The 8 Ps of Marketing build upon the foundation of the traditional 4 Ps by introducing four additional dimensions—People, Processes, Physical Evidence, and Performance. This extended framework acknowledges the profound influence these elements have on the success of marketing strategies.
Let’s delve into each of the 8 Ps:
Product: This core element of marketing encompasses the development and management of the products or services a business offers. It involves product design, features, branding, and differentiation.
Price: Price refers to the cost associated with a product or service and plays a critical role in positioning the offering within the market. Pricing strategies, discounts, and value propositions fall under this category.
Place: Place, also known as distribution, addresses how products or services are made available to customers. It involves channels, locations, logistics, and inventory management.
Promotion: Promotion involves all the activities and strategies used to communicate and market products or services to target audiences. It includes advertising, public relations, sales promotions, and digital marketing.
People: The People dimension emphasizes the importance of personnel in delivering quality customer experiences. It includes hiring, training, and empowering employees to represent the brand effectively.
Processes: Processes refer to the internal systems and procedures that guide how products or services are developed, delivered, and maintained. Efficient processes can lead to cost savings and improved customer experiences.
Physical Evidence: This element focuses on the tangible aspects of a business, including its physical location, packaging, branding materials, and any tangible cues that influence customer perceptions.
Performance: Performance metrics and data analysis are critical for evaluating marketing efforts’ effectiveness. This dimension involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and adjusting strategies based on data-driven insights.
The 8 Ps of Marketing offer a more holistic view of the marketing landscape, acknowledging that success hinges on factors beyond the traditional 4 Ps. Here’s why these additional dimensions are significant:
Customer-Centricity: The People dimension emphasizes that employees play a crucial role in delivering quality customer experiences. This customer-centric approach can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Efficiency and Optimization: Processes ensure that marketing efforts are executed efficiently, leading to cost savings and improved resource allocation.
Tangible Branding: Physical Evidence focuses on the tangible aspects of a brand, which can strongly influence customer perceptions and brand loyalty.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: The Performance dimension underscores the importance of measuring marketing efforts and using data to make informed decisions and refine strategies.
Strategies for Implementing the 8 Ps
1. Product
Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to understand customer needs and preferences. Use this data to inform product development and differentiation strategies.
Product Lifecycle Management: Implement effective product lifecycle management strategies to ensure that products remain relevant and competitive throughout their lifecycle.
Branding: Create a strong brand identity that resonates with your target audience and communicates the unique value of your product.
2. Price
Value-Based Pricing: Base pricing decisions on the perceived value of the product or service to the customer. Consider competitors’ pricing and market positioning.
Dynamic Pricing: Utilize dynamic pricing strategies that adjust prices based on factors like demand, seasonality, and customer behavior.
Bundling and Discounts: Explore bundling options and discounts to incentivize larger purchases and enhance the perceived value.
3. Place
Distribution Channels: Identify the most effective distribution channels for your product, whether it’s through retailers, e-commerce platforms, or direct sales.
Supply Chain Optimization: Optimize your supply chain to minimize costs, reduce lead times, and ensure product availability.
Geographic Expansion: Consider expanding your reach to new geographic locations to tap into untapped markets.
4. Promotion
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC): Develop an integrated marketing communications plan that ensures consistency in messaging across various channels.
Content Marketing: Create valuable, relevant content that educates and engages your target audience.
Social Media Engagement: Actively engage with your audience on social media platforms to foster relationships and gather feedback.
5. People
Employee Training: Invest in training programs to equip employees with the knowledge and skills to deliver excellent customer service.
Employee Engagement: Foster a positive workplace culture that empowers employees and aligns with your brand’s values.
Customer-Facing Roles: Select and train employees in customer-facing roles carefully, as they directly impact customer perceptions.
6. Processes
Continuous Improvement: Implement a culture of continuous improvement to regularly assess and refine internal processes.
Automation: Leverage automation tools and technologies to streamline repetitive tasks and reduce errors.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between different departments to improve end-to-end processes.
