...1. Describe consumer behavior in the cookware market. How is cookware bought and sold? What are the implications for Culinarian’s marketing strategy? The data says that majority of the consumers were passionate cooks and they preferred quality as the most important attribute. The consumers in the cookware market comprised of a majority of middle aged people, and majority were women. When it comes to buying, a large chunk (55%) of customers bought it for gifting. This means it was not bought as a usual buying for their homes. They found cookery utensils to be gift items on occasions like wedding, Christmas, etc. Hence, there is a reasonable increase in sales in the month of May-June as well as December. Hence, the cookery items were also believed to be seasonal items. If they were to buy it for their homes, customers bought those which matched the interiors of their homes. So they preferred aesthetics of the cookwares. Whenever the discounts were given, a significant increase in sales was observed. Half of the people bought only those brands which they knew about. So this left a lot to do for promotions and advertising team of all companies. This is due to the fact that the customers preferred quality, features and price of cookware the most among the other factors. Culinarian focused more on channel promotions and hence did not spend much on the mainstream advertising as in TVs and other mainstream media. They promoted their premium products mostly through the Magazines...
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...JOHN A. QUELCH HEATHER BECKHAM Culinarian Cookware: Pondering Price Promotion On November 6, 2006, the vice president of marketing of Culinarian Cookware (Culinarian), Donald Janus, and the senior sales manager, Victoria Brown, met to discuss whether or not the company should offer a price promotion for the company’s line of premium cookware in the coming year. These two executives had very different views on the value of a price promotion and the role it could play in the company’s marketing strategy. Janus expressed his opinion first: Brown knew that Janus was determined above all else that Culinarian should remain known as a high-quality product and an elite brand—“an American icon” was Janus’s term—and that all good things would flow from that status. He grew wary when he perceived, rightly or wrongly, a hint of a threat to that status. Still, Brown was obliged to be candid. She said: Do No I believe we need to be bolder with our price promotions. The number one complaint that my sale force hears from the trade accounts is the lack of consistent and meaningful price discount events. Providing a 30% discount promotion will increase commitment and support from the trade and will boost our overall brand awareness. It’ll also provide us with new customers who would otherwise not purchase because they feel the suggested retail is too high and encourage current customers to immediately purchase additional pieces. And yes, I think if the data in the consulting study...
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...Sample Case Scenarios Via: Harvard Business School Scenario 1: Clean Edge Razor: Splitting Hairs in Product Positioning description After three years of development, Paramount Health and Beauty Company is preparing to launch a new technologically advanced vibrating razor called Clean Edge. The innovative new design of Clean Edge provides superior performance by stimulating the hair follicles to lift the hair from the skin, allowing for a closer shave. The company has already decided to introduce Clean Edge into the men's market where it has a strong presence. Jackson Randall, the product manager for Clean Edge, struggles with how best to position the product for the launch. One strategy is to release Clean Edge as a "niche" product, targeting the high-end market of fastidious groomers looking for superior skin care products. Another strategy is to release the product into the highly competitive mainstream razor market where the product can be positioned as the most effective razor available. Randall meets internal resistance to the mainstream strategy from the product manager for the company's current, but aging, mainstream razor products and he must consider the effects of cannibalization in his plan. Randall must recommend an optimal strategy and provide supporting economic analysis of his decision--not just for Clean Edge, but for its effect on the entire company. Learning objective: Explore issues associated with strategic product positioning. Review new product development...
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