Marketing Principles and Techniques for Mash Direct: An Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Mash Direct's marketing strategies, covering various aspects such as marketing principles, market research, and e-marketing techniques. It begins by defining marketing and its core activities, including market research and promotions. The report then delves into market segmentation, exploring demographic, behavioral, geographical, and psychographic segmentation methods relevant to Mash Direct. Furthermore, it examines the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion) and its application to the company. The report also discusses the objectives and methods of market research, including primary and secondary research techniques, as well as the use of SWOT and PESTEL analyses. It explores e-marketing strategies employed by Mash Direct, such as email marketing, social media marketing, SMS marketing, and website diversification. Finally, the report focuses on target market research, providing a detailed overview of Mash Direct's approach to understanding and reaching its target audience. The assignment aims to provide a detailed overview of marketing principles and their practical application through the case study of Mash Direct, a farming and food manufacturing unit in Ireland and the UK.

Marketing Principles and
Techniques

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1 –What is marketing..............................................................................................................3
Task 2 –Market research .................................................................................................................5
Task 3 – E-marketing ......................................................................................................................8
Task 4 - Target Market of Research................................................................................................9
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................21
Recommendation...........................................................................................................................21
REFRENCE...................................................................................................................................22

INTRODUCTION
In this era of market dynamics where there is immense competition in business
environment marketing plays a crucial role to in enabling business to achieve success and
sustainability by providing customized products and services to its customers. These services are
based on frequently changing needs and aspirations to attain higher profits and sustainability to
attain consumer satisfaction.
Mash Direct is a farming and food manufacturing unit based in Ireland, UK. It produces
and supplies vegetables, preprepared potato, croquettes, cakes and vegetable burgers to
consumers and retailers. It has 180 people employees at its farm that handles it operations across
UK and Ireland and exports it to USA and Middle East (Haffar, Al-Karaghouli and Ghoneim,
2013).
This assignment will provide a comprehensive detail about marketing and its various
activities along with discussing market mix and target segmentation. It will further evaluate the
objectives of conducting market research and its probable benefits to both organization and
customers along with its various tool sand techniques used for it. In addition it will describes the
various methods of e- marketing along with its strength and weakness.
Task 1 –What is marketing
Marketing can be defined as a process or socio economic activity that deals with
manufacturing, communicating, delivering and exchanging products and services that is of great
value for its consumers and society. It is anticipating needs and wants of potential clients by
adopting market orientation to gauge out their desires through intensive research, develop a new
product or modify the existing one in relation to revealed survey and then promote its products
by using different techniques finding out their requirements to make people ware of the
existence of commodity and its related benefits (Ratković, Grubić and Tasić, 2012). Marketing
is an amalgamation of various activities like selling, market research, selecting target market
segment, creating and maintaining public relations, various promotional activities etc. all
determined and aimed towards reaching and providing goods and services as per clients
requirements. Mentioned below are some most prominent activities of marketing :-

Market Research:- Marketing research is a systematic procedure of gathering
information about the target market segment, about their choices and demands, competitors
strategies, prevailing market scenario etc. by using various tools like surveys, questionnaire etc.
and then analysing the results to formulate appropriate strategies and plans to gain higher profits
by properly serving diversified requirements of its contemporary clients (Polit, 2012)
Promotions:- Sales promotion forms the integral part of marketing process at it is one of
most prominent factor that contributes in making costumers aware about the brands, its benefits
and stimulating and attracting them to make a purchase. It includes several communication
activities that are undertaken to provide value addition or incentives to stakeholders comprising
retailers, customers etc. there are various elements included in sales promotion like advertising,
personal selling, publicity etc. that could be adopted by a firm in accordance to availability of
resources with business.
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Types of market segmentation: There are various forms of segmentation which are used
by organisation to have adequate market reach and customer base are describes below:
Demographic segmentation: It is widest and simple form which is used by management
to divide population into various tactics which are age, gender, income, religion, nationality and
so on. It is necessary that different variety and range of products are provided by firm to attract
large number of customers and enhance sales volume. Mash Direct is a farming and food
manufacturing unit whose target buyers for Ultimate truffle cupcake are children and adults.
Behavioural segmentation: This is another type of market segmentation which divide
population and formulate group of people which have similar nature, attitude, taste, preferences
and decision making pattern. Mash Direct provides Ultimate truffle cupcake which are
manufactured in respect to choices and taste of children and youth people. This help company to
have adequate customer base to enhance sales volume and revenue.
Geographical segmentation: It is form of segmentation of market which define that
organisation require to provide products and services in respect to target market area and
customers. Mash Direct is small firm which has outlet in only one country require to provide
products in according to choices and preferences of people.

