Marketing tactics. Implementation of marketing strategy and tactics using the example of a specific company Analysis of the enterprise’s potential

One of the main objectives of marketing is to establish the maximum possible systematicity and proportionality in the activities of a company based on its strategic goals. The main management task of the management of a company (enterprise) when using planning is to reduce the degree of uncertainty and risk in business activities and ensure the concentration of resources in selected priority areas. Effective implementation of all marketing functions at the proper level is unrealistic without thoughtful and comprehensive planning.

Noting the importance of planning for the economic activity of a company, the famous English scientist and management specialist C. L. Hudson writes in his book “Organization and Management of an Enterprise”: “Planning means developing a scheme for the future activities of the company to obtain given results at established costs and within a certain timeframe.” period of time". And further: “Planning is the deliberate attempt to influence, to control the scope, speed and consequences of change.”

Effective intra-company planning requires compliance with the following basic principles:

• - it must have the necessary flexibility and adaptability, that is, respond in a timely manner to changes in the external environment of the enterprise;
• - planning should be done primarily by those who will then implement the developed plans; and the level of competence in planning must correspond to the level of competence in relation to the management of enterprise resources.

The connection between the marketing system and planning is active, two-way. The objectives of marketing activities have a decisive impact on the nature, time horizon and planning system. At the same time, the implementation of marketing activities in a certain sequence is carried out in coordination within the framework of a comprehensive marketing program (plan). A manifestation of planning in the implementation of marketing activities is the development and implementation of a marketing program, which is actually a master plan and determines the content of all other plans of the enterprise.

Marketing planning is aimed at solving the following main problems:

• - determination of goals (for example, differentiation of goods taking into account selected market segments, development of new products or markets, solving the problem of competitiveness, etc.), as well as the basic principles and criteria for evaluating the planning process itself;
• - formation of the structure and reserves of private plans, the nature of their mutual connection (for example, linking plans for the sale of goods in individual market segments, sales and production activities of foreign branches and affiliates, etc.);
• - determining the nature of the initial data necessary for planning (state and prospects of the market, current and expected future needs of end users of the enterprise’s products, forecast data on changes in the product structure of foreign markets, etc.);
• - determination of the general organization of the process and planning framework (levels of competence and responsibility of managers, rights and responsibilities of organizational and structural divisions of the enterprise, etc.).

The most important components of corporate planning work, carried out on the basis of the principles and methods of marketing, are strategic planning and marketing planning (drawing up a plan).

Common sense dictates that a company entering a foreign market should initially offer goods that it already produces and sells on the domestic market, and not try to sell “something new.” Naturally, this product, traditional for the company, must meet the requirements of potential external buyers in terms of basic consumer properties; be competitive in terms of these indicators and price; satisfy needs that competing products either do not satisfy at all (this is the most desirable option) or do not satisfy well enough. All these provisions will be discussed further in sufficient detail. For now, we will assume that we have a competitive product (or even a group of products).

The next stage... But before we begin to describe it, we must make one remark. From a methodology point of view, we should start not with drawing up a plan, but with the stages preceding this procedure - with an analysis of the market, competitors, etc. However, in this case, we would be faced with the situation “you can’t see the forest for the trees.” All these stages make sense only in the context of the main goal: marketing planning and control. That is why we decided to take the following path: first describe the entire procedure, introducing new terms and only briefly explaining them in order to present the readers with a complete picture, and then explain in detail the content and meaning of each stage and each concept used. [ 6, p.123 ]

So, the next stage of “pre-planning” is the selection of markets in which it is advisable to work (enter or continue to operate) with a given product.

Then, based on the available goods and forecasts of the market situation (it is probably unnecessary to mention that only “real” markets that have at least a minimal perspective are assessed), a task is set for each department of the company: sales volumes in physical units and in monetary terms (“sales quotas” ). Among the goods, there are usually new goods that have not yet conquered the market, and therefore require increased attention, then traditional goods that are in steady demand, and, finally, “weak” goods, the demand for which is falling or is uncertain in its trends. It does not matter whether we are talking about expensive or cheap products (services): it is important that they differ in the degree of novelty and demand trends.

A very important planning step is setting prices. The maximum and minimum acceptable prices are determined by considering the best marketing strategy for each product; in terms of marketing activities, list prices are determined (announced to the general public).

information) prices, as well as discounts and allowances that should be taken during negotiations when contract prices are formed. To determine the price, the degree to which demand exceeds supply is of paramount importance, then own costs (not only production costs, but also transport, insurance, customs and other expenses), and then prices offered by competitors; It is possible to start a “price war” only after an extremely careful analysis of what consequences it will lead to and whether it will cause dangerous losses.

