Roaring Fork Beer free essay sample

Describing the taste as â€Å"chemically, gassy, bad and flat† are descriptive and tangible. Since our targets dislike the taste, we have the option of investing in either changing the sensory of our target or accommodating them by changing the taste. While changing the taste may attract these nonusers, we risk alienating our current users and potentially losing brand equity. Creating a sister product may also risk brand identity, while marketing would be problematic because ex-users would associate the old taste to the sister brand. Overcoming that barrier would be expensive. However, there are some qualities identified by these nonusers that we can build on to overcome the disposition towards our product. The main attributes to our advantage are: a) â€Å"It’s the beer that I prefer when I am out drinking† b) â€Å"It is reasonably priced† and c) our target identifies a drinker of RFB as a working man that is a common laborer. We will write a custom essay sample on Roaring Fork Beer or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We can thus build a campaign that centers on a beer consumed in a social outing by hard-working individuals. We could focus on neighborhoods in Colorado so as to avoid alienating our current client base who identifies well with that geographic region. We can focus on increasing sales to current consumers and use their influence to spread desirability of our product. Concurrently, since 70% of our customer base is 40 or older, challenging their taste selection can be viable. The idea is that as one grows up, so should his taste bud. The customer insight is a hard-working, middle-aged male who enjoys his RFB with his son (early 20s) after a long day of work. The addition of the son can help us to target nonusers that are active but vulnerable to options at the point of entry. It also creates a link between the 21 and 50 year old, effectively creating a bond and breaking down a potential barrier between our younger and older target. If successful, we may be able to overcome the popularity of Budweiser and Miller brands that have eroded our market share. This emotional connection can create desire to purchase RFB to enjoy in homes as well. While home sales have been most eroded by our competition, it would be dangerous to try and create a direct link to in-home consumption, particularly if nonusers currently rejecting it. Focusing on our positive attributes allows us to connect with our targets. We must verify whether this focused strategy will highlight shared values of the middle-aged, blue-collar persona and the younger, point of entry target without alienating our current consumers. Since there is a dominant social element to our father-son scenario, we can conduct primary, qualitative research in the form of focus groups to verify that men and their sons can enjoy our product in the pub setting, and can develop an emotional bond amongst one another to Roaring Fork Beer. Our two strategies focus on Psychographic, Geographic and Demographic segmentation. Based on the association to blue-collar (psychographic), middle-aged males (demographic) in the Colorado area (geographic), RFB’s dismissal as the choice of beer can be halted. STRATEGY 1: Personify a middle-aged man residing in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado. This also creates an association with RFB consumed when out and the point of entry. After a long day’s work our middle-aged man strolls into a local pub on an autumn night. As he’s walking in he shakes hands and small chats a few friends on his way to his favorite stool. As he acknowledges the local bartender, he’s hugged from behind by a younger gentleman, his son, who has flown into town (from college) to see his parents for the weekend. They greet each other with emotion and the father orders a RFB for himself and a Budweiser for his son (presumably knowing his son’s preference). His son abruptly changes his order to a RFB as well. He explains to his father that he’s grown up now, and so has his taste. The father is delighted to share a bond and the smiles are cheek to cheek! We focus on the hard-working man that has â€Å"earned† the RFB after a hard day’s work which appeals to our current consumer base. It also captures the attention of point of entry beer drinkers that are attracted to the bond between father and son that is enhanced by our beer. Strategy StrengthsStrategy Weaknesses Builds off the brand equity identified by consumers. Focuses on those that already see value in the brand. Will this persona of a blue-collared male confuse potential other consumers of the beer? High-end users will step down to low-end users, but only if they see value in the product. Bar/pub setting is palatable with the identity of the beer in the consumers’ eyes. RFB struggles with in-home consumption, which this strategy does not address. Connects with younger consumer to target point of entry market. Long generational loyalty opportunity. Implies that consumers can change their pallets to enjoy the taste. Challenges the consumer to change their taste preferences rather than addressing a potential weakness of the beer. Changing self-perceptions is difficult. Emotionally bonds the father/son relationship, emotionally bonding to current/ex-consumers of RFB. This could lead to more in-home consumption, something with which the brand currently struggles. STRATEGY 2: Here the target focus is strictly on the middle-aged male. A group of firemen just finish an exhaustive workday after successfully putting out a building fire. After a quick wash up, they change into their jeans and informal shirts and walk over to a nearby pub. As they enter, a crowd of local friends and family cheer them on for their accomplishment! The crowd comes up to them wanting to take pictures, offering hug as our heroes slightly smile. As the crowd disperses the head waitress walks up to them, smiling, with a round of RFB bottles and says, â€Å"This one’s on us. † The firemen smile, grab their bottles and raise them in the air, acknowledging the crowd. The idea here is to target our middle-aged, blue-collared males, but glorify them as heroes, and place them in a setting that they feel most comfortable drinking RFB (in a bar). The social effect of everyone gifting them the round of RFB shows that it is a popular drink, but also one that needs to be earned. Strategy StrengthsStrategy Weaknesses Glorifies our target. Makes him feel like a hero and associates our beer with that emotion. Identifies with blue-collared drinkers which may alienate certain attractive segments. Focuses directly on a single target. Identifies our single target clearly and concisely. Still does not address the in-home consumption, and makes no tacit links to that sales line. Focuses on a social setting for RFB most identified by our targets. Fits with the image of the beer and implies that it’s the beer of choice in that setting. Does not address the identified weaknesses in taste of the beer, nor does it entice consumers to give the taste another chance. Strictly an emotional play. Implies this drink is a gift for deserving people. Does not address valued point of entry user ex-users.. Based on the strengths/weaknesses analysis for both strategies, STRATEGY 1 fits the best. Strategies will have weaknesses that we need to overcome through strategic positioning of the strengths.