Service Quality Analysis & Marketing Mix

This assignment focuses on understanding the 7Ps of marketing mix, particularly for services, as discussed in Khan & Adil (2013). Additionally, students are required to analyze the differences between social engineering and social marketing using Kennedy & Parsons (2014), and explore entrepreneurial marketing in small businesses based on Jones & Rowley (2011). Students should also familiarize themselves with the essentials of marketing from Joshi (2012) and understand the application of the '7Ps' model for place branding and marketing using Gertner (2011).

Marketing essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK...............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Roles and responsibilities of marketing function.............................................................1
P2. Responsibilities as well as roles of the marketing and relate them with other functional
area.........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3 Ways in which different organisation apply the marketing mix to achieve objectives.....5
P4 7Ps of marketing mix........................................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
P4 Marketing mix plan for Your destination company..........................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Marketing has become an important activity for s organisation in the present scenario as this is
the only way through which firm can cover large market area in less time period. Through
marketing company can promote and advertise their products and services to convince people to
purchase its goods (Ogunmokun and Tang, 2012). In other words, it can be said that for
company, this is a path which helps in reaching to large number of peoples which can be
converted into potential customers of the company. This project report will deal with many
marketing strategies as well as platform which can assist to achieve high goals and objectives in
certain time period. For this assignment, Your Destination is chosen that is a transportation
company in the United Kingdom. Also, evaluate various rules and responsibilities of the
marketing functions of Your destination company. To sell goods and services in market cited
have to design a effective marketing campaigns which is creative and unique.
TASK
P1. Roles and responsibilities of marketing function
Marketing function is one of the most important functions for any organisation.
Marketing manager who is also known as representative of the firm has to perform certain
functions with regard to marketing (Malhotra, 2015). This department not only sells the products
and services of firm but it too creates brand value of products in the market. It is the same
marketing function that makes customers loyal towards their products. The key roles and
responsibilities of marketing function are as follows-
Briefing and managing the brand: It simply means to create a position in the market
through brand value. The brand is one that is recognized by the customers, proper informing and
management will definitely help company to create an identity in the market (Lovelock, 2011).
Market research: Marketing research is the key aspect as if company produces old trends
products, no one will going to buy. Timely research is always important to be in recent trend and
provide a true value to customers.
Providing website contents: My destination's website always help customers to get the
needed services online. Proper considerations should be given to contents involved in the
website.
1

Increasing productivity of the firm: Marketing manager's main aim is to increase the
efficiency of the business by creating customer value and getting large portion of market shares.
Identifying the current and potential market: If the organisation do not know its existing
customer and potential customers for whom they are delivering products or providing services,
how can they identify their needs and wants. Thus identification of current and potential
customers is the key aspect of the organisation (Lehmann and et. al. 2016).
Monitoring competition: Monitoring your competitors and making strategy to tackle
them is must for any business. A business will never perform if competition is not monitored.
External environment always affect the business and its existence. Thus, competition should be
monitored.
Timely reviewing your customer: Consumer reviewing is needed to make customer loyal
towards your service. My destination company can get feedback from consumers as what more
they can include in their services so that it will get better than others (Khan and Adil 2013).
Promotional activities: My destination organisation has to carry out promotional
activities to make an identity in the market and to get recognized by other customers also. Every
organisation now a days give advertisement in T.V., Newspapers to make their services
recognizable by customers.
Producing internal communications: Communication with Internal customers
(employees) of the organisation will create an impact in the mind of the external customer to get
the service of the company (Kennedy and Parsons, 2014).
Cost analysis: Marketing department should know how much money they can spend in
promotional activities. If the company's expenditure is more in promotional activities, it will
definitely increase the cost of services. Coordination with Finance department will always plays
a vital role for achievement of budget control.
Innovation: It make your brand more competitive than others. Organisation always need
innovative and creative employees to get an edge over their competitors to achieve goals and
objectives of the company (Joshi, 2012).
All these are the key roles and responsibilities of every organisation to make a
recognizable identity in the market.
2

