Marketing Report: Top Shop's Marketing Functions and Objectives

This marketing report provides a comprehensive analysis of Top Shop, a major UK retail fashion store. It explores the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions, including market analysis, product development, and social media management. The report examines the marketing environment, considering internal and external factors, and emphasizes the interrelationship between marketing and other departments like HR, sales, operations, and finance. Furthermore, it evaluates the components of marketing, such as research, strategy, planning, and tactics. The report compares marketing mix strategies, including the 4Ps and 7Ps, applied by Top Shop and competitors like H&M. It also assesses tactics used to achieve business objectives, such as strategic goal planning and adaptability. Finally, the report produces a basic marketing plan for Top Shop, including SWOT and PESTLE analyses, along with strategic marketing positioning, and a discussion of product, promotion, and other marketing elements.

Marketing

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is the process or an activity that helps to create business communication,
selling or buying the services in order to meet out the customer needs and wants as per Philip
kotler. Present study will be based on Top Shop which is a big retail fashion store in UK. They
deal with clothing, shoes, accessories and cosmetics commodity. The main intention of this
report is to investigate the concept Marketing & understanding needs of customers or buyers.
Furthermore, report will be explaining the marketing functional goals and responsibilities of
managers of marketing purpose relate to the wider organisational context. Besides, explaining
relationship of marketing and other structural departments of Top Shop such as sales, production,
financial etc. In order to get over from the barriers such improper market information etc. report
also presenting effective marketing plan for that as well.
LO 1
a). Explaining the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions.
Marketing function needs to be define first
Roles and Responsibilities
 Top Shop Marketing manager have responsibility to collect and analyse market
information (Ansah and et.al., 2015).
 Marketing Manager needs to achieve Top Shop objectives for example: company has a
30% market share of a clothing products.
 Marketing manager responsibility is to produce new designing of product and services as
per the need of Top Shop potential buyers.
 Keep maintained standard sizing, quality, design, weight and colour or raw material to be
used.
 Marketing manager plays a most important role to monitoring and managing social media
activities and goals.

b). Explaining the roles & Responsibilities of marketing in the context of marketing
environment.
Marketing business surroundings relates to environment which includes internal &
external factors (Breugelmans and Campo, 2016). These factors influence directly or indirectly
company marketing operations.
Roles & Responsibilities
 It is the responsibilities of marketing to analyse political, social, environmental or legal
environment.
 Marketing role is to research market in order to ensure current laws and regulations.
 To obtain the growth or managing successful business growth (Grosso, Castaldo and
Grewal, 2018).
 Marketing function requires to maintained social behaviour in the market to sustain the
market growth.
c). Explaining the significance of interrelationship between marketing and other functional units
of a organisation.
Marketing department content different functional activities such as advertisement,
finance, distribution system includes in the activity of marketing. Marketing is the interrelated
function between all other departments (Fernie and Sparks, 2014).
Marketing department interrelate with Human Resource Department : Marketing
function interrelate with human resource department, HR appoint the best potential and
competent employees for a marketing departments. HRM also interrelated with the marketing
functions in terms of different motivational theories of HRM that helps to motivate marketing
employee to perform a great job. Such as Maslow Need hierarchy theory, two factor theory etc.
Marketing department interrelate with Sales Department : Marketing function
departments interrelate with sales departments in order to ensure the maximum sales return.
Without marketing function sales cannot be reached to the high point. Without the assistance of
Marketing department production department cannot understand what to produce (Grosso,
Castaldo and Grewal, 2018). Marketing manager communicate the needs and wants of the
customers to the production department. In this section, marketing theory helps to sales
department to identify the existing competitors in the market with the help of Porter's five forces

