Assignment 2

Part B: Marketing Plan for

Hallmark Smart Home Automation

MKT 500: Marketing Management

Strayer University

Introduction

I received the feedback from Dr. Jingyun Zhang on my Marketing Plan for my business, Hallmark Smart Home Automation. The feedback given was useful in helping analyze my work and what I could do to improve it. Professor Zhang gave me feedback that my introduction to my hypothetical company was well. My product/service is transparent, the physical location is defined, and I successfully introduced the elements of my marketing plan. This puts Hallmark Smart Home Automation in a good start for strategizing. I will utilize Professor Zhang’s feedback, which says the mission statement is concise and straight forward with a solid rationale. All five questions in a mission statement were successfully answered, to continue to grow and make Hallmark Smart Home Automation a success. Professor Zhang stated my stated goals of revenue, profit, market share, brand awareness, or customer acquisition are SMART goals: S. – Specific; M. – Measurable; A. – Assignable; R. – Realistic; T. – Time-based. There were no measurements provided for my purposes. In this area I need to grow and utilize my SMART goals. Professor Zhang stated I only addressed five of the six areas of environmental analysis. The competition requires the analysis of who is explicitly the competition, and why do I consider them as such? Professor Zhang also stated that in my SWOT section I should include both a written SWOT analysis containing at least three of each element with rationale and a SWOT table summarizing each. I did not provide three elements for each point within the SWOT analysis. I also did not provide the needs analysis to show my understanding. This corrective feedback was well received and will be reflected in my future work.

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation is a new company coming to the Gainesville Virginia area where we bring the best in technology to you and your home to utilize products that reflect your individual tailored and custom dream into a reality. Typical automation businesses use technology such as automated lights, sensors, and camera security systems by using the internet and automation control through a centralized, digital system. Our systems can manage anything from your lighting to home security to HVAC services. Hallmark Smart Home Automation can also provide other services such as powering dryer, dishwasher, microwave, and entertainment electronics. Hallmark Smart Home Automation will deliver, install, teach you how to operate and maintain and upkeep your Smart home wants and needs. Everything we do today has technology designed to make it faster, more comfortable, and less cumbersome for the end-user. It ranges from cell phones that are pocket computers to cars that drive themselves. The demand for education, installation, assistance, and upkeep of this technology far exceeds the market’s ability to provide service. “Technology integration is increasingly becoming more prominent throughout today’s house plans. From security surveillance systems to monitor your utility consumption, incorporating smart technology is not only convenient but can be beneficial for homeowners as well.” The answer to this demand is the Hallmark Smart Home Automation company.

We always put our customers, their needs, and desires at the forefront of our business. Our employees treat each client with the utmost respect and are well-trained in providing a premium client experience to the customer because exceptional service is the foundation of our business and its growth. Our headquarters are in Gainesville, VA and we provide services to our clients seven days a week, 12 hours a day. To compete in the market and you’re your business, we must ensure that all our client’s needs are met and that our employees are staffed and ready for the customer to exceed expectations in products, support, and customer service.

Making current technology easily accessible and understandable while continuing to supply support and upgradability to the most current technology, makes our business the “go-to” place for all your home automation and technology needs. Gainesville, VA, and its surrounding area are densely populated with middle to upper-class citizens; this service will be more demanded because Gainesville is a new and growing city where families continuously need the best technology to run and protect their homes and families.

The branding strategy will focus on how we care for the clients both Primary and Secondary target market technology and smart home needs with their family and individual desires at the forefront, at the same time, highlighting Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s positioning statement.

Branding Strategy

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s promise to our client base is to bring the best in technology to our clients and their home, utilizing products that reflect the client’s individual tailored and custom dream into a reality. Typical automation businesses use technology such as automated lights, sensors, and camera security systems by using the internet and automation control through a centralized, digital system. Our systems can manage anything from lighting to home security to HVAC services. Hallmark Smart Home Automation can also provide other services such as powering dryer, dishwasher, microwave, and entertainment electronics. Hallmark Smart Home Automation will deliver, install, teach you how to operate and maintain and upkeep your Smart home wants and needs.

Our focus continues to be on the homeowner and the families that are always wanting technology but don’t know how to purchase, install, and operate multiple technology platforms seamlessly. Maintaining our commitment to the customer and providing them with the exceptional customer service will keep The Hallmark Smart Home Automation thriving and growing for the future.

Brand Name

“The Hallmark Smart Home Automation” will create a brand in which is unique yet memorable to our target audience. When the name of Hallmark Smart Home Automation was created, it was designed to ensure that people who want help with home automation and technology can have a helping hand to do it for them. Being mobile and coming to each home and tailoring each service individually is a bonus because our customers do not worry about the setup, training, and support of our product in their home. All a client must do to receive The Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s services is make a phone call, register on the website, or come into our main office and we will take care of the rest. The Hallmark Smart Home Automation emphasizes supporting the customer where they live because the home is where the product and our services will be used.

Logo

The logo of The Hallmark Smart Home Automation will consist of the business name with a home with a Wi-Fi and cell phone design on it, and a computer cable. This will emphasize to the customer that we are a Smart Home and automation business. This will draw the attention of both the homeowners and technology users alike. This will stand out from the competition because our customers are our top priority, and giving them the best in smart home automation will stand out above any other competition. Everyone that sees this logo will associate our business with the best in smart home and automation services. “Such dynamics can be usefully traced in textual advertising organization. To sum up then: advertising texts operate in contexts of culture and situation. Advertising representations strive to integrate product and imagery through conjunctions of component signs, product details, logo, and brand ideas.”

Figure 1. “The Hallmark Smart Home Automation” logo will be used on all of our Business Cards, Contracts, and all forms of company Marketing mechanisms.

