Strategic Advice for Van Raalte Displays

Abstract

This master thesis was executed on behalf of Van Raalte Displays, a manufacturer of signage products, such as pavement signs and LED-displays. This research investigated how Van Raalte Displays should introduce the VR StoreStopper PRO on the German market in an effective and efficient way. At the moment this company is busy with developing the VR StoreStopper PRO, an innovative pavement sign. The VR StoreStopper PRO has a recyclable plastic frame, which is unique in the market as all pavement signs have an aluminum frame. These aluminum frames cannot be easily detached from the rest of the product and are therefore unrecyclable. At the moment Van Raalte Displays is improving this product by using injection molding which makes it possible to produce the product out of recycled plastic. At the moment there are many competitors on the German market that offer a large range of pavement signs, such as A-standards and mobile pavement signs. However none of these competitors offer a plastic recycled pavement signs, which makes the VR StoreStopper PRO a unique product to the market. Nevertheless this does not make it easy to introduce this product in Germany. This research has shown that Van Raalte Displays has more experience in the Dutch market than most competitors have on the German market. This results in the fact that Van Raalte Displays has a lot of product knowledge and many satisfied customers. These strengths should be used when entering the German market, which is economically growing and getting more interested in environmental-friendly products. This study indicates that the promotion of the VR StoreStopper PRO should be used to promote the Van Raalte Displays brand and eventually also the complete product portfolio. For the promotion of this product, this study specifies several possible promotional tools, such as e-mailing, advertising and the website.