Marketing Essentials Report: H&M's Strategies and Marketing Plan

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of H&M's marketing strategies. It begins by outlining the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function, and how they relate to the wider organizational context. The report then compares how H&M applies the marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical evidence) to achieve its business objectives, contrasting it with Zara's approach. Finally, the report produces and evaluates a basic marketing plan for H&M, focusing on the launch of drone delivery services. The report covers consumer needs, product development, physical distribution, and the integration of marketing with human resources and finance, providing a detailed overview of H&M's marketing operations and strategic planning.

Marketing
Essentials
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Explain the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function....................................3
P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational
context.........................................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3 Compare the ways in which different organisations apply the marketing mix to the
marketing planning process to achieve business objectives.......................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P4 Produce and evaluate a basic marketing plan for an organisation.........................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Marketing is an tool used to build and maintain demand, relevance, reputation and
competition and other factors. It majorly refers to the activities undertaken by an organisation to
promote buying and selling of products and services in order to gain competitive advantage.
Respective report is based on the H&M which is an Swedish multinational clothing retail
company known for its fast fashion clothing for men, women and teenagers and children. This
report is based on significance of marketing by including the roles and responsibilities of
marketing function and ways accountabilities related to the wider organisational context. Further
it includes the marketing mix for achieving the business objectives in proper manner. At last it
includes the marketing plan while introducing new products and services into marketplace.
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TASK 1
P1 Explain the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function.
Marketing is the process which comprised of all the actions or activities which involved
from he concept of product till it reaches up to ultimate consumer base. In context of H&M they
use various kinds of marketing functions as per the organisational needs and wants to remain
always competitive in marketplace that are as follows:
Evaluation of consumers needs:
first and foremost step that are most required by an organisation is to conduct research
and development to acknowledge the consumers needs and wants to serve in best manner to
them (Arendt and Allain, 2019). In context of H&M they by taking reviews and feedbacks from
consumers always determined to improve their level of performance and satisfy the consumers
emerging needs in proper manner. So in that context the major role of the marketing department
is to collect necessary knowledge and information about consumers taste and preferences and
accordingly add feature in them. So accessing consumers needs and wants is one of the most
important function of marketing to gain competitive advantage in positive manner.
Product designing and development:
Product designing and development is one of the most crucial function of marketing in
which organisation by collecting the through research and development that are most preferred
by consumers (Caliskan, 2019.). Product designing and development helps to attract consumers
and able to give potential knowledge and information about product so that they can take quick
decision making which proved beneficial for organisation to enlarge business opportunities in
positive manner. In context of H&M they appoint a specialised team of designers that access the
trends and accordingly add features and attributes in their products so that consumers can easily
purchase their products.
Physical distribution:
Physical distribution refers to the supply of products and services to the ultimate
consumer base (Chatterjee and Chatterjee, 2019.). In respective function of marketing, it is the
responsibility of marketing department is to take decisions regarding transportation and storage
as if they not properly managed occurs high cost and decreases value. In context of H&M they
locate their warehouses at locations that are most convenient for purchasers and suppliers also so
that operating cost should be saved.
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P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational context.
In an organisation to achieve desirable goals and objectives various departments work in
collaboration by distributing roles and responsibilities to one another. In an organisation various
organisations exist that put one of their best efforts in gaining organisational goals and
objectives. Here are the roles and responsibilities of marketing by relating with wider
organisational context that are as follows:
Marketing with Human resource:
There is the close relationship in both the departments in order to gain potential outcomes
for gaining sustainability and profitability that are as follows:
Employer marketing and branding:
The word Branding refers to the vision of market research reports, logo of company and
product positioning in marketplace (Cutler and Culotta, 2019.). The organisational products and
services are not only part of the companies needs of promotions but it proved very much useful
to attract and retain potential candidates. In context of H&M in which the brand value of
organisation not proved beneficial for reach at large no. of consumer base but also for choosing
or retaining one of most competent staff members within the organisation.
