THE INTEGRATED MARKETNG COMMUNICATION PLAN

FOR

MALIBAN BISCUIT MANUFACTURER (PVT) LTD

ASSIGNMENT

MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY- MKM 4105

submitted

by

M.I. Muhammathu Rizard

Registration No: SEU/IS/05/MG/022

Index No: MG 0440

Lecturer: Mr. KM Mubarak, Senior Lecturer

Director for IRQUE/LTS

Department of Management

Faculty of Management & Commerce

South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

Oluvil
 THE INTEGRATED MARKETNG COMMUNICATION PLAN

FOR

MALIBAN BISCUIT MANUFACTURER (PVT) LTD

CONTENTS

Plan Titles

1.0 Vision, Mission Statement and Background to Maliban

2.0 The Concept of New Product Development for IMC

3.0 Executive Summary

4.0 Situational Analysis

5.0 Marketing Objectives

6.0 Marketing Communication Objectives

7.0 Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning and Value Propositions

8.0 Evaluating the competitive positioning for Maliban

9.0 Marketing Communication Strategy Plan

10.0 Budgeting and Implementation

11.0 Evaluation and Control

 Vision, Mission Statement and Background to Maliban biscuit
manufacturers (Pvt) Ltd

Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (pvt) Ltd is biscuit manufacturing company in Sri Lanka over
fifty years of success profile. In their vision, they simple say that to serve Sri Lanka, in
this era and the next. How they believe to offer greater value is through the continuous
value addition with new products with sophisticated target group in Sri Lanka and overseas
market.

They simply communicate with Tag Line such as “Inspired of goodness” in each and every
communication whether it may be advertising, sales promotion, PR etc emphasizing how well
the Maliban is successfully associated with customers who feel stronger loyalty products and
its quality of biscuits.

They cater in to Sri Lanka market and overseas as well. The different product line of Maliban
such as Cracker, Savoury, Sweets, Creams, Assortments, Cookies, and even private labels
have targeted sophisticated customers through 74000 outlets in Sri Lanka and it has strong
export marketing even in international markets.

The Concept of New Product Development for Integrated

Marketing Communication

New products Development (NPD)

As Maliban has been doing continuous research in customer satisfaction, they found the gap
and the market opportunities for Cracker which means there are two products in the Cracker
product line available such as Bran Cracker and Cream Cracker for the market in Sri Lanka.
The elder people even youngsters too want the Cracker biscuits as their diet conscious. So
this is a fantastic opportunity for Maliban where they can exploit this opportunity to grow up
the biscuits market.
What value proposition for NPD…..

Obviously we have two Crackers; the first one is Bran Cracker which is valued by healthy
food but not diet conscious. Another Cracker is cream which is not too absolute diet
conscious biscuits. For this therefore we have decided to go for new product development on
diet conscious biscuits for this purpose we have to make the ingredients using fresh and
green vegetables which could offer the Galore, protein and energy to refresh the body fell on
tired. The Cracker brand “Green Veg Cracker” which has different pack sizes, is a new
product that Maliban is going to launch.

Justification for new products…

• The major competitors such as Munchee, Britania have been doing new product
development at time to market. So Maliban also needs to NPD as to get the
competitive advantage over the tide competition in the biscuit market.
• As primarily targeting elder people who are aged 45 years, Sri Lanka has high aging
population, especially in rural areas.
• Maliban so far does not offer any diet conscious products to the market where it has
lots of potential to exploit.

Executive Summary

This Strategic Integrated Marketing Communication Plan provides very key snapshots for the
Maliban Company especially for the new product concept called “Green Vegy Cracker”
covering for six months period starting on January to June 2010.

Marketing Communication strategies said in this documentary are very specific and
contextualized for the case of the company.

Furthermore, the company needs to think of some emergent strategies which are not covered
in this plan to have sustainable competitive advantage and the probable success rate in
implementing this plan.
 Situational Analysis

Micro Environment

Bargaining power of supplier

Probably the bargaining power still remain high because they keep the relationship with
suppliers in international context, so being Sri Lanka like small quantity of purchase can not
have the power to keep with Maliban. But for some of ingredients supplies the Maliban
Company keeps its power over supplier as they have having the contacts in Sri Lanka
context.

