Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS
UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS
UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Page
4
23
23
24
24
24
25
25
25
26
26
26
27
27
LIST OF ANNEXURES
Annexure
A
B
C
D
Page
5
5
7
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all those who
gave us the possibility to complete this report. A special thanks to our final
year project coordinator, Dr. J. Matadeen, whose help, stimulating
suggestions and encouragement, helped us to coordinate our project
especially in writing this report. We would also like to acknowledge with
much appreciation the crucial role of the staff of UoM Trust and of the
University of Mauritius, who gave the permission to use all
required resources and the necessary material.
Our wholehearted thanks go to our parents, colleagues and friends for their
unconditional and constant support throughout this journey.
Many thanks goes to our program coordinator, Mr. Ram Goolaup who
gave his full effort in guiding the team in achieving the goal as well as his
encouragement to maintain our progress in track. We appreciated the
guidance given by other supervisors as well as the lecturers especially in
our project presentation that has improved our various skills by their
comments and tips. We are also grateful to all lecturers who have been
coaching us since the beginning of our lecture and who altogether helped us
in making this project.
Table of Contents
PROJECT DECLARATION FORM......................................................................ii
PROJECT DECLARATION FORM.....................................................................iii
PROJECT DECLARATION FORM.....................................................................iv
PROJECT DECLARATION FORM......................................................................v
GROUP PROJECT SUBMISSION FORM...........................................................vi
LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................... vii
LIST OF ANNEXURES..................................................................................viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................................... ix
Company Overview...................................................................................... 1
Problem Statement....................................................................................... 3
Scope of Proposal......................................................................................... 4
Situation Analysis......................................................................................... 4
Customer Analysis..................................................................................... 5
Environmental Analysis............................................................................. 6
SWOT Analysis.......................................................................................... 9
Communication Strategy............................................................................10
Branding Strategies................................................................................. 10
Corporate Identity................................................................................ 13
Corporate Image..................................................................................19
Market Presence................................................................................... 21
Communication Tools..............................................................................23
Prints.................................................................................................... 23
Audio/ Radio Advertising:.....................................................................25
Audio-visual / Video advertising...........................................................26
Outdoor Advertising.............................................................................27
Online Media........................................................................................ 27
Financial Forecast.................................................................................... 28
10
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Company Overview
Rent-A-Maid (Mauritius) Co. Ltd (herein referred to as RML) has been
incorporated in October 2012 with scope of providing housekeeping services
to upper-class families (high income earners households and affluent twoincome households) in the region of Quatre-Bornes and Curepipe.
RML was among the first companies in Mauritius to provide residential
cleaning services. A simple search on myjob.mu (a job portal in Mauritius)
or local newspaper can support this as no other company has started
advertising anything in relation with the above.
Company details
Registered Office:
Mauritius
C12112645
rentamaid@orange.mu
http://www.rentamaid.bizonline.mu
Services offered
RML main business activity is to outsource housekeepers to affluent
families. In this respect, RML employs eligible maids for the services
required.
Among the various services offered the most solicited ones are cleaning,
cooking and laundry.
As at January 2014, RML had over fifteen clients and ten workers in the
region of Curepipe and Quatre-Bornes.
Why RML?
Problem Statement
When it comes to cleaning their houses, Mauritians are more keen to look
for individual maids mainly by word of mouth; a culture since years now.
In addition to the above, RML seems to have no brand presence in Mauritius.
Taking into consideration the Consumer Buying Decision Process, the need
that RML and an individual maid satisfy is the same. However, the customer
is still under the perception that only individual maids can solve their
problem. Even when they go for information search, they can only find
information about individual maids as RML has not been involved in
promotion and communication. The only minimal information that some
customers may get is from existing customers of RML (word of mouth) and if
RML relies on this for its growth, it shall have a very slow one and find itself
surrounded by new competitors which shall be a major threat to its survival.
