Marketing Plan for Clayware Limited

 

 

Business Description

Clayware Limited is a company located in Punjab, India a place that is rich in clay soil and with a high population of people that are not well of. The company deals with the production of clay products such as bricks, pots, flower vases, and tiles among others. Nevertheless, one of its main products is making building bricks. The company was started by a family living in Punjab and the inspiration behind it was to offer jobs to the villagers living in the area who at that time were in poverty and distress. Today, the company has created over one thousand jobs and employment for most of the villagers and other Indians from other parts of the country. Due to the abundance availability of their raw material and human workforce, the business has grown the become one of the largest and most successful businesses that are not only known in India but also international. Most customers of the company are individuals and commercial clients who buy wholesale, which makes it easy for the business to make more profits while selling at an affordable price. Transporting their products to their customers has also been efficient since the area is central and is connected to major markets in the region. One of the factors that have contributed to the growth of Clayware limited is its well-laid down marketing plan. Indeed, it is true that for the success of a business, a good marketing plan should be put in place.

Brand Analysis.

Customers.

A customer is someone that purchases goods or services from a business or enterprise. There are various types of customers that a company or business should identify in order to provide good services. Examples of these include; price buyers, who are people that buy products or services only at the high season, relationship buyers, value buyers, and poker player buyers. All these clients have different reasons for purchasing a product. Therefore, it is important for companies to understand them and their need if they want to maximize their profits.

Individual Customers.

These are customers from within Punjab area and its environs. Initially, this area consisted of poor people but the presence of various industries in the area has improved the economical status of the people living there. Therefore, most of the locals have now become customers in these industries and mostly at Clayware Limited, due to their affordable prices.

Institutional Clients.

These are organizations and companies interested in purchasing products for their development. Institutional clients purchase their products at a wholesale price since they buy in bulk. Such clients bring in a lot of money since they buy many products to cater to their megaprojects. Losing such clients can have a great impact on an organization. Clayware Limited has several of these clients and that is why they have been able to grow fast over the years and even able to beat their competitors.

Market Size and Share

Many companies share the market size. Therefore, the company needs to put more effort into their marketing sector if they have any hopes of getting the most customers from this area. There is an advantage in this because the

Competition Analysis

Competitors are businesses, or organizations that offer similar products or services. Every business needs a competitor to challenge them to grow and improve their products or customer service. Before the inception of Clayware Limited, there were other companies that had dominated the area and enjoying the monopoly. Nevertheless, these companies have not yet captured the whole region probably due to the high pricing of their products, and minimum advertisements of their products. This is an advantage for Clayware Limited depending on the market strategy they have put in place. Clayware Limited has invested in its marketing departments and commercials through radio, television, and other online platforms, which has popularized the company. The company is also selling its products at a fairer price than its competitors, which has attracted more customers to buy their products.

Brand Positioning Strategy.

Marketing Director.

Clayware Products.

Low Prices on high season

 

 

Clayware Limited is a partnership company, which means that there is a lot of accountability from the directors, shareholders, and their customers. The partnership form of ownership is beneficial because the management can easily follow through with the marketing strategies and procedures of the company. The clay industry in India is very competitive since the raw material is readily available. Advertising is a form of marketing that is very essential for every business or organization because it is through advertisements that people become aware of the existence of a company and the products they offer. With over 200 clay industries in the country, producing relatively the same thing, it was essential for Clayware Limited, to come up with marketing strategies to not only maximize the profits but also attract as many clients as possible. Clayware Limited has invested in various unique strategies to market its products. Some of these marketing strategies include setting aside money for sales promotion and advertising. The company is also using signboards, advertising on local dailies, radio and television commercials as well as participating in trade fairs organized by the government or the private sector.

 on large market share hence maximizing profits.

Signboards and Notices

Signboards are mostly made of wood and are located in various places where people can congregate, for instance in bus stations, in temples, road junctions, and sometimes outside food joints. Clayware Limited has taken advantage of these boards to advertise its products. This can be done by the use of fliers that have details of the company, such as the name, its location, its address, and the products they sell. Notices are circulated in form of posters that show in images the products sold by Clayware Limited. This has also greatly helped in the marketing of this company.

Radio and Television advertisements

Sometimes Clayware Limited advertises its products through radio and television commercials. This allows a wide range of viewers using these platforms to see their products. In fact, most of the sales done by the company have been as a result of advertising on radio and television platforms.

Printing of calendars and T-shirts

Clayware Limited has invested heavily in marketing and another strategy they have used is by branding T-shirts and calendars with the name of the business, the products of the company, and its location. The company has also given offers to customers who purchase the products during the promotion period. This has increased the awareness of the company thus, bringing in more customers. By selling the branded t-shirts the company is also getting more money which is used to do more advertisements,

Tactical Marketing Decisions.

Marketing is defined as the management process of identifying, anticipating, and satisfying a client’s needs while being profitable (Boonpradub and Thechatakerng, 2015). This process focuses on the foundational activities that every business should perform. This not only includes identifying clients, but it also includes researching their needs and wants, analyzing the factors that sway their purchasing decisions (Boonpradub and Thechatakerng, 2015) These factors persuade them to purchase products from a particular company and not its competitor. In order to achieve this, some strategies that are coordinated, considered, and seem realistic are used to ensure that the resources and budget provided are effectively used (Employment, 2019). According to Jain, MacCarthy developed the concept of a marketing mix that is mostly recognized as the four ps, which include product, price, place, and promotion (2013). However, in a business that deals with service, these four ps cannot be enough. To make the marketing strategy more effective some more ps namely people, process, and physical evidence are required (Jain, 2013).

Product.

According to Jain, a product is a brand, quality, or style that are the most critical determinants in a positioning strategy of a company (2013). The development of a product is very crucial because it will determine the success of a business. Before developing a product, a survey must be conducted to be able to find the needs or wants of customers and ensure that people will be interested in the product (Bhardwaj, 2018). In the case of Clayware Limited. Before the inception of the company, a team was sent to look at the missing products in the market, which enabled them not to focus on what is already in the market but what is needed in the market. The process of product making does not just end because everyday people are in need of something unique and this is something that the Clayware Limited marketing team has done on a monthly basis.

Product.

The value of a product is determined by the worth the clients are willing to pay for it. In their article, Boonpradub and Thechatakerng indicate that the price of a product needs to be competitive but not very cheap to ensure that the business or company is making a profit (2015). Price is the only feature in the marketing mix that generates revenue for the company, therefore it should be properly thought out. Businesses should look at the customer’s point of view when making a decision regarding the price of their product. This is one of the factors that has made Clayware Limited popular. Most people know what to buy from them since they have good products and relatively cheap prices.

Place.

For a product to sell, it must be available at the right place, right time, and have the right quantity. The location of the company or distribution center must be accessible, convenient, and appropriate for customers (Employment, 2019). This is crucial for brick companies among others mostly because their products are bulk and require transportation. Clayware Limited is situated in a central place that can easily connect to the main markets of the region. Therefore, its clients do not struggle with following the directions given on fliers or commercials. Sometimes, this company delivers their products to their customers as a form of customer service, which has attracted more clients to purchase from them and not their competitors.

Promotion.

This is another crucial p in a marketing mix, that refers to the method in which a company can make their goods and services known to people. This strategy involves the use of forms of advertisement such as online platforms, radio and television commercials, branding, corporate identity, sales management, and special offers (Boonpradub and Thechatakerng, 2015). Promotion messages are appealing, simple, and consistent convincing customers that indeed the product being advertised is the best in the market. Promotional messages should convey the benefits of the product and offer a good impression of the company advertising. Clayware Limited has achieved this in various advertising forums. For instance, a recent product they were launching was made very appealing to the eyes of the viewers on tv such that by the end of three months the product was sold out.

People.

These are the individuals that have a big impression on the customers of a company. Sometimes these people can have a negative effect on customers which leads them to not buying your products ((Boonpradub and Thechatakerng, 2015). One example of these people is the staff of a company. If the staff is not trained well on customer care service, they will not sell the product well and for that reason, some clients might not be convinced to buy the product. All employees who are in contact with the customer must have adequate knowledge and understanding of the product that they can be able to explain and answer any question from the client. Clayware Limited has ensured that every employee working in the factory and distribution centers is trained about the products sold in the company.

Process.

Nowadays, most clients do not just purchase products but instead, they want to know the kind of company selling the product and sometimes how it was made. Most people easily buy products from companies that have a good reputation and reviews. For this to be achieved, a company should invest more in their products and customer service to always have good reviews. This will attract more clients.

Physical Evidence.

Every customer wants to purchase a product that they are familiar with from a company they have heard of or referred to by a friend. But companies can reduce this uncertainty by enabling potential clients to see what they are buying. This can be improved by having a clean, tidy and well-decorated reception area. This leaves a good impression on the customer and provokes them to think positively of the company and the product being made.

Service Process.

Service Blue Print

 

 

 

Customer Journey

This is line of interaction between the customer and the company ……………………………….

