Individual Marketing Portfolio: Vodafone's Strategies and Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Vodafone's marketing portfolio, examining its current strategies and market position within the telecommunications industry. It begins with an introduction outlining the scope of the report and the context of Vodafone's operations, followed by a detailed overview of Vodafone and its marketplace, including a SWOT analysis and a comparison with British Telecommunication. The report then delves into Vodafone's marketing strategy, emphasizing customer focus and product-led approaches. Furthermore, it explores innovative ideas, such as market penetration and product development using the Ansoff matrix, to enhance Vodafone's marketing strategies. The report concludes with recommendations and references, offering valuable insights into improving Vodafone's market performance and competitive edge.

Individual Marketing
Portfolio

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Marketplace of the organisation and its marketing strategy...................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
New or Innovative Idea which the organisation can applying to improve its marketing strategy
and approaches.......................................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................8
REFRENCES.................................................................................................................................10
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Marketplace of the organisation and its marketing strategy.......................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
New or Innovative Idea which the organisation can applying to improve its marketing strategy
and approaches............................................................................................................................3
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................6
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is the management procedure by which company can move goods and
services from the concept to the customers. Moreover, it is the best tool through which
company can promote their goods and services in the market area. It is the concept which
involves coordination of four elements these are knows as 4P's of marketing: product, price,
place and promotion (Bampinas and Panagiotidis, 2016). This assignment is based on Vodafone
that is an telecommunication company providing their services at worldwide level. It was
founded in 1991 on 16th September as well as products are fixed line telephone, mobile phone,
broadband, digital and internet television, IPTV. Moreover, Vodafone have its several
competitor one of them is British Telecommunication. Below mention report is going to describe
current marketing strategy of Vodafone and its competitor. Along with this, some innovative
ideas for improving its present marketing strategies and approaches.
TASK 1
Marketplace of the organisation and its marketing strategy
Overview of Vodafone and its marketplace - Vodafone group was introduced in July
17,1984 is a telecommunication company which is headquartered in London. It is
predominately spared in to two regions of Europe and Africa, Middle East and Asia pacific. The
companyfirm acquires obtain a spectrumspectrum over a range to use radiohigh frequencies
that furnish to mobileTelecommunication servicesfacilities . Its other promises includeThere are
several other products and services also offering by them cable, fibre and coppermetallic brown
networks to enablealter televisionTV ,broadbandwideband and voices services. The company's
ITnformation technology sector providesfurnish its data centres, customerclient
relationshiprelation capabilitycapacity, customer billing servicesinstallation and online
resourcescommunicator (Behrens and Patzelt, 2016). Vodafone is a Global Enterprise serves the
company's multi- national customers. Company is basically serving the multi-national customers
throughthrough with directstraightforward sales teams, indirectmediate partners and telesales
channels. The It's mobile services that is provided by company to its customerscustomised who
are enablingfacultative them to call, text, accessapproach the internet, streamflow music and
watchticker videos. Also, it has the range of communicationcommunicating services including
considering mobile, video contentcontented, cloud and hosting and internet protocolprescript –
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virtual private network etc. It has alsotoo occupied in carrier services businessconcern. The
companies M- Pesa, , a money transfertransferral service, supportsassist a networksystem of
approximatelyabout 261,000 agentscausal agent over 10 countries (Vodafone Group PLC
(VOD.O). 2018). The company is successful to reach about in 90 countries in fourth generation
(4G) roaming network.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
 The Vodafone has diversified
geographical portfolio which helps to
grab customers at global level from
different countries in order to gain
better profits.
 It has an effective network
infrastructure which provide support to
render accurate service to customers
which make them loyal for the brand in
terms of ensuring long term benefits.
 The integration of subsidiaries under
Vodafone umbrella which is also
beneficial for company.
 They have superior customer service
which facilitate to attract new clients
along with retaining the current ones to
gain better profit share of market.
 This company has weak US presence
from where precious profit share can be
grabbed and enhance business at larger
level which is restricted.
