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In today's world, the art of marketing and sales is best mastered by those for whom a customer-centric mindset is a cornerstone.
Success is achieved by those who use data-driven analytics, manage processes smoothly and, as a result, make decisions that create a positive, personalized experience for customers and facilitate their access to a brand or product.
Marketing is an important business process that involves creating and implementing a viable and profitable commercial strategy for the business.
ACT’s 18 years of research and analysis experience, industry expertise, and the team of consultants with diverse backgrounds help companies across a wide range of industries develop and implement effective marketing strategies.
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Data-driven Analytics
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Holistic Vision |
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The effectiveness of individual marketing activities and the rationale for financial or other investments in these activities are often difficult to measure. Our team provides comprehensive business intelligence based on market analysis and customer data.
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Marketing is not an isolated process, rather it is an organic part of a business development strategy that intersects with all major business processes. When determining a marketing strategy, we look at the big picture, taking into account the long-term vision of the entire business and trends in related areas.
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Co-Creation |
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Every business wants to have an effective brand that delivers results, justifies every amount invested and gives it a competitive edge: the right brand strategy is essential to achieve results.
Brand strategy clarifies what the purpose of your business is beyond financial gain; conveys the mission of the company and forms the correct perception of the client.
Here are 10 reasons why you need a brand strategy:
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Distinguishes you from the competition |
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Increases market share |
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Gives life to your product or service. |
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Provides opportunities for growth and development. |
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Ensures alignment with user values. |
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Provides an opportunity to increase the price |
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Increases loyalty |
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Increases the value of shares |
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Builds trust |
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Gives the company strong financial results |
An effective consumer or corporate brand strategy has four components:
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Defining an existing target audience or choosing the right new target audience |
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Creating an attractive and commercially viable branding package |
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Determining the brand value that interests the target audience |
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Planning and implementing an optimal and effective communication strategy |
Our consultants, together with your management and marketing team, will define brand values, and develop an optimal brand proposal that is attractive and commercially viable for clients. In this process, our team models commercial brand launch scenarios that help clients make the best decisions.
Working together with the client, we determine the best communication strategy for the brand, choose communication channels, and set KPIs to evaluate the strategy. Using research and analytical tools, we help clients measure KPIs and adjust them as needed.
Regardless of the size of the company, it must continually review and evaluate each of its product or service strategies, including determining whether they are appropriate for the needs, resources, and goals of the organization. Product portfolio decisions are effective portfolio management solutions.
Portfolio management strategies enable you to continually analyze product investments based on market conditions, competitive threats, regulatory requirements, resources and capabilities, priorities, and other conditions.
Each brand in a portfolio of brands can have its own role and function - one may be the main source of turnover and cash flow for your company, another the main source of your profitability, while others may not serve to increase sales and profits, but occupy a significant niche in the market, maintaining market positions and selling other brands. Understanding the role of each brand and the correct allocation of resources between them is important for effective and successful business management.
Analyzing the current market situation, competitive environment, sales, and potential of your business portfolio, we develop an effective portfolio management strategy and create recommendations for their effective commercial management.
Price is one of the most important tools in determining your marketing strategy. The right price determines the position of your product in the eyes of the buyer and distinguishes it from other products in your portfolio and competing products on the market, which directly affects your sales volume and product profitability.
We will help you determine the customer's perceived value of your product, determine an adequate value price, and manage your pricing strategy. The pricing strategy includes the definition of regular and special pricing corridors that will allow you to make attractive seasonal discounts and special offers to customers without compromising the overall perception of brand value.
Continuous development in the face of modern competition and the development of new consumer and market segments is one of the prerequisites for business development. A business that for a long time focused only on maintaining the status quo will soon lag behind the dynamics of market development.
Each new business requires a significant investment of time, and financial and human resources, all of which are often associated with high risks.
The ACT team identifies the needs and requirements of an existing segment, researches and describes the competitive landscape, and conducts new ongoing sales and commercial simulations.
This will help you assess the potential of a new consumer, market, or geographic segment. With minimal risk and the ability to choose between alternatives, you will be able to develop the correct and most effective strategy required for this segment.
Even the most effective and attractive brand may not succeed if it is not available where the customer, on the one hand, is willing to buy, and the sales channels chosen by the company, on the other hand, do not provide efficient and profitable delivery of the right products to the customer.
