Summary: Principles and practice of Marketing INDEX1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 p. 2 p. 4 p. 7 p. 11 p. 15 p. 17 p. 19 p. 21 p. 23 p. 25 p. 27 p. 29 p. 31 p. 32 p. 33 p. 34 p. 35 p. 36 p. 37 p. 39 p. 41 p. 43 1|Page Chapter 1: MANAGING THE EXCHANGE PROCESS Marketing definition (Philip Kotler): Marketing is asocial and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. Value: The benefit a customer obtains from a product Customer is at the centre of business strategy, therefore new definition: Marketing is the management process which identifies, anticipates, and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably. 1st criticism: There are non-profit organisations. 2nd criticism: Other stakeholders such as employees and stakeholders are excluded 3rd criticism: The people whose needs are being met are not always the customers (a mother buying football boots for her son does not satisfy her own needs, but her son’s) Another definition (American Marketing Association): Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchange and satisfy individual and organisational objectives. Nonetheless, this definition does not take the competition factor into account. Therefore the one definition capturing all points is this: Marketing is he process of achieving corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than the competition. However, there is not one single definition of marketing in common use! Production orientation: the belief that corporate success comes from efficient production, profit by selling large volumes Product orientation: the belief that corporate success comes from having the best product, asking a higher price for more differentiated goods. Sales orientation: the belief that corporate success comes from having proactive salespeople. Marketing orientation: Corporate success comes from understanding the relationships in the market. Consists of: 2|Page Customer orientation: Corporate success through understanding and satisfying customer needs Competitor orientation: Degree to which the company understands what the competitors are offering the customers. Does that product have the same (or better) value? Inter-functional coordination: Degree to which the internal structure of the organisation and the attitudes of its members combine to deliver marketing orientation. 4 P’s: • • • • 7 P’s • • • Product – A bundle of benefits for the consumer Price – The exchange that a consumer makes in order to obtain the product Place – The location where the exchange takes place Promotion – Marketing communications People – Individuals involved in providing customer satisfaction Process – The set of activities which together produce customer satisfaction Physical Evidence – The tangible proof that a service has taken place This model is not perfect! It focuses primarily on B2C relationships, creates sharp boundaries between the 7 components, while each element actually impinges on every other element to some extent. There is nothing about internal marketing, and nothing about competition. Elasticity of demand: Wedding rings are price inelastic, chicken meat is price elastic. Competition: Monopolistic competition – Monopoly – Oligopoly – Perfect competition Social sciences Sociology People in groups Psychology People as individuals Anthropology Study of cultures Business Disciplines Economics Study of wealth creation Marketing Corporate Strategy Study of competitive advantage Scope of Marketing: Consumer marketing; Industrial marketing; Service marketing; Not-for-profit marketing; Small business marketing; International marketing There is only one boss – the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. (Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart) 3|Page Chapter 2: THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENT Macro-environment; economic, socio-cultural, ecological and political environment Micro-environment; competitive, technological, industry environment; customers Internal environment; Staff relationships; corporate culture; resource constraints Economic environment: Governments use interest rate to influence the national economy. Increased interest rates slow the economy down. Reduced interest will speed the economy up as the currency falls and it becomes easier to export. Rising interest rates: Value of currency Inflationary pressure Volume of export Cost of imports Consumer spending power Socio-cultural environment: 1. 2. 3. 4. Demographic forces; Structure of the population. (Age, income distribution, ethnicity) Culture; Differences in beliefs, behaviours and customs between people from other countries Social responsibility and ethics; ethical beliefs about how marketers should operate(≈culture) Consumerism; shift of power away from companies and towards consumers Cultural environment; Language – Religion – Shared beliefs – Customs – History – Gender roles Political and legal environment: 1. Patent legislation 2. Taxation 3. Safety regulations 4. Contract law 5. Consumer protection legislation 6. Control of opening hours European Union: 1. Technical standards 2. Frontier controls 3. Safety standards 4. Currency fluctuations 5. Advertising 4|Page The competition: Levels of competition: Firms offering anything to the same target market Firms offering products which do a similar job Firms offering virtually Identical products Porters Five Forces Model: 1. The bargaining power of suppliers (suppliers have high bargaining power, will become greater) 2. The bargaining power of customers (more demanding; can set one supplier against another, making competition fiercer.) 3. The threat of new entrants (if it’s easy for newcomers to enter the market, competition will be strong) 4. The threat of substitute products and services (If substitutes are readily available, competition will become stronger) 5. Rivalry among current competitors (in new markets, rivalry will be bigger so competition will be stronger. In well-established markets it’s the other way round) Difficulties for newcomers in markets: 1. Economies of scale; cost savings resulting from large production runs 2. Product differentiation; factors which distinguish one product from another. (If products are highly differentiated, it’s hard to establish a foothold in the market for newcomers) 3. Capital requirements 4. Switching costs; costs and effort for the customers and consumers to switch suppliers 5. Access to distribution channels; you need access to the supply chain for distribution 6. Cost advantages independent of scale; certain access to raw materials, patents, etc., which prevent newcomers from producing at an economical price 5|Page Technological environment: A new product will sooner or later be replaced by another product (from any company), which is technically more advanced. The threat of new products from other companies wiping out existing products on the market is very real. Another issue is that the new rivalling products may come from an entirely different industry (Mailing industry Computer & E-mail industry) Industry issues: Intensity of competitive response or retaliation will depend on the following factors: 1. The degree of concentration in the industry; how many competitors? (Few competitors = heavy retaliation and the other way round) 2. The rate of growth in the industry; rapidly growing industries are less stable, so more fall-out of companies which are not profitable. 3. The degree of differentiation; if products are essentially the same, heavy retaliation will follow upon strategic actions 4. Cost structures; if there are high fixed costs, a high level of sales is required. 