Download The term "marketing mix" was first used in 1953 when Neil Borden

The term "marketing mix" was first used in 1953 when Neil Borden, in his American
Marketing Association presidential address, took the recipe idea one step further and
coined the term "marketing-mix". A prominent marketer, E. Jerome McCarthy, proposed
a 4 P classification in 1960, which has seen wide use. The four Ps concept is explained in
most marketing textbooks and classes.
Four Ps
Elements of the marketing mix are often referred to as 'the four Ps':
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Product - A tangible object or an intangible service that is mass produced or
manufactured on a large scale with a specific volume of units. Intangible products
are service based like the tourism industry & the hotel industry or codes-based
products like cellphone load and credits. Typical examples of a mass produced
tangible object are the motor car and the disposable razor. A less obvious but
ubiquitous mass produced service is a computer operating system. Packaging also
needs to be taken into consideration.
Price – The price is the amount a customer pays for the product. It is determined
by a number of factors including market share, competition, material costs,
product identity and the customer's perceived value of the product. The business
may increase or decrease the price of product if other stores have the same
product.
Place – Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often
referred to as the distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as
virtual stores on the Internet. Place is not exatly a physical store where it is
available Place is nothing but how the product takes place or creat image in the
mind of customers. It's depend upon the percievedness of customers.
Promotion represents all of the communications that a marketer may use in the
marketplace. Promotion has four distinct elements: advertising, public relations,
personal selling and sales promotion. A certain amount of crossover occurs when
promotion uses the four principal elements together, which is common in film
promotion. Advertising covers any communication that is paid for, from cinema
commercials, radio and Internet adverts through print media and billboards.
Public relations are where the communication is not directly paid for and includes
press releases, sponsorship deals, exhibitions, conferences, seminars or trade fairs
and events. Word of mouth is any apparently informal communication about the
product by ordinary individuals, satisfied customers or people specifically
engaged to create word of mouth momentum. Sales staff often plays an important
role in word of mouth and Public Relations (see Product above).
Extended Marketing Mix (3 Ps)
Now a days three more Ps have been added to the marketing mix namely People, Process
and Physical Evidence. This marketing mix is known as Extended Marketing Mix.
People:- All people involved with consumption of a service are important. For example
workers, management, consumers etc
Process:- Procedure, mechanism and flow of activities by which services are used.
Physical Evidence:- The environment in which the service or product is delivered,
tangible are the one which helps to communicate and intangible is the knowledge of the
people around us.
The Marketing Mix
(The 4 P's of Marketing)
Marketing decisions generally fall into the following four controllable categories:
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Product
Price
Place (distribution)
Promotion
The term "marketing mix" became popularized after Neil H. Borden published his 1964
article, The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Borden began using the term in his teaching in
the late 1940's after James Culliton had described the marketing manager as a "mixer of
ingredients". The ingredients in Borden's marketing mix included product planning,
pricing, branding, distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, promotions,
packaging, display, servicing, physical handling, and fact finding and analysis. E. Jerome
McCarthy later grouped these ingredients into the four categories that today are known as
the 4 P's of marketing, depicted below:
The Marketing Mix
These four P's are the parameters that the marketing manager can control, subject to the
internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. The goal is to make
decisions that center the four P's on the customers in the target market in order to create
perceived value and generate a positive response.
Product Decisions
The term "product" refers to tangible, physical products as well as services. Here are
some examples of the product decisions to be made:
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Brand name
Functionality
Styling
Quality
Safety
Packaging
Repairs and Support
Warranty
Accessories and services
Price Decisions
Some examples of pricing decisions to be made include:
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Pricing strategy (skim, penetration, etc.)
Suggested retail price
Volume discounts and wholesale pricing
Cash and early payment discounts
Seasonal pricing
Bundling
Price flexibility
Price discrimination
Distribution (Place) Decisions
Distribution is about getting the products to the customer. Some examples of distribution
decisions include:
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Distribution channels
Market coverage (inclusive, selective, or exclusive distribution)
Specific channel members
Inventory management
Warehousing
Distribution centers
Order processing
Transportation
Reverse logistics
Promotion Decisions
In the context of the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of
marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product
with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Marketing communication
decisions include:
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Promotional strategy (push, pull, etc.)
Advertising
Personal selling & sales force
Sales promotions
Public relations & publicity
Marketing communications budget
Limitations of the Marketing Mix Framework
The marketing mix framework was particularly useful in the early days of the marketing
concept when physical products represented a larger portion of the economy. Today, with
marketing more integrated into organizations and with a wider variety of products and
markets, some authors have attempted to extend its usefulness by proposing a fifth P,
such as packaging, people, process, etc. Today however, the marketing mix most
commonly remains based on the 4 P's. Despite its limitations and perhaps because of its
simplicity, the use of this framework remains strong and many marketing textbooks have
been organized around it.
