Business Management & Career Development

Module Number: BMP5017

Module Name: Business Management & Career Development

Assessment Number	2
Assessment Type (and weighting)	Written Project Output - 80% (4000 words)
Assessment Name	WBL Mini Project
Assessment Submission Date	Sunday 29th September, 2024

Student Name-

Student ID-

Executive Summary

The report has been conducted with the aim to analyse the success of Tesco's marketing strategies in retaining customers. The study has highlighted that the organisation sees marketing as a valuable investment and thus, has implemented various strategies. However, poor customer service and challenges in its omnichannel approach and mobile applications have resulted in customer discontent. A survey and secondary research have been conducted to investigate the study further. The findings of the survey indicated customers' intention to switch companies if provided with better offers and services. In this regard, it has been recommended that the company utilise advanced technologies in its omnichannel and enhance its customer service to retain its customers.

Introduction

The function of marketing is quite quintessential for businesses which encompasses every aspect associated with creating, promoting and delivering value-based arguments regarding the business’ offerings to customers (Snyder and Aditham, 2024). The main aim of marketing is to promote a brand and its offerings to the audience to turn them from prospective customers to satisfied consumers. The following report will delve into the marketing strategies employed by Tesco and the challenges that it is facing in retaining its customers. It will also present details about the methods used to complete the study and primary and secondary data in relation to Tesco’s marketing strategies and their impact on customer retention. The study will be concluded with some suitable and justified recommendations.

Background of the Organisation

The journey of Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, started back in 1919 when Jack Cohen started a small stall for selling surplus groceries (Tesco, 2024a). However, the first Tesco store opened in Burnt Oak in 1929 and since then, the company has expanded its product portfolio to include groceries, food and beverages, home appliances, clothing, electronics and more. Tesco Bank, a subsidiary of the company also offers financial services like loans, insurance and others to customers. The leadership of the company is bestowed on the capable hands of Ken Murphy, Group CEO, Imran Nawaz, CFO, Guus Dekkers, chief technology officer, Christine Heffernan, group communications director, Gerry Mallon, chief executive of Tesco Bank, and more (Tesco, 2024b). The organisation has become global serving many nations throughout the world. As of 2024, the sum of physical stores of Tesco worldwide amounted to 4942 and among them, approximately 4250 stores are situated in the UK (Statista, 2024a). Around the world, nearly 354,000 employees have been working for the company. In terms of revenue, the company garnered 62.8 billion British pounds of annual revenue and a return on investment (ROI) of 2689 million GBP in 2023/24 (Statista, 2024b).

Figure 1: Annual Revenue of Tesco Group

(Source: Statista, 2024b)

Business Management Issues

Research Question

What impact do marketing strategies employed by Tesco have on its customer retention?

Business Management Issue

Marketing strategies play a crucial role in the retention of customers and enhancing customer satisfaction. Palmatier and Sridhar (2020) implied the necessity of making strategic marketing decisions which efficiently manage customer heterogeneity as all customers differ from each other. Tesco, as one of the leading supermarket chains, has invested in several marketing strategies that have helped the company attain a wide base of customers. As Sutcliffe (2023) has stated, the CEO of the company views marketing as an investment rather than cost and hence, challenges themselves to optimise marketing. The company has employed both traditional and digital marketing methods to meet its marketing objectives as well as attract and retain customers. The company further boasts of a responsible marketing communication policy through which the company aims to serve its customers, communities and planet (Tesco, 2024c). Through this policy, the company emphasises that it promotes healthy food choices and ensures that its objectives are clearly communicated to customers. However, despite this claim, the organisation has been accused of greenwashing as its biodegradable tea bags were found to be false by researchers (Weston, 2023). It has been found that 48% of consumers in the UK are less likely to purchase little from such companies while 14% of them will cease purchasing from companies (Shift Insight, 2024). In this regard, the greenwashing issue can substantially impact Tesco’s customer retention.

One of the most effective marketing strategies of Tesco has been its loyalty programme, Tesco Clubcard where it offers special discounts and offers to its loyal customers based on their purchase points. A loyalty program acts as a powerful tool in developing relationships between customers and a company (Lakshman and Faiz, 2021). Most companies aim to build trustworthy customers and a positive correlation between the two helps in enhancing profitability and increasing customer retention rate. According to a survey, it has been regarded as the most consumer-friendly loyalty programme in the country and as of 2024, it has almost 22 million active Clubcard users (Statista, 2024c). However, Zakir-Hussain (2024) has mentioned that Tesco had issued a four-week warning for its customers to spend all their vouchers before the end of the month. This caused an uproar among customers as many had accumulated points to use them in-store. This can further lead customers to become dissatisfied with the organisation which can affect customer retention rate.

Additionally, it has utilised several digital marketing methods like Email marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM), and more to keep its presence known to customers. Tesco’s SMM includes influencer marketing and social media management in which it uses content planning and creation to reach its customer base (Tesco, 2024d). Partnering with approved and ethical influencers, the company has been able to reach a larger audience base to offer peer recommendations across every stage. The effective marketing strategies have helped the company to obtain a brand awareness of 97% (Refer to Figure 2). However, despite its efforts in SMM, only 34% of customers in the UK have heard about the company on social media platforms (Statista, 2024d). This lack of presence in social media can create disengagement with customers which can affect customer retention. Hence, there is a need for Tesco to enhance its SMM furthermore to ensure higher customer engagement and customer retention.

Figure 2: Brand Profile of Tesco in the UK

(Source: Statista, 2024d)

Apart from this, the company has also faced challenges regarding its mobile application which helps customers to place their orders efficiently. However, Young (2024) has reported that customers have complained about Tesco Mobile as they have been facing challenges such as technical errors and such with this. Some customers have expressed their extreme frustration and dissatisfaction with the application as well as the company’s customer services. Despite having called customer service multiple times, their call did not go through while others have complained that the service was ‘ridiculously priced’ (Young, 2024).

Tesco claims to offer excellent and quick customer service where its employees promptly and efficiently handle all customer queries, complaints and more. However, reviews of customers have also indicated to that of poor customer service as they have not obtained any helpful behaviour from employee self-service or customer service staff (Trustpilot, 2024). Many customers have also pointed out disrespectful customer service which contradicts the company’s claim of efficient customer service. All these issues have resulted in the company obtaining a low score of 1.8 on third-party review websites. According to Rane et al. (2023) customer negative experiences with a brand such as subpar product quality or services can decrease customer satisfaction and lead to a worsening brand reputation. This can be a critical factor affecting the retention rate of customers as the aforementioned challenges can make customers averse to engaging with the company further and opt for other companies. Hence, the retention rate of customers will significantly be hampered.

Research Approach

There are three types of research approaches namely inductive, deductive and abductive (BRM, 2024a). The inductive approach is a bottom-up approach involving the collection of data to analyse patterns and develop new explanations. Although this helps in collecting data to explore a phenomenon, with limited information, a wrong hypothesis might be generated leading to incorrect generalisation. Hence, this approach has not been chosen. On the other hand, the abductive approach aims to generate testable conclusions based on known premises. However, using this approach can create challenges in generalising the findings and might include researcher biases, hence, this has not been opted for either.

A deductive approach to the study has been taken to analyse the correlation between customer retention and marketing strategies. The deductive approach aims to deduct conclusions from propositions or premises (BRM, 2024b). This approach helps in finding the causal relationship of elements by testing against observations and determining patterns between them. The main advantage of the approach is that it allows generalising findings to a certain extent and as the study has included primary research, through this approach, the data can be generalised in the context of Tesco. However, deductive reasoning can be prone to biases or errors in logic which can impact the credibility of the finding.

