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BCOM HONS MM - Advanced Strategic Marketing Management
BCOM HONS MM - Advanced Strategic Marketing Management
BCOM HONS MM - Advanced Strategic Marketing Management
(Honours)
in Marketing Management
Module Guide
Copyright © 2021
MANCOSA
All rights reserved; no part of this module guide may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including photocopying
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Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
in Marketing Management
ADVANCED STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT
Preface.................................................................................................................................................................... 5
i
Advanced Strategic Marketing Management
List of Contents
List of Figures and Illustrations
Figure 2.6: South Africa population growth by province between 2001 and 2011 .....................................39
Figure 3.1 The three-tiered operating environment and outline for this chapter ........................................47
List of Tables
Table 1.3 A comparison between strategic marketing and operational marketing .....................................25
Table 8.3 Six question toolkit for identifying product-driven differentiators ..............................................129
Table 9.3: Major obstacles to developing and implementing marketing plans .........................................150
Preface
A. Welcome
Dear Student
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Advanced Strategic Marketing Management (ASMM8). To make sure
that you share our passion about this area of study, we encourage you to read this overview thoroughly. Refer to
it as often as you need to, since it will certainly make studying this module a lot easier. The intention of this module
is to develop both your confidence and proficiency in this module.
The field of Advanced Strategic Marketing Management is extremely dynamic and challenging. The learning
content, activities and self- study questions contained in this guide will therefore provide you with opportunities to
explore the latest developments in this field and help you to discover the field of Advanced Strategic Marketing
Management as it is practiced today.
This is a distance-learning module. Since you do not have a tutor standing next to you while you study, you need
to apply self-discipline. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other via social media tools. Your
study skills will include self-direction and responsibility. However, you will gain a lot from the experience! These
study skills will contribute to your life skills, which will help you to succeed in all areas of life.
MANCOSA does not own or purport to own, unless explicitly stated otherwise, any intellectual property rights in or
to multimedia used or provided in this module guide. Such multimedia is copyrighted by the respective creators
thereto and used by MANCOSA for educational purposes only. Should you wish to use copyrighted material from
this guide for purposes of your own that extend beyond fair dealing/use, you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
B. Module Overview
• The module is a 15 credit module at NQF level 8
• Facilitate capacity building and human resource • Capacity building and Human Resource
development in order to promote and accelerate development are examined to understand how
economic development, economic development may be promoted and
accelerated.
• Empower students with advanced Marketing • Advanced management skills and competencies
management skills and competencies are empowered to students to understand how
necessary to function in and contribute to the functioning of the private and public sector
advancement of private and public sector organisations can contribute to the South African
organisations, economy.
• Contribute to the supply of managerial and • The supply of managerial and professional skills is
professional skills in the Southern African analysed to understand the contribution made to
Development Community the South African Economy.
• Cater for the career and economic needs of • The economic needs of students in full-time is
students who are in full-time employment analysed to understand how their life-learning
careers can be catered for.
• Contribute to research activity resulting in social • Research activity is evaluated to understand how it
development can contribute to the social development.
• Have the ability to formulate strategic planning • The formulation of strategic planning is assessed to
as a primary tool in business development. understand how it can be applied as a cornerstone
tool in business development.
• Identify and critically evaluate marketing issues • Strategic Marketing models, techniques and
within various environments, utilising a wide concepts are evaluated to understand how they can
variety of marketing techniques, concepts and provide marketing solutions.
models.
• Assess the relevance of, and opportunities • Contemporary marketing issues are assessed to
presented by, contemporary marketing issues determine how they contribute to innovation and to
within any given scenario including innovations seize the marketing opportunities available.
in marketing.
• Promote and facilitate the adoption and • The application of the marketing mix variables,
maintenance of a strong market and customer marketing concepts, the Ansoff matrix, the Boston
orientation with measurable marketing metrics Consulting Group models is analysed to
understanding the product portfolio growth and
customer orientation.
• Identify and critically evaluate marketing • Marketing strategy is conceptualised and illustrated as an
issues within various environments, activity effected at various levels in the organisation to
utilising a wide variety of marketing understand the integral role played by strategic
techniques, concepts and models. management.
• Demographic variables of the South African marketing
environment are scrutinized in order to specify marketing
action in response to its unique needs
• The operating environment is analysed using a variety of
marketing tools and techniques in order to establish
potential business opportunities and threats
• Marketing and industry competitiveness is analysed using
a variety of established marketing tools, techniques,
concepts, and models in order to shade light on the
inherent key success factors.
• Assess the relevance of, and • Market potential is identified, defined, quantified, and
opportunities presented by, valued in order to established its worthy to marketing effort
contemporary marketing issues within • Market opportunities are established through the
any given scenario including innovations evaluation of external, financial, and internal analysis in
in marketing. order to rank viable opportunities to choose from.
• New products and services development is discussed as a
means to attain and retain sustained competitive
advantage
• Product and service innovation is analysed in order to
understand how opportunity can be identified, evaluated,
incubated, and natured
• Identify and critically evaluate various • Market segmentation and targeting are discussed as key
options available when given constraints marketing imperatives that precede positioning as a
and apply competitive positioning means to gain insight into customer centred marketing
strategies, justifying any decisions taken. • Target markets are designed based on their relative
competitiveness and segment attractiveness to teach
strategy efficiency and effectiveness
• Differentiation is described as one of the competitive
• Formulate and present a creative, • The bases for sustainable competitive advantage are
customer-focused and innovative discussed at both micro and macro-level to understand
competitive strategy for any given how organisations can attain enduring market dominance
context, incorporating relevant • Marketing strategies aligned to the respective stages of
investment decisions, appropriate the product life cycle are formulated in response to the
control aspects and contingency plans. evolving needs of consumers
• Strategies specific to growing, mature and declining
markets are explored to provide insight into
investment/disinvestment decisions
• Strategy suitability, feasibility and acceptability is tested as
a contingency measure against strategy failure
• Promote and facilitate the adoption and • The evolution of marketing metrics is tracked from
maintenance of a strong market and traditional to market-based and asset-based metrics to
show how marketing practitioners are being forced to be
Learning time
Types of learning activities
%
Syndicate groups 0
Independent self-study of standard texts and references (study guides, books, journal 50
articles)
Other: Online 10
TOTAL 100
G. Acronyms
B2B Business-to-Business
B2C Business-to-Consumer
The purpose of the Module Guide is to allow you the opportunity to integrate the theoretical concepts from the
prescribed textbook and recommended readings. We suggest that you briefly skim read through the entire guide
to get an overview of its contents. At the beginning of each Unit, you will find a list of Learning Outcomes and
Associated Assessment Criteria. This outlines the main points that you should understand when you have
completed the Unit/s. Do not attempt to read and study everything at once. Each study session should be 90
minutes without a break
This module should be studied using the prescribed and recommended textbooks/readings and the relevant
sections of this Module Guide. You must read about the topic that you intend to study in the appropriate section
before you start reading the textbook in detail. Ensure that you make your own notes as you work through both the
textbook and this module. In the event that you do not have the prescribed and recommended textbooks/readings,
you must make use of any other source that deals with the sections in this module. If you want to do further reading,
and want to obtain publications that were used as source documents when we wrote this guide, you should look
at the reference list and the bibliography at the end of the Module Guide.
I. Study Material
The study material for this module includes tutorial letters, programme handbook, this Module Guide, a list of
prescribed and recommended textbooks/readings, which may be supplemented by additional readings.
Recommended
• Ferrell, O. & Hartline, M. (2014). Marketing strategy. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing strategy and competitive
positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.
• Journals.co.za. (2019). [online] Available at:
https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/sabr/12/2/sabr_v12_n2_a1.pdf?expires=1564662110&id=id&accnam
e=guest&checksum=EB8C1CE9110C87BAC994C83EA822ACAF [Accessed 1 Aug. 2019].
• Journals.co.za. (2019). [online] Available at:
https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/mfsa1/2010/10/mfsa1_oct_nov_2010_a17.pdf?expires=1564663746
&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=5B44D172F0C8FE4AD7DE0288E43A8E86 [Accessed 1 Aug. 2019].
• Journals.co.za. (2019). [online] Available at:
https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/mfsa/11/3/mfsa_v11_n3_a8.pdf?expires=1564663972&id=id&accna
me=guest&checksum=B7DF8CC167F5D00E2E7111CFA718717C [Accessed 1 Aug. 2019].
• DATAMONITOR (FIRM). (2009). Burger King case study: targeting the Superfan as a means of retaining
growth in the fast food market. [Place of publication not identified], Datamonitor.
• DATAMONITOR (FIRM). (2009). The Campbell Soup Company case study: effective positioning in an
economic downturn. [Place of publication not identified],
• Datamonitor. http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/eproducts/ebooks/Datamonitor/cscm0220.pdf
K. Special Features
In the Module Guide, you will find the following icons together with a description. These are designed to help you
study. It is imperative that you work through them as they also provide guidelines for examination purposes.
The Learning Outcomes indicate aspects of the particular Unit you have
LEARNING to master.
OUTCOMES
A Think Point asks you to stop and think about an issue. Sometimes you
THINK POINT are asked to apply a concept to your own experience or to think of an
example.
You may come across Activities that ask you to carry out specific tasks.
In most cases, there are no right or wrong answers to these activities.
ACTIVITY
The purpose of the activities is to give you an opportunity to apply what
you have learned.
At this point, you should read the references supplied. If you are unable
READINGS to acquire the suggested readings, then you are welcome to consult any
current source that deals with the subject.
OR EXAMPLES
KNOWLEDGE You may come across Knowledge Check Questions at the end of each
CHECKS Unit in the form of Knowledge Check Questions (KCQ’s) that will test
QUESTIONS your knowledge. You should refer to the Module Guide or your
textbook(s) for the answers.
You may come across Revision Questions that test your understanding
REVISION
of what you have learned so far. These may be attempted with the aid
QUESTIONS
of your textbooks, journal articles and Module Guide.
CASE STUDY This activity provides students with the opportunity to apply theory to
practice.
Unit
1: The Nature of Strategic Marketing
1.2 The approach of this study guide • Develop the definition of strategy from different approaches
1.3 Marketing at the different levels of • Appraise how strategy is effected at different strategic levels
strategy development
• Distinguish strategy from marketing effort
1.4 Strategic marketing • Describe strategic marketing and establish its origin
1.6 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
• Venter, P., & Jansen van Rensburg, M. (2018). Strategic marketing: theory and
application for competitive advantage. 2nd Edition. Oxford. Cape Town.Chapter
1, P 5 – 22.
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson. Chapter 1, P6 – 25
& Chapter 2, P28 – 50.
1.1 Introduction
Without a clear strategy, an organisation will drift aimlessly and will fail to assert itself as a renowned competitor in
the marketplace. Strategy can be deployed at different levels of the business, corporate, business, and tactical.
At the highest level, corporate strategy provides direction, for example, deciding in which business an organisation
should operate. This paves the way for strategic marketing to create competitive advantage through the
deployment of aligned marketing strategy within the business units.
This unit sets off by defining strategy from different viewpoints before exploring the strategy management process
at different levels.
Think Point
Many marketing and business strategies emerged from the great wars. What could
be the reason?
What is strategy?
Strategy arose from a military context: “The forces available must be employed with such skill that even in the
absence of absolute superiority, relative superiority is attained at the decisive point” - Karl von Clausewitz, On War
(2015).
To understand the essence of corporate-level strategies business executives have to provide answers to the
following fundamental questions:
• Which businesses are we in and which businesses should we be in?
• What are our basic directions for the future?
• What is our culture and leadership style?
• What is our attitude to strategic change? What should it be?
Corporate-level marketing may focus on different stockholders. (See Table 1.1 to view a market-focused approach
to corporate-level marketing aimed at various stockholders.)
Activity 1.1
In growing the business in scale and scope, several strategic options are available. Outline
how an organisation such as McDonald’s can achieve growth through the following
strategies.
• Market penetration
• Product development
• Market development
• Product development
New products or brands are developed for existing markets as a strategy to increase sales. McDonald’s,
which predominantly serves beef menus, may incorporate fish and mutton in their offering.
• Market development
Existing products are used to enter new markets, such as new geographical areas or previously
untargeted market segments. As an example, McDonald’s may seek growth by entering countries such
as Swaziland.
