Marketing Mix of Bata (4 Ps)

Product : Bata has a wide variety of footwear for all age groups and genders. Some of its main products are casual shoes, formal shoes, sandals, kids’
shoes, men and women collection, sports shoes etc. The product line gets upgraded as per the new fashion and trends in the market. Bata is known for its
brand value and quality products, which are extremely durable. Bata has many other brands under it too. Some of the brands that are owned by Bata are
Hush puppies, Spark, Sandak, North Start, Comfit and Moccasino. Bata’s products have recognition in the Indian markets due to their good quality and
affordable prices.
Price : Price is the strongest P in the marketing mix of Bata because BATA has had a fantastic response from the market due its affordable and mass
market pricing. Bata uses psychological pricing as its pricing strategy. Bata generally prices a product to the nearest lower “9” digit figure of the actual
price. Bata started using this strategy in terms of pricing its products long back, but it is still implemented in Bata Showrooms. Apart from this
phenomenon, in general, Bata prices its shoes very moderately, and keeps them easily affordable, which is one of the key reasons for its growth. The
pricing affects the premium customers who think of Bata as a mass market brand and not justifiable to their status. However, this is a conscious call by
Bata because it has some premium products like Hush puppies to drive margins, whereas other products are mainly present to drive turnover and
quantities.
Place : Placement of Bata and all its subsidiaries has been widely effective because it was done after regular market research studies. In fact, maintaining
the low cost of product is possible for Bata only if it has widespread distribution and economies of scale at work for the brand. Even breakeven would be
difficult if it did not rely on its distribution prowess. Distribution of Bata products has been based on thorough research and forecasting of market
conditions. All the international markets were first studied for segments, cultures, economic conditions and overall responsiveness and then entered. Bata
has a retail network of over 1,200 stores across India. The stores are present in prime locations and can be found in all the metros, mini-metros and
towns. The company also operates a large non-retail distribution network through its urban wholesale division and caters to millions of customers through
over 30,000 dealers.
Promotion : Bata, since the very beginning has not believed in extensive media or public related promotion, so much so that one seldom comes across a
television commercial or print advertisements by Bata. It highly relies on its century long legacy due to which it has the loyalty of the customer base that it
aims to target. By showing more promotions, Bata would be increasing its cost. This cost will then increase the overall price of the product, which is a
negative point for Bata considering that it is targeting the mass market. Thus, almost an undifferentiated marketing strategy exists for Bata. Only major
promotions that it offers are during seasonal sales and discount days, and the same is automatically communicated within the market sphere through word
of mouth by customers and through posters outside their showrooms, which ultimately allows it to save on promotion campaigns and eventually benefits
the customers only, with low price shoes.