Strategic Marketing Planning for Marks and Spencer: A Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategic marketing plan for Marks & Spencer (M&S). It begins with an overview of the retail industry, discussing the impact of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector. The report then examines M&S's organizational structure and the resources required to mitigate negative impacts. A detailed environmental analysis is conducted using the PESTLE framework, assessing political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors. Corporate and marketing objectives of M&S are outlined, followed by an examination of marketing strategy selection, including STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) and global implications. The 7Ps of the marketing mix are assessed, and the report concludes with a discussion of implementation, control, and evaluation of the marketing plan. The report aims to provide insights into M&S's strategies for navigating the challenges and opportunities within the competitive retail landscape.

STRATEGIC MARKETING
PLANNING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY.................................................................................................................................................2
Overview of the Industry.........................................................................................................................2
Organizational structure of M&S.............................................................................................................3
Environmental analysis............................................................................................................................4
Corporate and Marketing objectives of Marks and Spencer...................................................................7
Marketing Strategy Selection..................................................................................................................8
STP, positioning and targeting including global implication & potential expansion internationally........9
Assessing 7ps of marketing mix.............................................................................................................10
Implementation, control and evaluation of marketing plan..................................................................11
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Strategic marketing planning refers to the set of activities which involves setting up of a
goal, analyzing and implementation of various resources that help a company to achieve that
aim. The current assignment will be based on M&S plc. The aim of the company is to emerge as
leading business firm in retail fast fashion sector. It will give an overview of the industry
consisting the major impacts of Brexit and Covid-19 on its operations. It will also define the
organizational structure and resources required to reduce the impacts. Furthermore, the report
will explain environmental analysis for which PESTLE analysis is use as strategic framework,
various corporate and marketing objectives of the organization including marketing strategy
selection analysis. Lastly, the report will justify the STP, market positioning and targeting
including global implication and potential expansions globally. It will clarify 7ps and
implementation, control as well as evaluation methods.
MAIN BODY
Overview of the Industry
The retail business industries comprise of all those big firms which are directly engaged
in providing different products and services to their customers through retail pricing strategy.
The firm engaged in this sector are supermarkets industry, fast fashion industry, home products
and food products of own label. The UK retail segment had a presence of around more than
5000+ stores across worldwide in 201. It employs around more than 450000 people as of 2021.
In 2019 the industry generated £394 billion worth of retail sales making it one of the largest
business sectors across the globe. With the introduction of Brexit and emergence of covid-19
pandemic, the sector has been directly affected. Following are the major positive and negative
impacts.
Impact of Brexit
Brexit is referred as the withdrawal of United Kingdom from the European union in
January 2020. This decision directly influenced the business activities of all the big organizations
headquartered in UK (Jensen, 2017). Following are the major impacts of it on retail industries.

Reduced Investments – After the exit of UK from European union, the level of
investments persistent in retail sectors from Europe tend to decline. People from that region
preferred investing in firms outside of United Kingdom in order to give them stability. Thus,
creating a negative impact on the operations of company.
Impact on Sales – The management of various big retail sector firms stated that Brexit
trade deal significantly impacted its sales across the European union region. In some regions
the business got spike whereas number of sales declined in other areas because of the new
trade agreement between UK and EU.
Impact of Covid-19
Store format – Due to the uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic, the government
of UK and most of the countries across the world has announced lockdowns. This activity struck
the business of all the big retail business sector at a large scale due to no public movement and
closing the store format which was the major profit making medium for the firm.
Online operations – As the store formats are halted currently, the majority of firms
operating under retail sector has shifted its operations base to online. It benefited the
management to access their customers from any remote location and continue their sales
business. Thus, reflecting a positive impact of this pandemic on its business.
Revenue model – According to the combined average current Profit & loss statement of
all the retail business firm, their revenues including operating income and net income took a
decline after the rise of the pandemic. As the future of its business in many areas became
uncertain due to no public movement & several lockdowns.
Due to pandemic or annual losses, organization take action to close its 30 outlets as it
may losses over 200 million. During lockdown period, home sales drop by a third, but grocery
sales flown 7%.

