This is the discussion assignment that you wrote for me.  Can you write responses to 3 of my peers please?

I will post the discussion from each of the 3 people.

Here is the article that you referenced for this assignment:

Coleman-Lochner, L. (2012). P&G plays kindergarten catch-up with Unilever in Vietnam. Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-04/p-g-plays-kindergarten-catch-up-with-unilever-in-vietnam.html

• Discuss the marketing plan insights P&G has gained through its Vietnamese marketing studies. How influential are those discoveries in the development of P&G’s strategy to enter the Vietnamese market?
• In developing a marketing plan, identify the characteristics of the marketing plan that P&G should implement to boost performance?

Respond to at least 3 of your classmates.

HERE ARE THE DISCUSSIONS WE DO NOT NEED REFERENCES JUST RESPONSES:

1. DISCUSSION  BY MICHAEL CARROLL

Week 6 – Discussion 1 Michael Carroll Jr
6/20/2016 5:26:02 PM

A successful marketing plan is one that appeals to a diverse consumer base and is far-reaching in terms of the product’s impact. Being creative, embracing innovation, and finding new uses for already established products is one way to both increase profit for a given company, while satisfying the wants and needs of the consumer. One example would be P&G’s ingenious plan to offer Febreze, a commonly used fabric deodorizer, to Vietnamese consumers as a way to ensure proper upkeep of motorbikes (Coleman-Lochner, 2012). After conducting proper market research on Vietnam, P&G was able to re-position an already successful product in the United States, and make it appealing to Vietnamese consumers for everyday use. This was a great strategy for gaining the upper-hand in the Vietnamese market which also sent a bold statement to major competitor, Unilever. P&G realizes that Vietnam is a fast growing economy, and that capturing the loyalty of Vietnamese consumers would be highly advantageous for the company’s bottom-line. Coleman-Lochner explained that “P&G is betting on the appetite in Vietnam for premium brands, such as its Olay skin whiteners, and that its larger range of products will give it an advantage over Unilever” (2012, Para 12).

 What I feel is especially interesting about P&G’s marketing plan is their willingness to go the extra mile (literally) in an effort to increase awareness of their products across a rapidly expanding country. P&G has “Conducted more than 100 home visits in Vietnam last year” in an effort to increase the movement of product through personalized service. One characteristic of the marketing plan that I feel P&G should implement to boost performance is product differentiation. As stated in the article, “Vietnam is the next upcoming market, and there’s fierce competition” (2012). For this reason, P&G needs to focus on developing a strategy that will convince consumers that buying their products versus their competitor’s is the best option for them. What additional incentives are consumers getting when they purchase P&G products that they can’t get from Unilever? Are the characteristics and benefits of P&G’s products the most appealing factor for Vietnamese consumers, or should their level of service delivery and ability to anticipate and fulfill the consumer’s wants and needs also play an important role in their sell strategy? These are all questions that P&G should be asking themselves.

References

Coleman-Lochner, L. (2012). P&G plays kindergarten catch-up with Unilever in Vietnam. Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-04/p-g-plays- kindergarten-catch-up-with-unilever-in-vietnam.html

2. DISCUSSION BY TORA LUCAS

Discuss the marketing plan insights P&G has gained through its Vietnamese marketing studies.

“For decades, U.S. companies couldn’t operate in Vietnam because of an American trade embargo imposed after the fall of Saigon in 1975. A year after the embargo was lifted in 1994, P&G entered the country, as did Unilever. How influential are those discoveries in the development of P&G’s strategy to enter the Vietnamese market” (Lochner-Coleman, 2012)? Vietnam is the next best thing in the market to be successful regardless if there are several competitors that is also trying to be successful and to be on top. Proctor and Gamble has a strong desire in Vietnam because it has a product that can be useful. Olay Skin Whiteners is a premium brand that’s in the market that is tied to Vietnam and Proctor and Gamble shows interest based on the fact that it can be profitable. “P&G is betting on the appetite in Vietnam for premium brands, such as its Olay skin whiteners, and that its larger range of products will give it an advantage over Unilever. It’s also producing lower-cost merchandise that can be bought by consumers with modest incomes who can trade up later” (Lochner-Coleman, 2012). “The marketing studies for which the company is known — it conducted more than 100 home visits in Vietnam last year — uncovered new uses for some brands” (Lochner-Coleman, 2012). This would be considered as a good marketing strategy for not only Vietnam but for anywhere in the country. People will not know how good a product is unless they sample it or try it for themselves. If they were given the opportunity to have someone take the time to visit homes just to introduce a product, it would be worth purchasing the product and recommending the product to family and friends. 

