Marks & Spencer Marketing: SWOT, STP, and Marketing Mix Consultancy

This report provides a comprehensive marketing consultancy for Marks and Spencer, focusing on key marketing management principles. It includes a detailed SWOT analysis, identifying the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report also conducts an STP (Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning) analysis, outlining the strategies used to define and reach target customers. Furthermore, it analyzes the marketing mix (4Ps) – product, price, place, and promotion – to understand how Marks and Spencer markets its products and services. The report concludes with recommendations for improving the company's marketing strategies, aiming to enhance its competitive advantage and market performance. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study tools and assignments for students.

Marketing Management
Marketing Consultancy
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The report has been prepared for the topic marketing management marketing consultancy
which will be including the aspects of SWOT Analysis, STP Analysis, Marketing Mix and
Recommendations at large scale.
SWOT Analysis has been described in detail that how it will engage in providing the details of
Marks and Spencer’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This has been observed
through the basis of how these four aspects have been helping in providing the information of the
company. SWOT has been conducted as the framework which has helped in knowing the basis
through which the company will grow and evolve.
STP (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning) has been done for Marks and Spencer to know
the strategies which are framed for the company and the scale through which segmentation,
targeting and positioning of the company’s work is being done at large scale. These three aspects
will help the company in regularizing the main aim through which the target customers have
been analysed in the target market.
Marketing Mix (4P’s) has been analysed and done for the Marks and Spencer which has been
helping in knowing the factors such as products, price, place and promotion at large scale for the
company. This has been provided in detail for the company and has been known for initializing
the basis through which marketing key elements were known at large scale. Marketing key
elements have been providing the basis through which all the aspects of how the marketing of
products and services in the business environment has been done at large scale.
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Table of contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
1. SWOT Analysis.......................................................................................................................3
2. STP Analysis...........................................................................................................................5
3. Marketing Mix.........................................................................................................................7
4. Recommendations....................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Aim of the report is to analyze and evaluate its marketing essential practice and tactics
which have been applied for the company.
Marks and Spencer Group plc is a major British multinational retailer that specializes in
selling clothes, food products and home products. The company is also listed in the London
Stock Exchange. It has 959 stores all across UK in which the major thing which is being
observed is that the company has 615 stores that only sell food products and through its
advertising they provide the beverages and food which makes it more valuable and this helps in
making the basis through which all aspects are known at large scale among which the company
is taking initiative for all changes which are to be taken place (Swinney, 2019). Marks and
Spencer also serves in the banking industry and energy industry. Apart from this, there are high
profile media campaigns which are helping in the growth and the success of new clothing line
when they introduce to the market.
The report will analyze SWOT Analysis which will provide detail analysis of strengths,
weakness, opportunity and threats. Along with this, STP (Segmentation, Targeting and
Positioning) will be done for the Marks and Spencer. Further, Marketing Mix will also be framed
which will include 4P’s of marketing. Recommendations for issues within organization will be
noted. The present report will incur this structure which will be including all these aspects and
information in detail for the growth and development of how effective company works.
MAIN BODY
1. SWOT Analysis
Usefulness of Applying SWOT Analysis - SWOT Analysis is an important framework for
identifying the strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats of the organization. With the help of
the SWOT analysis, there are major aspects which are known of the organization and this helps
in knowing that what are strengths and weaknesses of the company. Marks and Spencer is one
such organization which incurs to strengths and weaknesses along with the opportunities and
threats. SWOT analysis helps in building scale through which the aspects of business is known
and this helps in evaluating and analyzing performance of the internal and external environment
(GURL, 2017). The major changes which are taken in business environment are also known at
large scale. SWOT analysis is an important framework which helps in initiating the measures
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through which all aspects are concerned and this address the possible advantages which are
concerned with the scale for Marks and Spencer.