5. Investment structures; If the industry has small average investments, then a newcomer will have a substantial impact on the rest of the industry 6. Competitive information; How well-informed are firms about their competitors? This will define a big part of the competition’s behaviour 7. Strategic objectives of competitors; If strategic objectives of 2 companies do not conflict, they are not really competing (e.g. Ford & Rolls Royce) 8. Cost of leaving the industry; Some capital will have almost no second-hand value, so if you go out of the market, you will go bankrupt. Mining and steel industries are examples. Internal Environment: Staff Relationships: Formal structure: The official relationships between members of an organisation Where people are positioned in the organisation’s hierarchy Informal structure: The unofficial relationships between members of an organisation Friendships & Alliances between co-workers Corporate culture: The shared rules and beliefs within the company. ‘The way we do things around here.’ Resource constraints: The way an organisation uses its resources and plays it to its strengths. 6|Page Chapter 3: MARKETING DOMAINS ‘Marketing is what marketing people do’. Though this definition is not intellectually satisfying, it does provide you with a definition which you can use on a day-to-day practical basis. Non-Profit marketing falls into 2 main categories: charitable donations and cause-related marketing. The exchange for the donation to a non-profit organisation is in the first place the sense of having done right. For companies, however, it is also a way to boost their record of social responsibility. High-earning people like the high-profile aspects of being seen to support a charity, for instance when they are in the midst of publicity during gala dinners or other social events related to charity. Charity contributors: Volunteers & Donors Volunteers: Satisfaction from making a difference to someone’s life Older and retired people getting a sense of feeling useful and needed Social benefits from interacting with each other and with the people that are helped Volunteering is consistent with Christian or other religious beliefs Donors: Need to feel the warm glow of having done the right thing Need to be seen to have donated Changing the public opinion is possible through 3 ways (AIDS example): Rational approach – What causes AIDS? What risks? How can it be prevented? Emotional approach based on negative message – frightening or shocking imagery to make people afraid of the possibility of catching AIDS Emotional approach based on a positive message – imagery that shows good behaviour is rewarded. The emotional approach based on the negative message has the biggest impact on the public’s behaviour about the issues. The rational appeal only creates concern about the issues. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Psychological Needs – Esteem needs, aesthetic needs, self-actualisation Social Needs – Security needs, belonging needs Physical Needs – Survival needs (food, clothing, and shelter) This also goes for work-related needs: Physical: Salary, comfortable working environment Safety: Insurances, pension plan Love: Respect & praise Esteem: Achievement and recognition of achievement, good reputation Aesthetic: Pleasant working environment, well-designed working spaces Self-actualisation: Opportunity to go on training courses, opportunity of promotion 7|Page It is important that employees are satisfied: Word-of-mouth from employees is much more powerful than official communications from the firm itself. Public Relations: The practice of creating goodwill towards the organisation. Contact with customers: Front line staff (frequent, daily contact with customers), Second-line staff (occasional contact with customers), Backstage staff (virtually no contact with customers) Nowadays, employees do not just obey commands: Kanter and Piercy identified 10 forms of resistance: 1. Criticism of the details of the plan 2. Slow action in implementing the plan 3. Slow response to requests 4. Becoming unavailable 5. Suggestions that resources would be better directed elsewhere 6. Suggestions that proposals are too ambitious 7. Setting up petty obstructions and annoyances to wear the proposer down 8. Attempts to delay the decision, hoping the proposer will lose interest 9. Attacks on the credibility of the proposer with rumour and innuendo 10. Deflation of any excitement surrounding the plan by pointing out the risks Internal Marketing: The practice of creating goodwill among the employees The marketing mix still applies with internal marketing. Product = marketing plan and actions necessary to make the plan work Price = what employees have to give up for the plan Promotion (=communication) = ensuring understanding of the plan Place = where the exchange of the plan takes place (a meeting in an office, or during an away-day) Persuasion: About changing attitudes: 1. Articulate a shared vision: explain the wider vision, the purpose of the plan 2. Communicate and train: clearly communicate the plans to the employees 3. Eliminate misunderstandings about the what the plan is 4. Sell the benefits of the plan 5. Gain acceptance by association: link the plan to a widely-accepted company strategy (such as customer service or quality management) 6. Leave room for local control over details: let the people who have to implement the plan have at least some say in what is being done 7. Support words with action: be an example for your employees 8. Establish two-way communication: Top-down communication doesn’t work anymore in the 21st century. People lower down the hierarchy are closer the customers and to the problem. 8|Page Sources of Power for management: Reward Power: rewards for employee success (e.g. salespeople who sell much/ the most) Expert Power: Let the change initiative come from someone who is greatly credible Referent Power: Charismatic leaders with great authority are likely to be followed Legitimate Power: Potential for control derived from a legal or contractual position Coercive Power: Opposite of reward power you punish those who do not comply. These tactics do not work most of the time, however. Internal communications media: House Journal, keep in to account the readership, quantity, frequency, title, style, advertisements and so on. Websites for Intranet: keep in mind that is has to be readable by the majority of the employees, and that the reading must be during working times. Internal Briefings and Open Meetings: Bottom-up and top-down communication possibilities, senior management knows what is going on among employees, employees will know why things are being done the way they are being done. A lack of information will result in employees doing guesswork, rumours and even staff actions based on those rumours and hypotheses. Social responsibilities and Ethics Ethics = a set of rules for good behaviour, principles that define right and wrong Teleological thinking: Acts are defined as ethical or unethical according to the outcomes ENDS CAN JUSTIFY MEANS Deontological thinking: Acts are defined as ethical or unethical regardless of the outcomes ACTS SHOULD BE BASED ON REASONS THE DECISION-MAKER WOULD ACCEPT FOR OTHERS TO USE Ethical problems for marketers: Products: honestly made and described, no use of cheap materials without informing the customer Promotion: No misleading campaigns Pricing: Price fixing (cartels) and predatory pricing (e.g. without mentioning VAT or service costs) Distribution: Abuse of power in managing distribution channels, failure to pay for the goods