Marketing Essentials Report: Marketing Function Analysis

This report delves into the core of marketing, focusing on its functions and impact within the retail giant, Marks and Spencer. It begins by outlining the role of marketing as a business function, contrasting it with a departmental perspective, and then details the structure of the marketing department, in...Read More

Marketing Essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Role of marketing as a function of business, opposed to marketing ......................................1
2. Structure of the marketing department of your selected organisation and explain marketing
roles.............................................................................................................................................2
3. Overview of marketing process and analysis importance of the marketing environment to
the marketing functions...............................................................................................................4
4. How marketing function influence and interrelates with other department in the
organisation.................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Marketing play vital role in any business to accomplish aims and objectives. It is key
process of promoting, selling products and services in target market. Hence, brand and offering
make more effectiveness in sales for target audience to make relationship with brand. It helps to
reach for target goals that is essential to focus on more effectiveness (Nirschl and Steinberg,
2018). Present study based on Marks and Spencer which is retail sector business and provide
different types of products and services to several numbers of customers. It is public limited
enterprise which deals in British multinational operations and functions to develop more
effectiveness. The company is planning to deal in new products that is fashion industry.
Therefore, present study helps to increase effectiveness with desired level of results.
For gaining insight information of the present report, it covers role of marketing as a
function of business with opposed to marketing as a department in the company. Furthermore, it
includes structure of the marketing department and include marketing roles in it. Moreover,
overview of marketing process ascertained with analysis of importance of marketing
environment to the marketing function. At last, it has been analysis that how marketing functions
influences and interrelates with other department of the enterprise.
TASK 1
1. Role of marketing as a function of business, opposed to marketing as a department
Marketing functions include performing research, produce marketing plan and product
development. Strategically overseeing that advertisement, promotion, distribution, etc. consider
important marketing functions. In Marks and Spencer, different roles as a function of business
successfully developed to make desired results at workplace. It includes presentation of products
and services to consumers (Boschetti and Massaron, 2015). With the help of good marketing
campaign, it drives for better sales and inform team members to understand their roles to sell
products and services. Following are different roles as functions of business successfully
implemented in the enterprise:
 Research: Research is one of the major and important role of as business function in
Marks and Spencer for target audience. In order to pay attention to buying trends and
look for products, current need can be fulfilled. Market research helps to stay with
upcoming trends to know what kinds of products must be focus on marketing
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campaign. In addition to this, it is essential to assess competitors so that products
featuring and successful marketing campaign ascertained to develop significant
advantages (Kent, Dennis and Brakus, 2018). Whereas, marketing helps business to
raise their productivity and sales with functions to gain more profit.
 Packaging: Along with researching, it is essential to focus that what consumer wants.
As a result, marketing involves packaging of products or services in a way that
appeals to buyer. Therefore, in Marks and Spencer role and function of marketing
includes pricing to product to make more profits in systematic manner (Kent, Dennis
and Brakus, 2018). On the other hand, logos and packaging material must be
designed by marketing activities to receive positive feedback from test markets.
 Transportation: In addition to this, role and function of marketing is the
transportation of goods. Each person of Marks and Spencer have ability to distribute
it among several consumers. Furthermore, it is essential to figure out shipping and
storage methods for all inventory items. As a result, it helps to deliver products that
create direct effect on marketing campaigns. For instance, advertisement on products
helps to focus on in stock orders (Rancati, Gordini and Capatina, 2016). In marketing,
transportation consider more development with increasing attraction of several
customers in the business.
 Risk assessment and quality control: Risk assessment and quality control will be one
of the another function of marketing in the business. It entails to look for several
variables that create major effect the sale of products and services (Topham Wood,
2019). Quality control means that looking for products that stand up against the
competition. It also includes meeting with standards for increasing products grading
in Marks and Spencer. Whereas, in marketing quality control can be defined as
maintain effectiveness to show creativity and development of the products and
services. However, it opposes to marketing when trends and demand of customer has
been change continuously.
2. Structure of the marketing department of your selected organisation and explain marketing
roles
Matrix structure: Marketing department of Marks and Spencer, have their structure on
the product basis. In this regard, company focuses on different varieties of products and it
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contains advantages to boost sales on the basis of products and its groups. Separate product
managers are appointed for each product and they attend to marketing and production of their
products when market is more competitive. Product type enterprise with product manager can
easily concentrate on attention on the performances towards particular product or brand. With the
help of sales promotion, marketing research and advertisement, etc. centralised activity
successfully developed in a particular group (Organisational structure and corporate culture,
2014). In order to consider this type of marketing structure, Marks and Spencer emphasis on
team work with coordinating specialist to work together on project. As a result, it helps to
communicate different benefits with marketing activities in the enterprise successfully.
Role of marketing
 Chief marketing officer: Chief marketing officer responsible for overseeing planning,
development and execution of marketing of the enterprise. In addition to this,
advertisement initiatives in Marks and Spencer to ensure that organisation message
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distributed across the different areas with using channels for targeted audience to
meet with desired sales.
 Marketing manager: Marketing manager consider several roles in which they
manage all activities for Marks and Spencer in the marketing department. With the
help of developing strategy in marketing for the enterprise, objectives of the business
accomplish successfully. Budget also overseeing by manager to develop effectiveness
in the business. They play roles to promote products with creative, analytical, digital
and administrative responsibilities (Rancati, Gordini and Capatina, 2016).
 Social media manager: Social media manager is responsible for different activities of
marketing and day to day operations of the business. In this regard, they focus on
increase relevant content topics to reach towards the target customers. Therefore, in
Marks and Spencer they create, curate and manage all published content which is
important to focus on different activities. Furthermore, they have roles to increase
traffic and quick response of customers on social media sites (Wang, Chen and Chen,
2016).
3. Overview of marketing process and analysis importance of the marketing environment to the
marketing functions
Marketing process involve ways in which value is created to satisfy requirements of
customers (Hisrich and Ramadani, 2017). In Marks and Spencer, series of actions and reactions
between customers and company has been develops that assists to satisfy customer’s needs.
Following are certain steps included in this process:
Situational analysis
In first step of marketing process, Marks and Spencer need to analysis its situation in
which company find themselves on the basis of identifying chances to satisfy and fulfil
customers demand and requirements. Situational and environmental analysis consider different
types of marketing options to understand company's own capabilities and surrounding where
they operate (Kent, Dennis and Brakus, 2018).
Marketing strategy
After assessment and identifying availability of marketing options in Marks and Spencer,
strategic plan has been developed to pursue identified options. Analysis is one of the best
available option that is chosen for a successful plan that is made for particular option.
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Marketing mix decisions
In this stage, marketing mix decision of Marks and Spencer has been taken in which
tactical decisions elaborated and made for controllable parameters. It involves decisions related
with product development, pricing, distribution and promotion (Nirschl and Steinberg, 2018).
Implementation and control
In the marketing process of Marks and Spencer plan is executed and output also
determines with more efforts that are monitored to adjust appropriate marketing mix as per
changes. It is the final step in which transform written and planned strategy into particular action
for product that is presented as per process.
Importance of marketing environment to marketing functions
It is essential to pay attention with importance of marketing environment with different
factors such as budgeting and internal company policies that are controllable (Wirtz and
Lovelock, 2016). Marketing environment of Marks and Spencer is the combination of internal
and external factors and forces that affect to the company's ability to establish relationship to
serve customers. Following are certain importance to marketing functions:
 Essential for planning: Marketing of the chosen business is important for planning
for future consideration. Marketer needs to be fully aware current scenario and future
prediction in Marks and Spencer.
 Understanding customers: With the help of knowledge of marketing environment,
marketers are able to acknowledge and predict what customers are actually
demanding (Fotiadis and Folinas, 2017). With the consideration of in-depth analysis
of marketing environment, consumer behaviour of Marks and Spencer understand in
better manner.
 Tapping trends: Furthermore, the chosen business breaking their work into new
markets and capitalising new trends that are required with a lot of insight within the
marketing environment (Gillespie and Riddle, 2015). Marketer also needs to conduct
research in every aspect of the business environment to create successful plan.
