Elm Tree Organics

MK312 - Marketing Policy and Strategy

Submitted to: Dr. Ann M. Torres, Discipline of Marketing, School of Business and Economics, College of Business, Public Policy & Law, NUI

Galway

Name Student ID Number Course Programme

Donal Ennis 14102988 3BC - Shannon

Tracy Deane 14102986 3BC - Shannon

Amy Jordan 11466352 3BC1

Elaine Gibson 12519153 3BC1

Date: 18th March 2015 Word Count: 2897

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MK312 - Marketing Policy and Strategy

2014/15 (Semester 2)

Assignment: Elm Tree Organics

Signed Statement of Student

We hereby certify this material, which we submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of (Bachelor of Commerce) is entirely our own work and has not been taken from the work of others, except to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of our work. Moreover, we recognise that as a group, we are individually and jointly responsible for the submission of this project.

Name Student ID No. Signature Date

Donal Ennis 14102988Tracy Deane 14102986Amy Jordan 11466352Elaine Gibson 12519153

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Contents

I. Introduction...................................................................................................................................5

II. Situational Analysis.......................................................................................................................6

III. Digital Marketing......................................................................................................................9

A. Online Marketing.......................................................................................................................9

B. Social Media Marketing.......................................................................................................11

C. Direct Marketing......................................................................................................................13

IV. Budgets................................................................................................................................15

V. Conclusions and recommendations..............................................................................................17

VI. Bibliography............................................................................................................................18

VII. Appendices and budgets..........................................................................................................19

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I. Introduction

Our marketing team, DETA Marketing, has been approached by Mr Claxton who seeks to further

improve his current marketing campaign for his business Elmtree Organics., we will plan and set out

three separate budgets containing the most effective methods for Mr Claxton to achieve his objectives.

It will then be up to Mr Claxton to implement the plan and budget which he feels fits best with his

company.

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II. Situational Analysis

Elmtree Organics is a small business originating from the development of the Elmtree clinic which

specialises in acupuncture and fertility. Mr Claxton "specialises in an integrative holistic approach to

healthcare with a special interest in women's health and fertility enhancement" as seen on his

LinkedIn. Mr Claxton’s ideas are unique and so are his products as he provides the public with an

organic, high quality, personal products with the hopes of reaching a larger market than his clinic

currently grasps.

With Mr Claxton’s previous marketing to date consisting of minor newspaper advertising, in

store shelf advertising and word of mouth recommendations Mr Claxton finds himself in a position

where he hopes exploit a potential market and isn’t completely sure about his next steps.

Challenges which currently face Mr Claxton are the fact that he is restricted to stating the

benefits of what his product do with regards to IMB restrictions. These restrictions leave our client in

a situation where he cannot openly explain the benefits of what his products can assist with. Without

the opportunity to openly state the benefits of the products our client is left in an area of difficulty

where he is unsure how to communicate benefits without actually stating them on his products.

With no direct competitors in Ireland, Elmtree Organics find their closest competitors

overseas with “Zita West” and “Marlyn Glenville” both of whom fail to provide organic products and

the close support services which our client considers detrimental to his business.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Mr Claxton has developed a unique line of products by creating three types of herbal tea to help

women conceive a child and to help women during pregnancy. “Pre Mama”, “Morning Bright”, and

“Afternoon Delight”. All products are seen as a significant strength as there are no similar competitors

in the Irish market. These products are mostly manufactured in Galway which creates local jobs and

can boost the local economy which can be observed as a strength. Mr Claxton has a client base of

over 7,000 women and their partners with a success rate of 77%. ElmTree Organics can use their

outstanding reputation to promote their products as being successful also.

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Weaknesses

Our marketing team have found that the products have been poorly marketed on the web. There is

also very little knowledge about them in the retail industry given that they are sold only in one

pharmacy so far. This provides little purchase opportunity to potential buyers and creates a smaller

market. The ElmTree Organics website design also does not aid easy consumer shopping in our

opinion.

Opportunities

We feel there are fantastic opportunities for ElmTree Organic products. Firstly, a huge effort can be

made to promote it on the internet in different platforms and social media sites to heighten the

awareness of the benefits and uniqueness of these products. It can also create a wider target market

and reaching consumers in Ireland and internationally. We believe it is important that ElmTree

Organic’s products are stocked in retail outlets across Ireland and promotions and merchandising will

become a significant part of sales.

