Marketing Mix and Business Objectives: A Case Study of Burberry

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Marketing Essentials
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................. 3
LO1............................................................................................................................. 4
LO2............................................................................................................................. 6
LO3........................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion................................................................................................................ 17
Reference List...........................................................................................................18
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Introduction
Marketing is one of the chief operations that aid each organisation all across the
globe to initiate and carry out their respective purposes of business establishments.
Marketing does not only include branding and promotion of goods and commodities
but it also allows the organisation to determine the sales volumes of the
organisational deliverables with which the same shall be able to expect high aspects
of profitability within respective businesses. The particular study is based the various
marketing principles that will enlighten different purposes and responsibilities of
marketing functions. The second of the study shall elaborately compare the ways
through which different service organisation propose marketing procedures and
strategies. The later section of the study is an enumeration of marketing plan that
shall be implied upon the improvement of marketing operations and returns from the
same for the sake of Burberry, UK within an estimated budget and timeframe.
Burberry Group Plc, UK is among the major fashion retail organisation that has able
to mark its presence within most of the corners of the globe through its premium
fashion apparels and accessories. The organisation was established in the year
1856 and was supervised by Thomas Burberry, as the key founder of the business
(uk.burberry.com, 2019). The organisation is headquartered at London, UK and
serves to 498 locations worldwide.
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LO1
P1 Explain the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function.
Roles of Marketing Function
 The marketing department of Burberry has the role of identifying the needs
and requirements of the customers. It conducts thorough research to get
information and analyse the result to implement strategies in the future. This
would help the organisation to produce the products as per the customers’
demand and increase the profit rate of the business by luring customers into
buying goods (Baker, 2016).
 This department of the company has the duty to plan the marketing strategies
that would meet the objectives of the organisation.
 The marketing has the role of improving the quality of products by taking
regular feedback from the customers. It enhances the relationship between
the company and the buyers through interaction and is responsible for
enhancing the purchasing decisions of the customers.
 The marketing department has the function of grading and standardising the
products. Through this function, the customers would get the products that
would possess equality in quality and design. In this way, the image of the
company is maintained. Through grading, the quality as well as characteristics
of products is classified.
 The marketers have the role of labelling and packaging the products. These
features of the products should be attractive to incite the customers into
purchasing them.
 Pricing is another role of marketing department that involves setting price
range of the products as per their value. Justifiable pricing would enhance the
number of customers and increase the sales rate.
 Marketing department has the role of promoting the products through online
as well as offline (Lovelock and Patterson, 2015). It would enhance the image
of the brand and affect e buying decision of the people.
 Another function of marketing is distribution of products through different
channels. It would expand the business sin different regions and increase the
sales rate of the company.
Responsibilities of Marketing Function
 One of the major responsibilities of the marketing department is building
relationship with the customers. This would increase the number of customers
and increase the sales of the products.
 The marketer has the responsibility of involving the customers into
communication. Through interaction, the marketer would be able to inform the
customers about the specifications of the products. This would affect the
business positively (Blythe and Martin, 2019).
 The marketing department has the responsibility of increasing profit rate of the
business through sales of products. This would be enhanced by marketing
strategies such as online promotion, offering discounts to the customers, and
such activities.
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P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider
organisational context.
Interrelationship between Marketing with other departments
Burberry’s business operation is conducted with the help of several departments
such as marketing, finance, logistics, human resource, customer services, and
others. This has been observed that this department works closely for fulfilling
objectives of Burberry. Marketing department of Burberry works closely with finance
department so that the personnel can make a cost effective plan for promotion.
Marketing department conducts promotional activities, which is funded by the finance
department (Cacciolatti and Lee, 2016). Finance department can keep the track of
promotional expenses and prepare ratio analysis by working closely with marketing
department. In this way, misunderstanding can also be avoided. Marketing
department works closely with customer service department for collecting
information about customer perception. Generally, marketing department conducts
survey through telephone calls or messages, which is performed by the customer
service executives. Moreover, marketing department promotes their products and
brand with the help of customer service department through e-catalogues. Marketing
department and human resource department works closely for adding human value
to the brand.
Human resource department manages human resources effectively in this way the
corporate image of the company can be developed (Vomberg et al., 2015).
Therefore, marketing and logistics department works closely so that they can be able
to reach to the customers and deliver products on time. Burberry provides the
opportunity of the online shopping to the customers and logistics department is
responsible for delivering products on time. Marketing department works closely for
collecting data about e-commerce. In this way, marketing department works closely
with other departments for developing brand image and accomplish business
objectives.
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LO2
P3 Compare the ways in which different organisations apply the marketing mix
to the marketing planning process to achieve business objectives.