Psychographic Segmentation: This is another form of market segmentation which
specifies that people lifestyle, opinions and interests determine products and services require by
them to fulfil their demands and requirements.
MARKETING MIX
It is one of the most famous strategy used by a business comprising eight combination of
its 4P's place, product, price and promotion for creating an defective marketing plan that could
promote its brand or product in the market in most effective, unique and distinctive way (Gardan,
and Geangu, 2013). It included making variations and formulating tactics in the below
mentioned variables to gain an edge over competitors:-
Product- It deals with an an item both tangible and non tangible which is manufactures
or offered to satisfy needs and wants of consumers to attain maximum growth, profits as well as
customer satisfaction. Mash Direct is associated with providing varied variety of mash potatoes
with different variations in ingredients according to customers choice as well as different
vegetables dishes , potato cakes, croquettes etc.
Price- It is the amount of a commodity that customers are ready to pay to during making
purchase Ultimate truffle cupcakes. Firms generally tries to maintain this attribute by justifying
its product price in reference its quality keeping it affordable for its customers. Mash Direct
provided high quality of potato and vegetables dishes at affordable prices to its customers as well
as to many retailers and supermarket chains across UK (Fagerstrøm and Ghinea, 2013).
Place- it deals with understanding target market inside out and the providing them with
Ultimate truffle cupcakes through best distribution channels. Mash Direct has a strong channel
of distribution through which it provides its products top over 5000 stores in UK.
Promotion- Mash Direct make use of various sales promotion tools like social marketing
such a twitter, facebook, instagram and through various promotional events to enhance Ultimate
truffle cupcakes .
Task 2 –Market research
Market research forms a significant tool to enhance firms profitability and performance
by being proactive in formulating strategies by thoroughly studying the requirements of
customers, schemes and marketing policies of competitors, market environment, government
policies and regulations. There are basically two sources primary and secondary that are used for
gathering the information from the customers which is further analysed by a firm so that it can

develop a new product or make changes in existing one to gain edge over contenders and achieve
customer delight.
Aims of market research: “The main aim of conducting market research is to find out
who are potential customers, what are the changes occurring in their preferences and what new
or variations in dishes they want company to introduce.”
Aim of market analysis: “To identify new market prospectus for Mash Direct and growth
aspects in current target market.”
Market research methods: There are basically two types of data collection sources that
can be used by the company for gathering requisite information from the customers i.e. is
primary and secondary. Mash Direct make use of both types of data for gaining customer and
market related information by making use of various tools and techniques.
Primary research is the research which involves making use of first hand information
by the researcher that ha not been gathered by any other person previously. For collecting data
for primary research Mash Direct utilizes following techniques-
 Surveys – Mash direct conducts surveys by asking respondents and its customers about
what are the most prominent dishes they like company to add on its menu, variation they
want to taste in current dishes etc.
 Questionnaire and feedback forms- Mash Direct make us of questionnaire and feedback
forms to be filled by its customers for getting a appraisal of its customer related services,
present food quality and other company related review (Fahy and Jobber, 2012).
Thus by analysis information gathered from the primary research through surveys,
feedback forms and questionnaires Mash Direct came to know that customers wanted their
portion to be big Mash Direct has introduced single serve pots, they also introduced an entire
range of glutton free dishes for health conscious customers and launched mash pots with many
flavours etc.
Secondary Research - This research consist of information that have been already
collected by some other person beforehand. It includes collecting information from sources like
internet, magazine, journals, universities , government sites and portals etc. On the basis of
results and information gathered from secondary research Mash Direct has analysed that its gross
profits has increased by 4 % from £6.1 million to £6.3 million in December 2017. Analysing its
growth potential and target market requirements company has made deal of opening 330 stores

in England and Wales. It has also made collaboration with UK 's biggest supermarket
chains,Waitrose . SWOT Analysis : SWOT analysis is a framework that assists a firm to evaluate its
competitive position by critically identifying its strength, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats. It is a analytical framework that takes into consideration various micro and macro
environmental attributes that majorly affects firms profits and productivity. SWOT
analysis helps firm to determine factors that supports an organisation to accomplish its
goals and objectives and to determines the probable barriers, uncertainties or risks that it
requires to overcome in order to attain desired outcome within specific time frame.
 PESTEL Analysis: PESTEL is a marketing principle tool that is used by an organisation
to monitor and track its business environment in which it deals and operates. It involves
in-depth analysis of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental
factors related to that forms key drivers for change in strategic or business operations. It
assist firm to position its project or product in most profitable and potential market to
gain edge over its rivals.
Task 3 – E-marketing
E- marketing refers to applying various strategies, marketing principles and techniques
by means of internet or other digital medium to reach target market audience. It includes online
advertising, web banners, mobile advertising etc. to promote online sales promotion. E-
marketing in today's era of digitalization serves as the most attractive, fast and cost effective
way for reaching a large target audience. The main purpose of using e-marketing is to improve
and maintain customer relationship, induce repeated purchase, acquire new potential consumers
and sharing third party ads (Lefebvre, 2013).
Various sources of e-marketing that are adopted by Mash Direct are mentioned below-
E- mail marketing- Mash Direct make use of e-mail marketing for its sales promotion. It
refers to a process of sending commercial message to the existing and potential customers for
making them aware about company's new offers, production , asking feedbacks and reviews after
each visits et.
Social media- With growing popularity of social media among people of every age group
Mash Direct to capture large market share advertise its products and publicize its new offers,
new products through various social sites like Twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. It

proves to be a very effective, attracting and less costly way for company to share its product
information with consumers and also to gather reviews of them from target audience (Legrand,
Chen and Sloan, 2013).
SMS marketing- SMS marketing is the traditional and old methods of sales promotion
in which Mash Direct promotional messages, offers, advertisements and other product related
information on the personal contact number of a customer.
Diversification of web presence- Mash Direct operates it own website wherein it posts all
the new offers, new recipes and dishes introduce, invite people for collaboration, to take
customers orders and to reach out much larger audience.
Task 4 - Target Market of Research
Primary research
Introduction: Mash Direct is a farming and food manufacturing unit based in Ireland, UK. It
produces and supplies vegetables, preprepared potato, croquettes, cakes and vegetable burgers to
consumers and retailers. they are launching new brand which name is Ultimate truffle cupcakes
for getting higher growth and development in the market.
Title: Company- Mash Direct; Product - Ultimate truffle cupcakes
Demographics : The mash direct is target different age group people such as children,
youngsters, adults, old age people. they are more like their cupcakes items and its quality.
Questionnaires
Mash Direct Questionnaire
Please share your views....
Name:
Age:
Contact no.:
Email id:
Q1) Are you happy with the quality of Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
 Yes
 No
Q2) What is the most attractive thing in Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
 Quality

