Marketing: Toothbrush
Introduction
In this assignment, my choice product is a toothbrush. The reason for my choice is because of the increased need for dental care and hygiene. There are several factors that contribute to the choice of a tooth brush some of which include availability, the type and texture of the bristles, the variety available for the toothbrush to cater for the need of a vast majority of people among others. This paper is intended to cover the marketing procedures involved in marketing any form of a toothbrush to the market.
Factors for Market Identification
There are several factors required by the marketing manager in order identify the market niche for any form of tooth brush.
- 1. Demands or needs.
To identify a target market for the toothbrush, a marketing manager must consider the local community’s needs. for instance, some people require a tooth brush for authentic purposes that is to look and smell good while others require tooth brushes for hygienic purposes that is protect their teeth from gum disorders or tooth decays (Dunne and Lusch, 2008). With these two different needs in mind, the toothbrush must be manufactured in a manner that the bristles are tender and at the same time strong enough to penetrate between the teeth and remove any unwanted debris while causing no harm to the gum or the tongue.
- 2. Demographics
These would include qualities like gender, income, age and probably the occupations of the market. With the gender, aesthetic benefits of tooth brushes are commonly associated with females, although men are also very keen (Dunne and Lusch, 2008). For this reason, one must ensure that the intended tooth paste is readily available in stores containing female products and services to facilitate its demand. In addition, women are very keen in ensuring that there is a tooth brush for each member of the family to keep them protected from dental illnesses as well as facilitate fresh breathes. On the case of income for instance, toothbrushes like the electric ones should be made readily available to families where the income can afford to purchase them.
On the other hand, the cost of the toothbrush should measure up the living standards of the target market. As for age, the tooth brush must be in such a way that the bristles are tender to take care of the tender gum and tooth in young children as opposed to adults. Finally, to some extent the occupation is important since some employed people eat snacks for lunch something that may call for regular teeth cleaning.
- 3. Environment factors
In terms of location, the target market must be accessible easily and quickly (Dunne and Lusch, 2008). This will mean that, the tooth brush can conveniently be obtained be it in the morning before rushing to work or in the evening when one is in need. Another environmental factor is that the tooth brush if disposed should not have adverse effects which would impact negative effects on the soil or land, or to other people and animals.
Branding or Positioning Strategies to Be Used
According to Kurtz, Mackenzie and Show (2009) market positioning is what is done to the mind of the customer. They point out that any brand is appreciated by the insight it carries to intellect of the prospect hence positioning each brand to an exacting class or section of the market. After positioning a product in the market, the manager must be very keen on sustaining and managing that position. The main positioning strategy is to either build up or strengthen a specific representation for the brand in customer’s mind (Kurtz, Mackenzie and Show 2009) and for our tooth brush product the best approaches for poisoning strategies include customer benefit and competitor approach.
In the customer benefit, the manager needs to put the tooth brush above the competitors based on the quality and nature of packaging and aesthetic aspect of the tooth brush. This product should be designed and packaged in such a way that it attracts the attention to the customer. On the other hand, with the competitor’s approach, the manager needs to brand the tooth brush based on the competitor. The competitors strategy is identified and then any loopholes identified and the same method with the corrected weaknesses used for our tooth brush.
Importance of marketing research
There are so many benefits associated with marketing research for the manager. To begin with, market research is important to the manager since it enables them to make decisions about products or services (McQuarrie, 2006). For the case of the tooth brush, the manager’s research will be useful in revealing whether the customers are really in need of the tooth brush or not, and if not, what competitor qualities outdo the toothbrush. This will go a long way in ensuring that the manager doesn’t lose sight of the marketing focus Secondly, marketing research will be useful in the survival of the competition (McQuarrie, 2006). The manager will gain information about the competitors’ identity, customer focus and scale of operations as well as their marketing network.
With this in mind, conquering the competitors will involve outdoing their campaigns. In addition, marketing research helps in the maximization of profits and increasing of sales. McQuarrie (2006) states that by understanding the requirements of the customer, their needs and attitude towards the toothbrush, the manager will increase sales a move that will help the company maximize the profits.
References
Dunne P. and Lusch R., (2008). Retailing. Thomson Learning, Inc. China.
Kurtz D., Mackenzie H. and Show K., (2009). Contemporary marketing. Nelson Education Ltd. United States of America.
McQuarrie E. (2006). The Market Research Toolbar: A Concise Guide for Beginners. Sage Publications, Inc. California.
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