Formulating a plan for a new Android App

1. Marketing Plan
for a new Android App

2. 1. Executive Summary

3. Overview of the Situation
The ever busy, technologically advanced
people today hardly spend any time in the
kitchen.
Planning a party or any other event for that
matter has food definitely. Planning and
arranging for food for it, after their hectic
life comes as a nightmare

4. Presenting ' A La Carte ' - a catering service
availed through an app.
Organizing an event becomes a cakewalk.
Lip smacking food,eye catching presentation.
Servers tending to guests.
No worries about food running out.
All of this can be availed.

5. More facilities available-
Busy profesionals can enjoy sumptous home
cooked meals by hiring chefs, who will tend to
their dietary specifications. Food can be
enjoyed by all.
The app aims to take culinary treats to an
exquisite level,making lives of people easier
by shedding a few dollars.The main aim is to
provide the finest dining experience, attract
customers and build a strong brand image.

6. How does the App work?
They have to provide the eventThe app allows
users to log in and then select a service
according to their requirement.They have to
provide the event, the number of guests to be
catered,cuisine type,whether wait and serve
services , bar tending facilities required,pricing
method and many other necessities.

7. On requesting for services, the company
personnel get in touch with the customers
either through mobile numbers or through
their mail ids given.
Persons can avail services from chefs and
others on a more daily level and can also
opt for cooking lessons individually, by just
filling out their details and agreeing by the
terms and conditions.

8. 2. Situational Analysis

9. 2.a Company Overview-
Core Competensies
Commendable customer relationship management.
A great array of cuisines to choose from.
Experienced professionals to trained amateurs.
Well trained staff.
Proper monitoring of market anticipation.
Tie up with culinary schools and eminent
restaurants.
Constant development and adaptation to changing
times and cultures.

10. 2.a Company Overview-
Strategic Assets
In app Advertisements for generating revenue.
In app purchases in accordance to freemium
model.
Well trained staff adhering to customer
satisfaction.
Communication Partners.

11. 2.a Company Overview-
Current Product Line
Services adhering to any event from corporate
to a mere housewarming party.Cooking lessons
can be availed on an individual basis and cooks
can be hired for tending daily needs of a
family.Bartenders also provided on request.
Wait and serve services also available.

12. 2.a Company Overview-
Market Position
A La Carte will be positioned as a favorable catering
service among middle, upper middle and higher
classes, corporate sector and for those who intend to
organize a top notch event with minimum effort.
Sumptous meals to be enjoyed by those for whom
cooking is a pain.

13. 2.b Market Overview-
Potential customers
Middle, upper middle and higher class.
Business professionals ,organizations and
families.
Focusing specially on corporate events,
farewells , graduation ceremonies.
Targets tourism and travelling sectors as well.

14. 2.b Market Overview- Competitors
Position-Present in both the high and low end market.Offer
luxury as well as traditional services. But there exists a gap
for a well known brand.
Strengths-Well established resources over time;Strong
human contacts; capital and technically sound.
Weaknesses- Adapting to changing market trend.
Market shares- Professionals; Hotels and restaurants (both
local and international) and small catering services.

15. 2.b Market Overview-
Opportunities
Food Marketing is expanding and people are mostly
relying on outside food.
Specialization to satisfy specific demands of client.
Develop a distinguishable brand image and loyal
customer base.
Un tap lucrative market(limited organized
professionals who are difficult to approach)

16. 2.b Market Overview-
Threats
Competition from established similar services.
Rules and regulations and cultural inhibitions.
Any economical crisis will the brand in a jeopardy ,
reducing customer's willingness to spend.
Keeping up with standards.

17. middle
10%
upper middle
15%
upper
28%
corporate
39%
others
8%
2.c Target Customers
The segment is
measurable,substantial,accessible,differentiable and
actionable.

18. 3. Goals

19. Maintain a positive steady growth every month.
To obtain at least 25% market share in high end
market within a time period of 3 years.
Target conversion rate- 7-10%.
Increase in customers who are turned into long
term ones.
A double digit growth rate.
Reduce variable and operating cost and increase
profit margin.

20. 4. Strategy

21. 4.a Target Market- Customers
Needs:
Professional service.
Efficient personnel.
High quality and consistent service.
Reliability.
Convenience
Wants:
A first hand dining experience of worldwide
cuisines.
Enjoy health and taste together.
Delicacies from chef.

22. Distinguishing Characteristics of Customers
Eager to appease guests.
Are health conscious.
Knows the taste of fine food.
Wants convenience at their fingertips.
Ready to shed a few more pennies to obtain
quality and quantity.

23. 4.a Target Market-Collaborators
Ingredient suppliers- Includes retail market where items
can be bought in a bulk, the supermarket stores, tie up
with poultries , farms directly to reduce costs.
Manpower suppliers
Culinary Schools- Sends students who can work along
with experienced personnel to learn new ideas and gain
experience. Students can successfully intern.

24. Noteworthy restaurants(both high and low end)-For
providing personnel for the events as well as chefs for
individual dietary requirements.In tern their fame
increases.
Event Management firms- Help them to expand their
business and increase clients by giving opportunities.
Communication Partners-Social media sites like
Facebook,Instagram, WhatsApp ,to make people know of
the app and its services. Also includes brands and
companies who will sponsor the app or advertise the
services through ad displays and sponsored posts.

25. Strategic goals of collaborators
Raw material suppliers:
Increase in revenue.
Recognition and credit for their quality.
Culinary Schools:
Promotion of brand name.
Gain Additional Revenue.
Internship opportunity for learning students.

26. Strategic goals for Collaborators
Noteworthy restaurants:
Helps in brand equity.
Greater connection with customers.
Excess revenue.
Opportunity to employ efficient cooks.
Event management firms:
Expanding business.Mutual benefit.
Communication partners:
To target a large and diverse customer base.
Attract new customers and drive brand equity.

27. 4.a Target Market- Company
Strategic Business Unit
App Development Team
Employee Recruiter Team(chefs,cooks and others)
Service Provider Team
Business Development Team
Marketing Team
Finance and Accountancy Team
Public Relations Team

28. Company- Key Stakeholders
Suppliers
Investors
Customers
Employees
Chefs and other Professionals

29. Points of Parity
Providing reliable and consistent services.
Monitoring market trend anticipations.
Building strong customer relationship.
Food quality meets or exceeds client's
expectations.
Importance to hygiene.

30. Points of Difference
Availability of unique services such as bar
tending facilities and availing cooking
lessons.
Payment method as per customer's
convenience.
Availability of a diversified palate.
Healthy home cooked food available from
experts.
App based on freemium model.

31. 4.a Target Market- Context
Economic Context- consumers aged between 18-34 are
defying recession to go out ,eating and drinking and
average of 25 times a month, with an expenditure of $3,008
on restaurant food on an average, which shares a close
margin with the grocery expenditure,$3341.
Technological Context- 167 Million smartphone users and
325 million Internet subscribers. Inexpensive
smartphones and the rollout of 3G and 4G broadband
services are boosting online services.

32. Socio-Cultural Context-People of different cultures
and belonging to different societies are slowly
becoming adaptive to the changing trends and look
forward to ignite their taste buds with new flavour.
Regulatory Context- Some regulations exist upon the
usage of certain ingredients which are harmful for
health ,age related consumption of certain stuff(such
as liqour) as well as regulations pertaining to a
particular society(modern India's so called' beef
tolerance').

33. 4.b Positioning Strategy- for Customers
Conduct a low cost market research
Identify and analyse competitors.
Develop POPs and PODs.
Create buzz and a loyal app community.
Employ emotional branding and cultural branding.

34. 4.b Positioning Strategy - for
Collaborators
Analyse then needs and wants and goals of
collaborators
Develop a list of takeaways for them.
Differentiate yourselves from millions of other
similar ones through any one of Employee,
Channel or Image differentiation.

35. 4.b Positioning Strategy- for Company
Clearly outline the basic structure and functions and
develop an efficient brand mantra for the app and its
services.
Effectively communicate to the employees the same
and remove all ambiguities pertaining to their role in
the organisation.
Build and maintain a clean financial and legal image.
Effectively communicate the same to the investors
and win their trust.

36. 4.c Value Proposition
Customers-enjoy the convenience of organizing food for
an event with the finest delicacies. Enjoy the goodness
of health and taste.
Collaborators- A well managed rapidly growing app and
service with increasing customer base. Successfully
competing with other players in the market.also has a
large and diverse user base.
Company-
Employees-Positive work environment,good pay growth
potential,interesting and job security.
Investors-Regular filling of returns,financial
stability,clean image and profitable.

37. 5. Tactics

38. 5.1 Product- Free version
In the free version any user, after login in can avail
the catering services by filling in the necessary fields.
But the service is limited to an event per month with
maximum guest count being 50-80. Wait and serve
facilities can be availed. Also personal cooks, who
will cook according to individual needs can be availed
but services of such is limited for maximum 8 days a
month. Some interesting recipes can be learnt too.

39. 5.1 Product - Premium Version
In the premium version services can be availed any
number of times a month by a user with no limits on the
guest count. Special facilities such as a bar tender is also
available.People can also enjoy the services of chefs for
a special event. Also cooks can be hired for individual
meals any number of days of the month, where they will
cater to the specific dietary requirements of the person.
Cooking lessons can be taken on an individual basis.All
this available with a bare essential of $14.99 a month ,
which is affordable.

40. 5.2 Brand
Name- A La Carte
Slogan- Few Clicks, Fab Food
Meaning-A La Carte means a menu to choose from.
Slogan signifies that smartphones have made our lives
much easier.With a few clicks and touches this service
can be availed by users.
Attributes- Quality; vast variety; resonates with
customers.

41. 5.3 Price
Freemium pricing strategy will be used. The
premium version will be prices at $14.99 a
month.The additional features will benefit the
users and they are able to conveniently pursue
a difficult task very affordably.Customers after
gaining trust in the services will call for an up
gradation to benefit more.

42. 5.4 Incentives
Customers- price reduction : rebates on
repeated availing. Also free cooking videos
from famous chefs.
Collaborators-Recognition and self worth.
Employees- Rewards, bonus and recognition.

43. 5.5 Communication
Relying on word of mouth to spread know;edge among
friends ,family and acquaintances.
Launching of the Facebook and Twitter and Instagram
handle to attract social media users.
Releasing a video on Youtube regarding the app and
its services.
Using LinkedIn to collaborate with others.
Usage of App review sites.
Local meet up with the customers.

44. 5.6 Distribution
App Stores(Google Play Store, Amazon App Store)
Recommendation Sites
Pre-Loads
Pay per Installs

45. 6. Implementation

46. 6.1 Infrastructure-Organisational Structure
CEO
Technological Department- App Development
Head;Analytics Head
Employee Recruiter Team- Department Head.
Service Provider Department- Each and every service has its
own head.
Business Development Department- BD Head.
Marketing Department- Promotions Head; Distributions
Head.
Finance and Accountancy Department- Finance Head.
Public Relations Department- Customer Relations
Head;Investor Relations Head.
Customer Department-Customer Care Head.

47. 6.2 Schedule
Market Research- 2 months
Analysis of consumer and Business Markets-2 months.
Crafting Market Positioning- 2 weeks.
Setting up a Strategic Business Unit and Service
Providing Team- 3 months.
Setting Product Strategy-2 weeks.
Developing Pricing Strategy-2 weeks.
Designing Integrated Marketing Channels- 3 weeks.
Designing Integrated Communication Channels-2 weeks.

49. DISCLAIMER
These slides were created by Surabhi Shome, NIT
Durgapur during a marketing internship programme
under professor Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow.