Cook’s Bakery Marketing Plan
Executive Summary
Situation Analysis – Cook’s Bakery is a relatively young business that makes and
sells a variety of different sweets. Within the surrounding area in which the business is
located, Cook’s Bakery has a target market of mostly all people who, in fact, have a
sweet tooth. An analysis of the internal and external environments indicated the
business enjoys important strengths in the products, employees, and reputation, while
its weaknesses are apparent in its limited financial resources and product capabilities.
Cook’s Bakery faces a supportive external environment, highlighted by a growing
customer base within its social media ventures and little threats primarily from
competitive growth.
Marketing Objectives – The Cook’s Bakery marketing objectives are to increase
awareness through social media, to increase gross sales, and to create and introduce at
least two new products.
Marketing Strategies – To accomplish its growth goals, Cook’s Bakery will direct
its marketing activities toward the following strategies:
1. Target Market Strategy: Cook’s Bakery will continue to target its existing
consumer markets while expanding its organizational markets to include local
boutiques and café’s.
2. Positioning Strategy: Cook’s Bakery seeks to position its products as the first–
choice for any cupcake or cookie needs of its consumers. Many different
bakeries offer many other options, but Cook’s Bakery strives to be the best all
around. Cook’s Bakery provides outstanding choices of any kind of cupcake or
cookie one could imagine.
3. Product Strategy: To increase its leverage in the market and to meet its sales
objectives, Cook’s Bakery needs additional products. New products are planned
such as:
a. Cook’s Bakery Petit Fours
b. Cook’s Bakery Cake Push Pops
4. Pricing Strategy: The current pricing strategy will be maintained for existing and
new products of Cook’s Bakery.
5. Promotion Strategy: Cook’s Bakery will augment current personal selling efforts
with television, magazine, digital marketing, and sampling.
6. Supply Chain Strategy: Cook’s Bakery will continue to distribute its products
primarily through its own store. In the future, Cook’s Bakery may expand its
target reseller market to include the following:
1. Local Festivals
2. Local Grocery Stores
Cook’s Bakery Marketing Plan
Implementation and Control – The Action Plan details how the marketing
strategies will be implemented, including the individual(s) responsible, the timing of
each activity, and the budget necessary. The measurement and control strategies
provide a means of measurement of the success of the plan.
Internal Environment
• Mission Statement: Cook’s Bakery strives to fill all the “sweet” needs of all
who come to enjoy the delicious products that we serve.
• Organizational Structure: As a small bakery, Cook’s Bakery has a very
small organizational structure. Key personnel include Jill Smith, owner. Jill is
responsible for the company’s new product idea generation and the management
of the current product service. Jill is also responsible for the company’s financial
books. Emily Jones, manager. Emily is responsible for the management of the
employees and the social media coordination.
• Corporate Culture: Cook’s Bakery is an entrepreneurial organization. A
key element of the internal environment is that innovation and new idea
generation is greatly encouraged. The company was founded on the idea that
everyone deserves a little sweetness in their life. Cook’s Bakery strives to create
a teamwork environment for all who are employed.
• Current Products: At present, Cook’s Bakery specializes in cupcakes and
cookies. Cook’s makes all their cupcakes and cookies from scratch. Their
flavors in cupcakes include vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, strawberry, and
champagne blush. Their cookies include chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin,
chocolate oatmeal, white chocolate macadamia nut, and toffee crunch. The
products are placed in white boxes with a company sticker with the logo, current
address, and phone number for the customers convenience.
• Markets: The customer market for Cook’s Bakery is made up of anyone with a
sweet tooth. According to research, the bakery industry is expected to keep
growing even though there are many people who are following the new and
trending diets. The market specifically for Cook’s bakery is mostly made up of
people who are purchasing sweets for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, or any
special occasion.
• Customers/Sales: The sales of Cook’s Bakery have been steadily growing
since the opening in 2014. From 2014 to the present the sales have increased
slowly, but steadily due to the expansion of the loyal customer base they have
acquired. Based on current sales reports, the sales are expected to keep
growing as the customer base keeps growing.
Cook’s Bakery Marketing Plan
• Distribution: Due to the single structured building that Cook’s Bakery
operates out of; the distribution is limited to the sales out of its only building.
However, Cook’s Bakery does deliver within a 20-mile radius around their
business. Location in a convenient spot by a park makes the traffic flow through
much greater than if it were located any other place.
External Environment
• Competitive Environment: Cook’s Bakery has many different competitors. The
direct competition includes: Franchise bakeries and local bakeries. Indirect
competition includes: Homemade cakes and cookies made from bought cake mixes
and premade cookie doughs that come from retail outlets and homemade from
scratch recipes passed down from friends or family.
• Economic Environment: Cook’s Bakery opened its doors after the boom in local
bakeries in the area. After its opening in 2013, it has grown an enormous amount in
products and customers. It is expected to continue the growth along with other
bakeries that offer different items, and each continues to encourage each other.
• Technological Environment: Cook’s Bakery is a very simple company, so
technological advances have had a minimal impact on its operations. Even though it
is a small, simple company, current technology such as social media has had an
impact on the reach of potential customers. Digital and social media advertising is a
rapid growing venture for Cook’s Bakery. Recently, the owner has created more
content to post on the various social media platforms. With the surge of activity on
the social media, there has been over a 50% increase in followers just in the last
month. The increase in internet marketing has potentially grow the company’s reach
exponentially.
• Political and Legal Environment: Being a local bakery, Cook’s Bakery must have
a permit to sell food items. Along with a permit, the bakery must be reviewed by the
health department and get a review every year. The bakery also must have one
person on staff that is certified in the SERV Safe class that is offered a couple of
times a year, that teaches the proper way to handle and cook food for the public.
• Sociocultural Environment: Cook’s Bakery uses their marketing research to
monitor the consumer environment. The research shows that even though there is a
surge toward a healthier culture, there is always a need for a bakery and that need
is at a steady rise. There are some bakeries that claim to have healthier options, but
the reality is that if you eat these sweets in moderation, they all can be just as
healthy as any other “healthier choice” of sweets. With this information, it supports
the trend that the increase in sales is growing steadily.
Cook’s Bakery Marketing Plan
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths:
The following are strengths identified by Cook’s Bakery:
• A skilled and creative team of employees.
• Homemade and high – quality recipes that make the bakery even more unique.
• Easily adaptable recipes for any nutrition situation.
• Strong network of loyal and new customers.
Weaknesses:
The following are weaknesses identified by Cook’s Bakery:
• Limited financial resources due to the size of the company.
• Limited flexibility of personnel due to the lack of employees.
Opportunities:
The following are opportunities identified by Cook’s Bakery:
• A steady and growing business flow of the local community.