For the sake of a more focused approach, the business leaders prefer to unbundle the business into separate
business units, subsidiaries, divisions, product lines, or other profit centres within the parent firm commonly referred
to as strategic business units (SBU).
Ferrell & Hartline (2014:34) believe that larger firms often find it beneficial to devise separate strategies for each
SBU. Business-unit strategy determines the nature and future direction of each business unit, including its
competitive advantages, the allocation of its resources, and the coordination of the functional business areas.
In efforts to attain a competitive edge over their competitor, business-level managers must ask the following
questions:
• How do we compete successfully? What is our sustainable competitive advantage?
• How can we innovate?
• Who are our customers?
• What value do we add? Where? Why? How?
Many of the issues above are reflected in the business’s statements of strategic direction, such as the mission
statement. One of the most widely accepted frameworks of business strategy in Michael Porter’s model of generic
strategies (see Figure 1.2).
Case Study
By setting the conditions for enduring success, we can continue to provide affordable food
to our communities, invest in social upliftment and contribute to the African economy − all
while creating value for all our stakeholders.
Source: http://www.sharedata.co.za/data/000647/pdfs/SHOPRIT_ar_jun17.pdf
With reference to the above extract and in conjunction with Figures 1.2 & Figure 1.3 in your
textbook, analyse how ShopRite intends to gain a competitive advantage in the African retail
market.
The marketing (the 4Ps or 7Ps) is extensively used to set short-term objectives to be achieved. Tactical/operational
plans describe milestones, conditions for success and explain how, or what portion of, a strategic plan will be put
into operation during a given operational period.
Think Point
Now that you know what strategy is; what is marketing strategy?
According to Palmatier & Sridhar, (2017), ‘Marketing strategy consists of decisions and actions focused on building
a sustainable differential advantage, relative to competitors, in the minds of customers, to create value for
stakeholders.’
Ends Profits through Profits through Profits through Profits through Profits through
lower higher pricing sales volume customer long-term
production cost for more and satisfaction and sustainability
and higher better product retention
sales volume features
According to Ferrell & Hartline, (2014:46) the defining characteristics of a marketing concept holds that achieving
organisational goals depends on determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired
satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors do. The societal marketing concept is an extension
of the marketing concept.
Activity 1.2
At its simplest, the marketing concept holds that in increasingly dynamic and competitive markets, the
organisations that are most likely to succeed are those that take notice of customer expectations, wants, and needs
and gear themselves to satisfying them better than their competitors (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014:46).
Market-oriented firms are those that successfully generate, disseminate, and respond to market information. These
firms focus on customer analysis, competitor analysis, and integrating the firm’s resources to provide customer
value and satisfaction, as well as long-term profits (Hooley et al., 2017).
Several components form part of the market orientation:
• Customer orientation
• Competitive orientation
• Inter-functional orientation
• Organisational orientation
• Long-term profit focus
In conjunction with the evolution of marketing philosophies, marketing has also evolved over time from a
transactional approach to a value-based approach. (Venter & Jansen van Rensburg, 2018:14).
Table 3Table 1.3 A comparison between strategic marketing and operational marketing
2 Include a financial summary which illustrates graphically projected revenue and profits for the full planning
period
3 Include a market overview: has the market declined? How does it break down into segments? What is your
share of each? Keep it simple. If you do not have the facts, make estimates. Use life cycles, bar charts, and
pie charts to make it all crystal-clear.
4 Identify the key segments and do a SWOT analysis for each one: outline the major external influences and the
impact on each segment. List the key factors for success; these should be fewer than five. Assess the company
and your competitors out of 10 and multiply each score by a weighted factor for each critical success factor
(CSF). E.g. CSF 1 = 60, CSF 2 = 25, CSF 3 = 10, and CSF 4 = 5.
5 Make a brief statement about the issues that have to be addressed in the planning period
6 Summarise the SWOT using a portfolio matrix in order to illustrate the important relationships between your
key products and markets
9 Summarise your resource requirements for the planning period in the form of a budget
Source: Adapted from McDonald, 2006:393.
1.5 Conclusion
The unit demonstrates that strategic marketing is a vital component of an organisation’s business strategy.
Although the CEO is ultimately responsible for strategic marketing, the marketing function plays a crucial role in
understanding markets, developing value propositions, selling value propositions internally and externally, and
measuring value delivered in chosen target markets. The organisation must prudently deploy its resources towards
the most lucrative market segments.
1.6 Summary
After analysing strategy and its planning at different levels of the business, the next unit will explore the South
African marketing environment.
Answers
Answers
Unit
2: The Southern African
Marketing Environment
2.2 Socio-economic dynamics • Understand and assess the impact macro environmental
factors have on strategy design and implementation
2.5 Sources of information for marketing • Perform market segmentation, targeting and positioning
planning
2.7 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
• Venter, P., & Jansen van Rensburg, M. (2018). Strategic marketing:
theory and application for competitive advantage. 2nd Edition. Oxford.
Cape Town. Chapter 2, P 28 – 56.
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017).
Marketing strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.
Chapter 3 & Chapter 9, P214 – 233.
2.1 Introduction
Effective marketing plans should begin with a comprehensive analysis, as this will inform the marketing plans that
marketers will deploy. Companies must strive to know the environment in which they operate. The socio-economic
environment and the perceived changes will indicate opportunities and threats as well as emerging trends and
segments. The socio-economic dynamics of South Africa offers a unique case study to marketers given dual
structure of the country’s economy – a big divide between the rich and the poor.
Unit 2 will provide detailed demographic data such as population and migration figures, living standard measures.
Second
• Predominantly black
• Informal economic activities
• Not contributing to state or local government
tier
revenues
• Low paid and low skilled
• Impoverished labour
The dual nature of the South African economy is a unique feature that calls for different marketing approaches in
order to remain relevant to the two main market segments.
On the one hand, there is a ‘first’ tier economy, which appears predominantly white-male dominated. This economy
has a long history of international competitiveness and appears well integrated into global knowledge and value
networks.
Alternatively, there is a large, ‘second’ tier economy, predominantly black, often consisting of informal economic
activities not contributing to local government revenues, consisting primarily of low-paid, low-skilled, often
impoverished labour.
The gap between the two economies poses a challenge particularly on the ‘second’ tier economy as it remains
researched mainly due to its limited or invisible economic activity. Marketers remain at quadrants on how best to
serve the lower end customers as marketing research often consider the top end of the market.
Gini coefficient of 0.70 (World Bank, 2013a)
Life expectancy Expected years of Mean years of GNI per capita HDI value
schooling (2005 PPP$)
At birth schooling
With a score of 0.629 in 2012, South Africa is classified in the medium human development category and ranks
121 out of 187 participating countries.
Think Point
What are the implications to a marketer of luxury products to South Africa given
the 2012 HDI of 0.629?
Activity 2.1
Comparing the HDI among the black, coloured, Indian and white communities in
Table 2.2, which market segment is the least attractive to marketers? Justify your
answer
The majority of the black communities are mostly poor due to unequal distribution of income. With an income Gini
coefficient of around 0.70 in 2008 and a consumption Gini of 0.63 in 2009, South Africa stands as one of the most
unequal countries in the world.
According to Tomlinson and Walker (2010), the profile of poorer communities includes economically inactive,
limited education, manually skilled, single parent, and unemployed individuals who are prone to suffer poverty. As
a result, such communities rely on a range of strategies to cope with problems of poverty, unemployment, shocks,
and vulnerability. It is not surprising if the poorer communities are the main beneficiary of the expansive social
grant system in South Africa.
However, due to the insufficient of these funds, alternative coping strategies include relying on relatives and
neighbours for moral and material support, and many households depend on loans from community members,
micro-lenders, and burial societies. Others continually obtain credit from formal retailers and informal
moneylenders.
The World Bank remains worried about the high levels of inequality in South Africa warning that the economy will
not be able to achieve a faster pace of growth unless it becomes more inclusive. Some, however, argue that post-
apartheid South Africa has adopted measures to redress inequality with policies that have a special focus on capital
development.
Case Study
There’s a shocking number of loan sharks in South Africa – here’s how they
operate
A new report from short-term lender, Wonga, finds that non-registered credit
lenders, or ‘loan sharks’ appear to be more widespread than previously thought,
with as many as 40,000 operating in South Africa at a ratio of 1:100 for every
household in informal settlements.
The report found that the average value of a loan ranges from between R500 –
R1,000, while interest on a loan ranges from between 30% – 50%. Very few loans
exceed R5,000, the report found.
It further found that people use ‘mashonisas’ (a person or company that provides
informal loans to consumers) because they offer quick and easy access to small,
short-term loans, despite not having any legal protection.
The report comes on the back of a sharp incline in the percentage of credit users in
South Africa – from 57% of the adult population being active credit users in 2008 to
69% in 2017 (NCR 2008-2017).
The fact that the loan is structured so simply, is a draw-card for the use of
mashonisas, Wonga said, as opposed to perceived hidden fees attached to legal
financial services firms.
“Some (mashonisas) said they had more customers today than they did previously
due to increased cost of living,” it said.
“It is clear that informal lending is embedded in the social fabric of communities in
which they operate. It would be naïve to think that they can be regulated like the
formal market. The sheer scale of mashonisas would make this virtually impossible
and I don’t believe customers would want mashonisas threatened as they depend
on them on a monthly basis to get by,” said van Aswegen.
Source:https://businesstech.co.za/news/banking/246129/theres-a-shocking-
number-of-loan-sharks-in-south-africa-heres-how-they-operate/
Delineate and provide reasons for the emergence of the market segment that is
lucrative to the ‘loan sharks’ also known as ‘mashonisas’ in the South African money
market.
Compared to other parts of Africa, Southern Africa has a lower fertility rate but it is challenged with a relatively high
adult HIV prevalence.
Think Point
Four racial population groups represent the South African population also known as (aka) the rainbow nation.
2.3.3 Languages
South Africa is a multilingual country. Interestingly, there are eleven official languages.
Think Point
2.3.4 Migration
People are continuing to flow from poorer, more rural provinces to the provinces with the largest economies and
the best service delivery (See Figure 2.5 on migration between 2010 and 2011). Such figures can provide national
government with reasons to plan for and implement policies aligned to balanced economic growth. Marketers,
however, follow such trends in order to determine the potential size of markets in different parts of the country.
Gauteng and Western Cape experience the highest net in-migration and rank among the best performing provinces
on employment and living conditions indicators. The two provinces are likely to continue attracting migrants from
inside of and outside the borders of South Africa. The net in-migration has mixed consequences.
Figure 8Figure 2.6: South Africa population growth by province between 2001 and 2011
Source: Stats SA, 2013
Mortality - estimates the life expectancies at birth (the number of years a child expects to live after birth)
Net migration - the difference between immigration and emigration or in-migration and out-migration for a given
area and period.
When it comes to Internet usage and connectivity, the gap between Africa and the first world is still vast. Whereas
the 2012 percentage population users of the Internet in South Africa was 17.40%, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria and
Mauritius recorded 51.00%, 28.00%, 28.40%, and 35.00% respectively.
Economic upliftment
There are two South African government-driven initiatives to address the divide between the two tiers of the
economy – broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE)
• Black economic empowerment (BEE)
o Employment equity
o Skills development
o Ownership and management
o Socio-economic development
o Preferential procurement
• An increased focus on education.
Think Point
What makes Living Standards Measure (LMS) such a credible source of marketing
information?.
Stats SA provides reports that deal with demographics, migration, education, general health and labour force,
mortality and household attributes. Additionally, Stats SA releases economic statistics such as consumer price
index (CPI), producer price index (PPI) the two variables that define the level of inflation. Besides live updates,
some statistics are produced monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually.
Visit Stats SA website and five institutional sources to determine if you can find
information that can assist in profiling of market segments in South Africa.
2.6 Conclusion
Before designing the marketing plan, marketers need to scan the macro-environment in order to identify both
opportunities and threats relevant to the business. By keeping abreast with events that unfold in the macro-
environment, organisations can create an environment in which they will prosper, and increase their efficiency by
focusing their efforts in areas with the greatest customer potential.
2.7 Summary
The South African market environment is still marred with economic disparities that even threaten balanced
economic development. Valuable insights into economic and consumer activity are widely captured courtesy of
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The data sources available for marketers were analysed. The analysis of the
business environment makes it easy for an organisation to identify opportunities.
