Marinos HairCutting 1836 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115 Team #6

Management Decision Problem Proprietor was concerned about “low” business Some one-time customers Few new customers ”Regular” customers are stable Further questioning/investigation determined… Main Question: Why is customer acquisition low? Periphery: customer retention/“one-time” Customers

Marketing Decision Problem What information do we need… Pricing Services Customer/Potential Customer Preferences ”Awareness” of shop Target Perceptions Time Atmosphere Existence Services Advertising location Positioning vs. Perceptions Appealing to target market? Is target market viable? Who are they? Target Demographics Personnel Is target market appropriate? Persuadable What should target be? (who is persuadable?)

Secondary Research Op/Ed Pieces Industry Publications Marketing Research on other shops Anecdotal publications (customer opinions, ratings, reviews, etc) Types of Sources Used Historical Publications Economic Analysis's & Publications

Secondary Research External/PEST Factors Political (Regulatory) Economy (Decline) Societal/Cultural Trends (Gender Trends/”Desegregation”/unisex services) Technology (Electric razor sales increased) Findings Issues Discovered Industry-wide Issues Competition with Salons Customer Perceptions (“old fashioned,” “uncool”, “unstylish”) Not convenient for families Not a well promoted/positioned industry seen as “novel” instead of purposeful not welcoming to younger customers Marino’s-Specific Issues High-price relative to area Lack of parking Low advertising (Cauldron ad) Limited Services Services conflict with positioning: male-centric positioning but offers female-oriented …………services (nailcare)

Qualitative Research Focus Group: Facts & Figures Composition: 5 students, 1 faculty, 1 non-CSU affiliated 6 males, 1 female Ages: 19, 20, 20, 21, 22, 26, 35 Location: BU 309 Conference Room Date: Oct. 1st Time/Duration: 6:15pm-7:05pm

Qualitative Research Focus Group: Findings Issues Confirmed Low awareness—of existence, services Prices out of customer range Perceptual/Positioning Issues Female Services distort image Do services match with target market? Does positioning match/appeal to target market? New Issues “One crazy guy” Do customers want to get hair cut between classes?

Qualitative Research In-depth Interview: Findings General Issues Importance of positioning Adapt to changing styles and customer demands ……but maintain focus on male customers, basics Intangible qualities of service—personal touches, ……familiarity, atmosphere, camaraderie Customer loyalty is high when satisfied Customers value routine, do not change interior or ……exterior of business often, retain staff

Questionnaire Sections 1) Current behaviors ,,,, (where do you get your hair cut, what do you have done, how much do you ,,,, , ,,,, pay, how often, loyalty, etc) 2) Customer Valuations ,,,, (what services do they want, how much do they want to pay, how important ,,, ,,, ,,,are factors such as atmosphere, convenience, etc) 3) Awareness ,,,, (aware of shop, location, services, seen advertising, persuaded by advertising?) 4) Perceptions/Persuasions ,,,, (what are customer perceptions of shop, how can we persuade them?) 5) Demographic, association, & identity info ,,,, (age, gender, income, student? Affiliation with CSU? )

Questionnaire Challenges Many “skip” questions Complicated routing Different questions for different “targets” some questions only relevant to specific “targets” Male vs. Females Those who are aware vs. those who are not “On campus” vs. not “on campus” …We’re still working out the bugs…

Thank you for your time We value your input Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions?