Marketing Essentials: Wilkinson's Strategic Plan and Analysis

This report delves into the core principles of marketing, emphasizing its crucial role in business development and profitability. It begins by outlining the key roles and responsibilities of a marketing function, particularly within Wilkinson, a personal care product company, and explores their interrelation with other organizational departments such as operations, finance, human resources, and research and development. The report then examines the marketing mix elements (product, price, promotion, place, people, physical evidence, and process) employed by Wilkinson, comparing them with those of its main competitor, Gillette. This comparative analysis highlights the strategic approaches of both companies in the competitive market. Finally, the report proposes a strategic marketing plan for Wilkinson, aimed at enhancing its internal competence, increasing sales, and achieving its SMART goals, providing a comprehensive understanding of marketing strategies in the personal care industry.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
INTRODCUTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing function........................................................1
P2 Relation of roles and responsibilities of marketing with other organisational functions..2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P3 Marketing mix followed up by different businesses in marketplace................................4
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
P4 Marketing plan of Wilkinson:.........................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODCUTION
Marketing essential is an important face of the development and growth of the business
organisation. The firm should be responsive in developing affective marketing plan and tactics in
order to contribute in higher profitability of the firm (Han, 2013). In this respective report the
comparison between the marketing mix elements of Wilkinson and with its rivalry Gillette is
discussed. This also studies about the various role of marketing in the profitability of the firm
and in achieving the Smart goals and targets of the firm. At last of this report a effective strategic
plan of marketing is developed in order to promote internal competence of Wilkinson and
increase sales of the firm.
TASK 1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing function
Marketing is the important part of every organisation which helps the company to
increase their sales and profitability. This department has the functions related to advertisement
and promotion of the products of company and evaluate the demands of customers and satisfy
them to increase their sales. Wilkinson is the company which deals in the products of personal
care and having good brand image in market. The marketing department of this company has the
responsibility is to maintain the quality of there products and satisfy the customers demand
(Akbarimajd and Simzan, 2014). This depart has the duty to identify the competitors which are
working in market and products and services provide them. Determination of the strategies
adopted by them helps the cites company to make the plans according to them and attain
competitive advantage. Different roles and responsibilities of marketing department of
Wilkinson is described below:
 Product: The marketing department has to ensure that the product prepared by company
has good quality as per the preference of customers. Success of organisation is depend
upon the quality of the product and services provide them. So, this department has to
ensure that products have different and attractive features which attracts the large number
of customers. This helps the company to attain competitive advantage and increase their
sales and profitability.
 Price: Another important factor which affects the sale of product in market and affects
the profitability of compan6y is their price. The marketing department of cited company
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has the duty to fix the price according to the demand of their product in market and which
provides the competitive advantage from other product. Every customer wants that they
get quality product in affordable price. This will helps the company to increase their
sales.
 Promotion: Another important function of marketing department of company is to
promote the product provide by company. This helps the company to capture large
market share and get attention of the new customers (Simshauser and Nelson, 2013). This
function of marketing department helps the company to popularise their products in
market and get competitive advantage. There are various methods are used by company
to promote the products are social media, print media, electronic media etc. This helps
the company to increase there market share and removes competitors from the market.
 Management information system: This includes about the research of the market and to
know about the preferences of customers and competitors which already prevails in
market. This helps the company to know about the taste and habits of customers and
current trends in market. All these research helps the company to prepare the products
according to customer preferences and increase the sales and profitability of company.
 Financing: Funds are essential part in conducting the research and preparation of the
products according to the preferences of customers. It is the duty of marketing
department of company is to arrange the funds from different sources of market and helps
the company to maintain the quality and brand image in market.
 Distribution: This is the important function of marketing department of company to
distribute the products through different channels in market. To establish good
distribution in market helps the company to capture the market and attain competitive
advantage from other competitors. It is the duty of this department has to make good
relation with the supplier and customers so they relation them with their company for
longer period of time (Schooleman, 2012).
P2 Relation of roles and responsibilities of marketing with other organisational functions
Marketing is the main department of company. This includes the function related to
research about the market, customer preferences, competitors prevail in market and their
strategies. The main function of this department is to promote the products of company increase
the sales and profitability. There is huge relation of the roles and responsibilities of marketing
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with other organisational functions of Wilkinson. This relation with organisation function of
company is described below:
 Marketing department with operation function: The marketing department has huge
relation with the operation department of Wilkinson. As marketing department is
responsible for determination of demand of products which provides the information to
operation department according to that for the production of products. Marketing
department helps the operation department of company is to make the products according
to the preferences of customer and satisfy their needs. All this function of marketing
department helps the company to increase the sales and profitably (Brodbelt, 2010).
 Relation with finance function: Finance department of company has the responsibility
to identify the fund requirement by different department of company and distribute
between them. These funds helps the different departments of company to work properly.
The finance department of company also provides the fund to marketing department and
prepare the budgets for them in which they have to manage their activities. So, this shows
that there is huge relation between finance department and marketing department of
company.
 Marketing department have relation with human resource function: Human resource
department is responsible for appointment of staff according to the need of workforce in
different departments. Marketing department of company needs more workforce to
evaluate whole market and customer preference and make relation with customers. The
hum,an resource management department has to identify the requirement of workforce
and provides them staff according to that (Ebert and Griffin,2015). So, for effective
regulation of the activities of marketing department there is need to properly resource
employees.
 Marketing department with research and development function: Research and
development department has the duty to collect the information regarding market and the
forces which affects the performance of company. This will also provide the information
regarding strategies adopt by competitors in market. This will helps the marketing
department to make the plans according to that and get competitive advantage in market.
Research department removes the burden of marketing department so they get more
concentration on the promotional strategies which helps to increase the sales and
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profitability of company. Overall relation between these department helps the company to
attract large number of customers and capture more market share (Dietrich, 2014).
TASK 2
P3 Marketing mix followed up by different businesses in marketplace.
Marketing mix elements are the representatives of the internal competence of an
organisation. These aspects largely contribute in gaining competitive advantage the marketplace
through promoting competence of companies to contribute in higher profitability of the firm by
attracting large numbers of customers towards company products (Samli and Wilkinson, 2015).
Wilkinson and the Gillette are direct competitor in the business environment which are
delivering products in range of personal care goods. Both company are developing marketing
mix elements in order to promote their products more confidently in marketplace. Some of the
differences in the elements of marketing mix defined by both Gillette and the Wilkinson Swords
are as discussed below.
Marketing mix elements representing competence level of the Wilkinson Swords: The
company is having great history of development in business environment which is engaged in
selling products to the personal care industry. The company is dealing in both men and women
grooming products. The organisation is responsibly active in developing a effective marketing
mix for promoting the products and gaining higher sales in marketplace. Different elements of
Wilkinson Sword marketing mix is discussed below.
Product: The product of company is main aspects which attracts large numbers of
customer by offering a product to accomplish their various needs (Wilkinson Sword Quattro
Titanium Precision Razor. 2017). The organisation is successfully working in marketable
through promoting their products range of Quattro titanium Precision. The company is engaged
in providing a good quality features in razor for better grooming of men. The razor is designed
with a vitamin E and B1 layer on the razor to attain the needs of soft and smooth shave of men.
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Illustration 1 Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Precision Razor. 2017
Source 1 Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Precision Razor. 2017
Price: The business firm should be responsibly active in defining the price range of the
product offering by making a effective survey of competitors pricing strategies, compatibility of
the products with price range of the offering with needs of consumers and also with the
capability to pay of customers. The price of the razor of Wilkinson Quattro Titanium Precision is
defined of 10 Euros. This price range of single razor provides a hike to the company product
sales to large as this is comparatively an affordable range for quality of offerings of Wilkinson
(Wilkinson and et. al., 2016).
Promotion: The promotional strategy of the organisation largely contribute in increasing
the sales of the products in marketplace. The company is offering various offers and sales and
also the great value saving packs like offering a razor with 4 blades with discounted process.
This largely contribute in attracting potential customers of the Wilkinson swords to increase
sales of selected products.
Place: The place of promotion or serving largely affects on the profitability and the
promotion of products to large extent. The Wilkinson Swords is offering its products and
services in more than 120 countries. The firm is responsibly engaged in serving to the huge
marketplace in order to increase the sales of Quattro titanium men razor. The firm is also
promoting their products in the online space markets through inline stores to reach to large
numbers of potential customer of the firm.
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People: The people of the company are representative face of any of the business
organisation. The people should be motivated top work effectively with the firm in order to
contribute in higher sales of the firm. The people are the main competence of the Wilkinson
which are engaged in providing good customiser satisfaction level through developing an
effective customers relationship practices in workplace. So, people contribute in increasing the
sales of Quattro titanium precision in marketplace to large extent by offering quality services to
client and motivating them to make purchase with firm products.
