M&S Marketing Management: Market Position, Objectives & Planning

This report provides an overview of Marks and Spencer's (M&S) marketing management strategies. It begins by outlining M&S's current market position, highlighting its strengths as a brand icon with a diverse product range and a significant global presence, while also acknowledging challenges such as negative publicity and slow adaptation. The report then details the company's marketing objectives, which include enhancing its competitive edge, strengthening its brand through multi-branding, and retaining customers. A marketing plan is proposed, emphasizing effective communication of products and services, promotional strategies, and target market identification, focusing on long-term sustainability and competitive advantage. The report also includes a marketing communications plan, segmenting young adults and UK citizens for a fashionable clothing line, utilizing internet marketing, and recommending rigorous campaigning and promotional activities. The report concludes that implementing the proposed marketing plan will help M&S achieve its objectives over the next three years and improve its overall market position. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Assignment 2
Marketing Management

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is a process or set of actions
which are undertaken by a company for
promoting and enhancing the sales of a
product or service.
Effective marketing planning involves
recognition of customer demands and
fulfilling these through good quality
products and services.

MARKS AND SPENCER
Founded in 1884.
The organisation is
a brand icon in
clothe production
line.
Also deals in home
and luxury food
products.

1. Current Market Position
 M&S holds a strong position in both domestic and
international market.
 Holds a position of brand icon due to high quality
products and services.
 Diverse range of products is being sold by M&S.
 About 900 stores are present in all over the world
and 600 are present solely in UK.
 There are large numbers of brands produced by
the company which help in gaining customer share
through different mediums.

Continued…
Despite of these great attributes, bad
publicity has degraded the company
reputation.
There is less amount of technical
adaptation by the company.
M&S holds large scope for development
and internationalisation.

2. Marketing Objectives
To enhance competitive edge in retail
market place.
To enhance brand name through multi-
branding concept.
To retain customers for surviving in the
same market place.

Continued…
Objectives and goals are defined for gaining a path which can
further be used for planning out the respective activities.
 No action plan or strategy can be effectively implemented if
objectives are not established.
The leader or person in-charge has to utilise vision and aim
for developing the objectives.
 The above described objectives will be helpful for M&S to
align the different related business processes with vision and
accomplish set goals.

3. Marketing planning
Marketing planning is used for effectively
communicating the products and services of an
organisation to customers.
A clear idea about the promotional strategies and
target markets is gained through this process.
The plan is also prepared so that the vision of
M&S for gaining a stable position in market can
be supported efficiently.

Continued…
Long term sustainability, competitive
advantage and development of business
capabilities are some of the factors which
are focused before devising a strategy.
Launch of fashionable clothing has to be
aided with proper communication tactics.
Hence, marketing planning is performed.

4. Marketing Communications plan
Marketing communications plan is based on some
fundamental concepts of marketing.
The before stated objectives have been used for
this purpose.
Segmentation is performed to select a particular
group of customers through the particular product.
The demographic and geographical segmentation
is performed for fashionable clothing line of M&S.

Continued…
Young adults and demographically citizens
of UK have been segmented for this
purpose.
Targeting is the second stage of marketing
communications plan.
Internet marketing is used for focusing
fashionable clothing towards young adults.

Continued…
Rigorous campaigning and special attention
through sponsorships is the main
promotional activity which has to be
encouraged by the organisation.
Evaluation and monitoring is the last stage
of the marketing plan.

CONCLUSION
The use of proposed marketing plan will
help the organization to meet its objectives
in the next 3 years.
M&S has to improve its position in the
current market for enhancing the customer
share.
Marketing planning should be considered
as an integral part of the business

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Gummesson, E., Mele, C. and Polese, F., 2016. The Naples
Forum on Service: Developing theory through the
practices of a community. Marketing Theory. 16(2).
pp.266-268.
Hogarth, R. M. and Soyer, E., 2016. Kind and Wicked
Experience in Marketing Management. Journal of
Marketing Behavior. 2(2–3). pp.81-99.
Online
M&S targets attitude not age to rebuild fashion business.
2016. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/11/04/ms-
dismisses-segmentation-saying-fashion-attitudes-are-
ageless/ >. [Accessed on 16th April 2017].