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Lindt Chocolate Company Marketing Plans

Executive Summary

Lindt Company Limited has been the leading producer of quality premium chocolate for a long period. For more than 175 years this company has been in existence, the company has been known to offers premium quality chocolate for more than 120 countries in the world. This company has established itself has the leading, innovative and creative manufacturer of the premium chocolate for many decades. Since the establishment of Lindt and Sprungli Company, the entrepreneurial spirit and passion of making quality chocolate has guided this company to establish itself as the leading manufacturer and supplier of chocolate in Europe and other countries.  The marketing strategies and plans of Lindt Company limited has contributed so much into its successful positioning in the worlds market. This report presents a marketing plan for Lindt Company as it aims at expanding its brand within the Australian market.

Section 1: Segmentation and Brand Strategy Of Lindt Chocolate Limited

1.1 Consumer Segmentation

This marketing plan primarily targets chocolate consumers in Australia. It is undisputable that the high percentage of the Australian population loves confectionery. On average, it is estimated that every Australian consumes about 6.7 kg every year hence making confectionery the most famous snack in the country. Chocolate, in particular, comprises of up to 77 percent of the total sales in the Australian confectionery sector that is worth $2 billion. Of all the confectionery bought, 47 percent represents the impulse purchase account. The Australian confectionery market is further subdivided into different more segments.

The first segment is represented by an age group of between 25 to 49 years. This group mainly buy chocolate for self consumption and as gifts to the loved ones. The second significant segments comprises of women. Women buy more chocolate than men but in many cases, they purchase for their families. Another important segment comprises of men between the age of 35 and 49 who are the main buyers of chocolate blocks and bars. This consumer segment main buy the chocolate for personal consumption. According to MRI+ data from the Fall of 2013 Product 9eport on andy, Sweets, and Snacks, other significant consumer segments for chocolate include individuals from higher household income of $75,000 and above, magazine readers and those with children under the age of 1. The Australian confectionery market continues to grow and there are high speculations on the expansion of the consumer segments in future.

1.2 Primary and Secondary Target Market

1.3 Positioning/Perceptual Map

1.4 Brand Strategy

Lindt employs both positioning, segmentation and targeting brand strategies. With positioning, the company strives to differentiate its brand from that of its competitors. The success of this strategy primarily relies on the efficacy in communication and perception building among the targeted audiences. Lindt has position itself as a luxurious brand of chocolate. It focuses on providing its consumers with fine tasting and high quality chocolate. On its packaging and logos, the company suses the golden color which is associated with high prestige hence creating an appeal of high class association.

Another strategy as aforementioned is segmentation where different market groups are divided into various sectors, giving the company a chance to focus on particular groups. Lindt uses psychological segmentation through the depth strategy that entails better services for particular groups and premium brands. Lastly is the targeting strategy that is closely related to the segmentation strategy where much attention is directed towards specific groups. Through the luxurious and high quality Landt branding, the company targets the economically stable consumer segments who are willing to pay high premiums for quality. Also, through the Landt Cafe and Food Service products, the company targets both the household and non-household consumers. Other significant brand strategies by the company include flavour innovation, small portion for less, health benefits of the company’s products, and the marketing indulgence strategies as discussed below.

Flavor Innovation

            According to the latest report, the major driving force of premium chocolate sales has been the innovations made in place to push the envelope towards manufacturing of new delicious and flavored chocolate. Lindt limited company has undergone through many innovations in its flavors, adding other flavors with adult flairs such as alcohol and gourmet salt, cookie dough and bacon to cater for the wide consumers including both adult and younger generation.

Health Benefits

            The interest of consumers, especially in their health and wellness has been put into consideration when this company is producing chocolates. The black chocolate has been designed to be favorable to both heart and brain when consumed.  Those responsible of mixing ingredients have also added supper seeds such as quinoa, chia and hemp as part of the ingredients of making most of chocolates. These seeds have been considered to be having a lot of health benefits when consumed hence boosting the competitiveness of most of these chocolates in the market.

Smaller Portions for Less

            Premium chocolate marketers of this company have built a brand loyalty and appetite for high quality chocolates among young consumers who makes less income to win their taste. Once they have been hooked, they will start paying more for higher priced premium.

