EOC 8: Phileas Fogg Adventure

If you are reading this, it means I didn’t survive to tell my tale. It all started on a crisp, clear sunny day. Passepartout and I were making magnificent timing on our adventure around the world. I was certain we were going to make it back just in time for me to collect my 20,000 pounds. As we continued to float over the continent of Africa all of a sudden I had a brilliant idea...an African safari! Passepartout detested saying we would fall behind on time however I ignored him. All of a sudden a strong gust of wind blew us far south. Passepartout's complete lack of adequacy to handle out hot air balloon almost made me spill my chardonnay!! Finally he ended up gaining control of our balloon and we landed safely in a little clearing on the ground in Ghana. We got out of our balloon and walked over to others waiting to go on safari. Passepartout and I introduced ourselves to the other ten guests, jumped into our assigned automobile and waited for the adventure to begin.  The sights were absolutely splendid! The elephants, the monkeys, the lions! Everything was going just as planned until our automobile hit what felt like a large bump in the road. Our guide immediately stopped the car to make sure everyone was alright. After apologizing for what seemed like forever we continued down the trail. The tour guide sped up to try and catch up with the automobile in front of us. Everyone was laughing and having a good time until...BAM! We hit another bump this time the force was so much that I went flying out of the automobile and smacked my head on the ground. Apparently everyone was too busy checking to see if they were okay that they didn't even notice I had fallen out! My head was throbbing and I couldn’t open my eyes. Everything went dark. When I woke up I was tied firmly to a stake in front of a large fire in the middle of the forest. I quickly looked all around looking for an escape. I quietly began to rock back and forth to loosen up the ropes tied around me. From the light of the fire I could see tribal people make some type of food. It smelled absolutely divine. It appeared to be some sort of chip made from what looked like a large banana. From what I remember in books I’ve read, it is actually called plantain. My captors were slicing it into thin pieces before dropping it into a pot filled with boiling palm oil. After a few moments they removed the thin slices and laid them on a palm leaf where they then sprinkled cayenne and ginger spices on them. I had to have a taste, but first I had to get out of here. At that moment I heard a quiet snap, I was free!! Careful not to make a sound, I began crawling over towards the palm leaf that held the delicious treats. I popped one into my mouth and tasted absolute perfection. I began putting a few into my pockets. At that moment one of the tribal men looked up and began shouting to the others. I immediately turned and began running into the dark forest. I kept running trusting that my feet would lead me in the right direction. I could still hear the tribal men yelling and screaming behind. Ahead of me I could see the glimmering moonlit on what appeared to be water. Without hesitation I dove in. When I resurfaced I noticed the men had stopped a ways back from the water and began running back in the other direction. It was then I noticed 4 sets of yellow eyes swimming towards me, and then disappear underneath the water. That could only mean one thing…crocodiles!! I tried to look for anything to pull me out of the water, but it was too late. The hungry reptiles pulled me under. Although I did not survive to tell my tale, and personally share this delicious snack with you, I hope you enjoy Phileas Fogg’s spicy safari chips. May every bite remind you take you on a daring adventure!

Implementation Evaluation Control

Marketing implementation is the process that turns marketing plans into marketing actions in order to accomplish strategic marketing objectives (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition). The first step part in providing our product to the customer is two-fold: finding producers that can provide us with the quality ingredients needed and a warehouse that can produce our snacks at a reasonable cost. We would also conduct a small sample group to see what they thought of the finished product before shipping our snacks to bars. Preferably these bars would be within radius of the production place. From there we would like to receive feedback from the selected bars to see how our snacks are doing before moving to a greater distribution scale. In an increasingly connected world, people at all levels of the marketing system must work together to implement marketing strategies and plans (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition).

