Distribution

"Producing a product or service and making it available to buyers requires building relationships not just with customers, but also with key suppliers and resellers in the company’s supply chain…They try to forge a set of interdependent organizations that help make a product or service available for use or consumption by the consumer or business user” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg.310). Lucky Vodka will supply its alcohol to a variety of stores all over the United States so that people will be able to enjoy the taste of it at their own home. We will also supply a number of clubs, concerts, and etc. with our vodka so that when people are out having fun they can be sure to find our vodka wherever they are. “They press lawsuits and file complaints with regulators to keep competitors in line, and they form contractual agreements to better control their distribution channels” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg.92).  We will have contract agreements with each distributer we do business with in order to avoid conflict.

Promotion

For the promotion of our vodka we will display ads on billboards and in magazines, create commercials, participate in contests on radio stations, and word of mouth. “Satisfied customers buy again and tell others about their good experiences”(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg.7).  We will take part in community events where people can get involved and see that we are more than just a brand that sells vodka. We focus on the overall experience that our customers have with our company. “Consumer promotions must usually be advertised and can add excitement and pulling power to ads” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 432). 

Lucky Vodka Magazine Ad

Product

There are hundreds of vodka brands out there but what is it that sets Lucky Vodka apart from the rest? We use ingredients to create our vodka that other companies don’t use. The first ingredient is Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water. This water is naturally filtered through volcanic rock and as a result is rich in electrolytes and minerals. Due to this, it is good for people’s health and well-being. The next ingredient that we use is spelt. “Spelt is a member of the same grain family but is an entirely different species and has certain properties which make it in many respects quite different” (http://thespeltbakers.ca/what-is-spelt/). Other companies use potatoes, corn, rye, wheat, molasses, soybeans, grapes, and rice. With these ingredients they leave you with a sort of burning sensation in your throat. The properties in spelt prevent this from happening so when drank alone, the vodka will travel down the consumers throat smoothly with no sting. The spelt leaves the vodka sweet, with a note of vanilla at first but then becomes dry, and slightly spicy. In order to enhance this, we add ginger and mint into the process. It does not change the flavor of the alcohol in anyway but the mint enhances the sweet flavor by making it refreshing and the ginger intensifies the spicy flavor by adding some zing. These two ingredients also enhance the aroma in order to make the consumer feel fresh and alive when they open the bottle. The color of the vodka is clear and it is packaged in a clear bottle with the brands name on the front.

By creating a vodka that has different ingredients than the other companies and offer benefits to consumers we are meeting and satisfying their needs. “The firm must first create a need-satisfying market offering (product)” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg.12). As a result, our product will grow and start to become a lifestyle rather than just a brand.

Target Market Strategy

Lucky Vodka targets a market that is very specific. We want our product to create a community and lifestyle that people want to be apart of. If we do this, then our number of consumers will always be growing. “The marketing manager’s aim is to find, attract, keep, and grow target customers by creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg.9).

Our target customer’s are both men and women between the ages of 21 and 30 who like to enjoy themselves. They are passionate and driven in life both professionally and personally. They are interested in new trends in music, fashion, and much more. They are always up-to-date with what’s going on around them. They enjoy drinking both shots and mixed drinks. They are open-minded, passionate, and active in trying new things and being adventurous. By targeting this specific customer profile we will be able to focus more on how to serve our consumers and keep them satisfied. “Some people think of marketing management as finding as many customers as possible and increasing demand. Instead, the company wants to select only customers that it can serve well and profitably” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg.9).

At Lucky Vodka, we will make our customer the center of everything. In today’s society people love feeling like they have a purpose or that they are important. With this mindset, we can use that to our advantage in marketing and revolve everything around the customer. This includes the price, taste, packaging, and marketing.

SWOT Analysis

Every company should be able to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so that they can fully understand every aspect of their brand. This is when a SWOT analysis takes place. “The marketer should conduct a SWOT analysis, by which it evaluates the company’s overall strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T)” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/ Kotler, Pg. 54).

For Lucky Vodka, the strengths are the unique ingredients we use to make our vodka. We use spelt to make our vodka instead of corn, wheat, or potatoes. The use of spelt eliminates the burn that people get when they drink other vodkas. We also will incorporate ginger and mint into the filtering process. It will give no flavor to the vodka but it will contribute and enhance the spelt, which comes on sweet, with notes of sugar and vanilla at the fore, before morphing into dry, slightly spicy mineral flavors.

The weakness of Lucky Vodka is the amount of knowledge we have for the vodka process. Nowadays there are more and more things that are continuing to involve and this includes vodka. Whether there is a machine invented or a new ingredient found to make the quality and taste of vodka better, we need to always be up to date and make sure we continuing to offer the best quality of vodka we can without altering the taste.

“The company should analyze its markets and marketing environment to find attractive opportunities and identify environmental threats” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 55). For opportunities and threats, we will continually observe consumer trends. It is through consumer trends that help us grow and expand. Currently, vodka sales have gone down because the trend right now is whiskey. It is observations like this where we can analyze our threats, which are other types of alcohol and the opportunities, which are to create a new campaign and reintroduce vodka.