4.6 The extended marketing mix of seven Ps

Marketing mix - people

• “People” refers to the employees and managers of a business and how they relate to customers and communicate with them.

• Even online retailers must think about their “people”.

• Well-trained, confident and well-motivated employees who deal with customers in an efficient, speedy manner also help to create customer loyalty and it is always much cheaper to keep existing customers than to find and attract new ones.

Marketing mix - process

• Process: procedures and policies that are put in place to provide the service/product to the consumer.

  • Why process?

    • What processes has McDonald’s put in place if a customer walks into one of its restaurants, orders a Big Mac Meal and it’s delivered within two minutes?

    • What were the stages in the process that allowed the customer to obtain this service delivery? Could it be made even more speedy? The speed and efficiency of service delivery are determined by the “process” that has been put in place.

  • Importance of changing process

    • Processes must change for businesses to remain competitive. Online shopping offers customers a much quicker and more convenient ordering/payment/delivery process than traditional retail shopping.

Marketing mix - physical evidence

• Physical evidence: ways in which the business and its products are presented to customers.

• Intangible product: non physical product - a service - provided to a consumer such as an insurance policy or a car repair.

• Tangible product: physical object that can be touched such as a building, car, tablet computer, or clothing.

Seven Ps model in a service-based market