Marketing Essentials Report: Burberry Case Study - Marketing Analysis

This report, centered on Burberry, delves into the core aspects of marketing essentials. It begins with an introduction to marketing and its importance in business, setting the stage for an in-depth examination of Burberry's marketing strategies. The report meticulously outlines the roles and responsibilities of the marketing function within the company, emphasizing customer relationships, social media management, market trend analysis, budget preparation, and strategic marketing plan development. It further explores the significance of marketing within the market environment, including strategy development, the use of marketing information systems, market monitoring, and market research. The report also discusses how marketing relates to the wider organizational context, highlighting the interplay between the marketing and human resource departments. Furthermore, the report includes a comparison of marketing mixes of different organizations and analyzes the tactics Burberry employs to achieve its organizational goals, culminating in the formulation of a basic marketing plan designed to guide future strategies. The report underscores the importance of marketing in driving business success and emphasizes the need for continuous adaptation and innovation in the ever-changing market landscape. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of updated tools and techniques.

MARKETING
ESSENTIALS

Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Activity 1.....................................................................................................................................................3
Roles and responsibilities of marketing function.....................................................................................3
Roles of responsibilities of marketing in the context of market environment..........................................5
Roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organizational context..................................7
Activity 2...................................................................................................................................................10
Comparison of marketing mix of different organisations......................................................................10
Tactics applied by Burberry to achieve organisational goals and objectives.........................................17
Formulation of basic marketing plan for an organisation......................................................................17
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................21
References.................................................................................................................................................22

Introduction
Marketing in business refers to the process of attracting potential customers towards the
products of an organisation by using techniques and tools such as advertisements, promotions,
etc. In this modern world, business firms are facing stiff competition from their rivals due to
attractive marketing techniques. Customers are essential for any business who purchases the
products and services provided by the company. It is the prime duty of an organisation to retain
their customers from going anywhere else. This report file is based on Burberry which is a retail
organisationof UK providing huge range of fashionable products, fragrances, cosmetic items,
clothing etc. to the customers in more than 51 countries. The company was founded in 1856 in
the city of London, UK. This report will discuss the various roles and responsibilities of
marketing function along with the roles which are performed by the marketing function in the
marketing environment. This report will also discuss how marketing mix is applied indifferent
organisations for the development of their strategies and plans. This report will also discuss a
basic marketing plan in the end which will contain the strategies and plans for achieving the
desired organisational goals.
Activity 1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing function
Burberry is a multinational company which is having a large number of operations or
stores in more than 52 countries throughout the world. The company is surviving in the
competitive global environment because of having different departments which are performing
their roles and responsibilities for achieving the organisational goals and objectives. Marketing
department is also an important department of Burberry who is contributing their maximum
efforts for accomplishing the organisational goal of largest market share in the global retail
market (Functions of marketing, 2017). This department look out the marketing activities of the
company for attracting the customers towards the products and services which are provided by
the firm. This department plays an important role in improving the business performance and
productivity. Through the marketing activities, this department is working continuously for
improving the sales, profit, revenue and customer relationship etc. so that firm can survive for a
long period of time in the market. There are various roles and responsibilities which are
performed by the marketing department of Burberry which are discussed below:

Better customer relationship: Marketing department has the responsibility to maintain the
loyalty and trust among the customers towards the company. The marketing department do this
by using promotional techniques through which they communicate with customers for
influencing their behaviour towards the products of organisation. The marketing department of
Burberry is also using techniques such as engaging customers through quizzes and hashtags.
Through this, customers keep in touch with the company which will strengthen the relationship
between the company and its customers. This also enhances the satisfaction and loyalty among
the customers due to which they keep interested in the products of the Burberry
Social media handles: The marketing department is also responsible for managing and
monitoring the company’s profile on the social media handles. Through this, the marketing
department stay connected with their customers for providing the information regarding the
offerings of the company so that sales and performance of the products can be enhanced. The
marketing department of the Burberry is using various social media platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter etc. for interacting with the customers regarding the products and services
of the company. The marketing department also takes feedback and suggestions from the
customers regarding the improvements in products in order to improve the customer satisfaction.
Determining consumer and market trends: The market department also analyses the
market conditions and information in order to determine the trends of customers and market.
This is essential for the marketing department in order to convey the information to production
department for producing products which can fulfil the needs and demand of the customers and
market. It helps the company is achieving sustainability in the market place for a long period of
time. The marketing department of the Burberry is also using the market research for
determining the on-going changes in the mind-set of the customers so that the products can be
provided accordingly based on the needs and demands.
Preparing marketing budget: It is the responsibility of marketing department to prepare
budget for carrying out the marketing activities. This is essential because availability of funds
can prevent the future situations which can impact the marketing activities. The marketing
department of the Burberry also prepares the budget for their marketing activities in order to
achieve their desired organisational goals and objectives (Shaw, 2016). This budget is prepared
on the analysis of past and future budget and their variation with the estimated results. This

