Easy A on Marketing

Have you heard of Pontis Elecronics? It was the first to develop a prototype working mp3 player in 1995. By 1999, it began mass production. Three years after, the company was sold. It was due to less demand and ineffective marketing strategies.¹ Yes, it has a product; but its mistake was paying no attention to the consumers. To expound this, I adapted some arguments of Olive Penderghast in the chick flick Easy A.

The shudder inducing, however totally false account. More product results to higher sales: False. The mistake of the said company was focusing on production. Levitt’s Marketing Myopia stated, “… the product fails to adapt to the constantly changing patterns of consumer needs and tastes, to new and modified marketing institutions and practices, or to product developments in competing or complementary industries. The industry has its eyes firmly on its own specific product that it does not see how it is being made obsolete.”² Aside from Pontis Electronics, there were several others who tried to develop the mp3 player but failed. However, Apple Inc. succeeded when it entered the market. It is because it modifies its products depending on how customers would like it. It improved the specifications of an mp3 player, like capacity and portability. Until now, we can see its evolution from its first generation.

The accelerated velocity of terminological inexactitude. This just means that lies travel fast until words got wrong. After the falsehood about mass production, another emerges about population. It was believed that if there are wealthier and more people, your company can earn a success story. The only way it can earn one is through adjusting through the changing needs of the customers. Kotler suggested that “[The marketer] can try to design the social object more attractively; he can put an attractive terms on the social object; he can add symbolic significance in the social object; and he can make it easier for the market to obtain the social object.”³ Going back to Apple Inc., it did not only offered the mp3 player, iPod, but also the music software, iTunes. It did not only improve the product but presented another new product.

A lady’s choice and a gentleman’s agreement. Mckitterick stated, “So the principal task of the marketing function in a management concept is not so much to be skillful in making the customer do what suits the interests of the business as to be skillful in conceiving and then making the business do what suits the interests of the customer.”⁴ Before the company decides on what to offer, it must first know what the people who would offer them to like and will like. Techno geeks would like their music player to be able to be inserted in their pockets, so Apple Inc. made it thin. They would like it to be not just a music player but an entertainment gadget, so Apple Inc. Gave the iPod an ability to play videos, games, etc.

Not with a fizzle, but with a bang. Remember that marketing aims for profit and customer satisfaction. However, customer satisfaction should come first in order to generate profit. The business must always be mindful of the market. It does not make a product to sell it, but to be bought. It must not picture its product in a grocery shelf, but in the grocery list, better yet on the shopping cart.

 

¹ Abel, Ivan. “The Apple iPod: succeeding where others failed”. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal. Emerald Publishing Group Limited, December 2008.

² Levitt, Theodore. “Marketing Myopia”. Harvard Business Review, 1960.

³ Kotler, Philip. “A Generic Concept of Marketing”. Journal of Marketing. American Marketing Association, April 1972.

⁴ Mckitterick, J.B. “What is Marketing Managemen Concept”. The Frontiers of Marketing Thought and Science. Chicago: American Marketing Association, 1957.

 

K.O.T.L.E.R.

Defining means limiting; and, a question of what always seeks closure. So, it is important to restrict what a word denotes; in this way, people will know where it is applicable or what its usage is. An example would be marketing. No, this is not just the handing over of leaflets of real estate agents nor just the long minutes of bargaining with the seller. It was just a distributor then, until it became a today’s marketer. Marketing in the ancient times was more of trade or barter. Some are nomadic businessmen; those who travel and come to their customers. Usually, transmission of goods will take several months.  I was once one of those who stereotyped marketing as merely advertising, until I read Kotler.

In order to get the picture of Philip Kotler’s Generic Concept of Marketing, I made an acronym out of KOTLER. K represents Key. It is important to know the key idea in the generic concept of marketing. Manifesting the 4Ps, he stated: “Marketing is specifically concerned with how transactions are created, stimulated, facilitated and valued.”¹ Products and Price are marketing essentials just because. Promotion is advantageous. That’s why there are billboards and half-page newspaper ads. Place is everything. Why else would there be another 7/11 at the other side of the road? Or why is there no Starbucks along Avenida? Why else would Pizza Hut deliver until 1 a.m.?

Moving on, the next letter is O. There are loads of Organizations like business firms, educational institutions, and religious orgs to name some. At this point, products of non-business organization are more of services and experience, and price does not need to hurt your pocket. In a little while, there will be an election for the coming school year’s Student Council. They are using marketing, in such manner that they proclaim platforms and provide giveaways to get the votes of the students. From multimillion companies to fraternities to glee clubs, marketing happens as long as it has a product, publics and T.

“The core concept of marketing is the transaction.”² Without the exchange of values among social units, there can be no marketing. This is why product and price are musts. Next in line is L – Logic. This, I think, is what makes non-business organizations say that they use marketing; because its managerial focus eases difficulties. Then, E is for Effectiveness. At this point, a marketer becomes the manager at the same time by realizing strategies and sustaining it. Lastly, R stands for response.

I think many associates marketing with solely promotion, particularly advertising, is because it is what people see. Institutional, functional and social focuses are also of importance. However, managerial focus is of little knowledge to many because it’s an internal operation, yet very vital in making an effective marketing. Kotler gave me a broader perspective on marketing from business to non-business, from products to social objects, from customer to publics, from profit to response. No matter what its focus is, I view Marketing as a means to an end; provide and deliver commodities to the market, and seek effective plans for an acceptance.

¹Kotler, Philip. “A Generic Concept of Marketing”. Journal of Marketing. American Marketing Association, April 1972.

²Ibid.

 

 

Because Kotler is inspiring…

I also made my own version – The 4Ps of Jeepney.

First, Pasada – its trip can be considered as its product, particularly, the driver’s service.

Second, Pamasahe – the fare is the price that the passengers have to pay.

Next, Pagtawag – when the driver stops alongside the road, he shouts his route in order to persuade potential passengers.

Lastly, Para – the jeepney transports the passengers until he hails to a stop. 😀