Bargaining power of Customers

For individual customers, the bargaining power retains still low and the company’s branding,
product value proposition plays a major role in having the bargaining power with Maliban
Company but as this company moves to some of the B2B customer segments like
supermarkets, restaurants and big hotel, they have some struggling to keep the bargaining
power with them and some powerful B2B branding campaign, personal selling and key
account management campaign needed for the Maliban Company.

Threats of New Entrance

From Sri Lanka context, it will take long time to establish a biscuit company locally but if we
think of the international and global context, we have to be aware of some international
prospects such as acquisitions, merging situation and other forms of joint venture which
directly come into Sri Lanka for starting the business.

Threats of Substitute

Lots of substitute products are available for the biscuit market, such as snacks, chocolates,
etc. how the Maliban company will tackle the situation of over substitute products is through
continuous value addition and proper value propositions of offerings.
Competitions amongst rivalry

Tiger and fierce competition taking place on the biscuit market, although company manages
through the situation of increased value proposition and continuous new product
development.

Macro Environment

PEST Analysis

Political and legal Economical Socio cultural Technological

Environmental Reduced GSP+ Aging Population Customer preference

regulation for on direct marketing
packaging

Govt. Restriction to Increased per capita Modern lifestyle of Green packaing

do business for some income young people
countries

Trade Barriers High inflation People move toward

SAARC, NAFTA Diet Conscious

Political Instability Increasing taxes and Official and

tariffs unofficial uses of
biscuit

Marketing Objectives for Maliban

• To get the 10% sales in total cracker biscuit market in 2010 and increase 5% sales
volume sold in each month in Green Vegy Cracker.

• To get 15% share of market for Green Vegy Cracker in the cracker biscuit market.

• To stimulate trail purchase by 35% and repeat purchase by 13% by offering incentives
that encourage brand switching in 2010.

Marketing Communication Objectives

 • To make the brand awareness by 40% in 2010

• To bring the Green Vegy Cracker Brand as top of mind brand in 2010 at least in

50% of target audiences.

• To create positive word of mouth about the brand “green vegy cracker”, nationally.

• To make 50% of brand awareness amongst opinion formers (doctors, health Dept who
recommend the product to be diet conscious) in 2010

• To have the partnership with Department of Health, Health Centers, and Spas etc to
educate the diet conscious concepts to people how it is important to keep health
sustained. Accordingly Maliban can receive 5% of potential customer through the
program.

• To go for CSR projects in charities, not for profit organizations which are concerned
about health in 2010 to create public awareness

Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning and Value Propositions

Market Attractiveness

UNATTRACTIVE AVERAGE ATTRACTIVE

WEAK

(9)

AVERAGE (2)
(7)
(6)
(8)

STRONG (10) (5)

(3) (4) (1)

Current &
potential

Strengths
in serving
the
segments

Demographic Segmentations
(1) Individuals aged between 40-55 years who are with children (6+
member family size)
(2) Individuals over 55 years who are left children
(3) Individuals over 55 years who are with children (3-5 members)
(4) Working professional aged 25-40 years of age who are concerned of
diet conscious.
(5) School students and undergraduates

Geographic segmentations
(6) Urban , suburban and Rural
(7) Provincial segments( Western, Southern, North and East)
(8) International Market Export marketing

Psychographic segmentations
(9) Individuals who want to change diet conscious life style
(10) Individual who go for premium and quality biscuits brands in Cracker
product line.

Positioning for Green Veg Cracker

DIET
Diet CONSCIOUS
conscious
 Green Vegy Cracker

Tas
te
Delicious
Taste (sweet)
Veg Taste

Non- Diet conscious

 Evaluating the competitive positioning for Maliban Biscuits
Competitor Analysis

Thirty Six players are in the biscuit market, where each player’s products gives competitive
threatening to our company, therefore we need to have strategic competitor positioning and
analysis against to our key competitors in order to achieve the competitive advantage. Here I
consider to not all the products of Maliban Biscuits but it is specifically designed for “Green
Veg Cracker”

Brand Analysis

Munchee, Britannia, Horlicks, Maam are the key competitors for our Maliban biscuits. Out of
these key competitions, Munchee gives greater retaliation for our biscuit market. Furthermore
they have edged over the diet conscious biscuit market by plugging into new product
development such as Herbal Brand- Karapincha Cracker. No other biscuit companies have
moved into diet conscious biscuit market than Munchee which is a greater potential for
Maliban to go for the new product development.

