Running head: CASE ANALYSIS-AMERICAN BRANDS COMPANY

Case Analysis-American Brands Company

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Case Analysis-American Brands Company

Coming up with an action plan can help organizations to turn their ideas into actuality as

well as upsurge their responsibility and competence. Echoing Jack Welch sentiments, “having

every other employee’s concepts involved is a substantial part of the all-inclusive job of a CEO

Job-taking every employee’s preeminent ideas and conveying those ideas to the rest is the secret”

(Ibrahim & Harrison, 2019). This is all American Brands Company needs in order to ensure a

smooth transition and inclusion of the newly appointed vice president of sales and marketing as

well put in place effective action plan. This paper discusses alternatives,

recommendations/rationale, and an action plan for the American Brands Company.

Going by the “new & improved” information received from the agency’s Media Director,

it becomes apparent that the company may be on the verge of experiencing detrimental impacts

if an effective action plan is not put in place. In a move to streamline operations at the American

Brands, bearing in mind that a new vice president of sales and marketing has been appointed, I

feel the following alternatives should be given a keen eye to ensure the most effective

advertising strategy is implemented.

Alternatives

Developing a Foundational Website

A foundational website is a distinct element for almost every other organization,

however, what is not apparent to some companies is whether they need it or not. Since American

brands is a leading company, it needs not only a website but an excellent foundational website.

Such a website will give the company a place where customers can find information regarding

the company.
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Pros of a foundational website

 It will help to break the monotony of the traditional advertising strategy employed by the

company

 It will help to market the company to its target customers

 It will offer accessible communication between the organization and its customers,

stakeholders, and so on.

 It will help to drive people from social media to the organization, most of whom are

likely to be regular customers of the organization

Cons

 It is an expensive advertising strategy to develop and maintain

 It requires qualified staff

 It is time-consuming as it requires 24/7 monitoring

Identity and Branding

Americans Brands Company may have good identity and Branding; however, the

company needs to do more to stay relevant. Consequently, the company should review its name,

logo, imagery, and any other graphic elements that aid in communicating the company’s

strategic positioning to its customers.

Pros

 Helps the company to communicate its strategic positioning to its target customers

 Makes the company look bigger

 Helps to build loyalty and trust

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 Portrays commitment and organizational pride

Cons

 If not well designed, it may have little impact

 Requires a specialist

 It’s expensive

Recommendation/Rationale

There is a myriad of advertising strategies that are virtually applicable to all

contemporary business organizations. Nevertheless, based on the nature and situation at the

American Brands, I would recommend creation of a foundational website as the most important

advertising strategy. This is because, among other reasons, the company has historically directed

its advertising through traditional channels. Moreover, the reputation of the company is

somewhat being dented. The media team reported that there is more than just casual internal

resistance within the American Brands organization with regard to the integration of a more

robust on-line element into the company’s messaging matrix.

To prevent such negativity and reassure the general public that the company’s status is

unquestionable, then a foundational website will be crucial. On another note, in a contemporary

setting, the first thing a customer will do when visiting or purchasing a good or service from any

organization is to “google” the organization for its site. A foundational website will increase the

efficiency of both internal and external communication, i.e., the website will facilitate effective

communication between employees of American Brands and between customers and the

company. Thus developing an effective foundational effective is the ultimate advertising strategy

that American Brands Company needs to put in place.

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Action Plan-Building a Foundational Website

To ensure the most effective advertising strategy for American Brands Company, then

the following steps:

1. The company needs to buy a domain name. The name includes a monthly/annual fee.

This should be about $15 to $25 per year. The company should not pay huge ransoms or

fees to get a specific name, as this will increase operational costs.

2. Sign up for web hosting. This regards where another company hosts the already created

website on their servers and manages it to ensure smooth operation. For the American

Brand, the company which sells the domain name should be the one to host the website to

avoid unnecessary technical hitches.

3. The company will require content management software (CMS). CMS will be used to

both develop and update the website regularly. The company should note that different

CMSs have varying advantages. If the company wants something outstanding and

unique, then it should pay approximately $100 for a top premium theme

4. Upon completion of setting up the foundational website, the company should start

uploading interactive content related to its functions, mission, objective, etc. This should

cost about $500 and then an annual fee of not more than $200.

5. Evaluate the progress and impact of the foundational website.

In addition, given that we are living in a quite competitive and dynamic business

environment, American Brands Company will need to collect feedback from the customers so

that it can improve any area that may require upgrading or perfection. With that plan

implemented, then it is highly likely that American Brands will be able to close the outstanding

marketing and advertising gap.

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Reference

Ibrahim, E. B., & Harrison, T. (2019). The impact of internal, external, and competitor factors on

marketing strategy performance. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-20.