UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED MANAGEMENT GHANA-CAMPUS

UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED MANAGEMENT GHANA-CAMPUS COURSE NAME: MARKETING LECTURER’S NAME: MR SHANI BASHIRU INDEX NO: UAMM0020 SUBMISSION DATE: 20TH DECEMBER, 2011 1 QUESTION CASE STUDY OPTED FOR: VODAFONE TELECOMMUNICATIONS You are the Marketing Consultant of a Telecommunication firm in Ghana. Competitive rivalry has become intense and yet another firm is about to enter an already saturated market. Your organization has found the need to prepare a detailed marketing plan to enable it stay ahead of the competition. As the Marketing Consultant, you are required to: {A} Undertake a micro environmental audit of your firm {B} Conduct a macro environmental analysis of your firm {C} Design a SWOT analysis and {D} Create a detailed marketing plan for your firm 2 TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE NO EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………………….4 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………...5 ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………………………6 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………….15 RECOMMENDATION……………………………………………………………………………………16 REFERENCE………………………………………………………………………………………………17 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………………….18 APPENDIX FOR ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………………………………..19 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In developing a detailed marketing plan as the Consultant at Vodafone in the midst of intense rivalry, competition and market saturation to enable it stay ahead and gain a competitive advantage at the expense of other radical and already existing players such as AIRTEL, TIGO, MTN, EXPRESSO as well as new entrant like GLOBACOM, a number of strategic initiatives during the situation analysis were employed. A few of these pointers dealt with in course of this detailed and extensive research project are listed as below: (a) Usage of Seven (7) “Ps” during the Micro-Environmental Auditing (b) Effective utilization of PESTEL in conducting a Macro-Environmental Analysis of the organization in contention (VODAFONE) The objective of the study: To augment market share, profit margin, growth rate, ROCE etc. by 15% via competitive advantage of Vodafone at the expense of rivals such as MTN and TIGO as well as new entrant like GLOBACOM by the end of December, 2011. Some of the strategic initiatives deemed fit and feasible to enable VODAFONE have an enviable competitive edge and stay ahead of the competition irrespective of the saturated nature of prevailing markets are categorically listed as below: (a) Customer Acquaintance (b) Product Promotion (c) Strategic Location Selection (d) Building a Strong Relationship with Employees (e) Improvement in Billing and Service Quality (f) Adherence to Premium Business Solutions etc. Marketing Mix (7 Ps) were also used during the implementation stage in the course of this extensive work. With regards to the Monitoring & Controlling category, tested and reliable techniques/metrics/tools such as the Balance Score Card (BSC), Benchmarking, Performance Appraisals, Sensitivity/Gap Analysis, Budgetary Control Measures, Statistical Methods such as Run Charts, Scatter Diagrams, Pareto Charts, Ishikawa Tools of Quality, Kaizen Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma Level just to mention a few were factored into the scheme of things at Vodafone so as to boost its market share, profit margin as well as the attainment of overall organizational set goals and competitive advantage. 4 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND HISTORY OF VODAFONE Vodafone Group Plc (LSE: VOD, NASDAQ: VOD) is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers (behind China Mobile), with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of November 2010. It operates networks in over 30 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries. It owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile telecommunications company in the United States measured by subscribers. (www.wikipedia.com). The terminology “Vodafone” derived from voice data fone, was chosen by the company to "reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones". Vodafone has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It had a market capitalization of approximately £93 billion as of 9 March 2011, making it the third-largest company on the London Stock Exchange. It has a secondary listing on NASDAQ. In December 2007, a Vodafone Group-led consortium was awarded the second mobile phone license in Qatar under the name "Vodafone Qatar", and on 3 July 2008, Vodafone agreed to acquire a 70% stake in Ghana Telecom for $900 million. The acquisition was consummated on 17 August 2008. The same group-led consortium won the second fixed-line license in Qatar on 15 September 2008. Vodafone Qatar is located at QSTP. On 15 April 2009, Ghana Telecom, along with its mobile subsidiary one-touch, was rebranded as Vodafone Ghana. (www.wikipedia.org). Vodafone in Ghana is an operating company of Vodafone Group, the world's leading mobile telecommunications company, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States. VODAFONE’S