MAG GROUP MARKETING PLAN AND CONCEPTS 2014
Prepared by NAFC November 2013
CONTENTS: I.
Background
II.
Objectives
III. Details (Campaigns, Projects, Initiatives) IV. Cost/Budget V.
Timeline/Schedule
VI.
Ideas for the Future
VII. Establishment of Marketing Team
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
I. BACKGROUND MAG Group and the Dubai Economy > Driven by increased activity in the key areas of: tourism, real estate, finance, retail trade and industry, the Dubai and UAE economy is on a continued growth and is forecasted to continue growing in the foreseeable future. > Due to the continued recovery of the Dubai and UAE economy there are also growing opportunities in the industries that MAG Group is invested in, namely: the real estate, retail trade and manufacturing. > But it is not only MAG Group who have this opportunity, as competitors from various industries are also realizing the need to take advantage of the renewed growth of the economy by increased investments and increased marketing efforts to attract customers.
MAG Group Brand Recognition > Even though in reality MAG Group is one of the largest group of companies in the UAE, there is a difference between what the public know and what the actual stature/scope of the company is. > Brand Awareness – the level of recall and recognition of the brand by customers. (Important questions: Is the brand easily recognizable by people? Do they associate a certain product/service with the brand?
Company Size Al Habtoor Group
Ideal Position
Al Futtaim Group Tier 1 (Large)
Al Rostomani Tier 2
Perception / Knowledge about MAG Group
Tier 3
Brand Recognition
Key Benefits of Having a Good Brand Awareness: 1. Good/Positive Brand Recognition = Trust The greater the awareness of a certain brand, the easier it is for potential customers to trust it. And when there is trust, there will be customer loyalty. 2. Makes marketing more cost effective in the long run With increased brand awareness, new customers will be the attracted to the brand even with minimal marketing effort. Customers already have an idea about the brand, so the effort of convincing them to buy the product or avail of the service will be less compared to less recognized brands. 3. A well recognized brand adds value to the product and service. An established brand can add a level of importance to the product or service. Prestige is a common additional value that a renowned brand can have. 4. In the market, if all products and services are the same, the more recognized brand is preferred. If there is no differentiation between products and services in the market, most consumers and customers choose the most recognizable brand or the brand that first comes to their mind.
Key Benefits of Having a Good Brand Awareness: 5. For high-end products or services, brand recognition has a positive effect on the price. Prices for luxury products and services are normally dictated by the customer awareness of the brand. Well-known brands can charge more for the same product or service compared to other lesser-known brands. Overall, well-recognized brands have better price flexibility than others.
Long Term Relationship
Customer Preference
Customer Loyalty
GOOD BRAND AWARENESS
Builds Trust
Price Flexibility
II. OBJECTIVES Enhance Brand Awareness of MAG through the following: 1. Creation and implementation of branding guidelines for MAG Group > A set of procedures that will guide all within MAG Group on how to use branding materials most importantly, the MAG Logo, with the ultimate aim of consistency through all marketing materials and communication. 2. Effective and efficient marketing campaigns. (Part of a Centralized Marketing Support System) > With an integrated marketing support system for MAG Group, it would be easier to implement efficient and effective marketing campaigns in support of branding objectives within areas: a. Print Media b. Digital Marketing (Online and Social Media) c. Events and Sponsorships d. Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives Supporting Objective Establish a Marketing Support Fund (Part of a Centralized Marketing Support System) > A stand-by financial fund that will only be used to support marketing initiatives of each companies under MAG Group.
CAMPAIGNS, PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES
PRINT MEDIA
SOCIAL INITIATIVES
DIGITAL/ONLINE CHANNELS
EVENT SPONSORSHIP
PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS
Print Media (Magazine and Newspaper) Advertisements Key Benefits: + More cost effective compared to other traditional media (radio and television). + Intended audience is more directly reached and targeted geographically. + Magazines and newspapers have very loyal followings to which the message can be communicated. + The message can be easily passed on by readers to other potential audience. Frequency: 2 Times per year Average Cost: Newspaper Name
Size
Cost
Circulation (Copies)
Frequency
Advantage
Gulf News
Half Page Full Page
56, 500 98, 000
108, 187
Daily
+ Leading English-language newspaper in the UAE. + Largest audited newspaper circulation in the UAE
Al Bayan
Full Page Half Page
47, 500 24, 000
104, 550
Daily
+ Leading Arabic-language newspaper in the UAE. + Ideal for communication to Arabic market.
Khaleej Times
Full Page Half Page
26, 000 18, 000
~90, 000
Daily
+ Least cost of all major English newspapers in the UAE.
Magazine Name
Size
Cost
Circulation (Copies)
Frequency
Arabian Business
Full Page Double Page
33, 048 54, 419
23, 016
Weekly
+ Most readers are in the UAE (70%)
Forbes Middle East
Full Page Double Page
38, 566 60, 604
25, 000
Monthly
+ Wider coverage of readers (across the Middle East) + One of the most trusted print brand in the world.
Full Page Double Page
20, 201 38, 199
21, 518
Monthly
+ Wider coverage of readers (across the Middle East) + Least cost amongst top business magazines in the Middle East
Gulf Business
Advantage
ACTION: Advertise on print media twice a year (once on newspaper and once on magazine) ideally during special events and occasions. OPPORTUNITY: Take advantage of upcoming project launches to magnify brand communication and saturate media.
Budget Requirement: Newspaper – AED 50,000 x 2 Magazine – AED 35,000 x 2 TOTAL: AED 170,000
DIGITAL MARKETING
Corporate Website Interaction
MAG Group Digital Marketing Presence
Social Media
Digital Newsletter
> Maintenance of corporate image through the website. > Source of information for the public and the media.
> Facebook and Twitter engagement. > A fast and easier way to interact with customers/clients. > Ideal way to communicate with the young age market.
> A compilation of the latest news and updates regarding MAG Group > Distributed through emails and available for download from the website.
Key Benefits: + Ideal way to communicate with customers/clients in today’s globalized world. + Global and wide reach. + Instant and measurable feedback from target market/audience.
III. DETAILS Corporate Website Maximize exposure for the newly launched website by emphasizing it on all marketing materials and through social media channels. Key things to remember: > Constantly UPDATE the website for:
Budget Requirement: No necessary budget
1. News 2. Events 3. Promotions 4. Announcements > HIGHLIGHT significant products/services and milestones like: 1. New properties/projects 2. New facilities 3. New business partnerships, investments and ventures > Always update relevant high-resolution IMAGES especially for the MEDIA SECTION. > Always MONITOR media database (through the Media Section) for contacts. > Always MONITOR website metrics (number of visitors per given period, number of downloads, location of visitors, etc.)
MAG Group Website
Social Media Facebook Interaction in Facebook will involve the following process:
Content Research
> Schedule posts for the whole upcoming week. > To stay relevant in Facebook feeds a minimum of 3 posts per week is needed.
3 Times a Week Updates
Facebook Campaign
> Monitor and repeat the whole process while applying necessary improvements.
> Industry News > Company News and Events > Promotions > Product/Service Announcements > CSR-related material
Monitoring and Repeating
> Maintain subscriber interest > Maintain subscriber engagement > Implement 2 times a year Facebook contests (ex: Promotions, Games, Contests)
Budget Requirement: Campaign: AED 5,000 Facebook Ad: AED 1.000 TOTAL: AED 6,000
Digital Newsletter Why create a newsletter?: Since MAG Group consists of multiple and varied companies, we need a medium for which to compile and present information which will be sent to the company’s various stakeholders. Newsletter Title: Since the main purpose of the newsletter is to serve as the information connection of MAG Group to it’s stakeholders, it will be called “The Link”. Contents of the Newsletter: > Company Related: It will serve as the source of company information which includes the following: - News (Company and Industry) - Events - Promotions (Current and Upcoming) - Company Announcements > General Interests Articles: To keep readers interested, The Link will have features that are not specifically related to the company like: - Household tips (ex: How to be a good parent, Do-It-Yourself articles, etc.) - Career Enhancers (ex: How to be productive in the office, Training/self-improvement ,etc.) - Life topics (travel articles, entertainment features, etc.)
Digital Newsletter Target Readership: > The Link will be sent mainly through emails of the following: - Company Employees - Customers and Clients - Company Contacts (Suppliers, Affiliates and Business Partners) - Members of the Media - Contacts from the Government Newsletter Frequency: > The Link will have quarterly issues (4 times a year): - March - June - September - December Budget Requirement:
f
AED 1,000 for database purchase
The Link Editorial Staff/Team: > The Link will have an editorial and contributing team from different sections of MAG Group, the composition of the team is ideally as follows:
Position
Responsibility
Notes
- Heads the general operations of the newsletter. - Setting up the overall direction of the newsletter including the theme. - Approves the draft of the newsletter before publishing.
- Reports to top management
- Oversees the overall content writing process and approves features that will be written, etc. - Discusses to regular writers the possible topics to write.
- Gives advices to regular writers but not gives them independence to write
Team Writers
- Researches and writes features for the newsletter on a regular basis.
- A regular member of the team
Guest Writers/Contributors
- Researches and writes features for the newsletter as per case-by-case.
- Can be any member of MAG Group of Companies
Managing Editor
Content Manager
Creative Artist
- In-charge of the artwork and design of the newsletter.
EVENT SPONSORSHIP
Event Sponsorship Sponsoring events are one of the ways MAG Group can enhance and increase its brand recall especially among the public. Some of the Key Advantages of Event Sponsorships are as follows: > Public recognition for the brand. > If the event will attract big brands this will have a positive effect on the MAG Group because of the prestige of being associated with such brand. (On customer perception, MAG Group is on the same level as the bigger brands) > If the event sponsored is for charitable purposes it will have a goodwill effect on the brand. > If the event is government initiated, it will allow the brand to establish better relationships with the important institutions which will be very useful for company strategy. > No requirement to organize, the event organizer will take care of everything compared to company-organized events.
When supporting events, the following things should be considered: 1. Relation of the event to the overall business of the company. Key Questions: - Is the event anyway related to what MAG Group is doing? - Will the event target the same industry as ours? Event sponsorships should primarily be based on the relationship between the company and the event. The event should ideally be within the scope of business by the sponsoring company. A great exception would be sponsorships for Charity and Social Responsibility purposes, since they are essentially not related to the company business. 2. Association and value of the other sponsors. Key Questions: - Who are the other sponsors? - Do we like to be associated with these other sponsors? When sponsoring events, the other set of sponsors (if known) should also be considered, ideally a company should be associated with other well-known or prestigious brands. 3. Cost of sponsorship against the impact of the sponsorship Key Question: - Is the sponsorship worth the price? Most of the times sponsoring less well-known and industry-targeted events (which cost less) are more cost-effective than sponsoring big events that are not related to the company’s business.
There are a lot of major events in the UAE and the following are key events that are related to the company’s scope of business:
Event Name
Cityscape Dubai
Automechanika
Gulf Traffic
Date
October
Sponsorship Cost (Minimum) +150,000 AED
Industry/Nature
Key Point/s - Targeted mainly to the real estate sector and its market customers. - The premier real estate exhibition in the region.
Real Estate
June
+100,000 AED
Oil and Lubricants
December
+50,000 AED
Transport and Parking
- The region’s largest automotive aftermarket exhibition and networking event. - One of the largest transportation and parking related exhibition in the region.
ACTION: Participate in at least 2 events that will increase visibility and contribute to the positive image for the MAG Group brand.
Budget Requirement:
f
AED 300,000
Budget Flexibility For better sponsorship coverage, the budget will be flexible. It can be used for any event as we see fit.
MARKETING BRANDED MATERIALS
Marketing and Branding Items Corporate giveaways, reference materials and other branded items that are made available and used during events and sponsorship campaigns that helps to promote the brand. Type
Main Use
Examples
Annual Budget Requirement
Visual Materials
- For corporate events, sponsorships, gatherings, etc. that offer opportunities to show the MAG Group brand. - If there are no events, it can be used in the office.
- Roll-up/Pop-up Banners, Tarpaulins
AED 5,000f
Small Giveaways (Internal)
- For office use mainly by MAG employees. - Items that are for daily use and or consumption.
Small Giveaways (External)
- Mainly given to customers and clients. - Items that will keep them reminded about MAG Group
- Ball-pens, Notepads, Desktop Calendars etc. AED 50,000 f - Organizers, Flash Drives, Card holders, Desktop Calendars, etc.
Key Fobs
Roll Up Banners
Desktop Calendar
Corporate Organizer
OTHER MARKETING MATERIALS
CORPORATE VIDEO Background Current MAG Group corporate video is 7+ years old. With the various changes and development in the group since its creation, the video no longer reflects what MAG Group is today. Aside from the given information, the current video is not up to the level of quality that befits the group. Objective Create and develop a corporate video that would be true to MAG Group’s philosophy of “Innovation and Continuous Improvement”, as such some keyword ideas for the movie would be: 1. Creatively done / Unique 2. Not too overpowering 3. Artistically captures what MAG Group is 4. Concise but informative 5. Modern looking
CORPORATE VIDEO Usage The corporate video will be shown primarily as or in the following context/scenario: - Corporate events - New employee orientation - Part of the media kit giveaways - Reference material for media people - Corporate website - Social media channels Key Benefits 1. 2.
It will be a summary and representation of the scope of MAG Group in a visual way. The video can easily capture the attention of the intended audience.
Budget Requirement: AEDf 100,000
Corporate Social Responsibility Activities
Why Participate in Social-related Activities (Instead of just donation)? 1. Genuine Sense of Fulfillment Being part of activities that involve helping the society and the community allows the company and its employees to have a better feel of satisfaction than by simple donation. 2. Creates a more pronounced positive image for the company By directly participating on activities, the public will have a better impression and appreciation for what the company is doing rather than being listed as one of the donors. 3. Allows Employees to be Better overall individuals Through hands-on participation, company employees will be more sensitive to the welfare of the people around them and the environment that they live in. In turn, these experiences will make them more rounded persons. 4. A positive counterbalance against the negative business side of the company Participations in social and environmental activities offsets the negative impression of doing business. Example: Participation in environment saving projects like tree-planting, clean-ups, animal welfare is ideal for industrial related companies like MAG Lubricants to show the public that the company is doing its part in saving the environment and not a part of the problem.
Phase 1: Long-term partnerships with Foundations and Charity Organizations MAG Group will partner with established organizations for selected projects long term projects. (examples: Youth education, Disadvantaged-children welfare, Food programs, etc.) Key Advantages: 1. 2.
Ease of participation since organizing the activities will mainly be done by the organizations themselves (which also makes if more cost-effective) Can be used as an experience for the company for their future independent CSR activity. (Networking for contacts and relevant people within the field of CSR)
Phase 2: Company-initiated activities and projects Once the company is experienced enough to organize their own CSR activities, the next logical stage would be to have its own programs. (examples: Youth education, Disadvantaged-children welfare, Food programs, MAG awards.) Key Advantages: 1. 2.
Ownership of the project or initiative will be for the whole of MAG Group and not with a partner organization. The name of the CSR initiative will be completely tied to the MAG Group brand.
TIMELINE AND SUMMARY
2013
ITEM/MEDIA
2014
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Print Media
BUDGET (in AED) -
Newspaper
100,000
Magazine
60,000
Digital Marketing
-
Website
-
Social Media
6,000
Newsletter
1,000
Event Sponsorship
300,000
Marketing Branded Materials
55,000
Corporate Video
100,000
Contingency Budget
100,000
Implementation/Launch Continuous Implementation No Definite Time
TOTAL BUDGET: AED 722,000
BUDGET NOTES: 1. Contingency Budget – Used for emergency and unexpected projects/activities. Can also be used to cover exceeding expenses. 2. Marketing Budget Rule of Thumb – As a standard to compute marketing budgets, most companies make use of the following computation: A. To maintain current brand status = Annual Revenue x 5% B. To increase brand status = Annual Revenue x 10% (minimum)
IDEAS TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems Are tools that allow companies to maintain contact and foster relationships with their customers or clients more effectively and efficiently (through automated means) than traditional customer communication.
Key Features of CRM
Benefits
Automated and Highly customized Customer Database
- Ability to search for customers and clients through a wide range of criteria like age, gender, income, etc.
Automated Emails and Newsletters
- More efficient and convenient way of sending information to clients.
Situational Examples
- Contacting clients based on their potential to participate in a promotion.
- Electronic sending of promo materials and event invitations.
Key Features of CRM
Automated Customer/Client Information System
Benefits
Situational Examples
- Easily monitor or track customer behavior. - Customer info can be easily shared to other companies within the Group
- Information on the buyers of units from MAG property developments can be used by other MAG Group companies for networking. - Effectively estimate when to give contacts the next product offerings.
CRM Systems simplifies the need to maintain interaction and contact with customers and clients. It also helps identify and target potential and future customers.
CRM System Cost: AEDf 100,000
ESTABLISHMENT OF A MAG MARKETING SUPPORT SYSTEM
With the continued growth of the MAG Group and the individual companies within the Group, there is growing need to give importance to Marketing as a core function within the company.
Key Steps to take: ďƒź Consolidate and Establishment of a Marketing Support System throughout the whole group, administered by a Marketing Support Team (MST) from the Head Office. ďƒź Streamline the communication channel between the individual companies with MAG Group Head Office
Major Functions and Roles of the Marketing Support Team: 1. Consultation/Advisory All individual companies under MAG Group can directly contact the MST for advices on any marketing related issue from research to new product proposals. 2. Creative The MST will serve as complimentary creative team for marketing collaterals, literatures and advertisements, etc. 3. Coordination The MST will help in the coordination with 3rd parties for marketing related projects and activities. 3rd parties such as media agencies and government institutions, etc. 4. Organizational Assistance In terms of events and related activities, the MST can assist in the planning, coordination, implementation and post-evaluation.
REACTIVE APPROACH: >> Company will identify their needs and inform the MAG Group Marketing Support Team (MST). >> MST will provide support/guidance as necessary.
1 "COMMUNICATE NEEDS" Marketing Requirements: >> Brand Management >> Promotions and Advertisements >> Events Planning and Management >> Coordination with relevant media channels >> Social Media Planning >> Market Research >> Marketing Collaterals
2
"PROVIDE SUPPORT"
>> Create plans based on their needs.>> >> Give recommendations, proposals and advice.
1
"ANALYZE AND DISCUSS RECOMMENDATIONS"
>> Look for Areas of Improvement in terms of Marketing. >> Areas of Strength and Weaknesses >> Propose necessary campaigns
2 "PROVIDE SUPPORT" PROACTIVE APPROACH: >> MST will discuss recommendations to the companies as they see fit. >> Companies can implement the given proposals.
MAG GROUP MARKETING SUPPORT FLOW
>> Provide "Go-Signal" for implementation >> Give necessary support for the success of the project/campaign.
Marketing Support Team (HQ)
MAG Group Marketing Support Team -
Head of Corporate Strategy -
Sets executive direction for the team Represents the team during high-level discussions
-
Creates, proposes and executes marketing plans and strategies for the group. Responsible for the main marketing functions (Research, Brand Management, PR and Communications)
Marketing Officer
-
Serves as the visual communication consultant of the team.
-
Manages the day-to-day function of the team: (Supplier coordination, file management, etc.)
Creative Artist
Administrative Coordinator
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