Marketing Essentials Report: Your Destination Nationwide Expansion

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the marketing strategies of 'Your Destination,' a company experiencing rapid growth in the UK transportation market. The report begins with an introduction that highlights the importance of marketing in acquiring and maintaining custom...Read More

Marketing Essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Memo...............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Marketing functions: Key roles and responsibilities.........................................................1
P2 Explanation of the roles and responsibilities of marketing function to the wider
organisational context.............................................................................................................3
Marketing strategy...........................................................................................................................6
P3 Marketing mix to compare Your Destination approach to that of National Express.......6
Marketing Plan.................................................................................................................................8
P4 Formulation of basic marketing plan for the nationwide expansion of Your Destination 8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is everything a company does to acquire customers and maintain a relationship
with them. In accordance with this context marketing plan of “Your Destination” will be made in
this report. The company is growing rapidly and increases its branches in United Kingdom. In
order to compete with the market leader “National Express” the new marketing plan including
roles and responsibilities of marketing officers that contributes in accomplishing organisational
goals will be covered in this report. The marketing performance of the organisation will be
compared with National Express in this assignment by using marketing mix approach. Further,
on the basis of outcomes the marketing plan will be formulated which help the organisation for
the nationwide expansion.
Memo
P1 Marketing functions: Key roles and responsibilities
To Marketing Officer
From Marketing Manager
Date 27th October 2017
Subject: Key roles and responsibilities of marketing function
The marketing department of Your destination plays essential roles in order to improve the
performance of organisation. It not only aid in increasing the performance and productivity of
the company but also helps in generating competitive advantages (Homburg and et.al., 2014).
Marketing environment also plays vital role and influences marketing strategies of the
organisation. Thus, in regards with this context, the roles and responsibilities of marketing
functions are described below:
Key components of marketing departments
Marketing Analysis: Marketing department responsibility is to conduct marketing campaign in
order to communicate and transfer information of organisational products and services to the
customers (Menz and Scheef, 2014). The marketing elements such as research, strategy,
planning and tactics provides effective support to the marketing management of Your
Destination in order to conduct campaigning activities which helps in promotion of products
and services. The role of marketing functions is to promote the goods and services provided by
the organisation effectively and efficiently. The responsibility of the marketing department of
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Your Destination is to produce effective promotional strategies that aid in growth and
development of the organisation effectively and efficiently. The strategies must be designed in a
way that assist in generating competitive advantages. Conducting market and customer
research is the role designated to the marketing department of the organisation (Gunawan,
2015). In accordance with this context, the marketing function and department of the
organisation is responsible for analysing and identifying the needs and expectation of the
customers so that information can be acquired and marketing strategies can be formulated
effectively.
SWOT analysis: The component of marketing department is to analyse the strengths,
weaknesses, threats and opportunities that impact on the growth and development of Your
Destination. It is very important and essential for organisation to establish internal
communication in the organisation. The articulation and circulation of information is very
important to be transmitted to employees of the company (Ryan, 2016). The marketing function
of Your Destination is assigned with the duties and responsibility to articulate essential and
important information to employee, so that the employees have ample of knowledge about the
activities of the organisation effectively and efficiently. It is the duty and responsibility of the
marketing officer to analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to
robust the position and performance of business of Your Destination
Creating short term and long term strategic planning: The function of marketing functions is
to creating short term and long term marketing planning. It helps the management of Your
Destination to establish short term and long term marketing planning on which they can
accomplish their desired targets efficiently. The planning includes defining and managing
brand. Marketing function role is to define the brand of the organisation effectively and
efficiently. The role and responsibility of marketing function of Your Destination is to manage
their brand image efficiently (Engelen, Lackhoff and Schmidt, 2013). The marketing function
analyse the surrounding environment, society taste and preference and then proposed strategies
on which the management promotes its product and services. It is the duty and responsibility of
the marketing officer of the organisation to create short term and long term strategic planning.
Understanding Marketing trends: In order to sustain in the competitive environment, the
marketing department needs to consider and understand the marketing trends. By analysing the
needs and expectation of customers, the management will able to work abreast with dynamic
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marketing trends.Marketing function of organisation is responsible for maintaining and
designing search engine optimisation to improve its digital marketing strategy (Wirtz, Tuzovic
and Kuppelwieser, 2014). The marketing management of Your Destination is accountable for
maintaining its search engine optimisation and its website in order to promote growth and
development of organisation. In today's world social media plays an important role in growth
and development of organisation. Marketing on social media is not only cost effective but also
able to attract customers effectively and efficiently. From this context, the marketing
management of Your Destination is accountable for managing and monitoring social media
activity effectively. Their role is to analyse the current trends and promote their goods and
services accordingly (Wasan and Tripathi, 2014). It is the duty and responsibility of marketing
officer and his or her team to analyse the current trends and formulate specifc strategies to cope
up with it.
