The Companys Macro environment:

The company and all of the other actors operate in a larger macro environment of forces that shape opportunities and pose threats to the company. There are six major forces (outlined below) in the companys macro environment. There are six major forces (outlined below) in the companys macro environment. A. Demographic. B. Economic. C. Natural. D. Technological. E. Political. F. Cultural.

A. Demographic Environment: Demography is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, sex, race, occupation, and other statistics. It is of major interest to marketers because it involves people and people make up markets. Demographic trends are constantly changing. Thus, marketers keep close track of demographic trends anddevelopments in their markets, both at home and abroad. They track: (i) (II) (III) (IV) (V) Changing Age Structure of the Population The Changing Bangladeshi Family Geographic Shifts in Population A Better-Educated and More White-Collar Population Increasing Diversity

(i) Changing Age Structure of the Population : The most important trend is the changing age structure of the population. The population is aging because of a slowdown in the birth rate (in this country) and life expectancy is increasing. A population can be subdivided into six age groups: preschool, school-age children, teens, young adults age 25 to 40, middle-aged adults age 40 to 65, and older adults age65 and up. For marketers, the most populous age groups shape the marketing environment. (ii) The Changing Bangladeshi Family : The traditional household consists of a husband, wife, and children (and some times grandparents). In Bangladesh to days we can see the tren of some of households are diverse or non-traditional, and include single livealones, adult live-together of one single-parent families, childless married couples, and empty nesters. More people are divorcing or separating, choosing not to marry, marrying later, or marrying without the intention to have children. Each group has a distinctive set of needs and buying habits. (iii) Geographic Shifts in Population : This is a period of great migratory movements between and within countries. Since the collapse of Soviet eastern Europe, nationalities are reasserting themselves and forming independent countries. Population movement also occurs as people migrate from rural to urban areas, and then to suburban areas. Location makes a
difference in goods and service preferences.

(iv) A Better-Educated and More White-Collar Population : The population in any society falls into five educational groups: illiterates, high school dropouts, high school degrees, college degrees, and professional degrees . The high number of educated people demand for quality books, magazines, and travel. (v) Increasing Diversity : The final demographic trend is the increasing ethnic and racial diversity of the population. Diversity is a force that must be recognized in the next decade. However, companies must recognize that diversity goes beyond ethnic heritage. One the important markets of the future are that disabled people (a market larger any of our ethnic minority groups).

B. Economic Environment
Markets require buying power as well as people. The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumer purchasing power and spending patterns. (I) (II) Changes in Income Changing Consumer Spending Patterns

C. Natural Environment : The Natural environment involves the natural resources that are needed as inputs by marketers or that are affected by marketing activities. Marketers should be aware of several trends in the natural environment. The first involves growing shortages of raw materials. Air and water may seem to be infinite resources. A second environmental trend is increased pollution. Industry will almost always damage the quality of the natural environment. A third trend is increased government intervention in natural resource management. The governments of different countries vary in their concern and efforts to promote a clean environment.

D. Technological Environment: These are forces that create new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities. The technological environment is perhaps the most dramatic force shaping our destiny. Technology has released such wonders as antibiotics, organ transplants, notebook computers, and the internet. It also has released such horrors as unclear missiles, chemical weapons, and assault rifles. It has released such mixed blessing as the automobile, television, and credit cards. Our attitude toward technology depends on whether we are more impressed with its wonders or its blunders . Technological environment changes rapidly. New technology create new markets and opportunities.

E. Political Environment : The political environment consists of laws, government agencies, and pressure groups that influence or limit various organizations and individuals in a given society. (a) Legislation Regulating Business (i) Increasing Legislation Changing (ii) Government Agency Enforcement (b) Increased Emphasis on Ethics and Socially Responsible Actions

F. Cultural Environment : The cultural environment is made up of institutions and other forces that affect a societys basic values, perceptions, preferences, and behaviors. People grow up in a particular society that shapes their basic beliefs and values. The following cultural characteristics can affect marketing decision making. I. Persistence of Cultural Values II. Shifts in Secondary Cultural Values I). Persistence of cultural values: Peoples core beliefs and values have a high degree of persistence. Core beliefs and values are passed on from parents to children and are reinforced by schools, churches, business, and government. Secondary beliefs and values are more open to change.

II). Shifts in secondary cultural values: Since secondary cultural values and beliefs are open to change, marketers want to spot them and be able to capitalize on the change potential. The major cultural values of a society are expressed in peoples views of themselves and others, as well as: (a) Peoples Views of Themselves. (b) Peoples Views of Others Peoples Views of Organizations (d) Peoples Views of Society (e) Peoples Views of Nature (f) Peoples Views of the Universe a). Peoples views of themselves. People vary in their emphasis on serving themselves versus serving others. In the 1980s, personal ambition and materialism increased dramatically, with significant implications for marketing. The leisure industry was a chief beneficiary. b). Peoples views of others : Observers have noted a shift from a me-society to a wesociety. Consumers are spending more on products and services that will improve their lives rather than their image. c). Peoples views of organizations: People are willing to work for large organizations but expect them to become increasingly socially responsible. Many companies are linking themselves to worthwhile causes. Honesty in appeals is a must. d). Peoples views of society : This orientation influences consumption patterns. Buy American versus buying abroad is an issue that will continue into the next decade. e). Peoples view of nature : There is a growing trend toward peoples feeling of mastery over nature through technology and the belief that nature is bountiful. However, nature is finite. Love of nature and sports associated with nature are expected to be significant trends in the next several years. . f). Peoples views of the universe : Studies of the origin of man, religion, and thoughtprovoking ad campaigns are on the rise. Currently, Americans are on a spiritual journey. This will probably take the form of spiritual individualism.

