Zara: Marketing Roles, Responsibilities, and Marketing Plan Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Zara's marketing essentials, focusing on the roles and responsibilities within the marketing function and how these relate to the broader organizational context. It explores key aspects such as defining and managing the business brand, conducting campaign management, monitoring social media, internal communication, serving as a media liaison, and conducting customer and market research. The report also delves into the responsibilities of the marketing function, including strategy development, market research, product development, communication, sales support, and event management. A comparison is made between Zara and Burberry in terms of their marketing mix application to achieve business objectives. Furthermore, the report presents a detailed marketing plan for Zara, outlining objectives, strategies, and tactics for enhancing their market position and achieving desired outcomes. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a range of study tools and resources for students.

Marketing Essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function in Zara.....................................1
P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational
context....................................................................................................................................4
P3 Compare ways in which different organisations apply the marketing mix to the marketing
planning process to achieve business objectives....................................................................6
P4 Presenting the basic marketing plan for Zara....................................................................8
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Marketing play very important role in success of every business. This is because, it
contains creation of fashion designers around the world to wholesale buyers and consumers. It
not only increasing sales also encourages brand loyalty among several consumers which
drastically improve company's public image (Čiarnienė and Vienažindienė, 2014).
Present study is based on Zara which operates in fast fashion such as clothing and
accessories to develop creative results and outcomes. They produce high quality of products and
services on affordable price that amalgamate qualities to ascertained qualitative results at
workplace. For gaining insight information of the present report, it covers roles and
responsibilities of marketing functions that are operated by Zara. Furthermore, it includes
relation of roles and responsibilities with marketing function in large context with chosen
business. Moreover, it helps to compare marketing mix elements between Zara and Burberry to
accomplish aim and objectives in positive consideration. At last, it produces detailed marketing
plan for chosen organisation.
LO 1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function in Zara
Marketing function determine appropriate relation with larger business that includes
performing research, producing marketing plan, product development, strategically overseeing
towards advertisement, promotion, etc. Therefore, Zara able to deliver successful results with
effective customer service and public relation. Furthermore, marketing function plays vital role
to promote the business and accomplish mission of the enterprise (Sundell, Löfström and
Johansson, 2018). Marketing plan consider important role to gain desired results at workplace. In
this regard, objectives can be accomplish with financial allocation over planning period.
Roles of marketing function in Zara Defining and managing business brand: It includes defining and managing business
brand of Zara with several activities and tasks. In this consideration, company acts to turn
and define experience towards customers and partners to interact with business goals. Conducting campaign management for marketing initiatives: Marketing proactively
identifies products and services to focus on over the course of sales and then produce
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material and communication to get effective results. Working on site also come up
quickly to develop desired level of results in particulars type of business. Monitoring and managing social media: Marketing department also create material and
describe to promote core products and services. It must be kept up to date information to
evolve products and services. Furthermore, marketing function of the chosen business
need to manage accounts and carefully watch that are being posted online results
(Čiarnienė and Vienažindienė, 2014). Produce internal communication: Employees need to understand company and its value
according to goals and its priorities. Marketing is also often responsible for effective
employee communication with newsletters and intranet for Zara. Serving as media liaison: When the company is considered their operations and functions
with online media marketing, they need to focus on marketing department. Therefore,
they are often acts as spoke-person for the chosen business to respond as media queries
(Sundell, Löfström and Johansson, 2018). As a result, desired level of outcomes and
result will be successfully gain to produce more effective results in the country.
 Conduct customer and market research: In this consideration, it can be stated that Zara
need to conduct research that helps to develop target market and opportunities to
understand perceived value. Results also successfully develop to focus on the goals and
objectives that can be accomplish to consider effective research. With the help of
research, it can be stated that customer needs and requirements will be successfully
develop to gain more profits and revenue.
Responsibilities of marketing function in Zara Strategy: In Zara, it is essential to focus on setting marketing strategy with overall
company strategy and objectives. This strategy may be increase share in specific sector of
the organisation to enter in new areas and open new channels of distribution. Hence, they
can easily reach towards wider geographical market. Marketing department also reaches
agreement on strategy with planning campaign. Market research: Market research is key responsibility of Zara that assists to assess
market opportunities and gain better understanding as well. It assists to understand
competitors strength and weaknesses to take appropriate action and protect enterprise.
Furthermore, department also carry own research with consider study towards industry
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report and market data on website (Chang and Fan, 2017). Needs and attitude of market
research successfully develop to carry effectiveness at workplace. Hence, competitors
strength and weaknesses can be assess to take action with existing customers from
weaker competitors. On the basis of carry effective research, it can be stated that market
data on website will be produced by contacting customers and prospects to survey their
needs and attitudes. Alternatively, it can be positively develop in market research to
perform several functions and operations (Sundell, Löfström and Johansson, 2018). Product development: Marketing department also works with internal and external
product development teams. Therefore, it assists to develop new product and improve
existing ones. As a result, department analyse gaps that exists between improvement to
incorporate new products (Linton, 2018). Later in the product development process,
marketing department consider setting of prices and prepares plans to launch new
products in the market. Features or improvement also incorporates for new products that
assists to increase more effectiveness. As a result, product range could be successfully
develop in market that fulfil customer demand and requirements. Communication: Marketing department plan also campaign and develop communication
to promote products and services to several customers. Depending upon available budget,
advertising may be develop with e-mail and create promotional content for company
website. It is one of the important responsibility of marketing function to appoint
advertisement or design to produce work in appropriate manner (Čiarnienė and
Vienažindienė, 2014).
 Sales support: Cooperation between sales and marketing department can improve sales
performance so that business growth can be successfully develop high quality of products
and services that encourage visitors to the company website to increase more creative
results. In Zara, marketing functions assists to communicate several benefits that
ascertained significant role to support customers and prospects.
 Event: Zara also consider different events program to deliver their products and services
in different areas of the world. In this regard, marketing functions successfully develop in
the market to organise logistic of the event, booking exhibitions and meeting facilities.
For instance, the provide display, event material, etc. (Battaglia, Testa and Frey, 2014).
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P2 Explain how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational context.
Marketing functions can be described as the roles of the business organisation which
assists the company to find and source possible successful products for market & then helps in
promoting it as well. These functions of the organisation are very common in every company and
consist of production plan, market research, promotion sales, finance, etc. further, the marketing
function is consists of various responsibilities of Zara. In addition, these functions are
accountable for growth of the firm (Bahl and Chandra,2018). Further, it has been found that the
marketing function is consisted of strategic management, sales support, distribution system, etc.
In addition, these marketing functions further cover various roles and responsibilities to promote
growth in Zara. The following are the roles and responsibilities of marketing in Zara:
 Collecting and analysing market information :- this is termed as the most crucial function
of marketer is to collect and analyse the information of the market. Under this function
the marketing department make efforts to learn about their customers thoroughly. In
order to understand their customers they adapt to the following ways.; what do the
customers want, at what price, in what quantity and where do they want. Through these
ways all the reliable data is collected about them and then analysed. Further, based on
the analysis ZARA designs the product.
 Market planning :- marketing planning under the department of marketing, is responsible
for planning for making production increase, which in turn increase the sales, promotion
of the product. This is done to achieve the purpose of the company in relation to its
marketing, the marketer chalks out the marketing plan. For example, if ZARA has 28%
of share in the market and it wants to increase it by 45%. For this the market will create a
plan in relation the level of production and publicity efforts (Loo and Leung, 2018).
 Product designing and development :- in terms of product selling, this function of
marketing department plays a very crucial role. This function includes decisions related
to the quality standards that needs to be used by ZARA to give shape or design to its
commodities. Moreover, it is essential for the company to remember that it is not enough
to create a design but most vital is to keep and develop it continuously.
 Standardisation and grading :- in marketing function the standardisation is refers to the
standards regarding size, quantity, quality, colour, weight, etc., need to be utilised in
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relation of the particular item. Thorough this way, ZARA makes is sales possible on the
basis of samples. Samples are being looked by the traders and then based on it they
purchase order in a large quantity. In addition, to make sales purchase easy, grading is
done. The process of grading involves categorisation if goods into distinguished groups
on the basis of their characteristics.
 Packaging and labelling :- the goal of packaging is to avoid breakage, destruction,
damage, etc. of the commodities at the time of their delivery and storage. Handling,
lifting, conveying of goods is facilitated by packaging. Often it has been observed that,
consumers prefer to buy in different quantities, therefore, it is necessary to have special
packaging. Label is a slip which is placed by the marketing department on the product to
provide information about the product to customers. That label is consist of all the
features regarding the commodity and its producer. For example, ZARA puts sizes,
colours, price, etc. on its product's label. Therefore, the slip on it with all information is
known as label and the procedure of doing it is known as labelling (Luo, Roach and
Jiratchot,2015).
 Branding :- every marketer or company desires that its products should have some unique
identity in the market. For performing this activity, company provides a name to its
product which is unique and different from its competitor's ones. Therefore, giving name
to the product is known as branding.
 Customer support service :- as it is well known to all firms that customers are termed as
king of the market. Therefore, it is considered as one of the key function of marketing
department on ZARA. This role of marketing offers every possible help to the customers
such as; after sales services, credit facilities, maintenance services, etc.
 Pricing of the product :- another important function of marketing is pricing that company
gives to its product. Cost, rate of profit, policy of authority, etc., all these determine the
final price of the product.
 Calculate the ROI :- marketing activities are termed as an investment of time, money and
efforts. In ZARA, as an investment, each action is measured in order to check whether
they meet the objectives or not.
