Vita Lemontea Brand Audit free essay sample

OVERVIEW Vitasoy Group was established in 1940. Vitasoy aims to maintain the leadership in promoting a superior quality of life through the production of high quality, great tasting and nutritious products that will satisfy customers in all markets. VITASOY has spread far beyond Hong Kong, and the groups products sell in over 40 markets around the world including the USA, Canada, Mainland China, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, Guatemala, Trinidad and Venezuela. Now a listed company (0345. HK) on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong with plants located in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Australia and the U. S. A. , Vitasoy International is a dynamic, international organization setting new standards of quality and innovation wherever its products are sold. Vita is a brand under the Vitasoy Group. Launched in 1979, VITA Lemon Tea it was the world’s first ready-to-drink lemon tea, which blends red tea with a subtle lemon flavour is extremely popular in Hong Kong and has secured a clear market leadership over the years, with a variety of teas, juices, distilled water and milk. When you think of VITA, Lemon Tea immediately comes to mind! CONSUMER PROFILE 2. 1. Demographic Age The primary target customers of the Vita Lemon Tea are generally aged 15 – 30 who are mainly from secondary school students to young working adults. The secondary target customers also those younger primary school students range from 11-14 and those working adults from 31-45. These target customers may not buy the Vita Lemon Tea drinks themselves regularly but may have chance to enjoy the drinks when their family members did. Income The Vita Lemon Tea products suit for different income groups, from lower to upper class as the price of it is affordable to most customers since it costs only few coins for one. Occupation Most of the customers are those schoolmates and the young working adults who mainly consume the lemon tea during lunch or sport activities. 2. 2. Geographic Wide spread sales network as Vita Lemon Tea is available in various packaging formats at different places, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, vending machines, etc. This make it convenient for anybody to enjoy the fabulous sensation whether on the go, together with friends†¦anywhere, anytime! 2. 3. Behavioural Product Consumption Rate Consumption is mostly daily, depending on each individual drinking habits and the occasions. Brand Loyalty Vita Lemon Tea’s consumers are mostly loyal to Vita’s brand since its irreplaceable taste from other competitors, which is nearly the same as real lemon tea offered in Hong Kong local cafe. 3. 0 MARKETING BRANDING PROGRAMMES 3. 1. Marketing Programs As a local brand with long history, Vita produces different types of marketing programs such as television commercial, one-to-one marketing and outdoor advertising. Television Advertising In the mid 2010, Vita launched a series of TV commercials of Vita lemon tea and Vita Ceylon Lemon Tea. Vita invites a Hong Kong hip pop rapper– MC Jin as an endorser of Vita Lemon Tea in both of three TV commercials. In the commercial, MC Jin is rapping the song about the Vita Lemon Tea. Together with the animation of Vita Lemon Tea, receiver is able to memorize the song and Vita lemon tea easily. Television advertising is able to reach a mass public audience quickly. Most of the television watchers can get a chance to receive the message from Vita lemon tea commercial. This is how an effective and powerful way of TV commercials distributes widely to the public. One-to-one Marketing By using technologies such as the Internet, Vita target individual consumers with individual marketing messages directly. For example, Vita’s official website and Facebook fans page. For the Vita’s official website, it shows lots of information such as the latest marketing campaign of Vita lemon tea and television commercial videos. When visitor browses the Vita lemon tea website, he or she gain the latest information of Vita and create a strong customer relationship with Vita. In the Vita lemon tea Facebook fans page, personal interaction between Vita and individual can communicate each other. Each individual can express its feeling and opinion by posting message to the Facebook fans page. Facebook is a powerful communication tool and platform for Vita to conduct one-to-one marketing strategy. Outdoor Advertising Vita held lots of event such as competition campaign, sales promotion event in the outdoor area and shopping mall. The goal is to create brand awareness in the customer’s mind. 3. 2. Branding of Vita Lemon Tea Vita lemon tea emphasizes in its own branding and maintains a positive and energetic image to the public. Vita lemon tea is a unique lemon flavor blended with red tea. When customer thinks of the brand – Vita, Vita lemon tea comes up in customer’s mind immediately. CONSUMER BRAND KNOWLEDGE The value of the brand is essentially made up of two dimensions: Brand awareness and Brand image. These two dimensions represent ‘How well known is your brand? ’ and ‘What does your brand represent? ’ Brand Awareness is an issue of whether a brand name comes to mind when consumers think about a particular product category and the ease with which the name is evoked. (Shimp 2007, 37) Brand Image is the types of associations that come to the consumer’s mind when contemplating a particular brand. (Shimp 2007, 39) When think of VITA, VITA Lemon Tea comes up in Hong Kong people’s mind immediately. Launched since 1979, it enjoys long-standing support of Hong Kong people, and has secured market leadership throughout these years. Unique lemon flavour blended with red tea gives people a memorable drinking sensation. Vitasoy International received the Caring Company logo from the Hong Kong Council of Social Services for the first time, which demonstrated the Group’s efforts in giving to the community. Vitasoy always awarded by the organizations, Such as in 2008, Vitasoy is presented with 3 Awards: â€Å"AmCham Hong Kong Brands Award†, the 9th Wellcome â€Å"Top 10 Favourite Brands† and â€Å"Rising Star†. These awards recognized Vitasoy’s efforts over the past 68 years in providing quality and nutritious beverages for every Hongkonger. Due to the fact that VITA Lemon Tea is regarded as a high quality product and it has been awarded numerous industry awards, it become top of mind in the consumer’s heart with great brand recognition and recall. Also, reputation increased. Both brands are sold widely not only Hong Kong, but also China, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe, South East Asia and other markets throughout the world. Thus, all the people familiar with VITA Lemon Tea and creates a great exposure for the brand to the public. RECOMMENDATIONS AND EVALUATIONS Critique of Current Marketing Campaign Currently, the marketing campaign of Vita Lemon Tea is â€Å" †. Vita Lemon Tea invites celebrity MC Jin, a Hong Kong hip hop rapper, to be the endorser. VLT produces different TV commercials (see Appendices 9. 