Companywide strategic planning: Defining marketing role :

Plan: To make detailed arrangement for something you want to do in the future or a set of things to do in order to achieve something, especially one that has been considered in detail in advance is called plan. Strategic: It is done as part of a plan that is meant to achieve a particular purpose or to gain an advance. Strategic Planning: The process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the organizations goals and capabilities and its changing marketing opportunities .It involves : 1.defining a clear company mission, 2.setting supporting objectives , 3.designing a sound business portfolio, and 4.coordinating functional strategic.

Corporate level
Defining the company mission Setting company objectives and goals

Business unit, product and market level

Designing the business portfolio Planning, marketing and other functional strategies

Figure: Steps in strategic planning Mission Statement: It is a statement of the organizations purpose- what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an invisible hand that guides people in the organization. There are two kind of mission statement which defines the business: 1) Product or technology terms: Some companies define their missions in product and technology terms. 2) Market oriented mission statement: A market oriented mission statement defines the business in terms of satisfying basic customer needs. Examples : Company Revlon Product oriented definition We make cosmetics Market oriented definition We sell lifestyle and self expression, success and status; memories; hopes and dreams We create customer connectivity, anytime, anywhere We deliver low prices, everyday

America online

We provide online services

Wal-Mart

We run discount stores

Five characteristics of effective mission statements: Management should avoid making its mission too narrow or too broad. So characteristics of effective mission statements should be: 1) Realistic 2) Specific 3) Market Environment 4) Distinctive competencies 5) Motivating 1.Missions statement should be realistic. Suppose, Singapore airlines would be deluding itself if it adopted the mission to become the worlds largest airline. 2. Missions should also be specific. Example-A company want to produce the highest quality products, offer the most service. 3. Missions should fit the market environment. Example-The girls scout of America would not recruit successfully in todays environment with its former mission: to prepare young girls for motherhood and wifely duties. 4. The organization should base its mission on its distinctive competencies. Suppose, McDonalds could probably enter the solar energy business, but that would not take advantage of its core competencies-providing low cost food and fast service to large customers. 5. Mission statements should be motivating. Example-A companys mission should not be stated as making more sales or profits-profits are only a reward for undertaking a useful activity. A companys employees need to feel that their work is significant and that it contributes to people is lives

Setting company objectives and goals

The companys mission needs to be turned into detailed supporting objectives for each level of management. Each manager should have objectives and be responsible for reaching them. For example: Monsanto operates in many business including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and food products. Their mission is creating abundant food and healthy environment. This mission leads to a hierarchy of objectives, including : a. business objectives and b. marketing objectives.

Monsantos overall objective is to create environmentally better products and get them to market faster at lower costs. By this way, they sale product and get profits. Profits can be improved by increasing sales or reducing costs. Sales can be increased by improving the company shared U.S. market, by entering new foreign markets. These goals then become the companys current marketing objectives.

Designing the business portfolio:

Guided by the companys mission statement and objectives, management plants its business portfolio. Business portfolio: It is the collection of business and product that make up the company is called business portfolio Business portfolio planning involves two steps: First: company must analyze its current business portfolio and decide which businesses should receive more, less or no investment. Second: company must shape the future portfolio by developing strategies for growth and downsizing . Analyzing the Current Business Portfolio: The major activity in strategic planning is business portfolio analysis, whereby management evaluates the products and businesses making up the company. The company will want to put strong resources into its more profitable businesses and phase down or drop its weaker ones. Strategic business unit (SBU): Managements first step is to identify the key businesses making up the company. These can be called the strategic business units. A strategic business unit (SBU) is a unit of the company that has a separate mission and objectives and that can be planned independently from other company businesses. An SBU can be: *a company division, *a product line within a division, or sometimes *a single product or *a brand. The beast-known planning method was developed by the Boston Consulting Group a leading management consulting firm . The Boston consulting group approach :Using this approach ,a company classifies all its SBU according to the growth share matrix shown in figure. Growth-share matrix: A portfolio-planning method that evaluates a companys strategic business units in terms of their market growth rate and relative market share.

The growth-share matrix define four types of SBUs: Stars: Stars are high-growth, high-share businesses or product. They often need heavy investment to finance their rapid growth. Eventually their growth will slow down, and they will turn into cash cows.