The volume of deductions for marketing in relation to total sales is a question that each company decides independently, based on the experience of competitors and considerations of what role the activities of the marketing service play in achieving the company's goals. There are no ready-made recipes for all occasions, but the general rule is that the less “serious” and more mass-produced the product, the larger the marketing allocations should be (market research, formation of a product range, product distribution, advertising and sales promotion). The correct distribution of allocated funds between these departments of the marketing service requires an analysis of both the experience of competitors and one’s own practice - in fact, it proceeds by trial and error (therefore, it is harmful to both attach tragic significance to errors and persist in them).

The planning procedure should be a dialogue between the highest levels of management, dealing with strategic problems, and the lower levels, solving tactical problems. Top management cannot foresee all particular situations in the markets, from which it is also quite far separated in space, but such foresight is not required from this “floor” of managers. They are only required to remember and effectively take into account in their work the private ideas and plans of lower managers and operational workers, since these ideas and plans usually well reflect the strengths and weaknesses of local trading conditions and market activities in general (advertising, product promotion, etc.) . The continuity of this dialogue, encouraging lower management to make proactive proposals, and effectively rewarding such proposals is an effective way to optimize relations between different levels of management. By the way (although this does not directly relate to planning procedures), many companies arrange multi-day “excursions” for central management employees abroad, where these people get acquainted with the work of employees of foreign branches of the company, in an informal setting they become imbued with the specifics of working in a given market, They begin to better understand the difficulties and needs of people working in the branch. It is considered obligatory for heads of marketing services and marketing divisions to visit a foreign branch of the company at least once a year in order to familiarize themselves with the state of affairs with their own eyes, and not on paper. The same purpose (frank conversations and exchange of opinions in an informal setting with senior management) is also served by periodically convened conferences of employees of foreign departments.

The planning procedure is not a linear, but a “ring”, cyclic process. It is by no means limited to drawing up a marketing plan. The plan adopted “at the top” must be able to change in accordance with data arriving “from below” and be adjusted in accordance with the realities of the external marketing environment.

The goals of marketing as a market concept of enterprise management are always a reflection of the long-term and short-term goals of the company. The relationship between the two types of goals is the relationship between the tool and the object that is processed by this tool: marketing is a tool, and therefore does not exist “in itself.” It is extremely harmful to approach marketing as a set of techniques that can, by their very application, improve the economic position of a company without changing the approach of top management to the fundamental principles of developing a strategy for its activities, as well as without the support of this strategy by middle management and ordinary employees.

That is why one of the most important rules for setting the company’s goals is the following: the company’s employees must clearly understand their role in the company’s activities and the achievement of its long-term and short-term goals, for which they must be appropriately informed.

Without a clear formulation of goals (quantitative and qualitative), there is no way to fulfill this rule, which means there is no way to unite the efforts of all employees to achieve these goals.

The quantitative goals of the company include the following:

profit volume,

sales volume (in monetary and/or physical terms);

• - labor productivity (calculated per each employee working in the company, again in monetary or in kind / by product / expression);
• - market share (markets) by country, product or segment.

Among the qualitative goals of the company, those that lead to increased prestige deserve attention, and among them the most important are social ones:

• - concern for environmental protection in the countries where the company trades, as well as in its own country;
• - ensuring employment in the countries where the company trades by providing work to citizens of these countries at foreign branches (enterprises) of the company;
• - support for educational, cultural, sports and other similar actions of the governments of the countries in which the company trades, if these actions do not contradict the principles of our domestic enterprise engaged in foreign trade activities.

The more clearly the company's goal is put forward in terms of quantity, place and time, the clearer it becomes, the more useful this formulation will be in developing marketing goals and conducting control.

There can be several goals of a company. It is important to ensure that they do not contradict each other, and if this cannot be completely achieved (for example, the desire for maximum sales and minimum marketing costs) - to ensure a reasonable and justified compromise.

Marketing goals, as already mentioned, are a kind of tool for achieving the company's goals. So, if the company's goal is to increase profits, the goal of marketing may be to ensure an increase in the number of people (firms) buying our company's products, or to change the design of the product so as to provide a higher consumer effect and at the same time reduce costs. It is quite possible to make a decision such as increasing the price if there is a significant excess of demand on the market over supply, so that a moderate increase in price will not scare away potential buyers.

The choice of goals by a company and, as a consequence, marketing goals can be complicated by the specifics of the human psyche, which should always be kept in mind. It is known, for example, that in complex problems people tend to consider selection criteria not comprehensively, but sequentially: first they consider the first criterion and exclude all solutions that do not satisfy this criterion, then move on to the second, etc. In some cases, this selection procedure turns out to be quite satisfactory, but often it leads to major errors. For example, if alternatives differ significantly on unimportant criteria, and slightly on significant ones, many people neglect the undesirable deviation on the essential criterion and make the wrong choice.

To exclude such situations, it is recommended to present information not in verbal form, but in the form of graphs, histograms, etc., best of all - on a display screen with a color image, highlighting the most important situations in a warm tone (the most important ones in red), and less important ones - cold colors.

If the probability of certain events occurring is taken into account when choosing goals, people “systematically violate the principles of rational decision making when determining probabilities, making predictions, and other attempts to solve probabilistic problems.” In addition, people place enormous confidence in their opinions about past events, making predictions about rare situations (say, the likelihood of a car part breaking down), even if these people are serious experts in their field. Finally, when choosing from many alternatives, people instinctively try to eliminate decisions that involve risk, even if this risk is very unlikely.

Therefore, in cases where probabilistic assessments are very important for achieving the final goal (and this is exactly the case in marketing and trade in general), one should use the data of the mathematical theory of probability and its solution methods, rather than appealing to “common sense”: it capable of major failure.

Marketing strategy is to bring the company's capabilities in line with the market situation, that is, the internal environment with the external environment. There can be many strategies, the main thing is to choose the appropriate one for each market and each product so that it meets the requirements for achieving marketing goals. Here are some of these strategies:

and improving the organizational structure;

and an increase in business activity (penetration into a new market; introduction of a new product into an old market; penetration with a product of market novelty into new market segments, etc.);

and a decrease in business activity (cessation of the sale of goods that have ceased to provide a given profit in a given market; curtailment of the production of unprofitable goods; withdrawal from some markets and concentration of efforts on the most promising ones, etc.);

and organization of a joint company with a foreign partner abroad;

A organization of a joint company with a foreign partner in our country;

and cooperation with a foreign company to enter those markets where it has not yet been possible to operate successfully.

Depending on the market, the strategy can be one or another: they do not have to copy each other everywhere. Using mathematical market models and considering the strategy from the point of view of game theory, they choose the strategy “mini-max” (maximum expediency, regardless of risks), “maxi-min” (minimum risk, regardless of expediency) or some combination of them. In any case, the following factors must be taken into account (discussed in more detail in further answers to questions):

Segmentation of the markets in which the company operates (or intends to operate) must be done so that segments in different markets are characterized by generally the same response to advertising, product promotion and other marketing activities, that is, they have similar socio-psychological characteristics and needs;

and the choice of the optimal segment should be made based on providing the company with the most complete leadership possible (sufficient capacity, favorable prospects, minimal or even zero competition, satisfaction of unmet needs);

and the method of entering the market with a new product should most fully meet the consumer properties of the product and the capacity of the market (segment), adequately reflect the fame of the company and its reputation, as well as the scale of need for the product;

and when choosing marketing means of influencing a potential buyer, you should remember that price, as a factor in attracting attention to a product, is now ranked 3rd-4th in importance among other factors;

and it is necessary to carefully choose the time to enter the market with a new product (especially if this product is seasonal) and not to forget about advertising preparation: there is no point in entering the market during a period of unfavorable conditions if the company does not pursue far-reaching goals and does not prepare buyers for itself, anticipating a period of revival in demand.

The marketing strategy used by Japanese firms in new markets is of great interest. It consists in gaining a foothold in the markets of those countries that do not have national production of this product, and then, using the accumulated experience, to penetrate the markets of other countries (“laser beam strategy”). Thus, in order to enter the markets of Western European countries with their cars, Japanese automakers initially operated only in Finland, Norway, Denmark and Ireland for several years. And only having won a strong positive reputation there, they began to explore the somewhat more complex markets of Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria. The third step was entering the markets of Great Britain, Italy, Germany and France - countries with a powerful auto industry.

Also worthy of attention is the sequence designed for a very long period, characteristic of the activities of Japanese industrialists: starting with the export of the most widespread, inexpensive cars (and, accordingly, satisfying the requests of not too picky buyers), creating the image “Japanese means excellent quality,” these automobiles firms are gradually moving to work in the markets for more expensive cars (but not the most prestigious ones), trucks and special vehicles, and are also building car assembly plants in countries where they previously sent their cars assembled.

