Marketing Essentials: Vodafone Case Study Analysis

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MARKETING ESSENTIALS
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Contents2
1. Explain the role of marketing as a function of business, as opposed to marketing as a department in a
company.........................................................................................................................................................3
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)..................................................................................................................................5
Q3. Provide an overview of the marketing process, and analyze the importance of the marketing
environment to the marketing function..........................................................................................................7
Q4 Analyse how the marketing function influences and interrelates with other departments in the
organization (a minimum of 2 departments)................................................................................................10
References....................................................................................................................................................11
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1. Explain the role of marketing as a function of business, as opposed to
marketing as a department in a company.
The role of marketing in the function of the business put a lot of impact on the sale of the
company. As marketing it the set of activity which is involved in the developing, creating, and
offering of the service. Basically, planning of any company associated with buying and selling of
products and services, which includes advertising, promoting, selling and delivering of products
and services to its targeted customers according to their needs. Marketing helps customers also to
understand why the product or service is better than others available in the market. Marketing
department interacts with other departments of the company so that it can work as per the
requirement of the customers for market and revenue growth. In the field of business, the
marketing department is there to provide profit to the organization by providing the demand and
essentials needs of the customers. The main aim of the department is the profit–orientation for
the company. This is not the only department in the company as it plays a vital role in the
Vodafone Company (Wirtz, 2014).
Vodafone Company contains more than 47 million customers across the world in the
telecommunication sector. This company serves in various sectors such as Broadband, mobile
phone, digital television, SIM and many more. Presently the company own and operates in more
than 25 countries. Vodafone targets its customers by the help of marketing stunt with certain
steps: -
• Determine the need for the product in the market according to the need of customers
and by keeping an eye on the sales figures.
• Make changes in the existing product or bring new product in the market.
• Enhancing the customer relationship with the company to increase in the revenue of
the company.
• Helps in increasing the visibility of product
• Provide information about the product and help in the decision-making process of the
public to use the company service.
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Vodafone always tries to target different section of people by offering them many strategic plans.
The company had started many campaign and services by the help of the marketing because due
to this marketing of business globally, the company comes to know about what the public is
demanding. Due to this company had taken many steps in favor of the public. One of the best
steps which are taken by the Vodafone Company is launching of the Zoozoos in the market.
Launching of this brought the company back in the competition.
Marketing in the business is categorized into two types:-
 Micro Marketing – in the micromarketing certain methods are implemented according to
the flow of need by the customers in order to satisfy customers and gain profit. This
strategy is effective in promoting company services and product (Brandy, 2014).
 Macro-marketing – deals that how the product, price, and place are promoting in the
market. It consists of the promotion and marketing strategies.
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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).
The structure of the marketing department depends on the needs of the business. In Vodafone
the marketing structure is divided into five parts, which consist of the production concept,
product concept, selling the concept, marketing concept, societal concept. As in the production
concept, that is totally based on the mind-set of the consumer. This holds that customers will
prefer the product, which can be available on a large scale and in the low price. Secondly, it
comes to the product concept. In product concept, the main focusing thing is quality of product
and affordability of this in the market. In product concept the manager focus on making the
product, which beats the competition in the market and continuous work on that to improve the
product (Feng, 2015).
After this, it comes the turn of the selling concept. In this concept, the marketing manager put
efforts in the promotion and advertisement of the company product in the market. This helps the
company to get more and more customers attracting towards the product. Now comes the
marketing concept, this consists of the creating, communicating customer value and delivering to
its targeted customers in the market. Whole company got affected through this concept, as the
revenue is generated by this process only. At last comes the turn of Societal marketing concept,
which holds the requirements, wants and know the interest of the targeted customers and after it
delivering of the particular need of the customers.
Marketing roles of the marketing officer and marketing manager in the Vodafone Company are
discussed as follow: -
 Provide the company with an effective and productive strategic plan for growth in the
market.
 Doing the study of the external factors which are influencing the company and acting as
the hurdled.
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 The most important duty which is performed by the marketing officer is to maintain the
brand value of the company in the market as only due to the brand position only; the
company gets its revenue and sales.
 Marketing officer frequently does the market research to know the clear views of what
customers want from the company and marketing manager supervise the officer.
 Sometimes the company asks the manager to take a survey for the company, and this is
then done by the marketing officer.
 They are responsible for implementing new strategies and policies for the betterment of
the company.
 Doing branding, advertising, monitoring on sales, product placement, publicity, dealing
in public relation.
 Marketing officer checks for the latest trend that was on-going in the market and then
makes changes according to the requirement (Trez, 2012).
 Marketing Manager assigns goals and targets for the employees to increase their periodic
performance and self-skill.
 Accept all responsibility and duties, which are assigned by the company to them.
