MKTI619 Marketing Internship Report On KNORR PASTA MARKETING REPORT

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Introducing Knorr Pasta

Term Paper on the Launch Strategy of Knorr Pasta

 

 

Background

This report forms the launch plan for Knorr Instant Pasta in the Pakistani urban market.

The launch plan has been constructed as an academic project for the course titled “Principles of Marketing.” The plan contains our views on the overall product concept and proposition, the product’s target market, positioning, communication, distribution, pricing, and a broad based business model that outlines projected financials subsequent to the launch of the said product.

About Knorr

Knorr believes in the power of the cooking woman. Cooking is more than just transforming raw ingredients into a dish. It is the creation of flavor into food, which sparks delight into everyday meals. With the power of cooking in their hands, women create relationships and strengthen bonds. This conviction lies at the heart of Knorr's success - it is Unilever's no. 1 brand.

Passion for Flavor

A passion for good food goes right back to Knorr's earliest days. The business was formed in 1838, when founder Carl Heinrich Knorr pioneered experiments in drying seasonings and vegetables to preserve their flavour and nutritional value. Since then Knorr has become an international brand offering a wide range of bouillons, soups, seasonings, and other cooking aids that is every cooking woman’s kitchen partner.

Soup is at the heart of good food and good nutrition - and the heart of Knorr. Soup naturally enjoys a healthy nutritional profile, can help consumers increase their daily consumption of vegetables and will help them look good, feel good and keep fit.

It is well known, for instance, that people who eat more soup tend to have:

§ A lower Body Mass Index 

§ Lower fat intake 

§ Lower energy intake per day 

§ Better cholesterol values 

§ Better nutritionally balanced breakfasts, lunches and dinners                            

Soup is a nourishing dish offering an almost primitive comfort. That is why Knorr will continue to create delicious soups, based on its long experience of producing soups of all kinds and flavors.

Key Facts

Knorr is a trusted and popular brand, recognized and appreciated all around the world:

§ It's Unilever's no. 1 brand, with annual sales of more than €3 billion. 

§ Knorr products are currently sold in more than 80 countries and it is growing fast beyond its European heartland, particularly in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.  

§ The Knorr logo contains the original signature of Carl Heinrich Knorr, the founder of the company.

Product Concept & Proposition

About Pasta

A 1/2 cup serving of cooked pasta (spaghetti) contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat, and less than 5 milligrams of sodium.[1]

Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates, which helps give us energy. Instead of a quick burst of energy, complex carbohydrates provide a "time release" of energy. Athletes who take advantage of "carbo-loading" eat complex carbohydrates to save up the energy in their body. The carbohydrates become glucose stored in the muscles. The glucose energy is then released when needed during long, tiring exercise, like long-distance running or biking.

Pasta comes in many different shapes and sizes. There are simple string-shaped pasta like spaghetti and vermicelli, ribbon-shaped ones like fettuccine and linguine, short tubes like elbow macaroni and penne, decorative fancy shapes like farfalle and rotelle, large sheets like lasagna, and hollow pasta stuffed with filling, like ravioli, manicotti, and tortellini.

The Instant Pasta Concept

Today's consumer has redefined traditional eating.  This "on-the-go" generation has created a demand for nutritional pasta that is quick to prepare and portable.

In recent years, research indicates that young urban Pakistanis have continued to find lesser and lesser time to actually “cook” the food they eat, while its demand for tasty and healthy food that can be conveniently prepared at home continues to grow.

Therefore, we would like to introduce the concept of “Instant Pasta” in order to capitalize on this market dynamic. The concept can be described as follows:

[Knorr] Instant Pasta is an alternative and faster way to make great tasting pasta in half the time taken to make it using traditional recipes. [Knorr] Instant Pasta comes in a variety of flavors, shapes and packaging. It is very simple to make and the preparation time is very low.

