Marketing Strategy and 7P's of Top Shop

The assignment provided is an in-depth analysis of Top Shop's marketing strategy and its implementation of the 7 Ps of marketing. The report examines the company's situational analysis, market research, and planning processes. It also explores the different units of the organization, including marketing, finance, and operations, and their interrelationships. Additionally, the assignment discusses the importance of physical evidence in Top Shop's stores and its chain store presence worldwide. Overall, this assignment provides a comprehensive understanding of Top Shop's marketing strategy and its successful execution of the 7 Ps.

MARKETING SKILLS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................1
P1: How the key roles and responsibilities of marketing function relate to the wider
organisational context.............................................................................................................1
P2: Roles and responsibilities of marketing in context of marketing environment...............2
P3: The significance of inter-relationship between marketing and other functional units of an
organisation............................................................................................................................3
P4: The key elements of marketing functions and how they interrelate with other functional
units of an organisation..........................................................................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................5
P5: How different organisations apply the market mix to the marketing planning process to
achieve business objectives....................................................................................................5
P6: Different tactics applied by organisations to achieve their business objectives..............7
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................7
P7: Development and evaluation of a basic marketing plan..................................................7
P8: Detail coherent evidence of the marketing plan...............................................................8
P9: A strategic marketing plan that applies the 7P's to achieve overall marketing plans......9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
Books and Journals...............................................................................................................11
Online...................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
In this age of globalisation, various organisations have started growing big. These huge
corporations deal with various buying and selling of goods and services. These services needs to
be marketed, and this is where they prefer marketing as their ally to market their goods and
services. The idea of marketing deals with the buying and selling of products or services.
Marketing is primarily focused on advertising, delivering and selling of these products and
services. The below report explores how a marketing manager of Top shop after the appointing
three new board members makes them understand the strategies used by company to grow its
market share. For this, to make them understand the report showcases the function of marketing,
its interrelationship with different units of organisation, plans, its different responsibilities etc. in
context of Top shop.
Task 1
P1: How the key roles and responsibilities of marketing function relate to the wider
organisational context
The role played by a marketing department for the organisation is driven towards
promoting the organisation or establishment. Top-shop uses marketing as to tool to promote its
brand and products as well. Top-shop uses marketing as its key to penetrate into market and
making people aware of its products and brand as well (Fill and Turnbull, 2016). Below
mentioned are the points discussing the key roles and responsibilities of marketing used in a
wider organisational context of Top-shop:
Being aware of customers needs: It is important for marketing department of Top-shop
to keep establishing new strategies, and this is where the department needs to get closer to the
organisation's clients. Internally, it creates various surveys by capturing information from sales
and customer support team and externally, it manages to do searches and creating actions in
social networks. These ways help them to connect with their customers and create strategies
accordingly (Lovelock and Patterson, 2015).
Keeping a track of trends and monitoring competition: From keeping a track of trends
marketing establishes a consumer connection which helps Top-shop in understanding more about
the current trends and how they are operating within the market.(Malhotra, 2015) Along with it,
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it also watches how competitors are doing and what their strategies are to promote their products
and how they differ from Top-shop.
Innovation: The department needs to keep innovating as per the market requirement and
to keep building new strategies, looking for new techniques to promote Top-shop to the wider
audience (Hair and Lukas 2014).
Transmitting and working brand values: Marketing is also responsible to represent
and maintain the organisations brand value. They create different advertisements, prepare
different images, designs etc. that creates a resemblance of Top shop.
P2: Roles and responsibilities of marketing in context of marketing environment
Below discussed are the roles and responsibilities of marketing in context of marketing
environment:
11 To create strategies: Marketing department ensures creating different strategies to make
the organisation reaching its goals. These goals can either be towards brands promotion
of Top shop or to earn more profits, marketing ensures understanding and creating
strategies towards both to fulfil its expectations.11 Market research: The Marketing department of Top Shop does market research to see
what new trends are there in the market. How these trends are behaving and how the
company can adapt accordingly.11 Development of Products: Top-shop marketing team helps the organisation in
developing its products, the department observes how current products are selling and
ensures if there's any rectification that needs to be done.11 Communication: In marketing environment, communication is necessary that ensures
the overall organisation's growth. The marketing departments responsibility is to ensure
the organisation communication with its customers. It manages to speak and taking
feedbacks from its customers. These feedbacks later help Top-shop to improve its
products and services accordingly.11 Sales support: The marketing department provides essential support to sales department.