Structure of Your Destination in B2B
Illustration 1: Structure of marketing departments
(Source:The Marketing Department of the Future , 2017)
In business to business structure, Your Destination wilorganisations and industry as a form of
leasing or renting transportation services. This will help the management of Your Destination to
increase the profits and revenue. Further, the
Structure of Your Destination in B2C. The marketing activities will be done using traditional
and digital approaches of marketing. To attract other organisation, more promotion will be done
of social media marketing and in newspapers. It will be the duty and responsibilities of the
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marketing officer of Your Destination to generate effective marketing plan that will robust the
marketing structure of the organisation.
In business to customer structure, Your Destination will provide services directly to the
customers. This will help in targeting the segmented customers and the performance of business
of Your Destination will be improved effectively. The marketing officer is responsible for
providing and delivering information to the targeted customers adequately. More use of digital
marketing tools, social media marketing so that precise information can be given to the
customers.l provide services to different business organisations and industry as a form of
leasing or renting transportation services. This will help the management of Your Destination to
increase the profits and revenue. Further, the
Structure of Your Destination in B2C. The marketing activities will be done using traditional
and digital approaches of marketing. To attract other organisation, more promotion will be done
of social media marketing and in newspapers. It will be the duty and responsibilities of the
marketing officer of Your Destination to generate effective marketing plan that will robust the
marketing structure of the organisation.
In business to customer structure, Your Destination will provide services directly to the
customers. This will help in targeting the segmented customers and the performance of business
of Your Destination will be improved effectively. The marketing officer is responsible for
providing and delivering information to the targeted customers adequately. More use of digital
marketing tools, social media marketing so that precise information can be given to the
customers.
P2 Explanation of the roles and responsibilities of marketing function to the wider organisational
context
To Marketing Officer
From Marketing Manager
Date 27th October 2017
Marketing is the important component of the organisation and is the mode of promoting goods
and services produced and manufactured by the organisation. Marketing should be seen as
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business philosophy, in that the existence of any business depends on satisfying customer needs
and wants (Grãdinaru, Toma and Marinescu, 2016). Without marketing, customer would not
able to get information about the products and services produced by the organisation. The roles
and responsibilities of marketing function impacts and influences other business activities in
multiple ways. It not only promotes growth and development of the organisation, but also aid in
improvement of overall productivity of the organisation. In accordance with this context, how
the roles and responsibilities of marketing function of Your Destination interrelates with its
other organisational activities explained below:
Operation management and marketing management: The marketing department of Your
Destination will need to work closely with the operation department to ensure that adequate
research and development is planned to satisfy current and future customer needs. The goods
and services designed will benefit the customers and improve the satisfaction of customer
effectively and efficiently. Marketing management and operation management aid in increase in
customer loyalty and satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is very important for brand image. If
customers are not satisfied with the products and services of the organisation then it will
degrade the organisation value and company has to face low sales turnover (Ismail, Mubarack
and Thulkifly, 2015). Further, the marketing management of the organisation works with
operations department of the company so that the volume of order generated by marketing can
be met within the time schedule required for delivery. Thus, marketing management of the
organisation work abreast with the operation department so that the business can improve its
productivity and profitability simultaneously. Thus, it implies that the marketing management
will aid in growth and development of organisation effectively and efficiently by cooperating
with the operation management of the organisation.
Financial management and marketing management: The financial management of Your
Destination works abreast with the marketing management of the organisation to ensure that
there is adequate budget available to meets the marketing and promotional needs of the
produces goods and services (Mišič and Podnar, 2017). Marketing incurred abundant amount
and fund of the organisation. The financial management of the organisation needs to ensure that
there is enough budget available in the organisation that aid in growth and development of the
organisation. Thus, both marketing and finance departments are interrelated with each other in
order to improve the market position of the organisation and increase the profitability and
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productivity of the company effectively and efficiently. For example, finance department of
Your Destination proposes budget for marketing activities which will be undertaken in one
year. It includes all the cost related with marketing such as advertising cost, campaigning costs,
etc. Marketing department creates a blueprint of the cost and budget which will be required for
them in order to conduct the promotional activities and draft it to the finance department.
Finance department of organisation after analysing the budget, grant the budget to the
marketing department so that they can convey their marketing activities.