Slogan

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s slogan is focused on giving the customer the best in home automation and technology to their home. Hallmark Smart Home Automation will tailor and individualize the experience for each customer because, at The Hallmark Smart Home Automation, we know that each customer has different wants and needs based on their lifestyle. Therefore, our slogan emphasizes smart home automation and to our client; “Taking the confusion out of technology and making it work for you.”

Brand Extension

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s brand extension offers premium on-call technology service to our clients in which the client can schedule in-person or online appointments for same-day services between 8 am-8 pm in which one our Hallmark Smart Home Technicians are dispatched to the customer’s home where we assist and complete their every need. We have a 24/7 customer service line and website the customer can contact to request services, or even ask questions about our products, services, and applications. Being available always for the customer will build trust and loyalty for a longstanding business relationship. Creating customer loyalty and increasing our customer base will be aided by the outstanding service that we provide to our customers. This will help in constant growth to allow our company to meet and exceed our goals and benchmarks for our business model.

Primary and Secondary Target Markets

Homeowners between the ages of 25-55 with families in the middle to upper-class financial status are our primary target. The reason that this group is our primary target market is that this is the biggest user and purchaser of our products and services. Homeowners are established and know what they want and need in smart home, technology, and home security. Spending their day being away from home, and having little time at home because of busy lives, kids, and commuting will require the technology and some experience in installing, testing, teaching, and servicing it. This group will be motivated to use a new service that will make their lives and homes easier, more protected, and operated from anywhere the customer is located. This target market can afford this service because they are typically a dual-income family with an income of $100,000+ per year to supply all the needs of a family.

The secondary target market is working families between ages 55-70 who aren’t as technologically savvy but will still desire some of our services and assistance with the technology they want to have in their homes. This group will also have senior citizens who may have a family who wants to monitor them and their homes from afar to ensure their comfort and safety. These families are even live in the Gainesville, VA area and are a part of the middle to upper-class financial status, who are empty nesters and may have children or grandchildren who visit or stay with them regularly. They live in a suburban community and have an education of at least Bachelors or higher, and have an income of $75,000-$100,000

The secondary target market will help to build the brand even more because of the lifestyle that they live and need assistance more than the primary market and will regularly reach out to our technicians for help. Also, our secondary target market will be initially driven in most cases by referral or request of our primary target market (who maybe their children or grandchildren), so they are aware of how The Hallmark Smart Home Automation operates.

Positioning Statement

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation is a new full-service Smart home and automation Business that will bring the best in technology to you and your home to utilize products that reflect your individual tailored and custom dream into a reality. Typical automation businesses use technology such as automated lights, sensors, and camera security systems by using the internet and automation control through a centralized, digital system. Our systems can manage anything from your lighting to home security to HVAC services. Hallmark Smart Home Automation can also provide other services such as powering dryer, dishwasher, microwave, and entertainment electronics. Hallmark Smart Home Automation will deliver, install, teach you how to operate and maintain and upkeep your Smart home wants and needs.

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation is customer-driven and provides an individually tailored experience to each customer. We offer a 100% service guarantee, and if the client is dissatisfied with our services, we will make the customer’s issue right, or refund the amount that they paid for the services rendered. We beat out the competition because we come to the customer and install, test, and teach the customer to use our products. We also offer service packages to upkeep and maintain the customer’s products and services if they are too busy or don’t want to do it themselves. The competition in which The Hallmark Smart Home Automation outperforms is Best Buy and Lowes Smart home services. The reason that we exceed them is that these two companies offer products similar to what we use and offer some installation. We offer products, installation, testing, warranties, and training. The competition also charges 25 to 50 percent more on products and services they offer.

Figure 2. Perceptual map representing “The Hallmark Smart Home Automation” with competitors Best Buy and Lowes smart home and technology services.

“For customers who are tired being so far behind the technology that they are afraid to buy it and would like to have someone install, test, and train you to use your technology; The Hallmark Smart Home Automation has the personal and unique solution for you and your home’s needs. From simple lighting to full security and home automation, give Hallmark Smart Home Automation a chance to exceed your expectations and take care of all of your smart home and technology needs”.

Consumer Behavior of Target Market

The consumer behavior of The Hallmark Smart Home Automations targets homeowners between ages 25-55 that are married with at least two children. Our position statement, motto/slogan, and logo to show how we individualize our services to fit each family need. While staying up to date with the most current technology and innovation, we offer the newest products and capabilities offered on the market. This is something that none of our competitors are doing and could compete with. The Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s brand extension provides a full-service, Smart Home Automation experience that allows the client to tell us how they would like specific needs for their home and to what length they need our assistance before, during, and after installation. This ensures the customer’s inclusion in the process, which will build loyalty and will help further our business by word of mouth. The positive experience and commitment will continue to grow and generate more customers. Being that my target market is a prominent middle to upper-class clientele between 25-55 years of age, they are more mature, educated, and set on their needs and will not accept anything less than exceptional customer service and a premium product. Consumer behavior changes based upon the age and maturity of the targeted market as written in the 2014 Consumer Behavior that breaks down varied demographics to include age

Conclusion

The Hallmark Smart Home Automation’s marketing plan continues its focus on the client and providing an individual custom-tailored experience coupled with excellent customer service to homeowners and citizens of the Gainesville, VA, area. The branding and strategy will speak to both primary and secondary target markets. The logo and position statements will add emphasis and further support Hallmark Smart Home Automation and our guarantee to provide excellent business and service to our customers. Our brand extension supports and defends the moto and mission that Hallmark Smart Home Automation puts their customer and the customer’s needs first and foremost.