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Strategy To Relaunch Dasani In The UK Market

Paper Type: Free Essay Subject: Marketing
Wordcount: 2450 words Published: 27th Apr 2017

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Being thelargest global non-alcoholic beverage company, Coca-Cola Company hasmore than 120 years of history which was invented by Dr. John Pemberton, who was a pharmacist in Atlanta in 1886. Coca-Cola is a well-known brand all over the world. It occupies around 50% market share in non-alcoholic beverages worldwide. However, the percentage would slip occasionally, and Coca-Cola Company can still be considered as the leader in soft drinks industry, which has more than 500 brands of beverage, including “four of the world’s top-five sparkling brands”(refe3).

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Being the consultancy organisation, in this report, we will focus on the bottled water with Dasani brand of Coca-Cola Company, which was to be launched in United Kingdom on 10th February 2004 and had to recall500,000 bottles only five weeks after its launch (lecturenotes). The overallreport willinvestigate and analyze the bottled water market and its consumers, combining the findings with related theories of marketing communication;it will present a plan that will not only meet the overall aim of Coca-Cola, but also assistDasani to be re-launched in UK this summer 2011.

According to BBC report, the bottled water has become a profitable product with a large number of consumers (BBC, 2010). The reason why this type of water has become more popular among people can be analysed from two key factors. The first aspect is related to the character of bottled water. This type of water has proven to be very common in daily life today as customers purchase the bottled water whenever they need and wherever they are. Thus it’s very easy and convenient to obtain and handle. The other factor regards to people’s health. Most of the bottled water contains minerals that are essential for the well being of the human body.

The reason why Dasani lost its market and consumers’ trust in UK in a very short period can be concluded from two critical aspects. Firstly, Dasani bottled water was actually purgative water(i.e. tap water) which had some minerals addedafter technological purification process (note). Coca-Cola Company said Dasani is “as pure as bottled water gets” (BBC, 2004), this lead the media blame Coca-Cola Company of misleading and cheating consumers to buy Dasani ata high price. However, according to the explanation from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) (note), once the product has added ingredients, it would not be “pure” anymore. Therefore, most of the consumers believe they had been cheated by Coca-Cola and refused to purchase Dasani again.

On the other hand, the test result of Dasani samples showed excess content of bromate “between 10 and 22 limit parts per billions”, while the legal limit is 10. (ref7). Moreover, FSA indicated that “the bromate as a chemical that could cause an increased cancer risk as a result of long-term exposure” (BBC, 2004). Under the pressure of the public criticism and the response of consumers, Coca-Cola has to recall all of the Dasani water from UK in 24 hours.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Dasani will use its characteristics to attract these four core audiences proposed in future marketing.

Young adults:

Dasani target group will be young adults between the ages 22to 30 yearswho love to follow fashion, with their mobile phones in one hand and the bottled water in the other. The bottled water has become one of their accessories and thus finds it important to carry it every time they are out. This is what marketing professionals like to say its “part of their life style”. REF.Normally, this segment of people do not care about the specificcontent of the water rather than the portability of the bottled water and brand. This group don’t drink water because it comes from a natural source (eg.spring), but because it tastes better than tap water. Dasani meet these needs and will come with some added value (eg.ingredients like fluoride), if the marketing is effectively done.

Placing the brand in the hand of carefully selected celebrities will boost sales as they easily influence these target audience. REF.

Therefore, Dasani will focus on these characteristics to satisfy the trend and reduce the price in order to attract young people to buy Dasani.

Green Consumers

“Consumer demand has got us into the current mess, now it has to get us out again” ref http://sites.google.com/site/richardgosden/green-consmerism.Consumers are aware of the environmental hazards (e.g. Global warming), if right steps are not taken at the right time. This segment is inclined in buying environmentally friendly products to meet their new dual consumption.The ideology of Dasani is pure water, the bottle of Dasani is 100% recyclable bottle and it made from up to 30% plant-based materials. Thus, this green product will create a balance between this segment’s expectations and satisfy their needs by offering a better product in an environmental orbit.

Uncompromising mothers

According to family life cycle, “full nest” is the name to call this group target audience, the characteristic of uncompromising mother is to bring best care to their children and family, they are always cautious to choose the best products. Therefore, Dasani will show its benefits to satisfy mothers.

Sportspersons

After rigorous sporting activity, sportspersons need to replenish water and energy. Dasani could supply them with necessary minerals their body has been deprived of and energy in the form of water. Compared to other bottled water products which charge higher price, Dasani would be a better option.

THE BRAND POSITIONING WITHIN THE MARKET

Dasani will take on a new position centred on health and environmental sustainability (Plant Bottle). Dasani will be seen as a product with a purpose. Not only that, but it will provide consumers with clean clear pure water.

INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS

Brand awareness is a predicament of bringing the brand name into the consumer’s mind when they link their mind to a particular product group. REF SHIMP.2007.Brand awareness spreads itself into two categories, namely Brand recognition and Brand recall.

Brand recognition depicts about a comparatively exterior level of awareness, whereas brand recall reflects the point to which a brand name is recollected as a member of a brand.

Further, brand recognition is an aided recall, which means it needs to be associated to the product category in some way, but brand recall is an unaided recall which is deeply embedded in the customer’s mind.

Brand recall can be an extremely complex goal to attain and to sustain, especially for a brand like dasani which had a few problems in the past. However, if the right branding tools are successfully executed through a favourable message, then brand awareness for dasani can be achieved.