CURRENT POSITION IN GHANA Vodafone is the only total communications solutions provider deeply entrenched in mobile, fixed lines, internet, voice, data just to mention a few and is currently unmatched in providing fixed lines and internet services, the leader and the first choice for Ghanaians. They are the third ranked operator in Telecommunication with a huge potential and proclivity to take over the market. As a corporate body, they value their customers and constantly build key relationships with the private sector and government. Their ultimate goal and aim is to be the communications leader in an increasingly connected world and provide the kind of innovative and responsive service for which the Vodafone is recognized worldwide respectively INTENSE RIVALRY EXISTING IN THE TELECOMMUMICATION INDUSTRY It is undoubtedly authentic that rivalry among competing firms in the telecommunication industry of which the Vodafone is a part via the most potent of the competing forces (market 5 trends) in this current dispensation of ours specifically in the developing countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast just to mention a few. The ongoing and glaring prevailing rivalry and deeply entrenched competition between countless number of corporate entities competing favorably in the same telecommunication industry for taking a total grip on customer share in order to augment their market share, profit margin via competitive advantage. The competition is ever becoming keener and keener with the passage of time if the firm opts for strategies confers on it a competitive advantage at the expense of other radical players in the telecommunication industry including Vodafone, MTN, Tigo, Airtel just to mention a few. In lieu of these prevailing trends and circumstances, mapping out myriads of strategies as a Marketing Consultant such as conducting a Micro-Environmental Audit, MacroEnvironmental and the Designing of SWOT Analysis as well as the development of an efficacious and formidable Market Plan which seeks to provide an extra impetus as far as gaining a competitive advantage at the expense of other radical players in the telecommunication fraternity is concerned cannot be over-emphasized or underestimated. Furthermore, in the afore-mentioned industry, firms continue to decimate their prices of goods/commodities such as products (SIM Cards, Rechargeable Units etc) in order to augment their consumer call ratio (Customer Satisfaction Management) through the minimization of per-minute profit margin. Unfortunately, this strategy is accelerating most corporate entities overall revenues, market share and for that matter their optimum and overall profitability. In a nutshell, I must admit that the preparation of an in-depth Marketing Plan will do the trick in not only uplifting the image of Vodafone but also enabling it stay on top as far as market share, growth, revenue generation, productivity, profitability as well as its overall competitive advantage is concerned. SITUATION ANALYSIS Situation analysis in the strict sense comprises of: (1) undertaking a Micro-Environmental Audit of the Telecommunication Outfit in contention (Utilization of the Seven (7) “P’s” i.e. to say (i) Product (ii) Price (iii) Promotion (iv) Physical Evidence (v) Process (vi) People (vii) Place and (2) conducting a Macro-Environmental Analysis (Using PESTEL) i.e. (i) Political (ii) Economical (iii) Social (iv) Technological (v) Environmental (vi) Legal MICRO-ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING PRODUCT PRICE Diversified products including Blackberry, Broadband 4 U, Semi-satisfied customers Exorbitant prices/tariffs of products and services PROMOTION Customer loyalty, partial/semi promotion of products PHYSICAL Quality and corporate branding of products, well-groomed, energetic and neatly dressed staff, state-of-the-art building such 6 EVIDENCE PLACE as the head office and numerous outlets across the nooks and corners of the country Internal processes and customer care service deficiencies, wellknitted, market-driven processes, user-friendly, costeffectiveness (lack) etc. Strategically located/vantage outlets PEOPLE Innovative/skilled staff, medium labor turnover PROCESS MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ECONOMICAL Stable democracy (good governance), government intervention because of the significant share in the company in contention Ghanaians perception/attribution (preconceived ideology) pertaining to number change, partially disaster-free unlike some of the Asian countries such as Indonesia, China, Japan etc. where the occurrence of natural disasters (Tsunamis, Hurricane, Typhoo’s etc). are prevalent/rampant Growing population, costly Globacom brand making it extremely difficult to maintain through the strict adherence to Total Quality Management( TQM), Customer Satisfaction or Relation Management( CSM/CRM),Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) etc. Drastic and disproportionate improvement in the field of technology causing the reduction in the prices of products and services High interest and inflationary rate LEGAL Enforcement of tariffs/cost on every call POLITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL TECHNOLOGICAL USAGE