Marketing mix

Task 3) The Marketing Mix:

The Marketing Mix is a recipe which includes the 4 p's (product, price, place and promotion). They are the ingredients to effective marketing. Decisions are made about the 4 p's on the results of the market research.

The market mix is very important because it needs to ensure that the product becomes successful. Without properly planning the marketing mix (4 p's) the marketing campaign will not be a success.

iPhone 5S:

The iPhone 5S is the latest Apple product on the market. More and more people are buying products from Apple as it has a brilliant reputation, and they know it is a well made product.

Apple has always had a strategy of setting their prices higher than competitors such as Samsung and HTC. Even though the prices are set higher than other leading brands, consumers always tend to buy from Apple as it has a better reputation, and more and more people want the latest Apple products because it is much more different than any other brand on the market. In spite of it's highest price, being on the day that it is launched, still millions of people all over the world queue up for the product, because they want the latest technology now.

Apple don't tend to advertise their new products, they prefer to use PR through rumours, internal conferences and technical magazines. They then revert to advertising when the product has matured. Prior to the launch, they make sure that there is enough product all over the world to satisfy the long queues of people. Apple sell the product in their shop first, then a few days later, shops like Carphone Warehouse and EE sell it.

Functions and USP's: 

The iPhone 5s is a step up from what people have ever seen because it is a very different Apple product, due to the new operating system and functions. Apple have included a variety of new functions that nobody has ever seen for example,

• A finger recognition button for signing in.
• New transparent layers introduced for hierarchy and order.
• More visible than ever, as the icons seem to be 3D

The iPhone 5S, like other iPhones, has a touchscreen. The web browser is faster than ever, and it has a higher mega-pixel camera.

Target Audience:

I would personally say that Apple products are aimed at 16-25 year olds because their products are growing increasingly more complex. Also they are the people that want the latest technology.

Marketing PR questions

What is marketing?

Marketing is a method that companies use to promote their business in order to get sales. The 4 P's of marketing are pricing, (knowing the right price to sell the product), placing, (knowing where to sell your product), promotion, (knowing how to promote the product to your audience), and product, (knowing what your target audience want). There are many different roles in marketing. There is budgeting, advertising, promoting, researching, selling, networking, liaise, communications, stock control and PR (public relations).

What is involved in a marketing campaign?

Communications and research are the two main tools and techniques to market a business. To communicate with the audience there are many different advertising techniques. They are, print advertising, social media, online, technology, business to business, door to door, marketing events, sponsorship, competition, street marketing, direct marketing and emailing. Any of these techniques are guaranteed to gain interest from audiences. The other tool is researching. To become successful in your sector, you need to know the 4 p's. So research other company prices, research the best place to place and build your business around, you need to research how other successful companies have promoted their business, and research what is good about their product.

 What is PR?

PR means Public relations,  is about managing the message, which means in order to succeed the business need to gain a good reputation with the audience. It needs to gain publicity, and there are some clever ways of succeeding in it and get lots of people talking about it. Such as when Jim Carry declined to promote the post Kick-ass 2 because of the violence and because of the Sandy Hook investigation, so there was no red carpet or any other promotion. We also have a careful relationship with the media which we use to our advantage.

How has marketing strategy/technique evolved over the past 10 years?

There are many things that have changed over the years. Such as social media, there is 2 way conversations now and it is easier to get hold of people. There is more and more technology, and its global now. Marketing now speaks to individuals instead of in groups. Marketing is now easier and cheaper to generate and there is less boundaries in advertising which makes it less ethical.

How has our understanding of marketing audiences changed in the 21st century?

The audiences expectations are much higher because we expect more from businesses and we need more. But now we are much more aware of how businesses market there products so that could reduce sales. We are also syndical and much more powerful. We are less brand loyal now compared o just wanting branded clothes. Because prices are getting higher and we cant afford them. We also want more ethical products, such as organic and free range products.

What is more important, the product or the marketing. 

Im my opinion the product is more important, because without the product there will be no marketing. And even if you are selling your product in a shop without promotion, people will still see it and then buy it. And then other people will see it and then it will get well known, so it is kind of impossible to not market a product.