Page 72 - Foundations of Marketing

Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Marketing Strategies | Chapter 2 39

competition, and customer needs. Marketing strategy flexibility has a positive influence on
organizational performance.
Utilizing the marketing mix as a tool set, a company can detail how it will achieve a sus-
tainable competitive advantage. A sustainable competitive advantage is one that the com-
petition cannot copy in the foreseeable future. Walmart, for example, maintains a sustainable
competitive advantage in groceries over supermarkets because of its highly efficient and low-
cost distribution system. This advantage allows Walmart to offer lower prices and has helped it
to maintain the largest share of the supermarket business. Maintaining a sustainable competi-
tive advantage requires flexibility in the marketing mix when facing uncertain environments.

MANAGING MARKETING LO 2 . Examine what is
necessary to effectively
IMPLEMENTATION manage the implementation
of marketing strategies.
Marketing implementation is the process of putting marketing strategies into action. Through
planning, marketing managers provide purpose and direction for an organization’s marketing
efforts and are positioned to implement specific marketing strategies. The effective implemen-
tation of any and all marketing activities depends on a well-organized marketing department
that is capable of motivating personnel, effective communication, good coordination efforts,
and setting reasonable and attainable timetables for activity completion.
sustainable competitive
Organizing the Marketing Unit advantage An advantage that
the competition cannot copy
The structure and relationships of a marketing unit, including establishing lines of authority marketing implementation
and communication that connect and coordinate individuals, strongly affect marketing activi- The process of putting market-
ties. Companies that truly adopt the marketing concept develop an organizational culture that ing strategies into action

Emerging Trends

Watch That Weather Forecast!

To avoid being crippled by weather-related complications, Similarly, Home Depot’s weather watchers keep the
such as a hurricane, blizzard, or tornado, some major home improvement retailer ready for any type of storm,
marketers consult staff meteorologists as they work knowing that customers will need certain supplies before
on marketing plans and implementation. For example, the bad weather and other supplies in its aftermath. When
Walmart’s meteorologists constantly monitor weather hurricane season opens, Home Depot has tractor-trailers
developments and update marketing planners and store preloaded with plywood, generators, and other products
personnel who must be ready to respond to bad weather to restock stores in a storm’s path. As a result, Home
systems. “It’s great to have somebody in-house who can Depot is ready and able to remain open during a weather
evaluate that information so that we can give real-time emergency.
information to our associates, not only here at headquar- Both FedEx and UPS have meteorologists on staff
ters but out in the field,” explains Walmart’s head of emer- to help the delivery firms decide when their trucks
gency management. Planners analyze historical sales from should wait out a storm and how to reroute their cargo
each store in the affected area and then send out trucks jets around severe weather systems. To maintain good
filled with the specific goods each store will need during customer relations, both firms alert customers as soon as
that type of storm (such as snow blowers for a blizzard or they know pickups and deliveries will be delayed by bad
sump pumps for a hurricane). weather.
c

© iStockphoto.com/CRTd

Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.