Answers
2. The discussion may include a variety of issues such as; limitations to the use
of the internet to communicate with current and potential customers, limited
e-commerce opportunities, limited mobile commerce opportunities.
Answers
Unit
3: Identifying Market Opportunities
3.2 The operating environment • Examine the environment in which the organisation operates
3.4 Macro environmental analysis • Undertake environmental audit to pre-empt potential threats
3.5 Industry and market analysis • Apply a range of relevant external analysis technics in order to
gain market insights
3.6 Internal analysis • Apply a range of relevant internal analysis technics to assess
organisation’s resources and capabilities
3.8 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
• Venter, P., & Jansen van Rensburg, M. (2018). Strategic marketing:
theory and application for competitive advantage. 2nd Edition. Oxford.
Cape Town Chapter 3, P 58 – 95.
Recommended Textbooks
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson. Chapter 3,
P55 – 85.
3.1 Introduction
Systematic analysis of the business environment typically commences at the macro level, highlighting aspects of
the broader environment that may impinge on the specific markets the firm operates in. At a more specific, industry
level, however, the identification of the forces driving competition within industries can be a useful starting point.
Subsequently, an internal analysis should be conducted to identify the company’s strengths and weaknesses and
determine whether it is able to take advantage of any opportunities or minimise threats. Smart marketer knows
that not all opportunities are worth chasing, as they may be too costly or too risky to pursue particularly to
organisations whose weaknesses overweigh their strength.
In this unit, opportunity/threat identification is going to be done with the help of renowned tools: STEEPLE and
Porter’s Five Forces. The internal analysis will be accomplished using the marketing audit and financial analysis.
Think Point
The operating environment is marred with surprises with one change occurring
after another. Think of five major changes that you have witnessed in the past
ten years.
The operating environment includes the combination of macro and market environments and the internal
environment in which a company operates.
Figure 9Figure 3.1 The three-tiered operating environment and outline for this chapter
Companies do not operate in a vacuum, as they have to contain a complex network of factors in the unpredictable
operating environment. Despite the complexity, marketers must still create winning strategies capable of carrying
the organisation forward. To gain an understanding of the operating environment, marketers need to engage in
ongoing environmental scanning. Environmental scanning entails acquiring information about events, trend, and
relationships in an organisation’s operating environment.
Case Study
I used to live in the town, and it was always a little perplexing. The mass exodus
was a result of retailers moving to the downtown area. Yet, in recent years,
malls are starting to look a little sparse for a very different reason: People are
buying from Amazon.
The retail giant is raking in the cash. The tech giant scored half of all Black
Friday online sales with more to come today. Call it Cyber Monday if you want,
but it is more like Amazon has become the new Walmart, a place where many
of us shop for just about anything. A better name might be Cyber Decade.
Walmart’s purchase into South Africa’s Massmart took longer than anticipated.
Furthermore, the retailer had to wait a long time before it gained authority to
sell fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy and bakery products. Which PESTLE
elements account for the frustrations experienced by international investors?
Whereas the PEST analysis takes into account political, economic, social, and technological factors, the more
comprehensive STEEPLE analysis incorporates social and demographic, technological, economic, environmental
(natural), political, legal, and ethical factors. Tables 1.1 to 1.3 provide an opportunity identification template.
Opportunity identification template
Activity 3.1
Most marketers believe there is no longer a sellers’ market due to high levels of
competition in any industry. Would you think differently when you analyse the South
African motor industry that appears protected? Use relevant aspects of Porter’s five
forces model as the framework to your response.
Emerging submarkets – marketers should be able to meet the challenge of detecting and understanding
embryonic sub-markets, as a brand may lose market share because of the perception that it is not relevant to the
emerging sub-markets. ‘Green consumers’ are an example of a sub-market.
Market and submarket profitability analysis – most companies aim to generate above-average profits. The
challenge, however, lies in correctly estimating how profitable the average company will be. The profitability and
the attractiveness of an industry or market, as measured by the long-term return on investment, depends largely
on the operating environment in which it functions.
Cost structure – marketers should analyse the cost associated with each value-added activity in order to
understand the cost structure of the market and gain insights into the current and future key success factors. By
analysing the value chain, they can pinpoint where value is added.
Distribution systems – by analysing distribution trends, evaluating the strength of distribution channels, and
considering alternative distribution channels, marketers may discover new opportunities. If trends are examined
and translated into strategies, opportunities may emerge.
Market trends – an external analysis enables marketers to identify market trends that will impact on the company’s
strategies. Three questions that will help marketers detect a real trend as opposed to a fad;
• What is driving it?
• How accessible is it in the mainstream?
• Is it broadly based?
Key success factors – marketers must identify the assets and competencies required in order to compete
successfully. The two types of competencies are; strategic necessities and strategic strengths
• Strategic necessities – these are the basic competencies that each firm must have
• Strategic strengths – these competencies will provide the firm with a competitive advantage
Think Point
Marketers must conduct an in-depth study if weaknesses are discovered after conducting an internal analysis. A
systematic examination of an organisation's marketing objectives, strategies, organisation, and performance.
Below is a checklist of areas marketers should consider when conducting an internal analysis to identify strengths
and weaknesses in their organisation.
OPERATIONS/MANUFACTURING
Facilities
Economies of scale
Capacity
Production or engineering
Technical manufacturing
skill
FINANCE
Cost or availability of
capital
Cash flow
Financial stability
MANAGEMENT
Leadership
Structure, behaviours, &
philosophies
Team work
Activity 3.2
A due diligence study usually precedes any joint venture negotiation. Which
financial ratios would interest you during the study?
Financial analysis includes assessing an array of financial performance areas for the organisation plus comparing
to competitors. The most common measures of financial performance are the analysis of ratios. Ratios are typically
used to compare historical or future trends within a company, or to compare a company or business unit with an
industry or other companies.
Marketers may follow the following four steps when conducting a ratio analysis.
3.7 Conclusion
Constant monitoring of the environment is vital if an organisation expects to keep abreast with changes taking
place. Scanning the environment also unveils opportunities and threats relevant to the business. The industry in
which the company operates may be highly competitive or poses barriers to entry. Proactive managers may design
strategies that provide their company competitive advantage.
3.8 Summary
The starting point for strategic marketing is the identification of market opportunities for marketers to capitalise on.
The discovery of potential threats will also save the marketers money.
The main tools used to scan the external environment are PEST, PESTLE, or STEEPLE. These tools will avail
opportunities and threats. Porter’s Five Forces model is a valuable tool to analyses the industry to determine the
attractiveness.
The internal analysis is also an essential analysis so that marketers can weigh their strength and opportunities
against competitions. A marketing audit should be conducted as part of the internal analysis. A historical analysis
of financial ratios can also reveal the organisation’s performance.
In the next unit, we will discover how opportunities can be developed.
Answers\
Answer guidelines to self-test questions:
1. (a) The lesson here is to emphasise the importance of scanning the external environment
to detect any potential threats. Nokia did not see it coming when Samsung and Apple
dislodge them from there to position
(b) All the five forces are relevant to Nokia. The good discussion should cite the activities
of Nokia’s competitors.
2. Take note of lessons from Prof. Michael Porter.
3. Clicks & Dis-Chem have expanded their market reach, moving from supplying just
medical related products to compete with supermarkets. They have re-defined their
market
Answers\
Answer guidelines to case study questions:
• Environmental scanning is done to identify opportunities and threats
• Market opportunity can be seen as a ‘gap’ in the marketplace where a need is not
satisfied sufficiently, representing a chance to design a product, service, or idea
to bridge the gap
• Future investments may realise that online purchasing is on the increase and will
result in less foot traffic in the shopping malls in the near future
• ROI would be the determining factor when designing future malls
• If occupancy rate falls - it also means less rentals being paid.
• Scanning the environment frequently will equip marketers to come up with, and
adjust current strategies in response to changes in the marketplace
Unit
4: Developing Market Opportunities
4.2 Market definitions • Devise measures to come up with a profitable market or sub-
market
4.6 Market opportunity development • Analyse how forecasting is used to predict market share and
framework share potential
4.9 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
4.1 Introduction
Opportunity identification is followed by an analysis of how the companies can take advantage of the opportunity.
Companies take up opportunities for different strategic reasons, for example, to achieve growth. Some
organisations grow by expanding their business operations to new markets, others develop new or improve existing
products and services, and some differentiate themselves.
This unit focusses on developing market opportunities, which includes an assessment of the present and potential
market. Besides determining the current market share, the marketer should calculate the market size, expected
market growth, and focus future sales.
Think Point
Many marketing and business strategies emerged from the great wars. What
could be the reason?
After establishing the market definition, marketers can determine the maximum potential of the market i.e. the
number of prospective customers that can be served within the defined market. Market potential is the maximum
number of customers who can enter the market given a specific market definition. The number of potential
customers is an important input to calculate the size of the market demand.
Activity 4.1
Is there a market for fast train service plying the Johannesburg to Cape Town
route?
With a little adventure, business often discovers that there is considerable untapped market potential not previously
served. There are five major forces that can restrict a market from reaching its full potential; awareness, availability,
ability to use, benefit deficiency, and affordability (see figure 4.1)
Awareness - Potential consumers are unaware of a product, or do not fully or accurately understand its benefits.
Availability – demand is influenced by availability i.e. if products are not in stock or freely available, market demand
will be reduced.
Ability to use – if consumers are unable to use the products, or perceive them to be technically complicated
products then full potential will not be reached
Benefit deficiency – not all customers have the same lifestyle needs or taste hence the product will not appeal to
them in its current design.
Affordability – some customers may like product benefit, but may simply not afford to purchase it
Some markets grow quickly and reach their full potential much faster than others reach. Discussed below are some
strategies that can be developed to accelerate market growth.
To understand why some new products, fail and others succeed, marketers should consider adoption forces that
affect the rate at which customers enter a market (see figure 4.3).
For rapid adoption, products should meet most of the forces in figure 4.3. Marketers should ask themselves what
they could do to ensure that consumers will adopt their new products.
Detergents Wireless
DVORAK
with improved Cellphones HSDPA USB
keyboard
whiteners modem
Gourville (2006:105−106) provides guidelines to manage resistance to change. How to manage consumer
resistance
• Accept resistance
• Be patient
• Strive for significant improvement
• Eliminate the old
Introduction stage
The product is launched into the market and generally, sales are slow to pick up because customers and
distribution have to be found and convinced. If the product is new to the world, (e.g. the first HD DVD player) it will
face little or no competition and the company will have a pioneering advantage and appeal to innovators. If it is an
addition (e.g. Motorola Razor in the fashion phone market), it will be targeted at a new segment and fit the ‘ideal’
of that segment better than alternative solutions. The key question here has to do with how quickly competitors will
launch a variant. This is normally the stage to build strategies.
Growth stage
The growth stage is characterised by a rapid increase in sales as the product starts to attract different types of
customers and repeat purchases may start. Critically, it is at this stage that competitors assess the product’s
market, profit potential, and decide on their competitive moves. They may decide to modify or improve their current
offerings or enter the market with their own new products. If not, they may use the other elements of the mix to
detract attention away from the product, i.e. an advertising campaign or a price promotion. Defensive attacks may
be required to prevent the curve from flattening.
Maturity
At this stage, the rate of growth slows down significantly. This stage tends to last longer than the previous ones
and is, probably, the most challenging one: it is an unpleasant fact for most marketers that the markets they have
to deal with are mature. This is a stage of severe competition, market fragmentation, and declining profits, due to
overcapacity in the industry. Indeed, competitors will try to uncover untapped niches and/or enter price wars.
Weaker competitors will exit, possibly becoming suppliers to the stronger ones or being bought by them (as we
are currently seeing in the car industry). The survivors will be either companies supplying the bulk of the market,
competing on a high volume–low margin basis, or market niches. Many firms will try to buck the trend and revamp
their PLCs or expand the market by creating a new segment, and hence extra demand overall.
Decline
This stage is marked by a slow or rapid decline in sales of the product. The decline may be due to better solutions
supplanting weaker ones, a change in consumer tastes or an increase in competition, be it domestic or
international.
Case Study
The arrival of Huawei in the second position marks the first quarter since 2Q10
where Apple has not been the number one or two-smartphone company in terms
of market share. Huawei delivered shipments of 54.2 million units to move into
the second position with a record high market share of 15.8%. Samsung
maintained a comfortable lead, although indications from its recent 2Q18
earnings call suggest its mobile division revenues will face challenges moving
forward.
