MKTG1266: Marketing Communication Assessment 3 | RMIT University

MKTG1266 CASE STUDY: You’d Have To Be Nutty! Developing The Boost Nuts Retail Brand

Background:

At the age of eight, Joe Malino migrated to Australia with his family from a small rural farming village in southern Italy where he was born. At an early age, Joe worked in his father’s suburban fruit shop then after leaving school, he worked as a clerk in a family-run food importing business. Here Joe learned more about the food industry and developed the entrepreneurial drive and passion to establish his own business that he called Nutty Foods.

At first, he operated from the bungalow of his suburban Melbourne home and with the help of his family, hard work and a commitment to quality and innovation the business grew rapidly. Today, Nutty Foods has grown into a thriving food company, with over $300 million in annual revenue operating across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Having recently entered the Singaporean market, his desire now is to grow the brand and sell more of his products in Singapore and surrounding countries.

Nutty Foods was founded on the pillars of family and food and in 2017, Joe’s daughter Serina was appointed Managing Director. Joe’s values of hard work, his friendly nature and his passion for food are shared by Serina, however, the food industry is facing stronger competition from global food producers and Serina believes that Nutty Foods needs to move beyond its core business of manufacture and wholesale distribution of food ingredients and develop its own retail brands.

Nutty Foods’ passion for innovative, quality food solutions led to the creation of the Boost Nuts range offering the very best almonds, brazil nuts, macadamias, pistachios, pine nuts and pecans grown in Australia. Boost Nuts are delicious in sweet and savoury baking recipes or for snacking.

Encouraged by the success of a recent Integrated Marketing Communications Plan implemented by the company with the help of a full-service advertising agency, Nutty Foods has also developed Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter – a natural peanut butter made from 100% Australian peanuts. The nuts are roasted in salt and sesame oil for flavour and then blended fresh with no preservatives or additives. There are plans to add other nut butters to the range such as almond and macadamia. After recent success in Australia, Serina now needs to generate similar success in the Singapore market.

To achieve this goal, she began looking for a Singapore-based marketing communications expert to help develop the Boost Nuts retail brand, with the view to launching the new peanut butter product to consumers this year and continuing the growth of the Boost Nuts recipe and snack products. As part of RMIT’s LinkedIn involvement, Serina became aware of the significant positive impact that Singapore Marketing Communications students were having on the product development and marketing communications across Singapore and regionally, and she was impressed by your resume. Congratulations, you are the newly appointed “Singapore Marketing Communications Manager” for Nutty Foods.

The recent Boost Nuts IMC Plan helped achieve distribution through the major supermarket chains and stimulate initial demand. You know that gaining repeat purchases and building loyalty is critical to maintaining shelf space. Serina has asked you to help prepare for the launch of Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter by providing answers to some key questions for her report to the Board of Directors headed by her father Joe.

REQUIREMENTS

You are required to provide answers to multi-part questions posed in the following three emails from the Managing Director.

You are to respond to the emails in one single report that addresses all questions in the three emails.

QUESTION 1:

Subject: Foundational work for the IMC Plan Recommendations for the Board From

The Board understands the importance of marketing strategy at a broad business level and campaign level. They also appreciate that marketing objectives and communication objectives serve different purposes within the broader marketing strategy. Setting clear objectives and defining clear target audiences are something the Board are keen to accomplish.

1. Explain the difference between marketing objectives and communication objectives. What communication objectives would you set for the Singapore launch campaign for Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter?
2. Identifying and defining an optimal target audience is essential for campaign success. How should Boost Nuts segment and define its target audience in Singapore for the peanut butter? Which segmentation variables will enable the brand to better predict future purchase behaviour?
3. The Board was made aware of an industry-wide lack of CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) representation in marketing communications. Can you explain this further to the Board and why embracing CALD perspectives could lead to richer storytelling and more effective communication strategies for Boost Nuts Nothing but Nuts Peanut Butter in Singapore?
4. For the launch of Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter please prepare a clear positioning strategy and key benefit claim. The Board is not familiar with these terms so please outline the importance of positioning and write a positioning statement for Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter; and outline and explain a key benefit claim. Explain this would this resonate in the Singapore market?

QUESTION 2:

Subject: Creative Thoughts for IMC Plan Recommendations for the Board

It is important that the Board understands the various stages consumers go through in deciding to purchase our products. Given your knowledge of consumer behaviour in Singapore, you know that the Hierarchy of Effects model is a valuable consumer behaviour tool to help marketing communicators advertise and promote to individuals at the various stages. You also appreciate the importance of developing an optimal creative strategy to reach consumers at the relevant stages of their purchasing process.

1. Please identify the six stages of the Hierarchy of Effects model for the Board and explain the two most important stages that you believe should be focused on as part of a new product launch for Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter, and why.
2. Further to the stages recognised in Part a, and being mindful of the proposed positioning for the peanut better, what Creative Style or Styles would you recommend for the campaign in Singapore and why?
3. What attention tactics would be most appropriate for the launch campaign in Singapore? Would you recommend the use of a remote conveyor? Justify your answer and make a recommendation for the remote conveyor they could or should use in Singapore?

QUESTION 3:

Once our creative approach is determined, we need to consider the media strategy or marketing communication mix (of media channels) for the launch of the peanut butter. This involves an integrated approach that aligns with the campaign’s goals and target audience. I would like you to consider what marketing communication mix should be executed for this Singapore-based launch campaign.

1. For the Board’s benefit, please describe and define the marketing communication mix. Applying the marketing communication mix elements to Boost Nuts, what marketing communications channels do you think are important, not as important, not important at all, for Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter in Singapore? Be sure to consider traditional and digital channels and to explain and justify your reasons. When rolling out the media channels, do you suggest we prioritise reach or frequency and why?
2. Some of the Board members have seen endorsers used very well and very badly. They want to understand the role of endorsers in IMC campaigns, especially in Singapore. What types of endorsers can be used in marketing communications plans? Please outline the characteristics of each type of endorser and their ability to influence consumer behaviour with reference to Boost Nuts Nothing But Nuts Peanut Butter in Singapore.
3. Thinking holistically about the campaign, the Board is contemplating an investment in PR and/or sponsorship to further amplify the message to the target audience. Which of these would you recommend and in what capacity? Include an example of how you recommend the brand use it in their Singapore campaign.
4. Measurement and evaluation are a vital part of any campaign. Explain to the Board why it is important and what you would recommend for this Singapore based campaign?