STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN OF ANOTO

Executive Summary

We aim to in this paper expatiate on the Marketing Campaign of Anoto as a sportwear firm.
This paper is focused on demonstrating a marketing strategy for Anoto's goods; using prior
offers as examples, the paper demonstrates how Anoto may provide new products in the
market. In this regard, the study includes detailed marketing plan components such as company
analysis (Anoto's existing and future status), scenario or market analysis, and competition
analysis; the report demonstrates Anoto's aims and marketing strategies in terms of its 4ps.
That is, it has been demonstrated that Anoto can offer and expand its product range by offering
other related products such as aerobic products to its customers and setting value-based pricing
strategy accordingly, and for new offerings, it can increase its other media other than
commercials, focusing more on social media to promote its new products, and it may expand
its business in other countries such as China, the Middle East, and so on. Aside from that, the
financial budget for this marketing strategy has been mentioned, which was projected by
studying Anoto's previous year's revenue and marketing spend numbers. Also provided is an
execution plan as well as a contingency plan, which is heavily reliant on Anoto's senior
management and teamwork to make its goals and new offers a reality
Introduction and Background:

Background

The Anoto brand has a long and rich history that is deeply rooted in sport. Its extensive and
diversified portfolio encompasses major global sports to regional grassroot events and local
footwear culture in both the sports performance and sports inspired areas. This has helped
Anoto to transcend cultures and become one of the most known, reputable, and iconic brands
both on and off the field of play.

Anoto whose name is an abbreviation of five businessmen from different continents and
backgrounds show the need to offer in a new option for the sports fraternity in its wears.
These business partners once did their undergraduate in the same university and had since
shared the same zeal in the various sports they are fan of. Askar, Nabeel, Ousby, Tauseeff
and Omar are all sports enthusiasts. They are Volleyball, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, and
Football enthusiasts respectively. They would later see the need to unify all these sports
through a sportwear they branded Anoto. The year was 2015 when they started and in 2021
they are one of the leading sports brand in the world

Mission & Vision Statement

Mission Statement

‘To produce products that would inspire confidence among our

product users and to unify all sports through a brand’.

Vision Statement
“Anoto’s goal is to make products which would inspire confidence amongst product users as
well as remove the mysticism surrounding athletics which is associated with only some group
of people. It is Anoto’s vision to unite all sports through a sports wear which would bring all
sportsmen and sports fans together.”

Market Overview
 Anoto incorporation is the part of the world’s leading sports footwear and Apparel Company.
The main target is mostly athletes, selling related products such as shoes, sporting equipment’s
and clothes. Over the past five years the Athlete and sporting goods manufacturing industry is
expected to experience growth according to the modest growth in the sports participation rate.
The Demand for sporting goods is increasing over the period. In the next decade to 2030
consumers will become more health conscious and sport oriented, which will boost demand for
Athlete equipment’s. This Athlete industry is highly fragmented and characterized by the high
level of competition.

In today’s world market of sport goods is increasing and this market is highly growing in more
developed as compared to other developing countries and it has been projected more than 63
billion in U.S Dollars in 2014. Consumers purchase different products such as athletic footwear,
licensed sports merchandise athletic apparel, exercise equipment but they are not included in
recreational transportation. Many of the products such as sporting goods are sold through online
channels over the internet and have highest growth in market share of distribution channels..
Worldwide Nike and Adidas are also having greatest revenue as well as market leaders in
sporting goods industry and manufacturing with 27.8 and 20 billion U.S dollars
respectively[ CITATION Hin16 \l 1033 ].

Analysis Of Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy Of Anoto Company:

In the advertising, our target is to achieve the greatest possible impact on large populations of
the target audience. These ads are usually expensive. However, successfully applied a strong
brand image of Anoto products can reap the rewards and high demand.

Anoto uses celebrities represent product to the client or ideal user. Extremely popular
personalities such as professional athletes used as offering the Anoto’s products. Target
customers are watching their favourite celebrities use the company's products. As a result,
customers are motivated to imitate the behaviour of these celebrities. Through the use of ad
figure known marketing communication mix, Anoto is promoting the company's products to
customers how to motivate your choice to imitate the famous Celebrities. Famous football
teams, and LeBron James, Lee Chong Wei are number of famous athletes and used by Anoto
as celebrity endorsement strategy to promote its products.
 Adidas focuses on other countries’ sportsman as Brand ambassador for making its all target
customers of all countries aware about its offers[ CITATION Den09 \l 1033 ].

