Marketing strategy – what it is, types, goals, stages and basics for the development, evaluation and selection of an enterprise’s marketing strategy. Stages of developing a marketing strategy

Introduction

1. Theory and methodology for developing a marketing strategy

2. Development of a marketing strategy for JSC CZP

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

The importance of changes in the enterprise strategy is determined by the contradiction between the practical goals of the enterprise and the existing situation. Recently, more and more enterprises have resorted to developing company development strategies and, accordingly, strategic planning.

For large companies with large assets, capital-intensive production, and a long production structure, having a development strategy is considered simply a necessary condition for survival. It is strategic planning that allows a company to determine its goals and what it needs to strive for, through which to develop its business or simply survive in increasing competition.

Many well-known companies not only have a well-developed and transparent strategy, but also stubbornly adhere to the established parameters of development, and this ultimately led them to success, but also when achieving success, for the sake of its continued existence, the company must resort to strategic planning. this should not be a one-time process, but an ongoing, ongoing activity of top managers. The use of strategy as a management tool in the daily activities of a company is a necessary condition and means of not only survival, but also ensuring the prosperity of the company.

Regardless of the scale of the business, the use of strategic management of the company allows management to freely navigate a crisis situation and instills in staff confidence in the reliability of the business.

A competent and balanced development strategy is not a goal, but a means

realization of the company's planned future, a means of self-expression and a path to providing stable income for the company's management and shareholders. One of the main points of enterprise strategies is the development of marketing strategies. The development of marketing strategies is considered as a key stage in the strategic planning process of the enterprise as a whole and is a necessary element to achieve the best results of the company.

Recently, marketing strategies have become increasingly important. Just a few years ago, strategic marketing was presented primarily as determining the general direction of a company’s activities, oriented toward the future and responding to changing external conditions. Recently, the main emphasis has been placed on the formation of a market-oriented effective organizational and management system, and the distribution of management resources in accordance with this. In other words, now a marketing strategy is considered as a unified system for organizing the entire work of a company.

In the world economy there are no single universal forms for organizing all enterprises based on marketing principles. The development and application of specific marketing techniques requires a differentiated approach that takes into account the peculiarities of the functioning of the enterprise and, above all, the specifics of the market in which they operate.

The development of the strategic aspect of marketing in the consumer goods market is extremely important, because The market has entered that stage of its development when the lack of clearly developed strategies based on the results of marketing research leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of marketing activities and a loss of competitive advantages of the enterprise. The essence of marketing in the modern consumer market is the priority of individual needs over all production and commercial activities of the enterprise. Therefore, marketing should be considered not only as one of the management elements, but also as a global function that determines the content of all production and marketing activities of the enterprise. As a result, modern marketing is becoming, first of all, strategic, the focus and scientific validity of marketing decisions is increasing, short-term plans are increasingly based on long-term programs that determine the global goals of the enterprise in the market.

The purpose of this work is to develop a marketing strategy for the company, namely JSC CZP.

1.Theory and methodology for developing a marketing strategy

1.1. Concept and types of marketing strategy

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, it is a comprehensive, versatile and focused 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.

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.

The starting point for the formation and 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.

At the level of the enterprise as a whole, a general strategy is formed, which reflects the general strategic line of development and the combination of its possible directions, taking into account the existing market conditions and capabilities of the company. Plans and programs of marketing activities are based on it. At the level of individual areas of activity or product divisions, they and the enterprise are developing a development strategy for this area, related to the development of product offerings and the allocation of resources for individual products. At the level of individual products, functional strategies are formed based on identifying the target segment and positioning a specific product on the market, using various marketing means (price, communications). 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.

Also, in the course of marketing research, it is necessary to analyze the “consumer-product” relationship, the peculiarities of competition in the market of a given industry, the state of the macroenvironment, and the potential of the industry in the region where the company intends to operate.

It would be more correct to consider the opportunities that open up not only for a specific enterprise, but also for its competitors in the relevant market where the company operates or plans to operate. These opportunities allow you to develop a program of certain actions - the company's strategy.

The combination of “weaknesses and opportunities” is proposed to be used for internal transformations. The strategy should be structured in such a way that, due to the opportunities that have arisen, an attempt is made to overcome the weaknesses in the organization.

The combination of "strengths - threats" is considered possible to use as potential strategic advantages. The strategy should involve using the organization's strengths to eliminate threats.

The combination of “weaknesses and threats” is proposed to be considered as restrictions on strategic development. The organization must develop a strategy that would allow it to get rid of weaknesses, and at the same time try to prevent the threat looming over it.

When developing strategies, it is necessary to remember that opportunities and threats can turn into opposites. Thus, an untapped opportunity can become a threat if a competitor exploits it. Or, conversely, a successfully prevented threat can create an additional strength for the organization if competitors have not eliminated the same threat.

To assess the competitive position of a company, a methodological tool called “benchmarking” is used.

This term means a comparative analysis of the key success factors (business parameters) of the analyzed enterprise with its main competitors. In other words, this is a procedure for managing the competitive potential of a company. As a rule, comparative analysis is carried out according to the following parameters:

Market share;

Product quality and price;

Production technology;

Cost and profitability of manufactured products;

Labor productivity level;

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.

Developing a marketing strategy is a labor-intensive process that requires a significant investment of time, the ability to correctly analyze the current situation and think creatively. This process begins with an analysis of the external and internal environment and ends with an analysis of the effectiveness of the decisions made. Moreover, at the last stage it is necessary to find out not only how much the planned actions were carried out accurately, correctly and on time, but also how well these actions were chosen to achieve the goal (Figure 1).

At the level of the enterprise as a whole, a general strategy is formed, which reflects the general strategic line of development and the combination of its possible directions, taking into account the existing market conditions and capabilities of the company. Plans and programs of marketing activities are based on it. At the level of individual areas of activity or product divisions of the enterprise, a development strategy for this area is being developed, related to the development of product offerings and the allocation of resources for individual products. At the level of individual products, functional strategies are formed based on identifying the target segment and positioning a specific product in the market, using various marketing means.

Rice. 1.

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. Also, in the course of marketing research, it is necessary to analyze the “consumer-product” relationship, the peculiarities of competition in the market of a given industry, the state of the macroenvironment, and the potential of the industry in the region where the company intends to operate.

A fairly widely recognized approach that allows for a joint study of the external and internal environment is SWOT analysis. In addition, SWOT analysis allows you to develop a list of strategic actions aimed at strengthening the competitive position of the enterprise and its development.

When it is carried out, weaknesses and strengths are initially identified - these are factors of the internal environment that will facilitate or hinder the effective operation of the company; as well as opportunities and threats - environmental factors that facilitate or hinder the development and effective functioning of the organization. Based on the data, a SWOT table is compiled, after which the following questions should be answered:

whether the company has any strengths or core strengths on which the strategy should be based;

whether the company's weaknesses make it vulnerable to competition and what weaknesses the strategy should mitigate;

what opportunities the company can use with its resources and experience to realistically count on success; what opportunities are best from the firm's point of view;

What threats should management be most concerned about to ensure their best protection?

It is also necessary to establish connections between internal and external parties. To do this, a SWOT matrix of 4 fields is compiled (Figure 2). In each of these fields, the researcher must consider all possible pairwise combinations and highlight those that should be taken into account when developing the organization's behavior strategy.

In the “strengths - opportunities” field, a strategy should be developed to use the organization’s strengths in order to benefit from the opportunities that have appeared in the external environment (it is proposed to be used as guidelines for strategic development).

Rice. 2. SWOT Matrix

It would be more correct to consider the opportunities that open up not only for a specific enterprise, but also for its competitors in the relevant market where the company operates or plans to operate. These opportunities allow you to develop a program of certain actions - the company's strategy.

“Weaknesses - Opportunities” is proposed to be used for internal transformations. The strategy should be structured in such a way that, due to the opportunities that have arisen, an attempt is made to overcome the weaknesses in the organization.

The combination of "strengths - threats" is considered possible to use as potential strategic advantages. The strategy should involve using the organization's strengths to eliminate threats.

The combination of “weaknesses and threats” is proposed to be considered as restrictions on strategic development. The organization must develop a strategy that would allow it to get rid of weaknesses, and at the same time try to prevent the threat looming over it.

