Understanding and undertaking marketing activities.

Five orientations (philosophical concepts to the marketplace have guided and continue to guide
organizational activities:

1. The Production Concept

2. The Product Concept

3. The Selling Concept

4. The Marketing Concept

5. The Societal Marketing Concept

The Five Concepts Described

The Production Concept. This concept is the oldest of the concepts in business. It holds that
consumers will prefer products that are widely available and inexpensive. Managers focusing on this
concept concentrate on achieving high production efficiency, low costs, and mass distribution. They
assume that consumers are primarily interested in product availability and low prices. This orientation
makes sense in developing countries, where consumers are more interested in obtaining the product
than in its features.

The Product Concept. This orientation holds that consumers will favor those products that offer
the most quality, performance, or innovative features. Managers focusing on this concept concentrate
on making superior products and improving them over time. They assume that buyers admire well-made
products and can appraise quality and performance. However, these managers are sometimes caught
up in a love affair with their product and do not realize what the market needs. Management might
commit the “better-mousetrap” fallacy, believing that a better mousetrap will lead people to beat a path
to its door.

The Selling Concept. This is another common business orientation. It holds that consumers and
businesses, if left alone, will ordinarily not buy enough of the selling company’s products. The
organization must, therefore, undertake an aggressive selling and promotion effort. This concept
assumes that consumers typically sho9w buyi8ng inertia or resistance and must be coaxed into buying.
It also assumes that the company has a whole battery of effective selling and promotional tools to
stimulate more buying. Most firms practice the selling concept when they have overcapacity. Their aim
is to sell what they make rather than make what the market wants.

The Marketing Concept. This is a business philosophy that challenges the above three business
orientations. Its central tenets crystallized in the 1950s. It holds that the key to achieving its
organizational goals (goals of the selling company) consists of the company being more effective than
competitors in creating, delivering, and communicating customer value to its selected target customers.
The marketing concept rests on four pillars: target market, customer needs, integrated marketing and
profitabi

Distinctions between the Sales Concept and the Marketing Concept:

1. The Sales Concept focuses on the needs of the seller. The Marketing Concept focuses on the
needs of the buyer.

2. The Sales Concept is preoccupied with the seller’s need to convert his/her product into cash. The
Marketing Concept is preoccupied with the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the
product as a solution to the customer’s problem (needs).

The Marketing Concept represents the major change in today’s company orientation that
provides the foundation to achieve competitive advantage. This philosophy is the foundation of
consultative selling.

The Marketing Concept has evolved into a fifth and more refined company orientation: The
Societal Marketing Concept. This concept is more theoretical and will undoubtedly influence future
forms of marketing and selling approaches.

The Societal Marketing Concept. This concept holds that the organization’s task is to determine the
needs, wants, and interests of target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively
and efficiently than competitors (this is the original Marketing Concept). Additionally, it holds that this
all must be done in a way that preserves or enhances the consumer’s and the society’s well-being.

This orientation arose as some questioned whether the Marketing Concept is an appropriate
philosophy in an age of environmental deterioration, resource shortages, explosive population growth,
world hunger and poverty, and neglected social services.

Are companies that do an excellent job of satisfying consumer wants necessarily acting in the best long-
run interests of consumers and society?

The marketing concept possibily sidesteps the potential conflicts among consumer wants,
consumer interests, and long-run societal welfare. Just consider:

The fast-food hamburger industry offers tasty buty unhealthy food. The hamburgers have a high fat
content, and the restaurants promote fries and pies, two products high in starch and fat. The products
are wrapped in convenient packaging, which leads to much waste. In satisfying consumer wants, these
restaurants may be hurting consumer health and causing environmental problems.

1.2 Identifying and analysing organizations marketing plan

What is a Marketing Plan?

 A marketing plan is a document that lays out the marketing efforts of a business in an upcoming
period, which is usually a year. It outlines the marketing strategy, promotional, and advertising activities
planned for the period.

Marketing Plan

Elements of a Marketing Plan

A marketing plan will typically include the following elements:

Marketing objectives of the business: The objectives should be attainable and measurable – two goals
associated with SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Current business marketing positioning: An analysis of the current state of the organization concerning
its marketing positioning.

Market research: Detailed research about current market trends, customer needs, industry sales
volumes, and expected direction.

