Coca-Cola Marketing Plan & Key Marketing Functions: A Detailed Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of marketing essentials, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions within a business context. It explores the relationship between marketing and other functional units, such as human resources, finance, production, and quality control. The report includes a detailed examination of how companies apply the marketing mix to achieve business goals, using Coca-Cola as a case study. It outlines Coca-Cola's marketing plan, including budget considerations, monitoring, and control mechanisms. Furthermore, it compares Coca-Cola's marketing strategies with those of Pepsi, particularly in terms of price, product, promotion, and place, highlighting the importance of adapting to recent marketing trends and concepts for business success. The report concludes by emphasizing the critical role of marketing in business development and competitive advantage.

Marketing essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
LO1..................................................................................................................................................4
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of various marketing functions.........................................4
Introduction to recent marketing trends and concepts adopted by business..........................5
P2 The way in which several roles and responsibilities of marketing relates to wider business
context and its relation to marketing environment.................................................................5
P3 Different ways in which various companies apply application of marketing mix to achieve
business goals.........................................................................................................................7
P4 Marketing plan for Coca-cola.........................................................................................10
Marketing budget..................................................................................................................13
Summary of marketing plan.................................................................................................14
Monitoring and control of marketing plan...........................................................................15
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is an important business activity which is beneficial in increasing sales of a
business by performing several functions (Al Badi, 2019). In the era of stiff competition between
different companies marketing is considered as a backbone of a business which is also supportive
in providing competitive advantage to a company. In this report there is a critical evaluation
performed about several roles and responsibilities of marketing. This project also includes
explanation of marketing and its relation with various functional units in order to develop
business goals. This project also includes application of marketing mix for a company and its
impact on the business. The report includes a brief explanation of marketing plan for a company
along with precise analysis. In this report example of Coca-cola company is taken into
consideration. Coca cola was founded in the year 1892 and is headquartered at United States .
Coca-cola is a multinational company which is engaged in selling quality drinks to different
users.
Illustration 1: Coca-cola advertisement banner,2021

MAIN BODY
LO1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of various marketing functions
It is essential and compulsory for a business to perform several roles and responsibilities
related to marketing in a precise manner in order to develop a business. Marketing staff shpuld
be honest and sincere to handle customers who are there to achieve different targets. The roles
and responsibilities related to marketing are formulated by marketing department of a business in
order to achieve several marketing goals (Alford, 2018). The various roles and responsibilities
related to marketing are majorly performed in an ethical manner in order to satisfy different
customers. Coca-cola company generally formulates a specific plan to estimate different roles
and responsibilities of staff to fulfil organisational needs. The roles and responsibilities of
marketing management are explained below:
 Ethics and integrity- It is the major responsibility of marketing management to perform
several operations with full ethics and integrity in order to satisfy customers. The
marketing management of Coca-cola gets special training from senior members to
develop ethics and integrity in them. It is the major responsibility of management to
define marketing goals with the application of ethics and integrity to perform operations
in a crucialmanner.
 Customer engagement- The customer engagement is main priority of every organisation
which is working for the development of a company. In a short period of time it is
essential for the marketing staff to engage maximum customers for business purpose in
order to develop scientific operations. Coca-cola since its beginning in the marketplace
focus on customer engagement which includes taking regular feedbacks from major
customers (Arunachalam, 2019). The company has to evaluate crucial techniques to
maximise customer satisfaction for business purpose in order to take competitive
advantage.
 Customer relationship management- Customer relationship management is major goal
of every organisation as it is very much important to maintain healthy relationship with

various customers. The customer relationship management is a main priority of every
organisation in order to develop a bond with customers.
 Effective promotion and advertisements of products and services- It is a major
function of every business to develop promotion of products and services. The marketing
management performs good and precise promotion of products and services in order to
develop products and services at the marketplace. It is major responsibility of marketing
management to develop attractive advertisement of products and services to develop
products and services and their advertisement. Coca cola generally perform
advertisement by consulting different experts in order to attract large number of
customers.
Introduction to recent marketing trends and concepts adopted by business
 In the field of marketing there are various recent trends like innovation which is helpful
in introducing new techniques for the business.
 Use of information and technology in marketing operations is currently adopted by many
organisations which is also used by Coca-Cola.
 Many companies in recent times are also adopting various techniques of recycling
products in order to avoid wastage of products.
 In marketing many companies like Coca-Cola are also taking assistance of management
information system to develop a precise strategy.
 In marketing there are various companies which are mainly adopting technology related
technique for performing many operations and functions.
 Major companies in marketing are also taking assistance of experts in order to develop
organisational marketing strategy.
P2 The way in which several roles and responsibilities of marketing relates to wider business
context and its relation to marketing environment
Marketing play an important role in development of whole business organisation which is
the necessity of every business. In the business development marketing activities play a key role
which is important in increasing the value of a business and is also helpful in increasing revenue.
The company should consider major factors in a precise manner which are related to other
functional units in order to develop a business.