When developing strategies, it is necessary to remember that opportunities and threats can turn into opposites. Thus, an untapped opportunity can become a threat if a competitor exploits it. Or, conversely, a successfully prevented threat can create an additional strength for the organization if competitors have not eliminated the same threat.

To assess the competitive position of a company, a methodological tool called “benchmarking” is used. This term means a comparative analysis of the key success factors (business parameters) of the analyzed enterprise with its main competitors. In other words, this is a procedure for managing the competitive potential of a company. As a rule, comparative analysis is carried out according to the following parameters: market share; product quality and price; production technology; cost and profitability of manufactured products; level of labor productivity; volume of sales; product distribution channels and proximity to raw material sources; quality of the management team; new products; the ratio of domestic and world prices; company reputation; competitors' strategies and plans; research into the competitiveness of products and the effectiveness of marketing activities.

This comparison is necessary to determine what the company should strive for and what needs to be changed.

The results of SWOT analysis and benchmarking allow for a full-scale and, very importantly, fairly objective assessment of the company’s competitive position in the industry.

During the research, it is important to analyze the “consumer-product” relationship, i.e. study of consumer behavior.

The areas of consumer research are:

consumer attitudes towards the company, attitudes towards various aspects of the company’s activities in the context of individual elements of the marketing mix (the company’s released and new products, the characteristics of modernized or newly developed products, pricing policy, the effectiveness of the sales network and product promotion activities);

level of satisfaction of consumer requests (expectations);

consumer intentions;

making a purchase decision;

consumer behavior during and after purchase;

consumer motivation.

It is also necessary to study consumer attitudes towards brands of competing manufacturers.

Depending on the opportunities and threats, the potential of the company, as well as the state of the competitive environment, i.e. Based on the research, a general development strategy for the company is developed.

Strategic marketing involves methods for systematically analyzing needs and developing concepts for effective products and services to provide sustainable competitive advantage, and includes market research, market segmentation, demand differentiation and product positioning. A logical extension of strategic marketing is integrated marketing pressure, implementation and control.

Thus, a true marketing strategy is based on segmentation, differentiation and positioning. It is aimed at finding a company’s competitive advantage in the market and developing a marketing mix that would allow it to realize this competitive advantage.

Segmentation allows for a systematic analysis of needs and the development of effective assortment concepts for goods and services that provide a competitive advantage for an enterprise in the market. There is macro-segmentation, the task of which is to identify the product market, i.e. determination of commodity and territorial boundaries; and micro-segmentation, the goal of which is to identify consumers within each segment for a more detailed analysis of the diversity of their needs.

Market segmentation is carried out according to certain criteria. These characteristics include: geographical, socio-demographic, psychographic, behavioral.

The segments identified during the research require further assessment of their attractiveness. It is on the basis of this assessment that organizations develop marketing strategies aimed at positioning products, as well as developing a targeted marketing program aimed at selected segments. Segments are assessed according to certain criteria, which include: the size of the segment and the rate of its change, the structural attractiveness of the segment, the goals and resources of the organization developing the segment. Moreover, when choosing a target market and to achieve the maximum possible effect, it is necessary to take into account all these criteria in a complex.

In the selected target markets, the following approaches to their development can be used, i.e. segmentation strategies:

Undifferentiated marketing - when differences between market segments are ignored and the entire market is targeted with one product. At the same time, the manufacturer concentrates not on how the needs of different consumers differ, but on what these needs have in common.

Differentiated marketing - a strategy of full market coverage is also adopted, but at the same time each segment (market) has its own specially developed product. This approach allows us to operate in all selected segments with an individual product, pricing, sales, and communication policy (marketing-mix).

Concentrated (focused) marketing - focusing efforts on one or more of the most profitable segments. The strategy is attractive to businesses with limited resources that concentrate their efforts where they can exploit their advantages, achieving economies of specialization and a strong market position in a segment through the high degree of uniqueness and individuality of their products and services.

Personalized - a strategy in which the market is broken down into the smallest boundaries, down to the level of the individual consumer.