 Designing
Q3) What is customer's reaction towards Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
 Positive
 Negative
 Neutral
Q4) How likely customer' are to replace their current products with Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
 Extreme
 Average
 None
Q5) What makes Ultimate truffle cupcakes stand out from similar products ?
 Cost
 Quality
 Availability
Q6) How do you know about this Ultimate truffle cupcakes?
 Internet
 Outlets
 Mouth advertisement
Q7). How often do you buy Ultimate truffle cupcakes?
 Twice a day
 Weekly
Q8). Do you face difficulties to find Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes in market?
 Yes
 No
Q9). Who will be the target customer for the new product launched ?
 Young generation
 Adults
Q10). What are the most satisfying area for you?
 Taste of dishes
 Quality of ingredients
 Service Speed
Q11). Major factor that needs to be worked upon ?

 Quality
 Cost
 Services
Q12). What furthers tools firm can use to promote Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
 Internet
 Television
 Mouth publicity
Q13). Is there any requirement to reduce cost of Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
 Yes
 No
Q14). What is the most satisfying feature of Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
 Taste
 Cost
Q15) Did you have any suggestions for Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
Analysis from the questionnaire in a data table
Q1) Are you happy with the quality of
Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
Frequency
 Yes 21
 No 9
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
21
9 Column B

Interpretation : On the basis of above graphs, it has been identified that out of 30 respondents,
21 are happy with the Ultimate truffle cupcakes while as 9 are not.
Q2) What is the most attractive thing in
Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
Frequency
 Quality 20
 Designing 10
Interpretation : As per the above graphs, it has been identified that quality of Ultimate truffle
cupcakes are most attractive think that assist to capture attraction towards tham.
Q3) What is customer's reaction towards
Ultimate truffle cupcakes ?
Frequency
 Positive 16
 Negative 8
 Neutral 6
Quality Designing
0
5
10
15
20
25
20
10 Column B

Interpretation : From the above graphs, it has been identified that in between 30 responded, 16
are react positively towards Ultimate truffle cupcakes while as 8 has negative response.
Q4) How likely customer' are to replace their
current products with Ultimate truffle
cupcakes?
Frequency
 Extreme 16
 Average 8
 None 6
Positive Negative Neutral
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18 16
8
6 Column B
Extreme Average None
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18 16
8
6 Column B

Interpretation : On the basis of above representation it has been examined that extreme level of
customers can replace their products after getting Ultimate truffle cupcakes as 16 respondents are
in its favour.
Q5) What makes Ultimate truffle cupcakes
stand out from similar products ?
Frequency
 Cost 6
 Quality 20
 Availability 4
Interpretation : From the above analysis, it has been determined that quality of Ultimate truffle
cupcakes make out them from similar products.
Q6) How do you know about this Ultimate
truffle cupcakes?
Frequency
 Internet 6
 Outlets 6
 Mouth advertisement 18
Cost Quality Availability
0
5
10
15
20
25
6
20
4
Column B

Interpretation : On the basis of above graphs, it has been identified that customers are know
about Ultimate truffle cupcakes from mouth advertisement.
Q7). How often do you buy Ultimate truffle
cupcakes?
Frequency
 Twice a day 15
 Weekly 15
Interpretation : From the above graphical representation, it has been identified that customers
are buy Ultimate truffle cupcakes in twice a day as well as weekly.
Q8). Do you face difficulties to find Ultimate Frequency
Internet Outlets Mouth advertisement
0
5
10
15
20
6 6
18
Column B
Twice a day Weekly
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16 15 15
Column B

Truffle Cupcakes in market?
 Yes 21
 No 9
Interpretation : As per the above presentation, it has been analysed that customers faces
difficulties while find Ultimate truffle cupcakes in market due to less outlets.
Q9). Who will be the target customer for the
new product launched ?
Frequency
 Young generation 21
 Older 9
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
21
9 Column B
Young generation Older
0
5
10
15
20
25
21
9 Column B

