Marketing Strategies and Planning

The provided report is about marketing and its essential activities carried out by companies to market their products and services to target customers and markets. The report highlights the significance of developing appropriate strategies and plans to distribute products effectively, utilizing various marketing functions and concepts of the marketing mix to achieve focused aims. The success of Aldi, a leading company with strong marketing strategies and planning, is cited as an example. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of coordination and interaction between departments for business success.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1. Roles and responsibilities of the marketing function............................................................3
P2 How roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to organisational context.......................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P3 Marketing mix to the marketing planning process................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P4 Marketing Plan.......................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is a done by organisation in order to promote their products and services in to
market. It includes several activities which help company to market and distribute their products
or services. These activities include selling, buying, promotion, advertising and delivering of
products and services to target market. Company formulate strong market plan after proper
research and survey, this help company with increased profits and revenue. Main aim of every
organisation is to attract as many customers as possible to enhance their selling and increase
profits for their company (Więcek-Janka, 2015). This also help organisation to hold a strong
position in the market as well as retain that position for longer duration of time. Aldi is one of the
leading company headquartered in Germany. It was established in 1913 and is one of the biggest
retail store in Germany. This assignment will focus on roles and responsibilities as well as their
analysis of marketing functions and different ways how Aldi applies marketing mix to marketing
plan to achieve their business plans. Evaluation of marketing plan of company has also been
described in this assignment.
TASK 1
P1. Roles and responsibilities of the marketing function
As discussed above, marketing involves several activities which help company to
facilitate their distribution and marketing of products and service to target market and customers.
Company design particular product by considering all customers needs and demands properly so,
that product can satisfy their customers desires. If the customer is satisfied then they will prefer
that product over again and that is the main goal that every company wants to achieve. Aldi
started their business with a small retail store and now days it is one of the biggest stores with
millions of loyal customers (Hugos, 2018). They have become successful with their strong and
effective planning and prior research of market and customer's needs. They are leading in the
markets of United Kingdom and satisfying their customers worldwide. They have become
successful because they are continuously improving and modifying their strategies with time and
adopting changes as soon as they arrive in the market. To lead and retain position in the market,
it is necessary to develop strong marketing strategies and they can take help of different
marketing functions. This provide marketers with appropriate direction and help in formulating
best marketing strategies possible.

Aldi has talented and qualified staff and superiors which have desired abilities to take
best decision and increase profits for their company. This also help them to achieve competitive
advantage over other rival companies and stay ahead of them. They have been more successful
as they have built good and harmonious relations with their customers by fulfilling their needs
through products and services they render. There are different marketing functions which are
necessary to be considered while formulating marketing plans. Some of the functions are given
below:
Research and survey of market: This is a crucial step and should be performed by
marketers prior to strategies formulating. Proper research gives the accurate idea about needs,
preferences, market growth, pricing, market share, target market and customers (Baack, Harris
and Baack, 2013). Survey provide great helps to marketers and they can develop good strategies
by considering all the factors. This will lead to more profits and benefits to company.
Product designing and development: Research helps in providing information related
to customer's liking and demands. This information is provide to production department and they
design and develop products and services according to customers. Importance of this information
is that, it will encourage sales and hence increase profits for company and hence company will
achieve desired success. It is also necessary for company to design unique and innovative
products, this will attract customers towards their product and enhance buying.
Distribution: This is one of the important marketing function as it facilitate distribution
of products or services to different markets and customers. Company should decide better
distribution channel to make sure timely availability of products to customers as well as market
(Charles, JOSEPH and CARL, 2011). They will satisfy their customers if they become
successful in distributing their products to consumers on time.
Standardisation and grading: Standardization involves producing goods according to
predetermined specification and they ensure that manufactures product meets the specified
quality and quantity. This helps in achieving consistency and uniformity in the output product.
Whereas, grading is referred to the classification of goods in various levels based on their quality
and other characteristics. This involves control standards of size, weight, etc. Grading helps in
deciding the price of products. Higher quality of product attracts higher prices and vice versa.
Packaging and labelling: Packaging is done to provide strength and support to contents
which are present inside the product. Main aim of packaging is to prevent possible breakage and

degradation of the contents. It also avoids all types of change in integrity, damage, spoilage,
change of state, etc. of products during the time of transportation. Different materials are used for
packaging and they are glass, jute box, plastic containers, wooden boxes, tin, bottles, etc. It is
crucial to focus on packaging as it provide it mechanical and physical support and provide
customers with intact product without any change in them. Label is present on the outside of the
container which represent all the details of product and ingredients used while manufacturing
that product (Fill and McKee, 2011). It also includes manufacturing and expiry dates, ingredients
used in formulation of product, batch number, license number, price, etc. This helps in providing
the relevant information about products to customers.
P2 How roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to organisational context.
Marketing is an important activity that help company to maximise its profits and
revenues and hold a strong position in the market. Marketing assist company to distribute their
products and services to target positions and customers. Aldi is efficient in marketing and
attracting customers towards them and with this they are maximising their sales and increasing
profits. These profits can be used to further expand their business in different market or can used
to increase their production to further increase their revenues (Mihart, 2012). Marketing
department plays great role in success of Aldi and marketers are efficient enough to achieve all
their marketing objectives and goals. There are other departments also which also help company
and marketing department to achieve its goals and are explained below:
Human resource department: This department is very crucial for Aldi company as it
provides them with necessary resources and raw materials as well as with talented and skilled
candidates to company. Their main aim is to attract and recruit candidates according to vacant
job position in the company and short list and hire suitable candidate for them. It provides
efficient candidates to marketing department which can help them and company to increase their
sales and also maximise their profits (Gummesson, 2011). Aldi company is having talented staff
and the credits goes to HR department of the company. Another role of HR department is that
they provide marketing department with necessary information and resources in order to
implement their activities in practical.
Research and Development department: This is one of the important department as it
plays different roles and responsibilities towards company's success. They carry out the
necessary research and surveys on different segments of markets, competitors, customer's

demands, likings, wants and desires. Researcher, then provide relevant information to different
departments and they carry out their further activities according to that. Marketing departments
gathers all information from research department and develop their marketing plans by
considering all relevant factors. This helps in covering all important points related to market and
customers. Aldi perform prior research and make plans suitable for company as well as for
consumers.
Production department: This is again an important department and is responsible for
developing and designing unique and innovative products that can fulfil and satisfy needs of their
customers. Information provided by research department helps them to know about recent taste
of people and also about pricing strategies of other competitors and then department develops
products according to that (Durmaz, 2011). After developing suitable product, they set
appropriate prices for that item according to the buying habits and consumer's spending capacity.
Finance department: This department provide necessary funds and finances to different
departments in order to carry out their activities and implement their innovation in practical.
They also keep records of company's investments and other essentials like profits and loss
statements, balance sheet, ledgers, etc. They maintain all records in order to check whether
company is having profits or bearing losses. If company lacks funds, then they can take help
from other financial institutions. They earn money by selling their products and services. Finance
department of Aldi is efficient and manage their funds properly. It also help them to expand their
business in different markets.
IT and Technical department: IT department provides technical services and support to
company. They help in collecting data and information related to employees, company assets and
others. They also provide information related to financial transactions in past years. They ensure
that all software on which employees and company are working is up to date and free from any
kind of viruses. They also establish various security and firewalls, which help them to protect
their secret and confidential data form stealing and leaking.
TASK 2
P3 Marketing mix to the marketing planning process
Marketing mix is basically concerned with positioning of the right product or a
combination at right place, at right time and at the right price. It is a difficult task to perform this.

