Definition

Marketing mix elements are components of the marketing composition that play a role in the process of promoting and selling products and services. These elements concern various aspects of activities related to creating and communicating the brand and interacting with customers and competitors. 

Trivia

1. There are different marketing mix models, the elements of which may differ or complement each other. The most popular is the 4 P mix concept, which consists of: product, price, promotion and place. 
2. Different concepts take into account different perspectives: the 4 P model works well in relation to the sale of products, the 7 P takes into account issues important when offering services, while the 4 C mix focuses on capturing the perspective of the customer as a participant in marketing processes.
3. The purpose of considering individual elements of the marketing mix is to optimize the sales process: creating the right product and then selling it to the right recipients at the best time and place, for the right price.

Information 

The marketing mix model may contain different components and present different perspectives. When choosing your own planning scheme, it is worth considering adapting the tool to the specificity of the product or service offered.

The most common elements of marketing mix plans

Factors focused on the functioning of the enterprise:

1. People - Not only the quality of the product or service itself, but also how the customer perceives the offer depends on the attitude, good work organization and professionalism of employees.
2. Place - one where a product or service is sold. It may be a stationary or online store, your own place or purchased from another seller. Storage and transportation issues also need to be considered.
3. Processes - all sales-related activities performed by the company, the efficiency and effectiveness of which depend on the degree of automation of the service and enabling quick interaction with the seller at stages where questions may arise from the customer.
4. Market environment - refers to shaping the brand image and creating a distinctive product.  
5. Partners - external persons or organizations, cooperation with whom results in increasing the range of marketing activities.

Product focused factors:

1. product (or service) - At this point, the project of what will be sold is planned and developed, the technologies needed for it are developed and the need to which the product or service is to respond is determined. 
2. packaging - it is important to adapt the packaging design so that, on the one hand, it protects the product and, on the other hand, it appeals to the customer with its aesthetics. 
3. price - price adjustment should be based on the assumption of generating profit and determining the price-quality ratio.
4. positioning - is the determination of the value (quality and price) of a product or service in relation to similar offers proposed by competitors. 
5. special offer - a number of information and persuasion activities aimed at reaching a specific group of recipients. 

Customer-centric factors:

1. planning and research - in mix models, it concerns determining the specificity of the target group, who the customer is, what his needs, opportunities and limitations are. 
2. material evidence - external confirmation of the quality of the services offered (e.g. reviews, guarantees). Material evidence is intended to facilitate the customer's decision-making process by authenticating the offer.
3. personalization - planning the extent to which the offer can be changed to make it adequate to the individual needs of the client.

Summary

Marketing mix elements enable the creation of general, multi-factor marketing models, and their use in the planning process increases the chance that none of the key aspects have been omitted. The starting point is the 4 P marketing concept, which can be further expanded according to individual needs.

Related entries:

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