Question

Choco Ltd. offers a wide variety of chocolate products. It has an action program of not selling its products by their generic name but under different names like Choco-silk bar, Choco-Munchy and Choco-crunchy etc. for different customer segments. All these names have great popularity and acceptability in the markets.

As the company policy the products were offered at reasonable and affordable prices for targeting a mass customer base.

During the festive season the company launched a massive promotional campaign to increase its revenue and achieve its communication objectives. The company introduced free gifts for the customers.

Their on-ground sales team delivers the product not only to the departmental stores but also to small shops, so that all segments of customers can easily get the products. They also provide information and support services to customers to ensure repeat sales.

From the viewpoint of the management function, briefly explain any four activities of marketing which the firm will be involved in, apart from the above-mentioned ones it's already performing.

Answer 1

Functions of marketing, apart from the ones Choco Ltd is already performing:

1. Gathering and analyzing market information: This is necessary to identify the needs of the customers and make various decisions for the successful marketing of the products and services. This is important for making an analysis of the available opportunities and threats as well as strengths and weaknesses of the organization and help in deciding what opportunities can best be pursued by it.
2. Product designing and development: The design of the product contributes to making the product attractive to the target customers. A good design can improve performance of a product and give it a competitive advantage in the market.
3. Standardization: Standardization refers to producing goods of predetermined specifications which help in achieving uniformity and consistency in the output 
4. Packaging and labeling: Packaging refers to designing and developing the package for the products. Labeling refers to designing and developing the label to be put on the product.
5. Transportation: Transportation involves physical movement of goods from one place to another. As generally the users of products particularly consumer products are wide spread and geographically separated from the place where they are produced.
6. Storage and warehousing: In order to maintain smooth flow of products in the market, there is a need for proper storage of the products. Further there is need for storage of adequate stock of goods to protect against unavoidable delays in delivery or to meet out contingencies in the demand. Ram Kumar the CEO of Sabarmati Enterprises in a meeting with the middle management of the company advised that the personal goals of the people should be reconciled with the organizational objectives for harmony in the organization. Briefly explain the objective of management that he was referring to.