SWOT analysis helps in ensuring the basis through which all the key performance areas of
the organization becomes helpful in analyzing and monitoring the basis of the business at large
scale. The Strengths and Weakness along with Opportunities and Threats are measured of the
Marks and Spencer and this helps in initiating the scale of how effective and efficient the
organization is handling the internal along with external business environment. The analysis
through SWOT is very useful for Marks and Spencer as it helps in analyzing the basis through
which all the possible factors of how the company is taking their business with minimum risks
within the market for its products and services to be delivered to the customers in effective and
efficient way (Vlados, 2019). SWOT analysis helps in developing the abilities and gain
advantages through which Marks and Spencer is able to locate its target customers and expansion
is done based on that. Thus, usefulness of SWOT analysis is based on how Marks and Spencer is
initiating new ways and forms through which the business can seek effectiveness and efficiency.
This helps the company in making and framing the scales of growth and development in the long
in significant manner.
Applying SWOT Analysis – SWOT Analysis for Marks and Spencer is being applied for
analysing the major and basic forms of how the organization is taking concern of the growth and
success sailing within it. For this, it is described as –
Strengths – Marks and Spencer has clear brand image which helps in analyzing basis through
which the products and services of the company are related to more modern and stylish wear.
Marks and Spencer has its own labels under which they produce their own products and services.
There is large scale of innovation and creativity which deals in communicating with people and
encouraging creativity (Teoli and et.al., 2019). Marks and Spencer also incurs multichannel
presence which has both online presence and multichannel presence.
Weaknesses – Marks and Spencer is unable to penetrate in the foreign markets and due to this
they have yet not achieved customer satisfaction which is the major weakness of the company.
The supply chain scalability of Marks and Spencer is weak which its biggest weakness becomes.
And due to this the brand name and the company is affected at large scale. This creates problems
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for the company or organization along with what the company is initiating towards downfall
(Lurati and et.al., 2018).
Opportunities – There are many opportunities to the company which helps in initiating the scale
of producing new segments within Marks and Spencer and this helps in promoting the scale
through which all aspects are taken into consideration which will help in improving the scale of
how the company can grow and develop in terms of growing into different and new segments.
By gaining new opportunities the company can turn its business scales into being productive in
the market.
Threats –The main threat to Marks and Spencer is that the company has high number of
competitors which are Zara, United Colours of Benetton etc (Petrauskas and et.al., 2018). These
companies are the major threat to Marks and Spencer as their business have been scaling up
since past few years and this is the major threat to the company. Therefore, to cope up with this
threat, Marks and Spencer should scale up the business and help the business to grow and
develop in the market effectively.
2. STP Analysis
Segmentation – Segmentation is the process of dividing the customer broader on the basis of
demographic, psychographic and other factors. Segmentation helps in knowing the existing and
potential customers into the sub – groups of how the customers are being differentiated.
Segmentation is basically the analysis through which the company is taking charge of how the
customers are taking concern of products and services which are made available to them. This
will help in analysing the growth and development of products and in each segment of the
company (Widhaningrat, 2020). Marks and Spencer uses demographic segmentation which helps
in knowing the major scales of how the company is taking advantage of market by dividing
different age groups and providing them specific products and services as per their needs and
requirements.
This helps in segmenting the market and develops changes as per the business
environment which is taken into consideration. The main aim of segmentation of Marks and
Spencer is that the company is able to know the age groups under which categories of products
can be divided. This helps in evaluating the major aspects through which demographic
segmentation within the company is concerned for increasing the sales and profits for the product
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at large scale. Thus with the help of age being a factor within demography, Marks and Spencer is
able to differentiate its products and services to be made available to customers and fulfil their
needs (Arustamyan and et.al., 2020).
Targeting – Targeting is the strategy which breaks the large market into smaller segments to
concentrate on a specific group of customers within the audience. Targeting further explains the
segment of customers which is known for their unique characteristics and this focuses solely on
serving the target customers at large scale. Target customers have shared characteristics which
distributes the market accordingly.
As Marks and Spencer has target market profile, therefore it chooses a variety of
individuals with their range of products being provided to them at large scale between the age
group of 35 to 55 year old men and women (Choudhary and et.al., 2020). This helps them to
target their clothing line sector to mention the category. This is the targeting process which the
company is initiating on to improve by providing the categories of products and services at large
scale for the benefit of company and serving the customers more. Therefore, the target
segmentation of the company is still in the improvement process as they are targeting the
expanded scale of customers. They are on the stage of improvement and enhancement within
target marketing of products and services which is being provided in the range of products such
as shirts, jeans trousers etc. This helps in initiating the scale through which all aspects are known
for making the initiative towards targeting the customers and fulfilling their needs and
requirements as per their demand for the products (Jin and et.al., 2018).
Positioning – Positioning is defined as the products or service which stands in relation to other
similar products offering the same value in the marketplace. Marks and Spencer has been
positioned as modern, innovative and even adventurous within the clothing sector. Earlier Marks
and Spencer’s positioning was snot specific but later with growth and development, the company
initiated its base towards growing and expanding its scales towards knowing and acknowledging
the base through which all possible factors are known within the market and this helps in
initiating the scale through which products and services in the clothing line is seem to be
positioned under the category of how effectively and in significant manner the services and
products are being reached to customers at large scale (Ausloos, 2020).
Marks and Spencer has changed its strategy in positioning which increases the sales and
profits by initializing the various categories of products and services being stored and replaced in
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the market. The main aspect through which Marks and Spencer is changing its patterns and
procedures into positioning is seemed to have inflicted the customers and this helps in making
and initiating the base through which all possible factors such has development of product in the
external market environment is known at large scale. Positioning is thus an important factor
which helps in initiating and growing base of how the customers are attracted towards the
products and services in the market.
3. Marketing Mix
Marketing Mix is described as the set of actions and tactics that helps the company in
promoting its brand and services in the market and this helps in initiating the four 4P’s which are
described as how effective the products and prices are being placed within the market and at
large scale. The 4P’s of marketing mix for Marks and Spencer are described as –
Product – Product is defined as the goods and services which are being processed for the
company and are known as what the company serves to the customers and the market (Thabit
and et.al., 2018). The products of Marks and Spencer are known at large scale and this helps in
knowing the basis through which the products which are being provided to the customers are
jeans, shirt, linen, skirt, blazers etc.
The product strategy which Marks and Spencer follows is that the company is focusing
on providing the range of many products in different categories at large scale to the customers so
that they are able to initiate the cycle of attract different categories of products and services
within market and its environment (Thabit and et.al., 2018). Marks and Spencer also offers home
and furniture section products which help in developing the major aspects through which all
possible categories under which the products and services of all home alliances and furniture are
made to increase the value of the brand and the company.
Price – The price is defined as the cost of the product which is being analyzed for the products
and services which are being produced by the company, Marks and Spencer follows the
competitive pricing strategy in which the prices of the products are ranged under the category of
how sequential and in effective manner the products are being evaluated (Nagyová, 2019). The
premium quality of products are being categorised as high quality products and this helps in
knowing that how effectively Marks and Spencer is still following the competitive pricing
strategy. This strategy provides the customers more options to chose from because it has
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increased competition within the market in which the company takes the charge of how
effectively and in efficient manner the company is also facing challenges in the online market by
relating to its prices. Marks and Spencer also follows dynamic pricing strategy in its seasonal
time which helps in offering the customers products and services on discounts.
Place – Place defines the stores which are of the company. Marks and Spencer has more than
100 stores which are operating in more than 50 countries. The major business of Marks and
Spencer is in UK where the company has around 850 stores and this helps in knowing that how
much the company has expanded its business (de Oliveira Rodrigues, 2021). Marks and Spencer
also through its website provides the customers products and services which are made available
for the customer at large scale. Marks and Spencer through the distribution strategy of products
and services in the market helps to categorise the products and serve them in different countries
at large scales. This helps in knowing the delivery of products and services through the stores in
which they are available. The main aim of delivering the products and services to the customers
through stores is that they are able to explore the variety of products and can demand the need
and requirements (Lim, 2021).
Promotion – Promotion is the main key through which the company advertises and campaigns
its products in the market. This helps in knowing that how the major scale of effectively growing
within the market is known and how this helps in applying to the various changes which are
taking place. Marks and Spencer chooses its promotional and marketing strategy in terms of how
advertising of campaigning is done and what are the major factors through which products and
services are being promoted and advertised in its selling (Pomering, 2017). This helps in
knowing the major scales through which the advertisements of the campaign is done with digital
marketing and in store strategy. Marks and Spencer helps in providing a message through the
print media, TV ads, mobile ads and social media campaigns. This helps in knowing the major
and basic form of information in which the promotion of brand and services is being done at
large scale effectively.
