| I'm sure you remember sitting in your | | | | introducing the Six C's of marketing. These |
| marketing class in college when your | | | | concepts are not meant to replace the four |
| instructor blurted something about the Four | | | | P's, but rather compliment them. They provide |
| P's of Marketing. If you weren't paying | | | | a more granular look at the overall marketing |
| attention or perhaps missed class that day, | | | | strategy while taking into consideration the |
| here is a quick review. It's really a simple | | | | following: customer, consistency, creativity, |
| concept that is still employed by many of the | | | | culture, communication and change.Customer - |
| fortune 500 companies today.A Quick Review of | | | | this means that an organization's marketing |
| the Four P'sMarketing strategies generally | | | | strategy needs to be customer focused. It's |
| fall into four categories known as the four | | | | about intimately understanding the target |
| P's: they are product, price, place (or | | | | market not as demographics, but as real, |
| distribution), and promotion. Most marketing | | | | everyday people. It's about focusing on the |
| managers (sometimes referred to as product | | | | target customer first and then working |
| marketing managers) have complete control of | | | | backwards to the product and or service; and |
| the product from manufacturing and | | | | then ultimately the brand. It's a never |
| distribution to marketing and promotions. | | | | ending cyclical process.Consistency - how |
| The end goal, of course, is to make strategic | | | | many times have you heard mixed messages from |
| decisions that center the four P's around the | | | | the same company's advertising? Marketers |
| target consumer group in order to communicate | | | | need to maintain consistency in their |
| an effective value proposition and create a | | | | communication messages to reinforce the value |
| positive customer experience.The term | | | | proposition to the target consumer. This will |
| "product" refers to the tangible, physical | | | | also serve to reinforce the brand in a real |
| product itself. This includes the design of | | | | life context and avoid doing something lame |
| the form factor, the brand name, the features | | | | like changing the Nike tag line from "just do |
| and functionality, quality, safety, | | | | it" to something different.Creativity - it is |
| packaging, the warranty, etc.When considering | | | | important to use creativity to attract the |
| "price", marketers must take a holistic view | | | | attention of the target consumer since they |
| of the total cost to manufacture the product, | | | | are bombarded with thousands of messages per |
| distribution costs and advertising costs; as | | | | day. Creativity means laying aside the |
| well facilitating a competitive analysis and | | | | "traditional" rules of advertising, and |
| perhaps a focus group to find the target | | | | challenges marketers to think out-of-box so |
| price that consumers are willing to pay. | | | | that they can tap into their |
| Other considerations include defining a | | | | imaginations.Culture - all marketing messages |
| pricing strategy, suggesting a retail price, | | | | need to have a cross-cultural component in |
| volume discounts and wholesale pricing, | | | | order to be effective. It is dangerous to |
| seasonal pricing, and bundling the product | | | | think that everyone in the world (including |
| with other products.The distribution of the | | | | your target consumer) thinks, acts and makes |
| product (or place) is about getting the | | | | purchase decisions exactly like you. It's not |
| product from the warehouse to the customer | | | | true and having this perspective can prove to |
| and all the steps between. Marketers must | | | | be hazardous to your marketing |
| consider the most effective distribution | | | | health.Communication - people don't |
| channels, develop a supply chain management | | | | appreciate "in your face" advertising. They |
| strategy, identify specific channel partners, | | | | don't want to be "marketed to" either. They |
| inventory management, warehousing, order | | | | would much rather be "communicated with". |
| processing, and transportation.The last thing | | | | Effective communication creates value with |
| marketers must consider is promotion. | | | | target customers, speaks in their language |
| Promotion represents the various | | | | and tells your story.Change - don't fight it, |
| characteristics of an integrated marketing | | | | embrace it. Change is here to stay! Marketers |
| communication plan; that is, the | | | | must constantly change as society changes. |
| communication messages that inform, educate | | | | They should never be afraid to step out in |
| and persuade consumers to buy the product. An | | | | faith to try something different. Marketing |
| effective integrated marketing communication | | | | today is not what it used to be; it is |
| plan would include: advertising (online & | | | | constantly evolving and marketers must |
| offline), personal selling, direct marketing, | | | | consider change in the world, economy, |
| sales promotions, public relations; as well | | | | market, consumers perceptions; as well as |
| as establishing a marketing budget and | | | | internal change within the organization.To |
| identifying measurable goals.Is there | | | | learn more about the Six C's of Marketing, |
| anything else to think about?Absolutely. | | | | please visit our online marketing blog. |
| Since we are on the subject of acronyms, | | | | |