Threats

Although there are no competitors here in Ireland and Europe there are similar competitors in

America which could provide competition internationally.

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Objectives

DETA Marketing set out with the aim to include SMART goals for a yearlong marketing strategy. By

following the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Time- Related) goals and

focusing on three key objectives with the overall aim of return on investment we trust that we can

propose and achieve a successful marketing strategy for Elmtree Organics. Our main objectives are as

follows;

- Improved development of website and online shop

- Development of the brand with assistance of a tag line.

- Increase the market size

We believe that these objectives are achievable over the next year for Mr Claxton and his business.

We have outlined in the following paragraphs the ways in which these objectives can be achieved to

enable Mr Claxton to achieve further expansion.

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III. Digital Marketing

For our strategy, we have decided to focus on three major areas which collaborate to achieve the

overall objectives which we have outlined above. By focusing on A) Online Marketing B) Social

Media Marketing and C) Direct Marketing we can give our client different areas to develop as he

progresses throughout the year.

A. Online Marketing

The first area that we, the authors believe should be looked at is the website. With Elmtree Organics

currently operating as a small start-up, Elmtree Organic’s website is invaluable to its further

successes. While Elmtree Clinic is currently attracting 50,000 views a month to its website which has

a clear navigation and an aesthetically pleasing layout it can be improved. There are certain elements

that the authors suggest in order to increase traffic, increase sales and customers which are the main

objectives for Elmtree Organics in the coming year.

Welcome Page

By introducing a welcome page, Elmtree Organics can display a simple naivigational map with

reduced clutter. If Elmtree Organics is to develop a brand around comfort and stress free remedies

then this needs to be uniform in everything they carry out. By having soft pages with more free space,

potential clients are not pushed away but instead encouraged to further delve into the site.

Testimonials

With Elmtree Organics produce currently revolving around sensitive, somewhat-humiliating subjects,

testimonials should be shown early on to enforce credibility regarding the products. In this section,

there should also be a link to the shop as clients may impulsively decide to try the product out.

Font and phrasing

We, the authors feel the font on the website can be changed to a more simplistic look. We, the authors

feel that the font could be changed to a more basic one with an emphasis on joining a family rather

than the current “tribal” enticement. With current clients emphasis already on developing their own

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families this can be encouraged by being part of another family. With this in mind, a potential tagline

for the product would be 'Fertility Foundations For Your Family'

Mobile Compatibility

Currently, the Elmtree Organics website is difficult to operate on the mobile which is the platform of

the moment. While all elements load quickly, they reveal a very cluttered opening page. Considering

mobile visitors impatient nature, a redesign of the mobile site to provide a friendly, welcoming visit

with ease of information access would help to acquire customers.

Email Collection

We, the authors feel that the collection of an email database is important, the way in which Elmtree

Organics is currently going about acquiring this can be altered by having this as an optional area

somewhere on the main page. Visitors will then be more inclined to view the site and then be drawn

into the brand instead of immediately being turned off the idea of giving a personal email address.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

SEO is the process of determining the presence of a website on a search results page by altering the

visibility of that page. SEO considers how search engines work, what people search for, the actual

search terms or keywords typed into search engines.

DETA’s SEO optimization would include:

· Well written content that is unique, with focus on keywords

· Good quality backlinks from relevant websites

· Fresh input through blogs or website alterations

· Adding Viral Components: Reviews, sharing functions, ratings, visitor comments.

Content on Mr Claxton’s website should be continuously updated perhaps by hiring someone to do

this regularly. This would allow Mr Claxton to focus on the other areas of marketing development.

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B. Social Media Marketing

Social media is often seen as a public arena rather than a private arena, it is important for Mr Claxton

to realise that it can be used in both ways and that he utilizes this opportunity. So, we would

recommend that he uses Facebook, Twitter and the Galway hour to reach the general public in order

to develop a recognised brand. It is suggested that he uses the more targeted intimate mediums of

Instagram, YouTube and conversational forums to target his market in order to develop a trusted and

credible brand. The choices of posts he employs will be fundamental in translating the values and

missions of his business to the external environment.

Facebook

We, the authors, suggest that Facebook be used as a general platform for advertising Elmtree Organics

to increase awareness and trustworthiness of the l brand through testimonials, competitions and

should act as an information base with a link to ElmTree’s website.

