Marketing Communications-Muji

MKTG1266 Marketing Communications _______________________________________ Group Assignment By: Lin Jiaxin, Joyce (S3307512) Low Hui Ling, Rachel (S3307260) Nur Syarina Shaari (S3307456) Toh Yu Fen, Vivian (S3307365) Table of Contents 1. Situation Analysis 1. 1. 1. 2. 1. 3. Internal Analysis External Analysis (PESTLE) SWOT Analysis 3 3 4 7 9 9 10 11 11 12 12 13 14 14 14 16 16 17 18 22 24 26 32 32 33 34 35 37 38 2. M arket Problem /Opportunity 3. M arketing Objectives 4. Positioning 5. Com m unication Objectives 5. 1. 5. 2. 5. 3. 5. 4.Category Need Brand Awareness Brand Attitude Brand Purchase Intention 6. Cam paign Budget 7. Cam paign Target Audience 7. 1. 7. 2. 7. 3. Brand Loyalty Creative Targets Behavioural Sequence Model 8. Creative Strategy 9. M edia Strategy 10. Other IM C Activities 11. Evaluation and Control 12. Reference 13. Appendix 13. 1. 13. 2. 13. 3. (A) Model of Brand Loyalty for Generation Y (B) Media Schedule/Plan (C) Media Budget 13. 4. (D) Storyboard #1 and #2 for TV Advertisements 13. 5. (E) Sample of Print Advertisements 13. 6. (F) Sample of Microsite for Meiji’s Yoghurt 2 1.Situation Analysis 1. 1. Internal Analysis Financial †¢ Net sales for the past three years (FY 2008 to FY 2010) fluctuating due to the economic crisis in 2009 and the Japan disaster (in million): ? 711,394, ? 704,999, ? 708,142    †¢ †¢ Adopts a sustainable profit distribution policy to shareholders (MEIJI, 2011). Return on equity for the past three years (FY 2008 to FY 2010) on average is 4. 6% (MEIJI, 2011). Physical †¢ †¢ Many plants in Asia: Japan (several) Singapore, Bangkok (MEIJI, 2011). Research labs, offices and headquarters in Japan and overseas (MEIJI, 2011).Distribution vehicles that have been modified to ensure that the products are safely delivered (MEIJI, 2011). †¢ †¢ Materials are sourced locally (MEIJI, 2011). Uses technology and know-how cultivated in Japan to develop appealing products that are tasty and healt hy to its consumers (MEIJI, 2011) †¢ A comprehensive in-house quality control system called, Meiji-Quality Management System (M-QMS) that ensures the quality of their products (MEIJI, 2011). Reputation †¢ Acquired top brand position, from its imports of milk and yoghurt products in Singapore (Bangkok Post, 2012).Human Resource †¢ †¢ An estimated 14,861 employees work at Meiji (Japan). All employees are guided by a three-part system of principles, which are the group’s approach in building brand power and achieving continuous growth in corporate value (FBR, 2010). Technological 3 1. 2. External Analysis Political: †¢ Local broadcast market monopolised: MediaCorp is the largest and only media broadcaster (MediaCorp, 2012) so the content of the advertisements need to follow the requirements/practices set by the company. Government support: encourages research and development (R&D) to develop tools and customised applications that engage consumers (Singap ore Media Fusion, 2010). †¢ The government and its laws: companies pressured to be more socially responsible (Cihangir, 2008). Thus, when conceptualising advertising campaigns, the organisation should be careful about using taboo or sensitive topics. Economical: †¢ Recession: companies identify marketing activities as a cost, rather than an investment so marketing budget are usually the first to get trimmed down (Fader, 2008).Meiji should not adopt this view as research shows that companies who continue to advertise during such times perform better in the long run (McGraw-Hill, 1986). †¢ Cost-effective advertising during recession: cost of advertising is relatively cheaper since many companies are holding back (Billetts, 2009) as such media channels are more willing to reduce their prices. Companies can further benefit from this as they can finally break through the clutter, with lesser advertisements available in the marketplace. Healthy economy equates to stiff comp etition: companies are fighting for a slice of the market share so they spend more money on advertising. This results in lesser advertising space available and creates a dense marketing atmosphere thus tiring and irritating the consumers. Social: †¢ Increasing popularity of social networking sites: penetration rates for Facebook and Twitter are 48. 9% and 16% respectively (Clicktrue. biz, 2011). A report by Firefly Millward Brown (2011) suggests that 4 Singaporeans are so connected that their families, friends and other personal details in the real world can be found in the virtual world. †¢ Diverse race and religion background in Singapore: important that the advertising materials are mindful of the diversity. Consumers spend more time online than ever: internet usage averaging 10. 