Abstract: in the context of the economic development of Hebei Province, the market demand for office furniture has changed a lot. This change is not only reflected in the increase in the number of people on the demand for office furniture, but also reflected in the consumer for office furniture quality, style and environmental protection and other requirements of the increase. In Guangdong, Shanghai and other large office furniture enterprises concentrated in the area, office furniture marketing related theory research has been relatively mature, and a lot of practice. And our province in the office furniture industry related research also appears some problems, enterprise marketing concept and management tools are still relatively old, difficult to adapt to changes in market demand and development. Based on the present situation of the development of the office furniture industry in Hebei Province, this paper analyzes and studies the marketing strategy of Hebei PC Furniture Co., Ltd, which is a representative office furniture manufacturing enterprise. Purpose is to through the research on the marketing mix strategies, to the PC furniture company provides important management theoretical basis and scientific marketing direction and let the company stand out in the increasingly fierce competition in the industry to achieve rapid development.
Key words: marketing mix strategy; office furniture
Classification No.: F426.88 document identification code: A article number: 1001-828X (2016) 007-000-03
First, the introduction
Hebei province is a major consumer of office furniture, the overall demand accounted for 6.4% of the total demand of the country. Influenced by the country's large industrial environment and the economic development of Hebei Province, the market demand for office furniture has also changed a lot. This change is not only reflected in the increase in the number of people on the demand for office furniture, but also reflected in the consumer for office furniture quality, style and environmental protection and other requirements of the increase. Behind the rapid changes in the market, some of the problems of the office furniture industry in our province also exposed. These problems mainly include:
First of all, the lack of large-scale business enterprises. Our province currently has nearly 200 office furniture manufacturers, the annual output value of a total of. But the vast majority of these manufacturers for the annual output value of less than 10 million of the small and medium enterprises.
Secondly, poor product R & D capability, design plagiarism serious. Office furniture enterprises in our province are rarely concerned about intellectual property rights, many enterprises do not even own the designer. See what the popular market on the use of imitation, resulting in many companies are reluctant to invest more in product R & D innovation.
Third, malicious competition is serious, the product quality is uneven. Many small and medium-sized enterprises in order to increase sales, malicious depress the price of the product, in the production of the Jerry, shoddy.
Faced with such a market environment, how to choose their own marketing mix strategy, so that enterprises continue to grow and grow, it has become the province of all office furniture enterprises need to study and solve the problem.
Based on the Shijiazhuang a small office furniture production enterprises of Hebei PC Furniture Co., Ltd., for example, through the research on the enterprise marketing mix strategy, aiming to provide a reference for our province office furniture enterprises marketing activities help the industry to explore a sustainable development of marketing.
Two, the company's product strategy research
Product strategy. Product strategy is the basis of the marketing mix strategy, which refers to the enterprise in order to achieve marketing objectives, through the target market to provide consumers with all kinds of products, services and ideas. These products and services is the embodiment of the core competitiveness of the company, including the packaging, brand, style and other elements of the combination and use.
1 product mix strategy
Product mix refers to a business to target customers to provide all of the products used to meet the needs of all aspects of the target customers. Enterprise how to choose the combination of products and their production, marketing and other aspects of the arrangement is closely related. The product line portfolio of the enterprise involves the three dimensions of the product line's width, length and depth.
Hebei PC furniture mainly engaged in furniture products are plate office furniture, does not involve the paint solid wood furniture and metal furniture, etc.. PC furniture will be all products are divided into two series: desk series and office chair series. Overall speaking, the office chair series of products in the market alone in large quantities sales situation is very rare, basically with the office work with sales, so PC furniture product focus or plate type desk series. Plate type desk series furniture including office desk, executive desk, staff working table, screen station, file cabinets, storage cabinets etc.. Overall, compared with the large furniture production group, PC office furniture product portfolio is both the lack of length, but also the lack of width. However, the production of plate furniture specifications and models have a lot, the product mix has a certain depth. In the office furniture market in Hebei Province, customers on the simple and beautiful type of office furniture more popular, and the office of the comfort of the seat also has a high demand. So PC furniture should the strategy to expand the product portfolio, to further expand the length and depth of the product mix, production more types and styles of panel furniture and office chairs, in order to meet the market needs of different customers. Considering the comprehensive strength of PC furniture, companies currently do not have the production of solid wood paint of furniture, equipment and technology, so in the width of the product portfolio temporarily consider expanding and the development of all new products are still existing technology and equipment based.
