Introduction
The paper discusses the product placement for the Milkabar, which is a chain of milkshake cafes targeted at the teenagers as well as their parents. The decision making and the strategies used by the Milkabar are also discussed. There is also a critical review of some research articles related to the topic for the better understanding. To get the depth of the topic case studies are also being discussed. The findings of these articles will also be mentioned. The challenges the company faces will also be discussed along with the controversies the business get across which operating in the market. The issues related to the product placement of the Milkashake are also to be taken care of to give the relevant information to the associates of the company.
Critical Analysis of Academic Papers
The authors (Matthes and Naderer) in their paper “Product placement disclosures: Exploring the moderating effect of placement frequency on brand responses via persuasion knowledge”, discusses the product placement of music videos. The presence of internet has made it very convenient to place the products online. The role of brands in the product placement is immense. The authors (Matthes and Naderer) found two convincing addition from their research, the investigation made the persuasion of in relation to placement of music videos. They also added how recall and recognitions are affected by the disclosures. The product placement disclosures have two important aims, they try to save the consumers from the stealthy advertisements and keep the consumer informed about the tactics of the advertisements. They also mentioned that that according to the EU compliances the companies has to disclose the product placement at the beginning and at the end of the program. The authors (Matthes and Naderer) found that subtly no knowledge can activated when audience doesn’t recognise the placement. The authors (Matthes and Naderer) also stated in relation to several studies that the view is divided about the brand memory due to the disclosure norms. But placement prominence can lead to the creation of brand memory. The authors (Matthes and Naderer) used the online survey based in the Austria. The variables used were the placement prominence and the disclosure norm. The sample population was 527 and the respondents were engaged through music websites and the social media platforms. The survey was about 27 minutes long and the participants chosen were random. The findings of the research were as follows: there were favourable results for the effect of the disclosure on the product placement. There was no evidence or proof found for the activation of persuasion of knowledge. The attitude certainty can be found higher for the more familiar brands. The Milkashake can use the disclosures for making their brand noticeable.
The authors (High, et. Al., 2016) in their research on the Wal-Mart on the product placement discuss the product placement within a shopping complex. The research was done on the stores and the respondents were the customers of the Wal-Mart. The product placement strategies of the Wal-Mart drew people towards the stores. They were found to be very satisfied with the services. The data was collected from the surveys across several stores of the Wal-Mart. These strategies of the Wal-Mart can be applied in the context of Milkashake, to offer various discount and make the brand popular, the location strategy of the Wal-Mart can also be utilised.
The researchers (Briggs, et al, 2014) did research on the topic of the interactive product placement and its system. They mainly focused on the product placement through the videos as the medium. They found that the videos and online promotions are one o the interactive system of advertising as people find it interesting. The data was collected on the online videos platforms. They just focused on the online videos platforms not on the social media which is growing day by day. The Milkashake have this option available for them also. They can also use the promotion techniques of this sort to make their brand popular.
The research scholars (Liu , et. Al., 2015) focuses on the factors determining the efficacy of the social media in the product placement. The research used the two way models and questions. The questions were asked through the questionnaires through the social networking sites from the random samples. It was found that the social media plays an important role in the placement of new products for the millennial. As the brand is focused mainly on the teenagers, their connectivity on the web can be a great source of promotion for the company.
The research of the authors (Chaney, et al, 2018) was based on the product placement and the product memorisation and recall during the screening of the movies. There were several movies which were considered for the research and the advertisements at the beginning, at the intermission and at the end were considered. It was surveyed though the audience and it was found that the beginning of the movie is the best time to place an advertisement for better brand memorisation. The Milkashake can use this technique in the movies which are for the children’s and their parents.
The researchers (Eagle and Dahl, 2018) compare the old and new media of the product placement. They tried to find out the differences on the attainment in the objectives through both the media. The surveys were carried out on random populace through the questionnaires. The findings of the papers were in favour of the new media for better product placement. The new generation is the targeted customer base for the company; so they must use new media to reach out to the aimed public.