In any case, we need to put some of the brand switching strategies of getting competitors’
customers, market penetration strategies for our Brand called Green Veg Cracker.

Value proposition and Perceptual Mapping for competitors Brand

The perceptual mapping coming below, which covers the positioning of Green Veg Cracker
and other biscuit brands of competitors, is given below.

Diet Conscious DIET

Horlicks Biscuits
Contains Calcium

Green Veg Cracker Karapincha Super cream Cracker

Rich Cashew Cookies Gluco Fit

T
Orange Cream Smileys
A
S Veg Taste Delicious Taste (sweet)
T
E Milk Cream Smileys

Milk Bikis

Mango Puff

Non- Diet Conscious

 --- Maliban

--- Britannia

--- Muchee

--- Maam

--- Horlicks

Value Proposition of Competitors’ Brands

Britannia Biscuits

This is a brand originated from India and they have licensed to Lucky Land biscuits
manufacturers operating in Sri Lanka market.

They propose value added with their products through the Quality concerned, and nutritious
biscuits to the customers. They communicate with their advertisement that their biscuits are
reducing the fat of consumers through the concept called Zero Trans Fat.

But they are not proving cracker biscuits to market. We do not need to with their customers
for cracker biscuits and moreover it would be great advantage for our company.

Munchee Biscuits

Munchee is a reputed brand in Sri Lanka having more market share and market leadership in
the biscuits market.

Value propositions through various product lines of biscuits are all about tasty, quality and
nutritious biscuits to the customers. Munchee is all about having greater emotional touch with
customers by pertinent USP in the market and continuous new product development in its
product lines, whereas they have cracker biscuits product line even focusing on diet
conscious products such as Karapincha.

Maam Biscuits

It is a biscuit brand having a reasonable market share and dominance in the market. But they
mainly focus on cream biscuits, moreover they also focus on the nutritious biscuits but they
have less USP with their products.

Horlicks Biscuits

Horlicks with one variable offers the nutritious and tasty biscuits targeting all type of age
group in the biscuit market. In their value proposition, they say that one pack of Horlicks
biscuits contains calcium of two glasses of milk.
Value Proposition for Green Vegy Cracker

According to the market conditions, we found that some of the value propositions we need to
offer to the customers to get associated with our brand. These days our marketing strategies
are just offering new products with various products attributes and features, and
communication also would be very specific and focused to customers.

We believed that diet conscious products will work on the phenomenal consumer behavior as
we found the gap in the market and we are planning to do the NPD in flavors

As we want to position our brand in the consumer mind as full of goodness in high diet
conscious and high Vegy tasty, we are proposing our value proposition statement as follows

”green vegy cracker offers to the customers who need the diet conscious, healthy food
targeting elder people and professionals as well to make lifestyle happy feeling relaxation
and shape their health with this product”

Communication Mix for Green Vegy Cracker

The Concept of “through the line” which is combined of ATL and BTL communication mix
strategy would be considered for the Green Vegy Cracker.

As our product is new to the market, we mainly focus on creating the awareness concept
which is extremely useful idea to improve our product performance at the initial stage.

Advertising (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 50%)

Advertising objectives

From the set objectives of marketing and marketing communication objectives, this
advertising will help to go for achieving

1. To get the 10% sales in total cracker biscuit market in 2010 and increase 5% sales
volume sold in each month in Green Vegy Cracker.

2. To make the brand awareness by 40% in 2010

3. To successfully penetrate the elder target audience, who are not diet conscious, into
diet concerns and vegy tasty preferences by 25% (customer acquiring) in 2010.

4. To make 50% of brand awareness amongst opinion formers (doctors, health Dept who
recommend the product to be diet conscious) in 2010
In Advertising Mix we consider various mode of Advertising from fragmented media tools
such as TV Ad, Radio Ad, Magazine Ad, Press Ad, Web Ad, Ad on Search Engine
Marketing like google, yahoo etc

Advertisement Tools

Out of objectives we set for our brand, The TV advertisement, Radio Advertisement and
Press Advertisement will help to achieve the 1st and 2nd objectives at overall level specifically.

The 3rd objective that is getting non diet conscious customers for our brand and for the
objectives of 50% brand awareness amongst opinion formers, the Magazine Advertisement
and Advertisement on Search Engines will work.

