What should the marketing department do? Marketing policy of the enterprise in the field of marketing mix

May 27, 2012 No comments

Many company employees, seeing full-time marketers in the corridor, ask themselves the question - what does the marketing department do? Some people think that behind this buzzword there is another sales department, but this is not at all the case.

Initially, marketing departments are created to achieve certain goals, including development prospects, as well as various economic issues of the company. In accordance with the above, the purpose of creating this department is to create recommendations in such areas of the company’s activities as:

— coordination of the activities of all departments that are related to sales;

- taking into account the existing dynamics of the modern market, as well as resources, determining the sales policy for a given specific enterprise.

Only then will this service work effectively, and not just be a fashionable appendage that does not bring economic benefits.

The main tasks of the marketing department include:

1. Carrying out a constant analysis of factors that influence the company’s activities, as well as the results of its commercial activities and assessing the state of the modern market.

2. Development of forecasts of the company's market share, as well as sales forecasts.

3. Development of pricing and product policies.

4. Selection of rational methods for promoting products, as well as distribution channels.

5. Conducting market analysis (situational).

6. Development of current and long-term marketing plans for individual groups of products and for the enterprise as a whole, as well as coordination of the activities of all divisions of the company in this area.

7. Development, together with the company’s management and other departments, of the strategy and goals of market activity in the foreign and domestic markets.

9. Providing departments, as well as the entire company as a whole, with information about the market (marketing information).

We hope that from our short article you understood what the company’s marketing department does. In conclusion, it must be pointed out that this department is extremely important only if the tasks are correctly assigned and if there are qualified employees.

Who is an analyst?

The modern list of professions is growing every day, and the position of a company analyst has appeared relatively recently. This person analyzes and processes data and, as a result, makes certain forecasts for his company. In other words, the analyst takes the entire flow of information into the enterprise, structures it and presents it to other employees in a form that is more understandable for further action.

In order to understand who an analyst is and what he does, you need to delve deeper into this profession. His work process is broken down into specific categories, which he completes gradually and in a planned manner.

1. Receiving and processing data.
2. Making assumptions.
3. Checking conclusions and backing them up with accurate data.
4. Formulation of the conclusion.
5. Presentation of work for other specialists.

Some people think that this is a boring and monotonous job, but it is not so. This profession is very diverse and in practice there has not been a single identical case. Understanding who an analyst is, it is worth noting that this is a position that is in great demand today. Such a person can get a job in almost any organization and still receive a stable income.

What is a systems analyst?

It is worth noting that this position is versatile. For example, a systems analyst works in the field of information technology and develops the progress of certain programs and installations. The entire technical process falls squarely on his shoulders. Also, in the modern world it is worth knowing who a financial analyst is.

People with such an education make great money because they deal with securities. Financial analysts must have an excellent understanding of the specifics of their enterprise, master the economy and money trading markets. This serious profession does not tolerate haste and inattention, and therefore there are not so many high-quality financial analysts in our country.

To consolidate knowledge, it is worth understanding who a business analyst is. Now there are quite a lot of people with this position. These people work within a narrow range of specifications and fulfill the customer's wishes and goals. Their tasks include establishing the activities of the enterprise, taking it to new levels, or meeting new profitable partners. Every modern enterprise must have an analyst, because they form a real system that is unfamiliar to many.

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What does the marketing department do?

In order to understand what place this department occupies in the structure of the organization, as well as to know what the marketing department does, it is necessary to consider the range of tasks that its employees and managers face.

What does the marketing department do in an enterprise?

So, currently, employees of this department may be faced with the following tasks:

1. Analysis of the competitive environment and preparation of reports on this issue.
2. Searching for information in various sources (Internet, printed literature, etc.) for other departments of the company.
3. Development of recommendations for marketing the company's products.

Based on these tasks, it is already possible to understand that the main goal of the work of the employees of this department is the analysis of various data necessary in the work of the sales department, this is what the marketing department does both in any organization that is engaged in the resale of goods, and in an enterprise that itself produces any things. It is the marketer who determines how the sale of a product or service will be carried out and which market segment should be targeted.

Of course, in any organization, the specialists of this department may be given additional tasks, for example, to analyze the personnel situation in the market, this is what else the marketing department in the company does.

In the IT labor market, even in difficult times, demand exceeded supply. Highly qualified IT specialists are always in great demand. Here are ten of the scarcest IT professions that are especially difficult to find a suitable candidate for.

1. IT consultant. They play a unique role in the IT industry and therefore must have a unique set of skills. It goes without saying that this vacancy is quite difficult to fill. It is worth adding that the work of an IT consultant is significantly different from other IT professions, since it involves constant travel and a busy work schedule.

2. Project manager. The biggest problem with project managers is PMP certification. Certified professionals need to be paid well and are hard to find. The main difficulty is obtaining a certificate. It's a vicious circle: to get it you need to be a project manager. Fortunately, Russian employers do not attach so much importance to certificates.

3. CIO. It is very difficult to find a good CIO. He requires skills that are not typical for IT specialists. Companies have to hire good managers with little (or no) technical training or hope that an IT specialist will master the skills needed to manage effectively. It is difficult to find a person who combines good technical abilities with management skills and leadership qualities.

4. Support specialist. The main problem of the technical support service is low salaries. Many would agree to work in technical support, despite the constant stress and demands on technical skills, but only for a decent remuneration. Often companies view technical support as a necessary evil that requires money for its maintenance. And, unfortunately, they are right. Sometimes company revenues are so low that the cost of technical support can put the profitability of the business into question. That’s why companies are cutting the salaries of technical support specialists, and with a limited budget, it’s almost impossible to find a qualified specialist unless he urgently needs a job.

5.

A highly specialized programmer. Developers who can write a good driver, operating system, mobile application or other similar software are extremely rare, so they are always in high demand. Some types of software are so specific that only a few can cope with this task. Many programmers are involved in the development of other software (for example, mobile applications), but the high demand for this software forces companies to hire new developers.

6. Pre-sales support engineer. This is another IT profession that requires a variety of talents and frequent travel in addition to technical skills. There is no substitute for a clear product demonstration when it comes to closing a deal. Additionally, the job has a lot of customer service implications, which is something many IT professionals don't want to deal with, especially since they have other jobs to do. A pre-sales support engineer needs to have the heart of a salesperson and the brains of an IT specialist, and this combination is quite difficult to find.

7. Documentation developer. We are not talking about bloggers, but about those who write instruction manuals or help files. Even if a company is willing to spend money on a technical documentation editor, this task often falls on the shoulders of developers, because it is very difficult to find people who can write coherently in a language that the end user can understand and who understand the technical side of things. But a technically advanced candidate of philological sciences will not be suitable here. It’s not easy to find a documentation developer, and even harder to find a good one.

8. Product promotion specialist. These specialists are the face of the company when it comes to the technical side of the business. They give presentations at science and technology conferences, answer questions on web forums, write blogs and network on social media, all while being at the forefront of technical developments in their industry. Few IT jobs involve as much travel as a product promotion specialist.