The Marketing Mix
(The 4 P's of Marketing)
The major marketing management decisions can be classified in one of the
following four categories:
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Product
Price
Place (distribution)
Promotion
These variables are known as the marketing mix or the 4 P's of marketing.
They are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best
satisfy customers in the target market. The marketing mix is portrayed in the
following diagram:
The Marketing Mix
Product
Place
Target
Market
Price
Promotion
The firm attempts to generate a positive response in the target market by
blending these four marketing mix variables in an optimal manner.
Product
The product is the physical product or service offered to the consumer. In the
case of physical products, it also refers to any services or conveniences that are
part of the offering.
Product decisions include aspects such as function, appearance, packaging,
service, warranty, etc.
Price
Pricing decisions should take into account profit margins and the probable pricing
response of competitors. Pricing includes not only the list price, but also
discounts, financing, and other options such as leasing.
Place
Place (or placement) decisions are those associated with channels of distribution
that serve as the means for getting the product to the target customers. The
distribution system performs transactional, logistical, and facilitating functions.
Distribution decisions include market coverage, channel member selection,
logistics, and levels of service.
Promotion
Promotion decisions are those related to communicating and selling to potential
consumers. Since these costs can be large in proportion to the product price, a
break-even analysis should be performed when making promotion decisions. It is
useful to know the value of a customer in order to determine whether additional
customers are worth the cost of acquiring them.
Promotion decisions involve advertising, public relations, media types, etc.
A Summary Table of the Marketing Mix
The following table summarizes the marketing mix decisions, including a list of
some of the aspects of each of the 4Ps.
Summary of Marketing Mix Decisions
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Functionality
List price
Channel members
Advertising
Appearance
Discounts
Channel motivation Personal selling
Quality
Allowances
Market coverage
Public relations
Packaging
Financing
Locations
Message
Brand
Leasing options Logistics
Warranty
Service levels
Media
Budget
Service/Support
Recommended Reading
Schewe, Charles D., and Alexander Hiam, The Portable MBA in Marketing
This book is a crash course covering most of the marketing topics taught in MBA programs,
including the marketing concept, the 4 P's of marketing, marketing research, marketing strategy,
and segmentation, targeting, and positioning.
The Marketing Mix and 4 Ps
Understanding how to position your market offering
What is marketing? The definition that many marketers learn as they start out in the
industry is:
Putting the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time.
It's simple! You just need to create a product that a particularly group of people want, put
it on sale some place that those same people visit regularly, and price it at a level which
matches the value they feel they get out of it; and do all that at a time they want to buy.
Then you've got it made!
There's a lot of truth in this idea. However, a lot of hard work needs to go into finding out
what customers want, and identifying where they do their shopping. Then you need to
figure out how to produce the item at a price that represents value to them, and get it all
to come together at the critical time.
But if you get just one element wrong, it can spell disaster. You could be left promoting a
car with amazing fuel-economy in a country where fuel is very cheap; or publishing a
textbook after the start of the new school year, or selling an item at a price that's too high
– or too low – to attract the people you're targeting.
The marketing mix is a good place to start when you are thinking through your plans for
a product or service, and it helps you avoid these kinds of mistake.
Understanding the Tool
The marketing mix and the 4 Ps of marketing are often used as synonyms for each other.
In fact, they are not necessarily the same thing.
"Marketing mix" is a general phrase used to describe the different kinds of choices
organizations have to make in the whole process of bringing a product or service to
market. The 4 Ps is one way - probably the best-known way - of defining the marketing
mix, and was first expressed in 1960 by E J McCarthy.
The 4Ps are:
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Product (or Service)
Place
Price
Promotion
A good way to understand the 4 Ps is by the questions that you need to ask to define you
marketing mix. Here are some questions that will help you understand and define each of
the four elements:
Product/Service
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What does the customer want from the product/service? What needs does it
satisfy?
What features does it have to meet these needs?
 Are there any features you've missed out?
 Are you including costly features that the customer won't actually use?
How and where will the customer use it?
What does it look like? How will customers experience it?
What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it be?
What is it to be called?
How is it branded?
How is it differentiated versus your competitors?
What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably?
(See also Price, below).
Place
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Where do buyers look for your product or service?
If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or
both? Or online? Or direct, via a catalogue?
How can you access the right distribution channels?
Do you need to use a sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online
submissions? Or send samples to catalogue companies?
What do you competitors do, and how can you learn from that and/or
differentiate?
Price
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What is the value of the product or service to the buyer?
Are there established price points for products or services in this area?
Is the customer price sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain you extra
market share? Or will a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain you extra
profit margin?
What discounts should be offered to trade customers, or to other specific
segments of your market?
How will your price compare with your competitors?
Promotion
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Where and when can you get across your marketing messages to your target
market?
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Will you reach your audience by advertising in the press, or on TV, or radio, or on
billboards? By using direct marketing mailshot? Through PR? On the Internet?