Marketing Mix: Price

Price is the sum of all the values that customers give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition). We plan to set the price of spicy safari chips at $3.49 for a 3 oz. bag. In providing that amount, a customer can feel comfortable eating it by himself/herself or sharing it with a friend. Since spicy safari chips will be sold in the typical bar atmosphere, we wanted to price it at a level that would be slightly lower than the cost of whatever beer is offered on tap. Also these bars may offer other snack options on their menu and we would like to be in direct price range of that. Price is also one of the most flexible marketing mix elements. Unlike product features and channel commitments, prices can be changed quickly (Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition). After spicy safari chips trial run in nearby bars and before national distribution, we would also as the bar owners to give us feedback in how it faired against their current snack selections.

Marketing Mix: Distribution

Producing a product or service and making it available to buyers requires building relationships not just with customers, but also with key suppliers and resellers in the company’s supply chain (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition). In order to ensure the delivery of spicy safari snacks, we will sign a contract with another food company that makes regular deliveries to the bars. Distribution channel decisions often involve long-term commitments to other firms. (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition.) By doing so, it will save our company money from having to transport it ourselves. Just like some beer companies (i.e. Stella Artois, Sam Adams) having specific requirements for how their beer is to be served to customers, we would have our chips displayed right at the bar, so it is in direct sight of the customers. Additionally, when a customer order safari chips, the bars will serve them in a bowl instead of just handing the customer a bag.

Marketing Mix: Promotion

The promotion mix is the marketer’s bag of tools for communicating with customers and other stakeholders (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition). At the bare minimum a business should have a functional website for its customers to see what the product is all about. On the website there were bill contact information of the company, a place where consumers can email comments or concerns and links to our other social media sites. There will also be a place on the website that keeps customers up to date on news about spicy safari snacks and were they are located (or coming soon).For the graphics, I would like the website to mimic the design of the package; an evergreen color with vibrant vegetation. Customers will be encouraged to upload the best pictures of they enjoy spicy safari snacks. There could also be various contests that would bring additional attention to the snack. Although the promotion mix is the company’s primary communication activity, the entire marketing mix—promotion and product, price, and place—must be coordinated for greatest communication impact (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition).

Marketing Mix: Product

Anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a want or need (Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition.) The spicy safari chip will be a thinly sliced plantain that has been fried and sprinkled generously with secret spice mixture consisting of cayenne pepper, ginger, salt, and pepper. This snack can be categorized as a savory snack. It will be light yet satisfying for the consumer. The cayenne pepper will add just enough heat however it will not be overpowering for those who tend to shy away from spicy foods. I feel the ginger will balance out the spice and saltiness with a little bit of sweet. The fried and salty elements of the snack will keep customers buying more drinks from the bar. Spicy safari chips can accompany any quality brand ale or beer. Today, as products and services become more commoditized, many companies are moving to a new level in creating value for their customers. To differentiate their offers, beyond simply making products and delivering services, they are creating and managing customer experiences with their brands or company (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition.) For the product’s packaging I would like it to be a bright evergreen color reminiscent of a jungle. I want it to evoke a sense of adventure for the customer. The front of the package will have a cartoon best depicting the adventure Phileas took in order to find this snack. Phileas will be running away from tribal men chasing after him while Phileas is eating a spicy safari chip. On the back of the package will be half of the adventure. In order for customers to find out the rest they will have to enter a code into phileas fogg’s official website.

Target Market Strategy

The process of evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter (Armstrong, Gary,  Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition). Just like consumers have brand loyalty when it comes to the type of beer they prefer to drink, we would like to build that same allegiance with spicy safari chips. We will have facebook, twitter, instagram, and tumblr accounts. On facebook and twitter we will encourage customers to write their own endings to Phileas’s adventure. The best ending can win a trip to Ghana (all expenses paid) to enjoy a safari and create their own adventure that can then be shared on all social media sources. On instagram consumers will be encouraged to take their best picture with a bag of safari chips. The company’s website will also give a detailed look at how spicy safari chips are made. In do so, customers may be curious to learn more about Ghana. A marketing strategy consists of specific strategies for target markets, positioning, the marketing mix, and marketing expenditure levels. It outlines how the company intends to create value for target customers in order to capture value in return (Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition).