Abstract: With the rapid development of the national economy, our country has bid farewell to the shortage economy. People's demand levels have gradually increased, and the impact of prices has weakened. It is difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises without characteristics to continue to survive in low-level competition. This requires small and medium-sized enterprises to re-understand their comparative advantages according to their own characteristics, so as to formulate appropriate marketing strategies. This article analyzes the current new situation faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanxi Province for survival and development, so as to formulate better strategic options.
Keywords: Marketing strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises
Introduction: The dairy industry is an emerging industry in China. Except for the ethnic minorities in pastoral areas, they raise dairy animals, drink their milk, and eat Except for the self-sufficient dairy industry with a certain foundation for its meat habits, the commercial dairy industry has only a history of more than a hundred years, has a weak foundation, and has a low starting point. In the 40 years since the founding of New China, with the development of the national economy, the improvement of people's living standards, and the introduction and promotion of animal husbandry science and technology, the dairy industry has achieved rapid development. Regardless of whether it is in dairy livestock breeding, livestock breeding improvement or dairy processing and sales, it has a considerable foundation and scale. It is increasingly important to meet market supply, provide people with nutritious health foods, and promote a virtuous cycle of agriculture and animal husbandry. the more important role. Throughout the development of my country's dairy industry, it can be divided into four stages: restricted development period (1949-1978), rapid growth period (1979-1992), structural adjustment period (1993-1997), and industrial integration period (1998-2002). ). At present, our country is in the fourth stage. After several years of adjustment, driven by consumption growth, our country's dairy industry has gradually entered the track of accelerated development. However, in terms of marketing strategy, my country's dairy industry is still in its infancy. Now we will briefly analyze the marketing strategies of small and medium-sized dairy enterprises in Shanxi Province.
1. The past development of small and medium-sized dairy enterprises in Shanxi
Xiaodian Dairy Farm, Taiyuan Farm and Ranch and Jinsheng Dairy Farm, from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, they divided the Taiyuan dairy market. Nowadays, some of these time-honored brands can only rely on retail channels in residential communities and stalls, while others have completely disappeared in the fierce market competition. The incident of the salesperson of Pingyao Juxin Dairy Co., Ltd. running away with money reflects the current situation of Shanxi Dairy Industry - in the face of the impact of well-known foreign brands, some local small and medium-sized enterprises are struggling to find market space, but they are not necessarily losing out. In terms of product quality, they often lose their reputation due to marketing, business management and other reasons, and thus fail. Many small businesses in Shanxi are like this. They are eager to change the status quo, but lack long-term vision and scientific marketing management.
On April 8, it was rainy. On the streets of Jiexiu City, people wrapped up their clothes tightly and passed by in a hurry. At this time, the small square near Jiexiu City Hall was crowded with people. They were holding a small milk box in their hands. A big red banner stood out in the rain—"Jiexiu City Industrial and Commercial Bureau Rights Protection and Refund Conference." The protagonist of the "refund incident" is Pingyao Juxin Dairy. For a long time, Jiexiu has been Juxin Dairy's second largest consumer market after Pingyao. However, starting from the second day of the first lunar month, milk subscribers of Juxin Dairy suddenly stopped receiving milk. After waiting for several days with no news, milk subscribers complained to the industrial and commercial department. After the industrial and commercial investigation, the cause of the incident soon came to light. From Juxin Dairy's office in Jiexiu, two salesmen fled with the milk payment and milk coupon stubs and have not returned yet. The two salesmen are both 18 or 19 years old, and their total payment is less than 5,000 yuan. But for Juxin Dairy, which operates on a small scale, this amount of money is not a small amount. Although the boss Xue was not willing to pay what he considered "unjust money", considering "the future development of the factory in Jiexiu City", he decided to refund the user before finding two salesmen. Poor management was the deepest feeling during the investigation by the industrial and commercial department, and Xue also admitted this. Money will be refunded to each user, ranging from more than 60 yuan to as little as two yuan. However, the impact on Juxin Dairy greatly exceeds these. When users refunded the money, they all brought milk boxes. Although Juxin Dairy has repeatedly stated that there is no problem with the quality of the milk, it is just a management problem.
