Marketing Essentials: An Analysis of Primark's Marketing Strategies

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Marketing Essentials
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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Task 1 (LO1: P1, P2)...................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................11
Reference list.............................................................................................................................................12
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Introduction
In simple words, marketing is regarded as the set of processes and institutions for
communicating, creating, delivering as well as exchanging offerings, which have value for
clients, customers and society at large. In modern business industry, there is no company that
does not use different but effective marketing techniques within their firm to accelerate
organizational sales revenue. Since decades, people have understood the significance of using
effective marketing techniques in business so that business organizations from small start-ups to
large size MNCs have been using effective marketing techniques.
“Primark” is one of the largest Irish fast fashion retail firms across the globe that was
established in 1969 (www.primark.com, 2019). Now the company has more than 368 stores
around d the globe.
This paper will outline all the functions and significance of marketing across the organizational
premises of “Primark”. Additionally, structure of marketing department and overview of the
marketing process will be evaluated in this portion of the study as well.
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Task 1 (LO1: P1, P2)
1. Explain the role of marketing as a function of business, opposed to marketing as a
department in a company.
Marketing is regarded as one of the most important business functions that directly influences
accelerating organizational sales revenue and profitability simultaneously (Kotler et al., 2015).
Marketing is regarded as the essential process to the success of business venture. Thus, most of
the successful MNCs such as “Primark” always focus upon improving their marketing activities
so that the company can extend their range of target market area. Important functions of
marketing are as follows:
Research
Conducting research over the target audience is one of the most important functions of
marketing. Paying attention to understand the current market trends and customers’ purchasing
behavior is such important to increase the sales revenue (Armstrong et al., 2015). Market
research also needs checking out all the details regarding rival competitors so that companies like
“Primark” can better prepare themselves and compete in better manner as well.
Packaging
Apart from market research, packaging of the products or services in attractive manner that is
going to be delivered to customers is also important. Packaging materials and logos should be
designed in such manner that it can attract existing and new customers in market.
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Figure 1: Functions of marketing
(Source: Baker)
Transportation
Transportation of goods, 2014 is an additional function of marketing. Once an organization has
products and services, the company must have the capability of distributing them to customers
(Kozlenkova et al., 2015). Making figure out shipping as well as storage techniques for
inventory items is important and marketing done this job in a firm like “Primark”. Delivering
style and transportation techniques directly impacts over marketing campaigns, so that
companies like “Primark” always focus upon improving their transportation and marketing
techniques continuously.
Marketing is also regarded as an important business department that plays the vital role in
promoting the business and mission of a company like “Primark”. This marketing department
also has the job to reach out to customers, prospects, investors or the community.
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Defining and managing brand
Marketing department of an organization like “Primark” has the responsibility of defining and
representing the products, services and the brand of the company to the customers. Marketing
department represents the value of their company’s product to customers, which alternatively
increases company’s revenue.
Conducting promotional activities
All the promotional activities of “Primark” are done by marketing department. Marketing
department manage the campaign activities, offline promotional activities and online promotions
of different social media sites and others for accelerating the revenue and profitability of the
company.
Conducting SEO
Marketing department manages the activities across the company’s website and conducts SEO
for reaching and attracting more numbers of potential customers across the globe (McDONALD,
2016). Companies like “Primark” also has effective marketing department to handle this kind of
activities.
Apart from that, marketing department also has several roles such as producing marketing and
promotional materials, creating attractive contents, producing internal communication,
monitoring and managing social media sites, overseeing outside agencies as well as vendors and
others to conduct within the organizational premises of “Primark”.
2. Explain the structure of the marketing department of your selected organization,
and succinctly explain a minimum of two different marketing roles (e.g. Chief Marketing
Officer, Marketing Manager, and the Social Media Manager).
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Chief Marketing Chief
Web Development
Departmental Head Departmental Head Departmental Head
Product Marketing
Marketing Manager
Regional field marketing
Analytics
Content Marketing
Country specific
marketing
Lead & Consumer
marketing
Customer marketing
Figure 2: Basic structure of marketing department of Primark
(Source: Channon and Jalland, 2016)
Chief marketing manager
Chief marketing manager is the highest position in the entire marketing department who actually
controls the marketing activities and leads the organizations towards meeting its sales target
successfully. In simple words, chief marketing officer of an organization such as “Primark” has
the responsibility of overseeing the planning, development and execution of marketing and
advertising initiatives (Feng et al., 2015). CMO ensures that organizational message is
distributed throughout channels and to targeted customers for meeting sales targets.
Social Media manager
Social media manager of an organization such as “Primark” has several important duties to play
within the firm. They are responsible for performing research over current benchmark trends as
well as customer preferences. They manage marketing activities in different social media
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platforms (Felix et al., 2017). Designing as well as implementing social media strategy for
aligning with business objectives is also an important responsibility off social media manager.