To succeed in this role, the candidate must have technical knowledge and interpersonal skills, as well as a true passion for the job, the company and its product. This means that a good specialist in promoting products of one company will not cope with the same work in another company.

9. IT copywriter. Tech blogging is a relatively simple job, and many people do it just for the heck of it. Although you can earn extra money from this. It is difficult to find people who will last long enough to become part of the team, because authors who had a lot of great ideas find out after a month that they have written everything they wanted and begin to suffer from a lack of new ideas. The number of IT copywriters who can produce quality content year after year is shockingly small. But these are just articles. Authors of books are even more difficult to find.

10. Software support specialist. As a rule, such vacancies are disguised as something else, since they are often related to the maintenance of applications that were written quite a long time ago and are already outdated. This job threatens to be the end of a programmer's career, so very few people take it on. In an industry where cutting-edge technology becomes obsolete within a couple of years, working with already outdated technology means you'll be stuck with it for a long time. Besides, it's a terrible job. You will have to wade through endless lines of poorly documented code written 10 years ago. Typically, companies hire entry-level developers for this job, luring them in with the phrase “no experience required” (because what they know isn’t old enough anyway). Experienced programmers tend to avoid such suggestions. And those who agreed understand what they got themselves into and that the longer they work, the more difficult it will be to leave, so they quickly quit.

Based on materials from techrepublic.com

Functions of the marketing department.

The main functions of the marketing service are:

· Market research, forecasting demand and product sales;

· Analysis of the effectiveness of marketing decisions;

· Study of supply volumes, quality of competing products, their advantages and disadvantages compared to the products of this enterprise;

· Creation of an information and statistical data bank, including data on the portfolio of orders for the supply of products, their production, the availability of stocks, the use of this data to accelerate the sale of products;

· Planning visits to consumers by employees of the marketing department;

· Implementation of direct contacts with consumers of products;

· Providing representatives of the enterprise going to exhibitions, fairs with advertising brochures and other documents;

· Study and use of best practices in advertising and sales promotion in the country;

· Development of proposals for the creation of fundamentally new products;

· Development of proposals for the study of technical conditions, corporate style of product design (trademark, symbols, corporate colors, logos, etc.);

· Conducting a comparative analysis of distribution costs, identifying and eliminating economically unjustified expenses;

Marketing policy of the enterprise in the field of marketing mix.

As you know, the marketing policy of an enterprise includes product, pricing, sales policy, as well as a policy for promoting goods on the market. It is according to this scheme that the enterprise’s policy will be outlined: from choosing a product, determining its price, various sales methods to the final stage - promoting the product, the stage at which the enterprise’s profit from the sale of the product increases.

If the external environment is not under the direct control of the organization, then management of marketing activities is carried out by influencing the parameters of the marketing mix.

The marketing mix is ​​a set of manageable parameters of marketing activities, by manipulating which the organization tries to best meet the needs of target markets. The marketing complex consists of the following elements: product, price, bringing the product to the consumer, promotion of the product. Coordinated activities for the implementation of individual elements of the marketing mix, based on the objectives of achieving the goals of marketing activities, are included in the marketing plan.

At this stage, marketers, using market research, competitors and consumers, develop a program of action for the enterprise in the field of product production (they assume which product will be in maximum demand, meet the needs of the buyer, determine its quality in comparison with competitors), establish rules for the creation of new products , predict the product life cycle.

The marketing essence of a product is somewhat different from the generally accepted one, since what is usually called a product in the general sense is called a product in marketing. A product is a component of a product that carries the main qualities for which the product was purchased. For example, having produced saccharin (a sugar surrogate), it cannot be called a product without appropriate support. Product support is a set of measures for transportation, packaging, storage and use of the product. The product support group includes the following measures: everything that helps the product maintain its consumer qualities before sale (preservation, packaging, storage), measures for the correct use of the product (instructions, method of preparation), related products (adapters, batteries, cords).

And finally, a product turns into a commodity when marketing tools are used on it, which include design, advertising, properly established sales, and strong public relations.

Thus, a product for a marketer consists of a product, its support and marketing tools. Marketing depends entirely on the consumer, on his needs and requests, so the enterprise is simply forced to change its product strategy, creating new products. First of all, you should determine which product can be called new:

a product that has no analogues on the market, which is the practical embodiment of a scientific breakthrough, is naturally called a new product. There are very few such products on the market, examples would be copying and scanning machines and wireless cellular communications.

a product that has a qualitative difference from its predecessor analogue product. An example would be floppy disks that are smaller in size, have greater capacity, and are more durable (3.5 inches vs. 5.25 inches).

a product new to a specific market. For example, dishwashers were market novelty goods in Ukraine in the early 90s.

an old product that was already on the market, but has found a new use.

Of course, an entrepreneur takes a risk when starting research on a new product, since he does not know whether his costs will pay off. For such a case, there is a marketing service that helps the entrepreneur reduce risk to a minimum by offering rules for creating a new product and thus increasing the profit and efficiency of the enterprise.

First, you need an idea for a new product. Sources of ideas can be both consumers themselves and scientists. In fact, at this stage of creating a new product, it is important for a marketer to learn to listen, since ideas can also be suggested by the shortcomings of competitors. Scientists are another source of ideas. As a result, many companies cooperate with universities, institutes and scientific laboratories. Also, ideas can be suggested by employees of the sales system (wholesalers, retailers) since they are closer to the consumer. Public opinion polls, statistical data, and test results in consumer magazines should not be ignored.

Secondly, screening and selection of ideas is required. This stage occurs according to two criteria: everything that is not related to the commercial purpose of the enterprise is confiscated, everything that does not correspond to the production capacity of the enterprise is confiscated.

Thirdly, it is necessary to create a prototype of a new product, and it is important to remember that undetected errors at this stage will cause huge losses later.

The next stage will be the release of a trial batch of goods to a limited market and research of this market.

Fifthly, it is necessary to choose a place and time for the mass release of goods; it would be advisable to coincide the release with some fair, exhibition, or holiday.

So, we can formulate the basic law of new goods: while one new product is on sale and is actively purchased, in parallel the process of developing the next new product must occur in order to ensure that the enterprise does not stand idle, and in order to increase its profitability and efficiency.

With the creation of a new product, its life cycle begins, which is characterized by the following stages:

1. Research and development. At this stage, the emergence of a product and its idea occurs. Sales of goods are still zero, profits are negative.

2. Implementation. At this stage, the product begins its promotion to the consumer, an active advertising campaign takes place, but as sales grow, profits continue to grow in a negative direction.

3. Growth stage. The most favorable stage for the manufacturer. The company makes a significant profit, product sales continue to grow.

4. Maturity stage. The product is produced in large quantities, sales are no longer growing at such a high rate, profits are gradually decreasing, as competition is felt.

