Abstract This report will review the jobs that a savvy marketing manager needs to perform in order to stay

one step ahead of any competition on the market. The strategist should be able to identify a segment of the buying public that will likely be drawn to a particular item in the company's offerings, and continue appealing to the individual so that the firm will be able to realize a profit for many years. There is little doubt that other similar products will become available as the given merchandise has been sold for several years; nevertheless, the thoughtful marketer will be able to come up with new and innovative ways to appeal to the segment that will most likely continue buying the product that is being sold.

Introduction Brand equity is an intangible asset that depends on associations made by the consumer. For many people, the specific brand they choose at the store is associated with some value that the specific brand has for him or her. In this document, we will see what a certain loyal consumer feels about why they choose the given product, in this case, Febreze Fabric Refresher, that is used to bring a fresh and clean scent to an everyday home. This individual is committed to the brand despite the presence of other similar products in the current market.

Brand loyalty interview: the brand and its competition Fortunately, we have been able to secure a discussion with the person who feels they are one of Febreze's best and most loyal customers. As I sit down to speak with this individual, I can already smell the clean scent pervasive in her home. We have chosen to perform the interview in her house, as she lives in my neighborhood. This woman is 49 years old, and has four teenaged children that still live with her, in addition to two cats that also live in the home. Her kids are all boys, and they are active in sports, so their uniforms and other materials often smell quite unpleasant. Now that we have started the interview, I ask Ms. Smith about why she considers herself the most optimal person to give detailed information regarding this product. She replies, with a smile on her face, that she has been a dedicated customer of the Febreze line ever since it was introduced to the market several years ago. She feels that this item is far and away the best of he available products for keeping her home smelling like the dirty clothes don't even exist. In addition, she believes that Febreze is an excellent option for her as she works outside the home every week. I kindly ask Ms. Smith if she is familiar with any of the other similar products that are now on the market, and if she has ever tried any of them to compare. Interestingly, Ms. Smith responds that yes, she knows all about the competitors for Febreze, but she has never

been willing to try any of the others because she feels that Febreze gives her exactly what she is looking for. I mention some of the brands that I am aware of, such as Clorox Fresh Scent and Resolve Fabric Freshener. Ms. Smith laughs and says that she would never waste her money trying any of the other brands because she knows that all the other examples are just attempting to beat Febreze at its own game. I have to admit that I am a bit shocked that Ms. Smith isn't even willing to try any of the other brands, but I appreciate her honesty. When I probe her to expand on this thought a little further, she mentions that she had been looking for a product like Febreze for many years when she happily stumbled across it at her local store. She bought the item and used it for the first time that very evening because her husband's boss was coming over to review some documents from his work. In the past, Ms. Smith relays that she had always been embarrassed by the terrible way her home smelled after her three sons had gotten home from practice. She figured this was as good a time as any to test the new product. Well thankfully, Ms. Smith was able to use the spray around her home, focusing on the area where her husband and his boss would likely sit to discuss the paperwork. She especially enjoyed the fresh and clean scent the product gave her home and was pleased to see that her husband liked it as well. She was so much more relaxed around the visitor now that she wasn't worried about the way her

home smelled to an outsider. Nevertheless, as exciting as this anecdote was, I was expecting that the boss gave her husband a promotion right there, but she smiled and said that didn't happen. Nonetheless, she enjoyed herself so much around the boss, that she truly had a fantastic time without feeling anxious or distressed. I started to laugh as well, because Ms. Smith honestly sounded just like a commercial for Febreze! I wonder if they have ever considered casting her in one of their promotional spots?

Analysis of interview: brand equity and brand positioning

There were so many parts of Ms. Smith's interview that helped t solidify the concept of brand equity for me. It was clear that Ms. Smith was absolutely in love with this product, and that she would be unlikely to try any other brand. In addition, the story she told truly helped me understand why she was so loyal to Febreze. Even though there are other similar products available close to her, she feels that this particular product was heads and tails above the rest. As we consider the location that Ms. Smith purchases this item, she made special note of the fact that it is available at her local grocery store, and that it is easy to get.