Organizational structure of M&S
M&S follows a flat organizational structure, this type of structure implies limited levels
of engagement between administration and its employees. It is followed in order to encourage
their workers in more decision making process through decreasing bureaucracy and making the
work force more skilled by authorizing them to make decisions (Musweu, 2021). Following this
procedure allows a rapid change and problem solution for the management.
Resources required staff and finance
In order to reduce the negative impacts or to maintain the sustainability of the firm in a
competitive business environment, the management of M&S may use these major resources as
measures for the same.
Skilled work force – By managing the existing work base through increasing their
productivity may help the firm to use their enhanced skill in order to achieve organizational
aims. Addition of new workers possessing sufficient abilities through a proper selection process
will also prove to be a major resource for the firm in order to reduce negative impacts.
Affective leadership – Another big resource which may help the management in
systematic working of operations is affective leadership. By implementing it, company will be
able to maintain the firm’s productivity as it will guide and motivate the front line employees to
work for achievement of firm’s aims.
Attracting Investments – The biggest resource for a firm relies on its financial sources. In
order to expand and manage its operational costs in this competitive environment, the

management of M&S may use proper marketing tools in order to attract various investors to
form a significant finance medium to manage their business activities.
Extending online operations – Through extending its online operations, the firm will
manage to enlarge its customer base. Managing loyal consumers and attracting new ones are
the biggest challenge faced by a big organization like M&S in current market conditions.
Effective marketing strategies to aware their buyers may help them to achieve it.
Environmental analysis
Environmental analysis of an organization refers to managing and monitoring all the
internal and external factors pertaining in a business environment which may affect its
operation and sustainability in the market (Song, Sun and Jin, 2017). It helps in assessing the
level of threat or opportunity the factor might present. The emergence of pandemic and Brexit
proved to be a major external aspect for the management of Marks and Spencer.
Importance of environmental analysis within strategic marketing planning
Assessing threats and opportunities – Through implementing the tools of
environmental analysis a firm derives the possible threats and opportunities existing for them
in the market place which may affect its strategic marketing planning. After determining those
aspects, management of the organization makes various strategies in order to acknowledge all
the factors and enable proper positioning procedures for their offerings and services.
Forming decisions – After assessing all the factors affecting its marketing planning, the
process of environmental analysis provides a better structure of various decisions which needs
to be formed by the management in order to utilize all the opportunities and avoid all the
threats influencing the business operations of the firm in market.
Selecting best option – It gives the opportunity of selecting best strategies by the
management in order to implement them for advertising their offerings. Through
environmental analysis, company may get a brief vision of what factors they should focus on
and what tools they had to select for managing and controlling all those affecting aspects
(Oraman and et.al., 2018).

PESTLE analysis of M&S
Political factors – The political move of withdrawal of United Kingdom from European
known as Brexit imposed serious challenges for M&S over its free flow of operations in Europe.
One major effect on its business activities developed in the form of reduced investments and
uneven graph of sales from that region. The impact was major as Europe is one of the major
revenue market for the industry. The government decision regarding lockdowns due to Covid-
19 pandemic in various parts of the world has affected the store format sales of the company,
which was a major contributor to its revenue model (Marks and Spencer, 2021.
Economical factors – Due to the Brexit, M&S being a UK based company has to pay
extra taxes in order to render their services in other regions of Europe. These extra expenses
led the firm to have increase in operational costs which formed a major challenge to them in
terms of affecting and managing it with revenues of company. Another major factor which
emerged due to pandemic is low pricing strategy adopted by enterprise in order to manage its
customers and retain them amidst its competitors. Reduced price of its own products affected
the finance and income model, which they had to reinvent by applying various new decisions.
Social factors – Changes in various social trends within markets formed a cluster of
various factors that may impact productivity and growth of the firm. Food preferences in the
operational region of M&S has seen constant variations with increasing demand for healthy and
vegan products resembling the new trend post covid-19. These sudden change in trend proved
to be beneficial for the company as it ensured bigger stocks of healthy food offerings. Another
aspect of growing unemployment in major sections of UK after the pandemic influenced its
business activities as various concerned group of people expected the management to employ
more number of workers in order to reduce unemployed individuals.
Technological factors – The sudden spike in online sales across worldwide post the
Covid-19 pandemic pushed all the various retail giants like Marks and spencer to shift their
major chunk of operations to online medium (Niemi and Pekkola, 2019). The firm implies core
competence that consists its use of information to support its business activities. All these