Instagram

Instagram could be employed as a platform for Mr Claxton to subtly promote his products in a

motivational fashion in order to eventually make fertility products trendy and mainstream. It provides

a portal where people interested in fertility products could view them in a discreet fashion should they

wish to do so.

Twitter and the Galway hour

It would be beneficial for Mr Claxton to make the most of twitter through effective uses of hash tags

in order to gain recognition and credibility in his successes in the fertility world. The Galway hour is a

two hour slot each week whereby a Galway twitter page facilitates networking and the promotion of

businesses. They could advertise his website, giveaways and talks about his products. This could be a

venue whereby Elmtree Organics could become a recognised brand by the general public.

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YouTube channel

It is recommended that Elmtree creates a YouTube channel in order to add credibility to his products.

Mr Claxton could create brief videos about how to consume each of his products along with health

plans that could increase their effectiveness. He could also use it to provide satisfied client

testimonials and an insight into his client’s success journeys. An arena whereby prospective

customers can encounter real customer’s opinions could be invaluable to his business.

Role as an advisor

It would be advised for Mr Claxton to act in an advisory role in online forums and blogs whereby he

promotes his brand by providing valuable insight into fertility to women who want to examine the

natural therapies first. His posts should not be openly publicize his company and should come across

as friendly and would co-inside with organisational goals by becoming a recognised brand due to the

closeness of these anonymous private communities.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn could serve as a convincing forum whereby Mr Claxton could network with shop owners

and chemists who may wish to stock his products.

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C. Direct Marketing

Direct marketing could prove to be a very valuable source of marketing for Mr Claxton in promoting

the Elmtree Organic’s products and increasing online sales. Direct marketing has no channels or

intermediaries and is therefore an excellent way Mr Claxton can reach his target audience. With the

targeted nature of his customer base, it means Mr Claxton can employ personal selling and express

personally the benefits of Elmtree Organic products.

Trade shows

There are many fertility and holistic trade shows held in Ireland which attract thousands of women

annually. The SMA Pregnancy and Baby show which is held over 3 weekends in Dublin and Cork is

specifically segmented event for the market which Mr Claxton wishes to attract. At events like these,

Mr Claxton could speak directly to his potential market and portray the benefits of his product or

perhaps use it as an opportunity of getting the Elmtree Products name into the market and encourage

the word of mouth awareness of his product.

Print Media

Print media is still a popular method of advertising. While, Printing signage, posters and

advertisements can be costly, it can also be worth spending some of your marketing budget on

creating a powerful and attractive sign or media to place in specific locations to promote your product.

We recommend creating a powerfully attractive poster which Mr Claxton can use in various places

like doctor surgeries, hospitals and chemists. If it is decided to spend a little of the budget on printing

and reaching the market through magazines and print media we recommend Mr Claxton uses

magazines which will not only reach the audience who are trying to get pregnant, but also the couples

who are currently pregnant and can benefit from using the Elmtree Organic products.

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Email

On the Elmtree website you can sign up for a newsletter and give the webpage your email. It could

also be an option for Mr Claxton while at trade shows to collect a database of emails so he can contact

potential customers in the future with offers and make them aware of the products available.

Broadcasting

When Elmtree Organics becomes a more well-known name among households in Ireland, it may be

possible for Elmtree to gain the time themselves free of charge due to a popularity in interest from the

general public but this is not a feasible option currently.

Core Products

We, the authors feel that Mr Claxton needs to heavily back 2 to 3 of his products to become

synonymous with his brand. Focus groups can be carried out to allow for the decision of which

products to start off with. By introducing new products slowly, the public see the company as an

active business looking to expand.

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IV. Budgets

3 potential budgets have been put together for our client, Mr Claxton. As can be seen from the

previous pages, we do not suggest Mr Claxton use an overly large amount of his budget for his initial

year. With all budgets, we have included a 10% contingency plan. Although, we feel our advice to be

clear and well structured, plans must always make to prepare for unlikely circumstances.

€3000

For Mr Claxton’s lowest budget we would like to focus on a choice of one or 2 social media options

done well. By employing an intern from a web design course such as from a college such as CIT for

€50 a week for 12 months of the year, Mr Claxton can have ease of mind that there will be constant

development on social media channels of his choice. €100 of the remaining budget can be used for the

purchasing of leaflets and business cards for Mr Claxton to use as he begins to network more and

attend trade shows. It is recommended that the remaining €300 is used for a 10% contingency plan.