Cash cows: Cash cows are low-growth, high-share businesses or products. These established and successful SBUs need less investment to hold their market share. Thus, they produce a lot of cash that the company uses to pay its bills and to support other SBUs that need investment. Question marks: Question marks are low-share business units in high-growth markets. They require a lot of cash to hold their share, let alone increase it. Management has to think hard about which question marks it should try to build into stars and which should be phased out. Dogs: Dogs are low-growth, low-share businesses and products. They may generate enough cash to maintain themselves but do not promise to be large source of cash. The ten circles in the growth share matrix represent a companys ten current SBUs . The company has two stars, two cash cows, three questions marks, and three dogs. The areas of the circles are proportional to the SBUs dollar sales. One of four strategies can be pursued for each SBU. The company can invest more in the business unit in order to build its share. Or It can invest just enough to hold the SBUs share at current level. It can harvest the SBU, milking its short term cash flow regardless of the long term effect. Finally, the company can divest the SBU by selling it or phasing it out and using the resources elsewhere.

Developing Strategies for Growth and Downsizing:

One useful device for identifying growth opportunities is the product /market expansion grid shown in figure. A portfolio planning tool for identifying company growth opportunities through: 1.market penetration, 2.market development, 3.product development, or 4.diversification.

Market penetration: It is a strategy for company growth by increasing sales of current products to current markets segments without changing the product. Improvements in advertising, prices, service, menu selection, or store design might encourage customers to stop by more often or to buy more during each visit. Market development: It is a strategy for company growth by identifying and developing new market segments for its current products. Example, managers could review new demographic markets. Such as senior customers or ethic groups-could be encouraged to visit Starbucks coffee shops for the first time or to buy more from them. Managers also could review new geographical markets. Product development: It is a strategy for company growth by offering modified or new products to current market segments. Example, Starbucks has increased its food offerings in an effort to brings customers into its stores during the lunch and dinner hours and to increase the amount of the average customers sales ticket.

Diversification: It is a strategy for company growth through starting up or acquiring businesses outside the companys current products and markets. For example, Starbucks is testing two new restaurant concepts-Caf Starbucks and Circadianin an effort to offer new formats to related but new markets.

Downsizing: Companies must not only develop strategies for growing their business
portfolios but also strategies for downsizing them. Downsizing is reducing the business portfolio by eliminating products or business units that are not profitable or that no longer fit the companys overall strategy. # There are many reasons that a firm might want to abandon product or markets: 1. The market environment might change, making some of the companys product or markets less profitable. 2. This might happen during an economic recession or when a strong competitor open next door. 3. The firm may have grown too fast or entered areas where it lacks experience. 4. This can occur when a firm enters too many foreign markets without the proper research or when a company introduces new products that do not offer superior customer value. 5. Some products or business units just age and die. When a firm find products or businesses that no longer fit its overall strategy, it must carefully prune, harvest or divest them.

Strategic Planning Process Of Small Business

The Strategic Planning Process Of Small Business are: 1. Identify the major elements of the business environment in which the organization has operated over the past five years. 2. Describe the mission of the organization in terms of its nature & function for the next two years 3. Explain the internal & external forces that will impact the mission of the organization. 4. Identify the basic driving force that will direct the organization in the future. 5. Develop a set of long term objectives that will identify what the organization will become in the future. 6. Outline a general plan of action that defines the logistical, financial & personal factors needed to integrate the long-term objectives into the total organization. Clearly, strategic planning is crucial to a small companys future.

Product and Levels of product:

Product: It is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. Products include more than just tangible goods. Broadly defined, products include physical objects, services, events, persons, places, organizations, ideas, or mixes of these entities. Customers define products in terms of the values they provide. Therefore, in a sense, a product is the sum of all the values it offers.

Levels of Product and Services Product planners need to think about products and services on Five levels:

Levels of product
1.Core benefit: is problem-The fundamental service or benefit that the customer is really buying. Example-A hotel guests is buying rest and sleep. 2.Basic Product: They need to develop product and service features, design a quality level, a brand name and packaging. Example-A hotel room include a bed, bathroom, towels, desk, dresser and closet. 3.Expected product :A set of attributes and conditions buyers normally expect when they purchase this product. Example- Hotel guests expect a clean bed, fresh towels, working lamps, and a relative degree of quiet. 4. Augmented product: Offering additional consumer services and benefits. marketer prepares it that exceeds customer expectation. It includes warranty, installation, after services delivery and credit. Example-Sony and its dealers also might give buyers a warranty on parts and workmanship, instructions on how to use the camcorder, quick repair services when needed and a toll-free telephone number to call if they have problems or questions . 5.Potential product: It encompasses all the possible augmentations and transformations the product offering might undergo in the future. Example- Ritz-Carlton Hotels remember guests preferences and assign rooms with these preferences in mind. They review the service delivery process to imagine everything that could go wrong and then take preventive steps.