After auditing the sales channels, our team determines the bandwidth and sales potential of each channel and calculates the cost of using this and other sales channels. As a result, we will work with you to develop the optimal sales channel strategy, define KPIs to evaluate the strategy, and provide you with research and analytics tools to help you measure KPIs and adjust them as needed.
Who is your client today and what is their lifestyle?
Maybe he holds a management position who will meet you in the evening at his club; maybe he's a student who's downloaded a series of podcasts today; or a working parent who looks at brochures and banner ads.
Given the accelerated mode and modern challenges, it is no longer enough for the client to communicate with the brand through one channel only; rather, they need a combination of channels in the communication ecosystem. This approach creates the feeling that the brand is personally communicating with the client and responding to their needs in real time.
ACT consultants work with the client to develop a marketing communications strategy based on product or service characteristics, competitive advantages, customer behavior, and varying budgets. The strategy serves the following purposes:
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Increasing brand awareness |
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Creating customer traffic online and offline |
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Increased consumer demand |
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Improving the image of the company/brand |
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Changing/influencing beliefs and attitudes of users |
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Increasing sales growth |
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Improving consumer purchasing behavior
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Strengthening and loyalty of purchasing decisions |
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Encouraging repeat purchases |
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An integrated marketing communications plan facilitates collaboration across multiple communication channels, developing a consistent style and tone that reinforces the brand's core messages. Our expertise in this area serves to create a comfortable and memorable experience for your customers. In our opinion, a successful strategy is one in which the synergy of marketing communications tools creates unity and serves priority goals, and does not represent an isolated, separate means of influence.
That is why we work with a holistic approach, working simultaneously and integrating all aspects necessary for brand communication into a single system:
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strategic perception of the product and the market. Identifying changing technologies, customer attitudes and behaviors, and anticipated competitor actions.
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Corporate culture |
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the brand is perceived as a whole with its vision, capabilities, personality, and culture company taken into account.
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is the logo, corporate identity, slogan, and the main idea of the brand.
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Customer experience |
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product design, packaging, product reviews and discussion.
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all types of advertising, direct marketing, online communication, and social media.
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Advertising tools |
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promotions, consumer offerings, customer relationship management, public relations programs and sponsorships.
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A rapidly changing market, new competitive forces, and technological opportunities are pushing companies to always keep their finger on the pulse of customers, so making changes to a strategically processed document in accordance with requirements is an ongoing process.
Getting into the minds of users is a complex and lengthy process. When you think you've figured out all of their wants and needs, new technologies, new preferences and buying trends emerge.
It's hard to imagine or predict user motivation and behavior based on your gut instincts. Accordingly, the best way to find the heart of your customers is to interview them.
The customer journey is the complete customer experience with your product or service. It includes relationships with customers across all possible channels and devices, at various stages, at all parts of the consumer's life cycle - from awareness to loyalty.
Companies use a wide variety of channels to communicate with customers, but often fail to link every single action to the customer journey. Sales and marketing strategies are isolated from each other, resulting in disconnected and unified customer interactions.
To understand if your company's customer experience is positive, you need to create a customer roadmap.
Customer journey creation is the number one strategy used by highly skilled managers to improve the customer experience.
The user path reflection can be divided into three stages:
The consumer journey has 7 stages:
Our team will help you gain a deeper understanding of your customers, learn about your customer experience at all stages of your brand engagement, and develop an effective strategy for each stage.
If your company doesn't have a digital marketing strategy, it's time to develop one! In today's digital age, digital marketing is more important than ever. The strategy will help you make the right decisions you need to succeed.
Digital media is changing rapidly, but the fundamentals for developing a digital marketing strategy remain the same. It is important for any business to study its market and its key players. Through effective market research, you can find a lot of information about your competitors, the latest market trends, your customers' habits, and other important issues.
Are you wondering where to start with your digital marketing strategy? This is still a common problem as many companies know how important digital and mobile channels are today in attracting and retaining consumers. However, they do not have a single plan for how to ensure online audience engagement in parallel with the digital transformation that will help the company grow.
A digital strategy is successful when it is integrated with traditional media such as print, television, or other channels as part of multichannel marketing communications.
