can you please write a summary and answer those 4 questions?

CASE 6 6 Napier Enterprises Marketing Research K K atie Gordon knew the Canadian market for producing custom vehicle tents available as vehicle camping was large. She just didn't optional equipment . This part of Napier's busi- know how to reach it. As marketing man- ness continues to grow; however, it is the consumer ager for Ontario-based Napier Enterprises, makers retail market that Napier is focused on, as it repre- of the popular Sportz line of vehicle camping tents, sents 72 percent of the company's sales. Katie had seen consistent sales growth in all her Today the Sportz line offers tents for trucks, markets except for Canada. Nearly 95 percent of SUVs, minivans, compact vehicles, and even motor- the company's sales are from outside Canada (with cycles. In addition, the company offers complete most of that in the United States). camping packages (tent, sleeping bags, chairs, Roman Napieraj, president and founder of stools) and accessories. The company prides itself Napier Enterprises, developed the Sportz brand in on being able to offer innovative and cutting-edge 1990. An avid camper, Roman knew all too well the designs at a competitive price-most tents are priced sometimes harsh realities of camping in the great in the $180-$300 range. Outdoor retailers in North outdoors. He wished he could somehow find a tent America that carry the Sportz line include Bass Pro that would sit in the back of his pickup truck. In Shops, Camping World, Sportsman's Warehouse, talking to friends, he realized he was not alone in and Costco (online retail site only). Napier prod- this wanteed. In fact, a few phone calls to friends ucts can also be found in various independent auto- at campgrounds and outdoor retailers suggested motive stores including JC Whitney, Custom Truck that many people put together rough sleeping Parts, Action Van and Truck, and Summit Racing solutions to allow them to sleep in the back of A true entrepreneur, Roman relies primarily on their trucks. The advantage of a flat sleep area that his own creative vision when coming up with new kept you off the moist, bumpy ground was easy product ideas and innovations. There has been no to explain. The solution was surprisingly simple concerted effort to invest in any type of market as well. Roman worked with hand-drawn sketches research to assist with product development or mar- and quickly found a supplier who could build his keting efforts. Napier is a member of SEMA (Spe- custom designs. cialty Automotive Equipment Industry), a large The result was the company's first product, industry association that provides its members with The Original Sportz Truck Tent, designed to work access to market research reports (e.g., accessory in the bed of a pickup truck and allow outdoor sales by region and by market niche, top-selling enthusiasts to attach their sleeping space to their vehicles, sales per model per year) and industry vehicle. Later designs focused on SUVs and mini- trends (consumer customizing, economic trends). vans, with tents wrapping around the cargo area of Katie relies on the research she receives from the vehicle, allowing total access to the vehicle for SEMA, however, the information is limited in scope storage or for additional sleeping space. and focuses strictly on the automotive industry. She Consumer response in the United States was is also able to access information from the Outdoor overwhelmingly positive; building on that suc- Industry Foundation, which provides studies on cess, Napier slowly began to add to its Sportz line outdoor recreation participation, money spent on of products and increase its presence in the con- active outdoor recreation, and recreation trends, sumer retail market. Napier also began working Napier customers who return the mail-in warranty as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cards placed inside all Napier packaging help to with automotive manufacturers such as General provide some limited demographic information Motors, Ford, Jeep, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda, about the typical Napier customer. Case 6 Napier Enterprises 463 The primary market for Napier is the United tailgaters. The European market for Napier is States, where Sportz tents have been successful starting to grow and there is interest in Australia with outdoor enthusiasts who participate in fishing, and South America as potential markets. That being hunting, and family camping, and those who said, the company would like to see better results prefer to buy from traditional larger retail outlets in its home countryespecially since the great out- such as Bass Pro Shops and Sportsman's Ware- doors is so much a part of the Canadian heritage. house. Canadian buyers, however, seem different She knew, however, that the budget would be than their American counterparts, as evidenced an issue. Any funds spent must lead to increased from discussions with visitors to Napier's consumer salcs. With a current markcting budget of only show booths. Canadians seem to consistently like $50,000 and a current research budget of $5,000, the concept but are much slower to make a pur- she couldn't afford mistakes. Any additional chase. Katie summarized them as "slower to come spending would have to be approved by her boss, to a purchase decision, more frugal, and more Roman, who would insist on a concrete plan and intent on considering options before a purchase." positive expected payback. The mail-back warranty cards suggested that most Canadian buyers felt they fit into one of two pro- files: "older couples" and "soccer moms." Unfortu- Questions nately, the cards yield very little in terms of specific demographic or psychographic details. 1. What is Napier's current approach to market Katie thought some good market research research? What is the company doing right? could help her with the Canadian market and help In which areas could the company improve? u fill in sume pieces Lu the puzzle as tu why die 2. What types of secundary data and primary Canadian market was slow to develop. Were there data could Napier benefit from? specific geographic regions she should focus on? 3. How can market research help Napier in Should she take a more industry-specific approach? terms of sales forecasting? She had seen modest interest from equestrians, 4. Could Napier benefit from a customer rela- fishing enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and even tionship management (CRM) strategy