€4000

For the middle budget of €4000 we recommend that Mr Claxton continues to keep the intern to take

care of his social media. In relation to redesigning his current website, Kyrnin, J suggests allocating

€400 of the budget for this task. We would also raise the budget for the creation of business cards and

flyers to €250 as we feel it would be beneficial for Mr Claxton to also attend the SMA Baby and

Pregnancy Fair in Dublin and he would need more flyers etc. for this event. The cost of a 2 square

metre stand at this fair would be €350 which would also be taken out of this budget. The remaining

balance of €400 would be the 10% contingency plan.

€5000

For our final budget we have the following recommendations for Mr Claxton. Like the previous

budget’s we recommend he continues to keep the intern to take care of his online media presence. We

also recommend he raises his budget to €400 for printing of business cards and flyers. The Pregnancy

and Baby fair is held over 2 weekends, one in Cork and one in Dublin. We recommend that Mr

Claxton now attends both trade shows which will increase the price to €700 and the use of the extra

flyers will be accounted for in the budget above. We researched the possibility of a Run of Paper

advertisement for Elmtree Organics in the Sunday Independent newspaper on four Sundays which we

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would recommend to be placed in around the time of the trade shows. It is estimated that the cost of

the run of paper on each individual time is €122.80 and the cost for four advertisement placements

would be €491.20. It is important to have the website up to date so we would keep an allocation of

€300 to redesign the current website. In conclusion we would use the remaining balance of €500 for

the 10% contingency plan.

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V. Conclusions and recommendations

Overall, we recommend that Mr Claxton focuses on creating awareness for his brand and increasing

overall sales for Elmtree Organics. We would suggest that he does this through the mediums of digital

marketing, social media marketing and direct marketing with a particular emphasis on the

optimization of the Elmtree website, their social media sites and trade shows. We have outlined how

we would implement these items in a year-long time scale and budget summary in appendix 1 and 2.

It is suggested that Mr Claxton monitors the success of his project through google analytics, Sysomos,

tweetdeck, and tradeshow questionnaires. We hope that the utilization of all these features combined

will succeed in increasing awareness, sales and the customer base of Elmtree Organics.

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VI. Bibliography

1. De Chernatony, L. McDonald, M. & Wallace, E. (2011) Creating powerful brands. 4th ed. Amsterdam; Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.

2. Shimp, T. (2006) Integrated marketing communications in advertising and promotion. 7th Ed. Mason, Ohio: London : Thomson Learning 2006.

3. Cork Institute of Technology. (No date) E-learning Design and Development. Available at: http://www.cit.ie/course/CRHELDE9. (Accessed: 02 March 2015).

4. Claxton, I. (No date) Ian Claxton. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianclaxton (Accessed: 04 March 2015)

5. Kyrnin, J.(No date) “How Much Should a Web Design Cost”. Available at: http://webdesign.about.com/od/beforeyoustartawebsite/a/how-much-should-a-web-design-cost.htm (Accessed: 04 March 2015)

6. Sunday Independant (2009) Advertise with us. Available at : http://www.independent.ie/editorial/pdfs/Rate-card-2013.pdf (Accessed: 04 March 2015)

7. SMA know-how. (Date unknown) Pregnancy and baby fair. Available at: http://www.pregnancyandbabyfair.ie/ (Accessed: 02 March 2015)

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VII. Appendices and budgets

BUDGET €3,000

Student Intern €2,600

Leaflets & Business Cards €100

10% Contingency Plan €300

€3,000

BUDGET 2 €4,000

Student Intern €2,600

Redesign of Website €400

Leaflets & Business Cards €250

Trade Show €350

10% Contingency Plan €400

€4,000

BUDGET 3          €5,000

Student Intern €2,600

Redesign of Website €300

Leaflets & Business Cards €400

Trade Show €700

Advertisements (x4) €491.20

10% Contingency Plan €500

€5,000

Appendix 1: Budgets

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Timeline of events

May - July Heavy work on redevelopment of website Followed by advertising on social media for new website Finalisation of main 'core products’

August - October Introduction to social media world Attendance on OMIG

November - December

January - April Heavy push for sales through all media R&D for next products to introduce Planning for expansion and overseas sales Campaign development

Appendix 2: Timeline of Events

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