Term Paper on "Voss Water International Marketing Plan for the Turkish"

Term Paper 29 pages (7740 words) Sources: 10 Style: Turabian

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Voss Water

Today, Turkey is emerging as an increasingly important nation that serves as a bridge between the Middle East and the European Union and points beyond. Turkey's full membership in the European Union appears to be a matter of when rather than if, and the Turkish population has enjoyed the economic benefits of a secular state seeking to become a full partner in the international community. Cities such as Ankara and Istanbul are becoming a cosmopolitan amalgam of the best that Europe, the Middle East and Asia have to offer, and the growing Turkish middle class is eager to spend their discretionary income on Western goods that communicate good taste and top-notch quality as evidence of their new affluence. In this environment, there are numerous opportunities for marketers of consumer goods to establish a foothold in this market by creating strategic alliances with local partners and through online sales to Turkish consumers that have embraced the Internet in a major way. While the metaphors abound concerning Turkey's historic role as a bridge between the West and the East and its importance to the West, there is also ample evidence as well that the country is well situated to become an economic powerhouse in the future by taking advantage of its geography, educated workforce and evolving membership in the European Union to join the ranks of developed nations around the world. The purpose of this study was to identify opportunities in Turkey today for a high-quality bottled water product, Voss Waters of Norway. A critical review of the relevant peer-reviewed and organizational literature is followed by a summary of the research and timely recommendations in the conclusion.

<br />Chapter 1: Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of Study

Importance of Study

Scope of Study

Overview of Study

Chapter 2: Review and Analysis

Chapter 3: Conclusion and Recommendations

Voss Water International Marketing Plan for the Turkish Market

Chapter One: Introduction

Today, Turkey represents one of the most promising markets in the European Union (EU). Although the nation does not yet enjoy full membership in the EU, it is well on the way to achieving it and all signs suggest that it is only a matter of when rather than if. Moreover, Turkey enjoys a relatively high literacy rate for the region, and has a growing middle class that possesses more and more discretionary income. In addition, Turkey has historically sought out Western styles and goods and its secular state has long been a staunch ally of the United States and is the only Muslim member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Indeed, Turkey is like "one of the gang" when it comes to many consumer goods that are popular in the West. Therefore, the concept of bringing the prestigious Voss Water to the emerging market in Turkey represents an idea whose time has come.

Voss is a Norwegian brand that was founded by two high school friends, Ole Christian Sandberg and Christopher Harlem. The Voss brand is built around providing a high quality product to its consumers around the world. The company consistently emphasizes the pristine nature of the source for its product, and shamelessly promotes it by selling it in designer bottles that cost much more than the water itself. In fact, a glass of Voss water can easily cost more than a glass of good wine, so there must be something truly compelling about what is going on at Voss that suggests these marketers know what they are doing. Therefore, the reason for picking this particular brand is due to its bottle design and brand image more than its quality. Voss is a fairly a new brand, which began competing in the market in April 2000 and continues to show strong signs of growth today.

Statement of the Problem

The future will show that water is far more important than oil, and its importance to the survival of mankind cannot be overstated, but the importance of bottled water for many consumers today appears even greater. "Bottled water costs on average several times what we pay for gasoline, roughly $8 per gallon. It is more expensive than milk, per fluid ounce, and about the same as coffee, soft drinks, and most fruit juices." Nevertheless, According to Greco, Mazze, and Michman, "One of the most important changes in the soft drink industry has been the decline of diet drinks and colas. Many consumers are becoming more health-conscious and favor drinking bottled water. Coca-Cola and Pepsico did not foresee changes in consumer behavior patterns and allowed Perrier and the bottled water industry to gain a foothold in the soft drink industry." Like the once-nascent Perrier brand, today, Voss Water represents yet another promising up-and-comer in the global bottled water industry, but the competition is fierce and consumer tastes can be flighty and unpredictable. In this environment, identifying what a targeted market wants from a product is just good business sense, and the bottled water industry is no exception.

Purpose of Study

Why Turkey? By reason of its geographically strategic position, Turkey plays a vitally important role in uniting Europe and Middle East. It is also a rapidly developing country that is starting to be influenced more and more by Western culture. For example, Kubicek emphasizes that, "Since the beginnings of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish foreign policy and popular imagination have been both captivated and repelled by Europe. A leitmotif in modern Turkish history has been the effort to modernize society in the image of Europe." Likewise, Nation points out that, "As a secular state with democratic institutions and an overwhelmingly Muslim population, Turkey is often regarded as a potential model for the Islamic world as a whole. Its pro-Western strategic orientation has made it a reliable and much appreciated U.S. ally." The appreciation is mutual, it would seem, and the Turkish people (notwithstanding some influential quarters that do not want any further Westernization of their country and its religion) have historically embraced much of what the West has to offer.

Importance of Study

In terms of timing, today represents an enormous opportunity to introduce a high quality European product in Turkey. Companies that act today will be well positioned to reap the benefits of expanding Turkish membership in the European Union and will be able to use this country as a springboard to further expansions throughout the Middle East in the future. For this purpose, Turkey's geographic placement in the world is going to be a great help to experiment for Voss to see how they might do in the Middle Eastern countries in the future. Today Turkey, specifically Istanbul, is a rapidly growing niche market. Due to its early adopter and experiencer target market status, positioning this product will likely be a promising success. In order to reach its potential customers, the main marketing approach to be used will be promotion through high-end restaurants and hotels and later or expanding to the general public and online sales.

Scope of Study

The general focus of the study will extend to the global bottled water market with a specific focus on how these trends will likely play out in Turkey in the near and long-term.

Overview of Study

The study uses a three-chapter format to develop the background required and to provide an overview of Voss Water and the industry in which it competes. An analysis of the emerging market in Turkey and what steps the company can take to gain a foothold there as well as additional market share in the future is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion together with recommendations for the decision-makers at Voss Water.

Chapter Two: Review and Analysis

Introduction.

This chapter provides a critical review of the peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning Voss Water and its executive cadre and a representative sampling of its packaging, an overview of the bottled water industry in which it competes including a recent ruling by the European Commission concerning the bottled water market in the EU, and a discussion of why people are buying more bottled water. A discussion of some salient current economic indicators for Turkey is followed by a discussion of consumer lifestyles and trends in Istanbul today.

Voss Water Overview.

A combination of abundant natural resources and savvy marketing acumen among its founders has resulted in the company known as Voss Water today. According to the company's official Web site, "Though Norway is a small country, its vast pristine nature is home to some of the best spring and artesian water sources on Earth, and most Norwegians see it as a national benefit to live off this pure and amazing tasting drinking water. Ole and Christopher felt it was time to share this delicious water with the world. They spent the next 2 years traveling the world, researching the potential markets. With the persistent conviction that they should provide only the highest quality water - to the highest quality accounts - in the highest quality package, an idea was born: share this naturally delicious tasting… READ MORE

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