party will be UK’s first by an alcoholic beverage brand for bloggers. Word count: 2567 References Calagione, Sam. (2008). The Beer Book, DK Publishing, New York. Kotler, Philip and G. Armstrong. (2004). Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Office for National Statistics. (2009). Population Estimates. Retrieved 15 December 2009, from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=6 Tai, Jacky. (2008). Great Asian Brands: Tiger Beer, Marshall Cavendish Corp., New York. Tiger Export Pte Ltd. (2009). World Acclaimed Beer, Retrieved 16 December 2009, from http://www.tigerbeer.com/main.html Read More