Inspect A-bode's marketing plan will be based on a communication campaign and strategic alliances that will raise awareness of the value Inspect A-bode offers. To reach individual sellers and buyers, an advertising campaign will be undertaken in the Yellow Pages as well as the local newspaper, The Washington Observer. In addition to these sources, Inspect A-bode will advertise in the Washington Home Buyer's Guide that 70% of home buyers consult before their purchase.

The advertising campaign will be supported with a strong strategic alliance effort to develop relationships with real estate agents. These relationships will be instrumental in generating a steady flow of business from the agents' pool of clients. The relationships will be formed through general networking, creating a working relationship between Inspect A-bode and the agents. Once a relationship is formed, Inspect A-bode will develop financial incentives for the agents to use Inspect A-bode with their clients. While this will be labor intensive initially, once a solid relationship is developed, it will amply pay for it self in the future business that it develops.

Mission

Inspect A-bode's mission is to provide customers with the highest quality home residential home inspections. When we adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place. Our services will exceed the expectations of our customers.

Marketing Objectives

• Increase repeat customers by 7% per quarter.
• Decrease customer acquisition costs by 8% per year.
• Increase the number of referring real estate agents every quarter.

Financial Objectives

• Profitability reached by the end of year one.
• Positive yearly growth in revenue as well as profiits.
• Large enough gains in revenue to justify hiring additional people.

Target Marketing

Inspect A-bode intends to specifically target all three segments.

• Real Estate Agents- This group will be targeted through the development of strategic alliances with many different realtors. One angle at accomplishing this will be through networking relationships that Selle Domisile, Chek's wife has established through her ten years as a realtor. Selle is currently a realtor and will naturally suggest her clients use Inspect A-bode. Beyond referring just her clients, Selle will be working with her colleagues to facilitate their usage of Inspect A-bode.
  
• Individual Buyers- This group will be targeted through an advertising campaign in publications that home buyers are typically reading as well as in the Yellow Pages. As will emphasize that the buyers should be practicing due diligence regarding checking the condition of a home before they buy.
  
• Individual Sellers- This group would also be targeted through an advertising campaign reinforcing the idea that they will have an easier time selling their home if they have an objective report that details everything important about the condition of the house.

Positioning

Inspect A-bode will position itself as a professional, experienced, residential home inspection service provider. Inspect A-bode will leverage its competitive advantages to achieve the desired positioning:

• Experience- Chek has 12 years of experience as a general contractor. Through these years in the home building industry, Chek has done almost everything in regards to home new construction and remodels. Having this first-hand experience gives Chek a very discriminating eye when it comes to inspections. This makes his inspections that much more accurate because he has the knowledge and experience to make informed inspections. While others in the home inspection industry have a reasonable amount of experience, they are generally not as well trained as Chek. One reason for this is that there is the possibility for higher margins by actually doing the work instead of offering inspections. For Chek however, an injury a year ago has precluded his continuing to work as a general contractor, which in effect has allowed him to pursue this opportunity.
  
• Professionalism- Loosely defined as exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner; characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession. Professionalism is an overriding goal and behavior for Chek. This comes across even in a simple conversation with Chek. People are utterly impressed when dealing with Chek and this is purposeful because they will tell people about him. Most people will agree that contractors, and by analogy home inspectors, could use a dose of professionalism, allowing Chek to stand out even more from his colleagues.

In addition to Inspect A-bode's competitive advantages, the company will have a 10-year veteran from the real estate agent industry as a paid consultant. The consultant, Selle Domisile, Chek's wife, will develop a referral system for her colleagues in the real estate market, providing Inspect A-bode with a steady flow of customers.

Strategy Pyramids

The single objective is to position Inspect A-bode as the premier residential home inspection service in the Washington area. Inspect A-bode is forecasted to steadily gain market share over the first five years. The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness regarding the services offered and develop the customer base.

The message that Inspect A-bode will seek to communicate is that they offer professional and valuable home inspections for house purchasers. This message will be communicated through a variety of methods. The first method will be through local advertisements. The ads will be placed in a variety of venues including the Yellow Pages, The Washington Observer, and the Washington Home Buyer's Guide. These ads will be effective in the communication campaign for buyers and sellers.

The real estate agents will be reached through a strategic alliance campaign that will develop referral incentive relationships. The value of these relationships will be referrals by the agents to their customers for a home inspection prior to purchase.

Marketing Mix

Inspect A-bode's marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service.

• Pricing- The pricing scheme will be based on the size of the real estate as well as the level of comprehensiveness that is desired.
  
• Distribution- All services will be provide on-site within a 50-mile radius of the city.
  
• Advertising and Promotion- The most successful advertising will be in local sources that prospective home purchasers consult for information regarding homes. Additionally, the services will be promoted by local real estate agents.
  
• Customer Service- Inspect A-bode recognizes superior customer service is required for success and this will be constantly emphasized.

Marketing Research

During the initial phases of the marketing plan development, several focus groups were held. Some of the focus groups were held with prospective buyers, others were held with real estate agents. The goals of the focus groups were to explore the perceived value that inspections offer home purchasers.

The real estate agent focus groups were held to determine the feasibility, attractiveness, and willingness of the agents to enter into alliances with Inspect A-bode. The effectiveness of the financial incentives were also explored  The results of the groups provided Inspect A-bode with a wealth of information that would be hard to collect anywhere else. Additionally, the results validated all of Inspect A-bode's assumptions.

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