Marketing Assignment
Lesson: Brand Positioning and Strategy
Activity: Corporate Memo
You are working for the Collegetown-based California Happy Valley Beverage Corporation, marketers of California Sunshine Filtered Water. The product has a colorful label and sells well throughout the state, especially among environmentally-conscious consumers. A member of the Collegetown City Council, with a reputation and record for activism, ran across several controversial articles about filtered water production and distribution and proceeded to raise a ruckus, questioning the integrity of Happy Valley Beverage Corporation and the suitability and value of its bottled water product.
The city council has written a pointed letter to your corporation and copied it to the local newspaper, mirroring these concerns. On the attractive bottle label, you and thousands of other consumers can read the statement that says, "Every drop of this healthy, refreshing beverage is guaranteed to be filtered in conformance with all applicable California and federal government regulations." What the label does not explicitly state, however, is that the water is actually tap water from the town's municipal system, a fact that has now been exposed.
As a newly minted MBA who has only recently assumed the Director of Marketing and Community Relations position, you have been assigned the privilege of answering the letter. Even though you have two other "rookies" who can assist in the research and composition, the responsibility for the content rests with you. In order for your assistants to do a good job, you have to supply them with some of the basic arguments that will uphold your company's reputation and stem the tide of this public relations brouhaha.
Part I: Find at least three journals and/or news articles that might help you outline a response to why consumers should pay for bottled tap water and to determine what other defenses your company could use against this type of consumer activism.
Part II: Write a 2 pages memo to your "rookie" associates explaining the company's present circumstances. Note that your memo will likely be used as the basis of your company's response to the accusations of the Collegetown City Council.
i. Why will/should people pay for a bottle of water? Give a minimum of three reasons supported by the research.
ii. What are the corporations' best defenses in the face of this kind of consumer criticism? Give at least three defenses with an explanation of why each reason is important.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.