Environment consumption

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSUMPTION 

571-KRE-03 

Section 04168

To

Dr.  Gordon Leonard

From

Biying Zhang

1430771

10/27/2015

Lasalle College

Brand A: M&M’s

M&M's are colorful button-shaped chocolates produced by Mars, Incorporated. The candy shell, each of which has the letter "m" printed on one side. The candy-coated chocolate concept was inspired by a method used to allow soldiers to carry chocolate without having it melt. The company's slogan is "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand."

The value added proposition for M&M’s includes different colours and packages for different markets and specific events( change the product according to the consumers attitude); distinct personalities or characters for each M&M’s colour (add more values for consumer buying behavior); customizable M&M choclates (satify specific consumers’ wants). Nowdays, cusmers are not only looking for products that fufil the basic need( colourful chocolate with afforadable price), but also demanding products that produce more anticipated pleasure and express personal value or life style.

Product

The snack sized pieces of chocolate in a candy shell in differnet colours and flovours. There are also brand related products like mugs, souvenirs,and so on in the M&M store.

Price

Around $5 per pound for the packed one in the retail store. Around $16 per pound for the loose ones in the Times Square store. Customised one would be more expensive. Online shopping includes shipping fee.

Promotion

M&M created vivid personalzation image linked with each colour. It also promotes its products through social media (facebook/website); traditonal media(advertisment on TV and in magzine). The recent activity in Canda is collect and get promotion, which by collecting 8 PIN Codes from the M&M package to get 2 Free Cineplex Tickets.

Place

M&M’s can be easily found in supermarkets, depanneurs, vending machines. It has an exculsive store in Times Square, New York. Mars Chocolate, headquartered in Mount Olive, New Jersey, U.S It is one of the world’s leading chocolate manufacturers and employs more than 16,000 Associates across 21 countries.

It’s product life cycle is at maturity stage. The product and the brand image is well established. How to maintain the market share it built up is more important for the company. The company now has enough money to invest in the marketing. However, the company needs to consider any product modifications or improvements to keep their competitive advantage. M&M chocolate is a convenience product. Consumers buy M&M frequently, immediately and without great comparison or buying effort. M&M is one of those types of consumer products that is usually low price and placed in many locations to make them readily available when consumers need or want them.For consumer decision-making type, it is Habitual Decision Making. For the consumer of M&M, it is a traightforward choice for them to buy M&M when they want to have chocolate snack. The decision of buying is efficient with minimal time/energy input. Because of its well establised brand image, it is a simple decision to choose it among other chocolate snack brands.

Demograpic Segmentation:

Age: The large propotion of consumer age group are kids to young adults. According to the characteristic of young age group. M&M uses vivid colours on the product and creates computer animation chacaters with diffrent personalityies related with each other to attract kids and young people’s attention. It also builds up the brand image and establishes the links between the product and the consumers. The brand also builds up website and soical media tools to meet the needs and wants from youngsters.

Income: The price of M&M varies from low to high to fit differnet income groups. The M&M packed in the bag, sold in the retail stores (supermarkets, depanneurs) is low price fits all through low income to high income people. The customized products plus shipping would be very expensive compared with other chocolate brands and more suitable for high income group.

Psychographic Segmentation:

Personality: The consumers who buy M&M very often or willing to customize M&M for their parties or weddings are people more with compulsive, outgoing personalities. The company targets this group of people with new product development, specific package for different occasions/holidays. People with compulsive, outgoing personalities are more open to the change and new things.

While treating the world as a single market, M&M adapts a standardised marketing mix. However, because of the different lifestyles/cultural backgrounds of different countries, company also needs to consider these segmentation factors to adapt its marketing mix to local conditions.For branding and promotion, M&M increases its brand awareness by communicating distinct character personalities for each M&M. When it becomes a staple product, the ongoing story of the Red and Yellow characters allows consumers to increase their involvement in the brand. This form of branding is very effective as it makes it easy to buy a familiar product when shopping.

Brand B: Damn Heels

Damn Heels is a manufacture and retailer company that produces foldable flats, which based in Toronto. The founder Ms. Coleman launched her first product in December 2009. There is only one product in three colours in the company. It is a pair of foldable flats with a pouch.

For women who suffer pain because of high heels, Damn Heels shoes provide comfortable and affordable flats to them. Value added propositon includes low price for a pair of flats with a pouch, $20 include tax; foldable shoes with a pouch, easy to carry and store.

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