5 hours in Singapore (Internet World Stats, 2011), to reach them and stay competitive, it is important for Meiji to have a strong presence on the social web. †¢ Consumers are more favourab le towards green-marketing: they want to associate themselves with companies that are environmentally-friendly. As such, it is important that Meiji communicates its belief in protecting the environment through its practices. Consumers adopting a more socially and environmentally conscious behaviour: cause-related marketing can boost company’s public image (Alden Keene and Associates, 2007), helps to differentiate the company from their competitors and encourages customer loyalty. Meiji can communicate and inform consumers about their CSR practices to take advantage of this point Technological: †¢ Technology is constantly evolving: highlights importance for companies to ‘be on their toes’ with regards to technological changes (Bearden, n. d. ).Today, when communicating with consumers, companies have to look out for both traditional and new media in order to effectively. †¢ Benefits of technology: integrating technology into marketing efforts help to redu ce costs and increase efficiency (Lee & Carter, 2009). Meiji can consider incorporating digital advertising to reach a larger group of audience instead of relying on traditional forms (eg: POP display). †¢ Shift of budget dollars: rising trend of companies shifting budget dollars towards digital advertising and social media (Entrepreneur, 2011), but companies should not neglect its traditional media.Instead, they may want to include URLs or QR codes in its traditional advertising. 5 †¢ Integration of Singapore’s media: all of Singapore’s media integrated together (ie: MediaCorp’s TV, radio, newspaper and website advertising channels), companies can benefit from the presence of these media channel Legal: †¢ †¢ Advertisers’ creativity is restricted due to strict regulations in the local advertising scene (ZDnet Asia, 2011). Consider intellectual property issues when designing communications materials (WIPO, 2005).In the case of using com petitors for comparisons, advertisers have to be weary of trade defamation (Intellectual Property, 2010). †¢ With the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice in place, advertisers should note that the content of the marketing campaign must not subvert values of the society (CASE, 2008). Environmental: †¢ Increased popularity of green marketing: more companies adopting environmentally-friendly image but, due to rise in â€Å"greenwashing† (false claims from companies) consumers are wary of such claims (Spors, 2011).Meiji can counter this by demonstrating their green practices through their website to gain consumers’ trust †¢ Green practice is now the â€Å"in† thing: highlights attractiveness of broadcast and social media since they do not contribute to any waste; unlike traditional media, which involves printing and distribution of resources †¢ Truthfulness in eco-friendly image: companies have received severe backlash from claims that were fo und to be misleading and untruthful (Ottman, 2011). This will eventually tarnish the brand of the companies.This again highlights the importance of truthfulness so Meiji needs to take this into consideration. †¢ Social media users highly conscious about social and environmental issues: good news to companies as these consumers are more prone to rewarding responsible companies (Buhner, 2011). This further proves the importance of adoption of environmentally and socially friendly methods in the running of the business and their advertising method. 6 1. 3. SWOT Analysis Strength †¢ Japanese brand so consumers likely to †¢ form favourable impressions of Meiji, associating good quality to their †¢ in products (Maheswaran, 2006). A leading manufacturer in dairy products probiotic †¢ that specialises dairy products brands Weakness Meiji faces competition from other diary with bigger market share (Euromonitor International, 2011). While competing brands are developi ng their yoghurt products with more exotic brands and benefits and to cater in to their consumers’ changing taste, Meiji lacks diversification yoghurt dairy flavours products (Euromonitor (Bangkok Post, n. d. ) Well-developed brand awareness of its confectionery and selected products in Singapore (Meiji Seika Pte. Ltd. 2008), thus newer products can †¢ leverage on established brand image †¢ Meiji is amongst the top five leading brands in the Yoghurt and Sour Milk industry in Singapore (Euromonitor International, 2011). †¢ Meiji’s product offerings perceived as a functional food and a healthier snack or dessert choice by consumers (Scientist Live, n. d. ). †¢ Comprehensive quality control system so quality and consistency is assured (Meiji Holdings Co. Ltd. , 2011). †¢ Involved in corporate (Meiji, 2011) social thus responsibility International, 2011) thus puts Meiji at a disadvantage.There are limited forms of marketing communications strategy used by Meiji (Singapore). For instance, the official website does not show the yoghurt products that they have to offer. creating a positive brand image for the company, as consumers today, are becoming more interested in CSR activities. 