In order to increase Brand recall for Dasani, the report will use Rossiter, J R. and Percy, L (1997) strategies for brand recall:

Associate the Category need and the brand name

Brand recall demands the consumer to have knowledge between the category need and the brand name; Zaichkowsky, J., Vipat, P. (1993) provides evidence that brands that meet these needs are more likely to be recalled.Hence, for Dasani to have a high recall, the category needs (i.e. bottled water) and the brand name (Dasani) must be concurrent. (REF 1) This will be possible thorough the implementation of marcom elements, were advertisement will focus Dasani as synonymous to water.

Repeat the Association

This strategy requires a logo or symbol in linking the category need and brand name, it is mostly non verbal. Developing a publishable symbol with atagline, will increase brand awareness by

sticking the print symbols at advantage points and dispatching mails to the clients on letter heads with the symbol.

Personal connection with the brand

In creating a personal connection with the brand Dasani, it will employ the personal attributes of a mother’s care and love to a child; this will evoke the emotions of the brand to the buyer making dasani more memorable.

Jingle to increase brand recall

A Jingle is a short song, generally referring to a brand or product benefit, used in an advertisement. (REF 2) This is mostly proven to be effective in aiding brand recall of a product. (Kohli, C., Leuthesser, L., Suri, R. (2007)). Thus, for Dasani to gain that advantage in the minds of the consumers, a suitable jingle will be composed congruent to the benefits of Dasani.

Using high advertising frequency relative to the competition.

A heavy investment in the frequent advertisement of the brand Dasani will go a long way to improving brand awareness among consumers. Also flaunting the banner on company vehicle tomake noticeable to every bystander,the more one sees the brand the more memorable Dasani will be in their minds.REF6

6. Create a tagline and use it frequently

“Can anything be more natural than a mother’s love?”

By doing this it would be easier for the audience to be on familiar terms withthe product and also search online.

FAVOURABLE BRAND ASSOCIATIONS/EVALUATIONS

Favourable brand association is the good or positive sensations that consumers have about a brand or product.

By depicting the portrait of a mother and a child we are trying to illustrate the caring, loving and pure nature of the product towards its consumers. By making the product eco-friendly we are caring about the environment and the future human existence. Every mother loves its child in the purest possible way; we have implemented the best purification process adaptable in this industry to describe our fondness towards our consumers. Further by adding energy-rich minerals we are attempting to create a shield around the consumer’s immune system. The persona and merits of our product is vey close to the role of mother towards its child.

Symbolic positioning is more representative of Dasani water marketing positioning, owing to the above mentioned items which Dasani carry are all for the audiences, Dasani not only provide belongingness and social meaningfulness to customers, but also ensures quality.

THE MESSAGE TO BE COMMUNICATED

Bottled water is a widespread market; most high-end brands do not aver purity by presenting pictures of high-tech filtration process. Nevertheless, consumers desirea reassuring brand. A technical communication would be unexciting and dry, thus the communication message is to bring to mind an arousing reaction and generate a positive outlook for the brand. Using a mother and a child, we are reassuring the public of the purity of the water after the incident of the bromate in the water, but now the water is safe to drink. (A mother wouldn’t feed a child poisonous water).

We are using the HEM communications in our advertisement. ( would explain that in the next meeting)

We will draw the customer’s attention back since it has been away from the market for quite some years. This will be done by placing advertisements on television, so the customers will get to know that Dasani is back in market, Dasani ads will haul the customer’s attention towards it.

We would publish ads and articles in the newspapers, this would get potential customers attention, to how did Dasani re- launch? What new things it has come up with? The ads and articles would answer the questions, and get attention in the upcoming market.

Public Relations- The PR agent of Dasani would answer doubts of the media and customers, which would help to gain furtherattention of masses.

After a few days of the customers attention is achieved, next would be to get the potential customers interest towards Dasani, this would be done by ads on television, hoardings, newspapers, which would talk about Dasani’s benefits and advantages, which will build the customers interest for Dasani.

Desire

Here we have to market in the places where the interest has to change into desire. For this maximum promotion would be needed, which would create desire for the potential customers to buy it, promotions like promoting Dasani in the universities and colleges, gymnasiums, in eco-social seminars and in malls etc. And even advertising on television, newspapers, and Internet about its great taste, and how it would help satisfy their needs.

Action

Here when the potential customer is in need of the product, Dasani should be already available and has to catch the eye of the customer at a glance, i.e. in gymnasiums, universities, malls etc. There will be billboards and Point of Purchase displays to lead the customers into action.

Satisfaction

After thecustomer has used Dasani, it should live up to the customer’s expectations. At this point the ads on television, newspapers, internet would consistently continue to make sure that Dasani is not forgotten by its customers,while the new customers join in.

Grounded on research analysis, Dasani’s strategy to gain market share in a bottled water industry proved futile, however the backlash to the brand name can be improved to dominate the market in order to sustain steady growth. By building on its strengths such as the eco-friendly bottle and support from its parent brand (Coca-Cola), market penetration will be achievable, giving Dasani a laudable chance of relaunching itselfsuccessfully in UK market. Nevertheless, it should be aware of threats media criticism might pose, by putting in place measures to address such issues e.g. Public Relations department.

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In conclusion, this report has critically analysed the relaunch of Dasani bottled water. The background has examined the emergence of the bottle water industry and a brief history of the Coca-Cola Company. Using relevant theories and applied knowledge the report has outlined the the target audience, the brand positioning within the market, how the target audience can be reached, what and how the message is to be communicated,design for one print advertisement,marcom element implementation,increase brand recognition and recall favourable brand associations/evaluation. Finally, by employing the SWOT analysis a few recommendations have been made which stand relevant to Dasani to improve, though it has a strong potential to succeed.

 

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