The four P's of Marketing.

Essay by drew1010101University, Master'sA+, April 2004

download word file, 3 pages 4.3

When it comes to marketing there are numerous ways to promote an item, but basic marketing strategy states that the four P's can describe the most important. The four P's are product, place, promotion, and price. A product may be a physical good, a service, or both. Place is concerned with getting the product to the right place. Promotion is just that, promoting the product. Finally price is determining the best amount to charge for a given product.

The product can be a tangible good or it can be a service. The product can also be a mix of goods and services. For example a car is a physical good, but a car wash is a service. However, both of these items are considered products under the four P's. When deciding on a product one needs to keep in mind that the product should satisfy a need or want of a target market.

Place is focused on getting the product to the target market that has been identified. After the target market has been identified the product needs to be placed in order for the target market to purchase the product. A car wash is not going to succeed in Amish country. Another concern of place is timing. A product must be available when the customer wishes to purchase the product. A customer is not going to want Halloween candy in December. In order to get the product to the right place at the right time suppliers will use a channel of distribution. "A channel of distribution is any series of firms (or individuals) who participate in the flow of products from producer to final user or consumer"(Perreault 2001, p.47). A channel of distribution may be short, going directly from producer to consumer, or it can be quite long,