P2. Responsibilities as well as roles of the marketing and relate them with other functional area
Market section has interrelation with other functional departments of company and so,
there must be coordination between them to achieve higher profit in business environment. No
department of the firm can perform their work effectively without contribution of marketing
department. Human resource, operational and functional are some of them which play very
important role in the success of the firm (Jones and Rowley, 2011). With the help of customer's
review marketing department can attain desired goals and objectives.
Customer service: This is the department of company that takes care of the wants as well
as demands of customers so that firm can address them in a proper way and try to resolve any
problem coming in their way of growth. If they achieve success in this, then they can easily
achieve customer’s trust and satisfaction. With this, they can improve their brand image in the
market place (Gertner, 2011).
Inventory chain management: They are the main suppliers for company who provides
them raw material in required quantity that is converted into final finished goods. They are the
main mediators between the business activities and hold a significant position as all firms depend
on chain management as they assist high competitive advantage to gain high profitability as well
as productivity. All the goods and products which are coming in the firm should be checked by
this department to ensure that they are beneficial or not.
Finance department: It is the responsibility of selling department of firm to set
coordination with marketing department so that company can know which budget is required.
The allocated budget for any particular task should be used in all areas in a systematic manner.
The profit generated by enterprise must be distributed equally among all departments as it is the
combined efforts of all staff members. In any company, finance department allocated capital in
all functional area as well as marketing department according to the requirement so that they can
build effective strategy to achieve desired goals (Forshier, 2012).
Operational department: This department involve in the production area so, that they need any
particular team or group of people who should provide current information about the trends and
fashion in market and then according to the information they will modify products and services.
After then this department set deadline in which all task and activities have to perform by
employees effectively. This will help them to grow their brand image in competitive business
market place.
3

Illustration 1: Different organisational
functions, 2017
Human resource department: It is most important department in the organisation which control
and manage all operational activities at work place. HR have huge responsibility of managing all
resources of the organisation for effective management . If they have to achieve high growth as
well as success in competitive market place then HR manager has to enhance the skills and
abilities of the employees so, that they can put full efforts in it (Fırat, 2013). There must be
organisational audit on regular basis to know if any conflicts among staff members or not or it is
the marketing department who provide all the information to them that how much staff members
are needed for performing any task so, that according to the details HR recruit the new staff for
the company.
With the help of this analysis company can know in which department more emphasis
has to be put on to achieve high growth as well as success in the competitive market place in
certain period of time (Fazlollahtabar, Aghasi and Forte, 2012).
4

TASK 2
P3 Ways in which different organisation apply the marketing mix to achieve objectives
Marketing mix play very crucial role in the development of marketing plan for any
products and services. There are seven factors in this which are products, price, place, people,
physical evidence, process and promotions. There will be comparison between two company
which are National express and Your destination. Both organisation deal in transportation and
on delivering high quality products and services to increase their market share in United
kingdom. The company using different strategies and plans according to their goals and
objectives to achieve high growth (Chamorro-Mera, Miranda and Rubio, 2014).
P4 7Ps of marketing mix Product: There are many products as well as services which are offered to customers like
they offer mail services, packets services, delivery of the raw materials from one location
to another. On one side Your destination is focused to provide good quality services to
increase customer services where on the other side National express is focusing on
providing 24*7 services to their customers. Price: The Your destination company has the fixed cost which are relevant also. There is
no bargaining done 2with the customers regarding the price of the products. Before fixing
the price they include all the amount which has been incurred during the manufacture
process of product. Your destination company mainly focusing on cost leadership
strategies and plans (Brady, 2014). Where National express has to keep a suitable price to
make their consumer believe that they can provide more services than the price which has
presented to them. Place: They have primed their offices in the urban areas which assist the transportation
services for the family members and the small business. They also use internet services if
anyone seeks to avail their products and services then they can make them a call on the
number which they have given on the websites. National express company is targeting
the retail sector and oil companies which help them to rise their business in market place. Promotion: Through this source company company can market themselves in the market
area to target more customers towards their services. Your destination is arrival to their
customers and clients through various social media campaigns or other than this firm can
5

