4Cs and 4Ps, Essay Example

When an organization plans to introduce a new product or service, it usually undertakes a marketing planning process commonly known as 4Ps. 4Ps stands for Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. In short, 4Ps help organizations decide which product/s or service/s it plans to offer, the price that will be charged for the respective product/s or service/s, the marketing and promotional activities that will be undertaken to increase awareness of the product/s or service/s, and finally the distribution channels that will be utilized to deliver the product/s or service/s to the customers. A better alternative to 4Ps is 4Cs which stands for Consumer/Capability, Cost, Convenience, and Communication (venturehothouse). The advantage of 4Cs is that it puts customers at the center of the marketing focus. Under 4Cs, the company tries to determine how it can meet a targeted market’s particular need or provide a solution to a problem. Instead of focusing on the price, the company shifts its focus towards operating efficiency to ensure low production costs and better value for customers. The shift from place to convenience means the company tries to determine what would be the most convenient channels of distribution for the customers instead of forcing distribution channels upon the customers. Similarly, communications is a broader concept than just marketing because communication is two-way interaction with customers rather than one-way interaction that many promotional activities are (McClean).

When I bought iPad 2, my first purchasing criteria was the capabilities of the tablet device in meeting both my media entertainment as well as basic computing needs. I compared iPad 2 with several competing products including Motorola Xoom and Blackberry Playbook and determined that iPad 2 was the most competitive in terms of features. I also compared iPad 2 with others in terms of value because features can only be compared reliably when cost is also taken into account. iPad 2 actually turned out to be cheaper than competing products, even with better features. Similarly, I also liked the fact that I could purchase iPad 2 online because internet is convenient. Before buying the product, I interacted with Apple’s customer service through both phone and internet and always got timely and well-crafted responses which also strengthened my loyalty to the company. In addition to 4Cs, I also looked at the complementary products of each tablet device such as Apps store and optional accessories. I found that iPad 2 didn’t only have more Apps than any other device but optional accessories could also be easily found everywhere and at different price points. Thus, I believe that a company’s business partners or support network does help it expand the market of its products.

References

McClean, R. (n.d.). Marketing 101 – 4 C’s versus the 4 P’s of Marketing. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.customfitfocus.com/marketing-1.htm

Venturehothouse. (n.d.). Construct a 4C’s and 4P’s Analysis. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.venturehothouse.co.uk/cms/default.asp?contentid=95