AF公司市场营销和业务沟通分析assignment

企业在竞争环境中生存。在竞争激烈的环境中，企业在提供性价比高的产品,并提供最适合客户的产品或服务类别这些方面相互竞争。企业竞争在许多方面都有，其中营销是用来允许这些企业来促进他们的业务，并在他们的竞争对手面前表现出竞争优势和增加盈利或维持市场份额的一个过程。

营销本身定义如下，由特许营销机构定义”营销是负责识别、预测和满足消费者需求盈利的管理过程”。其实，当市场供大于求时，营销是需要的。

目标—Objectives

目前有一个名叫AF的国家专业机构,它是一个“非盈利组织”是通过收取学生的小费、年度会员费和从业者的运行课程费中赚取收入。他们不是唯一一家从事该业务的机构,它的直接竞争对手是在该市场上提供同样服务的另一个组织。对比AF，他们竞争对手提供了一个类似的服务范围。然而,他们公司的愿景都是成为该市场最好的公司，因此,两家公司都陷入了一场竞争，通过这场竞争来实现占据更大的市场份额，减少成本的策略和提高利润。由于这样的事实:在过去的几年中由于经济衰退，其收入基础一直在下降，但费用是始终不变的。显然,因为它的收入一直在下降,其成本处于不变状态。由于盈利下降,公司无法投资资本，其成为持续成长企业的能力被消弱，公司陷入危险情境。

Businesses exist in a competitive environment. Businesses are in fierce competition with each other to provide goods at the best possible value, and to offer the most suitable range of products or services for their customers. Businesses compete in many ways and marketing is the process which allows these businesses to promote their business over their competitors to exhibit competitive advantage, increase profits or maintain market share.

Marketing itself has been defined as follows by the Chartered Institute of Marketing “Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying consumer requirements profitably”. In essence marketing is required when there is more supply in an area than demand.

目标—Objectives

Currently there is a small national professional body, named AF who are a “not for profit organisation” who earns its income streams by charging fees to students, annual membership fees and running courses aimed at practitioners. They are not the only professional body of its kind in the market, and its competitor is a direct competitor, in that they provide a similar range of service compared to AF to the marketplace. They do, however, have the company mission or vision of becoming the best in the market. Therefore, both companies are locked in a battle to achieve a larger market share and ways to minimise costs and boost profits. This is due to the fact that in the past few years due to the recession its revenue base has been falling while costs incurred have remained constant. Obviously, as its revenue has been falling and its costs have been constant then its ability to continue being an ongoing concern has been put into jeopardy due to the decrease in profitability and inability to reinvest the capital in the company.

限制因素—Limitations

There are limitations to this report in that there are pieces of information that we are not privy. These would be the current market share of AP against its competitor who will from now on be referred to as “A.Nother”. We are also not aware as to which markets these companies are part of, only that AP is an institution. Another piece of information is clarity on what are the entrance or exit barriers to the market as well as the level of rivalry between AF and A.Nother, whether it is moderate or severe. Needless to say that once AF adopts a marketing strategy then this rivalry will become severe quickly as competitive moves beget competitive moves. Finally, how consumers currently feel about AF is not clear, if it is seen as value for money and if membership to the Institution provides opportunities to open doors for future employment. This is because the customer is ultimately the key to success in any business venture and only by adhering to the objective of “identify, anticipate and satisfy” remit can a supplier hope to operate successfully.

市场研究—Market Research

This philosophy of marketing is known as “Marketing Orientation” and is defined as (IIPMM Course notes, 2012) “a management orientation or outlook, that accepts the key task of the organisation is to identify the needs, wants and values of a target market and to adapt”, this then can be extended to the standard marketing concept by adding “(and keep adapting) the organisation to delivering the desired satisfaction more effectively and more efficiently than its competitors”.

Research and Investigation are methods on how to determine how satisfied students are with the services provides by AF can be clarified by the means of:

Questionnaire sent out to past/current/future pupils, students and members (refer to Appendix A – Market Research Questionnaire);

Companies that have availed of their services and courses before;

Workshops;

讨论/典型群众—Discussion/focus groups.

These however, should be performed by an outside individual so as not to bring bias into the room for the workshops and focus groups. These methods can also aid in creating a commercial advantage over competitors, in this case A.Nother, and to identify any favourable marketing opportunities that may exist to optimise AF’s resources to maximise the business’s market position.

服务营销的7Ps—Seven P’s of Service Marketing

Just like the marketing mix of a product, the service marketing mix comprises of product, price, place and promotion but as a service is not tangible, the marketing mix for a service has three additional elements: people, process and physical evidence. Refer to Figure 1 below – the extended marketing mix.

Product: In case of services, the ‘product’ is intangible or heterogeneous. In the case of AF, the service must be designed for maximum customer benefit. For example they should have various courses to ensure they can capture as many of the possible levels of education as they can. Also, convenience can be used as a selling point as web based learning has become very prevalent in today’s society for a means of education. Lastly on this heading I would indicate “post sales service” should be focused upon by AF as building up relations with companies and customer retention in a competitive market is essential for a business to survive.

Price: Pricing of a service is more difficult than pricing of goods. In the case of services, labour costs and overhead costs also need to be factored in. In the case of AF, they would need to ensure value for money as a main priority. The inclusion of flexible payment schemes, or early repayment discounts could aid customer satisfaction and possible corporate discounts to encourage employee’s affiliations with AF from a corporate level.

Place: As a service, the deliverable cannot be stored or transported, the location of the service assumes importance. AF must ensure they can get their service to their past or prospective customers easily.