Marketing mix is also known as foundation model of marketing. It is basically used by marketers
in order to achieve all marketing objectives in effective manner (Baker and Saren, 2016). Earlier
it included 4 P's, they were Product, Price, Position and Paradigm. Then, later on it was
expanded to 7 P's. Following is the comparison of marketing mix between Aldi and IKEA:
Marketing mix ALDI IKEA
Products Aldi is one of the leading company as
they provide variety of products
ranges at affordable and discounted
rates. They have grocery stores which
have over 500 products and try to
provide different products at one stop.
Customers try to prefer stores which
provide different items and ranges at
one store. So with this, company
enjoys great sales and increased
profits.
IKEA manufacture furnitures, home
appliances, interiors. They provide
different designs of furnitures and
interiors which attract customers
towards their products. They are one
of the leading retail store. They
focuses on different market
segments like demographic and
develop furnitures and others
according to different tastes of
customers. Management redesign
the their goods while attracting large
number of buyers in given time
period. They mainly concentrate on
five forms such as function, quality,
form, sustainability and lower rate.
Price ALDI is famous because they offer
their products at discounted rate and
at affordable and cheap prices. This
help in seeking the attention of large
number of customers towards their
store (William and Zikmund, 2012).
They are also providing their goods at
high quality with lower prices. This is
one of their key strengths.
IKEA mainly focuses on cost
leadership and provide customers
with affordable and economic prices.
They give value to customers
because they know, that customer
prefers to get value for money. So,
company set prices according to
that.

Place ALDI is operating in more than 15
countries with thousand of stores.
They have strong hold in the market
of Germany and are planning to
expand their business in other
growing economies like UK, USA,
etc. They are also planning to expand
their business in populous country
like India, Britain, etc. in order to
gain high customer strength.
IKEA has been operating in more
than 45 countries with hundreds of
stores. They have multiple chains
and has strong hold in different
global markets.
Promotion It is one of the essential components
of all organisation for introducing
their various goods and services for
target market as well as for desired
customers. ALDI is weak in using
different tools of promotion and spent
less amount in promoting their goods.
It is one the main weakness and they
need to focus on promotion so they
can attract customers.
IKEA is ahead of Aldi in this matter.
They are effectively using
promoting tools and large number of
customers are aware about their
products and services. They spend
sufficient amount while promoting
their products.
People ALDI company deliver effective
services and products to their
customers with the help of employees
who are working with the company to
reach their target goals and
objectives. ALDI using advance
billing counter to attract their
customers towards effective services
and products.
IKEA put efforts to retain
relationship with their customers by
satisfying their needs and demand
in effective manner. Organisation
also introduce new goods and
services for attracting customers.
Process ALDI is executing appropriate IKEA manufacture furniture

procedures that help them to provide
products at lower prices and make
sure that products are timely available
to their customers. They ensure that
their products met all quality
standards that are decide by the
company. Aldi also uses barcode
system that help in fast identification
of goods.
products and other interiors by using
appropriate procedures. They also
focuses on quality of wood and other
materials that are used while
manufacturing their goods (Wilson,
2014). The firm keep low price for
their products so that every
customers can afford it easily.
Physical evidence ALDI manage and maintain their
business procedures that help in
attaining desired standard of product.
They focuses on providing cheap or
reasonable rate of products to the
buyers.
IKEA contain huge number of stores
which consist large collection of
furniture commodities. They are
implementing technology and
techniques that are latest and this
help in developing and designing
unique design of furnitures.
TASK 3
P4 Marketing Plan
Marketing plan of organisation contain all the details and specifications that provide right
direction to employees in order to carry out their work. They help in developing further strategies
which could be beneficial for company as well as for customers. They analyse direct and indirect
impact of business activities on customer's demand and needs. Plan also includes different
activities that will be performed in order to achieve goals and objectives which the company
wants to achieve in future in effective manner (Baines, Fill and Page2013). It includes various
stages like research and survey, formulating effective strategies, determining control and actions,
etc.
Overview of the Company
Aldi is one of the largest grocery stores and was founded in 1913. Its headquarter is
situated in Germany. Aldi provides more than 500 products and operates in approx 19 countries
with thousands of stores. Business of Aldi separated into two separate groups, that is Aldi Nord,