Physical Evidence: This is the aspects or attribute of the business firm which provide a
prove to the originality of the servings and also helps in developing a trustworthy relation with
the company. The Company logo and the packings style or the cover of the products pack service
authentication to the company products. M like for an example the company name and logo with
the product name on the asking of Quattro Titanium precision provides a proof to originality of
the offering and also helps in developing attract towards the organisation.
Process: The process followed by the company to serve their clients should be simple,
and effective to attract large numbers of customers. The Wilkinson is serving their customers
through providing easy accessibility to the different product line along with providing proper
instruction to make purchase and select the required pack of products. This largely contribute in
increasing satisfaction level and the connectivity of the customers of Wilkinson Swords with
organisation.
Marketing Mix of Gillette to promote company competence in marketplace: The
company is competitors to the Wilkinson Swords in marketplace as dealing in same product line
i.e. personal care and grooming products for men. Both the company are collectively involved in
developing a effective marketing mix plan in order to promote their level of competence and
capabilities in market to increase sales of the firm. The various aspects of the marketing mix
followed by Gillette are as follows:
Product: The products served by the Gillette also belongs to the grooming products for
the men as well as women. The Mach 3 of Gillette is having in competition with the serving of
Wilkinson Quattro titanium. Both the products are having similar competence in acomchs9oning
the needs of the customers (Wilkinson, 2011). The Mach 3 of the Gillette is having an extra
lubricating strip in comparison to the Vitamin E and B1 strip of Quattro to serve other offering to
the customer and differentiated products from its competitors to attract customers.
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Price: The price of the products largely affects in the sales of the company. The Gillette
Mach 3 sensitive electric razor is ranging to 10.99 euros in UK which is slightly higher than the
products of the Wilkinson. This largely affects the sales of the company as its competitors is
providing products with similar features at lower cost. So, the business firm should be highly
motivated to provide a effective price range of products in marketplace to increase sales of
company.
Promotion: The company is promoting their product by offering some value added packs
of the Mach 3 sensitive electric razor. This may contribute in higher sales of the company
serving to large extent as these pack offers a cost saving products to the customers and these are
provide offers to the pocket saving of customer to large (Marks, 2014).
Place: The place at which the company is serving largely affects they sales of the
company to a large extent. The contribution firm should be responsibly active in selecting a
profitable place to promote the sales of their products. Like for instance the Gillette is expanding
a large market base by providing their product to the global market. So, the company should
follow up effective promotional tool to act in the global markets profitably.
People: The people of the company are highly motivated to add on in the sales of the
business firm to large extent (Wilkinson, 2013). The company Gillette should be responsive in
gaining competitive advantage in the marketplace through promoting their people values in
marketplace which will help in increasing the sales of firm as well as increasing numbers of
satisfied customers of the company.
Physical Evidence: This are the various aspects which provide a authentication to the
specific products of the company. Like the green rapper and the logo of Gillette on the pack of
the Mach 3 sensitive razor contribute in providing trust about the originality of the products and
develop a proof to the quality of the products of the Gillette (Gillette Mach3 Sensitive Power
Razor elctrica Razor for Men, Includes Battery, 2017). This ultimately helps increasing the sales
of company as well as developing a satisfied relationship of customer with business in
marketplace.
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Process: The process followed by the Gillette is an simple and systematised to promote
competitive advantage of business. As the company products are available easily inn general
stores, supermarkets which provide a ease to the customers to make purchase of organisation
products Mach 3 at every point. This will largely contribute in enhancing the sales of Mach 3
sensitive razor in many folds.
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Illustration 2: Marketing mix element of Gillette, 2017
Source 2: Gillette Mach3 Sensitive Power Razor elctrica Razor for Men, Includes Battery, 2017

Similarities in the attributes of marketing mix followed by Wilkinson Swords and the
Gillette are as follows:
Marketing mix elements Similarities in Gillette and Wilkinson
market mix elements
Product The products served by the both the companies
is share in same product line like dealing in
personal care products and the grooming
offerings for the men customers mainly. The
products Quattro titanium and Mach 3 are also
sharing some common features that both are
electric razor with a layer for smooth gliding
of razor.
Price The price range of the products are almost
similar with having little bit difference in order
to provide some differentiating offering from
competitors.
Place The place of serving of Gillette and the
Wilkinson are also shared as both the business
are dealing in personal care sector in global
markets by offering products to many countries
marketplaces.
Promotion The company are also developing same kind of
promotional strategies like both are marketing
their products through features in their smooth
touch shave to men and also promoting their
sales by provided value added packs to the
customers.
The Wilkinson swords should be responsibly involved in developing effective tactics in
order to promote the internal competence and the marketing mix element effectively in
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