Marketing Indulgence

            This company, has done many marketing campaigns on this product has one of the way of giving rewards to friends and other individuals hence many individuals both in the country and abroad have bought of these biscuits to reward others increasing its sales in the long run. This has also taken the guilt factor away from the purchase. Additionally, the sale premium of these chocolates has risen because the products are more readily available than before.

Section 2: Objectives

2.1 Marketing Objectives

The primary marketing objective for Lindt Company is to grow its brand within the Australian market. Within a year, the sales of Landt chocolate in the targeted market is expected to grow by 2-3%. Within the year, the company aims at achieving most of it upturns starting with increase in the distribution from 70% to 90% as well as improving the brand awareness by at least 10 percent (that is from 25% to 35%). So as to achieve its set objectives, the firm shifts its strategy from distribution to brand awareness in the targeted market segment among other relevant brand strategies. A budget of $6m is allocated to aid the company attain its objectives.

Section 3: Marketing Program

3.1 Product Development, Pricing and Distribution Plan

Product Development

Lindt deals with a wide variety of products that fall under different stages of the product development life cycle. The diagram below illustrates the product mix for Lindt and their performance in the market.

Landt chocolate have the following characteristics: they maintain the taste of chocolate after taste, an excellent choice of cocoa and cocoa butter, the Swiss Ephraim 170 kinds of chocolate, and smooth and sweet chocolate. These characteristics are defined by various types of products offered by the company. Some of the most popular varieties in the market include excellence blueberry intense, excellence 50% Cocoa, excellence 70% cocoa, and the excellence 85% cocoa. These and many other product types have immensely contributed to the Brand’s excellence in the market.

To effectively manage its products through the product development process, the company groups the products into different categories that include those in the danger zone, those on the watch zone and those in the competitive advantage category. The company invests more in the products in the competitive advantage as they give the firm an upper hand over its competitors. With the products on the watch section, the company comes up with strategies that will enable them regain their competitiveness. Lastly, the company either does away with or make minimum investment on the products in the danger zone as they are most likely to impact the company’s performance by draining resources.

Pricing

Lindt uses different pricing techniques to award prices to the various types of the company’s products. However, the differences do not vary with a great merge. Most chocolate vary from 100g to 150g and the price for different types such as white chocolate with a delectably smooth centre and white with almonds among others is around $3. There are other types embedded with luxury elements that go for higher prices. Examples include:

• Lindt Lindor Milk Choc Box 150g $9.96
• Lindt Deluxe $18.99
• Lindt Lindor Assorted Choc 150g $11.45
• Lindt Lindor Balls Hazelnut Box 150g $11.45
• Lindt Lindor Balls Dark Box 150g $11.45
• Lindt Lindor Balls White Box 150g $9.95
• Gift Baskets, Chocolate Happy Bloom $94.05
• Gift Baskets, Chocolate Rose Bloom $65.55
• Chocolate Hamper $85.95
• Chocolate Bubbles $49.95
• Chocolate Delights $79.95
• Chocolate Lover – Milk Chocolate Pack $59
• Chocoholics Dream – Dark Chocolate Pack$65

One of the most significant element that impact the pricing of Lindt chocolate is packaging. Some chocolates are packed in simple packaging while others are packed in stunning and prestigious packaging hence go for higher prices. In terms of pricing, Landt chocolate does not differ much with its competitors. Therefore, its competitiveness is not derived from the pricing strategy but quality, creativity and packaging of its products.

Linda should therefore review its pricing strategy to ensure that it helps the company to gain competitive advantage. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt a pricing technique that will allow individuals from different market segments to afford their products while maintaining the high quality that has given the firm great competitive advantage in the market. One of the most effective way is through packaging in different quantities that go for different prices. This initiative will allow individuals from low earning households to afford the Lindt’s chocolate that are mostly viewed as products for the high earning households. Also, discounting strategies can be effective pricing technique to give the company high competitive advantage in all its market segments.

Distribution Plan

Since chocolate is one of the most consumed confectionery in Australia, Lindt’s should adopt a complex distribution channel to ensure that it reaches most of its esteemed customers. The firm should, therefore, avail its products in most of the local stores, food joints and chains, chocolate parlours and shopping malls. From the manufacturing companies, the products are transported by tracks to different retailers and wholesaler according to the orders given. In many cases, Lindt’s chocolates are sold in shopping centers where they are usually displayed in conspicuous locations for consumers to easily find them.