Consumer Behaviour:

Anoto products are already well-known throughout the world, with effective advertisements and
word of mouth, since customers tend to share their positive views with their friends and family.
After buying Anoto products consumers learn, and experience the quality and see for themselves
that they got what they expected. Consumers’ formed attitudes about the brand are buying a
products that are comfortable, makes you feel good, and also look cool in it and Nike satisfy
them all[ CITATION Kea09 \l 1033 ].

Analyses of our Competitors Consumers’ Feedback

The public feels that Anoto over charges its consumers and make its profits but they should
decrease the prices which can attract the consumers to buy its products. Today, everybody wants
the products which are comfortable to wear, protect our feet and keep away from injury without
higher quality shoes it can harm our feet and cause injured. Sometimes Anoto can affect
consumers to buy the product. Consumers can be influenced by three perspectives cultural, social
and personal factors. (Consumer behaviour in relation to premium products, 2015).

Young athletes can be the target market of Anoto in the future. With its brand it has the powerful
position of influence with young people by launching the digital platform for engaging the
consumers to join it so that it may make better relationship with consumers (Kearney, 2009)

If any company creates the good relationship with its consumers, so they must find out the needs
and wants of the consumers. As Anoto has done this by providing the good customer service and
even when customer face any type of problem so they can send email to the Anoto for get rid
from their problem related purchasing, Anoto would solve their problems within working days
and customers can solve their problems with help of websites and sending them emails. So this
has made the consumers to have positive image of Anoto in their minds which can increase their
purchasing decisions and behaviour towards the Anoto products[ CITATION Dan18 \l 1033 ].
 Competition

The main competitors always of Anoto are Nike, Reebok and Adidas and their product are not
entirely different from Anoto ’s products, as all products involved in the design and marketing of
both athletic footwear and apparel and for fitness projects but Anoto is having differentiation and
distinctive competency in the area of marketing. Anoto always creates the consumer brand
awareness and has strong brand power for a long time and also makes a position in the market.
Anoto’s Slogan “Just Do It” and symbols “Swoosh” and their sports icons are recognizable for
target audience.

There are two great attributes which makes distinctive competency for Nike are its inability to be
replicated and the value or benefit which they offer to its consumers. As Nike is the integrated
part of the American and world culture, the brand power is basically increased and difficult to
replicate. Few companies have such that image and resources to promote their company as Nike
do. As the motivational Slogan of Nike is “Just Do It” with the marketing campaigns which
emphasis the fitness, competition and sportsmanship, consumers having the high quality based
products and a spirit of achieving the confidence where younger consumers can get benefit from
the positive influence.

Environment Analysis-Pest Analysis

Political:
 There are worker rights and employee laws which affect the Anoto’s internal
procedures
  It has positive government policies which support it in increasing their growth
prospects especially in US.
 The surroundings legal issues affect it and are handled by the Anoto legal team
 Anoto prioritises countries with long history of political stability eg U.S, UK,
Malaysia etc

Economic:

 Anoto get sponsorship from different other companies

 Anoto can be the way in creating new jobs when their higher growth in
economy
 There can be risk of currency, interest rate and exchange rates for Anoto
products
 Increasing material prices and labor cost in production countries or outsourcing
for increasing the living standards can also affect anoto product sales

Social:

 Consumers are becoming more loyal towards the brand and becoming brand
conscious that can be advantageous for Anoto
 Changes in life style- health awareness, sport participation which is increasing
the demand of sport products
 Increasing market share of female customers can also be opportunity for Anoto
 Consumers preferences and demand are being diversified hence Anoto can
broaden its product range

Technological:

 New technology affects Nike because it incorporates it in its products.

 Through technology it makes highly innovative products as shoe construction/
design
 It can create mobile app and different facilities and website from which
customers can do online shopping through new digital trends.
 SWOT Analysis

Anoto's SWOT analysis will show the company's strengths and weaknesses that are impeding
growth. Simultaneously, analysing the opportunities and threats that exist in the current market
condition will provide a suggestion for its potential business strategies for dealing with the
issue.