OF SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Efficient network infrastructure WEAKNESSES Internal processes 7 Loyalty bonus to customers After sales service Expertise/Skilled workforce (Innovative staff with high acumen and ingenuity) Exorbitant tariffs compared to EXPRESSO & AIRTEL (Internet Services) Low labor turn-over/downsizing through retrenchment strategies, spinning-offs etc. Negative return on assets (ROA) underperform key competitors like MTN, Tigo, Expresso, Airtel just to mention a few Diversified geographical portfolio with strong mobile telecommunication operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and to some extent the US Leading presence in emerging markets such as India Ghanaian business not nearly as strong as the Europeans/rest of the world operations Strong in cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Sunyani etc. Low average customer handling time, lack of product market expansion, inability to build strong brand, quality option, evaluation of service quality 80% of its business is generated in Europe and the rest of the world OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Prevalence of Global brand New entrant such as Globacom Products and services targeted at segmented markets Other Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) offering the same products Stable democracy Highly competitive market & radical players such as MTN, TIGO etc. Focusing on cost reductions thereby improving returns Still lags behind the major competitors in Ghana e.g. MTN Major stake in the developed countries Extremely high penetration rate into the Ghanaian market Research & Development of new and state-of-the –art mobile technologies Influx of digital music industry, prevalence of file transfer 8 Increasing internet savvy population Smart devices increasing becoming popular, Increasing demand for laptops, Greater appetite for data connectivity OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY To augment the market share by 15% via competitive edge (advantage) of Vodafone at the expense of other radical players in the Telecommunication Industry such as MTN, TIGO, AIRTEL, EXPRESSO, etc. by the end of December, 2011. STRATEGY ¥ Consumer     Data Enterprise Mobile   Consumer Voice Increasing internet savvy population Smart devices increasingly becoming popular Increasing number of NMCs Increasing demand for laptops Greater appetite for data connectivity New market for premium business  Increasing demand for smart devices  Promotionally responsive market  More market growth; 62% Penetration STRATEGIES TO ENABLE VODAFONE STAY AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION IN THE WAKE OF NEW ENTRANT SUCH AS GLOBACOM AND ALREADY EXISTING RADICAL PLAYERS SUCH AS TIGO & MTN An efficient marketing strategy is one of the pre-requisites for the success of a business. Numerous researches have been carried out to know which marketing strategies can guarantee 9 success. But the fact is with rapidly changing global markets, competitive rivalry becoming so intense as well as market saturation, organizations need to be at their innovative best to come up with strategies that cater and appeal to the target customers. There are numerous successful marketing strategies and enlisting each one of them is not possible as what may work for one product or service may not work for another. There are certain basics of marketing that have proven to be useful and effective over the years. A few of these marketing strategies that work are categorically listed as below: EFFICIENT MARKETING STRATEGIES USING THE “7” P’s Customers acquaintance: The first and the foremost thing that we need to do before we get down to brainstorm on marketing strategy is to identify which segment of population will the product or service cater for (People). It is important for us to familiarize ourselves with this attribute because customers have varied tastes and preferences and ignorance on this can have serious repercussion/impact on our plans. It is therefore imperative that we plan our strategy in accordance with our target customers. Along with a proper promotion policy, an ideal people-oriented marketing strategy ought to be put in place by Vodafone to enhance Customer Satisfaction Management (CSM). Customer-centric product promotion is nothing new in the industry though product promotion campaigns are less likely to be determined by any other factors than the strengths of the product. (Lovelock, 1999). In as much as the emphasis might be placed on the overall promotion strategy to attract as many potential customer as possible, there won’t be any strategic advantage in the long term if Vodafone concentrates too much on its strengths only such as network infrastructure, loyalty bonus to customers etc. This is irrevocably a strategic shortcoming in the continual development process that Vodafone should imbibe into its scheme of things in order to maximize profit margin, market share and overall profitability in the long run. Product Promotion: Running a sale, or putting discount coupons in the daily newspapers or internet sites helps in creating visibility for our business. Before we plan a promotional offer, it is important that we have enough information