Promotion: Since most services can be replicated quite easily then promotion becomes crucial in differentiating a service offering in consumes mind.

People: People are a defining factor in a service delivery process, since a service is inseparable from the person providing it. The individuals employed by AF must be knowledgeable, professional individuals with a positive outlook. They should have excellent customer service skills and respond quickly to queries.

Process: The process of service delivery is crucial since it ensures that the same standard of service is repeatedly delivered to the customers. So the process must be streamlined and the web site user friendly. The learning materials given are to be relevant and accessible and allow for effective and efficient learning.

元素1 扩展营销组合服务—Figure 1 – The extended marketing mix for a service

Service/extended marketing mix

Physical Evidence: Since services are intangible in nature service providers strive to incorporate certain tangible elements into their offering to augment customer opinion. As such AF can take steps to advertise aspects like class sizes and the employment opportunities available.

SLEPT分析法—SLEPT analysis

Influences in a macro environment may or may not affect AF. Now an analysis of the external environment relating specifically to AF to determine these effects is required: this has been titled a SLEPT analysis. Refer to Figure 2.

Social: The main social factor that will affect AF is demography, which is the study of population. Ultimately this is the percentage (or breakdown) of population that AF feels their service is geared towards and what available income these age groups actually have access to. Also as they are a not for profit organisation they will be held in high social regard.

Legal: There are mainly 2 areas of law with which firms are concerned, namely Employment Law or Law & the Marketplace. Changes in legislation could, in theory, havea major impact on their business model moving forward. At this time there is not enough information available to determine this.

Economic: These factors relate to taxation, inflation and income levels. As the country is currently in a state of chassis, then it is not too large a leap to determine that current economic trends with wage freezes, rising unemployment in most areas and tax increases that there is a large drop in people’s discretionary income.

分析外部环境  – Analysis of external environment

Political: These changes are closely linked with legal changes due to any changes to, for example, EU Directives will have a knock on effect to commercial life that again may, or may not affect AP as there is inadequate information to determine this.

Technological: The obviously relates to any new innovative developments in the AF service. There is not enough information to make any observations or analysis with the exception that the revenue base is falling so it is unlikely to be feasible for the capital expenditure that this would require.

波特五力分析法—Porters Five Forces

Threat of New Entrants - The easier it is for new companies to enter the industry, the more cutthroat competition there will be. However, in the case of AF this may not be the case as currently the market it is involved in would not be an attractive market due to the fact that its revenue base has been falling due to the recession.

Power of Suppliers - This is how much pressure suppliers can place on a business. In this market place the power is with buyers NOT suppliers

波特五力分析 – Porters 5 Forces

Power of Buyers As stated above in this market there is a very great risk of Buyer’s exploiting either AF or A. Nother.

Availability of Substitutes - This is the likelihood that someone will switch to a competitive service. In this case we are told there is only AF and A.Nother in the market so although a substitute is available with correct relationship marketing loss of the AF customer base can be avoided.

Competitive Rivalry - This describes the intensity of competition between existing firms in an industry. We are unaware of the level of competition between AF and A.Nother but competitive moves beget competitive moves.

The next aspect that must be looked at is the SWOT analysis for AF.

SWOT分析法—SWOT Analysis

竞争优势—Strengths

AF is a well established company in the market place with experience and knowledge

3 revenue streams available to them.

Only 1 competitor in the market place.

They have the philosophy of being the market leader in the services they provide.

Not for profit organisation will hold they in high social regard.

Their continuity of supply of services

竞争劣势—Weaknesses

Costs not lowering

No unique selling point

No information available on competitor

Competitor currently offers same level of services as AF.

Shrinking market due to recession.

Current financials are not positive

Current predictability of approaches has currently not lead to positive outcomes re market share or lowering of costs

机遇—Opportunities

Due to their reputation, presence & reach they may be able to augment their position in the market

Augmenting scope of services could produce developments in the market – unique selling points

Develop processes & systems that are user friendly, concise and relevant

Global market is a further option that could be explored.

Employment creation through consultancy

Possibility to work from home or web based, therefore lowering overhead costs

威胁—Threats

Market development can only be achieved by product/service penetration as market is shrinking.

Not enough information is known with regard to their financials except revenues are falling and cost have remained constant.

There is a real threat of substitute as A.Nother currently provides same scope of services

No sustainable financial backing

Current economic recession resulting in lower discretionary incomes

Not able to invest in new technologies due to it having high capital expenditure aspect in a currently shrinking market.

成本线分析—Analysis of Cost Lines

Currently the options available to AF are to:

Increase costs of membership, training courses and student fees;

Reduce costs by renegotiating with suppliers or changing suppliers if necessary;

Restructure their organisation to make complete service web based to lower overheads costs such as rent, electricity etc;

Outsource aspects of the service to lower costs but then there is the possibility of loss of control;

Upgrade services with new technology but this may not be prudent in a shrinking market.

总结—Conclusions

From a strategic point of view AF need a bigger share of the market using product development, product penetration or to find other ways of earning revenue. These could be increasing the costs of membership, student fees and training courses. A further aspect could be the introducing of in-company customised training courses or consultancy or even for AF to embrace the international market.

The best way forward with the available information would be forAF to follow the method of marketing which is market penetration or product development approaches.

建议—Recommendations

These recommendations are less than perfect due to the unknown aspects of AF as I have previously stated. But to reiterate AF, to continue being an ongoing concern must augment their product /service range to attract more students. They should expand to the global market place to counteract the current shrinking market they are in to boost revenue and finally on top of this their costs must be lowered to ensure competitiveness by renegotiating, or changing their suppliers and to restructure their business to ensure lower fixed costs throughout the business.