Evaluation of Marketing Concepts Including Current and Future Trends-McDonald's

TASK 1

Concept of marketing, including current and future trends

The concept of marketing means that a firm should properly analyse their customer needs and then make decisions to satisfy them (Babin and et. al, 2015).

The five marketing concepts are:

• Production concept: It means that consumers will buy more products if it's cheaper and widely availa The organisation would focus more over efficiency of production.
• Product Concept: This concept proposes that consumers will buy products that have better quality, innovative features and performance.
• Selling Concept: According to this concept, a company should focus on selling their products. It should engage in aggressive promotions to sell these products.
• Marketing Concept: This concept focuses on the needs, wants of their consumers and delivers it accordingly.
• Societal Marketing: Organisation should assist the needs, wants of consumer, and delivers them in a better way that enhances both consumers and society’s well-being (Brunello, 2013).

Current trends in marketing:

• Use of social media: To promote their products/services organisation is using social media platform. These online portals help companies' to target large number of consumers in a cost effective way.
• Importance of content: This is done to attract more customers in order to avail their products/services. Company is focusing on establishing good content for their products (Chikweche, T.Fletcher, R., 2012).

Future trends in marketing:

• Eco-Friendly concept: The shift of organisation to concept of produce goods that are environment friendly. Companies are trying to focus on sustainable development.
• Transparency: The firm must be transparent in their operations and in dealings with customers (GajiÄ¡, 2012).

2. Overview of different marketing process

The marketing process consists of four elements i.e. Situational Analysis, marketing strategy, marketing mix decision and implementation and control (Gordon, 2012).

The overview of these process is :

• Situational Analysis: The firm is required to identify their capabilities and needs to analyse external and internal environment. To achieve better results, companies' uses various analysis such as 5C's, SWOT and PESTLE analysis.
• Marketing Strategy: After identifying the needs of consumers, a firm develops a marketing strategy and plan to fulfil the demands of consumers. It includes segmentation of market as per customers’ needs and wants.
• Marketing Mix: This refers to a set of tools that organisation uses to achieve its marketing objectives within their target markets. It includes 4P's which are Product, Promotion, Place and Price.
• Implementation and control: This is a process that ensures achievement of strategic goals mentioned by co It refers to the preparation of list in which roles are assigned for completing specific activities. It state resources required for achieving objectives (Kafashpoor, Mortazavi and Hasani,2012).

3. Roles and Responsibilities of Marketing Manager

Various Roles played by marketing manager of McDonald's are as follows:

• Brand Development: The major role of marketing manager is to develop the brand and logo of company. This helps in creating a better impression in increasing product sales and market share. Brand development of McDonald's has helped to generate 60% of revenue.
• Public Relations: The role of marketing manager of company, is to represents organisation through different initiatives, new products/services.McDonald's has sponsored football matches and various charitable events for its promotion.
• Competitive Intelligence: To remain competitive in marketing place, marketing manager performs various researches and analyse marketing strategies. It analyses strategies of competitors and their behaviour toMTurnbull, P. W. and et. al 2013wards McDonald's policies, and products/services (Mihart, 2012).

Responsibilities of Marketing Manager

• Developing marketing strategies and plans for McDonald's.
• Preparation of budget and managing it
• Maintaining a healthy and loyal relationship with customers
• Developing and formulating plans in accordance with needs and demands of consumers.
• Implement guidelines to be followed for promotioMTurnbull, P. W. and et. al 2013n of company.
• Ensuring time delivery of products to consumers
• The responsibility of manager is to act as a bridge between top-level authorities and base line employees of McDonald's.
• To make researches for current trends and demands of consumers and make strategies accordingly (Pike, 2015).

4. Marketing influences and interrelates with other functional departments

Marketing is an essential part of any organisation. It helps in promoting and providing goods from manufacturers to consumers. This is a wider concept as it helps firm to analyse opportunities and needs of consumers to formulate plans accordingly.

The interrelationship between marketing functions and other departments of a firm can be explained as follows:

• Production/Operation: Marketing department of an organisation works with production management to make adequate research regarding demands of consumers and future tren To make items according to quality and specification mentioned by customers. It set deadlines for operation department which stretch their capabilities. The production management would ensure that no defective item should be there and assured health, safety of production department. Whereas, a marketing manager would make products to make it available on time to there target market.
• Finance: The finance department of a firm look out that all activities has been achieved within the financial The marketing manager of company works with finance department to make adequate budget for meeting the needs of promotion, research and distribution activities (Riaz and Tanveer, 2012).
• Human Resource: The marketing department of company works with HR. professionals to create the following:
• Competent Sales TeamMTurnbull, P. W. and et. al 2013
• Meet Production Targets
• Support research and develop new products.

5. Value and Importance of marketing role in McDonald's

Marketing plays a key role in the success of every organisation. It is a social term that means to create a relationship with customers and believes in creating products with sustainability to achieve consumers’ needs and demands. McDonald's is a multinational fast food chain that operates its business in more than 100 countries. It captured many emerging markets of Asia and Europe to expand their business. Thus, marketing plays an essential role in the growth of McDonald's. The value and importance of marketing management in the success of McDonald's can be explained as follows:

• Help in identifying trends: The marketing manager makes research for the current trends and analyse them to create products according to these trends. They help organisation to know about them and help to respond to these changes. McDonald's has successfully analysed the trend of Asian markets and added local cuisines in there menu.
• Building reputation: The mass marketing of company and strong strategies of McDonald's help it to achieve huge success and generate large amount of revenue through it logo. Company makes the highest amount of sales through its logo.
• Strength Public Relations: Through marketing strategies company can strength it bond with its target market. McDonald's uses promotional strategies of sponsoring of many global iconic events and charity functions like Mc Happy Day help company to build a strong public image.
• Help in Building Customer Relation: To build a strong and good customer relationship is important task performeMTurnbull, P. W. and et. al 2013d by marketing managers. They help in creating relation through greater satisfaction and providing value to consumers. This is the reason McDonald's is still one of the favourite fast food company (Singh, 2012).

6. Importance of effective interrelationship between different Functional Department.

The firm can work effectively when it has sound interrelationship between the different functional departments. The importance of strong interrelationship is as follows:

• It helps organisation to cope up with the change in the demands and needs of consumers and to produce accordingly.
• Further, the shorter life cycles of product requires organisation to be adaptive to environment and make quick response to ongoing changes.
• It helps in building effective communication between different department which is essential for the organisation. More over it helps in reducing conflicts between various functional departments.
• This strengthen and increases productivity of firm which is essential for company for its survival in industry.
• The effective interrelationship between departments help organisation to achieve it set target/ goals in given time.
• It helps in improvising customer service of company and assures repeat business with them (MTurnbull and et. al 2013).

TASK 2.

7. Compare ways in which McDonald's applies marketing mix to achieve business objectives and how dose it differs from other.

Marketing mix of McDonald's :

• Product: Company develops it menu in accordance to meet the demands and needs of there consumers. It is one of the leading manufacturers of fast food products. Initially companies used to sell hamburgers but it expands there menu to cater the needs of globally diversed consumers. It has included chicken wraps, cheeseburgers, soft drinks, milkshakes, etc. To meet it business objectives in Asian markets company has diversified it products and added local dishes to its menu. Also, the firm has established a healthy menu with salads, fruits and it also tells about the essential nutrients of there products.
• Price: The firm adopted a psychological pricing strategies so that product of company is been affordable by consumers. It divides it prices into two factors i.e. brand affordability (BA) and branded core value (BC V). Further, it offers bundling price that means it offers bundling products along with meals. This help company to increase it sales and attract more consumers. Also, it provides discounts, combo deals of menu in order to reach it targeted lower middle class groups.
• Promotion: Company uses effective and strong promotional techniques in order to promote there products. It spends huge some of money and advertise it products through billboards, newspapers, magazines, T.V. Commercials, etc. McDonald's is engaged in aggressive promotional strategies. It sponsored various events like FIFA World Cup, little league, etc. These promotional techniques of company helps it to effectively reach to there target markets and builds a brand image of company within industry.
• Place: McDonald's operates it business in more than 100 countries and there outlets are evenly spread throughout cities creating easy accessibility. Further, McDonald's operate through different types of restaurants which are Mc Drive, Mc Express, Mc Cafe. It provides a option of drive in and drive through which make even more convenient for consumers to avail the products of company.
• People: Company treats it employees very well. They are encouraged to give their best services to customer and train it staffs to address their customers in a cheerful manner. It motivates their employees through performance analysis and reward them with monetary and non-monetary benefits. Also, it trains their franchise holders to provide same quality services to there consumers.
• Process: It has evaluated and established an effective process for methods for packaging and distribution of there products. Company has supported research to get innovative process to increase it productivity and provide quicker delivery. It made available for customers to see it food manufacturing process. Apart from this it has streamlined distribution system in accordance to it values and culture through out the world.
• Physical Existence: Company has strong presences through it outlets spread evenly all over the world. It has developed a user friendly website to reach through their target markets. The physical existence of company made it easier to promote it products and attract more consumers towards it brand.

Though McDonald's can improve its operation and increase it productivity in compare to its competitor Dominoes in a certain way which are:

• The firm should add more healthy items in there menu like it competitor so to attract health conscious people to avail there products. These opportunities would help firm to gain back it lost brand image.
• Dominoes provide a quick and steady services to there consumers. This strategy can be used and firm should speed up it delivery services in outlets so that more customers can be served in a given time.
• McDonald's should make changes in the wage policies of there employees. It should provide minimum wages to there employees so that companies is able to improve it public image and would help it to increase it productivity.
• Company should improves it media relations so that it can build up a positive brand image and strength it relations with customers.
• The firm should try new plans and strategies to attract more consumers across the world.
• It should try newer options to deliver there products like, home delivery. This would help it to gain a competitive advantage as the products are available to more number of consumers.
• McDonald's should change and diversified it menu by serving healthy breakfast all the day this concept would bring back more customers to outlet.
• The firm should try to bring changes within it outlet interiors which will look delightful and more customers are been attracted.

