Marketing Plan Summary

1.      Marketing Plan Summary

This Marketing Plan lays out the intended strategy for launching Shopping Made Easy, a firm that will specialize in personal gift shopping.  According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, the average employed American works a 46-hour work week; 38% of the respondents in their study worked more than 50 hours per week.  Therefore, many busy professionals may find it difficult to set aside the time necessary to select, purchase, and wrap special gifts that will delight their loved ones.  Shopping Made Easy has already begun marketing via word-of-mouth within a group of friends, all middle-aged fathers residing in East County San Diego.  These men have expressed an unmet need for assistance to not only select the “perfect” gifts for their wives, daughters, or employees, but to also wrap each gift beautifully and pair it with a fitting card.  Shopping Made Easy will be a full-service personal gift shopping firm specializing in the extensive knowledge of the latest trends for different demographics, personalized gift selection and purchase, exquisite wrapping, and timely delivery.  The mission of Shopping Made Easy will be to focus on and cater to the unique gift shopping needs of each individual customer

2.      Target Market

·         The results of a BizRate poll conducted in 2006 for the shopping web site Shopzilla suggested that for 48 percent of men, holiday shopping brings on feelings of inadequacy, confusion and anxiety. More than 56 percent of women, on the other hand, say they're actually excited about buying holiday gifts (Chatzky, 2006). Therefore, the target demographic for Shopping Made Easy will be men, particularly family men who feel confused, agitated, and overwhelmed about shopping for gifts.

·         The firm will target men who fit the following criteria:

o   Attempting to balance busy professional and personal lives.

o   Have significant others, children, relatives, or employees for whom to buy gifts.

o   Feel anxious about selecting the right gift and/or do not have the time to pull off the “perfect gift.”

o   Have the financial means to purchase gifts:

§  Since Shopping Made Easy’s services will add a supplementary expense to the cost of a gift and the firm will specialize in high-end brands such as Coach and Tiffany &Co., the firm will market toward those who earn an annual income estimated to be near to or greater than the county average of $56,224 (U.S. Census, 2007).

·         Shopping Made Easy plans on directing the majority of marketing activities toward supervisory professionals in various work environments. These professionals would be most likely to meet the above criteria.

3.      Geographic  Segmentation

·         The initial geographic target area will be San Diego County, and the allocation of resources will be based on the relative economic growth and industrial activity within each zip code.

·         The following information from the City of San Diego official web site suggests that the area will be an appropriate setting for the services of Shopping Made Easy.

o   The City's 1.25 million residents make it the seventh largest city in the country and the second largest in California.

o   The median age of San Diego's population is 32, with two-thirds less than age 35 and only 10 percent over 65.

o   Nearly one-third of San Diego's workforce over the age of 25 has at least a bachelor's degree.

o   More than 96 percent of San Diegans are employed, and the median family income approaches $40,000.

o   The top industries in San Diego are manufacturing, defense, tourism and agriculture.

o   Telecommunications, software and biotech are among San Diego's fastest growing industries, and San Diego has become the nation's center for wireless industries with the city being dubbed "Telecom Valley."

4.      Market Needs

Shopping Made Easy aims to provide a service that will take the stress and uncertainty out of gift-giving.  The company seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to its potential customers:

·         Convenience.   A representative from Shopping Made Easy will come to a potential customer’s home, place of business, or other convenient location of their choice to meet and discuss gift options.  If the customer prefers it, the entire transaction can also be completed over the phone.  The goal of Shopping Made Easy is to add ease and convenience to the gift shopping process, so eventually the firm would like to add an online component to the service as well.

·          Individualized Services.   These services include but are not limited to selecting, finding and purchasing, wrapping, and delivering gifts on behalf of customers. According to the United States Postal Service web site, the holiday season is their busiest time of the year. Shopping Made Easy will be aware of and act according to any postal deadlines. Whether a customer needs a gift to be shipped or hand delivered to the recipient, the company will be responsible for the gift’s timely arrival.

·         Extensive Knowledge.   The representatives from Shopping Made Easy will conduct thorough research of the latest, most popular gifts for different age groups and special interests.  A representative from Shopping Made Easy will ask each customer several questions about their recipient and price range in order to personalize gift options.  Based on this information, the representative will bring a binder prepared with photos and prices for a variety of gifts that will be the most likely to surprise and delight the recipient.

 

5.      Trends and Market Growth

Shopping Made Easy will distinguish itself by taking all the work out of the gift-giving process for its customers.  According to a survey recently published by Nielsen Online, holiday shoppers continue to search for convenience by shopping online.

Top 10 Reasons to Shop Online (U.S.)

Reason                                    Percent of Respondents

Able to shop 24 hours a day               76

Saves time                                           74

Avoiding crowds                                65

Saves gas                                             59

Sales/Discounts/Promotions                55

Low prices                                          53

Comparison shopping                         48

Selection                                             40

Available product information            37

Items are in stock                                37

(Source: Nielsen Online, Pre-holiday Survey, November 2008)

Shopping Made Easy can provide all of these conveniences by taking on every aspect of the gift giving process, including the scouring of web sites for the best online deals.  Survey results also indicate that holiday gift budgets are shifting. Respondents said that they would spend an increased portion of their holiday shopping budget online, an average of 41 percent compared to 39 percent last year. Also, more respondents indicated that they would spend the majority of their holiday gift budgets online, up to 36 percent from 32 percent a year ago. Consumers continue to rate convenience over price as the primary benefit of shopping on the internet, with 76 percent of consumers citing the ability to shop 24 hours a day and 74 percent saying that saving time is why they shop online. This data suggests that a convenient shopping experience is in higher demand than ever before and shows strong potential for market growth.

6.      SWOT Analysis

The following SWOT analysis describes the key strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that Shopping Made Easy could be faced with.

·         Strengths

o   In-depth knowledge and insight about the latest, most desired gift items.

o   Individualized services based on each client’s needs, and each recipient’s unique style and background.

o   Without office space and inventory, low overhead costs will allow for a more favorable budget for initial Marketing efforts.

·         Weaknesses

o   The challenge of developing brand awareness as a start-up company.

o   The reliance on word-of-mouth to establish credibility.

o   The challenge of convincing customers that Shopping Made Easy provides more benefits than other channels of convenient shopping.

·         Opportunities

o   Growing need for a convenient way to shop for gifts.

o   Many men feel overwhelmed by the idea of holiday shopping.

o   The ability to extend services to other occasions and become each customer’s personal shopping service for every gift-giving opportunity throughout the year.

o   Very few competitors offer the same services.

·         Threats

o   A slump in the economy could discourage potential customers from spending their discretionary income on a seemingly “luxury” service.

o   Potential competition in response to the growing need for convenience.

7.      Competition

Shopping Made Easy is an adapter in the personal shopping market because none of the competitors are currently offering the following unique benefits:

·         An unlimited choice of gifts, including:

o   Experiences – i.e. a wine tasting weekend, concert tickets, and spa packages

o   Jewelry, Clothing, and Handbags from virtually any designer

·         Specializing in “San Diego-Specific” Gifts, such as:

o   A special night out on the town, planned by Shopping Made Easy

o   Items from popular local boutiques

·         Face-to-Face “we’ll come to you” meetings with clients

·         Individualized gift wrapping, greeting card selection, and delivery

To follow is a descriptive list of competing personal shopping firms.

www.beyourewife.com: Offers gift packages, such as Mama’s Boy, Perfect Brother, Professional Silver, and Professional Gold for different price ranges and needs. Shopping Made Easy would also offer packages but would give customers the option of a’la carte services.

www.personalshopper.com: Customers can shop by Price, by Trend, or by Category on this shopping web site. The personal shopper portion asks customers to complete a survey about the recipient and then subsequently delivers gift ideas.  Shopping Made Easy would eventually offer a similar automated service, but would also provide the personal touch of face-to-face and phone conversations.

www.your-shopper.com: “Your Personal Shopper is a network of personal shoppers, who are able to fill your every request for personal gifts, business items, promotions, etc…” This company’s model is the most similar to Shopping Made Easy. However, their services are limited to the internet for San Diego residents. Your Personal Shopper’s fees are 10% of the total gift, with a $25 minimum purchase.

