This Activity Assignment Will Help Students Understan 836183

This Activityassignment Will Help Students Understand Concept Of Posi

This activity/assignment will help students understand the concept of positioning and its importance. Find a company that is struggling. Where is it in the positioning matrix? Could the company be more successful if it changed any of its Ps (product, price, place, promotion) to move to different cells in the matrix? The assignment is to answer the question provided above in essay form. This should be in narrative form and as thorough as possible. The paper should be at least 1.5 to 2 pages in length, formatted in Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and should utilize at least one outside scholarly or professional source related to marketing management. The textbook should also be referenced. APA formatting and citation should be used.

Paper For Above instruction

A comprehensive understanding of positioning is integral to effective marketing strategies, especially for struggling companies seeking to reposition themselves for better success. Positioning involves creating a distinct image or identity for a brand or product within the target market, often visualized through the positioning matrix. This matrix plots companies based on various attributes such as cost and perceived value, allowing marketers to see where they stand relative to competitors. For a struggling company, analyzing its position within this matrix can reveal strategic misalignments or missed opportunities for repositioning via the marketing mix—the Four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion.

One illustrative example of a struggling company is J.C. Penney, once a retail giant but now facing declining sales and relevance. Using the positioning matrix, J.C. Penney appears to have moved toward the low-price, low-value quadrant, competing primarily on discounts and coupons. This position has led to a perception of poor quality and limited differentiation, which erodes brand equity over time. Its focus on aggressive pricing strategies, such as frequent sales events, has attracted a cost-conscious segment but also damaged the brand’s perception of quality and value.

J.C. Penney’s position could possibly be improved by adjusting its marketing mix—particularly its product and promotion strategies—to shift toward a higher perceived value and differentiated positioning. Instead of being solely a discount retailer, the company could focus on offering exclusive, higher-quality products that justify a slightly higher price point. Such a shift would involve rethinking its product assortment to include more curated, trendy, or premium items, aligning with consumers who seek quality over mere discounts.

In terms of promotion, J.C. Penney could move away from frequent couponing and sales, which reinforce a low-price image, and instead invest in branding campaigns that emphasize quality, style, and customer experience. By creating a sense of exclusivity and upgrading the shopping environment (place), J.C. Penney could appeal to a different segment of consumers—those willing to pay more for differentiation and better service—thus positioning itself in a more favorable cell within the matrix.

Furthermore, a strategic adjustment in pricing to reflect higher value—such as premium pricing for select product lines—could enhance brand perception. Changing the placement (distribution channels) to include more upscale locations or partnerships with premium department stores could further support this repositioning. Overall, by shifting its Ps to focus on quality and customer experience, J.C. Penney could reposition itself away from a low-low cell to a more profitable, high-value segment within the matrix, potentially reversing its struggles.

In conclusion, companies in struggling positions in the marketing environment can benefit significantly from reevaluating and repositioning through the Four Ps. Adjustments to product quality, pricing models, promotional strategies, and distribution channels can help move a company to a more advantageous position in the matrix, increasing chances of success. As Keller (2013) emphasizes, strategic repositioning, when aligned with consumer perceptions and expectations, can be a critical factor in restoring a brand’s competitive edge and ensuring sustainable growth.

References

Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. Pearson Education.

Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2016). Marketing. Cengage Learning.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.

Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2001). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. McGraw-Hill Education.

Nair, S. R., & Ramanathan, R. (2015). Repositioning strategies for struggling brands in retail. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 24, 23-32.

Coughlan, A. T., Anderson, E., Stern, L. W., & El-Ansary, A. (2016). Marketing Channels. Pearson.

Aaker, D. A. (1996). Building Strong Brands. Free Press.

Hutt, M., & Speh, T. (2016). Business Marketing Management. Cengage Learning.

Principles of Marketing, 17th Edition. (2015). Kotler & Keller. Pearson.