Sand Grouse Hydration Packs : Executive Summary

The Product is the first variable in the marketing mix. Gatorade is already a “brand” name. Therefore I would focus on its functionality. As stated by S. White, “product strategy encompasses all the elements that enable a product to serve its owner” (2012). The quality of Gatorade has surpassed it’s competitors for years, but I would ensure that we continued to live up to it. As stated by S. White, “more quality creates a better value for the consumer, delivering greater satisfaction with the

Gatorade is a flagship brand of PepsiCo and has a commanding 75% market share of the sports nutrition beverage marketplace globally, being sold into 80 different countries according to the latest PepsiCo annual report published in late 2011. Gatorade's success in branding and product marketing has actually expanded the global market for sports nutrition beverages during the late 1990s and into the 21rst century. Recently however the company has faced many channels including product line extensions of the last decade which failed to deliver strong results (Pollack, 1997) and a more critical analysis of their ingredients as many of their beverages are sold in public schools (Tallon, 2009). Despite these challenges however, Gatorade continues to experience strong market share and growth. The intent of this analysis is to evaluate and provide recommendations for each of the four areas of the marketing mix including product, price, promotion and place or distribution.

Cima Mountaineering targets only to segments in the hiking boots market; the mountaineers and Serious Hikers. Market shares of these two segments are 5% and 17% respectively of the total market. Combining the two segments we find that Cima targets only 22% of the market. Serious Hikers can be considered as good market but it has moderate growth rate, While Mountaineers is a niche market with a slow growth rate.

Starting out Gatorade was more of a premium pricing but that gave way to a competitive pricing scheme after competition entered into the market.

Help maintain your hydration levels with an electrolyte replacement. These GU Hydration Drink Tabs are designed for use before, during and right after exercising. Mix them easily with water for a flavorful beverage that help replace lost electrolytes. They come in a convenient box with 8 tubes, are low in calories and naturally flavored for a refreshing taste. Electrolyte replacement drink tabs are sorbitol- and caffeine-free. They're formulated with xylitol, which helps reduce the chances of gastrointestinal distress. Each GU Hydration Drink Tab has 320mg of sodium per serving. Just drop one into a bottle of water whenever you need a boost of electrolytes.

The backpack price was initially set at $40.00 to capture the value of this market segment, and to generate a reasonable profit margin.

The cost to the retailer is approximately 35.50$ which includes in the Research and development ($0.25), promotion/advertising ($4.00), Sales/distribution/admin ($5.00) and Nike’s operating profit ($6.23). While the cost of the user is $70.00 which holds in it the Retailer’s rent ($9.00), personnel ($9.50), other ($7.00) and Retailer’s operating profit ($9.00) (Break Down of Nike’s cost, 1995). In the first quarter of 2015, the revenues for Nike increased 15% from 7.4$ to $8.0billion. Gross margin elevated 46.6%. The increase was due to higher margin products and higher average prices. Selling/administrative expense exceeded 21% , reaching to $2.5 billion. Operating expense increased 19% to $1.6 billion and the net income increased 23% to $962 million (Leonard, 2015). Nike’s Inventories were $4.0 billion, short-term investments and cash were $1.0 billion, $4.6 billion, which was lower compared to the last year. (Nike News,

Their Slow cooking method produces a high quality product. They have a strong customer loyalty, but it's fairly small. This product creates an opportunity to gain more customers as well as increase profits of their existing customers. By adding in the dental treats to their product list, it will give their consumer something new to purchase thus increasing the average profit per customer. The addition of this product will also bring in consumers who may be content with their pet’s food, but are looking for a new product to increase the hygiene of their pet. Those who are more health conscious would be more inclined to lean towards Blackwood’s organic products.

The brand seeks great opportunity to further develop the business, enhance product design as well as company’s brand image.

The first alternative is to enter the "weekend" segment of the hiking boot market. As I plug and chug the number for the first alternative, I found that this alternative would not be beneficial to the company. Even though this alternative will increase demand due to its low price strategy but cost for the WX 450 boot is higher than the price charged to retailers. This alternative will give the company a negative gross margin.

Both competition and market size are of major importance when one explores the positioning of a product. In the case of Crescent Pure, this is vital as Ryan must determine the level of competition that will be faced if the product is marketed as either an energy or sport drink. In the case of an energy product, it should be noticed that there is heavy market dominance by Together, Freight, Razor, Torque and Steller, as they account for roughly 85% of the market. Despite this, it should be seen that the average price point for a 5oz can is $2.99 which is notably higher than Crescent’s $2.75 pricing. Additionally, the market size for sport drinks is of particular interest as it is estimated to grow to $8.5 billion by the year 2013. This, coupled with the fact that the market had grown 40% between the period 2010 – 2012, makes this sector of particular interest to PDB.

The Gatorade Company is mainly concerned with the manufacture and distribution of sporting equipment for commercial and domestic uses based on their knowledge of the best industry practices for the production of sporting equipment. The primary agenda of this market plan is for it to work as a strategy to guide the company on how to supply the customers of Gatorade with quality yet affordable products. This brand of sporting equipment will be produced and supplied in many different designs and colors that will be appropriate for both genders. Approximately half of the clients of the Gatorade brand, range between the ages of 18-34.These clients are ardent customers as they make the most purchases and are the company’s primary target. Gatorade sporting equipment are purchased more by those who dwell in the Northeast regions and Midwestern parts of the United States. This market plan focusses on the introduction of a range of Gatorade environmentally friendly brand of sporting equipment into the United States market.

The intent of this analysis is to evaluate what the Gatorade brand means in today's market, how it has evolved over time, and which target markets the company is considering today. Competitors to Gatorade are also assessed.

1. Brand awareness – being a newcomer in the market will create difficulty in gaining acknowledgement; however, I feel we have a terrific product and a solid business model that will eventually speak for itself.

Outdoor sporting productions manufactured and distributed sporting equipment, clothing, and accessories nationwide. The company has annual sales volume between $6.2 million to $6.8million with approximately 700 items in its catalog. Those items can be group into three segments: fishing supplies, hunting supplies and accessories.