Strength:

Anoto gains a number of strengths by utilizing the market potential. The main strength
of Anoto as follows:

❖ Global presence
❖ It offers strong distribution networks.
❖ It has a solid position in relation to its long-term debt, which is small.
❖ It has come up with new techniques to design shoes.
❖ It has a vast range of products that are offered globally.
❖ It has different segments such as cricket equipment, football equipment and footwear
etc.

These strengths can help to focus on attraction strategies to more customers and the promotion
strategies can be developed based on these strengths.

Weaknesses:

❖ It has a limited product line compared to competitors.

❖ Inexperienced top management.
❖ It does not have a brand reputation.
❖ It does not have good base of customers

Anoto must take these weaknesses in action and work to reduce them as much as
possible. Anoto can plan to eliminate these weaknesses during the formulation of the
marketing strategy.
Opportunities:

Anoto can also take advantage of various opportunities provided by the internet, technology,
and markets and Anoto has the potential to grab it. Among these opportunities include the
following, but are not limited to these following:

❖ Increasing trends of E- Commerce.

❖ Rapid growth of the sportswear industry.
❖ Diversification in sports equipment.

Anoto can use these opportunities to improve their business. Anoto must continue to
look for new opportunities in order to pursue them and gain an advantage over its competitors.

Threats:

Anoto must identify threats to their business in order to discover solutions for eliminating them
as much as possible. Threats may arise from time to time. It can also be induced by external
factors. Some threats for Anoto as follows:

❖ High competition in the market as competitors become more competitive and provide
high-quality items
❖ Uncertainty in the Global Economy
❖ Technological Advancement: As competitor are adopting new technology if they
become stronger than Anoto in technology then there will be a severe threat for Anoto
❖ Also there are top class competitors who have dominated the market longer

Anoto must have solutions for these threats to sustain in the markets, dominate competitors,
retain customers, and maximize profits.

Marketing Strategy
 Objectives

 To increase the 5-6% profitability in each of its product lines (i.e. increasing
sales growth by 15% annually)
 To Increase marketing communication tactics
 To produce quality and low cost products
 To meet the demands and requirements of target market (sneakers for young
and old age consumers)
 To make sustainable development of product worldwide.
 To apply continuous marketing strategies to broaden its product range.

STP (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning)

Market Segmentation

It has following segmentation to create consumers groups to target:

Demographics segmentation: Anoto segments fir Age and gender group that is it has such
products that serve male and female that has age range of 10-65.

Psychographics and behavioural segmentation: Anoto has this segmentation to answer that
why consumers need its products and what the consumers have interest and purchasing habits. So
regarding this Anoto segments its market which includes:

• Sports or athletic oriented

• Active lifestyle(interest in fitness and exercise for recreation)

Geographic segmentation: On the basis of this, Anoto has segmentation to serve its target
customers all over the world. It has major markets in USA, South East Asia, Africa but it has
continuous objective to cater markets in other countries as well like North-America, China,
Japan, etc.
Targeting

As for market segmentation, Anoto has niche market to serve that focuses and targets athlete or
sportsperson segment and provides required products to them as footwear and apparel products,
which have quite specific and unique feature as compared to other footwear products.
Following are the some target strategies of Anoto:

Its target strategies include aggressive marketing to make aware its target consumers about its
product and even Anoto make its target consumers enable to get their desired products through
customization.

Apart from this, its targeting strategies include sponsorship of its products through sports team or
celebrities. It has objective of styling its product through psychological tactics on target market
by linking triumph with apparel that is products are viewed as victory when sponsorship is done
by athlete celebrities.

Market Positioning

Anoto positions itself in the mind of its target customers as a leader in sports goods. It has made
such products that satisfy its niche market with all products related to sports. Its slogan ‘Just do
it’ has made an appeal to target customers to buy the product with sense of inspiration and
confidence and which has made it major competitor in athlete industry.

