Case Study Questions
1. Consumer Behavior
Based on the information in Exhibit 1, how should Paper Boat use marketing to influence consumer behavior?
Be sure to address all five types of customer experiences: Sense, Feel, Think, Act, and Relate and provide key points in which Paper Boat can appeal to the Cognitive and/or Emotional aspects of decision making.
Answer 1
Paper boat has done initially to launch itself in the very hectic and cluttered industry where some very renowned names have already taken over the large chunks of market share. The ethnic concept behind the product and the experimental marketing fails to create the needed appeal for success in the industry. The company has targeted a very small target group from a segment that grows beyond numbers. Competing with brands in a market that have cluttered categories and Paper Boat is not defined in its category which makes it even more difficult for the brand to compete in this industry.
Top brands like Tropicana and Dabur Real holds to be the main competitor for Paper Boat and as per the research survey conducted by the brand, the brand failed to keep the hype and meet the consideration set of the consumers at many points. Though the natural appeal is encouraging but with other factors also holds immense consideration value, Paper Boat lacks drastically in hitting the consideration set. Being natural and pure is good but a brand has to be appealing in a fast moving consumer good segment. The points of parity are the first thing that every brand should focus upon.
The company has a very strong product to offer especially with a market size like India where the success is granted with numbers to back. The brand should not market itself as an alternative for the cola drinks but as a substitute because the consumer behavior suggests the decline of favorability of consumers towards cola drinks. And this creates a gap for the company to leverage. The emotional appeal in the ads with more native nature has always been a successful idea in India.
The company should market itself as an Indian product and create a patriotic appeal to be more relevant to the local market. The traditional ingredients should be leveraged in promotion and come up with more innovation with new flavors and does not fall to Icarus Paradox. The packaging is strong but using the packaging in its favor or for social sustainability will help in becoming more relevant to global needs. The marketing and promotion of the product should focus on creating an emotional appeal by presenting Paper Boat as a hedonic good and relive the memories of the consumer.
Increasing the segment and targeting more groups will be more encouraging in terms of sales. The company should become more responsive in gaining feedback to understand consumer behavior to its core and focus on consumer engagement ideas with direct communication instead of relying solely on experiential marketing. Most importantly, the company should evolve with the changing consumer needs to sustain the advantage and stay relevant in the longer run.
2. Positioning within the Market
Based on Exhibits 1-6, describe the current brand position of Paper Boat and provide a brand positioning statement.
Be sure to address the following:
Summarize these four components into one Brand Positioning statement for Paper Boat.
Answer 2
The company should focus on claiming natural and healthy aspect along with the regional product and the national card as well. These are the focuses that competitors are utilizing. The product is natural, healthy and energetic which is also more or less same to the brands in the category like Tropicana and Dabur Real but none of them is playing the hedonic card and national appeal which is quite important. The emotional appeal appears stronger with a patriotic theme which creates more urge in terms of sales than any other appeal. Customers will always feel relevant to a natural product found or invented in the country and its India’s very own product.
The product positioning or the feature that is being used for strong positioning is distinctive from competitors as Tropicana as an international brand while Dabur is a local brand that has never used the same appeal in its ads. However, a challenge may appear from Dabur’s end but saying it first always gives an edge in taking the advantage and becoming more relevant in consumer’s consideration set.
The claim is authentic and is genuine that will allow the company to become more relevant and will also distinguish placed the brand in the category. The packaging color can portray the same where the colors of flag can be used. This is a quite a feasible opportunity for the brand and does not collide with any of its values. The core mission is to remain faithful which isn’t being hurt and is a favorable idea to adopt where there is no lie told.
The customers are more inclined towards health and natural flavors which are niche and taste comes as a secondary option. The company needs to go along with the taste and target a broader segment as for now it is targeting middle-age youth partially relating them to their childhood memories. On the contrary the competitors are using more appropriate approach of the benefits they can achieve by consuming their product. The company should focus on amplifying the real benefit of the product which is health through real fruits plunged directly from the farms on Indian farmers.
The customers have the edge due to their market share and strong brand presence that they leverage from their parent companies. Therefore, the brand has to become more relatable and using a fusion of real product benefits and Indian feel will be more appropriate for the brand. Dabur has the similar advantage but Paper Boat can gain the first mover advantage by using this aspect through promoting it first.
The company has its core values that are not distracted with this approach of using a fusion of benefits through product consumption and capitalizing on the Indian culture. This will give company a direct edge over its competition since Tropicana is not a local product. The company has the strength and has launched the product with full swing. All it needs a right direction which is clear from the survey as they have to become more relatable.
3. Brand Repositioning
A. Customers do not seem to reflect the experiential intensity that is association with the current brand position of Paper Boat. How do you think Parvesh Debuka should re-position Paper Boat?
Address the following using all exhibits from the case:
B. From Exhibits 7-9, the competitive brands are strongly positioned on functional needs. Tropicana is international and has brought in family imagery.
Use the Three C’s Model, refer to data from the case to determine the unique selling proposition that Paper Boat can use to reposition itself. Be sure to demonstrate how Paper Boat can:
C. Offer a new brand positioning statement for Paper Boat.
Be sure to include the (For whom, for when, for where? (Description of the target market); What value? (Explain the values that Paper Boat offers – economic, functional, experiential, and/or social). Why and How? (Provide supporting evidence for the products value), Relative to whom? (Description of the competitive set in which Paper Boat classifies itself).
Conclusion – Wrap up by summarizing the key learning points for Paper Boat why it’s important for them to keep the niche image they have crafted while pivoting its positioning to attract a larger consumer base.
Answer 3
From the Indian roots to the Indian hearts is what company should reposition itself and should not target one consumer set only. The company should position itself as the only juice product made by India for all generations and all religions. Holi, Eid, Christmas etc. should be made part of the strategy.
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