Marketing Effectiveness for SMEs

This assignment focuses on the crucial topic of measuring marketing effectiveness specifically for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). It delves into various strategies and approaches employed by SMEs to assess the impact of their marketing efforts. The content draws upon scholarly articles and texts that explore concepts like strategic marketing planning, integrated marketing communication, and the role of fairness in marketing. Additionally, it considers the influence of emerging technologies, such as mobile phone usage in agriculture and social media marketing, on contemporary SME practices.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Roles and responsibilities of the marketing function of IBM...............................................1
P2. Roles and responsibilities of marketing in organisational context.......................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3. Comparison of ways in which IBM and Microsoft corporation apply the marketing mix...5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P4. Evaluations of basic marketing plan for IBM corporation...................................................7
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is an important tool in the modern business organisation. Several processes are
included in this like understanding of marketplace, consumers demand, building strong
relationship, uses of market strategies to satisfy the customers. Every organisation finds that
customer satisfaction is more important to earn profit that is why they are trying to get an
innovative approach towards effective market strategies (Brooks and Simkin, 2011). IBM
(international business machine corporations) which is an American multinational technology
company and headquartered in Armonk, New York, US is selected in the present report. It
manufactures computer hardware, middleware and software as well as offers hosting and
consulting services in the market. This assignment will explain various roles and responsibilities
of marketing essentials in relation to wider organisation context. It will also compare marketing
mix applied by IBM and Microsoft to achieve the business objectives and produce a basic plan
for IBM Corporation.
TASK 1
P1. Roles and responsibilities of the marketing function of IBM
Marketing functions play an important role in every business organisation as this
department has responsibility for generating revenues, increasing market share as well as help in
contributing to company’s growth and profitability. Company makes marketing strategies and
plans to promote the business. There are some roles and responsibilities which IBM should
undertake for effective promotion of products and services. Marketing function helps to identify
the potential sources to promote company's products. It includes various elements like market
research, product plan, development process, finance, sales, promotions and customer’s services,
etc. It plays a crucial role in the organisation.
Strategy: Senior or top management of marketing department takes responsibility to set
the strategies to achieve organisational goals and objectives (Desai, 2013). In this, they decide
the way to enter in market with new ideas and innovations as well as adopt the best strategy to
create awareness among customers. Senior management takes decisions in relation to promotion
tools and advertisement of products and services. IBM also focuses on new strategy adoptions to
compete with competitors as well as to survive in the market.
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Market research: It also plays an important role to decide the marketing strategies after
knowing about customers and competitors. Organisation conducts a research or survey for
screening environment and its effect towards business. Researcher gets answers through
gathering data and information about market and then set a plan to develop firm and promote
products and services (Dibb and Simkin, 2013). IBM Corporation conducts survey to understand
customers’ needs and competitor's strengths as well as weaknesses for effective planning of
organisation’s success.
Planning: After strategy and research process, next step is planning procedure of
marketing functions. In this involve financial, forecasting of sales, communications and
distribution planning and many more. Marketing department utilises time in an effective manner
for the best strategy that will convert organisational goals into success.
Products developments: It is essential to improve the product's quality as well as
introduce new products in the market. Department analyses the sales of goods and services or
identify gap in between product’s range to achieve competitive advantages. Marketing team
provides information regarding customers’ needs and wants.
Communications: It is also an essential part of marketing that takes decision regarding
promoting company's products using several tools and techniques like advertisement, publicity,
personal relations with customers and many more that helps to increase the sales volume and
create a positive market image among competitors (Fazlollahtabar and Aghasi, 2012). IBM uses
company’s websites, e-marketing programs, advertising campaign, brochures, etc.
Sales support: Marketing department supports in increasing the sales of company's
products as both are connected. They provide better sales team that encourages customers to buy
goods and services as well as they use tools such as coupons, telephone and company's website
to contact with consumers as well as provide them products to satisfy needs and demands. IBM
believes in creating high sales and supportive team that helps the clients to solve problems
regarding products and services.