analysis is necessary for forecasting the future requirements of the marketing department so that
they can perform their functions for improving the productivity of the company.
Preparing strategic marketing plan: This plan is a document in which the desired
strategies, products, strengths of the company, competitor analysis, etc. are mentioned. Effective
marketing plan is necessary for the organisation in order to achieve the new heights in business
and developing cost efficient strategies for survive in the long term. This plan is prepared by
Burberry’s marketing department for determining the target and goals which must be achieved
by the company in a predetermined period of time.
Improving brand image: This is also performed by the marketing department by creating
awareness among the customers regarding the products and services which are provided by their
organisation to the customers. This is very important for business firms so that they can improve
the brand image of the firm (Rossi, Allenby and McCulloch, 2012). The marketing department of
Burberry is using the CSR activities, discounts and offers for enhancing the brand awareness
which will also improve the brand image of the company in the competitive market place. This
will also assist the firm in improving the growth rate and success for sustaining in the market
place.
The marketing department of the Burberry is efficiently performing their roles and
responsibilities so that they can provide their contribution in the development and growth of the
organisation in an effective manner. The marketing department in Burberry is working 24*7 so
that they can maintain the trust and loyalty of their customers towards the offerings of the
company for achieving higher customer satisfaction (Pike, 2015). However, the department fails
to use the updated software and tools in their working due to which they are not performing well
at the workplace. This is highly essential for the management to provide updated tools and
software to the marketing department so that they efficiency can be improved.
Roles of responsibilities of marketing in the context of market environment
Marketing environment consist of various elements which are highly useful for the
marketing department of the Burberry such as pricing, promotion, distribution etc. for planning
and developing strategies (Papasolomou and Melanthiou, 2012). By using the concept of
marketing environment, Burberry can retain their focused customers for a long period of time as
these elements are considered in decision making for providing the products. The marketing
department plays various roles in the marketing environment. Some of these roles are as follows:

Developing marketingplans/strategies:The main aim of marketing department is the
development of strategies and plans for the marketing activities. These strategies are required for
determining the potential trends, needs and demands of the customers etc. By determining these
factors, the company can provide its products accordingly (Nguyen and Simkin, 2012). For this,
the marketing department of Burberry is using the social media for understanding their mind-set
so that the products can be provided accordingly. The company is maintaining the balance
between the organisational goals and market opportunities so that market share can be enhanced.
But social media also has fake profiles due to which they could not bring effective results to the
organisation as their ideas are not based on the product usage but rather on word of mouth.
Using marketing information system: MIS is a useful tool for getting the insights
regarding the products, strategies, performance of employees, distribution etc. to the marketing
department based on which the marketing department takes their decision (Malhotra, Birks and
Wills, 2013). The marketing department of Burberry is also using the Marketing information
system for staying update with the activities of organisation. For example: Marketing department
uses MIS when they have to track the status of their logistics which is shown in MIS on a real
time basis. However MIS also has several limitations because it works on GPS location which
can sometimes shows wrong location which can leads to the late execution of assigned task.
Monitoring of market: The marketing department in an organisation needs to monitor the
market for determining the trend and changes in marketing environment. This is essential
becauseit helps marketing department in determining the new development which can improve
the position of the company. These new development includes market trends, social factors,
political and economic fluctuations etc.Marketing department of Burberry is keeping an eye on
the market so that any possible opportunity can be grabbed by the company for improving the
sales and profit.But for monitoring the market, company has to conduct market research which is
a cost and time consuming process and can be proved expensive for the Burberry.
Marketing research: Market research is conducted by the business organisations in order
to determine the trends and changes which are going on in the market due to the advancement in
technology and standard of living. The market research is also useful for determining the future
performance based on the past and present performance (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2011).
Marketing department of Burberry is conducting market research by themselves which is
essential for them as their effectiveness depends upon the trends and requirements of the market.

