Introduction
The selected product is Pedigree Professional Active Adult Dog Food, which is designed for large breeds with more active lifestyles, such as German shepherds. The choice was made due to the personal history of owning such a breed. The financial concerns about dog foods are the highest with larger breeds since they require more food material, and thus, an average dog owner seeks to find a product within an affordable price range with good quality.
Four Ps of Marketing
- Product: It is important to note that the product addresses a need for affordability and quality. A major issue for large dog owners is the price and quality of food, especially for active ones, which consume a large number of calories and are in need of nutrients. Therefore, Pedigree Petfoods understand that there is such a demand for high-quality products within an affordable price range, which is why it targets primarily the main segment of pet owners with average disposable income. Pedigree Petfoods offers a wide range of pet foods, which means their products range diversely. Although the observed brand was for larger breeds, the company produces for smaller breeds as well as puppies.
- Placement: The physical placement of the product was positioned separately from other brands due to its popularity. Therefore, it had a distinctive shelf section with a specific yellow theme attached to it. Although some of the competitors had the similar privilege, the majority of less popular and known brands were located without these elements. Its main competitors were the Taste of the Wild Natural as well as Blue, which also had unique positioning and physical availability. All of these productions had excelling placement strategies, which indicated that their marketing efforts were focused on increased exposure due to appeal to a larger consumer base.
- Pricing: The selected product price is equal to $55, whereas the competitors’ prices range from $52 to $60. In other words, the pricing strategy for the company is a combination of competitive pricing and cost-plus pricing. The differences are not drastic because the average per pound cost is equal to $2.5 for each brand. In other words, all three products target the same consumer base, but the prices increase significantly when it comes to higher-end products. Expensive dog foods use more organic sources of meat and offer better quality, but they target consumers with larger disposable income.
- Promotion: The promotion strategy is centered around the nutritional value and affordability of the latter. In other words, Pedigree Petfoods does not simply offer calories for dogs but also nutritional components essential for the proper health and wellbeing of the pets. In addition, the company appeals to its consumer base through its charity work, which means that a buyer of the product contributes to the growth and maintenance of dog shelters. Social media and online advertising are most common when it comes to promotion. The company uses a highly contrasting dense yellow color to identify its products from its competitors. The strategy is the foundation of online marketing, and without it, any decisions will be ineffective and not be useful. There are a huge number of strategies, but the company has a comprehensive marketing strategy. This strategy implies the uniform development of all elements. As a result, the company has a developed system in which each component is able to independently promote a product or brand.
- Other factors: One of the core elements of Pedigree Petfoods is its size, which allows it to produce affordable dog food at a lower cost due to economies of scale. It is stated that “from a business perspective, they play a central role in assessing the potential benefits of firms’ growth and diversification strategies” (Triebs, et al., 2016, p. 173). Mars Inc. is a large corporate entity, which has resources and manufacturing power to mass product Pedigree Petfoods. Therefore, it is evident why the company is able to offer better quality products at a lower price range as well as has strong branding and marketing presence both online and in stores.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Pedigree Petfoods is proven to be successful because it is able to use its size and resources in order to achieve economies of scale. The latter enables more efficient mass production, which means that the cost of production is reduced. Therefore, the company is able to provide better quality products at a lower price range and should continue to use its stronger marketing power. Such an effort ensures that its competitors are unable to target the largest consumer base for dog foods, which is why many choose to specialize in high-end products or other niches. The existing competitors either also use their size or have better branding techniques.
Reference
Triebs, T. P., Saal, D. S., Arocena, P., & Kumbhakar, S. C. (2016). Estimating economies of scale and scope with flexible technology. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 45(2), 173–186. Web.