2 product development strategy
In the fierce market competition, the competitiveness of products is an important factor to measure the comprehensive competitiveness of enterprises. Enterprises want to stand out in the fierce competition, it is necessary to update the product and R & D efforts. Enterprises to develop new products are mainly the following three ways: first, the independent research and development of new products. This way for the enterprise's comprehensive strength requirements are higher, need to invest manpower and material resources in a long period of time and there is a certain risk, the benefits of this approach is research and development of new products once successful, for the first time into the marketplace quickly, if there is a very high technological content of products, in a period of time is difficult to have imitation products appeared. Two is a direct imitation of other people's products. This way of enterprise R & D capability requirements is not high, and do not have to pay upfront high research and development costs; but this approach is not conducive to enterprises to cultivate their own R & D team, and sometimes involves the risk of infringement, and the similar product development mode of plagiarism is leading causes of office furniture market homogenization of the increasingly serious, hindering the long-term healthy development of the industry. Three is to improve the strategy. This method between the independent research and development and between the imitation, enterprises need to have certain research and development ability, can avoid the sameness of products on the market to adopt this approach to develop new products, and is conducive to the cultivation of the enterprise's own R & D team. At present, in addition to individual several large office furniture group to develop new products by way of independent research and development, the vast majority of office furniture companies are selected to imitate and improve the two R & D strategy. PC furniture should be transformed from the present full imitation strategy to the new product development strategy, which is the main way to improve. Although simple imitation products of large companies can reduce the production cost of PC furniture, but from long-term is not conducive to PC furniture brand shaping and competitiveness promotion, only in the design and development of new products, have the courage to break through the present situation, PC furniture to embark on a virtuous cycle of business road. Improvement strategy can make PC furniture "standing on the shoulders of giants" forward further, and developed a new product that is more suitable for office furniture market in Hebei province.
3 service strategy
In order to effectively deal with the increasingly fierce market competition, to enhance the profits of enterprises, furniture manufacturing enterprises must change from the traditional sales behavior to the new marketing model. At this stage, furniture manufacturing enterprises while also providing after-sales maintenance, free installation services, but these services can only be regarded as furniture sales of additional services; and PC furniture will provide customers with goods, service package, the service will be seen as provided an important part, composed of goods and services of complete solutions, to meet customer needs. PC furniture package contents are as follows: In the early stage of furniture purchase, PC furniture will send a professional space layout designer to the customer's office space to understand the situation. Then according to the office space of the decoration style, line layout and customer requirements for the customer to choose the style of furniture, color and size, and ultimately the formation of the overall program.
In the production stage, PC furniture will be from the raw material procurement to the product in the process of each important time node to inform the customer, so that customers always understand the delivery schedule for their own procurement of furniture.
In the delivery of the use of the stage, PC furniture decoration on the scene to protect, to prevent the installation of furniture in the process of floor, wall and other damage caused by the location. After the installation of furniture, PC furniture will be installed in the process of packaging and other waste generated from the scene; and then by the technical staff to accompany customers for product acceptance, the first time to solve the problem.
The normal use of furniture, PC furniture will send customer service personnel inspection of furniture. A patrol in furniture delivered for use in the first year, each of the four month, PC furniture will be for customers to purchase products, furniture for non-human factors causing damage, free repair; in the process of inspection, after-sales staff will be on the company sold the furniture clean and maintenance.
Three, the company's pricing strategy research
Price strategy includes two aspects of price policy and specific pricing. Price policy includes high price positioning of the high-end market or low price penetration to seize the low end of the market, etc., the specific pricing includes basic pricing, subsidies, discounts and other elements of the application. In many cases, the price has become a major factor in the process of mutual competition.