about the offers of our competitors. Another benefit of this marketing strategy is that our customers are likely to tell their friends about the promotional offer. This will help us a great deal as word-of-mouth publicity counts a lot. It is therefore important that VODAFONE maintain a balance with their pricing and offer. If they keep the price too low, they may not be able to recover their costs which can lead to losses/detrimental consequences. Again, product characteristics include those tangible and intangible benefits for the customer. Candidly speaking, a typical cross section of the youth and professionals/elites would be inclined to buy products such as Black Berry, Modems etc. since its promotion strategy places emphasis on the afore-mentioned items super brand image and low browsing rates. In other words, the seventh “P” (Physical Evidence) of the variety of products at Vodafone carries much weight just like in sensory marketing. (Miser, 2006). Hence, it is therefore auspicious that Vodafone factors this strategic initiative into its scheme of things in order to stimulate competitive edge in the telecommunication industry. 10 Strategic Location Selection: The location of an outlet or franchise is another important factor which determines the effectiveness of a marketing strategy (Place). If outlets are placed at important/vantage junction or near a landmark, chances are that we will get more browsers, whom we can convert into buyers. Have you ever noticed that majority of McDonalds outlets are at some of the busiest places in the world? The location plays a very important role as it creates an opportunity for us to be accessible to our customers. Place, again imposes some limitations on the firm’s ability to exploit broader marketing principles. Market segmentation strategy of Vodafone is exclusively intended for the creation of brand dependency and therefore, there is a drawback associated with its geographical location. For example, Vodafone, which markets Black Berry, has a huge network of outlets in almost every nook and corner in Ghana. It is therefore imperative and pressing that a lot of emphasis be placed on this attribute by Vodafone so as to confer on it an enviable competitive advantage at the expense of new entrants like Globacom as well as staying ahead of the competition irrespective of market saturation in the telecommunication industry in the country. Utilization of Web-Marketing: As mentioned earlier, organizations need to be innovative if they have to stay ahead of the competition. One of the steps in this direction is the visibility of our business on the internet (Physical Evidence). One would have noticed that every prominent website offers a link to customers through which we can go to a company's homepage, place orders or know about an upcoming offer. Putting ourselves up on popular social networking sites can also help us know our customer's tastes and preferences. In fact, market researchers are of the belief /candid opinion that internet marketing will be one of the dominant marketing tools in the near future. Build a Strong Relationship with Employees: Our employees are one of the most important parts of our marketing strategy. If our employees feel strongly about the company, it reflects in their behavior and helps in creating a positive impression on our customers and within their own social circles. It is so glaring that some people boast of the company that they work with, and some always speak ill about the policies of their employers. This, to a great extent, shapes the public opinion and has the ability to impact on our outcome of the marketing strategy. It is important therefore, that we instill a feel-good factor in our employees so that they have magnificent things to say about our organization. This will help in building a positive brandimage for the organization of which VODAFONE is a part. Process: With regards to the process, a lot of setbacks associated with the internal processes as well as customer care services cannot be over-emphasized or underestimated. Strictly speaking, the lengthy amount of time it takes for customer’s application to be processed or attended to leaves much to be desired. Customer’s credit check is further compounded by long delays which more often than not militate against Vodafone’s billing of optimum customer satisfaction management. Also, pertaining to the external processes associated with Vodafone, porting by other radical players such as MTN takes too much time before it addresses customer’s complaint (demerit solely attributable to the manual facilities utilized or employed at MTN). This invariably impedes effective communication amongst client’s day-to-day activities in the country as a 11 whole thereby affecting Vodafone’s competitive advantage. There is therefore the exigent need to map out formidable strategies/mechanisms to curb these debilitating encumbrances associated with network service providers of which Vodafone is a part. Price: Prices of the variety of products and services at Vodafone’s disposal is essentially a reference to the larger context of the company’s pricing strategy and especially at the current competitive environment vis-à-vis intense rivalry and market saturation. There