Marketing Essentials Report: McDonald's UK Expansion Analysis

This report delves into the core concepts of marketing essentials, analyzing the various functions and their roles within an organization, using McDonald's as a case study. The report examines key marketing functions such as distribution, selling, financing, marketing information management, pricing, product/service management, and promotion, illustrating their significance for business growth and customer satisfaction. It also explores the interrelation of marketing responsibilities with the organizational context, highlighting how factors such as pricing policies, home delivery options, and product innovation contribute to a company's success. Furthermore, the report provides a critical analysis of the key elements of the marketing function, evaluating the effectiveness of McDonald's strategies in areas like distribution, pricing, and product management. The report emphasizes the importance of customer feedback, product improvement, and employee motivation in maintaining a competitive advantage and ensuring customer satisfaction. The report concludes with an overview of McDonald's strategies for success and expansion.

MARKETING
ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................4
Project 1......................................................................................................................................................4
P1 Roles and responsibilities of marketing function................................................................................4
P2 Relation of responsibilities with the organizational context...............................................................5
D1 Critical analysis of the key elements of marketing function...............................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Marketing essentials is considered as a process which involves various factors such as pricing,
planning, sales and marketing of the products in a way such that they are able to satisfy the needs of the
customers. The concept of marketing essentials is vast and is not limited to the products and services
only. It involves the organizations, experiences, clients and ideas as well. The report is about
understanding the role of marketing and its relation with the other functional units of the organization.
Also, the fast food chain is planning to expand from Europe to UK for which the marketing strategies
McDonald’s are considered which can prove beneficial for their future plans.
Project 1
P1 Roles and responsibilities of marketing function
There are various responsibilities of a marketing function that acts very essential for the growth of the
company. Some of the marketing function along with their roles are discussed as under :
Distribution
The distribution policy of a company should be such that it satisfies the requirement of the
customer. As in case of McDonalds, they distribute food at the stores and along with it, provides
home delivery as well. The function of home delivery seems beneficial to the customers who wants to
enjoy their meal in their home. Many times, people feel lazy in going to the store or the store is far
away from their place, in that case McDonalds provides home delivery and is satisfying the customers
to a huge extent as well. If the policy of home delivery ha not been included in the structure of
McDonalds, it might not have gained so much popularity because these days various people wants to
enjoy their meal at home itself.
Selling
Every company has a selling procedure. As in case of McDonald’s, their sell the food items
across every country of the world. There are a huge range of restaurants of McDonalds that focuses
on selling their products all over the world. The selling strategy of McDonald’s has been observed
effective enough because the chain has been spread across all over the world, thus satisfying a great
range of the customers. Along with selling at the stores, the business also provides an option of home
delivery which acts very beneficial for the customers as well as for the company. This is a better
option for those people who feel lazy to visit the outlet and wants to take the meal in their home itself.
So, t can be considered as a better initiative by the company which has successful enough in
satisfying the huge number of the customers.
Financing
McDonalds have already set a strategy of taking the finance from some of its partners in the time
of need. They subtract all their expenses from the revenues and that is what they have. There are
various partners of the business which can help them in the time of need.
Marketing Information management
McDonalds often take feedback from its customers about what they like from the menu and what
not. So, they focus on excluding the item from the menu that has not been liked by the people much.
The company focuses on satisfying the taste and requirements of the customers. Taking feedbacks is a
better option to continue on the path of success, so does McDonalds do. It is a great cocept of

