Marketing Management – Comprehensive Master

Notes
Fundamental Concepts: Marketing is the exchange process of creating value for customers (needs, wants)
and capturing value in return 1 . It involves the firm (company) and its 5Cs: Company, Customers,
Competitors, Collaborators, and Context/Climate (macro-environment) 2 3 . Analyses include SWOT and
PESTEL to assess internal resources/strengths and external forces. Effective marketing starts with
understanding customer needs and delivering superior value (marketing concept). Key metrics include
awareness (top-of-mind, aided recall), trial rates, repeat/loyalty (customer lifetime value), store footfalls,
advertising impressions and reach (GRPs, TRPs), and response rates 4 .

Consumer Behavior
• Decision Processes: Consumers follow a multi-step process (need recognition → information search
→ evaluation of alternatives → purchase → post-purchase evaluation). Three modes of problem-
solving are routinized (habitual, low-risk, low-involvement, e.g. convenience goods), limited
(moderate involvement), and extended (high involvement, expensive decisions) 5 . Involvement
affects decision steps:
• High-involvement/utilitarian: sequence is Know → Feel → Do (awareness leads to concern/value gap
→ action) 6.
• Low-involvement: sequence Know → Do → Feel, i.e. trial or repeat without much deliberation 6 .
• Hedonic (affective) purchases: sequence Feel → Do → Know, driven by emotion first 6 .
• Motivations: Products can be utilitarian (functional/instrumental) or hedonic (self-expressive/
emotional). Marketers address continuity: utilitarian goods stress performance and information;
hedonic goods stress image-brand congruence and emotional articulation; low-involvement goods
stress brand awareness and availability 7 8 .
• Models: Two key frameworks – the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S–O–R) model and the Engel-
Blackwell-Miniard (EBM) model – describe consumer behaviour, acknowledging no single model fits
all situations. (Key takeaway: consumer understanding is central, motivations vary, involvement is
situational.)
• Roles in Buying: In B2B and household contexts, roles include Initiator, Influencer, Decider, Buyer,
User. B2B buying has stages (problem recognition, value analysis, supplier selection, contracting)
and situations (straight rebuy, modified rebuy, new buy) with multiple decision-makers.

Market Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning (STP)

• Segmentation: Dividing a market into groups with distinct needs/wants (segments should be
heterogeneous between each other and homogeneous within) 1 . Firms identify existing segments
(not create them). Bases include:
• Geographic: region, country, climate, urban/rural, population density.
• Demographic/Socioeconomic: age, life-cycle stage, gender, income, education, occupation, family size.
• Psychographic: activities, interests, opinions (AIO), lifestyle, personality, values.

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 • Behavioral: usage (heavy/light), occasions, benefits sought, loyalty/satisfaction levels.
• Effective Segments: Good segments are Measurable (size, purchasing power), Substantial (large/
profitable enough), Accessible (reachable via media and distribution), Differentiable (clearly distinct
needs/behaviors), and Actionable (amenable to marketing strategies) 9 .
• Targeting: Firms evaluate segment attractiveness (size, growth, competition, fit) and select strategy:
• Undifferentiated (mass) marketing: one offer to whole market.
• Differentiated (multi-segment): separate offers for distinct segments.
• Concentrated (niche): focus on one or few segments.
• Micromarketing: local or individual (customized) marketing.
• Positioning: Crafting a brand’s place in the consumer’s mind relative to competitors. It involves
defining a clear value proposition (how the product solves target needs differently/better). Tools
include perceptual mapping and a brand ladder (linking product features to functional benefits,
emotional benefits, and personal values). The Brand Ladder highlights benefits at different levels to
connect features to consumers’ end goals 10 . A strong position should be believable, differentiated,
and aligned with core consumer values.

Product Decisions
• Product Levels: (Often covered in textbooks) – Core product (basic benefit), Actual product (features,
design, brand) and Augmented product (warranty, service, delivery).
• Product Classification: Consumer products: convenience, shopping, specialty, unsought. Industrial
products: materials, capital items, supplies/services. (Firms manage product mix breadth/depth
accordingly.)
• New Product Development (NPD): Follows stages (idea generation, screening, concept testing,
development, test marketing, commercialization). Many firms use a Stage-Gate process for NPD.
(E.g., CavinKare’s shampoo-hair-color was developed via Stage-Gate.)
• Product Life Cycle: Products pass through Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Decline stages. Marketing
strategies (pricing, promotion, distribution) adapt per stage. (Intro: penetration or skimming pricing;
Growth: expand, advertise; Maturity: defend share, differentiate; Decline: harvest or divest.)
• Services: Have characteristics of intangibility, inseparability, variability, perishability. Marketing mix
extended to 7Ps: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical evidence.

