Executive Summary

The purpose of this study is to explain the function of marketing and how it works with
different divisions to advance the company's overall objectives. Analyze how other
businesses use the various components of the marketing mix in the creation and
promotion of the product at the same time. The report will be broken up into two
sections, the first of which will analyze the idea of marketing and explain the corporate
tasks and roles of KFC Vietnam's marketing department. In order to accomplish the
organization's business objectives, assess how external variables impact the organization
and how other KFC departments work with marketing departments. In the second section
of the paper, the marketing mix for the vegan menu of two separate firms will be
analyzed. The marketing tactics of the two companies will also be compared and used
with KFC Vietnam.

Introduction
Yum! International Restaurant Group owns the KFC brand and operations division in the
United States (KFC Vietnam, 2023). KFC, as its name indicates, specializes on fresh
chicken goods in general and fried chicken in particular. Colonel Harland Sanders, the
company's founder, developed his own secret formula using eleven herbs and spices and
a particular cooking method, which is still used on every dish to maintain the unique
flavor of the company's goods (KFC Vietnam, 2023). With more than 20,000 restaurants
scattered throughout 109 different countries and regions, their franchises are expanding
all over the world. The first foreign fast-food deal in Vietnam was negotiated when KFC
made its debut in Ho Chi Minh City in 1997. In the Vietnamese market, KFC continued
to be the dominant Western franchise in 2010 together with a few other smaller
businesses. With more than 140 locations spread over 21 cities in Vietnam, the fast food
company has steadily increased its market share. Additionally, the business has helped to
lower the unemployment rate by giving work to 3,000 individuals thus far.

Part 1:
1. The concept of marketing

Marketing is "the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy
the needs of a target market while making a profit," according to Philip Kotler. Marketing
helps people realize their unmet needs and desires. The size of the recognized market and
the likelihood of profit are defined, measured, and quantified. It identifies the market
categories that the business can best serve, and it creates and markets the proper goods
and services to those groups (Kotler, 2000). The fast food restaurant brand KFC
specializes in chicken items and has been using Sanders's top-secret blend of 11 herbs
and spices. Buttermilk biscuits and home-style side dishes are also available from KFC
(KFC, 2023). In order to maintain the company's unique flavor while expanding
internationally, each piece of chicken is meticulously examined and given a firm roll
before being pressure cooked at a low temperature (KFC, 2023). In order to cater to local
preferences, KFC has customized its menu in several areas while keeping the distinctive
flavor as a major product strategy. The business has been effective in winning over
customers while also differentiating itself from rivals and gaining an edge in the fast food
sector. KFC continues to sell its original fried chicken and hamburgers in the Vietnamese
market. Additionally, the company has developed a number of original meals such Big 'n
Juicy, Crispy Strips, Coleslaw, and Egg Tarts to cater to the tastes and dining habits of
Vietnamese consumers. In addition, KFC sought to offer a quick eating option for those
who did not have enough time to cook meals every day. The restaurant also wants to
provide a contemporary, western-style space for meeting with family and friends. KFC
restaurants are consequently opening up all throughout Ho Chi Minh City, particularly in
massive and congested department shops.
2. Marketing department’s responsibilities
Marketing departments play a crucial role in an organization's capacity to successfully
satisfy the expectations of consumers as businesses navigate an increasingly complicated
market (Wirtz, 2014). The marketing division is heavily responsible for ensuring a
company's viability and profitability. It must do this through raising awareness,
interacting with clients, learning about rivals' products, planning promotional events and
materials, and performing a wide range of other duties (Marketing Department:
Organization, Tools & Responsibilities, 2015). Maintaining a competitive edge and
branding are two of the most prominent responsibilities of marketing department.
2.1 Maintaining competitive edge

The marketing division is in charge of monitoring the competition and being updated
with them so that they are aware of what they are doing, what products they are releasing,
what their vulnerabilities are, and how to prevent repeating the same errors as the rivals.
It is also crucial to understand the company's position in respect to its rivals, the reasons
why consumers favor the competition, the types of customers the rivals target, and their
interactions with clients. The marketing department may study all of this data once it is
accessible and develop a more effective marketing and customer relations plan for the
business (Marketing Department: Organization, Tools & Responsibilities, 2015).