Outline of the business target market: Business target market demographics.

Marketing activities: A list of any actions concerning marketing goals that are scheduled for the period
and the indicated timelines.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) to be tracked

Marketing mix: A combination of factors that may influence customers to purchase products. It should
be appropriate for the organization and will largely be centered on the 4Ps of marketing – i.e., product,
price, promotion, and place.

Competition: Identify the organization’s competitors and their strategies, along with ways to counter
competition and gain market share.

Marketing strategies: The development of marketing strategies to be employed in the coming period.
These strategies will include promotional strategies, advertising, and other marketing tools at the
disposal of the organization.

Marketing budget: A detailed outline of the organization’s allocation of financial resources to

marketing activities. The activities will need to be carried out within the marketing budget.

Monitoring and performance mechanism: A plan should be in place to identify if the marketing tools in
place are bearing fruit or need to be revised based on the past, current, and expected future state of the
organization, industry, and the overall business environment.

A marketing plan should observe the 80:20 rule – i.e., for maximum impact, it should focus on the 20%
of products and services that account for 80% of volumes and the 20% of customers that bring in 80% of
revenue.
1.3 Identifying the need for marketing activities.

Marketing activities are the methods companies use to sell and promote their products or services
to returning and new customers.

5 Types of Marketing Activities

There are many marketing activities that small business owners or e-commerce companies can use to
increase brand awareness and reach their target audience. Consider these marketing tactics and tools as
you build a robust online marketing strategy or business marketing plan.

1. Content marketing: This marketing strategy includes coordinated content creation that provides
potential customers with relevant text, video, and audio content. Examples of pieces of content used for
this type of marketing include advertising memes, entertaining videos, podcasts, and blog entries. You
can promote this content on your landing page or other marketing channels like your newsletter or
social media.

2. Digital ad marketing: This category covers many marketing tactics. Digital ad marketing includes
web ads, podcast ads, email marketing, and webinars. Unlike content marketing, digital marketing
focuses on actual ads rather than website content that may or may not contain information about your
business.

3. Market research: By gathering information about the behavior of potential and existing
customers and analyzing and interpreting that information, businesses can make informed decisions
about the development of a new product or service. Implementing marketing research can also help
companies improve their customer experience by better understanding the needs and demographics of
their customer base. You can use market research to find new customers, identify your ideal customer
or target market, or research market trends.

4. Search engine optimization (SEO): This tactic focuses on attracting targeted traffic to a website
through organic or nonpaid rankings on a search engine results page (SERP). Unlike paid results such as
pay-per-click advertisements, search engine optimization involves the creation of organic content that
answers user queries and features relevant keywords.

5. Social media marketing: This digital marketing method engages new customers on social media
platforms. Social media marketing campaigns include video ads, in-feed static ads, or paid partnerships
with influencers

Articles
Marketing

The 4 Ps of Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

The 4 Ps of Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

Written by Coursera • Updated on Aug 10, 2022

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Learn what the 4 Ps are and how they can help you on your next marketing endeavor.

[Featured image] A man holding a tablet stands in front of a whiteboard where the 4 Ps of marketing are
listed in green marker.

The four Ps are a “marketing mix” comprised of four key elements—product, price, place, and
promotion—used when marketing a product or service. Typically, businesses consider the four Ps when
creating marketing plans and strategies to effectively market to their target audience.

What are the 4Ps of marketing? (Marketing mix explained)

The four Ps are product, price, place, and promotion. They are an example of a “marketing mix,” or the
combined tools and methodologies used by marketers to achieve their marketing objectives. 1,
Product

The product is the good or service being marketed to the target audience. Generally, successful products
fill a need not currently being met in the marketplace or provide a novel customer experience that
creates demand. For example, the original iPhone filled a need in the market for a simplified device that
paired a phone with an iPod, and the chia pet provided a humorous experience for consumers that was
utterly unique.

As you are working on your product, it is essential to consider your target audience and their unique
needs. Some questions to consider when working on a product include:

What is your product?

What does your product do? Does the product meet an unfilled need or provide a novel experience?

Who is your product’s target audience? How is your product different from what others offer?

2, Price

Price is the cost of a product or service.

