Comparative Analysis of Marketing Functions and 7P's of Marketing Mix

This report compares the marketing functions and 7P's of marketing mix between Topshop and M&S. It highlights the different tactics used by Topshop for selling their products, such as direct selling and social media advertising. The report also discusses how M&S pays special attention to employees and provides a personal shopping service within designer suits. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of marketing mix in planning the marketing process and its relation to the marketing environment.

Marketing Essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1 ................................................................................................................................................1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing function .......................................................................1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing relation to marketing environment .............................2
Significance of interrelationships between marketing and other functional ..............................2
Critically evaluate key elements of marketing function and interrelation with other function ..3
LO 2 ................................................................................................................................................3
Apply marketing mix in planning of marketing process ............................................................3
Apply different tactics by organization ......................................................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is the procedure of creating relationship with and satisfying customers. It is
one of the first components of management of business with it focus on customers (Eteokleous,
Leonidou and Katsikeas, 2016). This study is based on Topshop. It is the British multinational
fashion retailers of clothing, shoes and accessories. This report will explain roles and
responsibilities of marketing function within organization context.
LO 1
a) Roles and responsibilities of marketing function
Marketing functions:
Marketing is affiliated to deal of product and services. This satisfies requirement of
customers. According to Philip Kotler, marketing is science and art of investigating, making and
transferring value to satisfy needs of target market profits. There are many functions of
marketing that is use by Topshop to satisfy their consumers’ needs and wants. Such as:
Collecting and evaluate information: It is essential function of marketing that is
collecting and evaluating data relating marketplace. It includes customer want, quantity, pricing
etc.
Marketing planning: It is very important to plan marketing that helps in achieving goals
of organization. For preparing plan, company make efforts on production and promotion efforts
(Wirtz, Tuzovic and Kuppelwieser, 2014).
Product design: Product design is the most important that includes marketing function.
Therefore, company make efforts on effective designing of product. With the help of it company
increase competitive advantages.
Standardisation and grading: It refers to determination of standard relating size,
quality, design, colour, raw material etc. in relation to specific product.
Pricing of product: It is the most essential function of marketing in which manager set
price of product. Price of goods that affects by its cost, rate of profit, government policy etc.
Therefore, marketing manager of Topshop make sure that setting up price of product in an
effective manner.
Customer support service: Customer is the king of market. Thus, it is main function of
marketing to supply every possible support to consumer. The top most priority of company is
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helping customer for their satisfaction. This assists in increasing attachment of consumer to
specific products.
b) Roles and responsibilities of marketing relation to marketing environment
Role of marketing:
Marketing had play many roles that helps in marketing environment by company. These
roles are such as :
Economic and competitive features: Marketing play role to understand features of
economic and competitive about retail sector. By marketing planning, company get information
about these features.
Appropriate strategies: Marketing is essential to identify appropriate strategies for
selling of product and services of Topshop. By planning of marketing, company get data and
strategies relating to use of strategies by competitors (Role of Marketing, 2016).
Developing new product: If company want to develop their existing or new product in
market, so that marketing is played very essential role for developing product in market.
Competitive advantages: Firm creates competitive advantage by adopting appropriate
strategies and techniques for marketing of product. Therefore, Topshop make efforts on planning
of marketing properly for increasing competition.
c) Significance of interrelationships between marketing and other functional
Marketing is related all other functions such as human resources, operation, finance etc.
within Topshop.
Human resource management: Marketing function is interrelated with human resource
functions. Marketing department require working nearly with HRM to ensure that suitable
abilities and personnel levels are in place to research and develop new good thoughts, fitting
targets of production and make competent sales team within organization. HRM department have
much recruitment and demand of training form cross wide company. It is important to increase
performance, effectiveness and abilities of company.
Finance function: Marketing functions are also interrelated with finance activities within
company. Marketing division require working nearly within finance section to ensure that there
is capable budget to meet wants for research, promotion and distribution of product in
marketplace. Finance department more focus on cash flow, covering costs and paying back
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investment as possible (Olson and et.al., 2018). It is important to increase sales and profitability
of company.
Operation department: Marketing functions also interrelated with production activities
with in company. Marketing department requires working closely with operation division to
ensure that planning of adequate research and development to future and current needs
satisfaction of customers. They also ensure that generate volume of orders that met within item
schedule required for delivery. It is important to build coordination between all department and
working flow is smoothly.
Critically evaluate key elements of marketing function and interrelation with other function
Marketing functions are interrelated with all departments within organization such as
human resources, finance, production etc. In addition to, there are many functions of marketing
that involves product design, packaging and labelling, pricing etc. In this context, marketing
department planning of product design, so that they are consulted with production division for
effective designing of products. Marketing division planning of packaging and labelling of
product, so that they are also consulted with operation department (Olson and et.al., 2018).
They are also planning for pricing of goods, so that they are consulted with finance
division in the organization. Finance division determine cost of produce design, hiring of labour,
packaging and labelling for effective product in the marketplace. In this context, marketing
department needs to people those are working as marketing staff for product and services
marketing. In order to, they are communicated with human resource division to hire skilled
person that helping in marketing of product and services.
LO 2
Apply marketing mix in planning of marketing process
Marketing mix is a strategy that is used by marketing department to promote brand of
Topshop. There are 4p's includes product, price, place and promotion.
Product: Products of Topshop are fashion clothing of reasonable quality. They
frequently repeat over various garments to create mini collection or produce same clothing but in
different mode. Company produce clothing with fabric they have designed themselves. In other
side, M&S is also a retail company which deals in clothing and accessories.
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Price: Price of Topshop's product is around £35 although they have company boutique
where averages clothing is around £100. Firm sell good quality fashion garments. As compared
to M&S adopt competitive pricing strategy for its product portfolio.
Place: Stores of Topshop are in all large cities. They also have personal shopping team
get changing room with no waiting line. They help trawl through big stores and have great online
site. It is very interactive and does good job of advertising their clothes. As opposed to, M&S has
got more than 1000 stores operating in more than 50 countries.
Promotion: The store frequently has flash sales and lets its customer know by email and
advertising on their websites as well as big poster in store. One of the brand specific selling
points are window displays. They are always creative and present their clothing well. They are
always put lots of efforts into clothing of the helper.
People: All organizations are dependent on people who run them from front line sales
staff to managing director(7P's of Marketing Mix, 2018). Topshop offers personal shopping
service where customer book appointment for one to one advice within designer suit. As
compared to, M&S pays special attention to employees.
Process: The delivery of services is always done with consumer present, so how services
is delivered is once again part for paying by consumers. M&S's stores properly organized as
compared to other stores like Topshop.
Physical Evidence: Companies are providing services that all are includes in physical
elements. M&S sell range of goods from clothes to home accessories etc. these things are acts as
physical evidence.
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Illustration 1: 7P's of Marketing Mix
Source: (7P's of Marketing Mix, 2018)

