Marketing Essentials Essay

This essay examines the key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions, analyzing their significance in the context of the marketing environment. It examines the interrelationship between marketing and other functional units within an organization, using Coca-Cola as a case study. The essay also delves into the marketing mix strategies employed by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, comparing their tactics to achieve business objectives.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions.....................................................1
P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational
context....................................................................................................................................2
M1 Analyse the roles and responsibilities of marketing in the context of marketing
environment............................................................................................................................3
M2) Analyse the significance of inter relationship between Marketing and other functional
units of an organisation..........................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P3. Comparison of Marketing mix to achieve business objectives.......................................6
Promotion......................................................................................................................7
M3. Tactics applied by organisations to achieve business objectives....................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
Reflection on group work.....................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is key to creating a small business that not only works, but grows to become
better every year. Report will lay emphasis on Coca-Cola. It is an American corporation,
manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The
company is best known for flagship product, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith
Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. Report will lay emphasis on key roles and responsibilities of
marketing. It will also highlight the inter-relationship of marketing with different functional
units. Roles and responsibilities in context of Marketing environment, Marketing mix and tactics
that organisation applied to achieve organisational goal will be highlighted in the report.
TASK 1
P1. Key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions
Marketing is the process of developing relationship with new and existing customers. It
focuses on customer satisfaction and make them reliable and increase trust towards the
organisation. Marketing includes research, planning, promoting, advertising, buying, selling,
pricing of products. Different marketing functions are explained below:
Marketing Research- Marketing department has responsibility to analyse what is going
in the competitive market. Gathering, collecting and analysing information is key to success of
organisation. Marketing research plays important role in linking producers, whole sellers,
retailers, customers and end users. By using Artificial intelligence technique like automation and
robotics in manufacturing process and adopting digitalisation, it brings quality information for
marketing and research unit which helps in increasing market share of organisation (Kozlenkova
and et.al., 2015)
Marketing Planning- To achieve objectives, marketing manager develops a marketing
plan. It is successful in having level of production and promotion. A plan includes objectives,
vision, swot analysis, marketing mix strategies. Coca cola uses PR SOSTAC model to develop a
marketing plan. SOSTAC stands for situation analysis, objectives, strategies, tactics, action and
control. SOSTAC is a logic that builds an in-depth Situation Analysis which helps to take
decisions for making strategy and tactics. Developing a marketing plan by adopting SOSTAC
model, it helps in development of security system and business plan. Coca-cola analyse the
situation for where product is in demand and then set objectives for that product which helps to
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increase sale of product and then by following marketing mix strategies to achieve business
objectives. After making strategies, tactics are also applied to gain more customers and then
action is taken for promoting and advertising the product and make aware customers of their
product. And then controlling is done by setting the price of product to increase market share
(Armstrong and et.al.,)
Coordination with sales- Marketing department coordinates with sales team for
packaging and dispatching products form organisation to customers. It helps in good service to
customers like on time delivery and make customer needs. Coca-cola sales team share
information with marketing team and give them assurance of number of products delivered.
Sales department plays important role because selling of products is in hands of them only. It
requires attention of customers by organising different campaigns for selling of products.
Managing Customer Expectation- Marketing department gets success when it meets all
customer needs and make customer satisfied. Coca-cola has a separate department for customer
service which coordinates with marketing unit to full fill customer needs. It serves from business
to business and business to customers. B to C is direct deal between organisation and customers.
It helps in taking feedback from customers and implement them in launching new product so that
customer gets satisfied with goods and service. B to B is indirect dealing and increases price for
customers as there are so many dealers are in between manufacturer and customers where each
individual take market share.
P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational context.
Marketing refers to buying and selling a product. Marketing department gain customer
attraction and increase market share of organisation.
Marketing department with Production- As per customer need or order, Marketing
department interacts with production unit to produce desired number of products. Production unit
plays important role to meet customer expectations. Orders generated by customers should met
within the time schedule required. Coca-cola market department interact with production
department to bring good quality products in market. Therefore, it uses automation process for
manufacturing products. Automation includes PLC, SCADA, DRIVES to control the process of
production. To stand in competitive market, Coca-Cola believes that good quality makes a
different unique identity. It increases publicity as well as market share.
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Marketing Department with Human Resource - Appropriate skills and staffing levels
are needed to research and develop new product ideas. It is responsibility of HR to hire skilled
candidates who help in effective growth of organisation. The role of HR department of Coca-
Cola is to recruit and select staff as per desirable need. Marketing department tells HR
department that they need high communicated skill employees who attractively interact with
customers and make them satisfied. Also, For all units of organisation, HR hire candidates. So it
is responsibility of HR to hire right candidate who work for welfare of company.
Marketing Department with Finance- By coordinating with finance unit, it sets an
adequate budget to meet the needs for research, promotion and distribution. The finance
department of Coca- Cola ensures that all the products that are produced have good quality and
are within budget. Price of products are set according to competitive market and need of product
in public. It clears investment price and make a set margin of profitability.
M1 Analyse the roles and responsibilities of marketing in the context of marketing environment.
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Illustration 1: Marketing environment
Source: (The Marketing Environment, 2017)

Marketing environment is responsible for establishing transactions and making relationship
between marketers and customers. Coca-cola follow a SLEPT model to analyse roles and
responsibilities of marketing. SLEPT stands for social, legal, economic, political, technological.
This model is explained below:
Social and cultural environment- It outlines current trend of market i.e.; what public
wants from organisation. It affects sales of product. It gives information regarding taste, colour,
style, material of product. Current trend uses social media to advertise, promote their product
(Pappas, 2017) Coca-cola analyse that teenagers are likes their drinks mostly so they make
strategy to target teenagers and young adults.
Economic environment- Marketing managers focus on economic news like inflation
rate, GDP rate such that economic factors are responsible for profitability of organisation. News
are of both optimism and pessimism (Dekhil, and et.al., 2017). Economic environment plays
important role to find customer need, GDP, unemployment, market share of other brands.
Marketing department has responsibility to analyse economic factors and then do pricing of
products.
Legal environment- It includes central, state, federal laws that every organisation must
follow. Laws are made to take care of public and make free from health issues. Role of legal
environment is to set laws regarding health and safety, security, equality, anti-discrimination,
unemployment. It is responsibility of Coca-cola market department to follow health and safety
laws and also legislation laws that are to be considered for product selling to make their product
qualitative and authorised. Coca- cola has trade mark on their products.
Political environment- Political issues raised by parties to meet public needs ask
organisation to help them. Role of political environment helps organisation to increase their
productivity, publicity and market share (Shahin Sharifi, 2014). Marketing unit takes advantage
of political environment and helps organisation to reach to high level. Political environment
makes high profitability to Coco-cola because political parties give orders to serve soft drink in
meetings, functions, campaigns.
Technological environment- Organisation is taking help of technology to make their
product more effective and qualitative. It also makes ease for employees to manufacture their
product in same proportion. Coca-Cola is using industrial automation technology to manufacture
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their products as it decrease time to manufacture and make qualitative product. It makes
manufacturing process effective and when faults occurred, they are sorted easily.
M2) Analyse the significance of inter relationship between Marketing and other functional units
of an organisation.
Marketing and other functional units work together for growth of organisation. Marketing
department is that department which deals directly with customers and other units help
marketing department to achieve target. Each department plays individual role in growth and
their interrelationship with marketing unit are explained below:
Marketing department with Production- Production department interacts with
marketing department to analyse what ingredients to be added in products to fulfil customer
needs, what quantity of products to be produced. Having good relation between production and
marketing leads company to one of the top brands. Production department plays an important
role in organisation because product quality and taste depends on production only. Production
signifies as root of organisation (Shahin Sharifi, 2014)
Marketing department with HR unit- HR recruits’ candidates for organisation who
lead organisation growth. Coca-cola's HR give performance appraisal to staff as it increases
interest to do work effectively and efficiently. HR hire candidates for all units within
organisation. Significance of HR relation with marketing is to give performance appraisal,
rewards, training to employees. HR emphasises on internal recruitment as marketing department
staff gets motivated and get promoted fast according to their work and lead to more customers
and more productivity and more profitability. (Duffett, 2017)
Marketing department with Finance- As finance department measures company's
market share. It takes organisation to a higher level and make effective and efficient brand.
Marketing department take information from finance unit to set the price of product according to
economic factors. It plays a significant role in analysing market situations regarding economic
conditions of countries. Investing in developing countries like India, Brazil, Italy is highly
profitable as investment rate is low there and chances of profitability increases.
Marketing with research & development- The new innovations created by Coca-
Cola with the help of R&D can be made aware to consumes through marketing. This help
company in gaining competitive advantage.
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TASK 2
P3. Comparison of Marketing mix to achieve business objectives
Marketing mix defined as the set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its
marketing objectives in the target. Marketing mix 7 Ps - process, people, physical evidence,
product, place, price, promotion has become the dominant framework for marketing
management decisions.
Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are facing competition on cola markets, but mostly from
each other. These two leaders are dominating the market and the existing situation is called
oligopoly (Fetisova, 2015) Marketing mix of Coca – Cola and PepsiCo Company adopted in the
Marketing planning process includes:
S.No. Marketing Mix Coco – Cola PepsiCo
1. Product It is multinational organization
offering wide range of beverages
like Diet Coke, Fanta, Kinley,
The various products of
PepsiCo available to the whole
world includes Diet Pepsi,
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Illustration 2: marketing mix strategy
Source: (marketing-mix-7ps 2018)

Limca, Sprite to the whole
world.
Coca Cola products are sold in
various packaging and sizes i.e.
in 200ml, 500ml, 1ltr, 1.5ltt and
2ltr bottles in cans, glass and
plastic bottles.
Miranda, 7 up, Mountain Dew,
Slice.
Pepsi Co products are also
available in different packaging
& sizes.
2. Pricing The pricing strategy of Coca
Cola was influenced by the cost
of production, i.e. on the basis of
cost of production plus the profit
margin and other expenses.
Also, Coca Cola’s pricing
strategy aimed at driving brand
loyalty for which they charge
different prices for products in
different segments (Dekhil and
et.al., 2017)
Pepsi Co pricing strategy is
market-orientated. Pepsi Co
uses premium pricing strategy
also varies across specific
brands within portfolio.
3. Promotion For promotion it uses advertising
and branding strategy & focuses
on aggressive marketing through
advertisement campaigns like
media TV, online ads, print
media, sponsorships etc. Also, it
sponsors many programmes like
American Idol, Olympic Games,
FIFA world-cup etc.
PepsiCo uses strategies of
Advertisement Campaigns,
Sales promotion, Direct
marketing, Public relations for
promotional activities
specifically for marketing
Pepsi and Doritos (Fan and
Zhao, 2015)
4. Process Coco-cola uses advance
technology to manufacture
products like automation such
PepsiCo adopts process of
removing high fructose corn
syrup.
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that products are produced in
same proportion and also quality
get increased.
Audits for Quality control is
performed by specially trained
technicians is part of the
manufacturing sequence.
5. People Marketing Communication
Strategy encompass employees,
shareholders, partners, the press,
analysts and the public whose
stake is in the company & must
be addressed with updated
information timely.
Professionals must provide
customer services and staffing
training by organising training
sessions and other exercises.
PepsiCo fosters a corporate
culture that values employees,
creates employee satisfaction
and emphasized diversity in the
workplace.
It also ensures strong customer
base as well.
6. Physical evidence All physical components that
consumers are interacting with,
includes packaging of product,
branding, layout, environment of
place where products and
services are being offered.
PepsiCo website provides
information about company
including manufacturing
process.
PepsiCo has adopted a
philosophy for packaging i.e.
reduce, reuse, recycle, remove
and renew.
7. Place Coca Cola is present for last 130
years and in more than 200
countries worldwide having wide
range of distribution channel and
its products are available in all
retail outlets and supermarkets
across the globe.
PepsiCo products can be
purchased from supermarkets,
mini-markets and grocery
stores all over the world.
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M3. Tactics applied by organisations to achieve business objectives
Business objective refer to earn profit, attracting customers, regular innovations with the
best use of available resources. Achieving business objectives is target of every organisation.
Business objectives requires some tactics to achieve goals are explained below:
Discount- Customer needs offers on products as it increases both publicity and
productivity. Discount is path which leads to customer attraction and also promotion of products.
Coca-Cola gives discount on products while discussing with finance unit and also depends upon
demand of public. This tactic makes customer satisfied as money matters to everyone. Discount
can be like 15% discount on product or get one free on two, or have cashback up to £5. It grasps
attentions of customers make product attractive (Fan, 2015).
Promotion- Product promotion is needed for every organisation to aware customers of
their new or existing product. Coca-Cola uses social media marketing for advertising products as
social media is in current trend. Promotion leads to creation of customers and increases
organisation publicity. Digital platforms are also used as they are future scope of advertising and
make aware of organisation product specification (Sajid, 2016).
Packaging and labelling- products are delivered to customers first thing that they saw is
packaging of products. So, packaging of product should be done in such a manner that it attracts
customer attention and make the product attractive. Coca-Cola labels attractively on coke bottles,
cans such that product gets identical from another competitive brand. Coca-Cola’s uses red
colour to label its name as red colour has high wavelength as it seems over from distant as well
(Rundh, B., 2016).
Standardisation and grading- As per competitive market, public wants quality of
product such that product do not affect health. So, it is required to standardise product as per
demand. By doing this, it takes unique position in market. Coca-Cola standardise coke by
launching cans in market as it grasps attention of customers and increases profitability.
Customers will have no doubt to buy product of Coca-Cola brand as it standardises quality of
product (Aghazadeh, 2015).
Storage- As per demand of customers, company keeps storage of products in their
warehouse such that when there is demand, no short-range of products takes place. It varies from
season to season. But products should not be in very great amount such that products gets
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wasted. It should be limited one. Storage of high selling product should be more than their
demand is high (Hugos, and et. al., 2018).
TASK 4
Reflection on group work
While doing this file about marketing essentials, I play a role as team leader of my group.
I experience many things while working on this project and learnt so many practices. First, I
divided topics among my group members and then start researching about tasks given. I learnt
about role and responsibilities of marketing functions, significance of inter relationship between
Marketing and other functional units of an organisation, different tactics applied by organisations
to demonstrate how business objectives can be achieved. We had also done a comparison of
Marketing mix to achieve business objectives. This requires lot of research and analysis to
achieve business goals. I analyse marketing mix strategies for effective and efficient growth of
organisation. Marketing mix strategies include 7P's that are people, product, promotion, process,
place, physical evidence, pricing. Organisation follows these strategies to make their marketing
plan effective. I also learnt that to achieve business objectives, some tactics need to be applied
that are discount, promotion, packaging and labelling, standardisation and grading. It grasps
customer attention and increases market share of organisation.
I learnt that analysing Marketing environment is also important where we get to know about
both internal and external environment factors. External marketing environment includes social
and cultural factors, political factors, economic factors, legal factors, technological factors. All
these factors play significant role in effective and quantitative marketing. Comparison of Coca-
Cola and Pepsi-co is also done based on marketing mix strategies which gives knowledge
regarding both the organisation that what they do for marketing their products. It gives detailed
analysis. While doing project in a group, sharing of information is done that helps a lot to
complete the project. Different new ideas and information gathers in a group which helps to
complete the project effectively and efficiently. It increases thinking power of ours and makes us
to compete with others. I played as team leader which improves my leadership qualities and
makes to learn how to handle a group and how to resolve problem being occurred in a group. My
group members helps me a lot to analyse data for task which improves my skills and abilities to
do work effectively and efficiently.
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CONCLUSION
From the above study we conclude that Coca-cola is a true global company worldwide.
Marketing and Advertising had been the most important function that had taken Coca-cola to
new heights. The company has also adopted innovative marketing strategies like marketing mix
strategies that helped the company to lead U.S. Carbonated soft drinks' category with 44%
market share more than one and half times the market share of its closest competitor like Pepsi
Co. Above project summarised about key role and responsibilities of marketing functions,
significance of interrelationship with other functional units, comparison of marketing strategies
between different organisation, tactics applied to achieve business objectives.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aghazadeh, H., 2015. Strategic marketing management: Achieving superior business
performance through intelligent marketing strategy,Procedia-Social and Behavioral
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Armstrong and et.al., 2015. Marketing: an introduction.
Dekhil, and et.al., 2017. Effect of religiosity on the decision to participate in a boycott: The
moderating effect of brand loyalty–the case of Coca-Cola. Journal of Islamic
Marketing.8(2). pp.309-328.
Duffett, R.G., 2017. Influence of social media marketing communications on young consumers’
attitudes,Young Consumers.18(1).pp.19-39.
Fan, S., and Zhao, J.L., 2015. Demystifying big data analytics for business intelligence through
the lens of marketing mix.Big Data Research.2(1). pp.28-32.
Fetisova, T. 2015. Understanding Coca-Cola advertising campaigns: a strategic analysis of the
‘share a coke’campaign. Unpublished thesis, State University of New York in Prague.
Kozlenkova and et.al.,2015. The role of marketing channels in supply chain management.
Journal of Retailing, 91(4).pp.586-609.
Pappas, N., 2017. Effect of marketing activities, benefits, risks, confusion due to over-choice,
price, quality and consumer trust on online tourism purchasing, Journal of Marketing
Communications.23(2). pp.195-218.
Sajid, S.I., 2016. Social media and its role in marketing.
Shahin Sharifi, S. and Rahim Esfidani, M., 2014. The impacts of relationship marketing on
cognitive dissonance, satisfaction, and loyalty: the mediating role of trust and cognitive
dissonance,International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.42(6). pp.553-
575.
Rundh, B., 2016. The role of packaging within marketing and value creation. British Food
Journal. 118(10). pp.2491-2511.
Hugos, M.H., 2018. Essentials of supply chain management. John Wiley & Sons.
Online
Marketing-mix-7ps. 2018. [Online]. Available through. <https://in-business.org.uk/marketing-
mix-7ps-example-marketing-mix-7ps-pdf/marketing-mix-7ps/>.
The Marketing Environment. 2017. [Online]. Available through.
<https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/an-introduction-to-business-v2.0/s13-08-the-
marketing-environment.html>.
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