The Justifications for TV Ad and Radio Ad

It is big source in the marketing mix for creating the awareness level where it covers large
audience and mass –marketing coverage. When we use this tool we offer to the customers
about the emotional feeling, sound about the brand especially how well Green Vegy Crackers
will be helpful to make body shape, live healthy etc, it is comparatively low cost per
exposure, but overall cost is very high.

When we consider the Radio Advert, it is comparatively less cost than TV advert but
emotional aspects as such we produce in the TV advert, we cannot create in Radio.

Evaluating the effectiveness of this TV and Radio AD

Peoples’ Meter is useful instrument to measure the people who are watching the TVs, then
we could understand what channels most of the people look for, how they switches to
channels, what time mostly they watch TVs etc.

The Justifications for Press Ad

Why we consider this press Ad is that large portion of Press Audience is elder citizen in Sri
Lanka. So if we target press Ad for little concern we could reach the audience attention fairly.
So the page, coloring, size of Ad are very important factors to create the attention of audience
of Press Ad. It has good timeliness that means it could be used as for long time reference, and
higher market believability, and it is local market coverage.

Evaluating the effectiveness of Press Ad

The readership research on Press habits of people would be useful for evaluating how people
have the habits of reading news papers, what side they mostly give the preference to read, etc.

The Justifications for Online Ad and Search Engine Marketing

Though Internet comes under the new media, we are considering this here because it creates
the awareness as advertising. The advertisement on Search Engines would create the brand
awareness of many people and the ad on the company’s websites would create big impact on
it. It will enable to achieve our objectives of communications in which we could achieve the
brand awareness amongst opinion leaders and formers and Public brand Awareness.
Comparatively to all media options, it is very low cost practice for the company and superb
interactive with the customers.

Evaluating the effectiveness of Online and Search Engine Marketing

The hit of customers on our links which we have advertised on other company websites and
search Engines will show the indicators of understanding the awareness of customers and
their reach.

Hoarding Ad

Hoarding Ad of Maliban about the Green Vegy Cracker in major cities where people interact
often, and some other central location would be useful concept to create the brand awareness
for product. In addition we have to consider the wording in Hoarding Ad, the attractive
colors, Quality Measures of Maliban Product like SLS, ISO certifications; the clear Tag Line
etc must be considered. The poster Ad also we can take into account for creating the positive
word of mouth and awareness. But the crucial is that wherever we are putting our poster we
need to consider the Language.

Media Scheduling

Vehicles Timing Frequency

News in TV channels 30 seconds Ad during the 2 times run the Ad during the
(Rupavahini, Shakthi, Sirasa, Break, Sponsor for Local news
Swarnavahini, Eye Channel) News. 1St 3 months after
product launch

Tele Dramas (Rupavahini, 1st 4 months after product 4times runthe Ad durng the
Shakthi, Sirasa, launch Dramas
Swarnavahini, Eye Channel)

lifestyle Magazine- very eye

catchy picture, quality colors,

News in the Radio Channels 20 second Ad at the start of the news and
end of the news.

In overall, if we are able to do the customer awareness research after all implementations of
Advertising methods, we would understand the measure of awareness level of customers

Sales Promotions (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 08%)

Our company has to consider the promotions to retailers as well consumers.

Sales Promotion objectives

- To stimulate trail purchase by 20% and repeat purchase by 13% by offering incentives
that encourage brand switching in 2010.
- To increase the Usage of Maliban Green Vegy Cracker amongst consumers.

The Promotions to retailers (Trade Offers)

o Discounts-

For supermarkets, retailers, the company will offer 12% and 10% of discount
respectively at the initial stage of Maliban Green Vegy Cracker

o Sample offers

launch a campaign from Maliban company covering to small villages and Rural areas
giving free sampling of Maliban Green Vegy Crackers. it should be done by selective
areas.

o Merchandising materials and point of sales materials

Offer name board for retailers, install point of sales materials in the supermarkets such
as Cargills, Arpico Super Centres, Keells Super and other emerging supermarket.
The Promotions to consumers (Consumer oriented Offers)

o Samples for selected locations

Giving free samples of products to retailers to get the trail of our products for
consumers- offer 50 packs of Maliban Green Vegy Crackers to the retailers
nationally, this sample offers must be bounded for 2 weeks after the very first product
launch.

o Coupons

Send coupons and prize draws with Maliban Green Vegy Crackers for 3 weeks after
product launch.

o Loyalty Programs

Offer every supermarket about a Card which has very nice colorful printing of
Maliban Company Logos, Branding, and give those customers who come to
supermarket with a RS: 100 memberships and if the customers again they purchase,
they will get some points where they can go for bulk purchase of Clothing at Fashion
Bug.