Definition of Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is part of marketing approach with which organisations all across the
globe are able to collectively apply relevant strategies in aligning their product, price,
people, promotion, place, physical existence and operational processes that has to
incorporate customer needs and preferences (Išoraitė, 2016).
Elements Burberry Zara
Product The organisation is said to
project their organisational
deliverables through
luxury fashion products
and services. The
organisation is said to
produce unique apparels
and fashion accessories
for male, female, children
as well as old-aged
people. Apparels section
of Burberry includes
clothing products and
accessories section
includes bags, watches,
fragrance and other
products alike.
Zara also operates within
the luxury fashion industry
all across the globe and
thus, providing intensified
competition to the other
fashion brands within this
segment. The organisation
offers apparels for men,
women, and children
however, do not provide
unique collection of
fashion apparels and
accessories for old aged
people. Fashion products
offered by the organisation
are innovative and
sustainable when it comes
to disposal of wastes
during the production
procedures within the
organisation.
Price As mentioned earlier,
Burberry is seemed to
manufacture luxury
fashion products and
services, the organisation
is said to market those at
premium price range that
suits with the product and
service quality. The
organisation do not
compete with the biggest
fashion brands all across
the globe in terms of
pricing thus, effective
quality of products and
services are assured
Operating within the luxury
fashion segment, the
organisation is said to set
the prices of high street
fashion products and
services at affordable
price ranges (Mayrhofer
and Roederer, 2016). The
rationale of setting
affordable price range for
premium fashion apparels
and accessories is that the
organisation is to provide
every customer groups
with high street fashion
outfits regardless of
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towards the targeted
customers
(uk.burberry.com, 2019).
income groups and
sophisticated behaviours.
Place The organisation is said to
market their goods and
commodities through
offline retail outlets as well
as through online mode of
marketing. The
organisation is said to
have their own e-
commerce website that is
linked with various social
media platforms thus,
providing them with
immense opportunities for
effective product and
service placing.
Zara also offers their
products and services
through online mediums
as well as through offline
retail outlets. Zara is said
to have 6500 outlets all
across the globe that
allows the organisation to
mark global presence for
its trade implications.
Online retailing through its
owned e-commerce
website and platforms
allows them to target more
customers worldwide.
Promotion With the help of social
media and other advanced
promotional activities,
Burberry is said to
effectively increase brand
value for their premium
products and services.
However, other
promotional strategies of
the organisation include
branding through flyers,
newspapers and
hoardings at busy streets
(uk.burberry.com, 2019).
The organisation is
seemed not to conduct
promotional campaigns
and prefers promotion
through word of mouth
and social media
technology. Online
advertisements allows the
organisation to increase its
brand image among the
generations that more into
technological stuffs and
provisions. One of the
major promotional strategy
of the organisation is
fascinated store decor that
allows more customers to
experience premium
retailing compared to other
top fashion brands.
Process TQM and JIT are the
major operational
strategies that are
incorporated within the
organisational operations.
This allows the
organisation to shape the
quality of fashion products
and services, which further
allows them to attain
higher scope of profitability
within their respective
Sustainable management
of waste and timely
disposal of the same from
the manufacturing
departments allows the
organisation to mark its
brand repertoire through
sustainable organisational
operations. Quality of
luxury outfits and other
fashion accessories are
said to be managed
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business implications.
Supply chain and
inventory management of
the organisation are
supervised by business
professionals, so that
there are least
compliances to
organisational operations
at the bottom-end of
product or service
delivery.
through the
implementation of TQM
within their textile
manufacturing department
as well as within their
inventory.
People Burberry appoints trained
and experienced
professionals for
organisational operations,
so that there are least
compliances in terms of
incorporating effective sets
of skills and abilities.
Function of the
employees, managers and
other supervisors as per
the needs and preferences
of departmental
requirements.
The recruitment of human
resources within the
premises of the particular
organisation includes
selecting candidates from
the regions of its
operations. This allows
them reduce employee
turnover costs, which in
turn benefits them to
contribute towards the
national economy of UK
(Mayrhofer and Roederer,
2016). Moreover, fresh
candidates are more
preferred within the
organisational premises
however equal
opportunities are provided
to the business
professionals.
Physical evidence The organisation marks its
presence within the
fashion retail market
through its logo
“Equestrian knight” that
was developed in the year
1901. This increases its
brand value among the
customers all across the
globe. Moreover, the
offers and discounts
provided by the
organisation also increase
its existence within the
international markets.
The word “ZARA” embarks
the presence of competing
organisation within the
premium fashion industry.
This allows them to
approach the customers in
an unique ways compared
to that of other fashion
retailers all across the
globe. Moreover decor
stores and exclusive
amenities provided to the
customers within the same
also play a vital role in
creating evidence for the
organisation within the
competitive markets.