The research onion, proposed by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill compares the research process to an onion which includes several layers and each layer leads to the centre which is the data collection techniques and data analysis (Al-Ababneh, 2020). The research approaches and techniques used in the study are presented below-

Figure 3: Research Onion

(Source: Al-Ababneh, 2020)

In this study, a pragmatism philosophy has been followed which supports the objective nature of science. According to Al-Ababneh (2020) pragmatism implies that there is no one suitable philosophy to carry out research, hence, researchers can adopt more than one philosophy based on their requirements. The philosophy is more suitable for a mixed-method approach. It implies that concepts are only relevant if they support the action and as this helps in using practical methods to solve real-world problems, this philosophy is suitable for the study. As this helps in taking a practical approach suitable for conducting a study and considering the inclusion of both primary and secondary research, this philosophy has been followed.

Data collection is one of the major parts of a research project which is the process of collecting and assimilating information to answer research questions. The current study has utilised primary and secondary methods of data collection for qualitative and quantitative data collection. As Al-Ababneh (2020) mentioned an analytical survey helps investigate the correlation between different variables. In this regard, the primary research included a close-ended survey of the customers of Tesco to obtain quantitative data. Additionally, secondary research is used to collect qualitative data regarding customer retention and marketing strategies. This has been of great help in gathering information that examines the relationships between various variables of the given research area. Primary and secondary data have been analysed through quantitative analysis and thematic analysis respectively. According to Christou (2022) thematic analysis offers a nuanced and detailed account of qualitative data, hence, this has been applied in the study. Google Scholar and MS Excel are the tools used in data collection and analysis.

The researcher has applied a conclusive research design in the current study. This research design is used to generate findings beneficial for reaching meaningful conclusions (BRM, 2024c). This design often involves structured methods and techniques for the development of relevant findings to support the study and answer the research question. Its efficacy lies in generating statistical and quantitative data, thus, it provides a reliable representation of the population. Therefore, this design has been opted by the researcher to help them draw meaningful conclusions regarding the research topic.

Pandey and Pandey (2021) stated that sampling works as an efficient method to obtain reliable and accurate information at a minimum cost. In order to conduct the survey, a random sampling method has been employed which allows the selection of participants from a large pool on a random basis. This sampling style has been chosen as this helps in minimising the biases of the researcher, hence, this has been chosen. For the survey, 20 customers of Tesco have been selected to obtain their perception of the effectiveness of Tesco’s marketing strategies in retaining customers. As for the secondary research, journals, articles and books published in and after 2020 have been selected to collect relevant qualitative information.

Presentation of Findings

Primary Research

1. How long have you been purchasing from Tesco?

Options	Percentage	Number of Respondents	Total Respondents
Less than a year	10	2	20
1-2 years	40	8	20
3-4 years	30	6	20
Over 5 years	20	4	20

Table 1: Years of Engagement with Tesco

Figure 4: Years of Engagement with Tesco

Analysis- The above graphical representation indicates that Tesco has been somewhat effective in retaining its customers as most of its customers have been associated with the company for 1-2 years. Although it has retained only 20% of its customers over 5 years, this can indicate that the company has a considerably loyal customer base, helping it in its customer retention.

2. Among the following, which marketing strategy of Tesco do you find the most beneficial?

Options	Percentage	Number of Respondents	Total Respondents
Loyalty programme	35	7	20
Omnichannel strategy (online and offline stores)	40	8	20
Digital marketing (Social media marketing, email marketing, SEO and more)	15	3	20
Others	10	2	20

Table 2: Preferred Marketing Tactics of Tesco

Figure 5: Preferred Marketing Tactics of Tesco

Analysis- Based on the above chart, it can be viewed that the loyalty programme of Tesco and its omnichannel strategies are the most preferred tactics of the company. An omnichannel strategy allows customers to gain a positive experience with the company which can help in retaining customers. Additionally, its Tesco Clubcard programme has been one of the most popular loyalty schemes among consumers as reflected in 35% of respondents’ responses. Contrarily, it can be viewed that the company’s SMM has not been quite as effective as only 15% of customers have found them impressive.

3. Are you satisfied with Tesco’s products and services?

Options	Percentage	Number of Respondents	Total Respondents
Yes	35	7	20
No	55	11	20
Neutral	10	2	20

Table 3: Customer Satisfaction with Tesco

Figure 6: Customer Satisfaction with Tesco

Analysis- The above response can indicate a big challenge for Tesco as nearly 55% of customers have expressed that they are dissatisfied with the company. Although some customers are satisfied, this large number of dissatisfied customers can create obstacles in retaining customers.