7. Physical Evidence
Branding Elements: Ensure that all physical branding elements, from packaging to signage, align with your brand’s identity and values.
In-Person Experiences: Create memorable in-person experiences for customers who visit physical locations.
Consistency: Maintain consistency in physical branding across all customer touchpoints.
8. Performance
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify and track relevant KPIs, such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value.
Data Analytics: Utilize data analytics tools to gain insights into customer behavior and marketing performance.
A/B Testing: Conduct A/B tests to optimize marketing campaigns and strategies based on real-time data.
Real-World Examples
Let’s explore how well-known companies have implemented the 8 Ps of Marketing:
Apple Inc.
Product: Apple focuses on creating innovative, user-friendly products known for their design and functionality.
Price: Apple employs a premium pricing strategy, positioning its products as high-end offerings.
Place: Apple utilizes a mix of physical retail stores and online sales to reach customers globally.
Promotion: Apple’s marketing campaigns emphasize product features and user experiences.
Amazon
People: Amazon invests in employee training and development to ensure efficient order fulfillment and customer support.
Processes: The company has optimized its supply chain and logistics processes to offer fast and reliable deliveries.
Physical Evidence: Amazon’s branded packaging and delivery experience reinforce its commitment to customer satisfaction.
Performance: Amazon continuously analyzes customer data to enhance product recommendations and user experiences.
Evolving Landscape of Marketing
The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, influenced by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and global events. Here are some trends and considerations within the context of the 8 Ps:
Digital Transformation: The digital landscape continues to expand, making online presence and e-commerce capabilities critical for businesses.
Data Privacy: Heightened concerns about data privacy require businesses to be transparent and responsible in handling customer data.
Sustainability: Consumers increasingly favor brands that prioritize sustainability and ethical practices.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-driven analytics and automation are becoming essential for understanding customer behavior and personalizing marketing efforts.
E-commerce Innovation: New e-commerce technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) shopping experiences, are reshaping online retail.
Supply Chain Resilience: Global disruptions, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of resilient supply chains.
Performance Metrics: Businesses are placing greater emphasis on performance metrics to measure marketing ROI effectively.
Conclusion
The 8 Ps of Marketing provide a comprehensive framework for crafting effective marketing strategies in today’s dynamic business environment. By considering the extended dimensions of People, Processes, Physical Evidence, and Performance, businesses can better align with customer needs, streamline operations, enhance brand perception, and make data-driven decisions. As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, staying attuned to these eight dimensions is key to achieving marketing success and maintaining a competitive edge.
Related Frameworks
Description
When to Apply
4Ps of Marketing
– A foundational marketing framework that comprises the elements of Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. The 4Ps of Marketing help organizations design and implement marketing strategies by optimizing these key components to meet customer needs, achieve business objectives, and create value for stakeholders.
– When developing marketing plans, launching new products, or optimizing marketing tactics. – Applying the 4Ps of Marketing framework to align product offerings, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotional activities effectively.
Extended Marketing Mix (7Ps)
– An expansion of the traditional 4Ps of Marketing to include three additional elements: People, Process, and Physical Evidence. The 7Ps of Marketing framework recognizes the importance of people, service processes, and tangible evidence in delivering value and enhancing customer experiences in service-based industries.
– When marketing services, experiences, or intangible offerings. – Incorporating the 7Ps of Marketing framework to address additional elements such as service quality, customer interactions, and service environment effectively.
8Ps of Services Marketing
– An extension of the traditional marketing mix to include additional elements specifically tailored for services marketing. The 8Ps of Services Marketing framework adds People, Physical Evidence, and Process to the traditional 4Ps to address the unique challenges and opportunities associated with marketing services.
– When marketing services or service-based offerings. – Applying the 8Ps of Services Marketing framework to address service-specific considerations such as service quality, customer interactions, and service delivery effectively.