When it comes to global brand names, Vietnamese currently have 71 foreign restaurant
chains to choose from, up from just a few brands like KFC, Lotteria, Jollibee, or Pizza
Hut a few years ago. Other options include McDonald, Burger King, Domino's, Carl's Jr.,
Popeyes, Baskin Robins, Texas Chicken, Subway, Starbucks, Holly, and others (Tran,
2019). Lottteria is one of the biggest competitors of Lotteria in the market. In all cities
and provinces, the rivalry between Lotteria and KFC is referred to as a "battle at the
crossroads." KFC will open a location on the other side when Lotteria does. Customers
assume there will be a Lotteria store nearby if they see a KFC restaurant in the region.
Supermarkets and malls also display the two companies' white and red logos. The other
will provide a price reduction on Thursday if one of them conducts a sale deal on
Tuesday. Both Lotteria and KFC set the retail price of fresh ice cream at VND 7,000
when they first started selling it. Later, though, they both reduced it to VND3,000 (KFC,
Lotteria battle for market share at street corners, supermarkets, malls, n.d)

2.2 Branding

According to Marketing Department: Organization, Tools & Responsibilities (2015), a

brand is an organization's identification. It is the activity of coming up with a name,
image, or logo to identify a certain good or service and set it apart from competing ones.
Branding works to improve a company's reputation and credibility, elicit a favorable
emotional reaction from the target market, encourage purchases, and foster brand loyalty.
The marketing division has the responsibility of developing and promoting a brand using
verbal and visual cues as well as promises of consumer advantages. All employees of the
company must convey the message to the customer regularly and consistently. Businesses
aim to attract clients who will return frequently rather than simply those who will know
their brand and utilize it once. Customers may relate to brands more readily than
businesses that are simply commercial when they are given a human face by marketers
through effective branding. Building ties with their audience through branding enables
businesses to finally convert them into devoted consumers (Jones, 2022).

By displaying pictures and videos of customers who can't resist ordering fried chicken
meals, KFC highlights the significance of its "Finger Lickin' Good" slogan in Vietnam.
The films even include the actors' actual drooling sounds as they bite into the food (Bui,
T.M., 2020). According to Standardization versus adaptation strategy in international
marketing mix: The case of KFC in Vietnamese market (2020) Vietnamese people have a
propensity to adopt trends started by celebrities because they think these people can assist
them keep up with the rapid global growth. As a result, a commercial for KFC included a
well-known actress from Vietnam eating some fried chicken while her actual chewing
noise was also played.
3. The external factor

The marketing environment has an impact on marketing management's capacity to

establish and nurture fruitful connections with targeted clients. Both the macro and micro
environments play important parts in the effectiveness of marketing. Therefore, while
developing marketing plans, environmental concerns should be properly taken into
account. Businesses should consider the environment that surrounds them while making
decisions (Mose, 2016).

3.1 Culture environment

The institutions and other influences that shape a society's fundamental beliefs,
perceptions, tastes, and actions make up the cultural environment. People are shaped by
the culture they are raised in when they are young. They take in a worldview that governs
how they interact with other people. The following cultural traits can have an impact on
marketing choices (Armstrong, 2017). For companies that provide offers with a lot of
cultural content, like entertainment items, it's especially crucial to comprehend how
culture affects the efficiency of company strategies and consumer behaviors (Song,
2018). By stimulating their desire and demand, culture also has an impact on consumers'
purchasing decisions and consumption patterns. Customers may then decide whether to
buy goods and services that cater to their needs or reject those that do not. In other words,
culture has the power to build or break the success of any global company (Lee, 2009).

This factor creates both opportunities and threats for KFC Vietnam. Despite being one of
Asia's fastest-growing markets, Vietnam yet maintains a rich cultural heritage. Vietnam is
seen as a collectivistic society where individuals live, work, and act in groups and value
commitment and long-term relationships. As a result, decisions about economic activity
are focused on interpersonal relationships and cultural norms. Vietnam is also thought of
as a feminine society, therefore people value flexibility and quality of life. They also
show concern for other individuals in their groupings. Since food preferences may
influence people's attitudes and purchasing decisions, it is crucial for the fast food retailer
KFC to comprehend cultural variations and learn about Vietnamese clients' food
preferences (Bui, T.M., 2020). KFC can already perceive the influence of culinary
culture in Vietnam. Vietnamese people are progressively converting from their traditional,
time-consuming eating habits to short meals in order to keep up with modern society's
hectic pace. Additionally, according to Bui T.M (2020), due to the significant effect
Korean culture has on Vietnamese youth, KFC has introduced a brand-new menu of
Korean foods, including "Grilled Chicken Rice with Kimchi Coleslaw" and "Suchii -
KFC Fried Chicken with Korean Sauce & Cheese Sauce." KFC has to change the menu
in order to fit Vietnamese needs and if they do well, their revenue will increase
significantly. On the other hand, in the case that KFC’ menu does not include dishes that
fit local flavor, they