TASK 3.

8.Evaluate a basic marketing plan for McDonald's.

Marketing plan for McDonald's :

Objectives: The current aim of company is to introduce breakfast meals in there menu across the world. McDonald's is introducing this plan to attract consumers from all the segments. There are some objectives which company wants to achieve.:

• To increase sales by 15% in Europe and other parts of UK.
• Introduce healthier breakfast items.
• All the breakfast items should be available on the websites of company.
• To increase sales leads for young consumers by 20%.

The company wants to achieve it set objectives in next 5 years.

Segmentation: McDonald's has used various segmentation for dividing it customers i.e. Demographic, Geographic, Behavioural and Psychological Segmentation. It has developed products to attract customers from all segments and accordingly it has set price for their products focusing on the income groups and buying habits of consumers.

Targeting: The firm has targeted people of lower income group and those who are aware of healthy eating habits and want to bring changes in there taste and preferences. It has made introduced products like salads, fruits and smoothies for there target consumers. Further, it has developed certain promotional strategies for there products to be reached over target markets.

Positioning: To test it new products and make it available to targeted consumers company has added in it menu across globe. It has decided to make all the breakfast options available on the online portals or website of company so that it can be reached to people across the globe. Company has build up promotional strategies to position it products in market.

Marketing Mix of McDonald's:

• Product: The breakfast meals should be innovative and different from that of competitors. It must focus over the quality aspects of the meals and provides better quality at affordable prices. Further, company should develop a healthy options in breakfast.
• Price: The meals should be available at affordable price. The strategy of company must be formulated in accordance to all target customers. This would help to drive more satisfaction and gain competitive advantage.
• Place: Company should make it online portals stronger and it must adopt a system of home delivery so that customers can make orders through their places.
• Promotion: It should try to regain it positive brand image. McDonald's must work on to maintain better public image through strong media relation.

SWOT Analysis:

Strength:

• increase in overseas markets.
• Consistency of food items.
• Occupancy of 40% the US fast food market.

Weakness:

• The poor development of product.
• Decline in revenue and market share.

Opportunities:

• focusing of company in fulfilling social responsibilities.
• Building of new formats like Mc Express, Mc Cafe.

Threats:

• Increasing number of competitors.
• Fluctuations in foreign exchange rates of different countries.

PESTLE Analysis:

Political factors:

• Government change their rules and regulations like they increasing international business agreements.
• Change in tax polices.
• It also includes people heath policies.

Economic factors:

• . This corporation providing lot of benefits to their economy.
• It helps in providing job opportunities.

Social factors:

• Social factor are also influencing to macro environment this aspect is very important for wealth and providing so many opportunities to their customers most low income or medium household prefer this firms food.
• This social forces increasing healthy lifestyle of peoples as well as increasing cultural diversity.

Technological factors

• MacDonald also uses new techniques like, use of smart phones, own website, email messages.
• It has developed self check system.

Environmental factors

• Interest of corporate environmental programme.
• it is very important opportunities for maintain the health environment system.

Legal factors

• Legal factors is referred with external forces of this company they follow legal nominal wages level in the US.
• The objective of this firm to increasing their sale and increase brand awareness to their employees.

Marketing Techniques:

McDonald's should build new plans and strategies to promote it products in market. It should strength it promotional activities and increase it sales promotion by offering discounts, coupons and other promotional incentives to lure more customers to avail their products. Company should make deep research about the recent trends in the market and make proper analyse of the threats and opportunities available to it. Lastly, the firm should build it products and plans that help it to achieve both companies' objectives as well their consumers needs. Get Write My essay help by Australian Experts.

CONCLUSION

For More Visit: Importance of employees in enhancing the performance of firm-Walmart

The report concludes about how marketing function is interrelates with other functional department of organisation. It shows the importance of interrelationship of these functions and it role in achieving overall goals of organisation. The importance and value of marketing tools in success of McDonald's growth and expansion. Company needs to improvised it services and formulate new plans to promote their products and build up a brand image. It should strength it marketing department in order to achieve its objectives.

REFERENCES

• Babin, B. J. and et. al, 2015. Essentials of marketing research. Nelson Education.
• Brunello, A., 2013. The relationship between integrated marketing communication and brand equity. International Journal of Communication Research.3(1). p.9.
• Chikweche, T. and Fletcher, R., 2012. Revisiting the marketing mix at the bottom of pyramid (BOP): from theoretical considerations to practical realities. Journal of Consumer Marketing.29(7). pp.507-520.
• GajiÄ¡, J., 2012. Importance of marketing mix in higher education institutions. Singidunum journal of applied sciences.9(1). pp.29-41.
• Gordon, R., 2012. Re-thinking and re-tooling the social marketing mix. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ).20(2). pp.122-126.

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