Project Management for Body Shop Products through Online Channels - Research Paper Example

?Project Management for Body Shop products through Online Channels Introduction Established in 1976, Body Shop is a leading company for cosmetic products around the world. They have around 2400 stores in 6 countries. For over a period of three decades Body Shop had been involved in strict community trading and direct sale in their stores. However, as the scenario of market is changing over the time, they have to come up with new brand image and reformation of their strategies to cope with the modern day needs. Till now Body Shop had not been involved in franchise marketing and also, it had not offering online shopping of Body Shop products, particularly in Mainland China. As to retail their strategies they believe in their stores instead of franchise marketing, however, however, an expansion of online shopping strategy may be a requirement for Body Shop as most of the international market is now shrinking into online shopping which is becoming a preference for most customers. Also, there are many websites selling similar products online. Websites do drag a number of customers because of their online marketing. For expanding their brand image and selling possibilities, Body Shop may opt for involving online, print and media marketing strategies which are supposed to provide uplift in the popularity and information of Body Shop and its products. They must also be keen to provide proper investments to online marketing strategies. Key Strategies for Market Expansion Over the last years most of the sale had been targeted to local natives buying from stores. Now, as the online sales have come under main suppositions, Body Shop has to focus on advertising though various print and media options enhancing the traffic on their websites. They have to understand that it is surprisingly rare for people to say that IT technology causes project failure or major difficulties, but it is usually project management - or a lack of it - that causes the grief (Roberts). Thus, a proper marketing strategy applied for marketing online, may require a project that bring a new brand image alive. There are a number of key points to be included in project: Body Shop has to look for establishing various hoardings and banners to drag the attentions of passersby and residents maintaining their range and facility to provide their products in the shortest period of time and within an economical range. For enhancing the range through online retailing, Body Shop has to generate their marketing websites including very minute detailing of their products attached with various online visual advertisements focusing the quality, key factors of their products and ease of their services. They also have to rebuild their content stressing their past records and their new strategies. Content is very important because it is chief factor to drag customers attention while online marketing has become a significant part of the marketing mix in many organizations (An introduction to Internet Marketing). To expose their products to new buyers, they have to including numerous options of news papers and magazines that will make their new strategies to expand through print advertisements. For expanding their range of delivery Body Shop have to include more representatives particularly for their online management. Over the recent analysis, Body Shop has to realize that scenario of market has drastically changed after 2005. Previously, most of the customers using Body Shop products were regular customers depending chiefly on their reliable shops and retail store. However, experimental nature is now quite common among the customers. Also there are many random customers who believe in ‘giving a try’ to numerous products. Therefore, Body Shop has to design its further planning and managements according to new definitions clientele and market scenarios. Key Plans for Managing the Reformation There are a number of steps to be taken in order to accomplish the renovation of overall market strategies of Body Shop. Even if they have to pay attention to common marketing norms, borrowing a best practice from another organization cannot be done literally (Andersson, Bider and Johannesson). Management of new application involves target oriented expansion of market strategies and public relations. The state-oriented view is focused on the changes that each activity introduces in the part of the world that is relevant to the given process, each change moving the process closer to the goal (Bider). It will include a plan containing steps as follows: 1. Body Shop will design specific discount and bonus offer for specific purposes. There will be special trial packages of short and long periods to include more clients for upcoming cycles. 2. To enrich the range of customers Body Shop will attempt to be more visible to its clients in various territories by adding various hoardings and banners on the main crossroads and street corners which will attract new customers. Special discount offers, bonus options and other offers will be specially mentioned 3. As previously, Body Shop has always relied on the transparency and faith of their customers. Thus, they have to focus their clean and clear policies. The same must be allied to their workers as well. The schemes should be utterly transparent so that the participants know where they are not only vis-a vis their 'sponsor', but also their place in the network hierarchy (MICKLITZ, MONAZZAHIAN and RO?LER). 