is very little liberty if any is available to the firm in contention to adopt a pricing policy of its choice. In the strict sense, market penetration would seem to be the most ideal pricing strategy for product/services such as Black Berry, Broad Band 4 U just to mention a few as well as price discrimination on the basis of market segmentation. IMPROVEMENT IN SERVICE QUALITY There should be an improvement in fixed network system so as to foster effective data service delivery across the country as a whole. There is therefore the need to also augment sales to facilitate installation and maintenance processes at Vodafone. This will invariably help boost its market share, profit margins via competitive advantage at the expense of other radical players in the telecommunication industry. ENHANCED ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT Pertaining to the afore-mentioned attributes, it will be appropriate for Vodafone to factor into its scheme of things the pointers listed below: (a) hiring and up skill personnel/staff to facilitate better and formidable service delivery and for that matter customer satisfaction management (CSM) (b) Exigent need to establish SLAs and secure feasible contracts with customers/clients by the Vodafone outfit (c) Precedence with respect to corporate and service excellence to customers through strict adherence to Total Quality Management (TQM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) etc particularly VGEs and government accounts. BILLING IMPROVEMENT A vast improvement in the billing processes or systems will do the trick at Vodafone as far as the effective delivery service to clients/customers is concerned. This can be achieved when the requisite priority is accorded the following attributes listed below: (a) Augmentation of manual processes and systems (b) Streamlining of the billing system to boost sophistication at Vodafone i.e. to say Online Billing Portal (c) Provision of consolidated billing across all enterprise products. ENHANCEMENT OF BASIC ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS This can be achieved and dealt with if the under listed pertinent issues are thoroughly dealt with: (i) Optimization of data service pricing; streamline bundle offering e.g. Voice+Data+Device and lastly but not the least (ii) Attention should be placed on dedicated internet and extended corporate mobile solutions even beyond senior management. This will undoubtedly help boost CSM/CRM, TQM, effective service delivery, market share, and growth rate as well as the attainment of the strategic goals at Vodafone thereby enhancing its performance, productivity, profitability and overall competitive advantage at the expense of competitors such as MTN & TIGO. ADHERENCE TO PREMIUM BUSINESS SOLUTIONS A vivid adherence to Premium Business Solutions where issues/strategic initiatives such as the: (i) Provision of WAN and LAN services (ii) Filling in of product gaps to offer more 12 comprehensive enterprise solutions such as Blackberry offers via (iii) Audio and Video Conferencing; Centex; Securing remote accessibility is critical as far as gaining a long term competitive advantage in the wake of intense rivalry from emerging telecommunication outfits, market saturation and new entrants such as Globacom is concerned. VIEWS/SUGGESTIONS FROM CUSTOMERS INTERVIEWED (1)Improvement in fixed voice/broadband service (2) Customers are expecting Vodafone brand to deliver premium enterprise solutions mentioned earlier in the course of the analysis (3) Exigent need to recognize and appreciate superior mobile network quality (4) Customers are expectant as regards superior customer experience/zero defect in service delivery from Vodafone brand. STRATEGIC INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTATION As the Marketing Consultant of Vodafone, I will beyond reasonable doubt propose that the management of this telecommunication outfit incorporates these under listed pointers into its scheme of things in order for it to not only stay ahead but also compete favorably with some already existing players such as MTN & TIGO as well as new entrant such as Globacom irrespective of the saturated nature of telecommunication outfits/networks in contemporary Ghana. There should be the deployment of NGN solutions to curtail and address the pertinent challenges associated with fixed network of most telecommunication firms of which Vodafone is a part. Secondly, it will be most appropriate that Vodafone offers more comprehensive enterprise solution/panacea such as network services and its management to enhance customer satisfaction management (CSM) via its overall profitability and competitiveness. Also, the deployment of 3G in hotspots is a must and will irrevocably provide a panacea with respect to the improvement of mobile data experience. Precedence should be given to the maintenance of superior quality through the incorporation of TQM, Kaizen Continuous Improvement Strategy, Change Management, BPR, Strategic Management in addition to the New and State-Of-The-Art Network Coverage Rollout Option. Furthermore, it will be quite incongruous and absurd to turn a blind eye to the expansion of retail and internet café experience as this pointer will also