Brand Management
• Brand & Brand Equity: A brand is a name/symbol (brand identity) that differentiates a product.
Brand Identity = set of aspirational associations (promise to customers) 11 ; Brand Image = actual
consumer perceptions 12 . Brand Equity is the added value from brand ownership – reflected in
consumers’ willingness to pay a premium or increased demand 13 . It is a valuable intangible asset:
strong brands allow higher margins or sales volumes. (Eg. Nike/Apple derive 80% of market cap from
brand equity 14 .)
• Brand Architecture: Strategy for a firm’s portfolio of brands 15 . Common forms:
• Branded House (corporate brand used broadly, e.g. Whirlpool) 15 .
• House of Brands (independent product brands, e.g. P&G) 15 .
• Sub-brand/hybrid (master brand + product name, e.g. Cadbury Dairy Milk) 15 .
• Endorsed brand (product brand endorsed by corporate, e.g. Courtyard by Marriott) 15 .
• Branding Strategies: Extensions (line/brand), co-branding, brand repositioning. Builds equity via
consistent identity and communications.

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Pricing
• Objectives: Can be profit-oriented (short-term profits) or market-oriented (share, penetration).
Penetration pricing (low price to gain volume) vs. Market Skimming (high initial price to “skim” top
segment) 16 . Others: prestige pricing, survival pricing, etc.
• Factors Influencing Price: Internal: cost structure, marketing objectives, product lifecycle stage 17 .
External: demand elasticity, competition, distribution channel (margins), legal/ethical constraints 17 .
• Process: (1) Set objectives 16 ; (2) Estimate demand/price elasticity; (3) Determine costs (fixed/
variable, economies of scale) 18 ; (4) Analyze competitors’ pricing; (5) Choose method (cost-plus/
markup, competition-based, value-based) 19 . Also consider psychological pricing (odd-even pricing,
reference prices).
• Price Discrimination: Charging different prices to different customers or quantities – First-degree
(personalized), Second-degree (quantity discounts), Third-degree (customer segments/groups) 20 .
Airlines use dynamic pricing (first-degree).

Place (Distribution)
• Channels: A marketing channel (or distribution channel) is the path that products take from producer
to consumer 21 . It comprises intermediaries (agents, wholesalers, retailers, e-commerce platforms).
• Channel Functions: Intermediaries perform logistics (transport, warehousing, inventory
management) and facilitating functions (financing, risk-taking, marketing communications,
negotiation) 22 .
• Distribution Intensity:
• Intensive: stocked in as many outlets as possible (for convenience goods) 23 .
• Selective: limited number of outlets (for shopping goods) 23 .
• Exclusive: very few or single outlets (specialty/high-end goods) 24 .
• Logistics/Physical Distribution: Order processing (order-to-cash cycle), warehousing, inventory
management (reorder points, carrying costs, JIT), and transportation decisions all ensure products
are available at the right place/time 25 .
• Multi-channel & Omni-channel: Firms often use multiple channels simultaneously (e.g. direct
online plus retail). Channel design includes level (direct vs. indirect, single vs. multiple tiers) and
partnerships (e.g. franchise, distributors).

Promotion (Marketing Communications)

• Promotion Mix: Includes Advertising (paid mass media), Sales Promotion (coupons, discounts,
events), Personal Selling (sales force), Public Relations/PR (news, events, sponsorships), Direct
Marketing (email, telemarketing), Events/Experiential, Social Media Marketing, and Word of Mouth
initiatives 26 . Each has pros/cons in reach, control, credibility, cost.
• Media Mix: Media are categorized as Owned (company websites, blogs, social pages), Paid (TV/radio/
print ads, pay-per-click), and Earned (publicity, customer reviews, social sharing) 27 . An IMC
approach coordinates all channels so messages reinforce each other across touchpoints 28 .
• Creative Strategy: Advertising appeals (fear, humor, guilt, sex, etc.) are chosen to motivate the
target. Key is message framing (positive vs. negative) and relevance. Creative examples range from
emotional appeals (joy, pride) to functional messages.
• Budgeting: Common methods are % of Sales, Competitive Parity (match competitors’ spending), and
Objective & Task (cost of achieving desired outcomes) 29 .