"The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability
to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown,"
said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device
Trackers. "It is worth noting that Apple moved into the top position each of the
last two holiday quarters following its product refresh, so it's likely we'll see
continued movement among the top ranked companies in 2018 and beyond.
Samsung once again remained the leader in the worldwide smartphone market
despite a 10.4% decline in shipments from last year. The flagship S9/S9+, which
launched late in the first quarter, witnessed slower than normal sales according
to Samsung. Samsung claims the slowdown is due to both intensified
competitions at the high end and an overall sluggish smartphone market. The
Korean giant will look to bolster sales in the coming weeks as we await the arrival
of the new Galaxy Note 9.
From the above extract, explain the significance of being a market leader. What
marketing tactics are used to retain or defend market share
The strategic implications of the PLC according to Wilson & Gilligan (2005:479) are:
• Products have a finite lifespan
• During this lifespan, they pass through various stages which present different challenges to the marketer
• Most elements of the organisation's strategy need to change as the product moves from one stage to
another
• Each stage of the PLC offers different profit potentials for products
• Managerial demands and styles vary from stage to stage.
Market share
Market share indicates how a company is performing relative to its competitors and is calculated by dividing the
company’s share by the total sales of all companies for a specified product-market (Cravens & Piercy, 2010).
• Market share = Company’s share / Total market share
The metric indicates how a company is performing relative to its competitor.
Despite the above challenges, marketers must still forecast future sales or revenue in order to create expenditure
budgets.
(Hooley et al., 2017: 200) pieces of advice on how to select a market forecasting method as follows:
• Use simple methods that you understand rather than complex methods understood by few people; simple
methods are often as good as complicated ones
• Choose a forecasting method based on its fitness for the current job, not its past forecasting accuracy
• Use a combination of different methods
• Expensive does not necessarily mean good
• Before making decisions based on forecasts, be aware of the way they were produced, and the limitations
and risks involved.
There are a number of forecasting methods and a few are outlined below;
• User expectations
• Salesforce estimates
• The jury of executive opinion (judgemental forecasting)
• Delphi technique
• Market tests
• Traditional time-series analysis
• Advanced time-series analysis
• Econometric methods
• Input-output analysis
• Statistical demand analysis
Activity 4.3
What advice would you give to a manager bent at making decisions solely
based on forecasts?
4.8 Conclusion
The type of marketing strategy that a marketer adopts is often the result of the interaction of several factors, the
type of the market, its structure, and the likely future of that market. Strategies are developed specifically to take
advantage of gaps identified in a markets. A full understanding of the market and its potential is therefore essential.
Market opportunities can then be assessed to see how growth can be achieved.
The unit focused on developing market opportunities after clearly defining the market that the business operates
in. the present and potential size of the market, including market potential, market growth, market share and sales
forecasting were assessed.
4.9 Summary
Opportunity analysis took centre stage, as this is a means to determine if there is potential to grow a business. A
framework for developing and evaluating opportunities was utilised. An opportunity not supported with substantial
demand is not worth pursuing.
Growing the business may also result in increased market share.
3. Proper opportunity analysis saves time and money. How do you ascertain
potential investors that you are chasing after realist opportunities?
Answers
Answers
Unit
5: Identifying and Targeting
Attractive Market Segments
5.2 Segmentation, targeting, and • Appraise the separate and joint use of segmentation, targeting
positioning and positioning in strategic marketing process
5.5 Differentiation and positioning • Assess implications of segmentation, targeting, and positioning
strategies
5.7 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
• Venter, P., & Jansen van Rensburg, M. (2018). Strategic marketing:
theory and application for competitive advantage. 2nd Edition. Oxford.
Cape Town. Chapter 5, P 130 – 164.
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.Chapter 7,
P159 - 185 & Chapter 9, P214 - 233.
5.1 Introduction
Segmentation, targeting, and positioning are three key concepts in our approach to strategic marketing. When
developing marketing strategies, it is important first to understand which market segments exist – this is the
segmentation process. Most companies do not have abundant resources to satisfy all three needs of every market
segment and would conveniently chase after segments than can be served profitably – this is the targeting
process. Having targeted certain segments, marketers must decide how to complete in each of their chosen
segments – this is known as their positioning in the segment.
Market segmentation should result in a manageable number of segments that will enable marketers to make better
strategic marketing decisions, and provide a clear idea of what customers in the segment value and, subsequently,
which value propositions will appeal to them.
Analysis of segments should highlight certain opportunities that marketers can pursue using a personalised value
proposition. Market segments that are underserved or ignored by competitors, for example, present as an
uncontested opportunity. Marketers need to understand what specifically customers in this segment value so that
they can identify value opportunities to be used as the basis for succesrsful competition in that segment.
Organisations do not necessarily take on every opportunity that presents itself as a decision should be informed
by the organisations’ strategic capabilities and its relative strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the organisation
may decide to scale down, postpone, or even avoid competing in segments that they deem cpmlex or expensive
to develop. After selecting a lucrative segment, marketers are expected to contnuously monitor actual value
delivered in each segment, for example, through market research, and re-evaluate and adjust their value
proposition as and when required.
Think Point
Good segmentation can help organisations to become more profitable by focusing marketing efforts on segments
that will be most beneficial to them.
Needs-based segmentation
Termed one the most robust process, needs-based segmentation uses the buyers’ needs and preferences as the
basis for segmentation. This method of segmentation is extremely robust and results in a deep, detailed
understanding of consumer needs, attitudes, and perceptions that make it easier for marketers to understand which
value propositions will appeal to which segments, and why. During needs-based segmentation, other types of
data such as demographic and geographic segmentation data are useful in developing segment profiles and
making segment members recognisable.
Demographic segmentation
Demographic segmentation uses demographic variables, for example, age, gender, income, etc. or a combination
of these to group customers into segments. Demographic segmentation divides markets into segments using
demographic factors such as gender (e.g., First for women insurance for women), age (e.g., McDonald’s kiddy
burgers and upsize burgers for teens and young adults), income (e.g., Lexus automobiles for wealthy consumers),
and education (e.g., online executive MBA programs for busy professionals).
According to Ferrell & Hartline, (2014) demographic segmentation tends to be the most widely used basis for
segmenting consumer markets because demographic information is widely available and relatively easy to
measure. In fact, much of this information is easily obtainable during the situation analysis through secondary
sources which makes it an objective segmentation process.
Despite its objectivity, unfortunately, demographic segmentation becomes less useful when the firm has a strong
interest in understanding the motives or values that drive buying behavior. Often, the motives and values that drive
actual purchases do not necessarily have anything to do with demographics. For example, how would you describe
the demographic characteristics of a price sensitive, value-conscious consumer?
Demographics remain important in segmentation studies because they help to profile customers or potential
customers, but they are not particularly useful as key segmentation variables.
Geographical segmentation
In geographic segmentation, variables such as province, city development status (urban or rural), or postal codes
are used to group customers into segments. Geographic characteristics often play a large part in developing market
segments. For example, firms often find that their customers are geographically concentrated.
Geographical segmentation is by the implicit assumption that customers sharing a geographical space have similar
needs. Geographic data is useful in describing segments, particularly if it is combined with other data such as
demographics, but is not useful as a primary segmentation method.
Psychographic segmentation
Psychographic segmentation deals with state-of-mind issues such as motives, attitudes, opinions, values,
lifestyles, interests, and personality. Personality types, lifestyle, and values are psychographic variables often used
to group customers. Ferrell & Hartline, (2014) believe that these issues are more difficult to measure, and often
require primary marketing research to properly determine the makeup and size of various market segments. Once
the firm identifies one or more psychographic segments, they can be combined with demographic, geographic, or
behavioral segmentation to create fully developed consumer profiles.
Psychographic segmentation is unfortunately regarded as too vague to be able to predict what customers might
buy in the future. However, the segmentation method is useful in identifying communication messages that might
appeal to customers but has limited use in providing marketing decision-makers with ideas for how to retain existing
customers or gain new ones.
Behavioural segmentation
Behavioural segmentation is the practice of clustering customers and potential customers according to their
understanding of, uses for, and responses to products and services. Typically, these distinctions are tied to the
reasons that customers buy and use products. Behaviouristic segmentation may include volume usage rates,
expenditure, brand loyalty levels, benefits sought, price sensitivity and end-use.
Ferrell & Hartline, (2014) believe behavioural segmentation is among the most powerful approaches because it
uses actual consumer behavior or product usage to make distinctions among market segments. Consequently,
behavioral segmentation, unlike other types of consumer segmentation, is most closely associated with consumers’
needs.
Although behavioral segmentation is a powerful tool, it is however quite difficult to execute in practice. For example,
conducting research to identify behavioral segments is quite expensive and time-consuming. Also, the personal
characteristics associated with behavioral segments are not always clear.
Mass customisation
Advances in technology have enabled certain categories of products and services to be customised on a large
scale.
Permission marketing
Permission marketing occurs where customers sign up to be part of a market segment – in other words, they give
the marketer permission to market to them. For example, by checking a ‘like option to receive information’ from a
specific organisation provides that marketer explicit authority to send their marketing material. There is however
an option to reverse the consent.
Activity 5.1
Think Point
A good market segmentation process should differentiate between the B2B and
B2C market segments..
The decision-making process in the business-to-business (B2B) market segment differs significantly from the
Business-to-consumer (B2C) market. The purchase decisions in the business market are predominantly made by
the buying centre’. The buying centre comprisses of a number of role players who play different roles towards
purchases.
Marketers should have some idea of how purchase decisions are made in the two markets.
There are numerous barriers to segmentation development ranging from capability to resource constraints.
Activity 5.2
From Table 5.2, the most attractive market segment is ‘eco-warriors’ and the least attractive being ‘First-time
buyers’.
From Figure 5.3, the most competitive product is new cars under R150 000 hence marketers need to come up with
strategies for the eco-warriors to purchase new cars under R150 000. The other alternative is to push e-volve
compact brand towards the eco-warriors.
5.5.2 Positioning
Marketers should decide on the positioning concept i.e. how management wants customers and potential
customers to view the company, product, or brand. This must be supported by a positioning strategy. Lastly,
marketers must evaluate whether positioning objectives were attained in the target segment.
Think Point
Perceptual mapping is a graphic depiction of the competitive positions occupied by different competing companies
or brands. The two most common combination of attributes used to compare competitors on price and quality.
Other positioning dimensions are:
• Product features
• Product benefits
• Heritage
• Manufacturing process
• Ingredients
• Endorsements by customers, intermediaries or celebrities
• Competitive comparisons
• Environmental friendliness
• Value for money
Think Point
Have you ever thought of a perceptual map as an overly simplified positioning tool that
omits an array of potentially critical positioning variables? Think of reasons for its continued
use as a positing framework.
Case Study
Interplay between air passengers' service quality, satisfaction, loyalty and loyalty
programmes in South African owned airlines
This article examines service quality, passenger satisfaction, loyalty programmes and
passenger loyalty to the South African owned airlines. As in the global airline marketplace,
passengers are the key constituents of the South African airline industry. Therefore,
providing service excellence and quality should be the airlines' main fiduciary duty and
responsibility. From a passenger's perspective, excellent service quality induces customer
satisfaction and future loyalty and patronage. From an airline's perspective, providing
service quality promotes competitive advantage and increases the prospect of enjoying
ongoing passenger patronage and loyalty (Steven, Dong & Dresdner 2012:743). In the
global airline industry, loyalty or frequent flyer programmes are widely used to build stronger
links with customers (Keller 2013:189). The rationale is: 'identifying, maintaining, and
increasing the yield from a firm's best customers through long-term, interactive, value-
added relationships' (Keller 2013:189).
Source: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1684-
19992017000100020
From the above extract and using price and value for money as the only differentiators,
develop a perception map to illustrate the unique positions in the marketplace occupied by
competing airlines plying the South Africa domestic routes.
5.6 Conclusion
A business is more likely to succed if it correctly identify and target lucrative market segments. Markers would then
need to offer products, services, and brands that match the value of customers in the market segments. The
targeting process essetially points marketers to market segments that are likely to be more profitable, easier to
interact with, and offers future growth. After profiling the best market segment, the next step would be to select a
positioning strategy.