The authors (Chan, et. al., 2016) researched on the product placements across cultures. The research was based on the two countries sample of which one was of high assertiveness and the other was of low assertiveness. The cultural differences and the effect of product placement were examined. There were certain differences found the cultures with high assertiveness require dynamic product placement techniques. This is useful for the purpose of setting up the Milkshae cafes across different regions even within the country as the cultures are diverse.
In this study (Binder, et. al., 2019) tried to focus on the preferences and influences on the children’s eating behaviour through various interactive product placement. The children were asked about the food they like and why they like it. Most of the answers were like that they like the food which is preferred by their cartoon. The child preferences are influenced by these things. The techniques discussed in the paper are of utmost importance a for the Milkashakes they focus the kids and teenagers.
Case Study 1
Red bull is an energy drink company, based in Austria. Their product placement has been unprecedented. They targeted the sport enthusiasts through the sponsorships of the various sporting events around the word. Their sport marketing strategy has been qualified by some researchers as the best in the industry. The company integrated their advertisement strategy into the biggest extreme sporting events around the world. The sale of red bull doesn’t come from the general and super stores, but from the college parties and bars, etc. They also sponsor various events in the colleges, distributing free samples for the students. They also sponsor the music festivals which are very famous among the young generation. The produce the tag lines such as ‘Go big or go home,’ to encourage the youth which is adventurous. The focus of the Red Bull advertisement team is on the enjoyment of the audience, not on the product itself, which makes it very convenient. The tagline of Red Bull, “Gives You Wings” the youth consider it as that they are being offered freedom, the youth which strives freedom from various things and situations in life. The people at Red Bull have created a loyal fan base through their product placement. The Milkabar, can also learn from this case study of how Red bull created its loyal customer base. Their style of engaging the targeted audience is unmatchable. The targeted audience of the Milkabar is the teenagers and the parents, which they can also use to place their product through the sponsorships at the school events, at the super markets and the adventure parks.
Case Study 2
Starbucks founded in Seattle in the USA is a chain of coffee house. The managers at the Starbucks use the strategy or technique of 4P’s that suffices the ace position of the company in the coffee chain industry. The four P’s determine the product, price promotion and placement. The managers at the Starbucks used this strategy efficiently to become the leaders and produced an example for others how effective marketing mix can be used to build a strong network of chain business and brand image. They also change their strategy according to the challenges and the competition. The systematic approach made the Starbuck a leader in the beverages industry. The location of the coffee houses is one of the major factors responsible for their growth. The Starbucks uses the strategy of premium pricing, which means that people conceives the high price with high value. With the changes in the business environment Starbucks launched its mobile app for making the experience more convenient for the customers.
Issues, controversies and challenges
The Milkashake can use the strategy of communication mix to place their product. The communication mix is the strategy used by companies to place their products for its targeted audience. The company can use various promotion techniques to promote the product like special discounts, etc. But there are some issues related to the product placements, the company need t take care of these matters. The first phase of the product design, the design should be free from issues that it should be away from the legal troubles. The distribution should also be convenient that the supply should be smooth. The company should be able to manage all the issues for better placement of the product. When there are issues related to the any part of the product placement would create the trouble for the company. As the company is planning to open 25 stores, they should get the favourable location, which can attract its targeted customers. The supply to these stores should also be convenient as it’s among the most important issues.
The businesses also confronts controversies, they should be stay away from these as these controversies degrades the image of the business. The company can face controversies related to the milkshakes content as they have high sugar content. The controversies can also arise from the advertisements which some people can found provocative; this can cause the loss of sales or negative image for the company. The company should manage the standards of the items according to the compliance of the food and safety standards of the country. The company should take care of laws and compliance from the legal experts to stay away from the controversies as the negative branding would create a bad message for the customers. The use of ingredients should be to the levels as prescribed by the food standards in the country.