give ads on billboards as well as television. National express has brought many PR
strategies and plans through which firm maintain good relation bond with their media
partners and customers. The cities of UK organise many promotional events on regular
basis to show their presence in the competitive business market place. Process: Through this company deliver their products and services to their customers. So,
they have mainly focus on the quality of the services so that consumer does not have
problem in anything (Baker and Saren, 2016). Many special equipments are used by firm
during packaging process so that no damage and harm is done to the products of the
people and also they provide free insurance to the customers which assist in creating
good image in the market place. National express has put tracking tool through which
company can provide real information to their customers regarding place where products
has reached. People: It is most extended mix of marketing which include both employers and
customers. They focus on maintaining good relationship bond with staff members so that
they execute their work in planned manner to achieve goals. Your destination company
provide proper training to their employees to train them how to deal with the customers.
On the other side National express set different criteria for team team according to the
operational functions.
 Physical evidence: There are many things which are not seen so it is benefit point for the
organisation, through which they can enhance the amount of transportation to increase
margin of profit in certain time period.
TASK 3
P4 Marketing mix plan for Your destination company
Marketing plan assist organisation to attain its planned goals and objectives in available
resources in certain time period. The transportation firm require right marketing model as well as
proper research plan to survive for long time period in competitive market place. Marketing plan
includes various future plans in the graphical format, report form and power point presentation
which can be easily understandable by managers. This will assist in smooth running of all
operational activities in the business of transport industry. Firm should considered all external as
well as internal factors while making any strategies or plans.
6

Company's Mission: Properly deliver all courier packets and providing high quality services to
its clients.
Marketing Objectives: Main objectives of transport companies is to minimise the time of
delivery in transferring its products and services to its customer's.
Basic Objectives: Your destination company have main aim is to reach more and more
customer's and also seek to develop separate source where customers can share their problem and
issues (7Ps of marketing mix, 2017).
Aim of Business: Basically, Your destination company has three aims:
 It want to expand their services in the location, where the firm branches are not available.
 It desire to be popular more on those places where people don't know about it.
 Company aims to gain its services more than 25 percent.
Strategic Objectives: Your destination has to increase its base in market place through expanding
its services all around the world.
Situational analysis: There are various present and other factors which influencing performance
of Your destination, all these factors are explained below:
Strength
 High quality products and facilities
provided
 Use cost reduction policies.
Weaknesses
 Doesn't have sufficient reach at
different areas of market
 Company able to make this position
7
Illustration 2: 7Ps of marketing mix, 2017

 In the season's best offers provided
 Sufficient resources to make high
revenues and sales.
 For developing long term policies as
well as strategies expertise or
professionals available.
 Customer's positive feedback and view
due to crisis and critical situation.
 Company is unable to enhance the staff
member's services and development
 It is only customer centric, thus
ignoring employee centric factors
which is backbone of company
 Company only focusing on customer
centric and ignoring the employee’s
centric factors which works as
backbone of the firm.
Opportunities
 Firm can increase its revenue and sales
by expanding its business to many
places where they don't reach yet.
 For improving its services firm can do
modification of services.
 To decrease the delivery time external
transportation sources can be used by
firm
Threats
 In market place there are large number
of new entrants which provide same
products and services at low price to
customers.
 There are many variations in the
currency which can affects fluctuations
in its cost in other nation.
Main competitors: There are so many organisation available in the market place who are giving
tough competition to Your destination company and to the national express company which is
very close to them.
PESTLE Analysis:
Political: Unexpected result and Brexit of national election has affected the market which
create crisis in the market. Between European and UK countries there will be new norms of visa
and transportation which make the market down of Your destination company as after then they
have to increase rate of the transportation.
Economic: Taxation factor affect the performance of Your destination most and also increase
the rate of fuel as made expansion of transportation. To maintain the profit level firm have no
other choice rather than increase their cost (Business Essentials Information Session, 2017).
8