Events: Marketing department organises events and programmes to promote the business.
IBM generally takes part in exhibitions, seminars and sales conferences as well as technical fares
which help to create awareness and generate profits. It also supports in building a brand image as
well as provide information regarding products and services among customers.
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P2. Roles and responsibilities of marketing in organisational context
Marketing function is connected with organisational department. As it helps to find
potential customers regarding products and satisfy their needs as well as meet desired
expectations. Different departments within firm play an important role to achieve goals and
objectives. Usually, marketing functions help to create a positive brand image and build a strong
relationship among buyers (Gertner, 2011). Every organisation focuses on adopting several
marketing strategies as IBM also considers this function that support other business departments.
There are some roles and responsibilities of IBM which are interrelated with other organisation's
functions such as:
Marketing and human resource management: In HR department, there are several
processes followed like recruiting, selecting, training and development, staffing as well as
managing all human resource activities which help in business operation. HRM’s main
objectives are to encourage, motivate and inspire employees for achieving goals and objectives
of an organisation in the most effectual manner. So marketing play important role in searching
talented people and hire them according to their knowledge as well as skills matching with
suitable job profile so it helps to attract good candidates for the organisation that support in
increasing work productivity.
Marketing and customers services: Marking department take responsibility to solve
customer's problems regarding any issues and provide special supportive team for conflicts
resolutions. It can be related to product's design, quality, size, shape, colour etc. so it is duty of
the marketer to provide information regarding goods and services to the customers. Marketing
department main objective is to analysis customer's demand and find best way to satisfy their
needs and wants by providing best products and services (Jones and Rowley, 2011). IBM
corporation created a supportive team that helps to customers in resolving problems and give
best experience to them. It also support to retain buyers and make loyal towards company's
products.
Marketing and finance: To run the organisation, finance is required as it is backbone of
the business. So marketing department helps to arrange funds from different source of funds and
attracts to investors for better investments. This also support in running business smoothly. IBM
use various tools to promote business and generate fund by attracting more investors as well as
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marketing activities like publicity, advertisement, online marketing and products selling that
create demands in the market and generate funds by increasing sales volume.
Marketing and research and development: In research and development departments
assist several factors of internal as well as external which affects company's plan and policies. So
company conduct research program to identify those forces and collect data or informations to
find best results. These data support to analysis customers demand and expectations as well as
their need what they want from company so firm make or provide them effective goods or
services for their better satisfaction and meet expectations (Lamb and McDaniel, 2011). In this
department, researcher produce innovative goods and services which attracts to customers
towards it and influence them to buy particular products. They also develop different types of
strategies for marketing and motivate employees for work productivity. Research play vital role
for the organisation because it helps to identify market trends and situations which is based on
factors like internal as well as external. It also helps in attracting large number of customers and
reach at potentials buyers.
Marketing and production & operational department: This function support in
production procedures that how much quantity of products should be produced according to
demand and helps to take decision that meet proper demand with supply. They also encourage to
the customers for purchasing company's products which produced in better quality. So operation
department make decision regarding packaging, size labelling and dispatching of goods in
effective manner for distributing to buyers. They manage all functions and focus on marketing
trends as well as changes which depends on environmental study. It also support in managing
and controlling of inventory system (Malhotra and Birks, 2013). IBM company undertakes new
or innovative ideas that helps to customers in making work easy as well as they focus on
removing work stress of people by providing advance technology in high quality or best services
for their satisfaction.
Marketing and information technology: It also interrelated to the information
technologies. IBM company provide various services which related to information technology
such as computer hardware, software and consultancy services to the customers so marketing is
required for promotions of products and services as well as company must focus on creating
awareness and generating demand among customers because in this present era, it is difficult to
survive in the market due to cut throat competition. Microsoft, Apple and many other are strong
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competitors who are selling best services and also their financial positions as well as goodwill is
more strong at marketplace. IBM company's marketing managers should consider effective tools
for the business promotion and adopt strategies for developing products and services creating
new innovative products and so on.
TASK 2
P3. Comparison of ways in which IBM and Microsoft corporation apply the marketing mix
Marketing mix considered some element that called 4ps and 7ps. It helps to the
organisation in making decisions regarding strategies as proper planning that what should
produce and how to adopt strategy to promote products and services to fulfil needs and wants of
consumers as well as meet with their desired outcomes (Mihart, 2012). Marketing mix elements
generally influence consumer behaviour for purchasing goods and services. In this IBM and
Microsoft company considered and also described that how they use marketing mix to achieve
business objectives such as:
Elements of
marketing mix
IBM Microsoft
Products This company is dealing with
various types of products such as
cloud computing, security, hard
circle drive, cloud data encryption
services, securing clients data
through advanced technologies.
It mostly known for windows as it
serve various types products and
services such as office, Xbox, Live,
MSN, Online services, server and
tools, programming languages,
windows phone, gaming, bing and
many more items.
Price As it use pricing strategies
according to the power and size as
well as depends on its measurement.
They also finalised price in respect
of costs and utility (Nguyen, 2012).
This company always try to get
break even point and minimise all
costs that can occur while
Microsoft follows several methods
and use strategies according to
products and strategies as it believes
in skimming pricing and competitive
pricing that help in making charges
and control over the cost.
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operations.
Places It is global brand and its products &
services are spread across the world
as providing services in 170
countries and there are many labs at
global level.
Same in this, that it also a global
brand and selling its products and
services in all over the world. It
captured wide market and created
strong competition among
competitors. It use place such as
virtual and physical.
Promotions This company use various tools and
techniques to promote its products
and services as like TVs, Radio,
Newspapers, Magazines, online
advertisements (Ogunmokun and
Tang, 2012). And it also take
sponsorships or participate in
several programs such as
exhibitions, trade shows, fair,
events that will contribute in
promoting business and its
development.
Above this firm, it is also using
different types of methods to promote
it in the market and create good image
as well as strong brand image among
customers and occupy position in
their minds. Company mostly use
social media forum as like Facebook,
twitter, Google+ and many more sites
for business development. They also
consider many more tools such as
techno festival, exhibitions,
conferences and other events.
People It is one of the biggest world wide
organisation with having around
400000 people as employee and
working there. Company believe in
customer satisfaction and they
provide proper training to
employees for treating buyers
effectively as well as solve their
problems regarding any products
and services.
Microsoft company is also a world
largest organisation and having
around 1,24000 employees. They also
serve best to the customers by
providing best software services,
programming languages and games
etc. it focus on making lots of
applications for the users so they
recruit talented person who have
special skills and quality. There are
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many employees, direct and indirect
agents.
Process This company use Redbooks, which
is easy and openly accessible. In
this developer works which is sites
for programming engineers or IT
experts (Papasolomou, 2012). It
includes instruction exercise, code
tests, downloads, web journals that
support to the customers and make
easy to understand about entire
process.
This company follows various process
in which include survey that helps to
identify software requirements as well
as finds new applications.
Researching also support in
introducing through alpha, beta
versions and gather informations
regarding commercialisations.
Physical evidence It includes organisation
environment or climate, software,
hardware for computer and working
conditions etc. IBM offers more
than 40 server farms worldwide. It
focus on providing best services
through advance technology as well
as they work for developing
programming advancements.
In this company includes as search
engine web pages like MSN, bing,
Live search etc. one of the best
physical evidence is Eye catching
picking with unique characteristics. It
also focus on climate of the company
which must be suitable for machines.
