The Role of Marketing (Cambridge International AS Business)
Exam board Cambridge International · ASUpdated 2025-07-10
Marketing objectives
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Marketing objectives are clear, measurable targets that guide a business's marketing efforts
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Marketing objectives can help a business in several ways
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Give direction
- Teams know exactly what to aim for, avoiding untargeted campaigns that have little chance of success
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Allow measurement and learning
- The results of marketing activities can be compared with the objective and improved next time
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Help win budget and support
- Clear, data‑backed objectives can reassure senior managers and investors and motivate employees
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Examples of marketing objectives
| Focus | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sales volume | - The number of units sold by a business | - Greggs sells 140m sausage rolls a year and has set an objective to increase that to 150m next year |
| Sales value | - The money earned from sale of units | - Domino’s Pizza Group has set the objective of increasing UK and Ireland sales from £1.57bn in 2023 to £2bn by 2028 |
| Sales growth | - The percentage rise in sales volume or value over time | - One of Starbucks' objectives is to achieve 7%–9 % yearly sales growth |
| Market growth | - The increase in the size of a market as a whole | - Vegan businesses Beyond Meat and Oatly are looking to grow the UK plant‑based market to 9.6 % by 2027 |
| Market share | - The portion of a market controlled by a particular company, brand or product | - Samsung's objective is to maintain its position as the number one smartphone brand, with a 20% global market share |
| Brand loyalty | - The share of customers who rebuy and recommend a business, brand or product | - Nike's objective to build brand loyalty relies on its NikePlus programme members, who spend much more than non‑members do |
Marketing and corporate objectives
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Corporate objectives are whole-business goals set by senior managers that give a business its overall direction
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Examples may include
- 'Raise profit by 15 % within two years'
- 'Become the most sustainable clothing brand in Asia
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They are translated into marketing objectives that focus on promotional activity, pricing strategy, distribution and product features
- Every advert, price or product change supports the business achieving its corporate objective
- If they do not, money and resources are wasted
Case Study LEGO’s Rebuild the World campaign
Corporate objective
- After sales slipped in 2017, LEGO’s directors set a clear objective to increase *revenue *by 5% by the end of 2019
Marketing objective
- The marketing function promised to increase the volume of sales by at least 5% by launching a bright, imagination-focused campaign called Rebuild the World
Marketing tactics
- A fun TV and YouTube advert, giant LEGO statues in city centres, and the hashtag #RebuildTheWorld encouraged fans worldwide to share their own creations online
Result
- In 2019 consumer sales rose by 5.6%, and the campaign attracted over 100 million views, delivering exactly the growth the directors wanted
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