within the specified credit time. Ecological environment Sources of pressure for environmentalism: 1. Customers 2. Green pressure groups 3. Employees 4. Legislation 5. Media 6. Ethical investment 9|Page Degrees of environmental involvement Green activists > Green thinkers > Green customers > Generally concert > People who do not care Environment policy: Recycled, recyclable and non-wasteful packaging … Protecting the ozone layer … Testing products on animals … Pollution control … Services Marketing Services (without any ‘product’ characteristics) have the following characteristics: 1. Intangibility 2. Inseparability of production and consumption 3. Variability, not one service is the same 4. Perishability, services cannot be stored for later use Branding Consumer’s output from brands: Self-Image Quality Cost Expected performance Differentiation from competing brands Strong brands create a barrier to entry for competing new brands. Also, strong brands function as: A sign of ownership – to let customers know what they buy A differentiating device – used to differentiate from similar products A functional device – functionality A symbolic device – a brand that conveys the appropriate message A risk reducer – you know what you can expect; companies must NOT damage this trust!! A shorthand service – you ‘tag’ information about the product & brand in the consumer’s memories A legal device – A brand protects the firm’s intellectual property A strategic device – identifying and using the added value the assets constituting the brand represent 10 | P a g e Chapter 4: CONSUMBER BEHAVIOUR Consumer Decision Process (CDP): 1. Need Recognition gap between ‘desired state’ and ‘actual state’. The bigger this gap, the bigger the drive to buy the product will be. 2. Search for Information 3. Pre-purchase evaluation of alternatives 4. Purchase 5. Consumption 6. Post-consumption evaluation 7. Divestment (disposing of the product or residues) Perceived risks of buying the product: Physical risks: Might cause harm or injury Financial risks: Might turn out to be a waste of money Functional risks: Might do not the job for which it was intended Psychological risks: might prove to be embarrassing Need forming: -Assortment depletion -Income change Shopping products – Non shopping products The decision-making process Heuristics – Decision-making rules You use heuristics when establishing a consideration set of products you take into consideration A cut-off is a heuristic: outer limits of acceptability for a product’s characteristics (Price, quality, time) Lexicographic heuristics: creating a hierarchy of product attributes Conjunctive heuristics: heuristics which are considered together against the cut-offs Consumption of the product When? • proximity to purchase • time of day Where? • different locations • different social situations How? • envisaged usage • nonenvisaged usage How much? • Heavy user • Moderate user • Light user 11 | P a g e Compulsive consumption: obsessive, addicted form of consumption Post-purchase evaluation: • Voice responses (direct communication) • Private responses (word-of-mouth) • Third-party responses (lawyer, consumer champion) Voice responses should be encouraged, because they are a lot easier to deal with than private and third-party responses. A well-treated complaint often makes the customer trust higher than when they have no complaints in the first place Extreme dissatisfaction can result in a boycott. Disposal forms: • Dumping • Recycling • Selling second hand • Re-using in a novel way Drive: The force generated in an individual as a result of a felt need A gap between actual and desired state can be enjoyable, the extent to which this is enjoyable, is called the optimum stimulation level (OSL). Needs: UTILITARIAN: the practical benefits of the product HEDONIC: the pleasurable or aesthetic aspects of the product Involvement: the degree to which the individual feels attracted to a specific brand. Involvement has cognitive (rational) and affective (emotional) aspects. Involvement is influenced by both personal sources and situational sources (embarrassment factor) Involvement is a FUNCTION OF loyalty (the tendency to repeat purchase of the brand) Learning = behavioural changes that take place relative to an external stimulus condition 1. Must be a change in behaviour 2. This must result from external stimulus No learning in the following cases: 1. Species response tendencies (reflexes, instincts) 2. Maturation (development of humans) 3. Temporary states (drunkenness, during period) 12 | P a g e Classical learning theory: BEFORE CONDITIONING Unconditioned stimulus (meat powder) Individual (dog) Unconditioned response (getting up) DURING CONDITIONING Conditioned stimulus (ringing a bell) Unconditioned stimulus (meat powder) Individual (dog) Unconditioned response (getting up) AFTER CONDITIONING Conditioned stimulus (ringing a bell) Individual (dog) Conditioned response (getting up) The unconditioned response has become a conditioned response! US = unconditioned stimulus CS = conditioned stimulus Operant conditioning Based on reinforcement: if someone buys a product and he is satisfied, he is likely to buy it again. Through the ‘positive reinforcement’, the customer has become ‘conditioned’ to buy the product again. Cognitive learning Five aspects: Cognitive effort Cognitive structure Analysis Elaboration Memory - Effort put in thinking about product offering - The way information is fitted into existing knowledge - Analysing the information - Structuration of information in the brain, creating a coherent whole - Mechanism by which information is stored Elements in cognitive learning: 1. Drive – stimulus that impels action, learning 2. Cue – an external trigger which encourages learning 3. Response – The reaction the customer makes to the interaction between a drive and a cue 4. Reinforcement – The positive reward for buying the product 5. Retention – How well the learned material is remembered over time Perception = dividing relevant and irrelevant information through the senses The brain does not provide a complete view of the outside world, any gaps will be filled by imagination and previous experience. The ‘cognitive map’ is a construct of imagination, affected by the following factors: 13 | P a g e 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Subjectivity – relating to the individual Categorisation – prejudging information (putting it into boxes), chunking Selectivity – the degree to which the brain is selecting from the environment Expectations – they make you interpret later information in a specific way Past experiences – make us interpret experiences in the light of what we already know The difficulty and goal of marketers lies in knowing what the general perception of the members of the target group will be, as not one perception of the world is the same through 2 different individuals. Peer and Reference groups and the Family Reference group = ‘a person or group of people that significantly influence an individual’s behaviour’ Categories (non-exhaustive list): Primary Groups – people we see most often; friends, family, close colleagues Secondary Groups – people seen occasionally and with whom we share a shared interest; sports club Aspirational Groups – the groups an individual wishes to join; powerful; will adopt behaviour to join Dissociative Groups – groups with which the indiv does not wish to be associated; negative behaviour Formal Groups – professional associations or clubs; often have set, written rules Informal Groups – less structured groups often based on friendship; no written