Marketing-Strategy

Strategicmarketing(Wienclaw,RuthA.ResearchStartersBusiness:StrategicMarketing,GreatNeckPublishing,2008:1-1)Abstract：Inorderforanorganization'smarketingefforttobesuccessful,itneedstobebasedonastrategicmarketingplantohelpensurethatthegoalsandobjectivesoftheeffortareappropriatetotheneedsofthemarketplace.Strategicmarketingexaminesthemarketplacetodeterminetheneedsofpotentialcustomers,thestrategyandmarketpositionofthecompetitors,andattemptstodevelopastrategythatwillenabletheorganizationtogainormaintainacompetitiveadvantageinthemarketplace.Thereareanumberoffactorsthatshouldimpactthedevelopmentofastrategicmarketingplan.Theseincludeinternalfactorssuchastheassetsandskillsoftheorganizationandtheorganizationalcultureaswellasexternalfactorssuchasvariousmarketdrivers,marketorindustrylifestyle,strategicwindows,andthenatureofthecompetition.Anoptimalstrategicmarketingplanwillalsofollowacontingencyapproachthatallowsflexibilityinmeetingtheuniquesetoffactorsthatgovernthemarketplaceandtheorganization'sviabilitywithin.Keywords：CompetitiveAdvantage;CompetitiveStrategy;MarketNiche;MarketShare;Marketing;MarketingPlan;OrganizationalCulture;StrategicMarketingStrategicMarketingOverviewNomatterhowgoodtheorganization'sproductsorservices,unlesstheirvaluecanbecommunicatedtopotentialcustomers,theorganizationwillfailinitsmission.Thiscommunicationistheresponsibilityofthemarketingfunctionwithintheorganization.AccordingtotheAmericanMarketingAssociation,marketingiscompetitiveadvantageinthemarketplace.Operationalmarketingisbuiltuponthefoundationsetbythestrategicmarketingfunctionandimplementsvariousplansandstrategies(includingadevelopmentoftheappropriatemarketingmix)toattractcustomersandfostercustomerloyalty.MethodsforProduct&ServiceMarketingThereanumberofwaystomarketone'sproductsorservicesincludingadvertising,directresponse,salespromotions,andpublicity.However,unlessoneunderstandstheneedsofthecustomer,themarket,andtheindustryaswellasthestrengthsandweaknessesofthecompetition,theseapproachesareunlikelytobesuccessful.Strategicmarketinghelpsanorganizationsharpenitsfocusandsuccessfullycompeteinthemarketplace.Strategicmarketingisconcernedwithtwocomponents:Thetargetmarketandthebestwaytocommunicatethevalueofone'sproductorservicetothatmarket.Thedevelopmentofaviablemarketingstrategydependsonseveralkeydimensions.First,aswithanyglobalstrategywithintheorganization,asuccessfulmarketingstrategyneedstobeendorsedbytopmanagementwithintheorganization.Marketingstrategyisalsopoliticalinnature:Powerfulunitswithintheorganizationmaydisagreeonthebestmarketingstrategyandanaccordmayneedtobenegotiated.Marketingstrategiesmayalsobeaffectedbyorganizationalcultureandtheassumptionsthatthisengenders.Forexample,iftheorganizationhasalwaysmarketeditswidgetstobusinessexecutives,itmayfailtoseethepotentialformarketingtolowerlevelpersonnelwithintheorganizationorevenforpersonalusetoadultsorteenagers.FactorsthatImplementStrategicMarketingPlanDevelopmentThereareanumberoffactorsthatshouldimpactthedevelopmentofastrategicmarketingplanfortheorganization.Thefirstofthesecomprisestheassetsandskillsthattheorganizationalreadypossessesorthatitcanreadilyacquire.Forexample,ifanorganizationhasasignificantprogrammingdepartmentonthepayroll,itwouldbefeasibleforittomakeandmarketapplicationsoftware.However,ifthesepersonnelarealreadyinvolvedinotherworkandarenotfreetoworkonanewsoftwareprojectandtheorganizationcannotaffordtohireadditionalprogrammers,startinganewsoftwarelinewouldbeinadvisableatbest.Thesecondfactorthatmustbeconsideredwhendevelopingamarketingstrategyisthemarketdrivers.Thesearevariouspolitical,economic,sociocultural,andtechnologicalforcesthatcaninfluencethewantsandneedsoftheconsumerbase.Forexample,theneedtobeabletohandleincreasingvolumesofinformationanddatahasledtowidespreaduseofinformationtechnologyinmanyindustries.Similarly,theneedforacollegeeducationforanincreasingnumberofjobshasledtoaproliferationoffor-profitinstitutionsofhighereducation.FactorsImpactingMarketingStrategyMarketdrivers,however,arenottheonlyexternalforcethatshapesone'smarketstrategy.Thenatureofthecompetitioninthemarketplaceisalsoveryimportantindeterminingwhetherornotamarketingeffortwillbesuccessful.Virtuallynobusinessiswithoutcompetition.Whenbuyingacomputer,onemustchoosebetweenMacandPC.Mostsoftdrinksonthemarketaremanufacturedbyoneoftwocompanieswhoofferverysimilarproducts.Thereisavarietyofchoicesavailablewhendecidingwheretofillupone'scar,yetmostofthefuelsavailableatthepumparevirtuallythesame.Eachofthesebusinesseshasitsownmarketpositionandstrivestokeepitsmarketsharethroughmarketingefforts.Partofthestrategicmarketingeffortistodecidehowbesttodifferentiateoneselffromthecompetition.Anotherexternalfactorthatimpactshowonecanbestpositiononeselfinthemarketisthestageofthemarketortheindustrylifecycle.Someorganizationsexcel,forexample,atbeingthefirstonthemarketwithaninnovationornewproduct.Othersexcelattakingtheinnovationandadaptingittotheneedsofthemarketplace(e.g.,lowerprice,differentfeatures).Inaddition,therearevariousstrategicwindowsthataf