All promotion projects are organized well by the Marketing Department with the valuable contribution and involvement of sales, research and development as also production department. The research team of the marketing department is currying out various studies in order to realize what the various customer’s needs are, regarding new shops and new products as also asking the opinion of them for various promotion actions that they had taken. The results of these studies are taken under serious consideration.
If for example, from a study like that, it is found that a new shop is needed in order to cover a certain area, the marketing department with the involvement of the Sales Department raises the issue. Then, the shop must be found at the correct point. A shop must be at the right side of the street, (the left side of the stream that leads to the customers homes-nobody is buying bread at his way to the job), must have adequate parking places and must be of the adequate size. At the right time and after the co-operation with the financing and the production department the project is evaluated.
A research that is made in order to gain feedback from an action gives to the department valuable results. From a research like that, it was found that the heavy advertising projects (television ones) occurred at the past had positive results only initially. The public considered that Zorbas wants to eliminate all its competition to zero. Because the objective of the Company is not that, it was decided to reduce them as much as possible. Now, this kind of advertising is almost abandoned.
The method that is mainly followed now, is the Reminder one and includes sponsoring of events (like concerts, sports), donations, charities etc and small advertising spots. The main purposes are the improvement of the Brand Image and the establishment of it to the top levels. Ms. Koulla Ioannidou, Public Relation Manager [5], clears that “with the correct involvement of the Company at the various issues that people are concerned like charities and donations we achieved a lot. By helping financially a poor family or by financing a medical operation that has to be carried out abroad in order to save the soul of a child, we prove to the people and to ourselves that we do not care only about profit but about public good also”.
A new project now is under developing and is going to deal with the environment. As Mr. Costas Zorbas says, “we want prove that we are an environmental friendly organization. Our objective is to implement the electrical driven cars technology for the delivery of our products to our shop. We are going to create a fleet of environmental friendly delivery vans. We are going to become pioneers. We are the first in the world that implements a concept like that at the Baking Industry”.
Conclusions:
All the personnel of all the 56 different positions that are employed by Zorbas Bakeries, knows that the main objective of the Company, is the satisfaction of the customer needs. It is well understood by everybody that by the moment that the customer satisfaction is ensured, all of them are gaining.
With the aid of the strong relation channels that established between the Company and its customers as also those between the Company and its suppliers a strong marketing communication model is achieved. With the aid of those channels, all the necessary messages regarding the “wants” of the customers are coming back to the firm. The management team knows very well that these channels are vital for the success of the Company and that’s why are always kept active and well protected. With all that feedback signals, which are coming from all over Cyprus, its easy for the personnel of marketing department to realize what are the various needs and wants as also what are the various tendencies of the market. By this way, a continuous “updating” of products and services is a fact.
The continuous Research and Developing of new products and services and the follow up of the International market trends and standards are making the Company a pioneer at its sector. The Public Relations which are achieved with the correct approach of the citizens maintain the Brand Image of the company at the top levels. All the above, are vital factors which are contributing to the success of the Company.