Apart from distributing the products to the retailers, the company also runs special cafes to specifically sale its products. In this manner, it both promotes its brand as well as improve consumers’ accessibility to their products. These cafes serve as the main distribution channel and the firm should invest more in these cafes by establishing them in all the locations they exist. This initiative will improve accessibility and make the distribution to the final consumers easier.

Lastly, the company uses the online distribution channel to reach more consumers. Lindt’s chocolate are available in different electronic retailers such as eBay and Amazon at different prices. Consumers can search for the type of Lindt chocolate online and make an order. Once the order is received and payment is made, the product is send to them. In the modern days of high technological advancement, this distribution channel has proved to be more effective.

3.2 Integrated Marketing Communication Plan

Promotion is part of the Ps in the marketing mix. For the chocolate company to stay ahead of completion, it is important to have the best integrated marketing communication plan as a tool. For this to be more effective, considering the communication tools that come in play is important as it gives the company something to work with. At the most basic level, the communication tools need to work in harmony for them to be effective. The plan goes a long way in promoting their brands to the end users. By use of brand promotion, the company is able to increase the awareness of their products. The awareness created is two-fold as it ensures that their sales are increased thus increasing profits and in the second consideration increased revenue for the company.

Common tools that are used in the integrated marketing include advertising, sales promotion, public relation, direct marketing, personal selling and a more recent avenue that is being widely used is the social media. The company appreciates the importance of using these tools and how they have effectively been used in many other companies to increase sales. As an advantage, the tools are easy to use as long as creativity is factored in. Most of the considerations are placed on advertising since the adverts created can be used to appeal to people of all ages, especially if the advert is done in fashion that everyone can relate to. Animations provided the best avenue to use in these adverts since the cartoons created can be easily manipulated to play any role the company wishes to imitate. Among the adverts is a short commercial on children having their best time once they have a taste of the company’s sweet chocolate/

The advantages of these communication tools cannot be overlooked. The company is set to benefit especially from the creation of a competitive advantage over completion that is in itself important in outdoing close rivals. For the company to stay ahead of the same competition, the sales would be boasted to levels that can in the end save money. At the same time, the integrated communication tools can be used in harmony to save time and stresses that can be encountered by use of single marketing strategies. For the customers, the tools is an important reminder of their favorite chocolate brands since it helps in nurturing beneficial relationships with the customers. The beneficial relationship is especially important for the establishment of loyalty within the brands being promoted.

These tools used in promotion are also important in passing messages effectively. For this reason, a creative and well created message is able to pass through to all customers who are in the end bound to increase sales for the company. Creation of awareness is also made easier especially when the product being advertised is new. Research on the effectiveness of using images in advertising has shown that images are bound to better stick in the minds of the consumer, especially in this world where customers have to filter out thousands of adverts on products. The images also acts as timely reminders of the products the company has to sale as well as updated information. With the above considerations, the advantages discussed pushed the company to considering the use of integrated marketing communication tools.

Other tools to be used hand in hand with advertising is direct selling. The effectiveness of direct selling is part of the main reasons why it is included in the plan. Since communication has to be concise and equal across the various tools used, direct selling is seen as an important tool since it makes use of the sales agent who is well trained and given a standard marketing pitch to go with. The pitch gives important information on the product and is relatively short compared to other advertisements. For the sales agent, the interaction that comes with the use of direct selling is crucial in getting consumer feedback. For the company, having the feedback is important as it helps in product improvement and rating. The company is also better placed to sale more if the consumers use word of mouth to refer the products they bought from the company to other buyers. Referrals have been found to be advantageous in passing information on products, especially those that are still new to the market.

The use of the tools has to be in line with the current trends. With this consideration, the use of social media has been encouraged especially with the continued shift to use of social media as a way of marketing. The constant shift in advertisement has in the current years been affected by the changing trends in the communication industry. The use of smartphones and internet has made it possible for this shift to be achieved. The paradigm shift has greatly changed the marketing industry. Taking advantages of the shift in use of social media is part of the plan by the company to get more sales going.

Section 4: Scheduling, Forecasting and Control

4.1 Marketing Schedule and Budgeting

This marketing strategy is planned to last for one year. Different activities will be planned and executive in different months to ensure all the strategies are met and the company achieves the set objectives. The table below illustrates the schedule and budgeting for Lindt’s marketing plan.