4. Recommendations
There are various recommendations which should be adopted by Marks and Spencer –
 Marks and Spencer should follow the growth strategies and change the terms of how
effectively the company is taking charge towards growth and development.
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 The company should change its diverse target market strategies to make its clearer as
how the company should take charge of the changes towards segmenting the market (Le
Thuy and et.al., 2020).
 Marks and Spencer should also focus on the customer needs and requirements which will
help the business in its growth and development at larger scale.
 As Marks and Spencer is facing the issues and challenges among which some are –
a) Marks and Spencer doesn’t appeal to any generation.
b) Marks and Spencer does not focus on the needs and requirements of the customers.
c) Marks and Spencer has no investment in the stores which create problem for the
company as they are unable to manage the financial scales of the company.
d) The decisions taken by Marks and Spencer are bad and this creates the problem for
the company for which they need to be alert.
 Apart from this the major issue which Marks and Spencer is facing is also concerned with
the pricing of the products is very high (Esoimeme, 2020). This should be taken concern
of as important.
 The company should change its policies and procedures which help in making and
initiating the aspects which are concerned at large scale.
 Marks and Spencer company is very iconic but on the other side is not immune. This is
also one of the issues which the company is facing.
 Weaknesses of Marks and Spencer should be focused upon so that the company can
change its patterns and practices which are in range of how effective and efficient the
major things are taking place.
These are some of the issues and challenges which Marks and Spencer is facing and through this
the main goals and objectives are not focused upon. There should be activities and tasks which
should be taken concern of. The main thing the company should initiate towards is that it should
take care of how the things are initiated (Taylor, 2019). The changes should be done in the
policies and procedures which impacts the organization at large scale. Apart from this, viewing
customer intentions is also the major and basic form in which the company should make and
initiate changes so that they are able to grow and develop accordingly. It is also recommended
that the strategies which Marks and Spencer follows should be taken into form of how long and
effective the changes are being observed and what are transformations within which the
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company need to evaluate its systems of enhancement. Marks and Spencer should restore and
restock the products and services so that the company is able to provide the products and services
which are required by the customers. This will also help engaging the customers by providing the
base of how effective the products and services are displayed in market to be sold.
Thus, Marks and Spencer should also focus on driving the changes in the product
segmentation, targeting and positioning through which all possible factors of the changes being
taken place and the scale through which company is being competitive in market is known.
There are various opportunities for Marks and Spencer to grow and develop by competing with
the competitors which are taking the concern of effectiveness which the company is serving to
the customers (Jin and et.al., 2018). Marks and Spencer should also focus upon various aspects
of how the major changes of marketing and advertising products through the campaigns are
made possible and through this the main aim of the company will be achieved. The expansion of
the company within the market should target young generation as sales and profits of the
company will be channelized in proper ways. Thus, the issues faced by Marks and Spencer
should be focused upon at prior aspect. This will not only help to solve issues and problems
through which the company is going but will also help in knowing what are the necessary steps
which are to be taken in accordance to how the company is working towards growth and
development (Wilshaw and et.al., 2021).
CONCLUSION
Thus, it is concluded from the above report that SWOT Analysis was described which
helped in knowing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Marks and Spencer.
Along with this, Marks and Spencer’s STP Analysis was done which helped in knowing the
segmentation, targeting and positioning and what are the various strategies in each of the
following aspects which helped the company in knowing the major scales through which
essential information was incurred and known. Further, marketing mix was analyzed with the
4P’s of marketing which are product, price, place and promotion and this provided the
information in detail for Marks and Spencer. The marketing strategies for all the 4P’S was
described in detail. Furthermore, recommendations were provided for the issues and problems
which Marks and Spencer is facing and this helped in knowing what are major challenges which
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the company is facing and how these challenges can be removed at large scale. With respect to
the issues, recommendations were provided which helped in making and initiating the scales
through which all aspects are known at large scale. Therefore, these are the key points which
have been emerged as important and this has helped in growth and evolvement of company.
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