4Cs of Marketing
– A customer-centric marketing framework that reframes the traditional 4Ps of Marketing from the perspective of the customer. The 4Cs of Marketing replace Product with Customer Needs and Wants, Price with Cost to the Customer, Place with Convenience, and Promotion with Communication.
– When adopting a customer-centric approach to marketing strategy and execution. – Embracing the 4Cs of Marketing framework to prioritize customer value, convenience, communication, and satisfaction effectively.
7Cs of Communication
– A communication-focused framework that expands on the traditional marketing mix to include additional elements essential for effective communication strategies. The 7Cs of Communication encompass Clarity, Credibility, Consistency, Context, Channels, Capability, and Content.
– When planning communication strategies, messages, or campaigns. – Incorporating the 7Cs of Communication framework to ensure clear, credible, consistent, and contextually relevant communication across various channels effectively.
8Cs of Effective Communication
– An extension of the traditional communication mix to include additional elements aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of communication efforts. The 8Cs of Effective Communication encompass Clarity, Conciseness, Concreteness, Correctness, Consideration, Completeness, Courtesy, and Connection.
– When striving to improve the effectiveness and impact of communication initiatives. – Applying the 8Cs of Effective Communication framework to craft clear, concise, compelling, and considerate messages that resonate with target audiences effectively.
9Cs of Marketing
– A comprehensive marketing framework that extends beyond the traditional marketing mix to include additional elements essential for holistic marketing strategy and execution. The 9Cs of Marketing encompass Customer Needs, Cost to the Customer, Convenience, Communication, Clarity, Consistency, Credibility, Consideration, and Connection.
– When developing integrated marketing strategies that prioritize customer-centricity, communication effectiveness, and brand consistency. – Incorporating the 9Cs of Marketing framework to address key aspects of marketing strategy, customer engagement, and brand building effectively.
4Cs of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
– An IMC-focused framework that redefines the traditional 4Ps of Marketing from a communication perspective. The 4Cs of IMC replace Product with Content, Price with Cost, Place with Channel, and Promotion with Communication. This framework emphasizes the importance of integrating communication efforts across channels and touchpoints.
– When developing integrated marketing communication strategies and campaigns. – Adopting the 4Cs of IMC framework to ensure seamless communication, consistency, and alignment across marketing channels and touchpoints effectively.
7S Framework
– A strategic management framework that identifies seven internal elements critical for organizational success. The 7S Framework encompasses Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff. While not directly related to marketing, the 7S Framework provides a holistic view of organizational dynamics that can impact marketing effectiveness.
– When conducting organizational analysis, change management, or strategic planning. – Utilizing the 7S Framework to assess organizational alignment, identify areas for improvement, and enhance marketing capabilities effectively.
4Es of Marketing
– A customer-centric marketing framework that emphasizes Engagement, Experience, Exclusivity, and Emotion as key drivers of marketing effectiveness. The 4Es of Marketing shift the focus from transactional marketing to building emotional connections and delivering memorable experiences that resonate with customers.
– When aiming to create meaningful customer experiences, foster brand loyalty, and drive customer engagement. – Incorporating the 4Es of Marketing framework to prioritize customer engagement, experiential marketing, and emotional branding effectively.
Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategy where the marketing and sales departments come together to create personalized buying experiences for high-value accounts. Account-based marketing is a business-to-business (B2B) approach in which marketing and sales teams work together to target high-value accounts and turn them into customers.
Ad Ops – also known as Digital Ad Operations – refers to systems and processes that support digital advertisements’ delivery and management. The concept describes any process that helps a marketing team manage, run, or optimize ad campaigns, making them an integrating part of the business operations.
Venture capitalist, Dave McClure, coined the acronym AARRR which is a simplified model that enables to understand what metrics and channels to look at, at each stage for the users’ path toward becoming customers and referrers of a brand.
Affinity marketing involves a partnership between two or more businesses to sell more products. Note that this is a mutually beneficial arrangement where one brand can extend its reach and enhance its credibility in association with the other.
As the name suggests, ambush marketing raises awareness for brands at events in a covert and unexpected fashion. Ambush marketing takes many forms, one common element, the brand advertising their products or services has not paid for the right to do so. Thus, the business doing the ambushing attempts to capitalize on the efforts made by the business sponsoring the event.
Affiliate marketing describes the process whereby an affiliate earns a commission for selling the products of another person or company. Here, the affiliate is simply an individual who is motivated to promote a particular product through incentivization. The business whose product is being promoted will gain in terms of sales and marketing from affiliates.
The bullseye framework is a simple method that enables you to prioritize the marketing channels that will make your company gain traction. The main logic of the bullseye framework is to find the marketing channels that work and prioritize them.
Brand building is the set of activities that help companies to build an identity that can be recognized by its audience. Thus, it works as a mechanism of identification through core values that signal trust and that help build long-term relationships between the brand and its key stakeholders.
According to inbound marketing platform HubSpot, brand dilution occurs “when a company’s brand equity diminishes due to an unsuccessful brand extension, which is a new product the company develops in an industry that they don’t have any market share in.” Brand dilution, therefore, occurs when a brand decreases in value after the company releases a product that does not align with its vision, mission, or skillset.
The brand essence wheel is a templated approach businesses can use to better understand their brand. The brand essence wheel has obvious implications for external brand strategy. However, it is equally important in simplifying brand strategy for employees without a strong marketing background. Although many variations of the brand essence wheel exist, a comprehensive wheel incorporates information from five categories: attributes, benefits, values, personality, brand essence.
The brand equity is the premium that a customer is willing to pay for a product that has all the objective characteristics of existing alternatives, thus, making it different in terms of perception. The premium on seemingly equal products and quality is attributable to its brand equity.
Brand positioning is about creating a mental real estate in the mind of the target market. If successful, brand positioning allows a business to gain a competitive advantage. And it also works as a switching cost in favor of the brand. Consumers recognizing a brand might be less prone to switch to another brand.
Business storytelling is a critical part of developing a business model. Indeed, the way you frame the story of your organization will influence its brand in the long-term. That’s because your brand story is tied to your brand identity, and it enables people to identify with a company.
Content marketing is one of the most powerful commercial activities which focuses on leveraging content production (text, audio, video, or other formats) to attract a targeted audience. Content marketing focuses on building a strong brand, but also to convert part of that targeted audience into potential customers.
One of the first mentions of customer lifetime value was in the 1988 book Database Marketing: Strategy and Implementation written by Robert Shaw and Merlin Stone. Customer lifetime value (CLV) represents the value of a customer to a company over a period of time. It represents a critical business metric, especially for SaaS or recurring revenue-based businesses.
Customer segmentation is a marketing method that divides the customers in sub-groups, that share similar characteristics. Thus, product, marketing and engineering teams can center the strategy from go-to-market to product development and communication around each sub-group. Customer segments can be broken down is several ways, such as demographics, geography, psychographics and more.
Developer marketing encompasses tactics designed to grow awareness and adopt software tools, solutions, and SaaS platforms. Developer marketing has become the standard among software companies with a platform component, where developers can build applications on top of the core software or open software. Therefore, engaging developer communities has become a key element of marketing for many digital businesses.
A digital channel is a marketing channel, part of a distribution strategy, helping an organization to reach its potential customers via electronic means. There are several digital marketing channels, usually divided into organic and paid channels. Some organic channels are SEO, SMO, email marketing. And some paid channels comprise SEM, SMM, and display advertising.
Field marketing is a general term that encompasses face-to-face marketing activities carried out in the field. These activities may include street promotions, conferences, sales, and various forms of experiential marketing. Field marketing, therefore, refers to any marketing activity that is performed in the field.
interaction with a brand until they become a paid customer and beyond.
Funnel marketing is modeled after the marketing funnel, a concept that tells the company how it should market to consumers based on their position in the funnel itself. The notion of a customer embarking on a journey when interacting with a brand was first proposed by Elias St. Elmo Lewis in 1898.
