1237 Marketings 4 Ps Guide
1237 Marketings 4 Ps Guide
1237 Marketings 4 Ps Guide
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Credits
The Video
Executive Producer: Kari Dean McCarthy Writers: Kari Dean McCarthy, Jeffrey Schrank Producer: Judy Jennings Director: Kirk Fagerland Editor: Bill Killian Narrator: Kate Burns
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Closed Captioning
This program is closed-captioned.
Key points:
Identify what marketers do to create a comprehensive marketing strategy to get consumers to buy the products the company is selling. Learn the definition of Product, Price, Place and Promotion as they relate to the marketing mix. Explore case studies that illustrate what companies do when they focus on a particular element of the marketing mix to sell their product. Understand the role of market research to the marketing plan. Examine the concept of positioning, its intent, and what it looks like in action. Learn what a brand really is, and how companies use it to sell a product that may or may not have any relevance to what the companys or products strengths are.
Market Research
To define the size and characteristics of a market -- that is, to learn how many people might buy a product, and what those people are like -- a company can use many types of quantitative or qualitative research. Qualitative research is usually conducted with small numbers of consumers. Common types include focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and behavioral observation. The research results are not analyzed with statistical techniques, but are usually interpreted by a professional market researcher. Quantitative research, by contrast, is done with large samples of the population and uses statistical techniques to draw conclusions. Understanding the consumer--and knowing how many of them will buy a product--is key to creating the right product and marketing it to capture the most potential sales. Marketing teams often conduct qualitative and quantitative interviews throughout the life of a product. This helps them to remain in touch with who their consumers are and what they want. And the results of the research are used to help develop and refine the marketing mix.
CASE STUDY: 3M CORP. 3M Corporation turned a small square pad of yellow paper into a billion-dollar multinational brand. They did it by focusing on the function of the product. The Post-It note line includes a large variety of shapes, sizes and colors for assorted uses, as well as clever designs and smells targeted to different personalities. The common feature of all of them, of course, is the capability to easily stick almost anywhere and be completely removed again. 3M didn't build its Post-It Note reach by creating a random set of price points, entering the most possible distribution channels, or running a splashy Superbowl ad. Instead, the marketing team looked for people. What do office workers, students, teachers, and graphic designers all have in common? They are people who often seek more organization for their lives and work. 3M built its product to fill those people's needs. After analyzing the demands of the consumer, 3M expanded its product line. In addition to the original little square pad, the company has introduced Markers/Flags, Creative Shape Pads, Easel Pads, and Super Sticky Notes under the Post-It brand name. The newest innovation in the Post-It Note product line is PC Notes software. And even their software comes in different versions with different features for different target markets. By making "people" the focus when marketing Post-It Notes, 3M created a diverse product line to suit the needs of a wide range of potential buyers, turning its unique invention into a billion-dollar brand. Products that were designed expressly to fit people's needs surround you. Take this educational program you are watching right now, for instance. What role did a marketer take in its creation? Who are the people the program was designed to satisfy? Is it for the students? The teacher? Or both? Does it match the class curriculum or add to it? How did the company who produced the material decide on its content? Or its packaging? Many companies find success by focusing the product aspect of their marketing mix on what people need and want.
Market penetration pricing: is based on a more price sensitive consumer. This strategy is to set a low initial price to penetrate the market quickly and widely so the product can reach the mass market and fend off competition that might not able to price its products so low. Many companies find success by using the pricing aspect of their marketing mix to appeal to the maximum number of people who could buy their product. A mental shortcut we consumers sometimes use to judge products and services is you get what you pay for. In other words, many consumers believe that higher price means a better product. But is the price-equals-quality assumption valid? Or might you be paying for something else--like a name, or convenience, or some other attribute?
If a company doesn't offer its product or service at the right place and the right time, fewer customers will buy it. Marketers must think about how much it costs to sell through those locations. Some stores will charge placement fees and others will require low prices that could make the company unprofitable. In addition, a marketing team must consider the places the target market would be most likely to expect to buy the product. You might think that the ultimate goal in distributing a product in as many locations as possible. But many placement strategies are specifically designed to limit distribution outlets.
