Analysis of Marketing Environment of Proton Cars | Trainee Marketing Officer Report

Proton Auto Manufacturing Company

The proton auto manufacturing company is the first Malaysian car manufacturer. The company incorporated in 1983. Proton first car was proton saga which they first launched in 1985 in the commercial market. The company has different model of cars, which are very popular in Malaysian market. In addition, proton produce parts for automobile and related products. The company has a good number of subsidiary and associate company. These companies involve with the manufacturing the car, spare parts, research and development and sale service activities. The main factory of the company is based in Shah Alam in Malaysia, the factory has capacity of producing minimum 250,000 cars annually. The company is well known as a most popular and innovative car producers. Proton is very customer’s oriented company and also helping toward Malaysian 2020 vision. (Proton car virtual showroom, 2017)

In June 1987, proton  Cars was awarded distributorship for UK and the Republic of Ireland. The after sales service  Proton’s after sales services is very systematic, for this, first customers need to make an appointment through my proton apps, talk to the preferred outlet, then next step is to find the nearest service out and walk to the outlet. All of these processes are very easy as well convenient.  The smart support team  Proton has smart support team, who are always ready to offer the best support for the customers. The members in the support team are strive to provide the world class service. This support team is well trained and provides solutions guaranteeing the high customer satisfaction. The value proposition

The value proposition is the only one method to keep the relation with customers for long time. Value proposition is something which customers consistently search from the company to company.  As Proton is facing a fierce competition in the UK market, to get the competitive advantage the company uses innovative ways in designing and updating the features of its cars. The company continuously tries to implement a  high level of technology without compromising on the affordable price that its brands are known for. Branding and brand names When it was conceived, Proton has considered that the project is not import substitution but in the longer term export oriented as the Malaysian market size at the start was around 18 million and the neighbour Indonesia and Thailand is many times bigger than Malaysian market.

Developing and establishing a worldwide brand name is an expensive long term investment and therefore longer planning horizons have been considered. Today, Proton enjoys a good reputation in many international markets such as the UK and many of its cars have won several awards. The United Kingdom has been a key market for Proton since the late 1980s. However, by the late 2000s, British Proton sales had declined considerably as a result of ageing models and depleting stock. In 2013, Proton Cars UK had attempted to relaunch the brand with four all-new models. However, the relaunch was instead postponed indefinitely in view of more stringent European Union emissions and safety regulations.

Marketing Environment Analysis

Proton is currently developing a range of all-new petrol engines in collaboration with Ricardo and Lotus Engineering. The engines will feature more advanced technology such as direct injection, cylinder deactivation and stop-start idling; and will meet the highest Euro 6c  emissions regulations. On 18 January 2016, Proton fired up a prototype in a live broadcast from Ricardo's facility in Shoreham, England. Mass production of the all-new Proton engines will commence in late 2017. 

Unit Learning Outcome

 Explain the role of marketing and how it interrelates with other functional units of an organisation You are applying for the role of ‘Trainee Marketing officer’ within Proton Cars (UK) Limited or an organisation of your choice, as part of the interview process you are required to address the concept of marketing as well as its role within the organisation. Additionally, you will need to explain how marketing interrelates with other functions within the chosen organisation. This will be presented in the form of a written report as part of the interview. Your report should cover the following elements: 

1. Introduction to the concept of marketing, including current and future trends.

2. An overview of the different marketing processes.

3. Explanation of the role and responsibilities of the marketing function in the context of the chose organisation.

4. An explanation of how marketing influences and interrelates with other functiona departments of the organisation.

5. Critically analyse and evaluate the value and importance of the marketing role in th context of the organisation.

6. Conclusions that critically evaluate and analyse the significance of having effective interrelationships between different functional units.

Case Study

1) Compare how your organisation and another competitor organisation use the various elements of the 7Ps marketing mix to the marketing planning process to achieve business objectives.

Here you will need to evaluate and explain how the marketing mix and the marketing process are used to achieve business objectives, relating to chosen organisation in comparison with at least one of its competitors. These findings will form your situational analysis and enable you to formulate marketing goals and objectives for your organisation based on the comparative findings. 

2) Design and produce a detailed, coherent and evidence-based marketing plan to meet the corporate goals and objectives of the chosen organisation. The marketing plan should include all elements of the 7Ps marketing mix. Ensure you evaluate different tactics with an action plan. Conclude the plan with measures for monitoring and evaluating progress and meeting of goals and objectives.