 The marketing has a major relation with human resource development in order to gain
competency edge over other competitors. Employees are managed by human resource
department in a business to develop a precise business strategy. Human resource
management increases motivation of employees by adopting different techniques of
management to develop various marketing functions in a precise manner to achieve
organisational goals.
 Finance department of a business is also linked with marketing management to gain
accountability of business operations. The marketing management formulates budget in a
unique sense and achieve them with the help of finance department. It is the necessary
function of marketing management to develop various budget goals for the organisation
in order to achieve different roles and responsibilities that are essential in business
development.
 Marketing department is also linked with production and operations department which is
essential in business growth (Bünte, 2018). The marketing department of Coca-Cola
indulges with operations department to develop optimum functions which are compulsory
for growth and development of the business. In the era of competition, it is essential for a
company to produce quality goods and services which are effective in development of a
business as a whole.
 The marketing department of Coca-Cola company is generally linked with quality
department in order to ensure quality production. The main companies focus on quality
department in order to achieve set business goals in a short period of time.
In context of global business Coca-cola hires professional staff in marketing management
in order to gain competitive advantage. The marketing management of an organisation has to
train employees according to recent trends in the business. Major roles and responsibilities of
marketing management are allocated on the basis of several development related to marketing
management. Marketing is backbone of every company which is a major function to be
considered by top level management of the company. It is the major and ethical responsibility of
lower level management of to follow main ethics in major sense to perform global operations
(Avila-Robinson, 2018). The performance of marketing related employees should be measured
from time to time in order to gain competency in the marketplace. As Coca-cola is a
multinational company it is major responsibility of strategic management to develop a precise

approach which is beneficial for business development. The roles should be played with utmost
responsibility by marketing management in order to lead the marketplace.
Marketing environment is the combination of different tools and techniques of employees
along with their function related to management of marketing management. The company try to
provide a professional marketing environment to main employees in order to synchronize their
role and responsibility level according to dynamic environment. Professional marketing
management department which is present at Coca-cola considers major strategies which are
important in achievement of different business goals in a short period of time. Marketing
department is the functional unit which performs many different operations that are useful in
business development in a precise manner (Bridges, 2020). It is the major role of employees
which together develops marketing department in relation to the marketing department.
P3 Different ways in which various companies apply application of marketing mix to achieve
business goals
Illustration 2: 7Ps of marketing,2021

The techniques applied by a company to achieve business objectives
Most of the companies at the marketplace are formulating major high level business
targets and help management to achieve different business goals (Kumar, 2019). The companies
majorly focus on functional departments which are essential in business growth and
development. Many companies like Coca-cola use the following techniques to develop and
achieve business objectives:
 Formulate sales targets- The current companies which are effective at the marketplace
use various strategies with the help of several business targets. Major companies with the
help of marketing management develop sales targets and achieve them with the help of
strategic management. Most of the famous companies at the marketplace develop
business and sales targets which are flexible and reliable in nature.
 Hiring skilled and trained employees- It is important for a company to develop skilled
and trained employees who are effective and efficient. Major companies at the
marketplace hire professional employees who are talented enough to increase sales
targets and achieve business growth.
 Strategic management- Many global and multinational companies keep a separate
strategic management department which is helpful in business planning. The strategic
management department is also helpful in achieving business targets in a short period of
time with utmost responsibility (Pike, 2018). The strategic management is also beneficial
for a business as it also helps in achievement of business goals within a short period of
time. The strategic management also helps a business to minimise risk associated with
different operations and activities which are essential for business growth.
Application of marketing mix
Marketing mix is a major technique which is essential in business growth and
development. The companies in global and international market takes support of marketing mix
to develop different functions which are important in selling The products and services. In major
competition marketing mix is applied by a business to secure top place in the field of marketing
operations (Capon, 2018). The application of marketing mix for Coca-cola in comparison with
Pepsi company is mentioned below:
 Price- The price is considered as one of
the major element in the field of
 Place- The place is considered as major
geographical location which is selected

