Case Scenario:
You are the marketing manager for Quality Mini Computers (QMC). With the implosion of technological advancements, your mini-computer that is the size of a steno pad or a 5x7 photo frame is growing. QMC’s owners are ready to expand this product in the marketplace.
Based in San Francisco, California, QMC believes it needs a web front and wants to lower overhead and thus lower the price of the computer to its customers by selling online only.
Your role as the marketing manager is to:
• Consider online and offline marketing strategies to push your target market is to your QMC’s e.store.
• Determine your market area and target market.
• Use the 4Ps of marketing to decide pricing, promotion, e.place and product features and benefits.
Phase Resources:
• American Marketing Association
The AMA is the professional organization for people who work in Marketing and related functions. Completing the free registration process gives you access to many valuable resources, including “best practices” documents and white papers, in addition to an easy-to-use service that provides a wide variety of reports based on U.S. census data. This data can be extremely helpful when decided who and where to focus marketing efforts. (From the AMA homepage, select marketing tools on the left, then free demographics service. Make to register on the AMA site before doing this!)
• Business to Business
One of several sites operated by Crain Communications, this site delivers the printed publication online (usually a month after the newsstand release) and offers e-newsletters on a host of topics that can be delivered daily or weekly. While the focus is the business to business market, most topics apply to the retail market too.
• ClickZ
Access to information on direct marketing strategies through articles, conferences and research.
• Creating a Marketing Plan
This article provides a detailed summary of the steps necessary to complete a marketing plan.
• United States Small Business Administration
SBA Web site provides information and training to small businesses.