Question

Scenario: You are sitting in your home and you pick up a package of Oreos™ (or some other product of your choosing). After realizing that you have purchased this product for years, you wonder, "Why do I feel so strongly about this product?" You remember your readings from Marketing class and decide to figure out why you feel strongly about this product using the 4 P's of Marketing and Marketing Strategy concepts.

Develop a 700- to 1,050-word response using the scenario above and answer the following questions:

What is it about this product that appeals to me? Who are the people like me that are buying this product? (e.g. demographics, consumer characteristics, buyer behavior)

How do marketers strategically plan to market these products to me?

Why does the price of this product seem to be of equal value for the satisfaction that I receive when consuming/using this product?

How does this product get from the manufacturer to the place I can buy it?

What promotional activities compel me to buy this product?

What do the answers to these questions tell you about the presumed target market and its relation to the controllable 4 P's of marketing?

What social, environmental, and regulatory forces must this product's marketers overcome to get this product to the customer?

Answer 1

Ans 1

What is it about Oreos that's so appealing?

• They're simple and classic (the blank and white simple round cookie has a long history)
• Come in a variety of flavours (chocolate and vanilla, red velvet, double stuffed, cookie dough, birthday cake, mint)
• They're tasty and go with all kinds of milk and milk alternatives
• Foster an emotional attachment with consumers via their promotional messages on creative consumption. You can dunk it, or split it, or split and lick....basically consume the cookie in any way you prefer...

Who are the people like me that are buying Oreos?

• Demographics (individual traits like gender, age, income levels etc.)
  • Gender: 40% of the consumers are males and 60% are females
  • Income: Upper to middle class (affordability may not really be a concern in America - but in other parts of the world - countries like India, China etc.. it might matter)
  • Age: kids & teenagers (6-18, 18-24 - primary buyers), adults (24-39+ - majorly as secondary buyers)
• Consumer characteristics
  • Outgoing and ready to try new things, like to experiment, don't mind spending a bit more on snacks, brand-conscious, comfortable lifestyles
• Buying behaviour
  • Habitual/variety seeking buying behaviour with, generally, low levels of involvement.

Ans 2

Strategy - The 4 Ps

Product: Standard product is the black and white biscuit/chocolate sandwich (cream filling between two chocolate wafers). Other products include Double Stuffed Oreo, Golden Oreo, Sugar free Oreo, Oreo Thins, Oreo Fudges, Jell-O Oreo, Oreo Chocolate Candy Bar etc. and the different flavours are: Lemon, Orange Ice-Cream, Green Tea, Fruit Punch etc.

Price: The brand engages in a stiff price competition with its market rivals. Price varies across varieties and pack sizes.

Promotion: Advertisements are plentiful on multiple media sources - the TV, radio, print, social media etc. along with great store displays and outdoor campaigns. Packaging & design are distinct - giving the brand a unique identity. Target audience are kids and teenagers. (Refer to Ans 1 on emotional connection).

Place: Oreo registers a presence in more than 100 nations of the world. It has manufacturing units in all of these countries and makes use of the Mondelez distribution network to channel its products. It can easily be accessed through shopping malls and centres, retail outlets, ecommerce etc.

Ans 3

Due to the reasonable pricing of Oreo products. A price that's neither too steep nor too low sends a positive signal to the target audience (i.e. the consumer) about product quality and the value of purchase.

Ans 4

Oreo products reach the retailer through Mondelez's vast direct-store-distribution network, especially in North America and Asia (Mondelez has over 82 distribution centers in North America alone!).