Executive summary
This will be a marketing plan for Volume café that specializes in the supply of coffee and food. The plan will be used to enter into new markets. The marketing plan will include a look at the possible market for coffee and the food supplied by the company. The plan will also have a look at the possible costs that the company is expected to incur in the process of marketing the products. With the help of the plan, the company will be sure to increase the amount of sales they make and also enter into new markets all over the world. The summary will also analyze the various conditions that might affect the operations of the business so that the company can come up with suitable solutions for the threats and weaknesses. The marketing plan will be incomplete without looking at the possible outcomes once the plan is put into action.
Marketing plan [coffee and food]
Introduction
The marketing plan will be used by Volume café to improve the number of sales they make within a given duration. The plan will analyze the type of environment in which the company operates. Many other companies also take part in this form of business. The plan will also take into account the things that Volume café do to ensure they outsmart the other companies. The success of the business greatly depends on the number of sales that they make. They can only make a good amount of sales if they take time to come up with a good marketing plan to execute the ideas they have. The marketing plan can only work well if the steps are followed and all the resources provided (Fontinelle, P 50).
Marketing environment (PESTE)
Political and legal influence
The main of the company is to go to the international market. The challenge that will come with this decision involves the laws that have to be followed by the company. Different companies have different rules governing trade. The company will have to compare the rules available in different regions so that they can join the best region. Not all regions have the best business environment. The laws of UK are friendly to business, and the company can exist in the given market for a long duration.
Economic factors
The economic factors in the region will also affect the sales that the company will make. The company has to be sure that the chosen region has people with the fairly good amount of income so that they can afford the coffee frequently. This will be good for the business since they will be able to make the sales they need to make. This region has people who can afford coffee and the foods the company supplies.
Socio-cultural factors
It will be very important to know the culture of the people in the region. People always have beliefs about some types of foods, and this can negatively affect the business. The company has to be sure that the region they choose is one that favors their operations. The people in the UK do not have any beliefs against coffee. They also love the foods that the company supplies.
Environment concerns and influence
The market is best suited for the sale of coffee. The region experiences a lot of cold and the market for coffee would do very well. This is the reason why it remains a priority for the new markets that the company can join ( Westbrook, P48).
Technology
Technology is required in every sector. When coming up with a marketing plan for a new market, one must ensure that they look at the technical provisions in the region. The UK has some of the best technological advancements that can enable the company makes deliveries in time. The company will also learn new methods that can be used to make coffee fast (Green, P45).
Competitive review
Just like in any other market, the company is likely to encounter competition from other firms in the region. There are many ways that the company can use to overcome such competition. The company will ensure that all the resources are put in place to be able to compete fairly in the market. The other companies do not use the same methods of preparation, and this is the best way that will be used to compete with the direct competitors. The company will also have to look at the various regions that the competitors have not realized. It will be important for the company to carry out frequent advertisements on different platforms to make clients to be aware of their products. The advertisements have to be carried out on different so that the company can convince the new clients that they have the best coffee.
For the substitute competitors, the company will have to convince the people in the market that coffee is better than the other products supplied by their competitors. Once many clients feel that they need coffee over the other products supplied by the other companies, they can go ahead and make the sales.
SWOT analysis
Strengths of the company
The company has various strengths that make it compete favorably in the market. The company is already known by many people in the market. The company also has a good amount of capital that makes it easy to venture into new markets. The company already has a good image in the market, and it can use this to improve the number of sales that they make.
Weaknesses
The company has not fully used its potential in the market. Though many people love coffee, the company has not come up with plans to increase the size of the café. Sometimes, clients are forced to go without coffee because the café is full. The company has also not fully made use of technology to make deliveries.
Opportunities
The company has a lot of opportunities in the market. The company can increase the size of the café to accommodate the number of people in the market. The company can also venture into the supply of other foods and drinks apart from coffee ( Businessdictionary, P 70).
Threats
The company faces stiff competition from companies that are already established in the market. Such companies have a strong capital base that makes it very easy for them to reach new markets. Government legislation also poses a threat to the company. An increased amount of payable tax by the company makes it difficult for the company to make any profits in the industry.
Target market
The target market is divided into different parts, and the company will have different ways of dealing with such provisions. For the demographic orientation, the company will ensure that supply is made according to the number of people in a given region. This will be important to prevent cases of shortages and excess supplies in the respective places. The market can also be segmented based on the personality of people. Different people will love a given type of coffee or one that is prepared in a given way. The company will ensure that such clients have the coffee at any time they need. It will be important towards ensuring that all the possible clients are not left out. Regarding the benefits sought from a given region, it will be important to supply more coffee to the regions that bring more income to the company.
Marketing objectives
The following are the main marketing objectives of the company
1. To reach out to new markets by the end of the year.
2. To increase sales of coffee by 15% by the end of the year.
3. To be able to add at least two varieties of foods to the stock of the company by the end of the year.
Marketing strategy
The marketing strategy that has always been used in the company is taste. Clients come back to the company to get coffee because they believe it has the best taste. The clients know the café as one that provides them with the quality coffee they need at any time. The strategy will be improved to ensure the clients get different tastes. This will be important for the clients because it will ensure they can get what they need. The company will also stock all the foods that one can take together with the coffee. People come to the company because they are always sure to get all that they need in one step. This strategy will be improved to ensure that as the sale of coffee goes up, the sale of the other foods also goes up.
Marketing mix
Product
The coffee that the company supplies is known to be of the best taste in the market. The company has all the foods that can be used with the coffee.
Pricing
For competition purposes, the company will ensure that they charge fair prices. The prices will be set to ensure that the clients can afford the coffee and the company does not make losses in the process.
Promotion
Frequent promotions will be carried out by the company to ensure clients know about the café and the coffee they supply. This will be very important since it will ensure that clients know about the product well. The company will create a team that will have the mandate of ensuring that clients are informed about the product. The step will be very important if the objectives are to be achieved (Armstrong, P50.
Place
The proximity of the café from the clients will also be very important. The café will be near the clients, and in case some clients are far from the company, there will be provisions for deliveries to be made upon the clients making orders. The company will open for more hours to ensure clients can have access to the café at any time.
Monitoring and evaluation
To check whether the plan is working or not, the company will carry out frequent surveys to get feedback from the clients. The company will also measure the success of the plan by looking at the sales made (Armstrong, P50).
Appendix
Volume café is a coffee café located in Qatar. The café specializes in the supply of coffee. Apart from coffee and other foods available in the café, there is a library with books that clients can read.
References list
Fontinelle A. (2010). Business Plan: Your Financial Plan | Investopedia.1st edition. Chicago 2016]. Pg 34-67
Green R. (2014). Entrepreneurial small business. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Pg 45
Businessdictionary.com. (2016). Macro environment. 3rd edition. London. Pg 56-78
R. Westbrook (1997). “SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall”. Long Range Planning. 2nd edition. London. Pg 46–52
Armstrong. M. (2006). A handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10th edition . London. Pg 23-67