5. Decline stage. Sales drop sharply, the company stops producing goods, profits are very low.

Marketing accompanies a product throughout its life cycle. The Law of New Products can be viewed from a life cycle perspective as: a business will have maximum profit and efficiency only when the life cycles of different products overlap each other.

Product policy at an enterprise solves the problem of creating a new product and is associated with the sphere of production. Marketing developments in this area help the entrepreneur avoid many of the mistakes that await him at this stage of business activity. Therefore, we can clearly say that product marketing policy helps to increase the efficiency of the company.

The scope of an enterprise's pricing policy includes issues of wholesale and retail prices, all stages of pricing, tactics for determining the initial price of a product, and price correction tactics. By solving these issues, marketers set the most favorable price for the product, which helps to increase the profitability of the company.

Depending on the sales chain, several types of prices can be distinguished. Wholesale prices of enterprises are the prices at which an enterprise sells products to a wholesale buyer. This price consists of the cost of production and the profit of the enterprise. Wholesale trade prices are the prices at which a wholesale intermediary sells goods to a retailer. The price includes cost, profit and supply and sales discount (costs of the wholesale supplier). Retail price is the price at which a product is sold to the end consumer. It also includes the trade discount (retailer's costs).

External factors in the pricing process include:

1. Consumers.

This factor always occupies a dominant position in modern marketing.

2.Market environment .

This factor is characterized by the degree of competition in the market. Here it is important to highlight whether the enterprise is an outsider or a leader, whether it belongs to a group of leaders or outsiders.

3. Participants in distribution channels.

At this stage, both suppliers and intermediaries influence the price. Moreover, it is important to note that the greatest danger for the manufacturer is the increase in energy prices, which is why the state is trying to control this industry.

The state influences the price through indirect taxes on business, establishing antitrust and dumping bans.

Although price varies throughout the market, pre-market marketers identify four main methods for determining the initial price:

Costly method. The method is based on price orientation towards production costs. With this method, the price consists of the cost and some fixed percentage of profit. This method takes into account the goal of the entrepreneur rather than the buyer.

Aggregate method. This method calculates the price as the sum of prices for individual elements of a product, as well as the price of a common (aggregate) block and a premium or discount for the absence or presence of individual elements.

Parametric method. The essence of this method is that its price is determined from the assessment and correlation of the qualitative parameters of the product.

Pricing based on current prices. According to this method, the price for a specific product is set depending on the prices for similar products; it can be higher or lower.

Pricing strategy is the choice by an enterprise of a strategy according to which the initial price of a product should change with maximum success for it, in the process of conquering the market. Different strategies should be distinguished depending on the product (new or existing).

The strategy involves first selling a product at a very high price to that segment of society that does not care about financial collapse, then the price is gradually reduced to the level of the middle class, and then to the level of mass consumption.

The price increase strategy is effective only when the demand for the product is growing steadily, competition is minimized, and the buyer recognizes the product.

There are also strategies to firmly implement sliding price and preemptive pricing.

The market undoubtedly influences the manufacturer and forces him to adjust the price in various ways. Marketers have identified eight main methods for price adjustment, which helps the entrepreneur choose the most optimal one and reduce costs.

The manufacturer can set a flexible price for the product depending on the time or place of sale. You can also set a standard price, but slightly change the quality of the product.

Methods for setting prices by market segment differ mainly by consumer segment.

When using the psychological method of setting price, the entrepreneur (mainly the retailer) relies on the psychology of the buyer. The simplest example is the price in catalogs (99 90 rubles, which is almost 100 rubles).

Method of stepwise differentiation marketers identify steps (gaps) between prices within which consumer demand remains unchanged.

The method of redistributing assortment costs takes into account the diversity of the assortment of the same product, which leads to insignificant costs but a significant increase in price.

IN In the method of redistributing item costs, the entrepreneur sets in advance a low price for the main product, but a higher price for related goods.

Flanking method - payment for the transportation of goods from the seller to the buyer. Here the price is made up of the cost of the product, real transport costs and profit.

The discount method is used to stimulate product sales. Discounts can be due to the quantity of goods purchased or for previous payment.

So, when determining the price, when forecasting its further changes, when adjusting it, it is very important for the entrepreneur not only not to make a mistake, but also to inflate the price, which can directly affect demand and the attitude of buyers towards the company. Therefore, marketers analyze all changes and develop strategies for setting and adjusting prices, which contribute to increased profitability and efficiency.

It is also impossible not to note the product sales system at the enterprise. In sales policy, marketers address the issues of choosing the most optimal distribution channel and method of selling goods, which, if used effectively, will undoubtedly increase the company's profits.

One of the points of an enterprise's sales policy is the choice of the optimal distribution channel. A sales (distribution) channel for a product is an organization or person involved in the promotion and exchange of a specific product (several groups of products) on the market.

Sales of products in most cases are carried out through intermediaries, each of which forms a corresponding distribution channel. The use of intermediaries in the sphere of distribution is beneficial, first of all, for manufacturers. In this case, they have to deal with a limited circle of stakeholders in the sale of products. In addition, wide availability of goods is ensured when they move directly to the sales market. With the help of intermediaries, it is possible to reduce the number of direct contacts between manufacturers and consumers of products.

Supply and sales organizations, large wholesale warehouses, exchange structures, trading houses and stores can act as intermediaries. Among the main reasons for the use of intermediaries are the following:

organizing the product distribution process requires the availability of certain financial resources;

creating an optimal product distribution system presupposes the availability of appropriate knowledge and experience in the field of market conditions for your product, methods of trade and distribution;

Intermediaries, thanks to their contacts, experience and specialization, make it possible to ensure wide availability of goods and bring them to target markets.

Enterprises in a market economy pay considerable attention to the problems of optimizing the process of promoting goods from producer to consumer. The results of their economic activities largely depend on how correctly the channels of distribution of goods, forms and methods of their sales are chosen, on the breadth of the range and quality of services provided by the enterprise related to the sale of products.

A distribution channel takes over and helps transfer to someone else the ownership of a particular good or service as it travels from producer to consumer. The distribution channel can also be interpreted as a path for the movement of goods from producers to consumers. Distribution channel members perform a number of functions that contribute to the successful resolution of marketing requirements. These include such functions as: conducting research work, sales promotion, establishing contacts with potential consumers, manufacturing goods in accordance with customer requirements, transporting and storing goods, financing issues, taking responsibility for the functioning of the distribution channel.

Distribution channels can be of three types: direct, indirect and mixed.

Direct channels are associated with the movement of goods and services without the participation of intermediary organizations. They are most often established between manufacturers and consumers, who control their own marketing program and have limited target markets.

Indirect channels are associated with the movement of goods and services first from the manufacturer to an unfamiliar intermediary participant, and then from him to the consumer. Such channels usually attract enterprises and firms that, in order to increase their markets and sales volumes, agree to give up many sales functions and expenses, and, accordingly, a certain share of control over sales, and are also willing to somewhat weaken contacts with consumers.

Mixed channels combine the features of the first two channels of product distribution. Thus, enterprises in the machine-building complex make little use of the advantages of direct contacts with suppliers; they sell products through a system of intermediaries. Other government and commercial intermediary organizations and enterprises are emerging, guaranteeing a much larger range of supply and distribution services.

Thus, it is clear that the company requires significant skill in carrying out its sales policy. It should also be noted when it is important to develop your own retail network. This is advisable if the quantity of goods is large enough to justify the profit of organizing a distribution network, if consumers are located close enough to the company and there are a small number of them, since the costs of organizing a network will be small if the product requires highly qualified service, etc.

It is not for nothing that the concept of a product distribution channel was discussed above. This concept correlates with the concepts of length and width of the distribution channel.

The length of the distribution channel is the number of participants in the sales process, that is, the number of intermediaries in the entire distribution chain. There are several levels of extension, the simplest of which are the following: manufacturer - retailers - consumer and manufacturer - wholesaler - retailer - consumer. This includes the concept of wholesale distribution method.

The width of the distribution channel is the number of independent objects of the sales process at a certain stage, for example, the number of wholesalers of a product

The wholesale method of marketing goods covers essentially the entire range of commodity resources, which are both means of production and consumer goods. As a rule, in wholesale trade, goods are purchased in large quantities. Wholesale purchases are carried out by intermediary organizations for the purpose of subsequent resale to grassroots wholesale organizations and retail enterprises. In most cases, wholesale trade is not associated with the sale of products to specific end consumers, i.e. it allows manufacturers, with the help of intermediaries, to sell goods with minimal direct contact with consumers. In the commodity market, wholesale trade is an active part of the sphere of circulation.

In addition, wholesale trade is an important lever for maneuvering material resources, helps reduce excess inventories of products at all levels and eliminate commodity shortages, and takes part in the formation of regional and sectoral commodity markets. Through wholesale trade, the consumer’s influence on the manufacturer increases, real opportunities arise to achieve a match between supply and demand, to provide each consumer with the opportunity to purchase products within their financial capabilities and in accordance with their needs.

In turn, the manufacturer himself selects the consumer, which means he must determine the range and volumes of products produced for the market based on the prevailing market conditions.

Wholesale trade is a form of relations between enterprises and organizations in which economic ties for the supply of products are formed by the parties independently. It influences the system of economic relations between regions and industries, determines the routes for the movement of goods in the country, thereby improving the territorial division of labor and achieving proportionality in the development of regions.

To rationally distribute the trading environment, wholesale trade must have specific data on the current state and future changes in situations in regional and industry markets. The main objectives of wholesale trade are:

marketing study of the market, supply and demand for products for industrial and technical purposes and consumer consumption;

placement of production of goods in the range, quantity and quality required by the consumer;

timely, complete and rhythmic provision of goods in a wide range of intermediary, retail enterprises and consumers;

organization of storage of inventory;

organization of systematic and rhythmic import and export of goods;

ensuring the priority of the consumer, strengthening his economic impact on the supplier, depending on the reliability of economic relations and the quality of the supplied products;

ensuring the stability of partnerships in economic relations, interconnection in all temporary categories (long-term, medium-term, current, operational);

organizing the systematic delivery of goods from production regions to consumption areas;

widespread use of economic methods for regulating the entire system of relationships between suppliers, intermediaries, and consumers: reducing the total costs associated with promoting goods from manufacturers to consumers.

The concept of wholesale trade is closely related to the participants of the latter, such as: broker, commission agent, dealer, sales agent. The wholesale method of distributing goods is widespread in many countries of the world, and for intercountry trade it is, of course, the only one. From all of the above about wholesale trade, we can conclude that it belongs to the indirect method of distribution, a method in which manufacturers use the services of various intermediaries to reach consumers.

Also, in the process of movement of goods from manufacturers to consumers, the final link that closes the chain of economic relations is retail trade. In retail trade, material resources move from the sphere of circulation to the sphere of collective, individual, personal consumption, i.e. become the property of consumers. This occurs through buying and selling, as consumers purchase the goods they need in exchange for their cash income. Here, starting opportunities are created for a new cycle of production and circulation, as the product turns into money.

Retail trade includes the sale of goods to the public for personal consumption, organizations, enterprises, institutions for collective consumption or economic needs. Products are sold primarily through retail and food service businesses. At the same time, the sale of consumer goods is carried out from the warehouses of manufacturing enterprises, intermediary organizations, company stores, procurement points, workshops, ateliers, etc. Retail trade carries out a number of functions:

explores the situation on the commodity market;

determines supply and demand for specific types of goods;

searches for goods needed for retail trade;

carries out the selection of goods, their sorting when compiling the required assortment;

makes payments for goods received from suppliers;

carries out operations for acceptance, storage, labeling of goods, sets prices for them;

provides suppliers and consumers with freight forwarding, consulting, advertising, information and other services.

Retail trade, taking into account the specifics of servicing consumers, is divided into stationary, mobile, and parcel.

The stationary retail chain is the most common and includes both large modern, technically equipped stores, as well as stalls, tents, kiosks, and vending machines. At the same time, a distinction is made between self-service stores and those in which the buyer has free access to goods. A variety of stationary trade are also stores of the “shop-warehouse” type; the goods in them are not laid out on display cases or shelves, which significantly reduces the costs of loading, unloading, and stacking them, so they are sold at lower prices. Such stores usually operate on the outskirts of large cities.

Stores selling goods from catalogs are being created. Such trade is based on preliminary selection of goods. Catalogs can be given to potential customers who visit a given store or mailed to them. The buyer, having studied the catalogs and selected the goods, sends the order indicating his details to the store by mail (or by teletype, telephone). The store decides to ship the goods to the buyer. If the store has a showroom, the buyer can place an absentee order from the catalog or visit the store and personally select the product he needs.

Organizing the sale of goods through vending machines has considerable potential. They are convenient because they can work around the clock, without sales personnel. The machines are installed inside or outside the store. The subject of trade is usually a certain range of everyday goods (drinks, sandwiches, chewing gum, cigarettes, stationery, postal envelopes, postcards, etc.).

A mobile retail network helps bring goods closer to the buyer and promptly serve them. This trade can be delivery using vending machines, benches, trailers, as well as delivery using trays and other simple devices. A variation of this type of trade is direct sale at home. At the same time, sales agents of manufacturers of sales, intermediary and trading enterprises supply and sell products directly to the buyer.

The parcel trade is engaged in providing the population, enterprises, and organizations with books, stationery, audio and video recordings, radio and television equipment, and medicines. Using this form of trade, consumers can also receive some products for industrial and technical purposes (spare parts, tools, rubber products, etc.).

The structure of retail trade takes into account the assortment feature. Products are usually grouped into appropriate groups (subgroups) based on industrial origin or consumer purpose. In retail trade, in connection with this, various types of stores operate.

Specialized stores sell goods of one specific group (furniture, radio products, electrical goods, shoes, fabrics, clothing, milk, etc.).

Highly specialized stores sell goods that are part of a product group (subgroup) (men's clothing, work clothes, silk fabrics, etc.).

Combined stores sell goods of several groups (subgroups), reflecting the generality of demand or satisfying the corresponding circle of consumers (cultural goods, books, etc.).

Department stores sell products from many product groups in specialized sections.

Mixed stores sell goods of various groups, both food and non-food, without forming specialized sections.

So, the sales policy of the enterprise is also aimed at increasing the efficiency of the company, since in the field of sales all marketing efforts to increase profitability are finally manifested, by adapting the sales network to the consumer, the company has a better chance of surviving the competition, it is in this area that the entrepreneur is closer to the buyer .

Promotion is understood as a set of various types of activities to convey information about the merits of a product to potential consumers and stimulate their desire to buy it. Modern organizations use complex communication systems to maintain contacts with intermediaries, clients, and various public organizations and layers.

Product promotion is carried out through the use of advertising, sales promotion methods, personal selling and public relations methods in a certain proportion.

“Advertising is printed, handwritten, oral or graphic communication of a person, product, service or social movement, openly issued by and paid for by an advertiser for the purpose of increasing sales, expanding clientele, obtaining votes or public approval.” In modern conditions, advertising is a necessary element of production and sales activities, a way to create a sales market, and an active means of fighting for the market. It is precisely because of these functions that advertising is called the engine of trade.

As part of marketing, advertising must: firstly, prepare the market (consumer) for a favorable perception of the new product; secondly, to maintain demand at a high level at the stage of mass production of goods; thirdly, to contribute to the expansion of the sales market. Depending on the stage of the product’s life cycle, the scale and intensity of advertising and the relationship between prestigious advertising (advertising of the exporting company, the competence of its personnel, etc.) and product advertising (i.e. advertising of a specific product) change; the methods of its dissemination are also changing, its arguments are being updated, and fresher, more original ideas are being selected.

Although advertising costs are significant, especially when publishing advertisements in the foreign press, participating in exhibitions and fairs, etc., these costs are completely justified. Firstly, the funds allocated for advertising are included in the calculation of the price of the product, and the sale of the corresponding amount compensates for the costs. Secondly, without advertising, trade, as a rule, is sluggish and brings losses, often many times greater than advertising costs. As international practice shows, advertising costs average 1.5-2.5% of the cost of sold industrial goods and 5-15% for household goods.

Preparing advertising materials is a complex and responsible task that requires special knowledge and considerable practice. We must learn the truth that based on the skill of advertising, the quality of advertising texts and photographs, a potential consumer makes the first impression of our exporting enterprise and involuntarily, subconsciously transfers his opinion about the quality of advertising to the product we produce. To change this opinion for the better, you will have to spend a lot of work and money. Therefore, advertising must be impeccable, otherwise it turns into its opposite - “anti-advertising”.

The popular belief that a good product does not need advertising should be resolutely refuted. On the contrary, only a good, competitive product needs advertising, and the most intensive one, and advertising of a poor quality product leads to huge economic costs and the loss of the good name of the enterprise. In this case, it will take years and millions to restore the reputation.

Sales promotions are short-term incentives to promote the sale or distribution of products and services. If advertising calls: “Buy our product,” then sales promotion is based on the call: “Buy it now.” You can look at sales promotion in more detail, keeping in mind that it includes: stimulating consumers, stimulating trade, and stimulating the sales force of the organization itself.

Stimulating consumers is aimed at increasing their purchase volume. The following main methods are used: provision of samples for testing; use of coupons, partial price refunds or trade discounts; package sales at reduced prices; bonuses; souvenirs with advertising; encouraging regular clientele; contests, sweepstakes and games that give the consumer a chance to win something - money, goods, travel; exposition and demonstration of signs, posters, samples, etc. at places where products are sold.

Exhibitions and fairs play a prominent role in marketing. Their important advantage is the ability to present the product to customers in its original form, as well as in action. In any case, visitors come to the pavilions with a clear intention to learn something new for themselves, and this attitude actively contributes to the introduction of new products and services to the market. Personal contacts between stand staff (representatives of the seller) and potential buyers help create an atmosphere of trust and goodwill, which contributes to the development of business relationships. An exhibiting company (exhibiting samples of its products) can make presentations at symposia, usually held as part of an exhibition (fair), distribute print advertising, show films or television films, donate advertising bags, handbags, folders, etc. Skillful Exhibition activities play no less, and sometimes even greater, role than the publication of advertisements in the press about industrial goods.

However, work at the exhibition will be effective only if it is carried out strictly according to plan and purposefully. Specialists at the stand must clearly understand for what commercial purposes the company (enterprise) is participating in the exhibition, and do everything in their power to ensure that this goal is achieved.

Personal selling refers to the oral presentation of a product for the purpose of selling it in a conversation with one or several potential buyers. This is the most effective tool for promoting a product at certain stages of its sales, especially for creating a favorable attitude among buyers towards the products offered, primarily towards products for industrial purposes. However, this is the most expensive promotion method. American companies spend three times more on personal selling than on advertising.

In our country, this method is currently compromised by representatives of various “wholesale companies”. Representatives of the Canadian Wholesale Company have already become the talk of the town. There are notices on the doors of many institutions stating that representatives of the above-mentioned and similar companies are prohibited from entering.

Public relations involves creating good relations with various government and public structures and layers by creating a favorable opinion about the company, its products and by neutralizing unfavorable events and rumors. Public relations also includes communication with the press, dissemination of information about the company's activities, lobbying activities in legislative and government bodies with the aim of making or canceling certain decisions, explanatory work regarding the position of the company, its products, and social role.

So, marketing also considers promotion policies that promote maximum sales of goods, which helps the entrepreneur to better understand the buyer’s preferences and choose the most effective type of promotion. Without knowledge of promotion techniques, it is impossible for a modern company to survive, since without advertising (one of the methods of promotion), simply no one will know about it.

Perhaps everyone understands that in the modern world advertising surrounds us everywhere. It is near the roads, in the subway, on the screens of our televisions, computers, etc. Almost all trade marks, brands or small firms are involved in marketing, but in order to stand out from the mass of other advertising, it is no longer enough to simply make a colorful poster. In fact, modern advertising banners or TV spots are all bright and beautiful, so it’s quite difficult to stand out among them. The marketing department deals with this issue, which, if done correctly, can greatly increase the company’s profits.

Marketing department in individual entrepreneurs and joint stock companies!

I have already said in previous articles that the structure of the marketing department may differ depending on the structure of the enterprise itself. The larger the company, the more dedicated the marketing department. In small organizations it is not there at all, but there is a person or group who is engaged in advertising.

Marketers have long arms!

The marketing department has extensive connections with all other departments and interacts productively with them. Of course, this is ideal, because in some enterprises marketers stand apart and do not coordinate their actions with anyone at all. In this case, their work is ineffective, because how can you advertise the products that the production department produces without contacting this very production department?
That is why, in order to work more effectively, marketers are simply obliged to communicate with the heads of all departments of the organization, clarify with them all the innovations that relate to the product being sold and present these innovations to the consumer in the best possible way.

What does the marketing department do?

1. Firstly, this department regularly or when necessary conducts marketing campaigns. Moreover, these same campaigns, as a rule, are diverse, especially for large organizations. For example, this could be advertising on TV and several large banners on the street.
   If we are talking about smaller firms, then they can use advertisements in newspapers and handing out leaflets on the street. Of course, there may be one type of advertising, and if it is effective enough, then there is nothing special about it. The main thing is that advertising campaigns bring a large influx of customers, and the task of the marketing department is to select these most effective options.

1. As a rule, the marketing department does not personally engage in advertising, but entrusts this to private advertising agencies or simply hires performers. For example, they can rent a banner, hire a group of promoters to distribute leaflets, buy advertising time on a TV channel, etc.
   Thus, marketers do not personally carry out their plans, but enter into agreements with other persons. That is why there is a need to control the quality of the performers’ work. This is what the marketing department employees do after ordering the next advertising campaign.

1. Good marketing requires good money, so the department's task includes financial accounting. Periodically, the director submits an application for financial support in the form of a koshtoris (preliminary estimate), which details where the allocated money will go. Such a system creates the preconditions for the emergence of corrupt officials, especially in government organizations. That is why financial control over marketers is increased.

1. In addition to all of the above, marketing staff can provide valuable advice and guidance to other departments. For example, if a consumer does not like the new packaging of a product, then it needs to be changed, and if the purchasing power of the population has fallen, then there is little point in producing expensive goods for wealthy people. However, there are many nuances, and each of them should ideally be taken into account by marketers.

Innovation in Marketing!

As I said before, in order to stand out from the competition, you need to use innovative and unusual techniques. Previously, these most innovative things were loud slogans and bright posters, but now they have exhausted themselves, because it is difficult to stand out with any kind of paint among hundreds of banners that shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. Slogans like “Sale”, “You won’t find it cheaper anywhere” or “Lowest prices in town” are also used everywhere and cannot distinguish your business from the rest. I know a store that has had “sale” written on its window for three years in a row and I’m just wondering when it will end?

I would like to give you an example of innovative marketing from my life. However, it was more likely just a lucky coincidence, but I liked the case. One of the banners in the city center read “Only stolen goods are cheaper” and provided a link to an online store. One day there was a strong wind, and the top part of the poster was torn off. And then the following advertisement appeared: “only stolen goods,” and still the same link to the online store. Passers-by saw the torn off upper part and understood the essence of what was being said, but the poster made them laugh, so they remembered this information tens of times better than on hundreds of other banners. It was an accident, but why not do something like this deliberately?

Personnel for the department!

What does the marketing department do? Do you think it's just advertising?
You’re wrong, any advertising department needs competent employees, and in addition to their main job, marketers are looking for unusual, creative and executive people. A good advertiser must understand the psychology of the masses, be able to think outside the box and literally calculate the consumer’s reaction to the next advertisement.
Ideally, he should put himself in the consumer's shoes and understand how he will feel when he sees the advertisement. Competent marketers constantly travel around the city, both in a car, by bus and on foot. At the same time, they notice how their advertising and competitors’ advertising looks. This allows you to understand the effectiveness of marketing, as well as adopt some techniques from other advertisers.

Afterword...

Now you know what the marketing department does. In the end, I would like to add that the marketing department is a special department that is at the same time not connected with anyone and connected with everyone. Without it, a business is, in principle, possible, but it will not have any prospects, because the number of clients never increases magically, but only thanks to the actions of marketers.

) we talked about the relevance of strategic planning for our enterprises. Today we will talk about the functions and purpose of the marketing department, common stereotypes of perception of marketing and the reasons for this phenomenon.

The company's plans are drawn up based on resources, primarily human ones. In order to develop and implement a marketing strategy, a staff of proactive people with special knowledge and experience to implement such programs is needed. And in order for the knowledge and experience of specialists to become useful for the company, it is necessary to delimit their functions and clearly define goals and objectives. At the same time, in the Ukrainian market one can often observe a lack of understanding of the purpose and functions of the marketing department, their differences, for example, from the functions of the sales department.

Let us list the key goals and objectives of the marketing department, which are in demand by Ukrainian enterprises today.

First of all, you should not start forming a marketing department, like any other department, only for the purpose of creating jobs or following fashion. A marketing department should be created only when there are specific tasks. Often practice indicates the artificial creation of a marketing department. This situation, as a rule, ends with the fact that sooner or later the employees of this department are either transferred to other departments and the marketing department is abolished, or the company management concludes that the increase in sales is the result of the actions of the marketing department specialists, and then marketers become top managers and leading sales managers. This is not entirely true, because the main task of marketers is to maintain the market orientation of the enterprise. And if the marketing department is engaged in sales management, then in this case tactical activities do not allow for a thorough study and assessment of external factors and the company’s position in the market.

The activities of the marketing department are aimed at achieving the general goals of the enterprise, including economic issues and prospects for the development of the enterprise. Based on this, the goal of the marketing department is to develop recommendations in the following areas:

determining the sales policy of the enterprise, taking into account available resources and existing market dynamics;

coordination of the work of all departments of the enterprise related to sales.

The recommendations of the marketing department regarding market orientation, after approval by management, should be mandatory for all departments of the enterprise. But often plans developed by the marketing department and approved by management are placed in a safe and end their lives there. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common occurrence. In fact, the enterprise has “buried” colossal potential in the ground: marketers study the market, process huge amounts of information, and develop plans. And as a result, those developments that were made by marketers, those financial resources that were spent on studying the market, not only do not bring benefit to the enterprise, but also become “wasted” money. And the enterprise continues its movement, based solely on intuition, old habits and past experience, not noticing emerging opportunities, often reacting inadequately and untimely to emerging dangers, giving its more agile competitors the opportunity to use themselves to achieve their goals.

What are the principles and methods of work of the marketing department in an enterprise?

All departments are required to provide the marketing department with any information about the results of their activities. In turn, the marketing department is obliged to provide divisions with the information they need for market orientation. The joint effect of actions resulting from the exchange of information is very important. This allows the company to successfully achieve its goals. The marketing department does not replace or duplicate other divisions; it was created only to orient the activities of all divisions of the company to the needs of the market in order to promptly adjust their work and interactions between divisions taking into account the interests of the market. This is especially true today, when marketing services at enterprises are still very young and heads of marketing departments cannot always accurately set specific, quantifiable goals and objectives, and evaluate the result of the work performed by the marketing department.

Let us remind you that strategic and tactical marketing are two areas with different objectives. If strategic marketing is the responsibility of the first or second person of the company, then the marketing department in this case is assigned the role of performer. Key tasks are market analysis, development of interim plans, various models of enterprise development, development of market segments, determination of key positions in the market, assessment of competitors and consumers. All of these are tasks of strategic analysis, on the basis of which strategic planning is born, and it is the top officials of the company who take the most direct part in this work. In this case, the marketing department provides management with complete information about the realities of the market, how successful the enterprise is, and what difficulties may arise if measures are not taken in a timely manner.

As for tactical planning, in this case the marketing department acts as a service coordinating the work of departments so that the developed plans are implemented.

In this case, the marketing department carries out the controlling function and answers the questions: how are divisions moving towards the goal, how does the enterprise operate in the market, how are certain customer preferences changing, how well do various products “feel” on the market, how profitable are they today, in what phase of the life cycle a particular product is located.

The main tasks of the marketing department are the following:

1. Assessment of market conditions and constant analysis of the results of the enterprise’s commercial activities, as well as factors affecting the operation of the enterprise.

2. Development of sales forecasts and market share of the enterprise.

3. Conducting a situational market analysis.

4. Development, together with other departments and management of the enterprise, of goals and strategies for market activities in both domestic and foreign markets.

5. Development of product and pricing policies.

6. Selection of rational distribution channels and methods of product promotion.

7. Development of long-term and current marketing plans for the enterprise as a whole and for individual product groups and coordination of the activities of the enterprise division in this area.

8. Providing the enterprise and all its divisions with marketing information (market information).

The image of an enterprise is mainly determined by the quality and quantity of contacts with external organizations. In this regard, the development of recommendations for establishing and organizing contacts with certain organizations, and sometimes the functions of representing the enterprise in its relations with other organizations, can be performed by the marketing department. Of course, the procedure and level of competence when performing such work is determined by the management of the enterprise. This gives confidence that the marketing department is systematically and consistently pursuing a planned policy aimed at creating an appropriate image of the enterprise in the eyes of consumers, suppliers and partners.

Often in enterprises there is such a phenomenon as the combination of sales and marketing services. This can be explained by the fact that the marketing service is usually staffed by sales department specialists. In this regard, I would like to draw attention to the fact that the main function of the sales service is distribution and direct sales. Very often, the sales department is expected to perform market analysis, market assessment, sales forecast, etc., but this is not typical for the sales department, since its employees are not able to perform these functions due to lack of time and lack of certain knowledge.

The functions of the sales department are thus concentrated around the sales process and related communications, and also consist of generating and providing analytical information on sales. As soon as there is a competent separation of sales functions and marketing functions, then in both one and the other service, as practice shows, an amazing acceleration is found, because if specialists are aimed at fulfilling their direct responsibilities, the efficiency of their work increases several times.

There are several stereotypes regarding the purpose of the marketing service. These stereotypes, in turn, dictate certain rules for managing the marketing department of an enterprise.

The first stereotype - “narrow window” (this and subsequent terms were proposed by Professor Yu.D. Krasovsky) is associated with the understanding of marketing as one of the management functions. This means that marketing is not given a decisive, coordinating and guiding role in the formation of a management system. And then the head of the marketing service turns out to be not a top manager, but a middle manager.

The second stereotype is the “swimming octopus”. The marketing service is often perceived by managers as a kind of tool with which they try to probe the entire market and draw general conclusions for everyone in the form of “wishes.” If this is the approach that is formed, then very often the conclusions are rejected because, as a rule, they are perceived as useful advice or recommendations, and not as instructions for performing specific tasks. In such cases, marketing information is presented as probabilistic rather than reliable; deviations in forecast values ​​are interpreted by specialists who do not have special knowledge as something that cannot be relied upon or trusted. Naturally, managers, receiving recommendations that do not clearly outline tasks and action algorithms, prefer to rely mainly on themselves, on intuition, on their own experience.

The considered stereotypes indicate that many enterprises still underestimate the role of the marketing service in increasing the efficiency of the enterprise.

The other two stereotypes are based on an overestimation of the capabilities of marketing and the marketing service.

The first stereotype is called the “all-seeing eye.” Marketing in this role is perceived as something great, completely covering the market, and miracles are expected from it. This stereotype is quite insidious, because the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

The second stereotype, associated with inflated expectations and overestimation of the capabilities of the marketing service, is the “annoying fly.” Such a perception of marketing or a marketing service is possible in a situation where managers are forced to admit that indeed those calculations, developments, and calculations that were made by marketers are reliable and accurate. But sometimes managers cannot put into practice the recommendations of marketers, because, as it turns out, in order to complete the tasks assigned to the staff, it is necessary to acquire new experience, new knowledge, make additional efforts, and sometimes spend more time. And then they try to brush off marketers in order to avoid new actions for themselves, continuing to work as usual. The marketing service, in turn, tries to change these habits in order to form a completely new holistic management based on feedback from the external environment. On the one hand, everyone recognizes that this is necessary, but on the other hand, it seems to be a heavy duty.

The emergence of stereotypes is due to the fact that specialists do not fully understand the essence, purpose and capabilities of the marketing service, while at the same time insufficient attention is paid to the training of marketers in educational institutions. Marketers often get carried away by one-sided economic indicators or, conversely, motivational factors. All these reasons have led to a situation where the marketing service, during its formation at an enterprise, experiences certain difficulties. At the same time, it is encouraging that those companies that have gone through the stage of establishing a marketing service in an enterprise have been able to determine the criteria by which the effectiveness of the marketing service is measured, and determine quantitative, time and financial indicators. The speed of operation of these companies in the market today is quite high, which translates into greater profits than their competitors.

Victoria Kidon

In today's world, it is difficult to imagine even a medium-sized company without a marketing department or at least one or two specialists in this field. Market realities do not allow us to do without an integrated approach to the process of creating a product or service and their further distribution. In the variety of brands and brands, it is very difficult to find a place for your product on a store shelf. Without knowledge and practical skills in this area, it will be very difficult to continue your activities.

Market activity

Marketing is considered to be any activity of a company or firm with the aim of creating products and their further sale. The main tasks can be considered the collection and analysis of the necessary information to draw up a portrait of the target audience, search for USP, study the commitment and expectations of potential buyers. In addition, marketing helps to understand what place the company occupies among other companies in the industry.

Market activity begins with product development and ends only after a person has purchased the product or service, tried it and was able to form an opinion. If the final product does not meet customer expectations in some way, the task of specialists is to understand the reason and find ways to eliminate it.

To answer the question of what the marketing department does, you need to define its functions. The tasks that specialists solve can be both tactical and strategic, the correct formulation of which can affect the achievement or failure to achieve the set goals. Any one must have a result that can be assessed in units of measurement (company profit, quantity of goods sold, percentage growth of customers, etc.).

Work principles

To organize a competent functioning process, several rules must be followed.

First, the structure of the marketing department should be simple. It is necessary to remove all unnecessary links from it that affect the speed of finding the necessary solutions.

Secondly, each employee must be responsible for a limited number of functions. It is absolutely forbidden for a large number of people to be responsible for the same area of ​​work. This will complicate and prolong the process of solving the assigned tasks.

Third, all employees must be flexible and adaptable. In rapidly changing market conditions, the main success factor will be the ability to quickly find new ways to solve problems than a competitor can do.

The specifics of organizing the work of the marketing department also depend on the type of activity of the company, production volumes, number of employees, the presence of subsidiaries and branches, industry focus, the presence of competitors and their number, distance from end consumers and points of sale.

Structural device

The number of specialists working in one marketing department may vary. It depends on the size of the company and its goals. As mentioned above, each marketer must focus on his own area of ​​market activity. Some will research competitors, some will draw up a portrait of the buyer, some will look for new ways and means of selling finished products.

Many modern companies sell their goods not only offline, that is, through physical stores, but also online. The methods for promoting services through these channels differ significantly, so it is advisable to entrust these tasks to different specialists. In addition, marketers are required who are responsible for current projects and SEO promotion of the company itself on the Internet.

The marketing department also includes logisticians, designers, content editors, copywriters, photographers, and videographers. It is often necessary to supplement the existing team with promoters and workers for one-time projects. Each of these specialists has a number of unique tasks that ultimately make up a full-scale marketing activity. In most cases, departments have either a boss or a general manager who controls the work process and directs it in the right direction.

Functions of the Marketing Department

To achieve all of the company's goals, it needs clear tactics and strategy. The person responsible for this type of work is the marketing manager, or marketer. The positive dynamics depend on his professional efforts. This could be an increase in sales or awareness, conquering new target groups, entering a new market segment, or the success of a promotion to launch a new product or service.

The responsibilities of marketers, or marketing managers, include the following activities:

• Analysis of the market situation and future trends.
• Analysis of the behavior of potential buyers and consumers.
• Defining the target market.
• Identification of competitive advantages.
• Drawing up programs to introduce benefits into the company’s activities.
• Development of strategy and tactics for product promotion.
• Tactical management of the company's product line.
• Increasing customer loyalty.
• Analysis, control and calculation of the results of the work carried out.

Studying market needs and trends

A marketing manager should begin his activities with a complete analysis of the market: from its trends and competitors to the expectations of buyers and intermediaries (for a B2B company). Often, specialized analytical and statistical agencies are involved for higher-quality research. Small and medium-sized businesses with limited budgets generally do not need this.

Upon completion of marketing research, the specialist draws up relevant reports and draws conclusions regarding a particular strategy for the development and promotion of the product. If he receives third-party data, he will still have to adapt the information received taking into account his goals and objectives.

After a full and thorough study of market niches and segments, assessing the attractiveness of each segment and the potential viability of the company in the chosen category, the marketer can determine the prospects for business development and the direction in which to move.

Studying the target audience

A marketing manager must have the necessary knowledge to identify the desires and expectations of the end consumer. They will ultimately help create a product that is in demand on the market, correctly determine its price and distribution methods.

This complex chain of processes begins with a detailed analysis of the potential buyer. Marketers conduct surveys, work with representative groups, and collect research conducted before them. Based on this data, it is already possible to determine the needs and prejudices of the audience. A marketing manager must not only know all the positive aspects that customers would like to find in the proposed product, but also all their concerns about it.

The main task of a product is to solve a specific problem for the buyer. At the same time, it must meet his expectations. There are also certain motivational incentives behind the act of purchasing. The marketer’s task is to identify them, then the consumer will buy the product more often and with greater willingness. For example, cellulite cream can be sold on the basis that being attractive and slim will help women maintain family relationships or simply attract the attention of the opposite sex.

The mood of the audience can change due to various external reasons (the appearance of cheaper competitive analogues, cooling of interest, etc.), so the marketer must always monitor the behavior and attitude of buyers towards the product in order to determine the moment when the product or service needs to be modified.

Target Market Selection

There are two ways to develop a product or service:

1. Conduct research on the target audience and identify their expectations, on the basis of which the product is subsequently created.
2. Conduct an analysis of the company’s technical and resource capabilities and create a product based on them, and then look for the audience that will be interested in the existing product.

A thorough market study allows marketers to identify the most promising group of buyers that will bring maximum profit and be loyal. It also helps determine the target market and segment in which the company would benefit most from being present. Knowing consumer preferences helps identify the weaknesses of competitors and the shortcomings of their products.

Creating a Competitive Advantage

An attractive appearance can be considered one of the keys to the success of a product. The task of marketers in this case is to give the product the necessary external characteristics and distinguish it from a number of similar products. In addition to this, you can create a unique selling proposition (USP), which will make the product even more attractive in the eyes of potential buyers.

The competitiveness of a product is considered one of its key characteristics. If the functionality of two products, for example, pots, is the same, the client will choose the one that he liked best or that suited the price. For some categories of goods, price is no longer a determining factor (essential goods, luxury products). In this case, everything depends only on the appearance and the availability of additional services that come with the product. Knowing the weaknesses of a competitor's products allows you to take a more advantageous position in the market.

Development of a long-term strategy

Without the participation of the marketing department at the enterprise, long-term planning is impossible. Firstly, its employees are familiar with all market trends and customer expectations. Secondly, they will quickly find a profitable segment to place the product. Thirdly, they will be able to not only develop a strategy aimed at emphasizing the strengths of the advertised product, but also take into account potential dangers, reduce the risks of losses and develop a plan for marketing research and activities that will help to quickly achieve their goals.

Company product management

The marketing department manager always knows the product in every detail. He will be able to highlight the strengths and hide the less attractive ones. In addition, the marketing manager will always be able to talk about the product and stimulate both the buyer’s interest and motivate him to take the final action.

Skillful product management is as important as developing a competent strategy and media plan for an advertising campaign. Without understanding consumer expectations for a specific product, it will be impossible to correctly determine the price, size, and number of units in a package.

Forming relationships with clients

Since the marketing and advertising department is responsible for growing the customer base and establishing feedback from consumers, their responsibilities also include developing and implementing measures to attract more attention to a product, service or organization. Specialists must attract new ones, maintain relationships with existing ones and try to win back lost clients.

In the realities of the modern market, expanding the customer base and establishing relationships with them becomes the key task of marketers. This is primarily due to the simplification of other processes thanks to the Internet. In addition, it has been proven that loyal customers can provide more stable income in the long term.

Control and analysis

Typically, the chief marketing officer sets short-term and long-term goals for the entire team. In the future, he also has to control the process of achieving them. He will need to develop “corrective measures” if any of the assigned tasks cannot be successfully implemented. Management and control of resources is also included in the list of his direct responsibilities.

From idea to sale

The marketer himself is both a manager and a coordinator, and often a performer. The future fate of not only one product taken, but also the entire organization as a whole depends on his knowledge and actions. When answering the question of what the marketing department does, it is important to remember its multifunctionality. He not only manages existing products and services and conducts research, but also develops and markets new ones, helping the company move forward, increasing its customer base and annual turnover. Therefore, having a competent marketer turns out to be important for maintaining the life of the company in the long term.