...Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing MKT/421 May 9, 2012 University of Phoenix Thorr motorcycles are a 5.5 billion dollar company that produces more than 200,000 units annually. The Thorr Company licensed dealers to sell t-shirts, leather goods, and toys. The Thorr motorcycle company recently saw a decline in the Thorr cruiser that in the past has been the company’s top-selling cruiser. Sale declines are attributed to target age groups no longer taking interest in the lifestyle that the Thorr cruiser portrays and also a younger group of customers. There are main three objectives of this simulation that will be addressed. The first Task and objective was to identify the appropriate parameters and complete the perceptual map. The second task and objective was to create an effective marketing plan with an budget of $13 Million dollars and the decision whether to launch a new product or reposition the company altogether together. The final objective was to identify the parameter values that would take the company into the future. The first objective was determining the perceptual map parameters. The map will show a realistic visual of how consumers feel about the products and services being offered. There were four parameters chosen and the chosen parameters were lifestyle image, quality engineering, service offering, and price. The parameters chosen were chosen because they were the most important aspects of marketing located in the simulation. The lifestyle image...
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...Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Krissinda Richards MKT 421 December 21, 2011 Dr. Dyrren Davis Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing In the world’s market things are constantly changing. Products are introduced, have a growth period, then it starts to decline and eventually replaced with something new.The Thorr motorcycle simulation describes how the product life cycle of the Cruiser Thorr develops and then slowly declines as time and people change. In this situation, the CruiserThorr has had a lengthy product life cycle and the know the question is should the company think of new ways to reposition the Crusier Thorr in the market to appease the next generation or come up with a newer more fashionable model to replace it. Thorr Motorcycles must determine the motorcycles position in the market using a perceptual map. This map will chart the consumer’s views about the Cruiser Thorr and help the company make a final decision. Perceptual Map In the first step of using the perceptual map is selecting the parameters in which to reposition the cruiser in the market. The optimal parameters chosen are the lifestyle image, price, service offerings, and quality engineering. The Lifestyle image is the most powerful characteristic because it is design to persuade the customer buy into the image and not the functional attributes of the product. Quality engineering covers the product design, engine capacity and design, styling and the uniqueness of the product. These are important...
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...Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation MKT/421 MKT/421 Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation Summary There was a situation that was being made clear in the following, the simulation explains the moribund sales of the Thorr Motorcycles’s creation, the CruiserThorr, had previous customers that are getting older and are no longer interested in what the merchandise represents. The other reason for the product decline consists of the younger customers out in the world seeking the motorcycle at a lesser cost; it is for the fact that they would not otherwise have high salaries as in the older age group. These young customers are not able to identify with the Lifestyle image of CruiserThorr for the reason of the bike and its features have matured a small amount according to the market standards. The sales down turn caused Thorr’s challengers to gain industry shares and a competitive market gain. The tasks used were to turn around sales rejections by generating a strategic marketing plan, producing a perceptual map, and assembling the choice of to upgrade the CruiserThorr or construct an upgraded side that fits in with recent more current trends in motorcycles. This plan should make certain Thorr’s place in the marketplace if the process is successful. In the beginning phase it is recognizing the parameters and how they could be necessary for the product and vital to the consumers. The Lifestyle image of the bike is important for the reason of the right of owning...
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...Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation MKT/421 Perceptual mapping is a technique used by marketers to visually display the perceptions of current and potential customers. Thorr Motorcycles is a billion dollar company that offers services in rider training, dealer training, dealer software packages, and motorcycle rentals. The image of Thorr Motorcycles have been sought by customers for years but it is a different image that new customers are looking for. The purpose of this simulation is to focus on three objectives. The first objective is to analyze the situation by constructing a perceptual map. The second objective is to recommend solutions for the organization by creating a marketing plan with a budget to determine whether to reposition the organization or launch a new product. The final objective is the results that determine the parameter values for the future of the organization. Phase I - The Situation The major situations in this simulations was Thorr Motorcyles faced a decrease in sales of its top product, the Cruiser Thorr. Other situations in the simulation were the need to create a market plan that repostion the Cruiser Thorr in the market versus launching a new motorcycle, and plotting the Crusier Thorr brand attributes on a perceptual map. Thorr’s Motorcycles lifestyle image is important to the organization because it influences customers to purchase the top selling...