changing innovations are adapted by the IT team in order to maintain all its operational bases
without any disruption. The biggest influencer in this situation arised as Internet. The company
witnessed a significant growth in its provision of services through its website. Thus, maintaining
positive impact of this factor.
Legal factors – The new trade agreement between regarding Brexit between UK and
European Union has led to the liberalization of various trade activities considering the offerings
of M&S. The extra taxes were reduced and the barriers regarding importing and exporting were
uplifted. It affected the firm’s uneven graph of sales and led it to procurement of revenues from
the region of Europe (Nekovee and Pinto, 2019). It also helped the management to control and
monitor the increasing operational costs by maintaining it with spike in its income sources.
Environmental factors - The biggest environmental challenge for the company in
current situation is to ensure properly maintained and safe product (Chen and et.al., 2018)
which in case should be sanitized at various stages including its storage places. Post covid 19
pandemic formed major concerns regarding safety of each product. Any issues may result in fall
of goodwill and loss of loyal buyers for their firm. The supply and distribution chain also
received several impacts regarding the quality and safety of its offerings to the public.
Corporate and Marketing objectives of Marks and Spencer
Corporate objectives
Profit – The most crucial corporate objective of M&S or any big organization across the
world is maintaining its profit ratio. The management of the firm insists on implementation of
all those strategical decisions which may lead it to cover all mediums of revenues exceeding its
operational costs (Amado and Belfo, 2021). Achievement of this aim benefits organization in
terms of opportunity to extend its operations for further heavy source of income.
Growth – Another crucial objective for the management of M&S is to constantly grow
and expand across the global market. With profit management a opportunity of extending its
operations also forms as a challenge. It currently has more than 1450 stores around the globe
and the officials are further planning to expand in more remote locations.

Survival – The most basic business objective for the firm is its survival in the market
amidst rising competition in its sector. To thrive in this competitive market various decisions are
made by the management of M&S in order to sustain its buyers and increase its sales.
Marketing objectives
Developing marketing strategies – To position and advertise their product in the
market, officials at M&S set a marketing objective to develop and monitor various strategies
regarding it. To achieve those goals market research is used as a primary tool by its
management for assessing current market conditions. Each decision used is specific and
planned according to business environment.
Promote new products and services – Another prime goal in terms of marketing for
Marks and Spencer is to promote new products and services at constant time interval. New
offerings will help them to gather more customers and provide more opportunities in order to
advertise them differently for each age group or their target audience.
Grow digital presence – Developing new resources in order to increase their digital
presence is also a marketing objective of M&S. The firm from past several years has developed
various applications and websites in order to access their buyers and make their online base of
operations more visible to them.
Organization take initiative to enter into USA market for which they may use joint
venture as market entry mode.
Marketing Strategy Selection
It is crucial for a company to select an appropriate marketing strategy in order to
advertise and promote its offering to the public. Better strategies provide better results for the
firm regarding visibility of its products. There are various types of marketing plans adopted by
every big organization across the globe.
Pricing strategy – The strategy is about determining the rate to be charged for the
product or services being offered. The price for each product is determined by its cost of
production and its demand amongst the target audience. Delivering specific combination of

