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Marketing Mix

Marketing Mix – Amazon.com
From the Industrial Revolution to the early 1920s businesses focused on production. In the 1930s the focus turned to sales. Marketing became a familiar concept after WWII due to a variety of consumer selection. Consumers could afford to select which product would meet their individual need. Initial response from the business world focused on the following areas of marketing; 1) Focus on consumer need before production, 2) Align business functions to meet those needs and 3) Profiting comes from long-term customer satisfaction (NetMBA, 2002-2007). This has evolved into what is now referred to as a marketing mix which includes the four P’s; price, product, promotion and place. Coordination of the four P’s is vital to retaining and maintaining customer satisfaction.
The marketing mix is used differently in many industries; however, the desired outcome of retaining and maintaining customers is still the same. A Philip Kotler quote at Museum Marketing Tips (2008) stated; “Authentic marketing is not the art of selling what you make but knowing what to make. It is the art of identifying and understanding customer needs and creating solutions that deliver satisfaction to the customers, profits to the producers and benefits for the stakeholders.” When considering marketing a business such as Amazon.com then internet marketing comes into focus. The focus still exemplifies the four P’s with some additional aspects which this paper will portray.
The Four P’s
Product selection is the key in today’s marketplace. Consumers are particular about certain brands brought into their household for a variety of reasons. Some examples; people prefer Coca-Cola over Pepsi, Sony over Polaroid or Panasonic when purchasing a television, Maytag over Whirlpool for a washer and dryer selection. Prior to the marketing concept the thought was a good product could sell itself. In marketing, product relies on many variables; brand name, quality, safety, manufacturer...