Build-a-Bear Case Study

Question 2: Describe the methods for marketing planning, including business portfolio analysis, the Boston Consulting Group market

What is marketing? Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy both individual and organizational goals. Marketing also include being able to get the goods from the producer to the consumer. The producer is responsible for the design and manufacture of goods. Marketing also includes market research and product development, design, and testing. Marketing concentrates primarily on the buyers, or consumers and determining their needs and desires. Companies then need to stress the availability of products and the important product features. You then need to develop strategies to persuade them to buy and keep their satisfaction with the product. Marketing management includes planning,

Question: Outline the marketing process and explain the importance of each element of the marketing plan.

According to FASB 840-10-25-6e: "Fees that are paid by the lessee to the owners of the special-purpose entity for structuring the lease transaction. Such fees shall be included as part of minimum lease payments (but shall not be included in the fair value of the leased property) for purposes of applying the 90 percent test in paragraph 840-10-25-1(d)."

P5) Design a promotional campaign for a given product/ service to meet the needs of a given campaign/creative brief.

(Mindtools.com, 2015) “Putting the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time”. It 's quite straightforward, you simply need to make an item that a specific group of individuals need, put it or sell it somewhere where those same individuals visit consistently, and value it at a level which coordinates the quality they understand they get of it; and do all at a time they will all want to purchase it. At that point you have it made!

Briefly relate this situation to each of the major stages of the marketing research process?”

We will gain additional flexibility with price points. There is opportunity for us to expand from a regional brand to a national brand. While we continue to emphasize the premium teddy bear gift business, we intend to expand into larger markets. There is now a whole new opportunity for us in the corporate incentives and promotions market as well as the wholesale market…Our growth will come not only from expansion of our radio markets but in the corporate and wholesale markets as we use offshore manufacturing alternatives to move to broader price points," (Wheelen & Hunger, 2004).

Through studying the entire retail toy industry, we have been able to understand the complexity of the industry in which Toys "R" Us operates. Upon completion of the analysis, we realized that the industry is growing stably,

Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., & Kotler, P. (2012). Principles of Marketing. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Australia.

Build-a-Bear was a company that was inspired by a need to find the unfindable. Maxine Clark saw the need to develop a shop that catered to a need that both children and adults can combine crafting and the love for stuffed animals. “One 10 year old girl was the inspiration for this entire company! Think of the difference you can make!” (BAB)

Since its founding, sales have grown exponentially from US$1.6 million in 2000 to US$1B in 2008 (Exhibit 1.). This strong growth was dependent on a strong and loyal customer base, which in turn was dependent on employees who were passionate about and took pride in their work by providing exceptional customer service in their quest to ‘WOW’ their customers.

Providing an exceptional product or experience to the client which gives an added value may be termed as Differentiation Strategy. Differentiation does not just mean the way the final product shows up or the features it gives, but advancement and imagination may be integrated in everything the organization does from the raw materials to post-sales assistance in a manner that the clients may derive value from it. Considering Theme Restaurants as an example, at present the theme restaurant brand which leads the Restaurant industry with its competitive advantage is Hard Rock Cafe on the grounds that they offer a “Dining Experience” which is found nowhere else and is remarkable in every aspect (Heizer & Render, 2013, pp. 72).

Just like it is told in the case, word of mouth is the most classical marketing tool for direct selling. But the company took a risk and get in the TV advertising business, which had great conclusions for them. So I believe that they should definitely keep going with TV ads since the

Prior to this class, although I have some experience in a marketing type role, I thought of marketing as the process that was activated post product development and the vehicle to product/service promotion and advertisement to the marketplace. Through this class, I have a greater understanding of marketing, and realize promotion and advertisement is just a fraction of it, and has much more depth. Marketing begins at the beginning, and is integrated through to the end of the life cycle. It has a significant impact on the development stages as well as delivery to the marketplace. Marketing is a set of procedures facilitated in businesses for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers. Furthermore, marketing is about