rules Automatic Groups – (category groups) groups one automatically belongs to (age, gender etc.) Group influence Normative Compliance – the pressure to comply and conform Value-expressive influence – need for psychological association with the group Informational influence – need to seek information from the reference group Families have the greatest influence on behaviour Self-Image 1. Real self – the objective self that others observe 2. Self-image – This is the subjective self, as we see ourselves 3. Ideal self – the person we wish we were 4. Looking-glass self – The way we think other people see us 14 | P a g e Chapter 5: ORGANISATIONAL BUYING BEHAVIOUR Decision-making unit: A group of people who, between them, decide on purchases (Buying Centre) Members: Initiators – the first ones to recognize the problem Gatekeepers – the person who controls the flow of information Buyers – the person who negotiates the purchase (only administrative, little authority) Deciders – the persons who have the power to agree a purchase Users – staff who uses the product (engineers, technicians), are often also the initiators Influencers – persons who have the ability to sway the judgement of the deciders (advisers) The decider takes up a central position in this hierarchy! There is a wide variety of risk-reducing tactics, a few being: - Visit the operations of potential vendor - Question present customers about their experiences - Multisource the order Etc. Factors affecting buying decisions: - Physical (location) - Technological (technological standards must match) - Economical influences (demand in country, tax regime) - Political influences (trade barriers, sanctions etc.) - Legal influences (safety measures, other legal restrictions) - Ethical influences (act in benefit of company, no bribe-taking) - Cultural influences (also corporate culture) MRO – Maintenance, repair and overhauling companies (=aftermarket) OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer End User – company using cleaning materials, copier paper, office furniture etc. Reseller organisations (retailers, wholesalers) 1. Negotiating with suppliers 2. Promotional activities 3. Warehousing and storage 4. Transport of shipments 5. Inventory control 6. Credit control 7. Pricing and collection of price information 8. Collection of market information about customers and competitors Government organisations, Institutional organisations, Reseller organisations, Businesses & Commercial organisations 15 | P a g e Buyer’s techniques: small risk Straight rebuy – same product over and over again, large quantities Modified rebuy – repeat purchase where some changes have been made medium risk New task – A purchase which has no precedent large risk Key-account manager = someone charged with the task of managing the relationship with a strategically important customer Business networks; Stable – perhaps still growing, predictable course Established – fixed and relatively unchanging Emerging – growing and changing Value analysis = evaluating components, raw materials and manufacturing processes to determine ways of cutting costs or improving finished products (e.g. comparing long-life light bulbs with regular bulbs) 16 | P a g e Chapter 6: SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING Segmentation at 4 levels: - Mass marketing (does not work as good as it used to nowadays – too much wealth) - Segmented markets (groups of individuals with similar needs) - Niche marketing (serving a small segment) - Micromarketing (tailoring, specific circumstances; Dell computers) Behavioural segmentation: 1. Benefits sought (functionality, design) 2. Purchase occasion (regular purchase, occasional treat) 3. Purchase behaviour (time/place/quantities of purchase) 4. Usage (heavy, medium, light, ex-users) 5. Buyer readiness stage (are people interested and aware of the product?) 6. Attitude towards the product (better to concentrate on ‘floating voters’ than on sworn enemies of your party) Geographic segmentation ACORN system: A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods - Area determines income level, culture, houses people live in Demographic segmentation: Age, Gender, Income, Religion, Ethnicity and nationality Psychographic segmentation: NEED-DRIVEN INNER & OUTER – DIRECTED INTEGRATED Introvert/extrovert Sensible/intuitive Thinking/feeling Judging/perceptive Compliant; moves towards people Aggressive; moves against people Detached; moves away from people Potential customers: - First-time prospects (never done business with before, potential customer) - Novices (first-time users) - Sophisticates (buy regularly from your company) 17 | P a g e 8 generic factors which are used to position products: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Top of the range Service Value for money Reliability Attractiveness Country of origin Brand name Selectivity Those specific characteristics rely on the following factors: 1. Clarity – must be clear where it is positioned 2. Credibility – cheap products cannot position themselves as ‘premium’ 3. Consistency – must have a consistent brand image 4. Competitiveness – a brand has to manoeuvre itself in a position where it is subject to little competition 18 | P a g e Chapter 7: MARKETING INFORMATION AND RESEARCH Market research: Customer research; investigate the behaviour of purchasers Advertising research; investigate (potential) effectiveness of advertising Product research; investigate product opportunities, strengths & weaknesses of a product Distribution research; which distributors are most appropriate Sales research; investigate performance and effectiveness of sales activities Environment research; investigate external factors Preliminary research (exploratory) > Conclusive research > Performance research Outlines problems answers to problems tests effectiveness of marketing actions Secondary research; research that already has been carried out by someone else, which you use Primary research; research that has to be executed from scratch Triangulation; using more than one research method to answer the same question, in order to reduce the chances of errors Quantitative research: 1. Questionnaires 2. Interview surveys 3. Observation (= non-intrusive) 4. Test marketing (offer a product to a small group of customers) 5. Panels (permanently established group of research respondents) Bias = errors in research results caused by failures in the research design or sampling method Closed questions: only a small range of possible answers Open questions: A wide range of possible answers Dichotomous question: Only ‘yes’ or ‘no’. (Actually, only 2 variables) Longitudinal study: a study which is carried out over a lengthy time period Validity: Internal validity: A condition in which a research exercise provides evidence which supports what the exercise was intended to discover External validity: A condition in which a research exercise would generate the same results if it were repeated elsewhere (refers to the generalizability) 19 | P a g e Experimental designs (before/after refers to measuring): 1. After-only design 2. Before-after without control 3. Before-after with control 4. After-only with control 5. Ex-post-facto design 6. Four-group six-study design 7. Time series design Qualitative research is good for finding out people’s deeper motivations, but lacks statistical value which quantitative research does possess. Ethics in marketing research Ethical issues: Intrusions on privacy Misuse of research findings Competitive information gathering Sugging (selling under the guise of marketing research) 20 | P a g e Chapter 