Integrated Marketing Strategies: Pricing, Distribution and Branding

Abstract

Marketing strategy is the key in positioning value, the delivery of products, and the company’s image in the market. This study aims to analyze the integrated marketing strategies specifically pricing, distribution and branding among the top brand of plastic water tank manufacturing company in Kattakada, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala-Capital Polymers Pvt. Ltd. The study focuses on a descriptive research design which uses stratified random sampling for collecting primary data from 118 customers both from Kerala and Tamil Nadu through structured questionnaires. To identify key patterns and relationships, analytical techniques such as Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and factor analysis were applied. The findings indicate that the attitude of the customers towards price, distribution and brand is similar across various demographic groups with significant differences found only in reasonable pricing (p = 0.029) and affordability (p = 0.004) by income and occupation respectively. Based on the factor analysis, four main factors were highlighted as having a significant role on the brand preference, which include Promotional and Product Strategy, Brand Image and Pricing Perception, Value Assurance and Certification, and After-Sales Support and Service. The distribution efficiency and product availability were homogeneous in all the regions, and the difference in market coverage was only significant in one region (p = 0.015). The study findings confirm that a successful marriage of pricing, distribution and branding strategies, when executed in a customer-centric manner and supported by data, offers substantial benefits for consumers, such as higher satisfaction, brand preference and marketing performance, which in turn positively impact the long-term growth of the business.