1. 1
Table
of
Contents
Executive
Summary ................................................................................................................2
Market
Review..........................................................................................................................2
Review
Industry ................................................................................................................................2
Review
Target
Markets...................................................................................................................4
Review
Product
Category ...............................................................................................................4
Review
Brand
Channels ..................................................................................................................5
SWOT
Analysis..........................................................................................................................7
Positioning
assessment
proposal ......................................................................................7
Evaluation
and
measurement
with
web
analytics .......................................................9
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
Appendix ..................................................................................................................................11

2. 2
Executive Summary
This proposal is to summarize the key points in the process to identify the brand
and establish a positioning statement for Weaver and Company.
(See Appendix A: Summary of Importance of Branding)
Three sections in the proposal:
• Industry and company analysis:
This section is a situation analysis on the pharmaceutical manufacture
industry. It analyzed some of the industry’s characteristics and trends. It also
explored the current major product attributes and pricing strategy. This
section is the base for the Weaver and Company’s branding strategy.
• Branding and position assessment worksheet:
This section is the overall plan of process for branding and positioning
strategy. The execution of this process will be the major part of this project.
The completion of this process requires further internal and external research
and management feedback.
• Evaluation and measurement with web analytics:
Traditional marketing strategy takes a long time to measure the affects of
marketing strategy. This section propelled a FREE strategy to incorporate the
Google Web Analytics tracking system on the website. With this tracking
system, Weaver and Company will have better insight about the current
customers and target market. This intelligence can be used to create better
and more targeted strategy in the overall branding project.
Market Review
Review Industry
According to Reference USA and First Research industry database, Weaver and
Company falls between chemical manufacturing and pharmaceuticals
manufacture industry. (See Appendix B: Industry Profile)
This review is mainly from marketing point of view rather than the production and
operation.
Industry Characteristics:

3. 3
• Highly concentrated
The 50 largest companies account for 70-80 percent of revenue.
• Capital-intensive
Average annual revenue per employee is about $600,000-$700,000.
• Small companies’ success factors
Efficient operations and Specialization in one or two targets
• Direct-to-consumer advertising
Advertising in medical journals, direct mail advertising and samples to doctors;
and participate at medical meetings.
• Pricing
Sensitive to the cost of energy;
Based mainly on market demand and the sunk costs of development.
The more basic the product, the more sales depend purely on pricing.
Critical Issues:
Competition from Substitute and Similar Products leads to the limited pricing
control power, differentiation strategy and threat for the long-term viability.
Business and Trends:
• Commodity Pricing
• International market expansion
Strong demand in foreign markets boosts US companies.
• Targeted Marketing
Using new digital marketing tools to reach physicians and consumers,
including banner ads on office management solution software, sponsorship of
physician websites, domain name leasing programs, and Internet advertising.

4. 4
Insights:
• Securing and expanding markets (finding new markets for existing products)
• Improving Efficiencies
Reduce production costs and energy use, obtain the highest possible final
product yields from raw materials, and manage transportation efficiency.
• Competing with Substitute Products through
Improve control systems and provide the best product yield and keep costs
down
Review Target Markets
This section is dedicated to explore the target market’s profile and facilitate
finding similar potential customers.
Customers in the market are professional buyers, including physicians and
hospitals. They often have specific objectives and limited budget.
In B2B section, buyers and sellers work more closely together and build long-
term relationships.
There are three major buying situations: straight rebuy, modified rebuy and first-
time purchase. Marketers may develop separate divisions and marketing mixes
to service them.
Review Product Category
Weaver and Company currently carries two products, prepping gel and adhesive
paste product. All products in the industry have to pass strict FDA regulation.
Concrete products’ attributes appear to be standard. Most companies emphasize
products’ highly conductive attributes due to stable electrode attachment and low
electrode impedance.
However, some companies try to differentiate their products by pointing out other
benefits. Most common ones are easy to remove and use the products and less
discomfort to patients.

5. 5
The following chart is a comparison of the current major competitors in the
industry by their product attributes. As shown in the chart, some competitors do
not mention certain products’ attributes. While this is not to indicate that some
products do not carry those attributes, it does indicate that those companies do
not focus on certain products attributes.
Product Status
Attributes Elefix Skin
Pure
Lemon
Prep
Green
Prep
EC2 Redux
paste
Nuprep
Stable electrode
attachment
Less discomfort to
patient
Low electrode
impedance
Easy to remove
Easy to use
Not
mentioned
Mentioned
Convincing
In conclusion, the current product attributes do not generate products’
differentiation. In order to standout in the industry, it is helpful to address other
perceived attributes (attributes that add value to product, but may not be
concrete physical benefits).
Review Brand Channels
This section is to review the current promotion channels.

