Marketing mix: the four Ps must fit together
The marketing mix — product, price, place, promotion — is not four separate decisions: each must reinforce the others and suit the target market. A premium product needs a high price, exclusive distribution and aspirational promotion; a budget product needs a low price and wide availability. A mismatch destroys value — a luxury perfume sold cheaply in a discount shop erodes the brand. Justify any mix decision by the target segment and the other Ps.
Legal controls on marketing
Businesses cannot market freely. Misleading promotion is illegal: false claims, misleading pricing (a fake original price), or deceptive packaging. Consumer protection law also requires goods to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and safe. Breaching either brings fines, forced withdrawal, recalls and lasting reputational damage — lost trust can cut sales far longer than a fine. Compliance shapes what promotion may claim and what may be sold.
E-commerce: global reach against new risks
E-commerce means buying and selling over the internet. Opportunities: global, 24/7 reach without stores; lower distribution costs; low barriers to entry so small firms can compete; and customer data for personalised promotion. Problems: cyber-security risk (stolen data brings fines and lost trust); costly delivery logistics; fierce online competition; and ongoing website costs. The examiner test is application — tailor each point to the business.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Generic e-commerce answers stall at Level 1
The top weakness here (November 2022 P21) is discussing e-commerce in the abstract, not applying it to the named business. "It reaches more customers" or "it might be hacked" earn Level 1 only. Level 2 adds a step tied to the firm: it sells through only two shops, so a website reaches buyers nationwide. Tie every point to the firm's size, market or customers.
November 2022 P21: e-commerce answers were generic (website costs, hacking) without contextual application to the specific business.
New-product research must be contextual
When market research informs a NEW product, a generic account of research methods is not enough (June 2023 P12 Q2(e)). The evaluation must address the new-product context: why primary research matters with no sales history, and how findings shape this specific product. Questionnaires described in general, untied to the new product, stall below the top band.
June 2023 P12 Q2(e): market research for a new product — generic research discussion was insufficient; the new-product context had to be addressed in evaluation.
Justify the mix as a whole, not one P
In "justify a mix decision" questions, candidates defend one element alone. "Premium pricing because the product is high quality" justifies price by product only, saying nothing about whether place and promotion reinforce it, so it stalls in the analysis band. A top answer shows the Ps reinforcing each other. Check the decision fits every P and the customer.
Foreign-market entry: develop, do not list
Asked about problems of entering a foreign market, candidates list challenges — language, different laws — and stop, earning knowledge marks only. Each needs its mechanism: material must be translated and adapted, adding cost; local safety laws must be met before selling, delaying revenue. Name the challenge, the mechanism, then the business.
(general exam technique)
Legal controls are not the same as ethics
Legal controls and ethics are not the same. Legal controls are enforceable by law: false advertising claims or unsafe goods can bring fines or prosecution. Ethical behaviour goes beyond the legal minimum — not using tactics that are legal but misleading, such as pressuring vulnerable customers. Obeying the law is required; being ethical is a choice.
E-commerce cuts some costs but adds others
It is wrong to say e-commerce simply "removes costs". It cuts some — no shop rent, less in-store staff — but adds others: building and securing a website, cyber-security, and delivery and returns logistics. Likewise, entering a new market is not "easy growth": it brings cultural, legal and distribution challenges. Treat both as trade-offs, not pure gains.
Evaluation needs a supported judgement
On a 6-mark evaluate, the top band needs a supported judgement, not a two-sided list. Give a decision, a context-specific reason why one factor tips it for THIS business, and why the alternative matters less. "There are advantages and disadvantages" earns no AO4.
Apply every point to the named business
Application marks are lost to generic answers. Parts (c) and (d) name the business, and each point needs a DIFFERENT contextual reference — repeating the product name earns application once, not twice. Do not put analysis in a knowledge part or application in an evaluate part.
Analyse builds a chain; evaluate judges
Match the command word. Analyse wants a chain — knowledge, mechanism, consequence ("this raises costs, lowering profit") — with no judgement. Evaluate wants both sides weighed AND a decision. A one-way chain caps an evaluate; a bare verdict wastes an analyse.
The marketing mix — product, price, place, promotion (the 4 Ps) — must be internally consistent and matched to the target market. No element is decided in isolation.
| Mix element | What it does | Must fit… |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Features, quality, design, branding | Price (premium quality → premium price), place (specialist outlet) |
| Price | Skimming, penetration, competitive, premium | Product quality, channel, target customer income |
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