Marketing with finance:
In the current era new age forces marketers to change their focus towards the awareness
and build images for gaining business outcomes for an example enhancement in revenue,
acquisition of customer and value, cash flow and shareholder value (Hanlon, 2019). Marketers
sitting squarely inside the taking the crucial decisions for the finance organisation. While there
are adversarial relationship in between the marketing and finance department by transforming the
finance into ally and by turning marketing into the performance driven unit in same time zone. In
order to change relationship in both the departments marketing needs to understand the mindset
of finance as finance is more risk averse in nature. Finance is more focused towards revenue,
expenses and profit and shareholder value (Haywood, 2019). By using the data and information
from the finance department, the other department takes crucial decisions related to the
promotions and other crucial one. In context of H&M they share the financial and others
potential knowledge to marketing department in order to reach at large no. of consumer base in
positive manner.
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TASK 2
P3 Compare the ways in which different organisations apply the marketing mix to the marketing
planning process to achieve business objectives.
Basis H&M ZARA
Product Being a clothing retail
company, H&M offers fast
fashion for men, women and
children. The products offered
by H&M vary from sleeved
dresses to basic jumpsuits to
jackets and jewellery, purses,
t-shirts etc (Horton, 2019).
With their main focus on
quality and latest fashion, the
brand has been able to launch
new products at regular
intervals. H&M's products are
targetted towards and mostly
appeal the young segment,
hence resulting in increased
sales. H&M has a special team
dedicated to fashion and
designs of all the products
offered by the company.
Zara which is a fast fashion
retail brand which is the maker
of apparel by earned lot of
growth and reputation in a
very short period of time. By
accessing the latest trends of
market they bring fashion and
related products quickly to the
stores at reasonable cost. They
deals in all kinds of clothes,
accessories by launching
10000 new designs in a year.
Price H&M focuses mainly on
affordable pricing and
providing affordable fashion
products. It's main brand
Cheap Monday provide
customers with affordable
The products of Zara is high
on fashion and they sell it on
low prices. As they pioneer in
providing the latest products at
very much low price in
comparison to other brands. it
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products (Kivimäki, 2019.).
High quality and cheap prices
attract young segments hence
resulting in higher sales. The
brands usually offers different
discounts and schemes on their
fresh and core stock because
the costing of these products
are economical and hence the
company is able to afford the
discounted price.
can be only possible by them
as they does not enormous
amount of money on
advertisements and
promotions.
Place H&M as a brand has grown a
lot since the year it was found.
The company has a worldwide
network of with stores around
fifty-five countries. The
products are manufactured in
approx 800 factories situated
in Asia and Europe. The
company has expanded at a
fast rate at easily accessible
locations which are also
reasonably priced. With the
first H&M store opened in the
year 1947 in Sweden, the
number of stores around the
world today has gone up to
nearly 3500. In countries with
regulatory reforms, the brand
offers products through
Zara has wide reach as they
operates in almost in 88
nations by 6500 outlets and
also operates in online mode
also. It use the vertical
integrated distribution strategy
for building brand value in
marketplace. By using the
unique business model to bring
products and fashion in market
in very short time period.
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franchising partners.
Promotion H&M has always taken care of
its promotional activities, with
their advertisements focussing
on images of apparels that are
of high quality and reasonably
priced (Lippold, 2019). The
brand has utilized the
electronic media like television
by sponsoring many shows
that are hit and trendy like
MTV. The company uses new
and innovative strategies for
promotions and marketing of
its products. They opt for
options such as sending a
limited edition clothes to
celebrities who in turn have
decide to wear their clothes.
Zara barely spends money on
advertisements and promotions
even their owners never gives
any kind of press interviews
and not engage in any flashy
campaigns. So that is the
reason the advertisements of
Zara not displayed on TV.
Their only way of
advertisements is their unique
selling proposition in a short
processing time by displayed
kinds of styles at affordable
price range.
Physical evidence They sell their products and
services in distinctive
packaging of products that are
distinctive in retail shelves. By
arranging special shelves that
provide comfortability to
consumers to select and take
decisions promptly.
The stores of Zara is one of the
most attractive part for
consumers as it helps to reach
at large no. of consumers as it
established on prime locations.
Their stores are very much
welcoming and friendly also as
they provide variety in each
and every sector of products in
fruitful manner.
People H&M work with the sales The services of Zara directly
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team which plays very crucial
role in their marketing efforts.