Human Resource management and Marketing Management: The marketing department will
need to work closely with the human resource management to ensure that appropriate skills and
staffing levels are in place to research and develop new product idea and meet production
targets (Wolfe, Silmon and Miller, 2014). The marketing management of Your Destination
works abreast with Human resource management in order to improve the productivity and
profitability of the organisation. The roles and responsibilities of marketing management is to
promote the goods and services produced by the organisation and the role and responsibilities of
Human Resource Management of the organisation is to keep their employees motivated and
satisfied. In accordance with this context, the human resource department formulate specific
policies and procedures that promotes motivation and satisfaction of the employees working in
the organisation. Thus, if employees are satisfied then will perform efficiently and work
diligently in order to accomplish organisational goals and targets (Mare, 2015). Thus, it implies
that marketing management and human resource management works simultaneously so that
business can bloom and organisation increases its productivity and profitability effectively and
efficiently.
Marketing department will work diligently with other department in order to meet objectives
effectively and efficiently. In order to meet market share, marketing department will increase
the promotional activities. In order to increase the share price, the marketing department will
aid in increasing sales and promotions effectively and efficiently. Further, in order to
accomplish sales target, marketing department will formulate strategies to gain competitive
advantages. These strategies will lead to increase in profits and leads to growth and
development of Your Destination.
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Marketing strategy
P3 Marketing mix to compare Your Destination approach to that of National Express
The marketing mix is one of the most famous marketing terms. It is a tactical or
operational part of a marketing plan (Elves, 2014). It is consisted of 7P’s that assist in describing
the marketing approach of Your Destination in effective and efficient manner. It consists of
Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Physical Evidence, Process and People. The comparison of
organisations on marketing mix approach is described below:
Product: The product strategy of the marketing mix approach implemented by Your Destination
is different from its competitor i.e. The National Express. The products of private personal hire
to industrial level transportation facilities provided by Your Destination requires some
improvements in order to gain competitive advantage. Further, in order to expand the
organisation in Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and Aberdeen management need to increase
their product segments so that the targeted customers needs and expectation can be fulfilled
effectively and efficiently (Vargas-Hernández and Jimenez, 2016). The product strategy is more
broad and covers more customers of the National Express. Thus, in order to compete with the
National Express, management must improve their products segments.
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Illustration 2: Marketing Mix
(Source: Behera, 2014)

Price: The motive of Your Destination is to provide effective and efficient service at affordable
price. Customers nowadays wants effective quality of products and services at affordable price.
The price of services offered by National Express is varies from the quality of services. Thus, it
implies that the marketing management needs to upgrade their price strategy so that they can
gain competitive advantage effectively and efficiently (Deshpande, and et.al., 2017). In order to
expand its market in the desire locations, Your Destination needs to improve their price strategy
effectively, which helps in customer attraction and retention efficiently.
Place: The main office of Your Destination is located at London, from where the provide their
services to their customers. The place strategy of the organisation helps in increase in sales and
profits effectively and efficiently (Homburg and et.al., 2014). Place is also known as channel,
distribution, or intermediary. It is the mechanism through which goods and/or services are
moved from the manufacturer/ service provider to the user or consumer. The place strategy of the
National Express is not much efficient as it has limited branches. Thus, if management of Your
Destination focus on their place strategy effectively, then they can gain competitive advantage
effectively and efficiently.
Promotion: The promotion strategy is very essential for Your Destination. It determines the
growth and development of the organisation effectively and efficiently. It was identified that
promotion strategy of Your Destination is optimum enough to attract more customers and
increase their customer base (Engelen, Lackhoff and Schmidt, 2013Menz and Scheef, 2014). But
it is not sufficient enough to give competition to The National Express. Thus, it implies that the
promotional strategy of the company needs to be upgraded and modified so that the competitive
advantage can be gain effectively and efficiently.
Physical Evidence: Physical Environment is the environment in which the products and services
is delivered by the organisations. Your Destination established its office in London from where
they offer there products and services to the clients and customers. The main office of National
Express is also established in London, thus giving stiff competition to Your Destination (Wirtz,
Tuzovic and Kuppelwieser, 2014). From this it can be understood that marketing management of
Your Destination needs to modify their physical evidence strategy by expanding their business
and services effectively and efficiently.
People: People are all human support employed in an organisation that work in order to
accomplish organisational goals effectively and efficiently. From the analysis, it was identified
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that the manpower of Your Destination is fewer as compared to the manpower employed in The
National Express (Ryan, 2016). Further, there is shortage of skilled labour identified in Your
Destination. Thus, the management of the organisation needs to improve their manpower
effectively, so that their business can accomplish goals and also gain the competitive advantage
effectively and efficiently.
