Formation of a marketing strategy for an enterprise based on methods of modern strategic analysis. Resource strategy of the company Formation of a marketing strategy for the development of the company

In the process of their creation and operation, enterprises cannot do without using the basic principles of marketing. The term “marketing” refers to market activities. In a broader sense, this is a comprehensive, versatile and targeted work in the field of production and market, acting as a system for coordinating the capabilities of the enterprise and existing demand, ensuring the satisfaction of the needs of both consumers and the manufacturer.

The development of a marketing mix, including product development, its positioning with the use of various measures to stimulate sales, is strictly related to strategic management. Before entering the market with a specific marketing strategy, a company must clearly understand the position of competitors, its capabilities, and also draw a line along which it will fight its competitors.

When forming a company’s marketing strategy, 4 groups of factors should be taken into account:

1. trends in the development of demand and the external marketing environment (market demand, consumer requests, product distribution systems, legal regulation, trends in business circles, etc.);
2. the state and characteristics of competition in the market, the main competing firms and the strategic direction of their activities;
3. management resources and capabilities of the company, its strengths in competition;
4. the basic concept of the company’s development, its global goals and business objectives in the main strategic areas.

First stage - the main components of the market environment are analyzed in the long term: demand, competition, consumer groups and their preferences.

Second phase- analyze your own resources and capabilities and identify competitive advantages and disadvantages.

Third stage- coordinating the capabilities of the enterprise and the interests of individual market segments, identifying the target market.

Fourth stage - development of measures to influence the target market in the direction of using competitive advantages and development within the framework of the chosen strategy.

The starting point for the formation of a marketing strategy is an analysis of the dynamically developing market environment and a forecast of further market development, which includes: macro and micro segmentation, assessment of the attractiveness of selected product markets and their segments, assessment of the competitiveness and competitive advantages of the company and its products on the market.

The key point in developing a company's marketing strategy is the analysis of the internal and external environment. Analysis of the internal environment allows us to identify the enterprise’s capabilities for implementing the strategy; analysis of the external environment is necessary because changes in this environment can lead to both the expansion of marketing opportunities and the limitation of the scope of successful marketing.

Stages of developing a marketing strategy

· Market research
· Assessment of the current state
· Analysis of competitors and assessment of the company's competitiveness,
· Setting goals for marketing strategy
· Market segmentation and selection of target segments (consumer research)
· Analysis of strategic alternatives and choice of marketing strategy
· Positioning development
· Preliminary economic assessment of strategy and control tools

Market and external environment research

Market analysis

· determination of market boundaries;
· assessment of market capacity;
· determination of the company's market share;
· primary assessment of the level of competition in the market;
· market development trends.

The main tool for market analysis is marketing research (desk and field).

Analysis of the external macroeconomic environment:

· Macroeconomic factors. Some factors in the economic environment must be continually diagnosed and assessed because... the state of the economy affects the firm's goals. These are inflation rates, international balance of payments, employment levels, income distribution, changing demographic conditions, etc. Each of them can represent either a threat or a new opportunity for the enterprise.
· Political factors. The active participation of business firms in the policy process is an indication of the importance of public policy for the organization; therefore, the state must monitor the regulations of local authorities, state authorities and the federal government.
· Technological factors. An analysis of the technological environment may, at a minimum, take into account changes in production technology, the application of new IT technologies in the design and delivery of goods and services, or advances in communications technology. The head of any company must ensure that he is not exposed to “future shock” that destroys the organization.
· Factors of social behavior. These factors include changing attitudes, expectations and mores of society (the role of entrepreneurship, the role of women and minorities in society, the consumer movement).
· International factors. Management of firms operating internationally must continually assess and monitor changes in this broader environment.

Assessment of the current state

Main tasks of the stage:

· analysis of economic indicators (financial results, structure and amount of company costs, investment opportunities);
· analysis of production capabilities (technological capabilities and limitations, production potential);
· audit of the marketing system (assessment of the effectiveness of marketing costs, systems for collecting and using marketing information, limitations of the marketing budget and communications);
· portfolio analysis for strategic business units and product lines (ABC analysis, determination of product life cycle stages, matrix methods of portfolio analysis: BCG matrix, MCC matrix, GE/McKinsey matrix, etc.);
· SWOT analysis;
· development of a forecast (prospects for the development of the company in the current situation).

Analysis of competitors and assessment of the company's competitiveness

Competitor analysis consists of the following elements:

· identifying the company's competitors;
· assessment of their market share;
· determination of competitors' goals;
· determination of competitors' strategies;
· assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of competitors;
· assessment of the range of possible reactions of competitors;
· selection of competitors to attack and avoid.

Setting goals

The previous stages of developing a marketing strategy make it possible to assess the current state of the company and the markets in which it is present. Next, the desired vision of the future state of the company and its position in the market should be formulated. This vision is the goal within the marketing strategy.

Main tasks of the stage:

· setting goals (identifying tasks to be solved);
· assessment of goals (determining the need to solve problems);
· establishing a hierarchy of goals.

The goals of the marketing strategy must be linked to the mission and goals of the company as a whole. Goals should be arranged in a structure in the form of a tree, where the achievement of all lower goals together leads to the achievement of a higher goal.

Market segmentation and selection of target segments

Main tasks of the stage:

· market segmentation, i.e. identifying competitive target market segments;
· choosing the time and method of reaching target segments.

Analysis of strategic alternatives

· Classification of competitive strategies according to J. Trout and E. Rice
· Classification of competitive strategies according to Kenichi Omae - 3K (3C) model
· Classification of competitive strategies according to F. Kotler
· Classification of competitive strategies according to M. Porter
· Blue ocean strategies (W. Chan Kim, R. Mauborgne)
· Corporate Aikido Strategy
· Alternative models of strategy development

All of these models are an attempt to classify possible competitive strategies. By and large, almost any possible strategy fits into these models. Based on the information collected in the previous stages, the company needs to select the most appropriate standard marketing strategy, within which a detailed marketing plan will be developed.

Positioning development

Preliminary economic assessment of marketing strategy and control tools

· Analysis and forecasting of the quality and resource intensity of the company's future products
· Forecasting the competitiveness of the company's existing and future products
· Forecasting price and sales levels for existing and future company products
· Forecasting revenue and profit volumes
· Determination of benchmarks and intermediate stages of control (timing and control values)

Marketing plan

Based on the marketing strategy, a detailed marketing plan should be developed, describing the specific marketing activities to be carried out in the short and medium term.

Marketing strategy is a set of basic decisions aimed at achieving the general goal of the company and based on an assessment of the market situation and its own capabilities, as well as other factors and forces in the marketing environment.

Development of a marketing strategy - a programmatic - targeted approach to the activities of the enterprise. The global basic directions of the marketing strategy are:

1. Segmentation strategy - deepening the degree of saturation of all user groups with goods and services offered, choosing the maximum depth of market demand, i.e. expanding business activity “in depth”.

2. Diversification strategy - mastering the production of new goods, new markets, as well as the spread of business activities to completely new areas not related to the main activities of the company, i.e. expanding business activity “in breadth”.

3. Internationalization strategy - development of foreign markets, i.e. expansion of business activity across the border.

As part of the general strategy, more specific private strategies are developed, which may be different.

Deciding on a specific strategy includes the following main steps:

1. identifying alternatives to marketing strategy;

2. choosing the optimal option;

3. strategy implementation;

4. analysis and adjustment of the marketing strategy.

The following classes of marketing strategy can be distinguished:

a) low cost production strategies (LCP);

b) differentiation strategy (DS);

c) diversification strategy (SDiV);

d) business liquidation strategy (BDS)

A. The low-cost strategy or “price-quantity” is based on a flexible pricing policy and is carried out through ousting competitors from the market due to relatively low prices. There are several types of this strategy:

1. Standardization strategy, i.e. production of homogeneous, standard products in increasing volumes. According to Pareto's law, doubling gross production ensures a reduction in unit costs of production by 20-30%; by increasing output and reducing production costs, the company provides itself with a competitive advantage by selling goods and services at relatively low prices. This strategy is applicable to rapidly developing, capacious markets.