How influential are those discoveries in the development of P&G’s strategy to enter the Vietnamese market? In developing a marketing plan, identify the characteristics of the marketing plan that P&G should implement to boost performance?

“The company advertises heavily on television, the most influential medium in a country. Last year its representatives cruised the country in a brightly colored van — displaying the logos of Rejoice hair care, Olay skin care, and Gillette brands — to find contestants for the inaugural season of Vietnam’s Got Talent, for which P&G is the sole sponsor” (Lochner-Coleman,2012). There are many Proctor and Gamble products and you will see their products being advertised on television everyday. People will not know that a product exist if  it’s not advertised. People will purchase the product if the advertisement is skilled in convincing people that the product is worth spending the money. Advertising can be done in many ways and it is up to the sponsor to make sure they have the funds to advertise. If the company heavily advertised on television, they have the funds to go further with they’re advertising to make sure they reach people all over the world. “P&G could certainly use a boost. The company last month cut its profit forecast for the third time this year, as it grapples with flagging growth and market-share losses in the U.S. and Europe. Meanwhile, developing markets are expected to account for 37 percent of P&G sales this year, up from 35 percent in fiscal 2011” (Lochner-Coleman, 2012).

Lochner-Coleman, L. (2012). P&G Plays Kindergarten Catch-Up With Unilever in Vietnam Retrieved from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-07-04/p-g-plays-kindergarten-catch-up-with-unilever-in-vietnam

3 DISCUSSION BY PATRICK GRANT

.  Discuss the marketing plan insights P&G has gained through its Vietnamese marketing studies. How influential are those discoveries in the development of P&G’s strategy to enter the Vietnamese market?

Proctor & Gamble has discovered influential insights through their Vietnamese marketing studies. As Coleman-Lochner (2012) pointed out, “The marketing studies for which the company is known — it conducted more than 100 home visits in Vietnam last year — uncovered new uses for some brands” (par 14). By taking the time to invest in these market studies where the company representatives strategically visit selected homes and people from different communities, the company was not only able to further promote their brand, but they ended up discovering alternative benefits and uses of their products. These discoveries are influential in the sense that they help P & G better understand their target market, but equally important, their products. This in turn helps P & G utilize a “market development strategy” which is established to increases sales by promoting the same existing products to a new market segments (Finch, 2012). For instance, they have a product known as Ambi Pur (Febreeze) which is primarily utilized for upholstered furniture. Through these market studies, and being that Vietnam’s primary form of transportation is motorbikes which mandates the use of a helmet, and that Vietnam is known for its humid subtropical climate, P & G realized they can market this product to this particular new market segment (Coleman-Lochner, 2012). Through this effective marketing strategy, “consumers of all income levels are deodorizing their helmets with Ambi Pur, now one of the company’s fastest-growing products in the country” (Coleman-Lochner, 2012, par 15). In addition, P & G uncovered that in low-income communities, they can sell more of single-use packets than complete containers of their products. With this finding, they should strategically distribute these type of products in lower-income communities. 

In developing a marketing plan, identify the characteristics of the marketing plan that P&G should implement to boost performance?

P & G should continue to primarily focus their marketing strategy via advertisement and branding through donations and education. Coleman-Lochner (2012) asserted that the company advertises heavily on television, the most influential medium in a country (par 13). She also conveyed that almost half of the population consists of people under 25 years old and who re eager to buy Western brands believing them be superior products. This makes them easy to target through television since most people under 25 are exposed to TV and more willing to try new things or even follow the trend. Getting them accustomed and familiar with P & G’s products while young will make them more likely to develop brand-loyalty as they grow older. Also through donating and charity to communities, schools and education, along with hiring locals, P & G further exposes their brand and promotes it by word of mouth, social media, etc.  They need to continually capitalize on these forms of marketing and continue to invest in marketing studies to continually understand buyers’ needs.

Reference

Coleman-Lochner, L. (2012). P&G plays kindergarten catch-up with Unilever in Vietnam. Bloomberg. Retrieved fromhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-04/p-g-plays-kindergarten-catch-up-with-unilever-in-vietnam.html

Finch, J. (2012). Managerial Marketing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.