Marketing Plan Development Essentials

This assignment focuses on the essential elements of developing an effective marketing plan. It delves into the various stages involved, from analyzing the market and identifying target audiences to setting objectives, devising strategies, and outlining tactics for implementation. Students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of key marketing concepts and apply them to create a comprehensive plan that outlines a clear path for achieving marketing goals.

MARKETING
ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
P 1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing function of McDonald's..............................1
P 2 How roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational context 3
P 3 How McDonald's applies the marketing mix in comparison to Aldi..............................5
P 4 Marketing plan for McDonald's......................................................................................9
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Economics define the term market as an imaginary or real region where product and
services are provided by marketer to their consumers. Essentials of market are goods or services,
skilled employees, customers, stakeholders, etc. (Dibb and Simkin, 2013). The process by which
organisations create values for their customers and build a loyal relationships to capture worth
from them in return is known as marketing. This Present report is based on marketing essentials
of McDonald's. It is an American hamburger and fast food restaurant which
was founded in 15th May, 1940 and operated by Richard and Maurice
McDonald in San Bernardino, California. It is multinational corporation
having a number of approx 375,000 employees. In this project, role of
marketing and their interrelations with other functional units are explained.
The various organisational functional areas such as finance, Human
resource, information and technology, etc. are also described.
TASK 1
P 1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing function of McDonald's
The roles and responsibilities of marketing function of McDonald's that are listed below:
 Distribution: This is one of most important function of organisation. This is about how
corporation will deliver products and services that they wanted to sell to their consumers
who wishes to buy them. Having idea for goods are great but if company is not able to
get those goods to their users then, they are not going to earn profit. The task of
distribution can be made easy by setting up a shop or restaurant in that part of city where
large number of consumers are living or surviving (Lamb and et. al., 2011). Distribution
strategies used by company decides how effectively users can obtain products. As the
enterprise is dealing with global market , then it may be more cost effective while dealing
with consumers through help of local distributors. The company can use online marketing
measures so that large number of people can purchase their products and by this way they
can earn more profit.
 Financing: Successful marketing leads to regular earning of money that is used to pay
for different operations of business. The plan of making long term revenue can be built or
secured by making marketing programs that effectively strengthen loyal relationships
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between consumers. On other hand, programs of product development are opening new
revenue streams. Financing plays a vital role in success of marketing by providing
alternative ways or modes of payment like loans, extended credit terms or leasing to their
consumers. This method takes money in order to make revenue. The business owner of
McDonald's earns their money through investments, personal capital so that creation and
advertisement of products can be financed.
 Market research: It is nothing but collection of information about needs and demands of
targeted consumers. In this decision are taken, like who are the customers that company
wants to sell to? A large area of survey get conducted in order to examine taste and
living style of population of different nations. After that product get manufactured as per
their demand so that rate of selling can be increased.
 Pricing: This is a challenge to set accurate price of product and services which company
faces. They decide their costing by concentrating on income of various section of society
either they are rich or poor. Additionally, they also calculate it after adding all prices that
it get via manufacturing , packaging and transporting goods (Malhotra and et. al., 2013).
If corporation is making high prices for their product, then they might loose interest of
consumers. But if it is too low then, enterprise will face losses. The accurate one will
comes out normally through trail and error method. Firms can also do a market research
in which they discover costing of their competitors and after that they can decide real
price of their product and services.
 Product and service management: After determining target market and setting of cost
of goods and services, next goal is to effectively manage those product or servicing. This
is done via listening to users and responding as per their needs or wishes (Berkowitz,
2016). Additionally, product should be keep fresh and up to date in order to increase their
demand.
 Marketing information management: It also aids in understanding the needs of
consumers. Company can collect information by reviewing reports of published market
research and by asking for feedback from other sales team members. Also they can carry
out survey using market research industry. They should monitor and review of their
products on several sites and social media such as face book and twitter whereby
company can find data related to need and attitudes of customers towards goods.
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 Promotion: This makes users and prospects aware of enterprise and products. This is
carried on via several techniques like advertisement, direct marketing, public relation,etc.
