Read the Case Study below and answer ALL of the questions that follow.

Accenture is a multinational company of Irish origin that was founded in the year $1989.$ In the beginning, the company was created as a consulting division for business and technology of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen but later Anderson Consulting and Arthur Anderson became separate units of AWSC.Accenture is a global brand associated with professional services, consulting and IT services. It has been ranked numerous times in the list of the Fortune Global $500$ companies and is a well$-$known name in the global market. The current marketing strategy in the marketing mix of Accenture includes as part of Accenture marketing strategy, the company offers many varieties in the product line. The company maintains high quality by adding value during various phases of the value chain. It procures raw materials from trusted suppliers only. Accenture marketing strategy makes sure that all its products are easy$-$to$-$use as the offerings include a user manual with simple instructions that can be followed easily. The customers have a choice of selecting the product variety that meets their requirements. Accenture guarantees higher quality and time$-$delivery of the final product.

As part of its marketing strategy, Accenture in September $2020$ created a division "Accenture Cloud First" to boost its existing market share in the cloud industry. Accenture has created a distinct distribution strategy that includes several marketing and distribution channels through which the company delivers its products to the clients and customers, provides information about the products, offers product customization options, provides product quality assurance, qives after$-$sales services, easy availability options and also provides installation services for its products. The marketing mix of Accenture puts the focus on store management and personal selling via own stores. The company$-$owned and operated stores give the organization better control over store design, layout, and product decisions. It also helps to gather important information, which can be used later on to make viable decisions regarding future marketing activities.

The marketing mix of Accenture includes an operational website for order placement and order tracking. Accenture has aligned with online retailers for easy availability of products. Direct distribution channels help Accenture in direct dealing with customers through personal selling or through online retailing from the company website. Indirect distribution channels include distribution with help of indirect partners like distribution agents, logistics companies, retailers and Accenture Project manages wholesalers for time$-$delivery of products. In the hybrid distribution system of the Accenture marketing strateqy, the important aspects and secondary functions for instance store management, other channel partners handle warehousing and logistics$.$

The premium pricing strategy is used in the marketing mix of Accenture for high price and exclusive products. This type of price strategy and analysis shows a touch of privilege and leads to favourable perceptions in target segments. The higher price of products allows Accenture to generate better sales and book greater profits in the industry. The promotional marketing strategy of Accenture allows it to increase sales in a cost$-$effective manner, encourage repeat purchases from the customers and connect with the target audience in the consumer market. Accenture marketing strategy includes the use of the digital channel for promotional purposes. The company has corporate profiles on social media portals to engage with customers and clients directly. This strategy has proved a boon for the company as it is now able to gather important information about customer requirements and use it for future references. Accenture encourages feedback from clients and customers on the company website, which offers important information about the brand, its products and ongoing promotion activities.Celebrity endorsement is quite common nowadays as it helps to create brand awareness in the market. Accenture also uses celebrities and successful stories about brand association for its advantage. If you are looking for only an example then Tiger Woods, the famous golfer comes to mind.

Question $1$

$(21$ Marks$)$

According to the case study the marketing mix of Accenture puts the focus on store management and personal selling via own stores. Examine and discuss the marketing mix of Accenture. $(7$Ps$)$