Product and Service classifications: Marketers have traditionally classified products on the basis of characteristics: A. Durability and tangibility B. Consumer-goods and C. Industrial Goods A. Durability and tangibility: Products can be divided into three groups on the basis of durability and tangibility. 1.Non durable goods are tangible goods normally consumed in one or a few purchases. Example-Beer, soap.

Marketing strategy is to make them available in many locations, charge only a small mark up, and advertise heavily to induce trial and build preference. 2.Durable goods are tangible goods that normally survive many uses. Example-Refrigerator machine tools, cloths. Marketing strategy is to require more personal selling and service, command a higher margin and seller guarantees. 3.Services are intangible, inseparable, variable, and perishable products. Example-Haircut, and repairs. Marketing strategy is to require more quality control, supplier credibility and adaptability.

B. Consumer Products: Consumer products are products and services bought by final consumers for personal consumption. Marketers usually classify these products and services further based on how consumers go about buying them. i). Convenience Products: Convenience products are consumer products and services that the customer usually buys frequently immediately and with a minimum of comparison and buying effort. Examples include soap, candy, newspapers and fast food. convenience goods can e further divided: *Staples goods: These are goods consumers purchase on a regular basis. Example-Toothpaste *Impulse goods: These are purchase without planning or search effort. Example-Candy bars and magazines. *Emergency goods: These goods are purchase when a need is urgent. Example-drug during fever, umbrella during raining. ii) Shopping products: These are less frequently purchased consumer products and services that customers compare carefully on suitability, quality, price and style. When buying shopping products and services, consumers spend much time and effort in gathering information and making comparison. Exp: Clothing, used cars, hotel and airlines.

iii) Specialty Products: These are consumer products and services with unique characteristics or brand identification for which a significant group of buyers is willing to make a special purchase effort. Exp-Specific brands and type of cars, designer clothes. iv) Unsought product: These are consumer products that the consumer either does not know about or does not normally think of buying. Classic examples of known but unsought products and services are life insurance, and blood donations to the Red Cross.

Table: Marketing consideration for consumer products MARKETING CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS Type of Consumer Product Marketing Considerations Consumer buying behavior Convenience Shopping Specialty Unsought

Frequent purchase, little planning, little comparison or shopping effort, low customer involvement Low Price Widespread distribution, convenient locations

Less frequent purchase, much planning and shopping effort, comparison of brands on price, quality, style

Strong brand preference and loyalty, special purchase effort, little comparison of brands low price sensitivity

Little product awareness, knowledge (or, if aware, little of even negative interest)

Price Distribution

Higher price Selective distribution in fewer outlets

High price Exclusive distribution in only one or a few outlets per market area More carefully targeted promotion by both producer and resellers

Varies Varies

Promotion

Mass promotion by the producer

Advertising and personal selling by both producer and resellers

Aggressive advertising and personal selling by producer and resellers Life insurance, Red Cross blood donations

Examples

Toothpaste, magazines, laundry detergent

Major appliances, television, furniture clothing

Luxury goods, such as Rolex watches or fine crystal

2.Industrial Products: These are those purchased for further processing or for use in conducting a business. Exp-If a consumer buys a lawn mower for use around home; the lawn mower is a consumer product. If the same consumer buys the same lawn mower for use landscaping business, the lawn mower is an industrial product. The three groups of industrial product and services include: (a) Materials and parts: These include raw materials and parts. Raw materials consists of farms products (wheat, cotton, fruits) parts consists of component materials (iron, cement, wires) (b) Capital items: These are industrial products that aid in the buyers production or operations, including installations and accessory equipment .Exp: installation building, factory ,offices. accessory equipment-hand tools, lift, truck (c) Suppliers and services: These are include operating supplies (lubricants, coal, paper) and repair and maintenance items paint, nails, brooms).

Product Life-Cycle Marketing Strategies

Product life cycle (PLC) is the course of a products sales and profits over its lifetime. It involves 5 distinct stages: Product Development, Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Decline. People who believe products have a life cycle are making four claims: 1.Products have a limited life. 2.Product sales pass through distinct stages, each posing different challenges, opportunities, and problems to the seller. 3.Profits rise and fall at different stages of the product life cycle. 4.Products require different marketing, financial, manufacturing, purchasing, and human resource strategies in each stage of their life cycle.

1.Product development Stage: It begins when the company finds and develops a new product idea. During product development, sales are zero and the company's investment costs mount. 2.Introduction Stage: It is a period of slow sales growth as the product is introduced in the market. Profits are nonexistent in this stage because of the heavy expenses of product introduction. 3.Growth Stage is a period of rapid market acceptance and increasing profits. 4.Maturity Stage is a period of slowdown in sales growth because the product has achieved acceptance by most potential buyers. Profits level off or decline because of increased marketing outlays to defend the product against competition. 5.Decline Stage is the period when sales fall off and profits drop. Sales may plunge to zero, or they may drop to a low level where they continue for many years.

The PLC concept also can be applied to what are known as styles, fashions, and fads. Their special life cycles are shown in Figure 10.3.