This is due to the fact that there is little advertising and inadequate
branding strategies that have been adopted in order to make the brand
more popular in the eyes of its targeted consumers.
Because of the aforementioned issue, it is difficult for RML to acquire new
customers. One year after its creation, RML has still not been able to
acquire a major share of its targeted market. At the time of its
incorporation, it was expected that after one year of operation, it shall
acquire at least 25% of the market. Unfortunately this has not been the
case because it has not been able to promote the company and its service.
Yes, the company has till now not been marketed in the right way. At the
start, we believed that this business idea was so brilliant that it shall be
hugely spread through word of mouth and not through marketing. However,
one year later we came to know that we were wrong. Our service was
indeed an innovative one, better than anyone could expect. While founding
RML, I was comparing our service to the innovative products that Steeve
Jobs brought in; created a need for his products. The reason why Apple was
not a failure is that he promoted it in the right way. Thus if properly
promoted, I have no doubt that RML will be a major success.
Founder and Director of Rent A Maid (Mauritius) Co. Ltd
Scope of Proposal
The scope of this project is to solve the major issue RML is facing. It shall be
proposing measures and communication strategies that will boost
awareness of the company. All related information shall be included so that
no further major research shall be carried out. The final aim of the project is
to:
Situation Analysis
In Mauritius, the cleaning services industry can be categorised into:
Customer Analysis
To determine which particular segment to target, RMLs used the following
bases for segmenting its market:-
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Environmental Analysis
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RML considers the minimum rate per hour and the number of working hours
per week, so that it can properly calculate overtime to be paid if any. In
addition to this, RML takes into consideration frameworks mentioned in the
Employment Rights Act (2008) and Employment Relations Act (2008) of
Mauritius.
RML also takes into consideration Health and Safety issues (under the
Occupational Safety and Health Act 2005) as its employees will be working
with chemical products. As such, RML has to provide its employees with
appropriate equipment or in its contract with the clients, it states that the
client will be responsible to provide adequate equipment.
Being a company, RML has to abide to various statutory requirements
imposed by the local authorities. For example it has to;
file its annual tax return with the Mauritius Revenue Authority
and pay taxes accordingly,
pay the annual registration fee with the Registrar of Companies,
contribute to National Empowerment Fund /National Solidarity
Fund for its employees.
Economical
For the first quarter of 2013, the unemployment rate was estimated to be
around 8.7% (Annexure C). The main characteristics of the unemployed at
the first quarter of 2013 were:
Socio-Cultural
Attitudes toward work, leisure, career and retirement have changed during
the past decades. Mauritians are becoming more career oriented, health
conscious amongst others. This means that many of them especially the
professionals will go to fitness clubs, undertake outdoors sport, go to pubs,
work longer hours and so on. This trend can be viewed as an opportunity
for RML as these persons will have less time to devote to house cleaning
and will be more willing to outsource this task to a cleaning company.
Technology
Many may think that cleaning services is not linked with technology, but in
fact it is.
7
SWOT Analysis
The below SWOT analysis has been developed following the above situation
analysis.
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Based on the above analysis, it can be seen that one of the major weakness
of RML is that it lacks public awareness and in addition to this, there is no
barrier to entry in the sector in which RML is operating. Hence, in the
forthcoming years, it is expected that new competitors will penetrate the
market.
Therefore to address this issue, RML will have to set up different barriers of
entry to prevent potential competitors from entering the market. It can do
so by creating brand awareness and eventually brand loyalty.
To build brand awareness, RML will have to develop a communication
strategy.
Communication Strategy
Before starting to work on strategies, it is important to know where RML
services fall in the Product Life Cycle (PLC). Even though RML has been
operational for nearly eighteen months, it has still not been able to grab a
big share of the untapped market it initially identified.
Taking into consideration the number of customers RML currently have and
its forecasted increase in customers, it can be concluded that RML is in the
early growth stage. Thus, the most appropriate strategy during this stage
would be to create Brand Awareness. Being currently the sole player, RML
must seek the opportunity to grow at a much faster pace. However, prior to
developing Brand Awareness, RML will have to work a structured and
strategic plan.