Each technique has many detailed tactics that are critical to success. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and prioritize them, for example, dynamic content for email automation, website personalization for software, retargeting strategies, and content for organic search.
Our digital marketing team will provide you with early guidance and support you in optimizing your marketing strategy for effective achievement.
Ancient Chinese merchants were among the first entrepreneurs. They have found a unique way to manage risk in international trade. They distributed their goods for sale on several ships and released at sea. Thus, if one ship was sunk or became a victim of pirates, the rest had a chance to survive. In this way, Chinese merchants safely transported most of their goods to the market of the neighboring city and avoided serious financial losses.
In the 21st century, the export-oriented business is no longer threatened by pirates, but it continues to face other challenges. In today's world, the political, economic and social environment is changing so rapidly that the most difficult task for any company is to find and retain a loyal customer.
The main conclusion that a business must make in the current reality is this: Chinese merchants learned this centuries ago - they realized how much risk the principle "Put all your eggs in one basket" contains. Inspired by an old adage, this concept perfectly explains the importance of market diversification. Its relevance is growing day by day for international marketers and it is clear that Georgian companies are no exception. The Russian-Ukrainian war once again showed us what we have already witnessed many times - how dependence on the market of one country interferes with business.
No one disputes that market diversification is the best solution for risk insurance. However, the implementation of this principle in the modern world requires much more effort than "several cargo ships". Even in the case of the local market, there are many challenges - finding a relevant target customer, winning and maintaining his loyalty. It is even more difficult to fulfill this mission in the international arena. So when we discuss reducing risk and increasing capacity for export-oriented enterprises, the question is not what? but the question is - how?
How companies can better find and develop an unknown market or, at best, markets? It is obvious, and it can be seen with the naked eye, that it will be difficult to succeed only by watching the trends. The most effective tool for planning an international marketing strategy is market research, and consumer research occupies one of the main places in this process.
Well, if you are a business owner and want to expand, open up new markets, consumer research can be the most necessary and useful tool for you.
opportunities for consumer research:
The number one task in the process of finding a new market is to find out if the buyer needs the offered product or service at the offered price. For a company, entering a new market without consumer research is like wandering through a maze. Obviously, a business can have a rough idea of the needs of foreign customers, that is, of where and to whom it will be profitable to export this or that product. However, these ideas are largely based on intuition and may well not correspond to reality. After all, any foreign market is unique and differs in many ways from the local market - its buyers live in a different geographical area, speak a different language, have special requirements, opportunities and preferences. Accounting for all these factors is a prerequisite for success, in which consumer research can be of great help.
The survey provides the business owner with detailed information that:
This is not an exhaustive list of the knowledge that can be obtained through consumer research. If it is analyzed correctly, the business will have the opportunity to get to know the new market well and find the right target segment - the client who is most likely to buy his product or service. In this case, the decision to enter a new market is made on the basis of evidence, not assumptions, which significantly reduces risks.
ACT actively helps Georgian and foreign companies to develop foreign markets. One example of this is a consumer survey conducted in Yerevan commissioned by a supermarket chain. ACT has conducted a study of consumer preferences and consumer basket in Armenia. Analysis of the research results allowed the customer company to offer the client a product that takes into account the needs of the target segment. Thus, consumer research helped the business to insure the risks, due to which it established itself rather painlessly in the new market.
Finding a target customer is the first step in entering a new market. The next and no less important task is to attract the attention of potential customers. To do this, the business needs to properly pack the product and deliver it to the customer in such a way that it arouses his interest. The role of research is also important at this stage of the development of an unknown market. Research, in addition to the rational motives of human behavior, also reveals what topics potential customers react emotionally to, what excites them, likes or annoys them. Having received this information, the business will be able to offer the product to the buyer, taking into account his wishes and develop an effective way of advertising.
A good example of this is the entry into the Georgian market of several foreign shopping centers. By their order, ACT conducted a study - studied the consumer behavior of Georgians, brand preferences and consumer attitudes towards the proposed product. According to the results of the study, the companies adjusted their marketing strategy, offered the buyer a product that meets his requirements, and earned the location of the target segment. Thus, research-based solutions ended up being effective for them.