4. What challenges have you currently faced while shopping at Tesco?

Options	Percentage	Number of Respondents	Total Respondents
Low-quality of products	20	4	20
Challenges in its online applications	35	7	20
Poor customer services	40	8	20
Others	5	1	20

Table 4: Challenges Faced by Customers

Figure 7: Challenges Faced by Customers

Analysis- The above chart shows that poor customer service is one of the major issues that they face at Tesco. 40% of customers have previously expressed their dissatisfaction with the customer service they received at the company which indicates that it is necessary for the organisation to take immediate measures to enhance this service. Apart from this, some respondents have also implied that they have been facing challenges in accessing and using its online applications and stores. This can hamper the overall experience of customers prompting them to choose other organisations.

5. Will you opt for other supermarkets if they offer better deals and services?

Options	Percentage	Number of Respondents	Total Respondents
Yes	50	10	20
No	25	5	20
Maybe	25	5	20

Table 5: Customers' Retention Intention

Figure 8: Customers' Retention Intention

Analysis- As reflected by participants’ responses, 50% of the participants are more inclined to seek other companies given they are provided with better services and deals. Although a quarter of respondents have shown their loyalty to Tesco, this intention of customers can indicate customer retention challenges that the company is facing.

6. Which strategies among the following will you suggest to Tesco to help it retain its customers?

Options	Percentage	Number of Respondents	Total Respondents
Improving product quality	10	2	20
Compassionate and efficient customer service	55	11	20
Enhancing its online applications	35	7	20

Table 6: Strategies for Improving Customer Retention

Figure 9: Strategies for Improving Customer Retention

Analysis- The responses of customers clearly prove the need for Tesco to improve its customer service as 55% of the participants have agreed on this. Concerning the customer service challenges faced by several customers, improving customer service by ensuring the service is more compassionate to customers will help satisfy customers. Additionally, customers have also pointed out that its online application, Tesco mobile needs to be enhanced as customers’ omnichannel experience has been hampered by the online issues. Integrating technologies for seamless customer experience can help overcome this issue.

Secondary Research

Themes	Articles	Authors	Year of Publication	Overview
Theme 1: Importance of marketing to retain customers	Customer satisfaction, customer delight, customer retention and customer loyalty: Borderlines and insights	Aityassine	2022	In the article, the impact that marketing strategies have on enhancing customer retention rate has been highlighted. The overall aim of marketing strategies and actions is to build, preserve and optimise mutual long-gains of customers to retain both existing and new customers. Delighted customers are more inclined to engage with a brand continually, hence, marketing programmes and strategies should be designed such that they enrich the experience of customers to increase their satisfaction and loyalty.
Theme 2: Barriers hindering customer retention	Consumer retention through phygital experience in omnichannel retailing: role of consumer empowerment and satisfaction	Mishra et al.,	2023	The study has shed light on the factors which are positively or negatively impacting customer retention in retailing. It has highlighted that in omnichannel retailing, the concept of customer empowerment and risks associated with phygital aspects is quite unclear affecting the marketing process. Additionally, the inability to offer some authority and the ability to control their orders can affect customers’ intention to stay with a brand.
Theme 3: Strategies for enhancing marketing strategies for customer retention	Fighting Churn with Data: The science and strategy of customer retention	Gold	2020	The study has proposed some beneficial strategies which can be useful in reducing customer churn and increasing retention. Product improvement has been identified as one efficient strategy for customer retention which includes adding new features or improving existing features to enhance the utility of the goods. Proactive customer service and support prevent customer churn and increase their loyalty and satisfaction with the company.