7 †¢ Opportunity Singaporeans are becoming †¢ Threats Food product safety has been a huge threat in the food industry, especially since the milk contamination problem in 2008 has caused even greater concerns over food safety (Associated Press, 2007).As such, it is important that Meiji ensures the highest food safety practices to prevent damages in its brand image and lose the trust of its faithful increasingly health conscious (The Nielsen Company, 2009). They are seeking a healthier lifestyle but their habit of snacking still exists (Nutrition Singapore, 2007). These two factors provide an opportunity for Meiji yoghurt as it is a healthy snack. †¢ As mentioned previously, consumers are getting more ethically and environmentally awar e, and have a †¢ tendency to purchase from companies that are conscious of these factors too (Spors, 2011)!As Meiji practices CSR (MEIJI, 2011), by maximising this emotional factor in consumers, we can †¢ further appeal ourselves to them. †¢ Yoghurt has managed to revitalise itself in the market, and insiders say it will continue to do so. This is due to the innovation opportunities brought about by the different combination of fruits and flavours, and the content of it, such as low fat, low sugar etc (Decker, 2009). †¢ customers. A shift in demand in the dairy products (ie milk and yoghurt) that are low priced have resulted in price wars and an increase in promotion expenses (MEIJI, 2011).Huge availability of substitutes in the market pricing (Euromonitor, and appeal 2011). to the These general substitutes are different in their taste and consumers, especially due to the sweet factor in these snacks. However, the winning factor for is that Meiji’s yoghurt s are offering consumers the best of both worlds – a healthy and delicious in every cup of Meiji’s yoghurt. Now who says you cannot have your cake and eat it too! Rising cost of raw materials due to fluctuations in supply and demand, natural disasters etc have affected the production cost. 8 2.Market Problem/Opportunity There are two trends evident in Singapore according to two separate studies: †¢ †¢ Growing trend of healthy eating in Singapore (Health Promotion Board, 2008) 75% of Singaporeans snack at least once a day (Nutrition Singapore, 2007) While consumers in Singapore are seeking a healthier lifestyle, they still demand snacks that have health benefits without compromising on the taste of the product (Leatherhead Food Research, 2011). Another interesting point to note is that the functional beverage market, which includes yoghurt and smoothies, is a booming market, with global sales exceeding $9. billion (Freshandhealthybrands. com, 2012). In Singapo re specifically, yoghurt and sour milk drinks have grown in popularity, with yoghurt increasing in popularity thanks to the yoghurt cafes that have sprung recently. This has led to an increased awareness of the health benefit of yoghurt (Euromonitor International, 2011). As such, all of these presents an opportunity for Meiji yoghurt to take advantage of – the adoption of healthy living and Singaporean’s habit of snacking. Meiji yoghurt fits perfectly into the picture as it is a snack that is not only healthy, but delicious too!We can leverage on this opportunity to inform the consumers that it is not necessary for them to remove snacks/desserts from their meals completely; instead we have the perfect replacement: a cup of healthy and tasty Meiji yoghurt that comes in strawberry, mixed berries, aloe vera, nata de coco and mango! 3. Marketing Objectives From 2004 to 2009, Singapore’s yoghurt market had a compounded growth rate of 8. 3% (MarketResearch. com, 2011) . In 2011, Meiji held 4. 7% of the market share out of $15. million of the yogurt sales (Euromonitor International, 2011). As such, these would be our marketing objective are as follows: 9 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Increase market share by 0. 5% to reach 5. 2% market share To stimulate sales of $8. 112 million, up from $7. 332 million Increase awareness and knowledge of product and brand by 20% Establish a 30% change in the perception of yoghurt among target audience 4. Positioning We positioned Meiji and its competitors against their percentage of brand shares obtained in 2010, and their current product offerings.Although Marigold, Yoplait and Meiji has fewer varieties (ranging between four to six flavours), they have higher brand shares, as compared to Nestle with as much as 11 different flavours. This could be due to Nestle’s relatively new entrance into the market. As mentioned previously, as consumers seek exotic flavours, Meiji needs to strengthen their brand to p revent Nestle from taking over by building brand loyalty and constant innovation. Through our advertising campaign, we aim to gain stronger brand awareness resulting in a higher percentage of brand shares. 