3. Provide an overview of the marketing process, and analyze the importance of the
marketing environment to the marketing function.
The marketing process of “Primark” consists of four major elements that are as follows:
Strategic marketing analysis
This process is the initial stage of the marketing process that contains different important stages
like market segments, market niches, marketing to individuals and positioning (Felix et al.,
2017).
Selection of the target market
This is another important stage in which the targeted customers are selected. Companies like
“Primark “conduct market analysis foe selecting the final consumers.
Market segmentation
It is the process of segmenting the entire customer base into smaller units as per their
expectations and needs.
Market targeting
After the segmentation of the exhaustive customer base of the company, this is such important to
select the most suitable segments for the company (Kotler and Armstrong, 2015).
Market positioning
Market positioning is considered as the method of establishing the image or identification of a
product or brand so that customers perceive this in certain method. Companies like Primark
always focus upon effective market positioning for better business outcomes.
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Figure 3: Marketing process overview
(Source: Malhotra, 2015)
Marketing mix planning
Next important stage is planning of marketing mix. In this stage, company decides which tactics
shall be most effective in order to achieve goals (Londhe, 2014). Marketing mix of four
elements; product, price, place and promotion have been used to understand the actual business
condition and most suitable tactics according to the market and customers’ purchasing behavior.
Implementation and control
This is the last stage of marketing process, where companies like Primark use effective
promotional techniques to attract more numbers of potential customers to them.
Importance of the marketing environment to the marketing function
Marketing environment is considered as the combination of internal as well as external factors
and forces that affect the ability of the company of establishing a relation and serve its
consumers (Baker, 2014). Effective business environment can successfully accelerate the
profitability and sales of the company successfully. For an instance, UK has great economic
condition that is helpful for business ventures in generating higher amounts of profits.
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4. Analyze how the marketing function influences and interrelates with other
departments in the organization (a minimum of 2 departments).
Marketing functions influences other departments and this is fact that it is interrelated with other
important organizational functions like fiancé, HR, operation and others.
Finance department
Finance department is responsible for managing all the financial activities and conducting all the
business operations under their financial capabilities. Marketing department has to contact with
finance department before making promotional activities so that finance department can allocate
the budget for promotion (Cacciolatti and Lee, 2016). This promotions increase sales revenue.
HR department
HR department is responsible for maintaining the proper work culture and conducting a number
of important activities to generate higher profits and greater brand image. HR department
suggests ways to marketing department so that they can better promote their products and attract
more numbers of customers to them. Apart from that, HR department recruits the best qualified
candidates for increasing the effectiveness of the marketing department so that they can meet
their sales target in better manner.
Therefore, marketing department has great interrelation with other organizational departments.
Apart from that, different marketing functions also influence other departments of companies
like Primark so that they perform in better manner and generate higher profits in business.
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Conclusion
It can be concluded that marketing is one of the most important functions of a business
organization that directly impacts over several important business operations. Apart from that,
structure of the marketing department of the specified business venture has also been included in
this paper. Marketing process compromises of different important processes. Marketing
processes have the ability of increasing organizational profitability and bringing positive changes
in the firm. However, marketing environment has great significance to the marketing functions
of the specified organization. Relation of the marketing department with other departments will
be evaluated in this study for better consideration of the entire project.
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Reference list
www.primark.com (2019). Primark - Homepage. [online] Primark.com. Available at:
https://www.primark.com/en/homepage [Accessed 23 Mar. 2019].
Kotler, P., Burton, S., Deans, K., Brown, L. and Armstrong, G., 2015. Marketing. Pearson
Higher Education AU.
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Buchwitz, L.A., Trifts, V. and Gaudet, D., 2015. Marketing: an
introduction.
Kozlenkova, I.V., Hult, G.T.M., Lund, D.J., Mena, J.A. and Kekec, P., 2015. The role of
marketing channels in supply chain management. Journal of Retailing, 91(4), pp.586-609.
McDONALD, M.A.L.C.O.L.M., 2016. Strategic marketing planning: theory and practice. In The
marketing book (pp. 108-142). Routledge.
Felix, R., Rauschnabel, P.A. and Hinsch, C., 2017. Elements of strategic social media marketing:
A holistic framework. Journal of Business Research, 70, pp.118-126.
Feng, H., Morgan, N.A. and Rego, L.L., 2015. Marketing department power and firm
performance. Journal of Marketing, 79(5), pp.1-20.
Channon, D.F. and Jalland, M., 2016. Multinational strategic planning. Springer.
Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G., 2015. Principles of Marketing-Global Edition. Pearson.
Londhe, B.R., 2014. Marketing mix for next generation marketing. Procedia Economics and
Finance, 11, pp.335-340.
Malhotra, N.K., 2015. Essentials of marketing research: A hands-on orientation. Essex: Pearson.
Baker, M.J., 2014. Marketing strategy and management. Macmillan International Higher
Education.
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