Table 7: Thematic Table

(Source: Created by the learner)

Thematic Analysis

Theme 1: Importance of marketing to retain customers

As per the definition of Aityassine (2022) customer retention is about the continuity of customers consuming the same goods or services or dealing with the same company. Marketing strategies are pivotal in joining the connection between employees and the company. Thus, through effective marketing strategies, companies can optimise the long-term gains of customers, hence, enhancing their satisfaction. However, it has also been mentioned that customer satisfaction might not always guarantee customer loyalty, hence, the marketing strategies should be at enriching customer experience for better customer loyalty and retention. For instance, Tesco’s Clubcard loyalty programme has proven to be an efficient marketing strategy as 22 million households in the UK use this (Statista, 2024c).

Theme 2: Barriers hindering customer retention

It has been found that several factors can influence customers’ retention intention, especially in omnichannel retailing. Mishra et al. (2023) have implied that the customers require authority to some extent regarding their ability to control their orders. This requires seamless data integration in omnichannel marketing. However, due to a lack of clarity on concepts of perceived risks of customers regarding phygital aspects of the marketing, companies might face challenges in empowering customers regarding the control of their orders. In the case of Tesco, it has been noticed that customers have faced trouble managing their orders efficiently on the TESCO mobile application (Young, 2024). This caused immense dissatisfaction among customers which can ultimately affect their retention intentions.

Theme 3: Strategies for enhancing marketing strategies for customer retention

In order to improve customer retention, companies are required to invest in enhancing their marketing strategies. Product improvement has been deemed a necessary strategy which focuses on improving product utility or enjoyment by adding or modifying old or existing features respectively. Apart from this, Gold (2020) has also suggested emphasising one-on-one interactions with customers by providing efficient customer services. This should be aimed at identifying customer needs and reaching out to them. Successful and efficient customer service can be efficient in preventing customer churn. In line with the customer dissatisfaction with the customer service at Tesco, this can be a beneficial strategy for the company (Trustpilot, 2024).

Discussion

Based on the above primary and secondary findings, it can be proposed that Tesco has employed several marketing strategies which have enabled the company to retain a large customer base worldwide. The company provides significant importance to its marketing and has invested in enhancing its marketing efforts. The survey responses indicate that the majority of Tesco’s customers have been purchasing from the company for 1-2 years. As mentioned by Aityassine (2022) marketing techniques have a significant impact on the loyalty of customers and marketing actions need to be designed to increase customer satisfaction and enrich their experience. In this regard, the omnichannel marketing of Tesco through its online and offline marketing has been quite beneficial to customers. The effectiveness of its omnichannel is viewed in its immense physical and online presence as the company generated 7 billion USD of e-commerce sales in 2023 (Statista, 2024c). Additionally, its loyalty scheme has helped it to increase customer satisfaction which is evidenced by the 22 million active users of the Tesco Clubcard (Statista, 2024c). This indicates the positive relationship between marketing strategies and customer retention in the case of Tesco.

However, despite all these efforts by Tesco, the company has not been effective in increasing customer satisfaction. As per the findings of the survey, around 55% of customers have stated that they are not satisfied with the company which can affect the company’s retention rate. Dissatisfied customers are less likely to make repeat purchases and recommend the brand to others, thus, a company is highly likely to face challenges in retaining employees. Primary research has also indicated the increasing challenges of customers in using online applications and e-commerce of Tesco. Mishra et al. (2023) have emphasised the need for companies to provide customer autonomy and the ability to control their orders through technological integration. In this accord, the challenges associated with its online operations can lead to customer dissatisfaction.

Additionally, poor customer service is also causing discontent among customers as some of them called the service disrespectful (Trustpilot, 2024). Moreover, several participants have expressed their readiness to switch to other companies if they are offered better services. Hence, it is necessary that the company enhances its marketing, for which, the survey participants have suggested enhancing its customer services. According to Gold (2020) being able to identify customer needs and help them throughout their journey can increase their satisfaction and prevent employee churn. Additionally, the enhancement of its online applications like Tesco Mobile will be crucial for improving customer satisfaction and retention.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion

On a concluding note, the importance of marketing in the retention of customers cannot be overlooked. Throughout the study, the importance of marketing strategies for Tesco to retain its customers has been determined. Although the company has aimed to utilise marketing strategies to its benefit, several challenges have still occurred which affected customers and their retainment in the company. Despite its effective loyalty programme, the sudden warning of the expiry of coupons negatively affected customers whereas its social media efforts have not borne fruitful results as only limited customers have heard of the company on social media channels. On the other hand, its issues in online applications and e-commerce have left customers discontented with the company. To further amplify the challenge, customers have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with the company’s customer service. All these issues can significantly impact the company by reducing the retention rate of customers.