0 5. Communication Objectives The team aims to achieve these objectives through our Integrated Marketing Communications Plan: †¢ Primary objective: To change consumers’ perception of yoghurt from being a healthy food, which has a negative connotation as healthy food is associate to bad tasting food (The News Herald, 2012), to accepting yoghurt as a healthy and delicious alternatives to snack †¢ Secondary objective: To increase consumer’s awareness and knowledge of the product and brand name, in this case being Meiji’s yoghurt 5. . Category Need Due to the different characteristics and lifestyles of our desired target audience, the team has established a category need for each target group: 1) 15 to 25 year olds that do not eat yoghurt: this particula r segment seeks a healthy lifestyle but they still want their sweet tooth to be fulfilled. A gap between their desired state and their actual state exists so we aim to fulfil it by convincing them that Meiji yoghurt is able to fulfil their need of having a healthy snack that taste good, if not great!It is a perfect substitute that gives them the same delight they get from eating other snacks, but without the same unhealthy content. 2) 26 to 35 year olds that seek convenient snacks: with Singapore’s workforce having a reputation of clocking in the most hours at work in the world (International Labour Organisation, 2010), many forgo having lunch as they are too busy. This suggests that snacking is not even an option for them consider. Again, a gap exists because their basic need of eating is not fulfilled and their want to snack is not met.This provides an opportunity for us to take advantage; by reminding consumers that Meiji exists as a convenient and healthy snack that can b e purchased anywhere and be eaten anytime (as long it is kept refrigerated). 11 5. 2. Brand Awareness Brand awareness is important for many reasons: it enables the brand to be in the consideration set, create sales, determines one’s purchase decision and formation of brand image. This is especially important for fast moving consumer goods as consumers spend little to no effort in information search due to the low involvement nature of the product (Pitta & Katsanis, 1995).The team hopes to establish a long-term brand awareness of Meiji’s Yoghurt through a two-stage process: †¢ First stage: creating brand recognition by informing consumers of the benefits of Meiji’s yoghurt and differentiating ourselves (Morebusiness. com, 2006). This will be done through our television advertisements, which may result in them leaning towards our product as their product choice when they visit their nearest store to choose between the many different brands offered.This is due to the sheer exposure of our advertising that prompts them to think about Meiji when given a visible cue, in this case being yoghurts (Keller, 1993), thus illustrating the positive effect of our marketing effort. †¢ Second stage: establish brand recall by building strong brand equity so that consumers are able to recall Meiji’s brand without aid. This will be done through PR, as people believe other consumers more than advertisements (Nielsen, 2009), and through viral marketing, which helps create excitement about the brand.By successfully achieving top-of-mind-awareness, consumers will think of Meiji each time the urge for snacking will arise. 5. 3. Brand Attitude Brand image has been defined as â€Å"perceptions about a brand by the brand’s association in consumer’s mind† by Keller (1993). To create a good brand image, positive associations to the brands must be created. There are three dimensions to associations: attributes, benefits and attitude ; and these associations have to be unique, favourable and strong (Kelle, 1993). The team has identified these in the diagram below: 12 5. 4.Brand Purchase Intention The team propose to use â€Å"Liking† under Robert Cialdini’s Six Rules of Influence (1993) to motivate purchase intention as consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that they like. We aim to make Meiji yoghurt, a fast moving consumer good that is typically a low-involvement purchase, an interesting product through our television advertisements, viral marketing and PR efforts. These efforts will illustrate how Meiji’s yoghurt is more than just a typical snack. 13 6. Campaign Budget Objective and task budgeting is being used in campaign budget so as to achieve the Meiji’s desirable market share of 5. 