The key to the success of any business is a satisfied customer. As soon as a customer buys a product or service, a timer starts. The business really wins if the customer comes back to buy again and again. This will be a sign that the brand has received the most important award - customer loyalty. However, loyalty is not permanent. People's tastes change every day, new needs and desires arise. In fact, the success of a business depends on how well it listens to its customers. An effective tool for maintaining their loyalty is customer research. This allows the company to constantly keep abreast of the buyer - not to miss a single change in his mood and always be aware of trends.
This consumer research opportunity was successfully used by one of the representatives of the banking and financial sector from Georgia. ACT conducted several stages of consumer research for him in Uzbekistan, Central Asia. In order to identify the preferences of local consumers, the study was conducted both before and after entering an unknown market. As a result, the company managed to take a worthy place in the financial sector of the foreign market.
As we can see, consumer research is a necessary and useful step for a company that wants to expand and open up new markets. This allows business owners to make informed decisions, which greatly reduces the risk of opening, exploiting and maintaining new markets. However, businesses should not forget that the “stopwatch that starts when entering a new market” runs continuously while the company operates in this market. Thus, entering the market of a foreign country is not a one-time decision. Business must constantly be in the process of research and analysis of experience.
Over time, the icon of the businessman has emerged in the public perception as serious men dressed in suits, with huge responsibilities, working in a stressful environment and applying a constructive dialogue format. Does such a perception of a business leader correspond to modern trends? It is essential that all businessmen speak the diplomatic language?
In the postmodern world, a businessman’s role was transformed, which influenced the style of communication accordingly. Business leaders are increasingly trying to position themselves as a part of society and use humor to communicate. This obviously is associated with positive emotion, having an immediate effect on a person’s attitude leading at the same time to a long-term effect. Consequently, strategic humor has become a trend in business communication.
Humor is a simply understandable spoken language focused on key messages. Jokes are easy to remember, while being spread quickly throughout the community they can easily relief a crisis situation. (Meyer, 1990). Result of humor can be instantly seen due to its indicator – an unmistakable emotion - a smile. The humor makes easy to harvest the desired feedback in the target audience, while the emotion received gives us the clear answer to the question of how the set strategy worked. (Hudson, 1979).
The unique qualities of humor and the fact that humor can have a serious influence on a person's attitude shape it into a convenient tool for communication.
Consequently, the area of application of strategic humor is quite wide. It is used in different fields for different purposes:
შესაბამისად, სტრატეგიული იუმორის გამოყენების არეალი ფართოა. მისი გამოყენება ხდება სხვადასხვა სფეროში სხვდასხვა მიზნით:
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"If we make people happy, they will write stories about us, so we will not have to spend a lot of money on advertising," said Elon Musk, one of the most influential businessmen and innovators of the XXI century. |
Lately, Elon Musk's eccentricity and the way he is applying strategic humor is clearly observed by everyone. The use of contextual humor for a specific mission has become an authentic style for Musk. Creativity expressed in humor and simple way of communication make him one of the most popular persons of our times. Musk's laconic jokes can change a public agenda and make a business clock move counterclockwise.
Could you name another famous person who can just with a five-word joke bring financial benefits to a business, affect the currency exchange market, and/or significantly change the share value of the companies?!
Use of strategic humor and unique communication style makes Elon Mask:
The power of Musk's humor is translated into financial indicators. He can establish effective communication with customers, increase sales and share the value of the company at minimal costs. In addition to his own business, he manipulates the global business sector as well using strategic humor. Specifically, Musk's broken heart emoji significantly reduced the market value of the world's first cryptocurrency (see Twitter 1), and the price of one of the least known cryptocurrencies, Dogecoin, rose from 0.1 cents to 72 cents in 5 months (see Twitter 1; 2; 3). ). (Source: economictimes). In supplement, Twitter has also become the target of Musk's satirical humor. Posts on the social network significantly reduced the market value of the platform and eventually led to its acquisition. (See Tweet 1, 2).
Sharp wits give Elon Musk charisma along with his popularity, which makes him a strong political figure in the eyes of the public while valuing his other characteristics as a leader. Elon Musk can make political weather, as evidenced by recent developments. Musk played an important political role in the Russia-Ukraine information war, where he of course did not forget to use humor. Musk responded to the threat of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov against him with humor, and in response to the way he was addressed by Kadyrov, changed his name to Ilona on Twitter.
