Strategic Marketing: Adaptation and Standardisation of Marketing Mix

This report discusses the topic of strategic marketing with its different aspects, including the adaptation and standardisation of marketing mix, customer brand equity model, integrated communication mix and methods, and measurement of success. It focuses on the case of Arcadia Group, a UK-based retail business, and its expansion into the Swiss fashion industry.

STRATEGIC MARKETING

Executive Summary
Strategic marketing is basically a step by organisation for conducting different activities
of marketing strategically in the market place. In current highly competitive market place, each
business has to consider this strategic marketing to gain better outcomes. This report discusses
the topic of strategic marketing with its different aspects.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Adaptation and standardisation of marketing mix.......................................................................3
Customer brand equity model......................................................................................................5
Integrated communication mix and methods...............................................................................7
Measurement of success..............................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Strategic marketing is the key practice by the marketing functional department of an
organisation. Basically, strategic marketing helps to a business for effectively promoting its
brand at the large market scale. In this dynamic world, upper management of many companies is
very aggressive to make their ordinary marketing function to effective or strategic marketing
function, because strategic marketing always contributes in achieving different decided
objectives on time of the business (Ritch, 2018). This report discusses strategic marketing aspect
of Arcadia Group. Basically, Arcadia group is a UK based retail business which generally offers
clothes, shoes and other fashion accessories to different customers. The headquarter of company
is situated in London, United Kingdom. This report discusses adaption and standardisation of
marketing mix strategy. There are CBBE (customer-based brand equity) model and integrated
communication mix and methods also has been covered in this report.
MAIN BODY
Adaptation and standardisation of marketing mix
There are adaption and standardisation of marketing mix is very necessary to a brand
right now, because marketing mix is the strategy that enables ventures to gain very appropriate
results in the market place. Currently upper management of Arcadia Group has decided to
expand its brand in Switzerland’s fashion industry by introducing is new premium range of
clothes. In this situation, upper management have to order its marketing management for quickly
adopting the strategy of marketing mix in its daily operations for gaining better outcomes in
different marketing segments of Switzerland after selling its new premium clothes.
Marketing mix strategy
Basically, marketing mix is the strategy of marketing which enables businesses for
systematically attract many new customers towards own brand (Khatri, 2016). In this dynamic
and modern world, almost all businesses have considered this strategy of marketing in their
respective workplace, and this is why they are gaining very positive outcomes as well. Marketing
mix strategy is generally known as the 7Ps of marketing mix strategy, because it projects six

major stages of marketing which are enough to attract wide range of customers in the market
place. In this situation, all seven stages of marketing mix strategy have been discussed below for
overall growth of Arcadia Group.
Product: Recently the research and development team of Arcadia Group has developed a new
premium range of clothing products which will attract many new customers towards its brand.
On the other side, the production management has followed all major approaches of operations
management while producing this new product. Basically, approaches of operations management
helps users for maintaining an effective quality of products and services (Arslan and Oz, 2017).
Day by day competition is increasing in the global fashion industry, and existing management of
Arcadia Group knows about this fact, and this is it made exclusive range of premium clothes
which will give an extra-ordinary experience to all customers in new market segments.
Price: Due to offering premium range of clothes in market place, upper management of company
has decided to use the value-based pricing strategy in its workplace, because this strategy enables
to a business for charging from customers that price which is favourable to them as well as
business. Many times, company uses competitive-based pricing strategy as well in its workplace,
because it enables to Arcadia Group for providing an excellent price to customers than existing
competitors. However, recently upper management of company has decided to offer premium
range of clothes, so the value-based pricing strategy is very appropriate to this company.
Place: The Arcadia Group has planned to offer its newly developed exclusive premium range of
products different market segments of Switzerland, because most people in this nation comes
from the high-income group, and they can simply afford premium range of products and services
of Arcadia Group (Cohan, 2019). In this dynamic world, Switzerland is one of well-developed
country, which has an excellent economic condition, so according to management of Arcadia
Group, local people will really like to consume products and services from own brand.
Promotion: Promotion is one of main Ps of marketing mix that encourage to marketing team of
each business to be very active and energetic in daily operations. Currently the marketing
management of Arcadia Group has a specific plan of promotion while entering in the fashion
industry of Switzerland. For example; It planned to use both types of marketing strategies,
modern and traditional, because it is necessary to target all types of customers. However, it will

give higher priority to modern marketing strategies, because these strategies are very mandatory
to gain better outcomes in this modern world. There will traditionally marketing strategies will
be able to Arcadia Group for promoting its brand through television, newspaper, poster, bill
boards, banners, radio etc, On the other side, modern strategies will enable to marketing team of
company for using different tools of promotion, like; SEO (search engine optimization), social
media, affiliate etc.
People: Currently upper management of this company properly knows the value of an effective
relationship with different people in market place, and this is why it has used own effective skills
of communication for putting very positive impact on different people. It has used the concept
employee engagement in its workplace for maintaining an effective relationship with its
employees (Scola, 2019). On the other side, it has great levels of customer services, in which this
attribute of company very impress to different customers in the market place. The management
of Arcadia Group has maintained an effective relationship with all the remaining stakeholders as
well.
Process: It has taken steps towards developing its operations of supply chain and logistics to
provide different products and services to customers on time. There is no business can grow in
market place without having appropriate supply chain, so with the support of an effective supply
chain and logistics functions, Arcadia Group will be able to gain very positive outcomes in the
new segments of market by delivering its newly developed premium range of clothes to many
customers in market place.
Physical evidence: Currently the business has well-developed and skilled employees and staff in
its various authorised stores and supermarkets, and these employees behaves very professionally
when any customer visit in its store buy any product or service. This factor of business will
contribute in making many loyal customers in new market place.
Customer brand equity model
Customer brand equity model is the image of brand in the minds of customers and the
brand image do impact the customer decisions making regarding buying or not (Tanveer and
Lodhi, 2016). A strong brand image of the business creates a positive attitude of the customer
towards the brand. To build a strong brand connection between the brand and the customers

Arcadia group undertakes customer brand equity model which shows different levels of building
brand equity.
Level 1 – The first level of building brand is brand identity in which Arcadia group creates an
awareness about their brand in the market and minds of people. At this stage the customers are
no-t able to differentiate the brand from others in the market and for the company it is the base
for building a strong identity by increasing the visibility. Arcadia group identifies their unique
selling point points and then conducted an in-depth market research about their customers and
mapping their purchasing journey. The company has already cleared this level as they are the
most loved and progressive fashion retail brand in UK.
Level 2 – The second level of building brand is brand meaning in which the Arcadia group
communicates information about their products and services to its customers and they want to
know more about the brand. The brand can be communicated through either rational route or
emotional route. Arcadia group ensures that if their products and services or their apparels are
doing well in the market. The company can also measure their brand meaning by the number of
products return by the customers or the products are satisfying the need of the customers. By
analysing these aspects they can find out the areas of improvement.
Level 3 – the third level of building brand is brand response in which the judgement and feelings
of the customers by putting themselves at the place of customers. During the purchasing process
or the customer journey, the customers make judgements about the products and services of
Arcadia group. Based on various aspects such as social media presence, customer service
capabilities, the accuracy of targeted ad campaigns, and of course, the actual product the image of
the company in the minds of customers are determined. The customers judge whether the brand
serves high quality products and are meeting their needs (Shuv-Ami, 2016). The customers also
makes their purchasing decision based on their feeling in the sense that what they feel about the
product or services of the brand and as per this they make the decision to spend on that particular
product or service. The company does this by analysing the feedback of the customers.
Level 4 – the fourth level of building the brand is brand relationships and the customers that reach
this level categorise the products and services of the brand over the competitors of Arcadia group.
The customers also recommend the brand to others too. The company should make an effort that

if the customer reaches at this level then they should be motivated to remain here only and make
efforts to make the customers engage.
Integrated communication mix and methods
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is very helpful approach to a business in the
current market place, and there are thousands of people are taking lots of advantages from this
this approach for properly informing people about own various exclusive products and services.
In this dynamic and modern world (West, 2017). Use of IMC approach is very essential to a
venture for successfully launching its newly developed products and services in the market place.
It contributes in an organisation to aware a large audience or customers about own products and
services. In this situation, upper management of Arcadia Group have to order its marketing
department for considering its integrated marketing communication approach in its operations
while extending own brand in the retail industry of Switzerland. Basically, there are many
methods of IMC also simply available in the market place which marketing team of Arcadia
Group can be adopted and used for properly reaching its target customers, in which three main
methods of integrated marketing communication mix has been described below for the company.
Personal selling
This is the first and most valuable method of IMC which can be considered by the
marketing management of Arcadia Group while launching its new premium range of clothes.
Basically, this method is currently used by many of businesses, and it is considered as most
common method marketing communication as well (Cozzolino, 2019). In this situation, after
entering in the new market segments of Switzerland, marketing team and sales department have
to take steps towards selling new product of company personally to customers. Generally, when
customer visit in store of company, then existing staff or employees can properly communicate
with customers for promoting own new premium range of clothes.
Advertising
Advertising is another key way of marketing communication, and this why currently
many of organisation and companies use advertising as the method of IMC, and after using this
method in own workplace, they are taking huge advantage in the market place. Currently
marketing team of company have to make some informative and attractive video and photo

advertisement for running them on different platforms, like; TV, poster, social media,
newspapers, etc. At the end, this business will be able to aware many local people of Switzerland
for buying Arcadia Group’s newly developed premium range of clothes.
Public relations
Many business and marketing experts consider public relations also as the method of
integrated marketing communication, so the marketing manager of company have to use this
method also in its workplace. Basically, marketing team of company have to take steps towards
maintaining an effective relationship with various local people in the market segment of
Switzerland, because it is very important in order inform them about own new product of fashion
(Dube, 2019). This method of IMC will also give an effective contribution in Arcadia Group
while launching its new product in new market segments.
Measurement of success
Measurement of success is also a very important task to a business for improving its
levels of customer service in the market place. In this situation, upper management of Arcadia
Group also need to take steps towards measuring success of its product launching in market
place. Currently there are different ways and techniques simply available in market place which
the marketing manager of business have to use for measuring its success after the launching its
newly developed premium clothes in market segments of Switzerland. Some key techniques or
ways of measuring success has been discussed below;
Sales targets: Analysis of sales targets is the best way in the terms of measuring success of own
brand in market place (Moschis, 2019). Basically, when Arcadia Group will be launched its new
product in new market place, then it has required to analyse its existing sales records for ensuring
that people are buying that new product or not at the large scale, so this way is very helpful in
measuring success.
Market share: Analysis of market share is also an effective way to the business, because if
company will be succeeded in increasing its market share in global fashion industry after
launching its product in Switzerland, then it will be able to know that its process of launching
new product has been succeeded.

Profitability: Analysis of profitability is also an effective way or method for measuring own
success of business in the market place (Das and Shafiquzzaman, 2020). Basically, when
business will be launched own new product, then it needs to check its profitability index to
ensure it has increased as compare to previous index or not.
Return on Investment: Return on investment also needs to be considered after launching own
premium range of clothes in retail market segments of Switzerland, because this is also a very
productive way of measuring success of own business operations.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that upper management of each business have to make its marketing
function something strategic, because it is very necessary in order to properly stand against many
existing competitors of the market. There is no venture can gain better outcomes from its
business expansion process without strategic marketing. The management of Arcadia Group
have to order is marketing department for giving higher priority to only modern strategies of
marketing, because these are very useful to gain huge competitive advantage and excellent profit
margins in current highly competitive market place.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Arslan, B. and Oz, A., 2017. The Effect of Retro-Looking Products Oriented Consumer Attitude
on Brand Loyalty. PressAcademia Procedia. 4(1). pp.158-170.
Cohan, P. S., 2019. Coordinating Processes. In Scaling Your Startup. (pp. 201-228). Apress,
Berkeley, CA.
Cozzolino, F., 2019. New scenarios in the fashion industries for start uppers: the case of three
Italian start-ups.
Das, M. and Shafiquzzaman, M., 2020. The Case Studies of Bangladesh Ready made Garments:
Supplier Sustainable Practices for International Market: A Multiple Case Study.
Dube, L. T., 2019. The impact of self-service technologies on perceptions of customer service
quality in a Business School in South Africa. (Doctoral dissertation).
Khatri, I., 2016. Tourism Destination Marketing: Case Study of Lumbini Nepal. (Master's thesis,
Nord universitet).
Moschis, G. P., 2019. Efforts to study consumers over their life span. In Consumer Behavior
over the Life Course. (pp. 19-36). Springer, Cham.
Ritch, E. L., 2018. Fashion Brand Management: Fashioning Value Through CSR. In Fashion
and Textiles: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice. (pp. 408-440). IGI Global.
Scola, Z., 2019. Examining the Impact of Nostalgic Feelings on Sport Consumer Preferences
Towards Team Apparel. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas).
Shuv-Ami, A., 2016. A new market brand equity model (MBE). EuroMed Journal of Business.
Tanveer, Z. and Lodhi, R.N., 2016. The effect of brand equity on customer satisfaction: An
empirical study based on David Aaker's Brand Equity Model. IUP Journal of Brand
Management. 13(3). p.43.
West, C., 2017. Making It Fresh. International Educator. 26(5). pp.34-36.