2%.Meiji had to accomplish two communicating objectives which are: a 30% change in the target audiences’ perception of yoghurt being an inexpensive and healthy yet delicious snac k and increase target audiences’ awareness and knowledge of the product and brand name by 20%. Reflecting on the communication objective of Meiji, the decided amount that is going to be invested in the advertising campaign will be approximately $1 million (calculations available in Appendix C). With this sum of investment in the advertising campaign, the team hope to fulfil the communicating objectives which ultimately, lead to the increase of the market share. . Campaign Target Audience For a marketing communication campaign to be successful, the company need to identify their target audience clearly. The campaign will be targeting two demographic groups. Primary Target Audience Demographic Psychographic †¢ Male and female aged †¢ Health-conscious 15-25 (students) †¢ Enjoys quality, tasty, healthy food †¢ Male and female aged †¢ Time-deprived 26-35 (working adults) †¢ Like to try new things †¢ Actively involved in social media Geographic Be havioral †¢ Everyone in Singapore †¢ Increasing involvement in family purchases †¢ Buy product based on convenience †¢ Less brand loyalty 7. . Brand Loyalty The first target audience will be new category users aged between 15 to 25 years old, who have not tried eating yoghurt. The second group of target audience will be working adults that are between 26 and 35 years old. They are favorable brand switchers that occasionally buy Meiji Yoghurt but don’t have a specific brand that they are loyal to. Majority of these people falls mostly within Generation Y. 14 Characteristics of Generation Y †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Less Brand Loyal Style Conscious Technology Wise Highly Involved in Social Networking/Media More Involved in Family PurchasesBrand loyalty is key to success in marketing communication. With the implementation of the integrated marketing communication plan, we hope to create brand equity, continued awareness and most importantly, inc rease consumers satisfaction thus encouraging repeat purchases (Keller, 1998). Meiji Yoghurt, being a fast moving consumer good, is a low-involvement purchase decision. In order for the product to gain awareness for the new category users, price is an important factor. Since they are new users, they do not have any compelling need to purchase a particular brand.One activity to encourage and persuade them to purchase would be sales promotion (Krishamurthi & Raj, 1991). After that, continued engagement with these consumers will potentially convert them into loyal customers. As for the second target audience, who are favourable brand switchers, changing their attitude and increase their liking for the brand would be beneficial. Through our comprehensive advertising plan, it will attract the attention of these consumers, allowing them change their attitude, perception, and may even develop a liking for the brand.This would help to decrease the likelihood of switching brands (Reid, 2005) thus, driving brand loyalty. 15 7. 2. Creative Targets – Sales personnel, friends, family members – Opinion leaders (famous online Influencer bloggers), friends, family members Initiator Decider Purchaser – Target audience themselves, family members – Target audience themselves, family members Informing them of the health benefits of Meiji yoghurt Informing them of both the taste and the health benefits Informing them that its value for money because of the quality of the yoghurt Informing them that its value for money because of the quality of the yoghurt â€Å"Creamier.Fruitier. Amazingly aMEIJI-ng† User – Target audience themselves 7. 3. Behavioural Sequence Model What (Decision Need Arousal Stages) Oneself, Sales Who Promoters, Friends, (Roles) Family, Colleagues, Media Home, In-store Where (Supermarkets), (Location) School/work Cravings for dessert, habit/routine (part of When their meal component), (Timing) losing weight, recalling/ex posure to advertisement Information Search & Evaluation Purchase UsageOneself, Friends, Oneself, Family, Family, Media, Sales Oneself, Family Friends Promoter Home, in-store, school/work, points of interactions between friends/family, Internet Cravings (random discussion with friends/family and comparing brands) Supermarket, Anywhere (E. g. convenience Home, Work, stores, vending School) machine Sales promoters, Cravings, Habitual purchase Part of meals, Feel like Snacking, When cravings arise Free samples, brand recall, cravings, How friends/family etc, Word of Mouth (Decision realization of intrinsic Process) needs (importance of being healthy, going on a diet etc)Cravings, Habitual purchase (when stock run low) To satisfy need, to satisfy oneself, to enjoy the product 16 8. Creative Strategy Central Theme: Each creative message features our Meiji yoghurt mascot. Our advertisements show situations in which our target audience encounters every day, where they are faced with issues such as not having enough time and health-related issues. However, the advertisements will illustrate the role of Meiji’s yoghurt; by simply