It is worth mentioning that being one of the top entrepreneurs he is never discouraged even in case of failure and affords to ease the tense situation with creative humor. He is accustomed to acknowledging his own mistakes and looking at them in humor, while others may perceive them as a tragedy. (See Tweet 1)
Humor is acknowledged as a universal form of easily perceived communication that positively affects a person and creates a positive mood. Consequently, the strategic use of humor by a businessman can increase trust in him and supports in winning people's sympathy. All this leads to a positive effect not only on the personal image of the business leader, but also on his business activities, which ultimately helps to increase awareness and sales.
Considering that the use of strategic humor can bring a lot of benefits to a business leader, it is important to remember that it needs to be used correctly and contextually, as joking about sensitive topics can turn positive emotions into negative ones and lead to bad reviews.
In conclusion, we can say that simple and creative language of communication can establish an emotional connection with the audience and build the perception of a strong, successful business leader.
Every morning my child starts the morning with a milk breakfast. Of course, when purchasing dairy products, I try to make the best choice, no matter how much they cost.
Well, in the evening, when purchasing repair materials for the house, I often give preference to those markets where there are various preferential promotions and where the price is acceptable to me. This is the best choice for me.
When buying, there are often cases when we physically or mentally sort the desired product by price and thus come to the optimal choice. Therefore, the price of a product is an important lever that a business can control.
Price, in addition to determining the market value of a product, is used as the primary means of communication in today's rapidly changing business environment. Depending on how the price is relevant to the solvency of the segment, brands interact with customers, "befriend" or, conversely, build a "wall" between the product/service and the customer.
Now, in times of war, inflation, and post-pandemic, price and related communications are becoming increasingly important for the modern market, as prices are constantly changing along with the global agenda. Prices are rising for everything: bread, fuel, gold, both basic necessities and luxuries, goods and services.
However, according to the latest market research conducted by ACT, in many industries, price is the leading factor for consumers. For example, if we look at the pharmaceutical market, then a quarter of its buyers (24-26%) decide to choose a pharmacy that offers an acceptable price. Thus, for almost a third of consumers in the retail market, price is the most important factor when making a purchase decision.
Price changes, of course, often lead to negative/critical feedback from the consumer, which business in Georgia, as well as in the world, in some cases tries to neutralize with well-known marketing "tricks":
These tactics are worn out in today's market and can be said to be "deciphered" by the user. For brands seeking to connect emotionally with customers, transparent and timely pricing information must be the key link.
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Offer value, not price. The cost repeats the brand and its identity. The customer needs an idea, status, or emotional benefit that he will receive in exchange for paying a certain amount. Businesses that sell a product/service sell the benefits that the end-user will receive through it. Depending on the value of the product/service, brands tell customers what they can become the owners of after purchasing their product/service. This means that when buying Apple products, we buy status, when buying Nike boots, we buy victory and energy, and Reiban glasses for us are a journey and a good mood. When stating the price, we must emphasize what life/everyday problem the consumer will solve with it. At the same time, in branding and communications, the emphasis on values increases the consumer's resistance to possible price changes, making the segment more emotionally attached to the product/service. For example, Coca-Cola is a happiness/family holiday, do you remember its price?
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Find out the best price for your customers. To achieve this goal, price elasticity research is effective, which gives the business information about what price will be acceptable/optimal for its audience, in other words, in which case they buy a product/service. Research is critical:
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Remember the communication triangle. Price communication is just as important as the end-user:
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Tell the cause, not just the result. Now, with constant changes in public life, the economy, everyday life, and a sense of instability, price changes can be perceived by consumers more painfully than business thinks. In the event that a business changes its price/sets a new price, it is important for healthy communication to provide the customer with a reason for the new price. It is understood that the audience is interested in why the price is changing, will it change again? Because of what? This gives him emotional comfort and readiness. In order for communication to be as transparent as possible for him, the business should try to imagine that price communication is not a monologue of the brand, but a dialogue with the buyer. Follow the rules of the dialogue:
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Finally, it is important for businesses to be prepared for any feedback, since the audience, among other characteristics, is distinguished by its loyalty and degree of price stability. However, the dialogue should be ongoing and the next steps the brand should determine in addition to other important metrics based on the feedback received. Thus, price is an important communication channel. As a result of dialogue with customers, the business receives information for improvement, and this process is continuous and iterative.
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