Week 9 EOC: Three Great Mission Statements

Shyann's mission statement is very well written and does a good job at explaining what she wants out of the company.

A.J.s mission statement is straight to the point and he really wants to the his customers believe that they are divas.

LaJuan mission statement is very detailed and I believe I would want to try his vodka.

Price

"For most purchases, consumers don’t have all the skill or information they need to figure out whether they are paying a good price. They don’t have the time, ability, or inclination to research different brands or stores, compare prices, and get the best deals. Instead, they may rely on certain cues that signal whether a price is high or low. Interestingly, such pricing cues are often provided by sellers, in the form of sales signs, price-matching guarantees, loss-leader pricing, and other helpful hints" (Marketing: An Introduction 10th ed pg 294) As far as the price goes we will want for it to be affordable but not scream cheap Vodka. We are setting the price at a reasonable 30 dollars a bottle. I don't want for our guests to think that they are buying a cheap vodka because Athabaskan is not. We researched multiple types of plants that have a varity of different types of nutriets so the price of the vodka should reflect the amount of care that we have put into it. For a 750mL 30 dollars is reasonable for a nice bottle of vodka. While selling it in bars or in resturants the cheap vodka usually goes for 3 to 4 dollars a shot and the expensive premium vodkas go for around 6 or 7. So we will be looking at about 5 dollars a shot to sell in those places.

Distribution

The way that I plan on distribution Athabaskan is through commercial travel. Since I would like to keep the company green we are looking into the Hybrid Semi-Trucks out there and this should help take some of the focus out of the energy costs while still being cost efficeint."Companies often pay too little attention to their distribution channels, sometimes with damaging results. In contrast, many companies have used imaginative distribution systems to gain a competitive advantage." (Marketing: An Introduction 10ed. pg. 312) The hybrid semi-trucks will change the entire dimension of how these trucks are sold.They will be have a  faster speed as with the same quantities of fuel, the engine will work much better with smarter efficiencies and also the horsepower producing capacity will be boosted. The hybrid engine in the semi-trucks will provide an option for either shifting the engine modes from fuel to gasoline, electric and even the diesel ones. "Distribution channel decisions often involve long-term commitments to other firms. For example, companies such as Ford, HP, or McDonald’s can easily change their advertising, pricing, or promotion programs. They can scrap old products and introduce new ones as market tastes demand. But when they set up distribution channels through contracts with franchisees, independent dealers, or large retailers, they cannot readily replace these channels with company-owned stores or Web sites if conditions change. Therefore, management must design its channels carefully, with an eye on tomorrow’s likely selling environment as well as today’s." (Marketing:An Introduction 10th ed pg 312) By using Hybrid Semi-Trucks our company will be thinking about the environment while thinking smart about saving on energy and cutting fuel costs. Our company will not be about beating out the other companies as far as the distribution process goes but more on what is the better way to go about doing this. We will commit to sticking green by working with others who have the same outlook.

 

Promotion

Since I have decided to go ahead and mainly try to sell Athabaskan to people older then 55, I have decided that the best place to try and promote Athabaskan ia at country clubs. I could make some sort of deal with the owners to change out thier house vodka for Athabaskan and hand it out with their drinks. by doing things this way I am letting others try the product and taking it to allow them to help get the product out their for the company. The country club could let all  of the guests know about the switch which would tell their guests that Athabaskan is worth a try, because the country club has given us the chance as well. "The product’s design, its price, the shape and color of its package, and the stores that sell it all communicate something to buyers. Thus, although the promotion mix is the company’s primary communication activity, the entire marketing mix—promotion and product, price, and place—must be coordinated for greatest communication impact." (Marketing:An Introduction 10th ed pg 377) By doing things this way we target people over 55 and if they like Athabaskan then they could help the company promote it through word of mouth. Hopefully doing things this way will go smoothly and allow for thing to go off without a hitch.