adding it in their lives, they will have reasons to smile. We want to illustrate how Meiji’s yoghurt, by being â€Å"Creamier.Fruitier. Amazingly a-MEIJI-ng†, it is a simple, inexpensive way to get through any good or bad days! Appeal Technique: The message will show how simple life’s pleasures can be. The advertisement will be realistic and appeal to the emotional side, illustrating our understanding of the problems faced by our consumers. However, we want to put forward a positive message of how Meiji’s yoghurt inject fun, healthy and lively moments in their lives, and show them that the best of both world is served in a cup of Meiji’s yoghurt.Tone and Style: Other advertisement simply tells the consumers the benefits their yoghurt brings, thus making the yoghurt advertisements in Singapore standardiz ed and boring. We, on the other hand, want to show a genuine response that people can relate to! The tone and style of the advertisement will be in modern settings. For our television advertisement, the music will be fun and lively, which will coincide with our image.For our print advertisement, it will feature bright, lively colours such as red, green, purple and yellow, to demonstrate our brand image. Tagline: â€Å"Creamier. Fruitier. Amazingly a-MEIJI-ng†. 17 9. Media Strategy An integrated media campaign is primarily designed to encourage a change of perception amongst our target audience towards yoghurt consumption, thus by so doing, creating brand loyals. The media strategy will also address our secondary objective in heightening brand awareness and knowledge towards Meiji’s yoghurt.Primary Medium: Television Advertising Vehicle #1: Mediacorp Channel 5 Vehicle #2: Mediacorp Channel 8 Details: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Time Frame of Advertisement = 12 months Length of Advertisement = 15 seconds Timing of Advertisement = 19:00 – 22:00 (Prime Time, Daily) Reach: 60% of Target Audience Frequency o 2X a week for the first three months o 1X a week for subsequent two months o 1X in two weeks for remaining months By using television advertising as our primary medium of communication, we want to convey our message to the mass audience – not merely our target audience, but impacting those who have a role in deciding as well.We want to create contexts people can relate to via our advertisements (Brandalyzer, 2012). These contexts will be based on the locations (ie: where) and likelihood of occurrence identified in the BSM. Therefore, when consumers encounter a similar situation they will subconsciously recognise the advertisement they’ve seen and connect with the brand, Meiji. There will be two versions of the advertisements, targeting our two demographic groups, broadcasted over a year with three varying frequencie s. Examples of our storyboard can be found in Appendix D. 8 Our plan is arranged such that there is more frequent exposure in the initial months to establish a level of brand recognition and reduced frequency in the later period, as an aided reminder to create brand recall. Secondary Media: †¢ Point-of-Purchase (POP) Advertising Vehicle #3: In-store Media (eg: shelf talker) Details: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Time Frame of Advertisement = 12 months Contents of POP display similar to other print advertisements Reach: 35% of Target Audience Frequency: Throughout the campaignOur POP displays will be placed in larger distributing outlets (eg: NTUC, Cold Storage) with two intentions: firstly, to reinforce the brand image formed by the different advertisements and secondly, to trigger consumers to purchase Meiji’s yoghurt. The display will be an in-store media, in the form of a shelf talker, where it is attached to the shelf adjacent to the product (Koekemoer & Bird, 2004 ). With the POP display, we aim to draw the attention of shopper’s to our product. According to Koekemoer and Bird (2004), POP display plays a fairly significant role in influencing unplanned purchases.Therefore, it may be effective in stimulating a consumer’s need for Meiji’s yoghurt up to the final stage of his/her purchase decision. †¢ Internet Advertising (Website) Vehicle #4: Creating a Microsite for Meiji’s Yoghurt Details: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Time Frame of Advertisement = 12 months Reach: 70% of Target Audience Frequency: Throughout the campaign Content: Different Tabs (Product, FAQ, Recipes, Games, Contact, Gallery, Social Media, etc) 19 As part of our media strategy, we will be incorporating an online advertising element for Meiji by creating a microsite.The microsite will act as an online platform for interested consumers to find out more about their yoghurt, which is lacking in their official website. From the BSM, we noticed h ow consumers normally obtain information (of yoghurts, being a low involvement product) through word-of-mouth. We plan to make information