Funnel marketing typically considers three stages of a non-linear marketing funnel. These are top of the funnel (TOFU), middle of the funnel (MOFU), and bottom of the funnel (BOFU). Particular marketing strategies at each stage are adapted to the level of familiarity the consumer has with a brand.
A go-to-market strategy represents how companies market their new products to reach target customers in a scalable and repeatable way. It starts with how new products/services get developed to how these organizations target potential customers (via sales and marketing models) to enable their value proposition to be delivered to create a competitive advantage.
The term “greenwashing” was first coined by environmentalist Jay Westerveld in 1986 at a time when most consumers received their news from television, radio, and print media. Some companies took advantage of limited public access to information by portraying themselves as environmental stewards – even when their actions proved otherwise. Greenwashing is a deceptive marketing practice where a company makes unsubstantiated claims about an environmentally-friendly product or service.
Grassroots marketing involves a brand creating highly targeted content for a particular niche or audience. When an organization engages in grassroots marketing, it focuses on a small group of people with the hope that its marketing message is shared with a progressively larger audience.
Growth marketing is a process of rapid experimentation, which in a way has to be “scientific” by keeping in mind that it is used by startups to grow, quickly. Thus, the “scientific” here is not meant in the academic sense. Growth marketing is expected to unlock growth, quickly and with an often limited budget.
Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy that seeks to utilize low-cost and sometimes unconventional tactics that are high impact. First coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book of the same title, guerrilla marketing works best on existing customers who are familiar with a brand or product and its particular characteristics.
Hunger marketing is a marketing strategy focused on manipulating consumer emotions. By bringing products to market with an attractive price point and restricted supply, consumers have a stronger desire to make a purchase.
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is an approach used by businesses to coordinate and brand their communication strategies. Integrated marketing communication takes separate marketing functions and combines them into one, interconnected approach with a core brand message that is consistent across various channels. These encompass owned, earned, and paid media. Integrated marketing communication has been used to great effect by companies such as Snapchat, Snickers, and Domino’s.
Inbound marketing is a marketing strategy designed to attract customers to a brand with content and experiences that they derive value from. Inbound marketing utilizes blogs, events, SEO, and social media to create brand awareness and attract targeted consumers. By attracting or “drawing in” a targeted audience, inbound marketing differs from outbound marketing which actively pushes a brand onto consumers who may have no interest in what is being offered.
Integrated marketing describes the process of delivering consistent and relevant content to a target audience across all marketing channels. It is a cohesive, unified, and immersive marketing strategy that is cost-effective and relies on brand identity and storytelling to amplify the brand to a wider and wider audience.
The marketing mix is a term to describe the multi-faceted approach to a complete and effective marketing plan. Traditionally, this plan included the four Ps of marketing: price, product, promotion, and place. But the exact makeup of a marketing mix has undergone various changes in response to new technologies and ways of thinking. Additions to the four Ps include physical evidence, people, process, and even politics.
Marketing myopia is the nearsighted focus on selling goods and services at the expense of consumer needs. Marketing myopia was coined by Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt in 1960. Originally, Levitt described the concept in the context of organizations in high-growth industries that become complacent in their belief that such industries never fail.
Marketing personas give businesses a general overview of key segments of their target audience and how these segments interact with their brand. Marketing personas are based on the data of an ideal, fictional customer whose characteristics, needs, and motivations are representative of a broader market segment.
Meme marketing is any marketing strategy that uses memes to promote a brand. The term “meme” itself was popularized by author Richard Dawkins over 50 years later in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. In the book, Dawkins described how ideas evolved and were shared across different cultures. The internet has enabled this exchange to occur at an exponential rate, with the first modern memes emerging in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Microtargeting is a marketing strategy that utilizes consumer demographic data to identify the interests of a very specific group of individuals. Like most marketing strategies, the goal of microtargeting is to positively influence consumer behavior.