The interrelation between marketing functions and other functional unit of the organisation can
be described as the marketing operations are a part of the business and therefore departments and
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functional units are connected with each other. For example, if Tesco needs to plan for applying
marketing plan, then it needs to require support from financial department of the organisation.
P3 Compare ways in which different organisations apply the marketing mix to the marketing
planning process to achieve business objectives.
Marketing mix ZARA Burberry
Product The company is a fashion
brand and a maker of apparel
that has earned a lot of
achievements. The company
recognises all latest trends and
bring them quickly to its stores
(Mohammad, 2015). The
company makes sure that they
are offering their consumers
with a broad range of products.
It also specialises in
fashionable apparel. Due to its
outstanding designs they are
appreciated worldwide. It uses
Gabardine as it is the water
resistant fabric. The company
also offers quality and
durability of its goods along
with best designs.
Place The company retails through
its main website, i.e. Zara.com
(2017). The website is used to
promote the product. Other
than this, the firm sells its
goods in 200 stores in 77
countries
The organisation's stores are
situated in at least 500
locations spread across the
world in 50 countries. Using
global franchise products are
being sold and branded stores
are also used through third
party dealers. It has been
found that its products are also
displayed at several premium
departmental shops (Gnizy,
Cadogan and Nizam, 2015).
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Prices Under this P, the concept of
ZARA is to offer the latest
fashion at affordable prices in
medium quality. A market
based pricing strategy is
followed by it that the buyer is
willing to pay. Based on the
target price of commodity, the
budget for material, production
& suppliers is fixed.
As the company caters to
higher class zone and with its
luxurious, excellent and
innovative products, the
pricing of the products is
higher than compared to
ZARA. Also, higher status
people, they prefer quality
rather than price as they think
that quality cannot be
compromised at any cost.
Therefore, this states that the
pricing strategy of Burberry is
Premium pricing.
Promotion Company promotes its
products via advertising,
promotional campaigns and
personal selling. However, the
company gets lots of attention
through the word of mouth.
The core part of Burberry is
promotional activities. For this
company uses high-class
magazines in order to place ads
in it and also visual media is
being utilised to introduce
products.
People Zara also takes care of its
workers or staff members,
customers, owners as they are
they key resources and its team
is dedicated to changing
environment.
The company focuses on
investing the best talent
worldwide, making strong
relation between global teams
and supports their well-being
& health.
Physical appearance The company's stores
appearance is very attractive as
the brand also focuses on its
The design of its stores and
visual marketing are carefully
thought out. Colours of walls
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physical appearance (Gnizy
and Shoham, 2018).
is usually neutral with darker
accents and furniture.
Process The company produces 450
million items a year. Also, it
owns it's supply chain and
competes on its speed to
market. The company makes
sure all its process runs
smoothly including
manufacturing and supply
chain.
The company's supply chain
contains long been directed by
their responsible business
principles. The firm mainly
focuses on after sales services
and delivery of products at
right time.
P4 Presenting the basic marketing plan for Zara
Marketing plan is a simple documents that basically outline the strategy which is used in
marketing and it also focused for some specific time period only (Taylor, Young and Miles,
2018). this is further consist of many things such as marketing mix, business environment etc.
The marketing plan for Zara is as follows:
Executive Summary: The report mainly focus on the the company's marketing
marketing environment i.e. Zara. For this reason, the marketing plan is conducted in order to
introduce new product such as accessories for women and it further introduces which consist of
company's objectives, business analysis that further comprises of Pestle and Swot analysis in
order to determine the exact external as well as internal environment. Moreover, the report also
describe the situational analysis of Zara that is bifurcate into segmentation, targeting and
positioning. The competitive advantage is also describe in order to determine the exact market
requirements. The marketing mix is also used for introducing the new services into market so
that people will come to know about the new offers produce by the company. After it, marketing
plan consist of control measures that is also used to take proper review of the company's
performance.
Company's overview: Zara is one of the most famous company which is known for its
changing trends. It is one of the most famous and leading company in Spain who offer best
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quality of products to their customers at cheap rate. Recently, it operates in 88 countries with
more than 6000 stores at global level. All the age group people actually prefer to wear the clothes
because it offers high quality with low price. For this marketing plan the company produces a
new product such as branded accessories for women.
Mission: The mission of Zara is to provide sustainable development of the society and
producing best and fashionable clothes as per the demand of their customers.
Vision: To reach at global level and provide best quality of products.
Objectives:
 To increase the sales up to 20 percent in next 2 years.
 To enhances the customer base.
 Maximizes the sales as well as profit in next year by 20%.
 To provide best quality of products as well as service to their customers,
Market analysis: To determine the market situation, company has to determine the
internal as well as external environment and to identify this, SWOT and PESTLE analysis is
used such as:
SWOT Analysis:
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