In order to investigate these issues, primary and secondary research has been conducted through a survey and thematic analysis respectively. The survey findings have presented the view that although customers prefer Tesco’s omnichannel strategy and loyalty scheme, they are quite dissatisfied with the company and its offerings. The major reason behind this is the lack of efficient customer service, issues in online applications and more. It has also been found that companies might find it challenging to offer customers the necessary autonomy to manage their orders. Furthermore, the participants have also stated that they are likely to switch to other companies offering better services indicating Tesco’s struggle to retain customers. In this context, it has been suggested that focusing on customer service through one-on-one interaction with customers and helping them promptly with their queries can be useful in preventing customer churn. Additionally, improving the quality of products, focusing on improving the omnichannel of Tesco and more have been suggested to the company to ensure a higher rate of customer retention.

Recommendations

Based on the above findings, there are several recommendations that can be provided to Tesco. Some recommendations are as follows-

Enhancing customer service- Concerning the poor service received by Tesco’s customers, it is recommended that the company improve its customer service. In this regard, employee training is necessary to make employees more efficient in handling customer queries, complaints and such. Mehale et al. (2021) employee training regarding customer service can aid employees build strong relationships with customers. Training enhances the skills, knowledge and abilities of employees, thus, enabling them to work more efficiently. Additionally, it will also be necessary for the company to train its employees regarding emotional intelligence to ensure that employees are more compassionate and supportive while serving customers. Enhanced customer service can increase the satisfaction level of consumers, influencing their intention to stay with the company.

The utilisation of new and advanced technologies in its online applications- Considering that the mobile application of Tesco is facing issues constantly, it will be beneficial for the company to utilise advanced technologies to reduce such occurrences. It should also be kept in mind to make the application and its e-commerce more user-friendly for better adaption of these technologies. Jan et al. (2024) stated that the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) posits that the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of technology influence the acceptance of a user. Hence, by utilising user-friendly advanced technologies in its online stores and applications, it can improve customer satisfaction. Moreover, Patpatia (2023) has mentioned that the utilisation of blockchain in e-commerce provides businesses with enhanced security, transparency and trust in transactions. As this technology helps record transactions in an immutable and decentralised ledger, it can make altering information harder. Hence, this can increase customers’ trust in the company and allow Tesco to retain its customers more efficiently.

Focusing on enhancing SMM- As found above, though Tesco has invested in social media marketing and influencer marketing, they have not been effective as reflected in only 34% social media buzz (refer to Figure 2). Thus, it is recommended that Tesco enhance its SMM by taking more concrete measures. In this case, the AIDA model can be utilised which can help improve the marketing campaign. According to Pramita and Manafe (2022) the model is constituted of four stages namely attention, interest, desire, and action which are essential in building noteworthy and positive relationships with customers. Adhering to the four stages can allow businesses to increase the interest and satisfaction of customers through effective product promotion and taking adequate measures at the right time. Hence, by applying the model to its social media campaigns and developing attractive and eye-catching advertisements on social media, Tesco can increase its customer engagement and retention.

References

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Appendices

Appendix 1- Questionnaire

1. How long have you been purchasing from Tesco?

• Less than a year

• 1-2 years

• 3-4 years

• Over 5 years

2. Among the following, which marketing strategy of Tesco do you find the most beneficial?

• Loyalty programme

• Omnichannel strategy (online and offline stores)

• Digital marketing (Social media marketing, email marketing, SEO and more)