H&M by giving training and
development to their
employees so that they can
give one of their best efforts in
organisational development
and enhancement (Marčeková,
Šebová and Pompurová,
2019.).
based on the responsiveness
speed as consumers always
prefer that they should be
attended in proper manner.
They invest lots of time and
money in giving effective kind
of training and development to
their employees by finding out
major gaps in their
performance so that consumers
could satisfied not only with
products but also with
services.
Process H&M always make sure that
their products are available at
every retail stores and by
notifying that inventory level
should remain low. They also
sell their products by using
online mode so that they can
reach at large no. of consumer
base ( Prabhakar, Mahajan
and Kapoor, 2019).
In context of Zara they use
very basis process of purchase
of products, in which staff
assist to consumer by giving
appropriate size and then
consumers pay price for
respective product. They
always focus on the speed and
easy processing by owning
their items in positive manner.
TASK 3
P4 Produce and evaluate a basic marketing plan for an organisation.
Marketing plan is the basic part of the overall business plan and one of best marketing
strategy which is the foundation of a detailed written description of marketing plan and related
activities (Pricilla, 2019.). In context of H&M which is one of most well know-ned fashion brand
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name in the marketplace as they aimed to launch delivery of services by using Drone as it proved
very much cost effective and less time consuming.
Executive summary:
Marketing is one of the most important activity of an organisation which helps to firm to
reach at large no. of consumer base by aware people about organisational products and services
(Sattigeri, 2019.). In order to reach at large no. of consumer base organisation aimed to launch
Delivery of services by using Drone to enlarge business opportunities.
Objectives:
For an organisation it is very much essential while aimed to launch new products and
services into marketplace to build or framed objectives and goals in order to work in systematic
manner. In context of H&M which aimed to launch new delivery services of products by using
Drone they have to primarily understand consumers needs and wants.
 To launch Drone services in marketplace by enhancing market share by 20% in a year.
Strategy:
In order to launch services it is very much necessary to plan and execute by
understanding the consumers and their needs properly.
Segmentation:
The majorly the consumers of the company who are fashion centred and willing fast
delivery of services.
Targeting:
The target consumers are people who are youngsters and fashion oriented and wants
experiments in fashion zone.
Positioning:
They position consumers after accessing their needs and wants in proper manner. In
context of H&M their consumers who wants accuracy in delivery of services and in rapid way.
Situational analysis:
For an organisation it is very much crucial to analyse or evaluate the each and every
important aspect in order to gain potential results.
Strength:
The major strength of H&M that they have prominent position in marketplace and they
by using sound supply chain able to enlarge opportunities in positive manner.
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Weaknesses:
There are some kind of issues that faced by organisation that are deficiency in quality of
products that hinders self interest of consumers (Sharma, 2019).
Opportunities:
they major opportunity in front of organisation that they use strong distribution network
by enlarge business opportunities in positive manner.
Threats:
The major threat that year by year new innovations commence into marketplace that
create a bottleneck for organisation to gain potential outcomes from them.
Product plan:
In order to plan and implement the products and services by using Drone services it is
very much essential to execute after accessing each attribute that are as follows:
Product:
The products of H&M is the fashion products such as clothes, accessories and other
attributes to enlarge business opportunities in positive manner.
Price:
The Range of price are vary from product to product and services associated with
specified product in order to gain high consumer base.
Place:
They have large no. of stores and also operate online also by aiming drone services.
Promotion:
They use promotion strategies such as advertisement, sales promotion and social media
marketing in order to gain potential outcomes (Sitkin, 2019.).
Monitoring and control:
For an organisation it is very much essential for an organisation it is very much essential
to examine or evaluate each and every attribute in order to gain potential outcomes and bridge
the gaps in effective manner.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that marketing is one of the most important
tool for an organisation as it enables to reach at large no. of consumer base in positive manner.
Marketing tools helps to organisation to get aware people about products and services with their
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distinctive features in order to remain competitive in marketplace. There are various functions of
marketing that proved beneficial for organisation to gain desirable goals and role of marketing
mix to affix or acknowledge each and every attribute in proper manner. While launching new
product and service into marketplace it is very essential to build marketing plan to coordinate
and measure the contribution of each and every factor.
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