| In the 21st century, China has become the largest country in the production of solar energy water heaters and user.Our country's annual sales of solar energy water heaters are 10 million square meters, and its the annual output value is more than 10 billion Yuan. In addition, it is developing fast at the rate of more than 20% each year, and it has become a morning-sun industry drawing attention from all the sectors. Solar energy water heaters have successfully become daily durables like fuel gas water heaters and electric water heaters. Because they are safe, energy saving, economical and environmental-friendly, solar energy water heaters are gradually accepted by more and more consumers. In places with suitable conditions, it is inevitable that they will replace the traditional fuel gas water heaters and electric water heaters.Of the solar energy water heaters in markets of China, THSOLAR, together with Huangming, Sijimuge of Beijing University, etc. ranks among the leading products. The Beijing THSOLAR Company is a hi-tech enterprise affiliated to the Qinghua University and joined by the Beijing Yiqing Group Company and the Capital Steel Inc. It is the origin of China's solar energy water heater technology and the originator of vacuum tubes. On the other hand, however, THSOLAR, compared with the Qinghua Ziguang, the Qinghua Tongfang, etc. it is not as competitive in terms of brand names, and it is quite obvious that it is rather weak in terms of marketing. It has not formulated its marketing models with its own characteristics, which has already become the "bottleneck" that is restricting the development of the company.This paper takes as an example the Kunming region, which has witnessed the most mature and heated competition among China's solar energy water heaters. It proposes new ideas and new models concerning marketing the competition combinations for THSOLAR, by comparing the strong external brand names of Huangming, Sijimuge, etc. and the weak internal brand names of Yunnan Province. Namely, by making use of the Lanchestet marketing strategy, adopting integrated marketing and distributing models, introducing new products, improving channel management and promotion means, weak as it is, THSOLAR can beat the strong in certain local areas and raise the market shares of THSOLAR's solar energy water heaters by a large margin. The paper emphatically elaborate on THSOLAR's marketing and competition strategies, relevant measures and marketing plans in the Kunming region.The paper holds that the causes of THSOLAR's market difficulty at the beginning of 2004 and its plummeting sales are as follows:1. Unclear product strategy and failure to adapt to market changes. In the Kunming region, it was a planning mistake for THSOLAR to charge the series of products of whole-heat system, which has remained unchanged for 10 years, into the market.2. Wrong price positioning. For the long time, THSOLAR in Kunming has placed its product at the up-market end. However, facts have shown that the current up-market consumption within our country cannot last very long. We can force into the market with our up-market products, but we cannot afford to confine us there for long. Similar problems have occurred in the mature markets of THSOLAR in such places as Qingdao, Suzhou, etc. Wrong positioning has led to the slackening paces of THSOLAR in Kunming.3. Detailed division of channels made agents less confident. The flattening of channels has been a popular trend in recent years, but too much flattening or mal-operation of it will greatly undermine agents' confidence. It is a direct cause to the rapid shrinking of THSOLAR's sales in Kunming.4. Lack of management and instruction in promotion ends. Currently, the agents of solar energy water heaters in China are varied in terms of competence. Many of them are not capable of systematic marketing planning and standard network management. The land of market management and instruction of THSOLAR in Kunming has resulted in poor effects of the promotion activities in many places,... |
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