1 factors affecting the pricing of products
Factors affecting the pricing of the main factors are the two types of enterprises and market factors.
The internal factors include:
Enterprise target customers. Each office furniture manufacturing enterprises have their own target customer groups. Different target customer groups because of economic strength, the different consumer habits, choose the price of different office furniture.
production costs。 Production cost is an important factor affecting the price, but also the basis of customized product prices.
Product added value. Office furniture is often due to its own brand, function, meaning and other factors have different product added value. Large enterprises in the production of office furniture is generally more than homogeneous, the same style of general manufacturers of high prices, which contains the factors of the brand.
The external factors include:
Market competition situation. The price of any product can not be ignored in the market competition intense degree, office furniture is no exception. Hebei office furniture market, the most direct embodiment of the fierce competition in the industry is the price competition, to promote sales at low prices almost became the main marketing tool for all Hebei furniture enterprises. Although PC furniture in the product quality and service is superior to many competitors, but in such a fierce competition among the industry has to consider the price of competitors, in order to develop the appropriate price.
Regional economic level. Consumers' purchasing power will be greatly influenced by the local economic development level. Two or three line city office furniture consumers in the product price level is bound to be lower than the first tier cities of consumers. Therefore, PC furniture in the pricing of products, will fully consider the economic level of the province's cities and counties, not beyond the bearing capacity of local consumers.
Customer consumption psychology. Product pricing also needs to take into account the customer's consumer psychology. In recent years, Hebei Province customers in office furniture consumption concept becomes more mature, customer selection of office furniture is not only consider the price, the company's brand, product quality, design and service are also customers to measure factors. Therefore, PC furniture in the formulation of the product price, consideration as to its own advantages in the service.
2 product pricing methods
According to the above factors, we can divide the pricing methods into three categories: cost pricing, competitive pricing and demand pricing.
PC furniture company to choose the pricing method is the addition of pricing method. This pricing method is mainly based on the PC furniture company for the price calculation is simple and to ensure the stability of the profits of the two parties to consider.
3 product pricing procedures
In the process of specific development of product prices, PC furniture, in addition to the cost plus pricing, but also need to refer to the price of competitors and target customers price expectations. Specifically, it can be divided into five steps: specific pricing objectives, analysis of competitors' products pricing, analysis of customer price expectations, accounting costs, determine the price.
Clear pricing objectives. Taking into account the current stage of the company is growing, the funds are not sufficient, Hebei PC home to the pursuit of profit maximization as the pricing goal. If you can get more profits in the short term, PC can have more funds for the upgrading of products and research and development. After the company has developed to a certain stage in the consideration of the pursuit of long-term profit as the pricing goal.
Analysis of competitors' product pricing. At present, the main competitor of PC furniture is Hebei ST office furniture. There are many similarities between the two companies in the target market, product category, product style. From the quality of products, PC furniture products to be superior to competitors; from the product price, the price of similar products PC furniture is about 6% higher than competitors. This is mainly due to PC furniture in the choice of raw materials to be superior to Hebei ST office furniture, resulting in increased production costs. Since the two companies currently account for a considerable market share, the target customers are basically consistent, so in the re pricing of products, PC furniture will be controlled at a price higher than the price of about 3%. Such pricing is: on the one hand, will not let PC furniture loss excessive profits; on the other hand, in the customer compared the two products not price difference between two much attention and guide customers to pay close attention to product quality differences.
Analysis of customer price expectations. Hebei PC furniture selection target customers are part of the government of Hebei Province, large and medium-sized enterprises and office furniture dealers. This part of the customer for the province's furniture business products have a price expectation. In office furniture, for example, customer price of 1400*1400 plate screen station expected in the 900 yuan to 1200 yuan, for the staff of the seat is expected to price on 200 to 260 yuan between, and on the movable cabinet and other ancillary products, customers can accept per capita furniture configuration price between 1200 to 1600. PC furniture at the time of pricing will consider the psychological price of the target customers, the price will be formulated in a reasonable range.
Cost accounting. The cost of production cost can be divided into two types of fixed cost and variable cost. Enterprises need to take into account the cost of these two kinds of costs in the process of setting prices. The fixed cost of PC furniture mainly includes the depreciation of production equipment and the rent of workshop warehouse. The change cost mainly includes the purchase of raw materials, labor cost, transportation cost, etc.. Administrative table in the production 1600*800 as an example, according to the different styles of products, products that the cost of raw materials and labor costs about 800 yuan to 900 yuan between, equipment depreciation, transportation and pre-market after-sales service and total cost in about 1100 yuan. Then PC furniture will be based on the profit added to develop the price range of each administrative table.
Determine price. After the completion of the above four steps, PC furniture will be based on cost, competition and customer expectations of these aspects of the comprehensive factors to develop a detailed product price. In addition, in the special circumstances such as the tender and procurement, pricing, but also consider the price of the tender on the maximum limit. Four, the company's channel strategy research
Channel strategy is the process of how to deliver the product to the consumer in a reasonable way and the lower cost. Channel strategy includes the use of inventory, transportation, dealers and other elements. The successful channel strategy is an important factor to maintain the dominant position in the competition.
1 marketing channel selection
Marketing channel strategy plays an important role in business activities. How to choose the quality of sales channels, to achieve a relatively small cost of sales to achieve a higher sales profit, is the PC furniture has been considering the issue. Hebei PC furniture according to its own customer characteristics and the advantages of resources to choose the following marketing channels:
Direct selling model. That is to create a highly specialized marketing team to tap potential customers, and then take the initiative to contact the target customers, to explore the needs of customers. The direct sales model is mainly applicable to large scale system customers and engineering projects. PC furniture has always attached great importance to the training of direct sales team, the company almost all of the financial system and communication system customers are through direct marketing team efforts to accumulate. Can be said that the direct sales model is the most important part of Hebei PC furniture sales channels.
Establish a direct store. This distribution channel is mainly used in the Shijiazhuang area of PC furniture. PC furniture in Dongming Dimoma office furniture museum and Jinhe furniture procurement center are respectively provided with straight battalion inn, a total area of 1000 square meters. Although the store's rent is expensive, but PC furniture to take such a sales model mainly has the following considerations: first, the establishment of direct sales stores in favor of PC furniture to promote their own brands. PC furniture intentionally straight camp shop opened in the two rent expensive but high passenger flow of the furniture store, has invested 40 million yuan used to store product layout and decoration, for is to increase PC furniture brand exposure rate, expanding PC furniture brand influence. Second, as the exhibition hall to use, to facilitate large customers to understand the company's products. PC some of the major customers in the bulk purchase of furniture, the company needs to provide the appropriate product samples. PC furniture company is located in positive definite, the customer into the factory inspection is more time to spend, plus the volume of furniture is larger, it is not easy to send to customer units, so set up shop in the city center to facilitate customer inspection. Third, direct store to facilitate the collection of market information. Many of the projects in the bidding before, will send someone to understand the furniture brand furniture market price and other relevant information. The establishment of a direct store to facilitate the understanding of these procurement information for the direct sales team in the first time to follow up the customer provides the conditions. Fourth, the establishment of a direct store to facilitate PC furniture to understand customer preferences and industry trends. Direct shop is often the direct consumers, through the analysis of consumer furniture style, color preference is conducive to PC furniture to improve their own products. Moreover, the staff can understand the business of the company, especially some of the latest product style and the market reflects the big brands, to provide the basis for the development of new products PC furniture.
2 marketing channel management
Enterprise implementation of channel management is to realize the flow of information flow and logistics, and to ensure the effective and smooth marketing activities. PC furniture channel management including direct marketing team management, store management in two parts.
Direct marketing team management. PC furniture for direct marketing team management mainly involves three aspects. First, the establishment of a sound system of personnel performance appraisal and incentive system, the sales task is subdivided into individuals. Second, the establishment of work reporting mechanism. PC furniture requirements of each sales staff according to the weekly work plan, and every day to report the progress of the project and the progress of the harvest of the latest market information. Third, do a good job in the League construction. To create a team with a sense of cohesion and ownership by the way of humanized management and rich company activities, so that every employee can be happy to work.
Store management. PC furniture store management includes two aspects of personnel management and environmental management. The personnel management and sales management, and will not go. Environmental management is mainly to the exhibition hall furniture exhibits and store health management, the purpose is to arrive at the PC furniture store every customer brings a warm and comfortable shopping environment and pleasant product experience.
Five, the company's marketing strategy research
Promotion strategy is how to effectively use the information dissemination way, so that the target customers have to purchase desire, so as to realize the process of sales. Which includes the application of the elements of marketing, advertising, public relations and other elements.
1 personnel marketing strategy
Personnel marketing refers to the enterprise's direct sales staff through the way of visiting customers directly, the use of sales skills, and ultimately allow customers to buy products, thereby expanding sales.
PC furniture company on the consumer's marketing strategy can be divided into two categories: first, the development of new customers, the two is the maintenance of old customers. Worked to old customers, PC furniture marketing personnel will be regular home visits, to understand the use of furniture, and through to provide customers with furniture and maintenance, replacement of damaged parts and other services, to win the customer's trust and the opportunity to fight and customer long-term cooperation. For the development of new customers in and PC furniture sales staff will always pay attention to the project schedule and customer demand, and in the early for customers to provide design and product recommendations, using their own professional degree for customers to solve and the future office space related to the practical problems.
2 advertising strategy
Advertising refers to the enterprise through a certain product information display way, so that consumers understand the enterprise's products and services, arouse the desire of consumers to buy and purchase behavior, thus expanding sales.
PC furniture is the main way of advertising is outdoor advertising. PC furniture in Dongming Dimoma office furniture museum of and Jinhe furniture center building rented a huge advertising booth, who came to furniture museum in the vicinity of the can first saw PC furniture product advertising. Outdoor advertising in addition to attract potential customers, but also to a certain extent, enhance the PC furniture brand awareness and product image. PC furniture chose the outdoor advertising because it has the following advantages: first, outdoor advertising, relatively low cost; second, select the appropriate delivery area can the company's product information delivery to the precise target audience; third, huge outdoor advertising space, impressive; fourth, outdoor advertising has a long running cycle.
3 cross industry cooperation strategy
Hebei office furniture market competition is becoming increasingly fierce, the conventional means of promotion play a more limited role. In this environment, PC furniture began to try and other industries related units to carry out cross sectoral cooperation, and played a very good effect. PC furniture cooperation units mainly decoration design companies, property companies and real estate developers of these three categories.
Cooperation with decoration design company. Due to the office space decoration often in the office furniture procurement, decoration design company customer information is very important for PC furniture. Cooperation with the decoration design company not only can get customer information prior to competitors, but also for the PC furniture business has played a great help. If the designer in the decoration of the PC company's products into the design effect diagram and recommend to the customer, then no doubt will increase the odds of PC furniture. Recognizing this, PC furniture from 13 years in Shijiazhuang area with several well-known decoration design company's cooperation, together to promote PC company's products.
Cooperation with the property company. Under normal circumstances, the management of the office of the company's property management companies to grasp the basic information, and therefore the company's cooperation with these properties for the PC furniture customer information collection work has a great help. PC furniture company has with Shijiazhuang Wanda Plaza, Nakamo Haietsu, Le Hui City and other high-end office of the Property Management Company, has played a very good effect.
Cooperation with office developers. PC furniture attaches great importance to and office building, the developers of cooperation, and has Suning Plaza, lerthai centers, Hengda apartments and office building project developers reached a cooperation agreement. For example, signed a cooperation agreement in November 2013, PC furniture and Shijiazhuang Suning Real Estate Development Company Limited as follows: PC furniture showroom for free furniture Shijiazhuang Suning Plaza office building, Suning real estate office will be the 27 layer as a model for PC furniture as hall free for one year, PC furniture for a visit customers understand the product promotional materials put in the model; Suning real estate sales staff with the customer to visit the showroom can recommend PC furniture to the customer, if the customer purchased the product of PC company, PC furniture will be a certain percentage of sales revenue return paid to Suning real estate return; Suning real estate and Suning taking in the new office when give priority to the use of PC furniture.
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