4. Following the over mentioned steps Body Shop will have to decide their investment in online marketing and human resources to enhance the rapidity and deliverance of their services to improve the scope of their online sale. Designing a project Based on the over given studies and processes, management authorities of Body Shop may follow an 8 months project starting from November 2011. Project proposals should contain full details of the objectives of the project, the qualifications and experience of those carrying it out and the resources needed (Heyworth). This project is supposed to finish by July 2012, maintaining the cost effective investment plan for enhancing and reforming the marketing strategy and public relation of Body Shop. Sr. No. Key Point Processes Time-Table 1. Designing Online Marketing plans and offering buying Body Shop products through online channels. . Making online channels for Body Shop Products. Preparing Attractive websites and content to generate traffic to their websites Offering attractive offers and special plans for combo purchase Generating online advertisements, link building and spreading them to various relevant Websites and Search – Engines November 2011 to May 2012 2. Enhancing Offline awareness about Body Shop Including hoarding on roadsides and main streets, particularly mentioning Discount, online options and bonus offers. 7 December 2012 to 20 January 2012 3. Advancing Human Resources Appointing and training online marketing agents and Cyber specialists to look after future online marketing strategies. 20 January 2012 to 30 June 2012 4. Advertisements and Media Print Advertisements in Local News Papers and magazines Timely reformatting the content of the websites and adding new offers with attractive features 15 January 2012 to 15 July 2012 5. Enhancing rapidity and deliverance Including a number of vehicles and individuals for faster supply. Contracting with various courier agencies to assure the supply of their products in various regions. 30 March 2012 to 1 July 2012 6. Commencement of project into reformatted marketing structure. Locking all the strategies compiling them with future plans to turn it into a new online marketing structure. 10 July 2012 to 31 July 2012 Supposed Outcomes Based on their market research and project plan, Body Shop is supposed to provide considerable investment for this 8 month project. Body Shop can expect a boost of 20%-33% in their annual sale which will cover the coast of the project along with ensuring a margin of profit which will enhance over the years by strengthened marketing structure. They rely on the achievement of their target instead of immediate profit and loss as: profit and loss are generated by success or failure in adjusting the course of production activities to the most urgent demand of the consumers (MISES). They may initiate the project by the second week of November 2012 so that the discount offers are tagged as New Year bonanza. However, they can opt for a flexible supposition for overall time and coast of the project because their project is very specific to their needs. Not all projects have the same project management requirements, and therefore, they cannot be managed identically. This difficulty results from poor understanding of project management and a reluctance of companies to invest in proper training (Zainbooks). Conclusion Out of this project design for online marketing of Body Shop products, there comes out a requirement of transforming the marketing strategies over the time with the varying market demands. As Body Shop had been stagnant with its strategies over the years, it is lacking in competition due to powerful online competition increasing day by day. However, if they now design a marketing strategy according to the new environment of market, they can provide proper invest in various sectors requiring furnishing and reformation. They have to be flexible to immediate needs of the project to fulfill the achievements of the goals that they have decided. Also, in future, they have to pay attention to the changing market requirements which will keep them up to date to the contemporary market environment. Works Cited “An introduction to Internet Marketing”. Marketing-Online. Andersson, Birger, et al. "Towards a Formal Definition of Goal-Oriented Business Process Patterns." Business Process Management Journal 2005. Bider, Ilia. “Goal - Oriented Patterns for Business Processes”. Stockholm: GBPM’02. Heyworth, Frank. “A guide to project management”. European Centre for Modern Languages. Micklitz, hans-w., bettina monazzahian and christina ro?ler. "door to door selling – pyramid selling – multilevel marketing." a study commissioned by the european commission. 1999. Mises, ludwig von. “Profit and loss”. Ludwig von Mises Institute. Auburn. Roberts, Harding. “Project Management Book”. www.hraconsulting-ltd.co.uk . Zainbooks. “Project Management”. Prod. Zainbooks. Read More