help foster Vodafone’s competitive advantage at the expense of new aggressive entrant such as Globacom via already existing gurus in the telecommunication fraternity including MTN & TIGO. The enterprise account management team at Vodafone should endeavor to be dedicated and exhibit high levels of team spirit, cohesiveness, synergy, proactiveness, diversity, ethicality, fairness/transparency, sound organizational climate/culture etc which are undoubtedly some of the critical factors associated with successful organizational framework such as MTN and lastly but not the least ,there should also be an improvement in faulty reporting and resolutions as these when properly taking care of will enhance effective communication between workers/co-workers at Vodafone and clients in totality. MISCELLANEOUS STRATEGIES Average customer handling time: Vodafone is currently deficient strong customer support department which would provide solutions to the clients and take care of them in the long run. Thus, there is a communication gap between Vodafone and the customer which needs to be abridged to enable it stay ahead of the intense rivalry and competition. 13 Customer loyalty: Vodafone can encourage their employees towards the high customer activity to satisfy them and augment the total expenditure of each customer. This can be done by motivating them to integrate online and offline through loyalty programs like privileged cards and redemption points. While there is no particular set of metrics to measure brand loyalty for Vodafone Black Berry in Ghana, there is enough empirical evidence to attest to the fact that the product is indeed attracting a lot of patronage. (Tasner, 2010).This strategic initiative will undoubtedly foster the attainment of organizational goals such as competitive advantage and optimum profitability vis-à-vis staying ahead of the competition in the telecommunication fraternity. Evaluation of service quality: The telecommunication outfit in contention should try as much as possible to adhere to the effective utilization of Six Sigma and TQM concepts and tools to ensure that both the perceived level of quality and the actual quality management methods such as Kaizen Continuous Improvement, Ishikawa Tools of Quality by minimizing variations in standards, living up to the billing of Zero-Defects in product manufacturability and service delivery, unifying product specifications and removing errors systematically. This will automatically boost Vodafone’s growth rate and subsequently enhance its competitive advantage via staying ahead of the competition. Quality option: Brand or product differentiation strategies heavily weigh on the subsequent ability of the firm to distinguish its brand on the basis of quality. A customized mobile phone service company would have the desirable impact on the customer’s expectations only when the quality standards have been satisfactorily met. (Donovan & Samler, 1994). Thus, the quality option in brand differentiation for the Vodafone’s new brand of mobile phone for the youth and professionals is determined by the company’s ability to drive the point home for the potential customer that indeed means a lot. Hence, it is therefore auspicious and expedient that the management of Vodafone strategizes along these lines of initiatives aforementioned so as to boost its market share/profit margin as well as stay ahead of the competition via competitive advantage in the telecommunication jurisdiction and fraternity. Building strong brand: A strong brand doesn’t necessarily connote that radical players such as MTN & TIGO or new entrant like GLOBACOM would remain quiescent (inactive) or in a state of inertia. In other words, the building of a strong brand depends on the already existing and established degree of loyalty. For that to come to fruition there must be some brand equity promotion activity. (Mac Donald & Sharp, 2000). Vodafone should be constantly seeking to build up a strong brand on the basis of brand equity so as to compete favorably with sister companies in the country as a whole. Product market expansion: The product market expansion strategy for Vodafone must be based on the afore-mentioned parameters. (Gonzalez & Quesada, 2004). These parameters can be identified as a measure or approach to overcome the existing level of competition and strategically re-orient its marketing campaign to achieve positive cohesiveness and synergies directly and indirectly related to the corporate goals of Vodafone. MONITORING & CONTROL This aspect of the marketing plan basically accentuates on comparing Vodafone’s set goals/targets such as budgetary allocation/cost with actual. Performance appraisals of employees, benchmarking can also be used to ascertain the performance of the organization in 14 contention not losing sight of the effective utilization of the Balance Score Card (BSC) comprising of key parameters as shown in the diagram below: TQM ELEMENT Customer Satisfaction FINANCIAL MEASURE Field service expense, External failure cost Internal Performance Preventive cost, Internal failure cost, Appraisal cost NON-FINANCIAL MEASURE Results of customer satisfaction survey, On-time delivery, Number of customer complaints Defect rates, Idle capacity, Yield Unscheduled machine down time, Lead times etc. In addition to the afore-mentioned metrics, competitor analysis, quality techniques and tools such as the Six Sigma Level, Ishikawa Tools of Quality, Pareto Charts, Kaizen Continuous Improvement Strategy can also be employed to really predict assertively if Vodafone is not only on track to success but also living up to its billing of Zero-Defect as regards its product manufacturability and superior quality service delivery as well as strict adherence to Customer Satisfaction Management (CSM). Also, major source of poor quality which give rise to variation, usage of Statistical techniques such as Control charts, Run Charts, Scatter Diagrams, Process Variability, Quality Circles, DMAIC can be factored into the monitoring and control process to ascertain if the implemented strategies are yielding the expected dividend as well as conformance to organizational goals/targets via ISO/QS 9000 standards of quality. Furthermore, Problem solving tools such as PDSA, Quality Control (QC) Tools, Sensitivity & Gap Analysis, Florida Power & Light’s “7” Steps Model can also be utilized at this stage of monitoring, controlling/evaluation which will irrevocably enable VODAFONE have an enviable competitive advantage thereby ensuring that it stays ahead of the competition at the expense of already existing telecommunication gurus such as MTN &TIGO via new entrant like GLOBACOM. CONCLUSION From the above findings, it can be safely inferred that Vodafone has been dwindling in terms of its customer’s capacity as compared to other competitors like MTN & TIGO. Since the demand for mobile phone services is bound to accelerate, it can be predicted that the market growth for products and services such as Black Berry, Broad Band 4 U etc. is inevitable. Vodafone maintains a good brand image and a loyal customer base in Ghana. It is therefore vital that it continues to invest in developing new technologies as otherwise new innovations and inventions from other telecommunication players could capture the market. (De Burca, Fletcher & Brown, 2004). It will be more feasible and appropriate for Vodafone to form informal partnerships and formal legally binding one with other companies in order to share knowledge and technology to assist further and enhance its deliverables as efficiently as possible. Vodafone is also faced with a threat from inferior quality pirated products in the market for example through mobile phone imported from countries such as China. Strictly speaking, the digital music industry is evolving very fast. There is always the threat of a new company such as GLOBACOM introducing something totally new to the market such as Wireless Technology that could replace the need for a physical music player. It’s of 15 paramount significance for Vodafone to invest enormously in research, development and marketing in order to keep up with new entrants and introduce newer products to the market. (www.asseco.com) Vodafone is again faced with the risk of employees themselves divulging secrets about its new technology. This could cost it a lot of fortunes/profits. File transfer and sharing is another menace/threat that cannot be underestimated within the jurisdiction of the telecommunication industry. Radical players such as TIGO & MTN are conversant with these possibilities. It is therefore vital that VODAFONE strategically map out techniques to impede file sharing so as to enable it to not only gain an enviable competitive advantage but also stay ahead of the competition in terms of profit margin, growth rate, and market share and its overall performance, productivity and profitability. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GAINING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE A new marketing strategy for Vodafone’s products and services such as Video Conferencing, Black Berry, Broad Band 4 U just to mention a few has to be characterized by a series of value creation/additions to tempt the potential customer to purchase the variety of products offered by the outfit in contention. A product orientation and expansion strategy based on the existing brand strength associated with the new customized mobile phone’s market leadership is desirable. ANSOFF’s product market growth strategy might be useful to a varying magnitude e.g. in targeting new niche markets (new markets-new products/brands) to place the customized mobile phones for teens. However, new niche markets where there is already some intense rivalry and stiffer competition from radical players can be very expensive. (Gerpott & Jakopin, 2005) More so, new emerging markets and entrants such as GLOBACOM might be more feasible for a sustained marketing campaign coming into the market almost on a daily basis with their highly distinguished brands and products. A broader and better focused strategic vision in conformance with the long term marketing goals including competitor and customer orientation strategies might be the best and likely alternative for Vodafone right now. Again, market segmentation according to consumer demographics based on key variables such as the number of visit to store/retail outlet during a given time period by an average customer is feasible. Above all, the awareness of customer preference matters. The existing market shares of Vodafone mobile phones and its rivals depict that it leads with the lion’s share. The bigger the market share, the greater would be the possibility of success. But nonetheless, the company in contention is highly concentrated at the top management level. This presupposes that the decision making process has to be decentralized to accommodate marketing companies that run on high budget and tight time schedules. (Bennett & Blythe, 2002) Vodafone’s products such as Black Berry, International Roaming etc. need to be marketed by adopting a market penetration strategy. This means that introductory prices of products and services must be kept to the barest minimum so that quite a sizable share of the market can be captured and maintained. The existing competitors such as AIRTEL, EXPRESSO, TIGO and MTN in the telecommunication fraternity basically rely on providing a core number of enabling services, especially to the 3G mobile phone user. 16 Vodafone’s current strategy of concentrating on providing a broader spectrum of services across seamless application of both technology and user friendly operational parameters is good enough but requires a much cost conscious approach. The company in contention has successfully created customer value through the expanded marketing mix rather than restricting the marketing strategy to the 4P’s based mixed in the market. However, there is still greater possibility of increasing market share through an extensive online advertising campaign. Radical players such as MTN & TIGO’s customized Nokia and Sony Erickson tunes have noticed the reliable efficacy of sensory marketing as a potent force in appealing to the youth in the digital music market in Ghana delivered on the mobile, visuals and audio quality. The country currently is a saturated market for mobile telephony but an innovative marketing strategy such as the Boston Consulting Group Matrix and ANSOFF should be used judiciously to capture this so-called market by concentrating on customer preference and their taste. In order to capture a large segment of the market, it is vital that initial price of the products be kept to the barest minimum. The price cutting war in the market is going to be particularly deadly for small competitors though. In other words, a market penetration pricing strategy is almost the foregone conclusion with rivals such as EXPRESSO, AIRTEL just to mention a few. In lieu of this analysis and findings, VODAFONE cannot be complacent. It should continue in experimenting with newer technologies in order to come up with novel inventions. Else, they could be overwhelmed by other competitors. (Alleyne, 2011) Furthermore, Vodafone could strategically form new alliances with other organizations in the telecommunication industry informally and formally so as to share technology and thus further enhance the quality of their products. Technology concurrments (agreements) with other service providers would be desirable in this context. Based on the results/findings trampled upon throughout this extensive research work as regards the undertaking of micro & macro environmental audit and analysis respectively, I will as the Marketing Consultant of Vodafone emphatically propose that further research studies ought to be taken in future to ascertain the extent of influence on customers’ decision to patronize telecommunication products and services and this shouldn’t be restricted to only semiotics but also extended to a study of how brand and customer loyalty are formed even in the absence of any tendency to associate personal preferences of consumers with some superior product quality. This is in direct conformance with the current trend in marketing adopted by radical players in the telecommunication industry in the country as a whole and the world at large. REFERENCES Alleyne, I. (2011) “Mobile War in Trinidad. An Analysis. Available at www.carribean360.com Bennett, R. & Blythe, J. 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(2000) “Brand Awareness Effects on Consumer Decision Making for a Common Repeat Purchase Product: A Replication Journal of Business Research, 48 (1), Pp 5-15. Miser, B. (2006) “Absolute Beginner’s Guide to iPod and iTunes, 3rd ed. Victoria Tasner, M. (2010) “Marketing in the Moment: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First. New Jersey: FT Press. www.asseco.com www.wikipedia.com/org BIBLIOGRAPHY Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G., (2009) “Principles of Marketing” 13 th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Martin, C., (2011) “The Third Screen: Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile. Massachusetts: Nicholas Brealey Boston. Porter, M.E., (2008) “The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review. 18 Saunders, M. Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2007) “Research Methods for Business Students. 4 th Ed. London: Prentice Hall. APPENDIX FOR ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATION DMAIC: Define Measure Analyze Improve Control ISO: International Standards Organization PDCA/PDSA: Plan Do Check/Study Act QS: Quality Standards SLA: Service Level Agreement VGE: Voice Grade Equivalent 19