When marketing a product or service, it is important to pick a price that is simultaneously accessible to
the target market and meets a business’s goals. Pricing can have a significant impact on the overall
success of a product. For example, if you price your product too high for your targeted audience, then
very few of them will likely purchase it. Similarly, if you price your product too low, then some might
pass it up simply because they are concerned it might be of inferior quality and cut into your potential
profit margins.

To identify a successful price, you will want to thoroughly understand your target audience and their
willingness to pay for your product. Some questions you might ask yourself as you are considering your
product’s price include:

What is the price range of your product’s competitors?

What is the price range of your target audience?

What price is too high for your audience? What price is too low?

What price best fits your target market?

3, Place

Place is where you sell your product and the distribution channels you use to get it to your customer.
Much like price, finding the right place to market and sell your product is a key factor in reaching your
target audience. If you put your product in a place that your target customer doesn’t visit—whether on
or offline— then you will likely not meet your sales target. The right place, meanwhile, can help you
connect with your target audience and set you up for success.

For example, imagine you are selling an athletic shoe you designed. Your target market is athletes in
their early twenties to late thirties, so you decide to market your product in sports publications and sell
it at specialty athletics stores. By focusing on sports stores over shoe stores in general, you are targeting
your efforts to a specific place that best fits your marketing mix.

To decide the best place to market and sell your product, you should consider researching the physical
or digital places that your target audience shops and consumes information. Some questions to consider
include:

Where will you sell your product?

Where does your target audience shop?

What distribution channels are best to reach your target market?

4, Promotion

Promotion is how you advertise your product or service. Through promotion, you will get the word out
about your product with an effective marketing campaign that resonates with your target audience.

There are many different ways to promote your product. Some traditional methods include word of
mouth, print advertisements, and television commercials. In the digital age, though, there are even
more marketing channels that you can use to promote your product, such as content marketing, email
marketing, and social media marketing.

Some questions to consider as you are working on your product promotion include:

What is the best time to reach your target audience?

What marketing channels are most effective for your target audience?

What advertising approaches are most persuasive to your target audience?

1.5 Identifying target market profile

Follow these steps when identifying your target audience:

1) Determine your customer’s demographics. Unless you’re selling oxygen, not everyone needs your
product or service. So who does? Men or women? Old or young? Conservative or liberal? What is their
economic bracket, education level, and interests? Once you’ve narrowed the criteria down, it’s a lot
easier to focus your marketing strategy on those who are most likely to need what you are offering.

2) Determine your customer’s needs. Now that you have a clear idea about the type of person you’ll be
targeting to, you’ll have to identify their specific needs in the context of what your business is offering.
In other words, what is the problem they are having that your product or service is the solution to? By
putting yourself in their shoes and asking the questions they will have, you’ll be able to address their
concerns in your answer—your marketing message—before they occur.

3) Determine how your customer will learn about you. We all have friends who prefer texting to
calling, so we know that not everyone is receptive to the same modes of communication. Is your ideal
customer older? Then you may want to run print ads. If they’re Millennials who have never even read a
newspaper, then you may want to run Twitter ads. Is your audience local or global? Are they a trendy
bunch or a niche crowd? The best way to reach your target audience is via the channels from which they
get their information already.

4) Assume your customers are mobile. These days more and more people are connecting with the world
through their mobile devices, whether it’s to read news, shop or communicate. In fact, tech analyst
Mary Meeker found that smartphones are outdistancing all other devices, especially the desktop or
laptop computer, for Internet use. Of the 2.8 billion Internet users worldwide, 2.1 billion are mobile, a
23 percent increase from last year. So however you reach your target audience, make sure you include
mobile advertising.

Now that you’ve done your market research and identified your audience, it’s time to connect with
them. Delivering your message to the right people isn’t always a simple job considering how many other
businesses are going after the same audience, but here are some great ways to start marketing to your
target audience:

1) Publish content to all social media. Social media is the new marketplace, so it’s in your best
interest to market your message via the social platforms on which your target audience is already
spending time. In other words, don’t waste time reaching out on Twitter if your target demographics are
primarily on LinkedIn. Business Insider and LinkedIn break down the demographics of the major social
networks:

Facebook: 1.32 billion users, both male and female, between the ages of 18-54, and interested in
consumer goods more than luxury goods.

