Marketing Management Individual Project- D-BAT Sports
Discuss the use of marketing research to be used to gather information on present or potential customers. Which forms of marketing research would be best in gathering consumer information relating to the product/service? Outline a marketing research process, including data-gathering techniques (survey, observation, etc.)
Marketing research is essential for every business because it helps identify potential customers, their needs, preferences, and location. According to Marshall & Johnston (2023), the main approaches businesses can use when conducting marketing research include consumer-oriented, product-specific, and target-market research. The best marketing research in gathering consumer information relating to D-BAT Sports products and services would be product-specific and consumer-oriented research. The company can use consumer-oriented research to collect information about how customers use its products and services and their psychological motives for purchasing the products and services. Product-specific research can be used to gather information about the most appealing product attributes based on the information customers provide about the factors that motivate them to purchase the company’s products and services. The most appropriate market research process that D-BAT Sports should follow when conducting market research begins with selecting the type of market research to conduct and then creating a survey to gather customer information. The survey can be shared online to reach more customers. The survey responses can then be analyzed based on the similarities and differences in the responses provided by the target customers to determine their needs and preferences.
Explain several external forces (political/legal, economic, competition, etc.) that affect the organization’s marketing planning and strategy.
Marketing planning involves dividing customers into various segments based on usage, benefits, geographic location, generations, psychographics, demographics, and geodemographics (Clow & Baack, 2018). The segmentation process includes considering various political/legal and economic factors and the competition within the business environment. The main political/legal factors that affect D-BAT Sports marketing include foreign trade policies and advertising standards. For instance, the company must ensure that it is authorized to market its products and services in foreign markets based on foreign trade agreements. The company must also ensure it meets advertising standards by reviewing all advertisements to avoid sharing false or misleading information. D-BAT Sports must also determine the level of competition when selecting an appropriate marketing strategy. For instance, the company may choose multiple marketing channels when there is stiff competition to reach more customers and increase brand awareness for long-term profitability. A company may also create a unique marketing strategy when there is stiff competition, such as offering discounts to new customers and rewarding customers who refer new customers.
Discuss the aspects of the organization’s customer relationship management (CRM) program.
D-BAT Sports prioritizes ensuring that customers are satisfied. For example, the company uses its franchise program to maintain a good relationship with its customers. The company provides the necessary training facilities that businesses become franchisees need to offer the best services to customers. The company also provides franchisees with softball and baseball accessories and training equipment to help players improve their skills and become the best players. D-BAT Sports also ensures that the franchisees receive training courses, including classroom and on-the-job training. According to D-BAT (2024), D-BAT Sports also offers its franchisees operational assistance, including staff and operations management guidance and marketing materials. The company’s customer relationship management program also includes interacting with customers on social media products. For instance, the company responds to customers’ questions and general inquiries on social media platforms and uses the platforms to share relevant information with the customers. The company also uses the mantra, “think of yourself as the customer,” to ensure customers feel encouraged, supported, and welcome. The mantra has enabled the company to create good customer experiences that strengthen its relationship with its customers.
Explain which consumer characteristics (personal, psychological, cultural, situational, social) matter most in the purchase decision.
Purchase decisions are influenced by various customer attributes and characteristics. The main consumer characteristics that matter most in the purchase decision include situational, personal, and psychological characteristics. Personal characteristics include a person’s age and gender. A person’s age and gender influence their needs and preferences, thus influencing the purchase decision. On the other hand, psychological factors influence a person’s perception of a product or service, thus impacting their purchase decision. For instance, people with a positive attitude towards sports may purchase D-BAT Sports company’s products and services to show their support for sports and become part of the community supporting athletes and their development. Situational characteristics may also impact a person’s attitude towards a product or service, thus impacting the purchase decision. For instance, customers who purchase D-BAT Sports products and services are motivated by the need to learn how to play softball and baseball and help other players improve their skills.
Explain how the product/service is positioned in the market. Quote or create a positioning statement for the product/service and explain its rationale. Format the statement with quotation marks, italics, or bold print.
Businesses and brands position themselves in the market to gain a competitive edge and attract customers based on the unique attributes of their products and services and the value created for customers (Marshall & Johnston, 2023). Positioning also enables businesses to distinguish themselves from competitors. D-BAT Sports Company positions itself as the best softball and baseball training and franchising company. The company also states that its main focus is selling experiences to its target customers, not products. For instance, the positioning statement states, “All of our employees are taught what the benefits of our memberships are, and there’s a ton of them” (D-BAT, 2023). This statement suggests that the company communicates its value to potential customers by informing them about the benefits of its membership program through its staff. This enables the company to convince potential customers to seek membership and request the staff to share more information about the company’s products and services, leading to increased brand awareness and market share.
References
D-BAT. (2023, July 6). Baseball facility franchise gets off to a “fast start” on Upper Hand. Upper Hand. https://upperhand.com/downloads/dbat-newark-customer-story/
D-BAT. (2024). Start a D-bat franchise in 2024. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/d-bat/334031
Marshall, G. W., & Johnston, M. W. (2023). Marketing management. McGraw Hill.
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Question
The company for this project is D-BAT Sports and the selected service is private lessons for youth baseball or softball players.
Each of the five questions should be numbered and written out in its entirety in the pages that follow. The entire document (all five questions, combined, but not counting references) should be at least 600 words (12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced), and include a separate references page. All content must show direct application to the topic and exclude definitions of terms and general explanations of generic marketing topics. The assignment should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document.
When completing an assignment for a given module, the student will assume the role of marketing manager for the selected organization. All student responses must be based on research. View the entire course textbook (all chapters) as a resource for the assignment, meaning it may be necessary to locate assignment-related material in chapters other than those corresponding to the module in which the assignment is located. While the effort has been made to ensure that all material necessary for assignment completion is found in the textbook, contact the instructor immediately if the information needed to complete the assignment cannot be located in the textbook. The instructor will then provide instructions on locating the required material. Quotes must be minimized and long quotes (40 words or more) avoided. Outside sources that can be cited include scholarly marketing journals (Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, etc.), practitioner publications (Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, etc.), and the course textbook. Assignments must be submitted through Turnitin.
Questions:
Q1. Discuss the use of marketing research to be used to gather information on present or potential customers. Which forms of marketing research would be best for gathering consumer information relating to the product/service? Outline a marketing research process, including data-gathering techniques (survey, observation, etc.) (Ch.4)
Q2. Explain several external forces (political/legal, economic, competition, etc.) that affect the organization’s marketing planning and strategy. (Ch.4)
Q3. Discuss the aspects of the organization’s customer relationship management (CRM) program. (Ch.5)
Q4. Explain which consumer characteristics (personal, psychological, cultural, situational, social) matter most in the purchase decision. (Ch.6)
Q5. Explain how the product/service is positioned in the market. Quote or create a positioning statement for the product/service and explain its rationale. Format the statement with quotation marks, italics, or bold print. (Ch.7)