1.

According to management guru Peter Drucker, “The aim of marketing is to

make selling unnecessary.” Discuss this statement and explain why marketing
is more than just “telling and selling.

If the business has done a good job, the people contacting them will already have decided that
they are for real. And even better that the opportunity that the business has is for them.
The quote: “The aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary” means that; when
marketing is done right, the effort of selling what the business have to offer is going to be
much easier. Much easier than reaching out to someone who do not know the business and
trust it.
We can think about Apple.

Apple doesn’t need to sell you their products because everyone knows that they produce high
quality smartphones.

Why? Because they were one of the first businesses to run an advertisement in YouTube,
where it says “We are so confident in our product that we don’t need to sell it to you, we
simply need to align you with our vision.”

And that is all they needed to do, Apple’s slogan “Think different” did just that. It created a
culture around the brand that had people aligning with their vision for the business, and thus
made them exponentially more likely to buy; and not only that, many became self-proclaimed
ambassadors for the brand because they resonated so deeply with the messages.

There is more to marketing than just telling and selling. It is also managing profitable
relationships. The goal is to attract new customers and provide superior value and keep and
grow current customers by delivering satisfaction. Marketing is not only about making a sale
it also includes customer needs, want, and demands. Marketers must understand the needs of
consumers to develop products and services that provide great value to customers. Selling
and advertising is simply a part of the marketing mix. By understanding the needs, wants, and
demands of consumers, marketers can bring forth good products with competitive prices,
good quality creating value for customers and attract new customers and keep them satisfied
and loyal.
2.What were the factors that contributed to H&M’s success? Discuss how the
marketing concept was demonstrated.

The marketing concept used by H&M includes the following P’s based on the case study.

Price - Relatively, the prices of H&M’s products are cheaper compare to other similar stores.
Actually, customers are drawn to H&M primarily because of its products’ affordability due to
their “disposable” quality and easy to manufacture nature. Other than that, H&M has created
an operating model that allows it to be flexible and respond to market trends, but also to be a
low cost provider that can reach markets with low prices.

Place - Unlike Zara, H&M does not manufacture its products in-house. H&M outsources its
production to more than 900 independent suppliers across the world, mainly in Europe and
Asia, which are overseen by 30 strategically located oversight offices.

People – H&M has a solid marketing team that can quickly determine what their target
demographic desires and implement the necessary changes into the supply chain.

Process - Ordering the product at the right time is very important to obtain the best price,
quality and lower lead times. H&M manufactures 80% of its inventory in advance and
introduces the remaining 20% based on current market trends. Lead times vary from a few
weeks to six months, with garments such as basics and children’s wear ordered in advance
while more trendy clothes that require smaller quantities may be produced at a shorter notice.