CASE STUDY: DELL COMPUTER Dell Computer began its business by selling PCs directly to consumers, while most competitive PC makers were selling through distributors and mass-market retailers. To address customer needs, Dell's business model went beyond product design. By advertising in magazines, selling directly to consumers over the phone, and later, through an online store, Dell fulfilled customer needs such as customization, personalized service and support, and quick access to the latest technology. At the same time, Dell used its direct customer relationships to research consumers' needs and requirements so it could continually refine its product offerings. Although Dell was usually not in retail outlets where people normally shopped for PCs, the company earned a competitive advantage by focusing on a "place" strategy that offered people a more direct and personalized experience. Other companies that might seek to intentionally limit distribution of their products include makers of gourmet foods. They understand that their potential customers might have a different perception of a product if it's sold in an average grocery store that caters to the mass market. Most marketers, however, will try to use their resources to achieve as wide a distribution network as possible to cost-effectively be wherever their target market expects them to be. Makers of everyday soaps, toilet tissues, and canned fruit do their best to be in every supermarket and convenience store that sells to the mass market. But they probably won't sell in boutique stores where consumers are looking for upscale products. Similarly, the makers of books, videos and CDs will try to identify every possible outlet where their audience might be motivated to purchase. It could be a mass market or niche store, Website, or directmail catalog targeted to people with specific tastes and preferences. Many companies find success by focusing the place aspect of their marketing mix on the unique behaviors and expectations of the people who will buy the product.
CASE STUDY: CHARMIN In the past, Proctor and Gamble promoted its Charmin brand toilet tissue by relying on newspaper coupons and TV advertising. From 1964 to 1985 Mr. Whipple blanketed the airwaves with a familiar slogan - Please, dont squeeze the Charmin. While Charmin still promotes its products with traditional methods, it has also created more innovative promotions. More recently, the brand set up free public restrooms in New Yorks Times Square. The restrooms were luxurious, clean and featured Charmin tissue products. More than 400,000 people used those restrooms in one month, making a more personal impression than any TV commercial ever could. As an added benefit, 20 million viewers in one month watched the nine Internet videos about the restrooms. Most of the viewers were at least a generation younger than ones who had watched the original Mr. Whipple ads.
Focus on technology
Technological inventions have played a major role in the development of marketing promotions. From the ads created for radio commercials nearly a century ago to the virtual stores in online worlds today. Hewlett-Packard once sponsored an online contest for the best video featuring an HP calculator. This type of promotion helped people--potential consumers--participate directly in the creation of the promotion. The promotion made the people watching the videos become aware of HP's product, and to believe the brand's technical calculators were not just for math majors, but also for people just like themselves. Using an online virtual world as a promotional arena, IBM built a replica of one of its Research Centers, and Coldwell Banker opened a virtual office to sell real estate. These promotional tools promoted real-life products in a setting more familiar to a younger target market, an audience that might otherwise consider IBM and Coldwell Banker as brands meant for older people. Text messaging and video downloads have offered new opportunities to replace mass marketing with niche marketing. Ad campaigns sometimes combine Web data with location information so people with cell phones get messages when they are near a certain store. Purchase of a product or service becomes more convenient for those people and makes the advertising more personal--and therefore more powerful. Of course, it may also be perceived as intrusive or excessive, even by people who signed up for the service. Many companies find success through promotions that help people get involved with the product, gain awareness and knowledge, and develop beliefs. As you can see, people are an integral part of the marketing mix. More complex strategies, such as positioning and branding, should concentrate on people as well.
CASE STUDY: SUNKIST A common position for candy marketed is as a guilty pleasure--tasty but not good for you. To alter this belief, Sunkist positions some of its candy as a healthful, natural snack. The marketers did this by researching people who would not eat a product labeled as candy or give it to their children but who also don't compare the ingredients or nutrition data to candy before they purchase it. Just using the word "snack" changes some buyers' perceptions of the product. Now, the product isn't competing against candy, but an entirely different category of products. Its perceived as something fun and tasty when compared to nearby healthful, natural snacks. The way people perceive the product's position changed everything about it. Sunkist proved it could sell virtually the same product to different types of people by positioning the product in two seemingly different categories. Starbucks is another example. A generation ago, coffee was served mainly for breakfast, not as a snack, and that coffee was the regular "cuppa Joe, not a latte. Then came Starbucks, which repositioned the entire category of "coffee" by turning it into an everyday treat. The company changed people's perceptions of coffees role in their lives. Specialty coffee became an all-day beverage, and Starbucks cornered the market with names like Frappuccino, venti and grande, which added a feeling of specialness for consumers. The product didn't change, but how people perceived their need for it changed.
Review
Product is the item or service that people buy to satisfy a want or need. Successful companies consider the product's form, functionality, features and benefits from the consumers' point of view. Price is how much a customer pays for the product. Profits go to those who charge the right price, which often is unrelated to the cost of the product. Many pricing strategies exist to attract different kinds of customers. Place refers to the location where a product can be purchased. If a company doesn't offer its product or service at the right place and the right time, fewer customers will buy it. Promotion represents all of the ways a company communicates with a customer. It includes advertising, selling, public relations, trade shows, direct mail, and other communication techniques. Successful promotions are intended to change beliefs or increase awareness, knowledge, and purchase intent among potential buyers. Market research is vital to the development of the marketing mix because research can help reveal what people really want. Positioning attempts to define how people should perceive a product. Its intent is to shape a buyer's beliefs and feelings about the product when comparing it to similar products. A brand is that symbolic expression of all the information and expectations that people associate with a specific product or service. It is a promise to people of what kind of product, price, and place to expect. Companies often find success by developing a brand that reflects and speaks to the aspirations of the people they market to.