excluding the items from the menu that has not been taken much intrest by the customers because
involvement of such items disappoints the customers to a huge extent. So, it is a great initiative by
McDonalds to take regular feedbacks from the customers and excluding the products that are not
required and decreasing the image of the company. The company may also modify the product if it
wants to and if it will not be liked by the customers, then they can stop focusing o the product.
Pricing
The pricing strategy of a company should be like the customers are also satisfied with the rates
and the company also does not have to face any issue. The pricing structure of McDonalds has been
set from low to moderate. The company provides the products in this range only so that the products
can seem affordable to the people. It is so because if the pricing structure of the company will be too
high, it is obvious enough that the customers will prefer some other food chain. So, the company
focuses on maintaining the accurate pricing structure so that the customers can stay satisfied with it
and it will further help the company in a regular number of customers.
Product/ Service management
The company should focus on introducing new products on a regular basis because there must be
something new for the customers so that they cannot get bore from the same menu. That is why
McDonalds involve various new items n a regular basis for satisfying their customers. It makes the
customers happy as well.
Promotion
The promotion of a company or its products can be done by various means such as by
advertising on TV etc. Often various advertisements of McDonalds are seen on the television, so
these can be considered as a means of promotion. The company also promotes by providing
pamphlets of the latest deals to the people. These are some means of promotion which a company can
make use of to increase the popularity.
P2 Relation of responsibilities with the organizational context
The roles and responsibilities of marketing are directly related to the organizational context. A
very common example of it can be that the popularity, success factors, competition rate depends on the
policies and procedures of the company. Taking example of McDonalds, as if its pricing policy would not
satisfying the customers, that is if the rate of each product of the company is too high, then it is an
obvious fact that the customers would prefer some other food chain or restaurant because the people
along with enjoying the meals also have to manage their general essentials and expenditures. It can lso
term a negative factor for McDonalds s its people will prefer other restaurant chains, which may be the
competitors of McDonalds. So, because of the decreased number of customers, the company may have
to face some loss in the market. The same way, if the company does not provides options like home
delivery etc., the customers would rather prefer some other chain that provides the same function. This
factor again can result the company in a loss of customers. McDonalds always involve some new
concept or ideas in their menu which makes it different from those food chains who have a fixed menu
list for the customers. Customers also take interest in the new deals and products, so it can help the
company in achieving a huge amount of customers which has already lead the company in gaining a
huge amount of success in a few time. The company also focuses on taking proper feedbacks from the
customers on a regular basis. It si also a very esentil unction which any food chain can involve. By this
way, customers also consider the fact that they are essential for the company ad it helps in preserving

their interest in the company. By these small means, McDonalds always focus on satisfying the needs
and requirements of he customers.
D1 Critical analysis of the key elements of marketing function
The distribution process of McDonald’s has been an essential function in satisfying the
needs of the customers as the company provides the products at the outlets and along with it, it
provides an option of home delivery as well. It is a very beneficial option for the people who
does not want to go to the store and want to enjoy the meal at their home itself. In contradiction
to it, the pricing strategy acts more important in the marketing function as if the price structure
comes within the range that satisfies the pocket of the customers, then they can enjoy their meals
more often. If the rates seem more, then the customers can also prefer some other outlet to take
the meals. However, it can be evaluated that the pricing strategy of McDonald’s seems more
effective than the distribution policy. The procedure of taking feedbacks from the customer has
also been observed as a very essential component because by these small efforts, the customers
also think that they are important for the company, which helps in maintaining their interest in
the specific food chain. In contradiction to that, the product and service management also acts
very important as McDonald’s focus on improving the food items on a continuous basis by
including various new products in their list which acts as an attractive feature for the customers.
They often take feedbacks from the customers about the quality of the products so that they can
exclude the ones in which the customers are less interested in. This feature of the company
makes it efficient enough to satisfy a huge number of customers. However, it can be evaluated
that proper management of the products and services is an important factor as it helps in
maintaining the interest level of the customers in the specific food chain. This further helps the
company in gaining more and more number of satisfied customers and success at a faster rate as
well. The chain of McDonald’s has spread all over the world and also has proven successful
enough to satisfy the needs of the customers by keeping these small measures in mind.
McDonald’s has been successful enough in managing the value for customers as well by taking
proper care of them by providing them fresh and healthy food. Along with this, it takes care of its
employees as well. It often provides them some sort of motivation and encouragement by giving
them some sort of incentives and increments so that they can stay happy and well. The
employees f the company are giving their hard work t the company which is the actual reason for
satisfying the needs of the customers till now, s the company also focuses on providing them full
support and motivation by these factors such as increments and incentives on a regular basis.
However, it can be evaluated that the company focuses very efficiently on all the seven functions
of marketing as by distributing the products and services all over the world efficiently and that
too on affordable rates that the customers feel sufficient enough from purchasing the stuff from
the company. Inclusion of new items and products have also be a very successful attempt by the
company which has also satisfied a huge number of customers. McDonalds has the capacity of
differentiating it from the other food chains and has also been successful enough in maintain the
competitive advantages in the market place.