pricing strategies may make business unique and compelling for the management amidst the
thriving competition in the market place.
Promotional strategy – This strategy indicates that the primary focus of a firm depends
on the various promotional measures it adapts in order to increase the visibility and awareness
of its products. The management in this case majorly relies on two mediums, Print Advertising
and Digital medium. Choosing appropriate way of medium may give organization a better
opportunity to position its offerings.
Digital marketing strategy – The primary focus of this strategy includes the importance
of proper placing of a company’s products in order to access its target audience by promoting it
on various digital mediums such as Internet, websites and Television (De Pelsmacker and et.al.,
2018). The management has to assess their target section by classifying its buyers on different
basis and make several plans in order to derive those mediums where they may be successful in
grabbing more visibility for their offerings.
Marketing strategy selection by Marks and Spencer plc
The marketing strategy regarding the advertising of product and its functions through
digital medium are implemented by the management of Marks and Spencer. Adopting this plan
indicates the primary focus of the firm to promote their offerings on various digital platforms
including internet and television. Quality assurance, labeling, packaging and warranty are some
major functions monitored by its officials. In order to enlarge its service categories, the
company introduced various lines of offerings over time, which helped them to extend their
operations at various new places globally. Its implication derived various advantages which
includes the increasing consumption by the buyers and surge in sales which is reflected by
constant retention rate of its consumers. Decisions including the management and monitoring
of each stage of production function are given primary focus through which their word of
mouth or standard assurance remains on higher side. Involvement of this plan procedure and
applying it to position the product may benefit in assessing several other policies such as pricing
which depends upon the demand of offerings and its cost of production. Thus, indicating the
successful application of digital medium marketing strategy selection.

STP, positioning and targeting including global implication & potential expansion internationally
STP is an acronym for segmentation, targeting and positioning, which define as three
stages that has been used by so many organizations while operating under their sectors in
order to target specific group of customers, which is quite essential for a company to target.
Marketers in M&S may utilize each stage in appropriate manner.
Segmentation-
In term of segmentation strategies, marketer may use demographic and psychographic
segmentation to target customers and gain their attention, which provide the best opportunity
to company in term of increasing consumer base that help to gain attention of global buyers
(Demidova, Gusarova and Kulachinskaya, 2020). It may implement these tactics at international
level while expanding business globally along with new one.
Targeting-
For purpose of targeting, marketer may utilize undifferentiating targeting strategy that
help to target all the customers without making any kind of differences between products and
consumers. With this tactic, firm may expand venture into profitable market or nation at
international level.
Positioning -
In order to set strong brand image in mind of customers, marketer may choose digital
marketing strategy and use for organizational positioning in market and customer mind, which
is quite important to set. It helps to generate brand awareness at global extent in effective
manner.
Assessing 7ps of marketing mix
Product-
Organization may grab market growth and business success opportunities by
considering and improving products quality and packaging, which in return help to increase the
profitability and productivity of its business more than competitors that has run their ventures

in same industry. It may give unique look or shape to packaging of grocery products (Altay,
Okumuş and Mercangöz, 2021).
Price-
M&S may utilize low pricing strategy to drive the attention of potential shoppers and
retain existing forever with purchasing of its quality food items, home products and clothing as
well (Singh, Chandani and Bhatia, 2020). It is one of the most beneficial and successfully pricing
strategies that firm may use while operating in national or international border.
Place-
It may open new outlet in target market nearby populated area where people may
reach easy to buy products, especially during pandemic without going for long for grocer
purchase (Eshete and et.al., 2020). It is one of the best chance that firm may obtain in term of
offering offline and online services as well as selling goods.
People-
Instead of hiring people, human resource manager may provide training and directions
to existing workforce regarding pandemic guidelines which enable them to serve their services
by maintaining social distance and taking better precautions for own as well as customer’s
safety. Current employees are capable to perform in complicated business environment as they
are already aware about what their customers prefer and needs.
Promotion-
Along with traditional marketing methods, company may use advance digital marketing
channels as well, which is as beneficial as earlier but provide better outcomes in fast manner
that previous may not catered. Marketer may utilize social media platforms, to promote their
products in new market and generate brand awareness especially after Br-exit.
Process-
In term of procedure, supermarket and its management may take initiative to improve
its supply chain and making partnership with sustainable suppliers at international level, which