5.7 Summary
When done deligently, the process of segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) brings success to market
oriented businesses. Different types of segmentation variables are utilised culminating in luctrative market
segments being selected. Ampel targeting strategies are exlplored before a positioning strategy is derived for thr
chosen market segment. A well created position helps the business to communicate value to their market segment.
2. Segment Coca Cola South African markets according to (a) brands (b) type of
customers. (c) Geographical areas. What do you presume as the best way of
segmenting the Coca Cola market?
Answers Guidelines
Case Study
Unit
6: Sustainable Competitive
Advantage (SCA)
6.2 Sustainable competitive advantage • Describe the essence of attaining sustainable competitive
advantage
6.3 Global competitive advantage • Evaluate the theoretical frameworks used to accesses and
achieve international sustainable competitive advantage
6.5 Marketing strategies for growth • Prescribe marketing strategies for growth markets
markets
6.6 Marketing strategies for mature and • Recommend appropriate strategies for both mature and
declining markets declining markets
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
6.1 Introduction
Attaining sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) locally and globally is one of the main reasons for an
organisation’s continued success and extended product life cycle (PLC). Once SCAs are established, marketers
must incorporate them in the marketing strategies. This unit established sources of competitive advantage and
strategies thereafter that can be deployed to retain the competitive advantage. Various business growth options
are explored in different market situations. Strategies should be deployed after they have been tested.
Think Point
Competitive advantage occurs when an orgnaisation successfully formulates and executes business strategies
that are different from and create more value than the strategies of its competitors.
Activity 6.1
Think Point
Just like companies do, countries can also develop national competitive advantages that are reffered to as
comparative advantages. A country’s comparative advantage can be defined as the net effect that is created when
a country specialises in the manufacturing of products that it manufactures most efficiently and from buying
products from other countries that it manufactures less efficiently.
6.3.1 Ownership-based
An ownership-based global competitive advantage is created when an organisation has ownership of a valuable
asset or factor, or a strong market position – e.g. for a long time, Toyota International has been the global market
leader in vehicle sales.
6.3.2 Access-based
An access-based competitive advantage is created when an organisation has superior access to a factor of
production or product market e.g. when a mine which enjoys mining tenure on its mining claim.
6.3.3 Proficiency-based
A proficiency-based global competitive advantage is created when an organisation has superior knowledge,
competence, or capabilities in relation to its competitors e.g. having patent rights to a product or holding on to a
special recipe such as the Coca-Cola’s special ingredients for coke.
Ma’s model proposes that global competitive advantage is created by ‘the Four Cs’: competition, creation, co-
option, and co-operation (see figure 6.2).
6.4.1 Competition
Competition can be discussed as aggressive behaviour towards rival(s) companies. Figure 6.3, illustrates six
methods for creating a competitive advantage in a competitive environment.
Timing and positioning (first-mover advantage) - Usually first-in-the-market advantages are enduring due to access
to the market which late entrants cannot readily match. Think of Vodacom and MTN against Cell C and Virgin
mobile.
Pre-emptive move - The pre-emptive move ties in with the first-mover advantage and relates to the fact that being
first in the market can secure the most luctrative segments or niches, making it more difficult for competitors to
enter the market. The first-mover can protect its market with the use of patents or raising entry barriers e.g.
Microsoft which ensured that other computer companies had to use Microsoft software in running their operating
systems.
Direct/frontal attack - Direct attack is a less commonly used strategies due to the risk of backlash but may payout
in certain circumstances. Succeeding in a frontal attack creates a competitive advantage for an organisation by
indicating its aggressiveness to the opposition. The victory sends a strong statement to other competitors and
instills confidence to customers of the commitment the organisation has in this market.
Flanking attack - The tactic is not to confront a competitor face-to-face, but to do so in a more roundabout way.
A flacking attack should be made only after calculating risk because competitors may be ignorant, lack interest, or
find it futile to try to counteract the attack.
Encirclement - This strategy takes flacking attack further by indirectly attacking the competitor. The aggressor
builds its strength in areas where the competitor does not feature. Peripheral markets are attacked first before a
head-on assault is launched e.g. Red Bull encirclement strategy.
Concentration - Concentration refers to an organisation focusing its resources on a specific segment of the market
in order to obtain a competitive advantage. E.g. First for Women.
Creating new products or new markets - The creation of new capabilities, resources, products, and markets will
set an excellent way to avoid direct competition.
Effective organisational structure – aligning the organisational structure with company strategy can provide SCA
that an organisation can enjoy.
Organisational learning – an organisation can use the collective process of sharing knowledge to improve
performance. When knowledge is accumulated and utilised to obtain best-practice, a competitive advantage can
be obtained as in the case of Toyota
Superior corporate culture and creative HR practice – a superior corporate culture can be described joint belief
in value systems that are instilled in an organisation and that guide employees in their actions.
6.4.3 Co-operation
To create competitive advantage through co-operation requires that an organisation initiates or participates in
collaborative agreements with other businesses, i.e. alliances are formed in order to overcome a common
competitor. Figure 6.4, illustrates six methods for creating a competitive advantage through co-operation.
Obtaining a foothold – one of the most reliable ways a company can enter a market is by co-opting local partners
that have access to that market. The advantages of this strategy range from outlaying less initial capital to develop
the market to working with a partner with insider market information.
Pooling resource and sharing risks – this enables role players to tackle challenges that they would not be able to
undertake independently. Less capital and effort is required and risk is spread.
Sharing complementary resources and skills – business can pool complementary resources and skills to
venture jointly into opening up a new market or come up with a new product.
Learning from partners – in some highly technical fields or industries, businesses are forced to co-operate
because of, among other things, the speed of innovation and the high costs of R&D.
Building alliances – forming alliances helps the business to overcome common competitors. Co-operation is
better than the competition.
Using multiple alliances – working with multiple partners across the globe open up various opportunities, e.g.
logistics and supply options.
6.4.4 Co-option
Co-option involves collaboration between different parties or organisations to create a competitive advantage by
eliminating threats or seizing opportunities.
Tacit collusion – occurs when two or more competitors engage in a salient undertaking to limit competition to a
certain area, or to share the market or to put pressure on a rival who does not compete fairly, e.g. Nike and Reebok
that compete on brand image but with a tacit understanding that price competition will diminish the image of both
brands.
Enlisting a third party – a third party may be roped in to help an organisation to attain a competitive advantage
when there is intensive rivalry, i.e. a third party can swing the balance in favour of one organisation.
Lobbying the government – an organisation may lobby government for a more favourable business environment,
e.g. may request the introduction of barriers of entry to foreign competitors in domestic markets either arbitrary of
through the use of import taxes. Infant industry arguments are widely used in developing countries.
Engaging influential stakeholders – engaging and gaining support or acknowledgement from influential
stakeholders may bring competitive advantage. Influential stakeholders may take the mold of religious leaders,
social or cultural groups, and trade unions.
Co-opting customers – getting customers on your side assures the organisation of continued support and
rejection of competitors who may want to enter the market or community.
Igor Ansoff in the 1960s explored growth options available for marketers to pursue. His model is essential for
strategic marketing planning where it can be applied to look at opportunities to grow revenue for a business through
developing new products and services or "tapping into" new markets. Organisations have four main options to
achieve growth;
• Market penetration
• Market development
• Product development, and
• Diversification
Case Study
To demonstrate the robustness and legitimacy of Ansoff’s Matrix, it has been applied to
Coca-Cola, the most well-known trade name in the world and a company today operating
in over 200 countries; and a brand that has undertaken countless growth strategies in its
100+ year history.
Source: https://www.business-to-you.com/ansoff-matrix-grow-business/
Explain how Coca Cola has adapted options availed by the Ansoff growth matrix in pursuant
of growing its sales volumes.
6.5.2 Product development (new product sold to the existing customer base)
Growth through product development implies that the organisation develops new products to be sold to existing
customers. This is usually achieved through innovation supported by R&D. the current product mix can be modified
and extended. The organisation can achieve this through add product features, i.e. product refinement, expand
the product line, new generation products, and introduce innovative products.
6.5.4 Diversification
Diversification is yet another growth alternative that is relatively dynamic and risky. Diversification calls for entering
uncharted waters – entering new markers with new products. Two options available are related and unrelated
diversification.
Related diversification occurs when an organisation provides a variety of complementary goods and services,
whereas unrelated diversification refers to expansion into unrelated industries.
Altenative diversification routes - diversification can arise due to joint ventures, alliances, mergers and acqusitions.
Activity 6.1
Investigate reasons other than the growth of sales that sway corporations to seek growth in
international markets.
The video rental business has been on the decline. What advice would you
give to a video rental operator owning several outlets in most urban areas of
South Africa?
6.8 Conclusion
Attaining startegic competitive advantage (SCA) locally or globally provide companies with comfort as competitors
will need to catch up. SCA is realised from successful formulation and execution of business strategies that are
different from and ultimately create more value for the organisation than the strategies of competitiors. The
strategies are designed for different market situations.
6.9 Summary
The steps in creating Sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) are discussed and sources of global and local
SCA outlined. SAC can originate from competitions, creation and innovation, co-operation, and co-option. Different
strategies are created for the different market situation such as strategies for declining markets. Strategies cannot
be deployed before they are tested for suitablity, feasbility, and acceptability. The next unit will look at how an
organisation can prosper through product and service innovation.
Answers
Answers
Finally, unrelated diversification entails entry into a new industry that lacks important
similarities with the company’s existing markets. Coca-Cola generally avoids risky
adventures into unknown territories and can instead utilise its brand strength to continue
growing within the drinks industry. That said, Coca-Cola offers official merchandise from
pens and glasses to fridges, therefore exploiting its strong brand advocacy through this
strategy.
Unit
7: Productivity and Service
Innovation
7.2 Defining innovation • Understand the magnitude at which innovation takes place
7.3 The role of innovation • Appraise why innovation is an important ingredient to economic
growth
7.5 A modern perspective on the • Design communication to reach the target audience
innovation process
7.6 Organisational issues • Analyse how the hierarchy in an organisation gets involved in
innovation
7.7 Measuring innovation success • Deploy measuring technics to assess innovation progress
7.9 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.Chapter 12,
300 - 329 & Chapter 13, 342 – 352.
7.1 Introduction
Product and service life cycle was discussed in Chapter 3 relating to how product/services are managed and
monitored as they compete in the marketplace. Preceding this process is how and why new products and services
are developed – the notion of innovation. The two-prong process – innovation and marketing are basic functions
that marketers must master as only companies that succeed in developing and managing new products and
services reap the rewards. Innovators do not just ruffle competitions but places their products ahead of competitors
who will only but try to play catch up. Marketers should continuously track the performance of their brands so that
they can pick up the slightest shift in consumer tastes and preferences. Innovators may wish to go beyond
repackaging of current products and develop completely new market offerings.
In this unit, the process of actually developing a new product or service is described and discussed.
Case Study
Over 90,000 employees, 200 manufacturing plants and 86 labs are all focused on
progressing 3M’s innovation agenda, but how do 3M maintain and sustain this engine of
innovation?
Wanting to know the answers, I visited the 3M Innovation Centre (Bracknell, UK) in October.
From the moment I stepped in the door, I felt the inspiration and the potential to make a
difference. With pictures of “Hall of Fame Innovators” and 3Ms innovation elements plastered
all around the building, I knew this visit was going to be special.
I met Wynne Lewis, UK R&D Director and Adam Newland, UK&I Senior Technical Manager,
who shared some of 3M’s secret sauce: “Research is the transformation of money into
knowledge; innovation is the transformation of knowledge into money.” 3M understand the
importance of knowledge, and know knowledge is used to create value.
Source: https://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2017/11/07/five-innovation-lessons-
from-3m/
Contrast organisational factors that kept 3M innovative for decades to factors provided in
your study guide.
Think Point
One popular perception of innovation is that it has to do with developing brand-new, advanced solutions for
sophisticated, well-off customers through the exploitation of the most recent advances in knowledge (Fagerberg,
Srhole & Verspagen, 2009). Yet, Zetler, (2013: 12 -14) opines that the word innovation makes people think that a
vast amount of investment must be spent to develop hi-tech gadgets. Economist Joseph Schumepter: “We can
distinguish five types of innovation: new products, new markets, new methods, new sources of supply, and new
ways to organise business”.
