How Do We Create a Marketing Mix for Coffee Bar Carly?

The TBSL team was having a strategy meeting. They had decided to develop a rough outline for a marketing mix strategy for each of their main target segments. This week's task was Coffee Bar Carly. The goal of the meeting was to decide on a few key pieces in each area of the marketing mix to develop a more comprehensive plan around. The group would make some initial decisions and then turn their outline over to one of the marketing folks to expand and add details. They all read Coffee Bar Carly's customer profile again before they began their discussion.

Coffee Bar Carly

Carly was a 20- to 40-year-old who could be found almost daily in a local coffee bar. She often had her laptop or tablet with her. For her, the coffee bar served different roles. Some days she would start her day there with her morning java and a light breakfast. Other days she would stop at the coffee bar on her lunch break. And some days she used the coffee bar as a mini-lounge, taking advantage of the free wifi to check messages, catch up on the personal and professional news, etc. Coffee was important to her and she felt at home in the coffee bar. She definitely had her favorite beverages, and though she didn't make a lot of money compared to some, her visit to the coffee bar was a daily indulgence, and she would sacrifice in other spending areas if needed to keep it in the budget. She didn't always purchase a bar when she visited the coffee bar, but often did. She only bought bars when she was at the coffee bar and never more than one at a time. She liked to experiment, though for her, the primary purpose of experimenting was not to find the best bar, but rather to find out which ones she did not like so she could exclude them from future purchase. She liked bars with interesting names and quality ingredients, especially if it was something unique. She actively supported a couple of social causes, and even volunteered for one of the local charities once a month.

The Discussion

Chloe: "Okay, where do you want to start?"

Todd: "Let's agree on her most important characteristics first. Her personality. What is she like? What makes her different from other customers? What does she care most about?"

Ryan: "She is clearly interested in comfort and takes her coffee seriously."

Todd: "And she seems like she is someone who is purposeful and thoughtful. She cares about causes, which we can use if we can get her excited about our cause."

Chloe: "She doesn't buy bars all the time, and only buys at the coffee bar, one at a time, every so often. We will have to think about how we can get her interested in linking TBSL to the coffee bar so we become her go-to bar."

Todd: "And she wants interesting names and flavors, and experiments. Probably means we need to do some more work on naming, especially when we add new flavors, and probably we'll have to have a lot of flavors for her to really consider us as her go-to."

Chloe: "Unless we can make the cause more important and raise her connection with us and the social cause, since she does seem to think that's important."

Ryan: "Well, that's a good point, Chloe. I think we have a decent picture of her and you should run with it. I'd like to hear your marketing ideas for her soon. Can we meet next week? Think some more about how we might be able to get Carly to tie us more closely to the social cause and how we might be able to build our marketing plan for her around that idea."

The team split up, but Chloe's work was just beginning. She was already thinking about possible ideas to develop a marketing mix for Carly.

Application Exercise

By now, you should have a basic understanding of the marketing mix framework. So it is time to get some practice applying the extended marketing mix. What steps do you take to make it work? Here's how. The first part of your task has already been completed if you've answered the running case questions above. The process begins with the marketer assessing customer expectations and preferences for each C in the mix (customer benefits, convenience, costs, communication, and connection). Once that is completed, you then assess each P to make a specific link between something you can do that links P and C. For example, if you know a customer wants the fastest computer, you could make product decisions to (1) include the fastest processor available, (2) have lots of memory available for processing, and (3) include an operating system and software combination that is the most efficient handling programs. Each decision set works the same way. One important factor to consider is the order for the mix decisions. Start with product, then place, then price, then promotion, then participation.

Now your job is to finish the extended marketing mix outline for the TBSL team. Apply the extended marketing mix framework to make marketing decisions by:

• Make two specific product recommendations (decisions) to deliver the most important customer benefits for Carly (use your answers from running case Q1.).
• Make two specific place recommendations to deliver the desired level of convenience for Carly (use your answers from running case Q2.).
• Make two specific price recommendations to deliver a good value for Carly (use your answers from running case Q3.).
• Make two specific promotion recommendations to communicate with Carly in the manner that is most appropriate and effective for her (use your answers from running case Q4.).
• Make two specific participation recommendations to make it possible for Carly to connect with (1) the brand and (2) other customers in ways that add value to her experience (use your answers from running case Q5.).