Its positioning statement is

‘For every serious athlete Nike provides perfect shoe or sports products that gives confidence for
every sport activity’

It has following positioning strategies:

• Enhancing athletic lifestyle or fantasy in consumers mind

• Appealing style and attitude
• Positions itself as premium brand with well-designed products
• Appealing quality level and valuable products

Strategy Summary

Its main focus is to gain leading role in athletic market and increase its market share
To produce quality and innovative products for target consumers
It has following strategies in terms of following factors:

Pricing strategy: Anoto has value based/price leadership strategy that offers the customer with
the price that customer value so it has high prices for its products as it has niche market to serve
with valuable products.

Market expansion strategy: Anoto has strategy to expand its distribution channels all over the
world through constant improvement in products lines.

Outsourcing strategies: Anoto despite being a more recent company than its competitors has
successfully relied on outsourcing of its product manufacturing; it has contracts with different
countries like China, Japan, Congo, Brazil, Nigeria, Malaysia and India the founders respective
countries.

Competitive advantage

Technology: Nike has incorporated technology in their product as it has collaboration with
technology based companies as Apple, through which it has made most competitive products that
enables the consumers to connect their iPod devices to sensors inside the Nike shoes that help
them to record time, distance and pace.

Manufacturing cost: Anoto has SCM capabilities as it has got competitive advantage in terms of
having global outsourcing strategy that enables it to get low cost in their production and it has
about 500 contracts with the countries of the world which help it in supply chain process.

Economies of scale: It has got the Economies of scale through their efficiency in production i.e.
they have continuous improvement in their production by incurring low cost with increased level
of production and revenue.

Patents: Anoto’s strength is also having valuable and non-replicable products, which are it has
strong patents and copyrights on its products so that they would not copied easily and remain
unique in the market.

Research and development strength: Anoto is an innovative company that continually strives
to bring new thing in their products for their target market and this is done through their
Research and Development department(R&D) which is a hotbed for many ideas and resources to
produce new things in the market. So Anoto strive to make innovations in their products by bring
technologies in them, it has new product development strategy which suggest that it updates or
redesigns its products frequently.

Marketing Mix strategy

Anoto has the leading role in marketing and has strongest marketing mix. In particular it depends
on Pull strategy; it has established it’s seizing against the big competitors like Nike, Reebok and
Adidas

Product

Anoto offers a wide range of products including shoes, apparel and equipment. Currently these
are top selling product categories, all these products clothing and equipment specialized for
sports products.

The first product of Anoto is badminton shoes. Apart from this, it offers currently in athletics,
baseball, tennis, soccer, basketball products and has wide range of sports products such as cricket
shoes, shirts, and shorts.

Anoto also offers products for tennis, golf, association football, baseball, football, cycling,
volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, aquatic activities, and sells shoes for racing and other sports
and outdoor activities as recreational uses.

Pricing

The type of products to be marketed will affect the price of a product. Anoto’s pricing strategy is
considered to be competitive than other retailer shoe. The pricing is based on the basis of target
customers as a premium segment. Anoto also ensures that its pricing considers middle income
earners because they are mostly the majority in most of our target countries.

Place/Distribution

Anoto has about 15,000 retail accounts in the US and China and sells its products in about 200
countries worldwide. In the international market, independent distributors, licenses and subsidies
sell Anoto products. The company has manufacturing facilities in and around the world customer
service and other operational units

In the international market, Anoto has independent distributors, licenses and subsidiaries which
sell its products. To reduce the cost of Anoto’s products, it has outsourcing strategy with China,
from developing countries in Asia, such as Malaysia. And to do more business online because
Anoto tradition is as spending on online advertising as compared to advertising media,
ecommerce and online marketing contributions are planned to expanded appropriate channels.

Promotion

The marketing communications mix is effective because Anoto attracts new customers and
creates balance between keeping existing customers.

Anoto has introduced its offers to almost all environments known to man and is extremely
sensitive. Print advertisement in general, simple but send a strong message. There is virtually no
advertising that appears on their price and Anoto always uses popular athletes to promote its
products. The Advertisement exceeds the expectations of everyone with these shoes and they are
able to demonstrate on the rise for consumers.