• Others

3. Are you satisfied with Tesco’s products and services?

• Yes

• No

• Neutral

4. What challenges have you currently faced while shopping at Tesco?

• Low-quality of products

• Challenges in its online applications

• Poor customer services

• Others

5. Will you opt for other supermarkets if they offer better deals and services?

• Yes

• No

• Maybe

6. Which strategies among the following will you suggest to Tesco to help it retain its customers?

• Improving product quality

• Compassionate and efficient customer service

• Enhancing its online applications

Appendix 2- Logbook

Name of Student
Student ID Number
Work Provider Name
Work Supervisor Name
Work Supervisor Role
Dates of Work-based Learning

Date	Professional Activities	Hours/Mins Completed	Supervisor’s signature
3.3.2024- 5.3.2024	Getting introduced to work	10 hrs
6.3.2024- 8.3.2024	Working in close collaboration with the marketing team	10 hrs
11.3.2024- 12.3.2024	Supporting day-to-day operations of the marketing team	12 hrs
13.3.2024 -15.3.2024	Collecting and analysing data from marketing campaigns, customer data and more	18 hrs
18.3.2024- 20.3.2024	Supporting the marketing team in creating and developing marketing materials	15 hrs
21.3.2024- 22.3.2024	Working with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth marketing operations and preparing promotional presentations	12 hrs
25.3.2024- 27.3.2024	Helping the marketing team in its daily operations	10 hrs
28.3.2024- 29.3.2024	Help the marketing team to develop and organise promotional events	20 hrs
1.4.2024- 5.4.2024	Organising and preparing promotional and marketing materials	20 hrs
8.4.2024- 10.4.2024	Support the team with administrative work	18 hrs
11.4.2024- 12.4.2024	Collecting data from market research	15 hrs
15.4.2024- 17.4.2024	Working collaboratively with cross-functional teams and updating company databases	20 hrs
18.4.2024- 19.4.2024	Assist and support marketing teams in daily operations	20 hrs
Total number of hours Tutor			Tutor’s Signature:

Appendix 3- Learning Contract and Work-Based Learning Assessment Form

BSc (Hons) Business Management

LEARNING CONTRACT

Student	Work Supervisor	Allocated University Tutor
Name:	Name:	Name:
Email:	Email:	Email:
Tel:	Tel:	Tel:

Name of work provider/organisation	Tesco
Work-based learning dates (from & to)	3.3.2024- 19.4.2024
Intended working hours	200 hours
Student role/ duties	Supporting daily marketing activities and administrative tasks Working closely with the marketing team and cross-functional teams to ensure smooth marketing operations Create, prepare and organise marketing and promotional materials Conduct research on market trends, competitors and more Support the team in preparing for marketing events Act as a liaison between marketing, technology and product teams

Mini Project

Working title	Marketing Intern
The issue to be investigated	The study will aim to investigate the impact that Tesco’s marketing strategies have on the retention of customers. Despite having employed various marketing tactics including traditional and digital marketing, its social media marketing has not been effective as a small number of audiences have heard of the company on social media platforms. Its Clubcard loyalty scheme has proven to be efficient with around 22 million active users (Statista, 2024c). However, its warning of the expiry of vouchers sparked discontent among customers. Customer service is another area where the company is facing criticism as some customers termed it disrespectful and inefficient (Trustpilot, 2024). This also caused anger among customers which can negatively impact the company in retaining its customers. Apart from this, customers are also facing challenges in accessing and using the TESCO Mobile application efficiently due to some challenges. This is making customers dissatisfied with the company leading to negative customer experience which can be negative for customer retention.
Investigation method	Primary Research Conduct a close-ended survey with 20 customers of Tesco to obtain their views on the effectiveness of the company’s marketing strategies and their intention to stay with the organisation. Use quantitative data analysis to interpret the data collected through primary research. Secondary Research Conduct in-depth secondary research by consulting various books and journals for the collection of relevant information. Use thematic analysis to arrange secondary data into appropriate themes and interpret them in the context of the chosen business scenario
Timelines	Activity Start Date Duration End Date Research Question 15-03-2024 1 17-03-2024 Identification of Business Issues 17-03-2024 6 24-03-2024 Methodology 24-03-2024 5 29-03-2024 Survey 29-03-2024 3 01-04-2024 Primary Data Analysis 01-04-2024 4 05-04-2024 Secondary Data Collection 05-04-2024 2 07-04-2024 Thematic Analysis 07-04-2024 3 12-04-2024 Conclusions and Recommendations 12-04-2024 5 17-04-2024 Submission 17-04-2024 1 14-04-2024 Table 8: Timeline (Source: Created by the learner) Figure 10: Gantt Chart (Source: Created by the learner)

