Marketing Case Study Case Menrad

Marketing Case Study Case MENRAD

Menrad is a family business founded in 1896 by Ferdinand Menrad. The company has about 1.100 employees and is settled in nine different countries including Dubai, France, Swiss, Austria, China, Great Britain, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany. Menrad sells about 1.5 million frames a year and is one of the most successful frame companies in Germany. They sell their frames on brands like Jaguar, Davidoff, Joop, Jil Sander, Morgan and Zeiss. The own brands are MENRAD and 2chique.

Relying on the case study about Menrad and different online articles Menrad tries to market their Brand passively. This means that they don't try to contact the customer in personal, they only market over their retailers. In the past Menrad invited their retailers to see the producing plants of Menrad in Ireland and Malta. This idea of bringing the retailer to the brand instead of bringing the brand to the retailer was kind of new and was accepted well by most of the retailers because it seemed to be a cheap way to get to know a new country and get to know something about the brand of Menrad.

However Menrad tried to get a new market by producing the Eyeconomy model to reach the people who don't want to spend too much money on their frames. This is the cheapest model Menrad is selling and its costs are around 80€. Menrad also has a kid's collection with special frames which can be easily adjusted in size to guarantee a comfortable wearing of the glasses. This is made by colorful bricks which are liked by the kids.

The focus on producing frames only for Zeiss glasses is questionable, with the statement "Currently there is no other brand on the German market that arouses our interest" one of the sons might cuts the interest of other glass companies. Doing so he is keeping to the strategy of being an upper class glass brand as seen in the brands they support. But to do so is decreasing the customers to a little part of the society. Only rich people can afford the Menrad frames because they are really expensive. The market itself could be larger if their "economy" model would be cheaper and more affordable. If they would support glasses from cheaper producers they could sell a cheap economy model and get more customers and also spread the knowledge of the brand.

The focus on producing frames only for Zeiss glasses is questionable, with the statement "Currently there is no other brand on the German market that arouses our interest" one of the sons might cuts the interest of other glass companies. Doing so he is keeping to the strategy of being an upper class glass brand as seen in the brands they support. But to do so is decreasing the customers to a little part of the society. Only rich people can afford the Menrad frames because they are really expensive. I would recommend that Menrad expands their customer base. The market itself could be larger if their "economy" model would be cheaper and more affordable. Needs wants and demands are a part of basic marketing principles. Though they are 3 simple words, they hold a very complex meaning behind them along with a huge differentiation factor. In fact, a product can be differentiated on the basis of whether it satisfies a customer's needs, wants or demands. The needs wants and demands are a very important component of marketing because they help the marketer to decide which products he needs to offer in the market. Today, customers don't think that the goods are high quality because they are expensive. They want high quality at reasonable prices. If they would support glasses from cheaper producers they could sell a cheap economy model and get more customers and also spread the knowledge of the brand.

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