Marketing Strategy for Arch Coal

Introduction

The report primarily focuses on the marketing strategy of Arch Coal to give a reader an overview of the growth dynamics of the company. Recently, several strategic issues and managerial problems have been identified in marketing strategy of Arch Coal that have drawn the attention of the entire management to devise new marketing strategies that can help the company to resolve the problems to continue its expansion and future growth to achieve a competitive edge in the marketplace. This report is written to provide Arch Coal marketing strategy with the required strategic solutions using multiple frameworks and tools.

External Environmental Analysis

PESTLE Analysis is the most popular strategic tool that is used by many organizations when conducting an external environmental analysis. This framework typically focuses on political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that can impact the macro environment of the business (Zalengera, E.Blanchard, & C.Eames, 2014).

Political factors

Political Stability

Arch Coal operates in a politically stable environment, which means that it provides the company with more friendly and stable business growth opportunities (Christodoulou & Cullinane, 2019). However, since Arch Coal operates in multiple countries, there are high chances of various political tensions that can cause instability in market growth trends for Arch Coal. This can limit the company's growth opportunities.

Pressure Groups

Moreover, it is important for Arch Coal to analyze and monitor the activities of pressure groups. Arch Coal can create a close collaboration with these groups to achieve long-term goals.

Corruption and Changing Policies

Arch Coal must keep a close check on the changes in any government policies because they can directly impact the performance of the business. The operations of Arch Coal are its different countries can become unpredictable if there is a high level of corruption and weak enforcement of the law (Achinas, Horjus, & Achinas, 2019).

Trade and Taxes

The profitability of a company is directly influenced if there are high taxes in a country. Arch Coal should look into the taxation policies in each country before further expanding its operations (Eierle, Hartlieb, & C. Hay, 2022). Similarly, if there are high trade restrictions, it can get difficult for Arch Coal to import and export its products, impacting the relationships with trade partners.

Economic factors

GDP, Employment, and Exchange Rates

The long-term growth strategies of Arch Coal are majorly determined by the GDP growth of the economy. The purchasing power of consumers significantly increases with a high GDP. High unemployment in an economy shows that Arch Coal can benefit from surplus labor with low-cost wages. Furthermore, Arch Coal should monitor interest rates as it can affect the borrowing ability. With that being said, if there is a high fluctuation in currency, the profitability of Arch Coal can also be influenced (Sadeghi, 2020).

Labor Market

It is important for Arch Coal to make appropriate predictions regarding the labor market conditions in a specific economy (Sadeghi, 2020). This can help the company to hire a more talented workforce that can improve the performance of the company.

Industry lifecycle stage

Arch Coal should consider expanding its operations in growing economies to benefit from growth opportunities. It can be challenging for Arch Coal to enter a mature industry at a growing stage (Villamarín & Pinzon, 2017).

Social factors

Demographics

Arch Coal should study the changing patterns of demographics, such as socio-economic variables, the aging population, and trends in migration (Barbara & Cortis, 2017). This can help the company to identify the right segment to target with a high potential for growth opportunities.

Cultural norms

Every country and society has a distinctive culture with different norms and values. It is important for Arch Coal to study and identify social class stratification.

E-commerce

There has been a significant shift in online shopping. Arch Coal needs to adopt necessary changes considering the growing use of social media networking sites and mobile phones to increase its revenue and overall profitability (Villamarín & Pinzon, 2017).

Technological factors

Technological innovations

On-going technological innovations should be considered carefully by Arch Coal so that it can stay ahead of the competitive market. Arch Coal should continue working on introducing major technological transformations to achieve a competitive advantage (Rastogi & TRIVEDI, 2016).

Social Media Marketing

The collaboration with consumers has been growing rapidly because of the development of communication technologies (Rastogi & TRIVEDI, 2016). Arch Coal can take it as a great opportunity where can use innovative strategies to expand its customer base.

Environmental factors

Waste Management

Arch Coal should implement the latest technological tools to minimize environmental pollution. Waste management is now getting popular and has been considered a major business norm (Igliński, Iglińska, & Cichosz, 2016).

Climatic Conditions and Eco-friendly products

Climatic conditions can influence the efficiency of Arch Coal. The cost of a company's operations can be increased if there are extreme weather conditions. Similarly, there has been an increasing demand for eco-friendly products. Arch Coal should work towards adopting more sustainable business practices to gain customer trust (Barkauskas, Barkauskienė, & Jasinskas, 2015).

