The assignment describes in detail the purpose of marketing in an organization and why marketing is the core and central process of an organization. This assignment also highlights the key issues faced while implementing marketing strategies and how to handle them. Lastly, it identifies the benefits and disadvantages of marketing in an organization.

1. Marketing Management II –
Individual Assignment
Prajakta Talathi (GSEP13CMM031)
The assignment describes in detail the purpose of marketing in an organization and why marketing is
the core and central process of an organization. This assignment also highlights the key issues faced
while implementing marketing strategies and how to handle them. Lastly, it identifies the benefits
and disadvantages of marketing in an organization.
2014

2. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 1
Table of Contents
Is marketing a core and central process for an organisation today? If so why? ...................................3
Marketing............................................................................................................................................3
Marketing – An organisation’s core and central process ...................................................................3
Why?...................................................................................................................................................4
What are the key issues that organisation must consider when implementing marketing strategies? 5
Marketing Implementation.................................................................................................................5
Key Issues............................................................................................................................................5
Analytical/Operational Resources ..................................................................................................5
Behavioural .....................................................................................................................................5
Organizational.................................................................................................................................6
How can an organisation effectively implement these key issues into strategic marketing
approaches?............................................................................................................................................7
Implementing Marketing Strategies ...................................................................................................7
Marketing Control...............................................................................................................................7
Corrective Actions...............................................................................................................................7
Strategic Marketing Approaches ....................................................................................................7
Issues in management commitment or motivation .......................................................................8
Meeting Resistance to Change .......................................................................................................9
Explore the benefits and disadvantages of marketing for an organisation?........................................10
Marketing..........................................................................................................................................10
Benefits of Marketing .......................................................................................................................10
Core and Central Process of an Organization ...............................................................................10
Increasing Customer Value ...........................................................................................................11
Capturing Market Insights.............................................................................................................11
Forecasting Demand .....................................................................................................................11
Connecting with Customers..........................................................................................................12
Building Strong Brands..................................................................................................................12
Shaping the Market Offerings.......................................................................................................12
Creating Successful Long-term Growth ........................................................................................13
Delivering Sustainable Marketing.................................................................................................13
Disadvantages of Marketing .............................................................................................................13
Forecasting and Estimating...........................................................................................................13

3. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 2
Marketing Myopia.........................................................................................................................13
Time Consuming............................................................................................................................13
Less Product Differentiation .........................................................................................................13
Lack of Predictability.....................................................................................................................13
Resources......................................................................................................................................13
Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................................14

4. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 3
Is marketing a core and central process for an organisation today? If
so why?
Marketing
Marketing is about identifying and meeting human and social needs (Kotler & Keller, Marketing
Management, 2012) profitably. When directed towards specific objects that might satisfy needs,
needs become wants (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012). Marketing is a process of
identifying and converting consumer “wants” into products and services. Marketing begins with
customers (identify their needs) and ends with customers (satisfy these needs).
Source: (Unger, 2013)
Marketing – An organisation’s core and central process
Customers no longer separate marketing from the product – it is the product (French, LaBerge, &
Magill, 2011). Engaging customers today requires commitment from the entire company – and a
redefined marketing organisation. In this era of engagement, marketing is the company (French,
LaBerge, & Magill, 2011).
Source: (Melara, 2013)
Marketing is no longer the responsibility of a single department – it is a company-wide undertaking
that drives the company’s vision, mission, and strategic planning (Kotler & Keller, Marketing
Management, 2012). An organisation succeeds only when all departments work together to achieve
goals i.e. when engineering designs the right products, finance furnishes the right amount of
funding, purchasing buys the right materials; production makes the right products in the right time,

5. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 4
and accounting measures profitability in the right ways (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management,
2012).
Why?
Business processes like finance, operations, accounting, etc. will not matter if there is no sufficient
demand for their products and services. “Successful marketing builds demand for the products and
services and marketers must decide what features to design into a new product/service, what prices
to set for the same, where to sell products/ offer services, and how much an organization should
spend on advertising, sales, etc.” (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012). CEOs today,
recognize the role of marketing in building strong brands and a loyal customer base, intangible
assets which contribute heavily to the value of a firm and helps in making profits. Thus financial
success depends on the holistic characteristic of marketing.
Source: (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012)
The set of tasks necessary for successful marketing are (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management,
2012):
 Developing marketing strategies and plans,
 Capturing marketing insights,
 Connecting with customers,
 Building strong brands,
 Shaping the market offerings,
 Delivering and communicating value, and
 Creating long-term growth
To conclude, organisations need to become marketing vehicles, and customer-engagement engines,
responsible for establishing priorities and stimulating dialogue throughout the enterprise as it seeks
to design, build, operate, and renew cutting-edge customer-engagement approaches (French,
LaBerge, & Magill, 2011) which is possible only through marketing.

6. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
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What are the key issues that organisation must consider when
implementing marketing strategies?
Marketing Implementation
Marketing implementation is making marketing strategy work by evaluating what is required to
achieve, strategic marketing goals, in a specific organizational environment (Cespedes & Piercy,
1996). Implementation involves actors, intents and "a procedure directed by a manager to install
planned change in an organization" (Nutt, Tactics of Implementation, 1986). While providing a useful
starting point, there are substantial problems with this view of marketing implementation as part of
a logical, rational, goals, strategies, tactics, and sequential flow of missions, which are then
implemented (Cespedes & Piercy, 1996).
Key Issues
Key issues that organization must consider when implementing marketing strategies are:
Analytical/Operational Resources
 Capability – Understanding the real capabilities and practical problems faced as a
company moves into operating through a network of collaborations and strategic
alliances with other companies (Piercy, Cravens, & Morgan, 1998)
 Logistics – Evaluating the logistical aspects while implementing the marketing strategy
 Cost barriers – Limiting the costs to the assigned budgets
Behavioural
 Market simplification – Believing that word-of-mouth or recommendation by customers
is unimportant, the company cannot change to respond to complaints and employees do
not believe that customer satisfaction matters (Piercy N. F., 1998)
 Perceived market drivers – Believing that market is driven only by technical
specifications and price (Piercy N. F., 1998)
Key
Issues
Analytical /
Operational
Resources
OrganizationalBehavioral

7. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 6
Organizational
 Internal politics – Employees do not follow the strategy and manipulate things for own
good
 Corporate culture – Organization’s core competency and marketing strategy is not
aligned
 Market complacency – Belief that what matters is having the best product and not good
customer relationship
 Resistance to change – Resistance to change by group and individuals in an organization
(Piercy N. F., 1998).
Source: (McDonough, 2013)
 Design Error – Many implementation failures occur because organizations develop
routines for implementing strategy, which are taken for granted and rarely challenged
(Argyris, 1985)
At its simplest, the implementation issues has been summarised as "the all too frequent failure to
create change after seemingly viable plans have been designed" (Nutt, Implementation Approaches
for Project Planning, 1983).

8. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
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How can an organisation effectively implement these key issues into
strategic marketing approaches?
Implementing Marketing Strategies
Marketing Implementation is the process that turns marketing plans into marketing actions to
accomplish strategic marketing objectives (Kotler & Armstrong, Marketing An Introduction, 2013). If
strategy is “Doing right things” then implementation is “Doing this right”. Marketing planning
addresses “what” and “why” whereas implementation addresses “who”, “where”, “when” and
“how” of marketing activities (Kotler & Armstrong, Marketing An Introduction, 2013). In spite of
doing everything right, marketers experience surprises for which they must practice marketing
control.
Marketing Control
Marketing Control is “Measuring and evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans and
taking corrective actions to ensure that the objectives are achieved (Kotler & Armstrong, Marketing
An Introduction, 2013).
Steps in controlling the marketing implementation:
Source: Based on (Kotler & Armstrong, Marketing An Introduction, 2013)
Corrective Actions
Strategic Marketing Approaches
The source and the severity of the issues may vary and hence different approaches are required for
different issues. To begin with, implementation techniques (Cespedes & Piercy, 1996) can be (Nutt,
Implementation Approaches for Project Planning, 1983):
1. Unilateral tactics: Administrative Approach. Manager can make use of authoritative power
and get things done. In case there are some hindrances, he can follow:
Source: Based on (Greiner, Dalton, Lawrence, & Irwin, 1970)
Set specific
Marketing Goals
Measure its
performance in the
marketplace
Evaluate the
differences between
expected and actual
performance
Take corrective
measures to close the
gap between goals and
performance
Edict the plan
Demonstration or
simulate the strategy
Replace blocking
elements
Structural Change - Place
supporting elements in key
positions

9. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 8
2. Manipulative Tactics: Political Approach. Make use of freeze-refreeze process.
Source: (Schien & Edgar, 1961)
3. Delegation Tactics: Strategic Approach. Co-opt employees by involving them (Cespedes &
Piercy, 1996).
Source: Adopted from (Bourgeois & Brodwin, 1984)
Issues in management commitment or motivation
Can be resolved using:
Source: Based on (Guth & MacMillan, 1986)
Unfreeze
• Attempt to reduce the strength of existing patterns of behaviour
Change
• Introduce the required new skills and behaviour
Refreeze
• Reinforce the new patterns
Using
Models
Cresive
Comma
nder
Change
Collabo
rative
Cultural
Perceived Inability?
• Training and development
• Support resources
• Formal and informal
encouragement
Disbelief in Strategy?
• Investigate on the strategy
• Understand clearly the basis
for disagreement, and use
this as a basis for focusing on
what strategy is appropriate
rather than whose strategy is
• Fully identify the risks
associated
• Make explict the
cause/effect theories
Failure to accomplish
individual goals?
• Inducement - additional
payoffs strategy
• Persuasion - Talk and
comminicate
• Coersion - Use sactions to
change perceptions
• Obligation - connect
implementing the strategy to
past favors owed

10. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
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Meeting Resistance to Change
According to (Kotter & Schlesinger, 1979) resistance to change can be dealt using:
To conclude, in order to understand marketing implementation issues it is crucial to study the past
and the pressures which may encourage the organization and its people to favour the status quo.
Stragies
• Education and Communication
• Participation and Involvement
• Facilitation and Support
• Negotiation and Agreement
• Manipulation and cooperation
• Explicit and Implicit coercion

11. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
Prajakta Talathi – GSEP13CMM031 Page 10
Explore the benefits and disadvantages of marketing for an
organisation?
Marketing
The marketing process can be explained as (Kotler & Armstrong, Marketing An Introduction, 2013):
According to (Perrault & McCarthy, 2006) an organization must consider the following before and
after is decides to sell a product.
Thus, Marketing is a set of activities performed by an organization to satisfy the customers that is
serves (Perrault & McCarthy, 2006). The above set of activities is an example of how the marketing
functions in an organization.
Benefits of Marketing
The following are the benefits of marketing (Adapted from (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management,
2012):
Core and Central Process of an Organization
Finance, accounting, operations, and other organisational functions won’t really matter without
sufficient demand for products and services so the firm can make a profit. Thus financial success of
an organization often depends on its marketing ability (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management,
2012).
Profits through
customer
satisfaction
Integrated
Marketing
Customer NeedsMarket
Analyse the needs
of people
Predict the type of
product required
and which customer
segment requires it
Estimate how many
of them will want to
buy it and when
Determine where is
the product needed
and how will it
reach there
Estimate the price
of the product and
if the organization
will profit from it
Decide promotional
strategies to target
the potential
customers
Analyse
competitors
Plan for after sales
service

12. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
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Increasing Customer Value
The task of any business is to deliver value to customers at a profit. In an extremely competitive
economy with increasingly informed buyers faced with enormous choices, an organization can win
only by fine tuning the value delivery process and choosing, providing, and communicating superior
value to the customers.
Source: Adapted from (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012)
Capturing Market Insights
Organization is able to capture market insights using Marketing Intelligence. A marketing intelligence
system is a set of procedures and sources that managers use to obtain everyday information about
developments in the marketing environment (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012). The
internal records system supplies data, but the intelligence system supplies happenings.
Forecasting Demand
Marketers help identify business opportunities. An organisation must then measure and forecast the
growth, size, and profit potential for each new opportunity.
Source: Adapted from (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012)
Customer Value Delivered
3. Communicate
the value:
Promotional forces
2. Provide the
value: Use 7Ps.
1. Choose the
value using STP
Market demand
•To estimate current demand,
organizations attempt to determine
total market potential, area market
potential, industry sales, and market
share
Company demand
•To estimate future demand,
organizations survey buyers’
intentions, solicit their sales force’s
input, gather expert opinions,
analyse past sales, or engage in
market testing

13. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
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Connecting with Customers
Organizations benefit by creating long-term loyalty relationships with their customers. This can be
achieved by (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012)
Building Strong Brands
Marketing helps in building strong product as well as organization brand. It helps in (Kotler & Keller,
Marketing Management, 2012)
Shaping the Market Offerings
Marketers classify and differentiate products by:
Connectin
g with
Customers
Analysing
Consumer
Markets
Analysing
Business
Markets
Identifying
Market
Segments
and
Targets
Building
Strong
Brands
Creating
Brand Equity
Crafting
Brand
Positioning
Dealing with
Competitive
Dynamics
Shaping
Market
Offering
s
Setting
Product
Strategy
Designing
and
Managing
Services
Developing
Pricing
Strategies

14. Marketing Management II – Individual Assignment 2014
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Creating Successful Long-term Growth
Marketing plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced by the VUCA World by
Delivering Sustainable Marketing
Marketing’s broader importance extends to society. Marketing has helped in introducing and gaining
acceptance of new products that have eased or enriched people’s lives. Successful marketing builds
demand for products and services, which creates jobs. By contributing to the bottom line of the
society, successful marketing allows firms to more fully engage in socially responsible activities
(Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012).
Disadvantages of Marketing
Forecasting and Estimating
Nothing in Marketing is concrete. It all depends on forecasts and estimates. If the forecast is off the
mark, the company will inadequate or face excess (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2012).
Marketing Myopia
Marketers make a mistake of paying more attention to the specific product they make than to the
benefits and experiences produced by these products (Kotler & Armstrong, Marketing An
Introduction, 2013).
Time Consuming
Research activities can be more time-consuming and never ending activities.
Less Product Differentiation
Market oriented approach involves spending more time on consumer interaction leaving lesser time
for product differentiation. This can harm the competitive advantage one could have got otherwise.
Lack of Predictability
An organization must respond to perpetual changes observed in consumer wants. Organizations
must move to the new consumer wants and employees need to be aware of what benefits to use in
their sales and marketing strategies.
Resources
Marketers may plan for product development; but fail to see the available resources. Marketing can
be successful only if it has the support of infrastructure, production resources, human skills etc.
Shaping
Market
Offerings
Introducing
new market
offerings
Tapping
into Global
Markets
Managing
Holistic
Marketing
for the long-
run

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Bibliography
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Bourgeois , L., & Brodwin, D. (1984). Strategic Implementation: Five Approaches. Strategic
Management Journal, 241-264.
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Schien, & Edgar, H. (1961). Coercive Persuasion.
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