Marketing Functions: Roles, Responsibilities, and Plan at Sainsbury's

This report examines the marketing functions within Sainsbury's, a prominent UK retail company, detailing the roles and responsibilities of the marketing department in enhancing customer base, promoting products, increasing market share, achieving competitive advantage, and building custom...Read More

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Responsibilities and roles of the marketing function.............................................................3
P2 Responsibilities and roles of marketing relates to the wider context of organisation............5
LO2..................................................................................................................................................7
P3 Comparison between different organisations.........................................................................7
LO3................................................................................................................................................10
P4 Marketing plan......................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Marketing function is the key function to an organisation. Nowadays no company can be
gained its decided aims within the market place without adopting functions of marketing.
Currently upper management in many companies put their lots of hard work for developing their
functions marketing. Competition in every sector is regularly increasing, so that marketing
department of a company should use well-improved and well-developed marketing strategies in
its marketing functions. Currently many of companies believes in using modern and latest
marketing tactics also to be gained favourable competitive advantage. This report mainly
discusses Sainsburys’ functions of marketing. Basically, the Sainsburys is very famous retail
company, in which its headquartered in London, UK. In the report includes various aspect of
marketing. There is an efficient plan of marketing also has been involved under report for
Sainsburys.
LO1
P1 Responsibilities and roles of the marketing function
There are functions of marketing playing very productive role in an organisation. Reason
is, these offers chance to organisation for effectively promoting own various services and
products in market place. Some key responsibilities and roles of functions of marketing has been
mentioned below;
Increases the customer base
Currently lots of retail organisation in UK are putting very huge efforts to gain the great
customer base (Ardyan, 2018). Basically, when an organisation has the very large base of
customer within market, in which it can simply leaded its sector and industry. The management
of Sainsburys also tries to be achieved large base of customer. So that, function of marketing is
the most appropriate method to this brand to be achieved large base of customer. Basically,
existing management need to be given order to the manager of marketing department for
operating various campaigns of marketing in different market places to be positively affected
customers. In these marketing campaigns, the department of marketing should be run few

informative ads which can bed convinced to different customers for purchasing products and
services only from Sainsburys. Through considering these steps, the company can be capable for
achieving large base of customer in retail sector of the UK.
Promotes services and products
Currently Sainsburys has offered many of retail services to lots of customers at the
market place. So that, promotion of various services and products is too necessary to this
business to increase its profit margins in the UK’s retail sector. So that, marketing function is a
main method to Sainsburys which can be provided effective promotion facility of services and
products in market place. Generally, Sainsburys is gaining lots of advantages by own function of
marketing. Suppose currently this business is capable to promote its different service and
products in the whole UK effectively (Abbas and et.al., 2019). This trait of Sainsburys’
marketing function is very helpful in gaining effective revenue within market place.
Increases the market share
Marketing functions are playing too good role in enhancing market share. So that, upper
management of Sainsburys highly needs to be used marketing functions for enhancing its share
of market in the UK’s retail sector. However, Sainsburys already has achieved very large market
share in the retail sector of the United Kingdom, but this business should be more enhanced
marketing share, because lots of entrants regularly enters the UK’s retail sector. So that, it is too
important to Sainsburys for enhance share of market by the help of functions of marketing.
Helps in achieving competitive advantage
The marketing function provides facility to an organisation to be achieved excellent competitive
advantage within market place. Currently thousands of businesses and companies in market
successfully achieves competitive advantage by the help of function of marketing (Confente,
Scarpi and Russo, 2020). So that, Sainsburys also capable to gained competitive advantage
within market place. Basically, the marketing manager at company should be created those
marketing tactics or strategies which are much productive than marketing strategies its various
competitors. Of course, competitors of Sainsburys has also planned to be gained effective
competitive advantage with the help of their functions of marketing. So that, department of

marketing at Sainsburys should be innovative very excellent strategies of marketing, otherwise
this business never gains very highly competitive advantage within present retail industry.
Building effective relationship with customers
Currently every venture in the market has used various productive techniques in their
workplace to be built effective relations with people or customers in market place. So that, the
function of marketing is the appropriate key to many of companies to be built very excellent
relations with people or customers. Generally, most people like to purchase services and
products only through such businesses within market place which maintains great relations with
it’s all customers. According to many business experts, maintaining an effective relationship
with customers or people is not the small task for an organisation, because an organisation is
mostly required for working hard to build great relations (Kucuk, 2017). So that, Sainsburys
need to be taken support from its department of marketing for maintaining great relationship with
its people or customers.
P2 Responsibilities and roles of marketing relates to the wider context of organisation
Responsibilities and roles of marketing functions fully interrelates with other functions of
organisation. A business can’t be achieved its various targets under the selected market place
without maintaining the cooperation values among its various functions. The department of
marketing at Sainsburys mostly needs to be taken support from many of other functions or
departments of company to effectively operate own different operations in the company’s work
environment. Interrelation of Sainsburys’ marketing department with other departments has been
explained below;
Finance and Marketing
There are marketing department and finance department completely interrelate with each
other. Reason is, the marketing department never run its lots of marketing functions within the
various market places without appropriate finance or fund. On the other hand, finance
department operates by upper management of Sainsburys for fulfilling fund requirements of
various departments (Weingarden, 2018). It can be described as, when the marketing department
conducts lots of marketing campaigns within the market place, then this department highly needs
to be used appropriate fund for properly employing its many of techniques and strategies in

different market segments, like; when marketing department conducts advertisement campaigns
on many platforms and channels; social-media, television, and radio etc. in which this
department is mostly required for paying high fund to channels for properly publishing its
various advertisements. So that, marketing manager at Sainsburys mostly is contacting to finance
management to take required fund to employ marketing tactics in different market segments.
There are the finance management at Sainsburys responsible for arranging required budget or
fund to the marketing team. In this situation, when finance management has successfully
arranged fund, then finance manager is required for contacting company’s department of
marketing for giving fund. These factors are showing great interrelationship between two
functions.
Information Technology (IT) and Marketing
IT and marketing are also interrelating within each other, because many times, marketing
team of company has required to implement some modern technological tools and gadgets in
daily operations. In this case, marketing manager of company has contacted to the IT manager
for implementing new technological gadgets and tools in its workplace. So that, there are
manager at information technology department responsible to implement new technology within
the workplace of marketing team. For currently, marketing teams within many of companies are
using digital marketing tool, in which if Sainsburys’ marketing team also want to implement new
technology, then it is highly required to make an excellent relations with IT department for
successfully using digital marketing tool, because IT department can be easily implemented
digital gadgets in the workplace of marketing team. (Eisingerich and et.al., 2016). Basically, lots
of digital marketing tools has given opportunity to the marketing team to systematically gain
very productive results in the market. On the other hand, there are IT department of Sainsburys
responsible for working according to instructions of marketing department. It means, the
marketing department of Sainsburys not gain its various goals without cooperation of
Information Technology department.
Human Resource Management (HRM) and Marketing
HRM and marketing department at Sainsburys are interrelating with each other. Suppose
when marketing department has required few skilled and talented employees within daily

operations, then marketing department of Sainsburys is directly contacting to HRM of company
for hiring new talented and skilled employees in work environment. On the other hand, human
resource department of Sainsburys responsible for being followed the instructions of marketing
team which has based on the hiring different employees. HR manager should be operated its
different selection and recruitment procedures for hiring few skilled employees to this marketing
team. Generally, this is the system, in which all departments of company are coming together to
cooperate each other. There are various department systematically cooperating each other due to
gain Sainsburys’ final targets. On the other hand, when this marketing management at
Sainsburys is required to develop competencies and skills of its various employees, in this case
also the marketing manager is contacting to HRM, because this department of an enterprise or
company forever responsible to be provided various sessions of development and training and to
present employees.
Evaluation: There are lots of important roles and responsibilities has played by marketing
function within Sainsburys in the UK’s retail sector (Nath and Mahajan, 2017). The management
of Sainsburys should be known the value of this marketing function in own business
environment. Reason is, marketing function are highly contributing in Sainsburys for completing
it’s all decided aims. On the other hand, marketing function is fully interrelating with other the
operations of Sainsburys, in which this is too good to the company.
LO2
P3 Comparison between different organisations
There is comparison between Asda and Sainsburys has been included below. Asda is also
another popular retail company in the United Kingdom. Generally, Asda is subsidiary of
Walmart, so that this company gives tough competition to Sainsburys under the United
Kingdom’s retail sector. This comparison is conducting on the basis of “7Ps of marketing mix”
strategy. 7Ps of marketing mix is too effective marketing tactic or strategy that helps companies
for achieving the large market-share under their respective sector or industry. There are mainly
seven elements includes under this strategy which has been explain below;
7Ps of Asda Sainsburys

