merchandise and customer service is inferior to The Faith Mountain Company. Charles Keath had sales of $35 million, which is also a significant market share in the industry. Charles Keath is well respected for its excellent merchandising, however, the Woodards believe that The Faith Mountain Company catalog is of higher quality, as is Faith Mountain’s customer service.W.M. Green, only seven years old in 1991, reported revenues of $4.5 million in 1991, with an average order size of about $110. W.M. Green does not sell apparel, and the Woodards believe that Faith Mountain’s broad product line and experience gives it an advantage over W.M. Green. Sturbridge Yankee has about $8 million in annual sales and the Woodards predict that the retail stores will be the future focus of Sturbridge Yankee. This focus on the retail division, along with a narrow product line should inhibit growth.6. Marketing ProgramThe Faith Mountain Company’s overall marketing strategy is to provide superior merchandise, quality, and service to its customers. Pricing is also an important part of the mix, as customer service policies include guaranteed lowest prices.Advertising and promotion of The Faith Mountain Company was done mainly through the distribution of the catalog. As of 1991, Martin Woodard worked with a professional service firm (Forgit & White) contracted to design and produce the catalog, including layout, photography, and printing. Also, Faith Mountain operated an in-house advertising named Telesis. However, little is done to promote Faith Mountain products to potential customers who do not receive the catalog.The Faith Mountain Company has not pursued a true positioning strategy. They targeted a specific market according to demographics such as age, income, and family values. They have done little to consider what choice criteria or dimensions customers use to evaluate product offerings, and consequently have not examine...