It provides necessary promotions of the products which are going to be released in the
market and ensure that they gain necessary customer attention. The marketing team also
prepares various campaigns, advertisement, for the sales team to launch them along with
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the product. Also, it encourages the customers to buy Top-shop's products by providing
them with services such as blogs, newsletter, online commercials etc.11 Organising events: It is also one of the responsibilities of the marketing department to
organise events for Top-shop. These events can be exhibitions, seminars, conferences etc.
The marketing team ensures the right budgets, the places where it is going to take place
etc. Along with it, they carry out different external events to customers and ensure their
attendance for them.
P3: The significance of inter-relationship between marketing and other functional units of an
organisation
For an organisation it is necessary to have good inter-relationships between its
departments, this ensures a good environment and cooperation within the establishment. It also
ensures the smooth functioning of overall management functions and helps the organisation to
move towards growth. Below stated are the various department and their inter-relationships with
marketing in context of Top-shop:
1.Human Resource: It is necessary for marketing department to work in close
cooperation with Human Resource Management to ensure various inter-linking activities that
benefits both of them. Such activities include the recruitment of right working personnel for the
marketing department that satisfies the organisations requirements, also to ensure that they hold
the appropriate skill level. Their cooperation also plays an important role in researching and
developing new product ideas, meeting the production targets etc.
2.Finance: It is the job of the finance department to ensure that whole organisation works
within its financial capabilities. They also want all departments to operate and manage their work
within the allotted budgets. Marketing department seldom requires more funds to manage its
operation of create advertisements, organise events etc. In such situations, marketing department
asks for more funds and cooperates with Finance department to ensure their success (Armstrong,
et.al. 2015).
3.Production: The production department ensures the production of goods for Top shop.
Marketing department ensures adequate R&D planning with the cooperation of production to
make sure the satisfaction of customers needs. Also, that the goods are being produced as per the
customers requirements and needs. The department ensures the volume of orders that are being
generated by them are being met within the required delivery schedule.
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P4: The key elements of marketing functions and how they interrelate with other functional units
of an organisation
The key elements of marketing includes research, development, promotion, service and
support. These elements ensure a successful marketing operation. Any marketing strategy needs
these elements to become successful and ensure its right approach. Below listed are these
elements and how they are interrelated with other functional units of an organisation:
11 Research: Marketing needs a variety of research and development for an organisation
such as Top shop to understand a variety of customers needs. These needs are the keys to
understand what product the market is demanding. Having these customer needs in place
after proper analysis, these trends and wants are used by the Top shop to produce the
desired products. This is where marketing ensures that right research is done and helps
the production department to order raw materials accordingly. These raw materials are
later converted to the products as per the consumer requirements (Babin and Zikmund,
2015).11 Development: The marketing department ensures the development process is going as
per the required wants of consumer. These developments are determined by the trends, by
doing various researches and looking for the right demands. After this, the development
of the products and services takes place for Top Shop, along with it the production
department works with the cooperation of marketing to ensure what product needs to be
made as per the consumer requirement (Ryan, 2016).11 Promotion: Promoting goods and services is the responsibility of marketing team in an
organisation. These goods are promoted in ways of a variety of advertisements,
campaigns, etc. This is where sales and marketing's interrelation takes place, in which
sales are often done after the approval of marketing team because of the preparation
required for their promotions, also, it is essential for them to make sure the necessary
impact is done on the consumers before launching the product.11 Service and Support: After the arrival of technology, it has become necessary to provide
regular service and support to the customers within a limited period (Pike, 2015). This
ensures the overall organisation's reputation. The IT (Information Technology)
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department in Top Shop provides the required technology for service and support and the
marketing team works accordingly.
Task 2
P5: How different organisations apply the market mix to the marketing planning process to
achieve business objectives
Organisations around the world use different marketing techniques to achieve their
business objectives. Below listed are the 7P's or marketing in comparison of Marks and Spencer
and Top Shop discussing how both of the organisation uses different techniques to achieve their
objectives:
7P's Marks and Spencer Top Shop
Product The products of marks and Spencer are for
both of the men and women segment. They
use a variety of social networks and online
platforms to promote their products. These
products have less sales online and have
more of it on their stores (Lamb, Hair and
McDaniel, 2016).