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...Thor Motorcycles, Inc. xxxxxxx MKT/421 March 26, 2013 Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. is a five billion dollar company that manufactures high-end motorcycles for a commanding forty percent of the market share. Viewed as a high brand image, Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. manufactures more than 200,000 motorcycles every year. On top of that, they also offer services including motorcycle rentals, dealer software packages, dealer training, rider training, and motorist riding apparel. In this simulation, the problem at hand is their line designed for the age range of 35 – 50, and the decrease of interest and sales for that particular bike. The reasons for the decline in sales is due to the age bracket it is designed for losing interest in the product and lifestyle, while the younger groups typically do not have the money available to purchase that style. This is a rising issue and is causing Thorr Motorcycles to lose market share although they are still a successful company. Thorr has realized this issue needs to be addressed immediately before too much of the market share is lost, therefore, they have brought me in as Marketing Manager in an attempt to create a perceptual map and re focus the marketing and advertising strategies. During my time at Thorr I am expected to establish parameters, decide whether to reposition the existing brand or launch a new product, and develop new parameters based on sales surveys of the new product. The CruiserThorr...
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...Using a Perceptual Map for Thorr Motorcycle, Inc. MKT/421 March 25, 2013 Perceptual Map Company Bio Motorcycles have been marketed as the masculine, mobility and freedom machine since the early 1900s. Crusier Thorr is no different. It is a high-powered, efficient motorcycle modeled after the God of Thunder himself. Cruiser Thorr is prized for it strong, honest and dependable product design; however, with the changing demographics of its target market, the company has hired a new Marketing Manager to re-market the high-end bike to a younger market. This paper will describe the decisions made by the new marketing manager and the company’s attempt to re-invent their marketing strategies to push this bike into a demographically challenging market. The Situation An important attribute to Thorr’s Motorcycle, Inc. is Lifestyle Image. Lifestyle image creates the need for customers to purchase the line “Cruiser Thorr” because of the masculinity and freedom it represents. The perceptual map is a visual description of a customer's perception of the brand. Thorr's motorcycles were positioned as high-priced and that perception did not fit the market for younger consumers that have less money to spend then mature consumers. Thor began to see a decline in its market position due to the escalated price and the life style image presented was targeted toward the older generation. Considering the decline in sales, Thorr’s Motorcycles, Inc. had to make changes to the image it projected...
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...Perceptual Maps in Marketing Jennifer Cantrell August 5, 2013 MKT/421 In this simulation, Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. manufactures higher end motorcycles. They currently produces more than 200,000 each year. The company’s top seller is the CruiserThorr however sales have been dropping due to the aging of the company’s current target market. The CruiserThorr does not have as much appeal for the younger target markets due to the pricing strategy. Since it is a more expensive machine, the higher price tag is generally out of the younger target markets price range. To ensure profitablir introduce a new productlty, Thorr Motorcycles marketing team must develop a strategy to either reposition the CruiserThorr, or introduce a new product that will attract the younger target market. The RRoth is a potential new product that has a higher fuel-efficiency and will be targeted to younger markets. To determine which action the company should take, the simulation uses perceptual maps. To analyze the results of the simulation one breaks the sections into three: the situation, recommended solutions, and results of the marketing decision. As the company’s current target market ages, a younger target market emerges. This new target market has less disposable income than the aging target market. Competitors have already begun to target this new age group with economy-priced versions of their products (University of Phoenix, 2004). These companies are...
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...MKT/421 May 4, 2012 Perceptual Maps Simulation Introduction While taking the simulation an individual can learn how to use the perceptual maps of marketing to their advantage in different markets. The maps are identified by way of “widely used tools in marketing that provide a visual representation of customer perceptions towards objects (products, brands or companies), and how these are positioned in the marketplace” (The Marketing Analysts, 2011) The paper discussion will explain the suggested results for the simulation in addition to individual outcome. The positioning and differentiation will also be explained and how they relate to the perceptual map simulation. While taking the simulation one could see that the product life cycle was effected during scenarios. Simulation The motorcycle company produced over 200,000 motorcycles a year and the most popular one is the Cruiser Thorr. Major problem came when the customer base started to change and the sales started to decline. The reason for the decline in sales is the demographic the motorcycle company decided to target. They decided to target the older generation and priced the Thorr too high for the younger generation. Being that the motorcycle company decided to market to the more mature demographic the company did not focus their marketing on the younger generation thus they were not even aware of the motorcycles. That decision had a great effect on the sale of the motorcycles. Only targeting the older...
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...Using Perceptual Maps MKT/421 4/27/2014 Marc Mcclintock Using Perceptual Maps Thorr Motorcycles is a company that manufactures 200,000 motorcycles a year. It’s a very high end brand and known for its quality products including T-shirts, shoes, leather goods, toys, and other consumer items. In this economy were things are currently changing Thorr is affected by a growing industry, but sales of its high-end motor cycle is decreasing. The reason for this loss of market share is that the target customers of its high end 2 wheeler is growing older, and younger people do not identify with the brand image of Thorr. The Situation CruiserThorr needed a makeover to appeal to a younger customer and increase sales. The older bikes that are utilized by existing consumers are more expensive and not selling due to the target market getting old. The first step in the simulation is to determine the market position of The Cruiser Thorr using a perceptual map. There are four parameters that must be selected in the simulation, and I chose Lifestyle Image, Coolness, quality engineering and Product Uniqueness. It appears that the size of the polygon is irrelevant because the most accurate choices were lifestyle image, service offerings, quality engineering, and price. My logic is the larger the polygon the bigger the market share. The logic according to the simulation is that the service is a way to keep existing customers pleased, and quality engineering is a necessity for a motorcycle...
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...Marketing Simulation Summary - Cruiser Thorr Angela DiMattia MKT/421 June 4, 2012 Matthew Rosenberg Markeitng Simulation Summary - Cruiser Thorr Thorr Motorcycles Inc. is a leader in the motorcycle industry with a turn-over of $ 5 billion, 200,000 units produced yearly, and 40% market share. What drove Thorr Motorcycles Inc. to success is the Lifestyle positioning which created a status buying in the high-end range market. The company’s management is headed by Benjamin Bao, the CEO, a highly experienced executive who leads the company, along with other seniors like Chriss Write, Chief Engineer, and Meredith Killgore, VP Brand communications. The target market for Thorr Motorcycles Inc. is the high-end segment, and customers’ age ranges from 35 to 50 years old. However lately, the company is suffering from sales decrease and loss of market share, mainly because target customers are getting older and are not interested anymore in buying into the lifestyle CruiserThorr represents. Additionally, competitors are focusing on new products sold at cheaper prices, and targeting the young generation with low disposable income. Thus, the newly hired marketing manager has been asked to revert this trend with a new marketing plan. Market research, data comparison, and mapping give a better understanding of where the company stands today in terms of brand recognition and customers’ perception. Perceptual maps are used to gather all...
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...Thorr Cruisers Paper Student MKT/421 October 11, 2010 Instructor: Name Thorr Cruisers Paper In the Thorr Cruiser simulation, the sales of Thorr Cruiser have been decreasing steadily. This forced the need to redevelop the company’s marketing plan, which includes the determination of whether to introduce a new line of motorcycles. The simulation educates the student with the interpretation of the market research data using a perceptual map. “Perceptual mapping can be used to give you that additional insight into the current position of your product and its potential in the face of competition” (Outsourcing2India, 2010). The simulation uses this technique to analyze the perception of the Thorr Cruiser to ascertain the reasons for declining sales and to formulate a strategy for improvement in the positioning of Thorr Cruiser. The improvement of the positioning of Thorr Cruiser will rely on implementing changes in the company’s marketing mix. The marketing mix refers to the combination of product, place, promotion, and pricing strategies. The final marketing mix that will help reposition Thorr Cruiser. While running the simulation the marketing mix used was price, services, engineering, and financial options. Price is important to position Thorr Cruiser as a premium product. Pricing affects the perceptions of customers and so lifestyle pricing has been used. In addition, lifestyle pricing will support quality engineering so that the Thorr Cruiser that rolls out...