1-9. ) with MC Jin rapping the idea of â€Å" †. In the advertisements, MC Jin and other celebrities rap and emphasis the uniqueness of VLT the proportion of red tea and lemon of Vita lemon tea are perfect, the bitter taste of the tea will stay in your mouth after you taste it. In other words, the taste of Vita Lemon Tea is good, special and unique. What Vita wants to create is the special, unique brand image in consumers mind. This arouses a feeling that people who choose Vita lemon tea are also special and unique. People also feel that they are special from others who do not choose Vita Lemon Tea. Irreplaceable Taste† also arouses a feeling of the unique and irreplaceable position of Vita lemon tea in the market and consumers mind. It implies competitors may not be able to replace its special and unique tea taste. This persuades consumers think Vita lemon tea is the best. Advertisements carry the same campaign are also apply in print advertisement, bill board, website, online banner, and social media such as Facebook. Moreover, Vita also implements sales promotion such as â€Å" Summer Hits Lucky Draw†, – short movie competition. Through this marketing campaign and the brand image strategy, Vita Lemon Tea successfully builds a strong and memorable identity to get consumers attention and build emotional bond towards the brand. Vita actually implements a good and memorable marketing campaign. When you think of VITA, Lemon Tea immediately comes to mind! Whenever think of MC Jin, Vita Lemon Tea also immediately comes to mind! Despite of the success, we recommend Vita to invite another famous celebrity, Sammi Cheng, who is the most popular Asian singer together with MC Jin be he endorsers and implement a series of new advertisements. As Sammi Cheng carries a trendy and unique image, and she is also popular among the teenagers and the youth. This matches with the target customers and the products. Together with MC Jin, this must create a gimmick and arouse a pride, self-esteem, unique feeling and brand image in consumers mind. Recommendations for Better Brand Management The following brand value chain of VITA Lemon Tea shows the brand equity and marketing activities that create brand values. Since the name of VITA has spread far beyond Hong Kong, and the groups products sell in over 40 markets around the world including the USA, Canada, Mainland China, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, Guatemala, Trinidad and Venezuela. But VITA Lemon Tea still only sells in Hong Kong. Thus it is recommended that VITA Lemon Tea distribute outside Hong Kong, such as the markets which VITA entered before. VITA should increase communication in each nation that enhances brand awareness and image. For example, create marketing campaigns to greater brand exposure and let more people know. The increased distribution of VITA Lemon Tea will enlarge sales in order to create large profits. Building Brand Equity Source: CBBE Pyramid (Keller 2008) Firstly, salience dimension of brand equity is existed as when consumer thinks of Vita, Vita Lemon Tea comes up in their mind immediately. For primary characteristics of Vita Lemon Tea which is with a unique lemon flavor blended with red tea that builds the performance dimension of brand equity. Also, imagery dimension of brand equity is also found. Vita Lemon Tea is very easy to buy as it is always available in any convenience store and super market. In addition, Vita Lemon Tea which launched since 1979, it enjoys long-standing support of Hong Kong people, has secured market leadership throughout these years. And its unique lemon flavor blended with red tea gives consumer a memorable drinking sensation. Thus brand superiority of Judgment dimension has been created. Vita Lemon Tea builds fun and social approval image of feeling dimension of brand equity. They used Rap presentation to deliver the idea of marketing campaign â€Å" †. And they also aroused a feeling that people perceived that they are special from others who do not choose Vita Lemon Tea. Vita Lemon Tea‘s group was created in Facebook which is a popular social network service and website in recently years. Group member have attained to around 9,300. It is easy to show that active engagement of resonance dimension is achieved. In order to maintain the high level of brand equity, we suggest Vita company should more concentrate on the communicate strategy in the Facebook social network. For example, to create discussion, design fun game program and news update all the time. It can help to get more group member attention and let them know more about Vita Lemon Tea through this direct communication. The most import thing is to attract more people to become a group member of Vita Lemon Tea. New Product and Brand Extension Vita Lemon Tea is a quite strong brand with high brand value and developed image in Hong Kong market after analysis, thus it can help to maximize profit and enhance brand equity if Vita launches a new product and brand extension. For the idea of new products such as Vita Lemon Tea Power and Vita Lemon Tea Bag, which belong to beverage category, both are good concepts for Vita Lemon Tea line. It can let consumer have more choice and reason to choose Vita Lemon Tea product, hence market share can be increased through implementing this marketing strategy. For the idea of brand extension, we suggest to launch a food category such as Vita Lemon gum and Vita Lemon sweets. Brand equity can be increased and leveraged by using this marketing strategy. At the same time, it increases awareness of Vita and profitability from offerings in more than one product category.