Essay on Marketing Manager Analysis

Product

          Basketball 1, WILSON COURTSIDE BROOKLYN NETS OUTDOOR RUBBER BASKETBALL, is the best product to choose from because this product is unique and different from other products offered in the market. The basketball is unique because it is designed specifically for fans of the Brooklyn Nets and is destined for outdoor activities and basketball play. In such a way, the new basketball will be successful in the market because it will reach a very specific target customer group and helps the company to take the free niche in the market. Other choices of basketballs have their advantages based on their similarity to NBA official basketball but they are not exclusive enough compared to Basketball 1.

Place

          The place of the new product is determined by the location of the Brooklyn Nets the sports franchise located in New York. The location of the new product aims at sales of basketball in the New York region, where fans of the Brooklyn Nets live (Bitner, 1992). This is why sales of the new basketball in New York will reach a very specific target customer group. In addition, basketball is very popular in the New York area and opens great business opportunities for the company manufacturing and selling the new ball.

Promotion

          The promotion of the new basketball should focus on promotion offer 2, which provides customers with the possibility to purchase the new basketball and to get free access to the match with Brooklyn Nets. In such a way, buyers of the new ball receive a bonus that increases their interest in basketball and their favorite team and stimulates them to practice basketball themselves, while the ball will give them a chance to play basketball in the streets anywhere they like.

Price

          The price of the new basketball should match the average price in the market. In spite of the exclusiveness of the new product, the price of the product should be average. Otherwise, the new basketball will become unaffordable to customers. Moreover, the new basketball aims at the mass customer group. This means that basketball is not a premium product (Zeithaml, Bitner, & Gremler, 2013). This is why the company cannot set the price above the average because this step would deprive the company of the larger part of the target customer group. In other words, the company will simply fail to reach its customer group. Instead, the average price will allow the company to reach the target customer group and help the company to increase its sale rates in New York.

Brand and Sales Pitch

          The brand direction should involve brand direction 2, which involves the focus on the iconic culture of pick-up games that have a considerable impact on the basketball culture. The new basketball focuses on the street basketball culture, whereas the use of the Brooklyn Nets brand helps to attract more customers, who are fans of the basketball team and like to practice sport in their everyday life.

Market Segmentation

          The market segmentation for basketball 1 is the high level of localization of the product to reach the target customer group in the New York area. The company will focus on the mass segment of the market because the ball for street basketball implies that this sport is practiced by a broad group with a low or average level of income. The product cannot be placed as a premium brand. At the same time, the product has some features of the premium brand because the new basketball is highly exclusive, although the target market is limited to the New York area mainly.

References:

Bitner, M.J. (1992). Service scapes: The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees, Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 56-71

Zeithaml, V., Bitner, M.J. and Gremler, D.D. (2013). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm, (6th ed), New York: McGraw-Hill.