Marketing Intelligence Report: M&S Market Analysis and Strategy

This report provides a comprehensive marketing intelligence analysis focused on Marks and Spencer (M&S). It begins by outlining the stages of the purchase decision-making process and explores factors influencing buyer behavior, including cultural, social, personal, and psychological aspects. The report examines the relationship between brand loyalty, corporate image, and repeat purchasing. It then delves into market research techniques, including qualitative and quantitative methods like surveys, focus groups, interviews, and observations, to gather information and improve customer satisfaction. The report also provides evidence from secondary data sources relevant to M&S's marketing objectives and assesses the validity and reliability of market research findings. A marketing research plan for evaluating customer satisfaction is presented, along with a designed customer satisfaction survey, assessment of customer response techniques, and review of survey results. Finally, the report assesses market size trends, carries out competitor analysis, and evaluates opportunities and threats for a selected product or service, providing a complete overview of M&S's market position and strategic recommendations.

Marketing Intelligence

Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................4
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................5
Describe the main stages of the purchase decision making process............................................5
Explain the factors that affect buyer behavior..........................................................................10
Evaluate the relationship between brand loyalties, corporate image and repeat purchasing.....11
Task 2.............................................................................................................................................11
2.2 Provide evidence of secondary sources of data relevant to achieve marketing research
objectives for M & S. ...............................................................................................................13
2.3 Assess the validity and reliability of market research findings in relation to M & S..........14
2.4 Prepare a marketing research plan to obtain information in a given situation (the extent of
customer satisfaction at M & S)................................................................................................15
4.2 Design and complete a customer satisfaction survey..........................................................15
4.1 Evaluate techniques of assessing customer response..........................................................17
4.3 Review the success of a completed survey..........................................................................18
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................19
3.1 Carry out an assessment of market size trends within a selected market of your choice. . .19
3.2 Describe a plan and carry out a competitor analysis for one of the following organizations.
...................................................................................................................................................20
3.3 Using the selected organization in task 3.2, evaluate the opportunities and threats for the
product or service chosen in task 3.2.........................................................................................21

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................23
References .....................................................................................................................................24

Introduction
The Marketing Intelligence is the information about the company’s markets. The markets of the
company are analyzed and excelled in this. The company taken for the report is the Marks and
Spencer. The report includes the decision making behavior of the customer related to the
purchase and the theories of the buyer behavior in the market. The report also discuss about the
different factors that affect the customers behavior. It also includes the brand image and its
information about the company. The report also includes the market research on the basis of the
customer satisfaction and the different techniques of the company to attract the customers.
Further report talks about the market size and the trends and the competitor analysis of the
company and the threats and opportunities of the company. The report will provide the
understanding of the markets and the related factors of the Marks and Spencer.

Task 1
Describe the main stages of the purchase decision making process.
Decision making process in relation to purchase is shown below-
Step 1- Problem recognition
The first step is to recognize the problems in the market that arises by the wants and needs of the
customers. Consumer feel some missing aspects in their life which they fix by the way of
recognizing the problem.
Step 2- Process of search
The next step is the conducting search for the purpose of finding the best suitable product that
can satisfy the need of the consumers in the market. This search can be made via internet or
via interacting with the human beings to know the product (Yeung, et.al, 2016).
Step 3- Alternative available
The next step is evaluating and checking the alternative available in the market in relation to the
same product that is required by the consumer. The alternative available may have same
qualities or the better one for satisfying the needs of the consumer in terms of price, quantity,
quality or any other aspects.
Step 4-Selection
After all the research the next step is to select the most suitable product by the consumer that
would satisfy the need of them. It must be selected in a rational manner with all the aspects
that are required in the product.
Step-5- Evaluation of decisions
After the purchase of the product the last step is to evaluate the product choice. The product that
is selected is being evaluated in a proper manner to judge whether the product that is selected
has satisfied the wants of the customers (Yeung, et.al, 2016).

While following the needs and the wants of the customers Marks and Spencer’s may be able to
create a criteria through which company would be able to make correct market strategy to
increase its sales by understanding the reasons of the market situation as well as the mentality
of the customers (Yeung, et.al, 2016).
1.2 Explain theories of buyer behavior in terms of individuals and
markets.
Presentation

Explain the factors that affect buyer behavior.
There are various aspects that affects the behavior of the buyer in the market which is essential
for the business to analyze so that a proper planning be made. Factors are explained below-
Cultural- Buyer decision is based on the culture in which it lives that also includes the social
class of the buyer. The buyer is influenced by the religions, nationalities and all other aspects
associated with it. As the religion of the buyer increases the sales of the product at the time of
the festive season as well as nationality also affects the choice of the customers in an
effective manner (Xu, et.al, 2010).
Social- This factors are the reference groups, role of family as well as his status in the society.
Reference groups forms the behavior of the buyer as they influence on the buyer choice.
Along with that buyer make decisions as per the family influence. Apart from that status of
the buyer also helps to decide its choice.
Personal- The factors constitute the age, personality, lifestyle, occupational, as well as economic
aspects. Such as choice of the buyer also changes with the change of age of them. Similarly
the life style of the person also differ from one person to another. Along with that economic
situation of the person has the great influence as a buyer with the budget always tries to buy
with rationally.
Psychological -The factors in it are motivation, learnings, attitudes as well as beliefs of the
buyers. Such as motivational factors that affects the decisions of the buyer due to the various
needs like biological, social and physiological. Apart from that perception and attitude of the
person towards the product also changes their behavior towards the products for purchasing.
So M&S’s is required to analyze the buyer behavior to be able to become more stable in the
market. The market strategy is required to be more focused and more accurate as per the buyer
behavior (Xu, et.al, 2010).

Evaluate the relationship between brand loyalties, corporate image and repeat purchasing.
Brand loyalty is the continuation of the selection of the same brand by the buyer over the other
available brands. Brand loyalty is made after the hard work of the seller over the period of
time.
Corporate image is the image formed for the company in regards to the point of view of the
buyer over the way of dealing with the customers in the market. This image is the important
aspect for any business so that a perfect image of the company be established.
Repeat purchase is the repetition in the purchase by the buyer for the product which helps in the
better as well as successful running of the business (Tu, et.al, 2013).
All the three factors constitute a definite relationship with each other as brand loyalty helps in the
repeated purchase of the product and the corporate image of the also helps in the better
working of the product in the market. With the good corporate image company would be able
to increase the chances of the brand loyalty as well as with the brand loyalty buyer would be
able to purchase the desired product on the repeated manner.
So it is important that Marks and spencer’s make correct strategy so that it may improve their
corporate image that would help it increase the loyalty of the customers towards the products
of the company. And with the brand loyalty there are more purchase or the repeated purchase
of the product of the company that would leads to the repeated purchase. So it can easily be
concluded that all the three aspects are related to the each other in an effective manner (Tu,
et.al, 2013).
Task 2
2.1 Evaluate different types of market research techniques that
could be used to obtain information to bring back M & S shoppers.

Marks and Spencer has the great down fall since the past 20 years. The company was challenged
by the cheap priced retailers and the company has lost the customers and the shoppers of the
company. The competitors of the company brought the good and cheap products in the market
which took away the leading position of the Marks and Spencer. The company decided to grab
back the customers of the company and provide them the most quality products and the clothing
to increase the sales of the company as well as the profits of the company.
The company should use the different marketing techniques to assess the information from the
customers. The marketing researches are the searching’s and the findings of the company’s
market (Witell, et.al, 2011). The company works on the various marketing research techniques
are-
Qualitative and quantitative techniques-
Qualitative techniques are the methods which quality of the data collected is measured and is
very effective. The qualitative technique of the company helps in collecting the data in the
quality manner. It helps to the company to analyze the customers and target market on the basis
of the descriptions which are given by the target audience. It has a potential to analyze the beliefs
and values of the targeted audience. But it has a need of an experienced analyzer to analyze the
research properly.
The quantitative techniques of the research are that the collection of the data is done in the
quantitative manner. The quantitative methods of research is based on the mathematical data
which help to the company about market competition. It can give the exact result in the figures
but it has a less chance to analyze the feeling of the customers.
Here the chosen techniques are the qualitative technique. The different methods included in this
are-
Surveys- the Company uses the method to research the market in the manner to gain back the
attention of the customers. This marketing research techniques include the survey methods. The
company took the surveys from the different customers residing in different locations to know
the reach of the company and the importance of the company in each of the locations. Survey
includes the method of telephonic survey, mails survey, and online surveys.