A style is a basic and distinctive mode of expression. For example, styles appear in homes (colonial, ranch, transitional), clothing (formal, casual). A fashion is a currently accepted or popular style in a given field. For example, the More formal "business attire" look of corporate dress of the 1980s and early 1990s has now given way to the "business casual" look of today. Fashions tend to grow slowly, remain popular for a while, and then decline slowly. Fads are fashions that enter quickly, are adopted with great zeal, peak early, and decline very quickly. They last only a short time and tend to attract only a limited following. Tore Jeans Pants" are a example of a fad.

Marketing Strategies of product lifecycles stages

Introduction Stage: In this stage promotional expenditure remains higher because the company wants to a) inform the potential consumers, b) initiate pilot project (trial of product) and c) secure distribution n retail outlets. Marketers can take one of the four strategies considering price and promotion. Rapid Skimming: Launching a new product at a high price and high promotion level. This strategy makes sense when a large part of the potential consumers are unaware about the product.

Slow Skimming: Launching a new product at a high price and low promotion. This strategy makes sense when the market is limited in size. Most of the market is aware of the product, willing to pay even at a high price and potential competition is not imminent. Rapid Penetration: Launching the product at a low price and spending heavily on promotion. This strategy makes sense when the market is large, the market is unaware of the product, most buyers are price sensitive, competition is strong, unit manufacturing cost falls in companys scale of production and company gains the benefit of experience. Slow Penetration: Launching a new product at a low price and low promotional expenses. This strategy makes sense when the market is large and highly aware of the product, market is price sensitive and there is a chance of potential competitors.

Growth Stage: Companies have several options: It can improve the quality of the product, can add new product features or style. It can add new models with different sizes, flavors, colors and so forth. It can enter in to a new market segment. It can enter in a new distribution channel or can increase the coverage of distribution. Advertising message should focus on Product Preference Advertising rather than Product Awareness Advertising. It may lower the price of the product in order to attract the next layer of the consumer group

Maturity Stage: The maturity stage can be divided into three parts: growth, stable and decaying maturity. However, the company can adopt 3 strategies in this stage. Market Modification: The company can try to increase its over all sales volume either by increasing number of brand users or by increasing usage rate per user. The company can try to expand the brand users by converting non-users, entering new market segments, and winning competitors customers. Product Modification: Products can be modified in three ways quality improvement, feature improvement and style improvement. Marketing Mix Modification: Modifying marketing mix elements and sub-elements, a company can also take strategies at this stage. It includes Prices, Distribution, Adverting, Sales Promotion, Personal Selling, and Services.

Declining Stage: Every product soon or later faces this stage. A company a can take several steps: Increase the firms investment. Maintaining the firms investment. Decreasing the firms investment level selectively. Harvesting Picking-up the firms investment to recover cash quickly. Divesting Disposing of its assets.

Consumer market and consumer buyer behavior

Consumer market are all the individuals and households who buy the products and services for personal consumption. Consumer buyer behavior is the buying behavior of final consumers-individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption. Consumer behavior is the decision process and physical activity individuals engaged in acquiring, using or disposing of goods or services. A Model of Consumer Behavior What do the purchasers have in common? What determines the percentage of the audience that buys the cereal? Would more people have bought the cereal if the rabbit had been blue instead of pink? What if the commercial had featured a pig? Are there audience members who would not buy the cereal no matter what the content of the commercial? Figuring out how and why people respond to marketing stimuli, and then adjusting the stimuli to achieve maximum results, is your job as a marketer. The first step toward accomplishing this task is recognizing how difficult a problem it really is. When you get down to it, consumer behavior is complicated because people are complicated. And maybe that's the most important thing to keep in mind for now. The starting point is the stimulus-response model of buyer behavior shown in figure .

A Model of Consumer Behavior This figure shows that marketing and other stimuli enter the consumer's black box" and produce certain responses. Marketers must figure out what is in the buyer's black box.

Marketing Stimuli Product Price Place Promotion

Other Stimuli Economic Technological Political Cultural

Buyers Characteristics Cultural Social Personal Psychological

Buyers Decision process Problem recognition Information search Evaluation of alternative Purchase decision Post Purchase behaviour

Buyers Decisions Product choice Brand choice Dealer choice Purchase timing Purchase amount

The Major Factors Influencing Buying Behavior

(Characteristics affecting consumer behavior) 1.Cultural factors a. Culture B. Subculture 2.Social factors a. Social class b. Reference groups c. Family d. Roles and statuses 3.Personal factors a. Age and Stage in the Life Cycle b. Occupation and Economic Circumstances c. Lifestyle d. Personality and Self-Concept 4.Psychological factors a. Motivation b. Perception c. Beliefs and attitudes d. Learning 1.Cultural factors A . Culture is the sum total of learned beliefs, values and customs that serve to direct the consumer behavior of members of a particular society. -Culture is the set of basic value, perceptions, wants and behavior, learned by members of society from family and other important institutions. -For example, a consumers routine behavior, such as adding sugar and milk to coffee, putting ketchup on hamburgers and putting mustard on frankfurters are customs. B. Subculture is a group of people with share value systems based on common life experiences and situation.