TASK 3
P4. Evaluations of basic marketing plan for IBM corporation
International Business Machine is technology company which is US based and dealing
with computer hardware and software products. It also provide consultations services which is
related on IT issues and it uses different marketing strategies to expand its business. So it make
network by contacting with various agents and clients. According to time and technology, it
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changed strategy and adopt advance or new techniques. There are IBM's SWOT analysis that
helps to understand in effective manner such as:
Strengths
 Good reputations in the market and it
has developed its business by selling
products and services across the globe
 It is getting popular in Informations
technology and services to its
diversifies clients
 Skilled and experienced staff as well as
Working for development of business
in IT industry
 Best service provider in cloud
computing in business enterprise.
Weaknesses
 It growing fast or rapidly more than its
need as well as it should be curtailed
 Expenses are increasing due to large
size of the organisation so profit margin
are becoming narrow
 Product's prices are high which may be
customer not afford.
Opportunities
 Business should be start in emerging
market and also can be develop among
competitors.
 Company should start some projects for
emerging economies to get market
share.
 IBM can adopt strategies for business
expansions and products as well as
services can be promote.
 Company should focus on increasing
demand in cloud based services and
provide it to meet customer's
expectations.
Threats
 Problems can be arise while providing
solutions of the IT technology.
 Company may be bear heavy loss due
to large size of the company.
 Business expansions regarding cloud
computing can be big threat for IBM.
These are SWOT analysis of IBM company which helps to make effective plan to develop the
business and increase sales in the market (Melanthiou, 2012). This company is working for the
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provisions of latest technology in information technology and provide equipments to make
organisation better as well as more convenient. It depends on the environmental changes as like
if technology is changed then it will effect on buyer's demand regarding latest featured products.
Market segmentation: It support to the organisation in dividing market according to customers
and then find target audience (Pike, 2015). IBM segment in three groups in which include first
kind of buyer whose aim is to get more devices and second group, who focus on new technology
and third groups of people included expert and non-expert and it is complex business group.
Target market: After segment the market, company decide its target audience such as
education, business, government and corporate sectors. Every customers need regarding new or
latest technology to carry out business and make it easy as well as effective. So company
understand its target market and adopt different strategies to meet requirements.
Positioning: IBM is working to manage customer strategy and business for sustainable growth
and setting new directions for transformations (Wirtz, 2012). Company is trying to make position
in buyer's mind and create good brand image or goodwill in the market.
Marketing mix
IBM should consider marketing mix elements to make effective plan and it will support
to make decisions about planning as well as there are several components of this mix so it helps
to make strategies for achieving competitive advantages.
Products: In this company focus its product's quality, customer services etc. and it
should be effective and efficient to meet customer requirements.
Promotions: It play important role in providing information to the customers through
online websites, advertisements and any other promotional tools. IBM use internet marketing to
promote business.
Price: Strategies regarding products can be made according to products and services. It
crucial part of marketing mix. IBM should minimise costs and reduce prices on products.
Place: It is very important that availability of products and services to satisfy customer's
needs and wants so IBM should focus on various locations to reach at potentials buyers.
People: Company should focus on recruiting experienced and skilled person for
providing best solutions to clients as well as treat them politely.
Process: In this consider entire business process and its main objective is to provide
better services to users.
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Physical environment: In this include company's environment as well as its working
conditions and delivering of goods and services to customers. So it must be in good manner as it
will help to attract more clients.
CONCLUSION
Above this project report, it has been concluded that marketing play important role in
developing the business and it also support in research to identify new trends as well as new
technologies, ideas or innovations that help to make effective decisions for strategy adoptions.
IBM corporations is technology company which is US based and dealing with various products
such as computer hardware and software and many more (Tang, 2012). In this assignment, it
explained roles and responsibilities of marketing functions in IBM corporation, it also compared
marketing mix with Microsoft company that applied to achieve business objectives and produced
a basic marketing plan for IBM company to obtain sustainability growth in competitive
advantages.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Nguyen, B. and Simkin, L., 2012. Fairness quality: the role of fairness in a social and ethically
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Papasolomou, I. and Melanthiou, Y., 2012. Social media: Marketing public relations’ new best
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Online
Marketing essentials 2017.[Online] available through:<https://mktgessentials.com/>.
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