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The marketing mix
The 4Ps and the marketing mix
 The 4Ps are the ideas to consider when
marketing a product.
 They form the basis of the marketing mix.
 Getting this mix right is critical in order to
successfully market a product.
 The 4Ps are:
●
Product
●
Price
●
Promotion
●
Place
The 4Ps and the marketing mix
After a market research, a company can plan:
●
a promotion
●
for the right product,
●
at the right price,
●
and in the right place.
Product
 A product can be either a good or a service
 A customer buys a product, and a consumer uses
it.
 Sometimes these are one and the same, as an
industrial firm can also be a customer and a
consumer.
 The target market refers to potencial customers
and consumers for the company product.
Price
 No matter how good the product is, it is unlikely
to succeed unless the price is right.
 This does not just mean being cheaper than
competitors.
 Most people associate a higher price with quality.
Promotion
 The main aims of promotion are to persuade,
inform and make people more aware of a
brand, as well as improving sales figures.
 Advertising is the most widely used form of
promotion, and can be through the media of
TV, radio, journals, cinema or outdoors
(billboards, posters).
Promotion
 The specific sections of society (market
segments) being targeted will affect the types
of media chosen, as will the cost.
 If you were a toy manufacturer, you might want
an advertising spot during children's TV.
 If you ran a local restaurant, you might choose a
local paper or radio.
Promotion
 A small or local business would not usually
advertise on TV, because it is very expensive.
 Sales promotion is designed to encourage new
and repeat sales.
 Loyalty cards, free gifts, competitions and
voucher schemes are the most popular.
Promotion
 Companies use sponsorship and public
relations to improve their image,
 financing sports
 the arts
 and public information services.
Place
 Distribution channels are the key to this area.
 A firm has to find the most cost-effective way to
get the product to the consumer.
 Direct marketing through catalogues, via a TV
shopping channel and through the Internet
have become popular, because the consumer
can shop from home.
 Going through wholesalers and retailers is the
most popular form of distribution, as that is
still where most people shop.
Market research
 The most important thing about marketing is to
identify what the consumers' needs are, and then
try to meet them.
 This is called consumer-orientation.
 To find out what these needs are, a firm's marketing
department or a specialist research organization
carry out extensive market research.
The marketing process
1.A firm will gather information about the marketplace
(eg whether house prices are rising or falling), and
then research consumers' needs.
2.From this, it will identify who its market is, and then
put together a marketing plan based on the
findings.
3.The marketing mix will be central to this, and finding
the right balance in each of the 4Ps is very
important.
4.The firm can then review and adapt their plan when
they need to.
You should remember the following points:
1. Although marketing is
consumer-orientated, the
main aim is still to be
profitable.
2. A good marketing manager
will try to differentiate
their product (ie make
their product stand out
against similar competitive
brands).
4. Making it as easy as
possible for the customer
to buy the product will
help sales to increase.
3. Whatever pricing
decision is made, the
most important factor
is to cover costs.