Twitter: 271 million users, primarily male, between the ages of 18-29, and are interested in getting their
news via this network.

LinkedIn: 300 million users, both male and female, between the ages of 30-64, and are highly-educated
professionals with good incomes.

Pinterest: 70 million users, primarily female, between the ages of 18-49, and interested in food, drink,
and family/parenting content. Effective platform for visual-based products and services.

Instagram: 200 million users, primarily female, between 18-29, and interested in clothing, accessories,
and entertainment-related themes. Like Pinterest, very good for visual marketing.

2) Purchase online ads. If you have the budget, online advertising should be part of your marketing
strategy, but choose a platform on which your target customers spend their time. According to Rocco
Baldassarre, CEO of Zebra Advertisement:
The Bing Network or Google is ideal for traditional service providers because their audience is already
looking for them and tend to convert easily. Using highly-targeted keywords works very well with search
engine ads.

Display ads, such as Google AdWords, are best for a market who doesn’t necessarily know about you.
When they go to similar websites, your targeted ads will appear for them, and even if they don’t click on
your ad, it still raises brand awareness.

Facebook and Twitter ads are great if you are selling lifestyle products as they work by targeting
customers by their behavioral patterns and interests. Like Google ads, even if your audience doesn’t
click on the link, they’re still being exposed to your business.

LinkedIn advertising is perfect for B2B (business-to-business) services or products as it is able to target
specific professions.

3) Make use of your brand advocates. According to a Nielsen study, 92 percent of people say they trust
the recommendations they receive from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.
Because of this fact, it behooves you to make use of this social proof and “partner” with your most loyal
customers to get the word out. Brand advocates are those people, often repeat customers, who have
purchased your product or service, love it, and enjoy talking about it. Be sure to get a testimonial from
them and post it on your website; these personal statements tend to naturally describe the benefits and
features of your product in a way that doesn’t come across as selling. Offer your brand advocates small
freebies, a discount on their next purchase, or a coupon for every referral they drive your way.

4) Co-market with similar brands. Do some research to find companies that share your audience
without overstepping their business boundaries. For example, if you sell baby blankets, co-marketing
with pre- and post-natal fitness centers can benefit both companies without taking business away from
either of you. You can guest post on each other’s blogs, share each other’s social media posts, co-host
contests and giveaways, and offer special discount coupons for each other’s customers.

5) Encourage social networking in the office. A big part of the new online landscape is based on
sharing. Diamond Strategic Marketing suggests having the whole team be involved in outreach, not just
the marketing people, as it can lead to genuine, personal “marketing” of your business’s product or
service (assuming your employees like and use what you’re selling).

1.6 Identifying positioning and market mix

√ market position is “the place that a brand occupies in the minds of the customers and how it is
distinguished from the products of the competitors.

How to Find a Market Position

1, Review your company's strengths and weaknesses. ...

2, Analyze your competition. ...

3, Conduct marketing research. ...

4, Figure out what makes your products distinct from others. ...

5, Determine which of your products' qualities will attract customers. ...

6, Revisit your target market and niche.

1.7 Identifying expected outcomes

√ Expected Outcomes are statements that describe what we expect. participants/customers/learners to

learn and achieve.

Chapter Two
Lo2.Planning marketing mix activities

2.1 Collecting basic marketing information

There are three primary types of marketing information marketers use to gain insights that will
contribute to wise marketing choices: internal data, competitive intelligence, and marketing research.

1, Internal Data

Internal data consists of the information companies collect about their customers and prospective
customers, typically as part of their internal operations. Marketing departments, for example, maintain
information about the interest and leads they generate from prospective customers and how they are
interacting with these contacts. They may capture information used for segmentation and targeting
purposes, such as geographic location, gender, age, buying behaviors, and communication preferences.
Information about Web site visitors, traffic, and other customer engagement activities can be another
useful type of internal data. Additionally, sales teams capture and maintain information about who is
buying the product, where buyers are located, buying patterns, and behaviors. Sales and marketing
teams may also maintain information about customer references, success stories, and how prospective
customers are progressing toward becoming new clients.

2, Competitive Intelligence

Competitive intelligence is marketing information that helps marketers and other members of an
organization better understand their competitors and competitive market dynamics. Common types of
competitive intelligence include the following:
 √ Product information: Who is making products that compete with your offerings? What features or
capabilities make these products attractive to prospective customers? How do these features compare
to yours? How are products packaged and offered to customers?