8: COMMUNICATIONS THEORIES Attitude formation: 1. Attitude is learned, not instinctive 2. Attitude Is a tendency to respond, not the response itself 3. Attitude is consistent over time 4. Attitudes can be favourable or unfavourable 5. There is an implied relationship between the person and the attitudinal object Attitude has three dimensions: Cognition – The rational component of attitude Affect – The emotional component of attitude Conation – The person’s intended behaviour, derived from this attitude Salient belief: the understanding that an object possesses a relevant attribute There are two routes to attitude formation: Central route – the cognitive approach to changing behaviour Peripheral route – the affective approach to changing behaviour Schramm model: Senders encode messages > Receiver decodes messages > Receiver sends feedback to sender Noise (surrounding distraction) & Interference (deliberate distraction) are disturbing the communication process. Redundancy = In communications, sending a message by more than one route to ensure correct delivery (TV, radio, papers) Denotative meaning of words; has a unique meaning for an individual Connotative meaning of words; has the same meaning for everybody Ethnocentrism = the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others Miscommunication Implication: assuming things, having prejudices, recipient adding information Distortion: interference or noise from outside can change the message (could also be bias) Disruption: caused by outside interruptions or internal misgivings of the recipient Confusion: contradictory facts Agreement/disagreement: recipient understands but does not accept the message. Understanding/misunderstanding: this is often not noticed Personal transformation: people are not motivated to seek understanding 21 | P a g e Structuring the communications mix 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Identify target audience Determine the response sought Choose the message Choose the channel Select the source’s attributes Collect feedback (e.g. carry out market research) Push vs. Pull strategies Push strategy: promoting to channel intermediaries in order to ‘push’ products through the distribution channel Pull strategy: Promoting to end users in order to ‘pull’ products through the distribution channel Budgeting: what the organisation can afford for their communication activities They have to spend more than a certain minimum level in order to be heard at all, resulting from the noise of advertising clutter (excessive advertising) Elements that marketers have to consider when making the promotional effort: 1. Size of budget 2. Size of individual order value 3. Number of potential buyers 4. Geodemographical spread of potential buyers 5. Category of product (convenience, shopping etc.) 6. What the firm is trying to achieve Advertising effectiveness: Degree to which people find it enjoyable Degree to which people like the advert Degree to which people find the advert interesting Degree to which people are aware of the advert 22 | P a g e Chapter 9: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING Globalisation of trade: Comparative advantage; some countries are better placed to produce certain goods than others Economies of scale; domestic market is too small to account for the production costs Trade liberalisation; free trade creates wealth International product lifecycle; when decline in one country takes place, introduce in another Limited growth in domestic markets; when domestic market is saturated (satisfied), internationalise. Technological changes; because of improvements in telecommunications and air transport Global competition; foreign companies penetrate your market, you go and penetrate theirs Access to resources; when resources are acquired abroad, you can use that same market to sell Classification of international perspectives: Ethnocentric – domestic market is most important Polycentric – overseas markets are seen and treated as domestic markets Regional – you group overseas countries together and treat them as one market Geocentric – treat the world as a single market Stages of development approach: Exporting > Establish sales office abroad > Overseas distribution > Overseas manufacture > Global marketing Dunning’s Eclectic (taking account of all factors) Theory: The firm enters foreign markets by whatever means are most appropriate to the firm, They do not have to go through all stages. Target markets can be chosen for any of these reasons: 1. Geographical proximity 2. Psychological proximity (cultural similarities) 3. Market size and growth rate 4. Costs of serving the market 5. Profit potential 6. Market access 7. Competition Global strategy 1. Keep product and promotion the same 2. Adapt only promotion 3. Adapt only product 4. Adapt both product and promotion 5. Invent new products 23 | P a g e Culture Religion - Language - Social structure - Shared beliefs & Ethics - Non-verbal language High-context culture; highly homogenous with rigid rules, everybody knows their place Low-context culture; highly heterogeneous and with tolerant rules (US & Western Europe) Market Entry Tactics Export agents – person or company that takes responsibility for organising the export of goods without taking title to the goods Export houses – An organisation which buys goods for sale abroad Import houses – An organisation which buys goods in from abroad Confirming houses – An organisation which handles the mechanics of exporting and importing on behalf of manufacturers or buyers Joint ventures – teaming up with foreign firms to market each other’s products Licensing agreements – an agreement to use a firm’s intellectual property in exchange for a royalty Franchising – An agreement to use a firm’s business methods and intellectual property in exchange for a fee and a royalty. Franchising is used in services industries. 24 | P a g e Chapter 10: CREATING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Differentiation: A strategy must be different from that of the competitors Strategic decisions are more important than tactical decisions. They are made by top management They are long-term, tactics are short-term Regularity, formulation is continuous and irregular Nature of problem, strategies are unstructured and unique; they involve risk and uncertainty Strategies require large amounts of external information needed Strategic decisions are broad, tactical decisions are detailed Ease of evaluation; strategic decisions are difficult to judge Levels of organisational analysis in marketing Functional (sub-systems; advertising, sales) Business (marketing department; integration of sub-functions) Corporate (divisional marketing; relationship between central and peripheral marketing units) Enterprise (strategic alliances and networks; decide upon partnerships and alliances) Organismic organisations: Organisations which do not have a fixed strategy or structure, they adapt to the tasks they are facing Writing down the strategy to paper: 1. A vision statement; what the organisation is to become in the long term 2. The mission statement; sought achievements, progress towards them can be measured 3. The objectives statement; long-term and medium-term objectives, these must be measurable Competitive positions 1. Overall cost leadership – minimise costs, reduced prices 2. Differentiation – makes significantly differentiated products, premium prices 3. Focus – specific markets, luxury items Basic market positions 1. Market leader: DEFENCE STRATEGIES 2. Market follower (follows the lead of the main company in the market) Cloners (almost exact copies)/ Imitators (some differentiation)/ Adapters (Improved products) 3. Market nicher; SPECIALIZE! 