Restructuring the Marketing Function
Identify challenges and issues that changes in the marketing environment pose for the relationships within the marketing department.
Changes in the marketing environment are numerous and these could have a significant impact on the marketing function if not anticipated and addressed. Environmental analysis and scenario planning is therefore key as it feeds all areas of planning for the organization and for the marketing department. Varying political views for instance could be the source of a blockade. It is a national election year for Kenya and our history proves that such years are extremely volatile. Case in point, the violence that erupted in the 2007 presidential elections that almost brought this country to a stand still both politically , socially and economically. The marketing team has people from different tribes, and with different political affiliations. This is a potential source of conflict between team members that could affect performance. This source of conflict also affects the relationship between members of the marketing department and those from other departments within the organization.
Technology changes almost daily and the marketing department has to be consistently trained in order to effectively utilize new technology with the purpose of increasing efficiency within the department hence sales. However different team members have varying learning curves some taking longer than others to grasp new concepts this may cause strife when one member is seen to be pulling the team behind, while those who cope well with changing technology are often regarded as showoffs whose intention is to make the other team members look bad.
Economic influences such as the rate of inflation affect resource availability which then curtails the ability to carry out planned marketing activities which are usually perceived to be resource guzzlers . Inflation also implies an increase in the cost of living which greatly impacts consumer demand and
Changes in the marketing environment are numerous and these could have a significant impact on the marketing function if not anticipated and addressed. Environmental analysis and scenario planning is therefore key as it feeds all areas of planning for the organization and for the marketing department. Varying political views for instance could be the source of a blockade. It is a national election year for Kenya and our history proves that such years are extremely volatile. Case in point, the violence that erupted in the 2007 presidential elections that almost brought this country to a stand still both politically , socially and economically. The marketing team has people from different tribes, and with different political affiliations. This is a potential source of conflict between team members that could affect performance. This source of conflict also affects the relationship between members of the marketing department and those from other departments within the organization.
Technology changes almost daily and the marketing department has to be consistently trained in order to effectively utilize new technology with the purpose of increasing efficiency within the department hence sales. However different team members have varying learning curves some taking longer than others to grasp new concepts this may cause strife when one member is seen to be pulling the team behind, while those who cope well with changing technology are often regarded as showoffs whose intention is to make the other team members look bad.
Economic influences such as the rate of inflation affect resource availability which then curtails the ability to carry out planned marketing activities which are usually perceived to be resource guzzlers . Inflation also implies an increase in the cost of living which greatly impacts consumer demand and