Strategic Management and the role of Service Brand Marketing: Analysis of FMCG

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts. I am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. Their works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon, also served as examples to emulate.

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DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSii

DECLARATIONiii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Rationale1

Theoretical framework2

Significance of the study2

Aims and objective2

Research questions3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW4

Introduction4

Service brand marketing4

Strategic management and service brand marketing in FMCG5

Strategic control6

Instrument7

Organizational performance8

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY10

Research design10

Data collection11

Qualitative research11

REFERENCES13

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background

FMCG today are facing a great variety of internal and external challenges as they attempt to remain profitable and stay ahead of the competition. Externally, they are faced with opportunities and threats presented by increasing domestic and global competition, more informed and demanding customers, and rapid advances in technology. Strategic management is concerned with the development, enactment, facilitation and evaluation of an organization's exchange relationships (Venkatraman 2008, 801). It is a broad and diverse field of study. Numerous conceptualizations of the functions involved in strategic management exist. While the vast majority of these are found in strategic management textbooks, select examples also exist in the marketing journals/proceedings literature (Vázquez 2008, 69).

Rationale

The marketing and strategic management areas, especially marketing's role in the strategic process, should be integrated in order to enable companies to successfully cope with future strategic problems. Research has addressed the importance of a strategic-marketing relationship from a strategic perspective (Swartz 2009, 25). In considering the impact of integration of strategic management and marketing on strategy, three levels of decision-making (strategic, tactical, and operational) within an organization should be considered. These levels are interdependent and decisions in one area impact decisions and performance of other areas (Subramanian 2008, 13).

Theoretical framework

Internally, they are confronted with greater pressure to become more efficient through the reduction of costs while simultaneously becoming more effective through the improved deliverance of customer service as well as the creation of customer value. As a result of these challenges, FMCG are finding it more difficult to compete with and stay ahead of the competition for any length of time. If the FMCG does not consider itself as a total system, but rather as separate functional silos, then total performance will be diminished (Slater 2009, 37).

Significance of the study

To change to an integrated, process-oriented organization, Fawcett and Fawcett (1995) suggested change has to begin with top management and the strategic planning process. Strategic planning can be defined as, ...