Strategic Analysis of Marketing Concepts in Modern Businesses

This essay delves into the intricacies of modern marketing strategies, providing a comprehensive analysis of how businesses apply segmentation, targeting, positioning (STP), manage new product launches, and oversee brand management. It leverages case studies such as H&M's global market campaigns and Samsung's contrasting experiences with the Note 7 and S7 products to illustrate the practical application of theoretical concepts. The paper evaluates these strategies' effectiveness in enhancing business reputation and driving sales growth while also highlighting potential pitfalls that can adversely affect a company's image.

Running Head: Marketing Fundamentals
Marketing Fundamentals

Marketing Fundamentals 1
Table of Contents
Topic 1 Market Research and its use in a marketing plan...............................................................2
Topic 2 Who are the competition for your favourite product..........................................................3
Topic 3 PESTL and how this affects the introduction of a new product or service........................5
Topic 4 SWOT analysis and its use in the marketing plan..............................................................7
Topic 5 Segmentation, targeting and positioning in marketing (STP): Current trends in the
industry of your choice....................................................................................................................9
Topic 6 New product/services launches or brand management: A success and failure................11
References......................................................................................................................................12

Marketing Fundamentals 2
Topic 1 Market Research and its use in a marketing plan
Market research is the potential resource for analysing the demand, competition, current trends,
market conditions, scope of entering the target market, etc. With the help of outcomes originated
from market research, further strategies of marketing plan are conducted for the attainment of the
goals and the objectives.
For instance, Nokia Corporation conducted market research activities in order to analyse the
current marketing trends of the mobile industry in order to gain their lost position in the mobile
phone industry. As per the market research analysis, organizational marketing team got the
results that demand Android and IOS operating systems' users are increasing rapidly whereas,
they were using the Symbian operating system in their mobile phones. Impact of market research
is huge in the marketing plan as it shows the clear picture to the organization to be followed in
order to attain its desired goals and the objectives. In the context of Nokia Corporation, they
analysed the results obtained and started manufacturing Android-based smart phones for gaining
their lost position in the consumer electronic goods (Pride, et. al., 2006).
Market research conducted by the Nokia Corporation helps them to develop their marketing plan
in order to launch their smart phones based on Android operating systems. The marketing plan
will get the objective and with the help of objectives, vision, and mission, attainment of desired
targets would be accomplished easily. With the help of successful marketing research, Nokia
Corporation will be able to set up its effective position in the electronic consumer goods as well
as it will promote the organization to implement their strategies in order to obtain their marketing
objectives.

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Topic 2 Who are the competition for your favourite product
Competition is very crucial in the business environment as this helps the organization to invent
new ideas and methods to introduce new and advanced products in the market in order to attain
the competitive advantage. In the absence of competition, organization will not be able to move
towards the research and the development process, invention for new products as well as not for
the improving the quality of the existing products (Tardy, et. al., 2015).
For instance, Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are two big competitors engaged in the
manufacturing of soft drinks and certain fast food items. Both the companies have expanded
their business in the overseas markets and due to this; they both are the primary competitors for
each other in every market. For attaining the competitive advantage, both the companies have
invested a huge amount in their research and development department for ascertaining the
opportunities to make their products unique from its competitor. Competition sometimes
provides better chances to enhance their revenues or sometimes, it leads to face severe losses.
Coca-Cola Company has recently implemented the strategy of providing offers such as cashback.
This has increased the customer base as well as the demand for their products in comparison to
the PepsiCo's drinks. While PepsiCo has adopted the strategy of introducing the new and
improved drink with zero calories for attracting the health-conscious consumers. Due to
adaptation of the aggressive competitive strategies by both the companies in the international
market, they have led to improving their drink's quality; packaging of the soft drinks has been
changed various times by both the companies for making the product attractive and unique from
each other’s brand. This is the reason, their market share has been divided and due to high

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bargaining power with buyers, they switch on the brand randomly or with the objective of saving
a certain amount.

Marketing Fundamentals 5
Topic 3 PESTL and how this affects the introduction of a new product or service
PESTLE analysis is performed to evaluate the impact of the external factors over the
organizational performance and it is done in order to extract the opportunities available in the
target market. With the help of this analysis, organization will be able to select and implement
the strategies in order to spread the information for the business or for the newly launched
product (Lamberg, Laukia & Ojala, 2014).
For instance, Apple Company has announced recently in order to introduce the iPhone 8, 8 plus
and iPhone X together in the global market. Thus, before launching those products in the global
market, Apple INC.’s marketing team has conducted PESTLE analysis for evaluating the factors
which could affect the entry of the organization in the particular market.
PESTLE Analysis
 P: Political factors such as tax rate, governmental policies, etc. in relation with the
consumer electronic goods need to be followed by the Apple Inc. as per the country in
order to launch their phones.
 E: Economical factors such as economy of the country, the purchasing power of the
consumers, national income, etc. needs to be evaluated in order ascertain the factors for
introducing the product in the overseas market (Armstrong, et. al., 2014).
 S: Social factors such as lifestyle, consumer behaviour, etc. and these needs to be
fulfilled by the organization in order to meet the requirements of the consumers. This
helps the organization to enhance the demand for its products.