RML
Source: http://tinyurl.com/m5kncwa
Branding Strategies
According to about.com-Marketing, American Marketing Association defines
branding as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of
them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of
sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. 1
Below are the steps towards brand development
1. The first step towards brand development would be the creation of
1 http://marketing.about.com/cs/brandmktg/a/whatisbranding.htm
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Mobile Applications
Others
a. RML will have to be involved in quality article writing
may it be on its own website, on its facebook page
through blogging or in magazines and other available
platforms.
b. RML should not hesitate to join private clubs, events,
and social gathering such as Happy Hours.
c. RML shall get listed on business directories as well as
the Yellow Pages of the Mauritius Telecom.
Corporate Identity
The core values of RML shall be:
The above core values shall be communicated not only to employees but to
all stakeholders of RML.
Vision and Mission Statements
Vision Statement
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CHOSEN:
To provide with high quality residential cleaning
services to reduce cleaning burdens at an affordable price
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Creation of Logo
Several companies have been contacted for a logo conception and below
are the various proposals RML received:Proposal 1:-
Proposal 2:-
Proposal 3:-
CHOSEN:
Proposal 2
The lotus flower also emanates peace of mind and purity which reflects the
services RML provide.
Brand Message
Out of many brand messages that were proposed, the best ones were:-
14
Chosen:
of its simplicity
it reflects the vision of RML
it is easy to communicate
15
Advertising Message/Tagline
Different taglines will be used for different occasions. Below are the taglines
that were proposed:
Occasion 1: Launching of the
campaign
o For brighter homes
o Repos! Maison! Lucrative
Brillance
o You Rest! We Clean!
CHOSEN: You Rest! We Clean!
Proposals:
o
CHOSEN:
Proposals:
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CHOSEN:
17
18
Website
It has been observed that the current website (below is a print screen of the
actual web page) of RML calls for improvement in the following ways:
1. Provide more information on existing website
2. Make it more lively
3. Accentuate on services that RML provides
4. Emphasize on our flexibility
5. Create a feedback platform
6. Cross Linking Panel
7. Update news Feed
8. Update website constantly to increase traffic
9. Include a Photo gallery with pictures of staffs, events and so on.
10.Link to Twitter/Linkedin
11.Enhancing the website page by making it an interactive one
Corporate Image
Customised Stationery
RML will make use of customised letterhead, envelopes, company
seals, receipts and invoices to maintain its professional image.
Personalised Vehicles
RML will make use of magnetic adverts on company vehicles. Below
is an example of a proposed magnetic advert for RML
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Staff Uniforms
To integrate its brand, RML will ensure that all its staffs wear a proper
uniform with the logo and its brand message clearly printed on it.
Give-Aways
RML had the following personalised items as gift item proposals:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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QR Code
RML has developed a QR Code that carries all contact
information. By simply scanning the QR Code with their
smartphones, prospects shall have at their disposal all RML
contact details. In this fast changing world, more people have
sophisticated phones and wishes to connect and access
information from wherever they are. Thus, the QR Code will help
those targeted individuals.
Market Presence
Social Networks
To accentuate its presence on the market, RML will use online platforms
such as Facebook, Google+ and Linkedin.
Facebook and Google+ are loud and popular and therefore prove to
be very important tools in marketing. RML will make sure its Facebook and
Google+ pages are updated and interesting. For instance, RML will
frequently share thoughts, post related pictures, organise competitions and
most importantly share customers testimonials on its page.
As more professionals have an account on LinkedIn, RML need to join same
so as to be closer to them.
E-Mail Signature
RML has to make use of an e-mail signature while communicating with
stakeholders to enhance its professionalism. Below is an example of a
signature which it may use:-
21
Mobile Application
2013 was a banner time for the technology side of the events and meetings
world. Nowhere was this more evident than in the mobile app space, as
more and more organisations caught on to what this experience-shifting
technology has to offer. Investments in audience-enabling solutions
continued to grow even as the event industry as a whole remained flat. Like
most event planners - or any business professional for that matter RML is
constantly look for ways to be better, faster, more productive and more
successful.
If one can get RMLs application into the hands, the company can take
advantage of their natural motivation to connect and contribute to help
make the campaign even more meaningful and successful. The more RML
can inspire and facilitate connection, the more valuable it will be.
22
Communication Tools
RML considers communication media as the best mean to transmit its
advertising message. RML considers communication media as the best
mean to transmit its advertising message. The following media categories
can be used by RML for its communication campaign.
Prints
Press
Advertising
Newspapers
Period
8 to 10 days
Content
Position
Advert Size
Brochures
Content
Printing
Paper
Finishing
Size
A4
Amount
200 units
Distribution
Number of pages
Table 3: Brochures
Flyers
Content
Number of pages
Printing
Paper
Size
A3
23
Amount
500 units
Distribution
Magazines
Newspapers
Period
2 -3 times
Content
Roll up
banners
Content
Size
Printing
Material
Flex
Others
Amount
2 units
Usage
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Hanging
Banners
Content
Size
Material
Flex
Printing
Quad Recto
Finishing
Amount
Usage
Duration
Number of spots
Time
Period
Table 9: Broadcast
Note: RML decided to advertise at the peak times whereby its targeted
clients (working people) are driving to their offices or back home.
Duration
Number of clips
Period
Between 2 to 4 weeks
Time
Note: RML chose these two specific cinema halls as most high income
earners go there.
Show reel for
potential
clients
Material
Packaging
Amount
Distribution
Outdoor Advertising
Display on busstops
Content
Location
Ebne
Printing
Position
Left
Period
Between 8 to 10 days
Table 13: Display on bus stop
Note: Ebene consist of working people and the installation of this display is
recent and thus more appealing.
26
Online Media
Facebook
advertising and
Web Banner
Content
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Financial Forecast
Following official quotations (Annexure D) received, RML will have to invest
approximately Rs. 605,000.00 for the whole campaign (branding and
communication) with details as below:Details
Amount in
Mauritian rupees
(Rs)
Branding
Uniforms
Customised T-Shirts and Polo
Shirts
Give Aways
Recycled Paper pens, Bottle
openers, Fridge Magnets
Mobile Applications
Event application and client
application
Logo
Conception
Others
Printing of Business Cards,
Personalised Stationery
10,000.00
30,500.00
30,000.00
5,000.00
30,000.00
105,500.
00
Communication and Advertising
Printing
Press Advertising, Flyers,
Corporate Brochure, Rollup
Banner, Hanging Banner
Audio
Production of Spot Broadcast
Audio Visual
Production of corporate clip
Broadcast, Show reel DVD / CD /
USB
Outdoor Advertising
Display on bus stop
Online Advertising
Facebook Advertising, Web
Banner
150,000.0
0
125,000.0
0
100,000.0
0
75,000.00
50,000.00
500,000.
28
00
605,500.
00
Gross Total
Note: RML will do all its designs and conceptions in-house.
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Objectives
Tim
e
No. of
week
s
Branding
Strategy
Goal 1:Concept
Development
Goal 2: Creation of
Vision & Mission
statement
Goal 3: Creation of
Advertising and
branding messages
Communication
Strategy
Goal 1: Design
2014
April
May
June
July
Aug
30
2015
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Goal 3: Completion of
all Productions and
Media Planning
Goal 4: Completion of
all Deliverables
Action Plan
Engage Advertising
agency
Execution (distribution
of deliverables)
Evaluation
Process
Collect data
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Process data
Evaluate data
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Implications
Developing a communication campaign is not a simple project. RML has to
take into account the various implications the campaign will give rise to.
Below are some of the implications to be considered:
Ethical Implications
1) RML shall at all times
a. act responsibly, with honesty, fairness, integrity and
professionalism;
b. encourage consumers to transact in an ethical manner;
c. avoid aggressive or offensive sale practices;
d. demonstrate good faith and best intentions;
e. deal respectfully with the consumers or potential consumers
and ensure sufficient disclosure is made for them to make
informed decisions;
f. not provide unreasonable inducements or gifts to consumers
or potential consumers for their investment or saving
purposes;
g. preserve confidentiality of the consumers or potential
consumers information, and not take advantage of such
information for personal or another persons gain in
conformity with the Data Protection law in Mauritius; and
h. deal with the Commission in an open and cooperative
manner.
2) RML shall not cause misrepresentations regarding:a. its own credentials or that of the financial products which he
represents;
b. nature or characteristics of the financial products offered;
and
c. previous performances of the financial products he is
marketing
Advertising agency
For a successful campaign, RML will have to decide whether or not to use an
advertising agency. An agency has professionals who can arrange, build,
and place advertising which shall pull off established goals better than RML
can do on its own, but eventually the cost related with soliciting these
services is often high. An appropriate agency can be helpful in determining
and controlling RMLs advertising strategies.
Because of their resources and expertise, an agency shall be useful for RML
as it is developing a big advertising campaign for the first time.
RML will have to take the following criteria when choosing an agency:33
Financial implication
Given that RML will have to invest approximately Rs 600,000 for a
successful communication campaign, it will have to consider reliable source
of finance. There are two main ways that RML can raise funds, it can be
either through internal sources or external ones.
Internal Sources
As at 31 Dec 2013, the accounts of RML show the following:-
Total Income
Total Wage
Total Expenses
Profit
Based on the above figures,
o
Rs
1,500,000
1,263,000
105,780
131,220
RML can consider:
investing 80% of its profit for year ended 2013 into the
communication plan which shall be equivalent to around Rs
105,000
investing around 5% of its yearly sales income in its campaign
which shall be equivalent to an amount of around Rs 75,000 (in
the event that the sales figures for the coming year remain
similar to that of 2013).
External Source
As external sources, RML can approach financial institution such SMEDA,
Banks or apply for schemes offered by the government such as the
Mauritius Business Growth Scheme.
34
Implementation Benchmark
Very often advertising campaigns fail due to lack of monitoring. It is
essential that RML ensures that its advertising efforts are having the desired
outcome. RML will not merely toss a promotion out there and expect for the
paramount.
RML will have to determine whether to maintain, cease, or amend its
advertising campaigns. Thus, the organization shall ask its customers their
opinions which can be gathered in several ways. Below are some of the
techniques that can be applied by RML
o
o
o
o
o
o
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Recommendation
Based on the cost to be incurred throughout the communication campaign,
it is quite obvious that RML, being a small company will not be able to
implement the project fully. Given that internal sources will bring an
approximate amount of Rs 180,000, RML will have to opt for external
sources simultaneously.
RML shall seek the help of the Mauritius Business Growth
Scheme to finance its communication campaign. It shall
need the 90-10 Payback Technical Assistance Scheme. It
can eligible to get a minimum amount of Rs 300,000. The reason for
recommending this scheme is that RML shall start repaying back the loan as
from the fourth year as the first three year is considered as moratorial.
The fact that RML will be able to raise only Rs 480,000, it will have to opt for
the best alternatives within the available budget. Eventually, among the
various proposals, RML will select only the following:
The above will cost RML approximately Rs 85,500 for its Branding Strategy.
The remaining amount that is Rs 394,500 (Rs 480,000 RS 85,500) will be
used for its communication and advertising strategy.
RML shall be implementing all communication strategies except, the
36
production of a corporate clip which will prove to be too costly both for its
creation and broadcasting. However, it has been observed that there would
be a short fall of Rs 5,500 which can be gathered by allocating shares to the
shareholder or requesting for a loan from a shareholder.
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