Montreaux Chocolate USA Case Study

Montreaux Chocolate USA Case Study
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Montreaux Chocolate USA Case Study
MEMO
To: The Management
From: Market Research Director
Date:……………………………..
Subject:Value Proposition Techniques
Customer value is an area that has sparked the interest of market researchers and business owners. Also, it has been identified to be among the critical factors that influence the success of businesses. Therefore, it significant to consider what the customers perceive to be valued. In most cases, customers rate the value of the products they are given against their expectations. The success of a business is dependent on how it enhances their value proposition in the eyes of the clients, and a company can only achieve this by applying online survey methods to market research. Therefore, this memo contains recommendations on how Montreaux can facilitate co-creation of the value proposition that can be embraced by survey participants.
The case study has analyzed customer usage and attitudes towards the consumption of chocolate. Survey has also shown that women have a higher tendency of eating chocolate than men, with a percentage rating of 94% for former and 90% for the former. In addition, the survey has shown that higher income earner has higher tendency of purchasing boxed chocolates. Moreover, individuals aged between 45 and 64 have been identified to have the highest level of income per capita. Therefore, the company should focus on that market segment and meet their value expectations to enhance black chocolate eating culture.

Surveys have also shown some of the motivations that have influenced the American people into black chocolate eating culture. For example, women have noted that chocolate enhanced their moods, thereby indicating that it generated positive experiences. In addition, they were open to new flavors and ingredients and the purported health benefits such as low blood pressure and cardiovascular fitness. On the other hand, men were motivated into purchasing the same by price. In addition, they responded positively to practical attributes such as convenience, whether the products boosted their energy levels, and whether it was affordable.
One of the value proposition techniques that can influence the American people into embracing the consumption of black chocolate is the adoption of a competitive value proposition. That is, the company should seek to decrease the sacrifices a customer has to make into purchasing the product and enhance the benefits experienced by the consumers. The method should be in a manner that yields the functional, economic, symbolic, and emotional value (Rintamaki & Mitronen, 2011). Therefore, the company should adopt the differentiation strategy to stand out from other competitors in the industry.
The other method of co-creation of value is a detailed definition of the channel strategy. In the case study, it is evident that the market is segmented on the basis of gender, age, and income levels. Therefore, the company should emphasize on market segmentation by comprehending the journey of the customers, creation of reward systems for members of staff who go an extra mile in ensuring that the customers are well catered for, and provision of products by the channel strategy (Rintamaki & Mitronen, 2011). Reward systems will influence workers to embrace good working relationships with clients.
In conducting online surveys on black chocolate, some questions purposed at the identification of customer values should be formulated. One of such problems is,” how would the customers value their happiness with the company?” Here, the company will be able to determine the value of its products and the perception of the public concerning the same (Rihova et al., 2013). The second question would be how the customer rate the product in the market. That is, either perfect, average, good, or poor (Rihova et al., 2013). Here the problem will help the company identify the love of the product by individuals. The question would be whether the customers would recommend the same product to their friends. The issue would help in determining whether net promoter score and assists in identifying satisfaction levels.
Therefore, it is recommended that the company should co-create value in some ways. One of them is market segmentation since it is already evident that customers are in groups based on gender, income, and age. The other method is differentiation; it is evident that there is a lot of competition in the industry. Therefore, the company can develop its niche by providing a unique product.

References
Rintamaki, T., & Mitronen, L. (2011). Customer Value Propositions and Co-Creation of Service in Multi-Channel Retail Contexts. Conceptual paper, 1-14.
Rihova, I., Buhalis, D., Moital, M., & Beth Gouthro, M. (2013). Social layers of customer-to-customer value co-creation. Journal of Service Management, 24(5), 553-566.