√ Market share and penetration: Which companies in your competitive market sell the most products to
your target market, and how much do they sell? Which organizations are considered the market
leaders? How is market share evolving over time?

√ Pricing strategy: What do competitors charge for their products? What pricing structure and strategies
do they use? What special pricing or discounting do they offer? How does this affect your pricing and
position relative to competitors?

√ Competitive positioning and messaging: What are competitors saying about themselves? What are
they saying to current and prospective clients or other stakeholders about your organization or
products? How effective are their messages at generating interest in competitor products or diminishing
interest in yours? What keywords are competitors dominating in search engines?

√ Win/loss analysis: What proportion of new sales are you winning or losing? Why are people selecting
your product over competitors’? Why are they selecting a competitor’s offering instead of yours?

3, Marketing Research

Marketing research is a systematic process for identifying marketing opportunities and solving
marketing problems, using customer insights derived from the collection and analysis of marketing
information. Marketing research identifies the problem to be solved or the opportunity to be explored,
as well as the information required to address research questions. It also involves processes for
collecting the information, analyzing it, identifying insights, and reporting findings and recommendations
to those who will take action based on the results.

What is marketing data collection?

Marketing data collection is another one of those marketing terms that sound simple but can actually be
very complex in practice. At root, marketing data collection is simply the collection of data from all your
marketing efforts, campaigns, partners, and projects.

Sounds so simple, right?

Ultimately, however, it’s an attempt to unify all your marketing data in a single place.

And that means you need to collect, normalize, and standardize data. You often need to collect it from
dozens or even hundreds of sources. You also need to be able to ingest it in almost any form: CSV,
databases, ETL, web dashboards, APIs, PDF documents, and more. And you need to do all this while
maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, granularity, safety, privacy, and security.

Uses of marketing data collection

One of the main use cases for marketing data collection is to improve and optimize campaigns in order
to maximize the ROI and profitability of marketing efforts. In particular, data collection can be used to
optimize campaigns through several ways including marketing analytics, cost aggregation, mobile
attribution, and ad monetization:

√ Marketing analytics: By collecting, normalized, and standardizing data from multiple sources, this
enables marketers to analyze marketing data and take a scientific approach to their growth strategy by
uncovering optimization opportunities and performance insights. For example, data can be collected
from various ad platforms in order to optimize the performance and increase ROAS for each channel.

√ Cost aggregation: Another use case of data collection is cost aggregation, which is the process of
reconciling marketing spend across various platforms. By having a unified and accurate picture of costs,
marketers are able to further optimize their costs and achieve the highest ROI possible.

√ Ad monetization: Another example of marketing data collection is ad monetization attribution and

analytics. Aggregating revenue from various ad partners helps mobile marketers optimize their
monetization efforts and earn more from each user. Specifically, this data helps businesses better
allocate ad inventory and maximize sales by comparing the performance of each ad network and ad
format on their app or website.

As you can see, each of these examples is focused on optimizing existing marketing campaigns,
maximizing the revenue from each monetization partner, and ultimately achieving the highest ROI
possible on marketing efforts

2.2 Developing and documenting work plans

What is a work plan?

A work plan is a written document designed to streamline a project. The purpose is to create a visual
reference for the goal, objectives, tasks and team members who are responsible for each area. Every
member of your team should be updated based on progress and current status.

If you have a complex project, you can create your own custom work plan. When you are clear about
your strategy and what you need to be successful, a work plan template can save time, as you will plug
in tasks, team members, objectives and timelines.

A work plan includes:

_ Setting goals and objectives

_ Establishing team responsibilities

_ Setting project timelines

_ Establishing a budget
Thoughtfully working through these details before beginning a large project can identify team member
responsibilities, reduce the chances you will go over your budget, and increase the likelihood of
achieving your goal within the allotted time period.

Types of work plans

There are several work plans you can create depending on who will be using the document. The purpose
and type of project can impact the specific details that should be included. The most common types of
work plans are:

1, Employee work plan

_ The goal of the project

_ A projected budget

_ Materials & expenses required for the project.

_ An estimated timeline for completion

2, Manager work plan

_ Benefits the project would have to the business

_ Detailed lists of costs and the budget associated with the project

_ Statistics that show how the business will increase because of the project

4, Business owner work plan

_ It focus on annual goals or a new product proposal

How to create a work plan

Here are steps to create a work plan:

1. Set goals and objectives

The first step to creating a work plan is to set clear goals and objectives. Your goals should focus on the
big picture, and the objectives should be specific and tangible. For example, if you are launching a new
product, the goal may be to drive 50,000 people to the website in the next 12 months. An objective for
that goal could be to launch a new social media campaign.

2. Establish team responsibilities

Once you have identified the objectives, assign team members to drive those initiatives. If you designate
a team to accomplish individual objectives, assign a leader to keep the team on track. If the project is
large and complex with many teams, assign hierarchy levels. Here, a project manager could oversee
multiple team leaders, meeting with only those individuals and focusing on the overall progress to keep
a project running according to schedule.

3. Set project timelines

Timelines are essential for keeping team members on task and expenses down. If you have a set amount
of time to achieve your goal, you could change strategy more quickly if you see an opportunity to use a
more effective approach.

Consider using the guidelines for SMART goals to create your work plan. SMART stands for:

√ Specific: Your goals, objectives and action steps should be clear and specific.

√ Measurable: It should be easily apparent when your goal has been accomplished.

√ Attainable: Your goals and objectives should be something your team can realistically accomplish
within the designated time frame.

√ Relevant: The goal, objectives and tasks should be aligned with your values and long-term goals.

√ Time-based: Your plan should have a realistic end date that allows you to prioritize your time.

4. Establish a budget

Budgeting must happen at the end of this process, as part of the plan may include getting quotes from
third-party vendors. The budget should break down the costs and assign different tasks to the individual
teams. Each time a team reaches a new milestone or accomplishes an objective, you will be able to
review your expenses and determine if the team is on budget. If a team or a task isn't within the budget,
you might reallocate resources from other areas or determine if financial resources can increase. A
detailed work plan will allow you to easily see where more funds are needed and where problems in
spending may lie.

Chapter Three
Lo3. Implementing marketing activities

3.1 Determining work plan activities resource

A resource is a necessary asset whose main role is to help carry out a certain task or project. A resource
can be a person, a team, a tool, finances, and time. Most projects require many different resources to be
completed. Resources should be assessed and allocated before a project begins. Poor resource planning
can result in running out of resources midway through a prResources required
Identify the people who are involved in the activities.

Are they all in-house staff or are external experts or technical personnel required? What physical
resources are required? For example, does your organisation

have resources they regularly use when exhibiting at a trade fair, such as signs and display racks?

Budget

Make a note of the size of the budget allocated to each activity. You may need to discuss this

with your supervisor to find out how the budget is planned and approved.

Outcomes

Knowing what results are expected from the marketing activity helps an organisation monitor and
review each activity. By reading the projected outcome you get an idea of where the

organisation’s focus is and how it endeavours to meet client needs.

Monitoring and reporting

Read how marketing personnel plan to monitor and report on the activities. Read previous reports and
reviews to see which activities were successful and which did not deliver the

expected outcomes. Find out why.oject or delaying deadlines in delivering the final product or service.

3.2 Undertaking marketing activities

Undertaking marketing activities is of vital importance to any business, as without marketing, new
customers may never now that your business exists!

Marketing activities allow you to achieve better market share, revenue growth, and profitability. Above
all, They identify the needs of customers and meet them with customized products and services.

Here is the primary marketing activity list you need to undertake

Market activity #1: Market research

Spot opportunities: Market research can enable you to identify the people that need your product and
services. In addition, You would know where you can reach them and the best marketing channels to
use. Learning about your customers and potential customers, such as their demographics, age group,
working status, would go a long way in simplifying your marketing activities.

Product testing: Market research activity can enable you to test new products and services before
launching them. This means you would ascertain what your customers think about your products and
services before making the final version. This can save you cost and enhance productivity.
Market activity #2: Select the Customer Segment market

Marketing has become customer-centric. Therefore, you must determine and select your customer
segment for the products and services you offer. You can easily create customized products and services
for your customers when they are properly segmented. Customer segmentation would also enable you
to determine the best channels to carry out your marketing, saving you cost in the long run.