2.Social factors A. Social class is the division of members of society into a hierarchy of distinct status classes, so that members of each class have relatively the same status and members of all other classes have either more or less status. A group may be defined as two or more people who interact to accomplish either individual or mutual goals. B. Reference groups: A reference group is any person or group that serves as a point of comparison (or reference) for an individual in forming either general or specific values, attitudes or a specific guide for behavior. C. Family consists of husband, wife and children. D. Roles and status: A role consists of the activities a person is expected to perform. Each role carries a status. Example-Court justice has more status than a sales manager.

3.Personal factors a. Age and Stage in the Life Cycle b. Occupation and Economic Circumstances c. Lifestyle: A lifestyle is a persons pattern of living in the world as express in activities ,interests, and opinions. d. Personality and Self-Concept: Personality is defined as those inner psychological characteristics that both determine and reflect how a person responds to his or her environment.

4.Psychological factors a. Motivation is the driving force within individuals that impels them to action b. Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world. Perception is the process by which an individual can select a product through his Beliefs, Experiences, Needs & Expectation. c. Values and Beliefs: Values are defined here as assumptions about how things ought to be in the group. The individual's belief indicates how he/she thinks that things are, or ought to be. d. Attitudes: An attitude is a feeling that people hold toward an objective, a person or an idea that leads to a particular behavior. e. Learning: Learning about a product can happen when a customer has clear information about that product.

The Buying Decision Process

The steps in the buying decision process are: 1.Buying roles : A .Initiator: The person who suggest the idea of buying the product or services. Example-Your mother (the initiator) suggests that you might think about buying your father a new coat for his birthday. b. Influencer: The person who view or advice influence the decision. Example-You ask your sister (the influencer) what she thinks. She thinks it's a good idea. c. Decider : The person who decide to buy a product; whether ,what, how, where to buy. Example- You (the decider) agree and decide to buy an expensive sports coat at a department store. d. Buyer: The person who makes the actual purchase of a product or services. Example-Suppose you don't have time to go to the store, so you send your husband (the buyer) to make the actual purchase e. user: The person who consumes or uses the product or services. Example-Your father (the user) loves the new coat. At least he says he does. You suspect that, if it had been up to him, he would have bought a coat in a different style and color.

2.Buying behavior
The Four Types of Buying Behavior are shown in table
High involvement Low involvement

Significant differences between brands

complex buying behavior

variety-seeking buyer behavior habitual buying behavior

Few differences between brands

dissonance-reducing buying behavior

The Stages of the Buying Decision Process

In general, the consumer buying process has five stages.

1.Problem Recognition: Problem Recognition caused by a Difference between the Consumers Ideal State and Actual State. The causes of problem may be Very Simple or Very Complex. These causes may be influenced by both Internal and External Factors. 2.Information Search: When people identify the desired product,they begin to search for information needed to make a purchase decision. Consumer information sources fall into four groups a. Personal sources: family, friends b. Commercial sources: advertising, display. c. Public sources: Mass media ,consumer rating organizations . d Experimental sources: Handling ,using the products 3. Alternative Evaluation: After acquiring information during the Information search stage of the decision process, the consumer moves to alternative evaluation. In this stage the consumer compares the various brands or products and services.

Figure: Steps between evaluation of alternatives and purchase decision

Purchase Decision: At some point in the buying process, the consumer must stop searching for and evaluating information about alternative brands and makes a Purchase Decision. Purchase Decision is not the same as an Actual Purchase.

Post-Purchase Evaluation: The Post-Purchase evaluation is important because the feedback acquired from actual use of a product will influence the likelihood of future purchases. -Post purchase satisfaction: Here Satisfaction occurs when the consumers expectations are either met or exceeded; Dissatisfaction results when performance in bellow expectations. -Post purchase actions: Here Satisfaction occurs when the consumers expectations are either met or exceeded; Dissatisfaction results when performance in bellow expectations. -Post purchase use or disposal: Marketers should also monitor how buyers use and dispose of the products.

Analyzing Business Markets and Business Buying Behavior Organizational Buying is the decision-making process by which formal organization establish the need for purchase products and services and identify, evaluate, and choose among alternative brands and suppliers.

The business market vs the consumer market Consumer markets are the buyer who buy the products for their personal consumption. Business markets are the buyers who buy the products for further processing or for use in conducting a business.

