Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Explain the role of marketing and how it interrelates with other business units of an organisation.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

• Articulating and effectively explaining information.
• Communication and listening, including the ability to produce clear, structured business communications in a variety of media.
• Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Vocational scenario

With a history dating back 30 years, a supermarket* that opened its first store in the Netherlands with only 15 employees and around 600 products, has grown considerably since then. It has expanded rapidly into a supermarket chain that now has a total of 4,200 supermarket stores across Europe. Since 2000, the business has developed an impressive presence in the UK and is one of the main ‘value’ food supermarkets in the UK, with a branch network stretching to 800 stores. The UK holding company reported revenues totalling £4 billion and it has an objective of increasing to 1,100 UK stores by 2025, on revenues of

£6.5 billion. The business has a zero-waste policy and two-thirds of its products are UK sourced. Its business model centres on offering high-quality continental style products, combined with a no-frills ‘pass-the-savings’-onto-the-customer’ approach that includes, among other things, allowing customers to pick products in-store directly from their original delivery cartons.

Role

You are a Junior Marketing Analyst working in the Marketing Department. Your role encompasses new product development, from initial research through to test trials in selected stores prior to full roll out.

Your duties include:

• gathering information on competitors in order to conduct analysis on their sales, prices and methods of distribution and marketing to thoroughly learn about the competition
• conducting research on marketing strategies and consumer opinions
• tracking and forecasting trends in sales and marketing, producing reports on the results for management to inform their decision making
• collecting and analysing data on customer preferences, demographics, buying habits and needs, to better identify market potential and the factors that influence product demand.

You report into a Regional Marketing Manager who, in turn, is line managed by the Marketing Director.