Strategic Marketing Planning

Role of marketing and interrelation between marketing strategy and the organisational functions

Introduction

Marketing strategic planning is the tactics of the organisation through which the companies are trying to promote the organisational products and services as well as establish the brand successfully in the market.

The study helps to explore the importance and values of marketing as well as acknowledge the interrelationship between marketing tactics and the organisational functions.

Through appropriate marketing planning, all the organisations in the recent era of globalisation try to promote the organisational products and services and establish the company to gain high competitive advantage so that it can sustain n the industry and manage their operational activities strategically.

The study is useful to explore the marketing tactics in the firm Lidl and identify interlink between the marketing tactics and the department and functions of the organisations.

Concept of marketing

Marketing indicates the tactics where the companies are trying to analyse the market trend and identify the actual needs and preferences of the customers in the market.

The marketing strategic planning is effective for the organisations to develop effective product line and improve service excellence in order to fulfil the demand and preferences of the customers in the market.

Hereby, the marketing tactics is useful to strengthen the customer’s base and establish the brand in the market strategically.

The strategic marketing is the concept where all the multinational corporate firms focus on developing efficient tactics to run their operational activities where promotion of the organisational products and services as well as the establishment of the firms can be possible in the market (Wensley, 2016).

The strategic marketing planning is hereby the organisational tactics to improve brand visibility and attract the customers for the quality products and services of the firms.

For example, Lidl is the company which is famous as a retail chain in the UK and USA and the firm is operating in the global retail industry. The marketing tactics are efficient for the company to establish the brand in the retail market and improve the visibility of the products and services of Lidl in the market so that it can be effective to target and retain the audiences in the market successfully (Lidl, 2019a).

Current and future trend of marketing

The current marketing trends are,

Increasing focus on customer’s experience

Analysing the market trend and demand

Acknowledging the actual needs and preferences of the customers

Implementation of the IT system

Better video content

Right time marketing tactics

Preparing digital content

Rising preferences of email market

Word of mouth

In the current era of globalisation, all the corporate firms try to focus on developing digital content to target the customers and share their information with the social communities as a whole.

The firms are trying to analyse the market trend and identify the actual needs and preferences of the customer through which the companies can analyse the demand and prepare the products and services as per the customer’s requirements. This is important to provide a chance to the firms to satisfy the customer and create values for the stakeholders.

Implementing IT system and computerised database are effective to manage the customers and apart from that the tactics of email marketing and word of mouth are major marketing trend in the recent years through which the companies can promote their products and strengthen their customer’s base for future.

The future trends of marketing are

Increasing focus on the digital content development

Focus on product diversification

Analysing the changing preferences of the customers

E-commerce services

Increasing inline activities

Online purchase decision

Using cloud computing and customers service management

Service excellence

In future, there would be intense competition where the companies will focus on the changing needs and preferences of the customers as per their life style and personal preferences. Hereby, it would be necessary to focus on changing needs of the customers and analyse the market trend so that the companies can manage the products line successfully (West, Ford and Ibrahim, 2015).

Additionally, increasing emphasis on the digital content development as well as e-commerce services, the companies would like to focus and invest on online marketing and social media marketing which is retail platform to promote the organisational products and attract he social communities as a whole.

Overview of marketing process

Marketing process include the ways through which the company can create the values or the end users or the customers to satisfy them by fulfilling their requirements. The marketing process is,

Developing strategic vision

Situational analysis

Marketing strategic development

Marketing mix strategy

Implementation and control

The steps such as developing strategic mission is necessary where the company like Lidl needs to develop effective aims of marketing and objectives to develop further tactics of promoting the company (Chernev, 2018).

After developing strategic marketing goals, it is necessary for Lidl to conduct situational analysis were the company have the opportunity to analyse to external market trend and customer’s demand and preferences so that it can develop effective marketing strategy.

After conducting the situational analysis, it is necessary for the company to develop marketing mix strategic planning d implement the planning for successful promotion of the company.

Marketing goals of Lidl

The major marketing goals of the company Lidl are,

To establish the brand in the global retail chain

To gain high competitive advantage

To increase market share

To maximise profitability and sale volume

To satisfy the customers

To maximise service excellence and product quality (Lidl, 2019b)

Role and responsibilities of a marketing manager in Lidl

Creating effective marketing plan for establishment of Lidl

Managing innovation process in Lidl

Conducting situational analysis in retail industry

Identifying the actual customer’s needs and preferences for the products of Lidl

Managing customer’s service

Developing creative solutions in Lidl

Managing brand equity

Brand management

Interrelation between marketing and organisational functions

The major marketing functions of Lidl are,

The marketing strategic planning is appropriate for the organisation to develop effective organisational functions for example; the marketing tactics of Lidl is highly interlinked with the internal functions of the organisation.

The marketing functions such as buying and selling, risk taking, market information gathering, risk talking activities, financing, standardisation and grading, performance management, transportation and storing are effective strategic planning for the organisations to handle the marketing tactics and improve the organisational operational efficiency sustainably.

The organisational functions of Lidl are such as research and development, production and management, human resource management, finance, marketing, logistics management and sales and support.

Hereby, the marketing tactics of buying and selling as well as managing the product line are related to the organisational functions of sales and support and the production unit management respectively. On the other hand, financing for effective purchasing and sales as well as strengthen products are related to the organisational functions of logistics and operations management and the finance

Thus, it can be stated that, the marketing strategic tactics are interlinked with the organisational functions of Lidl, where the company Lidl is efficient to restructure the organisational functions and structure according to the marketing tactics of the firm to achieve future success.

