Curled Metal Inc. (CMI) faced a pricing and channel marketing decision for metal pile cushions utilized during pile driving. CMI’s approach to metal pads has significant efficiency advantages over currently used pads available in the market. However, CMI has to take into account several barriers to entry into this market. The primary barrier is that most companies viewed role of pads as a necessary accessory or tangent item instead of viewing them as a potentially value adding or cost reducing part of pile driving. In order to penetrate the market, CMI has to alter the point of view of pile driving pads for the opinion leaders, engineering firms, and contractors involved in the decision process.
There is several stakeholders to consider, first CMI that need a new successful product to the continued success of the company. The decisions regarding pile cushions could greatly increase the company’s revenues and profits. There are also several secondary stakeholders in the pile driving industry. Secondary stakeholders include pile hammer manufacturers, architectural consulting engineers, soil consultants, pile hammer distributing/renting companies, engineering/construction contractors, and independent pile driving contractors. The workers who drive piles are also stakeholders since the current pads may be hazardous to their health due to heat related injuries and weight. The following table summarizes some of the stakeholders; their projected importance to CMI’s marketing decisions, and their projected attitudes to switching from current pads to higher efficiency metal cushions.
Key Issues
CMI needs to consider several marketing decisions. First, they must determine a method for pricing and ultimately a price for the new metal pads. Second, the company must decide which channels to market the pads based on the selected pricing strategy. Third, CMI must determine how much to invest in manufacturing equipment by estimating market penetration and