This thesis represents an in-depth market insight on the German beverage market for the American company Zevia. Considering the theoretical background particularly focusing on the issue of standardization or adaptation of an international marketing strategy, the author suggests in the event of entering the German market to especially adapt 3 out of the 4 marketing mix elements, namely price, promotion and place. Special attention should be drawn to an alteration of Zevia’s promotion and price policies.
However, the German beverage market constitutes a tough external environment for the realization of a market penetration and awareness creation for Zevia’s soft drink. Overall the German market can be described as saturated, diversified and one conferring high bargaining power to supermarkets. All these factors represent an obstacle for Zevia to enter this market, despite the German food and beverage industry being highly receptive to new and innovative products.
This openness derives from the trend detected in Germany (and globally) towards the increased request for health and wellness products. However apparently despite this trend the German market for low calorie lemonades is declining and the perception of stevia as a sweetener is rather negative. These facts have also been proven in a thesis intern online survey.
Zevia is recommended to only penetrate the German beverage market under specific circumstances named in this thesis while considering the author’s proposals in reference to its marketing mix elements.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Theoretical Framework
- International Marketing
- Entering a Foreign Market
- Relevance for Zevia
- Description of the problem/task
- Company Profile
- Company Overview
- The Brand and the Product
- Core Consumer
- Competitive Advantage
- Price
- Placement
- Promotion
- Macro Environment (PESTLE Analysis)
- Political Factors
- Economic Factors
- Socio-economic Factors
- Technological Factors
- Legal Factor
- Environmental Factor
- Micro Environment
- Stevia as an alternative sweetener
- Stevia as a possible solution to obesity
- Global growth for stevia products due to its functionality in weight management
- Global Market growth for Stevia as a sweetener in Soft Drinks
- Soft Drink Market Development in Germany
- Increasing Demand of health and wellness products in Germany
- Trends on the German soft drink market
- Market specifications of the German soft drink market
- Recent Beverage Market Developments in Germany
- Competition
- SWOT Analysis - Examining the market and company features
- Exploratory Research
- Instruments
- Piloting
- Sample and participants
- Ethics
- Overall Results
- Conclusion
- VMarket implications
- Suggestions for Marketing Mix elements
- Limitations and Final Recommendations
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to develop an international marketing strategy for Zevia, a stevia-sweetened beverage brand, in the German soft drink market. It utilizes a comprehensive market analysis, including PESTLE and SWOT analyses, to identify key opportunities and challenges for Zevia's expansion. The research also explores consumer preferences and perceptions of stevia-sweetened beverages in Germany through an exploratory survey.
- Analyzing the German soft drink market and its consumer preferences
- Evaluating the potential of stevia-sweetened beverages in Germany
- Developing a comprehensive international marketing strategy for Zevia in Germany
- Identifying key marketing mix elements for successful market entry
- Assessing the feasibility and impact of Zevia's entry into the German market
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The thesis begins with an introduction that sets the stage for the research by outlining the problem and the goals of the thesis. The theoretical framework section provides a foundation for the study, exploring key concepts in international marketing and market entry strategies. The company profile chapter delves into Zevia's brand, product, core consumer, competitive advantage, and marketing mix elements. The macro environment section examines the political, economic, socio-economic, technological, legal, and environmental factors impacting the German soft drink market. The micro environment chapter explores the specific market dynamics and competitive landscape within Germany, focusing on the growing demand for healthy and wellness products and the emerging trend of stevia-sweetened beverages. The exploratory research section presents the findings of the survey conducted to understand consumer preferences and perceptions of stevia-sweetened beverages in Germany. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, provides recommendations for Zevia's marketing mix, and discusses potential limitations and future research opportunities.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
International marketing, market entry strategy, soft drink market, Germany, Zevia, stevia, alternative sweetener, healthy beverages, consumer preferences, market analysis, PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis, exploratory research, marketing mix, product, price, place, promotion.
- Quote paper
- Viktoria Arnold (Author), 2016, The development of an international marketing strategy for ZEVIA on the Soft-Drink market in Germany, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/342094