Cowgirl Chocolates Essay

1. What argon rough of the lively strengths and easynesses of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this scurvyer line of work? Can the weaknesses be vanquish by the strengths of the air? Some of the sarcastic strengths of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small caper include product differentiation, quality, flexible rejoin policy, and personalization. Cowgirl Chocolates is very modern creation since it meets the demand of a specific food for thought market coiffe of low-spirited and coffee berry fans by combining some(prenominal) cayenne, a spice, and hot chocolate, a sweetener.The transaction overly is known for using premium ingredients in all of the chocolates it offers. The business non scarcely offers a flexible return policy, which gives guests a full refund guarantee if they resi refer competent up disliking the barmy earthnuts but in like manner facilitates trial bribes for customers interested in the raging choc olates. The company also uses personal notes in the Web site establishs in order to build customer satisfaction. Some of the critical weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates include having a high business cost, not having a tailored military commission statement for this specific business, and lacking focus.Cowgirl Chocolates has to give a portion of m unrivaledy for the packaging, ingredients, and trip up expenses to make the keen caramel sugariness sauce. The business also is unfocused because of weak distribution, there is no product rendering or market inquiry, and the target market is gum olibanum dispersed due to not having a properly defined consumer base. Yes, the weaknesses crumb be overcome by the strengths of the business if the business spends time focusing on the weaknesses listed in order to build a more(prenominal) successful small business. 2. exploitation the total product scenery, describe the hottish and zesty chocolate chocolate truffle offered by Cow girl Chocolates? base on this product view do you think this product allow be readily concured by consumers? Why or why not? The hot and hot chocolate truffle offered by Cowgirl Chocolates were offered in several(prenominal) flavors such(prenominal) as kick chocolate, mint, orange, lime tequila, and espresso. The plain chocolate, mint, and orange truffles were wrapped in fortunate wrappers, the lime tequila truffles were wrapped in thou wrappers, and the espresso truffles were wrapped in red wrappers in order for the customer to recognize that this truffle was extra spicy and hot.Personally, I conceive the packaging of the truffles is not fully comprehensible because red does denote something hot, while the other(a) flavors wrappers dont fully metamorphose to being hot and spicy. The truffles were also operational in benefaction boxes, drawstring muslin bags, a collectible tin, and also in a plastic bag if the customer chose to buy the truffles on the Cowgirl Chocolates website. Personally, I do not count that consumers allow for readily accept this product because the general market of consumers volition more than appargonnt purchase sweet, milky chocolates over hot and spicy chocolates.The purchase of Cowgirl Chocolates fully depends on whether the consumer likes the taste instead than attractive packaging and different experience. 3. What market do you think the hot and spicy truffles is competing inthe hot and spicy food market, the chocolate candy market, the gift recess market, or other? Personally, I believe the hot and spicy truffles are competing in the chocolate candy market because when one thinks of the call forth Cowgirl Chocolates the word chocolate comes to attend rather than hot and spicy. The hot and spicy food market is strongly associated with spices, sauces, Mexican foods, and Spanish influenced foods.Cowgirl Chocolates thus seems more likely to be successful in the chocolate candy market rather than the hot and spicy fo od market due to the quaint packaging of the truffles, the brand name given to the product, and the premium ingredients and price. 4. What is your assessment of Marilyns promotional efforts? In order for Marilyn to accession the cut-rate sale of her chocolates, should she use a shake up or pull communicating outline? Personally, I believe that Marilyn has been very hard-hitting with her promotional efforts in order to frame customer demand.Through the use of her award-winning recognition for packaging at versatile art shows, advertising in her topical anaesthetic newspaper, the Soviet Awards recognition of her unique and spicy products, and presence and involvement with Seattle Chocolates have thus far helped bring some sentience for her product. In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, she should use a pull communication strategy because the more publicity she is able to make up for product and creative packaging, the great awareness she will thus be able to gain for her business.5. As you show Exhibit 2, you will note that Cowgirl Chocolates offers several gift packages (1/4 cock, 1/2 pound, 1 lb., gift bucket, gift basket, secret code fancy) that range in suggested retail prices from $8. 95 to $59. 95.Given these price and packaging alternatives what token of product (convenience, shopping, or specialty) is Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this classification would the buyer purpose more likely to be a routine, express mail or complex decision? beg off your reasoning. Given these price and packaging alternatives I believe Cowgirl Chocolates are specialty products because they are more expensive and thus for the near part exclusively distributed in each specialty stores or gift stores.By classifying Cowgirl Chocolates as specialty products, buyer decision would more likely be a limited decision because it requires putting though in the shopping process and therefore the decision whether to purchase or not purchase the pr oduct the product takes place in a store surroundings where the display of the products is thus very central to whether or not the customer will thus end up acquire the product. 6. The suggested retail price and wholesale prices of Cowgirl Chocolates products are displayed in Exhibit 2 along with the product and packaging cost.Based on this information, discuss the relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based determine order. The relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method include recognizing the that the retail prices are graceful much double the wholesale price. Thus, the feature packaging costs and the imported chocolate make these high-quality products very costly heretofore before markups on the products are make at both the wholesale and retail level.Similarly, when one compares the price of for example, the half pound tin, that seems very expensive when compared to a 24 pack of Lindor Chocolate Truffles which costs $12. 00 a bag. 7. Construct a table consisting of the generic wine marketing prance strategies. Based on what you know just about Cowgirl Chocolates, what marketing mix plan would you recommend to Marilyn and why? Based on what I know about Cowgirl Chocolates, I would recommend gift purchases to Marilyn because gift purchases are strongly influenced by both situational and temporary conditions, which thus allow for legion(predicate) opportunities to purchase Cowgirl Chocolates.Furthermore, these chocolates are very divert to give to a male consumer because research shows that men like hot and spicy foods more so than women. Cowgirl Chocolates would also be a good small gift to someone hosting a party or a dinner since a lot of consumers look around for a small gift in order to swear thank you to the hostess.? 8. For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, what benefits and/or authorization problems does a website offer? For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, a website offers both benefits and potential problems.The benefits include providing Marilyn the opportunity to build an online customer database and a database with customers who are thus accept customers. Another benefit includes the business Cowgirl Chocolates to gain online awareness by being features on the appropriate online portals like chocolate candies and unique gift products. The potential problems include the surmise of sales increasing online and Marilyn thus essential figure out a focus to manage the increasing demand which top executive include having to pay additional costs in both packaging and expatriation and additional labor costs in order to prepare the packages.