In fact, it is not that second- and third-rate dairy production companies have no room for market development. As long as they can properly position the company in the market, improve internal management, conduct correct market segmentation, and avoid the competitive pressure of large companies, they can also develop in the regional market. grab a certain market share. Unfortunately, many small businesses in Shanxi, while eager to change the status quo, lack long-term vision and scientific marketing management. Pingyao Juxin, before 2003, Juxin Dairy once tried to occupy the market in the provincial capital Taiyuan. However, the fierce competition in the Taiyuan dairy market made it impossible for Juxin, which had no advantages in terms of time, location, people, etc., to gain a foothold. The operators of Juxin quickly realized the problem and decisively changed the market sales target, instead looking for markets in Pingyao and surrounding areas. It was at this time that Jiexiu City became Juxin’s market target. After occupying the market gap of "door-to-door milk delivery", Juxin quickly entered the Jiexiu market and was recognized by consumers.
IV. Selection of marketing strategies for small and medium-sized dairy enterprises in Shanxi Province
Currently, a considerable number of small and medium-sized enterprises in China have unsatisfactory marketing performance due to low management levels. It can be said that to some extent, marketing work has become the development bottleneck of the majority of small and medium-sized enterprises. According to a questionnaire survey conducted by a company in Beijing on 301 small and medium-sized enterprises in five provinces in China in November 1998, more than 70% of small and medium-sized enterprises believe that marketing plays an important role in corporate business activities, but the real use of "relying on market demand for analysis, and then Only 21.9% of small and medium-sized enterprises have a product concept, 47.5% have a product concept, and 30.6% have a sales concept. As long as small businesses make full use of their own advantages and carry out scientific marketing management, it is not difficult to achieve good performance. According to the survey, the marketing strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanxi Province have the following types:
1. Adopt a filling marketing strategy to avoid direct competition with large enterprises and multinational companies
Due to their limited resources, low marketing capabilities and management levels, and weak ability to withstand market risks, small and medium-sized enterprises are unable to compete in the market. You should follow what others say and find new ways to find the blind spots in the market, especially to avoid direct competition with large enterprises and multinational companies. Therefore, for small and medium-sized enterprises, an effective marketing strategy is to carry out gap-filling marketing, that is, through in-depth market segmentation, enterprises use the gap-filling market as the target market with unmet or insufficiently satisfied needs and low competition, and then focus on it. We will fully serve this market, maximize profits through professional operations, and bring unlimited vitality to small businesses. Generally speaking, small and medium-sized enterprises can find market blind spots or fill gaps in the following areas: first, emerging market areas that large enterprises have not yet touched, or local areas where large enterprises have not actively marketed; second, areas that large enterprises are unwilling to enter, and are It is regarded as a useless field with small batches, many varieties, and low retail sales profits; third, it is an area where market demand changes greatly and competition changes very frequently, and large companies dare not get involved. After finding a filling market that is suitable for business operations, small and medium-sized enterprises must provide valuable and distinctive specialized products and services according to customer needs, so as to form a competitive advantage, gradually expand customer resources, and make the market bigger.
2. Adopt the organic marketing strategy to make the enterprise bigger and stronger
The organic marketing strategy refers to the sharing of resources and advantages between enterprises through cooperation, integrating their respective resources and advantages, and achieving the same goal. A strategy to make the market bigger and achieve the most win-win situation. This is actually a "supporting role" relationship. Once this relationship is established, the products of small companies become an integral part of the products of large companies, and the market of large companies becomes the market of small companies. In this way, small and medium-sized enterprises do not have to worry about orders, financing, and sales, and can use the sales network, technical strength, and credit capabilities of large enterprises to effectively improve their product quality, production management, and corporate image, thereby enhancing their resistance to market risks. ability to get yourself out of business difficulties.
3. Small enterprises cooperate with competitors in the same industry through cluster marketing to establish alliances of small and medium-sized enterprises
This strategy is for multiple independent small and medium-sized enterprises to seize and take advantage of rapidly changing market opportunities through information interaction. Form an alliance on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, jointly explore the international market, and jointly share the benefits brought by cluster marketing. For each member company, it is essentially a strategy to take advantage of the situation, using external forces in various ways to integrate the company's external resource advantages, achieve fusion, and create extraordinary competitive advantages.
In my country's coastal provinces such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Fujian, a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises gather in a certain area, forming great competitiveness. For example, in Guzhen, a small town in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, there is a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises specializing in the production of lighting products. By 2001, the total output value of these enterprises reached 6 billion yuan, and the export volume was US$250 million. Of course, enterprise clusters are not simply a collection of enterprises, nor can they be formed anywhere. They require a certain political environment, economic environment, social environment, and cultural and customary environment as the basis.