The business market vs. the consumer market Business Market 1.Fewer buyers: Business Marketer normally deals with fewer buyers. 2.Largers buyers: a few large buyers do most of the purchasing in such industries as air crafts engineers and defense weapons. 3.Close supplier- customer relationship: because of the smaller customer base, suppliers can maintained extra relationship. 4.Geograhically concentrated buyers : buyers are geographically concentrated . 5.Derive demand: The demand for business goods is ultimately derive from the demand for consumer goods. 6.Inelastic demand: The total demand for many business goods and services is inelastic. 7.Fluctuating of demands: The demand for business goods and services tend to be more volatile than the demand for consumer goods and services. 8.Professional purchasing: Business goods are purchased buy trained purchasing agents. 9.Multiple sales calls: Because more people are involve in the selling process ,it takes multiple sales calls to win most business orders. 10.Direct purchasing: Business buyers buy directly from manufacturer rather than intermediaries. 11.Reciprocity:Business buyers also select suppliers who also buy from them. 12.Leasing:Many industrial buyers lease instead of buy heavy equipment like machinery. Consumer market 1. Consumer Marketer normally deals with fewer buyers. 2. Individual buyers do most of the purchasing. 3.Because of the larger customer base, suppliers can not maintained extra relationship. 4.Buyers are not geographically concentrated

5. The demand for consumer goods is not ultimately derive from the demand for business goods 6. The total demand for many business goods and services is elastic. 7. The demand for consumer goods and services tend to be less volatile than the demand for business goods and services. 8. Consumer goods are purchased buy normal people.

9. less people are involve in the selling process. 10. Consumers buyers are not buy directly from manufacturer . 11.Normally it does not happen. 12.Normally it does not happen

Buying situations
Straight rebuy :The straight rebuy is a buying situation in which the purchasing department reorder on routine basis. Modified rebury: The modified rebuy is a buying situation in which the buyers want to modify products specification ,prices, delivery requirements and others. New task: It is a buying situation in which a purchasers buys a products or services for the first time Participants in the Business Buying Process # Seven roles in the business purchase decision process Initiators. Those who request that something be purchased. They may be users or other people in the organization. Users. Those who will use the product or service. In many cases, the users initiate the buying proposal and help define the product requirements. Influencers. People who influence the buying decision. They often help define specifications and also provide information for evaluating alternatives. Technical personnel are particularly important influencers. Deciders. People who decide on product requirements and/or on suppliers. Approvers. People who have formal authority to select the supplier and arrange the purchase terms. Buyers. People who have formal authority to select the supplier and arrange the purchase terms. Gatekeepers. People who have the power to prevent sellers or information from reaching members of the buying center.

For example, purchasing agents, receptionists, and telephone operators may prevent salespersons from contacting users or deciders.

Levels of market segmentation

1.Undifferentiated(Mass) Marketing: A market-coverage strategy in which a firm decides to ignore market segment differences and go after the whole market with one offer. -This mass-marketing strategy focuses on what is common in the needs of consumes rather than on what is different. -The company designs a product and a marketing program that will appeal to the largest number of buyers. -It relies on mass distribution and mass advertising, and it aims to give the product a superior image in peoples minds. 2.Differentiated (segment) Marketing: A market-coverage strategy in which a firm decides to target several market segments and designs separate offers for each. -A market segment consists of a large identifiable group within a market with similar wants, purchasing power, geographical location, buying attitudes, or buying habits. Example- Nike offers athletic shoes for a dozen or more different sports, from running, fencing, golf, and aerobics to bicycling and baseball. 3.Concentrated (niche) Marketing : A market-coverage strategy in which a firm goes after a large share of one or a few segments or niches. -A niche market is a more narrowly defined group seeking a distinctive mix of benefits , typically a small market whose needs are not well served. Example: -A firm may produce only lenses for microscopes -A bank that takes loan requests over the phone and hand delivers the money to the customer. -If a soft drink Co. decides to sell the drinks only at the premises of the universities. -Through niche marketing ,the firm achieves a strong market position because of its greater knowledge of consumer needs in the niches it serves and the special reputation it acquires. -So It can market more effectively and efficiently 4.Micro marketing :Micro marketing is the practice of tailoring products and marketing programs to suit the tastes of specific individuals and locations. -Micro marketing includes local marketing and individual marketing :

i)

Local marketing: Local marketing involves tailoring brands and promotions to the needs and wants of local customer groups-cities, neighborhoods, and even specific stores.

-Example: Citibank provides different mixes of banking services in its branches, depending on neighborhood demographics. ii) Individual Marketing : Individual marketing involves tailoring products and marketing programs to the needs and preferences of individual customers.

-Individual marketing has also been labeled one-to-one marketing customized marketing and markets-of-one marketing. Example-The tailor custom-made the suit, the cobbler design shoes for the individual.

Designing global market offering

Globalization: It is a way of thinking in which a business regards all of its operations all over the world as part of one integrated business system. Global marketing: At this stage, companies treat the world, including their home market, as one market. -A global strategy occurs when a business sells a uniform product or service throughout the world. - the world as a series of country markets (including their home market) with unique sets of market characteristics for which marketing strategies must be developed, Global firm: a firm that, by operating in more than one country, gains marketing, production, R&D, and financial advantages in its costs and reputation that are not available to purely domestic competitors. International marketing is the performance of business activities designed to plan, price, promote, and direct the flow of a companys good and services to consumers or users in more than one nation for a profit. -The only difference in the definitions of domestic marketing and international marketing is that marketing activities take place in more than one country. Multinational firms: These are business that have production and sales operations in more than one country and have a mix of international owners and managers.

