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McDonald's is one of the best-known brands worldwide. This case study shows how McDonald's continually aims to
build its brand by listening to its customers. It also identifies the various stages in the marketing process. Branding
develops a personality for an organisation, product or service. The brand image represents how consumers view the
organisation. Branding only works when an organisation behaves and presents itself in a consistent way. Marketing
communication methods, such as advertising and promotion, are used to create the colours, designs and images, which
give the brand its recognisable face. At McDonald's this is represented by its familiar logo - the Golden Arches.
Marketing involves identifying customer needs and requirements, and meeting these needs in a better way than
competitors. In this way a company creates loyal customers. The starting point is to find out who potential customers
are - not everyone will want what McDonald's has to offer. The people McDonald's identifies as likely customers are
known as key audiences.
Having identified its key audiences a company has to ensure a marketingmix is created that appeals specifically to
those people.
The marketing mix is a term used to describe the four main marketing tools (4Ps):
Product
price
promotion
and the place through which products are sold to customers.
Using detailed information about its customers, McDonald's marketing department can determine:
Market Research:
Market research is the format which enables McDonald's to identify this key information. Accurate research is
essential in creating the right mix to win customer loyalty.
In all its markets McDonald's faces competition from other businesses. Additionally, economic, legal and
technological changes, social factors, the retail environmentand many other elements affect McDonald's success in the
market.
Market research identifies these factors and anticipates how they will affect people's willingness to buy. As the
economy and social attitudes change, so do buying patterns. McDonald's needs to identify whether the number of
target customers is growing or shrinking and whether their buying habits will change in the future.
Market research considers everything that affects buying decisions. These buying decisions can often be affected by
wider factors than just the product itself. Psychological factors are important, e.g. what image does the product give or
how the consumer feels when purchasing it. These additional psychological factors are significantly important to the
customer. They can be even more important than the products' physical benefits. Through marketing, McDonald's
establishes a prominent position in the minds of customers. This is known as branding.
There are a limited number of customers in the market. To build long-term business it is essential to retain people once
they have become customers. Customers are not all the same. Market research identifies different types of customers.
These examples represent just a few of McDonald's possible customer profiles. Each has different reasons for coming
to McDonald's.
Using this type of information McDonald's can tailor communication to the needs of specific groups. It is their needs
that determine the type of products and services offered, prices charged, promotions created and where restaurants are
located. To meet the needs of the key market it is important to analyse the internal marketingstrengths of the
organisation. Strengths and weaknesses must be identified, so that a marketing strategywhich is right for the business
can be decided upon.
company's products and how appropriate they are for the future
quality of employees and how well trained they are to offer the best service to customers
systems and how well they function in providing customer satisfaction e.g. marketing databases and restaurant
systems
financial resources available for marketing.
Marketing objectives:
A marketing plan must be created to meet clear objectives. Objectives guide marketing actions and are used to
measure how well a plan is working. These can be related to market share, sales, and goals, reaching the target
audience and creating awareness in the marketplace. The objectives communicate what marketers want to achieve.
Long-term objectives are broken down into shorter-term measurable targets, which McDonald's uses as milestones
along the way. Results can be analysed regularly to see whether objectives are being met. This type of feedback allows
the company to change plans. It gives flexibility. Once marketing objectives are set the next stage is to define how
they will be achieved. The marketing strategy is the statement of how objectives will be delivered. It explains what
marketing actions and resources will be used and how they will work together.
Conclusion
Once the marketing strategy is in place various responsibilities are given to different individuals so that the plan can be
implemented. Systems are put in place to obtain market feedback which measure success against short-term targets.
McDonald's has to ensure that this is done within the confines of a tightly controlled, finite marketing budget.
TASKS:
TASK 1:
Learner is required to perform below mentioned tasks in-light of McDonald's case study.
TASK 2:
Learner is required to perform below mentioned tasks in-light of McDonald's case study.
TASK 3:
Learner is required to perform below mentioned tasks in-light of McDonald's case study.
TASK 4:
Learner is required to perform below mentioned tasks in-light of McDonald's case study.
4.1 Report on the impact of changes in the external environment on a marketing strategy
4.2 Conduct an internal analysis to identify current strengths and weaknesses in a marketing strategy
4.3 Propose strategic marketing responses to key emerging themes in a marketing strategy.
Evidence Evidence
Summary of evidence required by student
checklist presented
1.3 Evaluate the links between strategic marketing and corporate strategy
2.2 Discuss the links between strategic positioning and marketing tactics
2.3 Analyse the merits of relationship marketing in a given strategic marketing strategy
4.1 Report on the impact of changes in the external environment on a marketing strategy
4.3 Propose strategic marketing responses to key emerging themes in a marketing strategy
Achievement Summary
Pearson BTEC Level 7 Diploma in
Qualification Strategic Management and Leadership Assessor name
Unit Number and title Unit 7: Strategic Marketing Management Student name
Unit Code: Y/602/2065
Criteria To achieve the criteria the evidence must show that the student is able to: Achieved?
Reference (tick)
LO 1
1.1 Discuss the role of strategic marketing in an organization
1.2 Explain the processes involved in strategic marketing
1.3 Evaluate the links between strategic marketing and corporate strategy
LO2
2.1 Assess the value of models used in strategic marketing planning
2.2 Discuss the links between strategic positioning and marketing tactics
Analyse the merits of relationship
2.3
marketing in a given strategic marketing strategy
LO3
3.1 Use appropriate marketing techniques to ascertain growth opportunities in a market
3.2 Plan how to use marketing strategy options in a market
3.3 Create appropriate strategic marketing objectives for a market
LO4
4.1 Report on the impact of changes in the external environment on a marketing strategy
Conduct an internal analysis to identify current strengths and weaknesses in a
4.2
marketing strategy
4.3 Propose strategic marketing responses to key emerging themes in a marketing strategy
Assignment Feedback
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