 It has been analysed that there is not
presence of given brand in Latin
America, many African nations and
other markets which restrict in increase
customers and sales to grab more
market place.
 It has generated most of the business
soley in Europe which prevent to take
advantage of globalisation in terms of
enhancing brand globally along with
achieving better profits.
Opportunities Threats
 They have an appropriate opportunity
to utilise growing emerging trends of
growing market in order to enhance
business and boosting up profitability
in proper manner.
 It also includes to carrying out effective
 It is observed that highly competitive
market is threat because so many
competitors are required to be deal with
and maintain brand stability in market
which become very difficult to be done.
 There is another issue of extremely
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research and development of fresh
mobile technologies for improving
client experience and retaining them for
long time with brand.
 They can learn from other companies
and modified strategies to establish
efficient brand in market in respect of
maintaining strong position in market.
high penetration rate is observed in key
European markets.
 It is still lags behind major competitor
in US which can beat by making
effective strategies.
 At last, the threat of this company also
includes monetize growth of mobile
data.
Overview of British telecommunication and its marketplace - BT Group plc, or British
telecommunication was firstly introduced on March 30,2001 is a communication service
companyorganisation which is involved in sellingmarketing fixed – voice servicesfacilities,
broadband, mobile and television productscommodity and services work. Theywhich is spread
there services into various communication servicestools which starting from phonemobile
and broadband throughdone to managed networkedweb information technologyIT and cyber
security protectioncovering (Shah and et.al., 2017). The company involved in 5 various services
are BT Global services, BT business, BT consumer, EE, BT whole sale and Open reachrange
five segments. The companyfirm collaboration servicesfacilities help customers in
simplifychange their customers in communicationcommunicating channels and changemodify
the way they interactact with their customers, colleagues, partners, and suppliers. It is being
involved in fixed voice, networking and broadband services. The company ishas divided into
four divisions including UK, SME, UK Corporate, BT Business solutions. Small companies is
done by UK and SME where they supplies which ranges from traders through complex
organisations with communication solutions with IT services (BT Group PLC (BT). 2018). BT
consumer ishas fixed voice and broad band providersupplier in United Kingdom UK. wWhere
company an organization offers a variety different types of devices including telephones,
babysmall monitors and set top boxes throughthrough with street retailers. Also it offers
commercial services for business requiring access to BT sport or connectivity throughdone BT
Wi-Fi.
Marketing strategy – It is the overall planning done by the marketing department of
company for reaching peoples and turning them into the customers of particular goods and
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services which is offered by the business. Marketing strategy of the organisation involves value
proposition of business, key marketing messages, information related to target customers and
several other high-level elements. Moreover, it requirerequires proper marketing plan which is an
document that outline the types and timing of marketing activities. Vodafone also have its
marketing strategy that help them in reaching or attracting peoples and then converting into loyal
customers. SameMarketing strategy is also implemented as by its competitor which is British
Telecommunication because it is an effective tool that is required for increasing sales and
profitability.
Marketing strategy of Vodafone – Marketing strategy is the key part of which is
related to corporate strategy and it is totally related with designing plans for identifying
requirement or wants of customers and meet them in effective manner. Strategy of
Vodafone is customer focused and product led, respective organisation is developing latest
products and services through using advance technologies (De Mooij, 2018). To keep its leading
edge, same organisation is continuously adding value to their offerings as well as packages
providing to the customers. For example Vodafone has given birth tointroduced Zoozoo that is
an special character introduced specifically for conveying value added services (VAS). It is
offering in each of the latest released commercials (Thakur and Workman, 2016). Now-a-days,
Zoozoo become so famous and respective enterprise succeeded in its efforts. Apart from this,
Vodafone focus on their customers also by providing different packages which can be affordable
or in the reach of everyone.