Through this, company can communicate benefits of products and make preference for
them.
 Selling: Marketing and selling are two complementary activities. Marketing generates
awareness and make preference for goods, that aids corporation sales representatives or
staff of retail to sell more amount of goods (Blythe, 2012). This also supports sales by
creating leads for team members of sales to follow up.
There are several roles and responsibilities of marketing such as selling, promoting,
product and service management, pricing, market research, etc. These all should be effectively
managed through procedures of marketing. The marketing environment impacts a lot on these
functions. For example, macro and micro factors influences greatly on the performance of
corporation. The government policies such as imposition of taxes, certain employment laws, etc.
diminishes turnover of company. There are various other companies that are providing same
product and services. This shows that competition is increasing day by day. So, enterprise ought
to develop different or unique goods at accurate prices. So, that they can beat up their
competitors and maintains a reputable image at the market place.
P 2 How roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational context
The roles and responsibilities of marketing are inter-related to other functions of
organisational context. This is explained below:
 Human resource: It is also linked to marketing sector because to hire skilled worker is
basic requirement of company. And human resource management aids in recruiting most
talented employees for corporation. For this, enterprise has to conduct surveys in
different universities and institutes so that they can hire rising talent. They can take
interviews of hotel management students and also from other branches in order to gather
more number of workers. For this purpose, they can take online interviews so that less
time and money will get consumed in this process. After hiring people, they should
provide them proper training so that new comers can understand importance of their job
and work effectively in order to contribute in enhancing marketing share.
 Research and development: This is the process in which surveys are conducted to
examine production of their competitors so that corporation can identify their weakness
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and manufacture same by making improvement in those areas. This will attract
consumers towards their goods or services as they are offering something different and
best that are not provided by any other companies (Papasolomou and Melanthiou, 2012).
The research is also done to recognize needs or demands of customers in order to
develop their production as per their view point. For example, teenagers or children
prefer food items like burger, pizza, cakes, pastries, ice-creams, etc. Hence, they should
produce different flavours and best qualities of such food items. So, marketing price or
profit will raise per year. This is how research and development are related to marketing
of company.
 Customer service: This is nothing but providing good services to targeted consumers.
As firm is offering online buying or selling of products, they should deliver booked
goods at accurate time. The company is making a policy whereby if there occur any late
in delivery of product then they have to compensate their users by giving them extra food
stuffs (Mihart, 2012). They should also consider feedbacks or recommendations of their
purchaser. This will make good image of them in the eyes of civilians. They will buy
more products when they see positive response of corporation against their concerns.
Therefore, this will increase turnover of enterprise.
 Administration: The company has an administration department that is closely related to
marketing process. For example any practices carried on by CEO, managers, HR, etc. of
venture gives their influence on marketing. If they are supposed to make some strategies
or plans regarding their business then selling or marketing get affected due to this. This
affect can be positive or negative. If strategies are good and resolving risks then this will
led a positive impact but when there occur any fault while manufacturing any goods then
this will create a negative impact on corporation.
 Distribution: The goods must be distributed by taking help of distributors if
organisation is dealing with global marketing. Because this is a rigid task to distribute
their products in a proper manner to different countries. But in case of local distribution,
they cannot take support of suppliers (Nguyen and Simkin, 2012). This will save their
money as well as time. But at time of delivery, employees must check quality and
condition of food so that contaminated one must not be delivered.
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 Information and communication technology (ICT) : It also aids in improving the
performances of firm. And this will contribute in development of marketing essentials
resources. For example it enhances act of communication by introducing several methods
such as social media( Face book, twitter, what's app, messaging), video conferencing,
emailing, etc. This saves most of time which is consumed in taking orders or attending
meeting. Employees can now easily interact with their clients as well as heads without
presenting physically by talking through video conferencing. Additionally, it supports in
doing online business effectively (Desai, 2013). Consumers can purchase as well as pay
on website of corporation only from their home, and delivery will be given to their door
at specified time. But there is a major problem of hacking. This is increasing day by day
and revenues of many consumers are theft by other unauthorized criminals. Enterprise
can resolve this or protect themselves by using safe and secure sites that is Https( i.e.