At the introductory stage, the company cannot offer the highly focused sales promotions until
it to reach the right target audience. Furthermore, if the company offers the discounts to
customers, that absolutely means to they are killing the brand.

Evaluating sales promotions

Consumer Audit: it is a research Method where a research representative will visit go to

sample households and get the understanding of their attitude, behavior, preference about
biscuits especially Maliban Green Vegy. Sample size must be matched with target audience.

Actual Sales: comparison between Pre sales and Post sales by the sales promotions

Retail Audit: like what we have evaluated through Consumer Audit, we have to do this one
too.

Feedback of Sales People: Sales forces are directly having close relationship with customers
then our company can expose our sales people with customers and get things done.
Redemption rates of Coupons: from the reductions of Coupon that have been sold we could
evaluate the effectiveness of sales promotions

Public Relations (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 15%)

Objectives of Public Relations

• To go for CSR projects in charities, not for profit organizations which are concerned
about health in 2010 to create public awareness

• To have the partnership with Department of Health, Health Centers, and Spas etc to
educate the diet conscious concepts to people how it is important to keep health
sustained.

• To create positive word of mouth about the brand “green vegy cracker”, nationally.

Tools of PR

• The press leases and media briefing about our product launch, it features and
attributes, the variables (Flavors) and pack sizes, the distribution channels etc could
be taken to account to create positive word of mouth amongst our target audience.

• Web forum in our websites for our customers

• Advertising on Social marketing Media such as Facebook, My Space, digg etc to have
the social interactions in order to create public awareness

• Endorsing the celebrities such as the cinema stars who have succeeded life in their
career and living at the elder stage.

Evaluating the PR

• Assessing the Media Coverage for particular campaign

 • Research Stakeholders in terms of awareness and attitude, over the time concerning
PR

• Evaluation of Share prices

• Ratinga (super brand. Fitch rating, SLS, ISO etc)

Direct marketing (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 20%)

Objectives of Direct Marketing

• To penetrate the mobile and SMS marketing for 45% customer group to educate the
diet conscious and Green Vegy Cracker.

• To make 50% of brand awareness amongst opinion formers (doctors, health Dept who
recommend the product to be diet conscious) in 2010

Tools of Direct Marketing

Direct Mailers for elder people and professionals who made their busy lifestyle and needed
for diet conscious

The newsletters and brochures about the danger of non-diet products and its conscious and
say in that how Green Vegy Cracker is so useful in offering the value for keeping the diet
conscious

Evaluation of Direct Marketing

• Response Rate from Direct mailers

• Conversion Rate; the responses to sales

• Order Value

• Cost per contact/inquiry/sale

• Click through rates (in maliban websites)

Personal Selling (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 3%)

Send our sales people for the Supermarket chain and talk with senior managers about the
USP and attributes because 20% of supermarket chain will give approximately 80% of sales
revenue. Then ask them to put in their supermarket shelf. Likewise, we have to send our Key
Account Managers for specified business organization to have the Green Vegy Cracker for
their parties, special occasions, conferences etc.

Exhibition (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 2%)

Put our brand in the tradeshows and get the attention of the audience.

Sponsorship (% of Importance for Maliban Green Vegy Cracker is 2%)

The sponsorship like sponsoring in Sports, Exhibitions will communicate with our brand
about the good performances.

Evaluation and Control

Balance Score Card

Financial Perspective

Goal Measure

To measure the income of Green Vegy ROCE –

To understand the profitability of Green Vegy Operating Margin at the income

statement

Customer Perspective

Goal Measure

To understand the customer satisfaction customer satisfaction survey /index

To know how many customers switched their customer acquisition survey

brands

To get the market positioning market share analysis

Internal perspective

Goal Measure

To understand our product portfolio worked %of sales from new products/each
product category

To control the stock efficiency Inventory management

To prove the quality standard Quality indicator (ISO 9000, ISO14000)

Innovation and Learning Perspective

Goal Measure

Less defective products CAM, CAD manufacturing system

Productive manufacturing Just in time

Reference:
Google Search

Marketing Communication book; official CIM book