Marketing strategy of British Telecommunication – Cost leadership is the marketing
strategy utilising by British Telecommunication because it is effectual in gaining share from
market and grabbing attention of customers (Karpen, Gemser and Calabretta, 2017). For
implementing respective strategy management department of organisation work on reducing or
decreasing cost of products not only single range but overall in the portfolio of enterprise. It
doesn't mean that organisation will produce goods of inferior quality at comparatively cheap
rates because it will result in failure of the strategy. For getting result of this strategy, BT group
is producing fine quality products which are acceptable by the customers. Main reason behind
utilising cost leadership marketing strategy is that, there is several competitors in market and
customers only can attract with the help of low price with fine quality goods and services.
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Reason behind choosing marketing strategy – Vodafone is choosing customer focusing
and product led strategy because it is the best way of attracting people and converting them into
loyal customers. Along with this, telecommunication industry is wide and having lots of
competition. Due to this, theyVodafone areis using product led marketing strategy and offering
unique as well as innovative products to their existing and potential customers. Whereas, BT
group is using cost leadership marketing strategy and reason behind this is to attract people by
offering fine quality of goods and services at low rates (Kumar, 2015). Thereir is much
competition in telecommunication sector so for remaining in the market, this is essential to
implement appropriate strategy.
TASK 2
New or Innovative Idea which the organisation can applying to improve its marketing strategy
and approaches
Telecommunication sector is wide in nature and it have huge competition so for
sustaining in market. Vodafone have to do something new or innovative in their existing
marketing strategy (Rogers and Davidson, 2015). Creativity in the existing things is only way
through which organisation can attract large number of people and then covert them in loyal
customers. Below mention is the innovative idea which Vodafone can apply by implementing
Ansoff matrix in their current strategies :-
Market penetration – This involves to make effective strategies to improve sales of
existing services in present market place in proper manner to maintain profit share. Vodafone has
utilised 4G services and penetrated more into data market to become strong competitor in market
competition.
Product development – It is important because existing things regular utilisation can
result in reducing sales and customers interest after sometime (Luchs, Swan and Creusen, 2016).
Thus, there is requirement of doing something new or innovative in existing marketing
strategies. Vodafone can do product development such as providing network facilities in rural
area also and mainly internet because creation of goods which is new or different in
characteristics and offering additional benefits to the customers. Respective organisation can
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develop their products by providing network facilities in area which is not totally developed.
Along with this, Vodafone can enhance their internet facilities networks because lots of
customers are not happy with their existing facilities. There are five elements of product
development which have to be focused by Vodafone which doing innovation :- Identification of design criteria – In this step, idea related to prospective
productdeveloping network facilities in rural area specially internet has been identified
and formal goods development strategy can be implemented. Idea analysis – In second step, market research is conducted and concept studies are
considering for determining that chosen ideathe network developing in rural area is
feasible for Vodafone in the context of their customers and overall business
(Mummalaneni, 2014). Concept genesis – At this stage, identified opportunities related to productdeveloping
network in rural area and then turning into an tangible concept. Prototyping – It includes creating a rapid prototype for the concept of product which has
been analysed to have business relevance and value. In this, model related to product
development are applied quickly instead of refining model and marking them for later on.
 Product development – This is the last stage,stage, it involves ensuring that network
developing in rural area help Vodafone in adding value to their business activities.
Market development – The market development strategy can be described about to
promote current product in new market to grab more market share through attaining new
customers from different countries in terms of enhancing business. In context of Vodafone,
they put efforts in developing more services and rural data marketing to grab more market
share.
Diversification – This can be explained as to introduce fresh product in new market area
for grabbing the relevant client towards brand effectively which helps to achieve better
profits. The given company provides better facilities to people and premium offers to them
which are relevant to data.
Opportunity cost - It refers to value, profit and benefit of something that should be
provided to achieve or acquire something else. These are fundamental cost and used in the
computing cost benefit analysis of profit. It represents advantages to a person, business and
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investors when selecting one alternative over the other. When Vodafone is using product
development market strategy at that time their opportunity cost is product differentiation.
