Running head: MARKETING PLAN: PRODUCT AND PRICING 1Marketing Plan: Product and Pricing 7Marketing Plan: Product and Pricing January 9, 2019Marketing Plan: Product and Pricing The Product Consumers normally view a product a physical item which they need to meet a particular need. However, it is imperative to recognize that the nature of a product can be explored further by looking its three different levels which can be considered as three different products which include the core, actual and augmented products, (Aghazadeh, 2015). This is what is referred to as the three levels of a product. The Core product is not an actual physical and tangible thing. It can not be touched or felt because it represents the benefit of the product which generates its value to the final consumers. In the case of the water, the benefit to the final users is quenching their thirst as well as improving their health by providing additional mineral with nutritional value to the final consumers of the bottled water. A. Product Levels: Core, Actual and Augmented Second, actual product refers to the tangible product. It is the final product that will be purchased and used by the targeted customers. The customers are able to get value out of the product. For instance, customers can look at the packing and the content information to determine whether or not the content of the water is good for their health. Also, consumers may look at the product, touch the packaging and feel it. This makes the customers have a better understanding of the product in terms of what it looks and feels like. Lastly, the Augmented product refers to the non-physical part of the product which is made up of the value added to the product for which they may or may not opt to pay for the premium prices. When customers buy the bottled water, part of the augmented product is determining whether the packaging material is recyclable or biodegradable as it is the case for plastic bottling materials. The consumers might not have a problem paying premium prices when they know that they are doing so to protect and conserve their environment as well as argued by Akbar et al. (2017). B. Product Life CycleThe product life cycle refers to the period when a product is developed, introduced into the market and when it is finally removed from the market. It is divided into four stages which include the introduction, Introduction if the first stage and this the point where the idea is implemented through research and development. The product is produced if the idea is determined to be feasible and potentially profitable. C. BCG Model The BCG Matrix is a model developed by the Boston Consulting Group and it focuses on helping businesses to develop profitable products and services for the current time as well as the future. It provides an effective framework that the business can utilize to analyze the growth and market share of the business. The model utilizes a chart with four quadrants. The .

1. Running head: MARKETING PLAN: PRODUCT AND
PRICING
1Marketing Plan: Product and Pricing
7Marketing Plan: Product and Pricing
January 9, 2019Marketing Plan: Product and Pricing
The Product
Consumers normally view a product a physical item which they
need to meet a particular need. However, it is imperative to
recognize that the nature of a product can be explored further by
looking its three different levels which can be considered as
three different products which include the core, actual and
augmented products, (Aghazadeh, 2015). This is what is
referred to as the three levels of a product. The Core product is
not an actual physical and tangible thing. It can not be touched
or felt because it represents the benefit of the product which
generates its value to the final consumers. In the case of the
water, the benefit to the final users is quenching their thirst as
well as improving their health by providing additional mineral
with nutritional value to the final consumers of the bottled
water.
A. Product Levels: Core, Actual and Augmented
Second, actual product refers to the tangible product. It is the
final product that will be purchased and used by the targeted
customers. The customers are able to get value out of the

2. product. For instance, customers can look at the packing and the
content information to determine whether or not the content of
the water is good for their health. Also, consumers may look at
the product, touch the packaging and feel it. This makes the
customers have a better understanding of the product in terms of
what it looks and feels like.
Lastly, the Augmented product refers to the non-physical part of
the product which is made up of the value added to the product
for which they may or may not opt to pay for the premium
prices. When customers buy the bottled water, part of the
augmented product is determining whether the packaging
material is recyclable or biodegradable as it is the case for
plastic bottling materials. The consumers might not have a
problem paying premium prices when they know that they are
doing so to protect and conserve their environment as well as
argued by Akbar et al. (2017).
B. Product Life CycleThe product life cycle refers to the period
when a product is developed, introduced into the market and
when it is finally removed from the market. It is divided into
four stages which include the introduction, Introduction if the
first stage and this the point where the idea is implemented
through research and development. The product is produced if
the idea is determined to be feasible and potentially profitable.
C. BCG Model
The BCG Matrix is a model developed by the Boston Consulting
Group and it focuses on helping businesses to develop
profitable products and services for the current time as well as
the future. It provides an effective framework that the business
can utilize to analyze the growth and market share of the
business. The model utilizes a chart with four quadrants. The
vertical line shows the market share while the horizontal line
shows the growth rate. The four divisions include the stars
which include the products with the best markets share and thus
generate the most cash for the company. Cash cows represent