IMC (Integrated marketing communication) Strategy

Advertising

In the advertising, our target is to achieve the greatest possible impact on large populations of
the target audience. These ads are usually expensive. However, successfully applied a strong
brand image of Anoto products can reap the rewards and high demand.

Anoto uses celebrities represent product to the client or ideal user. Extremely popular
personalities such as professional athletes used as offering the Anoto’s products. Target
customers are watching their favourite celebrities use the company's products. As a result,
customers are motivated to imitate the behaviour of these celebrities. Through the use of ad
figure known marketing communication mix, Anoto is promoting the company's products to
customers how to motivate your choice to imitate the famous celebrities the likes of
 Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei, Basketball’s Lebron James are a number of famous athletes and
used by Anoto as celebrity endorsement strategy to promote its products. Also artists such as
Rihanna are equally use as brand ambassadors.

Anoto focuses on other countries’ sportsman as Brand ambassador for making its all target
customers of all countries aware about its offers.

Personal Selling

For this IMC strategy, Anoto has in stores personal sales efforts. The stores offer staff’s help
for customers to learn more about the company's products and to purchase these products. In
some cases, sales staff helps customers to find the right products to promote the Adidas
Company through personalized service.

The customer experience has been developed by staff trained to help and persuade sales.
Customers feel good about buying Anoto’s products. They also sell these products which
customers feel as having better decisions. Therefore, the combination of Anoto’s marketing
communication while promoting the company's products, improves customer experience and
use personal selling to build relationships with customers.

Direct Marketing

Anoto uses direct marketing to promote new products to the target market. These new
products are usually advertised heavily. However, to make a bigger impact, the firm uses
salespeople to approach certain organizations or individuals in target market segments.

As the Anoto approaches sports organizations in colleges to promote its products. Anoto
marketing communications mix uses direct marketing to establish stronger relations with
target customers and motivate them to purchase the company’s products. It uses direct
marketing to introduce new products to the target market. These new products are usually
heavy advertising. However for having larger impact, the company may use some of the
organizations or individuals close to the seller in the target market segment which can direct
promote the product to customers[ CITATION Wig15 \l 1033 ].

Sales Promotions

Anoto’s sales promotions include coupons and special offers to customers which it target.
 The characteristics of these products business and its benefits can be as discount coupons can
make customers to save and by using special offers new things are offered to customers,
showing sales promotions enable customers to be motivated. Marketing communication mix
uses sales promotions whenever Anoto want to attract new customers to drive demand, since
they would be motivated to buy the products of Adidas on the basis of the perceived benefits.

Public Relations

Anoto uses public relations as marketing communication mix or IMC strategy. The company
depends on social problems such as the use of workshops and green technology that use
public relations to cope. In some cases, Anoto may use similar charity events and public
relations activities as a sponsor. This is the Anoto communication mix of existing and
potential customers marketing, so they have a better perception of the brand, the brand uses
to solve problems and promote public relations.

Social Media

Anoto competes to be one of the biggest brands in the world and therefore has a large
followership on social media. Expectations of getting this IMC strategy are there but the
budget of social content is high.
As a sports brand, Nike may expand its social media to creating a buzz which is
important. Especially for new technology based or current products of Nike it may
increase its social media IMC strategy to get in line with customers way of receiving
promotions. As for promotion of new series of Nike 6.0; it should use social media to
promote their dancing shoes and parkour. (case-study nike)
Nike has recently use some social media communication mix for its promotion of
products where customers are allowed to take advantage of the campaign, by taking
action in social site to share photos of themselves call this demographic youth to
demonstrate their sports skills by uploading them, where the Winners will receive $ 500
in cash or a scholarship.

Implementation, Control and Contingency Plan

Anoto must ensure its accurate marketing strategy by top management's regulating methods and
adequate direction to all areas of the business. Anoto's goals may be corrected by maintaining a
proper check and balance of the company's market share, profit, sales, budget, and continual
analysis of all departments so that the marketing strategy can be executed and fulfil targets.

Also, by properly defining goals, budgets, and department selection to work on marketing
communication, channels, and research objectives, the marketing plan will be performed on time
and with fewer mistakes. If all of the established criteria and regulating processes do not meet
with marketing plan execution, an alternate plan is in place to set the marketing plan.

Conclusion