CHAPTER 3: SUGGESTION TO IMPROVE MARKETING STRATEGY
3.2. Recomendations to improve the marketing strategy for logistics
Market research, understand customer needs to have appropriate access strategies. Attracting customers through improving marketing performance, improving service quality, training and guiding employees. Since then, the rate of successful contract signing has increased, the company's service has been recognized not only by domestic customers but also by foreign countries.
Market research
DHB should pay attention to firmly consolidating the current market while expanding new markets, promoting market research on the economic, cultural, social and legal environment. These issues directly impact on the company's strategy, brand promotion and market dominance. DHB can hire market research companies or do their own research.
- Collect information
DHB can collect the self-service market research information from internal and external information.
Internal:
Information data of regular reports available in departments such as the number of signed contracts and reports of forwarding services business results.
From there assess and analyze data. Through analysis, DHB can know which customers, which markets and services need to impact to achieve the highest business results.
External:
Reports and figures of the State authorities: Ministry of Industry and Trade, General Department of Statistics, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce &
Industry, General Department of Customs, Vietnam Maritime Bureau,
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Department of Industry and Trade of the province/ cities such as import and export turnover with countries, trade balance, import and export turnover of commodity groups, structure of exports.
Information from the webside is published by research organizations on research results or tools from the internet, specialized journals, webside Association of Vietnam Logistics services. National trade books, economic information, market information, television.
Through this information, DHB can generalize the situation of national economic development, the general world of forwarding industry in particular, detect needs, new business opportunities, select partners to do eat.
- Find out customer needs
- Market survey:
DHB is a member of the worldwide cargo network association, Global freight group network, Multinational Forwarders Alliance. The company that sent representatives to participate in seminars of this organization is an opportunity to learn more about the trend in the forwarding industry, the world trade situation.
It is possible to participate in the markets of garment, seafood, handicrafts, etc., market survey questionnaires.
Interview
Send an email or call to ask customers to know the level of satisfaction and new expectations in the services of the company.
- Attract customers
- Enhance marketing activities
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61 3.2.1. Product
- Diversifying types of services, adding labor services for importers to gain the right to hire transport vehicles.
- Let customers know about these types of services including detailed services that will be conducted through email replies, advisory dialogs on the website.
- Ensuring the quality, the time to proceed proceeds as contracted.
- The company should increase its key products. The main products are only two items with relatively large turnover, such as elevators and wooden products. Items of concern such as food, components and machine equipment.
3.2.2. Price
- For competitive prices, additional services should be added, such as consulting.
- Payment discount if customers pay in advance.
- Long-term partners will reduce prices.
- If the customer contracts in large quantity depending on the amount of fee reduction from the level, about 1000 cont / year reduce 10%, 500 cont / year 5% service charge.
3.2.3. Place
The company should expand branches and agents to provinces. Because at present, our government has a policy to transfer manufacturing companies to the provinces. Although this is a new policy, it has not been widely disseminated but if there is an initial preparation, the company will achieve high efficiency in business.
Associate with foreign agents to cooperate with imported consignments.
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62 3.2.4. Promotion
DHB logistics Co.,Ltd should adopt Digital Marketing strategy because of high interaction: creating a two-way response between marketers and users, helping marketer understand and handle customers' behaviors and reactions quickly. High efficiency because of rapid spread, cost savings, products and services of enterprises can be marketed 24/24 during the day. At the same time, the company can clearly identify customer segments: each tool will apply to a different customer segment, consistent with the characteristics of each customer.
The integration of digital technology helps us to have more choices as at the same time can impact customers by Email Marketing, Website, Mobile Marketing, SMS, Social Media Marketing, ...
- Pushing strategy in Digital Marketing services is through interactive forms such as banner advertising on websites, sending SMS or e-mail ... to introduce products to find potential customers.
- Pulling strategy is the fundamental and long-term plan to reach customers by letting customers actively find you through activities of searching websites, blogs, ...
There are 3 groups of Digital Marketing tools:
- Groups increase brand awareness: Display ads (Display ads), Online PR, Blog & Forum.
- The group increases the persuasiveness of products and brands: Web- based marketing, Social Media marketing, Online PR, Blog & Forum, SEO (Search engine optimization). -
- Group to increase sales and customer care: PPC Google Adwords, Facebook Ads, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing: Message (SMS & MMS), SEO.
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63 3.2.5. Process
The documents of goods and declarations must be drafted before going through customs clearance and delivery with the port. The goal is to help the importer to receive the goods as prescribed. By completing the documents and declarations, it will help the company accomplish its goals quickly and effectively. In addition, the staffs must check carefully as soon as they receive the customer documents. Prepare fully relevant legal documents and forms. The company should organize instructions to use the declaration software when changing, how to fix errors when running the software and call IT staff, contact the software provider. In order to avoid errors in the tax code, it is necessary to purchase additional and replace annually the Import and Export Tariff, VAT applicable for goods. Update daily exchange rates and write on the notice board in the company. The Head of Import and Export Department assists in translating goods names into Vietnamese and applies tax codes for strange and complicated goods. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid losing time when changing software, strictly controlling the process of preparing the set of documents to avoid confusion and errors. Keep records for future inspection and statistics.
DHB also should open accounts at foreign banks with branches around the world such as HSBC, ANZ or banks affiliated with foreign banks to facilitate payment. The company needs to research and research new businesses cooperating for the first time and through forwarding associations to find out and request payment for businesses that do not pay service fees.
3.2.6. People
All activities of market research, understanding and attracting customers want to be effective, recruitment and training of sales staff and sales staff are important.
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Firstly, the company should invest in recruiting employees who have the right knowledge and skills from the beginning to avoid retraining or retiring. The board of directors is the person who makes and plans recruitment.
Recruiting sources include internal sources and external sources.
- Internal source: The company uses recruitment notices in public locations of the company to search for candidates. This is the method that helps the company to find employees most quickly and easily.
- External sources: Friends of employees, former employees, job applicants, employees of other firms, graduates. There are many methods for recruiting external employees such as advertising on media or newspapers, internet, colleges and universities, job introduction centers, and interns.
Next is to select the appropriate candidate: The first is to consider the application, the test, and finally the interview. Through this process, the company will find suitable candidates for the position.
Training and developing: For new employees, the company should organize training sessions to help employees become familiar with the working style and company culture. Develop job descriptions, guide customs documents, international laws, specify target customers and approach for employees to work effectively. The management of the company should also organize seminars to exchange experience. Besides maintaining the open-door policy to listen and help the problems beyond the ability of staffs when meeting major customers.
3.2.7. Physical Evidence
The company needs to ensure equipment, offices, warehouses at the best conditions to meet the quality goals and satisfy the needs of customers.
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Especially the transport vehicle team, the company should invest more or can hire other transport company vehicles to care more goods.
In terms of technology application, the practical need of applying information technology in international forwarding activities, providing traceability features as an indispensable service feature, increased visibility of supply chain. Therefore, the company needs to apply FMS / TMS solution (freight forwarding management system). The application of information technology also contributes to the service provider's ability to provide services and the ability to retrieve goods. The company should also research to apply high technology to logistics services, such as Block chain technology into the e- Delivery Order and e-Bill of Ladings, CargowiseOne into logistics activities,ect.
Thereby facilitating the development and improvement of service quality, reducing logistics costs.