Hyper text transfer protocol secure). These sites are costly but are so secured.
 Sales: The process of sale is also interlinked with procedure of marketing. It is directly
proportional to marketing that is if number of sale increases, it expands market also. In
order to increase sale, company has to offer some additional prizes to them. These can be
in given form of discount on certain festivals like Christmas, providing extra food stuff
like buy two get one offer, etc.
 Production: The organisation should provide healthy and fresh foods so that their
demand will increases. Additionally, it must be packaged in a attractive manner. This will
attract large number of consumers and as a result turnover of firm enhances drastically.
Hence, marketing get influence by this phenomena.
P 3 How McDonald's applies the marketing mix in comparison to Aldi
Marketing mix can be simply defined as some actions or tactics that is used by companies
in order to promote their brand and business. Broadly it consist of four principles namely price,
product, promotion and place. But now a days, several other principles are taken that are
packaging, positioning,people and physical Evidence. These all are explained below:
Mc Donald's Aldi
 Product: It refers to the item which is  While Aldi are making their goods by
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being sold. McDonald's manufactures
their products by examining demands
or wishes of their consumers.
not much taking care of wishes of their
users (Kennedy and Parsons, 2014).
They are not fulfilling all the demands
that are expected by population.
 Price: The former are providing goods
at minimum prices or as per the
affordability of their consumers. This is
not necessarily that it should offer
cheapest food item while customers are
usually happy to pay a little more if
corporation will give their best service
to them.
 while the Aldi are offering their their
product at high prices in comparison to
Mc Donald's. That is what they are
loosing users.
 Place: This is nothing but the point or
location of sale. The organisation
should catch the eyes of their users and
this makes them easy to sell their
goods. This is very effective strategy to
earn more profits. They should focus
that their shops or restaurant must be
available at the nearest place that is
suitable to reach by the population of
country (Purvis, 2016). This can be
high street and other options are
providing online shopping.
 Restaurants of Aldi are located at
distant places, due to this customers
have to travel a lot if want to purchase
any goods.
 Promotion: It refers to all activities
that are taken in order to make familiar
about products to each and every
consumers of country. The company is
doing its promotion by adopting several
techniques like advertisement, word of
 The other organisations are not
investing more on the advertisement.
Because of this, their food stuffs are not
known by all people.
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mouth, press report, incentives,
commissions, awards to trade and
direct selling by arranging contests and
prizes for the winners. In current times,
social media( Face book,twitter, what's
app, etc.) are all tools that are
commonly used for communication
purpose. The communication can be
done effectively without being
physically present among their clients
or superior workers, as they can talk via
video conferencing. This reduces the
time as well as money of corporation.
Enterprise is taking help of modern
technology so that their work becomes
more simpler. The task of calculation is
done via using special software such as
Spreadsheet, Ms-excel, etc. This
reduces the paper work as well as the
errors that are occurring from that. This
give rest to worker or eliminate
physical work , as workers are using
some formula to calculate and whole
calculation are performed automatically
(Abushadi and et. al., 2015).
PowerPoint are also used in order to
make presentation reports if they have
to show their new plans or strategies to
their clients or upper post employees.
 People: They are considered as assets
for any company. So, it is the task of
 Aldi are not giving more importance to
their workers. They are not giving
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McDonald's to focus more on their
consumers by giving importance to
their choices and demands. On the
other hand, employees are also
considered as people that aids in
running any corporation. They must
posses skills of good cooking as well as
communication as they have to
communicate with clients of different
nations (Essentials, 2015). If they do
not make tasty and spicy food then no
one likes them. So, enterprise should
take help of human resource in
maintaining talent. They will hire best
person for them and if they are
recruiting any fresher than its their
responsibilities to arrange training and
development programmes for them.
This will make them learn all the basic
tasks that are needed in corporation.
accurate wages to their employees.
Because of this workers are shifting to
other enterprises.