Marketing Mix
Product Asda provides such all retail
products and services to different
customers which has offered by
Sainsburys within the market. The
management of Asda has
implemented few productive
techniques of operations
management in its daily operations,
like; JIT (just in time) and TQM
(total quality control) etc. to
maintain the best quality of its
products and services.
Sainsburys offers retail products,
like; food items, daily use items and
groceries etc. to customers within
the retail industry. Upper
management of this company
believes in offering quality products
to different customers, because most
customers within the UK always
like to consume quality products
(Eggers and McCabe, 2016).
Price Asda generally uses “value-based
pricing strategy”, so that company
charges rates on its products
according to products’ market value.
For example; when customers
purchase ordinary product, in which
company charges very low rates.
But, when customers purchase
premium and exclusive range of
products, in which company charges
high rates from customers.
Basically, the management of
Sainsburys has used “competitive
pricing strategy” in its work
environment to be offered its
services and products to different
customers on cheaper than
competitors. A customer can simply
afford products and services
provided by Sainsburys due to its
customer friendly and appropriate
rates.
Place Asda serves only in its home
country the United Kingdom. It also
runs its many stores in UK’s many
market places. Currently the main
goal of this company is to achieve
large market share under the retail
industry of UK. That’s why upper
Currently Sainsburys is also serving
only in the UK. It has lots of stores
and supermarkets across the
country. Upper management of this
company has planned for opening
more stores and supermarkets in
such places of the country where it

management of Sainsbury has
decided to start its new stores and
supermarkets in many new places of
this country.
still has not entered.
Promotion There are Asda has too effective
marketing strategies (Porcu and
et.al., 2017). Nowadays marketing
team of this company is taking many
advantages through digital
marketing strategy for promoting
company’s services and products at
the very large scale. So that,
marketing team of Sainsburys
should highly use this digital
marketing strategy to more
effectively promote its various
products and services
Marketing team at Sainsburys is
very active in its present job role, so
that its promotional activities are
very effective in the comparison of
Asda. Of course, Asda also runs
many effective promotional
activities, however not as the
Sainsburys. Marketing team of
Sainsbury mostly uses modern and
latest marketing strategies to
promote Sainsburys’ services and
products at the very large scale
within retail industry.
People Asda has a very effective workforce.
Nowadays with the help of
productive workforce, in which this
company is capable to gain the large
market share under the retail
industry of UK. On the other hand,
company has the large consumer
base due to its excellent relations.
Sainsburys also has workforce of
maximum number of employees,
who are putting their lots of efforts
under the company’s daily
operations to achieve its final target
on time. On the other hand, this
company always maintains excellent
relations with it’s all customers.
Process Currently Asda takes lots of
advantages through strong
distribution channel of its parent
company Walmart. Currently Asda
has many stores within many places
of the United Kingdom. So that,
Present distribution channel of
Sainsburys is too effective, because
with the help of its distribution
channel or supply chain, it can be
easily transferred its many of
products and services in different

Asda can simply run its distribution
processes of product through strong
distribution channel of its parent
company Walmart.
market places across the UK.
Physical
Evidence
Asda’s employees provide each and
every information about products to
customers when they visit in its
store and supermarket (Järvinen and
Taiminen, 2016). So that, most
people or customers like for visiting
in Asda’s stores and supermarkets.
When people or customers visit in
Sainsburys’ supermarkets and
stores, then existing employees and
staff of this company are always
interacting with them in too
effective manner.
LO3
P4 Marketing plan
Marketing team at Sainsburys is always required to create an effective marketing plan.
Reason is, an effective marketing plan mostly support to this company to promote its different
services and products at the very large scale within the market. The marketing team of
Sainsburys need to include some appropriate marketing strategies in this plan. In this situation,
an effective and efficient marketing plan has been involved below that can be supported to
Sainsburys for achieving large market share under the retail industry of UK.
Marketing Plan
Aim: Increase the market share with 15% in retail industry the UK.
Objective: Gain the large customer base by providing quality products and services.
SMART Objectives
Specific: This aim is fully specific, because Sainsburys can be leaded retail industry of the UK
by gaining this aim.
Measurable: The management can be easily measured success ratio of this aim by using many
success measurements tools.
Achievable: This aim is fully achievable, because many of other retail organisations also set

this type of aims (Salam and Hoque, 2019).
Realistic: Current mission company is very logical, meaningful and realistic in nature, because
by putting some efforts this company can easily increase its market share with 15%.
Timely: The Sainsburys needs to be created proper schedule to achieve its mission on time.
STP Marketing Strategy
Segmentation: Segmentation is first stage under STP model, in which company need for
dividing their full market into lots of small market segments.
Targeting: After completing segmentation stage, the marketing team at Sainsburys need to
target customers according to their interest & attitude, income-status and ethnicity etc.
Positioning: Positioning is the last stage where marketing team of Sainsbury need to boost its
marketing functions for effectively promoting its products in the selected market segments.
7Ps of Marketing Mix
Product: This company has the wide range of products and services with effective quality.
The company has decided to choose sustainable innovation for always producing exclusive
range of products.
Price: Sainsburys has used “competitive pricing strategy” to gain many of new customers.
Place: Currently this company is serving only in the United Kingdom, but it is also focusing
on more expand its business in the new countries.
Promotion: Marketing team at company uses many marketing channels, like; social media
marketing, television advertising and sponsorship etc. for promoting its products and services
(Jayasuriya and et.al., 2018).
People: Upper management mostly tries to maintain an effective relationship with different
people, like; employees and customers etc.
Process: It has an effective supply chain across the UK, so it can be simply operated its
distribution processes of products.
Physical Evidence: Present staff and employees in stores and supermarket of Sainsburys
mostly interact systematically with customers.
PEST Analysis
PEST analysis is too effective tool that helps in analysing key external factors of
business environment.
Political factors: Sainsburys has fully impacted by political factors of the UK, because when

local government is passing any new rules and regulations, then this company responsible to
consider them in its daily operations.
Economic factors: These economic factors of Sainsburys’ home country UK positively impact
to this company, because this UK has a developed economy, so its local people can be easily
afforded products and services which has provided by Sainsburys.
Social factors: These social factors of the UK are too appropriate and favourable for
Sainsburys, because many of people always like to consume quality products and services, and
this company is already providing quality services and products to people.
Technological factors: The company is capable to enhance its present performance through
technological factors of this country (Felbermayr and Nanopoulos, 2016).
SWOT Analysis
Strengths: Marketing team at Sainsburys is very energetic in its existing job role, because
team mostly use those marketing tactics in its daily operations.
Weaknesses: Many times, existing management at Sainsburys has taken decisions that
negatively affects this company.
Opportunities: The company has a too good opportunity for gaining huge profit through
expanding its operations within the global market.
Threats: Continues increasing competition in the retail industry is the key threat to Sainsburys.
Budget
The management at Sainsburys should be passed a specific budget for its marketing
team, because with the help of budget, marketing department can be simply conducted existing
marketing plan in its selected market segments (Mete and Davies, 2019).
KPI
Key performance indicator is a very productive tool that can give opportunity to this
company for maintaining effectiveness in its different marketing operations. So that,
marketing team should be used this tool during conducting existing marketing plan.
Evaluation
Sainsburys can take lots of advantages through this marketing plan, because there are
many innovative marketing strategies has involved under this plan which can be supported to
company to gain positive return in various market segments (Ellram and Murfield, 2019).
Currently this company has large market share in the UK’s retail industry, but not much better

as Tesco and ASDA, so it should use this marketing plan for increasing market share with
15% in the retail industry of the United Kingdom.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that Sainsburys is capable to take lots of advantages through its
marketing functions. There is too very high market competition in the United Kingdom’s retail
industry. Tesco’, Morrisons and Asda etc. retail companies gives tough competition to
Sainsburys, so that it is too important task to its marketing team to develop few productive
marketing tactics and strategies (Deans and et.al., 2017). On the other hand, an effective
marketing plan also has been added above that can be supported Sainsburys for attracting many
new customers within the United Kingdom’s retail industry.

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