2. Reducing production costs through the use of cheaper raw materials and components, labor, economic technologies is applicable if the company operates in a relatively saturated and sluggishly growing market or one that is not developing at all in terms of capacity.

B. A differentiation strategy or preference strategy involves creating new products and services or modifying existing ones to satisfy potential needs. The differentiation strategy is based on the innovation process and correspondingly significant investments.

Differentiation strategy options:

1. Leadership strategy - the functioning of a company with fundamentally new products, the production of which is based on unique patented inventions.

2. Quality and reliability strategy - implementation of evolutionary step-by-step improvements in technology, and therefore relatively inexpensive ones, ensuring increased and differentiated quality, reliability, design changes in products.

3. Integrated sales strategy, i.e. sale of goods with related services not provided by competing companies.

IN. The diversification strategy is aimed at expanding the scope of the company's activities through new directions. They are used to reduce business risk in a dynamic, changing market situation.

Highlight:

1. Vertical integration strategy - the accession of other companies to the company (suppliers of raw materials, supplies, sales services that provide the parent company with more efficient production of traditional products)

2. Horizontal integration strategy - joining or creating structures that produce new goods that are not typical for the parent company. This is a low-risk strategy.

G. Business liquidation strategy. When pursuing a business liquidation strategy, the firm strives to:

1. warn partners in advance and fulfill your obligations to them;

2. explain the reasons for the current situation to your regular customers;

3. if possible, solve the problem of staff employment;

4. predict partners, clients, staff about possible prospects for resuming activities.

A rarely used type of business liquidation strategy is the liquidation of operations (LOS) strategy, in which a division of the company acts as a source of financial results for other divisions while refusing capital investments in modernization and gradually reducing the level of financing of current expenses.

In general, the system of class options for marketing strategies can be presented in the form of a matrix characterizing the dependence of the choice of strategic alternative on the characteristics of the product and the market (Figure 3.5.)

Hello! In this article we will talk about an integral element of any modern enterprise - a marketing strategy.

Today you will learn:

What is a marketing strategy;
What levels and types of marketing strategies exist;
How to create a marketing strategy for your business.

What is an enterprise marketing strategy

Let's turn to the etymology of the word "strategy" . Translated from ancient Greek it means "the art of a commander" , his long-term plan for the war.

The modern world dictates its terms, but strategy today remains an art that every entrepreneur must master in order to win the battle for profit and market share. Today, strategy is a long-term action plan aimed at achieving the global goals of the enterprise.

Any organization has a general strategy that corresponds to its global goals and strategy by type of activity. One of these is the marketing strategy of an enterprise.

Despite the fact that the number of companies in various markets is constantly growing, store shelves are crowded with a variety of goods, and consumers are becoming more and more whimsical and picky, many Russian companies still neglect marketing. Although it is the marketer who is able to highlight your product on the store shelf among competitors, make it special and bring profit. Therefore, developing a marketing strategy is one of the key issues in planning an organization’s activities.

Marketing strategy – a general plan for the development of each element (physical product - product, distribution, price, promotion; service - product, distribution, price, promotion, physical environment, process, personnel), developed for the long term.

The marketing strategy, as an official document, is enshrined in the company's marketing policy.

The practical importance of marketing strategy for an enterprise

The marketing strategy, being an integral part of the overall strategy of the enterprise, directs activities to achieve the following strategic goals:

Increasing the enterprise's market share in the market;
Increasing the company's sales volume;
Increasing the profit of the enterprise;
Gaining leading positions in the market;
Other.

The goals of the marketing strategy must be consistent with the mission of the enterprise and overall global goals. As we see, all goals are related to competitive or economic indicators. Achieving them without a marketing strategy is, if not impossible, then very difficult.

To achieve any of the above goals, it is necessary to include the following elements in the company’s marketing strategy:

Target audience of your company/product. The more detailed you can describe your target customer, the better. If you have chosen several segments for yourself, then describe each of them, don’t be lazy.
Marketing complex. If you offer a physical product, describe each of the four Ps (product, distribution, price, promotion). If you are selling a service, you will describe the 7 Ps (product, distribution, price, promotion, physical environment, process, people). Do this in as much detail as possible and for each element. Name the core benefit of your product, indicate the key value for the client. Describe the main distribution channels for each product, determine the price of the product, possible discounts and desired profit per unit. Think about what marketing activities will be involved in the promotion. If you offer a service, then determine who, how and where (in terms of room design, work tools) will implement it.