Sometimes, within the framework of differentiated marketing, differentiated target marketing is also distinguished. However, their difference is that differentiated marketing means the development of a marketing-mix complex for selected segments, which differs only in promotion complexes, and differentiated target marketing involves the use of completely different marketing tools for them and, first of all, goods and services are differentiated here, intended for various consumer groups. Moreover, each strategy differs, first of all, in the content of the main tools of the marketing mix (marketing-mix); product, price and promotions.

Having decided on the choice of target market segments, as well as areas of differentiation, the enterprise moves on to positioning goods and services in the selected segments.

Positioning determines the nature of perception of products by target segments. It can be defined as the development and creation of a product’s image in such a way that it takes a worthy place in the buyer’s mind, different from the position of competitors.

When positioning, it is necessary to pay attention to those characteristics (arguments) and their combination that are most important to the consumer. This could be price, quality of product or service, prestige of the company, etc. The company can develop positioning strategies taking into account the strategies used by competitors: positioning by attribute, by advantage, by use/application, by consumer, by competitor, by product category, by ratio price quality. Or apply several strategies at once.

Thus, the processes and methods of segmentation, differentiation and positioning most clearly reflect the features of the marketing concept, because are determined by the specific behavior and needs of individual consumers, aimed at searching and selecting arguments with the help of which the enterprise influences consumers and creates the competitive advantages of its products. Next, the process of operational marketing begins, based on the chosen strategic orientation of the enterprise and product, i.e. the company can engage in detailed development of the marketing mix, which includes product development, pricing policy, and promotion strategies. At the same time, the marketing mix should be developed taking into account the interests and needs of the segment that the company is targeting.

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.

• Full 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, in terms of costs or distinctive product properties. 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 strategy for positioning the product on 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:

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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 production of the product.

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 salary 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.

Marketing Strategy Example

Step 9 Calculation of the total marketing budget. We repeat again, these are only approximate figures.

Step 10 Analysis of marketing strategy.

That's it, our marketing strategy is ready.

Marketing strategy is a particular element of a company's overall strategy, which describes how it should use the capabilities and resources at its disposal to achieve the greatest results and increase profitability in the long term.

In essence, it represents a general plan of marketing activities with the help of which the company expects to achieve its marketing goals. It involves setting specific goals for each individual product and type of market for a certain period of time. A strategy is formed within the framework of general production and commercial activities according to the individual capabilities of a particular enterprise and the characteristics of the market situation.

After developing a general plan, the company can move on to working on more specific (marketing plans).

The main sections of the marketing plan include: analysis of the current marketing situation, SWOT analysis, a list of tasks and existing problems, a list of obvious dangers and potential opportunities, a statement of marketing strategies, an action program, budgets and a certain control procedure.

A company's marketing strategy begins with the development of a specific program, setting goals and formulating objectives for all future marketing activities.

A marketing strategy is selected individually for a specific company in accordance with the characteristics of its current affairs and development goals for future periods. The main ones are: penetration into a new market, development of an existing market, development of a new product, diversification.

Based on the general marketing strategy, private programs of marketing activities are formed. Programs can be focused on achieving such effects from activities as maximum effect regardless of risk, minimum risk without counting on a large effect, various combinations of the two indicated approaches.

A marketing strategy is developed based on market requirements, company shortcomings, consumer requests and some other factors. The formation of a marketing strategy is influenced by trends in the state of the external marketing environment and demand, the product distribution system, and consumer requests; features and state of the competitive environment; individual capabilities of the company and its management resources; the main concept of the future development of the company, its tasks and goals.

The key subsystem of a corporate marketing strategy is the product marketing strategy of a commercial organization. It is aimed at analyzing and developing the most important strategic decisions on the assortment, nomenclature, volume and quality of manufactured products, and issues of product sales on the market.

It is the main strategy for survival, economic growth, quiet existence and commercial success of the company. Its main component is considered to be the optimization of the product program for the current year.

Thus, a marketing strategy is created in relation to a specific target market selected as a result of the advanced market conditions. Strategic planning is built on its basis and with its help, the company’s competitive advantages for the future are ensured. It is the result of a rational and logical construction of long-term plans for success, on the basis of which movement towards the progressive development of production and sales is carried out.