headquartered in Essen and next is Aldi Sud which is headquartered in Mulheim. The company
stands for commitment towards their people, partners, customers and environment.
Vision and mission statements of company
Vision and mission of Aldi is to provide discounted products to their consumers. They
have maintained their quality in all the products and serve customers all round the world (Fill,
2011). They have been consistent in providing their products at discounted rates in order to
maintain their impression in market. Vision of the company is to making spirit of cooperative
and promote in desired personal and professional life.
STP Of Aldi
Segmentation, positioning and targeting reflects the core of company's marketing
strategy. Following is the STP: Segmentation: They are focusing on prices of the product and providing items at
discounted rates. Customers prefer Aldi as they provide products at affordable prices. Targetting: They are focusing on households.
 Positioning: They have been operating in different parts of country and is largest chain of
supermarket in Germany. Now they are focusing to expand their business in countries
where there is no store present.
SWOT Analysis of Aldi
STRENGTH WEAKNESS
 Offer products at discounted and lower
rates.
 High quality of products.
 Keep the operating cost low.
 Spread in more than 15 countries.
 String hold in Germany with thousands
of stores.
 They have strong ecosystem as their
store provide products at discounted
rate.
 Have strong customer support.
 Relatively small as compared to other
brands.
 Low level of advertising.
 Limited range of products.
 Hasn't able to impact globally as they
only have few chain stores.
 They face positioning problems.
 They have low margins and highly
dependent ion sales volume.
 Poor employee satisfaction.
 They have poor penetration in high

 They have strong product mix. income groups.
THREAT OPPORTUNITY
 They have to face high competition
form other competitors like, Walmart,
Amazon, Tesco, Carrefour, Lidl, etc.
 Risks associated with suppliers.
 They should move to countries where
large population is there like India,
Brazil, etc.
 they can expand their business in global
markets like UK, USA, etc.
 They can focus more on advertising to
maintain their position.
 Expand business in growing
economies.
Situational analysis
Adoption of marketing strategy – Ansoff matrix is one of the appropriate marketing
strategy that will help ALDI for gaining high competitive advantages. This will assist in
analysing different market and desired success and growth of the company.
Ansoff Matrix
It helps in strategic planning and facilitates seniors, managers, executives and marketers
to develop strategies for future growth (Clow and James, 2013). It mainly includes four segments
and they are market penetration, market development, product development and diversification.
Ansoff matrix of Aldi is given below: Market penetration: In this Aldi tries to sell their existing products in existing markets in
order to achieve growth and encourages sales. Market development: In this, Aldi targets its existing products to new market segments. Product development: Aldi tries to develop new products and sell those into existing
market segments. Diversification: Aldi diversify its new businesses by developing new products for new
markets.
Budget information – For developing marketing budget, it will involve amount which is
to be spent by the company on various activities related to marketing and others (Malhotra,

2015). It will cover different factors that will help managers to develop appropriate budget for
company like market and product planning, distribution methods and techniques, etc.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that marketing is an essential activity carried
out by company in order to market its products and services to target customers and market. It is
important for marketers to develop appropriate strategies and plans to distribute their products
effectively so that they can seek the attention of large number of customers at a time. For that
they can use different marketing functions and concept of marketing mix which help them to
develop better strategies with more focused aims. Aldi is one of the leading company and has
been operating in many countries with thousand of stores. They have become successful due to
strong marketing strategies and planning. Coordination and interaction between department is
very strong and smooth and that is the reason, Aldi is so successful today.

REFERENCES
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Online
5 Marketing Essentials for Your Business. 2018 [Online]. Available through
<https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286545>.