Brand research: market segments and targets

Market segmentation is the identification of portions of the market that are different from one another. Segmentation allows the firm to better satisfy the needs of its potential customers. For this example, Febreze is separating customers such as Ms. Smith, as they feel that clients like her are more likely to be interested in the product, and remain loyal to the item over time. When Febreze thinks about its own place in the market, they probably identify customers such as Ms. Smith, and look to meet her specific needs. In her case, Ms Smith was sensitive to the malodorous scent her sons' clothes gave to her home, but did not always have the time to clean or freshen up around the house. In addition, Ms. Smith was a great example of how a person may want to simplify their cleaning routine so that she would not be quite so embarrassed in the future. Furthermore, the anecdote Ms. Smith shared was evidence that the marketing personnel at Febreze had hit their target on he head. The marketing strategy this company uses has been successful because they realize that they may not be able to attract all possible customers by treating them all alike. The firm that makes Febreze, Procter and Gamble, has made the decision to reach out to middle aged women in their marketing plans, and they have undoubtedly secured a lifelong customer with Ms. Smith. The interesting idea with his particular interview is that middleaged women are not the only members of society that may enjoy using this product. Nevertheless, Febreze is being quite savvy by choosing to

aim their efforts on others that have situations similar to hers. To expound on this concept even further, we see that as well as having different needs, for segments to be practical they should be evaluated in the areas described below. The segment needs to be identifiable, as the differentiating attributes of the segments should be measurable so that they can be identified. In addition, the segments must be reachable through communication and distribution channels, as Ms. Smith was by noticing the advertising at her local store. Of course, the segments should be sufficiently large to justify the resources required to target them, or the company will not be able to make any money from their fantastic product As we have discussed above, the segments need to have unique needs: to justify separate offerings, meaning that the segments must respond differently to the different marketing mixes. Lastly, the segments should be relatively stable to minimize the cost of frequent changes.This is exactly what we see in Ms. Smith's case and Febreze. A good market segmentation will result in segment members that are internally homogenous and externally heterogeneous; that is, as similar as possible within the segment, and as different as possible between segments (NetMBA, 2012).

Brand research: brand equity over time But how will Procter and Gamble be able to keep Ms. Smith, despite

her admitted love for this product? Any thoughtful marketing strategist knows that the market is constantly changing, and that new products are introduced all the time. Any one of these competitors may sneak in and meet Ms. Smith's needs better than Febreze does currently. Businesspeople realize that any product has a life cycle within its current market, and Febreze will as well. Considering that this item has been available for many years, Febreze is likely in its maturity stage. Now customers like Ms. Smith are very knowledgeable about the product that is available to them and may view their purchase decision as routine. Organizations must retain their current customers by reinforcing their brand values but must attract new customers by finding what may be subtle differences versus their competitors (Sexton, 2004).

Brand research: brand positioning As we touched on in the last section, Febreze and its parent company, Procter and Gamble, need to be aware of the unique aspects of its brand to keep customers like Ms. Smith coming back to buy it again and again. As we described above, the product is most likely in the maturity stage of its lifecycle, and the firm will need to keep in fresh so that it stays in potential clients' minds. For example, the brand may choose to highlight certain parts of the product that make it stand out from the rest of the competition. It could include the fact that the

scent is pleasant or long lasting, or that it works reliably, as Ms. Smith has already found out. However, the company will need to come up with new and exciting ways to place itself in a positive light within the market. Even though Febreze is very much like other similar brands in he current market, it still needs to identify itself as unlike the rest. This is where brand position in comes in to play. Brand positioning is the key of marketing strategy. A strong brand positioning directs marketing strategy by explaining the brand details, the uniqueness of the brand as well as its similarity with the competitive brands. Yet, Febreze needs to identify the reasons for buying and using that specific brand. Positioning is the base for developing and increasing the required knowledge and perceptions of the customers. It is the single feature that sets this item apart from the competition. The company may wish to look at the core segment it has chosen to reach and seek to appeal to that group. Furthermore, they may choose to feature ways in which this item is different from others in the market. This may include offering an innovative new promotion or special deal that may speak directly to the consumers they wish to reach. Even though Ms. Smith and others like her are already sold on this product, there is always the risk that something better may appear to steal away these loyal customers.

Conclusion As we have seen in this report, the tasks facing a marketing manager are neither easy nor simple. The conscientious manager needs to identify the segment that will likely be interested in their product above all other competitors in the market. In addition, the marketer needs to strategize a way to keep the product fresh and appealing to he chosen segment so that they keep buying the same product for many years.

References

NetMBA (2012) Market Segmentation. http://www.netmba.com/marketing/market/segmentation/ Last accessed April 3, 2012. Sexton, D. (2004) Managing Brand Equity Over Time. Canada China Business Council. Last accessed April 3, 2012.