IKEA Marketing Analysis: Roles, Mix, and Organizational Context

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of IKEA's marketing strategies, functions, and their impact on the organization. It begins with an introduction to marketing concepts and then delves into the key roles and responsibilities of marketing within IKEA, including product, production, selling, marketing, and social marketing concepts. The report examines IKEA's current and future marketing trends, implementation of marketing strategies, and situational analysis. It further details the different marketing processes, including situation analysis, marketing strategy, marketing mix decisions, and implementation and control. The report also outlines the roles and responsibilities of a marketing manager, such as identifying potential markets, selecting distribution channels, creating marketing plans, and supervising business activities. Additionally, the report explores how the marketing department influences and interrelates with other functional departments like HR and finance. It highlights the values and importance of marketing, emphasizing its role in increasing awareness and sales. The report concludes with a comparative analysis of IKEA's marketing mix and its impact on the overall business.

Marketing Essential

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions of IKEA.......................................3
P2 How roles and responsibilities of marketing related to wider organizational context .....7
P3 Comparing the Marketing mix differ from other organisation.........................................9
P4 Basic marketing plan......................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Marketing means creating, delivering and promoting the goods and services to customers.
It supports in developing healthy relationship with consumers and raising brand image as well
(Babin and Zikmund, 2015). Present study is based on the “IKEA”, it is multinational group
which sells and design assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories. It is worlds
the largest furniture retailer company. It has around 424 stores in more than 52 countries. There
are over 2.1 billion visitors to IKEA's websites. Study lays emphasis on the concept of marketing
and its current and future trends. Study will include different marketing process and the roles and
responsibility of marketing manager in organisation. Furthermore, assignment will explain the
way marketing influences and interrelates with other functional departments of firm. It also
highlights the values and importance of marketing roles and significance of effective relationship
between other department. Report will prepare marketing plan and comparison of marketing mix
with other company will be done.
LO 1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions of IKEA
The concept of marketing aids in analysing customer needs, wants and makes rational
decisions to beat competitors, increase sales and maximize profit of firm. Five major concepts of
marketing that are as follows:
Illustration 1: Concepts of marketing
(Sources: Five major concepts of marketing, 2017)

Product concept
It the concept of marketing that emphases on offering better quality of product to
customer in order to satisfy them (Five major concepts of marketing, 2017). Marketing strategies
are focus on continues improvement of product. For example: management of IKEA improves
their quality of goods and services so that more customers can get attracted towards it. The
product concept of good then customers are highly attracted towards the IKEA it is the effective
for the IKEA. Other hand the product concept is not good then it is affect to the IKEA's manager
and sales. It is ineffective concerns for the business.
Production concept
Production concept is one of the oldest concept of marketing. This guide to sellers for
improve production by using effective and best quality and quantity of product. It leads to
marketing myopia. It's only focus on improving manufacture and distribution efficiency of
business. This aids to IKEA to maintain its production and spacing efficiency.
Selling concept
It is the best and important concept of the marketing. It holds the ideas of consumer buy
product according to consumer needs. According to this concept IKEA carries very high risk. It
focuses on generating sales transactions not to build long tram and profitable relations with
customer.
Marketing concept
Marketing concept focuses on achieving organisational goals. Company markets products
and services as per the needs and wants of target market and customer (Baker and Saren, 2016).
That helps IKEA group to achieve its marketing goal and gaining attention of target customer.
The marketing is a effective concerns in this IKEA manager is effect to the business and its
manager. Marketing of the product and service are help to promote the product and service at
marketplace. It is the effective for IKEA manager other hand the marketing manager is not able
to reach to the target customer then it is affect to the market. It is ineffectiveness concerns of
marketing function.
Social marketing concepts
Social marketing concept is concept of maintaining or improving both customers and
society's well being with making effective marketing strategy to deliver values to customers. It
helps IKEA group to meets with present needs of customers.

Current trends
Current market trends of IKEA's is that online advertisement, holdings and advertisement
through newspapers, websites. These all are traditional trends of marketing. By that company
develop their promotion strategy of product. That helps to IKEA's in increasing its sales volume
and gaining competitive advantage.
Future trends
Future trends of IKEA' marketing, company lunch the robotic machines for reduce
human works. It is also focused on develop their innovation in product quality (Cegarra-Navarro
and et.al., 2016). By these customers can get attracted towards its product and quality. That helps
to IKEA to improve their productivity and profits.
Implementation of marketing strategy
It is another role and responsibility of marketing function in which it develop the strategy
that is used to promote the new product and reach with large mass of group as well. For instance,
in the context of IKEA, the firm introduce new furniture design and for this reason, the
marketing department initially develop a strategy to promote the product into market so that it
will reach to large group of mass with a single action only.
Situational analysis
It is another role in which the situation can be analysed such that what are the target
market, segmentation and position of the business. For this reason and in the context of the
quoted firm, when a new product is launched by the firm then the marketing manager determine
the situational analysis such that it includes whether the product is being profitable or not etc.
Different marketing process
It is the process which includes the ways of values can be created for satisfying the needs
of customers. There are following four steps of marketing process:
Situation analysis
It is the process of identity opportunities at marketplace. That helps to IKEA management
to analysis of internal situation and external environmental condition. By this way firm can make
effective plan in order to accomplish its goal.
Marketing strategy

It comes after the identification of available marketing options, make strategic plan for
develop the identified options (Process of marketing, 2017). This help to IKEA group to make
effective plan for uses that options.
Marketing mix decision
At this stage, management of IKEA is ready to take effective and tactical decisions
related to marketing mix element. It includes the product development, pricing, distribution and
promotion of product etc.
Implementation and control
At this stage marketing plan is ready to execute. This helps to adjust the marketing efforts
according to market changes. It is the final stage of marketing process of IKEA group. That
assists in making effective control over issues and getting positive results.
Roles and responsibility of marketing manager in organisation.
Marketing manager is responsible for oversee the allocation of resources by marketing
activities (Fine, 2017). That activities are help to marketing manager promote product market
place. It is the main responsibility of marketing manager.
Identify the potential market
It is the responsibility of marketing manager in organisation to identify the new potential
market and also maintain the relationship with customer and employees of firm. By this IKEA
create and increase the demand of goods and services which is produce by company. Individual
plays the role of researcher. Marketing manager looks upon the opportunities and make plan
through which enterprise can enter into potential market successfully.
Select channels of distribution
Marketing manager is also responsible for organisation to select the channels of
distributions. This help to IKEA group for physical distribution of goods and services at
marketplace through wholesalers, retailers. That is decided by marketing manager of IKEA.
Create market plan
It is the important role of marketing manager in organization to create effective
marketing plan. This helps IKEA, to determine the when, how, what and where the marketing
activities are plays for achieve marketing goal (Haffke, Kalgovas and Benlian, 2016). Marketing
activity includes forecast, advertisement, sales promotion, distribution of product etc.
Supervise and coordinate with business activities

Marketing manager takes responsibility to maintain the effective coordination with
customer and many certain business activities like purchase, sales, packing, storage,
transportation, advertisement, sales promotion and after sale services. IKEA's marketing
manager is responsible for developing effective coordination among all the activities.
Launch new product or services
Marketing manager of IKEA plays an important role in organisation which is most
important and necessary for attracting new customer and old customer toward the brand with
good satisfaction level. Marketing manager is only the person who studies about needs and
demand of customer and accordingly individual plans to launch new goods in market so that
consumers can get satisfactory products.
P2 How roles and responsibilities of marketing related to wider organizational context
Marketing department influences the other function department of organisation but it is
for developing an effective and valuable marketing plan (JAIN, 2017). There is required to
maintain close links with other function department of company.
Marketing & Human resource department
Marketing department influences the human resource department of IKEA because
marketing functional unit requires new and eligible candidate for the team. For that marketing
department makes effective and good relations with hr team. In that marketing department have
need to work closely with HR department to ensure that appropriate skills, knowledge and
staffing level are in place to meet with production target. Other hand hr department have many
recruitment and training methods to develop the marketing team. This interrelationship aids in
meeting with organisational goal. For example: like marketing manager is want to hire new
employee for the team, in that HR team is help to marketing manager for hire new candidates for
the team by examine skills and abilities.
Marketing & finance department
Marketing department influences the finance department of IKEA because they are
required funds for developing and promoting product at marketplace. For that they have make
effective and valuable relationship with finance department (Johnson, Leenders and McCue,
2017). Finance department allocates funds to marketing department to promote product and pay
for marketing expecses. Meanwhile, marketing department generates the funds and due to which
finance department have proper and efficient funds to allocate to other function departments.

Marketing & operation/production department
Marketing team has strong relationship with operation department of IKEA because
marketing team is need to ensure about the packaging, warehousing of product. For that they
have created effective relations with operation/production department of the organisation. For
that marketing team need to closely work with production team to ensure that the items and
products that are manufactured by firm have right quality of product. Meanwhile, marketing
department set deadlines to stretch the capabilities of production department because marketer
want product is lunch in market as soon as possible. For that they ensure about their competitive
advantage, whereas production team test products fully is ready to dispatch in market.
Values and importance of marketing role in organisation.
Marketing plays an important role in the every business to promote its product and
services at market place (Lane, 2016). Marketing is process that helps to improve their
productivity and profits of IKEA. It is important to promote product, business, brand and
services. This aids to increase the awareness about product to customer.
Increase the awareness
Marketing department plays an important role to increase the awareness of product to
customers. See advertisement, or get recommendation for the product and services most of time
its happens. Marketing management of IKEA raises the brand awareness among buyers through
marketing. That helps to build an audience of potential customer. By this customer know about
the product, price and find this where it is and ready to buy that product and services.
Increase sales
Marketing is important and valuable for increasing the sales of IKEA group. It the best
way to enhance sales of product. This aids the firm in accomplishing its profitability target.
Effectiveness: The marketing function are helpful to increases the sales and creates
awareness among the people so that they could easily determine the new product launched by the
business. Apart from this, the marketing function are also effective such that it helps to improve
the financial position of the business as well and reach with wide range of customers.
Ineffectiveness: On the other side, marketing also mislead their customer such that when
the marketing manager launch new products into market and if proper details are not provided
then it will creates confusion and this further leads to creates negative impact upon business as
well.

6. Significance of having effective interrelationship between other function department.
It is important to have effective relationship between all functional department of
organisation. Marketing section is responsible for success of IKEA (Malhotra, 2015). It includes
various functions of organisation like human resources, finance and operation/production
department. That plays important role in the marketing division and marketing teamis also
maintained the effective relations with other department.
Examples : The main aim of marketing is to influence decision of buyer and target to
right customer. It is beneficial for the business. For achieving this goal they have to make
effective and strong relations with other functional department of the organisation. These
departments help to hire new candidate for the team, allocate the funds for managing expense
and handling warehousing the product. It is important to work together to achieve the team goals
of firm. For that relationship between marketing and other function department is important.
LO2
P3 Comparing the Marketing mix differ from other organisation
Marketing mix of IKEA includes the various approaches which are help to meet with
business objectives (7P's of marketing mix, 2017). That includes place, promotion, product,
price, process, physical evidences and people. That 7p's helps to achieve goal of organisation.

Marketing mix helps to achieve goal of company and help make different strategies for
marketing process (Sanclemente-Téllez, 2017). It supports to lunch new product at market,
promote the product, pricing of product, process of product which help to attract customers
towards the comapny. In their promotion strategy they include the advertisement by asocial
media and online marketing. It is effective and valuable process of marketing mix.
Product: IKEA group deals with several products like furniture, textiles, decoration,
lighting etc. (Mohammad, 2015). While, There are some categories of walmart's such as home
furniture, clothings, foods, healthy and beauty products, sports and beauty products.
Price: IKEA adopts market penetration price and economy pricing strategy. Its customers
are more satisfied by prices of product. On the other side, Walmart marketing mix pricing
strategy depends upon its buying behaviour of the customer. Management set their price
according needs and wants of customer. Company adopt the bundle pricing strategy.
Illustration 2: Marketing mix
(Sources: 7P's of marketing mix, 2017)

Place: There are places where management distribute their product. IKEA has online
stores, towns stores. It has 340 stores in their town where they distribute products and goods.
They use the direct distribution strategy. Walmart uses direct delivery distribution strategy with
the help to vendors and suppliers on stores (Muralidharan and Raval, 2017). . Company also uses
the online shopping application.
Promotion: For promoting IKEA's product company uses the advertisement through
newspapers, online, social media, websites. That helps to promote its product at marketplace. For
promoting Walmart product firm use the online marketing strategy.
Process: Company uses the systematic process of marketing mix. That helps to build
trust on company. That includes systematic product placement and having multi payment
counters (Pike, 2015). The process of Walmart is efficient. They use the systemic process. It is
help to customer for shopping with company.
Physical evidences: Physical evidence of IKEA is stores. They include the facilities, tag
line. Physical evidences of walmart is seen by the 11000 stores. At each have multi categories of
product. Slip on the product.
People: It is multinational furniture organisation and its very eligible and multitalented
employees. They have ability to handle the customers queries at the stores. They are highly
motivated by their employer and management of the company.It is the global organization and
having huge numbers of people (Pitts and et.al., 2016). Company have efficient employees and
staff members for assess and handle the stores.
Evaluate the different tactics applied by the chosen organisation.
The pricing tactics are help to sets the effective and valuable prices of product as per
requirement. Sets the prices of product as per requirement and after analysis the market needs
and wants. That is good and effective valuation is marketplace of IKEA. With th help of
effective promotion strategy company is able to promote their product and service at
marketplace. It is the good and effective use of process. For promote the product and service at
market place IKEA manager can make the good and effective customer relationship with the
customers. This help to highly promote the product it is effectiveness of the product. Other hand
the customers are not satisfied by the product and services in that customer can damage the
product and services of IKEA. It is the ineffectiveness of this tactics.

LO 3
P4 Basic marketing plan.
Executive summary
Wooden furniture has the Vision and mission of the company is important part of the
organisation. Objectives are support to gain its profit and productivity of company. Marketing
audit helps to analysis the strength, weakness, opportunity and threats of organisation.
Segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy help to target market by customers. 7P's of
marketing aid to make effective strategies for developing product at marketplace. Budget is the
pre assessments of expenses which explain actual funds require to meet the marketing objective
and conducting marketing activities. Monitoring and controlling is the best part of the
organisation that assist to solve the problem and minimising complex issues.
Vision
 To offer wide range of well designed furniture.
 To enhance the experience with customer for long time.
Mission
 The best quality of product which is help to gain trust of the customer.
 Build long term relations with customers.
Objective
 To rise 20% sales in next 2 years.
Marketing audit
Strength Weakness
 Its well known brand in furniture and
has online stores.
 It focuses on the customers and their
needs according to the product.
 It has the global presences and financial
strength.
 High scale and large size of business
and its tom difficult to control it.
 Environment concern face problems in
communicating with their customers,
shareholders.
Opportunity Threats
 It has cost leadership, it is the biggest
opportunity for IKEA.
 It has low cost business model which is
limited.