University Assignment: Marketing Strategies of Marks and Spencer

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Marks & Spencer's marketing strategies, focusing on their promotional tactics and the application of marketing theories. The introduction provides a background of Marks & Spencer, highlighting its position as a leading UK retailer. Task One delves into the promotional tactics employed by Marks & Spencer, covering customer-facing touchpoints, external spaces like advertising billboards, digital platforms such as websites and social media, and the use of third parties. Task Two applies two relevant marketing theories to the company. The report discusses how the company implements digital marketing, utilizes various communication media, and targets customers through diverse promotional methods, including blogs, fashion tips, loyalty programs, and social media engagement. The report also examines how Marks & Spencer uses news articles and analyst reports to promote its brand. The report concludes with a summary of findings and references.

Principles and Practices of Marketing-
PPM

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Background.................................................................................................................................................3
Task One.....................................................................................................................................................5
Researching on the promotional tactics of the UK Based Fashion Retailer.............................................5
Task Two.....................................................................................................................................................9
Application of two Marketing theories to the chosen company...............................................................9
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................12
References.................................................................................................................................................13
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Introduction
Marks & Spencer is identified as one of the UK's largest leading retailers with consisting of over
21 million people. They are seen to be selling stylish as well as the high-quality products with
gaining the great value in clothing and home products. The company is gaining a highly
competitive environment as well as it is enabling the company to strengthen the management
strategies. These are seen to be quite important for the retailers for obtaining a competitive
advantage as well as accessing the higher incomes. The report is focusing on the background of
the marketing strategies implemented by the company and the promotional tactics used by the
Marks & Spencer. The analyses of the marketing theories are made in this context as it is
providing support to the organization (Ananthan, Appannaiah and Reddy, 2010).
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Background
The company is seen to be consisting of 280 chain sores present in UK in the year 1992. From
the perspective of the Sales, it is seen that Marks & Spencer is gaining a 15% of the profit from
the clothing sales. This volume of the company's store present in London consisting of 3700
dollars per square foot. The company is gaining Guinness World Records from the volume of
sales of the clothing section carried out by Marks & Spencer. The company is offering an
outstanding and unique style, as well as quality and value for money products to the customers.
Thus, it is seen that the company is gaining a business advantage with rigorously screening more
than 2000 suppliers present in the world. The current business environment is reflecting the
outstanding execution of the marketing processes to establish a positive relationship with the
customers (Bothma and Burgess, 2011). From the perspective of market positioning, the
company is consisting of the appropriate activities for placing the products. The product is seen
to be executed by the help of targeting all the class group of peoples. The marketing managers
present in the company are seen to be providing them with the quality-price ratio as per the
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goods demanded by them. For each of the customers, the motto is being followed by the
company which is "Eat Well and Dress Well". This is enabling the company to focus on taking
care of every customer linked with the company (Savvas, Magee, Marks and Taylor, 2016).
With the revolution of the First World War, the company had undertaken the penny sales
strategy. It is indicating that the due to the shortage of the materials, this strategy is undertaken
for sustaining in the market. It also changed the sales projections and the thinking focus on
clothing of Marks & Spencer. The company is seen to be expanding rapidly with the help of this
process as it was seen to be changing the marketing processes. The company Marks & Spencer
gained praise for the unprecedented service, diversification and quality. With the maintenance of
this process, it is enabled to gaining the operational processes with making the sourcing and the
manufacturing processes (Cateora, Graham and Gilly, 2015). It is also seen to be saving a lot of
costs as well as it is helping the company in improving the profits for the e-commerce business.
The company then aimed at beginning the e-commerce business process which is initialized by
the help of building a website and is also combining the traditional retailing with the e-
commerce. This is also allowing the people to focus more on the century-old shops as well as it
is indicating the challenge of marketing for the company. The company is then focusing on
saving a lot of costs as well as it is actively involved in the innovative vigour as is seen in the
context of marketing. Thus, it enabled the company to make variations of the goods for
establishing the brand name (Du Plessis, Strydom and Jooste, 2012). The variation in the
clothing items, as well as the strengthening of the marketing process for each of the products,
enabled the company to target the customers appropriately. This also enabled the company to
strengthen the brand name worldwide.
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Task One
Researching on the promotional tactics of the UK Based Fashion Retailer
Marks & Spencer is seen to be implementing the marketing strategy by aligning the digital
marketing with the advertisement campaign. It is enabling the company to focus on the website
management processes by using different medium of communications. The company is using
different media for executing the promotional processes. The promotional tactics implemented
by the company is focused on promoting the branded clothes for men, women as well as kids
(Keegan and Green, 2015). The customers are connected by the help of blogs and the fashion tips
published on the website. The detailed information of the promotional tactics are provided in the
below-provided points:
At customer-facing touchpoints (i.e. store/ offices/ reception areas)
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The customers who are facing the touchpoints that is the customers who are visiting the stores
are provided with the information related to the latest offers and the products. The leaflets are
provided to each of the customers for getting connected with the customers. The reception areas,
and the stores are provided with the survey questionnaires so that they can be easily able to
gather the viewpoints of the customers. The individual performances of the customers were
boosted by the help of providing the facilities of providing rewards. The enhancement in the
future purchasing processes is leading to the development of impact on the organization as is
seen in this context (Kotler and Keller, 2020). The good behaviours of the receptionists or the
storekeepers are also enabling the company to gather the attention of the customers. Thus, it is
essential for the company to attract the customers. Apart from this, the viewpoints gathered on
the survey questionnaires are seen to be provided for making the changes in the products. The
demands of the customers are seen to be kept with focusing on the viewpoints provided by them.
Thus, it is enabling the company to gain the attention of the customers with strengthening the
customer base of the organization.
In external spaces (i.e. advertising billboards)
In the context of the external spaces, the company is implementing the digitalized billboards for
the purpose of advertising the products and the services. It is also seen to be attracting the
customers who are not visiting the websites or the posts regularly. It is enabling the company to
easily target the customers who are seen to be not active enough over the social media. Due to
this reason, the flexibility in the advertising processes are represented which is seen to be
strengthening the promotional processes. In the advertising billboards, the company is seen to be
displaying the current product designs along with the current offers provided to the customers
(Mayrhofer, 2012). With the help of this, it is enabled to gaining the attention of the customers to
whom the company is not enabled of directly reaching to this. This indicates the activeness in the
promotional process of the organization as it is seen to be aiming at providing the detailed
information of the products. The runnings of the special loyalty programs are made which is also
strengthening the environment of the business as well as the promotional processes are properly
executed. The company is also enabled of reaching to every customer with targeting the
billboard advertising process in all local areas of the branches present in fifty countries. Thus, it
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is enabling the company to gain the good response for the products as it is actively executing this
kind of the promotional processes (Narayana Reddy, Appannaiah and Sathyaprasad, 2010).
Via digital platforms (i.e. websites, social media)
The digital platforms are seen to be properly implemented by the company in gaining the
attention of the customers. The company is using the website for launching the blogs as well as
providing fashion tips to the customers for strengthening the relationships. The launching of the
blogs related to the fashion wears is helping the company in promoting the brand among the
fashion lovers present worldwide. This also facilitates the development of relationship with
strengthening the relationship with the customers. The fashion tips provided to the customers are
also strengthening the environment with the enhancement of the objectives. The special loyalty
programs are seen to be helping in promoting the brand among women, men and kids. The
season sales are also provided to the loyal customers who are also providing support to the
organizational processes (Onkvisit and Shaw, 2012). The loyal customers are also provided with
the additional points for providing them with the special shopping experience. They are also kept
motivated by the help of increasing future expenditure processes. This is also enabling them to
target new customers with the help of the old customers. The social media is also actively
implemented in posting the products and services as well as the offers provided on each of the
products categories. This enables them to attract the online customers who are actively present
over social media. Due to this reason, it is easily targeting the materials and the methods for
which the company can be easily able to actively represent the products in front of all the
customers. It is also leading to the strengthening of the relationship with the customers (Stanley,
2014).
Through third parties (i.e. news articles, analyst reports)
The third parties are targeted to post the details of the product over the news articles and the
analyst reports. The news articles are seen to be helping them in displaying the print media
advertising processes as it is essential for targeting the customers who are viewing and reading
the news articles. The targeting of those people will be enabling the company to strengthen the
relationship. It will be enabling them to spend on future purchases as is seen in this context
(Sheehan, 2018). The strengthening of the relationship is essential as they are identified are the
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older and the experienced persons. Marks & Spencer is targeting them for strengthening the base.
The youths are also following the trends of the older generations in relation to the fashion but
their style. This enables them to differentiate the products by targeting the customers present in
this context. The basic reward points are also provided to these customers to establish a bond
with the customers. The analyst report published by the company provides the detailed
information of the product with the ratings provided by the experienced analysts. The reviewing
of the product is enabling the company to target more amounts of customers with strengthening
the relationship (Sherlekar and Sherlekar, 2010). Thus, it is essential for the company to gain the
appropriate attention of every category of the customers present worldwide. The lower-level
people are also targeted by the help of this process as it motivates the company to create a bond
relationship with the customers.