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Table 1: Comparison of 7p’s Marketing Mix
(Source: Created by the learner)
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LO3
P4 Produce and evaluate a basic marketing plan for an organisation.
Definition and importance of Marketing Plan
Marketing plan is comprehensive blueprint that outlines any businesses all across
the globe about the various marketing aspects regarding the sales, promotions,
research and others in order to provide them with higher scope of profitability with
respective deliverables. Marketing plans plays an integral role in developing ways
through which the organisations all across the globe shall be able to improve their
sales strategies for their respective goods and commodities (Pride and Ferrell,
2016). Marketing plan allows the organisations to understand their consumer’s
segments with which the same will be able to shape their marketing processes for
business profitability.
Executive Summary
The particular study has demonstrated the marketing principles that necessary for
Burberry, UK to implement marketing aspects with which the organisation shall be
able to incur benefits within their trade implications. Various strategies have been
listed with elaborate description of their respective implementation, so that the
organisation is able to implement the same for increasing its expectations for
profitability in business.
Vision of the Company
The vision statement of Burberry Group Plc, UK is to provide sustainable fashion
products and services to their target customers within the nation as well as all across
the globe. The business proclaims that by end of the year 2022, the company will
reach new heights in terms of business productivity within the intensified competitive
fashion markets in order to approach immense populations successfully.
Goals and Objectives
The main goal of the company is to shape their marketing processes and policies by
aligning their organisational deliverables in terms of customer preferences in order to
generate increased sales volumes for the attainment of higher scope of business
profitability. The particular goal of the company shall be backed with following
objectives:
 To conduct comprehensive market research and identify significant changes
in customer demands in terms of fashion interests
 To prioritise customer’s needs and make effective marketing and sales
strategies
 To develop product and service quality in order to reduce resentment within
targeted customer groups
 To produce and market goods with more sustainable means
Situational Analysis
External Analysis
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Elements Influences
Political Political factors within UK include
aspects such as political relations,
bureaucracy and others. Among these,
Brexit is significant within the national
premises that depicts UK’s exit from the
premises of European Union (Hunt and
Wheeler, 2017). This shall negatively
influence the trade implications of
Burberry in terms of trade relations
between regions in UK and other nations
within the EU.
Economical UK has experienced recession period in
the year 2017-18. This incident had
negative impacts upon service industries
within the nation and thus, Burberry is
subjected to risks in terms of its future
trade implications within UK (Forbes et
al., 2017). However, there has been a
sustainable reduction of inflation rate
from 2.3% to 2.1% in the year 2016. This
embarks an opportunity for the particular
organisation in terms of higher scope of
profitability within their business.
Social Fashion trends among the consumer
populations within the UK are shifting
their decisions to comprehend High
street fashion. Burberry, being a high
street fashion retailer has wide
opportunities to shape marketing and
production strategies to develop
innovative fashion products and services.
This shall positively influence the
organisation to attract maximum target
consumers that are into the particular
mode of fashion. UK population includes
more customers that belong to high
income groups (Okonkwo, 2016). This
shall generate opportunities for the
organisations to incur high revenues by
projecting their premium products and
services to the particular income groups.
Technological Social media technology comprehended
within the organisational operations is
termed to be among the productive
approaches that increase efficiency
within the same, irrespective operating
country or regions (Schwab, 2017).
Burberry can acquire new technologies
regarding social media platforms and
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systems, which will aid their promotional
approaches in positive way. However,
complete dependence upon advanced
technologies and abandoning the use of
manpower could hamper organisational
productivity by eliminating human skill
and experience.
Environmental Sustainable business operations
including marketing and production are
the basic aspects that shall allow the
business organisations within UK to
contribute positively towards
perseverance of environment by keeping
higher scope of business profitability
(Laszlo and Zhexembayeva, 2017).
Burberry requires ensuring that their
production and branding operations do
not increase the CO2 level within the UK
environment. The organisation can incur
positive results in their business if they
do not participate in increasing pollutants
within the national environment.
Legal Burberry require to align their
organisational operations and information
associated with the same through
incorporating General Data Protection
Act, so that there are least compliances
with reliability and protection of
organisational information. Moreover, the
organisation has to follow the Consumer
Protection and Employability laws, so
that they do not hamper ethics and
values of targeted consumers and
organisational workforce respectively
(Roberts, 2018).
Table 2: PESTLE analysis of Burberry, UK
(Source: Created by the learner)
Internal Analysis
Strengths
 Burberry is said to have 156
years of fashion expertise
within the global markets and
strongly endeavours British
sense of fashion (Peng and
Chen, 2017).
 The organisation is said to be the
first brand that have developed of
Weakness
 The organisation is weak towards
its pricing strategies, as they offer
products at premium price range.
 The organisation is said to have
limited numbers of brands,
which make the organisation
limited to target customers that
prefer versatile fashion
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