 Process: The delivery of services must
be done properly by the enterprise. This
is done only the customers are present
to receive them and should not done in
the absence of them, as this will create
a loss. It should be accurately checked
by mangers that right food stuff is to
deliver or not. McDonald's is giving
proper service or delivery to their
clients.
 But there are few companies like Aldi
where certain issues regarding delivery
are discovered.
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 Physical Evidence: Layout of stores
are designed very simply so that
products can be easily searched by
consumers.
 While Aldi's physical evidence are
some how rigid and hotchpotch. So,
users are confused while selecting
goods or services.
McDonald's are using different tactics or action plans in order to achieve their aims and
objectives. They are focusing more on their people that is employees. This is good as they are
only one who supports in performing well or manufacturing quality products. They are providing
them best working environment so that they do not face problems regarding their work.
Additionally, they also give importance to their clients as they are treated as an assets. Because
they are the purchaser for whom product is being created. If company will not produce as per
their wishes then selling rate will decreases continuously. So, corporation ought to manufacture
their products by taking survey whereby they recognize needs or demands of their clients. After
that they will create goods. This aids in making profit as their production demand will increases.
They give also more concentration in their promotion. This is done via advertisement which is
created by taking help of television channels, books, journals, posters, social media like
Facebook, What's app , twitter, etc.
P 4 Marketing plan for McDonald's
McDonald's uses a marketing plan in order to run their business more effectively that are
described below:
 Situational analysis: This section will define the products or services of the corporation
that shows how much benefit is providing to customers. Then target audiences now
become extremely specialized and segmented. Now the company needs to understand
niche marketing (Goedertier and et. al., 2010). The explanation should not only about
what McDonald's is presenting in their market, but it they must have a clear
understanding of products offered by their competitors. So, company have to show their
goods and services are providing a better value than those. Now they have to perform
their situational analysis by analysing their strength, weaknesses, threats and
opportunities. The first two refer to those characteristics that exists within their business.
While other refer to exterior factors that are affecting performance of organisation. In
order to determine strength, company have to know how their product is superior than
others.
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Weakness on the other hand can be anything that can be operated in highly saturated
market but have a lack of experienced employees. Now the next step is to describe any external
opportunities on which corporation are capitalize like an expanding marketing for their product.
The company must not forget to involve any external threats in order to recognize them and
making effective plans to tackle or remove them. Positioning of product includes two steps. In
first step, enterprise need to identify the features of their product and decides how they are
differing from their other competitors goods. Secondly, they should decide the types of
purchasers that are most likely to buy their goods. Knowing types of buyers or consumers will
aid company to decide what they should offer to them.
 Describing target audience: Now firm have to develop a simple, one-paragraph profile
of their consumers. They can explain their prospects in term of demographics such as
age, sex, earning, family composition, lifestyle and geographic location (Whitlow, 2012).
They should know everything about their buyers like Are they conservative or
innovative? Leaders or followers? Conventional or modern?, etc. If the company is
dealing with business-to-business market, then they have to describe their target audience
based on their type of job title, size of business, geographic locations or any other
characteristics that help in making their possible prospects.
 Listing marketing goals: Now the time comes where business owner have to list their
goals. Like they wanted to increase their sales rate, expanding their business in several
other countries, enhancing their turn over, etc. They should list these types of goals that
what they want from their business.
 Market research: In this step, venture have to conduct a survey in order to determine the
needs and demands of their customers. They also have to examine the lifestyle, taste, age
groups, etc. so that they can make food according to different age group. For example,
manufacturing chocolates, cakes, pastries, biscuits,etc. for kids, Pizza, burger, chicken for
elder one, etc. They should built a detail, trait-by-trait profile of their ideal prospects.
Later, they can create a marketing message aimed to communicate features of their
products and services. This research does not need to be more costly and time taking.
This can be done via online by taking one-on-one interviews with prospects, through
email or web based surveys as these are less expensive or cheap and relatively easy to
conduct.
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 Checking competitors: Now the time is to identify key competitors including both
interior and exterior. Their strength and weakness should also be known by corporation.