Legal factors

Employee protection laws

It is important for Arch Coal to follow the health and safety laws for its employees that are issued by the authorities to ensure the safety of its labor.

Consumer laws

Arch Coal should protect its customer data to ensure their security and privacy concerns. Moreover, it should set the right price with the right product quality (Igliński, Iglińska, & Cichosz, 2016).

Porter's Five Forces

Arch Coal can use Porter's Five Forces to analyze the competitive landscape of the industry. The strategic planners of Arch Coal can use this framework to make effective decisions.

Threat of New Entrants

Arch Coal operates in an industry where it is difficult to achieve economies of scale, making it difficult for new entrants to enter the industry (Yunna & Yisheng, 2014). There is a strong product differentiation with high capital requirements. Moreover, it is difficult to establish a distribution network easily in this industry. Thus, Arch Coal has a weak threat of new entrants.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

There are more suppliers in the industry of Arch Coal. This shows that there is less control over prices. Organizations like Arch Coal can easily switch to other suppliers because of less differentiation in products. This makes the bargaining power of suppliers a weak force in Arch Coal's industry (H. Th. Bruijl, 2018).

Bargaining Power of Buyers

The industry in which Arch Coal operates has many suppliers as companies to buyers. This means that buyers have fewer options and do not have control over prices (H. Th. Bruijl, 2018). The high product differentiation shows that there are few alternative products for buyers, and there is a high switching cost. This makes the bargaining power of buyers a weak force in the industry.

Threat of Substitute Products and Services

Arch Coal operates in an industry that offers very few substitutes to its customers. The substitutes that are available are expensive because of their high quality (Zhao, Zuo, & Wu, 2016). However, companies like Arch Coal sell their products at a lower prices. This clearly shows that buyers may feel reluctant when switching to other substitutes.

Rivalry Among Existing Firms

Arch Coal operates in a less competitive industry. The already established companies have a large market share, meaning that any move by the existing companies will be noticed. Moreover, Arch Coal has to take several competitive actions to become a market leader, as the industry is likely to grow rapidly in the coming years (Aithal, 2020).

SWOT Analysis

Arch Coal can make use of SWOT analysis to effectively analyze the company's internal strengths, weaknesses, external opportunities, and threats.

Strengths

Strong distribution network

Arch Coal operates in various countries and has multiple outlets that help the company to deliver its products quickly to its customers. This shows that Arch Coal has a strong distribution network (Benzaghta, Elwalda, & Mousa, 2021).

Financial position

Arch Coal has established itself as a strong financial company over the past few years. It has generated enough profits that can be used to finance any future expenditure (Basset & Mohamed, 2018).

Automation

Arch Coal has adopted the latest and innovative technology in its business operations, which has allowed the company to reduce its production costs (Benzaghta, Elwalda, & Mousa, 2021).

Social media presence

Arch Coal has been successful in establishing itself as a strong brand on social media platforms that, includes Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This increases customer engagement (Basset & Mohamed, 2018).

Weaknesses

High rent costs

Arch Coal has its manufacturing plants on rented properties. This increases the company's overall costs, and a significant portion of Arch Coal's profits go into paying the rent (Comino & Ferretti, 2016).

Research and Development

Arch Coal has not been able to conduct effective and in-depth market research regarding new markets and products (Comino & Ferretti, 2016). Customer trends are always evolving, and it is important for Arch Coal to take immediate action in conducting its research.

Centralized Power

There has been a centralized decision-making process in Arch Coal. This means that employees have to consult their managers before taking any decision themselves. This slow down the decision-making process. and employees feel demotivated. Thus, impacting the operations of Arch Coal (Comino & Ferretti, 2016).

Opportunities

Presence of Internet

Arch Coal has a great opportunity of expanding its business by using the internet. Since there has been a growing trend in online shopping Arch Coal can boost its sales by expanding its online stores (Yan, Xia, & X.H.Bao, 2015). Additionally, social media platforms can be updated constantly to engage customers with all the new products introduced by Arch Coal.

Technological Innovations

Technology is constantly evolving, and Arch Coal can benefit from it by implementing the technology in its various departments. Manufacturing process can be completed automated, which can eventually help Arch Coal to reduce its costs (Taghavifard, Mahdiraji, & Alibakhshi, 2018).