(Here is the Q's1-5)

1. Carly's top consumer advantages when purchasing bars would focus around a company that supports a worthwhile cause. Carly donates her time to charity once a month and is involved in a few social projects. This would allow Carly to feel involved and supported by a company that promotes a social subject that she is passionate about. When Carly consumes the bar, another consumer advantage she values is the product's originality. Carly wants to try a variety of bars with various names and high-quality ingredients to see which ones she dislikes. Customers will be drawn to the physical aspect of the bar, such as the name or packaging, and will want to sample other tastes. Both customer advantages highlight Carly's primary motivation for experimenting with bars and supporting a bar with value.
2. When Carly is in her comfort zone, convenience means having things close at hand. Carly finds peace at her neighborhood coffee shop, where she can do the things she enjoys. Using "the coffee bar as a mini-lounge, making use of the free internet to check messages, catch up on personal and professional news, etc." or "beginning her day there with her morning java and light meal." As can be seen, Carly feels at ease at the coffee shop, and having something like the TBSL bar within reach will only make it easier for Carly to grab onto the product if she enjoys it. She's the kind to take a bar and give it a shot, to dismiss it if she doesn't like it. Having things in front of her when she wants them is what convenience is all about. If the bars are provided to Carly at the coffee checkout line, TBSL's business operations will allow the corporation to optimize the efficacy of its promotion.
3. Carly associates the expenses of breakfast and coffee in the coffee shop with buying and eating bars. Carly didn't have a lot of money, but she went to the coffee shop virtually every day. After she's paid for breakfast and coffee, she'll have to keep the bar on the budget. Her demand for these items is obviously higher than that of the bar, as she orders coffee every time she visits a coffee shop, but not every time she purchases a bar. As a result, the amount of money she spends on meals and her favorite beverages impacts her decision to own a bar. The time she spends in the coffee shop is also an expense. She might be spotted in a nearby coffee shop virtually every day, frequently with her laptop or tablet. Carly pays another non-monetary cost when she buys and eats bars: the opportunity cost she assumes when she buys each bar. Carly enjoys experimenting with various flavors and distinguishing between the bars she likes and those she doesn't. Every time Carly purchases a new bar, she incurs an opportunity cost in terms of what she foregoes in exchange for a unique experience. She enjoys going to the coffee shop because she considers it to be a great location to take a break, with free Wi-Fi and a welcoming atmosphere. She knows she only needs to pay for a cup of coffee, which is essential to her, and she can relax in the pleasant surroundings. Purchasing and eating bars, on the other hand, is not required. As a result, while she may love her coffee while at the coffee shop, she may not take the time to select one bar from various flavors or brands, but she does so occasionally for the sake of the name, taste, and social issues.
4. Carly appreciates bars with creative names and high-quality ingredients, especially those that are one-of-a-kind. She is also a strong supporter of social issues and community organizations. Carly's interests would most likely be best served by a highly unusual bar with a fantastic social mission. The bar's message should be "why you should purchase this bar," with the "why" being the social cause the bar supports. Another note may be that the bar is one-of-a-kind and that there is no other bar like it. This would make Carly think of the bar as much more essential and unique. Carly would most likely like it if a brand communicated with her by emphasizing the importance of her purchase. In other words, the bar Carly purchases contribute to the social purpose. Carly wants to feel like she's contributing to the company's social mission.
5. Carly may not make a lot of money, but she likes treating herself to her favorite beverages at the neighborhood caf. She frequently purchases a bar as a snack and enjoys comparing different bar brands in order to select the ones she prefers and discard the ones she doesn't. She loves to try bars with amusing names and high-quality ingredients, particularly anything distinctive. She could also make active contributions to societal concerns. As a result, Carly is more likely to be drawn to a bar brand that is available in local cafs, has fascinating and creative product names, and uses high-quality or distinctive ingredients. On the other hand, Carly could choose to form bonds with a brand dedicated to public welfare since it will make her feel as if she is indirectly contributing to social concerns by purchasing the bar. Carly would most likely make friends with other customers who like spending time at coffee shops and can unwind there as well as she can. Carly's profile indicates that she enjoys being alone at the caf, so she may be able to interact with other customers who share her enthusiasm for supporting the social issue