MID-MODULE ASSIGNMENT

Market Orientation is a business philosophy that focuses on learning the known and unknown needs of the customers in the market and making the effort to provide these needs. In the same light, product orientation is also a philosophy of business where the main focus is on research and development, as well as factors of marketing, are considered on a secondary level. This paper tries to discuss the positive and negative parts of each of the methods and drawing descriptions on the method that is the best for the business on a long term. Also, the paper focuses on breaking down the steps that the company takes in order to adjust their orientation and the challenges that the process might cause.

Marketing orientation focuses on more production of products. Since the approach makes the needs of customers a primary focus, the companies that use this approach will develop products satisfy the needs of the customers. For that reason, customers will be in a position of experiencing more satisfaction with the products, thus increasing the prospect of more purchase and brand loyalty (Urde, et al. 2013). Therefore, with the increased customer’s focus, companies can make adjustments with time and will be able to look to the market for the purpose of guiding market upgrades and improvements.

The concentrated strategy accompanies marketing orientation. When companies adopt this marketing concept, they will have all functions that are associated with the strategic visions to meet the customers’ needs, which will ultimately define the roles of employees in the company. Moreover, marketers should conduct a thorough research to convey messages explaining the benefits of products and uncover consumers’ needs (Urde, et al. 2013). Therefore, production needs to focus on fine-turning products for the purpose of meeting customers’ needs. Also, there should be openness in feedback from customers on the research and production of products.

Marketing orientation approach is accompanied by the risk to underestimate the market. This is because the best approach to marketing orientation is to have a systematic approach in researching the customers’ behavior. This approach misses the mark in this aspect, thus creating a system in which company uses small data in its approach to reach out customers (Urde, et al. 2013). Therefore, when a company is subtle, with a high segmentation between the departments and lacks resources needed to carry out research is at a disadvantage regarding this approach.

In marketing orientation, there is a risk of underestimating customers. Typically, the worldwide marketplace has increased in the competitiveness across all the customer’s brands. The internet has developed a system in which consumers can compare shops, and the company can also access customer’s report. Therefore, the approach of marketing orientation should be flexible and must be altered for the purpose of meeting the continuous changes in thoughts and demands of costumers (Urde, et al. 2013). Thus, companies that use marketing orientation approach and fail to update it as required may face a risk of isolating their customers.

Product orientation approach allows companies to focus on the product quality. With this method, the small businesses cannot panic about the products that the customers need or rather what the market says will be selling in a given economy (Boso, et al. 2013). Moreover, the company focuses on the creation of a perfect product.

Product orientation approach encourages the development of technology that is needed for the production of a variety of goods. Also, product orientation helps in developing the economies of scale. Economies of scale include the factors that are reducing the production costs of items but increasing the number of products that are produced. Since product orientation involves the focus on a given product, a company is a position of creating products efficiently and to a great quantity. Therefore, more amount of products is produced at lower prices, thus increasing the number of products (Boso, et al. 2013).

The company that uses this approach can be in a better position of outsourcing its products. When a company focuses entirely on the creation of one product and making it the priority and the best, the products can then be sent to other factories to be produced. Additionally, small companies that use this approach can get another company that can produce the product in bulk at a lower price (Urde, et al. 2013). Missed opportunities accompany product orientation approach. For instance, if a company builds a superior product, consumers should be in a position to want what they produce. Unfortunately, people do not constantly want what is best for them, and the product orientation approach will cost a company opportunities of exploiting this (Hong, et al. 2013). In the long, prosperous companies end up selling the benefits of their products instead of features for the purpose of capitalizing the feelings and emotions of consumers.

The best approach for long term business is marketing orientation. Marketing orientation is accompanied by the long-term profitability of the companies. When a company consistently understands and delivers the products needed by a marketplace, it will lead to a long-term profitability of the company (Hong, et al. 2013). This can be done when companies develop many loyal customers by turning a one-time buyer into frequent customers (Hong, et al. 2013). Loyal customers are capable of buying products frequently to a great volume. Such customers are willing to buy more goods and pay even higher prices of products. That means that the companies that use this kind of approach have the capabilities of remaining viable and fruitful provided it retains the marketing concepts.

The first step is to create a good customer relationship by understanding their needs. The second step is to involve crew such as employees. The next step is to rebuild the approach that the company wants to use (Wang & Chugh 2014). Then, the last step is to share responsibilities and create a common goal. Some of the challenges that adjusting company’s orientation create include communication barrier, lack of efficient services to customers since adjusting a business orientation needs the company to answer questions and provide solutions to problems that may arise (Wang & Chugh 2014). Also, adjusting orientation in a company may lead to the lack of knowledge, experience, and skills since most of the employees in a company lack skills and knowledge that are needed to adjust orientations.

References

Boso, N., Cadogan, J. W. & Story, V. M., 2013. Entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation as drivers of product innovation success: A study of exporters from a developing economy. International Small Business Journal, pp. 57--81.

Hong, J., Song, T. H. & Yoo, S., 2013. Paths to success: how do market orientation and entrepreneurship orientation produce new product success?. Journal of Product Innovation Management, pp. 44--55.

Urde, M., Baumgarth, C. & Merrilees, B., 2013. Brand orientation and market orientation—From alternatives to synergy. Journal of Business Research, pp. 13--20.

Wang, C. L. & Chugh, H., 2014. Entrepreneurial learning: past research and future challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, pp. 24--61.