Interpretation : From the above graphs, it has been determined that young generation are the
target customers of target organisation while launching Ultimate truffle cupcakes in market.
Q10). What are the most satisfying area for
you?
Frequency
 Taste of dishes 12
 Quality of ingredients 10
 Service Speed 8
Interpretation : As per the above graphs, it has been determined that customers are satisfied
with the taste of products of firm and quality of ingredients.
Q11). Major factor that needs to be worked
upon ?
Frequency
 Quality 6
 Cost 20
 Services 4
Taste of dishes
Quality of ingredients
Service Speed
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14 12
10
8
Column B

Interpretation : On the basis of above analysis it has been identified that organisation needs to
worked upon cost of Ultimate truffle cupcakes .
Q12). What furthers tools, firm can use to
promote Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
Frequency
 Internet 12
 Television 6
 Mouth publicity 12
Interpretation : On the basis of above graphs, it has been identified that in order to promote
Ultimate truffle cupcakes in market, organisation needs to use mouth publicity maximumly.
Q13). Is there any requirement to reduce cost Frequency
Quality Cost Services
0
5
10
15
20
25
6
20
4
Column B
Internet Television Mouth publicity
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14 12
6
12
Column B

of Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
 Yes 10
 No 20
Interpretation : As per the above representation, it has been analysed that out of 30 respondents,
20 are thinks that organisation needs to reduce cost of Ultimate truffle cupcakes.
Q14). What is the most satisfying feature of
Ultimate Truffle Cupcakes ?
Frequency
 Taste 20
 Cost 10
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
10
20
Column B
Taste Cost
0
5
10
15
20
25
20
10 Column B

Interpretation : From the above graphs, it has been analysed that most satisfying feature of
Ultimate truffle cupcakes is its cost as 20 respondent are in its favour out of 30.
Secondary Research
SWOT analysis
This analysis help in examining all areas of internal of business and also analyse their
strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which assist them in reducing risk and increasing
resources. SWOT analysis of Ultimate truffle cupcakes are as:
Strength – The Ultimate truffle cupcakes have best quality ingredient which attracting large
number of customers whether it is old age and small kid.
Weaknesses – This brand are facing various rivals who are also develop same type of product
and serve to their desired customers.
Opportunities – Ultimate truffle cupcakes brand going to expand in large market place where
number of buyers are attracted towards such products.
Threats – The major threat of this brand is high cost and uncertain risk which occur within an
enterprise.
PESTLE analysis
This analysis help in identifying external factors which directly affect on business
operations and its functions. They are examining various forces such as political, economical,
social, technological, legal and environmental. PESTLE analysis of French cupcakes are as
under:
 Political factors – It is determined with political situation of specific nation where
company operate their business. The Mash Direct company follow various rules and
regulations while launching its Ultimate truffle cupcakes without making any issue.
 Economical factor – It is essential for Mash direct is to evaluate different tax policies of
the country and follow all tax policies can be imposed.
 Social factor – the company need to focus ion all major elements while target potential
customers towards their cupcakes.

 Technological factor – The firm require to operate various innovative method that will
help them in regulating all business operations and functions.
 Legal factors – Mash direct require to follow various legal laws while operating business
functions and activities as per the law.
 Environmental factors – The Mash direct company develop different products like
Ultimate truffle cupcakes that does not affect on environment.
Conclusion
The assignment undertaken concludes that marketing forms the key function of nay
business in order to gain competitive edge over its customers and to retain present and attract
potential customers. Moreover there are different types of market research that a company can
conduct by using various marketing tools to know about its position in the market and to reveal
existing market opportunities and growth potentials.
Recommendation
On the basis of above research, it has been recommended that Mash Direct requires to use
several research methodology in order to identify customer's requirement and need for specific
Ultimate truffle cupcakes. Some other suggestion are
 Mash Direct required to reduce cost of their products.
 Ultimate truffle cupcakes needs to enhance ingredients quality in order to provide
maximum satisfaction to target consumers.

REFRENCE
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