Front stage

Employees Actions

 

 

Marketing Platforms

This is the line of visibility…………………………………………………………………………

Back Stage Actions

This is the line of Internal Interaction………………………………………………………………

Support Processes.

 

 

 

 

Some of the areas in which Clayware Limited is failing is delivering of their products and training their workers. The clay industries are most located in inaccessible areas which make it difficult for potential clients to visit their offices (Kasemi, 2014). Clayware Limited is still evolving to the modern ways of doing things, which has slowed down their services and hence affecting them. According to Kumbhar, a majority of workers in the clay industry are still bound to the traditional way of living and therefore they are not enjoying the benefits that are in the modernized processing of clay (2014). Clayware is still in the process of modernizing its manufacturing process and this is one of the ways the company is losing money. If they cannot satisfy their client base then the company loses a lot of money to its competition. Secondly, even if Clayware Limited is situated in a central point accessible by most people, the issue of the poor roads network in the area is making it difficult for most people to access their offices (Sherin. and Saurabh 2018). If clients cannot access their offices, it means that they will choose to go to its competition.

Some of the ways to handle these issues are by fast tracking the process of changing from the traditional way of process to the modernized way that includes the use of technology (Siram, 2012). The company should invest more in training their worker on how to handle the machines to avoid injuries or wastage of time as they try to figure out how to work them out. These new ways will improve the quality of the products and will allow for the faster production of the products hence preventing scarcity of products during any season (Pitchai, 2016). In addition, to improve on their customer service, the company should deliver the product to their clients, especially individual customers since some of them might not be able to pick them from the company’s headquarters (Pitchai, 2016). This issue can also be solved by opening more distribution centers in different places, which will also ease the burden of deliveries to clients every other time.

Monitoring and Assessing.

To ensure that the marketing strategies work, the company must always review its progress after every four months. This might look like a very short time to conduct an assessment of a product that might have been released in the market but that is not the case. An assessment after every four months gives time for a product to be felt in the market. After three months, a product should show some progress in the market by probably getting sold out or not be paid attention by people. During this time, the company can look at what factors led to the lack of interest in a product by people. They can easily correct the mistake and relaunch the product. If the marketing strategy is not working, the company can consider using a different strategy.

Conclusion.

The marketing department is one of the most important sectors in a company. Without marketing, the company can take decades without being noticed. Therefore, companies should take it seriously and invest more in it by always allocating a budget to take care of the various affairs that are involved in marketing. Investing in a marketing department has been the only way in which a company can grow and increase its clients. Training workers is another important factor that should be considered by many companies because, without this, some clients might get the wrong information about a product, causing them to change their minds about purchasing a product. Clayware has learnt of this secret, therefore, it is continually investing more in this department and the results are evident.

 

 

 

References

Bhardwaj, A. (2018). Evolution of Blue Pottery Industry in Rajasthan. International Journal of Research and Analytical review, 5.

Boonpradub, W., & Thechatakerng, P. (2015). Brand endorsement by celebrity in Thailand: 7Ps of marketing mix and the impact of brand alliance. International Journal of Trade, Economics, and Finance, 6(1), 8.

Employment, S. B. (2019, January 02). The 7Ps of marketing. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/marketing-sales/marketing-promotion/marketing-basics/seven-ps-marketing.

Jain, M. K. (2013). An analysis of marketing mix: 7Ps or more. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(4), 23-28.

Jahagirdar, S., Shrihari, S., & Manu, B. (2013). Reuse of textile mill sludge in burnt clay bricks. International Journal of Advanced Technology in Civil Engineering, 2(1), 96-99.

Kasemi, N. (2014). Problems of pottery industry and policies for development: case study of Koch Bihar district in West Bengal, India. International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences, 3(7), 238-247.

Kumbhar, S., Kulkarni, N., Rao, A. B., & Rao, B. (2014). Environmental life cycle assessment of traditional bricks in western Maharashtra, India. Energy Procedia, 54, 260-269.

Pitchai, C. (2016). Pottery industry and its development by effective marketing through information and communication technologies (ICT). International Journal of Research-GRANTHAALAYAH, 4(4SE), 6-13.

Sherin, K., & Saurabh, J. K. (2018). Review of autoclaved aerated concrete:-advantages and disadvantages. In Proc. Natl. Conf. Adv. Struct. Mater. Methodol. Civ. Eng.(ASMMCE–2018) (pp. 35-39).

Siram, K. K. B. (2012). Cellular light-weight concrete blocks as a replacement of burnt clay bricks. Int. J. Eng. Adv. Technol (IJEAT), 2(2), 149-151.