The products of Top Shop
only deals with women's
clothing. Top shop sells their
products mostly online
because of having a good
online reputation and
maintains it accordingly.
Prices The prices of the products of Marks and
Spencer changes as their market falls and
gains. Recently, they've increased their
men jeans prices by $6 everywhere, due to
the impact created by trade war.
Top shop chooses to keep their
prices same whether there is
an inflation or any market
changes. After trade war the
company has made no
changes.
Place Marks and Spencer is having more stores
offline than online.
Top shop sells mostly online.
Promotion Marks and Spencer uses sales promotion in
its core marketing technique.
Top shop uses more of sales
organisation, advertising and
public relations.
People Marks and Spencer have targeted people Top shop choose to sell its
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from different genders. clothes only in women's
segment.
Process They use sales funnelling system for their
organisations marketing.
They use distribution system
for their organisation.
Physical Evidence Marks and Spencer have established their
stores worldwide.
Top shop is having good
online presence and consumers
word of mouth as well (Dibb
and Simkin, 2017.).
These P's showcases the importance of marketing strategies and how different
organisation uses different approaches for growth and development.
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Illustration 1: 7 P's of marketing
Source: (The 7P's of marketing, 2017)

P6: Different tactics applied by organisations to achieve their business objectives
Organisations uses various methods and tactics to meet their objectives. These objectives
can either be goal-oriented, team-oriented or could be towards planning for a better management,
goodwill etc. Below listed are the tactics used by Top shop to achieve its business objectives:
1. Gaining insights from consumers behaviours: Observing your customers behaviour is
a necessary approach towards gaining more insight from what you are selling. This helps
to know more about current market situation of an organisation as well. Top shop uses
this technique to learn about consumers needs and wants. Along with it, their preferences
in the type of commodity which they sell.
2. Using social media to know about their consumers needs and wants: Today,
organisations uses internet as a tool to understand their consumer needs, they use a
variety of techniques such as their product feedback, asking them what they like etc. This
tactic help them to know more about their customer and their how their products are
performing in the market as well (Berkowitz, 2018).
3. Planning customer interaction strategies: Top shop always chooses to put its
customers at first. For an organisation like this, it becomes necessary to understand and
observe its customers and approach them towards their products. Marketing department
plays a major role in planning these strategies to developing more customer base and
market as well.
4. Establishing basic plans and goals: Top shop manages to establish basic and neat goals
to achieve certain objectives. From this, it becomes easy to follow the guidelines from a
leader or a manager and then implementing them as per the requirement. This method
clears the unnecessary confusion and avoids situations that cause trouble.
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Task 3
P7: Development and evaluation of a basic marketing plan
Executive Summary: Top Shop has chosen to market its new products in India and
China, and has chosen promote them in the markets of India and China(Pike, 2014).
Objective: To reach to the maximum number of customers within first six months of the
product launch. This will help the company to observe the market potential in both of the
countries and to see if they have a demand of their product or not.
Vision: To make the organisations reach in the sector of women's clothing and gaining
more women customers which are attracted by their competitors.
Mission: To make sure enough campaigns and advertisements are done in both of the
countries to ensure the product of company's word of mouth.
Situational Analysis: Top shop has seen a rising demand of chinos jeans in women's
market in India and China. The company has chosen to prepare a certain type of chinos only for
women's market, which will use different colours but the products' cloth type is going to be the
same. The organisation has seen the products grip in the market and after doing an analysis they
are prepared to launch it.
Budget: The budget is set for the promotion is $50,000 for both of the markets. In which
the advertisement for mobile and internet is having a budget of $15,000 for each country and for
TV commercials they have $25,000 each, with other expenses of $10,000 (Lancaster and
Massingham, 2016). The company is going to spend it mostly on digital marketing. It will
promote its chino trousers on social media, TV commercials and mobile ads.
STP (Segmentation, Target and Positioning): While performing Segmentation, the
company has already identified its customers in the market of China and India. Later on, for
target market they've chosen to launch chinos in the women's segment specially. For positioning,
they have started marketing their products and are soon going to launch it as well.
Follow up: The organisation has chosen to keep a track of its marketing progress by
setting up a team to following up on the promotion and has asked for regular feedback.