 

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Target Market Analysis

Target Segment Identification (Ideal Consumer Profiling)

After careful analysis of the market as well as consultation with the Knorr brand team, we have identified the following market segment to be targeted as ideal consumers for Knorr Pasta:

Demographics

	Buyer	Consumer
Density	Urban	[Same]
Age	30 – 35	8 – 15
Gender	Female	Male/Female
Family Size	4+
Lifecycle Stage	Married with children	Kids/Early Teens
Minimum Household Income	Rs.25,000/-	N/A
Education	Graduate	Primary/Secondary School
Occupation	Housewife/Working Woman	Students

Psychographics

	Buyer	Consumer
Social Class	SEC A1, A2 or B (Middle, Upper Middle, Lower Upper and Upper Upper Classes)	[Same]
Lifestyle	Believers	Achievers
Personality	Ambitious, trendy	Extrovert, confident

Consumer/Buyer Behavior[2]

Consumption/ Purchase	Buyer	Consumer
Occasions	Most commonly bought during daily/weekly groceries by the housewife or the chief wage earner.	School lunch breaks, evening/general snacks, school night dinners (especially when the main course is not liked), alternative to lunch.
Benefits Sought	Good health and great taste in the food that can be prepared quickly and conveniently which her children would readily eat and thus facilitate her in raising them to the best of her abilities.	Great tasting alternative to already available/unavailable food in the house.
Status	Regular Instant Noodles Buyer	Regular Instant Noodles Consumer
Average Usage Rate(s)	6 packs a week	3 packs a week
Loyalty	Medium	Strong
Attitude	Low Involvement, Positive, Habitual	Habitual, Enthusiastic

Market Potential

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Symbols

1. TMSD: Total Market Segment Demand.

2. N: Number of Buyers in the Market Segment.

3. Q: Quantity purchased by an Average Buyer per Week.

4. P: Price of an Average Unit.

Where,

TMSD = N X Q X P

 

Calculating N

§ The total population of Pakistan is 160 million, according to unofficial estimates. [3]

§ The average household size is 5 in the target market segment identified above.²

§ Hence, there are a maximum of 32 million households in Pakistan, (assuming that the average household size stays constant across various geographies in the country.)

§ According to human development index (HDI) statistics provided by UN, 15% of Pakistani population is below the poverty line i.e. in absolute poverty.

§ Hence, (100% - 15%) x 32 million yields 27.2 million households across Pakistan

§ The urban and rural split in the country’s population is 35%:65%³

§ Hence, 35% x 27.2 million yields 9.52 million urban households or 9.52 million urban housewives

Determining Q

Based upon the buyer and consumer behavior mentioned above, the average units bought per week per buyer is 6.

Determining P

Knorr Pasta would be sold at the price at Rs.15/- per unit.

The total market segment demand per week i.e. market potential per week is as follows:   TSMD = N x Q x P = 9.52 x 6 x 15 = Rs.856.8 million

 

Note: According to estimates received from Unilever, Knorr Noodles currently has 30% share of this potential market.

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Competitive Positioning

At Knorr, we want people to enjoy good food, any day, any time. This is why we would like to functionally describe Knorr Instant Pasta as follows:

“Knorr Instant Pasta is a ready to make, healthy and tasty meal specifically developed for children and teenagers. It is quick and convenient to prepare and comes in a variety of flavors.”

Brand Values

We intend to communicate what Knorr Instant Pasta should mean to our profiled ideal buyers (i.e. housewives within the targeted market segment) and consumers. It is much more than merely an instant meal. It is a passport to world cuisine, adding new ideas and new twists to old favorites. The challenge is to make our products the healthy choice for consumers without compromising taste, convenience and affordability.

Knorr’s value statement is as follows:

“Great food is exhilarating. It elevates us out of the everyday. No matter what your background or cooking skills, we believe that everyone should be able to create an incredible meal without having to spend hours in the kitchen. That's why we've taken some of the world's greatest pastas and put them right in your home - inspired by different recipes that stimulate the senses.”

Knorr believes that good food matters. It adds untold pleasure to our lives. And everyday meals can be just as magical as special occasions.

Food is not just fuel, it really is the glue of life.

Positioning Statement

Based upon the above, Knorr Instant Pasta will be positioned in our target market as follows:

“A food solution that elevates you out of everyday life and provides you the exciting ability to create an incredibly tasty meal without any hassles and thus ensure your family’s good health while remaining within your budget.”

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SWOT Analysis

Strengths

	Weaknesses
§ High Brand Awareness Levels (Recall) § Association with quality, taste, convenience and innovation § Strong brand heritage. § Expanding distribution network. § Wider variety of taste offered to the consumers. § Health consciousness on the rise in consumers.	§ Low Brand Salience Levels (Consumers are not really aware of the brand’s benefits, despite reasonably high recall) § Limited Distribution § Offering suitable for urban markets only
Opportunities	Threats
§ (Net) disposable income has increased over the past few years, thus increasing the consumers’ purchasing power. § Awareness of healthy, hygienic and conveniently packaged food is on the rise. § Consumer exposure to foreign products has also increased.	§ Influx of other foreign brands in the same category can give rise to sterner competition § Frozen foods can curtail the sales.

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BCG Matrix

Financial Forecasts

Detailed financial forecasts are enclosed in the attached annexure. These forecast have been made based upon the information provided below

During Test Marketing Period

Test Market Details

Test Market	Karachi
Activity Duration	6 Months
Total Test Market Population	16,000,000
Average House Hold Size	5
Total House Holds	3,200,000

Socio Economic Classification

SEC	%age of Population
A 1	2%
A 2	3%
B	15%
C	20%
D	35%
E	25%

Test Market Potential

§ Potential (Targeted) House Holds: 640,000

Assumptions

Trial Purchase Rate	20%
Repeat Purchase Rate	50%
Repeat Purchase Frequency	Weekly

Price

Price per Package (PKR)

15.00

Post Test Marketing

Once the test marketing stage is over, the average monthly volume for Karachi will be taken as benchmark and the following volume split is expected across the country.

City	Volume %age
Karachi	50%
Lahore	30%
Islamabad
Faisalabad	20%
Others

 

Revenue and Operating Profit Projections

Basic Parameters

Avg. Monthly Vol. (Units)	981,333
Annual Sales Increase	10%
Operating Profit	40%

Forecasted Sales (Units)

Period	Karachi	Lahore & Islamabad	Faisalabad & Others	Total
Year 1	Test Marketing	5,888,000	-	-	17,664,000
Post Test Marketing	5,888,000	3,532,800	2,355,200
Year 2	Post Test Marketing	12,953,600	3,886,080	2,590,720	19,430,400
Year 3	Post Test Marketing	14,248,960	4,274,688	2,849,792	21,373,440

Forecasted Sales (Rs.)

Period	Karachi	Lahore & Islamabad	Faisalabad & Others	Total
Year 1	Test Marketing	70,656,000	-	-	211,968,001
Post Test Marketing	70,656,000	42,393,600	28,262,400
Year 2	Post Test Marketing	155,443,200	46,632,960	31,088,640	233,164,801
Year 3	Post Test Marketing	170,987,520	51,296,256	34,197,504	256,481,281

Forecasted Operating Profit

Period	Operating Profit (Rs.)
Year 1	84,787,200/-
Year 2	93,265,920/-
Year 3	102,592,512/-

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Pricing Strategy

Knorr Instant Pasta will be priced along the corporate policy of having sustainable and premium profit margins. The average operating margin for all Knorr products sold in Pakistan is 40%.

Knorr Instant Pasta will be sold in a single serving pack. Assuming that the Overall Cost of 1 Pack Sold is Rs.10/- we would price Knorr Instant Pasta at Rs.15/- + GST per pack.

Customers usually have a reference price in their mind for a particular product and therefore they might compare the price of knorr instant pasta with the price of knorr noodles. Therefore we have priced it for Rs.15 as in knorr instant pasta we have kept a pasta sauce rather than a powder which makes it different from the knorr noodles and also the cost production increases.

Distribution & Sales Strategy

Knorr Instant Pasta will be distributed in the market using standard distribution mechanics for all existing Knorr products.

Distribution is carried out as follows:

1. The exclusive distributor for Knorr buys from Unilever and sells it to various whole sellers in the target market cities. Since these are high volume sales, per unit margins are relatively low.

2. These whole sellers then sell to retailers at a higher margin but lower volumes.

3. Retailers then sell to consumers.

Along with the abovementioned, the Sales Force for Knorr is structured to facilitate the entire process. The structure is as follows:

Position	Role
Territory Sales Officer	§ Revenue Target Driven § Responsible for a location/area within the targeted city § Liaison with retailers § Ensuring product placement, availability and merchandizing at POP/POS § Liaison between the retailer and whole seller/distributor
Area Sale Manager	§ Responsible for a cluster of territories § Managing various territories § Personnel Management § Conflict Management & Problem Resolution
Regional Sales Manager	§ Responsible for a collection of areas usually comprising of more than one city.
National Sales Manager	§ Responsible for the sales within the entire country for the brand.

 

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Background: Knorr’s Brand Strategy Today

• Relatively efficient Use of ATL Media:

– Electronic (min 45 sec TVC to break into the clutter)

– Radio

– Ads in selected magazines and

– Occasionally in Newspaper

• Merchandizing activities through:

– Product placement at Eye Level

– Strategically designed POS material with particular emphasis on in store branding material particularly buntings

• Store Converter Activity:

– Trial are generated by placing branded Kiosk at outside the selected superstores and shopping malls

• Trade Activities:

– Ensure that Competitive margins are offered to trade in order to retain their interest in the brand

– Also to maintain maximum trade barriers for new rivals

Communication Campaign

Campaign Objectives

• Create a strong brand association by means of an emotional theme in communication highlighting the important role the brand plays in terms of care and health of the family.

• Own a unique position in consumers’ mind through elaborating the functionality of the product and try establishing the position as in the positioning statement. 

• Leverage on the brand’s heritage (“Its from Knorr – it’s healthy and gives you happiness because its Premium and unique”)

• Use best practices and techniques for developing greater brand awareness, interest, and trial generation.

• Maintain consistency in visual presentation to establish strong brand recognition.

Communication Message

See: Positioning Statement

Advertising Strategy

At the launch phase, emphasis should be placed on BTL marketing activities that will be supported by ATL at the follow-up stage.

Electronic Media

§ A slice of life TVC for 45 seconds will be developed to thematically portray the positioning statement in a creative and engaging manner.

§ Subsequently, shorter adaptations of the TVC will be developed.

§ The TVC will also be adapted into a radio commercial.

§ Radio will also be used to deliver branded content via content sponsorships

Press Media

§ The electronic media will be adapted visually

§ The headline will come from the creative idea used for the TVC

§ The body copy will be formed using the positioning statement and adapting it to the creative idea

§ The Knorr tagline will be retained as is.

Out of Home (OOH) Media

§ Billboards

§ POP/POS Material

Activation Strategy

Out of Home (OOH) Activation

School / College / University Activation

Various leading educational institutions i.e. schools, colleges and universities in major cities will be activated for infusing product awareness as well as generating trial.

Product awareness will be given via a branded kiosk/stall placed inside the cafeteria/near the tuck shop. The kiosk attendant will be responsible to educate potential customers as well as generating interest and desire while inducing trial.

A non exhaustive list of educational institutions where the activation will be conducted is as follows:

Karachi	§ Karachi Grammar School § Beacon House School System § The City School § Foundation Public School § Aga Khan Higher Secondary School § DA Degree College § Baharia College § Institute of Business Management § Institute of Business Administration § FAST NU § Baharia University § SZABIST § Iqra University
Lahore	§ Top 3 Secondary Schools § Aitchison College § Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) § Lahore School of Economics (LSE) § National College of Arts (NCA)
Islamabad	§ Top 3 Secondary Schools § Top 3 Colleges § Top 3 Universities

 

Mall Activation

The activation of educational institutions will be replicated at various shopping malls across the city. Along with awareness and trial objectives, interest in the product’s offering will be enhanced through various competitions, games and prizes.

This activity will be conducted at the following venues:

Karachi	§ Park Towers § Forum § Millennium Mall § Dolmen Mall
Lahore	§ Pace § HKB § Fortress Stadium § M. M. Alam Road
Islamabad	§ Jinnah Market

 

“Planet Knorr” - Point of Purchase (POP) Activation

POPs of super stores and super markets will be activated using an idea called “Planet Knorr.” The details are as follows:

A particular segment of the Super Store will be dedicated as Planet Knorr, which would have:

§ A branded wall to give it a creatively distinct look from its surroundings

§ A store converter – an educated and pleasant female promoter that will pitch to every (potential) consumer that ventures to that particular area. She will inform them about the product, induce tasting, and persuade for trial purchase by attractive introductory/ discount/special price offering.

§ Electronic Screens in Super stores that run the TVC for Knorr Instant Pasta.

§ Floor graphics/Direction stickers at super stores / supermarkets directing to planet Knorr for an attractive offerings.

§ Attractive POP to be placed at strategic locations of all the major outlets. These would include lamas, shelf talkers and wobblers.

Illustration 1: Planet Knorr

Leisure Activation

Surprise Pasta @ Cineplex

Potential consumers visiting Universe Cineplex, Karachi will be tapped using the branded kiosk approach. However, the difference here is that there will be no sampling. However, Knorr Instant Pasta will be served in a pre-cooked form on a per serving basis.

Furthermore, an unannounced lucky draw will be conducted at every show’s interval and the winners will receive a free serving of Knorr Instant Pasta.

Canteen/Cafeteria Branding

Cafeterias/canteens and tuck shops of selected schools/colleges/universities will be activated via branding using the communication campaign’s visual adaptations. Furthermore, since Knorr Instant Pasta will be served at these venues at subsidized prices, it is likely to generate greater trial and repeat purchase.

Branded Mobile Vans

During the test market stage, branded Vans will be deployed in targeted areas near offices (e.g. II Chundrigar Road, Shahrah-e-Faisal, etc) during lunch hours, near parks (e.g. Nisar Shaheed Park, Hill Park, Sea view, Race Course Park etc) during peak hours, to serve Knorr Pasta at introductory prices.

Sales Promotions

Consumer Promotion

Instant Pasta Recipe Contest

Post launch, a press and radio driven consumer promotion will be designed to invite consumers to share their own innovations and customizations to Knorr Instant Pasta Recipes.

Consumers will be asked to share their recipe for a variation of Knorr Instant Pasta. The recipe will be sent along with 2 used packages of Knorr Instant Pasta and a copy of the consumer’s CNIC.

The first prize would be Rs.100,000/- along with recognition in the form of the recipe being printed on the packaging along with the customer’s photo (if they so desire).

Trade Promotion

Retailers will be provided a lot of branding and merchandizing material including customized dispensers.

Also, tiered trade discounts will be given to retailers to increase their off take vis-à-vis Knorr Instant Pasta.

The trade terms will not simply be 2 N net 30. However, a special trade discount structure during the launch period will comprise of:

X N net Y

 

Where,

X	Y
2%	30 days
3%	25 days
4%	20 days

 

Price ceiling:

Marketing (Communication) Budget

The launch year marketing budget is as follows:

Knorr Instant Pasta
Launch Budget - Marketing Communications
Ceiling	105,984,000
Advertising
Television
Production Cost	10,000,000
Media	40,000,000
Subtotal		50,000,000
Radio
Production Cost	200,000
Media	2,000,000
Subtotal		2,200,000
Newspapers
Production Cost	15,000
Average Tariff	350,000
Media	7,000,000
Subtotal		7,365,000
Magazines
Production Cost	15,000
Average Tariff	75,000
Media	750,000
Subtotal		840,000
Out of Home
Billboards	20,000,000
Merchandizing	10,000,000
Subtotal		30,000,000
sales promotion
trade promotion
Retailers	14719995
disc 2%	255146.58
Subtotal		14464848.2
If
disc 4%	588799.8
Subtotal		14131195.2
Activation
school/college/university
sales	47250
cost of cups and spoons	28350
amount given to each institution for putting up a stall	14175
Subtotal		61425
mall activation
sales	303750
cost of cups and spoons	182250
cost of putting up a stall	50000
Subtotal		536000

 

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[1] Source: USDA Handbook 8-20

[2] Source: Knorr Brand Team, Unilever Pakistan

[3] Source: Economic Survey of Pakistan, Chapter on Population