Process: Process is the actual procedures, mechanisms, and flow of activities by which the
service is delivered. To increase the growth and development, an organisation must have smooth
and well tailored process. It covers all the organisational activities from procurement to
packaging. The process of Your Destination is not efficient enough to give competition to the
National Express (Gunawan, 2015). With slight improvements in delivery services and
transportation facilities, Your Destination can improve its process strategy effectively and
efficiently.
Marketing Plan
P4 Formulation of basic marketing plan for the nationwide expansion of Your Destination
Current Position: The current position of Your Destination is limited to the private personal hire
to industrial level transportation facilities within London and Essex.
Goals and Objectives: The goals and objective of the organisation is to expand its business
operations in New Castle, Manchester, Glasgow and Aberdeen and to capture the market share
from National Express.
Strategy: The strategy of the organisation is to increase the promotional activities so that more
and more people aware about the products and services of organisation. Further, cost strategy
will be implemented in order to gain competitive advantage effectively and efficiently.
Resources: Physical, manpower, information and technological resources posses by the
organisation.
The marketing plan of Your Destination can be made by analysing internal and external
environment and segmentation, targeting and positioning which is provided below:
Internal Analysis: Internal analysis of Your Destination can be done through SWOT analysis:
Strengths: The strength of Your Destination is effective quality of services, efficient customer
base and good organisational reputation in the market.
Weaknesses: The weaknesses of organisation is inefficiencies in services, lack of customer
satisfaction, lack of skilled manpower and limited products and services (Grãdinaru, Toma and
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Marinescu, 2016). These weaknesses lead to demotion of growth and development of
organisation.
Opportunities: There are various opportunities available to the management of Your Destination
such as increase in manpower skills by providing them effective training and development and
improving the services of the organisation effectively and efficiently.
Threats: The major threat is competition and the large price oriented services (Wasan and
Tripathi, 2014). These threats acts as a challenge for the management of Your Destination and
provide chances to convert these threats into opportunities and provide benchmark to improve
their performance.
External Analysis:
The external analysis of the organisation can be done with the help of PESTLE model which is
provided below:
Political: The political factor influences the productivity of Your Destination in multiple ways.
Due to dynamic governmental policies of United Kingdom and fluctuations in taxes,
management frequently modifies their strategies in order to cope up with current scenario
(Ismail, Mubarack and Thulkifly, 2015).
Economic: In recent years the economic condition of United Kingdom faced rescission and
inflation because of intervention of European Union. This impact on the customers purchase
power and Your Destination has to face downfall in their sales several times.
Social: The social factors composed of customers and societal tastes and preferences. The taste
and preferences of customers are changing rapidly which affects the management of Your
Destination to continuous improvements in the products and services to meet the needs of
customer effectively and efficiently (Mišič and Podnar, 2017).
Technological: Management of Your Destination uses various technological equipment such as
navigators and computer devices that aid in improvement in their performance and services
effectively and efficiently.
Legal: The management of Your Destination requires following the laws and legislation which
are proposed by the government of United Kingdom such as customer health and safety,
employment rights laws etc. This will lead to increase in growth and development of the
organisation effectively and efficiently.
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Environment: The environment influences the growth and development of organisation
effectively and efficiently (Wolfe, Silmon and Miller, 2014). It is mandatory for the organisation
to work accordingly to protect the environment. The company works in order to reduce the
carbon footprints from the environment effectively and efficiently.
The marketing plan can be made after internal and external analysis with the help of
segmentation, targeting and positioning model which is described below:
Segmentation: The segmented customers are all males and females of age 20 and above. The
services can be provided to facilitate them transportation effectively and efficiently.
Targeting: The targeted customers are provided with specific transportation services which will
be feasible and accessible and that promotes growth and development of organisation
simultaneously.
Positioning: The product positioning aid in allocating specific products to particular customers.
The aim of positioning is to sort the types of products and services to the segmented customers
effectively and efficiently (Mare, 2015). The management of Your Destination must sort their
products so that each product will fulfil the needs of segmented customers.
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Illustration 3: Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning
(Source: Chiayul, 2016)

CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that marketing is very essential for the
organisation in order to sustain in the competitive environment. In accordance with this context,
the roles and responsibilities of marketing officer of Your Destination has been analysed
effectively and efficiently. Further, with the help of 7P's of marketing mix, the approach of Your
Destination and National Express has been evaluated effectively in this report. Moreover, by
analysing internal and external environment, the marketing plan has been formulated that will aid
in growth and development of organisation effectively and efficiently.
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