OBC Chicken and Meat OBC, which started as a small grocery store in Carletonville in 1987, opened its first franchise in 1999 and to date has over 60 combined company and franchised stores that serve a market of millions of consumers in townships, commuter areas and city centres. Consistency, competitiveness and convenience are at the core of the OBC brand philosophy. The pride they take in the quality of their food is echoed in the care they take with their brand. Theyve invested in their success through sustained, effective advertising and painstakingly built one of the most recognized and well-known names in this sector. The cartoon chicken may have been replaced by a more modern, streamlined brand identity, but it continues to prove that success in retailing lies in building up a sustainable brand over the long term and winning the customers support with range, quality and value.

A strong brand is always fed on a healthy diet of brand-building awareness and effective promotion. OBC maintains a very strong presence in the mass market segment, thanks to decades of effective, consistent communication and promotional activity. Through 29 years of marketing the OBC brand, the marketing department has fine-tuned its activities to ensure maximum exposure and has Continued to build a stronger brand through flyers, newspaper adverts, store-front signage and other promotional activities. OBC currently prints and distributes in excess of one million leaflets per month through their distribution partners who carry their offers directly to the consumer.

While most food retailers have been climbing the LSM ladder eager to outdo each other to cater to the upwardly mobile and are now feeling the squeeze as consumers are having to cut out luxuries to survive, OBC has stuck to its core business of serving the mass market by being consistent, competitive and convenient, offering quality even in the most basic of food offerings. This has resulted in its stores continuing to trade profitably with over 80 % of the stores in the group growing their turnover in excess of 25 % over a five-month period, with some stores doubling their turnovers within twelve months. OBC reported a 29.77 % average growth for the group, including new stores with the average existing store growth at 15.7 %.

Write a four-page report with the focus on the following topics: QUESTION 1 (9 marks) Distinguish between public relations and advertising, which are marketing communication elements. (3 marks will be awarded for theory discussion of each element). Elaborate on the marketing communication strategy used by OBC, provide examples from the case study (3 marks will be awarded for practical application). (1 page required).

QUESTION 2 (9 marks) Discuss the following two types of relationships: Exclusive relationships and transactional relationships (3 marks each for relationship type theory discussion). Which relationship strategy was utilized in the OBC case study? Provide link/ application from the case study (3 marks will be awarded for practical application). (1 page required).

QUESTION 3 (9 marks) When examining the influence of competitors, marketers should understand the market conditions. Provide a discussion on a dynamic market and static market (3 marks each for relationship type theory discussion). Which of the two market conditions does OBC operate in? Justify your answer based on the case study (3 marks will be awarded for practical application). (1 page required).

Include an introduction in which you provide the reason why the report is needed, followed by an indication of the main topics you will be discussing in the report ( page). Lastly, provide a conclusion in which you highlight the most important points discussed.