model of marketing. This model of marketing defines the existing alternative products, potential
customer, potential buyers. It helps marketing to make best approachable strategies and goals.
Marketing department interrelate with Operations Department : Operation
department includes several activities such as packaging, day to day activities, distribution,
warehousing etc (Grosso, Castaldo and Grewal, 2018). Marketing department interrelate with
operation department by selling product or services as soon as possible to ensure the
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the strategies. Operational theory helps marketing managment
to keep the all updated information with the helps of lean theory of operation. That helps to
reduce the wastage of raw material and maintained the proper information of stock.
Marketing department interrelate with Finance Department : Marketing department
interrelate with this department in order to full fill the adequate budget needs for further
marketing research.
d). Critically evaluating the components of marketing besides other functional units..
Key weather condition of merchandising interrelate with other functional units
 Research : Research is most significant process to identify new trends and needs of
customers (Grosso, Castaldo and Grewal, 2018). Research interrelate with Human
resource department. Without involving a human resource company cannot achieve their
company goals.
 Strategy : After collecting data or information next step is making strategies by judging
all strength & weaknesses among the business operations.
 Planning : After accomplishing strategy and research, next procedure is planning. It
involves financial department which involves financial planning, forecasting etc.
 Tactics : the last element define the short term and long term plans in order to ensure
customer attraction (Hartmann, Klink and Simons, 2015).
LO 2
1). Comparing ways in which company applying marketing mix to marketing planning.
Marketing mix is the function which applies into into the business planning process in
order to achieve the company content and objectives. The business achieve company goals &
Objectives. The business functions utilises different parts and various different methods for the
application of marketing mix in their business organisations. Generally marketing mix based on

the demographic, product or services of the company makes the different market size of the
company (Kahraman and et.al., 2018). There is basic method to apply marketing mix involves 4
P's which stand for place, price and promotion, product. On the other hand, marketing mix later
renovate with 7 P's which includes, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical
information. Everybody or small scale business adopt this marketing concept. This helps
company to focused on the product dimensions of giving product or services. or services of Top
Shop. On the other hand, M&S is also applies the same marketing mix as per their different
ways. They decide their different prices, quality, place for promotion, employees etc.
Marketing Mix Top Shop H&M
Product Top Sop deals with clothing
fashion industry with normal
ranges of goods.
H&M offer different unique
fashion concept for their
clients. Their product known
as a high quality clothing
material.
Place Top Shop stores are mainly
located in big cities for
example, Oxford street
London. Top Shop provide
personal shopping team to
provide changing room
facilities to their customers
without waiting for queues.
There are 2500 H&M stores in
the world. H&M adopts those
places which are highly busiest
and popular places such as
malls & big cities.
Price Top Shop Adopt average price
strategy to keep retain the
existing client and attract some
more with good quality of
stuff.
M&S adopt cheap price
strategy in order to grab the
attraction level of customers
who preferred to get low
prices.
Promotion Top Shop offer flash sales,
discounts, and communicate
H&M adopt promotional
strategies such as commercials

clients by e-mail, messages,
big posters in store etc.
advertisement, paper, online
app and magazine.
People Top Shop adopt well behaved
or qualified staff and also
provides the training &
development.
H&M recruit high qualified
employees that helps to attract
good customer service.
Physical Evidence Top Shop provides campaign,
offers, flat discounts etc.
H&M acquire offers, discounts
, sales in order to keep
customer satisfied.
Process Top Shop generally provides
their product directly to the
clients through their stores and
either online through
mediators.
H&M adopt the direct or
indirect process of delivering
the products.
2). Evaluating different tactics applied by organisation to demonstrate business objectives
achieved.
Tactics
Strategic goal planning: Top Shop can set a future goal for the upcoming time in order
to make planning and small targets to be achieved.
Be prepared for change: This is the another tactic through Top Shop can easily
implement objectives as per the planning (Nash, 2018). To get over from the uncertain activities
company needs to adopt changes to full fill the current needs of market.
Develop for tomorrow: Similarly, Company needs to anticipate the new targets and plan
to develop new leading source. This can be done with the help of focused on groups, taking
customer feedbacks etc.
LO 3
1). Producing and evaluating a basic marketing plan.
Executive summary