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...Running head: USING PERCEPTUAL MAPS IN MARKETING Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation MKT/421 The Situation Producing more than 200,000 “plus” units per year, Thorr Motorcycles, is a billion dollar manufacturing company. Thorr also offers such services as dealer training, dealer software packages, motorcycle rentals, and rider training, just to name a few. The image that CruiserThorr symbolizes is one of “masculinity, mobility, and freedom”. To gain insight in this positioning and reason Thorr is experiencing a decline in sales, Thorr can use representation of the consumer’s view of the product. Increase sales/profits, Thorr will need to change the consumer view of his or her motorcycles. Phase I “The motorcycle industry is growing annually, but sales of Thorr Motorcycle’s existing product Cruiser Thorr have been decreasing. This decrease is because of the aging of target customers. In addition, the young generation of consumers with smaller incomes, is looking for a motorcycle that they can afford with their income. To reverse declining sales a new marketing plan is needed. Four fundamental parameters selected. First, Lifestyle Image, easily considered the most important role in the production of motorcycles, and is the best selection for the perceptual map. This is a very dominant attribute because the image will sway consumers into purchasing the product rather than the other functional attributes. Second, Quality engineering covers all...
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...Perceptual Maps Marketing MKT/421 Perceptual Maps Phase 1 – Description – Where is the Thunder? In this phase the marketing manager, SARA needs to reverse the latest trends in the market with a new marketing plan. Before doing so, she needs to know and understand where Cruiser Thorr’s position in the market. SARA needs to choose the four fundamental parameters that are most relevant to the motorcycle industry and that reflect the highest potential for Cruiser Thorr. Phase 1 – Recommended Solutions SARA chose the following four parameters in the simulation: • Service Offerings • Price • Engine Capacity • Safety SARA chose these four parameters because, according to the market research ratings, Cruiser Thorr scored very low ratings in these categories. Cruiser Thorr is already strong in the other parameters and to be the best, Cruiser Thorr needs to improve their weakest attributes in the business. Her intention is to better the weakest links of Cruiser Thorr. Service Offerings are an easy way to keep our consumers interested once a purchase has been made. A competitive price allows our consumer market to expand. Engine Capacity is important in the motorcycle industry and “usually, the bigger the engine, the higher the brand image” (University of Phoenix Student website, 2012, Phase 1). Safety is important because we want the trust of our consumers and want to keep them as safe as possible. Results and recommendation from the simulation. The simulation stated...
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...Perceptual Maps in Marketing Perceptual maps are a tool that provides input directly from marketing research to the strategic market plan. The perceptual map is graphic illustrations of the data that is collected. The map will only be valid for the parameters that are used to develop the map. There are many aspects of the company to explore, market research to analyze, and competitive intelligence to review. This information will help to identify the items for the perceptual map and the new marketing plan. This paper will explore the use of perceptual maps in marketing. In this paper, the situation, recommendation, and the results will be describe. The information from the simulation will show the relationship between differentiation and positioning of the products. “Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. is a $5 billion company.” (University of Phoenix, n.d). They makes motorcycles as well as sells licensed merchandise. Annually, the motorcycle industry is increasing but the sales of the CruserThorr are decreasing. The age group of the target customers are growing older and growing out of the motorcycles lifestyles. The younger generation are not intrigue with the Thorr lifestyle but they are interest in a less expensive motorcycle. The four recommendations are lifestyle image, product design and styling, product uniqueness, and quality engineering for the focus of the perceptual map. These four parameters are relevant to the motorcycle industry and reflect the highest potential...
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...Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Paper MKT/421 Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Paper The manufacturing company that makes more than 200,000 cycles each year is called Thorr Motorcycles. They have a prize bike called the Cruiser Thor. This is a billion dollar company which provides training and services along with software packages which come from the dealer. They also sell other cycles with other merchandise that includes shoe, leather items, helmets, etc. In addition, customers can choose to purchase more services which include motorcycle training for inexperienced riders or they have the option to rent the bike. Situations, Solutions and Results In the first situation the numbers at Thorr are decreasing due to the company having older customers and having those who have begun to lose interest. The young consumers are more interested in bikes that are not too expensive because their disposable income is not that large. Thorr must now develop a marketing strategy which will cause a reverse in the decline. The task is to determine what the position of the company market is in by working with the perceptual map. In addition, a selection of four parameters which are fundamentally significant to that industry and show the largest capability for Cruiser Thorr, is necessary. I chose Price Cool, Quality Engineering, and Lifestyle Image as my fundamental parameters. I realize that instead of choosing cool, that services offered might have been the better choice. It is...
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