Product

Vodka is my product, but its more then that. I want to sell a memory and by doing that I have to create the memory in the first place. "New products are important—to both customers and the marketers who serve them.  For companies, new products are a key source of growth. Even in a down economy, companies must continue to innovate." (Marketing: An Introduction 10th ed. pg 245) Athabaskan is about tasting good while containing the nutrients from the berries and the roots that will be put into it. Things that contain healing herbs and are known for their effects. Plants such as Agrimony, Alfalfa, Ban Xia, Basil, and Cayenne, among others. Also berries like black, blue, and bosen will be added for flavor. Once the product grows we may make more flavors but we want to be a simple brand. Everything that will be put into the vodka can be easily reseached nothing will be overly complicated.Our company will consist of what our customers think of the product and will be developed around that. Again I want this product to be about rememberence. When our customers taste our vodka and see the things that we put into it they will think of what the old native healers used to use these plants for. They will think about when times were more simple and things were not as complicated as they seem to have become."Convenience products are usually low priced, and marketers place them in many locations to make them readily available when customers need them" (Marketing: An Introduction 10th ed. pg 211) I want everyone to be able to afford our product and I would like to make it easily avalible to all. Even though most would not consider Vodka as a Convenience item that is what I would like for this to be. Overall I truly would like for our group of customers to think of Athabakan when they think of a great time and a wonderful memory.

Target Market Strategy

Athabaskan is specifically targeting people who are over the age of 55, by doing this we can possibly create a big market for the type of vodka that we would like to become. "A marketing stategy....outlines how the company intends to create value for target customers in order to capture value in return." (Marketing: An Introduction 10th ed. pg. 57) By targeting this particular group we are taking a chance that other companies that sell Vodka is not taking. Most Vodka companies advertise to the young croud. Those in college, in their early to mid-twenties who are out on the town and having a good time, or to those who would like a more refined taste in Vodka. Marketing to a group of people who are over 55 will allow for us to target and all new group. Athabaskan is all about having nutrients and a great taste that reminds you of when life was simpler. We will focus on letting our advertising speak for itself then by word of mouth. By possibly starting a group that gets together perhaps once a week who enjoys remincing to let them judge Athabaskan for themselves and then put the product out there to their friends and family we can focus on gaining a group of followers that enjoy the product and advertise it for us. "Planning good strategies is only a start toward successful marketing. A brilliant marketing strategy counts for little if the company fails to implement it properly." (Marketing: An Introduction 10 ed. pg 57) Okay so now that we have our product, who we want to sell it to, and how we want to advertise it, how are we going to make it work. Simple enough, by allowing our employees to market it for us until it slowly starts to make a name for itself. The company already knows what we are about we just have to get others to see it in the same light. I want this company to speak to its customers as a company that put its whole being into focusing on those same customers. It is really easy to come up with a company but getting out of your company that you want to get out of it is the hardest part. Athabaskan is not about making money but about creating memories.

Situation or SWOT Analysis

"Managing the marketing function begins with a complete analysis of the company’s situation. The marketer should conduct a SWOT analysis, by which it evaluates the company’s overall strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T)" (Marketing: An Introduction 10th ed. pg. 55) For my SWOT analysis I will go in the order that they imply so starting with (S). What would be the strengths of my company? For starters I would need to point out who my company will be mainly promoting our product to. Of course I would like to say that anyone will want to be our product but that just is not looking and walking into a business realistically. So we will push this product to people over 55. Why, because our brand is all about rememberence and usually people over 55 like to remince about when times were simpler and they were younger. So one of our strengths I believe is going to be marketing, we already know who we want to market to and our whole product is about remincing so we already have a leg to stand on. Moving on to (W) weaknesses starting a company is never an easy thing unless you have the money to get everything off of the ground. So one of the weaknesses of the company would be that we are relying solely on our ability to market ourselves and relying on our customers to help get us off of the ground. "The company should analyze its markets and marketing environment to find attractive opportunities and identify environmental threats. It should analyze company strengths and weaknesses as well as current and possible marketing actions to determine which opportunities it can best pursue."(Marketing: An Introduction 10 ed. pg 43) Next is (O) oppertunities, While many other companies sell vodka not many advertise solely to people over the age of 55. They mainly focus on the younger crowds who are still out and partying away their lives. Our company will advertise to those who are rarely spoken to from this market. We want a company that knows its customers and it's customers know themselves they are already established and know who they are. By advertising to them we are hoping to attract their attention in a way that others will not. "Assesses major threats and opportunities that the product might face, helping management to anticipate important positive or negative developments that might have an impact on the firm and its strategies." (Marketing: An Introduction 10th ed. pg. 43) Finally (T) threats of course everyone wishes that when they started a business they would encounter no problems no threats and that the company will take off with out a hitch, but those people who base everything in their company on that idea will quickly lose everything that they have come by. The biggest threat to our company I believe is the simple fact that vodka's biggest crowds are the younger people so those Vodka companies that advertise to that particular group may take potential business away from our company do to the fact that we are advertising to a group older then the standard Vodka drinker.