Relationship

First time consumers can end up repeated buyers or ex-consumers. When i first used Appiah Menkah products i detected that it solved my problem, that itching after bathing and also realised that the fragrant was good. That made me fell in love with it. I think customer relationship management goes a long way to increase the sale of product and goods, and also maintains customer, for instance the detection of having bought a dirty soap, if the seller had not taken time to explain to me that it was not deliberate and rather used a harsh words on me it would have paced me off and that could have break my love for their products.
Technology can be used to retain customer relationship by creating websites that customers can report their problems and also get answers from. Providing correct use of products during screen adverts such as television and internet.

People as a competitive tool

The company is management is structructured in such a way that when sales are going up there are extra bonuses achieved or there is a topup on their salaries, this in a long way accounted for their great customer care during sales or market. There was a time i went and bought a bar soap to wash my clothes, upon buying i detected the soap was a little dirty may be due to the package or loading in the van, the sort of respect they treated me made me like their service. I think the use of more sales more bonuses is helping their the way the treat customers.

Nicely available?

The marketing of the soaps products are done by the marketing section of the company which uses vans and trucks in delivering it to consumers as door to door style of marketing, there are also wholesalers and retailers that also goes for the products and distribute them by selling them in kiosk and stores. The use of the vans and trucks with public address system normally plays music to attract buyers and consumers.Athough it sometimes noisy it is used to announce their arrival in a community which also helps in attracting crowd. I think the methods of marketing are used because company workers are there during sales to help consumers during difficulties in its use and also provide answers to problems related to the use of the product. The products can be seen in kioks and stores as sometimes owners of stores and kiosk buy it in bulk and resell it to consumers with profit gain.

At any cost?

Pricing decisions are affected by many steps or thought such as determinig demand, estimating cost, analysing competitor cost, price and offers, selecting a price method and selecting a final price.
The company has detected that the demand of soaps in the communities are high as explain earlier, so there is the need for its production because most of house cleaning are done by it. The price and cost of the products can be determined or estimated when the sources of chemicals or raw materials used in the production are determined, but as for the Appiah Menkah company most of their raw materials are found in the country with the exeeption of a few materials that are imported to raise the standard or quality of the product.The materials obtain in the country are comparatively cheap to imported ones of virtually the same value, this accounts for the reduced price of their finished products compared to other companies who imports them. The company is also specialised in making good use of the local materials as they have used those products for a much longer time, of course other companies also resort to the use of the local raw materials but their blend is exceptional.

I was hit

The major inhabitants of kumasi and other areas in Ghana patronise and use Appiah Menkah soaps. There are times especially during festive seasons, they make *buy one get one free* and during these times they make a lot sales. Sometimes too, they give out souvenirs like cups, hat, T-shirt and key holders to consumers who buys product to some certain amount.
Although there are wholesalers and retialers that sells their products, their main sales are made by the marketing section of the company which use vans with public address system installed to sell their products in communities. It the use of the door to door sales and their promotions that made me attracted to the use of their products which eventually turned out to be my best choice. There are sometimes that i am affected or disturbed with the noise that the vans produce during sales especially during a tiring days. I think they should place kiosk at vantage points in the communities that sells only their products.
The promotional mix of the products are good with the exception of the *buy one get one free* that they organise during festive seasons that they normally reduces the sizes of the products. The *buy one get one free* makes a lot of sales because during festive seasons soaps are used in divers ways, for examples washing clothes, plates and also bathing as people want appear neat.

This something I love

Soaps are something that can hardly not depend on if cleanliness is to be achievedin a large area of life processes. Soaps help us to live a healthy life externally as washing, bathing, cleaning is done by it.

Also the populace say cleanliness is next to godliness, soaps aresomething that can not be left out if these words are to become reality. soaps are something that i love as from my view cleanliness of a much wider area depend on it. The company Appiah Menkah produces bar, liquid and fragrant soaps. It is the bar soap that makes alot of sales because the company is situated in an area housed by poor people and they rely massively on the bar soaps alot, as some even use it for bathing. I am caught with the use of fragrant for bathing and the use of bar for washing.

The company branding of its product looks quite nice and attractive as for the bar soap there is a design key model placed on it, that they normally refer as the key to sucessful cleanliness. The fragrant soap has a rubber cover with a family picture placed on it. The rubber cover protects it from getting wet and softer when not in use and protect it against water. The liquid is placed in a nicely design rubber bottle with an attractive design of the sun shining on an area placed on it.



The products are packaged well, the bar soap is neatly arranged in a paper box whiles the liquid soap is placed in a plastic bottle as earlier said and the fragrant soap also has a rubber cover. The package of the fragrant soap is good as some other fragrant soap has a paper cover which normally gets wet and unattractive when it comes in contact with water. The bottle of the liquid soaps is also tough and flexible as it does not break into pieces when it falls fron a height and it also bulges in when forced which can also be replaced with a little compared to other fragrant soap.

Targeting strategy

The marketing segment Appiah Menkah Company belong is the sellective specialisation. The company makes liquid, fragrant and bar soaps for sale, this gives them a wide area of markets as restaurants, individuals and hotel people patronise their product.

Athough they produce liquid and fragrant soaps , their major market is the bar soap which can also be described as a single segment concentrated, that makes a lot of sale. The bar soaps they produce sells a lot as their price is comparatively moderate and most of the restaurant that is referred locally as 'chop bars' purchase to wash utensils and also family people also patronise to wash children clothes and wears. This is the reason why they even use cars with public address system during sales in communities.

Demand of soaps according to Benyas researchers in Ghana,
Restaurant-15%
House use-75%
Hotels-10%
Based on the benyas research work which also is an affiliate of one of the soaps manufacturing industries in Ghana, proves that the demand of soaps in the households is very high that is why Appiah Menkah Company rely mostly on community to community sales

This is what I am

I am John Boham a consumer of Appiah Menkah Company products. life without soap will be very difficult as washing, bathing and even cleaning is done by using soaps. Soaps that are produce by Appiah Menkah ranges from liquid, fragrant and bar. What makes me purchase their product most is the addition of antibiotics in their produce that is capable of fighting germs and and leaving dirty areas clean.
Firstly, i started using their product when there was an anouncement for people to patronise made in Ghana goods, although i was not a consumer at first when i started using their produce, the irritation that i suffer after bathig stopped, the bad scent that were left in my clothes after washing also went away, so i was addicted to their products more to other soaps products.
One consumer buying decision process i have experienced is perception. Perception is the process by which an individual selects, organises and interprets information inputs to create a meaningful pictures of the world. Normally when i am making a buying decision i look at whether the product i am purchasing will be beneficial or not, at reasonable price and i can afford without going for a loan. The product that i will be purchasing will help my life living. For example i went and bought a laptop computer when i realised that almost all the studies and assignment done in school is computer based. i was also naive in computing, so to help me adopt and practise more i perceived as a good opportunity to go for a computer to help my studies. i also realised that all the people in Finland virtually has personal computer as the internet connection is spread to length and breadth of the country. so that i will not depend on somebody in order to study or do assignment.

Marketing environment

Appiah Menkah company is a company that deals in the manufacturing of various kinds of soaps ranging from liquid, fragrant and bar soaps. It is located in the outskirts of kumasi the second capital of Ghana, a place called Ahinsan. The macro and micro environmental factors of the company are outlined below.
Macro: econimic forces, technological forces, political forces and natural forces.
Micro: customer, competitors, supplies, and the marketing intermediaries.

The economic forces of Appiah Menkah company is largely depended by the economy of the country as the imports duty of the various chemicals that is used in the manufacturing of its product normally flactuates as our economy is not having a stable economy, the often increament in fuel prices also contributes to the transportation cost of the company and the enrgy supply needed for production is also a great concern as the country is now even in power crises and the company has to depend on the imported generators of virtually lower voltage for production.
The technology of the company is not at a good standard because old machines are used for production and also the owner of the company was an affiliate of the then opposition party now in government so their production was closely monitored by the then ruling government and that led to the closure of the company in 1996 because of high taxes and environmental pollution reasons.
The natural environment of the company is good as it is sited at the outskirt of the main town and the wind and rainfall patern in the area is also moderate making it condusive for production.

Micro marketing factors
Customer: the company has a great number of customers ranging from chop bar operators or restaurants, hotels and individuals for house use. Although the economic forces of the country greately affect the company, its production is somehow cheap comparably, that also contribute to the number of customers as most of the citizens are poor.
Competitors: the company has a number of competitors ranging from unilever, sons and soaps etc. The company has adopted the use of vans with public address system in their supplies or sale and they also move to comunities as a door to door selling. Although there are wholeslers that also go to the factory for supply, the mechanism the company has adopted is selling alot.

Marketing from my viewpoint

Marketing is the act that involves transaction of goods and services, taking into acount the planning, concept execution, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas.
The planninig involves the careful layout of ideas in mind before transacting in goods and services.
Concept execution is the implementation of the layout plans so that the words or thought are put in to action.
Pricing is the monetry aspect that comes into play when goods or services are involved in transaction.
Promotion is the act that involves the idea of increasing the sale of goods and services by making it publicly known to every one, when dealing in marketing.
Distribution of ideas is the way of extending ideas to various sectors of life so that one does not confined him or her self when in marketing.
These various points explain must come into play if marketing is to be sucessful.