Based on the developed strategy, a detailed program of specific activities is created for the entire marketing complex, responsible executors are assigned, future costs are determined and deadlines are set.

Any company should consider studying this issue. Marketing strategy is a component of corporate strategy that determines the direction of the company’s activities, taking into account its current internal state and the external conditions in which the enterprise operates.

The need to develop a marketing strategy

Strategic management is more common among large enterprises that need a professional approach to determining the direction of activity, the vision of the company in the future and have enough funds for this. The market position of small enterprises is often determined on an intuitive, reactionary level, since the distribution of a small amount of resources does not require significant labor and funds, and the future of such enterprises is more susceptible to outside influences. However, it is worth noting that strategic management is necessary to one degree or another in every enterprise, since competent management allows you to choose the right paths to achieve the final goal.

A marketing strategy helps to choose a basic model of an enterprise’s behavior in the market and ensure its further successful formation. It may not be able to protect against all market dangers, but it can help develop ways to respond to the most likely options and make the most efficient use of all available resources. The process of forming a marketing strategy, like other positions of this complex concept, ends with the choice of one of the alternatives, but management moves to the next stage - the development of action programs, which determines ways to achieve the goals set at the previous stage. Also, to develop a marketing strategy, it is important to establish an effective intra-organizational communication system.

Marketing strategy in the strategic pyramid

Strategic management involves the formation of a “strategic pyramid” at the enterprise, which includes four levels of strategies:

• Corporate.
• Business.
• Functional.
• Operational.

At the stage of forming a business strategy, the following are determined: portfolio strategy, growth strategy and direct marketing (competitive) strategy. Let's focus on how to ensure its formation. A marketing strategy determines ways to enter and consolidate in certain markets and market niches, assesses development prospects in certain strategic business areas, methods of competition, and ensuring product competitiveness.

Types of Marketing Strategies

At the stage of choosing a competitive strategy, the enterprise determines the general model of behavior in the market, the methods by which target demand will be won and retained. The alternatives that an enterprise can follow are divided into types.

Marketing strategy is:

• Violent (power).
• Patient (niche).
• Commutative (adaptive).
• Explerent (pioneer).

The violent (force) strategy is used in the management of large firms specializing in mass, standardized production. Competitiveness in this case is ensured through “economies of scale,” which allows for the mass production of high-quality products and their sale at a relatively low price.

The patent (niche) strategy is typical for those firms that are focused on niche business, that is, specialized products to meet demand in a narrow market segment. The strategy is applicable to those who produce specialized, high-quality goods at a high price. This strategy is good because it allows you to find that part of the market that will be inaccessible to competitors, thereby making it possible to reduce the costs of competition and redirect resources to self-development.

The commutative (adaptive) strategy involves satisfying individual services and solving problems on a local scale, which is typical for small, private enterprises, often of short-term existence. Companies with a commutative strategy look for any opportunity to satisfy their customers' services, so such companies are usually very flexible in their activities.

Exploratory strategy (pioneer, innovative) is the riskiest of strategies, it involves the creation of completely new products, revolutionary products. The main problem of such companies is that it is impossible to study the demand for their products, since it simply does not exist yet. Explorers create a need for their own product, and their success in business depends on how well they succeed. The practice of experimenting companies shows that only a small percentage of “pioneers” achieve success, but this success is of enormous proportions and often covers the costs of all failures. Such a business is called “scalable” in the literature.

Functional Marketing Strategies

Next comes the functional level, which involves the development of tactical measures for different divisions of the company to achieve the strategies that were laid down at the previous stage. At this stage, existing product marketing is developed or improved, which is divided into the following types.

Marketing strategy at the functional level is divided into the following types:

• Assorted.
• Promotion.
• Distribution.
• Pricing.
• Selecting the target market.

An assortment marketing strategy involves determining the product groups that will be included in the company’s portfolio, the breadth and depth of the assortment, and describing the differentiation of products or the development of new products.

Determining the target audience to which the enterprise’s activities will be directed, developing communication plans and conducting an information campaign that will familiarize potential consumers with the product - all this is included in building a promotion strategy. A promotional marketing strategy can also refer to a firm's advertising budget.