4. Market challenger FRONTAL ATTACK/ FLANKING ATTACK / ENCIRCLEMENT ATTACK/BYPASS ATTACK/ GUERILLA 25 | P a g e Growth strategies: Market penetration – more sales in existing markets Product development – introducing new products in existing markets Market development – introducing existing products into new markets (exporting!) Diversification – New products, new markets (high risk, high profit) Value-based marketing: Increasing share-holder value, not necessarily linked to profitability Approaches to strategy Classical; environmental analysis as the basis for decision-making and long-term planning Evolutionary; adapt to environment, survival of the fittest Processualist; strategy through the bottom-up process Systemic; companies follow policies predicted by their local social constraints 26 | P a g e Chapter 11: BUILDING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS Customers are not as loyal as thought before. Focus has to be on retaining existing customers, as this is much cheaper opposed to recruiting new customers. Value Chain Analysis: Assessment of ways in which organisations add value to their products VALUE CHAIN Primary activities Inbound logistics Outbound logistics Marketing communications Before-sales and after-sales service Procurement (obtaining resources) Raw material extraction Manufacture Distribution End user: consumer Value network = the group of organisations which collectively add value to raw materials Relationship marketing = the practice of concentrating on the lifetime value of customers rather than their value in the single transaction. Aimed at retaining customers. Cross-selling: Selling new products to existing customers. Much cheaper than selling to new customers. KAM = key account management KAM stages of development model (describes stages in dyadic relationships) Pre-KAM; relationship has not yet started, each partner is looking for the other Early-KAM; partners have made a start upon doing business together Mid-KAM; partnership is established and working well Partnership-KAM; partners working in a highly-integrated way, dividing the work and profits Synergistic-KAM; at this point the companies are virtually indistinguishable Uncoupling-KAM; this can occur after any stage, they go separate ways Quality management Benchmarking: Setting performance standards by comparing performance with that of the best of the competing firms Managing the relationship in consumer markets Relationship management examples; • Customer loyalty cards in supermarkets • Frequent flyer programmes 27 | P a g e Customer retention strategies 50% of the customers are lost over the years (average) The rest is ‘loyal’ to a certain degree: Price loyalty – loyalty remains if company remains price leader Monopoly loyalty – if other alternatives become available, customers will defect Inertia loyalty – loyalty because the product saves us the trouble of finding a new one Emotional loyalty – this is a function of involvement, strongest kind of loyalty Disloyalty – dissatisfied customers, they tell others about their experience, very damaging Customer winback: Second lifetime value (the value of a former customer who has been won back to the firm’s products) may differ from first time users. They are already familiar with the product; the company is more familiar with the customer. Sales cycle (activities undertaken by salespeople) will therefore be shorter. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Intentionally pushed away by the company itself Unintentionally pushed away by the company itself Pulled away by competitors better value Bought away by competitors lower prices Moved away; needs changed 28 | P a g e Chapter 12: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO 4 stage in the product life cycle (PLC): Introduction phase > Growth phase > Maturity phase > Decline phase PLC shows how sales and profits may rise and fall over its life The product portfolio has to be a coherent, well-balanced mix of products which partly determines what direction the company is going in, so it’s also a strategic issue. Boston Consulting Group Mix HIGH Market Growth S $$ LOW HIGH Market Share LOW The War Horse (Big share, negative growth in market) and the Dodo (Small share, negative growth in market) can also be added. General Electric Matrix: MARKET ATTRACTIVENESS HIGH MED. LOW COMPETITIVE STRENGTH OF PRODUCT STRONG AVERAGE Strong Strong Strong Medium Medium Weak WEAK Medium Weak Weak This matrix is more flexible than the Boston Consulting Group Matrix Cost-Plus pricing: Calculating production costs, adding profit margin = price Five categories of product, from service to tangible goods 1. Pure tangible goods 2. Tangible goods with accompanying service 3. Hybrid 4. Major service with supporting goods and services 5. Pure service 29 | P a g e Packaging: • Informs customers • Meets legal information requirements • Aids the use of the product (easier to open) • Protection from the environment (most important) 30 | P a g e Chapter 13: NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 1. 2. 3. 4. Product replacement – new models of existing products Additions to existing lines – brand extensions and complementary products New product lines – for the purpose of moving into new markets New-to-the-world products – mobile phones, cars, satellite communications Robertson’s classification of the effects new products have on consumers’ lives Continuous innovation: incremental improvements in existing products Dynamically continuous innovation; a substantial shift in technology, though no big impact Discontinuous innovation; a new product which significantly changes customers’ lifestyles Innovation strategies: 1. Offensive; to be the first in the new market 2. Defensive; they act in response to competitive challenges from market challengers 3. Imitative; copies of other firms’ products, with our without slight adaptations 4. Dependent; component supplier for a car manufacturer that produces new models 5. Traditional; not innovative at all, resurrects or keeps producing old-fashioned products 6. Opportunist; produces and markets inventions Stages: Innovators > Early adopters > Early majority > Late majority > Laggards Two-step flow theory: New product information influential (respected individuals) customers Awareness/adoption process: Awareness Rejection w/out trial Trial Adoption Rejection after trial Consumer judgement factors in innovative products: Relative advantage; the degree to which the new product is better than the one it replaces Compatibility; the degree to which a product fits in Complexity; the degree to which the product is difficult to understand Trialability; the degree to which the product can be tried before adoption Observability; the degree to which a product can be seen by others Technophones (those who often buy new technology) vs technophobes (those who do the opposite) 31 | P a g e Chapter 14: PRICING The pricing process: Set Price objective Develop pricing strategy Determine demand Estimate costs Review competitive offerings Select pricing method Establish pricing policies Determine prices Profit-orientated, sales-orientated and status quo-orientated Grey-market; foreign distributors buy products low-cost, and sell them in your market in order to generate a much higher profit, while their prices are still relatively low. Mark-up pricing Cost price + profit margins (mark-ups) Mark-up = proportion of price paid by retailer Margin = proportion of price a product is sold for to customer (shelf price) Customary pricing: the price a product has always been sold for Demand pricing: pricing according to what the customers are prepared to pay Product-line pricing: taking account of sales that are dependent (system razors & razor blades) Skimming: pricing products highly at first, reducing the price steadily Psychological pricing: €9,99 instead of €10,00 (Odd-even pricing) Second-market pricing: charging lower prices for different markets (students, elderly people) Competitor-based marketing: observe competitors, base price on their price & quality Penetration pricing: setting low prices in an attempt to capture a large market share Predatory pricing: pricing at extremely low levels (sometimes below cost of production) in order to damage competitors or force them to leave the market. Dumping = extreme form 32 | P a g e Chapter 15: ADVERTISING Budgets: - Objective and task method - Percentage of sales method - Competition matching method - Marginal approach - All-you-can-afford method Media: - Print advertising; roughs or scamps (drafts) are used preliminary Broadcast advertising; zapping, zipping, audience fade-out Outdoor advertising Transport advertising; livery (painting a public-transport vehicle in advertising) Ambient advertising Internet advertising; banners, pop-ups, presence websites, spam Cinema advertising; under-used, underestimated All of these media have strengths and weaknesses Customer responses to advertising: 1. Advertising aficionados; think advertising in general is a good thing 2. Consumer activists; regular complainers 3. Advertising moral guardians; believe that advertising is bad, creates a materialist society 4. Advertising seekers; see advertising as a form of entertainment 33 | P a g e Chapter 16: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SPONSORSHIP Corporate reputation: the overall image of the organisation The goal is to establish the firm’s activities in the people’s minds in a positive way Public Relations (PR) goals is to give the world the impression that their firm is ‘a good firm to do business with’ Press releases & press conferences Creating and managing a reputation Spin-doctoring: attempts to cover up ad news by slanting it in a way which puts the organisation in a favourable light Boundary scanning: monitoring the interfaces between the firm and its publics Sources which influence reputation: 1. Direct experience of dealing with the organisation 2. Hearsay evidence from friends, colleagues and acquaintances 3. Third-party public sources such as newspaper articles and published research 4. Organisation-generated information such as brochures and annual reports Image; the overall impression a company or brand has in the eyes of its publics Establishing a positive corporate image is essential in order to increase shareholder value; - It generates profit - It makes the company more attractive to shareholders Increasing shareholder value is about creating a long-term, secure and growing investment. Not just making profit. Sponsorship: An investment in an activity in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with this activity. You link the customer’s beliefs about the sponsored event to the company doing the sponsoring PR-relations can also be managed by an external firm, specialised in handling Public Relations. In order to do so, a brief has to be made, in which the consultant can view his goals. It gives him a blueprint to follow. The firm’s objectives have to be listed, and they have to meet the SMARTT criteria: 1. Specific 4. Relevant 2. Measurable 5. Targeted accurately 3. Achievable 6. Timed 34 | P a g e Chapter 17: SELLING AND KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT Sales is not about persuading people to buy things; not about fast-talking a customer into making a rash decision. It’s about meeting the customer, discussing his/her problems and developing a creative solution. Silent seller (=the book of sales materials carried by sales representatives) Salesperson’s activities: Needs analysis based on situation and problem question Analysis of needs to identify problems Selection from among the existing range of products to find closest fit for prospect’s needs) Price negotiation Promotion; explaining features and benefits of the product in terms of the customer’s needs Distribution negotiation; ensuring that the product reaches the customer correctly Types of salespeople: Consumer direct Industrial direct Government institutional direct Consumer indirect; advises retailer Industrial indirect; supporting distributors and agents Missionary sales; missionary = salesperson who does not sell directly, but ‘spreads the word’ Key account salespeople; sells to customer or potential customer with strategic importance to the firm (key account) Agents; does not take title to the goods being sold Merchandisers; a type of sales person who has the responsibility of establishing and maintaining in-store displays Telesales; selling over the telephone System selling; marketing on a one-to-one basis by a team of salespeople Franchise selling; have the authority to use the entire business model of a different company The sales presentation Opening the sale, using an ‘icebreaker’ The presentation; act polite, be a ‘friend in business’ Asking questions Handling objections; taking care of the questions that might have been raised Difference between objections and conditions: Objections are questions; conditions prevent the sale from going ahead Closing the sale; using closing techniques to end the talk Post-presentation activities; leaving brochures, information and telephone numbers After-sales service; return to the company you sold to, it will often result in long-term relationships. 35 | P a g e Chapter 18: EXHIBITIONS AND SALES PROMOTIONS Activities at exhibitions: Selling Making sales Generating leads Making contacts with customers Non-selling Flag waving Observing competitors Getting an ‘edge’ on non-exhibitors Visitors: Tyre kickers; have no purchasing intent or power, but pretend that they do Wheeler-dealers; have power and intention to buy, want the best deal Technocrats; engineers or technicians – mostly information seekers Foxes; have their own agenda, spying on competitors or selling their own products Day trippers; students, retired people etc. coming to enjoy The KAM/PPF model can be applied here also. Exhibitions have to be thoroughly planned and worked out in order for them to work. Staff has to be motivated There are also alternatives of exhibitions; Private exhibitions and road shows. Sales promotions Can be used to encourage the customer to ‘trade up’ (=buy the more expensive version), to expand usage or to use a trial. Mechanics can help in persuading the customer. Mechanics are the activities the customer must undertake during the sales promotion. Sales techniques Free tastings Money-off vouchers Two-for-one Piggy-backing or bundling (giving a free sample attached to a purchased product) Instant lottery or scratch cards Free gift with each purchase Loyalty cards The offers should NOT look like they are too good to be true; customers might suspect a ‘catch’. 