Marketing Plan for a-collection : 2017
Kontola, Elina (2016)
Kontola, Elina
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016121520567
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016121520567
Tiivistelmä
The aim of the present thesis was to create marketing plan for a-collection brand for the year 2017. The brand itself is a private label for the technical wholesale company Ahlsell and consists of heating, plumbing, air conditioning and electrical products. The products studied in this thesis are manufactured for the use of professional users at a reasonable price.
The need for a marketing plan occurred because national sales objectives were not reached. A-collection as a brand has not before had an individual marketing plan, which has affected the sales results. With a well-structured marketing plan Ahlsell as a company is going to have better opportunities to create its own brand, brand visibility and sales figures. This can also be used as an example when planning marketing activities for other Ahlsell’s private labels. That is why it was important to create a plan for marketing actions, budget and resources needed, in order to create the circumstances to implement the plan in action.
This thesis was conducted as an action research. The research was supported by both qualitative and quantitative data. The researcher worked inside the company closely co-operating with all the different departments. This action research was mainly based on interviews and the researcher’s own perceptions and findings to achieve the best practices to develop the marketing plan for a-collection brand. In addition, quantitative data offered by the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning system and marketing communication tools are used as part of analyzing and testing.
As a result a lot of potential in the brand was identified. In order to accomplish all activities there still needs to be certain amount of money budgeted for a-collection marketing. The total costs for the planned actions are 180 000€ for the first year and about 100 000€ - 120 000€ for the following years. Many of the actions are conducted as in-house accomplishments but there is still going to be a lack of human resources.
At the pilot phase, the sales almost doubled, which clearly indicates that Ahlsell used the right channels and targeted their message to the right audience. Based on this, it can be noted that it would be beneficial to start implementing the marketing plan introduced in the present thesis.
The need for a marketing plan occurred because national sales objectives were not reached. A-collection as a brand has not before had an individual marketing plan, which has affected the sales results. With a well-structured marketing plan Ahlsell as a company is going to have better opportunities to create its own brand, brand visibility and sales figures. This can also be used as an example when planning marketing activities for other Ahlsell’s private labels. That is why it was important to create a plan for marketing actions, budget and resources needed, in order to create the circumstances to implement the plan in action.
This thesis was conducted as an action research. The research was supported by both qualitative and quantitative data. The researcher worked inside the company closely co-operating with all the different departments. This action research was mainly based on interviews and the researcher’s own perceptions and findings to achieve the best practices to develop the marketing plan for a-collection brand. In addition, quantitative data offered by the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning system and marketing communication tools are used as part of analyzing and testing.
As a result a lot of potential in the brand was identified. In order to accomplish all activities there still needs to be certain amount of money budgeted for a-collection marketing. The total costs for the planned actions are 180 000€ for the first year and about 100 000€ - 120 000€ for the following years. Many of the actions are conducted as in-house accomplishments but there is still going to be a lack of human resources.
At the pilot phase, the sales almost doubled, which clearly indicates that Ahlsell used the right channels and targeted their message to the right audience. Based on this, it can be noted that it would be beneficial to start implementing the marketing plan introduced in the present thesis.