P8: Detail coherent evidence of the marketing plan
Top shop have chosen to launch its new product in the market of India and China. After
observing the rising demand for Chino trousers in women's segment the brand has successfully
planned to launch one of its Chino segments in both of the countries. They've made an objective
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to reach the maximum number of customers within the first six months of the product launch.
This will help the company to determine the market potential for its product and to see if there is
a proper demand of the product. Their marketing team has done a situational analysis which has
observed that India and China recently have seen major competitors in the market of women's
trousers especially for Chino trousers. Top shop has successfully made a product after observing
the needs of both of the markets. Their products is ready to set its place in the market. The
marketing team is more focused towards marketing the product digitally. They have chosen
social media, digital advertisements (mobile or internet) and TV commercials. This strategy
would later help the organisation to determine the success of products marketing easily. The
budget which is going to require for the overall promotion is $50,000 and the organisation has
set aside a to follow up the above strategies. This whole plan will ensure the product reaches to
the consumers sight and after its launch they choose to buy it as well. Top shop's marketing team
is ensuring the product's and its promotion's success in both of the countries.
P9: A strategic marketing plan that applies the 7P's to achieve overall marketing plans
7P's of marketing exploring the set-up plan for Top-shop's product launch:
 Product: The chosen product which is going to be launched in women's chinos(trousers).
The company have explored its demand in the markets of India and China.
 Place: Top shop has chosen China and India for its product launch as per the demand and
also a big market for the product.
 Price: The price for the whole marketing plan and its implementation is going to require
a budget of $50,000 (Baines, Fill and Page, 2015). This budget includes the company's
overall product's marketing in both of the markets.
 Promotion: For promotion they've chosen digital marketing. In which they are going to
promote the trousers on mobile and internet advertisements and TV commercials.
 People: The people they have targeted is women's. The organisation has observed the
trousers demand in the market of China and India.
 Processes: The process which they used for the planning is setting up a clear goal with
objectives, vision and mission. Along with it, they've used Situational analysis to observe
the demand for the product.
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 Physical Evidence: Top shop is already having a good reputation in the market in the
segment of women's clothing, also they have their chain stores worldwide which acts as
its good physical evidence.
CONCLUSION
The above report showcases the function of marketing, its interrelationship with different
units of organisation, plans, its different responsibilities etc. in context of Top shop. Along with
it explores a marketing strategy for its new product launch and their strategies. The 7P's of
marketing and their implication with the strategy.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Armstrong, G. and et.al., 2015. Marketing: an introduction.
Babin, B. J. and Zikmund, W. G., 2015. Exploring marketing research. Cengage Learning.
Baines, P., Fill, C. and Page, K., 2015. Essentials of marketing. Oxford University Press.
Berkowitz, E., 2018. Essentials of health care marketing. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Dibb, S. and Simkin, L., 2017. Marketing essentials. Cengage Learning.
Fill, C. and Turnbull, S.L., 2016. Marketing communications: brands, experiences and
participation. Pearson.
Hair Jr, J. F. and Lukas, B., 2014. Marketing research (Vol. 2). McGraw-Hill Education
Australia.
Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F. and McDaniel, C., 2016. Essentials of marketing. Cengage Learning.
Lancaster, G. and Massingham, L., 2016. Essentials of marketing management. Routledge.
Lovelock, C. and Patterson, P., 2015. Services marketing. Pearson Australia.
Malhotra, N. K., 2015. Essentials of marketing research: A hands-on orientation. Essex:
Pearson.
McDonald, M. and Wilson, H., 2016. Marketing Plans: How to prepare them, how to profit from
them. John Wiley & Sons.
Pike, S., 2014. Destination marketing: essentials. Routledge.
Pike, S., 2015. Destination marketing: essentials. Routledge.
Purvis, J., 2015. Human resources marketing and recruiting: Essentials of digital
recruiting. Handbook of Human Resources Management. pp.1-19.
Ryan, D., 2016. Understanding digital marketing: marketing strategies for engaging the digital
generation. Kogan Page Publishers.
Online
MARKETING THEORIES – THE MARKETING MIX – FROM 4 PS TO 7 PS. 2017. [Online]
Available through:
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marketing-mix---from-4-p-s-to-7-p-s>
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