Globalization

The continuous increase in globalization has allowed Arch Coal to expand its business operations across borders. It has the opportunity of entering new markets (Yan, Xia, & X.H.Bao, 2015).

Threats

New Entrants

Recently, many companies are entering the industry in which Arch Coal operates. This means that there are chances of increased competition. This poses a threat to Arch Coal as it has to put more effort into gaining market share (Taghavifard, Mahdiraji, & Alibakhshi, 2018).

Fluctuations in exchange rates

The exchange rates are highly subjected to fluctuations that negatively impact the sales of Arch Coal. Arch Coal needs to study the changing fluctuations to keep up with its profitability (Vlados & Chatzinikolaou, 2019).

Consumer trends

The consumer trends are constantly changing, that causes changes in their demands. This puts pressure on companies like Arch Coal, who have to continuously meet their consumer demands. Moreover, there is a significant threat from substitute products because consumers tend to switch to these companies (Vlados & Chatzinikolaou, 2019).

Marketing Mix

Product

Arch Coal operates in a wider range of products. Each of the products has its further product lines that are sold under the Arch Coal. This means that customers can benefit from a large variety of products. Arch Coal sells highly differentiated products with higher quality that, gives it a competitive edge (Khan, 2014).

Price

Arch Coal follows a competitive pricing strategy. The company also takes into account all its costs before setting its prices (Londhe, 2014). Currently, Arch Coal is using a product bundle pricing strategy where customers get bundled products at lower prices.

Place

Arch Coal has adopted various distribution channels to reach its customers. The company sells its products through its website directly (Thabit & Raewf, 2018). Apart from this, it also distributes its products to wholesalers, who then further sell it to small retailers. Arch Coal has its own retail stores where it sells its products directly to consumers.

Promotion

Arch Coal uses traditional and modern promotional techniques. TV ads are used to reach a larger audience. Arch Coal also advertises on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Events are sponsored by the company. Moreover, Arch Coal participates in several exhibitions (Londhe, 2014).

VRIO Analysis

Valuable

Arch Coal engages in corporate social responsibility activities. This has allowed the company to establish a strong brand image. Since, Arch Coal has a well-established distribution network, the products are reached to consumers in a timely manner. Arch Coal has been able to introduce innovation in its various departments, which has lowered its costs (Ariyani & Daryanto, 2018).

Rare

Arch Coal operates in multiple countries. This means that its global presence is a rare factor. It works towards an organizational culture that encourages teamwork, and creativity among employees (Ariyani & Daryanto, 2018). Arch Coal is also able to adapt to different societies, and cultures due to its exposure to various locations.

Inimitable

The products produced by Arch Coal are of a high quality. Customers make repetitive purchases, and thus it is an inimitable source. (Miethlich & G. Oldenburg, 2019). Arch Coal has a significant placement of its stores that gives an easy access to its customers. Additionally, the company has been using a competitive pricing strategy because it has been able to achieve economies of scale, thus lower production costs.

Organization

Arch Coal, over the years, has successfully gained a financial strength. Arch Coal can make use of these finances to invest in major acquisitions that give it more growth opportunities. The advancements in technology have allowed Arch Coal to manage its operations more effectively. Distribution channels are another resource for Arch Coal. The supply chain is very efficient, resulting in more revenue (Miethlich & G. Oldenburg, 2019).

Value Chain Analysis

Primary Activities

Arch Coal is involved in primary activities such as the production of goods and then selling them to the target audience.

Inbound Logistics

Arch Coal should ensure to have a strong relationship with its suppliers to avoid any inconvenience in receiving, storing, and distributing the product. This will help Arch Coal to have a more effective transformation of a product (Ariwibowo & Saputro, 2021).

Operations

Operations involves manufacturing as well as services. Arch Coal should conduct an in-depth analysis of its operational activities to remain ahead of its competitors (M.El-Sayed, W.Dickson, & O.El-Naggar, 2015). This will increase the productivity of the company, and more profits can be generated.

Outbound Logistics

It is important for Arch Coal to analyze, and optimize its outbound logistics so that it is able to achieve the long-term corporate goals. Managing outbound activities properly reduces the chance of late deliveries (M.El-Sayed, W.Dickson, & O.El-Naggar, 2015).

