MKT1001: Marketing Essay - Business Orientations and Strategies

This essay, prepared for a marketing manager position, provides a comprehensive analysis of various marketing concepts. It begins by defining and illustrating four different business orientations: production, product, marketing, and sales. The essay then conducts a PESTLE analysis of Marks & Spencer (M&S), examining political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors affecting the company. It explores the significant role of social media in influencing consumer behavior, detailing how M&S leverages social media for brand awareness, social proof, promotions, and brand ambassadorship. Furthermore, the essay compares the marketing strategies and financial performance of M&S and Tesco Plc, highlighting their approaches to market expansion and customer engagement. The marketing mix, encompassing product, price, placement, and promotion, is also discussed, emphasizing digital marketing's role. The essay concludes by summarizing the key findings and emphasizing the importance of adapting to evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements in the marketing landscape.

HND Business Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Characteristics of Business Orientation.......................................................................................3
PESTLE analysis of the M&S company......................................................................................4
Role of social media in influencing consumer behaviours..........................................................5
Comparison of M&S and Tesco Plc strategies............................................................................6
Marketing Mix.............................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
In order to expand a business or drive the business financial and operational growth,
every company needs marketing manager. They play crucial role in promoting the businesses
products and services not only in the home country but also in the foreign country as well. The
report will state how with the help of social media marketing campaign, advertising, email
campaign helps the manager in improving the business. The report will also analyse the PESTLE
factors of the Mark and Spenser business. This report will compare the strategies and positioning
of M&S and Tesco company along with the role of technology and social media in influencing
the business decision.
MAIN BODY
Characteristics of Business Orientation
Business orientations refers to the approaches and strategies that the company uses in
order to succeed in the market. The BO is also known as the strategic planning. Generally there
are four types of business orientation that every company need to consider before planning any
strategy (Nosheen and Rashid, 2019). It includes Production orientation, Product orientation,
Marketing orientation and Sales orientation.
Characteristics of Production Orientation
In this strategic planning company focuses on improving the quality of the products in the
market without paying attention towards the needs and preferences of the customers. In case if
company believe that customers automatically pay attention towards their product because of
their high quality, then they have to adopt and implement this strategy in the company. The
M&S company can also adopt this strategy and produce the high quality products irrespective of
the customers taste and preferences related to food and cloth products if they believe on their
product quality.
Characteristics of Product Orientation
In this the company need to focus on the development of their products which can be
done by the intensive research of the market demand and supply. The company have to plan a
strategy whose ultimate outcome is high quality product along with the customer attention. PO
need to focus more towards the innovation of the technology. In case if the demand of the
products in higher than the supply of the product, then company need to adopt and plan this
strategy (Sampaio, Hernández-Mogollón and Rodrigues, 2019). For example; M&S company

currently uses PO strategy in which along with their food, home and the clothing products they
also spread the knowledge of their products. For this the M&S company tells their customers that
their food and clothing products are produce after following the sustainable practices.
Characteristics of Marketing Orientation
This marketing strategy indicate that the company need to first visualize and analyse the
needs and preference of each customer in order to make profits. In case if company want to
design and sell the product as per the customers needs, then they have to adopt this strategy. For
example; M&S company with through research, analyses that the customers are nowadays more
focus towards the healthy food products. For this purpose company start producing healthy
drinks and foods in order to meet consumers needs.
Characteristics of Sales Orientation
In this marketing strategy, company need to improve the ability of their sales force rather
than analysing the customers needs and preferences. This strategy is different from other market
orientation because in this company's focus more on the producing the best product and services
and sales them in with high sales tactics. For this purpose, M&S company is also following this
strategy besides the product and marketing strategy in order to manage and improve the sales
force of the company. It is because with marketing strategy M&S are taking feedback from the
customers and provide proper training to their sales employees.
PESTLE analysis of the M&S company
 Political: As because of the EC trade agreement, M&S company taking the advantage of
importing and exporting goods among different member countries of EC without any
tariff and taxes (Bocken, 2017). M&S work closely with the government of UK. But it
also put negative impact on the ales of the company, whenever government increases the
tax rate and which further require the company to make changes in their prices.
 Economic: This factor involves the inflation rate, foreign exchange rate etc. As normally
the inflation rate of the UK was low but due to COVID-19, the spending pattern of the
public in the UK decreases. This affects that the M&S high quality product sales goes
down because customers are not able to afford this.
 Social: This factor state the culture, religion, social and the personal preferences of the
public of UK. As of now most of the customers select the product which are inexpensive

after the lift of lock-down because of low income and also select the products which are
healthy and safety. So M&S grab this as an opportunity and produces healthy food
products at low price.
 Technological: Because of the continuous changes in the technological environment, the
company have to adopt the new technological model (Fozer, and et.al., 2017). For this,
M&S grab this as an opportunity and shift their products online to deliver the products on
time to the customers.
 Legal: The M&S company faces the threat of offences and fined 500000 Pounds by the
Health and Safety at work Act 1974. It is because the company are not able to take care
of the health and safety of their employees after fell down of ceiling tiles which contains
cancer causing materials.
 Environment: This factor indicates that whether the company is producing the goods
and services keeping in mind the sustainability development. The M&S company in order
to adopt this as an opportunity, focuses on the various sustainability development
campaigns such as transforming lives and communities, caring for the planets etc.
Role of social media in influencing consumer behaviours
In today's era, around 50.64% of the people all over the world uses the social media to
gain knowledge and reduce their stress. In any company really wants to reach at high traffic
place, then they have to use the social media marketing (Ramanathan, Subramanian and Parrott
2017). Social media easily influences the buying decision of their consumers. The M&S
company uses the SM in four ways to change the consumer behaviour:
 Build product awareness: The M&S company uses the social media as a platform to
launch their various campaigns and the advertisement. Through this the company is able
to reach at large public and make them realize that they buy the material from the
company who follow sustainable practices.
 Social proof as a greater force of buying decision: The likes and views on the ads of
the companies brand name is act as a proof for the company that the customers are happy
with the products. In case if any customer have any issue, they can share their problems
on the comment section, so that company immediately solve this issues.

 Promotions, Discounts and Deals on social media: The customers are easily get
attached with the ads which shows the discounted products. So M&S company launches
various ads and posters on the social media with discounted price of the product to attract
and influence the consumer behaviours (Kizgin and et.al., 2018). For example; 50% and
30% off on the women and men dresses.
 Brand Ambassador: On social media most of the customers follow their favourite actors
or actress or the person whom they trust. So by keeping in mind this thinks, M&S
company select the Holly Willoughby as their brand ambassador. And also provide the
posters on social media where the actress recommended the M&S products to the public
and influence the customers.
Comparison of M&S and Tesco Plc strategies
The financial performance of the M&S company states that from 2010 to end march
2020, company has generated approximately 10.2 billion revenue from both home and foreign
sales. But in 2020 the company faces the challenge of pandemic and shows 2 percent decrease in
revenue from the previous year. There are 1000 M&S stores located in UK and 444 is located
outside UK. There was 20% decreases in the companies operating profit in the year 2020. But
then only company is able to deal with its customers and tackle with the customers issues
because of the various marketing and product strategy. The company continuously earn the profit
and shows the upward profitability graph from until march 2020. The company is producing the
high quality products especially the food products which helps the company in attracting the
customers (Upadhyay, Kumar and Akter, 2021). Around 67% of the M&S customers give them
5 star rating because company provide the product after researching the customers needs and
preferences. The company is in successful position, because they adopt and follow the product
orientation approach in order to produce high quality product and marketing orientation approach
to satisfy the customers with their products.
While on the other hand Tesco Plc is also the retail industry of the UK provides the
general groceries products to the national and international consumers. The company have
around 7000 stores all over the world and show increasing trend in the revenue and profitability
of the company even in this pandemic situations. The revenue of the Tesco Plc in 2020 is
increases by 4.96% and operating income shows the 7.32% increment. It is because company