,h3 Importance and value of marketing in the organisation Lidl

The marketing strategic planning is Lidl is important to,

Maximise the profitability and sales volume’

Sustain in the retail industry and improve brand visibility

Brand equity management

Promote the products and services

Increase visibility of the products

Give scope to the customers to access the organisational products

Manage customer service excellence

Manage brand image

Gain high competitive advantage

Fulfil marketing gaols

The marketing mix strategic planning for Lidl is important for maximising the profitability and sales value of the company, where the organisation can maximise their market share and gain high competitive advantage in near future.

The strategic marketing plan is also valuable for the company Lidl to fulfil the marketing gaols and strengthen their customers base in the market which would be beneficial for the business to sustain their position in the retail industry and run their operational activities strategically in near future.

The organisation Lidl can maximise the brand visibility and establish the company in the market efficiently, where the market mix strategic planning are important to manage the products line and deliver excellent services to the customers. The marketing mix strategies are also valuable for Lidl to enhance their performance in the market and improve their operational efficiency to secure future sustainable development (Lidl, 2019b).

Conclusion

Marketing mix strategic planning provides a scope to the organisations to gain high competitive advantage and secure future sustainable growth.

The tactics of marketing is important for the company Lidl to promote their organisational products and services in the market and improve the brand visibility successfully.

The marketing mix strategic planning is also valuable where the organisation Lidl can develop the tactics of managing their organisational functions and hence it can be stated that, there is high interlink between the marketing tactics and the organisational functions which would be beneficial for the organisation Lidl to run their operational activities and organisational functions efficiently.

Marketing plan of Lidl

Introduction

Marketing strategic planning is important for Lidl to operate sustainably in the international retail industry as well as secure future sustainable development through the strategic planning of product development, service management and promotional activities which in turn helps the company to establish the brand in the market and improve brand visibility successfully (Hanlon, 2019).

Marketing goals of Lidl

The major marketing goals of the company Lidl are,

To establish the brand in the global retail chain

To gain high competitive advantage

To increase market share

To maximise profitability and sale volume

To satisfy the customers

To maximise service excellence and product quality (Lidl, 2019a)

Comparing the ways of organisations developing marketing mix strategic planning

The marketing is strategic planning is appropriate for the organisations to develop efficient tactics to improve the visibility of the company and target the customer in the market for securing future sustainable development. For comparison, the company Tesco is being considered to evaluate the marketing tactics of Tesco and compare it with Lidl for developing effective marketing plan for future.

Marketing mix 7P analysis

Product:

Product is mandatory unit for marketing mix, where the company Lidl fails to focus on product diversification strategy to deliver high quality and diversified products. On the other hand, Tesco as a main competitor of Lidl is successful in managing string product line and deliver a huge variety of products and services to the customers including the retail products, clothing and accessories, daily necessities as well as Tesco banking and finance (Lidl, 2019b).

Price:

pricing strategy is important for promoting the brand and in this regard, both the firms Tesco and Lidl focus on setting low pricing for their quality pouts in order to retail the long run customers who can afford the products.

Place:

For placing the product, the company Lidl fails to have internationalisation strategy, whereas, Tesco is efficient to expand their business across the globe and even in the emerging economies such as China and Indian (McDONALD, 2016).

Promotion:

Lidl has lower promotional activities as compared to Tesco, were Tesco focuses on digital content marketing as well as maintaining company website and mobile application for promoting the company (Shukla, Vyas and Pandya, 2018).

People:

Both the firms are efficient to handle their human resource but Tesco is more efficient to manage health and safety and incentive for the employees as compared to Lidl.

Process:

Process needs to be developed and enhanced in Lidl through customer service management, implementation of IT and managing front desk employees so that it can serve the customers in a better and unique way.

Physical evidence:

Tesco is efficient is managing physical evidence by managing their online experience and product packaging where Lidl needs to focus on increasing emphasis on digital and online experience (Kasemsap, 2016).

Marketing plan for Lidl

Evaluating the marketing plan

The above mentioned marketing planning is appropriate for the company Lidl to strengthen their strategic tactics to establish the firm in the retail market and promote the organisational products and services for fulfilling the above motioned marketing goals. In this regard, for evaluation and control, the company needs to monitor the activities and manage the performance standard of the employees. Continuous monitoring process and strengthening the organisational infrastructure are necessary for Lidl to implementing the strategic planning and targeting the customer base for enhancing their profitability and sales volume. Moreover, the organisation also needs to implement the latest IT and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as GPS and ERP system for controlling the marketing planning and secure future sustainable development.

Reference List

Chernev, A., 2018. Strategic marketing management. London: Cerebellum Press.

Hanlon, A., 2019. Digital marketing: strategic planning & integration. London: SAGE Publications Limited.

Kasemsap, K., 2016. Retail marketing strategies and brand management: A global retail industry perspective. International Journal of Social and Organizational Dynamics in IT (IJSODIT), 5(2), pp.66-78.

Lidl, 2019a. About us. [online] available at: https://www.lidl.com/about-us [Accessed 23 December 2019].

Lidl, 2019b. Values and principles. [online] available at: https://www.lidl.com/about-us#principles-and-values [Accessed 23 December 2019].

McDONALD, M.A.L.C.O.L.M., 2016. Strategic marketing planning: theory and practice. In The marketing book (pp. 108-142). London: Routledge.

Shukla, P.S., Vyas, P.H. and Pandya, M.N., 2018. Investigating the Relationship between Visual Merchandising and Impulse Buying of Apparel Products by Selected Retail Shoppers in Vadodara City of Gujarat. Review of Professional Management, 16(1), pp.17-29.

Wensley, R., 2016. The basics of marketing strategy. In The marketing book (pp. 75-107). London: Routledge.

West, D.C., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015. Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. London: Oxford University Press.

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