1. Canty International
Alex Miljkovic, Sharry Cu, Roger Mao, Naveena Pareek, Johnny Riddle
UBAM Hammerheads
FMGT 1M & RMGT 1A
MKTG 1102
Don Linder
Date: November 5th, 2009

2. CASE SYNOPSIS
The Vice President of Canty International, Bob Sweeny, received a RFP from Bryant
Inn’s. The hotel’s purchasing agent, Diana Cromwell describes her dissatisfaction with
the current wallpaper coverings Bryant Inns is using. She is unhappy that the service life
of the current hotel wall covering is only two years and makes a request for Canty
International to design a new wall covering. She would like a wall covering that is:
appealing, sound-proof, fire resistant, durable for the hotel environment, stain-
resistant, safe, and fair-priced. Bob Sweeny contacts the “Design Lab” and they design a
new product that meets the needs of Bryant Inns. The product is named Decoline; it
consists of an innovative techno-fabric covering cemented to a lightweight sturdy
bamboo fibre core, with an estimated service life of 10 years.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
What should Decoline be priced at so that is a fair value to potential consumers, and a
profit to Canty International?
KEY FINDINGS
• Bryant Inns is Canadian Arm of a multinational firm in hospitality industry and
successfully runs and manages 150 inns in Canada; this number is growing
• Installation costs are $4.80 per square meter for Canty International’s current
products, and $5.40 per square meter for the new Decoline product. The
difference is an additional $0.60
• Decoline will be custom made because of its color, texture, and design
selections; the techno fibre cannot be prepared in advance
• Canty International’s maximum optimum capacity is 77%
• Decoline is used for track systems
• All raw materials needed to manufacture Decoline produced by at a different
facility; the lead time on materials takes about two weeks
ASSUMPTIONS
We are making calculations based at an estimated volume of 500 square meters a
month. We are also assuming that our old product that had a service life of two years
was sold at $34.99 per square meter.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
 High attention to detail when designing new and innovative products to fit
customer needs (e.g. fire-resistant, sound proof, customized wallpaper)
 Recognized and sought after by other firms (e.g. Bryant Inns)
 Thorough process of product design including an accurate and detailed operating
expense list
 Product: Decoline has estimated ten year service life, relative to most products
which have a two year service life

3.  Company has customized designs for each customer – they can cater to different
industries (hospitality industry, recreational industry, etc)
 Source of raw materials are supplied by a facility – materials are ready to use, no
need to spend time manufacturing raw materials
Weaknesses
 Only has a production capacity of 2598 square meters per month
 Operates at 77% of its optimum capacity (when producing Decoline) producing
2000 meters square as opposed to 2598 meters square
 Decoline estimated @ $0.60 per meter more expensive than the similar products
competitors offer
Opportunities
 Decoline has a service life of ten years; an eight year difference in service life
compared to other products which creates many profitable sales opportunities f
 If Decoline proves to be effective at Bryant Inns, it may become a well known
product there will be an increase in demand from many other firms(track
systems could be install in gyms, dance rooms, hotels, hospitals, etc)
 If Decoline proves to be effective, they will develop long-term relationships with
various customers due to customer satisfaction.
Threats
 possibility that Decoline may fail as a product
 Competition will increase because competitors will produce similar products
with better features
 If Bryant Inns is unhappy about the outcome of the product, other potential
consumers will not be attracted to trying Decoline
 If Decoline is defective or if customers are unsatisfied, Canty International’s
image will be reflected from Decoline and consumers will perceive all the
company’s products as faulty or with few benefits
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Because Canty International is not an existing company, we were not able to research
who its direct competitors are.
TARGET MARKET
We have used undifferentiated segmentation to determine out target market. Decoline
will provide the same benefits for all of our potential customers because track systems
are mainly used as a divider. We will use the micromarketing strategy because Decoline
is a product that is customized to suit every customer’s needs. We will mainly target B2B
consumers, which are other firms in the hospitality and recreational industry because
track systems are use a lot in gyms, community centers, hotels, motels, and inns.

4. CONSIDERATIONS
The base price for Decoline should be $30.00
Break down of Fixed costs Cost per month
Selling and Administration costs $4,300
Supervision $1,080
Floor-space expense $327
Inspection $165
Miscellaneous Indirect Labour $84
Small tools and expense materials $30
Tables (Amortization expense)* $12.92
Cutting Machine(Amortization Expense)** $4
Total $6,002.92
*Cost of tables are amortized over its useful life per month (Canadian GAAP)
1550/(12*10) = 12.92
*Cost of cutting machines is amortized over its useful life per month.
480/(12*10) = $4
Break-Even equation:
Px = Vcx + Fc
Where x is number of products, p is the price per unit, vc is the variable cost per unit, and
fc is the fixed cost
So for 500 units:
P*500 = 6340.49 + 6002.92
∴ P = $24.69
The break-even price for 500 units will be $24.69. (This does not include installation costs)
Break down of Variable costs
Cost per sq. m For 500 sq. meters
Techno Fibre $6.55 @ 0.9 sq.meter $7.28 per sq. m $3,638.89
Bamboo $2.87 @ 0.9 sq.meter $3.33 per sq. m $1,650
Cement $0.96 @ 0.83 litres $0.77098 per sq. m $398.40
Direct Labour $7.10 @ 0.184 hours $1.30 per sq. m $653.20
Total $12.68098 $6,340.49
Break down of Fixed costs Cost per month
Selling and Administration costs $4,300
Supervision $1,080
Floor-space expense $327
Inspection $165
Miscellanous Indirect Labour $84
Small tools and expense materials $30
Tables (Amortization expense)* $12.92
Cutting Machine(Amortization Expense)** $4
Total $6,002.92

5. Units in square
metres 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Variable costs $0.00 $1,268.10 $2,536.20 $3,804.29 $5,072.39 $6,340.49 $7,608.59 $8,876.69
Fixed costs $6,002.92 $6,002.92 $6,002.92 $6,002.92 $6,002.92 $6,002.92 $6,002.92 $6,002.92
Total cost $6,002.92 $7,271.02 $8,539.12 $9,807.21 $11,075.31 $12,343.41 $13,611.51 $14,879.61
Break-Even Graph
$16,000.00
$14,000.00
$12,000.00
$10,000.00
Variable cost
Cost
$8,000.00 Fixed cost
Total cost
$6,000.00
$4,000.00
$2,000.00
$0.00
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Units in square metres
Economies of scale: The cost per unit falls as the output increases.
The cost per unit at 500 units is $24.69
The cost for 1000 units will be: fc + vcx
= 6002.92 + 12.68098* 1000
= $18,683.9
The cost per unit for at 1000 units is $18.6839.
We should consider the economies of scale as the cost per unit falls when the output
increases. This means that we will have a higher profit margin when we produce more.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Alternative 1
Our first alternative is to use the cost-based pricing method. Because we are producing a
brand new product, there are many production costs involved. By pricing Decoline without
factoring in consumer’s and competitor’s prices, we can set prices based on a per-unit basis.
Because cost-based pricing is set on average costs, our breakeven cost is $24.69, so we are
setting the price to $49.99.

6. Advantages:
1. Easy to control – we can track our profits and losses easily because we are pricing
Decoline based on how much it cost to make the product on a per-unit basis.
2. Covers cost – we will have not have to be worried about covering production costs
because we are not recognizing consumer values or competitor price wars
3. A healthier company – We know our operating expenses, fixed costs, and variable
costs to determine a reasonable assumption of our potential revenue. We will have
sufficient revenue by pricing Decoline using cost-based methods
Disadvantages:
1. Customer perception – the price may not represent value to the consumer, they
may not see the benefits of the product because of the price
2. Customer satisfaction – the price was not determined to overcome customer
satisfaction so many consumers may not see the product as valuable
3. Less consumers – because we aren’t focusing on long-term customer relationships,
we may have less consumers which results in less profits
Alternative #2
Our second alternative is to use the improvement value method to determine our pricing
strategy. Because we created a product that can be customized, we are setting our prices
based on how consumers will compare this product to others in the same market.
Old price and old product: $34.99. New price and new product: $49.99 (per square meters)
Improvement value: additional $15 represents the estimate consumers are willing to pay for
Decoline.
Advantages:
1. Can estimate potential profits – Study of Consumer behavior might prove to be
accurate and therefore forecast how much product consumers might wish to
acquire and at what general price (estimate)
2. Maintains good customer relationships – by creating a customized product,
consumers will feel like they were a part of the product process
3. Consumers are put first – Product is based on customers needs and wants rather
then the companies.
Disadvantages:
1. hard to estimate selling price – Because the consumer controls and decides how
much the product’s benefits are worth vs. the sacrifice they need to make to acquire
it.
2. possible ethical dilemmas when calculating weighted factors – Because people of
power (e.g. Managers) might keep funny books for their own benefit
3. hard to estimate production amount- Because it’s hard to figure out how much
product the consumers want (e.g. extensive surveys/researching is required)