Social: The taste and preference of customer's are changed with time so company need to
provide services according to their current requirements and need to make them satisfied.
Technological:Any organisation who is existed in the market are now technology advanced. My
destination is also focusing on new creative and innovate technology to attract customers and
make them loyal. If a company is not technology driven, the possibility of failure is more. The
rate of technological change is more so proper consideration needed to be given to research.
R&D always plays a vital role in getting an edge over its competitors.
Legal and Environment: Laws are always needed to be taken care of. These factors will
automatically affects how company operates in the market. Legal analysis takes into account all
the angles and chart out the strategies needed to tackle the legislation. For example- consumer
law, safety standards, advertising standards etc.
Target Market Segmentation: Segmentation refers to division of total market of the company
into small segments and then focusing on the particular segments. Although the companies like
to target the youth and try to make them loyal but proper strategy needed to be made and
implement. Target market segmentation can be key to attract new consumers, and make your
business grow. The beauty of target marketing is that it focuses the attention on specific segment
and make promotion and pricing of services easier and cost-effective. For example – the
organisation can use market penetration technique by giving discounts to its existing customers.
Thus they can retain their existing customers and saves time and cost.
Budgets: Budget analysis is always important for an organisation as if the company lacks in
money, it will lead to failure of business. The marketing department should have coordination
with finance department to know how much money they have to invest in promotional activities.
Budget will definitely help management ability to make strategy and implement the same
accordingly.
CONCLUSION
1. From the above project report it has been concluded that for promotion and advertise of
any product or services marketing is very important. There are many functions of
marketing which involves selling, distribution, product service management and
management of the current information of market which obtained from various sources
9

and the final is the promotional. Marketing mix can be determined through having
information about the 7Ps of marketing mix thus it is important to inspecting the market
situation in which firm is. Apart from this, there has been comparison between the
National express and Your destination which are from same market segment. Company
have to analyse all the important operational activities and then estimate the cost of
implementation for effective management. This will help organisation to carry the
promotional as well as advertising events at different platforms of media as half of the
budget has been provided to them for the high growth and success of the firm in the
market place.
10

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ogunmokun, G. O and Tang, E. C. H., 2012. The effect of strategic marketing planning
behaviour on the performance of small-to medium-sized firms. International Journal of
Management. 29(1). p.159.
Malhotra, N. K., 2015. Essentials of marketing research: A hands-on orientation. Essex:
Pearson.
Lovelock, C., 2011. Services Marketing, 7/e. Pearson Education India.
Lehmann, S., and et. al. 2016. Replications hardly possible: Reporting practice in top-tier
marketing journals. Journal of Modelling in Management. 11(2). pp.427-445.
Khan, M. N and Adil, M., 2013. Data analysis techniques in service quality literature: Essentials
and advances. Serbian Journal of Management. 8(1). pp.95-112.
Kennedy, A. M and Parsons, A., 2014. Social engineering and social marketing: why is one
“good” and the other “bad”?. Journal of Social Marketing. 4(3). pp.198-209.
Joshi, M., 2012. Essentials of marketing. Bookboon.
Jones, R and Rowley, J., 2011. Entrepreneurial marketing in small businesses: A conceptual
exploration. International Small Business Journal. 29(1). pp.25-36.
Gertner, D., 2011. A (tentative) meta-analysis of the ‘place marketing’and ‘place
branding’literature. Journal of Brand Management. 19(2). pp.112-131.
Forshier, S., 2012. Essentials of Radiation, Biology and Protection. Cengage Learning.
Fırat, A. F., 2013. Marketing: culture institutionalized. Journal of Macromarketing. 33(1). pp.78-
82.
Fazlollahtabar, H., Aghasi, E and Forte, P., 2012. Bi-objective two-stage decision-making
process for service marketing. International Journal of Strategic Decision Sciences
(IJSDS). 3(3). pp.24-39.
Chamorro-Mera, A., Miranda, F. J and Rubio, S., 2014. Facebook as a marketing tool: An
analysis of the 100 top-ranked global brands. International Journal of Virtual
Communities and Social Networking (IJVCSN). 6(4). pp.14-28.
Brady, D. L., 2014. Essentials of international marketing. Routledge.
Baker, M. J and Saren, M. eds., 2016. Marketing theory: a student text. Sage.
Online
7Ps of marketing mix. 2017. Available through: <https://www.slideshare.net/kkpanchal/7ps-of-
marketing-45928315>. [Accessed on 3rd November 2017].
Business Essentials Information Session. 2017. [Online] Available
through<https://haskayne.ucalgary.ca/executive/BEInfo>. [Accessed on 3rd November
2017]

12