focus more towards the market demand and supply and follow the product and market
orientation approach along with the sales orientation approach. The M&S and Tesco almost
follow the same approach but what make Tesco more popular than the M&S is their expansion
strategy (Solutions and Belt, 2017). Tesco focus on their existing customers and their needs &
preference, but they also focus on the attracting the new customers by expanding the businesses
in more and more countries. This help the company in generating more revenue and profit from
the international markets. So, it is recommended to the M&S, to focus more on their expansion
strategy.
Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is generally refers to the four areas of the business which need to special
attentions of different marketing plans and strategies. This 4Ps includes product, price,
placement and promotions (Pomering, 2017). For example, M&S follow this four Ps of
marketing mix and uses the digital marketing in this mix to communicate with their customers.
 Product: These represent the goods and services of that the company produces and
designed in order to satisfy the customers needs. It is important for the company to
introduce the products and services which are different from their competitors. For
example, M&S provides sustainable and healthy food products, eco-friendly cloth
products. M&S also produces the products by following the Wildlife Act measures.
 Price: The price that the company generally set may be on the basis of the cost the
company bear or the value the customer are ready to pay. For example; the M&S
company set the prices of their product after analysing the customer demand in the
market. M&S company follow the value-based pricing method.
 Placement: Placement is the area or the market where the customers are able to buy the
company products and seller able to sale its product. It may be online, offline or both. For
example; M&S company offer their products on retail stores, supermarkets and also on
online apps.
 Promotions: Promotion is the activities which includes advertisement, campaigns,
personal selling and public relations with the help of which company promotes their
products and services (Wu and Li, 2018). For example; M&S launches various

sustainable and healthy life campaigns on the social media to promote their products and
improve their brand image.
CONCLUSION
The report concludes that if company wants to enjoy the high customer base, they have to
start offering their products on the social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Pinterest etc. This report also concludes the PESTLE analysis of the M&S company which help
the other companies in finding their strength and weakness as well. The report state that M&S
and Tesco Plc are following the same business orientation but the M&S need to focus on their
expansion strategy. The company need to enter more new markets and also need to increase their
customer base. This report at last also concludes the marketing mix along with the
implementation on mix in M&S company.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Nosheen and Rashid, A., 2019. Business orientation, efficiency, and credit quality across
business cycle: Islamic versus conventional banking. Are there any lessons for
Europe and Baltic States?. Baltic Journal of Economics, 19(1), pp.105-135.
Sampaio, C. A., Hernández-Mogollón, J. M. and Rodrigues, R. G., 2019. Assessing the
relationship between market orientation and business performance in the hotel
industry–the mediating role of service quality. Journal of Knowledge Management.
Bocken, N., 2017. Business-led sustainable consumption initiatives: Impacts and lessons
learned. Journal of Management Development.
Fozer, D. and et.al., 2017. Life cycle, PESTLE and multi-criteria decision analysis of CCS
process alternatives. Journal of cleaner production, 147, pp.75-85.
Ramanathan, U., Subramanian, N. and Parrott, G., 2017. Role of social media in retail network
operations and marketing to enhance customer satisfaction. International Journal of
Operations & Production Management.
Kizgin, H. and et.al., 2018. The impact of social media on consumers’ acculturation and
purchase intentions. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(3), pp.503-514.
Upadhyay, A., Kumar, A. and Akter, S., 2021. An analysis of UK retailers’ initiatives towards
circular economy transition and policy-driven directions. Clean Technologies and
Environmental Policy, pp.1-9.
Solutions, I. and Belt, G. B., 2017. THE IMPACT OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND
STRATEGIC THINKING APPROACHES ON BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OF
COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY.
Pomering, A., 2017. Marketing for sustainability: Extending the conceptualisation of the
marketing mix to drive value for individuals and society at large. Australasian
Marketing Journal (AMJ), 25(2), pp.157-165.
Wu, Y. L. and Li, E. Y., 2018. Marketing mix, customer value, and customer loyalty in social
commerce: A stimulus-organism-response perspective. Internet Research.
Online
What Is Business & Management?. 2021 [Online]. Available
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