Marketing Plan Proposal for Hotel Chocolat

Product/Service Management Recommendation

Produce a 1,500 word written report that proposes a tactical marketing plan for the launch of Hotel Chocolat in a new geographic market of your choice. Specifically, address:

• What recommendations would you make for future product/service management for the market?

• Outline a pricing strategy for the company in the market. On what critical factors would you advise Hotel Chocolat to focus?

• Advise Hotel Chocolat on the most suitable market entry method for the market. Justify your recommended approach.

• Outline an integrated marketing communications plan for Hotel Chocolat.

Additional information (short case study):

Hotel Chocolat looks to prime sites as UK sales soar

British chocolatier in cautious moves to expand internationally

British chocolatier Hotel Chocolat is looking to expand into prime retail sites vacated by closing stores as it defied gloom in the sector to report double-digit growth. Angus Thirlwell, chief executive, said on Tuesday that “as an entrepreneur” it was only natural to be “excited by the smell of blood in the water when we find conditions like this and prime spaces coming into our orbit”. The Aim-listed company said sales rose 13 per cent to £80.7m in the six months to December 30 compared with the previous year, while pre-tax profit increased 7 per cent to £13.8m. Shares rose more than 5 per cent in early trading. During a period in which several well-known British retailers, including House of Fraser and Maplin, fell into administration, Hotel Chocolat opened 14 outlets in the UK and Republic of Ireland, bringing its total number of stores in the two countries to 118.The company said sales of its new hot chocolate “Velvetiser” machine had also exceeded expectations six-fold, which contributed to a 22 per cent rise in online revenue. Thanks to the strong performance of its UK business, Hotel said it had “cautiously” opened a joint venture in Japan and a new shop in New York. In a presentation to investors, the company said these stores were “achieving early expectations”.

The learning outcomes that are being assessed in this assessment are:

Subject-Specific Knowledge, Understanding & Application

b) Develop and defend tactical international marketing plans

c) Critically engage with the standardisation-adaptation debate in the context of tacticalaction plans Employability & Changemaker Skills

e) Identify and critique international marketing approaches. Your grade will depend on the extent to which you meet these learning outcomes in the way relevant for this assessment. Please see the grading rubric at the end of this assessment brief for further details of the criteria against which you will be assessed.

Word Limits (where appropriate)

The maximum word limit for this assessment is 1,500 words

In accordance with the Assessment and Feedback Policy, as stated in section 4.40 where a submission exceeds the stipulated word limit by more than 10%, the submission will only be marked up to and including the additional 10%. Anything over this will not be included in the final grade for the assessment item. Abstracts, bibliographies, reference lists, appendices and footnotes are excluded from any word limit requirements.