A few levels of innovation commonly identified are:
• Incremental innovation: Represented by small changes to the existing market offering to add value, for
example, adding a flavour to an existing consumer product.
• Substantial innovation: The innovation is readily visible and may include better delivery of a service
such as additional product support.
• Transformational innovation: The innovation is quite radical and may be driven by advances in
technology such as the adoption of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to replace the now-defunct map
books.
Search the Internet (The World’s Most Innovative Companies) to gather information
on the breadth and depth of innovativeness.
Competition
Creates jobs
Innovation creates competition as companies try to win customers by offering superior products - all to the benefit
of consumers. Multinational corporations, for example, would rather seek to attain a long-term competitive
advantage through product or service innovation than compete on price which usually brings short-term benefits.
In addition to competitive advantages created by innovation, evidence suggests that innovation not only creates
jobs, but it could also lead to the development of better-skilled workers. Increased consumption is likely going to
support the industrial sector making new-capital investment possible.
In a broader societal context, innovation improves the quality of life of people. South Africa has its fair share of
well-known innovations.
Think Point
• Business analysis
The business case for the product is developed. The purpose of this stage is to determine what the
potential revenue of the product is, compared to the cost of producing it, and whether the profits generated
will meet the company’s investment criteria concerning the required return on investment.
• Product development
During this phase, the actual development and testing of the product will take place. A prototype may be
built to gather feedback and refine the final product. The developed product may be test-marketed before
market launch.
• Test marketing
Rather than launching a product into the whole market all at once, innovators may opt for a test marketing
phase to iron out any problems that remain. Following a successful test-marketing phase, the product is
ready for commercialisation.
• Commercialisation
The product is ready to be launched through the selected channel. This process is supported by an
extensive marketing and public relations campaign to ensure that the intended market becomes aware of
any new product as soon as it launched.
This traditional innovation process has been criticised for lacking insights into informing marketers on how fast the
innovation will be adopted. Among other things, a modern perspective on the innovation process has been put
forward and it is based on three equally important legs:
• Leg 1 – get insights
• Leg 2 – create the idea
• Leg 3 – communication
Get insight
Create the
Communication
idea
Various options to the innovation may form but a consencus should be reached and a test to how attaractive the
option is can be subjected to a framework (see Table 7.1).
After classifying the ideas into a few options, the creative team will have a few fairly solid ideas that could be
advanced into concepts. The concept should have at least meet the following requirements;
• A descriptive and evocative name
• A good match for the organisation
• A clear benefit
• Use visuals
• Create headlines and taglines
The concept should be 100% understood by the intended market. The litmus test for a concept usually used is the
80 x 30 test i.e. can the concept be described in 80 words or less and can it be read in 30 minutes or less. The
creative team can seek comments and feedback after a pilot.
7.8 Conclusion
Innovation is part of organisational development. As changes occur on the marketspace, organisations must
equally innovate least they lag behind competitors. Marketers innovate to keep in touch with the changing
consumer needs.
7.9 Summary
Product and service innovation is discussed in unit 7. Innovation was classified as new product or service to the
market. The role of innovation cannot be underestimated as it is an important part of the future of progressive
companies. The traditional innovation process is still relevant and can be used to analyse and measure the
innovation. Unit 8 will discuss how branding can create strategic competitive advantage.
Answers
Answers
The above are very similar to the 7 factors given in Section 7.2 of the study
guide
Unit
8: Branding and Positioning
8.3 Building a brand • Illustrate how holistic branding creates strong brands
8.5 Managing the brand • Demonstrate knowledge of the nature and process of brand
management
Prescribed Textbook
• Venter, P., & Jansen van Rensburg, M. (2018). Strategic marketing: theory and
application for competitive advantage. 2nd Edition. Oxford. Cape Town.Chapter 8, P
226 – 260.
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing strategy and
competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.Chapter 13, P334 - 342
8.1 Introduction
Brands are a sign of creative marketing and implementation of a comprehensive brand management framework.
Brands enjoy positive spinoffs such as brand extension and line extension. This unit will detail how brands can
achieve competitive advantage for the company.
Gobe, (2001) empahsises the emotional aspect of branding: “Branding is not only ubiquity, visibility, and functions;
it is about bonding emotionally with people in their daily life. Only when a product or a service kindles an emotional
dialogue with the consumer, can this product or service qualify to be a brand”.
Knapp, (2000) offers a succinct definition of branding as ‘the internalised sum of all impressions received by
customers and consumers resulting in a distinctive position in their “mind’s eye” based on perceived emotional and
functional benefits.’
Achieving substential brand equity is every marketer’s dream as a brand can be exploited to satisfy several
avenues of marketing such as brand extension. Brand equity is an important intangible asset value that positively
impacts the balance sheet.
Activity 8.3
Consider why brands are termed organisational asset that add value to a
business
Building a brand involves far more than merely developing an identifty or logo - a brand needs to be underpinned
by a well-defined set of values and should be anchored in strategy of a business.
Holistic approaches to branding (Schmidt & Ludlow, 2002; Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000 ) formed the bases of
strategic brand leadership that was replacing the classic, tactically-oriented brand management system pioneered
in the twentieth century.
The holistic approach to branding is depicted in Figure 8.1, highlighting the many facets of a brand that ultimately
impact its total reputation.
Brands are not just build for customers but they need to connect with a multiplicity of audiences or stakeholders.
The typical stakeholders take the form of:
• Sharehoders
• Industry regulators
• Internal staff at all levels
• Media
• Customers
• Communities
• Intermediaries
• Suppliers
• Other funders
• Industry analysts
Name
Over time the name becomes the holder of equity. Naming a brand is important and involves various options such
as:
• Descriptive – names that explain what the company does in literal terms, e.g. General Electric or Standard
Bank
• Semi-descriptive – names that partially convey meaning, often through abbreviation, use of acronyms or
derivation from another language or historic reference, e.g. MTN. Stanlib, or Nike
• Invented or blue sky – names with no direct meaning or derivation, e.g. Kodak
Logo
Logos are a creative design option available to a brand to symbolise its foundational values and meaning, and set
it apart from its competitors. Logos range from simple, modern, and dynamic to complex, heraldic, and
conservative, depending on the strategic intent of the brand owner and the values alluded to above.
Logotype
This a letter-form used to express the name of the brand, and presents another opportunity for marketers to develop
uniqueness and diferentiation in their category and define the foundational personality of the brand e.g. Virgin
Colour
Colour is a definitive part of building early identity and aggregading long-term brand equity. Colour pyschologist
provide vivid arguments matching certain colours to brand personality and brand image. Colour choice remains a
contentious topic given that colour is subjected to different cultural, and religious intepretetions.
The use of colour, however, aids to customer awareness and recall, forming an intergral and critical part of brand
building process. You cannot wonder why fast food restaurants use primary or bright colours.
Style
The style of a brand unifies all the elements discussed thus far into what constitutes a visual language, and a ‘look
and feel’ that is unique to a particular brand. The considered use of geometric shapes, additional colour palettes,
photography, and graphic layout sysstems determines the overall impression created by the band and the
perception of the customer or consumer.
• Design
Design is meant to create the differential point for the offering versus competiting brands. Design should
captivatebrand meaning, character, and ultimately position the brand.
• Implementation
Poor implementation will negate the effect of good strategic and creative work and it is therefore important
that marketers dedicate adequate time, resources, and commitment to the implementation phase in the
brand building process. The process should be imbeded with check moments to ensure that good
performnce is sustained.
On a daily bases, consumers face a myriad of brands, products, and service and if they were to objectively re-
evaluate the costs, benefits, and relative advantages of each offering each time they make a purchase, they would
struggle to get much done. Consumers who have already found comfort in certain brand would rather minimise the
purchase effort – a critical reason why a marketer should position a brand in the consumer’s mind.
Activity 8.1
Create a perceptual and value map for mobile phone market in South Africa
The positioning process includes establishing category membership, deciding on brand differentiators, and
differentiation of products and services.
Points of parity (POP) – these are the minimum attributes that all competing brands should posess for them to be
at least consudered by consumers.
Points of differnce (POD) – are attributes or benefits that consumers strongly associate with in a brand but believe
the benefits cannot be found to the same extent in competing brands. The differnce is what makes consumers
choose the brand ahead of the rest.
Barwise and Meeham, (2005) suggest a checklist for ensuring that differentiation is customer-focused:
• What are the main benefits you deliver fro your most important customers?
• Do you deliver these for all your customers?
• Do your competitors offer the same benefits?
• Are you proud of being ‘Simply Better’?
Features Delivery
Customisation Installation
Reliability Returns
Repairability
Design
In Table 8.3 Dumovic and Knowles, (2008) provide a six-question toolkit for identifying product-driven
differentiators using the example of phamaceutical application.
Table 20Table 8.3 Six question toolkit for identifying product-driven differentiators
Perceptual mapping
Perceptual mapping/market mapping is a diagrammatic technique used by asset marketers that attempts to visually
display the perceptions of customers or potential customers. It displays perceptions about specific attributes of an
organization, brand, product, service, or idea. The positioning of a brand is influenced by customer perceptions
rather than by those of businesses. This diagrammatic technique (perceptual mapping) places products relative to
one another along two or more axis.
Figure 8.5, provides consumer perceptions of various brands that satisfy thirst.
Once marketers have established a brand’s category membership and a means of differentiation, the next step is
to craft a positioning statement that captures the brand’s value proposition. The statement should answer the
following questions:
• Who are the chosen customer?
• Which set of needs is fulfilled?
• Why is this offering the best to satisfy those needs?
Internal brand alignment is therefore the business activities that develop a deeper sense of the organisation's brand
within the employees. A brand identity can only be built by an organisation if its employees believe in it.
Totsi & Stotz, maintain that traditional branding efforts have focused on external activity at the expense of internal
brand building efforts. They propose the following four-steps process for aligning employees with the promise that
a brand makes:
• Clarify the brand proposition or promise of value to customers
• Establish the brand character that will best deliver that value
• Translate brand character into values and behavioural practices for both company leaders and the
company as a whole
• Redress human capital systems’current practice to align their compatibility to the brand pronise
Repositioning
Brand specialists advocate that brand equity needs to b ctively managed over time by reinforcing the brand
meaning and, if necessary, by revitalising the brand – brand repositioning.
Case Study
Rebranding does not always mean changing a name or logo, and that is the case here. The
National Geographic rebranding is more about refocusing the positioning and aligning the
growing number of media properties clearly under one “rallying cry.”
The iconic gold border and priceless brand name stayed. What was added was the idea of
“further,” which focused the company on progress and the quest for knowledge, science,
adventure and exploration across all platforms, including the flagship magazine and travel
magazines, television networks, social and digital properties, kid’s media, live events and
even consumer products.
The brand plays a role internally as well, as a strategic filter for future initiatives, as a
motivator and source of price for employees, and as a tool for recruiting talent.
National Geographic’s brand now, by definition can go further– “It never ends, it knows no
bounds.”
Source: http://lisamerriam.com/rebranding-national-geographic-further/
With reference to the case study, analyse the unique ways in which National Geographic
aims to remain relevant on the marketplace..
Figure 8.7, shows the top 100 brands as valued by Interbrand during the year 2018. Most interesting is the topling
of long standing leader Coca-Cola by Apple.
More than half of the Best Global Brands came from five sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (13), Financial
Services (12), Luxury (9), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9). Luxury is the new Top Growing Sector in
percentage terms (42%), replacing Retail, which continues impressive growth at second (36%). Electronics is third
(20%), Sporting Goods is fourth (13%), followed by Financial Services (10%).
The combined total value of the Top 100 crosses the $2 trillion threshold, an increase of 7.7% from 2017.
Figure 8.8 depicts Aaker and Johnston, (2000) brand relationship spectrum, with four strategies and nine sub-
strategies. This illustrates the continuum between a house of brands startegy that includes an independant set of
stand-alone brands to a branded house (a single master brand) that spans multiple offerings with descriptive sub-
brands.
Corporate brand
Within a brand portfolio, a corporate brand is the brand that defines the organisation that will deliver and stand
behind the offering.
8.8 Conclusion
Brands have become an integral part of lives as we interact with brands every day of our life. Brands are a result
of successful marketing efforts that can be termed invisible company assets. Successful branding will show by
consumers who display intense emotional attachment with the brand. Marketers expect to create a sizable number
of consumers who are brand loyal.