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 • Measurement & Metrics:
• Awareness: top-of-mind awareness (TOMA), aided/unaided recall, recognition (serving as proxies for
spread).
• Attitude/Intent: surveys on preferences, message recall.
• Behavioral: trial rates, repeat purchase rates, loyalty measures (CLV).
• Communication metrics: share of voice (brand vs. competitors’ ad spend), share of mind (mental
availability), website impressions, click-through rates, social engagement.
• Promotional: coupon/redemption rates, event attendance, media impressions and GRPs/TRPs 4 .
• Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC): Coordinating all promotional tools to present a
cohesive message. IMC aims that each channel/tool (ad, PR, digital, etc.) reinforces the others to
maximize impact 28 . For example, a campaign might use TV ads to build awareness, supported by
online ads and in-store promotions.

Digital & Interactive Marketing (Key Points)

• Search Advertising (SEM): Firms bid on keywords to appear in search results. Pricing is often Cost-
Per-Click (CPC). The Quality Score (which determines ad rank) depends on expected click-through-
rate (CTR), ad relevance (keyword-to-ad match), and landing-page quality 30 . Higher quality scores
reduce actual CPC.
• Social Media & Online Metrics: Online ads are evaluated by CTR = Clicks/Impressions, conversion rate
(desired actions/clicks), engagement (likes, shares, comments), and return on ad spend. SEO (organic
search) success is tracked via search rankings and traffic. Content marketing emphasizes SEO
keywords, content relevance, and brand storytelling.

Case Studies

CavinKare (India, Hair Color – Indica Easy shampoo color)

• Context: CavinKare (chairman C.K. Ranganathan) in 2017. The company had innovated Indica Easy
(shampoo-based hair dye) in 2015, creating a new subcategory. It performed well, capturing
consumer interest. The hair color market was growing, especially in South India (≈25% of national
market) with competitors like Godrej Expert leading 31 . Ranganathan faced strategic choices: grow
existing product/markets vs. enter new markets vs. new products, under intensifying competition
32 .

• Analysis: CavinKare used a Stage-Gate® new-product process. They conducted concept testing with
target users (male/female, age 25–40, upper SEC) to refine Indica Easy. Concept tests (highlighting
the 2-min shampoo + 10-min color process) showed very high trial intent (~90%) and helped fix the
price point (ideal ₹29 per sachet) 33 34 . This validated strong demand among existing powder/
cream color users 33 35 .
• Strategy: Given budget limits and regional consumption patterns, CavinKare launched Indica Easy
regionally. They targeted Southern India first (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh) where local-language
TV ads were cheaper. In North India (e.g. UP), they noted reliance on expensive national media, so
rollout would be slower 36 . They avoided markets (e.g. Rajasthan) dominated by henna where
success was unlikely 37 . Distribution partners (distributors/retailers) were selected based on
knowledge and willingness to carry a new product 38 .
• Outcome/Decisions: Indica Easy became a hit in the south. Going forward, CavinKare questioned
whether to rely only on shampoo-based dyes or develop other formats (oil/spray) and whether to

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 further expand distribution or target new demographics (e.g. premium men’s hair color, since men
were ~20–40% of color users) 31 39 . The case’s “Road Ahead” posed open strategic questions (e.g.
expand geographically vs. new categories) that hinge on balancing innovation vs. core markets 32
31 .

Evoe Spring Spa (India, Wellness/Spa Start-up)

• Industry: India’s wellness (spas, preventive health, beauty) sector was booming (~20% CAGR, from
~₹4–5B for spas) due to rising incomes, health consciousness, and lifestyle changes 40 . Work stress,
nuclear families, and media exposure made quick spa treatments attractive. Traditional Ayurvedic
services coexisted with Western therapies; “fusion spas” were emerging. Consumers valued
convenience (mall-based spas) and brand trust.
• Venture Concept: Evoe was founded by three corporate professionals aiming to provide affordable
spa experiences. They conducted primary research (focus groups, interviews) to uncover core
customer values. Using sticky-note exercises, they distilled the core emotional benefit as “feeling
good about life”. Surrounding values were grouped into themes (health, indulgence, escapism) 41 .
• Positioning Development: Based on the core value “feeling good about life,” they generated three
positioning concepts (with affordability as a key premise) 41 :
• “Affordable Indulgence” – Emphasize spas as feel-good experiences now within everyone’s reach;
pro: preserves spa’s glamorous image; con: hard to convince cost-conscious customers of lowered
price.
• “Affordable Health” – Emphasize scientifically proven health benefits of spa therapies; pro: tangible
benefit (health) and credibility; con: must convince consumers of medical legitimacy, with price as
secondary.
• “A Little Vacation” – Position spa as mini-vacation/escape (implied by relaxing treatments). (Exhibit
materials outline pros/cons for each.)
• Evaluation & Decision: They prepared concept boards (visual mock-ups) for each positioning and
set criteria: must resonate with first-time and repeat spa users, be motivating, easily communicate-
able, and clearly differentiated to build brand equity 42 . Ultimately, they selected the positioning
that best aligned with core values and business goals (the case implies “A Little Vacation” was
preferred, stressing escape and emotional well-being).
• Key Takeaways: The Evoe case illustrates value proposition design and positioning by laddering
benefits to consumer values (brand ladder). It highlights segmentation (target: busy, middle-class
working adults seeking stress relief) and the importance of affordable pricing in a nascent market. It
also underscores testing positioning options before launch.

