Internal and External Influence on Marketing Objectives

What is a Marketing Objective?

  • A specific goal or target relating to the marketing activities and performance of a business

Main types of Marketing Objectives:

  • Sales Volume

  • Sales Value (Revenues)

  • Sales Growth (%)

  • Market Share (%)

  • Brand loyalty/Awareness

Internal Influences on Marketing Objectives:

  • Corporate objectives: The most important internal influence. A marketing objective should not conflict with a corporate objective

  • Finance: The financial position of the business (Profitability, Cash flow, Liquidity) directly affects the scope and scale of marketing activities

  • Human Resources: For a services business in particular, the quality and capacity of the workforce is a key factor in affecting marketing objectives. A motivated and well-trained workforce can deliver market-leading customer service and productivity to create a competitive marketing advantage

  • Operational influences: Operations have a key role to play in enabling the business to compete on cost (efficiency/ productivity) and quality. Effective capacity management also plays a part in determining whether a business can achieve its revenue objectives

  • Organisational culture: E.g. A marketing-orientated culture is constantly looking for ways to meet customer needs. A production-orientated culture may result in the management setting unrealistic or irrelevant marketing objectives

External Influences on Marketing Objectives:

  • Economic environment: Key factor in determining demand. E.g. rate of economic growth will impact demand. Factors such as exchange rates would also impact objectives concerned with international marketing

  • Competitor actions: Marketing objectives have to take account of likely/possible competitor responses. E.g. An objective of increasing market share by definition means that competitor response will not be effective

  • Market size growth and segmentation: A market whose growth slows is less likely to support an objective of significant revenue growth or new product development

  • Technological change: Many markets are affected by rapid technological change, shortening product life cycles and creating great opportunities for innovation

  • Social and Political Change: Changes to legislation may create or prevent marketing opportunities. Changes in the structure and attitudes of society also have major implications for many markets