For example, Theincreasing demand of organic beauty cream due to the health benefits is
grabbed by the company and Burberry launched their own organic beauty cream for improving
their sales as well as to meet the expectations of the world. But as discussed earlier, the major
drawback of this is that it is time and cost consuming due to which company may face problems.
Improving brand image: Marketing department is mainly performing its operations for
building the brand image of the organisation in the marketplace.The brand image plays a major
role in attracting the customers. Burberry is a global company having operations in more than 51
countries due to which company has a good image in the global market. However, the marketing
department of the Burberry is working hard for improving the brand image of the firm in order to
achieve competitive advantage over the competitors such as H&M, ZARA, etc. For this, the
marketing department is using advertisement on the social media, internet, etc.
Roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organizational context
Burberry is a huge multinational firm who is operating in more than 51 countries. In order
to survive in the highly competitive business environment, various departments of the Burberry
are providing their maximum possible efforts in performing their work (Kennedy and Parsons,
2014). These departments are the backbone of the Burberry which is responsible for the huge
success of the firm. These other departments need assistance from the marketing department in
order to effectively provide their contribution in the success of the firm. These departments
should coordinate with marketing department in proper manner so that the company can sustain
in the market. This interrelation of marketing department with other departments is discussed
below:
 Marketing department and Human Resource department: Human resource department
is the backbone of company who provides workers to the different organisational
functions. The marketing department publish the job positions on the different platforms
for attracting the candidates (Katengeza, Okello and Jambo, 2011). The HR department
and Marketing department of Burberry are working together so that talented and skilled
employees can be recruited. These candidates perform their work with efficiency for
achieving the organisational goals in proper manner.
 Marketing department and Sales department: Selling is the most important activity of an
organisation. The organisations need to do proper planning regarding the sales in order to
achieve high number of sales (Jones and Rowley, 2011). Marketing department analyses

the various options in the marketplace for selling the products and services. Marketing
department of the Burberry is providing the accurate information regarding the suitable
for marketing the products. The company can cover more market share by using the
updated tools provided by the marketing department. Marketing department also analyses
the market regarding the demand and supply in order to predict the non-availability of the
products.
 Marketing department and Production department: Production department of an
organisation is responsible for manufacturing the products. Marketing department
analyses the market trends and taste of preferences. Whereas by using the help from
marketing department, Production department can manufacture the products according to
the demand and taste of their customers (Hsu, 2011). These both departments of Burberry
are working together for manufacturing quality based products which can satisfy the
expectations of customers. These satisfied customers will purchase the products of firm
again which will also improve the relationship and brand image of company.
 Marketing department and Finance department: Finance department monitor the cash
and other monetary expenses of firm. It is very essential for finance department to control
the expenses of firm as these can directly affect the profitability of business. These funds
can be raised through various methods. Marketing department determines the suitable
option in order to get the best returns and provide the option to finance
department.Burberry’s both departments are supporting each other in performing their
roles. For example: Marketing department needs money for purchasing the promotional
tools which is provided by the finance department and finance department needs funds
for ensuring smooth flow of business operations whose details are provided by marketing
department. The marketing department also estimates the future costs which can occur to
business by using analytical tools such as Google analytics, surveys etc.
Significance of marketing function in relation to other departments
Marketing department is the major function of an organisation which provides support to
the other departments of the organisation. These departments such as HR, sales, finance and
marketing should perform the work by coordinating with each other. By using the coordination
they can perform their business function properly. For example: By using the help from
marketing department, production department can manufacture the quality based products which