8.      Marketing Mix: The 4 P’s

·         Product

o   Product Variety: Tailored to each customer’s needs

o   Quality: Specializing in shopping for high-end, high-quality gifts

o   Features: Gift suggestions, purchases, wrapping, and delivery.

o   Brand Name: Shopping Made Easy

o   Returns: Shopping Made Easy will buy gifts from vendors who offer flexible return policies.

·         Price

o   Based on the prices of competing firms, Shopping Made Easy will charge customers 10% of the total gift cost with a minimum purchase amount of $50. The total gift cost will include the costs of shipping, wrapping, and purchasing each gift.

o   Packages: For repeat customers, Shopping Made Easy will offer pre-paid annual flat rate pricing.

·         Promotion

o   Advertising:  Local Print Media and Fliers

§  North County Times, San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Business Journal

§  Fliers on public bulletin boards at Starbucks stores near large companies.

o   Sales Force Activities:

§  Making calls and sending emails to local news stations to inform them of our unique services and inquire about being included in a piece about holiday shopping.

§  Promotional booths at local trade shows.

§  Immediate follow-up on responses to flyers and print advertisements.

·         Place

o   Promotions will take place in and around San Diego County, with a focus on the zip codes that contain the county’s largest companies (San Diego Source 2007).

§  92121: Qualcomm, Science Applications International Corp., Scripps Healthcare, Wells Fargo

§  92122: General Atomics

§  92101: Sempra Energy, SBC Communications

§   92127/92128: Sony, Palomar Pomerado Health, Nokia

9.      Critical Issues

As a start-up business, Shopping Made Easy will still be in its infancy.  The critical issues are for SME to:

·         Establish itself as a firm that will reliably fulfill the need for a convenient, worry-free shopping experience.

·         Pursue growth by initiating promotional efforts in areas of high economic activity.

·         Monitor customer satisfaction to establish credibility in the marketplace, and create positive brand awareness.

References

Chatzky, J. (2006 December 12). Msnbc.com Holiday Guide. Men and Women Differ on Holiday Shopping. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16160277/

City of San Diego. Economic Development Important Facts and Figures. (n.d.) Retrieved on November 19, 2008, from http://www.sandiego.gov/economic-development/glance/sdfacts.shtml

Nielson Online (2008, November 19). Holiday Shoppers Continue to Shift Purchases Online for Convenience, but Competitive Pricing More Important this Year than Last.  Retrieved on November 20, 2008 from http://www.nielsen-online.com/pr/pr_081119.pdf 

San Diego Source: The Daily Transcript. San Diego’s Top Influentials SourceBook 2008: City of San Diego Largest Employers. (n.d.) Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://sourcebook.sddt.com/Source/companies.cfm?BusinessCategory_ID=140

U.S. Census Bureau (2007).  General Profile San Diego, CA. Retrieved on November 19, 2008 from http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/usac/usatable.pl?State=&County=06073&TableID=AAA

The Notebook

The film, The Notebook, is a romantic drama about the enduring love of two young lovers who are torn apart by the pressures of social status, war, as well as another significant obstacle, Alzheimer’s disease. As the film progresses, the passion shared by the protagonists develops into such a profound love that the audience cannot help but be drawn in and begin to hold a stake in the future of the couple. The film’s overarching theme of true love is not only supported by the heart-wrenching tale of burgeoning teen love that endures hardships,  but also by the concept of eternal love as the male protagonist devotedly stays by his wife’s side through Alzheimer's. The cinematography, dialogue and superb editing all contributed to the setting the tone of the film. These combined cinematic components weave a story that has touched the hearts of many audiences, young and old.

The Notebook is an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same title. The story was inspired by the grandparents of Sparks’ wife, who were married for over sixty years when Sparks met them. (According Nicolas Sparks.com) Sparks marveled at how much the couple cared for each other, and wrote his novel as homage to their love and life together. According to yahoo.movies.com; Nicholas Spark’s novel was adapted into film in 2004 and starred James Garner as the older Noah Calhoun, Gena Rowlands as older Allie Hamilton, Ryan Gosling as young Noah, Rachel McAdams as young Allie and Sam Shepard as Noah’s father, Frank Calhoun.

The plot centers around a poor country boy named Noah, who falls in love with Allie, a rich city girl. As their loves grows the audience sees that their love gives them both a sense of freedom that that have been dying to have. They soon are separated by their social differences, but are reconnected years later to rekindle their passion and love for one another. The Notebook is told through a series of flashback shots and is narrated by Noah, who in his eighties and resides in a nursing home. Noah begins to read the story to a woman who also lives at the nursing home. The juxtaposition of the tale of young love in comparison to the relationship of the woman and the older Noah himself appears to be a comparison of different stages of love: young and passionate compared to an enduring and elderly love. As the story progresses, it is unfolded to the audience that the elderly characters are actually the young lovers in the tale, which shows that passion can grow into a deeper love. The use of flashbacks in lieu of a linear story builds the audience’s connection with this couple and better displays the concept of love and how it grows. The audience becomes invested in the couple and it is as though the audience wants her to remember her past just as badly as Noah does.

Noah begins by telling the story of two lovers who meet in the south at a carnival. Through the narration, the audience is transported back to ‘simpler times’ where having fun was riding a Ferris wheel and going for ice cream. The costuming as scenery of the film is also reflective of the era. The carnival scene is a spitting image of something straight out of the 1940’s.  The females in the film don elegant dresses, and the 1940’s era is reflected, down to their hairstyles, accessories, and makeup. Noah in his newsie cap looks just like a young man in that era. The film’s costume and set departments did a superb job of transporting the audience back in time.

Upon Noah and Allie’s first meeting when they are 17, the audience can see their chemistry clearly and already begin to understand the passion they will have for one another. Despite the fact that “they had nothing in common,” – ("The Notebook" Quotes)

Allie being a rich city girl and Noah being portrayed as the poor country boy, the audience can sense something magical between them. Sparks immediately fly after Noah’s recklessly proclaims his affections for Allie by climbing his way onto the Ferris wheel to the car that Allie is sitting in with another man. Noah inappropriately asks Allie out and while her first response is no, she eventually enthusiastically accepts after he dangles from the Ferris wheel, 100 feet in the air. The audience, however, knows that Noah has met his match in Allie when she pulls his pants down to embarrass him while he hangs from the Ferris wheel. As their love affair blossoms the story moves quickly; fast sequences are used, showing Noah and Allie spending time together in different places with their friends, over the summer months. While the scenes become quicker, the styling of the scenes still allows the audience to become enamored with the characters. One of the most beautiful and engaging scenes of the entire movie is when Noah and Allie dance in the middle of the street together after seeing a movie. What is so poignant about the scene is the song they dance to. “I’ll be Seeing You” is a song that, at its time, was supposed to be an inspiration of hope, a song to keep morale up during war time according to (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'll_Be_Seeing_You_ (song) 1938). In the scene the song has a lot of emotional significance. The audience is left with a sense that no matter what happens to these two characters throughout the movie, they will see each other again. The audience is also reminded that this is a flashback. They know that Allie now suffers from Alzheimer’s, but there is a sense that this story will ignite her memory, so the two lovers can see each other again and rekindle their love. The dancing scene is one of the most romantic scenes throughout the entire movie. The setting is a subtle, deserted street; it is as if nothing else in the world matters, just the two of them in that moment.

