3.4 Making marketing deicisions using the marketing mix Flashcards
Marketing mix
The main variables comprising a firm is marketing strategies.
The 7P’s
Price, Product, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical environment
What is Price to do with?
How consumers pay: e.g. cash and how much they pay.
What is Product to do with?
To meet customer needs and wants such as design features.
What is Place to do with ?
How the product reaches the customer.
What is Promotion to do with?
To do with how you communicate your product to potential customer.
What is Process to do with?
The ease of transaction .
What is People to do with?
To do with people within the business NOT the consumers.
What is Physical environment to do with?
How the product appears to the customer.
The influences on and the effects of changes in the elements of the marketing mix
- Technology
- Finance
- Market research
- Nature of the product
Finance
- Profitable business is able to cut prices significantly, at least in the short term
- Finance available
Nature of the product
- Type of product can influence which elements of the mix are emphasised
- Can spend more on advertising or more on the quality
Technology
- Products with the latest technology may use advertising to inform potential customers of their existence and benefits
- High prices to maximise short-term profits
- Affects place element
Market research
- Primary market research may be the most important influence is designing a marketing mix
- It’s findings may provide information to help to make judgements on the form, functions and design of the products
- May determine pricing strategies
Influences on and the value of new product development
Technology
- Developments in technology are the cause of many new products that come onto the market
Competitor’s actions
- A competitor producing a new product can be a spur to a rival to produce something then that is at least as good, if not better
The entrepreneurial skills of managers and owners
- Successful entrepreneurs require creativity - being able to think up new ideas for goods and services that fit with customer needs which leads to the development of many new products
Unique selling point
A USP allows a business to differentiate its products from others in the market.
Importance of unique selling point
- Business can base advertising campaigns on their USP
- Encourages brand loyalty
- Allows firm to charge premium price
Stages of the product life cycle
- Research and Development
- Introduction
- Growth
- Maturity
- Decline
Research and Development stage
- No sales
- R+D costs
- Negative cash flow
Introduction stage
- Low sales
- Marketing costs
- Negative cash flow
Growth stage
- Improving costs
- Marketing costs
- Negative to Positive cash flow
Maturity stage
- Peak sales
- Consider extension strategies
- Profits
- Positive cash flow