When developing a marketing strategy in the markets of capitalist countries, one should first of all keep in mind the serious aggravation of the problem of sales in these markets. Competition has intensified, and, as a result, attention to new products has sharply increased, in the production and sale of which firms sometimes see the only way to “survive”. States impose protective duties. In general, there is (and in many industries has already occurred) a reorientation of the production policy of engineering companies towards a sharp increase in the assortment of their goods, the share of “high technology” (knowledge-intensive) products and a corresponding growth in the service sector (sale of licenses; carrying out research, design and other engineering works; rental (leasing) of complex equipment; consultations, etc.).

The basis of the marketing strategy of companies that achieve the greatest success in the modern market is a focus on superiority in the scientific and technical field over their competitors and increasing this gap.

Here is a list of some strategies that ensure rapid growth in sales:

Quick entry into new markets;

specialization, that is, concentration of efforts on solving problems of selected groups of customers; and putting forward the concept of a new product;

application of the latest, especially flexible, technologies; and decisive removal of “sick” goods;

expansion of activities throughout the world;

intensification of R&D;

high rates of restructuring.

In addition to offensive strategies, firms also use defensive strategies. If a company is satisfied with the size of its market share or is unable to increase it for one reason or another, it resorts to a defensive strategy. Its goal is a thoughtful defense of its positions from the onslaught of competitors. Of course, a defensive strategy in some markets can be combined with an offensive strategy in others.

A variant of the defensive strategy is the “leaving the market” strategy. It consists of leaving certain markets and switching to other markets or types of economic activity. This strategy is usually used for products with poor market positions that generate losses or reduced profits.

If the marketing strategy is based on forecasting long-term prospects for changes in markets and customer needs, then tactics reflect market considerations and principles of market formation (demand) for the company’s existing product range (see Table 1).

Tactics are developed for the next year and a half and are regularly, without waiting for the expiration of this period, subject to revision and, if necessary, correction. The tasks solved by marketing tactics include the following: organization of product distribution, organization of advertising and sales promotion in accordance with the life cycle of each product, determination of principles for entering the market (segment) with a new product.

Without organizing an effective product distribution system, the buyer will not be able to receive the desired product at the right time and in the place he, the buyer, needs, and therefore the commercial performance of the company will be low. In the same way, without timely and convincing advertising, information about the consumer properties of a product will not reach the potential buyer and will not be connected in his mind with his needs (which advertising often reveals, makes conscious and encourages action - purchasing the product). Finally, a tactically incorrect launch with a new product can bring big losses due to the unfortunate relationship between sales volume and the scale of advertising and sales promotion.

Background information	Setting Goals	Operational work	Control
Studying Marketing	Marketing Goals	Sales personnel management	Sales control
Market research	Product Goals	Demand formation and sales promotion	Distribution cost analysis
Price goals	Sales management
Macroeconomic studies	Distribution goals	Warehouse management	Inventory analysis
Study of the external environment	Sales goals	Shipping management
Buyer Motivation Research	Product promotion goals	After-sales service	Profit Analysis

Table 1. Proportions of some species

Among the tactical export marketing techniques of American companies (a survey of 172 firms conducted by H. Jackson, a professor at Ohio State University), the most popular are the following, in order of preference:

and energetic actions to promote the product;

and direct contacts with consumers;

and an increase in the staff of representative offices abroad;

And active participation in exhibitions and fairs;

And the creation of branches abroad where there are none;

and access to new markets; and marketing market research;

and expansion of the range of export goods (diversification);

and adaptation of the product to the specific requirements of the foreign buyer;

and increasing the efficiency of the service;

and quick responses and taking action on customer letters.

The marketing tactics plan should certainly indicate the actions that should be taken when deviations from the course of things considered normal are detected, and the persons responsible for quickly and accurately responding to these deviations.

For example, if sales volume turns out to be lower than planned, you can resort to one or more measures of the following plan:

• - reduce production;
• - strengthen advertising and promotional activities;

check whether enough people are engaged in sales, whether they are used as needed, and make the required changes;

change prices to stimulate sales;

organize professional and technical retraining of sales personnel;

• - introduce improvements to the incentive system for sales personnel;
• - check the quality of the product through accelerated tests and make the necessary improvements (with mandatory notification of this through advertising and scientific and technical articles in relevant magazines and newspapers).

If production volume does not keep up with the growth in demand, the following measures are possible:

and increase the scale of production;

and reduce the number of employees engaged in sales in foreign branches;

and raise prices.

Marketing tactics should be such as to ensure the company's activity and unleash the initiative of all its employees. The main characteristics characteristic of companies in this line of activity are as follows.

Top management: the highest positions are held by those responsible for sales; receptivity to new management methods is ensured; The company has created an atmosphere of encouragement for proactive employees.

Requirements for personnel: regular retraining of middle managers is carried out; the decisive demotion of persons who do not demonstrate the necessary competence to make way for those who are more prepared; individual responsibilities are defined by written instructions; the company structure diagram is communicated to everyone; Regular information is provided at all levels about the company's policies.

Attitude towards the activities of other companies: the study and use of other people's experience is encouraged; a systematic analysis of development trends in its industry and related industries in the country where trade takes place is carried out in order to take into account how the equipment sold by the company is used and what are the prospects for its sales; consultants are systematically brought in to evaluate the company's activities from an outside perspective.

In general, the marketing tactics of dynamic companies are distinguished by a highly critical attitude towards their own achievements, which serves as a reliable barrier against feelings of complacency and complacency.

marketing budget is expenses for market research (market research, medium- and long-term), for ensuring the competitiveness of goods, for information communication with customers (advertising, sales promotion, participation in exhibitions and fairs, etc.), for organizing product distribution and sales networks. Financial resources for all this have to be drawn from profits, which without such expenses would be much larger in mass; however, on the other hand, without marketing expenses it is unlikely that in modern conditions it will be possible to sell a sufficient number of units of goods to recoup the costs of research work and everything else associated with its production, not to mention making a profit. Therefore, allocating funds for marketing is a solution to an optimization problem with a large number of variables, the influence of which usually cannot be accurately accounted for, that is, a problem that is typically predictive. The influence of variables is also, as a rule, nonlinear and must itself be determined empirically. That is why traditions, the experience of the company's top managers and analysis of the marketing expenses of competing firms play such a large role in determining the marketing budget.

To estimate the magnitude of marketing expenses, you can use the profit equation:

where p is profit, S is sales volume in pieces, W is the list price, O is transport, commission and other sales costs per 1 unit. goods, A - production costs of 1 unit. goods, not related to marketing, but depending on the volume of production, F - fixed production costs, not related to marketing and independent of the volume of production and sales, R - advertising costs, D - costs of promoting the product (sales promotion).

If we assume that when exporting finished goods, the usual profit on capital invested in production, trade and marketing is 10%°, the equation takes on the following form:

however, the difficulty lies in the fact that S (sales volume) non-linearly (and with some uncertainty) depends on R and D, although this dependence can be determined by regression analysis methods (a priori it can be stated that for each company the regression equation is strictly individual) .[21,p.161]

Since the rate of profit depends on the market share occupied by the company (with a share of less than 10%, this rate is approximately 11% for companies producing personal items, and 5% for industrial goods; with 20 - 30% of the market, the rate increases, respectively, to 12 and 16% depending on the type of goods; with 40% of the market - up to 22 and 27%; and with a market share of over 40% - up to 25 and 30%, respectively)^, it follows from the profit equation that advertising and promotion costs should also increase as the firm establishes itself in a larger part of the market. According to the Black-Russell-Morris company, in the late 60s in the United States, foreign automobile companies spent about $140 on advertising alone for one car sold, with a sales level of less than 20 thousand units. per year, about $90 - when selling 100 thousand cars per year and about $60 - when selling 200 thousand units. in year; respectively, total expenses were at the level of 2.8, 9.0 and 12 million dollars per year. It is estimated that exporters spend 2-5% of the amount of their exports on advertising in importing countries."

When assessing the level of necessary marketing expenses, you can use the analogy method. It is known, for example, that in the USA the costs of developing and introducing a new product to the market are distributed as follows: 3 - 6% of the estimated costs are allocated for fundamental (basic) research, for applied development - 7 - 18, for the preparation of technological equipment and, if necessary , construction of new enterprises - 40-60, for establishing serial production - 5-16, for organizing sales (advertising, sales promotion, organizing product distribution and distribution network) - 10 - 27%."

Advertising costs vary quite significantly depending on the product being sold: from 0.6% of sales of meat products to 10% for medicines and 15% for cosmetics. Durable items (books, furniture, electrical appliances, motorcycles, cars, ready-made clothes, shoes) require advertising costs in the amount of 1-5% of sales, industrial goods - 1-2%. If we relate advertising expenses to the amount of profit, then they are, as a rule, above 15%, and for many companies they range from 30-42% with a stable market position and sometimes reach 450% when introduced into a new market."

The natural desire of any business executive to reduce marketing costs should be adjusted based on the fact that in the modern world marketing activities are becoming more and more expensive. Thus, in 1980, the cost of market research using the interview method for a number of respondents from 400 to 1200 people was (in dollars per respondent): in Holland - 30, Japan - 29, Sweden - 28, France - 25, Belgium - 21, Great Britain - 16, Germany - 15, Brazil - 15, Venezuela -12, India - 6. The total costs for one study ranged from 3 thousand (India) to 17 thousand dollars (Germany).

The marketing concept suggests that all activities of an organization should have the primary goal of satisfying user needs as this is the best way to achieve its own goals of growth and profitability.

In the marketing mix, tactical planning occupies a subordinate position in relation to strategy and serves it. Tactics include means and techniques that help achieve a given strategic marketing goal. The marketing tactical plan is focused on solving immediate problems. It contains the methods and tools used to implement the plan, including advertising, product distribution, pricing policies, distribution channels, service levels, etc.

To develop effective tactical decisions, the following basic provisions must be specified:

• 1) what product is being introduced to the market, in what range and at what prices;
• 2) for which consumer the product is intended (definition of the market segment) and which potential consumers can be attracted in the future;
• 3) what conditions need to be created to ensure sales at the planned level;
• 4) through which distribution channels and in what volumes the supply will be carried out;
• 5) what means will stimulate sales;
• 6) what should be the pre-sale, accompanying sale and after-sale service, and who will provide it;
• 7) what costs and what economic results can market participants expect? Zavyalov P.S., Demidov V.E. Formula for success: marketing. - M., International relations, 2006-p. 154-155..

Businesses taking a marketing approach must be clear about what its consequences will be. By changing individual marketing tools and areas of activity, you should constantly adjust the work of the company taking into account the changing requirements of the market.

At the same time, it is necessary to shift priorities towards improving the range of products sold, their quality, and improving the structure of the product supply to ensure its fullest compliance with demand.

For the successful implementation of tactical plans in the organizational structure of an enterprise, services that ensure commercial success are brought to the fore. To adopt a marketing course of action, it is necessary to ensure clear coordination in the work of all links both within the enterprise and at the level of its horizontal and vertical connections. The development of a special marketing program is not limited to just specifying goals and tactics for achieving them. It is necessary not to miss another important circumstance - calculations of the cost of marketing programs. The latter include the full costs of the entire set of marketing activities (marketing research, advertising, transportation, storage of products in warehouses, etc.). A necessary element of marketing tactics is the pricing and financial policy of the enterprise in connection with the activities of all market participants. This approach makes it possible to significantly reduce marketing costs through the integration of material, financial and labor resources at all stages of the life cycle of goods and services on the market. It must be emphasized that there are no ready-made recipes for marketing tactics. Each time, for each enterprise and each product introduced into the market or located on it, methods of influencing demand are developed anew. Therefore, not a single modern large enterprise can do without a special division involved in marketing. In addition, third-party specialized consulting firms may be involved.

To successfully implement the strategic objectives of the company, the marketing complex develops tactical plans, detailed by marketing subjects and adapted to constantly changing market conditions.

Marketing subjects are producers of a market product and its end consumers, wholesale and retail resellers, organizations of consumers of goods and services and marketing specialists (Fig. 8), each of whom performs certain functions.

Figure 8. Main market participants E.P. Golubkov Marketing: strategies, plans, structures. / - M., “Publishing house “Delo” - 2005.-p. 294.

In the market, as a rule, none of the marketing entities undertakes to perform all marketing functions, because this is economically ineffective. The division of functions between marketing subjects is due to the greater efficiency of the use of living and material labor due to the specialization of the functions performed.

In addition, each individual marketing entity often does not have sufficient financial resources for direct marketing, and many are not large enough to effectively perform a range of marketing functions.

Tactical implementation of a marketing strategy occurs in stages using the marketing mix.

Marketing mix is ​​a set of controllable marketing tools that are used by an organization to obtain the desired reaction of the target market Zavyalov P.S. Marketing in diagrams, figures, tables. - M.: INFRA-M, 2001. - p. 191.. The marketing mix includes everything an organization can do to influence demand for its product.

Figure 9. Structure of the marketing complex Ibid. - p. 205.

The structure of the marketing mix is ​​presented in Figure 9.

A product is an inextricable unity of the product itself and a number of services that the organization offers to the target market.

Price is the amount of money that buyers must pay to receive the product.

Product distribution is the actions of an organization to offer a product to target consumers.

Product promotion is the actions by which organizations disseminate information about the merits of a product and convince target consumers of buyers. An effective marketing strategy integrates all elements of the marketing mix into a coherent program designed to achieve the organization's marketing objectives while delivering customer value to customers. The marketing mix includes an organization's set of tactics to ensure a strong positioning in target markets.

Marketing Tactics

This is the formation and solution of problems of market entities in a specific period based on an assessment of the current market situation with constant adjustment of tasks under the influence of various situations and facts in order to consistently achieve the strategic goal of marketing.

The development of marketing tactics is based on taking into account market conditions, real conditions of production and sale of goods.

Elements of marketing tactics:

• 1) Setting tactical objectives.
• 2) Carrying out successful promotional activities due to a slight drop in demand.
• 3) Expansion and adjustment of the assortment and product range.
• 4) Reducing prices for goods or vice versa.
• 5) Expansion and improvement of the service.
• 6) Response measures to the actions of competitors.
• 7) Actively occupying the vacated “niche” in the goods market.
• 8) Adjustment of scientific, technical and commercial activities.
• 9) Improving the design and design of products according to current market requirements.
• 10) Measures to stimulate personnel involved in commercial transactions.

Marketing tactics should ensure:

• 1) Sustainable profit level.
• 2) Optimization of the behavior of commercial services in the market.
• 3) Initiative of employees.
• 4) Quick response to changes in the market situation.
• 5) Application of retaliatory measures to the actions of competitors.
• 6) Adjustment of the scientific and technical activities of the enterprise taking into account the requirements of the potential consumer.

1. Product and its characteristics

The product determines the results of any industrial or commercial enterprise. If the product is not able to satisfy the needs of the buyer, then no additional costs and efforts associated with the use of marketing can improve the product's position in the market.

A product is a combination of many properties, the main of which are consumer properties, i.e. the ability of a product to perform its function and satisfy the needs of the person who owns it.

The consumer value of a product is a set of various properties related directly to the product itself and those accompanying it, which influence the purchase of this product.

To understand the capabilities of a product as a commodity, a manufacturer should consider and evaluate the product in three dimensions:

Specifically, Expanded, Generalized

A specific product is a basic physical entity that has precise characteristics and is offered under a given description.

The broad concept of a product includes not only its image, but also the service chain of this product.

A generalized product is the broadest definition that can be applied to any type of product.

Products can be divided into two groups. These are goods for personal use and goods of industrial value. Personal goods can be durable goods, non-durable goods, and services that result in a product or benefit.

In marketing practice, I classify goods of production value into the following categories:

Main equipment, Auxiliary equipment, Units and assemblies, Basic materials, Auxiliary materials and raw materials

Demand for goods of industrial value is not formed on its own, but in close connection with personal consumption products.

Product life cycle (PLC) PLC is the period of existence of a product on the market. The concept of life cycle is based on the fact that any product is sooner or later forced out of the market by another, more advanced or cheaper product.

The life cycle phases are usually divided into the introduction phase (introducing a product to the market), the phase of growth, maturity, saturation and decline.

The goal of the introduction phase is to create a market for the new product. During this phase, sales growth rates are relatively low and production volumes are insignificant. Trading is often unprofitable. Competition is usually limited. However, if the demand for a given product is stable, and the modification of the product is insignificant, then the introduction phase may actually be absent.

The growth phase is the recognition of a product by customers and a rapid increase in demand for it. Sales volume is growing, and therefore profits are also growing, and the growth in sales volumes is faster than the industry average.

The maturity phase is an increase in market saturation and a slight decrease in sales growth rates. The product becomes traditional and competition reaches its maximum, the rate of profit growth decreases significantly, the product is purchased by mass consumers with an average level of income. Product promotion is becoming intensely competitive.

Saturation phase. It is characterized by a cessation of sales growth, but with some increase in profits if a significant reduction in production costs is achieved. Retail outlets have a full range of these products, but at different price levels. Many types of household appliances, cars, etc. are in this phase.

Decline phase. At this phase, the manufacturer experiences a steady decline in demand and sales volume, and, accordingly, profits. The consumer loses interest in this product and the majority of buyers have low solvency. At this stage, the manufacturer may have three possible alternative options:

Reduce marketing programs, revitalize the product, change its position in the market., Change packaging and sell it differently., Stop producing this product.

The duration of the life cycle as a whole and its individual phases depends both on the product itself and on the specific market. As a general rule, commodities tend to have longer life cycles.

Finished products have a shorter life cycle, and the most technically advanced products have a very short life cycle.

The life cycle of the same product, but in different markets, is not the same, and with the help of marketing, the life cycle in some target market can be extended or shortened.

Marketing strategy is the formation of goals, achieving them and solving the problems of the manufacturing enterprise for each individual product, for each individual market for a certain period. The strategy is formed in order to carry out production and commercial activities in full accordance with the market situation and the capabilities of the enterprise.

The enterprise strategy is developed on the basis of research and forecasting of product market conditions, studying buyers, studying products, competitors and other elements of the market economy. The most common marketing strategies are:

• 1. Market penetration.
• 2. Market development.
• 3. Product development.
• 4. Diversification.

Depending on the marketing strategy, marketing programs are formed. Marketing programs can be targeted:

• - for maximum effect regardless of the risk;
• - at a minimum of risk without expecting a big effect;
• - for various combinations of these two approaches.

Marketing tactics - the formation and solution of enterprise objectives in each market and for each product in a specific period of time (short-term) based on the marketing strategy and assessment of the current market situation with constant adjustment of objectives as market conditions and other factors change: for example, changes in the price index, aggravation competition, seasonal drop in demand, decrease in buyer interest in the product, etc. Examples of setting tactical objectives could be the following:

• 1. Conduct an enhanced advertising campaign due to the drop in demand.
• 2. Expand the product range based on updated data on consumer needs.
• 3. Expand the range of services provided by customer service departments to attract new customers.
• 4. Increase market share due to reduction in sales by competitors.
• 5. Structurally improve the product in accordance with the requirements of a specific market.
• 6. Carry out measures to stimulate staff.

Marketing tactics are formulated in the form of specific goals according to a pre-planned strategy (for example, to achieve a 15% market share from the existing 10%, or to increase profits to 20%...). Marketing tactics are a scenario of actions in target markets, with new products, advertising, sales promotion... Each marketing tactic needs to be justified and clarified how it takes into account the predicted dangers and opportunities that the company receives when implementing tactical tasks.

The task of marketing tactics is to narrow the range of export goods based on clarifying data on consumer needs. Carrying out enhanced promotional activities due to a drop in demand, reducing the price of a product in order to stimulate sales, expanding the range of customer services to attract new customers, etc. M.t. must ensure a constant level of profit, active behavior of commercial services in the market, quick response to changes in the situation, adequate measures against competitors, adjustments to the activities of the enterprise in accordance with changes in consumer needs.

As an example, I will give the activities of the travel company DSBW. This company appeared on the market in 1991, when the tourism services market was just beginning to actively grow.

As a principle of activity, the company has determined to provide high-quality services at reasonable prices for people with a high level of cultural and cognitive needs. Thus, the circle of potential clients and, consequently, the market segment was immediately determined.

The long-term strategic plan of the company was to operate in all major cities of our country, offering a variety of group and individual tours for every taste and budget.

However, to achieve this goal, as a tactical plan for the next 5 years, that is, at the initial stage of work, the company chose for itself a market segment with demand for tourism services in only two cities of Russia - Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the same time, the company decided from the very beginning to work with both group programs and individual ones, since this made it possible to cover most of the demand.

It is important to note that competition in the tourism services market is very high, while the budget of a large number of potential consumers is very limited with high quality demands, which makes the functioning of firms in this market quite labor-intensive and difficult.

To achieve the strategic goal, the company planned to organize long-term cooperation with hotel chains and transport companies specializing in passenger transportation, which has become its competitive advantage among other travel companies that do not work directly with foreign service providers, but use foreign operators, that is, intermediaries.

In our case, such a tactical approach as cooperation directly with service providers allowed us not only to minimize costs, but also to get closer to achieving the strategic goal - creating tours for every taste.

Step by step, the company managed to increase its market share, which was followed by the second stage - the development of a niche in the regional market, that is, the expansion of the company with the organization of representative offices in other large Russian cities. The company opened representative offices in Yekaterinburg and Samara. The ability to organize direct charter flights to Europe has become a competitive advantage in the tourism markets.

The company also actively continued cooperation with other Russian companies, using them as a channel for marketing its tours, since this way the company could deliver its services to a larger number of consumers. DSBW sells more than 70% of its services through such cooperation.

The competent implementation of the tactical plan led to the fact that the company had great opportunities to realize its own potential. Due to the efficient use of financial resources and savings on transaction costs, the company had additional available funds, which it decided to use for familiarization tours and training seminars for employees and partner agencies. This became a kind of advertising for the company in tourist circles.

It should be noted that DSBW generally pays a lot of attention to advertising as an opportunity to stimulate sales and maintain its position in the conquered market.

During its work in the tourism market, DSBW has repeatedly been a leader in the ratings of tour operator companies compiled by the BANKO information service, and has been awarded various diplomas and prizes. The company's motto was "Travel in intelligent company."

Thus, it is clear how a clear definition of the company’s strategy and the correct setting of tasks in tactical planning and their subsequent implementation can give excellent results and make the company effective and successful.