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The way of integrated marketing led to increase the partnership as well as sells and profits. Today is Speakers leaders of most its markets with its strategic objectives bring and drive more customers year to year. The idea of partnership with optometrist and manufacturers gave Speakers competitive advantage at opticians market. Marketing opportunity of co-founders of Speakers Doug and Mary Perkins are a couple of far-sighted optometrists who seized the opportunity to change the optical care industry in 1984.
In 1984 Margaret Thatcher’s government loosened regulation of the professions, including opticians. When before opticians had been banned from advertising products and services, now they were allowed to do. (Dib and Siskin, 2012 p 51) “We were the first to advertise, have showrooms and let people know what our prices were. Buying glasses then was quite expensive so people were not visiting opticians. There is a health aspect as well, so we wanted to get people to visit opticians on a regular basis and provide more choice at affordable prices for everyone” (Hanson, 2009).
Perkins’ brought the world of entrepreneurship closer to these people by establishing the Speakers Optical Group. The idea introduced two main innovations in the optical care industry: the joint venture model and the retail service concepts. In Speakers model each practice is an independent business owned Jointly by Speakers and the practitioner. Speakers offers training, support services, experience, expertise, information and promotion, whereas the practitioner is responsible for delivering professional eye care and for the day-to-day running of the business (Speakers, 2014).
Integrated marketing of Speakers Opticians have historically been either independent or worked in small chains. Only few have achieved national coverage. The Speakers’ business solution enables professionals to enjoy professional and business ownership with national integrated marketing strategies. Integrated marketing points of Speakers: 1 . It does not matter in which channel or country the customer shops; it is one brand adjusting to the local context. 2. The brand experience is consistently of service or value. 3.
The brand provides value that no competitors offers. 4. All parts of the brand service (including products and services, advertising and packing, availability, sales and service) work together. . Marketing/business objectives balance stakeholders needs. 6. The values expressed in the brand are the same as people experience in the company culture. 7. Objectives are coherent with the brand/company’s competence 8. The company acts on the belief that the motivation of people is a major asset. 9. Each and every business process is actively aligned to the brand value promise 10.
Leader Are experts in their field Have a win-win attitude Select new members of the organization carefully Reward good results 11 . The company and its agencies work together in partnership 12. Communication lancing initially gives primacy to ‘discipline neutral’ or ‘common currency’ objectives (such as customer/market equity) over the discipline/media related means to achieve them (such as awareness or response). 13. All parties/agencies contribute ideas/ solutions to the same brief at the outset of each major communication project. 14.
Evaluation of all communication routinely connects both attitudinal and customer response effects. 15. There is an effective capability to measure return on customer investment 16. There is a genuine effort to achieve ID-Worth: balance benefits for customers, employees/partners, and the organization. (Speakers Partnership, 2014) Today the Speakers Optical Group consists of over 2,700 Joint venture partners that run more than 1,700 optical and hearing centers across the I-J, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Australia and New Zealand with a combined turnover of E 1. Billion (Speakers, 2014) Strategic objectives of Speakers is now the largest privately owned opticians in the world and Auk’s leading optical retailer, with a market share of 47 per cent in UK(Dib and Siskin, 2012, pap). Speakers’ number of stores at end of 2013/2014 in I-J is 692 which is more by 8. 7 per cent than in 2012/2013 . The total revenue of Speakers Optical Group is 1,070 millions pounds in UK at end of 2013/2014 which is more by 9. 1 per cent than in 2012/2013. The total revenue of Speakers Optical Group in 2013/2014 at all its markets is 1. Billion pounds which is increased by 7. 8 per cent than year before (Speakers, 2014). Speakers Optical Group now is in process of intense growth at a current markets and at a new markets in Scandinavia and Netherlands. At the rarest in UK and Australia Speakers try to achieve increase sale by massive advertising campaign at main stream TV channels and by sponsorship at event such as Australian tennis open championship, British and Irish Lions Tour and Rugby League World Cup (Dib and Siskin, 2012, p. 57-58)(Speakers, 2014).
Speakers also targeting into new markets such as in Scandinavia and other European countries to increase potential number of new partnership which will follow increase in sale (Speakers, 2014)(Dib and Siskin, 2012 p. 57-58). The key success of Speakers Speakers is the market leader in I-J, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Speakers has a market share in I-J 47 per cent and has a strong position ahead of other competitors such as Boots Opticians, Vision Express, Optical Express, independents/small chains and supermarket opticians ( Green, 2014 (Market share in Appendix 1).
Its main competitors are supermarkets, in particular Tests, which has 100 optometry outlets in its stores. They only have a small market share, but people do a grocery shop each week so they are going past a Tests opticians more than a Speakers. And they have the ability to drop prices to ridiculous level (Dib and Siskin, 2012, p. 64). A smaller independent opticians are unable to compete Speakers on price. The key of success of Speakers Optical Groups is in the form of partnership.
Where each store is run and owned by an optician under a Joint venture partnership with Speakers. The branch owners keep their profits and pay a fee to central office for a range of about 50 different service. Where an optician give to customers professional eye care service with the latest technology under the world class chain supply chain brand of Speakers as a trusted name (Dib and Siskin, 012, p. 60). So Speakers has three times market share of its nearest High Street competitors. Speakers has manufacturing plants in the ASK, Hungary, the Far East and Australia.
It give to Speakers quicker move on new products and also enables to control its costs(Dib and Siskin, 2012, p. 60-61). Speakers is the first company in the world to launch its own-label version of a revolutionary new contact lens(Speakers, 2014)(Dib and Siskin, 2012, p. 66). The brand provides value no competitor offers. The considerable size of the group allows the partners to benefits room competitive sourcing and to achieve economies of scale, which translate into consistently lower prices for patients/consumers.
The brand promise is to offer professional quality at lower prices. The other aspects of the value proposition include product range and quality retail service Onionskin and Saint, 2013)(Dib and Siskin, 2012, p. 60-61). “Our aim is to match the independent opticians on service and professionalism and beat them on price”, said Andrew Mole, Marketing Director of Speakers Optical Group. Conclusion Speakers took advantage of marketing opportunity in 1984 and made successful racketing strategy which led to create successful global brand.