can satisfy the needs of customers (Fırat, 2013). By using the help from marketing department,
finance department can gather the required amount of funds which can be used for the business
functions. Also HR department can recruit the talented and skilled candidates from a pool of
applicants which are attracted through the advertisements done by marketing team. These all
other departments of an organisation needs to coordinate with marketing department in order to
deliver the products which can meet the expectations of the customers. The firm can gain high
sales and profit if customers are satisfied with the provided products. The company can achieve
sustainability in the market if the customers are happy with the provided products of the
company.
Elements of marketing function
Marketing involves various activities such as product design, pricing, strategies,
advertising and others (Desai, 2013). However these activities are come in between the process
of marketing. There are some elements of marketing function which are discussed as follows:
Research: It is very essential for the marketing department to gather the important
information of outside environment which is essential for developing and marketing products
(Dibb and Simkin, 2013). Market research will assist the Burberry in determining the suitable
work practices which can be used by the company. However, challenge is that the business
environment is dynamic in nature due to which it keeps on changing. The Burberry can set up an
division which will perform the work of conducting market research.
Strategy: The data collected from the market research is evaluated on the basis of
strategies as well as opportunity. After the evaluation, strategies are developed for the marketing
activities. The main challenge in this is that the new strategies could not be aligned with the
previous strategies which can impact the business in achieving its goals.
Planning: After the development of strategies, Burberry needs to develop a plan for
implementing the strategies. This planning consist of financial planning, sales forecast,
distribution as well as communication (Daniel, 2011). The major challenge is that the long-term
planning in a dynamic environment can be proved risky and so the Burberry needs to stay
focused on homogeneous aspects during the run.
These 3 elements are very crucial for any marketing department in order to get effective
results and success in their work. The marketing department needs to consider these elements
while performing the business operations so that success of the company can be ensured.

Activity 2
Comparison of marketing mix of different organisations
Marketing mix is the suitable course of action which is taken by the organisation for promoting
its products and services in the market. Marketing mix consist of seven elements such as product,
price, place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence (Marketing Mix. 2017). Through
this process, company can stay updated regarding the relevant changes which must be done in
the products, or operations of the company for achieving a higher competitive edge in the
market. Burberry can also use the Marketing mix for determining its position in the market. Fir
this, Burberry needs to compare its marketing mix with the competitors in order to determine the
variations which should be eliminated. Christian Dior is Europe based organisation engaging in
the same sector as Burberry and giving tough competition to the Burberry in the market. The
comparison of marketing mix for both of the organisation is as follows:

Figure 1: Marketing mix
Elements Burberry Christian Dior
Product Burberry is a multinational
company having a broad range
of fashion products which are
fashionable as well as
luxurious. These products
include accessories. Clothing,
cosmetics, fragrances and
many more. The products
provided by the organisation
Christian Dior is a UK based
firm having a wide range of
products too such as leather
goods, fashion accessories,
timepieces, fragrances, skin
care products and many more.
The company is also providing
the products based on the
demographics such as Miss

are of high quality as well as
of unique designs. The
products of the Burberry are
manufactured by using
exquisite materials which can
stay good for a long time
period. For example, Tartan
Pattern is a unique design
which is developed by the
founders of the company
which is attracting a large
number of customers towards
the offerings of the company
in the global competitive
market.
Dior and Poison are the most
popular fragrances among the
people which is for women
and Sauvage, Jules and Higher
cater are some products which
are popular among the people
but are meant for Men only.
Price The products which are
provided by the Burberry are
belongs to the premium and
luxurious range as the
company is targeting high
class and above middle class
people who can purchase the
products of the company
without any problem or worry
of finance and economical
condition (Clow and James,
2013). The prices of the
Burberry products are high
also because of the quality
based products which are
manufactured from quality
The prices of the products
provided by the Dior are high
because the company is
targeting high-class and high
income group. This is because
such people do not
compromise with quality. The
company is adopting premium
pricing policy for providing its
products to the customers. This
is because the company wants
to build good relationship with
their customers which are
based on trust.