7. Alternative #3
Our third alternative is to use the cost of ownership method as one of our pricing strategies.
Because the Decoline has a usage life of ten years, consumers will be willing to pay for this
product because it will be cheaper long-term than to buy a competitor’s product that has a
short service life. Using this value-based method, customers will see the benefits and values
of having a track system that is durable for ten years.
$49.99 per square meter
+ $ 5.40 installation cost
+ $ 2.75 removal cost
$ 58.14 every 10 years (per square meters)
Advantages:
1. Improves service life by five times – the other products offered by Canty
international only has a useful life of two years.
2. It will maintain great customer relationship – having a product that consumers
perceive as valuable will increase customer satisfaction
3. Incentives to customer – providing a bundle price will help customers save instead of
listing prices separately; will encourage customers to buy more
Disadvantages:
1. Lose revenue in company long-term – If the service life of Decoline is for ten years,
sales may decrease because the product’s usage life is so long.
2. Consumer purchase frequency will decrease – because the service life of Decoline is
ten years, consumers will not need to purchase as often
3. High prices – the price set high initially may not appeal to consumers. They may be
uneducated about the product information, and the price may not be seen as a
benefit to them.
SOLUTION
After weighing the alternatives, we chose alternative #3. The price may seem high but if
we educate the customers about the increased useful life and other benefits of our
product then they are likely to understand the reason behind the high price. We know
that the customers will not be buying the product too often as the useful life of the
product will be five times. But we also know that a fair price and quality product will
help us create a good customer base. If our current customers are satisfied with our
services then we will also benefit by goodwill we ear. Our market reputation will
increase and that will help us acquire more customers. The reason why we didn’t
choose alternative 1 is that it does not consider the price from customer’s point of view.
The price will be really high in cost-based pricing strategy as compared to cost of
ownership method.

8. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
1) Product Development: Our product design is already developed. We will produce
coverings enough to conduct market testing.
2) Market Testing:
• We will then do market testing by selling 10% of coverings required by Bryant
Inns.
• Using feedback from the test, we will make the necessary changes before we
start producing on a normal basis.
3) Product Launch:
• Before launching the product on a larger scale we will educate the potential
customers about the new coverings and their special features. This will help
them understand the reason behind the selling price.
• We will launch the product on 15th November because the customers would like
to change the coverings before the holiday season starts (hotels get busy during
holiday season)
• The new coverings will be available through special orders as they are not an off-
the-shelf item
• We will start with a low price and then as the product gets popular, we will
increase the price slightly.
PLAN B
If our initial solution does not work, we will implement the cost based pricing method as our
plan B. With the cost based pricing method we would be able to easily track operating and
production costs of Decoline. The break even price currently sits at $24.69 per meter
squared for our product and using the cost based pricing method we would mark this price
up to $49.99. Since we do not need to recognize the consumer’s role with this method we
are able to mark up our price by ~101%. This could potentially generate high amounts of
profit and though some customers would be lost due to its high pricing, the ones that
remain could fill and even overfill that gap.
Using cost-based pricing, we will be able to track costs of production clearly. The price will
not depend on consumers and we there is potential for high amounts of profit. However,
we will have low customer relations who may not want our service again because of the
high price.
COURSE CONCEPTS
Developing a New Product (Chapter 10)
 Different types of market testing like pre-market testing and test marketing to
introduce and promote a new product – especially since Decoline isn’t sold in stores
 Implementing the Marketing mix to determine the product launch

9. Pricing Strategies and Break-Even Analysis (Chapter 12)
 Described the main types of strategies and ad different methods to figure out
potentials costs
 Considered variable costs, fixed costs, and total costs of case and calculated the
break even point which is also market equilibrium
 Used this information to determine our price for the product
Profile Segments (Chapter 8)
 helped us determine what category out target market would fall under
 describes different types of market segmentations to classify and group our
potential customers
 showed different segmentation strategies which put potential consumers into
groups with similar characteristics and environmental influences
REFERENCES
 Dhruv Grewal ,Michael Levy, Ajax Persaud, Shirley Litchi
Marketing Canadian edition
Canadian edition
United states
McGraw-Hill Companies
We did not use any outside resources because there was no history or Canty International
on the internet.