Degree
Master of Business Administration
Faculty / School
Faculty of Business Administration (FBA)
Advisor
Dr. Saima Hussain, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing
Committee Member 1
Ms. Saima Hussain, Assistant Professor, Business Administration –Academic Affairs, Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi
Project Type
MBA Research Project
Keywords
https://ir.iba.edu.pk/do/search/?q=Mortein&start=0&context=8598587&facet=">Mortein, Competitive landscape, Brand landscape, International brand analysis, Brand's communication plan, Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan
Abstract / Summary
This project was carried out as an MBA project to create a new positioning idea for Mortein and use that idea as a framework to devise a communication plan for the brand. This project was divided into two parts. First part was the research phase in order to understand the consumer behaviour for the category, the brand and its competitive landscape.
The second part was to use the research done during the first part to create a new positioning idea, brand’s strategy roadmap and the entire communication plan which was further broken down into ATL and BTL. Considering the fact that Mortein needed a focused and strong brand purpose, this entire report not only provides the research to come up with a revised brand positioning but also explains the new brand USP as well as the communication plan for the brand. Research was conducted to understand the customer behaviour for this product category.
This research was done by conducting Brand audit and Consumer usage and attitude study. Brand Audit and U&A study gave a framework for the marketing campaign, as explains the perceived value of brand in mind for consumers.
The results of U&A study helped in in-depth understanding of Mortein’s target audience in terms of their usage and attitude towards the brand which impacts their purchase behaviour. Firstly, the focus groups provided fruitful insights regarding consumers’ most common issues, which were mosquitoes and health concerns in general. Consumers emphasized on the effectiveness, brand trust and value for money in terms of product attributes.
These insights were further validated when a survey was conducted which had overlapped themes and were aligned with the focus groups’ findings. Respondents’ biggest issue was mosquitoes and they found Mortein to be value for money, which means that the target market is not price sensitive and what matters to them the most is the effectiveness of the product. The results also showed that there is an emotional appeal when it comes to Mortein’s ads, which means that consumers have positive brand associations within their limbic systems of the brains.
Moreover, the findings from survey conducted for brand audit stated that more than half of the respondents bought and use pest control solutions on a monthly basis. This showed their high consumption frequency. Also, Mortein had a high top of the mind recall, since they could easily recall the brand when it comes to pest control solutions, which clearly represents the level of their awareness and preference. However, in terms of effectiveness, competitors were far ahead of Mortein. The brand’s core association in consumers’ mind is related to mosquitoes, which may
not be the brand perception the company wants to create. Word of mouth played a significant role for several respondents to try and use the brand. However, there’s a low switching cost when it comes to unavailability of the brand. Thus Mortein might need to work on brand loyalty. Therefore, it can be interpreted that Mortein users find Mortein products high on quality but a perception also exists that the competitors’ products are more effective in comparison.
After understanding the consumer usage and attitude as well as the brand's current focus, gap analysis was conducted to identify how Mortein is different from the competitors in the local market. This was followed by international brand analysis. Both these analysis frameworks helped to explore the local and international trends.
After the entire process of research, two important insights were shortlisted which helped to create the brand strategy roadmap. Firstly, Mortein is a solution for all insects and not only mosquitos. Secondly, Mortein’s extra ordinary composition is odourless which makes it harmless for human health and this is what differentiates Mortein from its competitors. Hence, the brand strategy roadmap was created which emphasized on the fact that Mortein's USP is that it is an effective and odourless insecticide which does not harm human health. This USP was used to create the revised positioning.
This brand strategy roadmap became the foundation for the brand's communication plan. The communication plan covers all avenues of ATL and BTL. The purpose of the media plan is to create top of the mind recall for Mortein's new USP and to educate the target audience regarding the implications of pungent smell of insecticide on human health. Furthermore, the entire plan contains creative ideas which the brand can use to create an impact on its target audience and drill the new positioning idea in their minds effectively.
Recommended Citation
Salim, J., Ali, S. R., Shah, F., Sohail, R., & Chawla, A. (2020). Mortein - Finding a new positioning idea (Unpublished graduate research project). Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan. Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/research-projects-mba/9