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Q3. Provide an overview of the marketing process, and analyze the
importance of the marketing environment to the marketing function.
The marketing process includes some components such as marketing strategic analysis, planning
based on the marketing mix, implementation of marketing strategies and monitoring all the
activities at the time of marketing.
Figure 1Marketing Process
Source- (Author, 2019)
Vodafone implements the above marketing process in their company. Marketing process follows
each step in their marketing strategies.
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Mission
Situation
Analysis
Marketing
Strategy
Marketing Mix
Implementation
and control

Mission: In this level, the marketing department set their goal. In this description of primary
function or objective which marketing department must accomplish in there and plan
accordingly. Example: Vodafone set its estimates sales of value-added services, estimation of
networks in the area, achieve new stores in different cities, etc.
Situation Analysis: In this stage, the company started its research and analysis of the
competitor, target groups, challenges. Evaluate and measure threats and challenges for a future
goal. Example: Vodafone assumes that some other telecommunication networks are its strong
competitor, strategies to overcome from these systems.
Marketing Strategy: In this level, the company interact with the customer and provide its
services to them. It is the most long term activity done by the marketing department. Strategies
inform the overall plan of the marketing plan (Silver, 2012).
Marketing Mix: The 4’Ps of Vodafone
• The product which includes Smartphones, Handsets, Value added service, Vodafone
branded phones, Internet services, voice, and messaging services
• Promotion: The celebrities or sports person are the brand ambassador of the company,
advertisement on national television, magazines, the Internet, social media, etc.
• Place: Vodafone is the most leading telecommunication brand. Company’s
headquarter, is in London, the United Kingdom and other 150 countries have stores.
• Price: Vodafone provides high-quality services at low cost. Many people can easily
afford and access.
Importance of marketing environment
1) Useful for planning: By the marketing, environment planning will be more effective because
of all the budget plans, the policies of the company or other controllable factor management at an
initial level. Business strategies have lots of factors, which revolve around these factors only.
2) Understand the level of competition: Vodafone understands the competition level in a very
efficient manner. Due to this Vodafone keep updates their services according to the target
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market. Marketing environment provides an area for improving themselves by providing good
quality of services.
Upon entering the Indian telecom market Vodafone had to analyze the market quickly and in a
cost-effective manner since it had already invested a lot by buying Hutch. Vodafone closely
studies the consumption behavior of the Indian telecom users and caters to their rising demands
(Malhotra, 2013).
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Q4 Analyse how the marketing function influences and interrelates
with other departments in the organization (a minimum of 2
departments).
Marketing functioning in the company influence the other department in the organization and it
performs an operation such as doing advertisement, distribution system, finance, etc. these all
functioning of the marketing department are linked with another department in the organization.
This can be seen with the help of the example of the marketing department's connection with the
finance department in the company. As all know this thing, for starting something or doing
advertisement or marketing of product requires the support of the finance department in the
company. The marketing department is totally dependent on the finance department for carrying
out it is working in the company (Dibb, 2013).
Similarly, in the organization, the marketing function is closely linked with the other department
in the company. The marketing function is also linked with the production department too as
marketing requires good product and services from the production and this also helps in the
making marketing plans and strategies according to the demand and supply of production
department. In other words, one can say that the marketing department is independent in doing
the marketing in the outer world but internally department is totally dependent on the other
department of the company. Vodafone invests a lot of money on the marketing department for
the publicity and serving of service to market. But unless and until the product and service of the
company is not good, nothing can be achieved by the company from the customers. Thus
marketing function is interrelated with all functional department of the company (Grunig, 2013).
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References
 Brady, D.L., 2014. Essentials of international marketing. Routledge.
 Dibb, S. and Simkin, L., 2013. Marketing Essentials. Cengage Learning.
 Feng, H., Morgan, N.A. and Rego, L.L., 2015. Marketing department power and firm
performance. Journal of Marketing, 79(5), pp.1-20.
 Grunig, L.A., and Grunig, J.E., 2013. The relationship between public relations and
marketing in excellent organizations: evidence from the IABC study. In Public Relations
and Communication Management (pp. 93-118). Routledge.
 Malhotra, N.K., Birks, D.F. and Wills, P., 2013. Essentials of marketing research.
Pearson.
 Silver, L., Stevens, R.E., Wrenn, B., and Loudon, D.L., 2012. The Essentials of
Marketing Research: Text and Cases. Routledge.
 Trez, G. and Bins Luce, F., 2012. Organizational structure and specialized marketing
capabilities in SMEs. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 30(2), pp.143-164.
 Wirtz, J., Tuzovic, S., and G. Kuppelwieser, V., 2014. The role of marketing in today's
enterprises. Journal of Service Management, 25(2), pp.171-194.
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