As the film goes on, Noah and Allie’s summer affair comes to an end as the two young lovers must deal with the challenges and pressures that come from their different social positions. Allie’s mother is the main force behind their separation. Her character wants a better life for her daughter, wants her to go to college and marry someone from a more ‘suitable’ background. Allie is defiant at first, but eventually Allie is forced to move and go to college. The audience sees the anguish this causes her in the scene where she is driving away in the car. The audience can see that she could give up school and her charmed life for Noah, but at that time they both realize that they are stuck. Neither of them has many choices about figuring out a way to stay together, so they end up going their separate ways.

While their young love affair may be over, the audience knows their relationship isn’t finished. Noah writes letters to Allie everyday for a year in hopes that if she’ll just write back he’ll come to wherever she is and be with her. Unfortunately, Allie’s mother intercepts the letters and Allie never sees any of them. Both of them feel rejected and thus start to move on with their lives. With Allie gone, Noah decides to enlist in the military where he is sent off the fight in WWII. It should be noted that although the scenes regarding Noah’s time at war are short and insignificant to the storyline, the director, Nick Cassavetes, and the cinematographer, Robert Fraisse, are able to skillfully depict the tragedy and loss of war. (The Notebook 2004) In those few minutes, the audience is transported to the cold and harsh winter of Nazi-occupied Europe where Noah and his best friend, Finn, must survive against a Nazi air attack. Men scatter and run for their lives while bombs are dropped from the air. When the smoke clears Noah finds Finn lying on the ground wounded. Noah watches on as his friend slowly losses consciousness and dies.

The audience feels for him knowing he’s lost his only friend and knowing so many more men also died in battle.

Allie carries on with her schooling and works as a nurse’s aide with Noah as her inspiration. She treats every man as if she is hoping that Noah will come into her hospital, but it is in the hospital where she works that she meets her next love, Lon Hammond, played by James Marsden who is exactly the type of man her parents envisioned her being with.  To her surprise, as the narrator reads, she ends up really falling in love with him. It seems as though story is told this way specifically to confuse the audience. The story is supposed to be about Noah and Allie finding their way back to one another, both when they’re young and again when they’re older, so the entrance of James Marsden’s character is unsettling. Allie is supposed to live in defiance of her parent’s desires and go back to Noah, but in falling in love with Lon, she is putting her past with Noah behind her and willingly going into the life that her parents wanted for her. However, she is not falling into the arms of a man who is undeserving, as many other movies have portrayed this type of story, but with someone who really could be the love of her life. Eventually, Noah returns from the war and begins construction on the plantation-style house he always wanted with Allie on his mind constantly. When he goes to get the renovation plans approved in Charleston, he sees Allie for the first time in years, only she’s running into the arms of another man and Noah is crushed. He gets the notion in his head that if he fixes the house he will be able to regain the heart of his one true love. Once his father passes away, Noah becomes even more passionate about finishing the house because it is the only thing he has left. There is desperation to him and the audience sees him lose his mind in a way.

The director does an amazing job of weaving back and forth between the past and the present. The audience sees that as Noah reads the story of their life together in the present day, Allie starts to put the pieces of her life back together. Slowly, she starts to notice that the people and the events in the book are familiar to her and it is as though, not only Noah, but the audience too, is encouraging her to remember. They become invested in seeing her ‘come back to life,’ so to speak, and recognizing Noah again. The scene where Noah visits with the doctor and discusses reading to Allie is incredibly significant. In the scene they discuss how dementia is a degenerative disease and that reading to Allie won’t bring her back. Yet, as their finishing up their conversation Allie is playing the piano and is remembering how to play all on her own. This scene is significant because it depicts where scientific reasoning stops and when faith comes into play. Science can’t explain why Allie is slowly getting her memory back, at least momentarily, but both Noah and the audience believe it to be faith; faith that she will find a way back to him one way or another and that faith is incredibly strong. The audience again connects to this because unknowingly most people know someone who’s had or has Alzheimer’s or dementia. They know what it’s like to watch the person disappear right in front of their eyes and knowing that basically what is left is a shell of the person they were before. They know what this does to the families and friends around them and they too want to believe that with enough faith; that person will also return even just for a moment.