Each of the elements must also form its own strategy, which will be included in the overall marketing strategy of the business.

Marketing budget. Now that you have a detailed marketing strategy, you can calculate your overall budget. It doesn't have to be exact, so it's important to include a reserve here.

Once you have identified each of the listed elements, you can begin to realize your goals through a series of tasks:

Formulation of a strategic marketing problem (this point needs to be given the greatest attention);
Needs analysis;
Consumer market segmentation;
Analysis of business threats and opportunities;
Market analysis;
Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise;
Choice of strategy.

Levels of an enterprise's marketing strategy

As we can see, the overall marketing strategy includes strategies for marketing elements. In addition, the marketing strategy must be developed at all strategic levels of the enterprise.

In the classical reading, there are four levels of enterprise strategies:

Corporate strategy(if your company is differentiated, that is, it produces several products, otherwise this level will not exist);
Business strategies– strategy for each type of activity of the enterprise;
Functional strategy– strategies for each functional unit of the enterprise (Production, marketing, R&D, and so on);
Operational strategy– strategies for each structural unit of the company (workshop, sales floor, warehouse, and so on).

However, the marketing strategy will only cover three levels of the strategic hierarchy. Experts in the field of marketing recommend excluding the functional level, since it involves considering marketing as a narrowly functional type of activity. Today, this is not entirely true and leads to short-sighted decisions in the field of marketing.

So, marketing strategy must be considered from the point of view of three levels:

Corporate level: formation of assortment marketing strategy and market orientation strategy;
Business unit level: development of a competitive marketing strategy;
Product level: product positioning strategy on the market, strategies for the elements of the marketing mix, strategies for each product within the product line strategy.

As we can see, we should develop 6 types of strategies as part of the overall marketing strategy of the enterprise.

Choosing the type of marketing strategy for your business

Let's start moving towards a common marketing strategy from the highest level - corporate. It will be absent if you offer only one type of product.

Corporate level of marketing strategy

At the corporate level, we need to consider assortment strategy and market orientation strategy.

Assortment strategy of the enterprise

Here we need to determine the number of product units of the assortment, the width of the assortment, that is, the number of products of different categories in the assortment (for example, yogurt, milk and kefir), the depth of the assortment range or the number of varieties of each category (raspberry yogurt, strawberry yogurt and peach yogurt).

As part of the assortment policy, the issue of product differentiation (changing its properties, including taste, packaging), developing a new product and discontinuing the product is also considered.

The listed issues are resolved based on the following information about the market and the company:

Size and pace of market development;
Size and development of the company's market share;
Size and growth rates of various segments;
The size and development of the enterprise's market share in the product market.

It is also necessary to analyze information about the products that are included in the product line:

Trade turnover by product;
Level and change in variable costs;
Level and trends in gross profit;
Level and change in fixed non-marketing costs.

Based on this information, the assortment strategy of the enterprise is drawn up.

Market Orientation Strategies

As part of this strategy, we need to identify the target market and identify target segments. Both questions depend on your range and individual products.

In general, at this stage the decision comes down to choosing one of the following market segmentation options:

Focus on one segment. In this case, the seller offers one product in one market.
Market specialization. It is used when you have several product categories that you can offer only to one consumer segment. Let’s depict this schematically (“+” is a potential consumer)

Product specialization suitable for you if you have only one product, but can offer it to several segments at once.

Electoral specialization. This is the case when you can adapt your offer to any of the segments. You have enough products to satisfy the needs of each segment.
Mass Marketing. You offer one universal product that, without any changes, can satisfy the needs of each segment of your market.

Complete market coverage. You produce all products available on the market and, accordingly, are able to satisfy the needs of the entire consumer market

Before defining a market targeting strategy, we advise you to carefully analyze the needs of the customer segments that exist in your market. We also do not advise you to try to “capture” all segments at once with one product. So you risk being left with nothing.

