2.2 Making Marketing Decisions Flashcards
What are the different elements of the marketing mix?
Price
Place
Promotion
Product
What is the marketing mix used for?
To make decisions about the business
What happens for a business with the right combination of the marketing mix?
- Can have a competitive advantage
- by attracting and selling to more customers
What affects the different parts of the marketing mix?
- each other
- method of distribution of a product affects pricing and promotion
- how they are sold (online)
- Quality and price of a product affects how it is promoted
What is product differentiation?
Making a product stand out from its market competitors
How can a product be differentiated?
- By changing elements of the marketing mix
- give it a USP
- promotion
- change the price, more appealing to market
- product design
What are the 3 parts of the design mix?
Function
Cost
Aesthetics
What is the Function in the Design Mix of a product?
- the design of a product must be fit for its purpose
- Unique features may help
What is the Cost in the Design Mix of a product?
- How much the design costs to produce
- a good design has low manufacturing costs-> higher profits
What is the Aesthetics in the Design Mix of a product?
- appearance of the product
- A good product should look attractive or distinctive
- Packaging may help a product stand out
What is a Product Life Cycle?
A theoretical model which describes the stages a product goes through over its life
What are the different stages of a Product Life Cycle?
- Research and Development
- Introduction
- Growth
- Maturity
- Decline
What is the Research and Development stage of a product life cycle?
- first stage of a product life cycle
- used to develop an idea and turn it into a marketable product
- ie find cost effective materials and methods to produce the product
What is the Introduction stage of a product life cycle?
- The product is launched and put on sale
- Usually lots of advertising and sales promotion
- emphasis on place: want people to know where to buy the product
What usually happens during the Introduction stage of the product life cycle?
- high costs: money spent on research and development
- Low levels of sales
- Usually negative cash flow
- Small scale distribution
- High promotional spending
- High price (price skimming) or Low price (price penetration) depending on market of the product
What is price skimming?
setting a new product at a high price at initial introduction into the market
What is price penetration?
setting a newer product at a lower price so more people can afford it at initial introduction.
What is the Growth stage of a product life cycle?
- Demand increases, until the product becomes established
- expanding market
- fast growing sales
- cash flow may become positive
- Market grows, profit rises-> attracts entry of new competitors
- Wider distribution
- Advertising continues to build brand awareness
What is the Maturity stage of a product life cycle?
- Demand reaches a peak
- Promotion becomes less important, so less advertising than when launching
- Increase distribution
- slower sales for growth as rivals enter the market
- high profit for those with high market share
- cash flow is strongly positive
- weaker competitors begin to leave the market
- Prices and profits fall
- Persuasive advertising to remind customers of products
- Attract new users, target new segments, develop new uses
What is the Decline stage of a product life cycle?
- Demand begins to fall as rival products increase in demand
-Falling sales - market saturation and /or competition
- Decline in profits + weaker cash flows
- more competitors leave the market
- Products could be withdrawn from production
- Remaining products may be sold at a reduced price
- no longer actively promote the product
Why do products enter the stage of decline?
- Technological advances
- Changes in consumer tastes and behaviour
- Increased competition
- Failure to innovate and develop the product
What are extension strategies?
Methods used to extend the life of a product at the highest level to increase sales and profit
What are types of extension strategies?
Adding value- add more or different features, increase demand by making product more useful or appealing
Advertising- make more people aware of the product, promote in an appealing way, or to a new market
Price reduction- makes the product more attractive to the customer, use special offers or competitions
Explore new or different markets- new age group or country, target promotional material at them to extend life of product
New packaging- become more eye catching, more appealing than competitors products. New image may attract new customers
Why is Price important?
Pricing decisions directly affect revenue
- must be consistent with the other parts of the marketing mix to ensure customers perception of the good/service is still good
- making a wrong decision can have a serious effect on sales and cash flow
What are Internal factors that influence pricing decisions?
- Technology
- Method of production
- Product life cycle
How does technology influence pricing decisions?
- if expensive machinery is needed, price may increase in order to make a profit
- however that long term could reduce costs, as it could be more efficient and fewer employees may be needed
How does Method of Production influence pricing decisions?
- flow production may require expensive machinery
- but more likely to benefit from economies of scale compared to job production, so products may be cheaper
How does Product Life Cycle influence pricing decisions?
- Introduction and growth: price skimming or price penetration to encourage sales
- Maturity: follow competitor pricing
- Decline: firm reduce price -> increase demand for product