Marketing Essentials: An In-Depth Analysis of H&M's Strategies

This report provides an analysis of the marketing strategies employed by H&M, a prominent player in the clothing industry. It begins with an introduction to the essential functions of marketing, emphasizing its role in brand promotion and customer attraction. The report delves into the specific roles and responsibilities of the marketing function within H&M, including brand awareness, market research, brand image maintenance, and user interface design. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to the marketing mix (4Ps) of H&M, comparing its strategies with those of Zara, particularly in pricing, product range, place (distribution), and promotion. The report highlights how H&M uses competitive pricing, a wide product range, extensive retail presence, and a mix of promotional tactics to reach its target audience. The analysis also includes a comparison with Zara's marketing strategies, providing insights into the competitive landscape of the fashion retail sector. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of effective marketing strategies in generating demand, enhancing brand image, and attracting customers. The report also includes references to sources used.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

 Marketing is essential function in business unit, it helps organisations in
promoting their brand and attracting more people towards the firm. Present
study is based on H&M, that operates in clothing industry.
 Current assignment will discuss role of marketing and its responsibilities
with reference to H&M.
INTRODUCTION

The roles of and responsibilities of marketing function in H&M are given
below:
 Awareness of brand in the market
 Conducting market research
 Building and maintaining the brand image
 Creating an easy and attractive user interface on online website
Marketing function's roles and responsibilities in
H&M

 Marketing in H&M organisation is one of main management function. Its
importance lies in the fact that this department is capable of affecting the
company's revenues in either direction- positive or negative.
 It is the way of marketing that builds the customers' perception towards the
brand and affects their decision whether to buy H&M's products or not
which means that the department is held responsible for the increased sales
or the downfall in the sales of the company (SZROMNIK, 2014).

Roles and responsibility of the Marketing in wider
scope in H&M

Marketing mix H&M Zara
Price H&M uses strategy of selling the products
at cheaper rates than its rivals. It pricing
strategies are focussed on low price of the
products. Reasonable quality at low prices
grabs the attention of the youth and results
into increased sales (Majeed, 2018).
Zara puts its focus on customer
satisfaction. The value customers derive
from using their products is the mantra for
Zara. The Zara applies the market oriented
pricing strategy which means it fixes it
product's price according to target
audience's willingness of paying the price
in different markets globally.
Product H&M focuses on widening the product
range. It offers wide range of products from
catwalk designs to the regular wears
including sports wear. It is partnered with
big designers around the world.
Zara offers luxurious clothing and its
product range covers everything from
casual to formal outfits for men, women,
and kids and all these forms the product
strategy of the Zara (Vargo, 2018).
Marketing mix

H&M ZARA
Place H&M owns more than 4000
retail stores in the world and also
sells its clothing line and
accessories from its online
channel internationally to reach
masses. It physically reaches
different markets by selling its
franchises to local partner. H&M
produces its items in the
countries where they find the
cheapest labour in order to
achieve its pricing strategy of
selling products at low rates to
have competitive edge
(Karatsevidis, 2016).
Zara operates in more than 85
countries with more than 6400
physical retails. It also reaches to
its customers through online
media and sells it cloths and
accessories from its online
official site. Zara stores are
situated at very high class areas
in the cities designed by their
own teams.
Cont..

Promotion As the H&M brand operates
internationally and offers a
portfolio of items, it uses mix of
different promotional strategy. It
uses print media like newspapers,
fashion magazines, journals to
promote its brand. Visual media
like advertisement on televisions,
advertisement on social sites,
promoting through own you tube
channel, uses digital marketing to
its fullest and turning the likely
people into actual customers.
Zara does not actively advertise its
brand and is known for being
media resist brand. Unlike its
competitors GAP and H&M it
does not engage in aggressive and
eye catching advertisements. It
relies on the customer's experience
and believes in articulated concept
that is what the customer has felt
while using its products will say to
others. Customers' opinion is what
matters for Zara and prefers the
word of mouth publicity rather
than advertising it on television
(SZROMNIK, 2014).
Cont.

 From the above report it can be concluded that marketing plays significant
role in organisation. This is helpful in generating demand and improving
brand image of the firm. Companies have to take support of effective
pricing, placing and promotional strategies. This may aid in attracting
more people towards brand.
Conclusion

Martha, G. P., 2017. The Promotional Mix Strategy of Easton Park Residence
Apartment Jatinangor (Study Case on Promotional Mix Strategy of Easton
Park Residence Jatinangor Apartment in product promotion).
Pancho, A. I. S., 2017. Mobile como forma de pagamento no setor das
viagens: o papel das perceções por parte dos early adopters (Doctoral
dissertation, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão).
REFERENCES