8.9 Summary
The concept of building brands was discussed to show how a brand adopts its identity. Brands are built around
specific brand elements. The unit also explored the role and application of positioning in developing a differentiated
and appealing value preposition. Brands on the decline need to be rejuvenated, including repositioning. Brand
success can be evaluated using numerous brand measurement models.
Answers
Answers
Unit
9: The Marketing Plan
9.2 Marketing planning defined • Explain and analyse how market segmentation, targeting and
positioning principles formulate the bases of marketing planning
9.3 The marketing planning process • Propose strategic direction supported with fitting objectives and
marketing activities
9.5 Obstacles to the marketing plan • Discover major obstacles to development and implementation of
marketing plans
9.7 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.Chapter 15,
P413 - 425
9.1 Introduction
Most marketing programs fail not because of a lack of resources and talent, but because of a lack of planning,
focus, and consistent action. Alternatively, when, “Businesses don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan!”
The marketing planning process enables marketers to make informed decisions about the most appropriate
marketing options to profit, market share, and other objectives.
Think Point
Planning is defined as a systematic process of forecasting the future business environment and then deciding on
the most appropriate goals, objectives, and positions for best exploiting the environment. Planning is essential as
it provides focus, co-ordinates activities, and structures the implementation and execution of strategic and
operational activities. Marketing planning allows for a structured and systematic approach that enables marketers
to understand and take advantage of the dynamic environment in which a company operates.
Marketing planning culminates in a marketing plan that documents marketing intelligence, proposed marketing
accomplishments, intended marketing strategies and action plans, and control measures.
Figure 9.1 illustrates that the marketing plan is the outcome of an ongoing process evaluating marketing activities.
Operational marketing plan - deals with the marketing mix strategy that will be used to gain leverage in a specific
product-market for a specific market segment.
Marketing plans (both strategic & operational) must possess the following characteristics:
• Explain intended strategies for building relationships by creating, communicating, and delivering value to
customers
• Outline employee activities for reaching objectives
• Show mechanisms for measuring progress toward objectives
• Allow for adjustments if actual results are off course or the environment shifts
Think Point
Do you plan? Reflect on your life experiences to identify five reasons why
planning is essential.
Research has shown that marketing planning can make a significant contribution to commercial success.
Some benefits of planning are:
• The systematic identification of emerging opportunities and threats
• Preparedness to meet change
• The specification of sustainable competitive advantages
• Improved communication among executives
• Reduction of conflicts between individuals and departments
• The involvement of all levels of management in the planning process
• More appropriate allocation of scarce resources
• Consistency of approach across the organisation
• A more market-focused orientation across the organisation
• Acceptability of risk level: Effective strategies involve a level of risk that is within the organisation's
limits of acceptability
• Feasibility within the organisation's resources: Effective strategies consider the availability of
resource before execution
• Provision of a level of guidance to tactical activity: Effective strategies facilitate their implementation
by providing clear tactical activities that are necessary for and appropriate to the execution of the strategy.
Study Table 9.1 in your prescribed textbook. Search the Internet to identify then compare
the suggested characteristics of an effective strategy. Highlight any differences.
Figure 9.2, Illustrates the stages of the planning process required to arrive at a marketing plan.
SWOT analysis
A SWOT analysis is a practical managerial framework (or tool) that can be used to integrate the intelligence and
marketing views to guide strategic direction.
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats
To check if the objective set measure up, the marketer needs to answer the following questions:
• Is the objective specific, time-defined, and measurable?
• Is the objective realistic yet challenging?
• Is the objective consistent with the organisation's mission and overall goals?
• Does the objective support the strategic direction of the marketing plan?
• Is the objective consistent with resources and core competencies?
• Is the objective appropriate, given environmental opportunities and threats?
• Does the objective conflict with other objectives?
Social media
Social media empowers consumers to connect, share and collaborate, creating spheres of influence that have
fundamentally altered the way marketers engage in influencing activities. Looking at the number of willing
participants on social networks, it makes sense for marketers to exploit opportunities availed by social media
platforms.
Mxit 6 million
Case Study
Advertising spending in South Africa from 2017 to 2020, by medium (in million South
African rand)
The entire advertising market in South Africa in 2018 is estimated to be worth 36.6 billion
South African rand (approximately 2.5 billion U.S. dollars), and TV and video advertising
spending is projected to account for the largest share of that amount, around 21 percent.
The internet is said to be the second largest medium in the country. However, looking at
2017-2022 compound growth rates, TV is 3.8 percent CAGR in the period will be exceeded
by internet’s 13 percent CAGR, which means that by the end of 2022 internet advertising
will be higher than TV advertising for the first time.
Internet advertising in South Africa is expected to account for 22.7 percent of the total ad
market in the country, with a value of over 700 million U.S. dollars by 2022. At the same time
mobile will represent 75 percent of internet advertising revenue, up from 66 percent in 2017.
These figures show the importance of mobile platforms to the future of South Africa’s
advertising industry. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that some of the largest advertisers
in South Africa are telecommunications companies such as Vodacom or and Mobile
Telephone Network.
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/386540/advertising-expenditures-by-medium-
south-africa/
Top-down
Customer mix
Bottom-up
Think Point
The marketing plan document is not "cast in stone". It can be updated and
modified if the organisation changes its focus.
Various structures can be adopted and below is a summary of what is commonly used.
Marketing plan structure
• Executive summary
• Current marketing situation
• Opportunity analysis
• Marketing strategy
• Marketing programmes
• Budgets
• Implementation control
Think Point
“There is no life without change. The real tragedy is that we are always fearful of change and
resist it vehemently.” ― Debasish Mridha
Does the above quote explain why some managers fear to embark on marketing planning
process?
Below are more obstacles to developing and implementing marketing plans (see Table 9.3)
Table 23Table 9.3: Major obstacles to developing and implementing marketing plans
Source: Simpkin, (2002: 13)
9.6 Conclusion
A marketing plan is a strategic tool used to develop and implement strategic marketing strategies. There is
numerous variance of the marketing plan as they differ from one organisation to another. Strategy development
and implementation is carried out by marketing oriented organisation who ensure that they keep up with changing
needs of the market. Strategies are consumer driven.
9.7 Summary
The role of marketing planning in a progressive company was explored. An effective marketing planning process
is culmination of a systematic, creative, yet structured process that uncovers market opportunities and threats that
a business can then address in order to achieve its performance objectives. Numerous obstacles to the marketing
plan were discussed.
Answers
Answers
Unit
10: Implementation of Marketing
Strategies
10.2 Internal marketing • Support the concept of buy-in in major project undertakings
10.4 Leadership and culture • Analyse the role of culture, and the role of leaders, in effective
change management
10.5 Systems and structure • Demonstrate awareness of the practical issues that arise when
implementing new strategies and how these might be
addressed
10.6 Barriers to implementation • Identify barriers that may inhibit strategy implementation.
10.9 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson.Chapter 16,
P430 - 457
10.1 Introduction
Marketing strategy implementation is a multifaceted and complex endeavour. Strategy formulation is an easier
process compared to strategy implementation maybe due to lack of skills and uncooperative managers. Strategy
implementers need to overcome potential resistance from some employees unless if internal market is done.
Organisational culture and structure are important ingredients of strategy implementation.
Think Point
Internal marketing can be described as the process of securing an understanding and appreciation for the
marketing function within an organisation and translating this into actions and behaviour. The concept of internal
marketing or internal communication is not new and it plays an essential role in mobilising the efforts of the
business.
Internal marketing can play an important role within an organisation, and marketers can be agents of change who
influence and motivate staff to change collaboratively the internal process required for the effective implementation
of marketing plans.
Internal marketing has the potential for acting as an integrating factor in the organization. It enables the
convergence of the HR function, organizational development, marketing, quality management, and acts as an
integrator of business functions within an organization, aligning it to a common purpose.
Activity
Map out internal Stakeholders for a widely known restaurant business that you are familiar
with.
Organisational culture is relevant to this model in that brand alignment seeks to influence culture and align
performance such that the internal view of the brand meets the external marketing and brand expression of the
organisation.
10.4.1 Leadership
Leadership influences strategy implementation. Great leaders have the capability to create competitive companies.
Influential company leaders can convey a picture of the future and coach staff towards it. Similarly, successful
marketing strategy implementation requires strong leadership. Although commonly criticised for thwarting
autonomy, top-down leadership appears to be more effective at marketing strategy implementation.
Search for and read Richard Branson autobiography to gain some insights on
how leadership influences strategy implementation.
Think Point
Organisational culture presents perhaps the most compelling opportunity for developing a competitive advantage
since appropriate cultural alignment will directly affect an organisation’s capacity for marketing strategy
implementation. Culture is a socially constructed reality and has the following properties that emerge when we
examine behavioural and learning principles to organisational culture.
Table 10.1 illustrates the Barrett methodology that has been adopted by Nedbank to track shared norms,
behaviour, and culture overtime in an attempt to better align individual goals and aspirations with those of the
organisation.
Change model
The change model is hierarchical and uses organisational, and control systems to facilitate the implementation of
marketing strategies. Senior management take an active role.
Collaborative model
The model focuses on decision-making at a senior level and involves marketing executives in the strategy
formulation process. A formal strategic planning process is in place and teamwork is encouraged.
Cultural model
The model offers a highly participative process in both formulating and implementing strategies, through to the
lower level of employee input.
Figure 10.4, illustrates the relationship between environmental variety and marketing centralization.
Activity 10.3
Identify some barriers to strategy implementation in an organisation that you are familiar with.
Strategy implementation occurs when marketing theory is put into practice, and the hard work really begins.
Case Study
Source: McDonald, M.H., 1989. Ten barriers to marketing planning. Journal of Marketing
Management, 5(1), pp.1-18.
Which of the above barriers to marketing planning are prominent in an organisation that you
are familiar.
10.6.1 Geography
The geographical spread of operations presents marketers with many challenges (see Table 10.3).
Table 26Table 10.3: Advantages and disadvantages of expansion
10.6.5 Cost
Some strategies require a substantial budget and this becomes a barrier. Deep international companies who have
deep pockets will forge ahead and this translates to the attaining completive advantage.
10.8 Conclusion
Strategy implementation is a challenging task yet its importance is underestimated. Mobilising resources especially
employees can be met by some resistance leading to delays. The role of culture, leadership, and organisational
culture is central to the success of strategy implementation.
10.9 Summary
The unit assessed strategy implementation in an organisation. Important issues relating to strategy implementation
are explored, such as, the importance of internal marketing, brand alignment, organisational architecture, and
potential objectives to strategy implementation. Measuring of strategy implementation is also discussed.
Answers
Answers
Unit
11: Marketing Metrics
11.2 The evolution of marketing metrics • Appraise the historical and the current use of marketing
metrics
11.3 Strategic monitoring system and • Explore numerous metrics used to monitor marketing
performance measurement performance
11.4 The portfolio of marketing metrics • Demonstrate the benefits of using a multi-factor performance
measurement approach
11.6 Integrated marketing measurement • Demonstrate metric systems that are integrated across all
business functions
11.8 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
11.1 Introduction
Recent attention has focused on the development of ‘marketing metrics’ as a better way of linking marketing
activities and financial returns to the business. Marketers argue that linking marketing to business performance
requires that such metrics are reported to top management regularly, compared with forecasts, and compared with
competitors, with the drivers of buyer behaviour clarified and monitored.
Think Point
As pressure has been mounting on the marketing function to become more accountable, new methods of
measuring marketing effectiveness and the resulting financial consequences have been developed. Marketing
functions, just like any other function in an organisation must take account of their actions.
11.2.1 Terminology
Activity 11.1
Ambler, (2003) distingishes the responsibilities of employees in the marketing function from all other employees in
the organisation. Pan-company marketing, for example, refers to the activities undertaken by employees of the
organisation to secure customer preference and thereby achieve higher returns for the shareholder. Marketing
oriented companies have long accepted that every employee in the organisation has a part to play to support
customer acquisition efforts.
Functional marketing, on the other hand, refers to activities undertaken by the marketing teams. Marketing
professionals take decisive action and assume customer acquisition and customer delight as their key
responsibility.
Measuring metrics chosen should be able to access the efforts of both pan-marketing and functional market.
Metrics may be financial (measuring profit or loss) or non-financial (measuring innovation, employee performance).