4． Pay attention to relationship marketing and stabilize the company's position in the market
Relationship marketing means that companies establish and maintain long-term, stable relationships with customers (including consumers and intermediaries) to maintain a win-win situation, and ultimately Marketing activities carried out to achieve the company's strategic goals. While companies invest considerable energy and resources in developing new customers, they should not neglect maintaining relationships with old customers. If small and medium-sized enterprises can establish a good two-way interactive relationship with customers one step ahead of their competitors, once customers gain a high degree of satisfaction from the company, they can confidently purchase the company's products without being poached by any competitors. Relationship marketing can help companies stand out from the competition and remain invincible forever. Because the stronger the relationship between a company and its customers, the more stable the company's position in the market will be.
5. Implement brand strategy and use the advantages of small and medium-sized enterprises to defeat large enterprises
Enterprises are lurking with various challenges and dedications at all times. The victory is temporary, while the elimination of the fittest is eternal. Small and medium-sized enterprises In the fierce market competition, if you want to gain a foothold in the market, give full play to your advantages, and win in brand competition, you need to adopt a set of effective countermeasures and reasonable competition strategies.
In the process of implementing brand strategy, we must adhere to the quality-oriented principle. The famous Japanese entrepreneur Konosuke Matsushita has a famous saying: "Product quality is either 100% or 0%." In the fierce market competition, small and medium-sized enterprises must create brands with excellent quality, participate in competition, and establish brand images. Only high-quality brand products can create consumer confidence and form consumer brand preference and brand loyalty. For small and medium-sized enterprises to implement brand strategies, the high quality they pursue must be the overall high quality of products that meet market demand, which specifically includes product function, quality, style, features, packaging, branding, maintenance, installation, warranty, transportation, etc. elements. It is not a complete product without any one element missing or neglected. Product quality should be the core, form and additional overall quality of the product, not just the performance, lifespan, safety and other technical aspects of the product.
5. Marketing strategies of small and medium-sized dairy enterprises in Shanxi
Currently dairy enterprises are in a dilemma. On the one hand, they are limited by their own strength and scale. Without scale and cost advantages, it is difficult to Regional expansion; on the other hand, the market environment continues to deteriorate, and the continuous advancement of big brands not only affects the survival of the company, but also continuously erodes its market share. It can be said to be internal and external difficulties. The actual situation is more than that. The lack of corporate marketing innovation capabilities is the root of the problem. However, some regional brands are surviving relatively calmly, even comfortably. This type of enterprise generally has several characteristics: first, it is backed by a large-scale market and has a high market share; second, it is an old brand with many years of experience, with high brand recognition and good reputation in the local market; third, its products are based on Pasteurized products with short shelf life are mainly used; fourthly, regional expansion is basically not carried out or expansion is extremely cautious. Although it is difficult for this kind of enterprise to achieve great development, it can maintain good operating efficiency.
Some of these regional dairy companies are doing relatively well. They have found a business method that suits them by virtue of their own advantages. Through years of observation and experience accumulation in the industry, the author has based on different companies Based on the resource conditions, advantages and disadvantages, dairy enterprises are divided into four categories, and the competitive strategies of different types of enterprises are summarized and analyzed, hoping to bring some inspiration to peers.
(1) Adopt a filling marketing strategy to avoid direct competition with large enterprises and multinational companies. Due to their limited resources, low marketing capabilities and management levels, and weak ability to withstand market risks, small and medium-sized enterprises should not follow others' opinions in the market but should find new ways to find blind spots in the market, especially to avoid direct contact with large enterprises and multinational companies. compete. Therefore, for small and medium-sized enterprises, an effective marketing strategy is to carry out gap-filling marketing, that is, through in-depth market segmentation, enterprises use the gap-filling market as the target market with unmet or insufficiently satisfied needs and low competition, and then focus on it. We will fully serve this market, maximize profits through professional operations, and bring unlimited vitality to small businesses. Generally speaking, small and medium-sized enterprises can find market blind spots or fill gaps in the following areas: first, emerging market areas that large enterprises have not yet touched, or local areas where large enterprises have not actively marketed; second, areas that large enterprises are unwilling to enter, and are It is regarded as a useless field with small batches, many varieties, and low retail sales profits; third, it is an area where market demand changes greatly and competition changes very frequently, and large companies dare not get involved. After finding a filling market that is suitable for business operations, small and medium-sized enterprises must provide valuable and distinctive specialized products and services according to customer needs, so as to form a competitive advantage, gradually expand customer resources, and make the market bigger.
