SYNOPSIS: DRYPERS CORPORATION
Drypers Corporation is a producer and marketer of premium-quality, value-priced disposable baby diapers and training pants both in the United States and on an international level. The company has been experiencing positive sales growth and profits over the past few years due to numerous innovations and is now the third largest marketer of brand-name disposable diapers in the nation. Due to the intense competition from companies such as Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, marketing and advertising are not only competitive tools but business practices that are essential to survive in the industry. Drypers has previously focused marketing efforts on print advertisements and promotions, but are currently considering investing $10 million of the advertising budget on a series of television advertisements to run during the first six months of the 1998 fiscal year in order to help meet short and long term sales goals and to reach brand-building expectations. Along with this extensive advertising campaign, the business plan for 1998 includes six different aspects. They can continue product innovation to differentiate the Drypers brand, offer “everyday value” branded products to consumers, continue to pursue international expansion opportunities, expand product lines to include additional consumer products, provide higher margin products for retailers, or increase brand awareness and retail penetration.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Analysis of Drypers Corporation’s Internal Environment:
Management at Drypers Corporation is focused mainly on using product innovation to compete with other premium-quality producers. They have made significant strides in rolling out diapers that have different features than the competitor, such as baking soda to address odor and aloe vera as a skin-smoothing treatment. They understand that they may not have the ability to spend as much money as the competitor so they work towards better ideas and launching new...