Such metrics may make it possible to compare observations across regions and facilitate understanding and
collabouration. Other popular terminologies for metrics include benchmarks, diagnosis, and derivatives.
According to Hooley, et al, (2017), marketing assets include company name, reputation, legal patents and can be
extended to include supply chain assets and agreements. Although intangible, market-based assets can be
deployed timeously to create or maintain a competitive advantage. Companies that utilise market-based marketing
tend to be more prosperous although the valuation of such assets is not easy.
Activity
Marketers face many challenges in designing and implementing strategic monitoring and performance
measurement systems. The dynamic and ever-changing competitive environment necessitates marketers to
constantly update the measuring yardstick. Another challenge is the timely availability of data.
In the fast-moving consumer goods industry, for example, organisations do not have or have very little direct
contact with final consumers making it difficult for them to gather competitor and consumer data directly. The other
challenge includes deciding on the relevant areas to be measured, and which measures to be adopted. Ambler,
(2000), for example, identifies ten marketing metrics that a marketer may want to measure:
• l relative perceived quality
• l loyalty/retention
• l total number of customers
• l customer satisfaction
• l relative price (market share/volume)
• l market share (volume or value)
• l perceived quality/esteem
• l complaints (level of dissatisfaction)
• l awareness
• l distribution/availability
Measuring all the above may be timeconsuming and expensive hence marketers may choose to measure elements
that they feel are more aligned to the overall strategic performance of their organisation.
A specific measure of marketing performance that appeals to CFOs is ‘return on marketing investment’ (ROMI),
which is described as ‘the contribution margin to marketing, divided by the marketing ‘invested’ or ‘risked’. Although
ROMI has its shortfalls, marketers must still endeavour to account for their effort and money outlaid in marketing
operations.
Think Point
The success of implementing a measurement system will also be influenced by the history of measurement in the
organisation.
Other critical issues to consider include the general organisational climate, measurement constraints,
measurement resources, and measurement communication.
Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard has four broad measurement perspectives that are interlinked – financial,
customer, innovation and learning, and internal business (see figure 11.1).
The four perspectives of the balanced scorecard approach are interlinked as thay impact on one another (see
figure 11.2).
Think Point
A brand equity metric could probably measure dimensions such as; familiarity and awareness, what customers
think, what customers feel, behavioral intentions, brand loyalty, and availability. Keller’s Brand Equity model and
Millward Brown’s BrandDynamics model are among the most popular brand measurement models to be
developed. There are also some metrics used for ‘service’ and ‘culture’ measurements in the organisation.
Upstream marketing decisions concentrate on ‘demand stimulation and prospecting’ an activity preceded by
‘acquisition’ and then followed by customer ‘retention and business growth’.
• Awareness of • Sales
corporate volume/value
goals
Employee
Profit and
based
loss
equity
General
Innovation brand
equity
• Strategy – • Brand
awareness of familiarity
goals (vision)
According to Walker, et al (2008) there should be five steps that need to be followed when formulating a system
of metrics specifically for measuring performance.
• Setting standards of performance
• Specifying the necessary feedback data
• Obtaining the necessary data
• Evaluating feedback data (explaining the gap between actual and given standards of performance)
• Taking corrective action
The use of marketing dashboards and scorecards (see figure 11.4) provides a wider view of organisational
performance but all monitored from one source.
According to MarketinNPV, (2004) marketers may follow the following steps when building a marketing dashboard.
• Identify business drivers
• Map the role of marketing
• Link goals to objectives and tactics
• Prioritise and weight
• Develop the dashboard
Think Point
What are some teething problems likely to manifest when integrating market
metrics into a marketing dashboard.
Not all dashboard implementation is successful and below are some dashboard problems;
Problems with the process:
• No data
• No research
• Too busy for measurement
• Short payback
• Dashboard deficiency
11.7 Conclusion
Designing a customised set of metrics is usually preceded by a thorough business analysis to identify levels of
measurement and business drivers that contribute to creating shareholder value in the long term.
Understanding the expectations of the organisation regarding measurement at all levels is critical. Do employees
see it as adding value to the organisation, or as wasting time and other resources?
11.8 Summary
The evolution of marketing metrics was discussed emphasizing that marketing practitioners need to account for
the money that they spend on marketing activities. Various monitoring systems are outlined and their capabilities
discussed. Integrated marketing measurements are gaining prominence.
Answers
3. Steps that can be followed when developing metrics are on section 11.4
Unit
12: Marketing: an Ethical
and Sustainable Approach
12.2 Marketing ethics • Explain and evaluate alternative ways of how business can
communicate ethically
12.4 Codes of conduct • Infer how a code of conduct underpins business behaviour
12.6 Consumer recourse • Identify the key factors shaping the debate on consumer
protection
12.8 Summary
Prescribed Textbook
Recommended Textbook
• Hooley, G. J.; Piercy, N. F., Nicoulaud, B., & Ruddy, J. (2017). Marketing
strategy and competitive positioning. 6th Edition. Pearson. Chapter 17,
P465 - 494
12.1 Introduction
Marketing ethics is also described as 'marketing with a conscience.’ The subject of ethics and sustainability has
gained prominence in most boardrooms. With increasing pressure from stakeholders for higher returns on
investment, some managers yield to the pressure and end up acting unethically. Unethical practices are
unfortunately on the increase in South Africa judging by stories that are emanating from the media.
Marketing plays a key role in establishing, internalising and implementing ethics in an organisation.
The areas of concern in marketing ethics are;
• Unfair or deceptive marketing practices
• Offensive materials and objectionable marketing practices
• Ethical product and distribution practices
• Ethical issues in marketing to children
According to widespread research by Chonko & Hunt, (2000), the most frequent ethical problems are;
• Bribery
• Fairness
• Honesty
• Pricing
• Product
• Personnel
• Confidentiality
• Advertising
• Manipulation of data
• Purchasing
Activity 12.1
Consider the two ends of the marketing ethics spectrum: (a) let the buyer and
(b) let the seller be aware. As the consumer, which position do you find yourself
in?.
12.2.1 Bribery
Bribery occurs when a public official, performing official duties, is offered something valuable in return for
influencing a decision or policy in favour of the person offering a bribe.
Bribery is now a widespread phenomenon in international business transactions, including trade and investment,
which raises serious moral and political concerns, undermines good governance and economic development, and
distorts international competitive conditions.
Browse the internet to examine the breadth and depth of bribery in South Africa.
Price fixing occurs when companies that serve the same market with similar products decide to co-operate rather
than compete to increase profit. Competitors, usually those with considerable market power, conspire or collude,
forming cartels (alliances), to charge higher prices and destroy members that are not part of the arrangement.
Predatory pricing is when a dominant firm with market power, engage in below-cost pricing with the intent of
driving a competitor out of the market and recouping costs after that, through future price increases. In terms of
the South African Competition Act, a dominant firm is prohibited from selling goods and services below their
marginal or average cost.
Deceptive pricing occurs when price promotions intentionally mislead customers. A common form of deceptive
pricing is superficially discounting for example, when a supplier advertises a sale price. This also occurs when
sellers hide additional fees and punitive conditions from the going price.
Think Point
Marketing ethics is an integral part of corporate sustainability. Corporate sustainability addresses environmental,
social and economic impacts of business. This includes eliminating waste in the supply chain process, reducing
the carbon footprint, ensuring that employee are fairly renumerated, and reducing toxins or harmful ingridients in
products.
Overall, the corporate sustainable organisations should focus on profit, people, and the planet. The organisation
plays an important role in the lives of employees and corporate position of an organisation.
According to Davies, (2007:1) there are five stages of embracing a sustainable strategy:
• Desire
• Pride
• Satisfaction
• Depression
• Collabouration
Case Study
A spokesperson for the authority told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that H&M is
making unsubstantiated claims that play on environmental emotions. They
concluded that the advertising is “misleading” and that it violates the law.
The Norwegian Consumer Authority has sent a letter H&M in which they require
that all marketing that features the specific sustainability claims must be changed.
In response, H&M said that they are in the midst of a transformation to, among
other things, “become 100% climate neutral.” H&M lauded the Norwegian
Consumer Authority for highlighting this and indicated that they are making efforts
to communicate the extensive work they are doing accurately.
Source: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/hms-green-marketing-questioned-by-
consumer-authority-in-norway/
In light of the case study, should green marketing remain a voluntary conscious
effort by companies in South Africa?
Marketers must creatively think about how marketing can fulfill the needs of the largest part of the human spices
leading to better standards of living and sustainable development.
Stakeholders play a significant role in influencing organisations and markets in environment-related issues such
as the purchasing of green products, developing new green products, and recycling programmes.
Green marketplaces are developing in many parts of the world, that deliver products to the segment of consumers
known as ‘green consumers’. Green marketing is an opportunity for companies as the ‘green consumer’ market
segment is growing.
The code of ethics reflects the desire of the board of directors and senior management to comply with the values,
rules, and policies that support an ethical climate.
Besides the codes of conduct implemented in organisations, various bodies help to regulate activities in the
industry.
12.5 Regulation
Visit the competitions authority website to read and appreciate their role of enforcing anti-
competitive conduct, including collusion in South Africa.
Regulation is action or behaviour that is required by governments and it is not voluntary. In South Africa, the
regulatory framework that controls marketing regulations is a combination of the common law and legislation. The
Consumer Protection Act, the Code of Advertising Practice, and the Competition Act are examples of regulatory
instruments commonly used in the South African marketplace.
The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008
The act outlines nine consumer rights
• Consumer Right No. 1 -: Right to equality in the consumer market and protection against discrimination
market practices
• Consumer Right No. 2 -: Right to privacy
• Consumer Right No. 3 -: Right to choose
• Consumer Right No. 4 -: Right to disclosure of information
• Consumer Right No. 5 -: Right to fair and responsible marketing
• Consumer Right No. 6 -: Right to fair and reasonable terms and conditions
• Consumer Right No. 7 -: Right to fair, just and reasonable terms and conditions
• Consumer Right No. 8 -: Right to fair value, good quality and safety
• Consumer Right No. 9 -: Right to accountability from suppliers
Under the proposed amendments to the Act, company directors and officers of colluding firms may face personal
criminal liability and run the risk of being fined up to R500,000 or sent to prison for up to ten (10) years.
Consumer Protection Bill:
• Promote a fair, assessable and sustainable marketplace for consumer products and services
• Promote responsible consumer behaviour
• Promote a consistent enforcement framework for consumer transactions and agreements
• Prohibit certain unfair marketing and business practices
• Provide for improved standards of consumer information
• Provide for harmonisation of laws relating to consumer transactions and agreements
• Provide for the establishment of the National Consumer Commission.
Activity 12.2
For too long, consumers have been on the receiving end of poor service from
powerful businesses. Explore ways in which consumers have been empowered
to fight back marketers who provide bad service.
Consumer rights are protected by regulations such as the Consumer Protection Act, ASA, etc. and they may
complain whenever they feel that their rights have been infringed. However, consumers need to know where to go
if they are in some way aggrieved and how to escalate a complaint if they are not satisfied with the result at the
first level of recourse. Figure 12.1, illustrates the different recourse channels available to consumers.
12.7 Conclusion
Marketers are confronted with numerous ethical issues from the external and internal environment that impact on
strategic marketing decisions and activities. Unethical issues were identified and measures to reduce such
practises were discussed.
12.8 Summary
Marketers must consider their stakeholders as and when they make business decisions. They should avoid harm
to consumers through unethical practices at all costs. Ethical behaviour by organisation usually elicits a positive
response from customers and other stakeholders. Most companies have developed codes of conduct to guide and
enforce good behaviour from business leaders.
Answers
Answer guidelines to self-test questions:
1. The UDAAP calls for complience about unfair, deceptive, abusive acts, or practices
2. Consumers have the rights to privancy as dicribed in section 12.4
Answers
Answer guidelines case study questions:
• Regulation on green marketing in South Afica is lux to non-existence
• The advertising authority of South Africa can provive oversight on communication
• Marketers may use green marketing as an opportunity to gain competitive edge over
their competitors
• Marketers must creatively think about how marketing can fulfill the needs of the largest
part of the human spices leading to better standards of living and sustainable
development.
• Stakeholders play a significant role in influencing organisations and markets in
environment-related issues such as the purchasing of green products, developing
new green products, and recycling programmes
• Green marketing is an opportunity for companies as the ‘green consumer’ market
segment is growing.
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