Apply different tactics by organization
Marketing manager of Topshop follow different tactics for selling of their products such
as:
Direct selling: It means for meeting with possible consumer face to face and discussing
role products and services play in life of people. Topshop follow this tactic for increasing sales.
Social media: Company also advertising their product on social media network such as
Facebook, Instagram etc.
CONCLUSION
This report has summarised that roles of marketing functions that includes product
design, pricing of product, labelling and packaging etc. It can be concluded that responsibilities
of marketing relation to marketing environment that includes competitive advantages,
developing new product, appropriate strategies, economic and competitive features etc.
Furthermore, report has completed that marketing mix helps in planning marketing process.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Eteokleous, P. P., Leonidou, L. C. and Katsikeas, C. S., 2016. Corporate social responsibility in
international marketing: review, assessment, and future research. International Marketing
Review. 33(4). pp.580-624.
Human, G., Bick, G. and Singh, A., 2016. Strategic drivers of a network-orientated approach to
the organisation of marketing in business-to-business firm. Management Dynamics:
Journal of the Southern African Institute for Management Scientists. 25(3). pp.33-45.
Malik, K., 2015. The Balanced Scorecard and its Application to the Marketing Function.
Olson, E. M. and et.al., 2018. The application of human resource management policies within
the marketing organization: The impact on business and marketing strategy
implementation. Industrial Marketing Management. 69. pp.62-73.
Wirtz, J., Tuzovic, S. and G. Kuppelwieser, V., 2014. The role of marketing in today's
enterprises. Journal of Service Management. 25(2). pp.171-194.
Online
7P's of Marketing Mix, 2018. [ONLINE]. Available through. :
<https://www.professionalacademy.com/blogs-and-advice/marketing-theories---the-
marketing-mix---from-4-p-s-to-7-p-s>.
Role of Marketing, 2016. [ONLINE]. Available through. : <https://www.studiowide.co.uk/role-
of-marketing/>.
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