Marketing Essentials on Marks and Spencer PDF

Assignment Name: Marketing Essentials
Assignment Code:
Student Name:
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Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................3
Activity 1: The concept of marketing and its manner of significance in the organization...................4
1.1) Introduction and overview of the different marketing processes...............................................4
1.2) Role and responsibilities performed by Marks and Spencer......................................................5
1.3) Evaluating and representing key marketing elements of functions and their interrelationship
with other departments.........................................................................................................................6
Activity 2: Marketing Mix........................................................................................................................9
A depiction of how Marks and Spencer use the marketing mix and processes in comparison to
other companies with goals and objectives.........................................................................................9
Activity 3: Marketing Plan and Evaluation Checklist..........................................................................13
Proposing a marketing plan................................................................................................................13
References............................................................................................................................................21

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Introduction
Marketing is the process by which a company tries to address the needs of the consumers or
prospects with a chance of profit. This assignment has been prepared from the perspective of a
marketing manager at Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer is a British origin global retailer
founded in 1884. It has operation in 57 countries (About Us, 2020). The first portion describes
the responsibilities and functions along with an assessment of the key functions at Marks and
Spencer. The latter portion deals with the marketing mix elements of the retail giant and their
comparison with McDonald's and Starbucks. The report concluded with a detailed marketing
plan. It should be stated that the proposed marketing plan is very effective as it scored
satisfactory in the marketing evaluation checklist.

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Activity 1: The concept of marketing and its manner of significance
in the organization
1.1) Introduction and overview of the different marketing processes
Marketing is like the eye of a business in today’s business context. Marketing is processed by
which value is created for customers and then the value is communicated and achieving value in
return from customers and maintain and forming long term relationship with customers (Kotler,
Armstrong, Harris and He, 2013). More elaborately, it can be said that marketing is the
collection of organizations, procedures that are used to form, articulate, deliver and transact
valuable products or service offerings to the prospects, partners and society (What is Marketing?
— The Definition of Marketing — AMA, 2020). There are various types of processes in the
organization. Some of them can be:
1) Strategic Marketing Analysis Process: This process is a systematic procedure to cope
with the competitive condition of the business world (Dawson, 2015). This process helps
the company to identify and analyze the current competitive condition of the market.
Moreover, this process helps companies to develop a marketing program or strategy that
will serve best to fit and withstand the marketing challenges. Strategic marketing analysis
process includes the task of segmenting, targeting and positioning to cope with the
changing marketing condition.
2) Marketing Mix Planning Process: Marketing mix planning process is the combination
of four elements used to capture the attraction of customers by offering them (Kotler and
Keller, 2020). Marketing mix planning process outlines the controllable elements of
products, price, place and promotion and their decision and planning about how to offer
to customers and what type of modification should be made. ‘Products’ implies any type
of tangible or intangible thing that is being offered to prospects in the market. The term
products include both tangible and intangible things. The second marketing mix element
is the ‘Price’ that means the exchange rate or the stakes that are transacted for offering a
product or service. ‘Place’ is the process of making the offering available to the final
customers. And at last, ‘Promotion’ is the process of making customers aware of the
offering of the company and making an urgency in buying those offerings (Weigold and

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Arens, 2018). Marketing mix planning process outlines the thinking and visioning of
these elements.
3) Marketing Implementation Process: This is the process where all the marketing
measures or strategies are tried to implement to capture the final customers (Kotler,
Armstrong, Harris and He, 2013). As there is various type of measures and strategies
related to the process, the marketing department here tries to integrate all the measures to
create harmony.
4) Marketing Control Process: This is the process through which the effectiveness of
marketing endeavour is calculated and assessed. This process helps the marketing
department to identify the progress of the marketing strategy. At once, it also helps to
identify the discrepancy related to the marketing strategies (Jobber and Chadwick, 2012).
In the end, this process helps the marketing department to develop a new or developed
mode of marketing programmes.
1.2) Role and responsibilities performed by Marks and Spencer
The marketing functions undertaken by Marks and Spencer induce stipulated roles and
responsibilities. Some of the roles and responsibilities are:
1) Identifying need: Needs are the condition of feeling deprived of any product or service
(Weigold and Arens, 2018). Needs are the core element of marketing and it is true for
Marks and Spencer also. The marketing department of Marks and Spencer have a
stipulated cell that conducts various activities to identify the needs of its valuable
customers. The need identifications are done through customer survey both in online and
offline. Sometimes, the marketing department also consults with other research agencies
like AC Nielson to sense the needs of the customers (Marks & Spencer Plc | Market
Research Report | Euromonitor, 2020).
2) Analyzing market trends: Market trends are an important determinant of the customers’
preferences about a product or service offering. And it is one of the major responsibilities
performed by the marketing department at Marks and Spencer. They try to conduct
various activities to sense market trends. Besides their marketing audit team also tries to
outline the future direction of the marketing activity (Leadership, 2020). So, this
responsibility is very important to them.

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3) Innovation: Innovation is the process of adding value to an existing product or service
offering (Li, Wei, McKiernan and Foo, 2015). Innovation can also be brought about in
the field of marketing. As marketing context is ever-changing, the marketing department
must ensure the culture of innovativeness in the organization. The marketing department
at Marks and Spencer also tries to ensure the innovation culture as much as they can. To
ensure innovative practice, the marketing department tries to recruit innovative personnel
every year. Moreover, the marketing department also tries to motivate the employees to
be more innovative.
4) Communication with stakeholders: Stakeholders are the parties who have stakes in the
operation of the business (BRESSINGTON and PETTITT, 2012). They are parties who
will be affected by business decisions and strategies. So, they demand the updated
information from the business of any kind. So, it is one of the most important tasks of the
marketing department to communicate with the various types of stakeholders. The
marketing department of Marks and Spencer also tries to observe this role. They every
year, develop a statement that outlines their activity over the years (Stanley, 2013).
Moreover, they also articulate any significant change to the stakeholders so that they get
content with the operation.
5) Outlining marketing strategies: Strategies are the means to achieve any specific
business objective in the market (Hill and Jones, 2012). An accurate and well-planned
strategy helps companies to succeed in the business operation. So, it is a crucial
responsibility of the marketing department. The marketing department of Marks and
Spencer also tries to outline a strategy so that it can achieve the business and marketing
objective. Their disposing of this responsibility helps them to withstand the marketing
competitiveness and gain benefit from the competition. The strategy also helps Marks
and Spencer to capture customers.
1.3) Evaluating and representing key marketing elements of functions and their
interrelationship with other departments
Marketing functions are important for earning an organizational goal and maintaining marketing
planning. Some of the elements that maintain the essence of marketing functions are in the
following: