Marketing Mix of ASICS

Case Write Up
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Case Write Up
Question One
In early 2016, ASICS, one of the top global athletic sportswear companies,
announced a new five-year strategic plan and embarked on a number of key initiatives aimed at growing revenues and profits.
The company is considering changes to the marketing mix of the core ASICS brand. What would you recommend going forward on such issues as?
* Product line (e.g., introducing mid-tier ASICS running shoes at a much lower price point)
Product differentiation is one of the factors that play an important role in enhancing brand awareness. The introduction of new product lines focuses on different target consumers and processes than those of the existing products. In this case, ASICS should introduce a new product line, such as mid-tier running shoes. The number of people willing to run for fun has risen, and therefore, they would seek to buy running shoes at an affordable price. Therefore, ASICS would make huge sales by targeting the new market. Although the financial projections reveal that the company is making huge profits from the current shoe line, it would benefit from product differentiation. For instance, the strategy would enhance brand awareness, thus increasing the market share for high-prices shoes. It would also offer the company a leverage in situations whereby the market competition for high-priced shoes makes it challenging to make enough profits.
* Channels to market (e.g., increasing the company owned retail stores)
Company-owned stores present more reliable distribution channels than e-commerce platforms and retailers. Therefore, ASICS should increase the current number of company-owned stores. In such a scenario, the company will have more control over its customer’s shopping experience, thus creating return sales. The company should focus on other channels, such as e-commerce platforms and selling to other retailers. These channels would enhance brand awareness, thus increasing the market share. An increase in market share would be reflected in increased sales and profits. It would also place the company in a better position in the competitive edge. However, the company should continue enhancing its relationships with the leading retailers in the market to enhance market share. The sporting goods retailers have access to a large audience interested in ASICS’s products. Hence, they are ideal sales channels.
* Communications (e.g., changing the current ad campaign of “Want it More” and discontinuing sponsorship of the NYC marathon)
The company should do away with the “want it more” campaign because it does not align with its AGB 202 core strategies. The campaign proved ineffective in sending the message to the target audience. It was unclear and, therefore, would not effectively target professional runners and people who do it for fun. Additionally, the campaign would not match the current strategy for selling mid-tier shoes. This product line aims to attract consumers through lower prices, and therefore, it would work best by having a campaign whose main focus is on prices.
Discontinuing their support for the NYC mara...