3. leaders in the market place that generate more cash than that
which is consumed. Dogs refer to the unit of production with
low growth rate and low market share. Finally, question markets
refer to the products or services that consume a lot of money
but have minimum returns.
Services Marketing
Services marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on
selling things that are intangible such as medical care services
and hospitality services. In this case, the processes will not
focus on selling the actual product to the customers but
focusing on the services appeal to the customers. The business
will strive to communicate with the targeted customers that it is
committed to offering unparalleled quality services when they
are seeking to buy the products offered by the company. This
helps the company to make the customers see that settling for
the products and services offered by the company gives them
more value for their money. For instance, through the making
activities, the company can inform its customers that it offers
quality after-sale services and discounts to the customers who
return their water bottles for refills.
Price Determination and Pricing Strategy
Even though the management of the company may have the
desired price of the product in mind, it is imperative to point
out that the price of the product will be determined by internal
and external factors. The goals associated with pricing make up
the internal policy for the business and these should be aligned
with several factors such as costs, demand, competition, sales
channels, life cycle, and the government. Demand and
competition are external factors while the others are internal.
When any of these factors are affected either negatively or
positively, then there will be a corresponding effect on the price
of the product. The effect can be either negative or positive
depending on its nature.
A. Supply and Demand
Specifically, the supply and demand will affect the pricing of

4. the product based on the law of demand and supply. In order to
realize the long short- and long-term objectives, the company
will ensure that an increase in demand does not result to a
corresponding increase in the prices of the products as it is the
case for perfect competition. The move is aimed at ensuring the
company maintains a high inventory turn over which increases
the revenues for the business. Moreover, the move will also go a
long way in attracting customers and maintaining their loyalty
to the company or the brand. According to Feng et al. (2016),
having stable prices will also give the company a competitive
advantage over its major competitors in the market. This helps
the business the sustainability required to realize its long-term
goals and objectives.
B. Competition
Competition is an external factor and the company does not
have control over it. What this means is that the business has to
take all the necessary measures to ensure that it is in a better
position to compete effectively in the market. The water market
is composed of major industry players such as Coca-Cola with
the Dasani brand among many other global as well as local
companies. For this reason, it is imperative for the company to
ensure that it sets a price that is not too low or too high
compared to the competition. The strategy will see to it that that
company is able to appeal to the customers to pay for a more
quality product at the market price which gives the company
advantage over the major competitors as argued by (Aldrich et
al., 2017). However, it is also important to point out that the
market forces will also influence competition and the price of
the product. For instance, government regulations may increase
the cost of production forcing most of the competitors to
increase their prices in order to minimize realizing the negative
effect on the profit margin.
C. Objectives and Strategies
The objectives and strategies focusing on the pricing for the
final product are aimed at making the product more appealing to
the customers. In order to achieve this, it is important for the

5. business to communicate a clear and concise message to the
final consumers. The consumers should be able to get the major
benefits of using the products which makes it stand out from the
variety of competitors offering the same product. To achieve
this, the marketing team will put more emphasis on the value,
quality, and benefits of the product to the final consumers. For
instance, the marketing message will let the consumers know
that buying and consuming the product does not only quench
their thirst but also offer them various health benefits to their
bodies.
References
Aghazadeh, H. (2015). Strategic marketing management:
Achieving superior business performance through intelligent
marketing strategy. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 207, 125-134.
Akbar, F., Omar, A., & Wadood, F. (2017). The Niche
Marketing Strategy Constructs (Elements) and its
Characteristics-A Review of the Relevant Literature.
Aldrich, B. R., Alkhaledi, F., Pelland, G., & Toomey, J. T.
(2017). Developing a Sustainable Pricing Strategy for the
Worcester Regional Food Hub.
Feng, D., Sun, T., Fang, C., Shi, Y., & Xu, S. (2016). Optimal
demand contracting strategy under uncertainty and its
implication for advanced pricing. IEEE Transactions on Smart
Grid, 7(4), 1876-1885.
Running head: MARKETING PLAN
1
WBC Marketing Plan
Student’s Name
University Affiliation

6. Introduction to Marketing
The Waters Bottling Company (WBC) of Munsonville, NH
wants to launch a new water product in the market. This product
is unique as it the water is pure, crystal clear and granite
filtered, which would be appealing to many potential customers
who would purchase the product. The purpose of this paper is to
give an in-depth analysis of the marketing strategies that could
be implemented by the company in order to ensure that the
product is successfully launched and marketed to the identified
target market.
The Marketing Mix
Product
As stated in the introductory paragraph, WBC is interested in
launching drinking water products in the market. The name of
the product should emphasize on the quality of the water being
sold to the consumers in order to attract and retain loyal
customers. Given the fact that Mr. Waters loves Blues music,
the name of the product should be named “Blue Crystals
Water.” This product name would appeal to the customers, as
they would have an illusion that the water is clear and blue is a
color that could be associated with purity.
Promotion
The first step that could be taken by WBC is coming up with a
marketing budget. This would ensure that the company is able
to keep its marketing expenses below the revenue it projects to
gain from selling the water to consumers. The company should
consider forming partnerships with event holders in order to
make an entry into the consumer market. Satisfied customers
will then spread news about the product using word of mouth,
which could save WBC a lot of money.
While promoting its products, WBC’s message should be simple
in order to attract and retain customers. The company should
ensure that its potential customers are made aware of the