Multichannel marketing executes a marketing strategy across multiple platforms to reach as many consumers as possible. Here, a platform may refer to product packaging, word-of-mouth advertising, mobile apps, email, websites, or promotional events, and all the other channels that can help amplify the brand to reach as many consumers as possible.
Multi-level marketing (MLM), otherwise known as network or referral marketing, is a strategy in which businesses sell their products through person-to-person sales. When consumers join MLM programs, they act as distributors. Distributors make money by selling the product directly to other consumers. They earn a small percentage of sales from those that they recruit to do the same – often referred to as their “downline”.
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a measure of the ability of a product or service to attract word-of-mouth advertising. NPS is a crucial part of any marketing strategy since attracting and then retaining customers means they are more likely to recommend a business to others.
Neuromarketing information is collected by measuring brain activity related to specific brain functions using sophisticated and expensive technology such as MRI machines. Some businesses also choose to make inferences of neurological responses by analyzing biometric and heart-rate data.
Neuromarketing is the domain of large companies with similarly large budgets or subsidies. These include Frito-Lay, Google, and The Weather Channel.
Newsjacking as a marketing strategy was popularised by David Meerman Scott in his book Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage. Newsjacking describes the practice of aligning a brand with a current event to generate media attention and increase brand exposure.
A microniche is a subset of potential customers within a niche. In the era of dominating digital super-platforms, identifying a microniche can kick off the strategy of digital businesses to prevent competition against large platforms. As the microniche becomes a niche, then a market, scale becomes an option.
We can define pull and push marketing from the perspective of the target audience or customers. In push marketing, as the name suggests, you’re promoting a product so that consumers can see it. In a pull strategy, consumers might look for your product or service drawn by its brand.
Real-time marketing is as exactly as it sounds. It involves in-the-moment marketing to customers across any channel based on how that customer is interacting with the brand.
Relationship marketing involves businesses and their brands forming long-term relationships with customers. The focus of relationship marketing is to increase customer loyalty and engagement through high-quality products and services. It differs from short-term processes focused solely on customer acquisition and individual sales.
Reverse marketing describes any marketing strategy that encourages consumers to seek out a product or company on their own. This approach differs from a traditional marketing strategy where marketers seek out the consumer.
Remarketing involves the creation of personalized and targeted ads for consumers who have already visited a company’s website. The process works in this way: as users visit a brand’s website, they are tagged with cookies that follow the users, and as they land on advertising platforms where retargeting is an option (like social media platforms) they get served ads based on their navigation.
Sensory marketing describes any marketing campaign designed to appeal to the five human senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are enabling marketers to design fun, interactive, and immersive sensory marketing brand experiences. Long term, businesses must develop sensory marketing campaigns that are relevant and effective in eCommerce.
Services marketing originated as a separate field of study during the 1980s. Researchers realized that the unique characteristics of services required different marketing strategies to those used in the promotion of physical goods. Services marketing is a specialized branch of marketing that promotes the intangible benefits delivered by a company to create customer value.
Sustainable marketing describes how a business will invest in social and environmental initiatives as part of its marketing strategy. Also known as green marketing, it is often used to counteract public criticism around wastage, misleading advertising, and poor quality or unsafe products.
Word-of-mouth marketing is a marketing strategy skewed toward offering a great experience to existing customers and incentivizing them to share it with other potential customers. That is one of the most effective forms of marketing as it enables a company to gain traction based on existing customers’ referrals. When repeat customers become a key enabler for the brand this is one of the best organic and sustainable growth marketing strategies.
360 marketing is a marketing campaign that utilizes all available mediums, channels, and consumer touchpoints. 360 marketing requires the business to maintain a consistent presence across multiple online and offline channels. This ensures it does not miss potentially lucrative customer segments. By its very nature, 360 marketing describes any number of different marketing strategies. However, a broad and holistic marketing strategy should incorporate a website, SEO, PPC, email marketing, social media, public relations, in-store relations, and traditional forms of advertising such as television.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
