Marketing Principles and Techniques

Assignment Brief

Scenario

You have just finished your course and have been working in a small family run business for 6 months.  It has a great product – but you can see that the family has no idea about developing their market share. They do not appear to understand the concept of marketing and you decide to produce some information for them.

You intend to collate your information as a formal report and give it to key members of staff so that it will impact on the future of the company and lead to a permanent job for you.

(NB for the purposes of this assignment, you can choose the product that the organisation sells and the market in which it operates)

Unit 3.24 Marketing Principles and Techniques 

Task 1 –What is marketing?

LO1: You must start with the basics. In the first part of your report you should:

• AC. 1.1 Tell them about marketing. Describe the diverse activities carried out in marketing departments in other businesses.  Provide examples to help your colleagues understand the full range of activities they could undertake to promote the business
• AC. 1.2 Explain market segmentation as a tool to identify customers. Give examples of the different market segments your business attracts
• AC. 1.3 Explain the marketing mix and apply it to your products.

Task 2 –Market research

LO2: You feel that your company needs to find out more about its customers and the market in which you operate. To help them your report includes a section in which you:

• AC. 2.1 Explain the aims of research and market analysis
• AC. 2.2 Describe market research methods.  Give examples of methods that would be suitable for your own organisation.
• AC. 2.3 Outline market analysis tools and techniques that could be used

Task 3 – E-marketing

LO4: To bring this organisation completely up-to-date, you really want them to use e - marketing

So you add a further section to the report in which you:

• AC. 4.1 Describe the methods used to e-market products and services
• AC. 4.2 Explain how companies manage their online image.  (You may wish to provide recent examples where this has been both well and poorly managed and the impact this has had on the organisation involved.)

Task 4 – Applying your learning

LO3: You are inspired by your learning and progress to date.  You decide to do some additional work to get the process started by applying some of your market analysis techniques to your organisation. You decide to:

• AC. 3.1 Use market analysis techniques to research the target market for your own product or service
• AC. 3.2 Interpret the findings of your market research and market analysis
• AC. 3.3 Present your findings to the marketing team.

Sample Answer

Marketing Principles and Techniques Report

Prepared for: Sweet Crust Bakery

Introduction

Sweet Crust Bakery is a small family-run business that produces high-quality artisan breads, cakes, and pastries. Although the products are of excellent quality, the bakery has not developed a structured marketing approach and is missing opportunities to expand its customer base and increase market share. This report introduces the fundamentals of marketing, highlights the importance of market research, explores the role of e-marketing, and applies market analysis to help the bakery position itself effectively in today’s competitive environment.

Task 1 – What is Marketing?

AC 1.1: Marketing Activities

Marketing is the process of identifying customer needs, creating value, and building relationships that encourage repeat business. In many businesses, marketing departments carry out a wide range of activities, including:

• Advertising and Promotion: Designing campaigns (TV, radio, social media, leaflets). Example: Costa Coffee advertises seasonal drinks to attract customers.

• Product Development: Conducting customer surveys to improve or develop new products. Example: Cadbury regularly launches new flavours after market testing.

• Pricing Strategy: Adjusting prices based on competition and customer willingness to pay.

• Sales Promotions: Discounts, loyalty schemes, free samples. Example: Greggs’ loyalty app offers free rewards.

• Public Relations (PR): Managing the business image and engaging with local media.

• Customer Service: Responding to feedback and resolving issues quickly.

For Sweet Crust Bakery, this could include creating seasonal promotions, engaging with customers on Instagram, and running tasting events at the store.

AC 1.2: Market Segmentation

Market segmentation is dividing the market into groups with similar needs, behaviours, or demographics to target them more effectively.

Common segmentation bases:

• Demographic: Age, income, occupation.

• Geographic: Local customers within a 5-mile radius.

• Psychographic: Lifestyle, values (e.g., health-conscious buyers).

• Behavioural: Buying habits (e.g., daily commuters buying coffee and croissants).

Sweet Crust Bakery’s potential segments:

1. Local families (seeking fresh bread and birthday cakes).

2. Young professionals (looking for quick breakfasts and coffee).

3. Health-conscious customers (interested in gluten-free, vegan, or low-sugar options).

By understanding these groups, the bakery can tailor its products and marketing messages more effectively.

AC 1.3: Marketing Mix (4Ps)

The Marketing Mix consists of Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

• Product: Artisan breads, cakes, pastries, and customised celebration cakes. High-quality, fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

• Price: Competitive but slightly premium to reflect quality. Example: sourdough loaf at £3.50 compared to £2 supermarket bread.

• Place: Sold in-store, via local farmers’ markets, and potentially online delivery apps (Uber Eats/Deliveroo).

• Promotion: Flyers in the local community, social media campaigns, loyalty cards, and seasonal discounts.

Applying the marketing mix ensures the bakery’s offering is well-balanced and attractive to its market.

Continued...