Present market plan has been based on swot, pestle and company strategic marketing
positioning (Ramanathan, Subramanian and Parrott, 2017). It helps to Top Shop to achieve goals
and objectives in appropriate manner.
Objectives
 To identify the market research
 To ascertain the needs and wants of customers
 To get the high sales revenue at the end of financial year
Target customers
Target customer of Top Shop is all types of customers either, child, young, elder etc.
SWOT
Strength
 They provide affordable product &
services
 Good quality clothing
 Large variety of product range
Weaknesses
 Tidiness
 Normal management quality
Opportunity
 Fantastic marketing tactics
 International Expansion
Threat
 In exclusivity
 Competition in market.
PESTLE Analysis
Political factors : Political factor affect fashion industry by changing the policies and
structure of business management. On the other side, government can influence fashion retailers
to buy fabrics locally (Nash, 2018). Company preferred to buying fabrics from United states
rather than to those who ship fabrics from very long distance. This changes and due to high
taxation policies, political factors affect the company.
Economical factors : Economic factors get influenced by high recession. For example,
UK still recover their losses from the impact of 2008 recession. Low economic situation can
reduce the people investment ratio (Ramanathan, Subramanian and Parrott, 2017). Economic
factor can help TopShop to make their pricing strategies on the basis of economic factors.

Social factor : Social factor is the most significant factor that influenced by society, people and
their needs and wants. This factor can affect company in both positively and negatively. For that,
company should research the market before introducing new product or services. In fashion
industry, fashion trend has been change constantly , due to which it involves high risk for the
company to deal with those changes.
Technological factor : Technological factor provides opportunity for the company to
make their efficiency more productive and speedy. Today's, company has adopting high efficient
digital technology to make customer happy and satisfied. For example, many companies has
introduced their online outlets for better buying process of purchasing. Advantages of this
technological factor is it involves risk of threatening (Nash, 2018). Due to which most of the
customer prefer offline shopping mode.
Legal factor : fashion industry should liable to adopt all legal policies and laws.
Otherwise, it would be given negative impact on the company image. In order to keep good
image in front of the government. Company needs to adopt tax restrictions, export restrictions,
inflation costs etc (Yu, Ramanathan and Nath, 2014). apart from that, company also should need
to follow employment law, company law and always use fair dealing with their stakeholders.
Environmental factor : Environmental factor is highly affected fashion industry due to
high chemical fabrics. So that, TopShop needs to deal with good fabrics. This factor gives
negative impact on the overall fashion market.
2). Produce a coherent evidence based on marketing plan
Product : Top Shop offering different variety of products that contains different range of
product or services (Scott and et.al., 2015). Such as Top Shop provides Clothing, super market
product or services. Top shop needs to full fill customer needs and wants.
Promotion: effective communication with customers helps to connect company with
customers. Promotion is the bes t marketing mix for connection such as personal selling, direct
marketing, advertising etc.
Place: Place is the location where customer can buy products. Availability is important
for the growth of the company. It helps in fast delivery process such as online delivery, online
shop etc.

Process : Process refers to the chain through which product passed from manufacturing
to end customers. TopShop needs to choose shortest process to deliver the product to the
customers.
Physical evidence: User experience is very much required for sharp delivering of goods
and services to the customers (Singh, Goel and Garg, 2015).
Price : It is the most crucial marketing mix, Top Shop Requires using best pricing
strategies or method to approach customers.
People : Individuals in the company such as employees, managers, customer
representatives represent the people.
3). Design strategic marketing plan that apply the use of 7P's
Strategic marketing plan
Situations analysis : Company needs to analyse the situation before develop a plan. It
helps to measure revenue, goals but wants to scale up or move into a new market.
Define Ideal Customer: Business needs to know their potential ideal customer. It helps
to take the potential strategic plan
Establish marketing goals: Marketing always needs to approach customers. Besides,
always goals is to increase sales rate by applying different marketing plans.
Marketing Tools : it is the most essential to select best marketing tool for the company
development (Yu, Ramanathan and Nath, 2014). It helps to promote services in appropriate
manner.
Budget Funds : Everything costs money is the another essential tool to be accomplished.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above section, it has been concluded that, marketing mix is the most
crucial function in the company to get achieved objectives and goals. Present study has been
focused on Top Shop marketing plan. It explained marketing mix or marketing plan for Top
Shop. It also looked into the different functions of marketing which is interrelated with other
functional; units as well.