In another flashback Allie sees the renovated house with Noah proudly showing the fruit of his efforts in the newspaper and decides to pay Noah a visit. Their reunion after fourteen years brings on a flood of memories and strong emotions in both of them. They have dinner together and talk about their lives and the past. The next day Noah takes Allie on a boat and what the audience sees is truly beautiful. The soft, beautiful colors of the sunsets in this scene soften a very tense moment between the couple. Although the moment is tense due to misunderstanding, the gorgeous cinematography still captures the couple in an atmosphere of love.

Another element in this scene is the swans that surround them. The birds in the movie may represent freedom and reincarnation. Allie and Noah’s love is similar in the sense that it has provided them freedom from Allie’s sheltered life and Noah’s troubled upbringing. Their love is also reincarnated and will live on despite time, space, Alzheimer’s disease and even death. Although the film comes close to being a little too sweet, it has a tender and simplistic aspect that draws you in and keeps the audience invested in the characters.

Noah eventually reveals that he never gave up on Allie and she too realizes she’s still in love with him. They make love and are in a daze until Allie’s mom comes for her and Allie is then forced to choose between Noah and Lon. She knows she loves Noah but she doesn't want to hurt Lon. Older Noah stops reading the story before the audience knows who she chooses and older Allie is left feeling sad and lost. It all seems so familiar but she can’t quite make out her own story. Over a romantic dinner he tells her the rest of the story; that Allie chooses to be with Noah and it is as though a light goes on in her mind. A true miracle occurs and she gets her memory back. She now knows that the story is about them and that she is Allie and he is Noah. They are both elated and yet cautious because they don’t know how long this miracle will last. They dance slowly taking each other in, but eventually the miracle fades and Allie begins to panic because she doesn’t realize whom she is with.

At night Noah looks through old photos of he and Allie and reads the inscription in the book of their love story which reads that if he reads this to her, she’ll come back to him. He has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. He survives and once back at the nursing home, he decides to sneak into Allie’s room to see her. The nurse agrees to look the other way and Noah goes to Allie’s bedside to speak with her. From the start of their conversation she is able to remember Noah and asks him two of the most poignant questions of the entire movie. She asks, “Do you think that our love can create miracles?” He responds that he does because that’s what brings her back to him each time he reads the story. She then asks, “Do you think our love could take us away together?” (“The Notebook” Quotes) He responds with “I think our love can do anything we want it to.”(”The Notebook” Quotes)In the morning, they are both found dead, sleeping peacefully while holding hands. The film closes with a flock of birds flying over a lake. The film closing in this way is a symbol for their love living on as alluded to in earlier parts of the film. They are flying on into the next life together.

Again, what the movie centers around is the notion of how love can be unwavering. For the audience, especially for those who know someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s, this movie speaks volumes for them. It shows the hardships that those who suffer from the disease, and those who are around those who suffer from the disease, have to go through. Looking at my own personal experience, I am reminded of a story my mother told me. My mother takes care of my grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer’s and in one of many instances my mother got upset because my grandmother didn’t remember her. For some reason this time seem to upset my mom more than usual and my grandmother looked at her and something in her snapped into place. She remembered who she was and who my mom was and said to her, “I may not always know who are all the time, I may not remember your name or where you’re from, but I know that I love you. I know who someone special in my life is.”A true miracle.

References

The Notebook (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedian.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notebook_ (film)

I'll Be Seeing You (song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/notebookthe/illbeseeingyou.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'll_Be_Seeing_You_ (song) 1938

The Notebook (2004) - IMDb

www.imdb.com/title

The Notebook (2004) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies

movies.yahoo.com/movie/

The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

www.nicholassparks.com/

"The Notebook" Quotes

quotations.about.com /Romantic Movie Quotes