Task “Pick a product or brand of your own choosing that is sold in your geographical area. From an examination of any marketing materials (advertising, packaging, website, for example) and reflecting the 4P’s of marketing, construct a value proposition for it. Do as much research as you can on the produce or brand in order to get a good feel for how the brand has evolved and where it is heading.”
Abstract: Marie Sharp offers some of the most authentic Belizean bottled peppers with a variety of flavors. The business started in 1980, in Belize, Central America whereby Marie herself experimented with fresh Habanero peppers and vegetables in her local kitchen. It then took the route of a small business within the local community, later expanding to the entire country of Belize, and now known as a global brand of pepper sauces. The four P’s (Price, Place, Promotion, and Product) in marketing has definitely helped the pepper sauce establish itself as a top notch brand, in this paper I intend to construct a value proposition for the product with all the information that is readily available.
Keywords: Marie Sharp, Pepper Sauce, Marketing, Value Proposition
Marie Sharp’sMarie Sharp’s Habanero pepper sauce named after its founder brings about the true authentic flavor of Belizean pepper sauces which started in a local kitchen in the Southern parts of Belize in 1980 (Marie Sharps, n.d). It later expanded itself as a small business which gradually grew to serve the entire nation of Belize. The recipes of locally grown peppers with the perfect combination of vegetables has helped the brand establish itself as the powerhouse of pepper sauces in Belize, and has since gone international to compete among other sauces.
Product
The Belizean lifestyle across all ethnicities, and in particular those of hispanic descent calls for pepper sauces with their meals. This is whereby Marie Sharp has capitalized the market with its product. It has continuously distinguished itself among other pepper sauce competitors by bringing a unique competitive advantages on it’s different flavor sauces. Apart from having a wide range of flavors and levels of spice, Marie Sharp’s prides itself in ensuring that the products are made from locally grown organic peppers and vegetables by our very own Belizean citizens (Belize Marketing and Development Corporation, n.d).
As a result, the product is not only extravagantly spicy and delicious but also contributes to the local communities by providing jobs directly or indirectly which the community see’s as a positive contribution. Not only that but their product ranges has extended to include recipes of “sauces, jams, jellies, seasonings” of different sizes from these locally grown produces which extends to other consumers not only interested in pepper sauces (Marie Sharps, n.d).
Price
The price is another factor which gives the products a boost in the market, Marie Sharp is able to mass produce their products which allows them to price them at flexible ranges and in return allows other retailers to make profits. In Belize, the different bottle sizes are priced between the range of $1.50 to about $3.50 USD at the local superstores. The price range is neither greedy nor timid, but economically feasible for consumers, and also dissuades other competitors from overpricing their own products.
There’s a lot of pricing techniques that are used ranging from Value based on the buyer’s perception, discount prices based on different situations, volume discounts and wholesale pricing and much more. At any time you can walk in for a short tour at the Marie Sharp factory and attain discount prices, or simply go on Amazon and search for the Marie Sharp Pepper sauces (Amazon, n.d). Not to mention, these different pricing schemes allows them to export the products to other countries, allowing the brand to gain recognition.
Place
Marie Sharp has a lot of distribution channels giving the products recognition on a variety of places. There are direct sales to customers if they’re able to arrive at the factory, and now even online as can be seen on Amazon. This gives it a global reach to international customers, anywhere and anytime via the web. Not only that, but over the years Marie Sharp has grown so much that there is now exportation to as far as North America, South America, Europe, and Asia (BelizeHub, n.d). This however, is but a fraction of the different channels, a lot of it is focused in Belize itself all throughout the different superstores and grocery outlets. There’s intensive distribution all throughout Belize, you can walk in at any store and if someone is looking for pepper sauces they’re bound to be looking for Marie Sharps.
Promotion
If you to to the sauce section at any store in Belize, you definitely cannot miss the Marie Sharp Habanero sauce design labels on the shelves. They’re so easy to pick out from all the competitors, every shop ensures that you can have the variety of sauces all grouped together at every shelf.
As Belizeans we have been accustomed to recognize this tag label over the years, which is but a fraction of their promotionals print designs that helps people recognize their brands. If you’re ever visiting Belize, and about to exit the country as the San Pedro Scoop (2016) says “Hot Sauce! Probably the very best gift you can find… Marie Sharps …”
Marie Sharp also does a good job at keeping their public image well on the radar by attending trade shows, many in Belize and as far as Seoul, New York and other countries (Beltraide, n.d). They also have their website and facebook page which also helps the brand remain on top as a global leader in pepper sauces, and most certainly gives it exposure and extensions to meet and partner with other businesses.
Conclusion
It’s important to note that Marie Sharp already has a slogan which is “Proud Products of Belize” (Marie Sharp, n.d). They have most certainly capitalized the P’s involved in Marketing, and have done it with exemplary showcases otherwise they would not have expanded globally. They care about their customers, their brand, and all stakeholders, in particular those affected indirectly or directly in the local communities of Belize. As such a value proposition that fits their business – “For pepper lovers and enthusiasts, Marie Sharp’s Pepper Sauce brings the most organic and fresh proud pepper products of Belize, at the most affordable prices worldwide.”
References
Amazon. (n.d). Marie Sharps. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dgrocery&field-keywords=marie+sharps
BelizeHub. (n.d). Marie Sharp’s Factory Tour. Retrieved from https://www.belizehub.com/marie-sharps-factory-tour/
Belize Marketing and Development Corporation. (n.d). Marie Sharp. Retrieved from http://bmdc.bz/maria-sharp/
Beltraide. (n.d). Marie Sharp. Retrieved from https://belizeinvest.net/tag/marie-sharp/
Marie Sharps. (n.d). About Us. Retrieved from
https://www.mariesharps.bz/about/
Marie Sharps. (n.d). Pepper Sauces. Retrieved from
https://www.mariesharps.bz/portfolio-category/pepper-sauces/
The San Pedro Scoop. (2016). Last Minute Shopping at Belize International Airport. Retrieved fromhttps://www.sanpedroscoop.com/2016/06/last-minute-shopping-belize-international-airport.html
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