When is the best time to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there
any wider environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of your market
launch, or the timing of subsequent promotions?
How do your competitors do their promotions? And how does that influence your
choice of promotional activity?
The 4Ps model is just one of many marketing mix lists that have been developed over the
years. And, whilst the questions we have listed above are key, they are just a subset of the
detailed probing that may be required to optimize your marketing mix.
Amongst the other marketing mix models have been developed over the years is Boom
and Bitner's 7Ps, sometimes called the extended marketing mix, which include the first 4
Ps, plus people, processes and physical layout decisions.
Another marketing mix approach is Lauterborn's 4Cs, which presents the elements of the
marketing mix from the buyer's, rather than the seller's, perspective. It is made up of
Customer needs and wants (the equivalent of product), Cost (price), Convenience (place)
and Communication (promotion). In this article, we focus on the 4Ps model as it is the
most well-recognized, and contains the core elements of a good marketing mix.
Using the 4Ps Marketing Mix Model
The marketing mix model can be used to help you decide how to take a new offer to
market. It can also be used to test your existing marketing strategy. Whether you are
considering a new or existing offer, follow the steps below help you define and improve
your marketing mix.
1. Start by identifying the product or service that you want to analyze.
2. Now go through and answers the 4Ps questions - as defined in detail above.
3. Try asking "why" and "what if" questions too, to challenge your offer. For
example, ask why your target audience needs a particular feature. What if you
drop your price by 5%? What if you offer more colors? Why sell through
wholesalers rather than direct channels? What if you improve PR rather than rely
on TV advertising?
Tip:
Check through your answers to make sure they are based on sound
knowledge and facts. If there are doubts about your assumptions,
identify any market research, or facts and figures that you may need
to gather.
4. Once you have a well-defined marketing mix, try "testing" the overall offer from
the customer's perspective, by asking customer focused questions:
1. Does it meet their needs? (product)
2. Will they find it where they shop? (place)
3. Will they consider it's priced favorably? (price)
4. And will the marketing communications reach them? (promotion)
5. Keep on asking questions and making changes to your mix until you are satisfied
that you have optimized your marketing mix, given the information and facts and
figures you have available.
6. Review you marketing mix regularly, as some elements will need to change as the
product or service, and its market, grow, mature and adapt in an ever-changing
competitive environment.
Key points:
The marketing mix helps you define the marketing elements for successfully positioning
your market offer.
One of the best known models is the Four Ps, which helps you define your marketing
options in terms of product, place, price and promotion. Use the model when you are
planning a new venture, or evaluating an existing offer, to optimize the impact with your
target market.
Marketing Mix 4P's
model 5P's
4P's 5P's
McCarthy
The Marketing Mix model (also known as the 4 P’s) can be used by marketers as a tool to assist in
implementing the M. strategy. M. managers use this method to attempt to generate the optimal response
in the target market by blending 4 (or 5, or 7) variables in an optimal way. It is important to understand
that the MM principles are controllable variables. The MM can be adjusted on a frequent basis to meet
the changing needs of the target group and the other dynamics of the M. environment.
Historically, the thinking was: a good product will sell
itself. However there are no bad products anymore in
Product today's highly competitive markets. Plus there are many
laws giving customers the right to return products that he
perceives as bad. Therefore the question on product has
Functionality, Quality,
Appearance, Packaging,
Brand, Service, Support,
Warranty
become: does the organization create what its intended
customers want? Define the characteristics of your
product or service that meets the needs of your customers.
Price
How much are the intended customers willing to pay?
Here we decide on a pricing strategy - do not let it just
happen! Even if you decide not to charge for a service (a
loss leader), you must realize that this is a conscious
List Price, Discounts,
decision and forms part of the pricing strategy. Although
Financing, Leasing
competing on price is as old as mankind, the consumer is
Options, Allowances,
often still sensitive for price discounts and special offers.
Price has also an irrational side: something that is
expensive must be good. Permanently competing on
price is for many companies not a very sensible approach.
Place
Locations, Logistics,
Available at the right place, at the right time, in the right Channel members,
quantities? Some of the revolutions in business have
Channel Motivation,
come about by changing Place. Think of the internet and Market Coverage,
mobile telephones.
Service Levels, Internet,
Mobile
(How) are the chosen target groups informed or educated
about the organization and its products? This includes all
the weapons in the marketing armory - advertising,
Promotion selling, sales promotions, Public Relations, etc. While the
other three P's have lost much of there meaning in today's
markets, Promotion has become the most important P to
focus on.
Advertising, Public
Relations, Message,
Direct Sales, Sales,
Media, Budget
The function of the MM is to help develop a package (mix) that will not only satisfy the needs of the
customers within the target markets, but simultaneously to maximize the performance of the organization.
There have been many attempts to increase the number of P's from 4 to 5P's in the MM model. The
most frequently mentioned one being People or Personnel. Booms and Bitner have suggested a 7-Ps
approach for services-oriented companies.