Question

Directions: Read the scenario below and type your response in a document.

Scenario: Congratulations you have just been hired by Nike to define a target market for a new shoe that they are creating. Nike has decided to design a new running shoe that has lights around the bottom portion of the shoe. The lights on the bottom portion of the shoe were created to help customers see where they are running or walking in the dark. The lights will come in different neon colors such as green, pink, blue and yellow.

Assignment details: Give a detailed description of who you are going to market the shoe to and why. (2 paragraphs 5-7 sentences)

Think about how you will market the product to your segmented group and why. Remember, if you are marketing to kids you might do something totally different than if you are marketing towards the elderly. Now for the fun part! Describe in detail your marketing plan. Your description should focus on the marketing strategy and implementation parts of the marketing plan and needs to be at least two paragraphs long (2 paragraphs, 5-7 sentences long).

Answer 1

1. Put Customer Interests First

Customers like great products and they like serious benefits.

For them, things that benefit them personally are easy to justify. The Nike Moon shoes did this, but only because the customer was beginning to understand jogging and its benefits for their health. Bill’s secret goal wasn’t to sell shoes, he was simply promoting something that he believed in. This may not sound like a marketing strategy, but it certainly should.

2. Base Your Strategy On A Felt Need

Initially for Nike’s audience, the felt need wasn’t for better running shoes, but for a better way to get in shape.

Certainly, running was already popular among kids and athletes in the 1970’s, but it wasn’t the widespread social activity that we see today. The growing white-collar workforce helped pave the way for social activities that included the promotion of cardiovascular health. Once the trend was ingrained, the need shifted and the “jogging shoes” themselves became the felt need.

3. Believe In the Product You Are Selling

It’s unlikely that Bowerman’s original goal was to become a millionaire as he penned the pages of his first jogging pamphlet.

That wasn’t why he did what he did. His only goal was to promote a sport and an idea that he believed in. As marketers, shouldn’t we believe in the product and the ideas we are selling? For Bowerman, it sure made marketing a lot easier. He was “marketing” without even realizing what he was up to.

4. Sell Easily Identifiable Benefits Instead Of The Product

While jogging is pretty easy to understand, the waffle tread isn’t (at least not until you understand why Bowerman made it in the first place). His goal was to make the world’s most light–weight running shoe. He believed that this factor alone could dramatically improve the speed of a distance runner. His product worked and quickly gained the industry respect that it deserved.

Step-by-step explanation: