Integrated Advertising, Promotion and Marketing Communications 5th Edition by Kenneth Clow,Donald Baack

تمرين 24

BEN'S COMPLETE LAWN CARE SERVICE
Ben Folds had turned a part-time college job into a full-time business. As a student, he maintained a solid client list of people using his lawn-mowing service. Following graduation, he knew the type of business that best matched his skills and personality: a complete lawn care service.
Lawn care is typically divided into three main types of companies: (1) those that mow lawns and provide trimming; (2) firms that provide fertilizers, insect control, and weed control; and (3) sod and seeding companies. Ben's idea was to provide every single aspect of lawn care, from the first spring feeding to mowing, trimming, weeding, leaf removal, and even a winter fertilization program. He would also offer sod and seed services for lawns with bare spots or brand new lots.
Ben's vision was to service two main types of customers: (1) residential homeowners who do not want to do lawn work, either because they don't enjoy it or because they do not have the time, and (2) businesses requiring lawn care, including any construction contractors and house builders that want to subcontract the grass-growing part of finishing a home.
Companies that provide lawn-mowing services tend to compete with price and quality. Most offer free bids for a residential mowing job. The more successful firms are those that make a lawn look as good as possible, including trimming around hard-to-reach spots.
Fertilization, weed control, and insecticide providers normally offer a full price and then discount in a variety of ways. Prepayment discounts are given for those who pay in advance. Quantity discounts are given for customers who use the services more frequently, such as a price-per-treatment for eight summertime treatments that is substantially lower than the price-per-treatment for a customer who only schedules four. Referral discounts are given when a customer finds a new client for the company. Specials are run for extra services when needed. The major national companies will also offer larger price discounts to those customers who decide to terminate services. A follow-up call is made or a coupon is sent to the customer, proposing substantial price discounts to get the reluctant customer to reestablish a relationship with the company.
Sod and seeding companies charge what the market will bear. A customer with only a few options pays more for sod and seed than one who lives where there are more competitors. Many sod companies primarily service wealthy homeowners and contractors.
Ben knew his company faced several challenges. First was brand-name awareness. He had to reach a wide audience of potential buyers. Second would be convincing homeowners to use his services rather than those of national chains. His biggest advantage was being a full-service lawn care company, offering more than just one or two types of services. Ben's Complete Lawn Care Service began operations in Minneapolis in the winter. The company had four employees. Ben knew that he had to build a strong client list quickly and keep those clients happy so that word-of-mouth referrals would help his firm grow in the future.
1. What kinds of promotions are used by Ben's competitors
2. Design a consumer promotions campaign for Ben's Complete Lawn Care Service.
3. What types of advertisements should be used in conjunction with the company's consumer promotions campaign