Major decision in international marketing

Before deciding whether to operate internationally, a company must understand the international marketing environment. 1.The international trade system: A company faces various trade restrictions. The most common is the *tariff-a tax levied by a government against certain imported products, design to raise revenue or to protect domestic firms. Quota: It is a limit on the amount of goods that an importing country will accept in certain product categories. *Embargo: It is a ban on the import of a certain product. *Exchange controls: These are govt. limits on the amount of foreign exchange, with other countries and on the exchange rate against other currencies. *Nontariff trade barriers: Nonmonetary barriers to foreign products, such as biases against a foreign companys bids,or product standards that go against a foreign companys product features. World trade organization and GATT *Regional free trade zones 2.Economic environment: The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumer purchasing power and spending patterns. -The countrys Industrial structure shapes its product and service needs, income levels, and employment levels. The four types of industrial structures are as follows: a. Subsistence economies, b. Raw materials exporting economies, c. Industrializing economies, d. Industrial economies.

3.The political environment: consists of laws, government agencies, and pressure groups that influence or limit various organizations and individuals in a given society. Nations differ greatly in their political legal environment. At least four political-legal factors should be considered in deciding whether to do business in a given countries.

a. Attitudes toward international buying, b. Government bureaucracy, c. Political stability and , d. Monetary regulations. 4.The cultural environment : is made up of institutions and other forces that affect a societys basic values, perceptions, preferences, and behaviors. a. The impact of culture on marketing strategy b. The impact of marketing strategy on cultures

B. Deciding Whether to Go Abroad Before going abroad, the company must several risk and answer many questions about its ability to operate globally. -Can the co. learn to understand the preferences and buyer behavior of consumers in other countries? -Can it offer competitively attract product? -will it be able to adapt to other countries business culture and deal effectively with foreign nationals? -do the companies managers have the necessary international experience? -has management considered the impact of regulations and political govt. of others countries. C. Deciding Which Markets to Enter How many market to enter: It should decide what volume of foreign sales it wants. The company also needs to choose how many countries it wants to market in, a few countries or many countries. Regional free trade: Your company might find itself entering a region rather than a country. Suppose, The European Union, SAFTA, NAFTA, Evaluating Potential Markets.

D. Deciding How to Enter the Market The Company can choice five market entry strategies for entering a market. These strategies are shown in figure 13.2

1.Export: Exports mean when one country sent products goods or services out of a country. So exporting means entering a foreign market by selling goods produced in the companys home country, often with little modification. -Indirect exporting, working through independent international marketing intermediaries. -Direct exporting, whereby they handle their own exports.

Import: Imports mean when one country brought products goods or services from another country.

2.Joint venturing: Entering foreign markets by joining with foreign companies to produce or market a product or service. There are four types of joint ventures are: (i) Licensing: A method of entering a foreign market in which the company enters into an agreement with a license in the foreign market, offering the right to use a manufacturing process, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other item of value for a fee or royalty. (ii) Contract Manufacturing-the company contracts with manufacturers in the foreign market to produce its product or provides its service. (iii) Management contracting: Here ,The domestic firm supplies management know-how to a foreign company that supplies the capital .the domestic firm exports management services rather than products. (iv) Joint ownership ventures consist of one company joining forces with foreign investors to create a local business in which they share joint ownership and control .

2. Direct Investment: Entering a foreign market by developing foreign based assembly or manufacturing facilities.

E. Deciding on the Marketing Program Planning an international marketing program poses similar challenges to those associated with planning a national marketing program .The Marketing mix: It is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. - Global companies normally follow two kinds of marketing mix: 1.Standardized marketing mix: An international marketing strategy for using basically the same product, advertising, distribution channels ,and others elements of the marketing mix in all the companys international markets. 2.Adapted marketing mix: An international marketing strategy for adjusting the marketing mix elements to each international target market, bearing more costs but hopping for a larger market share and return.

Five strategies allow for adapting product and promotion to a global market.

Lets break down the factors you need to consider when planning an international marketing strategy: product, promotion, price, distribution. Product: Product means the goods and services combination the company offers to the target market. -Straight extension means introducing the product in the foreign market without any change. -Product adaptation involves altering the product to meet local condition or preferences. -Product invention consists of creating something new. Promotion: Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customer to buy it. -Communication adaptation. It is a global communication strategy of fully adapting advertising message to local market. -Dual adaptation: If it adapts both the product and the communication, the company engage in dual adaptation.

Price: Price is the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product. Companies have three choice for setting global market price: 1. Set a uniform price everywhere. 2. Set a market based price in each country. 3. Set a cost based price in each country.

Place: Place includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers. -Company should take a whole channel view of the problem of distributing products to final users. Figures 13.4 shows the three major links between seller and ultimate users. Whole channel concept for international marketing

Assignment Of Principles of Marketing

Submitted by
Tahmina Afrose Roll: 1126 40th Batch MBA

Submitted to: Dr. Ataur Rahman Course instructor (Principle Of Marketing) World University of Bangladesh