Business unit level

Choosing a competitive marketing strategy is a fairly broad issue. Here it is necessary to consider several aspects at once, but first it is necessary to carry out analytical work.

First, assess the level of competition in the market. Secondly, determine your company's position among competitors.

It is also necessary to analyze the needs of your target audience, assess the threats and opportunities in the external environment, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company.

It is necessary to carry out analytical work with the product: identify its key value for the target consumer and determine its competitive advantage. Once you have done your analytical work, you can begin choosing a competitive strategy.

From the point of view of marketing practitioners, it is advisable to consider competitive strategies from two perspectives: the type of competitive advantage and the role of the organization in a competitive market.

Competitive strategies by type of competitive advantage

Here it would be advisable to immediately present these strategies in the form of a diagram, which is what we will do. The possible types of competitive advantage of the organization are located in the columns, and the strategic goal of the product (company) is located in the rows. At the intersection we get strategies that suit us.

Differentiation strategy requires you to make your product unique in the quality that matters most to your target customer.

This strategy is suitable for you if:

The company or product is at a stage of its life cycle called maturity;
You have a sufficiently large amount of funds to develop such a product;
The distinctive property of a product constitutes its key value for the target audience;
There is no price competition in the market.

Cost leadership strategy assumes that you have the opportunity to produce a product at the lowest cost on the market, which allows you to become a leader in price.

This strategy is right for you if:

You have technologies that allow you to minimize production costs;
You can save money on production scale;
You are lucky with your geographical location;
You have privileges when purchasing/extracting raw materials;
The market is dominated by price competition.

Focus on costs and differentiation implies your advantage over competitors only in one segment of your choice, based on the cost factor or the distinctive properties of the product. The choice factors that we discussed above regarding each strategy will help you choose what exactly to focus on (costs or differentiation).

The focusing strategy has the following factors:

You can identify a clearly defined segment in the market with specific needs;
There is a low level of competition in this segment;
You don't have enough resources to cover the entire market.

Competitive strategies based on the organization's role in the market

At the very beginning, we recalled that the concept of “strategy” entered our lives from the art of war. We invite you to return to those ancient times and take part in a real battle, only in our time and in a competitive market.

Before you go to the battlefield, you need to determine who you are in relation to your competitors: a leader, a follower of the leader, an industry average, a small niche player. Based on your competitive position, we will decide on a “military” strategy.

Market leaders it is necessary to hold the defense so as not to lose your position.

Defensive war involves:

Staying ahead of competitors' actions;
Constantly introducing innovations into the industry;
Attack on oneself (own competing products);
Always be on the alert and “jam” the decisive actions of competitors with the best solutions.

Follower of the leader it is necessary to take an offensive position.

First of all, you need:

Identify the leader’s weaknesses and hit them:
Concentrate your efforts on those product parameters that are a “weak” side for the leader’s product, but at the same time important for the target consumer.

Industry average Flank warfare will do.

It involves the following combat actions:

Search for a low-competitive market/segment;
Unexpected attack from the flank.

If you are a niche player, your war is guerrilla.

You should:

Find a small segment that you can reach;
Be active in this segment;
Be “flexible”, that is, be ready at any time to move to another segment or leave the market, since the arrival of “large” players in your segment will “crush” you.

Product level of marketing strategy

The marketing strategy of a product is represented by three types of strategies at once: a product positioning strategy in the market, strategies for the elements of the marketing mix, strategies for each product within the marketing strategy of the product line.

Positioning strategy

We propose to highlight the following positioning strategies:

Positioning in a special segment(for example, young mothers, athletes, clerks);
Positioning on product functionality. Functional features are mainly emphasized by companies specializing in high-tech products. For example, The iPhone, seeing the target audience's need for excellent photo quality, positions itself as a smartphone with a camera no worse than a professional one;
Positioning at a distance from competitors(the so-called “blue ocean”). There is such a positioning strategy as the “blue ocean” strategy. According to this strategy, the competitive market is a “red ocean”, where companies fight for every client. But an organization can create a “blue ocean,” that is, enter the market with a product that has no competitors. This product must be differentiated from competitors on key consumer factors. For example, Cirque du Soleil proposed a completely new circus format, which differed in price (it was much more expensive), did not have performances with animals and clowns, changed the format of the arena (there is no longer a round tent), and was aimed mainly at an adult audience. All this allowed Cirque du Soleil to leave the competitive market and “play by its own rules.”
Positioning on a branded character. There are quite a lot of such examples: Kwiki the rabbit from Nesquik, Donald McDonald from McDonald's, cowboy Wayne McLaren from Marlboro. True, sometimes a character also has a negative impact on the image of a company or product. So Wayne McLaren died of lung cancer and in the period of time from diagnosis to death he sued Marlboro, publicly telling how harmful their cigarettes were. Cartoons also sometimes cause harm. Thus, “Skeletons” from Danone were not popular among mothers due to the inflammatory images of cartoon characters used in advertising.
Discoverer. If you were the first to offer a product, you can choose a pioneer strategy when positioning;
Positioning based on a specific service process. This is especially true for the service sector. Everyone has already heard about the restaurant “In the Dark”. He will be a great example of this positioning.

Strategies for elements of the marketing mix

As part of the marketing mix strategy, there are four marketing mix strategies to consider.

Product marketing strategy

In addition to the assortment strategy, which we have already discussed, it is necessary to determine a strategy for each product unit. It will depend on the stage of the product life cycle.

The following stages of the life cycle are distinguished:

Implementation. The product has just appeared on the market, there are not many competitors, there is no profit, but sales volumes are quite high, as are costs. At this stage, our main goal is to inform the target audience. The actions should be as follows:

Analysis of existing demand;
Informing the target audience about the qualities of the product;
Convincing the consumer of the high value of the product;
Construction of a distribution system.

Height. You see rapid growth in sales, profits and competition, costs are falling. You need:

Modify the product to avoid price competition;
Expand the range to cover as many segments as possible;
Optimize the distribution system;
The promotion program should be aimed at stimulation, and not at informing, as it was before;
Reducing prices and introducing additional services.

Maturity. Sales are growing, but slowly, profits are falling, and competition is growing rapidly. In this case, you can choose one of three strategies:

Market modification strategy, which involves entering new geographic markets. In addition, as part of this strategy, it is necessary to activate promotion tools and change the positioning of the product.
Product modification strategy involves improving the quality of the product, changing the design and adding additional characteristics.
Marketing mix modification strategy. In this case, we have to work with the price, it needs to be reduced, promotion, it needs to be intensified, and the distribution system, the costs of which need to be reduced.

Recession. Sales, profits, promotional costs and competition are reduced. Here, the so-called “harvest” strategy is suitable for you, that is, the gradual cessation of product release.

Pricing Strategies

There are pricing strategies for new enterprises and “old-timers” of the market.

Pricing Strategies for New Businesses

Market penetration. Relevant if there is sufficiently elastic demand in the market. It consists in setting the lowest possible price for the product.
Strategy of functional discounts for sales participants. If we want large chains to promote our product, we need to give them a discount. Suitable for large companies.
Standard pricing. Nothing special. The price is calculated as the sum of costs and profits.
Following the market involves setting the same prices as competitors. Suitable for you if there is no fierce price competition in the market.
Price integration strategy applicable when you can agree to maintain the price level at a certain level with other market participants.
A strategy for balancing the quality and price of a product. Here you need to determine what you will focus on: price or quality. Based on this, either minimize costs (lower the price) or improve the quality of the product (raise the price). The first option is acceptable for elastic demand.