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Task Two
Application of two Marketing theories to the chosen company
Marks & Spencer is seen to be aiming at involving the customers with the implementation of
marketing strategies. The building and the development of the marketing strategies are made by
the help of the marketing theories provided developed by theorists. It is enabling the company to
focus on all types of customers for establishing the favourite brand image. It not only strengthens
the brand name but also helps the company to gain the buyers' loyalty. It is essential as the
customers always select the trustworthy, straightforward, nurturing and the wise fulfilling brands
(Venkateswaran, 2012). The marketing theories should be implemented by the company for
meeting the needs and the desires of the organization. Apart from this, it is also establishing a
distinct way for unique and the desirable way for completing the information as is seen in this
context. The campaign developed by the Marks & Spencer is involving the marketing theories
for establishing a distinctive environment. The quality marketing campaign development process
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can only be carried out by the help of focusing on the vital ideas present in the present processes
(Winer and Dhar, 2014). It is also strengthening the environment as it is also enabled of
attracting the celebrities for displaying the products by the help of the advertisement processes.
Due to this reason, it is also seen to be truly following the marketing theories as it is discussed
below.
AIDA
The AIDA concept is reflecting the process of measuring the four main processes which is seen
to be used by the marketers for developing the marketing plan. The marketing plan is seen to be
strengthening the marketing processes with gaining the attention of the audiences targeted. The
four components are the awareness, interest, desire and action. These components are essential as
it is enabling the company to establish a smart marketing plan for gaining the attention of the
customers (Schierholz, 2014). The awareness component is essential as it is enabling the
company in providing the recognition as well as the identification of different clothing products
knowledge to the customers. On the basis of this, it is establishing the awareness of the product
in the market which enables the company to easily target the customers. The interest is reflecting
the attention of the people which is gained during the execution of the marketing processes. With
the help of simply attaining the marketing campaigns, the campaign is seen to be followed with
implemented all the methods for which the simple presentation of the marketing campaign is
prepared (Peelen, 2013). The execution of the marketing campaign is seen to be focusing on the
attention process which is simply followed by the marketers. The process is seen to be used by
following all the marketing processes which is enabling in ensuring the required results as it is
seen in this context. The company is easily able to attract the customers with the targeting the
celebrities for promoting the products and the services. This also helps in building an identity to
the product as well as the targeting of the attention of the audiences becomes easier (Mullin,
Hardy and Sutton, 2015).
The use of the fairytales theme in the promotional process also helps the company in engaging
the attention of the consumers. The curiosity prospect is also covered in gaining the interest of
the audiences. Apart from this, it is helping in establishing a positive relationship with the
customers. The desire stage is seen to be focusing on all kind of the products which are
confirmed as well as repeated with the changes in the storyline. This reflects the attention of
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gaining the new media channels which is also seen to be supporting the advertisement processes
(Marich, 2013). The appealing nature and the purchasing processes are helping in actively
attaining the objectives as is seen in this context. The undertaken processes are also helping the
company to establish an appealing as well as the preferable environment. The desperation is also
executed by the help of establishing the motivating action which is present in the specific period
as is seen in this context. The proactive approach is essential for handling the advertisement
process as well as it is enabling the company to influence the growth of the dales. Marks &
Spencer is also creating a sense of desperation for motivating the users for buying the products
and the services. The unclear marketplace segment is also helping them in promoting the
products with targeting the attention of the customers (Keillor, 2016).
Pull and Push Strategies
The pull and the push strategies are enabling the company Marks & Spencer to establish their
way for reaching out to the customers. The push elements are indicating the development of the
distribution as well as the person selling which is linking the suppliers with the customers. The
pushing of the products out of the market is being made with the help of this process. The pull
strategy on the other hand is indicating the packaging, advertising and the sales promotional
processes which are used for targeting the customers (Yannopoulos, 2017). The effective pulling
of the customers is made by the help of attracting them to the product. It is also helping the
company is encouraging the customers for buying the products. The forging of the long-lasting
relationship is made with the help of this strategy. The company Marks & Spencer is seen to be
providing discounts with the help of the vouchers to the customers as well as to the storecard
holders. It is executing this process to make them to purchase more and more products from the
company in future (Gladwell, 2012). These pull strategies are helping in the establishing the long
term relationship with the customers. The important role is raised in the pulling strategies
executed by the company. It is seen to be executed with the help of the distribution processes as
well as it will be gaining fast and quick response with the time. The key factors present which
are seen to be influencing the push strategies are the variation in the scale of economies,
variation in the level of the financial and the economic stability, and the intense competition.
Apart from these factors, the other factors are the variation in the consumer credit restriction,
increasing in the political instability and the increasing operational costs are establishing barriers
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