1. From the information about Chobani in the case and at the start of the chapter, (a) whom did Hamdi Ulukaya identify as the target for his first cups of Greek yogurt and (b) what was his initial "4Ps" marketing strategy?
(a) Hamdi Ulukaya was targeting Americans as he was convinced that Americans would like the Greek yogurt if they gave it a try. In more detail you could say that Mr. Ulukaya used the differentiation focus strategy, as he was creating a superior product that was geared towards Americans. He was more focused on selling his yogurt to a narrow target audience. His first cup of yogurt appeared on shelves of a small grocer in Long Island, New York.
(b) The four "Ps" are product, price, promotion, and place. Initially Hamdi Ulukaya wanted to create a product that would be superior to other yogurt companies as he wanted to come out with a Greek yogurt that had a perfect recipe. As far as price I didn't really seem to find an initial response. Price, however, would be asking certain questions like: Are there established price points for products or services in this area? Is the customer price sensitive? How will your price compare with your competitors? He never stated what his plan was for price except that we knew the product would be superior in taste so we would make a generalized assumption that the product would be a little more costly. He did get some pretty good promotional ideas out there. Mr. Ulukaya at first relied on positive word of mouth. In 2010, he started CHOmobile and giving out free samples to encourage people to try it for the first time. Chobani yogurt could be found in places like BJ's, Costco, and Stop & Shop. However, once it picked up it was selling nationwide in the US, UK, and Australia.
2. (a) What marketing actions would you expect the companies selling Yoplait, Dannon, and PepsiCo yogurts to take in response to Chobani's appearance and (b) how might Chobani respond?
(a) If companies like