6. 6
Weaver and Company acquires new consumers mainly from medical conference
and shows as well as Word-of-mouth from existing consumers. Review Pricing
Strategy
Currently, Nuprep is a relative high price player among the major competitors.
Source: See Appendix C Price information source

7. 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
• Product specialization
• Efficient operations
Opportunities:
• Generate differentiation from improving
perceived product value.
• Digital marketing tools can be used to
reach professional buyers
• Strong demand from international market
Weaknesses:
• Lack effective marketing strategy
and exploration of customers’
perceived value
Threats:
• Competition from similar products
• Similar product attributes
• Commodity Pricing
Positioning assessment proposal
1. Category membership
Understand the product category and competition area through internal
(company) and external (Internet database or other channels) research.
2. Identify compelling points
Analyze the industry and market as well as competitors’ situation to identify
products’ competing points.
3. Identify the customers’ perceived ideal position
Conduct a customer buying behavior research
Given the fact that most products have similar concrete attributes. It is important
for the company to differentiate itself from service or other customers’ valued
attributes.

8. 8
The evaluation of customer buying behavior is designed to understand the
perceived value, in other word, what is important for customers, then, focus on
improving those factors.
Action:
Conduct customer questionnaire and interview.
• Use online link, email and paper-based questionnaire to explore the
importance ranking of attributes.
• Use ladder interview1
skills to find customers’ purchase motives.
4. Assess the Weaver and Company’s current position
Conduct a brand audit from both customers and company’s point of view
 Understand company situation, including product, price, promotion, operation
and distribution through collaboration with employers.
 Explore customer knowledge, brand associations, judgment and feelings
through questionnaires and interviews
5. Asses Competitor Position
Collect competitors’ information and conduct a position map to find unreached
the position space for Weaver and Company.
(See Appendix D Position Map)
1
A Ladder interview is an interviewing technique where a seemingly simple response
to a question is pushed by the interviewer in order to find subconscious motives.

9. 9
6. What Position should Weaver and Company shift to?
Collect all the research result and offer several positioning options, then, conduct
a company meeting to evaluate and make a decision.
7. Weaver and Company’s positioning statement
Statement should include “to who” (target customers), “what we are” (the
statement), “why” (points of difference)
Evaluation and measurement with web analytics
It is valuable for Weaver and Company to incorporate online tracking system to
better understand current target market.
• As indicated in the First research. Expert buyer in the pharmaceutical industry
started to use new digital form as a channel to seek out new products and
solutions. Even though, the information about visitors to the website is still
good intelligence for understanding its current target market.
• More importantly, major web analytics tracking system, Google analytics, is a
free tracking system. And it is a standard tracking system for most of the top
companies in the world.
Implementing basic Google Analytics requires two steps:
• Creating a Google Analytics account at http://www.google.com/analytics/
• Copy and paste the tracking code on every page on the web page
An IT professional should easily carry the above tasks. And it can be done within
an hour or two. But the reward is great. With the analytics tracking, company will
be able to:
• Tell where the current market at (as granular as city level)
• Easily spot the poor web page on site that needs improvement
• Evaluate any online marketing efficiency; if the company decided to conduct
any online marketing, this will be great initiative.

10. 10
Conclusion
Branding is all about creating differences, which are valued by customers. In
order to achieve success in the future, Weaver and Company should start with
identifying customers’ perceived value and focusing on these attributes to
establish a valid positioning.
Given the limited time and resource (mainly resource), this is not a complete
formal branding plan. Much of the research work and feedback from the
company will be needed to complete the project.

11. 11
Appendix
Appendix A: Summary of Importance of Branding
Appendix B Industry Profile
Consumers
• Identify the seller
• Assign responsibility to maker
• Reduce purchase risks
• Promise bond with maker
• Reduce search cost
• Signal of quality
Companies
• Simplify product handing or
tracing
• Protect unique features
• Signal of quality level to
satisfied customers
• Endow products with unique
associations
• Build reputation
• Financial return
• Competitive advantages

12. 12
Appendix C: Price Information Source
 http://www.mavidon.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Gr
een+Prep&Submit.x=15&Submit.y=14&Submit=SEARCH
 http://www.mavidon.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Le
mon+Prep+&Submit.x=5&Submit.y=12&Submit=SEARCH
 http://www.incywincy.com/search-
engine/directory/directory?q=page%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2F&catid=113003&cac
hed=http://www.nkusa.com/pdfs/Section1-07-05-17.pdf
 http://www.grasstechnologies.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=33_220
 http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&oq=&q=REDUX%C2%AE+ELECTR
OLYTE+PASTE+price&um=1&ie=UTF-
8&ei=iXKmS6m4NcKclgeE46B0&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&res
num=3&ved=0CDQQrQQwAg
Appendix D: Position Map
A- Competitor A
B- Competitor B
Price
Quality High
HighLow
Low
B
A