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 T: Technological factors also plays crucial role in order to make the product unique and
advanced. Apple INC. has improved their phones rapidly in terms of technology and this
will create positive impact on the demand for the organizational products (Khan, Alam &
Alam, 2015).
 L: Legal factors such as copyrights, patents, the duplicity of the features of other
companies, etc. needs to consider while developing the new product. Otherwise, it may
create negative impact on the performance of the organization.

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Topic 4 SWOT analysis and its use in the marketing plan
SWOT analysis is the crucial component of marketing plan and it helps to evaluate the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and the threat for the company with its competitors and through other
external factors. In this scenario, SWOT analysis of the McDonald’s will be conducted in order
to analyse the outcomes which will affect the decision of the organization in terms of the
marketing mix and with the other elements of the marketing plan (Sachdeva, 2015).
Strengths of the McDonald’s are its unique products, coffees, Angus burgers and its expanding
range of burgers. Organization has made their strong product offering in the overseas market and
this has enhanced their income in the recession periods also.
Weaknesses of the organization are finding centralised locations for setting up their new stores in
the overseas market. In the fast food industry, various companies have been introduced and with
this effect, McDonald’s products demand is decreasing continuously.
Opportunities for McDonald’s is to increase their number of stores in the international market as
well as to enhance the opportunities for the organization, McDonald’s needs to adopt certain
strategies in order compete with its competitors. Competitors such as Burger King, Pizza Hut,
etc. have impacted the performance of the McDonald’s and to overcome from this situation, they
are required to adopt unique and advanced strategies in order to beat its competitors’ techniques
as well as to increase their customer market segment.
Threats for the McDonald’ are the entry of new companies in the fast food industry, range of
menu offered by them, and the prices offered by them in their initial period. Regulations imposed

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by the government on the fast food industry as well as the regular testing of the fast food
products could generate negative results for the organization in future periods.
Above SWOT analysis could create major impacts on the performance of the organization and
on its strategies included in the marketing plan such as marketing mix. Marketing mix is the
strategy which is used to promote the new products and the new business in the target market.
This will be affected if the number of competitors will be increased in the fast food industry.

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Topic 5 Segmentation, targeting and positioning in marketing (STP): Current trends in the
industry of your choice
STP strategies (segmentation, targeting, and positioning) are used for launching the new product
or business in the target market in order expands the business opportunities for the organization.
These are crucial elements of the marketing plan and this helps the organization to attain its
desired goals and the objectives with the introduction of the new product and the business in the
particular market.
It has been noticed that current trend is changing rapidly and customers are diverting towards the
consumption of branded apparels. Various branded apparel manufacturing companies have
adopted the strategies such as market research, marketing mix, PESTLE, etc. in order to expand
their businesses on offline platforms as well as on online platforms. For instance, H & M is a
Swedish multinational clothing manufacturing companies famous for producing fast-fashion
clothes for all age group people for both men and women. Reviewing the current trends of the
market, H & M’s marketing team has adopted various unique and advanced strategies in order to
promote their products in the overseas market with the help of print and the electronic mediums.
With this, organizational will be able to spread the information in the audience in relevance with
the launching of their products in the target market. And as H & M is engaged in manufacturing
for all age group audience, thus, it is necessary to perform the STP strategy in an effective
manner in order attain its goals and the objectives.
In segmentation strategy, all age group of people will be targeted on the basis of demographics
as well as behavioural type of segmentation process. After segmenting the markets, H & M could

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make the strategies such as promotional campaigns, attractive board hoardings, e-mail
marketing, etc. to target the selected audience group in order to launch their products and to
enhance the demand of those products. Further, positioning strategies will be implemented by the
marketing team of the H & M for building the effective image of the organization in the target
market and this will also decline its competitors’ market share (Zeriti, et. al., 2014).

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Topic 6 New product/services launches or brand management: A success and failure
Samsung is a mobile manufacturing company and it distributes its products in the global market.
With the distribution of their products, they have also managed to provide adequate after sale
services to its consumers in order to manage the brand image of the organization.
For instance, Samsung launched Note 7 mobile in the market which is a successful series of
Samsung on 19th August 2016 but there were various issues involved in this product. Due to this,
organization failed to maintain its reputation and huge losses were faced by the organization.
Customers were injured due to the mistakes involved in the product. The phone’s battery was
involving a mistake and due to this Note 7 was blasting. Thus, company needs to recall its
product from the market after getting so many complaints from customers from the overseas
market (Jung, 2014).
Samsung launched its new product S7 on 11th March 2016 which was proved as the most
successful factor for the organization. It was marked as the most demanded product in their
history. Through which organization was able to enhance its goodwill and the positive image in
the global market.
Above discussed information analyses the performance of the organization in negative as well as
in positive manner. With the help of one product, Samsung was able to enhance its product’s
demand in the overseas market whereas their goodwill was declined through launching of one
product.