Market activity #3: Select product and services

If you must generate more leads and boost sales, you must offer the right products and services.
Therefore, It is crucial to understand what the customer needs to provide them with the right products
and services. People quickly forget or fail to know that your business cannot attract new or retain old
customers without adding value to customers. So, you must offer the right solutions to add value to your
customers.

Market activity #4: Build Customer Experience

You may offer the right products and services and still not meet your target without the right customer
experience. Therefore, organizations and businesses that focus on customer experience can significantly
reduce Churn. Additionally, you would increase revenue and achieve higher profits with the suitable
customer experience marketing activity.

Market activity #5: Set Product distribution channels

A product distribution channel is the routes, intermediaries, and chains your services or goods pass
through to get to the final consumers and end-users. Also, distribution channels could be or a
combination of retailers, warehouses, stores, wholesalers, social media, or e-commerce stores on the
internet.

Market activity #6: Promotional

Promotions are the activities a marketing team carries out to communicate the brand, service, or
product to the masses. In other words, the essence of promotion is to make people aware of or familiar
with your brand and products in preference of others.

Market activity #7: Pricing

Without a good pricing system, people would not buy your products and services no matter what you
offer. So, you need to study your customers, review your competitors’ pricing system, and set a price
that makes sense for everyone involved. Remember that you must consider your distributors and
retailers while setting the price because they play a vital role in the supply chain.

Market activity #8: Customer Service

Effective customer service plays a significant role in individual customer experience. So, if you want to
ensure excellent customer service, you must understand what the customer wants. You must answer
their query as fast as possible, and you must give them adequate information about your products and
services.

Customers these days are looking for friendly and hassle-free services. Therefore, businesses must be
customer-centric in other to boost sales.

Chapter Four
LO4. Reviewing marketing activities

4.1 Measuring and recording outcomes

Key points

√ Recording (plans / case notes) takes time and often responds to different demands.

√ Including what matters to people does not require extra time and there are resources to support this

√ Recording outcomes with people can help to build trust and relationships

√ ‘Measuring’ outcomes can be required for planning, reporting and commissioning purposes and
should flow from recording rather than driving decisions

There is useful learning about possibilities and limits of measurement and outcomes

* Recording is an essential task in human services. It clarifies purpose and can support effective
partnership with people who use services. Recording is also necessary for planning, monitoring and
reviewing progress. What matters to people should be part of the record. However, other pressures
mean that what matters sometimes gets lost in recording.

Why measure outcomes?

Setting and measuring outcomes is crucial for determining the payments made under an outcomes-
based contract. However, there are many other reasons why organisations might seek to focus on
outcomes, rather than on inputs or activities. Even traditional fee-for-service contracts and grants can
be outcomes-focused when you set outcomes upfront and measure the achievement of them.

Before working out how to set and measure outcomes, it is worth pausing to articulate why you want to
do this. There could be many reasons, including a better understanding of the wider impact of a service,
enhancing transparency, public accountability and citizen engagement, and a way to encourage
collaboration across multiple organisations.

important to measure outcomes for three core reasons:

1. To manage performance or learn how to get better

2. To evaluate whether something works (but not why it works – or doesn’t)

3. To provide a means for payment

4.2 Reviewing marketing activities and recording improvements

Review Marketing Activities After the implementation and monitoring of the marketing activities, the last
step of the whole process is the review of the results of the marketing activities.

Reviewing the results is important because it can give you and your superiors an idea of how well the
marketing activities perform in terms of:▪

√ Achieving the expected outcomes▪

√ Providing a good return on investment (ROI)

√ Contributing to the progress of the business

If, after the review, the marketing activities receive positive feedback, then they can be retained.However, if
the feedback is not favourable, then it may have to be augmented or removed

Measure and Record Outcomes of Marketing Activities Against Marketing PlanThe

first step in reviewing marketing activities is to measure and record the actual outcomes of the
implementation.

Actual outcomes refer to the actual results of the marketing activities in terms ofmeeting the expected
outcomes.

Measuring Actual Outcomes of the Marketing ActivitiesIt is important to measure the actual outcomes of the
marketing activities because they canprovide insight on:▪how well the marketing activities perform in
meeting the requirements▪how well they can contribute to business growthThese outcomes will also be used
to decide whether your business will continue implementingthe activities or not.

.Methods to Measure Actual Outcomes

There are three methods you can apply to measure your actual outcomes:▪

1, Profitability Measures

Profitability measures are used to see whether marketing activities have been effectivein increasing the
profitability of the business. In terms of profitability, consider metricssuch as:oGross and net profit
marginsoContribution marginoReturn on investmentYou can also measure monthly and/or annual profit and
loss outcomes for individualproducts/services to know how well the products/services are doing, in addition
to theabove.

2, ▪Productivity Measures
Productivity measures are used to see how well promotions are working, how effectivethe sales force is at
increasing overall sales, and how well the distribution networks areworking. In most cases, these measures
and are established by setting productivitylevels. Here are some examples:oStandards on how quickly a
product should travel through the distributionchainoSales goalsoSpecific standards on what promotion
should achieve (based on their overallgoals and objectives)

3, ▪Performance Measures

Performance measures are used to set narrowly defined performance standards foreach marketing activity
related to each of the elements of the marketing mix strategy.This includes measuring using a set of pre-
defined standards for:oPriceoProductoPromotionsoPlaceoPeopleMeasuring Outcome through the Control
System DesignTo measure the actual outcomes, you must have a system in place. One such system is
theControl System Design. Thecontrol system design (CSD)aims to provide a more streamlinedand organised
way of measuring the actual outcome of any implemented process or activity.

4.3 Preparing and communicating reports

Preparing Effective Reports

A report is a structured document, usually prepared for more than one reader, presenting factualinformation
in a concise format. Reports are usually used for decision making but may be for presenting
information.Consider the following issues when putting a report together:

What is the purpose of the report?

Put together a ‘Core Statement’. You should be able to sum up your report in a 7 part sentence (see below).
This will form the basis of your report, help you manage others’ expectations and will be a touchstone for you
to check if you’ve gone off course whilst writing.

Skeleton Example of a core statement

1. Type of document. This report,

2. Your readers. for the London Olympics Bid Committee,

3. Verb (active, future tense) will examine

4. Topic the potential of attracting the Olympics to London

5. Link phrase with reference to

6. Number of sections. three main headings,

7. Section headings accommodation, facilities, transport.

What points do you need to cover? You need to clarify the constituent parts of the issue and may also be
required to make recommendations on how to proceed. You should provide some insight into the key points
and considerations so that the decision-makers are best placed to come to a conclusion. Point out areas of
potential controversy and suggest the likely impact of any anticipated actions. If you are making a
recommendation, you should explore a range of solutions before making a persuasive case for your chosen
one.

Who is going to read it? What do they need to know? Not all detail is appropriate for all audiences; consider
who you are writing for. Do not bore them with ‘irrelevant’ information, or prevent them from making a
decision because they are missing a crucial piece of background detail.

What do they already know? What do you need to explain to them?

What affects them? What interests them?

How will you structure the information?

Title page – include the title of your report, author’s name and date of the report.

Contents page – list the contents with page numbers.

Summary – This should be a paragraph describing the content of the report and the main findings.

Make this section count – it may be the only part that people read, so ensure it contains your Core
Statement.

Introduction – Covers essential background information and defines any key words.

Main Content – This should be divided into logical and clearly marked sections, ideally numbered.

Use clear and descriptive headings and numbering. It should contain information on the background,

current situation and options available to move forward. The information given should be concise, factual,
clear, substantiated and unbiased. If information is missing or unavailable, this should be noted.

Conclusion – One or two sentences summarising the main points of your report. There should be no new
information here.

Recommendations – If you have been asked to make recommendations, make your case (based on your
evidence) here. Be specific and include deadlines – think SMART goals!

Appendices – This is for supporting information, like photos or technical details, which would take up too
much space in the main section, but make sure you only include what is absolutely necessary.

Label using letters (eg Appendix A, Appendix B).

What will it look like?

Clear – has a clear purpose, easy to follow and to scan, no jargon

Concise – well edited, not too wordy, no unnecessary appendices

Reliable – information is accurate, with notification of missing information

Professional – Proof read for errors, good use of white space to look inviting. If your company or

department has a house style, it should be followed.