Suggested Activity
Break students into groups of four to create their own educational video idea. Ask them to create a marketing plan for that video. Each student should be responsible for one of the four main marketing plan segments---product, price, place, and promotion--complete with drawings or diagrams, to market their imaginary product. (Will their video be shown on PBS? Sold online? Be available on DVD or streaming video? What will its packaging say? Where will they advertise it? Who will they sell it to?) Together, the group should also describe the personality and positioning of their video companys brand.
Research Project
Consider a brand that everyone is familiar with e.g., Pepsi, All-State, Apple. Identify the elements and strategies in their marketing mix. Research the companys history for an understanding of how their origins relate (or dont relate) to their current marketing. Also research how their marketing strategies have changed over time. Are they still reaching for the same groups of consumers? Have their product lines changed in some notable way? Do they promote in different ways than they used to? Do they sell their products in new types of locations than they did that their inception?
The marketing ___________________ is the combination of strategies and activities that companies use to sell their goods and services. Market ___________________ methods are vital to the development of the marketing mix because they can help reveal what consumers want.
The ___________________ is the item or service that people buy to satisfy a want or need. In the case of chocolate-covered cornflakes, the product is the food itself. Price is how much a customer ___________________ for the product. The selected price, if too high--or even too low--will affect how well the product sells. The word "Place" refers to the location where a product can be ___________________.
Promotion represents all of the ways a company ___________________ with a customer. Successful promotions are intended to change ___________________ or increase awareness, knowledge, and purchase intent among potential buyers. ___________________ inventions have played a major role in the development of marketing promotions.
A brand is that ___________________ expression of all the information and expectations that people associate with a specific product or service. A products position refers to a buyer's beliefs and feelings about the product when ___________________ it to similar products.
Word Bank:
beliefs product communicates purchased comparing symbolic mix research pays technological
The marketing mix is the combination of strategies and activities that companies use to sell their goods and services. Market research methods are vital to the development of the marketing mix because they can help reveal what consumers want.
The product is the item or service that people buy to satisfy a want or need. In the case of chocolate-covered cornflakes, the product is the food itself. Price is how much a customer pays for the product. The selected price, if too high--or even too low-will affect how well the product sells. The word "Place" refers to the location where a product can be purchased.
Promotion represents all of the ways a company communicates with a customer. Successful promotions are intended to change beliefs or increase awareness, knowledge, and purchase intent among potential buyers. Technological inventions have played a major role in the development of marketing promotions.
A brand is that symbolic expression of all the information and expectations that people associate with a specific product or service. A products position refers to a buyer's beliefs and feelings about the product when comparing it to similar products.
1. To be successful, marketing strategies must consider what consumers: A) want B) say C) feel D) like 2. Everything marketers do to place their product or service in the hands of potential customers is called: A) selling B) marketing C) promotion D) placement 3. Setting artificially high prices by selling to consumers most willing to pay a lot for a new product is called: A) luxury B) skimming C) layering D) market penetration 4. A brand is to a product as a ____________ is to a human: A) brain B) heart C) personality D) nervous system 5. Setting a low initial price to reach the mass market and fend off competition that might not able to price their products so low is a pricing strategy called: A) luxury B) skimming C) layering D) market penetration
6. Companies often find success by developing a brand that reflects and speaks to peoples: A) attitudes B) friendships C) feelings D) aspirations 7. A small, distinguishable segment that can be uniquely served with a certain product or service is a: A) mass market B) stock market C) niche market D) mini market 8. Marketing drives buying by creating consumer: A) beliefs B) wealth C) agreement D) happiness 9. Research done with large samples of the population and using statistical techniques to draw conclusions: A) segment B) quantitative C) qualitative D) mass 10. Marketers use positioning to tell consumers why the product is: A) relevant to them B) risky for them C) relative to them D) ready for them
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Often called the 4 Ps, this combination of strategies and activities includes product, price, place and promotion. Pricing that appeals to people who want their accessories to display a certain social status. Includes packaging, advertising, retail displays, direct mail, and public relations. The largest potential number of consumers who could buy a product. A marketing strategy that attempts to manipulate how people perceive a product. Distribution method where a company uses wholesalers and retailers to sell its product. Research such as focus groups, 1-on-1 interviews, and behavioral observation. Anything that can be offered to satisfy a markets want or need.
1 qualitative 2 mass market 3 indirect 4 product 5 marketing mix 6 promotion 7 positioning 8 luxury
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Brand Direct Indirect Layered Pricing Luxury Pricing Marketing Mass Market Niche Market Penetration pricing Place Position Price Price Skimming Product Promotion Qualitative Research Quantitative Research
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