available online, and at the same time include interactive features that will engage these potential consumers. For instance, we can include videos to communicate the benefits of yoghurt in a non-boring manner or an interactive application that allows consumers to ask questions.In doing so, we aim to change consumer’s perceptions towards yoghurt, creating a ‘fun’ persona. Meiji yoghurt’s microsite will be modelled after Cadbury’s, seeing how they’ve been very successful with developing microsite for various of their products: http://www. cremeegg. co. uk/, http://www. cadburymagicalelves. com/grotto. html An example of our microsite for Meiji’s yoghurt can be found in Appendix F. †¢ Newspaper Advertising Vehicle #5: Today Vehicle #6: myPaper (Wednesday – Lifestyle) Details: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Full Colour Size of Advertisement: ? page Reach: 65% of Target Audience Frequency: 1X a week every monthMeiji’s yoghurt will be advertised in both freesheets, which have an average of 250,000 copies distributed daily. With a high circulation rate, we can expect that there will be a positive effect on the rate of exposure our target audience, with seven in ten people reading the newspaper everyday (AsiaOne, 2010), 20 We have overlapped both newspaper and television advertising, with aims of maximising our media coverage and indirectly, increasing the frequency or intensity of cravings (eg: when our target audience feel the need to have a cup of yoghurt). A sample of our print advertisements can be seen in Appendix E. Magazine Advertising Vehicle #7: Shape Vehicle #8: Seventeen Vehicle #9: Her World Vehicle #10: Men’s Health Details: †¢ †¢ †¢ Size of Advertisement: Full Page Reach: 70% of Target Audience Frequency: 6X over a period of 12 months The team has shortlisted four magazines to feature our print advertisements, as they are target audience specific. The magazines include Shape (for the health conscious), Seventeen (for the younger generation), Her World and Men’s Health (for the working adults), which will be used to advertise our print media every alternate month throughout the year.According to AsiaOne (2010), readership in magazines continue to increase, like Her World’s 246,000 or Men’s Health’s 114,000 readers. This will help achieve our objective in establishing brand awareness. The magazine advertisements may act as a form of repeated exposure for Meiji and eventually create a strong brand image when consistently presented. Thus, any reader of the magazine, who may happen to be an initiator, influencer, decider, purchaser or user, may spread good word-of-mouth and perhaps arouse a need for yoghurt consumption for themselves or others. The media plan/schedule is presented i n Appendix B. 1 10. Other IMC Activities Meiji will be using the following additional techniques to co-ordinate with the other communication mix elements. These activities will complement our primary medium and further enhance consumers’ brand awareness towards Meiji. Quick Response Codes: A survey by TNS revealed that 72% of Singaporeans are using smartphones, the world’s third highest smartphone penetration rate (Chua, 2011). With the advancement of technology and increasing numbers of smartphone users, resulting in the emerging trend of using Quick Response Codes as a marketing tool.It will be embedded into printed advertisements, magazines, point-of-purchase and on the product itself. This is one cost effective way for Meiji to communicate and connect with their target audience. It also allows consumers to gain instant access to great amount information such as current promotions and events, directing them to company’s website, Facebook, Twitter, youtube pag e, etc with just a snap. These social networking platforms increase the interaction between Meiji and their consumers which eventually improves customer satisfaction and enhances experience (Cepheid, 2011).Sales Promotion Sales promotion encourages new customers to try Meiji Yoghurt and increase the usage for current consumers by giving incentive for their consumer, which could help in strengthening the relationship between the company and consumers. It has been shown that sales increase during periods that involve sales discounts or other promotions (ie a free gift included). These could be conveyed through printed advertisements in newspaper and magazine, QR codes and mobile coupons. Consumers can flash the coupon on their smartphones to the cashier o obtain discounts or collect free gifts. The sales promotion will last for a week, which will occur once every 3 months in order to ensure continued trial and purchase. 22 Public Relations Another technique will be using the media to convey the message the company want their target audience to know. Meiji will be sending out press release like information about benefits of eating yoghurt (featuring Meiji Yoghurt), company’s recent activities and events to a targeted range of newspapers and magazine publishers (i. e. Mind Your Body and Men’s Health) for coverage.Public relations is a good and cost-effective way to advertise a product or brand as news and stories featured are seen to be more credible to the readers as compared advertisements. However, the company has no control on what will be reported and when the article will be published. Risk of misinterpretation and misrepresentation may also occur. Viral Marketing Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool as consumers usually trust friends and family members above experts when it comes to product and brand recommendations (R, 2008).Hence, viral marketing is one activity a company could execute to help them to reach their objectives. Our compan y will create an online campaign to generate buzz and excitement. Creative videos will be posted on Meiji's YouTube channel and embedded onto the company's website and Facebook page for the message to be spread. 23 11. Evaluation and Control In this report, there are various media chosen to create awareness and change the perception of Meiji yoghurt. It is important that we evaluate and measure the effectiveness of the media vehicles.In the given of 12 months period, the team will carry out a pre-testing evaluation method to determine whether we have achieved the objectives (Ramjee, 2009). Using this method, the company can compare the before and after effects of implementing the media vehicles and either eliminate or make amendments. We have identified specific evaluation methods for each of the vehicle and a focus group to test all the vehicles. †¢ Sales promotion Pre- and post-test analysis of shelf space given by the retailer: reflect the effectiveness of sales promotion as more shelf space given suggests a successful sales promotion †¢ Television advertisementPre, during and post evaluation of advertisements: carried out through surveys by examining consumers’ perceptions of the advertisement and brand and the awareness level of the Meiji yoghurt (Neuez, 2003). Any shortcomings highlighted can be amended quickly to increase the effectiveness of the advertisements. Television advertisement ratings and awards: able to know how many people have been exposed to the advertisement, based on the reach, track the awareness level of the advertisement (Nikerson, 2007) and nominations (ie Nielsen Superbrand, Singapore Advertising Hall of Fame etc), which suggests a positive liking from consumers. Point-of-Purchase (P. O. P) Advertisement Observe the sales figure on a weekly basis: Using the sales figures prior and during the P. O. P advertisement period to trace if there is any extra sales generated and how much more sales had been generated (Liljen wall, 2004). 24 †¢ Print advertisement 1. Ask customers: find out if they know the brand and how how they learn about the brand and product on a regular basis (Roggio, 2009) to test the effectiveness of the advertisement and the media vehicle, which verifies if they have used the â€Å"right† media vehicle. . Monitor the sales figure after the printed advertisement has been published: comparison can be done with the sales figures prior and after the print advertisement being released (Roggio, 2009). If sales figures have improved, it shows that the communication objectives had been accomplished. 3. Use QR code and mobile coupon as tracking device: once they have scanned or redeem it, the company will know the response rate. †¢ Internet Advertisement (Website)Web traffic or hits: indicates how many visitors visit the site, the duration they have spent in the site, the page they visited and which specific page they stopped, which helps in establishing the level of awa reness being captured by the target audiences. †¢ Focus Group Focus group should be conducted with our target audiences on a regular basis. This is to find out whether they have seen any of our advertising campaigns (such as of television advertisings, print advertisement, sales promotion, P. O. 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Retrieved March 13, 2012, from http://www. zdnetasia. com/blogs/asia-cannot-be-the-nextsilicon-valley-62303254. tm 31 13. Appendix A: Model of Brand Loyalty for Generation Y 32 Appendix B: Media Sc hedule/Plan Media/Months Jan Channel 5 / 8X 12 months Channel 8 / 8X 12 months POP Ad / 12 months Today / 4X 12 months myPaper / 4X 12 months Public Relations (Mind Your Body) Seventeen / 6 months Men’s Health / 1X 6 months Shape / 1X 6 months Her World / 6 months QR Codes in Print Media Sales Promotion Feb 8X 8X Mar 8X 8X Apr 4X 4X May 4X 4X Jun 2X 2X Jul 2X 2X Aug 2X 2X Sep 2X 2X Oct 2X 2X Nov 2X 2X Dec 2X 2X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 1X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 4X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X