There comes a time when a company (or in this case an association) needs to precisely define its mission towards its customers.
This type of work is often considered the search for an abstract concept that does not manifest itself in any way in the daily choices of the company: in reality it is the definition of the key values that establish the marketing positioning of the company .
What is positioning?
Positioning is the result of the mix between the different components of corporate marketing: the types of products and services , the sales channels , the price charged and the type of communication carried out.
This mix creates an idea of your company in the minds of people who gravitate around the company, positioning it in a category compared to your competitors and influencing purchasing choices.
Positioning is in the mind of the customer
However, positioning elements are often defined internally within the company, without consulting customers, and therefore ignoring the effect our marketing choices have had on creating a position for us compared to the competition.
In other words, the company rarely checks how it is perceived and whether it can implement changes in its marketing and communication strategy to have a precise mission that leads to the achievement of a precise positioning .
The Case of the Bergamo Ice Cream Makers Committee
The Comitato Gelatieri Bergamaschi is a historic association of Bergamo that includes many of the artisanal ice cream shops of our province.
Over the years, the sector has evolved rapidly , with the entry into the market of new brands that have changed the rules of communication and the perception of artisanal ice cream, also thanks to new methods of distributing the product.
Evolving with the market
The changing scenario has led the association to the awareness of having to redefine its positioning to better direct marketing activities and to better understand the needs of artisanal ice cream makers.
The purpose of the marketing project for which we were hired was therefore to help the association define its identity, positioning and marketing strategies to create it.
Research, dialogue and analysis
The project therefore began with in-depth interviews with associated and non-associated ice cream makers , to understand their point of view and expectations towards the association.
These interviews were supplemented by in-depth discussions with manufacturing companies in the sector, which has important representatives in the Bergamo area, to also understand their needs.
In the next phase, all the information collected allowed us to draw up the guidelines for defining the positioning , in addition to the Committee's marketing plan.
Effects of marketing study
Obviously we cannot tell in this case study the details of the strategy formulated, but we can say that the effects of the study were the following:
Launching a process of reviewing one's positioning starting from the awareness of the needs of the associates
Defining your target "clientele" with information on the inclusiveness or exclusivity of different customer groups
Definition of marketing and communication channels and operational marketing activities, starting from the requests of members and non-members
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