Pricing strategies for market watchdogs

Open competition on price. If you are ready to reduce the price to the last player on the market, then this strategy is for you. Don't forget to estimate the elasticity of demand, it should be high.
Refusal of "price transparency". In this case, you need to make it impossible for consumers to compare your price with your competitors' prices. For example, make a non-standard volume of product, for example, not 1 liter of milk, but 850 ml. and set the price a little lower, but so that your liter of milk is actually more expensive. The consumer will not notice the trick.
Strategy for offering a package of goods. The strategy of offering a package of goods is to provide the consumer with the opportunity to purchase a “set of products” at a better price than if they were purchased separately. For example, in the McDonald's restaurant chain, such a package of products is a Happy Meal for children. When purchasing it, the consumer receives a toy at a reduced price, and the company receives an increase in sales.
Stepped pricing strategy for the offered assortment. Break down the entire assortment into price segments. This will allow you to cover a larger part of the market.
Price linking strategy. We all remember the “makeweight” that was attached to scarce goods. This is a great example of this strategy.
Price differentiation strategy. If your core product needs complementary products, then this strategy is for you. Set the price low for the main product and high for the complementary product. After purchasing the main product, the consumer will be forced to purchase a complementary one. A good example is a capsule coffee machine and coffee capsules.
Introduction of free services. This strategy is similar to the strategy of abandoning price transparency. In this case, the consumer will also not be able to compare your prices with those of your competitors.

The next step in determining a pricing strategy is to determine a price differentiation (or discrimination) strategy; their use is not mandatory for the company.

There are two price differentiation strategies:

Geographical price differentiation strategy. It is divided into zonal price, uniform price, selling price, basis point price and manufacturer's delivery cost strategies.

If your company has a presence in several areas (multiple geographic markets), then use the strategy zonal prices. It involves charging different prices for the same product in different geographic regions. The price may depend on the average wage in the region, differences in delivery costs, and so on.

If you set the same prices for products in all regions, then your strategy is single price strategy.

Selling price strategy applies if you do not want to transport the goods at your own expense to the consumer (point of sale). In this case, the consumer bears the cost of delivery.

Basis point price involves fixing a certain point from which the delivery cost will be calculated, regardless of the actual location of shipment.

Manufacturer's delivery cost strategy speaks for itself. The manufacturer does not include the cost of delivery of the goods in the price.

Price differentiation strategy for sales promotion. Suitable for you if the product is at the maturity stage of its life cycle. There are several other strategies that can be highlighted here.

“Bait Price” strategy. If you have a sufficient number of products in your assortment, you can apply this strategy. It consists of setting prices much lower than market prices for one particular product. The rest of the goods are offered at the average market price or above the average price. The strategy is especially suitable for retail stores.

Pricing strategy for special events – promotions, discounts, gifts. We won't stop here. Let's just say that there are discounts for timely payment of goods in cash (wholesale), discounts for volume, discounts for dealers, seasonal discounts (if you sell seasonal goods, you need to stimulate sales during the off-season).

Product distribution strategy

As part of the distribution strategy, it is necessary to determine the type of distribution channel and the intensity of the distribution channel. Let's deal with everything in order.

Distribution channel type

There are three types of distribution channels:

Direct channel– movement of goods without intermediaries. Used when a company offers high-tech or exclusive products to a small segment.
Short channel with the participation of a retail trader. In this case, an intermediary appears who will sell your product to the end consumer. Suitable for small companies.
Long channel with the participation of a wholesaler (wholesalers) and a retail trader. If you have a high production volume, then this channel will provide you with a sufficient number of outlets.

Distribution Channel Intensity

The intensity of the distribution channel depends on the product and production volume.

There are three types of distribution intensity:

Intensive distribution. If you own a large production facility and offer a mass product, then this strategy is for you. It assumes the maximum number of retail outlets.
Selective distribution. Selection of retail traders based on any criteria. Suitable for those who offer a premium, specific product.
Exclusive distribution. Careful selection of traders or independent distribution of products. If you offer an exclusive or high-tech product, you should choose this type.

Having considered these elements, we will obtain a product distribution strategy that will be part of the company's overall marketing strategy.

Product promotion strategy

There are two main promotion strategies:

Pulling promotion involves stimulating demand in the market by the manufacturer independently, without the help of distributors. In this case, the consumer himself must ask the distributors for your product. This can be done using promotion tools (advertising, PR, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing). In this case, the promotion strategy must specify all the tools used and the timing of their use;
Push promotion. In this case, you must make it profitable for distributors to sell your product. You must “force” him to promote your product. This can be done through discounts for sales representatives.

At first glance, choosing a marketing strategy seems to be a very labor-intensive and lengthy process. However, after going through all the described stages of defining a marketing strategy for each level of the strategic pyramid, you will understand that it is not so difficult. Let us give you an example to prove our words.