THE MARKETING MIX AND IMC

Marketing Concept

Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception , promotion, and
distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual
(customer) and organizational objectives.- AMA

Marketing concept is a business philosophy that defines marketing as process

intended to find, satisfy, and retain customers while the business makes a profit.

Company Planning Process

Company mission

Company business plan

Marketing plan

Marketing communication plan

Company mission

State goals that embody the companys core values and beliefs

Company business plan

Sets long-term, measurable objectives to reach goals.

Outlines specific strategies to accomplish the objectives.

Marketing plan

Supports the company mission and business plan

Analyzes marketing situation

Identifies target market

States clear measurable marketing objectives

Develops strategies to reach those objectives.

Specifies the marketing mix

Marketing communication plan

Supports the marketing plan

Sends messages consistent with the product, distribution and price mix elements.

IMC-C5

Page 1

Marketing Mix

Product mix- product design, features, packaging, maintenance, and warranty

Distribution mix- where, when and with whom a company places a product to make it
accessible to customers.

Price mix- terms of the marketing exchange

Dollar price on the package

Discount-------

Communication mix-

1. Product Mix

Product refers to the bundle of attributes and features both tangible and intangibleoffered by a firm.

It includes the elements supporting the physical product (e.g. package, warranty,
colours) as well as its emotional components (e.g. brand loyalty, status, self-esteem,
security, convenience)

IMC-C5

Page 2

Marketing Communication EmphasisConsumer versus Industrial Products

Marketing Communication
Emphasis
Advertising
Sales Promotion
Public Relation
Personal Selling

IMC-C5

Consumer Products

Industrial Products

Page 3

Marketing Communication Emphasis-PLC

PLC Stage
Introduction

AD

SP

PR

Growth

Maturity

PS

Decline

Strategies for Product Mix Communication-Product design

R&D must work closely with marketing to determine consumer needs and product
design features that will be most useful to potential customers.

Engineers and marketing researchers should partner with strategies.

e.g. Ford-The 1996 Taurus

Strategies for Product Mix Communication-Product Features

IMC-C5

Product features for goods

Form

Colour
Page 4

Size

weight,

Textures and materials

Product features for services

Expertise

Physical surroundings

People

Features create unique qualities, benefits and appeals that can be used in marketing
communication.

Marketing communication managers analyze what product features will say to an

audience.
e.g. A car that has anti-lock brakes, for example, communicates safety and top
quality.
e.g. Armstrong Floors-floor products Sends the same message to both consumers and industrial users-durability
and variety at fair price.
Its sales promotion effort includes sample sheets, video demonstrating the
various floors and guarantee.

Some firms commonly use advertising for products that are familiar to consumers.
e.g. Coca Cola makes customers aware of or remind them.

Strategies for Product Mix Communication-Packaging

Traditionally viewed as the container that holds the product, packaging is particularly
concern for a goods product, although a service product can also be packaged in the
way it is presented to the customer.

Packaging is so crucial in some product categories toothpaste, detergents, food

products-that the phrase package goods is often used to refer to these products.

Packaging serves three functions- functional, informational, and persuasive.

Functional features of packaging include convenience, safety, and preassortment that is placing the product in an additional or grouped units.

Information can be conveyed through a listing of product ingredients, special

instructions, price, and so forth.

A package can persuade if the design incorporates a special offer, contest,

announcement, or perhaps a testimonial.

IMC-C5

Page 5

Strategies for Product Mix Communication-Branding- (Read-Books)

2. Distribution and Communication Strategy

The communication and distribution elements of the marketing mix are becoming
increasingly indistinguishable.

A marketer must constantly consider how its channel of distribution conveys a

message.

The image of a possible retail outlet can negatively or positively impact on a brand
image.

The stores image depends on the consumers attitudes toward the retailers
communication strategy, its services, convenience, layout, exterior and interior
appearance, location, personnel, and product mix

The strategy is to match the image of the store to the image of the marketers
product.

e.g. To ensure marketing mix consistency , Nieman Marcus would be a better

channel for distributing Rolex watches and Kmart would be better for Timex.

3.0 Pricing Strategies & Price Communication

Firms use pricing strategies for three reasons

To stay competitive

To shape consumer attitudes

To create brand differentiation

A firm remains competitive when it offers comparable satisfaction at lower prices.

When marketers use price as a competitive weapon, they should show how their
price matches or beats competitors prices.

Price is also used to counter a competitive move.

e.g. When The Walt Disney Company announced that it planned to enter the cruise
industry with 2400 mega-ships, the four biggest lines Carnival, Royal Caribbean,
Princess Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line-announced price discounts to encourage early
bookings on their ships.

Price helps shape attitudes toward a product.

For marketing communication to be effective, the message sent by both the price and
the communication must be consistent

e.g. A luxury item must have a high enough price to signal high quality.
Running a sale or offering a rebate on an Armani suit undercuts the elite image of paying top
dollar for a status product.
IMC-C5

Page 6

A high price is often companied by heavy advertising that creates brand

differentiation.

In case of high-priced products, brand differentiation justifies the price

Information about the pricing is most important message that can be transmitted to
consumers.

The price information on the package, signage, point-of-purchase materials,

coupons, and advertising all deliver price message.

Advertising that touts price as the dominant marketing mix elements is referred to as
price copy advertising.

Price bundling-the practice of selling multiple units of a product or combination of

complementary products for a lower total price than if sold separately-is also
common.

Note: For details please see text & reference books.

IMC-C5

Page 7