Marketing Strategy for Business - Marketing and Enterprise - Essay Example

The important concern is that of remaining competitive even while rival regional publications adopt innovative practices to create new products.

2. Corporate Strategy
2.1 Corporate mission/objectives
The Express & Star aims to become the biggest-selling regional evening newspaper in Britain (“About Us”, 2013). Its objectives include providing its subscribers and readers with accurate and timely news on the political, business, lifestyle, and social events, and articles of general interest for entertainment, through printed and online publications, in a manner that afford customers easy access.

2.2 Summary of the overall position and corporate strategy
Strategic pricing. Express and Starfields are two types of issues every week. The midweek edition carries the regular features and while there are special interest features, overall the newspaper adopts straightforward news reporting in both its print and e-edition. MNA retained the price of the mid-week issues but raised the price of the Weekend edition by 30 percent. The significant price increase is justified by the higher value-added and the inclusion of features such as the week-long TV guide which makes the Weekend edition relevant for the entire week following (Cross, 2013a).
Image overhaul. Recently, Express and Star have kept pace with competitors’ moves by matching their attempts with a corresponding strategy. Cross (2013a) reported in April a revamp by competitor Birmingham Mail of its weekend paper, Trinity Mirror, intended to boost readership. The new Saturday issue boasts a new design, combined with a launch of its e-edition, improvements to the website, and the launch of a new, part-free Friday edition of which the paper distributed 50,000 copies free throughout the city center. To match the move Express and Star rebranded its Saturday edition as the ‘Weekend’ edition which included a new supplement featuring ‘a full weekly TV guide, lifestyle and entertainment sections, new columnists, and several puzzles and games pages. Like the Trinity Mirror, Express and Star’s Weekend edition will sell at the higher price of 60p from the previous 45p (Cross, 2013a).
Expansion into mobile publishing. The Express and Star launched in April 2013 an app for Android smartphones which is made available by Google Play online store. The app allows subscribers to view the same image as to features in the printed edition. This also allows greater access of readers to MNA’s products, without necessarily being confined in time and space.

3. External and internal analysis
3.1 PESTEL
Political – The UK is a democracy with a stable governance system supported by highly consistent policies that are favorable for business (Datamonitor, 2011). The broad democratic space allows for freedom of expression, giving rise to what is arguably the world’s most liberal press (Swinford, 2012). The country maintains a strong position in world politics and maintains a strong influence in international regulatory bodies and organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Policy-wise, the country is open to emerging economies including China and India, but it remains vulnerable to terrorist activities by al-Qaeda and similar groups. Furthermore, there have been tensions internally building between the ruling coalition of Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Urgent reforms are needed in the National Health Service (NHS), as the House of Lords.