3.1 Technological environment

With the help of new tools and approaches, technological advancements allow marketing
efforts to advance, become simpler, and move more quickly. The capacity of firms to
adapt to technology advancements is one of their most significant assets in the most
recent kind of marketing. Therefore, firms modified their product, pricing, venue, and
advertising tactics in light of the available technology (Başyazicioğlu, 2018). The Internet
of Things Technology enables the Internet to be connected to real objects, enabling
remote sensor control of machinery. Technology has had an impact on both physical
objects and the fundamental elements of the service. Search engines, websites, social
media platforms, blogs, forums, satellite imagery, animations, videos, and photos all
make it simple for customers to learn more about the products and services they are
interested in. Additionally, according to Başyazicioğlu (2018), Technology advancements
have changed marketing communication from one-way to interactive communication,
and commercial advertising messages have changed from generic to personalized. This
environmental factor opens huge opportunities for restaurants, especially KFC Vietnam.

KFC is still fortunate to have entered the Vietnamese market during the early stages of
technological growth. Vietnamese science and technology have advanced quickly in
recent years, particularly in the sectors of computer technology, biotechnology, and new
material technology. Vietnam is one of the developed and promoted nations in terms of
information technology, and the number of users. Every day, more people are using social
networks and the Internet. KFC has introduced the Use KFC app on two platforms—AOS
and IOS—so that customers may access its goods and services in the simplest way
possible. Customers will experience convenience once again thanks to the promos,
updated meals that are always accessible on the MENU, new door-to-door delivery
technologies, and automated searches for local KFC locations. Additionally, KFC has
maximized two-way connections with Vietnamese customers as a result of the growth of
online platforms in Vietnam, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Zalo (Bui,
T.M., 2020).

4. Relationship between the marketing department and other departments

The marketing department frequently serves as the focal point of a wide range of
important cross-functional projects, providing them with the gratifying chance to
collaborate with almost all departments inside a business (Marketing and finance: A
match made in heaven! - marketo marketing blog, 2015)

4.1 Marketing department interacts with finance team

Although the two departments are located within the same organization and have the
same objectives, the connection between marketing and finance can be contentious. It is
presumable that marketers are all creative individuals and that finance professionals are
just interested in the cash flow statement. But the collaboration between these two
disparate parts is crucial (Olenski, 2016). Finance must understand the strategic nature of
the marketing team's work in order to get the resources needed to realize the strategy next
year. They have a lot of influence on the money that flows to marketing (Marketing and
finance: A match made in heaven! - marketo marketing blog, 2015). Marketers have a
responsibility to manage a significant amount of money for the business. Finance is a
partner who can help track and forecast expenses and ensure compliance with accounting
best practices. Leverage their team to stay on track and avoid major financial mistakes.
In KFC, finance team gives funds for discount events and also calculates the received
profit of the programs. For instance, in a new safe-off event name "Super Shock" only
19k / 1 piece of chicken is back!, customers only have to pay 19K VND for 1 piece of
chicken when they buy at least 2 pieces (KFC Vietnam, 2023). The finance department
had to calculate all the risk and receivable profits, as well as the cost of this event. To
make money for KFC, the finance division would have to provide cash, make sure that
the marketing group could act, and carry out marketing strategies.

4.2 The relationship between marketing and human resource team

A strong partnership between marketing and HR can help companies stand out in a
competitive marketplace by building strong brand awareness, user experience, and
communicating company values (Plomion, 2019). Marketing and HR rely on the same
strategies to attract talent and clients in a crowded market. HR must be accessible, easy,
fun, and fast for employees, and take cues from marketing to set a positive tone during
the onboarding process. In addtion, HR and marketing share a common responsibility to
develop and sell a company's values, both internally and externally. HR must acquire
talent to adopt values and promote them through internal communication. Marketing
must define the company's value proposition and sell it to clients. Collaboration between
departments can foster a company culture united around a common sense of purpose
(Plomion, 2019).

In KFC, marketing team will promote the company’s culture to attract talent. The "How
We Win Together" culture is what drives all KFC Vietnam employees to work toward the
common goal of creating a successful business while consistently enhancing the quality
of each product, putting a smile on each customer's face, and cultivating pride in each
employee to be a part of the KFC Vietnam family (KFC Vietnam, n.d).