7. process that is used to bottle the water. When customers know
that the water is pure and of high quality, they would be willing
to purchase WBC’s products.
Place
Given the fact that the company is located in Musonville, NH,
the city is ideal to house the company’s headquarters as that’s
where the source of the water is. The company should consider
outsourcing its distribution services to an external company in
order to cut down on its operational costs. As the firm expands
to other states, the company could then set up regional offices
in those states depending on the company’s needs.
Price
The average cost of water is currently retailing at about $1.22
per gallon. This price could vary depending on factors such as
the size of the bottle and the brand selling the water. WBC
could consider using a low-cost strategy to market its water by
setting its prices below its competitors to attract customers.
Besides that, the company could also consider using a premium-
pricing strategy to generate more sales from its water products.
This strategy makes sense as it is in line with the message of
quality being communicated to potential customers.
The Marketing Environment
WBC is making an entry into a market that is saturated by other
large scale and small-scale competitors. Therefore, WBC has to
be on top of its game by ensuring that it takes advantage of the
technological resources that are currently available such as big
data analytics and digital marketing in order to reach more
consumers and understand their needs. Apart from that, the
company should always be open to adapting emerging
technologies, as it would give the company a competitive edge
over its competitors.
Marketing and its relationship with other functional areas of

8. business
Marketing should be integrated across all the other functional
areas of the business. This could be achieved by making WBC
customer-centric, allowing cross-departmental projects that are
aimed at improving the customers’ experiences while using its
water products. Therefore, WBC should refrain from using
marketing silos by making the marketing department the only
functional area that interacts with customers according to
(Solomon, Dahl, White, Zaichkowsky & Polegato, 2014).
Strategic Marketing
Planning Process
WBC should work to identify all the factors that could
contribute towards its success or failure in the identified
market. One of the tools that could be used to help the company
plan is a SWOT analysis. This tool could help the company
identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that
could affect its growth (Baker, 2014).
For example, WBC’s strong brand image and the quality of its
water products could be considered as one of the company’s key
strengths, while competition from existing companies could be
considered a weakness and threat. Given the fact that the
company plans to expand its market to other states, the company
could see it as an opportunity to expand its market and generate
more revenue from the sale of its water products.
Strategy
Organizational Levels
The Water Bottle Company should ensure that it treats all its
departments as Strategic Business Units as it would help the
company scale its operations and meet its objectives. In order
for each department to operate like an SBU, they need to ensure
that they align their operations to the company’s strategic
objectives. This would ensure that all the departments operate
within their allocated budgetary allocations and maintain high
levels of productivity at the same time.

9. Goals and Objectives
WBC’s main goal should be to ensure that its water is
refreshing and high quality. The water bottle should also be
designed in such a manner that it appeals to customers as they
tend to get attracted to well-designed products and often-
associate great design with quality. Therefore, the company
should ensure that it conducts sufficient research before
launching its product in the market in order to ensure that the
product design aligns with the company’s objectives.
Planning Gap
In order for WBC to effectively plan its marketing and growth
strategy, the firm has to ensure that it constantly meets its
customers’ needs by either coming up with new products or
adapting current products to meet customer needs. The company
could focus on growth by making an entry into new markets.
Strategies such as horizontal and vertical integration could be
used to ensure that WBC scales its operations while reducing
the amount of competition it faces from its competitors.
Ethics in Marketing
WBC should ensure that it adheres to the rules and regulations
that have been implemented to govern business processes
(Babin & Zikmund, 2015). Besides that, the company should
ensure that all the employees are made aware of the code of
ethics that seeks to protect consumers from fraudulent behavior
and breach of privacy. Therefore, the company should
implement its marketing strategies in such a manner that the
company does not break any laws and regulations set by the
state and the federal government.
References
Babin, B. J., & Zikmund, W. G. (2015). Exploring marketing
research. Cengage Learning.

10. Solomon, M. R., Dahl, D. W., White, K., Zaichkowsky, J. L., &
Polegato, R. (2014). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and
being (Vol. 10). London: Pearson.
Baker, M. J. (2014). Marketing strategy and management.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
Book Description
Publication Date: June 3, 2012 | ISBN-10: 0133033112 | ISBN-
13: 978-0133033113 | Edition: 1
0133033112 / 9780133033113 Marketing: An Introduction plus
NEW MyMarketingLab with Pearson eText -- Access Card
Package consists of:
0132744171 / 9780132744171 Marketing: An Introduction,
Student Value Edition
0132749556 / 9780132749558 NEW MyMarketingLab with
Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Marketing: An Introduction
Here is the newest version of the text I could find;
http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Introduction-Student-
Edition-
MyMarketingLab/dp/0133033112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=13
87565408&sr=8-
1&keywords=Marketing%3A+an+introduction+and+MyMarketi
ngLab+package.
Product Details
· Loose Leaf: 672 pages
· Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (June 3, 2012)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 0133033112
· ISBN-13: 978-0133033113
· Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 8.3 x 10.6 inches

11. ISBN: 9780133033106 / 0133033104
Preface:
You are a marketing consultant to The Waters Bottling
Company (WBC) of Munsonville, NH. They have never done
any marketing for their water before so they will need to be
educated as to the role of marketing in their company’s success.
They started their company last year and want to “do it right”
according to their president and founder, Dr. M. Waters. (The M
stands for Muddy so he prudently only uses the initial. He also
is rather fond of Blues music, which he would like to
incorporate into the marketing plan in some way.) They want to
sell their crystal clear granite filtered mountain water to the
“right” market. It is your job to identify that target market. At
this point, they don’t even know how the product should be
packaged or a name to identify it. They will be relying on you
for all of the details to make this product successful. They are
well funded and ready to bring this product to market.
Use the attached Marketing Planning Guide to build your
marketing plan for their naturally mineral rich pure mountain
water. Be sure to relate the marketing concepts/ theories to this
product/ company as you build the marketing plan over the
length of the course.
Marketing Planning Guide
Section 1 – The Environment (Module 1)
· Introduction to Marketing
· The Marketing Mix
· The Marketing Environment
· Marketing and its relationship with other functional areas of
business
· Strategic Marketing
· Planning Process
· Strategy

12. · Organizational Levels
· Goals and Objectives
· Planning Gap
· Ethics in Marketing
Section 2 – Market Research & Targeting (Module 2)
· Market Research
· Research Methods & Data Mining
· Market Research Process
· Consumer Behavior
· B2C vs. B2B
· Consumer Decision Making Process
· Factors Affecting B2C and B2B consumer behavior
· Market Segmentation
· Market Segmentation Concepts
· Segmentation Process
· Segmentation Strategies
· Target Marketing
Section 3 – Product & Price (Module 3 LASA 1)
· The Product
· Product Levels: Core, Actual, & Augmented (Packaging)
· Product Life Cycle
· BCG Model
· Services Marketing
· Price Determination & Pricing Strategies
· Supply & Demand
· Competition
· Objectives and Strategies
Section 4 – Place & Promotion (Module 4)
· Distribution Channels
· Length & Width
· Direct & Indirect
· Vertical & Horizontal Channel Conflict
· Promotion
· Communication Process & Tools
· Product Life Cycle
· Push vs. Pull

13. Section 5 – Personal Selling & Global Markets (Module 5
LASA 2)
· Promotion Mix
· Advertising
· Personal Selling
· Sales Promotion
· Direct Marketing
· Public Relations
· Brand Management
· Branding Strategies
· Emotional Branding
· Brand Extension
· Global Markets
· Opportunities & Challenges
Executive Summary
· Marketing Implementation & Evaluation
Preface:
You are the new marketing manager to The Waters Bottling
Company (WBC) of Munsonville, NH. They have never done
any marketing for their water before so they will need to be
educated as to the role of marketing in their company’s success.
They started their company last year and want to “do it right”
according to their president and founder, Dr. M. Waters. (The M
stands for Muddy so he prudently only uses the initial. He also
is rather fond of Blues music, which he would like to
incorporate into the marketing plan in some way.) They want to
sell their crystal clear, granite filtered mountain water to the
“right” market. It is your job to identify that target market. At
this point, they don’t even know how the product should be
packaged or have a name to identify it. You will get to make
that determination and carry that product through the entire
Marketing Plan.
Imagination and creativity combined with solid marketing

14. concepts will be the basic framework for your report. They will
be relying on you for all of the details to make this product
successful. They are well funded and ready to bring this product
to market, with your help and guidance.
Use the attached Marketing Planning Guide to build your
marketing plan for their naturally mineral rich pure mountain
water. Be sure to relate the marketing concepts/ theories to this
product/ company as you build the marketing plan over the
length of the course. The completed sections of the marketing
plan will be submitted in the Dropbox for each module. Use
each of the outline items as headers/ subheads for your analysis.
Be concise and apply each of the appropriate concepts to the
WBC scenario.