The Marketing Component: Establishing Price

One of marketing’s functions is to establish the product’s price. Price is dependent on the perceived value, the product’s cost, and how the product is distributed. When products are more of a commodity or have intense competition, the product is priced to match or beat your competitors. It’s an area where the product counts less, [...]

The Marketing Component: Customer Service

Poor customer service is a massive problem and getting worse. I’m constantly astounded at how many companies care less about the customer after the sale is made. The Consumerist Web site (www.consumerist.com) is filled each day with horror stories about how poorly customers are treated. They are lied to and deceived, promises to call back [...]

The Marketing Component: Public Relations

One of the most effective methods of communicating to the world about your product is through the use of public relations (PR). Among many of PR’s roles, one of the most important is communicating with the industry journalists who, through their writings and reporting, tell their audiences about your product. Segnala presso:

The Marketing Component: Product Positioning

When your product is introduced to the market you need to describe it, or position it, in a way that’s accurate, clear, concise, and makes one want to buy it. Many companies make the mistake of providing a description with too much information. In these times, where we’re being bombarded with all sorts of complicated [...]

The Marketing Component: Market Testing

During the development of a product it’s beneficial to get input from potential customers, particularly if the product is unique or if design trade-offs need to be made. Most products are a delicate balance between function and cost. Segnala presso:

The Marketing Component: Product Definition

In the early stages of development, one of the most important efforts is defining what the product does, as well as what it doesn’t do. In other words balancing the trade-offs. Complicating this is the dimension of time. You’re defining the product a year or more in advance, trying to accurately estimate market needs and [...]

The Marketing Component

The foundation of good marketing begins with respect for the customer. The role of marketing is to help make a product succeed in the marketplace and realize its sale potential by using a variety of activities. These include influencing the product’s design, positioning the product and company to the outside, conducting market research, promoting the [...]