PSI India – Operation Lighthouse (HIV/AIDS Prevention)

• Context: PSI India (non-profit health org) launched Operation Lighthouse to combat HIV among
high-risk groups at India’s major port cities (migrant workers, sailors, truckers, and sex workers).
Research showed port communities had high HIV rates 43 . PSI’s objectives for the project (to be
achieved in four years) included: increasing condom use among targets, reducing risky sex,
improving STI diagnosis and treatment, expanding condom availability, encouraging open
discussion of HIV/AIDS, and shifting policies toward prevention 44 .
• Strategy: The core strategy was targeted behavior-change communications focused on male port
workers, supported by social marketing of condoms 45 . Mumbai was chosen as the pilot city
(highest case load) with plans to replicate elsewhere. They also considered mobile clinics for

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 voluntary testing as supportive tactics. USAID funded $20M over 5 years, enabling full
implementation. PSI reviewed its own research on cultural barriers to safe sex to shape messaging.
• Agency & Creative: PSI held a competition for an ad agency/campaign. Two finalists emerged:
Ogilvy & Mather (edgy campaigns like “Give AIDS the Finger”) and Lowe Lintas (concept of Balbir
Pasha, a fictional everyman). Lowe’s idea used the tagline “Will Balbir Pasha Get AIDS?”, depicting
Balbir in risky situations to prompt viewers to reflect on their own behavior 46 . The selection
committee debated whether Balbir’s humorously direct style was too radical (risk of backlash or
simplifying the issue) 47 . Ultimately, in-country partners favored Balbir’s language of the “common
man,” believing it would increase awareness and conversation 48 .
• Focus & Scaling: Strategic questions arose: Should communications focus on general HIV awareness
or specifically on condom-use barriers? And how localized should the campaign be (Mumbai-centric
vs. generic for all ports)? The team had to balance a culturally resonant first phase in Mumbai with
the goal of easily adapting messages elsewhere 49 . (For example, they needed to decide if slogans
should be in Hindi or local languages.)
• Key Outcomes: The case (both Part A and B) concludes with decisions on campaign strategy. Balbir
Pasha was ultimately used widely, as it resonated with target audiences. PSI’s integrated campaign
combined mass media (TV spots, posters), grassroots outreach and expanded condom distribution.
The case highlights social marketing principles (behavior objectives, segment-tailored messaging,
use of catchy characters), and emphasizes the role of creative strategy in public-health promotion.

Exam-Focused Concepts (flags): S-O-R Model and EBM model (multiple frameworks for consumer
behavior); Segmentation criteria (MSADA) 9 ; STP process (not all exam details given in slides, but core
terms like Segment, Target, Position are key); Brand Equity definition 13 ; Brand Architecture types 15 ;
Pricing strategies (penetration vs. skimming) 16 and factors 17 ; Distribution intensity levels 23 24 ;
Promotion mix elements and IMC concept 26 28 ; Consumer decision sequences (Know–Feel–Do etc.)
6 . The case studies themselves are exam-worthy: CavinKare’s use of concept testing and regional launch

strategy 33 36 ; Evoe’s positioning exercise and brand ladder approach 41 42 ; and PSI’s targeted behavior-
change campaign (objectives, creative choice of Balbir Pasha) 44 46 .

These notes compile all unique models, definitions, and strategic insights from the course materials. They
avoid repetition (e.g. each concept explained once) and emphasize faculty-highlighted and high-yield exam
content. All standard model names (Ansoff Matrix, S–O–R, Brand Equity, etc.) are kept intact for clarity 13 .
Sources from the provided slides, prereads, and cases are cited for reference.

Sources: Course slides and readings (Slides_Merged.pdf, Prereads_Merged.pdf, Casestudies_Merged.pdf)

provided all cited content above 1 33 41 .

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Slides_Merged.pdf
file://file-U7oJqYtKQ31kxnQWk1bdvA

10 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Casestudies_Merged.pdf
file://file-DCivwinJdkQc2fp2pW2N9t

14 Prereads_Merged.pdf
file://file-Ga6ug8kFKJdqxvdVGFApe4