The element of place deals with the factors that go into the distribution of a product, whereas promotion is concerned with the dedicated communication activities.
Place or Distribution: After a product is fully developed and offered at a competitive price, it must be delivered to an identified target audience. The place element of the marketing mix is where product production and distribution channels are decided and planned. The decisions made in this step directly affect the types of communication that are used to tell the target audience about a product.
Place Decisions, including the choice of business partners, encompass how a product will be manufactured, stored, shipped and delivered to the end customer. A company may have a product manufactured internationally, use local warehouses and shipping resources when the product arrives from overseas, and then use a network of independent retailers to offer the product to consumers. Place decisions in the marketing mix directly affect the company’s promotion activities.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!!
Least flexible of strategic retailing issues and one of the most important. Need to consider:
Place or Distribution: After a product is fully developed and offered at a competitive price, it must be delivered to an identified target audience. The place element of the marketing mix is where product production and distribution channels are decided and planned. The decisions made in this step directly affect the types of communication that are used to tell the target audience about a product.
Place Decisions, including the choice of business partners, encompass how a product will be manufactured, stored, shipped and delivered to the end customer. A company may have a product manufactured internationally, use local warehouses and shipping resources when the product arrives from overseas, and then use a network of independent retailers to offer the product to consumers. Place decisions in the marketing mix directly affect the company’s promotion activities.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!!
Least flexible of strategic retailing issues and one of the most important. Need to consider:
- cost
- location of the target market
- kinds of products being sold
- availability of public transportation
- customer characteristics
- competitors location
- relative ease of traffic flow, incl. pedestrian
- parking and major thorough fares
- complementary stores
Atmospherics: Describes the physical elements in a store's design that appeals to consumers and encourages consumers to buy. Warm, fresh, functional exciting. Exterior Atmospherics-store front, display windows, important to attract new customers. Surrounding businesses, look of the mall etc.
Interior Atmospherics-lighting, color, dressing room facilities etc
Displays enhance and provide customers with information.
Need to determine the atmosphere that your target market seeks.
Store Image: Mental picture that a retailer tries to project to the consumer. To a consumer, it is a persons attitude towards a store. Need to project an image, a functional and psychological image in consumer's minds that is acceptable to the target market. Depends on the atmospherics, reputation, number of services offered, product mix, pricing etc. FAO Schwartz "It is important to leave people with a memorable image of your store. At Disneyland, its Cinderellas castle. For us, its the clock."
Interior Atmospherics-lighting, color, dressing room facilities etc
Displays enhance and provide customers with information.
Need to determine the atmosphere that your target market seeks.
Store Image: Mental picture that a retailer tries to project to the consumer. To a consumer, it is a persons attitude towards a store. Need to project an image, a functional and psychological image in consumer's minds that is acceptable to the target market. Depends on the atmospherics, reputation, number of services offered, product mix, pricing etc. FAO Schwartz "It is important to leave people with a memorable image of your store. At Disneyland, its Cinderellas castle. For us, its the clock."