Assignment 1

Topic: Marketing Mix and 7 Ps

Submitted to: Mr. Anas Zia
Submitted by: Fatima Tariq
Roll number: 191360047
Date of submission: 15th June 2020
 Marketing process
The marketing process is an intricate arrangement of all the factors required to survive and thrive
in a particular market, it has the sole aim to construct formidable customer relationships by
creating value for customers and capturing value in return.  The marketing process includes Five
key steps that contribute in making the market place an easier place to for functioning. They are
mainly categorized as:

1. Understanding the market place, customer needs and wants

2. Design a customer driven marketing strategy
3. Construct an integrated marketing programme
4. Build profitable relationships and create delight

The first four steps can be divided into a chunk for creating value for customers and building a
relationship with them whereas the last step is related to capturing value from customers in
return.

Construction of integrated marketing plan

The success of a potential firm depends largely on its marketing strategy as it offers an outline of
which target customers the firm plans to entertain and all the ways it can do so. A well processed
marketing plans uses tools of the “marketing mix” that narrow down all factors which stimulate
customers to buy its products. A marketing mix was typically made up of the four Ps I.e. Price,
product, promotion and place until recently. The services sector can add Physical environment,
process and people. This 7p formula is used to continuously to evaluate and reevaluate business
activities.
Whether it be a multinational firm or a local one the marketing mix is applicable to all, for this
purpose a firm like Sharjah tiles is a decent example to study. Sharjah tiles is a tiles and sanitary
ware family owned business operating in Gujranwala city for over 10 years. It has expanded and
sustained its market share in a condensed and highly monopolized market by using all 7
marketing mix tools. Sharjah tiles started out as a small firm which now has two strategically
placed branches in the heart of Gujranwala city.

Product

To begin with, the product of a company is its most prominent factor. There are a variety of
products offered by Sharjah tiles. This company first imported tiles from Kuwait and then sold
them through a license but now they have their own factories that mass produce tiles and sanitary
ware as well as a new addition of lighting. They have an array of displays and attend to the
customer demands by catering building materials such as:

1. Tiles
2. Lights
3. Sanitary wear
4. Furniture
 Promotion
In simpler times the simple action of word of mouth or a mere banner would have been enough
to promote or grab the interest of a consumer. As the modern age has introduced alternatives
firms are in a goose chase to steer customers in their direction. Advertising, PR, Sales
Promotion, Personal Selling and social media are all platforms through which firms build their
own identity. Sharjah Tiles actively participates in all these promotional activities. They have an
Instagram Facebook and twitter account which is managed by the social media team. They gave
out advertisements in the Gujranwala times when they launched lights. The Facebook page has
posted updates about their new branch near king’s mall steadily over the course of 3 months.
Since it is a local firm national television is not a necessity however they do hold annual dinners
inviting friends and industry partners as a token of respect and sponsor events in local
universities like GIFT that in return endorse the company’s products and policy.

Facebook handle: Sharjah Tile Center

Instagram handle:Sharjah_tiles

Price

For some consumer’s price is an imperative factor to consider and perhaps the only valid one. A
good price should be in the center of providing satisfaction and creating value in front of the
customer as well as achieving a large margin ahead of the break even. The pricing strategy of
Sharjah tiles is troublesome. Although the quality of their products is high end, they do not
accustom themselves to the local rates and that is where they lack. Consumers may consider their
products high end and expensive. They need to introduce a more affordable range that
accommodates people of all levels of purchasing power.

Place

Rationality would tell us that a budding firm should locate its branch in market where it is easily
accessible to the consumer so that on visiting the site they have no concerns. The corona Virus
has made it a challenge to hand pick products, hence Sharjah tiles has planned to rely on e
commerce. They have planned to launch an application through which buying can be made
easier. Their main branch is located on National Hwy 5, Shaheenabad, Gujranwala, Punjab. It is
opposite the Bus stands and quite a crowded place on any given day. Their new branch near
king’s mall is much more secluded and well built. Both the buildings have multiple stories and
have an exquisite interior.

The prime locations reduce the hassle of needing directions and they are both pinned on google
maps.

People

As humans we crave human contact and are prone to interconnect better through human
dealings. Human capital is a requirement of every company and especially in salesmanship.
Sharjah tiles offers training courses for its employees so that they are better equipped in dealing
with customers. They practice the mantra of “the customer is always right”. Sharjah tiles has a
typical chain of command structure. The head being the company owner and his sons,
Departments operating under them would be sales, human resource, Accounts and finance,
supply manager, branch manager. Line workers are the workers in most contact with the
consumers but also the most neglected ones. The heads keep a sharp eye on the line workers and
they have minimum set wages. As long as they are unsatisfied they may not perform that well in
customer dealing which is a loss to the company.

Process

The process of the whole business interaction is a part of what the consumer is paying for.
Sharjah tiles has minimal paperwork, consumers usually choose their preferred designs over a
few visits and once the cash in hand is deposited the tiles are delivered to the set site as a
courtesy service. The billings affairs are handled by the manager and there is no excessive need
of handing identification cards. Once the designs are chosen the company calls to check if the
products have been checked and offer 2 days for return or report of any damaged pieces. All
products are custom made as they are imported so there are rarely any grey areas.

Physical evidence

Physical evidence comprises of the elements which are incorporated into a service to make it
tangible and somewhat measurable. Services as we know are largely intangible when marketing.
However, customers tend to rely on physical cues to help them evaluate the product before they
buy it. The physical layout of Sharjah tiles is impressive in itself, since it is only partially a
services company it has neglected this particular tool. The brand logo offers reassurance to the
consumers and so does the packaging. The company has a scenic location and certificates placed
on all floors. All transactions are billed electronically.

Existence of 12 Ps
For an extended period, it was radically assumed that the marketing mix is only limited to 7ps
however the new Ps of services marketing have recently surfaced known as “Productivity and
Quality” “prestige” “portfolio” “packaging” and “proof”. Out of all of these productivity and
quality has been given the most recognition and developed into different spheres of thinking.
This P is what it can do for customers. This P wants to introduce a new USP every year for
example IPhone introducing an altered phone every year and keeping the consumers engaged in
the products. This P is especially good to show your product can do wonders for the users.
Importance of marketing mix
History has told us that many well established companies have been devastated just because they
neglected to refer to the basics that they had started out with for example creating a marketing
strategy, conducting PESTEL and SWOT analysis and other managerial and marketing tools.
The marketing mix model is actually one of the first things an organization should consider when
starting a business. The reason for this is because all the company’s decisions on positioning,
targeting, and segmentation will depend on this model. The significance of this tool and the
ability to use it to one’s own advantage is what sets the pedestal between ordinary firms and
multinational ones.