 Threats and opportunities: For marketing functions, it is essential to focus on threats
and opportunities which develop sound knowledge of the market environment that
gives more advantages to marketer from threats and tap of future opportunities
(Nirschl and Steinberg, 2017).
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 Understanding competitors: In the market, every niche has different players who are
fighting for the same spot. Better understanding of the marketing environment allows
Marks and Spencer to increase more understanding towards more competition and
advantages to perform functioning in the enterprise.
4. How marketing function influence and interrelates with other department in the organisation
In order to perform several activities by marketing, it can be stated that goals and
objectives can be accomplish that influence whole organisation in productive manner. Marketing
has very important role in order to build reputation of Marks and Spencer. Higher level of
customer satisfaction leads with greater loyalty that resulting for better performances. Hence,
consumer retention is important for the business (Sharp, 2016). Marketing functions create
positive effect on relationship between market oriented behaviour and performance. Therefore,
marketing functions develop positive results in sales unit.
Marketing department with operation management or production department:
Marketing department need to work closely with production department to ensure that adequate
research and development planned in Marks and Spencer to satisfy current and future customer
needs. Furthermore, volume of orders generated with marketing that helps to meet with time
schedule that is required for delivery (Rancati, Gordini and Capatina, 2016). Deadlines also
setting to gain competitive advantages to meet with health and safety requirements.
Marketing department with human resource management department: Furthermore,
another department in which marketing function interrelate is human resource management. In
this way, marketing department will need to work closely to recruit staff members and ensure
appropriate skills and staffing levels which place to research and develop new products ideas,
meet with production targets and create ambitious and competent sales team (Boschetti and
Massaron, 2015). HRM department also have many recruitment and training demands across the
enterprise.
CONCLUSION
From the present report, it can be concluded that marketing in Marks and Spencer helps
to increase its productivity and profitability with effective management activities. In this regard,
report included roles of different marketing functions opposed department of the company.
Furthermore, it summarised about roles of marketing and structure of the chosen business. At
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last, it articulated about marketing functions that it influences and interrelates with other
department in the business.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Boschetti, A. and Massaron, L., 2015. Python data science essentials. Packt Publishing Ltd.
Fotiadis, T. and Folinas, D., 2017. Marketing and Supply Chain Management: A Systemic
Approach. Routledge.
Gillespie, K. and Riddle, L., 2015. Global marketing. Routledge.
Hisrich, R.D. and Ramadani, V., 2017. Entrepreneurial Marketing Mix. In Effective
Entrepreneurial Management (pp. 75-99). Springer, Cham.
Kent, A., Dennis, C. and Brakus, J., 2018. Branding, marketing, and design: experiential in-store
digital environments. In Fashion and Textiles: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice
(pp. 275-298). IGI Global.
Nirschl, M. and Steinberg, L., 2017. Einstieg in das Influencer Marketing: Grundlagen,
Strategien und Erfolgsfaktoren. Springer-Verlag.
Nirschl, M. and Steinberg, L., 2018. Steigende Bedeutung des Influencer Marketing im
Marketing-Mix von Unternehmen. In Einstieg in das Influencer Marketing (pp. 1-3).
Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden.
Rancati, E., Gordini, N. and Capatina, A., 2016. Conceptualizing and Measuring Content
Marketing in Luxury Firms: An Exploratory Analysis. In Global Marketing Strategies
for the Promotion of Luxury Goods (pp. 109-132). IGI Global.
Sharp, C., 2016. Branding Essentials for Solos and Small Firms. GPSolo. 33. p.19.
Wang, Y.H., Chen, S.T. and Chen, N.N., 2016. An empirical study of the effect of green
marketing on purchase intention-evidence from Green Restaurant. Advances in
Management and Applied Economics. 6(4). p.1.
Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C., 2016. Services Marketing: People, Technology. World Scientific
Publishing Company.
Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C., 2016. Services marketing. World Scientific Publishing Company.
Online
Organisational structure and corporate culture. 2014. [Online] Available through:
<https://laetitiastuder.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/organisational-structure-corporate-
culture/>.
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Topham Wood, H., 2019. Functions of Marketing in Business. [Online] Available through:
<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/functions-marketing-business-32399.html>.
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