The company has the first challenge of the costing to compete its competitors. The other challenge is to create the awareness about the products to its targeted customers. The customers are the ones the product is designed for. The targeted customers are the teenagers and the parents, so product and the ambience of the cafe should be designed to suit them. The location should be where their reach is easy. The challenge is to establish the brand which becomes a household name with the use of taglines as used by the Red Bull to make the brand of eminence.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The report has analysed the product placement with the use of academic resources and their findings were discussed. There results were in favour of the practices to be used by the Milkashake, to place its product. The case study of the energy drink giant Red Bull was discussed to give the preview of the strategies which Milkashake can get information to its own benefits. The challenges were also discussed which the company faces in this intense competitive business environment. The issues with the product placement were also elaborated along with the controversies the company might face, and the measures to tackle those controversies were also elaborated.
The Junior Marketing Manager get to across various companies and read their case studies. From his experience through this period of the research, it is recommended, the Marketing Manager should design the ambience of the cafe which should attract the teenagers and there should be a separate section for the parents who if wants can sit there. There should be a tagline that should be an appealing one, which attracts the teenager and that they should relate themselves to it. The company should run sponsorship campaigns to create the awareness about the brand, they should engage in the events where the teenagers usually go. The menu should have some catchy names some can be named after the superheroes or the fairy characters which the teens find appealing. The wifi facility is also a must have as the youth is very much socially connect every time. There is one thing that can give us an advantage over the other, by putting sugar free shakes in our menu for the health concerned customers. There should be a period of loyalty rewards to build a loyal and satisfied customer base. The one of the most important tool is the feedback system; there should be a system to ask the customer about the satisfaction of the services offered by the company. These things should be put forth as my observation, they will improve our business.
References
Binder, A., Naderer, B. and Matthes, J., 2019. Do children’s food choices go with the crowd? Effects of majority and minority peer cues shown within an audiovisual cartoon on children’s healthy food choice. Social Science & Medicine, 225, pp.42-50.
Briggs, C., McBurnett, H., Galindo, D. and Knuth, F., Cinsay Inc, 2014. Interactive product placement system and method therefor. U.S. Patent 8,893,173.
Chan, F.F.Y., Petrovici, D. and Lowe, B., 2016. Antecedents of product placement effectiveness across cultures. International Marketing Review, 33(1), pp.5-24.
Chaney, I., Hosany, S., Wu, M.S.S., Chen, C.H.S. and Nguyen, B., 2018. Size does matter: Effects of in-game advertising stimuli on brand recall and brand recognition
Eagle, L. and Dahl, S., 2018. Product placement in old and new media: examining the evidence for concern. Journal of Business Ethics, 147(3), pp.605-618.
High, D.R., Chakrobartty, S. and Taylor, R.C., Walmart Inc, 2016. Apparatus and method of monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. U.S. Patent Application 15/061,265.
Liu, S.H., Chou, C.H. and Liao, H.L., 2015. An exploratory study of product placement in social media. Internet Research, 25(2), pp.300-316.
Matthes, J. and Naderer, B., 2016. Product placement disclosures: Exploring the moderating effect of placement frequency on brand responses via persuasion knowledge. International Journal of Advertising, 35(2), pp.185-199.
Robson, K. and Pitt, L., 2018. People of walmart: Targeting the world’s largest retailer and its customers. SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals.
Venkatesan, R., 2017. Executing on a customer engagement strategy.
Reflective Statement
I get the understanding of the product placement through various articles and the books. I read about the topic in depth from the books related to the topic and the research papers, which helped me a lot while writing this paper, these were the sources I used while writing this paper. The key wors used by me for finding the relevant research articles were the product, placement and also checked the credibility of the source through the citations.I did a thorough analysis of the papers notes the important information through them and also analysed them critically which is reflected in this paper of mine. I also read several case studies about the companies which has been successful in placing their product in the marketplace. The most astonishing and amazing case study were of the Red Bull Corporation, how it gained market through various unprecedented techniques of marketing. This was a great learning experience in this field of study and knowing how the good placement of products can take the business towards the highs. The learning about the controversies the companies faces and the challenges were a difficult task to access. I enjoyed being reflecting the role of the Junior Marketing Manager and put forward recommendations from my understanding.