Agreement signatures:

Student	Work Supervisor	Allocated University Tutor

-BASED LEARNING ASSESSMENT FORM

To be completed by the work provider and allocated tutor – and agreed by Programme Leaders or Head of School.

1. WORK DETAILS
Organisation Name: Tesco
Occupational Area:		Marketing
Postal Address: 127-143 Borough High Street. SE1 1NP Post Code: SE1 1JA		Nature of Business: Retail Supermarket
		Main Contact: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms Dr, Other
Telephone No.: +44 333 345 1211		Position: Marketing Intern
Fax No.:		Employer Health & Safety Representative / Competent Person: Alex Kingston
Mobile No.: 0333 014 8555		University Representative (tutor or supervisor): Jamal Dardouk, Sunny Akpabot, Rexon Nting, Nicolia Nanayakkara, John Orji, Emmanuel Formuso, Mahmudul Shah
Email address:		Web Site: https://www.tescoplc.com/.
Number of Employees:	F/T 229,000	P/T 125000	Other 5000	Total 354,000
What is preferred method of Contact: email

Information contained in our database may be used to contact you from time to time.

Please indicate if you want to be contacted Yes No

2. INSURANCE DETAILS
Date Checked	Current Insurance Cover	Policy Number	Expiry Date
07.3.2024	Employers Liability	134652	01.3.2025
13.3.2024	Public Liability	759134	10.3.2025
15.3.2024	Vehicle/Plant	846215	11.3.2025

3. SUPERVISION
3.1		Will the Employer provide Supervision / Safeguarding	Yes or No
Name:
DEPUTY SUPERVISION
3.2		In the absence of the main supervisor who will supervise the learner/ employee? Yes or No
Name:
4.1	Health and Safety Policy			Yes/No
A	Is there a clear commitment to health, safety & welfare (written policy statement mandatory when 5 or more employees)?			Yes
B	Are the responsibilities and arrangements for health and safety clearly stated (recorded when 5 or more employees)?			Yes

4.2	Risk assessment and control	Yes/No
A	Have risk assessments been carried out and significant risks identified?	Yes
B	Have the significant findings and details of any groups identified (e.g. young persons/ vulnerable adults inexperience) as being especially at risk been recorded (this is optional where there are fewer than 5 employees)? Comments:
C	Give details of the risks and control measures relating to the occupations and the specific activities carried out in the workplace. Risks Health issues Workload and stress Fire risks Measures Fire safety measures Feedback from employees Mental and physical health support
D	How are the risks and control measures explained to employees and others? Through team meetings and during the onboarding process, the risks and control measures at the workplace have been communicated to employees.
E	Are risk assessments reviewed e.g. in light of the findings from monitoring activities?	Yes

4.3	Fire and emergencies	Yes/No
A	Has the Employer carried out a fire risk assessment?	Yes
B	Is there a means of raising the alarm and fire detection in place?	Yes
C	Are there appropriate means of fighting fire in place?	Yes
D	Are effective means of escape in place including unobstructed routes and exits?	Yes
Comments: The organisation takes great care of the safety and well-being of its employees and ensures that all means to protect its employees from unprecedented health challenges are taken care of.

5. EMPLOYER APPRAISAL / ORGANISATIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS– ACTION / RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Agreed Action
ACTION	BY WHOM	BY WHEN	COMPLETION DATE
Training and development	HR Department	1 month	01-04-2024
Career Progression	HR Department	3 months	01-06-2024
5.2 Appraisal Summary and Recommendations
5.3 To be completed by Program Leader/Head of School (FOR OFFICE USE ONLY)
The above-named company is authorised with effect from Date: Signature: Print: