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A LevelBusinessCambridge (CIE)Revision Notes3. MarketingMarketing Strategy (A Level)Approaches to Marketing Strategy

Approaches to Marketing Strategy (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Business): Revision Note

Exam code: 9609

Lisa Eades

Written by: Lisa Eades

Reviewed by: Steve Vorster

Updated on

Consistency of the marketing strategy

  • Marketing strategies need to be consistent and coordinated carefully to ensure that they are fully focused on achieving marketing objectives

Features of an effective marketing strategy

Consistent

Coordinated

Focused

  • Marketing strategies reflect and reinforce business and brand values

  • They are appropriate for the product to which they are applied

  • They are suitable for the intended target market such as mass or niche markets

  • Marketing budgets, the marketing mix and the promotional mix must be tied together

  • The cooperation of relevant functional managers is vital

  • Mixed messages need to be avoided to ensure customers fully buy in to the product

  • Strategies must be focused on achieving the business's specific marketing objectives 

  • They should be adapted when objectives change and regularly reviewed to ensure they retain this focus

  • Unfocused strategies should be discarded

The importance of consistency

  • Consistency in marketing means that all parts of a business’s marketing plan and activities work together in a unified and coordinated way

  • Messages, branding, pricing, and customer experience feel the same across all platforms and over time

  • This builds trust, strengthens the brand, and avoids confusion

How do businesses achieve consistency?

Method

Explanation

Clear marketing objectives

  • All strategies and actions are based on shared goals such as growing market share

Strong brand identity

  • Using the same logos, colours, tone of voice and design across all marketing materials

Integrated marketing mix

  • Making sure product, price, place, and promotion all send the same message to customers

Communication

  • Ensuring all employees understand and follow the brand and marketing strategy in interactions with customers

Case Study

Apple's consistent marketing strategy

  • Apple has built a strong brand based on design, innovation, and simplicity

  • These ideas influence how the company creates its products, advertises them, and treats its customers

    • Branding

      • Whether a customer is looking at a product, a store, or a website, the clean and modern Apple style is always the same

    • Product design

      • Apple focuses on high-quality, simple design across its whole range, from iPhones to MacBooks

    • Promotion

      • Apple uses minimalistic advertising with strong emotional appeal

      • The same tone and style are used globally

    • Customer experience

      • In Apple Stores around the world, the layout, service and atmosphere are consistent

  • Because of this consistency, customers trust Apple and feel confident in their products

  • This helps maintain customer loyalty and enables premium pricing

Coordinated marketing strategy

  • A coordinated marketing strategy means all parts of the marketing plan work together smoothly

  • This involves making sure that every department involved, such as sales, product design, advertising, and customer service, is aligned with the overall marketing goals

  • Good coordination avoids mixed messages and improves efficiency

How do businesses achieve coordination?

Method

Explanation

Shared objectives

  • All departments follow the same goals, such as increasing sales or launching a new product

Cross-department teamwork

  • Marketing teams work closely with other departments like production, finance and customer service

Planning meetings

  • Regular communication helps keep everyone informed and pulling in the same direction

Consistent marketing mix

  • The 4Ps all support the same overall strategy

Case Study

Well-coordinated marketing strategy at Coca-Cola

  • Coca-Cola shows excellent coordination across its global marketing activity

  • This coordination helps Coca-Cola stay as one of the world’s most recognisable and successful brands.

Coca Cola glass on a wall

  • Product

    • Taste, packaging, and quality are consistent worldwide

  • Promotion

    • Advertising campaigns, such as "Share a Coke", are used across many countries with local adaptations

  • Sales and distribution

    • Coca-Cola works closely with retailers, restaurants, and vending machine suppliers to ensure availability

  • Customer service

    • Support teams know the marketing campaigns and brand message to create a consistent customer experience

Marketing strategy and its focus on objectives

  • A marketing strategy focused on objectives ensures that every marketing decision is aimed at achieving clear, specific goals

    • These objectives may include increasing sales, building brand awareness or entering a new market

    • When marketing activities are aligned with these goals, the business is more likely to succeed

How businesses ensure focus on objectives

Method

Explanation

Setting SMART objectives

  • Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound

Performance tracking

  • Businesses regularly check progress using sales data, customer feedback, and market research

Strategic planning

  • Every part of the marketing plan, including the 4Ps, supports key objectives

Regular reviews

  • Businesses adjust their strategy if the objectives aren’t being met

Case Study

Nike's focused marketing strategy

  • Nike is a good example of a company that keeps its marketing focused on clear objectives

  • With this clear focus, Nike remains competitive and keeps growing its customer base worldwide

  • Objective

    • Strengthen customer loyalty and grow global market share among young, active consumers

  • Strategies

    • Use high-profile athletes and inspirational advertising to build emotional connections

    • Launch targeted campaigns like “Just Do It” that support its brand message and appeal to its audience

    • Track performance through sales figures, social media engagement, and customer surveys

Information technology in marketing

  • Information technology (IT) tools and applications are extensively used in marketing for a variety of purposes

Where are IT tools and applications used in marketing?

Social media

  • Businesses use platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to build and maintain a presence

  • Regular posts link products to trends, creating modern word-of-mouth promotion

  • Social media enables fast, interactive communication using video and sound

  • Customer comments and reviews can support market research

    • E.g. Forever 21 uses Instagram to share images and short videos promoting new products and events

Websites

  • Most firms use a website, sales platform, or both

  • These allow online selling and quick sharing of company info like press releases

  • Blogs and vlogs help drive traffic to sales platforms.

    • Zalando, based in Germany, is an online mall for top European fashion brands and own labels like Kickz

Email

  • Businesses create databases of customers who opt in to email updates

  • These emails share news of new products, offers and events quickly and cheaply

Mobile

  • Many businesses use mobile apps for browsing and purchases

  • Text messages can promote offers, share links and gather feedback

In-store

  • Technology in stores attracts and engages customers

  • Digital signage promotes offers and ranges while enhancing store ambience

  • Custom systems give live updates on stock to staff and shoppers

Artificial intelligence in marketing

  • It is argued that marketing is the business function where artificial intelligence (AI) has significant potential to make a positive impact

Current uses of AI in marketing

Diagram showing uses of AI in marketing: analysing behaviour, target promotions, personalised messages, managing data, AI chatbots, product suggestions.
AI can be used to analyse customer behaviour, personalise digital messages, make real-time product suggestions and support customer service

Analysing customer behaviour

  • AI can study huge amounts of data from sources like social media, smart speakers, online shopping and product reviews

  • This helps businesses understand what customers like, how they shop and what influences their decisions

Targeted promotions

  • Using real-time data, AI can quickly send the right adverts or offers to the right customers

  • This makes marketing more effective and personalised

Personalised digital messages

  • AI can create and send custom messages to individuals based on their interests, shopping history and past interactions with the business

Managing customer data

  • AI helps organise and analyse customer profiles by combining information from various devices and apps

  • This gives businesses a clearer picture of their audience

Supporting product design and promotion

  • AI gives product designers and marketers detailed insights into what customers want

  • This helps them create and promote products that are more likely to succeed

Real-time product suggestions

  • While a customer is shopping online, AI can recommend products based on their past or current activity

  • This can influence what the customer chooses to buy

AI chatbots

  • Many businesses use AI-powered chatbots to answer customer questions automatically

  • These bots are available 24/7 and help improve customer service without needing human staff at all times

AI in marketing: key concerns

Consumer resistance

Capital investment requirements

Careful human supervision is required

  • Many consumers are unhappy about the large-scale collection of data

  • The use of AI in marketing can increase the possibility of discrimination and the misuse of information

    • E.g., a customer's credit rating is reduced because AI determines that others who shopped where he shopped had a poor repayment history

  • AI systems require a significant investment in hardware, processing power, software, highly skilled employees such as programmers and training

  • These high costs increase barriers to entry for small firms and increase the competitive advantage of already-powerful firms

  • This may have the effect of reducing competition and choice for customers

  • AI systems require close supervision to ensure that programming errors are identified and corrected swiftly

  • AI systems lack the creativity and imagination of humans, so output may be perfected by human touch

  • Ensuring that AI-generated promotional activity is focused on marketing objectives is a judgement best made by a human 

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Lisa Eades

    Author: Lisa Eades

    Expertise: Business Content Creator

    Lisa has taught A Level, GCSE, BTEC and IBDP Business for over 20 years and is a senior Examiner for Edexcel. Lisa has been a successful Head of Department in Kent and has offered private Business tuition to students across the UK. Lisa loves to create imaginative and accessible resources which engage learners and build their passion for the subject.

    Steve Vorster

    Reviewer: Steve Vorster

    Expertise: Economics & Business Subject Lead

    Steve has taught A Level, GCSE, IGCSE Business and Economics - as well as IBDP Economics and Business Management. He is an IBDP Examiner and IGCSE textbook author. His students regularly achieve 90-100% in their final exams. Steve has been the Assistant Head of Sixth Form for a school in Devon, and Head of Economics at the world's largest International school in Singapore. He loves to create resources which speed up student learning and are easily accessible by all.