36 | P a g e Chapter 19: DIRECT AND ONLINE MARKETING Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing which uses one or more advertising media to effect a measureable response and/or transaction at any location. Direct marketing rests on 4 key issues: 1. Targeting; wrong targeting will work counterproductive 2. Interaction; getting a response from the customer is key to marketer’s success 3. Control; it is possible to pre-test almost every aspect of the direct provision 4. Continuity; developing an on-going, continuous relationship with the customer Database marketing: Using interactive approaches such as mail, telephone and the salesforce, to provide the target audience with information and stimulate demand. Drivers for direct marketing: Changing demographics and lifestyles Media fragmentation; able to narrowcast (target specific audience with specific interest) Increasing salesforce costs; salespeople cost too much Alternative distribution channels; internet, direct-response TV Changing business focus; switched from customer acquisition to customer retention The list explosion; there are many lists with many, many addresses and names of individuals Sophisticated analytical techniques; individuals can be grouped better, by lifestyle or tastes and preferences for example Junk mail = poorly-targeted mail Tools of Direct Marketing Direct mail; WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHY, WHEN-questions should be asked Telemarketing; selling or researching via the telephone SMS marketing; cost effective, personalised, targeted, interactive, and other advantages Direct response advertising; direct response from target audience Catalogue marketing; availability of credit, convenience, range of goods Direct response radio Internet Marketing Internal factors Comparative advantage Adoption of technology Environmental factors Internet adoption has gone in waves: Wave 1: North America & Scandinavia Wave 2: Rest of Europe, Australasia 37 | P a g e Wave 3: South East Asia, Brazil, Argentina Wave 4: Developing world, 3rd world There are 3 types of products on the internet: Physical products, purchase happens offline; only contact information Transaction-related products, airplane tickets Virtual products; music, computer software, news services etc. 38 | P a g e Chapter 20: MANAGING CHANNELS Choosing the right channel can be a strategic issue: some distribution routes will provide competitive benefits, and different routes carry different risks. ‘Cutting out the middle man’-strategy does most often not work, as they provide important services in smoothing the path between producer and customer. They actually reduce costs as they work with greater efficiency than if there were no middle man at all. Intermediaries reconcile (bring together) the needs of producers and consumers which results in the following services: Assortment Information utility Improved efficiency Ownership utility Time utility Accessibility Specialist services Bulk breaking Distributors can help in sharing the risk, understanding the market, providing credit, take care of fast delivery, provide a segment-based product assortment and more. Distributors can divide their customers into A, B and C-type customers. A type: 10 per cent of population, 50% of turnover B type: 30 per cent of turnover, medium size companies C type: small firms, only placing small orders Each company might be reached through different distribution routes. (Direct, through agents, through wholesalers and retailers) Distribution intensity Intensity of market coverage; Mass-market; reach as many customers as possible Selective distribution; limited number of specialist outlets Exclusive distribution; extreme form of distribution, retailers are given the sole rights to sell Selecting a distributor: Mostly this is the other way round, as distributors often have more power and are therefore able to select their suppliers. Physical distribution = movement of products from producer to retailer and ultimately to customer Logistics = supply chain coordination to achieve a seamless flow from raw material to end consumer 39 | P a g e Effective supply chain management is a powerful tool for creating competitive advantage for the following reasons: 1. It reduces costs 2. It improves asset utilisation 3. It reduces order cycle time Establishing and Maintaining Relationships 1. 2. 3. 4. Supplier partnerships: Goods vs. Services suppliers Lateral partnerships: Competitors vs. non-profit organisations vs. governments Buyer partnerships: Intermediate customers vs. end customers Internal partnerships: Business units vs. Employment vs. Functional departments Inventory Management: JIT – Just-in-time purchasing; no stocks, the responsibility for maintaining inventories lies with suppliers JIT, in general, is not used anymore. Estimates of future sales are key in controlling the logistics and inventory. Transportation Five main categories: -By Road -By rail -By air -By water -By pipeline Liner = a ship or aircraft which operates on a regular route at fixed times Tramp ship = a ship which does not follow set routes, but which sails when it has a cargo for a particular port 40 | P a g e Chapter 21: INTERMEDIARIES Intermediaries Those who take title to the goods Those who do not take title to the goods Wholesalers: sell to other intermediaries Agents Licencees and franchisees Retailers: sell to consumers Management contracts Agents Brokers: bring buyers and sellers together Factors: hold stocks on behalf of the client Del credere agents: don’t take title, do take the risk Licensing is appropriate in the following circumstances: - Where it’s impossible to set up business in a particular foreign market - Where the cost of shipping goods are too high - Where the target market is patriotic, so that they only buy ‘home-produced’ products Shopping behaviour A social experience outside the home Communication with other having a similar interest Peer group attraction Status and authority Pleasure of bargaining Non-store retailing (door-to-door selling, telemarketing, mail order) has declined in recent years, but with the arrival of e-commerce it is regaining strength. 41 | P a g e Atmospherics Product mix Retail success Buying the right goods in the right quantities Appropriate service level Service levels: Self-service Store image > Limited service > Suburban > Full service As service increases, so does the price Locations City Centre > Out of town Store image Sight Scent Sound Other sensory experiences Other shoppers 42 | P a g e Chapter 22: PEOPLE, PROCESS AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE As products move closer to the ‘service’ end of the spectrum, people, process and physical evidence become more and more important Loyalty benefits (people): 1. Increased purchases 2. Lower cost 3. Lifetime value of a customer 4. Sustainable competitive advantage 5. Word-of-mouth 6. Employee satisfaction Physical products are paid for beforehand, services are paid for afterwards. With services, you buy promises. People 4 groups 1. Contactors: Staff who have daily contact with customers 2. Modifiers: Staff who have some contact with customers for specific purposes 3. Influencers: The person who has the ability to sway the judgement of a decider 4. Isolateds: no customer contact and have very little to do with conventional marketing Empowerment = Giving staff the ability to resolve customer problems without recourse to higher management Process A series of actions taken in order to convert inputs to something of greater value Processes combine the following 4 basic resources: - Basic assets - Explicit knowledge - Tacit knowledge (skill) - Procedure (not the same as process; a good procedure without tacit knowledge is not a good process) Physical Evidence Important in case there is be no tangible proof that the product has ever been consumed Adding value through physical evidence: 1. Increasing loyalty 2. Enhancing brand image 3. Physical evidence that has intrinsic value of its own (a gift) 4. Physical evidence which leads to further sales 43 | P a g e