Application of the marketing mix

Application of the merchandise varietyingINTRODUCTIONThe merchandise sashay is among the most widely accepted selling concepts in the world of craft (McCarthy 1960 Bartels 1983 Shapiro 1985). However, over the years the merchandiseing salmagundi has amaze under glowing scrutiny from both academics of the market discipline and practitioners alike. This feeling was captured by Constantinides when he statedFew topics of the commercial theory have so intensively inspired as well as divided the trade academe as the 4Ps selling Mix framework (Constantinides, 2006 p.407)This essay aims to sarcasticly prize the relevance of the merchandising cockle for the current merchandise approaches. To accomplish this, an overview of the selling mix is given. This is followed by an exploration of well-nigh of the contemporary approaches to market which pass on lead to a consideration of the line of credits in support of the trade mix and the criticisms against it. Finally, in the light of the arguments and criticisms the relevance of the marketing mix for contemporary approaches to marketing will be appraised.OVERVIEW OF THE MARKETING MIXThe marketing mix force out be defined as the manageable and tactical marketing excessivelyls that the starchy combines to arrive at the desired response in its target market. It comprises all the measures the trustworthy can employ to stimulate the demand for its goods and/or service (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). The eventual(prenominal) goal of whatsoever firm is to create a product or service that will be perceived as unique in the eyes of prospective consumers so that they will prefer it to different competing brands. In creating this unique selling pro model (USP), the marketers can blend four elementary ingredients in a number of unlike ways to obtain different results. These four ingredients be usually referred to as the 4Ps and comprise- product, price, place (distribution) and promotion (Baker, 200 7).Costantinides (2006) and Gronroos (1994) distinction the origin of the marketing mix to the 1960s when Neil Borden identified twelve controllable marketing components that would yield profit if properly managed. Borden considered the marketing mix to be a concise, realistic and vivid expression of the admixture of the marketing ingredients, techniques and processes elect by a marketing manager to create a marketing plan (Banting and Ross, 1973 Waterschoot and Van den Bulte, 1992). It was later reduced to four factors by Jerome McCarthy (McCarthy, 1964 cited in Constantinides, 2006) and this simplified version became the most widely accepted commentary of the marketing mix (Judd, 2002). The 4Ps marketing mix commanded utmost respect in the minds of both marketing scholars and practitioners for decades that in the words of Gronroos (1994) and Kent (1986) it was considered heresy to challenge its position as the basic foundation of all marketing thinking. This belief powerfully re inforces the dominance of the marketing mix during this period and suggests that there was a pack for a theory that could be utilise for the solution of most marketing management issues.According to Harker and Egan (2006) certain economic conditions opend to the perceived superiority of the marketing mix icon. Harker and Egan (2006) opine that a key feature of the United States domestic market after the Second World War was homogeneity of products which resulted in increased demand for standardised consumer products and the rise of the USA as the predominant marketing culture. The demand, notwithstanding, there was consume to ensure that consumption matched output (Packard, 1957 cited in Harker and Egan, 2006). Thus, a formal and reliable marketing approach was required to allow for this fit (OMalley and Patterson, 1998). The popularity and dominance of the marketing mix epitome was further enhance by its simplicity and ease of communication (Waterschoot and Van den Bulte 19 92 Constantinides, 2006 Harker and Egan, 2006).From the preceding(prenominal) submission, it can be argued that the marketing mix range of a function was borne out of necessity- a necessity for a simple, realistic and reliable framework that could be applied for the solution of general and specific marketing problems that arose in that era. Considering the under-developed marketing build and knowledge gap that existed at that time, the formulation of the 4Ps marketing mix paradigm could not have come at a better time. Thus, it goes without manifestation that the relevance of its practise to the transactional marketing approach- the primary approach to marketing in the 20th snow-is indubitable.However, due to the shortcomings of the transactional approach to marketing, there was the need for a paradigm shift key from a product-oriented approach to one that focused on the customer. Thus, the academia and marketing practitioners began to question the efficacy of the marketing mix framework as the answer to all marketing problems. The 4Ps were considered too narrow to adequately organize the many aspects of marketing management and laid excessive emphasis on the product and processes with little or no thought for the customer. The increased mundanity of customers and the dynamic nature of the duty environment meant that boldnesss had to adapt regularly to the alterations that hail in the environment or risk losing market share with the offspring of possible liquidation. This situation led to the emergence of several groundbreaking marketing approaches that shifted attention from the product to the customer thereby ushering in the era of market orientation.Some of the contemporary approaches to marketing that emerged as a response to the straight evolution of the business environment include kind marketing, Interaction marketing and Network marketing (Constantinides, 2006 Coviello et al, 1997 Gronroos, 1997). These modern approaches demanded a r e-thinking of the marketing process in order to achieve effective and efficient slaying. Based on this need for a re-definition of the marketing process, it was inevitable that the marketing mix paradigm would come up for debate with regards to the relevance of its application to the aforementioned marketing approaches. blood marketing involves the development and maintenance of mutually satisfying exchange relations with customers and other parties at a profit, so that the objectives of all the parties are make (Gronroos, 1994 Baker, 2007, Coviello et al, 1997). The implication of this view acid is that every presidential term must co drop dead with other parties within its business environment and beyond in order to achieve its ultimate aim. The 21st century market is replete with opportunities and challenges that were relatively unbeknown(predicate) in the 20th century. To harness the opportunities and overcome the challenges effectively and efficiently entails building up a l ong-term descent with the customers and all other stakeholders that straightaway or in treatly influence an organisations trading operations. This situation suggests that certain changes would have to move on in the organisations overall business processes, especially the marketing processes, to ensure a seamless implementation of relationship marketing.Gronroos (1994), Gummesson (1994, 1997) and Goldsmith (1999) argue that firms practising a transactional marketing approach stand to benefit most from a traditional marketing mix approach because of the absence of personal interactions with their customers and emphasis on hand markets. However, the marketing mix tends to be restrictive for a relation-oriented firm. The most epochal customer interactions from a marketing success perspective are outdoors the scope of the marketing mix and marketing specialists. The customer decides whether to maintain business relations with a firm based on the effect of his/her contacts with th e people, technology, and operations and other non-marketing functions. This position is back up by Ailawadi et al (2001) who doubt the shock absorber of promotion and advertising as marketing tools for customer retention. This proposition suggests that the customers interactions with any firm transcends the marketing functions and includes all indirect transactions with the non-marketing functions within the firm. Relationship marketing advocates the inclusion of all the functional units in any organisation towards creating cheer for the customer. The effective and efficient implementation of this customer-oriented approach requires that certain critical changes follow within the organisation. These requisite changes will cut across the on the whole organisation, but will focus more on the marketing functions because of the direct and frequent interactions with the customers. The change in the marketing functions will lead to a complete shift or modifications in the methods to ols adopted by the organisation in creating value for the customer. This, invariably, would necessitate a review of the organisations marketing mix. such reviews have surfaced in Kotlers redefinition of the 4Ps to the 4Cs namely, customer solution, customer cost, convenience and communication (Kotler et al., 1999 cited in Kruger et al., 2003 and Ashcroft and Hoey 1999). This redefinition suggests a shift from the era of product-orientation to customer-orientation which is the essence of relationship marketing. However, it excessively suggests that the marketing mix is still relevant but there is need for some modification to suit the dynamic marketing environment. Judd (2002) proposes an expansion of the 4Ps marketing mix by including the employees of any organisation as the fifth P. This view heading is supported by the fact that the employees are an integral part of any organisation. They are the point of contact between the organisation and its customers. However, like Kotlers 4Cs, this proposed expansion of the 4Ps to 5Ps also points to the relevance of the marketing mix, but with some modification to suit appropriate markets. This argument is supported by Groonroos (1994) when he opines that relationships do not operate in isolation. Relationships function in combination with the other marketing tools already in operation within a given organisation in order to successfully create value for both the customer and the organisation. The application of the traditional marketing mix elements of product, price, promotion and place would be required at some point in the interactions between the customer and the organisation. This vantage point implies that, notwithstanding the criticisms of the traditional marketing mix paradigm, its elements still contribute in one way or the other in the effective implementation of the relationship marketing approach.Criticism of the marketing mix has also arisen in the area of companionable marketing. Murphy et al., (19 78) argue that the implementation of certain marketing strategies is unethical especially in the area of packaging, promotion, price and distribution channels. This argument tends to suggest that the marketing mix is responsible for the unethical practices that whitethorn occur during implementation. However, responsibility for the implementation of the marketing mix is within the purview of the marketing and non-marketing functional units within the organisation. They are responsible for any unethical practices that may occur in the course of implementing the marketing strategies and not the marketing mix.Also, the marketing mix has been applied by social marketing in the human race health sector. Montoya et al, (2005), Pirani and Reizes (2005) and Grier and Bryant (2005) agree that the application of the marketing mix is essential in the purpose of social marketing in public health. The elements are combine in different ways to bring about the desired change in the target marke t.Attempts have been made to incorporate the marketing mix theory into other non-marketing sectors. Lees-Marshment (2001) suggests that political parties have adopted a marketing-orientation with large electoral success. Lloyd (2003) suggests the application of the marketing mix to the political arena by recommending the development of a political marketing mix that comprises five components namely, services offering, re lay outation, accommodation, investment and outcome. The implication of the aforementioned suggestions is that the marketing mix can contribute enormously to the smooth operation of political parties in particular, and the government in general.CONCLUSIONThough the marketing mix has been criticised as being too narrow and product-oriented, it is still relevant in contemporary marketing approaches. As has been discussed above, there is need for some modifications in the mix portfolio. Redefinition of the marketing mix does not reduce its relevance it only serves to shift its focus to the modern trends in the market place. Also, the relevance of the marketing mix is reinforced by its application to non-marketing sectors such as political relation and the public health sector. 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