(2) Adopt organic marketing strategies to make the company bigger and stronger. The organic marketing strategy refers to a strategy in which enterprises share through cooperation, integrate their respective resources and advantages, and jointly expand the market, thereby achieving a win-win strategy. This is actually a "supporting role" relationship. Once this relationship is established, the products of small companies become an integral part of the products of large companies, and the market of large companies becomes the market of small companies. In this way, small and medium-sized enterprises do not have to worry about orders, financing, and sales, and can use the sales network, technical strength, and credit capabilities of large enterprises to effectively improve their product quality, production management, and corporate image, thereby enhancing their resistance to market risks. ability to get yourself out of business difficulties.
(3) Small enterprises cooperate with competitors in the same industry through cluster marketing to establish small and medium-sized enterprise alliances. This strategy is for a number of independent small and medium-sized enterprises to form an alliance on the basis of equality and mutual benefit through information exchange in order to seize and take advantage of rapidly changing market opportunities, jointly develop international markets, and jointly share Due to the benefits brought by cluster marketing. For each member company, it is essentially a strategy to take advantage of the situation, using external forces in various ways to integrate the company's external resource advantages, achieve fusion, and create extraordinary competitive advantages.
In my country's coastal provinces such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Fujian, a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises gather in a certain area, forming great competitiveness. For example, in Guzhen, a small town in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, there is a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises specializing in the production of lighting products. By 2001, the total output value of these enterprises reached 6 billion yuan, and the export volume was US$250 million. Of course, enterprise clusters are not simply a collection of enterprises, nor can they be formed anywhere. They require a certain political environment, economic environment, social environment, and cultural and customary environment as the basis.
(4) Pay attention to relationship marketing and stabilize the company’s position in the market. Relationship marketing refers to the marketing activities carried out by enterprises in order to establish and maintain long-term and stable relationships with customers (including consumers and intermediaries), maintain a win-win situation, and ultimately achieve the strategic goals of the enterprise. While companies invest considerable energy and resources in developing new customers, they should not neglect maintaining relationships with old customers.
If small and medium-sized enterprises can establish a good two-way interactive relationship with customers one step ahead of their competitors, once customers gain a high degree of satisfaction from the company, they can confidently purchase the company's products without being poached by any competitors. Relationship marketing can help companies stand out from the competition and remain invincible forever. Because the stronger the relationship between a company and its customers, the more stable the company's position in the market will be.
(5) Implement brand strategy and use the advantages of small and medium-sized enterprises to defeat large enterprises. There are various challenges and contributions lurking in enterprises every moment. The winner is temporary, but the fittest is eternal. In the fierce market competition, small and medium-sized enterprises must gain a foothold in the market, give full play to their advantages, and win in the brand competition. , it is necessary to adopt a set of effective countermeasures and reasonable competition strategies.
In the process of implementing brand strategy, we must adhere to the quality-oriented principle. The famous Japanese entrepreneur Konosuke Matsushita has a famous saying: "Product quality is either 100% or 0%." In the fierce market competition, small and medium-sized enterprises must create brands with excellent quality, participate in competition, and establish brand images. Only high-quality brand products can create consumer confidence and form consumer brand preference and brand loyalty. For small and medium-sized enterprises to implement brand strategies, the high quality they pursue must be the overall high quality of products that meet market demand, which specifically includes product function, quality, style, features, packaging, branding, maintenance, installation, warranty, transportation, etc. elements. It is not a complete product without any one element missing or neglected. Product quality should be the core, form and additional overall quality of the product, not just the performance, lifespan, safety and other technical aspects of the product.
So small and medium-sized dairy enterprises in Shanxi Province should pay attention to their marketing strategy choices, thereby improving their marketing capabilities. Under the guidance of the current international market, Shanxi small and medium-sized dairy enterprises should make their own characteristics, establish their own brands, and regard strategic marketing as a condition for their development from beginning to end. I believe that in the near future we will see a brand new of small and medium-sized dairy enterprises focusing on strategic marketing.
References:
1. Wang Kongyuan "Marketing" published in 2001
2. Wednesday Duo "Management Principles and Fundamentals" published in 2005
3. Ma Jiaohui "Choice of Marketing Strategy" published in 2006
4. Ma Jiaohui "The Development Prospects of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises" published in 2005