Distribution planning

Distribution planning is a very important component in the marketing mix. For there to be an effective marketing plan, it is essential to put in place distribution mechanisms that facilitate smooth and effective distribution.  The product must be in the right place at the right time to ensure that their purpose is fulfilled. It is the obligation of the marketing department to ensure that their product arrive at the point of consumption effectively (Wong, 2010). It is for this reason that effective and efficient planning must be carried out to ensure that the marijuana products get to the target group at the right time. In essence, distribution forms the basis for doing the business as it is concerned with the avenues through which product and services get to the target consumers.

In order to come up with an effective distribution plan, it is important to understand the nature of the product and the different distribution channels at their disposal. It is also important to have a clear objective of where you want your product to be sold and in most cases it would be both in urban and rural markets. This is because there are different distribution channels and the choice of the channels mainly depends on the on a variety of circumstances. For instance, the new marijuana medical products are fresh products in the market and the distribution mode could be critical to the success of the industry.

The distribution of the medical marijuana product requires that there is a personal touch between the manufactures and the consumers. This is because it requires a lot of hard work to convince consumers of the medical value in marijuana. This is because majority of the population have the tendency to believe that marijuana is a hard dug. It is for this reason that direct sales will be an effective and efficient distribution channel to distribute these products. The company will be expected to have sales agent who will have an obligation of ensuring that the product get to the consumers directly from the manufacturer (Westwood, 2005).

The recent technological advances should be embraced for the benefit of the organization. It is important to note that the world is turning into a global village due to increase in internet use. Creating a company website will be an effective distribution channel as most consumers will have to purchase the product online. The websites can be interconnected with different search engines to enable quick marketing of the new marijuana product. This will be a very brave step for the company since it enhances convenience to both the manufacturers and the consumers of the products (Wong, 2010).  These distribution channels seems to be the best option for such product since they  save greatly in terms of cost and time frame required to get the product o the consumers.

Intensity of distribution is another major area of concern in a marketing plan. The three main options concerned with the intensity of marketing include, intensive, selective and exclusive distribution. Since the new marijuana medical product is being introduced in the market for the first time, intensive distribution would be the best option(Westwood, 2005).. This strategy aims at providing the organization with saturated market coverage which is realized by using all available outlets.

Promotion planning

Another very serious factor to consider in a marketing exercise is the promotion of the product. This becomes even more important in cases where a new product is in the market. This involves ensuring that the target group gets reliable and adequate information on the existence and the purpose of the product in question. The marketing department in any organization has a sole obligation of ensuring that the population around knows that a certain product exist and why they should buy the product. The promotional plan must involve delivery of information at different levels within an organization (Westwood, 2005).

For the promotional exercise to be successful in an organization, it is essential for the organization to have a strategic and well coordinated marketing communication mix. This is essentially referred to as Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) which involves delivery of competitive, precise, clear, consistent and result driven information regarding the product and the organization in question. IMC is concerned with promoting the brand and corporate image to the society and the potential consumers of the product in question.  The main goal of integrated marketing communication is to ensure that there is no chance to make an error, no miscommunication and there is no confusion from the kind of information delivered regarding the corporate or the brand being promoted. These goals are achieved through ensuring that there is consistency in the information delivered and it is delivered through the right medium to achieve the desired results (Wong, 2010).

Integrated marketing communication has been on tremendous rise over the past few decades. The strategy is being adopted by several large and small companies with an objective of achieving synergy which it has been associated with for a long time. It is also believed that the approach is critical for the company to maximize on its return on investment as far as marketing and promotion is concerned. IMC is known to adopt several promotional mix tools that depend mainly on the brand or type of product in question. For instance, it is important to note that of late, many corporate organizations are turning to lower-cost target communication tools which include but not limited to; direct marketing, event marketing and sponsorship, sales promotion and internet (Westwood, 2005). This has been as a result of the companies to develop their marketing communication strategies in the radical and competitive business world. Other common IMC tools include media advertising, interactive advertising, trade and consumer oriented promotions, personal selling and Store Signage and Point-of-Purchase Advertising just to mention but a few.

It is important to understand that the driving force behind the implementation of the integrated communication strategy is the synergy derived from their implementation.  It is for this reason that the corporate organizations are advised to use multiple tool s so that greater synergistic effects can be realized. Proper coordination of different tools is expected to have greater results. For instance, new marijuana medical product can be effectively marketed through event marketing as well as through media advertising to ensure that greater results are achieved.

Price planning

Pricing strategy is also a very important aspect in defining an effective marketing plan. This is a portion that is concerned with determining the right price for the service or the product in question. In order to come up with the right price for the product, it is vital to ensure that the price is competitive and does not compromise the profitability of the organization. The organization can have any price for their product but they must be considerate to ensure that both the consumer and the producer of the product are not at loss (Westwood, 2005). In order to have the right price for the new product, a pricing strategy should be considerate of the consumer threshold. In essence, the right price for the product can only be arrived at after considering the cost of production, consumer benefits and comparing the prices of substitutes.

In order to get the right price, it is paramount that you put inconsideration the cost incurred in the process of producing the product. It is also important for one to consider the benefits that the consumers will derive after consuming the commodity in question as well as knowing what similar products produced by other firms are being charged in the market. These are very critical considerations in determining the breakeven point for the firm which forms the basis for the pricing (Wong, 2010).

Different organizations adopt different pricing strategies to determine prices for their product and services. For instance, some can adopt price skimming, price penetration, price discrimination, odd pricing and market-oriented pricing just to mention but a few. For instance, the new medical marijuana product may adopt a price discrimination strategy (Westwood, 2005). This is a situation whereby the product will be sold at different prices to different consumers. Since the product will be sold in different parts of the country, price discrimination can be implemented effectively. It is also possible to adopt penetration pricing where the company can decide to charge very low prices to curb competition and secure large market share. However it is worth noting that price penetration requires extensive planning that involves mass production and intensive advertising for it to be effective.

Conclusion

Introduction of a new product in the market is not an easy task as many people would think. For a product to do well in the market, extensive research and planning is paramount. For instance, the introduction of the new medical marijuana product in the market will be a tough task that will only be a success through a lot of toil and determination. The exercise calls for abundant knowledge in marketing and other related fields. This is because of the nature of the product which is not naturally acceptable for human consumption (Wong, 2010). A lot of challenges are expected and thus it is essential for the producers to be well equipped on how to handle these eminent challenges. The 4ps in marketing mix should be clearly understood and it’s the obligation of the marketing department to ensure that they are effectively implemented.

References

Westwood, J. (2005). The marketing plan workbook. London: Kogan Page.

Wong, K. K. (2010). Approved marketing plans for new products and services. S.l.: Iuniverse Inc.

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