Marketing and Sales

Arch Coal should use various marketing and sales techniques to differentiate its products from its competitors. Arch Coal can adopt marketing and sales activities such as promotional activities, advertising, and building strong relationships with suppliers and customers (Ariwibowo & Saputro, 2021).

Services

In terms of services, Arch Coal must ensure that it provides its customers with the pre-sale and post-sale services (Jaligot, C.Wilson, & R.Cheeseman, 2016). The post-sale service typically falls into the promotional activities of a company. Arch Coal can thus develop its customer loyalty.

Secondary Activities

Firm infrastructure

A strong infrastructure of a firm can enable Arch Coal to optimize the entire value chain of the company. Moreover, by controlling the infrastructure activities, Arch Coal can be in a better position to get a strong foothold in the competitive marketplace (Darmawan & Wiguna, 2014).

Human Resource Management

Arch Coal should place its major focus on analyzing the different aspects of HR, such as recruitment, selection, training, and performance evaluation of employees (Darmawan & Wiguna, 2014). Arch Coal can reduce its costs by identifying and analyzing the costs associated with hiring and training.

Procurement

Procurement is an important element in the Arch Coal's value chain. It is important for the company to assess its overall procurement activities so that the inbound, outbound, and operational activities can be optimized (Kumar & P. V., 2016).

Ansoff's Matrix

Arch Coal can implement Ansoff's Matrix to make decisions regarding its business growth. This framework includes four different strategic choices that can be selected by Arch Coal.

Market Penetration

Production capacity

Arch Coal can increase its overall production capacity. This will allow the company to reach more wider audience in an existing market. Arch Coal can also benefit from the reduced costs by expanding its production capacity. Thus, Arch Coal can attract more customers using competitive pricing (Madsen, 2017).

Marketing Investment

Arch Coal can penetrate the market by investing more in marketing and sales activities. This will help the company to engage with its customer more effectively, leading to more potential customers (Dawes, 2020).

Distribution Channels

Innovative and unique distribution channels can be explored by Arch Coal. This will enable the company to reach new segments and groups of customers (Dawes, 2020). In addition to this, Arch Coal can penetrate the market by improving its supply chain, giving more accessibility to customers.

Joint Ventures/Acquisitions

Arch Coal can enter into joint ventures or can take over other leading companies of the market. This will give Arch Coal more market share.

Market Development

Research & Development

Arch Coal should keep on investing in its R&D department, so it is able to identify the changing trends of the market. This will help Arch Coal to target the right market at the right time (Mukangai & Murigi, 2021).

Expanding Regionally

Arch Coal can enter in a new market by expanding its operations regionally. This includes considering different cities of the country. Arch Coal must consider any cultural differences when entering a new market (Mukangai & Murigi, 2021).

New Segments

New segments of the current market can be explored (Mukangai & Murigi, 2021). Arch Coal can add new features and product uses to its existing products that satisfies the needs of a different customer segment.

Product Development

Modifications

Arch Coal can modify the existing product by improving its features to enhance the product offerings.

Launching additional products

Arch Coal should invest in its R&D department so it can come up with new and innovative products that attracts and fulfill the needs of the target audience. This will boost the sales of Arch Coal and will increase profitability (Khajezadeh, Niasar, & Asli, 2019).

Diversification

Vertical Integration

Arch Coal can consider vertical integration. This will allow Arch Coal to develop and launch new products that are similar to its existing product category (Khajezadeh, Niasar, & Asli, 2019).

Horizontal Integration

Arch Coal can diversify its business operation using horizontal integration. This means that the new products and services of Arch Coal will not be related to its current products (Dhir & Dhir, 2015).

A new business diversification

Entering into a completely new business can be considered by Arch Coal. The organization can work towards starting a new business that can give a company more growth prospects in the future (Dhir & Dhir, 2015). Arch Coal can conglomerate with the help of mergers and acquisitions.

Conclusion

To conclude, it could be said that Arch Coal can resolve its current managerial and strategic problems by focusing on its existing products. The company can adopt more attractive marketing strategies that can help Arch Coal to boost its revenue and profitability. It is recommended to focus on maintaining strong supplier relationships. Moreover, it is also advised to focus on more innovative products so Arch Coal can remain competitive in the market.

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