The marketing simulation game has provided the opportunity to
learn the technicalities of the marketing process. The marketing game has three
levels which include level 1, level 2 and level 3. In each level, different
decisions regarding the product and its features have been adjusted. The paper
provides the detail information about the decisions which have been taken within
the three phases. The distribution channels and the price per item per channel
have been changed in each phase according to the marketing strategy. The name
of the brand is Voicex. The competitors also played the major role in setting
up the competitive prices. The details of the marketing game and the adopted
strategy are explained as follows:
Targeted Segments of Marketing Plan Decisions
Level 1
Level one is the initial level of the marketing plan game in
which distribution intensity of dealers and the number of sales represented are
adjusted. The customer service budget is $100000. The segments that are
targeted by the brand are students, home users, Creators, managers, and parents.
The reason for targeting these segments is due to the nature of the product.
Voicex produces headsets, microphones, digital dictation equipment etc. that
can be used in schools, homes and various organizations, therefore, it is
decided to target the following segments.
Level 2
In level 2 the same customers are targeted which include
students, home users, creators, assistants, and parents. The customer service
budget in level 2 is $25000. The reason for the decrease in sales
representatives and customer service budget is that with the passage of time
the value of the brand has increased and the customers have attracted toward
the brand, therefore, the company does not much efforts to attract customers.
In level 1 $250000 spent on advertising to attract customers therefore in level
2 $750000 is spend on sales promotion. Advertisement expenses are increased to
attract more customers (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2017).
Level 3
At level 3 the same segments are targeted which are targeted
in level 2 and level 1.
Products & features of Marketing Plan Decisions
Level 1
In
level 1 16 special commands features are included in the product which would
increase the cost, however, will attract a lot of new customers. In the product
8, error protection features are also given to enhance its value. 5 ease of
learning features is included in the product. As the product is new in the
market it is important that the brand should create an image in the mind of the
customer through high quality (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2017).
Level 2
Voicex
is an expert in speech recognition therefore in level 2 of the marketing plan
10 special commands are given to the product which enhances its value. Out of
10 5, error protection features are also included in the product. The product
has 5 ease of learning features as well. Combining all the features it can be
said that the product has many benefits for the customers. As the brand has
established an image in the mind of the customers the business has decided to
reduce the cost and provide sufficient features to customers.
Level 3
At level 3 the special command features have reduced to 8
and out of 10, only 3 error protection features have been given in the product.
The ease of learning is kept 5. At level 3 the company has launched second
brand Watchx which can perform 7 tasks efficiently. The ability to customize is
2 out of 10. The wholesale price of both the products is kept $130.
Distribution Channels & number of Sales Representatives
Level 1
There are 2 distribution channels, channel 1 and channel 2.
In level one, the distribution intensity is kept at 35% in both channels
because the business is new and it needs distribution so that it can reach to
the targeted customers effectively. The Sales representatives in channel 1 are
20 and in channel 2 are 10. The reason for many sales representatives is
because it is the growth period of the business (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2017).
Level 2
In level 2 the distribution intensity is adjusted to 30%.
The sales representatives at level 2 are 5 in both channels. In level 2 the
non-selling time is 10% in channel 1 and 15% on channel 2. It is decided to
give 5% sales commission to the sales representatives.
Level 3
At level 3 the distribution intensity is again increased to
35% due to the launch of new brand Watchx. The number of sales representatives
are 5 in each channel. The non-selling time also remains the same as level 2.
The business has decided to give 5% sales commission to the sales
representatives (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2017).
Price Per item Per Channel of Marketing Plan Decisions
Level 1
The unit sold in channel 1 is 4543 and units sold in channel
2 are 4748. The total units sold in level 1 are 9327. In each channel, the
price per unit is $150. The unit cost for each channel is $98. The market share
of the Voicex is 0.159. Due to the focus on the customer services and high
quality of the product the business able to attract the huge amount of
customers which results in a higher number of sales. However, the expenses also
increased dramatically.
Level 2
The unit sold in channel 1 is 2978 and units sold in channel
2 are 2707. The total units sold in level 2 are 5685. In each channel, the
price per unit is $170. The unit cost for each channel is $65. The market share
of the Voicex is 0.157. At level 2 the business does not focus much on customer
services and reduced the features of the brand which become the reason for
lower market share. However, the business manages the expenses more
effectively.
Level 3
The unit sold in channel 1 is 2701 and the units sold on
channel 2 were 2721. The total units sold in level 3 are 5422. In each channel,
the price per unit is $130. The unit cost for each channel is $51. The market
share of the Voicex in level 3 is 0.146. As the brand has reduced its features
and focus on customer services the brand unable to attract much customer that
is why the market share of the product reduced up to the lot of extents (Kotler
& Armstrong, 2017).
Usage of Advertisement Budget of Marketing Plan Decisions
Level 1
In level 1 the advertisement budget is $250000 which is
lower than its competitors VRD-Tech. the advertisement budget is used to
increase the market share of the business (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2017).
Level 2
In level 1 the advertisement budget is $75000 which is lower
than its competitors VRD-Tech. the advertisement budget is used to increase the
market share of the business
Level 3
In level 1 the advertisement budget is $35000 which is lower
than its competitors VRD-Tech. the advertisement budget is used to increase the
market share of the business
Role of Competitors of Marketing Plan Decisions
Level 1
In setting the marketing strategy the competitors play the
important role. Many corporations around the world compare their strategies
with their competitors so that they can take the competitive edge over their
competitors. The price of the product is kept competitive so that the customers
can purchase the product. Moreover, the features are also changed by keeping
the strategy of the competitor in mind. In the products, those features are
increased which the competitor products are not providing in abundance (Kotler
& Armstrong, 2017).
Level 2
The product features and spending on the customer services
are the main key point of the marketing strategy. The competitor is not
spending much on the customer services, therefore, it is decided to spend more
on the customer services. Also, the sales representative are lower according to
the strategy that is adopted by the competitors. Through this, the expenses are
efficiently controlled. It can be said that the marketing strategy of the
competitor has an influence on the Voicex strategy.
Level 3
In order to reduce the expenses of the business, it is
decided to lower the sales representatives. The features are also lowered to
reduce the cost of the product. The reduction in features has the huge impact
on the sales however through customer services the business is determined to
generate sales. The customer services
play the major role in attracting the customers (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2017).
Conclusion of Marketing Plan Decisions
If all the above discussion is summarized than it is evident
that the marketing simulation game has provided the opportunity to learn the
technicalities of the marketing process. The marketing game has three levels
which include level 1, level 2 and level 3. In each level, different decisions
regarding the product and its features have been adjusted. Level one is the
initial level of the marketing plan game in which distribution intensity of
dealers and the number of sales represented are adjusted. The customer service
budget is $100000. The segments that are targeted by the brand are students,
home users, Creators, managers, and parents. In setting the marketing strategy
the competitors play the important role. Many corporations around the world
compare their strategies with their competitors so that they can take the
competitive edge over their competitors. The price of the product is kept
competitive so that the customers can purchase the product. It is concluded
that by managing the cost-effectiveness and focusing on the services the
business can enhance its sales.
Reference of Marketing Plan Decisions
Kotler,
P. T., & Armstrong, G. (2017). Principles of Marketing (17 ed.). Pearson
Education.