This assessment will provide further questions which are like:
- What are the important roles and responsibilities of marketing in relation to Bodyshop
- Evaluate the effective role of marketing and its functions.
INTRODUCTION
Marketing is management process that is responsible for and include identifying, anticipating and satisfying all the possible customer needs and desire through maintaining a sufficient amount of profitability. Basically, Marketing is business term that represent a process through which products and services are efficiently served to customers through proper identification of product, determining their demand, deciding best possible price and selecting most suitable distribution channels (Amoo, 2017). For this assignment the selected organisation is Body Shop which is basically a cosmetic organisation providing a range of related products to its customer and is headquartered in UK. This report includes the role of marketing and how these role and responsibility are related with other functional units of an organisation.
ACTIVITY 1
LO 1
P1) Key Roles and Responsibility of Marketing
Concept of Marketinghich includes all the activities performed by mangers of any organisation to produce and deliver a best possible product and services to its customer to fulfil their needs and demands (The Marketing concept, 2019). The main role or function of marketing includes communication of all the relevant information to customers to attract and influence them for making purchase of the product. Beside this marketing also involves developing, creating and maintaining an effective and long lasting relationship with customer or client of organisation to ensure the maintenance of adequate amount of sales which is necessary for any organisation to remain successful in a long run in business market.
Trends of Marketing
As the market place is becoming more dynamic and also the level of competition is also increasing thus, role and responsibility of marketing with in the success and sustainable growth of organisation is also enhanced (Arendt and Allain, 2019). A continuous change and shift is seen in taste and behaviour of customers thus, to counter with that and keep a balance with with current trend use of many innovative technology are made which includes effective use of social media and other digital technology to maintain better and effective relation with customer. In future trend of marketing an effective use of AI and other smarter software will be made to provide a better interface to customers.
The Body shop is a famous brand for cosmetic items which includes a vast range of cosmetic product like body scrub, body butter, mascara, lipstick, lip gloss, etc. and many other skin care products and perfumes also. It was founded in 1976 and having its headquarter is in London, UK (The Body Shop, 2019). Currently a range of more than 1000 products is provided and sold by this organisation through more than 3000 owned and franchised stores in UK and international level in around more than 65 countries. As Body shop is belonging to a cosmetic industry which is highly dynamic as new products are keep on coming and it also characterised as a highly competitive business sector thus, it become necessary for Body shop to properly mange its marketing and promotional activity to have a unique and better position in market. The key role and responsibility which are performed by marketing function in The Body Shop organisation are as follows:
Market Research and Formulation of Strategy
The most important role played by marketing function is conducting timely market research which makes an organisation aware about the prevailing conditions and situation of market thus, makes an organisation able to develop and formulate most suitable strategy as per the current market trend (Bünte, 2018). Timely market surveys and investigation are conducted by marketing team of The Body Shop to evaluate and analysis the current market trend and taste and preference of customers with the help of their online feedback or face to face interaction so that best possible strategies and plans can be made to fulfil or satisfy the needs of customers in most efficient way.
Product Development
The another important responsibility of marketing function is aiding and leading better product development. The market research conducted by marketing enables an organisations to have all the required information needed for development and creation of product that is most suitable to cater the desired needs and demand of customer thus, marketing function plays a crucial role in deciding and finalising the possible quality, price and other dimensions of product (Campbell, Martin, and Fabos, 2018). In The Body shop organisation, marketing provide a sufficient aid in developing and creating new products and features to meet the preference and desired needs of customers. Apart from this with proper analysis of competitor strategies and pricing policy, marketing function also facilitates selection of best price for products of The body shop.
Communication and Promotion
It is the most vital role and responsibility performed by marketing function as effective communication and promotion of a product is necessary to transfer information about the unique and attractive feature of a product so that a larger section of consumer can be prevailed or approached for increasing sale of organisation. In Body Shop organisation this role of communication and promotion of a product and services is effectively performed by marketing function through making use of various tools and techniques. Use of social media like Facebook, Instagram, twitter, etc. are made to transfer information about the products of The Body shop to a larger section of society or consumer (Chatterjee and Chatterjee, 2019). Beside this advertising through TV, online digital media, bill boards, hoardings and other effective s modes of promotion are also made by Body Shop to create a better impact in minds of customer and to effectively approach them for increasing the sales and overall profitability of organisation.
Role and Responsibility of Marketing in Relation With Marketing Environment of The Body Shop
The marketing and business environment of The body shop is highly dynamic and only through an effective marketing strategy this organisation can keep a phase or balance with its marketing environment. The role played by marketing in conducting timely market research is crucial as it make The body shop aware about current situation of marketing environment so that best strategy and steps can be taken to meet and handle current situation through fulfilling the desired of consumer in a best possible and cost effective way (Deepwell, Palmer and Greig, 2019). Apart from this marketing facilitates determining and identifying possible threats and opportunity so that timely steps can be taken to grab the opportunity and to reduce the negative implications and impact of threat on operations of The Body Shop to maintain its success and smooth growth.
Critical Evaluation of Role and Responsibility of Marketing
On the basis of above division it can be evaluated that marketing plays a crucial role in success and betterment of an organisation as it can be seen that it facilitates better understanding abut current trends and demand of customers thus, a better product could be develop by an organisation to enhance its productivity and profitability. Further, marketing also facilitates better development of product to provide higher satisfaction and meet expectations of customers. Beside this, effective communication and promotion is also lead by marketing to attract larger number of customers that ensures higher profitability for an org