marketing mix which decides the final
value of a commodity including profit.
It is essential for a business entity to
develop effective price for products in
order to gain competitive advantage at
the marketplace. Coca-cola company
decides effective and precise price for
its products and services to lead the
marketplace in a great manner. Price of
Pepsi is set by the company while
keeping in mind different prices set by
the competitors.
by a business in order to develop sales
of a product. As Coca-cola is a
multinational company which is
effective in providing products at good
and selected places (Eletxigerra, 2018).
It is the major aim of marketing
department to select appropriate place
for selling products in order to reach
target customers. Pepsi choose best
location on the basis of target
customers.
 Promotion- The promotion in today's
competitive world is a major function
of marketing department to sell
multiple products. Marketing
department of a company is a major
functional department which takes
assistance of information and
technology to promote major products
at the marketplace. The promotion at
Coca-cola is performed with the help of
marketing department in order to gain
competitive advantage. Pepsi mainly
focus on Television advertisements and
also uses social media advertising
 Product- The product is referred to the
output which is produced by a company
to fulfil wants and needs of various
customers. Coca-cola produces quality
drinks at the marketplace to satisfy
attached customers (Kotoua, 2017). The
company regularly takes precise
feedback from attached customers to
get involve in different practices that
are essential for development of
business.
 Physical evidence- The physical
evidence is necessary part of any
business which is essential in business
growth. It is important for every
 Process- It is the criteria of a company
to produce famous products at the
marketplace with optimum quality. The
process is supervised and controlled by

national and multinational company to
provide physical evidence for every
product formation in order to develop
market. The company can also use
various theories and models which are
suggested by famous management
scholars for producing a precise
physical evidence. Pepsi prefer physical
evidence in a major sense and gives
priority to physical evidence in a major
sense.
major marketing professionals in order
to improve production. Process is also
considered as major point which is
essential for business development in
order to handle major roles and
responsibilities. The process of
production of Pepsi is similar to Coca
cola but ingredients are different.
 People- People are considered as the
major body which is attached to
production of main products. The
company is majorly dedicated to
achieve faith and trust of people in
order to perform ethical operations.
People are important part of every
business which are effective in
development of a business. The
employee satisfaction is major priority
of Pepsi and Coca-cola.

P4 Marketing plan for Coca-cola
Illustration 3: Marketing plan elements, 2021

Marketing plan overview
The marketing plan should include a document which contains all the necessary steps and
actions which are to be taken by a business in a time frame to increase sales. Actions and
reactions on the marketing field should be concerned with top level management in order to
develop a business. Marketing plan should be evaluated with the help of a precise organisational
policy to perform operations in a smooth manner.
Overview of the company
Coca cola is a multinational soft and cold drink company which provides great services to
customers. The company has established different manufacturing units in major countries in
order to develop a precise approach and performs selling of different products in over 80
countries. Coca cola faces stiff competition with major companies like Pepsi, Red bull and Fanta
to perform operations at the marketplace.
SMART Objectives-
Specific- To increase 10% sales in 6 months, Coca cola is introducing a new product at
the market place that is Diet coke. So the company will also focus on increasing customer
satisfaction by 15% by maintaining optimum quality in production.
In the competitive world it is essential for a business to produce marketing plan for the
company in order to achieve various goals. The company has to design a precise marketing plan
with the help of professional marketing management to achieve organisational goals in quick
manner. Marketing plan should be attached with marketing survey in order to better understand
needs of major customers (Pike, 2021). It is the major responsibility of marketing management
which is working for Coca-cola to generally prepare an effective marketing plan. Explanation of
marketing plan with the help of STP approach which is related to Coca-cola is mentioned below:
 Segmentation- This is considered as primary stage in preparation of a marketing plan
which dividing sales of the product on the basis of target customers. The segmentation
plan should be evaluated after advice of effective sources which are related to marketing
and with the help of several marketing experts. Segmentation planning is necessary part
of any business which is helpful in development of business in an effective manner.
Segmentation of market will be on the basis of geographical location of the business in
order to sell products in target market.