Then by doing comparison examine how their business is same (Dibb and Simkin,
2013). If they are offering similar products then have to do some modification in their
goods or by adding some extra quality to their products. This creates a different.
 Prepare proper pricing: In this stage, cost of goods are decided. It should neither be
too high nor be too low as consumers are ready to pay a little more if they are receiving
the best quality products as well as services. The pricing can also be calculated after
examining the costing of their competitors so that they can create a low price than those
in order to attract a large number of consumers towards their goods.
 Building a budget: A budget plan must be prepare by company so that they can easily
recognize their profits after doing business. Each and every things must be included in
this list like cost of purchasing raw materials, manufacturing cost, transportation
charge,packaging charge etc. Also, employees should be better motivated when business
is in the eye of public. The contribution given by marketing partners should be
considered as they are offering in multiple ways to split expenditure of organisation
through single providers or they also provide some type of action guarantee (Lamb and
et. al., 2011).
 Marketing metrics: Now marketing metrics have to build by company like product,
price, place, promotion, people, etc. These all terms and many more must be examined
and their value is understand by them. All the risks must be handled from the marketing
so that no issue will create after launching the product. Advertisement can be done online
by making their creative website.
 Developing marketing communication strategies and tactics: This is the heart and
soul of the business or marketing plan. A good marketing program targets prospect at all
stages of the sales cycle (Malhotra and et. al., 2013). All these strategies and tactics
must be communicate to all different members of organisation so that they start their
work against those. This can be done by using some modern internet based techniques
such as social media (like Face book, What's app, twitter, messaging), emailing, video
conferencing, etc. These all reduces the cost of travelling and also saves time. Now,
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employees can arrange their meeting by without being physically present by using the
video conference option.
 Prepare a marketing message that resonate: McDonald's should also create a message
in the form of slogan in order to promote their product, idea or business. It must be
creative or attractive so that is gives maximum impact on mind of their customers.
 Include an action plan: This includes eliminating or removing all potential interruptions
that are present in the process of sales and simplifying everything. This also involves the
decision-making process for consumers. It must be as painless as possible. The objectives
and strategies must be grasped by users so that they do not forget the importance of
product and services.
 Segmentation/ Targeting: Segmentation involves the task of finding out different kinds
of customers on the basis of their different needs. Some people generally demands for
healthy and spicy foods while other demands food items at lower prices. So, it is
important for organisation to identify the different needs of customers and provide them
products as per that. This will increase the rate of selling and ultimately enhances the
turnover.
 Marketing objectives: The marketing objectives of Mc Donald's is to become at the
number one position in the market place by making highest turnover and sharing in
market. They want to earn more and more profits and expand their business
internationally.
 Marketing strategies: Corporation can use Ansoff's matrix in determining their
marketing strategies. This matrix generally gives four strategies that are following:
▪ Market penetration: This states to increase the market sharing within current
market segments. And it can be achieved by purchasing or selling large number of
goods to the targeted consumers within the present market.
▪ Product development: This involves creating fresh or new products in existing
market. This can be done by thinking about how the new goods or services will
fulfil the demands of consumers.
▪ Market development: This strategy is about developing new market for the
current products. This involves shifting of working location. More market
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research and segmentation is necessary in order to recognise new set or group of
users.
▪ Diversification: This include movement of new products into the new working
location simultaneously. But it is quite risky as moving away from the past
experiences can create more uncertainties.
 Control measures: Organisation can control over its all processes like while
segmentation, developing new strategies, etc. so that proper focus can be provided to
each method. This will aids in creating a best quality product or services.
CONCLUSION
From the above based report it has been concluded that marketing essentials are very
important for the working of corporation. They gives positive as well as negative impact on
performance of organisation. The roles and responsibilities of marketing are described in terms
of marketing environment that are financing, market research, pricing, selling, production, etc.
The other functionalities are also explained that are inter-related with these roles like human
resource management, research and development, etc. A marketing plan is also made in order to
make effective turn over by the enterprise.
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