The Entrepreneurial Marketing Manager

The Entrepreneurial Marketing Manager

MKT/421

The Entrepreneurial Marketing Manager

There are many factors to consider when planning to launch a new business. When starting a new business, it is important to come up with ideas and strategies that will lead the business down a path of success. To appeal to all potential consumers, both domestically and abroad, it is essential to assess diverse cultures, policies, and competitors in order to prepare for successful entry into the market. It is critical for the business to have a mission statement and a clear vision for their products or services so the consumers can easily understand these products or services. As an entrepreneur, I need to align marketing concepts with my personal values and ethics to help with determining the best strategies for marketing my business.

Mission, Vision, and Values

The organization that I am creating is one that will help people with their animal needs. The business is a mobile pet grooming service. Our vision is to help those who have busy schedules or who’s animals do not do well with traveling. We want to be able to provide a service that comes to their homes to groom their animals. We are an organization that truly cares for animals and their well-being and want to provide a convenient service to our potential customers. There are many places that people can take their pets to be groomed, but there are not many mobile pet grooming services that will come to you and not all of these services care to the extent that we do about the animals in our care. We will use all natural products that do not contain any chemicals that could potentially harm the pets. We also will use techniques learned and that will be taught to all employees to calm those pets who do have anxiety in a manner that will not hurt them and will make them feel comfortable.

How These Values Align to Your Own Personal Brand Identity, Ethics, and Values

Having your own personal brand is important to a business because this is what separates you from all of the other companies. For my business, we are going to have nice vans that will have all of the necessary equipment and water sources in the back to groom the pets. On our trucks, we are going to include pictures of dogs and cats that look relaxed and happy to be getting groomed. The name of the business will be “Day in Paradise Pet Grooming” because we want our clients’ animals to feel as though they are in paradise while being groomed. This personal brand will show our clients that we are committed to making their animals comfortable and use only the best products possible. It is important for us, as a company, to have the best customer service with our clients and understand their needs and concerns for their pets, as we understand how important these pets can be to their owners.

Two Concepts from Class that are Elements of a Marketing Plan

“A marketing plan is a road map for the marketing actions of an organization for a specified future time period, such as one year or five years” (Kerin & Hartley, 2017). Each marketing plan is unique to the organization, as there is no one marketing plan that works for all businesses. There are many concepts that go into creating an effective marketing plan, but the two that we are going to focus on the most are the target audience and purpose, and the industry. It is important to first and foremost identify that there is a need for our services. Consumers are attracted to a product or service that delivers as intended and with a price point that is appealing. With being an affordable pet groomer that is mobile, relaxing, and uses natural products, we are setting ourselves apart from other pet groomers. We then had to understand the industry and how our marketing plan must fit for the industry. We were able to identify the demand for our services domestically, but venturing outside of the US to the international market was an entirely different venture. There is of course still a need for pet groomers outside of the US, as those in Europe have pets as well, but to have a mobile pet grooming service is a bit more challenging overseas as their roadways are much different than they are here in the US. With much research, we have been able to find a van similar to the ones we are using in the US that we can use in Europe, it is just a bit more compact. We are still able to provide a relaxing experience for the pets, while meeting the needs for the staff and the clients.

Marketing’s Role in Coordinating Distinct Functions

Coordinating distinct functions is essential when it comes to marketing. It is important for a company to first determine the method of distribution they will be using. According to “Investopedia” (2018), “A distribution channel is a chain of businesses or intermediaries through which a good or service passes until it reaches the end consumer”. This is where you would determine if a direct channel or indirect channel would be best to use; you can even use some of both, depending on your needs. Customer service is also an important aspect to all of this. Marketing is a good way to enhance customer retention for an organization by showing how important the clients are to the success of a business. Keeping an open line of communication with the customers shows that the business cares for their input and truly listens to their feedback as well.

Compare and Contrast How Culture Will Impact Marketing Strategies

Culture is likely to have the largest impact on domestic marketing strategies compared to what the business may encounter when abroad. “No two cultures are the same and understanding both the social and business culture in another country is the first key to success” (“Differences Between Domestic and International Businesses”, n.d.). Since culture defines everything a society does, it is necessary to include research on the culture of the country you intend to sell to well before entering into their market. The level of competition in the foreign markets being entered is likely to be more complex than what would be experienced in the domestic market. Understanding how the market works, who the direct competition is, and the best market entry strategy are all key when gathering market intelligence on your intended market (“Differences Between Domestic and International Businesses”, n.d.).

Actions the Company Can Take to Ensure It Evolves

The most important thing we can do as a company to ensure we evolve with both our domestic and international market is to continue providing a great service to our clients and their pets. We have to always ensure we are providing the best service by using all natural products and creating a safe and calm environment for the pets we are caring for. We only use products that are natural with no harmful chemicals and pride ourselves on the ability to calm all pets while being groomed. We want our clients to feel good about the work we do and truly know that we are ethical and caring for them and their pets.

Conclusion

Through this class, I have truly been able to understand how important marketing is to the business world. A business that does not have a successful marketing strategy is likely to fail. In order to be successful when marketing, you must know the products or services being offered, the market, the distribution plan, and have a clear goal for the business. I can honestly say that I never knew just how important marketing was to every business, but I now see the importance and understand that you will not be successful in the business

References:

Kerin, R. A., & Hartley, S. W. (2017). Marketing (13th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Investopedia (2018). Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/052115/what-difference-between-direct-and-indirect-distribution-channel.asp 

Differences Between Domestic and International Businesses(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tradestart.ca/domestic-vs-international