There is requirement of proper planning for implementing of something new or
innovative in the Vodafone. While choosing one creative idea for existing marketing strategy
there are few other which is loosing by the respective organisation. These are opportunity cost
for them. For instance, Vodafone is using product development for innovating their existing
customers focusing and product led marketing strategy (Nguyen and Pearce, 2015). Several
other are loosing by them such as customer relationship, new advertising, brand
opportunity and so on. Thus, these are opportunity cost for the Vodafone.
PESTEL Analysis
Political factor – This can be described about government rules and regulations which plays an
important role while conducting business these are mandatory to be follow strictly in proper
manner. In case of Vodafone, it is required that thoroughly analyse democratic and stable system
of particular country because it should be suitable for conducting business successfully.
Economic factor – The economic factor basically includes interest rate, taxation, inflation,
growth rate, GDP and many more relevant factors which plays an important duty at the time of
establishing business sin specific area. Vodafone company should evaluate suitability about these
factors because it impacts on demands and profitability of business which is essential for growth
of the same.
Socio-cultural factor – This can be explained as ethical norms, cultural values and social rules
which are required to be followed as they strongly impact on perception of customers about
brand. In context of Vodafone, they should put efforts to modify product attributes and
improving customer’s confidence or interest in online shopping by making them aware about the
same.
Technological factor – This involves different technological strategies which provide support to
boost up productivity as well as profitability of business on regular basis. Vodafone is required to
put efforts to improve internet services and they can utilise high PC & broadband diffusion
which provide support to increase internet based sales appropriately.
Ecological and environmental factor – This can be described as to conduct business operations
by taking care of natural environment in terms of putting efforts to reduce related problems like
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pollution, ozone depletion and global warming. In case of Vodafone, they should use renewable
resources, increase preference to green products and enhance brand with CSR.
Legal and regulatory factor – The legal factors include various legislation, Acts and regulation
made by government authorities are required to be followed by every organisation. Vodafone
should obey every rules properly relevant to high taxation, equity Acts, health & safety act and
so on.
Porter’s five forces model
Threat of new entrants – This involves the new business concerns in market with similar
concept of services like Vodafone which create problem to maintain position in market
competition. It is necessary for the given company to make effective strategy to avoid negative
impacts of new entrants of the same.
Power of suppliers – The monopoly of suppliers will create problem when they increase their
cost of raw material which turns into loss for Vodafone because overall cost of production get
increased and profit get reduced.
Power of buyers – This involves availability of various brand of specific product generate power
of buyers as they have options to be selected then they will bargain to reduce price of service.
Moreover, customers can change brand which is loss of business and decreasing price of product
is also reducing profit so that it should be solved by establishing effective strategy.
Existing industry competitors – This involves to apply changes in product of Vodafone with the
help of appropriate tactics to retain strong position in market among various competitive
organisations like BT Group, China mobile, Verizon, China Telecom, Nippon, Softbank telecom
and so on.
Threat of substitutes – This can be described about substitute product which can replace the
product of company and people will prefer the substituted services. Vodafone should make their
facilities much effective so that customers will select its own products only by avoiding others to
grab better profit share in market successfully.
RECOMMENDATION
For the above mention report, it has been recommended that Vodafone is the
telecommunication sector organisation which is highly competitive. So for gaining
thesemarketing advantages, respective organisation have to provide unique products and services
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to their customers as this will result in attracting people and converting them into loyal
customers. Along with this, they have to provide network services in the rural or undeveloped
area which will also because several people are facing network problem. Most important is that
Vodafone have to improve their internet facilities so that they can provide better services to the
existing as well as potential customers. Apart from this, there is huge competition in the
respective industry and Vodafone have several competitors. Thus, for gaining competitive
benefits, the same company have to utilise cost leadership marketing strategy because this is the
only way through which enterprise can attract large number of customers. Apart from this,
Vodafone have tois doing innovation related to development of products so they can easily
beet their competitors like BT Group.
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