-Marketing factors are a multi-level combination, the four major marketing strategies of 4P are a big combination, and various marketing strategies contain many specific marketing factors, forming four smaller system combinations or sub-combinations. If four factors are selected from many specific factors contained in each marketing strategy, then 16 factors form four sub-combinations. Around the target market, the marketing activities of enterprises will form an open system. Enterprises can choose the best combination from various combinations to meet the requirements of external environment and target market.
Therefore, 4P is the four main marketing factors summarized in the marketing mix, which is a dialectical relationship, a relationship that promotes and restricts each other.
The specific analysis is as follows:
First of all, it should be pointed out that these 4Ps do not exist independently in marketing.
1960, McCarthy put forward the famous "4P combination", which summarized these four marketing factors for the first time. They are a combination, a whole! It's important to realize this!
McCarthy believes that enterprises engaged in marketing activities, on the one hand, should consider the various external environments of enterprises, on the other hand, should formulate marketing mix strategies, and through the implementation of strategies, adapt to the environment, meet the needs of the target market, and achieve the goals of enterprises. McCarthy drew a marketing mix model, with a certain consumer group as the center, that is, the target market, and four controllable elements, namely, product, place, price and promotion, in the middle, that is, 4ps mix. Here, the product is to consider developing suitable products for the target market, selecting product lines, brands and packaging. The price is to consider setting a suitable price; Site selection refers to arranging transportation and storage through appropriate channels and sending products to the target market. Promotion refers to considering how to inform the target market of appropriate products at appropriate prices, including promotion, advertising and training salesmen. The outer circle of the diagram represents the external environment of the enterprise, including various uncontrollable factors, including economic environment, social and cultural environment, political and legal environment, etc. McCarthy pointed out that the elements of 4ps combination will be influenced and restricted by these external environments.
By 1964, American marketing expert Bowden put forward the concept of "marketing mix", which refers to the activities of marketers to comprehensively use and optimize various controllable factors to achieve their marketing goals. "Marketing mix" is the basis of making enterprise marketing strategy, and a good marketing mix can ensure that the enterprise can meet the needs of consumers as a whole. "Marketing combination" is a powerful means for enterprises to deal with competitors, and it is the basis for rational distribution of marketing budget expenses of enterprises.
Therefore, I think, to understand the relationship between marketing 4Ps, we must have a deep understanding of the concept of marketing mix.
Characteristics of marketing mix
As a very important marketing management method, marketing mix has the following characteristics.
(1) Marketing mix is a variable mix.
The independent variables that constitute the "4p" marketing mix are the decisive factors that ultimately affect and determine the marketing benefits, and the final result of the marketing mix is the function of these variables, that is, the dependent variables. From this relationship, the marketing mix is a dynamic mix. As long as one of the elements is changed, a new combination will appear and produce different marketing effects.
(2) the level of marketing mix
Marketing mix includes many levels. Generally speaking, "4p" is a hodgepodge, in which each P includes several levels of elements. In this way, enterprises are not only more specific and practical, but also quite flexible when determining the marketing mix; You can not only choose the best combination among the four elements, but also arrange the combination inside each element appropriately.
(3) the overall synergy of marketing mix
Enterprises must accurately analyze and judge the specific marketing environment, enterprise resources and target market demand characteristics in order to formulate the best marketing mix. Therefore, the role of the best marketing mix is by no means a simple addition of the four marketing elements, but an overall synergy. Just like the important prescriptions prescribed by Chinese medicine, the four herbs have different effects, different therapeutic effects and different diseases. The combined treatment of these four herbs is greater than the sum of the original functions of each herb. The same is true of marketing mix, and only their best combination can produce overall synergy. In this sense, marketing mix is a management art and skill.
(4) The marketing mix must be flexible enough.
As a controllable element of enterprise marketing management, marketing combination generally has complete decision-making power. For example, enterprises can choose and determine the product structure according to market demand, set competitive prices, and choose the most suitable sales channels and promotional media. However, enterprises do not make marketing mix in a vacuum. With the changes of market competition, customer demand characteristics and external environment, marketing mix must be revised and adjusted at any time to maintain its competitiveness. In short, the marketing mix must be fully adapted to the sensitive external environment.
Next, we should understand the "marketing strategy combination strategy" caused by these 4Ps.
Marketing combination strategy: Its basic idea is to formulate product strategy, price, promotion and distribution channel strategy at the same time and combine them into a strategic whole, so as to achieve the purpose of sending products to the right place with the right goods, the right price and the right promotion method. The success or failure of enterprise management depends largely on the choice of these combined strategies and their comprehensive application effects.
There are two factors that affect enterprise marketing. One is the opportunities and threats brought by the external environment of enterprises, which are difficult for enterprises to change; The other is that the enterprise itself can be controlled through decision-making. The factors that enterprises can control themselves can be summarized as the following four aspects:
(1) product strategy
Product strategy includes product development, product planning, product design, delivery time and other decision-making contents. Its influencing factors include product characteristics, quality, appearance, accessories, brands, trademarks, packaging, guarantees, services and so on.
⑵ Price strategy
The pricing strategy includes determining the pricing target, formulating product pricing principles and techniques, etc. Its influencing factors include distribution channels, regional distribution, types of middlemen, modes of transportation and storage conditions.
⑶ Promotion strategy
Promotion strategy refers to the strategy that mainly studies how to promote customers to buy goods to expand sales. Its influencing factors include advertising, personnel promotion, publicity, business promotion, public relations and so on.
(4) Distribution strategy
Distribution strategy mainly studies the ways and means to make goods reach consumers smoothly. Its influencing factors include payment method, credit conditions, base price, discount, wholesale price, retail price and so on.
The combination of the above four strategies is always called marketing mix strategy.
From the above analysis, we can easily find that marketing 4Ps do not exist in isolation. They promote and restrict each other. This is a dialectical combination relationship. We can try to make a general understanding of its relationship as follows:
Marketing factors are a multi-level combination. The four marketing strategies of 4P are a big combination, and various marketing strategies contain many specific marketing factors, forming four smaller system combinations or sub-combinations. If four factors are selected from many specific factors contained in each marketing strategy, then 16 factors form four sub-combinations. Around the target market, the marketing activities of enterprises will form an open system. Enterprises can choose the best combination from various combinations to meet the requirements of external environment and target market.